India's “renaissance woman” Aparna Sen – actress, director, producer, fighter for women's right, diversity and ethnic & religious minorities – whose career in the film business spans over six decades, was presented with the Red Lotus Lifetime Achievement Award 2024 in Vienna. The filmmaker was unfortunately not able to fly over to recieve it, and the award was presented to the winner through the German film critic and editor of the film magazine Shomingeki, Rüdiger Tomczak.
Parama: A Journey With Aparna Sen screened at Red Lotus Asian Film Festival Vienna
Only a few months ago, Sumah Ghosh's documentary “Parama: A Journey With Aparna Sen” about the Indian helmer celebrated its world premiere in the Cinema Regained strand of IFFR, and it was only logical to include it in the repertoire of Red Lotus Asian Film Festival. It is a film that gives a deep insight into the life and work of one of the...
Parama: A Journey With Aparna Sen screened at Red Lotus Asian Film Festival Vienna
Only a few months ago, Sumah Ghosh's documentary “Parama: A Journey With Aparna Sen” about the Indian helmer celebrated its world premiere in the Cinema Regained strand of IFFR, and it was only logical to include it in the repertoire of Red Lotus Asian Film Festival. It is a film that gives a deep insight into the life and work of one of the...
- 5/3/2024
- by Marina D. Richter
- AsianMoviePulse
As with any time I try to explain a massive figure in Indian film to the uninitiated, the temptation rises quickly to compare director Sanjay Leela Bhansali to someone in Hollywood.
And, as with any time I actually make these comparisons, everything falls short. Bhansali depicts spectacle evocative of the work of Baz Luhrmann, but even that is a pale imitation (no disrespect to either). There is no one literally anywhere in the world creating cinema with the scale and grandeur that Bhansali has cultivated as his signature, a style so distinct that his own peers pay homage to it while he’s still alive and working.
But at the top of IndieWire’s conversation about Bhansali’s career, he’s quick to shake the larger-than-life visual splendor of his creations, emphasizing — as writer, director and producer, among his many hats — that the stories themselves evoke that scope.
“It’s...
And, as with any time I actually make these comparisons, everything falls short. Bhansali depicts spectacle evocative of the work of Baz Luhrmann, but even that is a pale imitation (no disrespect to either). There is no one literally anywhere in the world creating cinema with the scale and grandeur that Bhansali has cultivated as his signature, a style so distinct that his own peers pay homage to it while he’s still alive and working.
But at the top of IndieWire’s conversation about Bhansali’s career, he’s quick to shake the larger-than-life visual splendor of his creations, emphasizing — as writer, director and producer, among his many hats — that the stories themselves evoke that scope.
“It’s...
- 5/2/2024
- by Proma Khosla
- Indiewire
His portrayals of the idiosyncratic, moustache-fanatic, and rule-imposing Bhawani Shankar or the stern Acp Dhurandhar Bhatawadekar in a brace of breezy Bollywood comedies are undeniably unforgettable, but he played a more realistic role in ‘Guddi’ – that gentle deconstruction of the glittering yet hollow edifice of filmdom.
Utpal Dutt, as Prof Gupta in the 1971 film, knows neither scolding nor advice will change the filmstar-struck teenager (then Jaya Bhaduri in her first Hindi film), and the only way out is to let her indulge in fascination with films and learn first-hand the artificiality, heartbreaks, and struggle that lies behind them.
Portraying a teacher, with innovative ideas, was not difficult for Dutt, who was born on this day (March 29) in Bengal’s Barisal (now in Bangladesh) in 1929. He had been an English teacher in (then) Calcutta’s South Point School in the 1950s and earned his students’ admiration for his insights into literature,...
Utpal Dutt, as Prof Gupta in the 1971 film, knows neither scolding nor advice will change the filmstar-struck teenager (then Jaya Bhaduri in her first Hindi film), and the only way out is to let her indulge in fascination with films and learn first-hand the artificiality, heartbreaks, and struggle that lies behind them.
Portraying a teacher, with innovative ideas, was not difficult for Dutt, who was born on this day (March 29) in Bengal’s Barisal (now in Bangladesh) in 1929. He had been an English teacher in (then) Calcutta’s South Point School in the 1950s and earned his students’ admiration for his insights into literature,...
