Journalism of Courage
Advertisement
Alaka Sahani
Alaka Sahani is a Senior Editor with The Indian Express, Mumbai. She received the National Film Award for Best Film Critic, 2013. Her Swarna Kamal citation states that the jury recommended her for the award for "highlighting facets of cinema beyond glamour and gossip by delving deeper into the contemporary relevance of iconic filmmakers". In her articles and interviews, she goes beyond the tried-and-tested templates to offer insights into the workings of Indian cinema. Her choice of subjects is eclectic: from A-listers to emerging talents; the history of Indian cinema and its various trends; many strands of contemporary India and world cinema. While watching movies has been her lifelong passion, she also closely follows theatre in Mumbai.
Authors you can follow
More From Alaka Sahani
Guillermo del Toro on his Netflix-adaptation of Frankenstein, craftsmanship and the humanity of monstersSubscriber Only
October 11, 2025 07:39 IST
Releasing on November 7, Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein delves into timeless questions of what it means to be human and what it means to be misunderstood as both a creator and a creature.
Sun, Oct 12, 2025
From Arco to Little Amélie: Indie animated films take centre stage ahead of Oscars 2026Subscriber Only
October 11, 2025 07:00 IST
Showcased at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and the Cannes Film Festival, Arco and Little Amélie centre around child protagonists while offering deeper reflections on the world around them.
Sun, Oct 12, 2025
Play Dirty movie review: When the fun runs out too soon
October 05, 2025 16:58 IST
Play Dirty movie review: The Shane Black-directed crime caper, featuring Mark Wahlberg, struggles with a flimsy central conflict and a wafer-thin plot.
Sun, Oct 05, 2025
Anurag Kashyap on Monkey in a Cage: ‘Want the audience to be uncomfortable’Subscriber Only
October 04, 2025 16:00 IST
The Gangs of Wasseypur director questions a culture that cancels and is judgmental and why he won’t sanitise the film.
Sun, Oct 05, 2025
‘We all have inner demons’: Why KPop Demon Hunters resonates globallySubscriber Only
October 04, 2025 15:37 IST
Directors of the hit animated Korean film talk about how Parasite's Bong Joon-ho inspired them to mix a range of elements.
Sun, Oct 05, 2025
Sharing our vulnerabilities, insecurities with each other helped us bond: Ishaan Khatter talks about his prep with Homebound co-star Vishal Jethwa
September 26, 2025 14:41 IST
Lead actors of India's Oscar entry Homebound, Vishal Jethwa and Ishaan Khatter, on how they bonded before the shoot, worked on internalising their characters and the unlearning they had to do
Sat, Sep 27, 2025
Two Much with Kajol and Twinkle review: A collab we didn’t know we needed
September 25, 2025 11:59 IST
The first episode of 'Two Much with Kajol and Twinkle' features Salman Khan and Aamir Khan as guests, and sets stage for their candid confessions, banter and fun.
Sat, Sep 27, 2025
‘Homebound’ wraps harsh truths of our times in a moving tale of friendshipSubscriber Only
September 24, 2025 14:16 IST
Even as the Neeraj Ghaywan-directed ‘Homebound’ explores the fault-lines in the society and darkest hours of present-day India, the movie lets hope permeate the narrative
Mon, Sep 29, 2025Through this story of friendship (between a Dalit and a Muslim boy), we can talk about the heart of our country, says Neeraj Ghaywan, writer-director of Homebound, India’s official Oscar entry
September 21, 2025 03:53 IST
Homebound — which chronicles the friendship and struggles of Chandan (Vishal Jethwa), a Dalit, and Shoaib (Ishaan Khatter), a Muslim, who are determined to beat the odds to lead a better life — had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival 2025 under the Un Certain Regard section.
Mon, Sep 22, 2025
‘Our stories rooted in local soil can resonate universally’: Bangladeshi director Adnan Al Rajeev on borrowing from the personal to tell socially engaged storiesSubscriber Only
September 20, 2025 08:00 IST
Adnan Al Rajeev's 'Ali', which registered Bangladesh's first-ever win at Cannes Film Festival with Special Mention from the Short Films Jury, was recently showcased at TIFF.
Fri, Sep 19, 2025
Seemab Gul on her debut feature Ghost School: ‘I wanted to highlight the issue of girls’ education in Pakistan’Subscriber Only
September 19, 2025 21:26 IST
British-Pakistani filmmaker film Seemab Gul's 'Ghost School' premiered recently at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Fri, Sep 19, 2025
Sundance winner, Marathi-language movie ‘Sabar Bonda’ releases in theatres tomorrow
September 18, 2025 21:16 IST
Rohan Kanawade-directed Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears) finds support of Nagraj Manjule, Nikkhil Advani, Saie Tamhankar and Vikramaditya Motwane for its theatrical journey
Thu, Sep 18, 2025
Indian movies Homebound and In Search of The Sky win at TIFFSubscriber Only
September 15, 2025 14:07 IST
Neeraj Ghaywan-directed Homebound and Jitank Singh Gurjar-directed In Search of The Sky win International People’s Choice Awards and the NETPAC Award, respectively, at the 50th edition of TIFF.
Tue, Sep 16, 2025
Bobby Deol on Monkey in a Cage and being fearless in his choices: ‘When I did not have any work, I took acting classes…’Subscriber Only
September 12, 2025 18:51 IST
Even as Bobby Deol adopts a fresh approach for his career, he talks about stepping out of his comfort zone, regaining faith in himself and how OTT gave him the chance to be the antagonist.
Sun, Sep 14, 2025
An indie film rooted in Indian faith: Braj language, partly set in KumbhSubscriber Only
September 12, 2025 03:54 IST
A truly independent film that captures the essence of Indian life and belief, In Search of the Sky recently had its world premiere at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Fri, Sep 12, 2025
Gandhi comes to Toronto film festivalSubscriber Only
September 09, 2025 07:17 IST
Hansal Mehta-directed three-season series premieres at the 50th edition of TIFF.
Tue, Sep 09, 2025
‘This story could not have been told in a stoic and dark way’: Inspector Zende director Chinmay Mandlekar on using humour to make the filmSubscriber Only
September 06, 2025 16:15 IST
The film features Manoj Bajpayee as Inspector Zende and Jim Sarbh as Carl Bhojraj.
Sun, Sep 07, 2025
‘There are invisible glass ceilings that one needs to keep shattering’: Huma Qureshi on playing a cop in BayaanSubscriber Only
September 06, 2025 15:06 IST
The actor and producer talks about balancing mainstream and meaningful cinema and her desire to tell stories that resonate with audience beyond urban centres
Sun, Sep 07, 2025
Bimal Roy’s Do Bigha Zamin restored, headed for Venice Film FestivalSubscriber Only
August 30, 2025 04:11 IST
On September 4, the restored movie’s premiere will be held at Sala Corinto, a skating track turned into a temporary theatre.
Sat, Aug 30, 2025
In ‘Ba***ds of Bollywood’, Bollywood’s ‘crown prince’ Aryan Khan debuts with a curve ballSubscriber Only
August 21, 2025 15:27 IST
As creator and director of the upcoming Netflix show, which explores the film industry’s ‘insider vs outsider’ debate, Aryan, son of Shah Rukh Khan, shows signs of self-awareness of his privilege and an understanding of the world he was born into
Fri, Aug 22, 2025
The Map That Leads to You: The romance set against European summer is too sugary for its own goodSubscriber Only
August 20, 2025 12:46 IST
Directed by Lasse Hallström, The Map That Leads to You, featuring KJ Apa and Madelyn Cline, aspires to be a dreamy, nostalgia-soaked romantic tale.
Fri, Aug 22, 2025
A look at some epic challenges actor Chris Hemsworth undertakes on the new season of NatGeo’s LimitlessSubscriber Only
August 16, 2025 15:49 IST
In the latest season the Thor actor climbs a frozen 600-foot wall in the Swiss Alps and embraces Special Forces pain training in South Korea to discover how we can live longer, better lives.
Sun, Aug 17, 2025
Why the cast of ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha’ has the stage to thank for their roles on the screenSubscriber Only
August 16, 2025 15:48 IST
Actors Pratik Gandhi, Sunny Hinduja and Anup Soni on being part of the Netflix series, why it was an enriching experience and the historical characters they would like to portray
Sun, Aug 17, 2025
Shazia Iqbal on directing Dhadak 2 as a Muslim woman: ‘Box-office collection is secondary to the opportunity to make the film’Subscriber Only
August 08, 2025 21:44 IST
Writer-director Shazia Iqbal, who made her feature debut with Dhadak 2, on why she is okay with the criticism over Siddhant Chaturvedi's tanning; why more filmmakers should embrace social relevance as part of mainstream storytelling; and how producer Karan Johar stood by the film's vision.
Sat, Aug 09, 2025
Javed Akhtar looks back at the Sholay script he wrote with Salim Khan: ‘Its dialogues are used in stand-up comedies even today’Subscriber Only
August 03, 2025 08:00 IST
Scriptwriter Javed Akhtar on why they were confident Sholay would be a hit despite the reviews, the enduring appeal of Gabbar and putting his money on the film that generated Rs 3 crore in 1975.
Sun, Aug 03, 2025Journalism of Courage
Install the Express App for
a better experience
a better experience
Featured
Trending Topics
News
Multimedia
Follow Us