The Bong Connection OR why Bengali music is still the best

WARNING : WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF BENGALI ESSENTIAL.  NON-BONGS, PLEASE ACCEPT THE HYPOTHESIS AND WAIT FOR MY NEXT POST ON  HRISHIKESH MUKHERJE...

Phoolon Ka, Taaron Ka: Brothers and Sisters of Bollywood

Brother and sisters in Hindi cinema should be easiest to write about since they appeared in every second film (till the 1990s) and a sister...

The Day I Discovered I Was Illegitimate

(Published in Zeitgeist, The New Indian Express, dated 21 August, 2010) “Do you know we’re illegitimate?” It was one of the times I’d loved ...

Of spirited maniacs, porn-addicts and hot detectives

(Published in I-Witness, The New Indian Express, dated 15 August, 2010) Book title: Blaft’s Anthology of Tamil Pulp Fiction Volume II Publis...

Random Movies I Like: Chaalbaaz

The words ‘heroine-oriented’ and ‘issue-based’ to describe films are often used interchangeably in Bollywood. And both often mean box-offi...

What can I tell you about Sholay that you don't already know?

On the 35th anniversary of India's favourite experience, there is precious little one can say about it that has not been said already. B...

Of Floral Palanquins and Old Wood Hulks

(Published in i-Witness, The New Indian Express, dated 25 July, 2010) When I myself am in want, it seems my sister-in-law is asking me for a...

At a Gathering of the Roundabout Write Wing

(Published in Zeitgeist, The New Indian Express, dated 7th August, 2010) The horrific truth that there is a book in each of us struck me at ...

Indian Culture and the Prostration Racket

(Published in Zeitgeist, The New Indian Express, dated 24th July, 2010) “Vizhu, vizhu,” she says, in rapture, signalling me to rush to the ...