- 3/29/2024
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has completed a “wondrous” 55 years in the world of Hindi cinema and to celebrate it he has given himself an AI spin. It was in 1969, when the cine icon stepped into the world of showbiz with ‘Saat Hindustani’ and since then he has captivated the audience with his impeccable performances on screen.
Amitabh took to X (formerly Twitter), where he dropped two AI images of himself.
The first picture has a camera lens in place of his spectacle lens. The second photo has a colourful camera reel like streamers with faces and eyes made on it.
“T 4924 – 55 years in the wondrous world of Cinema… and AI, gives me its interpretation… a presentation by Ef B… self made,” Big B wrote on Twitter.
Even though he started his acting career with ‘Saat Hindustani, Big B had first began his journey as a voice narrator in ‘Bhuvan Shome’ starring...
Amitabh took to X (formerly Twitter), where he dropped two AI images of himself.
The first picture has a camera lens in place of his spectacle lens. The second photo has a colourful camera reel like streamers with faces and eyes made on it.
“T 4924 – 55 years in the wondrous world of Cinema… and AI, gives me its interpretation… a presentation by Ef B… self made,” Big B wrote on Twitter.
Even though he started his acting career with ‘Saat Hindustani, Big B had first began his journey as a voice narrator in ‘Bhuvan Shome’ starring...
- 2/17/2024
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
From making his debut playing a Santhal rebel in a Mrinal Sen film to being emblazoned in public memory as the Disco Dancer, from Communist to Bjp bhakt, and hospitality industry baron based out of Ooty, Mithun Chakraborty has lived a crowded and colourful life that has finally been acknowledged by the President confirming upon him the prestigious Padma Bhushan.
Born on June 16, 1950, in Kolkata, Mithun marked his acting debut with the critically acclaimed Mrinal Sen film ‘Mrigayaa’ in 1976. His big screen journey is a fascinating odyssey, and he is celebrated for his versatility, seamlessly transitioning between various genres, including drama, action and dance.
Mithun’s filmography, in fact, is a testament to his versatility and enduring appeal. Here’s the Ians selection of his most memorable films:
‘Mrigayaa’: The actor’s foray into cinema began with the 1976 historical film set in the British Raj, ‘Mrigayaa’, directed by Mrinal Sen....
Born on June 16, 1950, in Kolkata, Mithun marked his acting debut with the critically acclaimed Mrinal Sen film ‘Mrigayaa’ in 1976. His big screen journey is a fascinating odyssey, and he is celebrated for his versatility, seamlessly transitioning between various genres, including drama, action and dance.
Mithun’s filmography, in fact, is a testament to his versatility and enduring appeal. Here’s the Ians selection of his most memorable films:
‘Mrigayaa’: The actor’s foray into cinema began with the 1976 historical film set in the British Raj, ‘Mrigayaa’, directed by Mrinal Sen....
- 1/26/2024
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Revered Indian actor and filmmaker Aparna Sen is the subject of Suman Ghosh’s documentary “Parama: A Journey with Aparna Sen,” which has its world premiere at International Film Festival Rotterdam‘s Cinema Regained strand.
Sen came to notice as an actor with the “Samapti” segment in Oscar winner Satyajit Ray’s “Three Daughters” (1961). She acted in several more films by Ray and also worked with Indian cinema greats Mrinal Sen, Tapan Sinha and Rituparno Ghosh. Her acting credits also include Merchant-Ivory films “The Guru” (1969) and “Bombay Talkie” (1970).
“36 Chowringhee Lane” (1981), Sen’s directorial debut, won her best director at India’s National Film Awards. She has directed several acclaimed films since, including “Paroma” (1984), “Sati” (1989), “Paromitar Ek Din” (2000), “Mr. and Mrs. Iyer” (2002), “Goynar Baksho” (2013) and “The Rapist,” which won the Kim Jiseok prize at Busan in 2021.
Sen starred in Ghosh’s “The Bose Family” (2019). Ghosh is a prolific filmmaker who is...
Sen came to notice as an actor with the “Samapti” segment in Oscar winner Satyajit Ray’s “Three Daughters” (1961). She acted in several more films by Ray and also worked with Indian cinema greats Mrinal Sen, Tapan Sinha and Rituparno Ghosh. Her acting credits also include Merchant-Ivory films “The Guru” (1969) and “Bombay Talkie” (1970).
