Sayantan Mondal, Author at Arré

Bollywood’s Statues of Unity: Figures that Could Beat Up Bad Guys Or Cure Blindness

As India goes on a statue-building spree – with the ₹2,989 crore Statue of Unity and a proposed one of Lord Ram in Ayodhya – it’s time to take a look at the role these inanimate figures have played in Bollywood films as diverse as Geet Gaya Patharon Ne and Ishq.

Sayantan Mondal July 27, 2016

Bollywood

Looking for a Sushil, Sanskari, Non-Toxic Bollywood Hero

Hindi cinema hasn’t completely disregarded the need for healthy male leads. Toxic protagonists are still seen as rule breakers – as underdogs who can win against the system and evoke sympathy. But a handful of films, like Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai, October, and even Muqaddar Ka Sikandar have tried to change that.

Sayantan Mondal July 17, 2016

Bollywood

Fast-Track Pyaar: How Hindi Movies Made India Fall In Love With Trains

No Imtiaz Ali film is complete without a train scene. In Love Aaj Kal, a separation unfolds on a train ride and in Jab We Met, a relationship blooms through the course of the journey. But the most iconic train scenes in Bollywood remain Simran running toward Raj in DDLJ and Rajesh Khanna crooning “Mere Sapno Ki Rani” as Sharmila Tagore gazes at him from a coach.

Sayantan Mondal July 10, 2016

Bollywood

Before Haathi Mere Saathi and Junglee, Elephant Boy Started Our Jumbo Friendship with the Pachyderm

Hollywood director Chuck Russell’s Junglee – the story of a military veteran who fights a poaching ring in an elephant reserve – brings back memories of Haathi Mere Saathi. But much before the Rajesh Khanna-starrer, the 1937 British film called The Elephant Boy chronicled the friendship between man and the gentle giants.

Sayantan Mondal July 5, 2016

Pop Culture

How India and Pakistan Made Adolf Hitler Pop-Culture Friendly in their Movies

Over the years, Bollywood has freely used references to Adolf Hitler to denote a certain kind of behaviour in men. In 3 Idiots, Rancho addresses Farhan’s dad as Hitler Qureshi for his strict and authoritative nature and in Krodh, Suneil Shetty earns the moniker because he is extremely protective of his five sisters.

Sayantan Mondal June 29, 2016

Bollywood

Only 90s Kids will Remember: Sumeet Saigal, Avinash Wadhawan, and 50 Shades of Hamming from Forgotten Heroes

While watching Aayush Sharma in Loveyatri, I was reminded of the stock ’90s hero – someone who had the inherent talent of hamming and could champion patriarchy while celebrating matriarchy; could flex muscles as well as emotions; and become taller, sharper and stronger as the narrative progressed.

Sayantan Mondal June 7, 2016

Pop Culture

What Hun Hunshi Hunshilal, a Gujarati Satire About Fascism, Tells Us About Governments and the Banning Culture

In the era of political biopics, Sanjeev Shah’s Gujarati satire, Hun Hunshi Hunshilal, reminds us how governments anywhere manipulate the narrative. The movie is set in Khojpuri, whose king is busy protecting the nation against mosquitoes, although no one has a clue why they need to be protected from these mosquitoes.

Sayantan Mondal May 4, 2016

Bollywood

No Dance Film Has Earned the Cult Status of Disco Dancer. Even Street Dancer 3D Won’t

Disco Dancer gave us a hero who picked up the guitar instead of the gun. It ushered in an era of Bollywood dance films, which peaked in the ’80s and early ’90s. However, few have earned the cult status as the Mithun Chakraborty film. Does Street Dancer 3D stand a chance?

Sayantan Mondal April 20, 2016

Bollywood

Before Uri, Bollywood Learnt About Surgical Strikes From a 1992 Anil Sharma Film

Before Vicky Kaushal asked, “How’s the josh?” in Uri, a lesser- known 1992 film introduced Bollywood to surgical strikes. While Uri is based on true events that unfolded in PoK in 2016, Tahalka takes inspiration from its director Anil Sharma’s overactive imagination.

Sayantan Mondal April 17, 2016

Pop Culture

Inside the Campy Cult of B-Grade Hindi Film Dacoits

Long before Abhishek Chaubey’s Sonchiriya, daakus were constant stars of films churned out by the B-grade Hindi film industry. In one, Gabbar is a lovelorn Romeo, and in the other, Gabbar is a woman and Jai and Veeru are made to dance in front of her.

Sayantan Mondal April 1, 2016