There is something very endearing about Noor. Though I did wish it delved deeper into the serious issue of organ trafficking and not just skirted around it. That said, director Sunhil Sippy, who co-wrote and directed the black comedy Snip! back in 2000, does craft this coming-of-age story with heart. As a romantic comedy, it works up a charm! Sippy's direction is refreshingly… Continue reading Noor
Author: Hamida Parkar
Writer & Editor
Phillauri
She is not afraid of the F-word. And her money goes where her mouth is. Anushka Sharma returns with her second production venture after the hard-hitting NH10 and you realise why she chose to associate herself with this period romantic comedy. Director Anshai Lal delights us with his debut movie, written by Anvita Dutt, conveying a… Continue reading Phillauri
Raees
First up, a few mandatory warnings. Ignore any resemblance Raees has to the real life tale of a certain bootlegger-gangster from Gujarat of 90s who shall remain unnamed for perfectly legal reasons. Or the fact that the movie is heavily influenced by classic crime dramas like Goodfellas, The Godfather, Scarface, Heat or ones closer home such as Zanjeer, Deewar, Company, Satya and Gangs Of… Continue reading Raees
The fight scene that convinced Prakash Mehra to cast Amitabh Bachchan in Zanjeer
“Destiny stands by sarcastic with our dramatis personae (characters) folded in her hand.” George Elliot's quote from Middlemarch perfectly fits Amitabh Bachchan's situation and his casting in Prakash Mehra's Zanjeer - written by Salim-Javed - the movie that created the angry young man phenomenon and gave Hindi cinema its most successful and lasting superstar to… Continue reading The fight scene that convinced Prakash Mehra to cast Amitabh Bachchan in Zanjeer
Goodbye Om Puri
"You would fall in love with him. He has this wonderful warmth. He was the guy who would have the big feasts. He would cook Indian food for everyone, and make a family feeling on the set... His nature is fun, funny and unbelievably warm. I hate to use the word teddy bear, but he… Continue reading Goodbye Om Puri
Kanoon
What happens when someone is wrongly accused and sentenced for a murder? B.R.Chopra's gripping 1960 whodunit courtroom drama Kanoon not only questions capital punishment but also examines the place of individual wants/ needs and how they fit within society's aim of providing justice to all members equally. Intriguingly, the movie starts with a murder. The… Continue reading Kanoon
The 10 Great Hindi Movies of 2016
2016 will go down in history as the year in which three of the millennium's biggest superstars, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan finally came of age. They showed off their paunches and gave us a glimpse of their grey hair. Shah Rukh played an age-appropriate psychologist in Dear Zindagi, Salman an ageing wrestler in Sultan… Continue reading The 10 Great Hindi Movies of 2016
Dangal
Dangal's biggest draw is also its biggest flaw. Yet for once, a star's power and a man's ego is put to good use. Aamir Khan plays Mahavir Singh Phogat, an Indian amateur wrestler and coach who trained six girls from his family to wrestle against all odds. Oldest daughter Geeta won India’s first ever gold medal in women’s wrestling… Continue reading Dangal
Why Aamir Khan was scared to play his age in Dangal
Tanne chaaro khaane chit kar degi Tere purje fit kar degi Dat kar degi tere daanv se badh ke Pench palat kar degi Chit kar degi, chit kar degi Aisi dhaakad hai dhaakad hai Aisi dhaakad hai Aisi dhaakad hai dhaakad hai Aisi dhaakad hai Once in a supermoon, does a big budget Hindi movie… Continue reading Why Aamir Khan was scared to play his age in Dangal
Befikre
Is love lust? Or friendship? Is it platonic? Or just an ineffable feeling? A leap taken in good faith? Writer, producer and director Aditya Chopra turns an age-old dilemma on its head and gives it new life in Befikre. The movie feels like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge in spirit and yet it's not. Set in modern world, it… Continue reading Befikre
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