“36 Chowringhee Lane” (1981), Sen’s directorial debut, won her best director at India’s National Film Awards. She has directed several acclaimed films since, including “Paroma” (1984), “Sati” (1989), “Paromitar Ek Din” (2000), “Mr. and Mrs. Iyer” (2002), “Goynar Baksho” (2013) and “The Rapist,” which won the Kim Jiseok prize at Busan in 2021.
Sen starred in Ghosh’s “The Bose Family” (2019). Ghosh is a prolific filmmaker who is...
- 1/24/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Stuart Gatt’s “Catching Dust,” which premiered at Tribeca earlier this year, will open the 54th International Film Festival of India (Iffi), Goa.
Robert Kolodny’s “The Featherweight,” which bowed at Venice, will close the festival. Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s “About Dry Grasses,” for which Merve Dizdar won best actress at Cannes, will be the mid-festival gala.
The fiction feature strand of the Indian panorama showcase will open with Anand Ekarshi’s “Aattam” and the documentary strand with Longjam Meena’s “Andro Dream.” The panorama will screen 25 fiction features, including five mainstream films, plus 20 documentaries.
Michael Douglas will deliver the key festival masterclass. The international competition jury will be led by eminent filmmaker Shekhar Kapur (“Elizabeth”) and also includes producers Catherine Dussart (“Silence in the Dust”) and Helen Leake (“Carnifex”), former Cannes market chief Jerome Paillard and Pedro Almodovar’s long-standing cinematographer José Luis Alcaine, P.K. Atre’s “Shyamchi Aai...
Robert Kolodny’s “The Featherweight,” which bowed at Venice, will close the festival. Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s “About Dry Grasses,” for which Merve Dizdar won best actress at Cannes, will be the mid-festival gala.
The fiction feature strand of the Indian panorama showcase will open with Anand Ekarshi’s “Aattam” and the documentary strand with Longjam Meena’s “Andro Dream.” The panorama will screen 25 fiction features, including five mainstream films, plus 20 documentaries.
Michael Douglas will deliver the key festival masterclass. The international competition jury will be led by eminent filmmaker Shekhar Kapur (“Elizabeth”) and also includes producers Catherine Dussart (“Silence in the Dust”) and Helen Leake (“Carnifex”), former Cannes market chief Jerome Paillard and Pedro Almodovar’s long-standing cinematographer José Luis Alcaine, P.K. Atre’s “Shyamchi Aai...
- 11/7/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The prestigious London Indian Film Festival is ready to once again showcase outstanding films in its Autumn programme. This extraordinary festival, running from 25th October to 4th November, will feature incredible films with many Indian and South Asian premieres, as well as classic movies and even a first web series preview. Plus, so much more!
The festival is expanding and bringing even more excellence with screenings and special events in 5 different locations, including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, and Bradford.
Berlin
It starts in London with the European premiere of the fast-paced whodunnit espionage drama Berlin. From writer and director Atul Sabharwal, this compelling spy thriller stars Aparshakti Khurana (Jubilee) as a young sign language teacher lured into the dark world of espionage. Undercover security forces coerce him to interrogate a young deaf man, powerfully played by Ishwak Singh (Rocket Boys), accused of spying. Veteran actor Kabir Bedi also features in a commanding cameo.
The festival is expanding and bringing even more excellence with screenings and special events in 5 different locations, including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, and Bradford.
Berlin
It starts in London with the European premiere of the fast-paced whodunnit espionage drama Berlin. From writer and director Atul Sabharwal, this compelling spy thriller stars Aparshakti Khurana (Jubilee) as a young sign language teacher lured into the dark world of espionage. Undercover security forces coerce him to interrogate a young deaf man, powerfully played by Ishwak Singh (Rocket Boys), accused of spying. Veteran actor Kabir Bedi also features in a commanding cameo.
- 10/8/2023
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
Exclusive: The London Indian Film Festival is expanding.
With its 2023 edition, running October 25 to November 4, the festival will, for the first time, run simultaneously across five cities: London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bradford and Leeds.
The festival will open with the European Premiere of Berlin. From writer-director Atul Sabharwal, this spy thriller stars Aparshakti Khurana (Jubilee) as a young sign language teacher lured into the dark world of espionage, as he is coerced by undercover security forces to interrogate a young deaf man, played by Ishwak Singh, (Rocket Boys) who has been accused of spying. Veteran actor Kabir Bedi also stars.
