29 April 2011 has to be a date to be remembered, for a number of reasons. Whilst some of them are related to me in a big way, others, like this one, are a Bollywood-squeezed memory that will set standards and expectations for Friday’s to come. It has to be, probably, perhaps the most bombastic Friday in the history of 2011 Cinema. With three releases, namely Shor in the … [Read more...]
404 – A Psychological Thriller
Firstly, if any computer geeks brightened at the idea that Bollywood chose to make a film about the 404 Not Found Error message, the standard internet response code, then regrettably I have to reveal that it isn’t that 404 that this Hindi film talks about. It is Room 404 in a medical institution that has long showed signs of paranormal activity that is the subject matter of … [Read more...]
Critics Give a Thumbs Up to Shor in the City
The Hindi movie viewer is spoilt for choice this weekend, and another Bollywood offering this last weekend of April, is Shor in the City. Mumbai the city, with its contradictions and complexities has been the leitmotif for a number of recent Bollywood films, such as Dhobi Ghat (which incidentally is Mumbai Diaries in the original English version) and Once Upon a Time in … [Read more...]
New Directors make their presence felt in 2010/11
The year 2010 will probably be remembered as being the year of the success of new directors in Bollywood. There have always been new directors making their presence felt in Bollywood but last year many of them achieved a certain modicum of success and the audience sat up and took notice of their talent and abilities. Most of them were not part of any Bollywood royalty and yet … [Read more...]
Chalo Dilli – The Road Movie Revisited
Even on the face of it, Chalo Dilli has a lot going for it – this weekend’s much awaited Bollywood release was much in the news for several reasons – tennis ace Mahesh Bhupati company Big Daddy Productions is the co-producer of the film and his brand new wife Lara Dutta is the female lead who forms a rather incongruous pair with funny man Vinay Pathak. And just for extra fun, … [Read more...]