Wow. 2011 has surely been (so far) the best year for Bollywood. Not because there’s been one, singular great film (usually an Aamir Khan or a Shahrukh Khan starrer), but because all the films that the industry has squeezed out in the last 3 months have been, in their own way, engrossing. What started with No One Killed Jessica, lives even now, with what is, perhaps, the best … [Read more...]
Oscar Awards 2011… and a Lot More than that.
This morning, I had the uniquely lucky and somehow awesome pleasure of catching the Oscar Awards Live, for the first time. I say uniquely lucky because in a boarding school, it really is lucky. Therefore, every little titsy-bitsy statement made by anyone at all had an unnecessarily and undeservingly huge impact on me. One of them was something along the lines of, “No matter … [Read more...]
Bollywood Roobaroo Hollywood – Koffee with Holly
[Setting: An old-fashioned room, two cushions at opposite ends, facing inwards, towards a fireplace. Fire crackles. Two fine gentlemen are seated on the cushions, gazing into the crackling flames. One is smoking Cigar, and the other one, adjusting his Dhoti. The Cigar-man, Hollywood, speaks.] Hollywood: Hi. Bollywood: Namaste [joins hands]. Hollywood: It’s a … [Read more...]
Dhobi Ghat Review – A Film with Tons of Class, Soul and Mood
It’s clearly not a mass film. In fact, I made the horribly incorrect judgment of choosing to take 9 of my friends for Dhobi Ghat as a birthday treat, all of whom hated the movie. But that clearly does not imply that this is a bad film. In fact, I think it was brilliant. As I said, it’s clearly not a mass, masala entertainment production. It is for those who are into some real, … [Read more...]
Yamla Pagla Deewana Review – A Fairly Decent Comedy
Most first day first shows are packed with eager viewers, but it was not the same with Yamla Pagla Deewana. Maybe the early hour of 10 AM was responsible, maybe it was due to the fact that the evening before was Lohri and the viewers may have slept fairly late. The numbers began to pick up as the day progressed, and soon we had Houseful signs being put up. Yamla Pagla … [Read more...]