Transcendence or trap: The pitfalls of Imtiaz Ali's SHE
Aiming for transcendent commentary on female sexual power, the Netflix series SHE fails in providing true agency to its heroine, falling instead in a powerless trap - Sabah Virani writes.
In His Second Skin: Roles that defined Irrfan Khan’s unmatched acting talent
Irrfan Khan was both subtle and mesmerising, performing with words and with his eyes, embodying characters we would never forget. Jamie Alter analyses the five crucial roles that helped define the art of the acting legend.
A gust of freedom: Water, Gender, and Caste in HELLARO
Abhishek Shah’s Hellaro (2019) dives deep into the intersectionality of gender, caste, and environmental issues in a drought-hit village. Saachi D’Souza reviews this thought-provoking Gujarati film.
A Hanumanic Leap: Why we must let India's mythological epics evolve beyond religion
With the Ramayan and Mahabharat back on TV, Karan Madhok writes about the importance of celebrating the complex fictions of the myths, rather than accepting them as gospel truth.
Yeh Meri (TV) Family
Perhaps there is no greater entertainment that an Indian family fighting for the remote control. From the first cable connection to OTT streaming, Shubham Pal recalls his childhood and family life in front of the television set.
Her Favourite Colour: How a ‘small’ incident in THAPPAD reveals the complex roots of Indian marriage and patriarchy
Anubhav Sinha’s Thappad (2020) raises questions on our conditioning and deeply-ingrained patriarchy, reminding us that abuse in a relationship comes in all forms—physical, emotional, blind to class or caste. Review by Nidhi Choksi Dhakan.
In JAWAANI JANEMAN, Bollywood wrestles - and loses - with the idea of accepting an alternative lifestyle
Set out with potential to challenge Indian societal norms, Nitin Kakkar’s Jawaani Janeman instead ends up ‘settling down’ - in disappointing fashion. Review by Nidhi Choksi Dhakan
City On Screen: Bombay to Mumbai
A megacity seen through the eyes of its dreamers - Ankur Choudhary writes about dreams, nightmares, hope, and despair at interplay in some of the best cinema about Mumbai.
Fear and Loathing – and fact and fiction – in MEHSAMPUR
Past and present, real and unreal, urban and rural, and life and death clash to present Mehsampur, Kabir Singh Chowdhary’s unforgettable film out of the Punjabi heartlands. A review by Karan Madhok
The Decade in Hindi Cinema
Presenting: The Chakkar’s Top 10 favourite Hindi films of the 2010s - by Karan Madhok and Prateek Santram
Why Netflix's LITTLE THINGS is a perfect showcase of Indian millennial relationships
The third season of Little Things forays into deeper issues in an Indian millennial relationship - writes Nidhi Choksi Dhakan
Excerpt: ‘Music, Masti, Modernity: The Cinema of Nasir Husain’
‘Music, Masti, Modernity: The Cinema of Nasir Husain’ was published in 2016 - here’s an excerpt from this Akshay Manwani’s biography on Husain’s musical inspirations and influence on the history of Indian films.