AARAKSHAN: Watch with Reservations

Prakash Jha's new film, Aarakshan, touches upon the controversial subject of caste and has done so in such a straightforward way, according to three Indian states (Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh) that they have banned its screening, fearing that it might spark bouts of communal violence. Other measures taken in order to ensure safety in relation to the film, have included providing special protection in certain movie theaters where Aarakshan is being screened, as well as protecting the film's well-known actors.

Aarakshan's setting is in a school in which Amitabh Bachchan, the principal, must face the delicate issue of   caste-based quotas. The controversy started once the first look of the film was launched. However, even if the film does indeed allude to Aarakshan at some point in the beginning of the story, the rest of the script is less concerned by it as it develops into a critique of education in India.

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ZINDAGI NA MILEGI DOBARA -The Ultimate Road Trip

Zoya Akhtar knocks it out of the park with her second film. This fresh and full-of-life movie has breathed new zindagi into Hindi cinema much like Dil Chahta Hai did back in 2001. This delicious adventure takes place in Spain and was beautifully filmed in additional locations such as Egypt and India.

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DELHI BELLY: I rate you [like I love you]

'Delhi Belly' might not be doing the due rounds of Nepali cinemas but it sure has traveled to other exotic destinations! Paris and its quintessential commuting work routine had me a bit dizzy this week until - lo and behold - I discovered a silent film release that would force me to unwind... As I scroll through Internet cinema timings at the local French café I come upon the word "Delhi" on my screen... I wonder if a cinema is scheduling an art-house movie about India but immediately see the word "Belly" on the side. I squint. "Delhi" plus "Belly"?! A suburban cinema in Paris is showing a film I never imagined I could watch on the big screen! Abhinay Deo's 'Delhi Belly' has crashed Paris and has me scrambling to the nearest subway station! Cinema hall, here we come!


As I reach the cinema, nine huge posters announce Hollywood fare and my wallet's target is nowhere to be seen. I stand in queue and ask the cashier for a ticket to watch 'Delhi Belly'. The cashier begs my pardon and for a second I ask myself if I should have pinched myself when I saw the film announced on the Internet. I repeat the name of the film and the cashier looks through the list of films currently showing before actually realizing that a film called 'Delhi Belly' is scheduled. I pay my ticket and hurry to find all seats empty, but thankfully, a few minutes later a small audience starts trickling in. We are a handful of foreigners sitting with a merry group of NRIs, carrying packaged samosas and all. The place suddenly feels like home.


Rewind a couple of years earlier. Of all three films Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao's production house was preparing since 2008, 'Delhi Belly' has been the closest to my heart and the expectation to see it never waned even after a box-office smashing '3 Idiots' or a subtle 'Dhobi Ghat'. I had not seen 'Delhi Belly' but yet knew it would be my favorite film of all three. Now is the chance to see if my expectations were correct.

Sitting in that Paris cinema, the small audience gets the feeling we are members of some exclusive clique. A bunch of connoisseurs ready to savour a treat that is only meant for the duly initiated...

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THANK YOU reviewer says "No, thank you".

Akshay Kumar has always been an actor I yearned to be able to love on screen. Time after time, I watched his films hoping he would deliver his talent as smoothly as I remembered him in for example  Namastey London. One film after the other, I came out of the spectator experience thinking “All right, maybe next film”…

Don’t get me wrong. I understand that he is an unparalleled martial arts action hero and that most of his films are supposed to be light mainstream entertainment. I also know how huge his fan base is and the law of the majority has indeed motivated me to keep attempting to love his work.

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DEV ANAND's HUM DONO: A Walk in the Clouds

Hindi cinema today has its set of glories. Current producers, directors and even stars have nevertheless grown up and nourished their creativity on yesteryear’s Hindi films. The likes of Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Bharat Bhushan and of course Dev Anand defined what cinema was to become and what a son, a husband, a lover and simply a man was all about. Likewise, Nargis, Madhubala or Nutan incarnated the ideal of feminity on the silver screen for generations.

In a renewed effort to bring back the glory days of Indian cinema in all its splendour to audiences today, ‘Hum Dono’ has been released in its colour (rangeen) version at multiplexes throughout the country and abroad.

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