Hindi movies

  • You know that black screen with white lettering that appears before nearly every movie these days? The one that tells you that smoking and drinking is bad for you? Cocktail is the first one I’ve seen where, not only does it say there for a while, there’s actually a voice-over that reads it out. And…

    Read more →

  • Where is my cow?

    For a while now, I have been meaning to write a blog post on Rowdy Rathore.  But just when I figured out what I wanted to say, Baradwaj Rangan beat me to it. To be fair, he does it better than I would have. So let me speak of a couple of peripheral observations that I…

    Read more →

  • Sarfarosh holds fond memories for me: it was the first film I saw with my wife. We had barely become acquainted and had gone out to watch it with a mutual friend. Not exactly a first date, but hey. But even if you ignore my personal bias , I think there is much to admire.…

    Read more →

  • Kahaani

    It’s a dirty trick, really: setting a movie in Kolkata during Durga Puja, knowing that this very fact would make it nearly impossible for me to find fault with it. I lived in Kolkata for around 6 years as a grad student, and I haven’t lived in any city before or since that I have loved…

    Read more →

  • Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu

    I often wonder about star/numerical ratings for films. How does a film earn, say, 3 stars out of four? Is there a sort of formula employed by those who give out these ratings, or is it a quantified version of what is essentially a qualitative reaction? Is there an objective way of doing this? Here’s…

    Read more →

  • In all honesty, I cannot claim to be a big fan of Dev Anand. The man kept making movies well past his sell-by date, and barring a few, I cannot bring myself to sit through his films. Having said that, I have nothing but admiration for a man who refuses to retire. It takes a…

    Read more →

  • Rockstar

    Nearly every review of Rockstar will tell you the following things: Ranbir and Rahman are in top form. They are let down by a meandering script that shines in individual moments but lacks brevity in some portions and depth in others. Nargis Fakhri looks like a million bucks. Acts worth a dime, if you’re feeling generous.…

    Read more →

  • Raindrops on roses etc.

    A few weeks ago, when my 15 year old cousin was visiting and wanted to watch a funny movie, the first one the came to mind was Arsenic and Old Lace. He loved it, of course. Once I managed to convince my cousin that my recommendations weren’t hopeless, I went on to recommend The General,…

    Read more →

  • Movie Review: Ra.One

    Ra.One is a pitch perfect example of a wholesome family entertainer. It is a touching story about a father’s love for his son, and how it lives on in the form of a video game character come to life, set amidst a high-octane confrontation between a seemingly indestructible villain and a seemingly vulnerable and “human”…

    Read more →

  • Maria, Amrita & Beth go medieval on Karan Johar’s a** in their latest podcast: Filmistan High Class Reunion: Koffee with Karan Season 3 in Review I watched a fair bit of Season 1 of KwK, a little less of Season 2 and not even a single full episode of the last season. But from what…

    Read more →