With support from the BFI Audience Projects Fund, the festival is also moving into the world of online gaming and Xr. In collaboration with Tulsea and Format, Manchester’s gaming and nightlife festival, the fest will showcase new computer games developed by South Asian creatives. The games will be presented on October 26 in Manchester.
With its 2023 edition, running October 25 to November 4, the festival will, for the first time, run simultaneously across five cities: London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bradford and Leeds.
The festival will open with the European Premiere of Berlin. From writer-director Atul Sabharwal, this spy thriller stars Aparshakti Khurana (Jubilee) as a young sign language teacher lured into the dark world of espionage, as he is coerced by undercover security forces to interrogate a young deaf man, played by Ishwak Singh, (Rocket Boys) who has been accused of spying. Veteran actor Kabir Bedi also stars.
With support from the BFI Audience Projects Fund, the festival is also moving into the world of online gaming and Xr. In collaboration with Tulsea and Format, Manchester’s gaming and nightlife festival, the fest will showcase new computer games developed by South Asian creatives. The games will be presented on October 26 in Manchester.
- 9/29/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Revered Indian actor Waheeda Rehman has been accorded the Dadasaheb Phalke award, India’s highest film honor.
The award is given for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema and is named after Phalke, director of “Raja Harischandra” (1913), India’s first full-length feature, who is considered the father of Indian cinema.
Rehman, the 85-year-old grande dame of Indian cinema has worked with most of the legendary filmmakers of her country during her career and the roles she chose were in films that are considered classics in the annals of Indian cinema. She worked with Guru Dutt in “Pyaasa” (1957) and “Kaagaz Ke Phool” (1959), Satyajit Ray in “Abhijaan” (1962), Basu Bhattacharya in “Teesri Kasam” (1966) and Yash Chopra in “Kabhie Kabhie” (1976), among many other memorable roles.
But it is her role as Rosie in Vijay Anand’s “Guide” (1965) that Rehman remembers with the greatest fondness. “When I signed ‘Guide’ more than 50 years ago, my friends told...
The award is given for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema and is named after Phalke, director of “Raja Harischandra” (1913), India’s first full-length feature, who is considered the father of Indian cinema.
Rehman, the 85-year-old grande dame of Indian cinema has worked with most of the legendary filmmakers of her country during her career and the roles she chose were in films that are considered classics in the annals of Indian cinema. She worked with Guru Dutt in “Pyaasa” (1957) and “Kaagaz Ke Phool” (1959), Satyajit Ray in “Abhijaan” (1962), Basu Bhattacharya in “Teesri Kasam” (1966) and Yash Chopra in “Kabhie Kabhie” (1976), among many other memorable roles.
But it is her role as Rosie in Vijay Anand’s “Guide” (1965) that Rehman remembers with the greatest fondness. “When I signed ‘Guide’ more than 50 years ago, my friends told...
- 9/26/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Taking a trip down the memory lane, megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who has a career spanning over five decades, shared his experience of bagging his first film, and revealed his thoughts about the first earnings.
Amitabh Bachchan, who is referred to as the ‘Shahenshah of Bollywood’, and ‘Sadi Ke Mahanayak’, made his film debut in 1969, as a voice narrator in Mrinal Sen’s National Award-winning film Bhuvan Shome.
However, his first acting role was as one of the seven protagonists in the 1969 film ‘Saat Hindustani’, directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and featuring Utpal Dutt, Anwar Ali, Madhu and Jalal Agha.
Episode 27 of the quiz-based reality show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ season 15 was a Ganesh Chaturthi special. Host Big B welcomed Vivek Kumar Agrawal from Naila-Janjgir, Chhatisgarh to the hot seat.
The contestant shared that it took 17 years for him to reach Kbc. He owns a retail shop for utensils.
During the conversation,...
Amitabh Bachchan, who is referred to as the ‘Shahenshah of Bollywood’, and ‘Sadi Ke Mahanayak’, made his film debut in 1969, as a voice narrator in Mrinal Sen’s National Award-winning film Bhuvan Shome.
However, his first acting role was as one of the seven protagonists in the 1969 film ‘Saat Hindustani’, directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and featuring Utpal Dutt, Anwar Ali, Madhu and Jalal Agha.
