ATUL KULKARNI and NATARANG Rule the Roost - Interview & Film Review

Better late than never, the Hindi Cinema Blog has finally managed to watch the unmissable and highly acclaimed 'Natarang', Ravi Jadhav's filmic anthem to a man's passion for art and to standing for what one believes in, based on a novel by Dr. Anand Yadav. A story that has the capability of stirring audiences throughout the world, this is unquestionably one of the best Indian films we have come across this 2010!

'Natarang' is set in the 1970s and is the story of Guna, a village wrestler with a love for Maharashtrian popular theatre (tamasha) who decides to create his own village troupe when he and his friends are suddenly hit by unemployment. Strong and manly, Guna dreams of writing a play in which he will portray a king but things take a different turn as he becomes confronted with the choice of playing a 'nachya' (effeminate character), without which he would have to say goodbye to any possibility of making his artistic dreams come true. The film about his ravaging passion for popular theatre begins as a lighthearted story and progressively evolves towards the dramatic destiny of its main character as the plot thickens. 'Natarang' touches such sensitive subjects as gender roles and expectations in 1970s Maharashtra, the fear ofsurpassing oneself, art politics, family ties and society's prejudices. READ MORE >>

DABANGG! Vintage Masala's Resurrection!

Bollywood-born Robinhood, Chulbul Pandey (Salman Khan) is capable of crying but still masculine to the core, in true Hindi cinema style. And did anyone say 'fear'? That is certainly a concept unknown to this 'Dabangg' hero (I can still hear a trail of ladies sighing as they come out of the cinema hall).

Cop... lover... rebel Chulbul happens to lose his attachment to family in his childhood when his widowed mother, Naini (Dimple Kapadia), marries Prajapati Pandey (Vinod Khanna), with whom she has son Makhanchan (Arbaaz Khan). Chulbul will only find the worth of family ties later down the line, once he meets and decides to marry exquisite Rajo (Sonakshi Sinha). READ MORE >>

KITES may fail to impress international audiences

Beautiful looking starrers (Greek god Hrithik Roshan and Uruguayan princess Barbara Mori) and a good-looking supporting cast (Kabir Bedi, Kangna Ranaut), lots of action, a bit of imaginary chilli pepper sprinkled here in the form of Mexican "andele, andele!" and another dash of luxury or US Western locations there and you've got a mindblowing worlwide hit, right?

Well... Sorry to say... No.

'Kites' is likely to be a let down, particularly for Latin American and American audiences who will likely be fed a film that does not really take the trouble to appeal to their cultural sensitivity. A film that focuses on Hrithik Roshan but fails to duly bring forward his talent by an evident lack of script/story will certainly make ladies drool and men make summer resolutions to hit the gym but possibly not much else. READ MORE >>

TUM MILO TO SAHI A lukewarm meeting of souls

'Tum Milo Toh Sahi' is a film I personally placed high expectations on, mainly due to the promise of watching its veteran actors and to its central theme: generation and life differences in an ever evolving India at the height of modernization.

The film concentrates on the story of 3 Mumbaikar couples whose lives come into contact due to the greedy purchase of a traditional and cozy coffeehouse by a powerful multinational. READ MORE >>

ROAD, MOVIE: The Power of Cinema

Are you keen to watch an ode to the magic of cinema? ‘Road, Movie’ is the subtle answer. Dev Benegal, known for ‘English August’, pays tribute through this new film to the father of modern home cinema: yes sir, the good ol’ moving cinema, capable of taking fantasy, drama and laughter to India’s most remote corners.

Vishnu (Abhay Deol) sees the opportunity to drive an uncle’s old truck across the desert, in quest of anything that takes him far away, towards a life of adventure. During the course of his journey, he constantly strives to find water, both to quench his thirst and in seeking a seaside town as his destination. His travels are punctuated by encounters with those who will become his companions along the way. READ MORE >>