Our films make us believe that university is like a rave party that goes on for months, where insignificant things like tests and projects barely register. But hostel wardens are worse than Capt Russell – they’ll charge teen guna lagaan and still give you hell if you’ve returned two minutes later than the deadline.

As Indian girls, we are raised with the strict instruction that our bras should not be hung out to dry like the rest of the dirty linen we wash in public. Perhaps the reason that the bra has come to be a trigger garment is not because men can’t deal with it, but because with all our hiding we haven’t really given them a chance to.

You’ve tried all the tricks of the trade. You've played a wannabe Iron Man in Ra.One to yourself in Fan. Now you are playing a dwarf. What's next SRK?

Growing up, Durga Pujo was all about garnering a shot of freedom, of carefree behaviour, every single year. But adulting compromises the novelty of Pujo. Now, as an adult, reminiscing about the Pujo of my childhood is possibly my favourite Pujo activity.

Today Ganeshotsav is about visiting that one relative who keeps Ganpati and having one-fourth of a modak. As children, though, it caused more excitement than for Charlie at the Chocolate Factory, because pandal-hopping was the only all-nighter we were allowed.

As Tabu signs off the year with her exemplary act in Andhadhun, she is already gearing up for 2019 with two interesting projects. All this while Bollywood has been steering us toward the hyped comebacks of her contemporaries. But Tabu has made us realise that when you are so good at your craft, you never really go away.

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.

Falling out of friendships rarely gets as much attention as falling out of love. A breakup between friends does not carry the weight of the breakup of a romantic relationship. We might be prepared for heartbreak, but nobody tells us about the friends we are going to lose along the way.

In Amar Kaushik’s Stree, gender roles are reversed: Men are forced to comply with society’s impractical rules and police their behaviour for no fault of their own. The film uses its supernatural spirit to imagine a safer world for women, but fails to eventually carry it through.

Sriram Raghavan’s Andhadhun is a brilliant urban noir thriller. The film is all about clever writing, top-notch execution, and hard-hitting social commentary – but it is also a triumph of casting, and an ode to actors.

Johnny Lever has always been a different kind of “sidekick”. Not only did he support the leading actors but he also saved the film with his presence. He’s always been there to provide catharsis by proxy. In Lever, Indian cinema found its human laugh track.

With a new Lok Sabha Bill, the practice of triple talaq might finally be on its way out. But the games, it seems, have just begun. The impact triple talaq has had on public discourse, and the number of voices on opposing ends, underscores the different facets of the conversation.

There’s no denying that the old relationship between cricket and courteousness had become archaic. But after the latest Koffee with Karan episode, which featured Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul on the couch, it might have finally died for good.

With Simmba, Rohit Shetty reduces rape to a buzzword in an exaggerated comedy to prove that his cinematic universe isn’t all nonsensical. Ranveer Singh almost elevates this testosterone-fuelled drivel into surprisingly entertaining fare, but only until a woman is violated for him to realise his true calling.

I tried to be rational when I found out that my father was having an affair. But I was only drawing more lines for him to toe, for his halo to remain untarnished.

In the last one month, since the Pulwama attack, among those doubling up as defence experts are smug army brats. Their fathers served in the forces, but these skilled piggy-backers have never left behind big city comforts. The odiousness of army brats is tiresome in peacetime, but insufferable when the real threat of conflict lurks in the air.

Men have responded in a variety of ways to a wave of #MeToo allegations over the last few days, from going on the defensive to resorting to mansplaining. Even now, there’s an air of separating ourselves and the culture we are an active part of, from the vile men who actually go out and harass, molest, and rape.

Baazigar introduced us to a new weapon of mass destruction, the power of attorney. And Shah Rukh Khan’s Ajay Sharma taught us that if your contact lens game is on point, you can conquer the world.

At first pass, "Barbie Girl" is a song set in a plastic world. But scratch below the surface, and you can read its silent messages about BDSM.

In our vast and diverse democracy, is it really possible for every filmmaker, writer, and performer to have the same rose-tinted view of the country? Obviously not. That’s why Kunal Kamra, whose bracing political satire dares to challenge that status quo, stands out.

A far cry from the standard alpha-male action hero, Jack Ryan is a mild-mannered protagonist who resembles an unassuming Everyman despite being entrusted with saving the world. In humanising its lead, the show conveys a pertinent idea: Not all spies are born with it.

The silent kid in school is like that chapter on trigonometry. He is forgotten in less than a year after passing from school. I was that kid.

Though the half-hearted response of the Meghalaya government in organising rescue operations for the miners trapped in a rat-hole mine in Meghalaya is appalling, let’s not hold the politicians to a higher standard. Our apathy cannot be ignored; in fact, it only highlights the disregard we have for the lives of the poor in our country.

Anurag Kashyap’s Manmarziyaan is both a manifesto of modern love and a statement against Bollywood's unrealistic portrayal of love triangles. Aided by smart writing and affecting performances, the film subverts the nice guy trope and squashes the idea of the one true love.

As Akash Ambani and Shloka Mehta tie the knot, complete with a trio of dancing Khans and a million photo ops with Nita ben, we are a bit disappointed. They are doing what every rich couple does – Sabya lehengas and a theme party. If we had that much money, we’d probably get married at Burning Man.

With Jio spreading across the country faster than plague in Ancient Rome, there is no excuse for anyone to not watch the India-Pakistan Asia Cup game. Those who show no interest in the match should be immediately likened to Navjot Singh Sidhu, India’s newest “Pakistani puppet”.

The unprecedented success of Badhaai Ho has catapulted Gajraj Rao straight into the spotlight. Although, the actor is no stranger to the Hindi film industry, it’s only in the 25th year of his career that he has become a film’s driving force and is afforded as much screen time as the lead, Ayushmann Khurrana.

Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti’s Made in Heaven dissects the transactional nature of Indian weddings and critiques the concealed social regressiveness of urban India. It’s also a rare show that explores homosexuality as an Indian identity instead of reducing it to an empty statement.

We caught up with Rahul Khanna to find out what happened to him 20 years after Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. He still insists that girls can’t play basketball.

Sharat Katariya’s Sui Dhaaga falters in several places, but it shines when the spotlight is on its women. In a film about dignity of labour, Katariya’s mastery is most evident in parts where the focus is on the immense emotional and domestic labour every married small-town woman inevitably shoulders.