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Independent
Pushpa means flower in Hindi. Our protagonist is not a flower, but a fire. Not any ordinary fire, but as he declares, to his nemesis, Shekhawat, “wild fire.”. This ‘flowery wild fire’ learns the skill of swimming and holding his breath underwater for much longer than the average swimmer, instantaneously, when forced to fetch a cricket ball from the bottom of a pond. Apparently illiterate, or, at best, semi-literate, he lives in the Chittoor district of Telangana, so his...
Dhai Aakhar: Merely two-and-a-half letters of an alphabet arouse great expectations
Dhai means two-and-a-half, and Aakhar means akshar or the letters of the Hindi alphabet. The title is taken from a doha (simple, moralising poetry written in couplet form) by an Indian saint, Kabeer, centuries ago. The line goes ‘Dhai aakhar prem ka/key padhey so Pandit hoye’ (whoever reads the two-and-a half letters of the Devnagari alphabet, that add-up to mean love, will be a true seer). Co-prod...
Vijay 69, Review: VATs 69 in a name?
A story that looks very elevating and moralising on paper does not necessarily translate into an engaging film. Vijay 69 is one such film. It seems to have been made to showcase that Anupam Kher, who played an old man’s role in Mahesh Bhatt’s Saaransh (1984), when he was 29, can play such a role, as a 69 year-old at 69. That is a no-brainer. Forty years on, he has done 540 films and started an acting school, besides trying his hand at directio...
The Sabarmati Report, Trailer launch: Express train. Engine Arrival Time in Mumbai: 06 November 2024, Departure: Unknown
On 27 February, 2002, one compartment of the Ahmedabad-Varanasi Sabarmati Express train went-up in flames at a railway station in Godhra Junction, killing 59 passengers and injuring 48. Many politicians and media-persons equated this with the 9-11 attacks, on 09 September, 2001, on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, of the USA, and other places, in which 2,997 peopl...
Film historian Lalit Mohan Joshi’s poignant film ‘‘Angwal’’explores the vibrant yet often overlooked culture of Kumaoni poetry © film critic Lalit Rao (FIPRESCI) dated 05/11/2024
“Angwal,” which translates to “embrace,” is a documentary directed by Lalit Mohan Joshi that explores the vibrant yet often overlooked culture of Kumaoni poetry. A BBC journalist based in the UK and founder of the South Asian Cinema Foundation, J...
Navras Katha Collage, Review: It might get a few ‘awards’, for….
Comedian Jerry Lewis, in the top league during the 50s and 60s, made a breakthrough movie in 1965, called The Family Jewels. Breakthrough, because he played seven roles in the film, all brothers, besides co-writing and directing it. I have been unlucky not to have seen this reportedly hilarious experiment, but I came close when I saw an Indian, Hindustani film, Naya Din, Nayi Raat (NDNR). Nine years after The ...
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3: Grotesque? Yes. Burlesque: Yes. Statuesque? Yes. Humouresque: No. Maze: Yes. Amazing: No
Bhool Bhulaiya literally means a maze or labyrinth, in Hindustani language. This one refers to the Adventures of a Fake Ghostbuster and his Pygmy Partner, who collapses at the slightest sign of danger. They are as fake as the royal family they are summoned to, to perform the task of busting the ghost of a princess, who was imprisoned in a large room, with heavy padlocks, 200 years ago. ...
IFFI, other Film Festivals, and the Media: Partners or undesirables?
When the first film festival as held in Bombay in the year 1952, by the Films Division, 30 years after the first international film festival was held in Venice, nobody would have expected we would be holding the 55th edition in 2024. In the 50s and early 60s, festivals were not held in India regularly, only sporadically. In the 70s it became an annual feature, hence only 55 festivals are spread over 72 years. Since then, it ha...
Sonu Nigam on Society Achievers’ September cover: Surprise?
Kirti Azad has been there. If cricket and politics can make you a society achiever, why can’t singing? Society Achievers continues the legacy of late Nari Hira’s Lana (La for Lalu Bajaj and Na for Nari) Publishing Company, which has undergone several changes since its formation in the early 1970s, as Lana Publishing Company, Magna Publishing Company, HiBa. Hi for Hira and Ba for Bajaj, his partner, a swimming champi...
Kanguva teaser, trailer and songs launch: Everybody loves everybody else
Suriya Sivakumar, Disha Patani, Bobby Deol, K. E. Gnanavel Raja, Jayantilal Gada and Devi Sri Prasad was the quorum this afternoon at the Fun Republic, Andheri, Auditorium 2. Director Siva was busy giving finishing touches to the film, and excused himself, but Suriya said that he was extremely excited at the Mumbai event, but just could not fly down. But they were nowhere to be seen when I arrived, horribly late for a 12...
MAMI’s Mumbai Film Festival treats media like dirt, and then denies accreditation
ScreenShots from the MAMI website and information about the (now deleted) Registration Google Form, for PRESS Accreditation at the Mumbai Film Festival, October 19-24.
All clicked around 12.45 pm-1.45 pm, on 20 October 2024.
You have to go through more than a dozen stages before your application is even accepted by the Festival authorities. Getting Accreditation is another story altogether.
Read on.
Plea...
Dharma’s Dharmatic Decision: Will it make a difference?
Film critics in Mumbai received a communication last week from Dharma Productions, which has been the talk of the community since then.
Dharma was founded in the 1970s by the late Yash Johar, and is currently owned by the Johars, Karan and his mother, Hiroo Yash Johar. On the Dharma website, we are told that: “The name Karan Johar is synonymous with prestige, elegance, versatility and success. He is amongst a prolific group...
