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Saraswati Datar
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Bhoot Banglas: Indian cinema’s haunted homes and the tropes that are meant to spook us
April 17, 2026 08:32 IST
It’s usually one standalone home that is the source of evil and fear, whether large, like in Bhool Bhulaiyya or small, like the apartments in Bhoot and 13B.
Fri, Apr 17, 2026
Victim, vamp or just plain wicked? How Bollywood’s female antagonists have evolved over the years
April 05, 2026 10:00 IST
What makes negative female characters interesting is that they defy the rules and restrictions placed on a woman and the constant pressure to appease and be pleasing.
Sun, Apr 05, 2026
Catalysts, love interests or aids in adulting – This Women’s Day, can we hope Hindi cinema allows for more equality on the big screen?
March 08, 2026 06:25 IST
As we celebrate Women’s Day and recognise the contributions and achievements of women, let our cinema also reflect the equality and opportunity we demand off-screen.
Sun, Mar 08, 2026
Kohrra Season 2 is a horror story that unfolds as a police procedural
February 15, 2026 09:40 IST
Kohrra Season 2 shifts its focus to family and society, telling us a story that begins with a murder but eventually spreads like the fog it refers to, enveloping us in the horror of existing in a country where injustice and inequality are as pervasive as the air around us.
Sun, Feb 15, 2026
‘From Kabir Singh’s obsession to Shankar’s petrol bombs’: 5 Bollywood-inspired ‘Toxic Tropes’ to avoid this Valentine’s Day
February 14, 2026 08:18 IST
This Valentine's Day, we bring you five different categories of red flags in our cinema and life who continue to be deemed worthy of love or main character energy.
Sat, Feb 14, 2026
Why Border 2’s heavy reliance on nostalgia prevents it from finding its own soul
January 29, 2026 08:04 IST
Border 2 relies heavily on moments, music and memories from Border to establish relevance and strike an emotional chord with audiences. The Sunny Deol-Varun Dhawan-Diljit Dosanjh film succeeds as a tribute, but fails to answer why we still make war films in 2026.
Thu, Jan 29, 2026
Bollywood 2025: Violent men, silent women, and sequels nobody asked for – a year-end report card
December 30, 2025 08:10 IST
Bollywood's 2025 was dominated by hypermasculine heroes (Dhurandhar and Chhaava), unnecessary sequels like Mastii 4 and Housefull 5, and sidelined women. A few outliers like Homebound and Superboys of Malegaon offered rare silver linings.
Tue, Dec 30, 2025
Family Man Season 3 gives us a hero on the run and a villain with main character energy
November 27, 2025 08:00 IST
The Family Man Season 3 made a strange choice of putting Srikant Tiwari (Manoj Bajpayee) on the back foot, and giving us a villain who was written and filmed like a hero.
Thu, Nov 27, 2025
Delhi Crime Season 3 asks a very important question: If girls are invisible or unwanted, do they really go missing?
November 21, 2025 08:10 IST
Delhi Crime Season 3: Through the characters of its victims and perpetrators, Season 3 of the show explores how a patriarchal society conditions men and women to assume roles of dominance and subservience virtually from birth.
Fri, Nov 21, 2025
Awkward conversations and constant interruptions, Kajol and Twinkle Khanna’s show has nothing much to say
November 17, 2025 08:27 IST
The topics on Two Much with Kajol and Twinkle appear to have been picked up with SEO keyword search. This segment begins after over half the episode is done, and usually plays out like an awkward conversation in a family gathering.
Mon, Nov 17, 2025
Maddock Horror Comedy Universe gives us a stree, but never a saviour
October 26, 2025 07:46 IST
Maddock Horror Universe, which advocates for balance - whether between genders, progress and preservation, or diverse social groups - has created stories that allow male stars to shine and play saviour. Hopefully, Shakti Shalini can address that.
Sun, Oct 26, 2025
Homebound: Neeraj Ghaywan explores how language becomes an instrument of oppression in his heart-wrenching second film
October 03, 2025 08:05 IST
Homebound: Neeraj Ghaywan's film asks if you cannot find acceptance in your own country, then where else can you find home?
