This is not a review of the new Marvel superhero film, Thor. This article is not about the charismatic performances Chris Hemsworth & Tom Hiddleton give in the movie. It’s not about how generic & predictable the film’s plot is. It’s not about the clunky allusions to the upcoming superhero teamup, The Avengers (or Marvel’s The Avengers – its official, even clunkier title). I am clarifying all this before...

Here’s an assignment for you: Ask anyone what’s the first thing that comes to mind on hearing “Bollywood”. 9 times out of 10, the answer will be “the colourful song-and-dance numbers.” Songs are usually the identifying characteristic of our films. And, on a certain level, the practice makes sense. There’s a reason why almost all Bollywood films are musicals. The same reason is why most of our films were 3 hours long and why...

It’s a topic that has elicited giggles, nodding heads and raised eyebrows in equal measure… because let’s face it: Sex is a pretty integral part of dreams, right? And, if a movie were to deal with the concept of dreams (and dreams within dreams, and dreams within dreams withi – you get the drift), then it wouldn’t be incredulous to assume that sex would play a prominent role, right? Which is why I can understand where...

By many metrics, the Indian sub-continent in the 1940s was a terrible place to be in. Communal tensions were at an all-time high and violence was commonplace on a scale that’s hard to imagine. Life was difficult, to put it mildly. Yet, acts of bravery took place at every turn, ordinary people stepped up and performed tasks worthy of heroes… so on, so forth. It was a time which offered hope amid despair, smiles amid tears – if you...

There are two lines in Pete Docter’s wonderful Up that, in particular, struck me as memorable. The first one is an offhand remark made by a little kid. Recounting the outings he went on with his father (who’s separated from his mother), he realises they may be of little significance to the listener. He says, “That might sound boring. But I think the boring stuff is the stuff I remember the most.” That observation brought a huge...

Note: Yes, I know. Nothing says “in the moment” like a Top 10 post of 2010 coming in the 2nd month of 2011. In my defense, I… umm, have nothing to say. Sorry. Let’s move on. I love trailers. To me, they are an integral part of the movie-watching experience. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of sitting in a theater – popcorn in hand – waiting for the movie to start, whilst being treated to...