Ishita Sengupta
Senior Sub Editor
Articles By Ishita Sengupta
The (dis)comfort of stability in relationships
Many of us associate the idea of a relationship — if not love — with stability. Perhaps, rightly so.
Every single person is political: Aparna Sen on her new film Gharey Bairey, Aaj and the need for a moderate voice
Unlike the novel or Satyajit Ray’s film, where the politics of the author is not only blatant but his allegiance is foregrounded, Aparna Sen is more nuanced, less blatant in her adaptation of Gharey Bairey.
Kumbalangi Nights: Toxic masculinity decoded, destroyed
If a hero is what a hero does, he is also the way he is perceived: the gaze not only elevating him but also putting a shroud of impunity over his misconducts. In Kumbalangi Nights, this gaze — unquestionable in its devotion — is corrected.
Aziz Ansari’s RIGHT NOW: The Netflix special is an apology in progress
His special, as the name suggests, is an update of how Aziz Ansari is right now, and, contrary to what he feels, he is disillusioned.
Noblemen: This Merchant of Venice adaptation lets Shylock have his revenge
In Vandana Kataria’s directorial debut, Noblemen, actions replace words and Shylock becomes more of an idea rather than a person.
Bombers review: An underdog story that suffers from sluggish pace and a predictable plot
The problem with Bombers is not that it is trying to tell an extraordinary story in an ordinary way but that it is telling a story we already know in a voice we are all too familiar with.
Big Little Lies Season 2: Refashioning female companionships and jostling with secrets and lies
Big Little Lies Season 2: If the first season was about lies, the second season seems to be about those lies, showing up, one after the other, threatening to dismantle familiar and filial ties.
Leonard Cohen: The selfish, selfless lover
Over the years, I have not as much listened to Cohen’s songs as I have gone back to them, each time with more fervour to seek refuge.
Fathers, the quiet caregivers who struggle with affection
Affection, like other cousins of love, has its own private language. Unlike the linguistic specificity of love, whose mere admission serves as manifestation, sometimes, affection eludes such succinct expression.
Writing did not take courage, it has been healing: Lisa Ray
In an interview with indianexpress.com, Lisa Ray talks about her identity as an outsider, her attitude towards cancer, how the condition triggered self-introspection and her memoir.
Fleabag: The unbearable lightness of sisterhood
Rooted in debilitating relationships is the bond shared by Fleabag and Claire. But it is the dysfunctionality, often regarded as the fundamental and accepted tenet of sisterhood, that makes the relationship most functional.
Finding my uncle in ‘Mard Ko Dard Nahin Hota’
A misfit and his love for the silver screen.
Tishani Doshi on her unhinged protagonist, motherhood and female gaze in Small Days And Nights
Tishani Doshi's Small Days and Nights is a searing tale of displacement, anguish, relationships hinged on tenterhooks and ultimately of an outsider who learns to live by making another survive.
Kota Factory review: An engaging web series
The extensive five-episode series gains much from the brilliant performances, especially of Ranjan Raj as Meena and Mayur More as Vaibhav.
Badnaam Gali review: A fun take on surrogacy that sheds light on societal prejudices
Much like Shoojit Sircar’s film Vicky Donor, Ashwin Shetty’s latest film Badnaam Gali uses humour to inflate the narrative as well as to draw the point home. Snarky lines and impressive performances do manage to keep one invested.
Small Days And Nights: Tishani Doshi’s novel expands the definition of motherhood
Tishani Doshi’s latest novel, Small Days And Nights is a deeply layered work underlining the existence and experiences of outsiders, their inability to belong, that often later transforms into their refusal.
Yours Truly review: An affecting ode to loneliness
Sanjoy Nag’s Yours Truly does not view loneliness as a condition contingent on something, rather as a continuous, pervasive state of being, and succeeds in presenting an intimate portrayal of loneliness and the lonely.
The Music Teacher review: A charming tale on the hopefulness of waiting
Sarthak Dasgupta’s film The Music Teacher, streaming on Netflix, meditates on the dual aspect of waiting.
Delhi Crime, Soni: Are powerful female characters empowered enough to command their own narrative?
Power, with all its neutral connotations, has come to be coloured by the hues of gender and gender, in turn, serves as a convenient parameter to identify who is powerful and who is powerless.
Jonaki review: Of uncompromising and powerful storytelling
Jonaki is a personal story, private even, and the director is uncompromising in his storytelling, unrelenting in his choices and intrepid in the employment of metaphors.
