World Cinema

By Ankur Agarwal

Goodbye Bafana is another one of those movies which completely lose the plot what cinema is all about. And instead start dosing you with hard to bear values like sexism and a child asking “Is it fair?” and thus shaking the soul of her otherwise ruthless father. It’s a little difficult to comprehend how much popcorn does the average American viewer need to consume before finally getting onto something else?

Bollywood

By Yasser Usman

“Kismat Konnection” was an interesting name to start with. After watching the film, I can undoubtedly say that only Kismat can save this Aziz Mirza film. It fails to make a connection (or Konnection !!!) with the audience who were obviously expecting something better.

Hollywood

By Aniruddha Basu

Christopher Nolan’s widely anticipated follow-up to Batman Begins is also an origin story. Only this time, instead of the caped crusader, its arch nemesis The Joker who takes centre-stage. Wounded by scars far deeper than the ones on his face, robbing banks and murdering masses with equal glee The Joker is played by the late Heath Ledger in an unforgettable performance (and one that is sure to set Oscar bells ringing). But instead of playing it chronologically in flashbacks, Nolan only hints at what made the Joker such a potent instrument of absolute chaos.

Classics

By Mayur Doshi

In the history of cinema, Lawrence of Arabia is a landmark film by director David lean. This film popularized the story of T.E Lawrence who in the First World War led the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire (turkey) for the liberation of Arabia. Since the story is based on historic fact, what makes this film great is that it combines great acting by its cast along with stunning direction by Lean and cinematography by Freddie Young. This movie which has stood the test of time since its release in 1962 is a must watch and was made to be seen on the big screen.

Indian Cinema

By Amitava Nag

Rituporno Ghosh’s just released film ‘Khela’ raises an interesting, rather pertinent question–why does a director make a film? Is it because of personal monetary gain or for artistic pleasure or just to be ‘different’ from his/her earlier creations? The question remains unanswered. After sitting through the film for around two hours I am baffled by the very purpose of it. At one level, I felt, its probably what has been so heavily publicized - Ritu’s first film where one of the central characters is a child. A string of national awards aside, Rituparno Ghosh has, in the nineties, brought back to the theatre, a section of the cine-going Bengali middleclass intelligent audience who were till that time, bred upon the classics of Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak. No wonder, Ritu was entrusted with carrying the Ray mantle.

Interview

By Bikas Mishra

Despite having all the ingredient of a perfect thriller, why “Via Darjeeling” takes a different turn? Did the cop make it all up or was he narrating a real incident? And why didn’t he light his cigarettes before smoking them? If you have been looking for these answers after watching “Via Darjeeling”, director Arindam Nandy shares his thoughts on his film

Technology

By Savio

There is already a buzz in the industry that the war is over and that blu-ray is going to be the next format to rule the home entertainment market.

So where do you stand…. is it time to throw out all your DVDs and upgrade to blu-ray…

Great Director

By Dr. Vinay Lal

Few directors have left such a mark on Indian cinema as Bimal Roy. His contemporary, Ritwik Ghatak, himself celebrated as one of the supreme masters of cinema, has written that he worshipped Bimalda (as he was popularly known), and recent works of Hindi cinema, such as the remade version of Devdas (with Shah Rukh Khan) and Lagaan (with Amir Khan) bear testimony to the enduring influence of Bimal Roy’s work. His name is indelibly linked to some of the masterpieces of Indian cinema, including Do Bigha Zameen (1953), Parineeta (1953), Madhumati (1958), Sujata (1959), and Bandini (1963).

Opinion

By Rituparna Chatterjee

The last place you are expecting a film festival is at a height of over 30,000 feet, a temperature of minus 45 degrees and a journey that is 24 hours long. But this is exactly where Korean cinema and I finally met face to face. Sure, we had heard a lot about each other…err correction: Korean cinema of course had never heard of petty li’l me. I however, had gone almost deaf (or was it the aircraft engine sneezing?) hearing about this latest darling of film festival circuits. Yet, nothing had prepared me for the historic event. Snippets from my first time: