Passion Play

Whew! The New York Times said it was likely to harm Mel Gibson’s career and New Yorker magazine called it ‘‘no more subtle&#1...

Whew! The New York Times said it was likely to harm Mel Gibson’s career and New Yorker magazine called it ‘‘no more subtle’’ than The Lord of the Rings.

Gibson’s ambitious The Passion of Christ, about the last 12 hours in Jesus Christ’s life, has triggered an angry religious debate. But who says it’s easy making a film on historical personalities and legends? Perhaps that is why no Indian director has yet attempted a movie on Mahatma Gandhi.

We tracked some of Bollywood’s reel escapades and recalled what the critics had to say about them.

Story continues below this ad

PS: Some reviews will have you in splits, while others will inspire you to watch the films all over again.

Bandit Queen
‘‘The film is a classy version of your run-of-the-mill, rape ’n’ retribution theme that our film industry churns out every now and then.’’

(Madhu Kishwar, when Phoolan was still alive)

Asoka
‘‘The first part of Asoka is pure romance, with musical interludes. The second part is boys’ stuff, with massive battles and rivers of blood. The acting is not realistic. The stars are beautiful and the supporting cast ugly.’’

(IO Film UK, a UK-based website)

Story continues below this ad

	UP NEXT
	• The Rising • Prithviraj Sanyukta • Bajirao Mastani • Indira Gandhi: Tryst with Destiny

‘‘A few waterfall sequences later, Asoka and Kaurwaki—whose hair is perennially wet, thanks to those long bath sequences—discover they are in love. While it is unlikely that the king and the princess would keep bursting into songs, at least Mr (Anu) Malik could have ensured they sounded somewhat believable.’’

(rediff.com)

23rd March 1931-Shaheed
‘‘Chandrashekhar Azad died fighting the British. He did not fall prey to their bullets. Also, Bhagat Singh’s constant slogan in life was Inquilaab Zindabad. However, if you watch Shaheed, for long stretches the director would have us believe it was Vande Mataram.’’

(www.idlebrain.com, a film-based website)

‘‘Bhagat Singh never married, nor did he have a girlfriend. The closest he came to matrimony was when his parents tried to matchmake. The film-makers latch on to this slim wedge just to have a girl sing. In 23rd March, it is Aishwarya Rai with a fully choreographed team—a jarring scene.’’

(rediff.com)

Protesters burn a photograph of Nepal's Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli at the Singha Durbar, the seat of Nepal's government's various ministries and offices during a protest against social media ban and corruption in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Warning bells Nepal’s PM Oli ignored: Graft charges, weaponisation of agencies

World26 min ago

Nepali Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli's iron-fisted rule, attempts to retain power, and recent crackdown on anti-corruption protesters ultimately led to his downfall. Oli's loyalists refused to acknowledge the growing unpopularity. The GenZ protests, fueled by revelations of corruption and lavish lifestyles of politicians, played a major role in his ouster.

View all shorts

Live Blog