Shalini Langer

As the Centre and Supreme Court raise alarm over the Capital, where numbers are surging and hospital facilities falling short, Shalini Langer on her family’s story — from a testing centre to an ICU, sanitisation to house inspection, officials to RWA, and infection to recovery.

As those two good-looking, rich-looking, well-meaning men worried politely about lesser mortals, one couldn’t take one’s eyes off that young-again, old-again; president-again, not-president again; stubble again, no-stubble again, leader of the Congress.

Social distancing now has medical legitimacy.

Onward often seems confused about that line between magic that seeks to impress, and magic that just is. It is also too much about a lot of things.

The Invisible Man movie review: Elisabeth Moss, she of the vulnerable face and the moist eyes, is shouldering her first solo-lead here. And she does a commendable job with what she gets, which is mostly staring at seemingly empty corners and lurking around quiet houses.

Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan review: Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan's achievement lies not just in going where Bollywood has not gone before. It is in consistently portraying Kartik (Ayushmann Khurrana) and Aman (a superb Jitendra Kumar in his debut film role) as just a couple, not 'homo' or 'hetero'.

Bhoot review: Bhumi Pednekar and Ashutosh Rana are there to add brief acting heft, and to do some mantra-reciting ghost-fighting. A large part, however, is left to the able and much-taxed shoulders of Vicky Kaushal.

When they come to “clear the road”, what will they do with the India map made of scrap and beautified with lights in what can only be a labour of love? What happens to that man playing songs of protest? What happens to those songs even?

Fantasy Island movie review: The whole premise of Fantasy Island is what would happen if people got second chances. The only good ending would be if the film didn't get one.

Little Women movie review: Writer-director Greta Gerwig gets right to the heart of it, capturing the small, everyday rebellions of the story set in the 1860s, and making it as current as it was 150 years ago.

Birds of Prey movie review: Margot Robbie, who stuns with how she can go from mania to tragedy in the blink of an eye, doesn’t really need the help of all that colour and wide-lipped grin to get your attention.

Hugh Grant is so different that he takes you by surprise, Colin Farrell hams it with a dizzyingly dulled down wardrobe, while Charlie Hunnam has the meatiest lines and part. Matthew McConaughey looks simply bored, as if too good for a role whose only requirement is having fun.

Parasite movie review: Bong Joon-Ho, who has also co-written the story, has several surprises and twists up his sleeve. And many metaphors.

Jojo Rabbit review: Jojo Rabbit, of course, is about the gradual friendship between Elsa and Jojo. But it is how Taika Waititi tackles this, mocking the narratives we build about people (any people) different (any different) from us, that makes this special.

Surely, even as seemingly yawning divides and hopelessness surround us, it’s this that we must hold onto: That, when a mob, holding colour of whatever flag, comes down a street, a door would open to take them in. That, those who shelter would always outnumber those who attack.

How Bollywood engages with romance and what Gandhism has to do with it.

Dolittle movie review: Dolittle has barely any plot, with its animals setting off sporadic sparks when left to own. And that is rare as Downey Jr's Dolittle mostly has them at his command.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood movie review: It's difficult to think of anyone other than Tom Hanks playing Mister Rogers, and the actor has picked another Oscar nomination for the role.

1917 movie review: In line with recent films on war, 1917 is not celebration of valour or glory, neither is it shy in its portrayal of the grime of it.

Despite the talent of Rose Byrne, Tiffany Haddish and Salma Hayek, each of whom hardly needs any embellishing, this film runs like watery mascara even if no one's really does through the ups and downs and ups again.

Richard Jewell movie review: It is the kind of hero Clint Eastwood's films are made of: a quintessential ordinary American fellow, who loves his guns plus other 'traditional' values, who is driven by his sense of duty, and who is mistreated by the system.

It's only Taylor Swift, descending perched on a crescent moon, sprinkling sparkling catnip powder, who looks like the cat that got the cream. There is really no other kind you want to watch.

Bombshell movie review: Where Bombshell scores is in bringing out the casual sexism that dogs women in the workforce, from offhand compliments to insistence on shaved legs —take your pick from all in the middle.

Spies in Disguise movie review: Even as you despair that this Will Smith and Tom Holland starrer will end up being yet another clash between the forces of good and evil -- do we really need them in animation too? -- and the power of teamwork and friendship, writer Brad Copeland and directors Nick Bruno and Troy Quane subvert the genre.