Poulomi Das, Author at Arré

I’m in a Complicated Relationship with “It Shows”

In the age of Netflix and zero torrenting, we’re all consumed by a desperate, obsessive urge to watch a TV show, movie and, podcast the moment they are out. This race to keep up with the “it” shows of the moment, is exhausting.

Poulomi Das July 22, 2016

Pop Culture

Afsos Review: Gulshan Devaiah Kills It in this Crackling Tragicomedy About a Man Desperate to Die

It’s rare to make a comedy that is informed by its wickedness. Even rare to set it in a homegrown universe that pokes fun at the double standards of middle-class anxieties – death, religion, millennial indecisiveness, and existentialism – in a way which is immediately recognisable. Afsos manages to do both.

Poulomi Das July 22, 2016

Pop Culture

Pankaj Tripathi: Gracing Aliases

Pankaj Tripathi has appeared in seven films in 2017 alone, playing disparate roles that stand testament to his versatility. And, yet Bollywood’s most gifted performer this year is unlikely to feature in roundtables or win awards.

Poulomi Das July 21, 2016

Bollywood

Photograph Review: Ritesh Batra Continues His Romance with Melancholy and Mumbai

Photograph marks Ritesh Batra’s return to writing and directing a Hindi feature film six years after The Lunchbox. His “star-crossed lovers” are separated by class, religion, and aspiration. And yet, both of them lead their lives for others, in this coming-of-age story.

Poulomi Das July 21, 2016

Pop Culture

How Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag Taught Us the Art of Female Coping

Phoebe Waller-Bridge reclaims the idea of female coping in Fleabag. It remains a mordant exploration of what comes into play when women aren’t made to obsess over terminating the umbilical cord of pain, but instead taught to cope by tolerating it.

Poulomi Das July 21, 2016

Pop Culture

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Review: An Affectionate Portrait of ’60s Hollywood

Most movies look to use nostalgia as a tool, but Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino’s ninth feature, seems to have cracked the code on using it as a weapon. It’s a detailed time-machine leading to the Hollywood backlots of the ’60s, only reimagined in Tarantino’s own flamboyant image.

Poulomi Das July 20, 2016

Bollywood

Laal Kaptaan Review: A Laborious Period Drama that is Neither Poetic Nor Thrilling

Laal Kaptaan, a period revenge saga starring Saif Ali Khan, is dull and frustrating. The performances are caricaturish. Khan plays a Naga Sadhu chasing a cruel Mughal lord across Bundelkhand. He looks the part but never acts it.

Poulomi Das July 20, 2016

Pop Culture

Isle of Dogs Review: A Biting Comment Against America’s Rabid Politics

Isle of Dogs is a testament to the urgent need for animated movies to address socio-political context. Just like last year’s Paddington 2, Wes Anderson also emphasises the power of kindness and the importance of embracing outsiders instead of expelling them.

Poulomi Das July 20, 2016

Modern Family

How the Bengali Father Has Mastered the Art of Serial Napping

Calcutta is full of quiet, wise fathers who have long adopted afternoon naps as a shared reaction to happiness, affection, anger, and exhaustion. Take my father for instance, over the years he has napped through celebrations, movies, and wailing babies on flights

Poulomi Das July 18, 2016

Pop Culture

“Comfort Watching” Old Shows During the Pandemic is Chicken Soup for the Weary Soul

During this pandemic, I have discovered comfort watching – old shows that bring my soul succour. There’s a looming dread and emotional fatigue that has set in over the last year. Discovering new movies and shows feels cumbersome, when all we crave is to feel like we have a semblance of control over our own lives.

Poulomi Das July 16, 2016