Udta Punjab (2016) was the first film that I saw Shahid Kapoor in. I loved the film, which, if you haven’t seen it, is about the drug epidemic in Punjab; a controversial subject in heavily censored Bollywood. I was impressed by Diljt Dosanjh’s natural performance. Kareena Kapoor, of whom I am a fan, was great in … More Haider (2014) (or, on my introduction to Shahid Kapoor)
Jab Harry Met Sejal (2017) I am new to the films of Imtiaz Ali, but I’ve read enough about him to know that he is at the top of the list of romantic film directors in Bollywood. Rumor has it Ali’s vision of love will sweep just about anyone right off of their feet. You will … More Holding the mirror for Imtiaz Ali
I am about halfway through Anurag Kashyap’s Bombay Velvet (2015), and wanted to talk a few things through before I finish the film. I’m going to be honest about this: I started watching the film because Ranbir Kapoor is great and I found out that Kashyap directed it after consulting IMDB when I realized that the film was … More Thoughts on Anurag Kashyap ~ halfway through Bombay Velvet
Pardes (1997), director Subhash Ghai’s ode to India, opens and closes with a dedication to India’s 50th year of independence, which provides some explanation for the film’s patriotic tone (the song “I love my India” can be heard no less than three times in the first two hours of the film). Pardes examines the relationship … More Pardes (1997)
In my last semester as an undergraduate student in Asian Studies, I was introduced to Bollywood through a sociology course on Indian cinema. Until that point, my studies had been on East Asia (specifically Japan), and I really enjoyed Japanese films from the postwar period (Ozu Yasujiro, Mizoguchi Kenji, Naruse Mikio, etc.). Because I have … More Watching Bollywood (for the not yet initiated)
comprehensionthroughrepetition 