Jigra, Review: JigrAlia
Though ‘jigar’ literally means liver in Hindustani, ‘jigra’ means courage, guts and gumption, essential qualities of a brave-heart. In an era of super-heroes and super-heroines, the title gives little away. So you try to relate the title to its star, Alia Bhatt. Having made a terrific impact with her performances in the last 2-3 years, you feel this might be a new avenue, an action showcase, for her considerable talent. You would not be far from...
Kusum Ka Biyaah: A bridge that divides
Jharkhand was carved out of the state of Bihar many years ago. Perhaps some people in either state and the governments have not yet reconciled to the partition. There appear to be irreconcilable differences between them. With this background comes a small indie film, Kusum Ka Biyaah (Kusum’s Marriage), that is set in the border areas of the two states and involves the marriage of a graduate girl called Kusum, from Bihar, to a colliery worker from J...
Yodha, Review: You are on the wrong plane
First they got the spelling wrong, using Yodha instead of Yoddha. Secondly, they got the meaning wrong. Yodhha means a warrior, whereas the Yoddha, who is the protagonist of the film, is an ultra-modern special missions operative, who is disgraced and demoted to the duty of an air security officer, as a result of being over-ambitious during a dangerous mission. At the core of the film is a long second segment inside an aircraft, which is also the most...
1) Abhaas (1997) directed by Bijaya Jena. This is an interesting ‘‘auteur’’ film by Ms. Bijaya Jena who has won India’s national award twice. It is based on a 3 pages long short story by famous Odia writer Rabi Das. This is a classic film that is set in 1951 and talks about deprivation, marginalization, sexual exploitation and neglect of a weak woman. It talks about the Zamindari system in which a landlord exercises complete control over a village. Apart from direct...
AMERICAN STAR is an engaging contemporary thriller, well-directed by Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego, colourful, intriguing and enhanced by some unexpected star turns.Ian McShane- another 81-year-old!- excels as a grizzled, hardened professional--well, let's say he he has not come to Fuerteventura on holiday, or on real estate business.Gradually, there are enigmatic hints in dialogue and action, and bit by bit connections between the characters are revealed. Settings and locations are fin...
There have been at least 50 film versions of what is probably William Shakespeare's most famous tragedy Hamlet. There were a goodly number of silent screen shorts, and many celebrated features, most of which more or less trimmed its customary four hours' traffic of the stage. There have been classical, award-winning versions such as the 1948 production, starring and directed by Sir Laurence Olivier, foreign-language translations- notably in Russian, or as a Finnish farce...
Gravitas Ventures has acquired the drama/thriller BREAK, directed by Will Wernick (Follow Me), for worldwide rights and distribution and sets spring 2024 theatrical release date for April 26th in 120 theatres across the United States and Canada. Digital and international release dates to follow soon. The film stars Darren Weiss (Inside Man, Tin Soldier, Bardejov) Victor Rasuk (Reasonable Doubt, Netflix's The Baker and The Beaut...
Love & Latte launch: A feast for the eyes, both on and off the screen
They call it the Red Bulb. It is a preview theatre, located on the third floor of a high-profile building, off Link Road, Andheri West. The invitation said 6.30 pm. Traffic jams made sure I reached at 7.15 pm. Too early. Things started moving at 9 pm, and went on until almost 11 pm. A little too long for the launch of a music video, which was projected thrice. Shot in Azerbaijaan, with a Sydney Opera House look-alike in...
Cinematography has always been more than just a component of filmmaking; it's an art form that deeply resonates with me, speaking directly to the soul. My journey into the world of cinematography began not in a theater or studio, but in my own living room, with classic films painting stories through light and shadow. This personal exploration has led me to appreciate the intricate art of visual storytelling.
One film that profoundly impacted my understanding of cinematography was "Blad...
Director Danny A. Abeckaser has unveiled the trailer and poster for his new film, the WWII drama Bardejov, in advance of its March 19th debut on digital.
The film stars Robert Davi, Danny A. Abeckaser, Dean Miroshnikov, Emma Renana Bardea, Kyle Stefanski, Omer Hazan, and Darren Weiss.
Many celebs are taking notice and sharing the news about this important film, including Gal Gadot.
Synopsis: Young Hlink...
TO SUBMIT PLEASE VISIT OUR FILM FREEWAY PAGE:
https://filmfreeway.com/BtchFestFilmFestivalandScreenplayContest
Welcome to the 1st annual B!TCHFEST: An International Women’s & LGBTQIA+ Film Festival & Screenplay Contest with a groundbreaking in-person event for both Filmmakers and Screenwriters in the heart of Los Angeles. At B!tchFest we’re not just breaking glass ceilings; we’re shatterin
We are very happy to announce that the director ANA BILIC won BEST DIRECTOR at the International Motion Picture Awards in Brooklin, CANADA. The festival describes itself: “We crave to form and empower alternate and diverse motion picture society with substantial networking opportunities as an alternate solution from mainstream regulations and culture.” Great honor for both the director and the entire team!
☞ Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/oXuEJiN3rD0
☞ Wat...
Bakhtawar Mazhar: In Flames of Glory
A day before the awards were announced, declaring In Flames the best film, at the Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF), I was face–to-face with Bakhtawar Mazhar, one of the protagonists of In Flames, her feature debut, a film that had made a tremendous impression on me. This, a face-to-face with a Pakistani actress, had never happened before, and I was not going to let this opportunity go by. We got into a car, and started talking.
“M...
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