Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies (2024) is a film that makes serious societal commentary on the socio-cultural, economic, and governance aspects of women empowerment, wrapped within a multi-layered satire. By Kausik K. Bhadra

From Kalki 2898 AD, Brahmastra, and beyond, Indian cinema has become oversaturated with sci-fi films that focus on motifs from religion and mythology, fixating on technical effects rather than innovative ideas and storytelling. By Marnina (Avirup)

Considering the polarizing socio-political climate in the country, Sneha Bengani examines censorship and outrage in Hindi cinema, and the consequences of heightened intolerance towards this democratic, transformative medium.

Told through the prism of a Shakesperean comedy of errors and mistaken identities, Kiran Rao’s Laapata Ladies (2024) explores the various paths to female self-determination in rural India. By Karan Madhok

Despite its acclaim abroad, the fate of Dev Patel’s Monkey Man still hangs in a limbo in India. Afreen Kabir writes about the certification board’s controversial decisions and the Indian state’s larger attitudes towards artistic dissent.

The 2017 documentary Turup reminds viewers of how we are all trapped in a haunted physical world, rife with symbols of pathos; and yet, the revolutionary yearning echoes itself in the corners of the strangest of rooms. By Anamitra Bora

In the run-up to the 2024 elections, the films that hit the big screens, the books showcased on the windowfronts, and the music crawling into our ears, has mostly sung the songs of propaganda. It’s art without dissent; art that rages for the machine. By Karan Madhok

Directed by Vinay Shukla, While We Watched focuses on how journalist Ravish Kumar holds onto the basic tenets of ethical journalism in a country facing informational crisis and democratic backsliding. By Archit Nanda

Released 15 years ago, Zoya Akhtar’s Luck By Chance (2009) was a stinging critique of the shabbiness and the showmanship of the Hindi film industry, where one of the industry’s own looked within and held out a mirror for all to see. By Sneha Bengani

Through films like Bhakshak, Peepli Live, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, and more, Takshi Mehta explores a complex interplay in the representation of media and journalists in Indian cinema, where real and reel stand as opposing mirrors reflecting each other.

Despite an uneven recipe, Abhishek Chaubey’s Killer Soup has enough strong performances and intrigue to make for a palatable—and entertaining—main course. By Karan Madhok

Using alcohol as a vessel, Saurabh Shulka’s comic drama Dry Day focuses on the relationship between capital and elections, the role of women in decision-making realm, and the overlap between the personal and political spheres of life. By Marnina (Avirup)