Episode 27 of the quiz-based reality show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ season 15 was a Ganesh Chaturthi special. Host Big B welcomed Vivek Kumar Agrawal from Naila-Janjgir, Chhatisgarh to the hot seat.
The contestant shared that it took 17 years for him to reach Kbc. He owns a retail shop for utensils.
During the conversation,...
- 9/20/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Taking a trip down the memory lane, megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who has a career spanning over five decades, shared his experience of bagging his first film, and revealed his thoughts about the first earnings.
Amitabh Bachchan, who is referred to as the ‘Shahenshah of Bollywood’, and ‘Sadi Ke Mahanayak’, made his film debut in 1969, as a voice narrator in Mrinal Sen’s National Award-winning film Bhuvan Shome.
However, his first acting role was as one of the seven protagonists in the 1969 film ‘Saat Hindustani’, directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and featuring Utpal Dutt, Anwar Ali, Madhu and Jalal Agha.
Episode 27 of the quiz-based reality show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ season 15 was a Ganesh Chaturthi special. Host Big B welcomed Vivek Kumar Agrawal from Naila-Janjgir, Chhatisgarh to the hot seat.
The contestant shared that it took 17 years for him to reach Kbc. He owns a retail shop for utensils.
During the conversation,...
Amitabh Bachchan, who is referred to as the ‘Shahenshah of Bollywood’, and ‘Sadi Ke Mahanayak’, made his film debut in 1969, as a voice narrator in Mrinal Sen’s National Award-winning film Bhuvan Shome.
However, his first acting role was as one of the seven protagonists in the 1969 film ‘Saat Hindustani’, directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and featuring Utpal Dutt, Anwar Ali, Madhu and Jalal Agha.
Episode 27 of the quiz-based reality show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ season 15 was a Ganesh Chaturthi special. Host Big B welcomed Vivek Kumar Agrawal from Naila-Janjgir, Chhatisgarh to the hot seat.
The contestant shared that it took 17 years for him to reach Kbc. He owns a retail shop for utensils.
During the conversation,...
- 9/20/2023
- by Agency News Desk
Mumbai, Aug 28 (Ians) The teaser of the upcoming Bengali film ‘Raktbeej’, which was unveiled on Monday, promises a compelling thriller. The 1 minute long teaser begins with building the hype around Padma Bhushan and National Film Award recipient, the veteran actor Victor Banerjee as he can be seen signing a document with a fountain pen.
The teaser then goes onto showing the montages from the film in fast cuts thereby maintaining the intrigue and thriller about the plot and the characters.
The film has been directed by the renowned director duo Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee, and is inspired by the Burdwan blast in 2014, which shook up Bengal and also the nation, the film is about the homecoming of a man, who holds an important portfolio, and how an accidental blast in a firecracker unit unveils a bigger threat to his life.
On October 2, 2014, which coincided with Mahashtami that year, an...
The teaser then goes onto showing the montages from the film in fast cuts thereby maintaining the intrigue and thriller about the plot and the characters.
The film has been directed by the renowned director duo Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee, and is inspired by the Burdwan blast in 2014, which shook up Bengal and also the nation, the film is about the homecoming of a man, who holds an important portfolio, and how an accidental blast in a firecracker unit unveils a bigger threat to his life.
On October 2, 2014, which coincided with Mahashtami that year, an...
- 8/28/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
New Delhi, April 28 (Ians) The ‘Habitat Film Festival 2023’, scheduled to be held from May 5 to 14 at the India Habitat Centre in the national capital promises to offer a selection of the finest of Indian cinema. The pan-Indian platter includes about 60 features, documentaries and short films in 17 languages. Films will be screened in Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Assamese, Maithili, Odia, Hindi, English, Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Ladakhi, Meiteilon, and, for the first time, Kumaoni.
For the first time, several films will have their national and Delhi premieres at the festival. The national premiers include the Malayalam film ‘Meghdoot/ The Cloud Messenger’ directed by Rahat Mahajan, and two Bengali films: Sujit Kumar Pyne’s ‘Meghbari’, and Aritra Sen’s ‘Ghore Pherar Gaan/ The Homecoming Song’.
Delhi premiers include ‘Tora’s Husband’, an Assamese film by award-winning filmmaker Rima Das; Gautham Ramachandran’s Tamil film ‘Gargi’, and ‘Arivu Mattu Guruvu/ The Word...
