From the directorial brilliance of Anubhav Sinha comes Thappad, a film that raises questions about the place of women in a society governed by male dominance. Amrita (played by Taapsee Pannu) is a homemaker settled in a life of domesticity, attending to the minutest of needs of her husband Vikram. A sudden storm disrupts their wedded bliss when Vikram, in a moment of misdirected anger, … Continue reading It’s Much More Than a Slap: Thappad Movie Review

Image Source: koimoi.com A week after its release, I grabbed the chance to watch Panga. If the film is to be summarized in a line, I’d say it celebrates the power of a woman. Former Indian national women’s Kabaddi captain Jaya Nigam (played by Kangana Ranaut) is settled in a life of peaceful domesticity and motherhood with husband Prashant and son Adi. The sport is … Continue reading Panga: A Tribute to Womanhood

Glamor and sophistication were not the edifices on which Amol Palekar’s profile rested. He did not portray the hero with indomitable energy fighting the bad guys to seek justice or save a damsel in distress. Nor did he have the chocolate boy looks to melt young hearts. Amol Palekar comfortably fitted in to the garb of a simple middle-class young man that millions of Indians … Continue reading A 75th Birthday Tribute to Amol Palekar

Seeing the giant-sized droplets streaming down the panes, he opened the window and gazed at the backyard. The squirrels that were hopping on the green grass just a little while ago were not to be seen. They must have retreated to some safe shelter to stay dry. He let his thoughts wander a million miles away as he enjoyed the first rains of the season, … Continue reading The Rains and … She

Image Source: facebook.com Poised with confidence, a young man in the spring of 2019 beautifully sang the iconic Bengali patriotic song  Akla Cholo Re, penned by Rabindranath Tagore. The venue was the Embassy of Bangladesh in Tashkent. The year before, with equal ease, he presented at a Delhi concert, among other melodies, his rendition of Mukesh’s evergreen hit Awara Hoon from the 1951 film Awara. … Continue reading Havas Guruhi: When Music Crosses Borders

In less than a week, India lost two of her gems. First it was talented actor Vidya Sinha, and then it was legendary music composer and Padma Bhushan laureate Mohammed Zahur Khayyam Hashmi. Popularly known as Khayyam, the rich granary of Indian music contains his melodious creations that posterity will treasure down the ages. It is always a daunting task to write about any individual … Continue reading Remembering a Music Legend: Khayyam Saab

The year was 1974, and I had gone to watch a movie with my parents. I was too young then to grasp the sum and substance of the film. But there were two things that left a mark, and the impressions cease to fade even 45 years later. One was a pleasant melody that kept ringing in my ears; the other was the image of … Continue reading My Thoughts: A Humble Tribute to Vidya Sinha

Culture and tradition weave the tapestry of our identity. Every community takes pride in the customs they follow and the values they adhere to. It is hoped that these beliefs are practiced by one generation after another. But can the legacy be comfortably handed down at the crossroads where the winds of a new culture blow against the existing one? Amazon Prime just recently added … Continue reading Touching Chords, Raising Questions: What Will People Say?

Intelligence, commitment, passion, versatility, good looks: he has them all. What tightly cements these qualities to build his tall tower of accomplishments is modesty, that admirable virtue that sometimes ceases to exist in an individual reaching his level of success. But he is different from the rest, for this powerhouse of talent is humility personified. I am talking about none other than the immensely gifted … Continue reading An Evening With the Star

In just five days, the glitz, the grandeur, the celebration will grace Mother’s Day. I believe we do not have to wait till then to honor our mothers. For all what they do for us, the invaluable role that they play in the family, and the sacrifices they make to keep the merry notes playing in our lives, EVERY DAY is actually a Mother’s Day! … Continue reading Thoughts of Love