Fri, Oct 03, 2025
The Ba***ds of Bollywood: Aryan Khan’s debut show lacks a ‘lakshya’
September 26, 2025 08:02 IST
The Ba***ds of Bollywood: There is also a lot of hard-to-believe stuff, or information that seems unnecessary, even in an over-the-top show.
Fri, Sep 26, 2025
War 2’s tragic flaw is that it can’t decide who Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR are at war with
August 22, 2025 08:05 IST
War 2, starring Hrithik Roshan, Jr NTR and Kiara Advani in pivotal roles, needs a better story, but more importantly, a better villain.
Fri, Aug 22, 2025
At Zakir Khan’s historic Madison Square Garden event: ‘Sakht launda, narm dil’
August 20, 2025 18:45 IST
It was the first time that an Indian standup comic Zakir Khan had performed at the esteemed venue in Hindi, filling the massive stadium with over 15,000 people who had travelled by train, car, and even flown into New York to be a part of this historic event.
Wed, Aug 20, 2025
From low-key to larger-than-life, the many faces of Indian spies onscreen
August 15, 2025 09:04 IST
Indian cinema and OTT content have given us multiple characters who work anonymously to save our country from peril. Some are focused on gathering intelligence in undercover roles, others have the license to kill, and some, like the YRF spies, can dance, romance and fire a bazooka, all with equal ease.
Fri, Aug 15, 2025
Kyunki saas bahu and suffering never go out of style
July 29, 2025 07:57 IST
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, which was meant to celebrate Indian joint families and the values that hold us together, had characters across generations commit indiscretions and even sexual offences.
Tue, Jul 29, 2025
Is Metro In Dino a celebration of modern love or yesteryear values?
July 13, 2025 08:51 IST
Life in a Metro was more emotionally complex and progressive, though it was made 18 years ago. It made room for anger, lust, love, ambition, desperation, sacrifice, and compromise without judgment or concern about things getting too dark.
Sun, Jul 13, 2025
Panchayat’s greatest triumph is showing us how patriarchy and gentle masculinity can co-exist
June 23, 2025 19:17 IST
Panchayat has distinguished itself not just by its tone and treatment, but by showing us that even in a patriarchal setting, masculinity can be gentle.
Mon, Jun 23, 2025
Karan Johar, Ram Kapoor, Kusha Kapila face Ozempic barbs: Why this appetite for hate when it comes to celebs and their bodies?
May 30, 2025 08:00 IST
If only there were a drug that could suppress our appetite for spewing hate on others. We could call it Mind Your Own Business 101 or MYOB 101.
Fri, May 30, 2025
Royal mess: Ishaan Khatter, Bhumi Pednekar’s The Royals objectifies, stereotypes, and disappoints
May 17, 2025 08:59 IST
Netflix's The Royals is quite like the palace of Morpur on the show -- glamorous on the outside, but falling apart on the inside.
Sat, May 17, 2025
Maa ke paas bhi desire hain: Why do we strip women of their sexuality when they become mothers?
May 11, 2025 08:00 IST
Mother's Day 2025: The moment you become a mother, people start looking at you differently. You become a human unicorn -- magical, special, and a beacon of all that is good and hopeful.
Sat, May 10, 2025
Jewel Thief joins Bollywood’s continuing struggle to make a good heist film
April 30, 2025 08:02 IST
Jewel Thief, circa 2025, could have been a mildly entertaining film if it had not been so determined to simply rehash ideas from every film already made. Let’s stop paying hat tips to Vijay Anand by using his name as the thief’s alias and instead study how fabulously he reimagined the heist film in an Indian context.
Wed, Apr 30, 2025
Dead women, heroic men- From Sikandar to Mohabbatein, why are dead wives and girlfriends a much-used narrative device?Subscriber Only
April 08, 2025 07:56 IST
Dead women's club: There are different categories of how a woman can be bumped off to create maximum impact in the life of the only character who truly matters, the hero.
Tue, Apr 15, 2025
Superboys of Malegaon: A love letter to cinema and a commentary on all that ails it
March 13, 2025 08:00 IST
While it addresses censorship, profitability versus the pursuit of greatness and access to good cinema, Superboys of Malegaon specially highlights the issue of respecting and giving credit to the artists who work behind the scenes or play supporting roles
Thu, Mar 13, 2025
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