Posted inPop Culture
B-Town Wonder Women and their Wingmen
In 2016, we saw movies like Pink and Dangal that were premised on the struggles of female heroes – and the men who enabled them.
Posted inFeatures
Bombay to Mumbai: How Nariman Point Evolved From a Patch of the Sea Into the City’s Commercial Heart
Mumbai is a city of many faces, and it contains hidden multitudes. #MumbaiMirrored is a video series that chronicles Bombay’s evolution into Mumbai, presented by Mumbai Mirror. Here, we delve into the history of perhaps the city’s most recognisable landmark: Nariman Point.
Posted inBollywood
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.
Posted inBollywood
Why Ranbir Kapoor May Never Be the Real Hero of Sanju
The intense buzz around Sanju begs a fascinating question: Is the film riding on Sanjay Dutt’s cult reputation or on Ranbir Kapoor’s acting prowess? Dutt’s colourful life guarantees that the battle is already half-won, but will it be Kapoor’s physical acting that takes the biopic toward the finish line?
Posted inPop Culture
How to Sing Your Way to Manhood
“Galti Se Mistake” from Jagga Jasoos is the latest in a tradition of Hindi film songs that celebrate men coming of age.
Posted inPop Culture
Karan Johar and the Fight Against Femininity
Happy birthday, Karan Johar, the man who was advised to tone down his “female” mannerisms and the man who finally grew up with Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.
Posted inPop Culture
Brahmastra Part One Review: A Chaotic Spectacle That Mostly Lives Up To The Hype
There’s much to appreciate in the simple, sometimes wobbly, but relentlessly large-hearted intentions of this first instalment in Ayan Mukerji’s years-in-the-making saga.
Posted inGender
Despite Bollywood Influences, I am Raising Two Feminist Sons. Here’s How To Do It
My sons and I love watching Bollywood movies together, but finding a film devoid of misogyny, objectification of women, and innuendo is a task. How do I explain to my kids what is wrong with “6 din, Ladki in” when SRK is mouthing it as if it’s the most chivalrous way to woo a girl in Kal Ho Naa Ho?
Posted inFirst Person
Life on Stutter Island
When you’ve lived with a lifelong stutter, everyone around you seems to have immeasurable patience.
Posted inPop Culture
Jagga Jasoos: A Lesson in Speech Therapy For Bollywood
Bollywood has almost always treated a stutter as comic relief. Maybe Jagga Jasoos will do for the speech impediment, what Taare Zameen Par was able to do for dyslexia.