Pop Culture Archives

How Zoya Akhtar’s Made in Heaven Shatters the Myth of the Bollywood Vivah

For a long time, Bollywood has convinced us that the shortcut to a happily-ever-after is marriage. But Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti’s Made in Heaven intends to tear a hole in the utter romanticisation of this custom. It shows us a side of marriage – an examination of why people choose to be in it – that has rarely been depicted on celluloid.

Manik Sharma June 3, 2016

Pop Culture

Jurassic Park: The First English Movie of a Generation

For several kids of my generation, Jurassic Park was our first real exposure to Hollywood. It marked the arrival of American culture, in all its ugly beauty, in the subcontinent.

Dushyant Shekhawat June 2, 2016

Pop Culture

3 Storeys: How to Break the Bollymom Stereotype

In 3 Storeys, Arjun Mukherjee weaves together a story of three mothers, exposes the burden of mothers who have been conditioned to sacrifice and be silenced, intertwining it with the disastrous results it has on their kids.

Kahini Iyer June 2, 2016

Pop Culture

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is the Most Underrated Comedy of the Decade

Now officially the longest running live-action sitcom in the history of television, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, entered its 14 season this year, and remains as topical as it was when it first aired in 2005. It has never hesitated to address sensitive and pertinent subjects such as #MeToo and climate change.

Pranay Dewani June 2, 2016

Pop Culture

Mai Review: A Chilling Blend of Violence and Innocence

Netflix’s Mai starring Sakshi Tanwar in a brilliant central role is a well-performed series based on a familiar premise. It does most things well, except resonate on an emotional level but is certainly worth watching and waiting for.

Divya Unny June 2, 2016

Pop Culture

Deadpool 2: A Film So Meta It is Its Own Review

Deadpool 2 manages to make fun of several Marvel superheroes, the entire DC Universe, the people who make all these movies, and the viewers. It is a reminder of how absurd our obsession with comic book superheroes is.

#VALUE! June 1, 2016

Pop Culture

Backstreet Boys: The Shared Embarrassment of Our Childhood

The Backstreet Boys, the best-selling boy band in history, have just dropped a new single, “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”. It’s a reminder that no matter how cool we now consider ourselves – working out of hipster cafés, watching subtitle-only films – we are the generation that once adored BSB.

Jackie Thakkar June 1, 2016

Pop Culture

The Social Dilemma Review: We Are Going Down the Social Media Rabbit Hole and There’s No Saving Us

We all know we are addicted to social media, but Jeff Orlowski’s urgent documentary The Social Dilemma asks a pertinent question: Do we really have any control over our own trajectories on the internet being held against us?

Poulomi Das June 1, 2016

Pop Culture

Is it Time We Classify Video Games As a Legit Sport?

Millennials who grew up with video games, still form a huge chunk of the gaming population. I’m not a bespectacled, socially awkward, 12-year-old hogging the PlayStation in my friend’s living room anymore, but a productive adult who has a job and pays rent. It’s time adult gamers get their time in the sun.

Dushyant Shekhawat June 1, 2016

Pop Culture

Bandersnatch Review: A Tedious DIY Film for a Generation That Hates Making Choices

Netflix’s interactive film Bandersnatch is a gimmick, a new toothpaste you must taste before declaring it as unfamiliar. I get what it’s trying to do, but I don’t want to goddamn choose someone’s cereal, or the song they must listen to. I could live with the world being a little less interactive really.

Manik Sharma June 1, 2016