For the first time, several films will have their national and Delhi premieres at the festival. The national premiers include the Malayalam film ‘Meghdoot/ The Cloud Messenger’ directed by Rahat Mahajan, and two Bengali films: Sujit Kumar Pyne’s ‘Meghbari’, and Aritra Sen’s ‘Ghore Pherar Gaan/ The Homecoming Song’.
Delhi premiers include ‘Tora’s Husband’, an Assamese film by award-winning filmmaker Rima Das; Gautham Ramachandran’s Tamil film ‘Gargi’, and ‘Arivu Mattu Guruvu/ The Word...
- 4/28/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
And this was recognised by his peers. There is a story that once he and Raj Kapoor were at the Calcutta airport in 1973, when a cinema fan went to the latter to get his autograph and was told to approach Dutt first, with the master showman saying that he was only a "star", but Dutt was an actor!
While Dutt’s sense of timing, the funny intonation, and the maniacal gleam and laughter he could produce at will, served him well in comedy as "Gol Maal" (1979), "Rang Birangi" – with its slapstick chase through a children’s playground, "Kissi Se Na Kehna" (both 1983), "Lakhon Ki Baat" (1984), et al, attest, he could deftly turn the same mannerisms to display a marked unrepentant villainy.
Be it as the leader of the 40 thieves in "Marjina Abdulla", the crafty munim Ghoshal who drives the hero (Uttam Kumar) to utter despair in "Amanush", as corrupt and...
While Dutt’s sense of timing, the funny intonation, and the maniacal gleam and laughter he could produce at will, served him well in comedy as "Gol Maal" (1979), "Rang Birangi" – with its slapstick chase through a children’s playground, "Kissi Se Na Kehna" (both 1983), "Lakhon Ki Baat" (1984), et al, attest, he could deftly turn the same mannerisms to display a marked unrepentant villainy.
Be it as the leader of the 40 thieves in "Marjina Abdulla", the crafty munim Ghoshal who drives the hero (Uttam Kumar) to utter despair in "Amanush", as corrupt and...
- 3/29/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
Indian film icon Amitabh Bachchan raised the issue of freedom of speech and tightened censorship on the film industry in recent years, in a rare break for Bollywood’s studied silence on political matters.
The 80-year-old actor, who is known for steering clear of politically charged statements and controversies, made the remarks at the inauguration of the 28th Kolkata International Film Festival in the western state of West Bengal.
Mr Bachchan began his speech by "saluting" Kolkata for its artistic temperament that "embraces the essence of plurality and equality".
Referring to the history of censorship in Indian cinema, he said: "But even now, I am sure my colleagues on the stage would agree, questions are being raised on civil liberties and freedom of expression."
He added that since the advent of cinema in India in 1913, films have gone through tremendous change, ranging from the subject to the medium.
"From mythological films.
The 80-year-old actor, who is known for steering clear of politically charged statements and controversies, made the remarks at the inauguration of the 28th Kolkata International Film Festival in the western state of West Bengal.
Mr Bachchan began his speech by "saluting" Kolkata for its artistic temperament that "embraces the essence of plurality and equality".
Referring to the history of censorship in Indian cinema, he said: "But even now, I am sure my colleagues on the stage would agree, questions are being raised on civil liberties and freedom of expression."
He added that since the advent of cinema in India in 1913, films have gone through tremendous change, ranging from the subject to the medium.
"From mythological films.
- 12/16/2022
- by Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
- The Independent - Film
Actress Rani Mukerji, who is set to inaugurate 28th Kolkata International Film Festival, said that a visit to Kolkata is always special to her as it brings back childhood memories.
Rani Mukerji will make a trip to Kolkata to inaugurate the Kolkata International Film Festival with the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee. In its 28th edition, the festival has invited Rani as a Distinguished Guest for her illustrious career over the last 25 years and her immeasurable contribution to the Indian film industry.
She will be felicitated at its inaugural ceremony where dignitaries from world cinema, Indian cinema and West Bengal will be present.
Rani said: “A visit to Kolkata is always special to me as it brings back childhood memories and reminds me of my love for cinema that grew in my heart from an early age.”
“Kolkata International Film Festival has celebrated the legacy of filmmakers like Satyajit Ray,...
Rani Mukerji will make a trip to Kolkata to inaugurate the Kolkata International Film Festival with the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee. In its 28th edition, the festival has invited Rani as a Distinguished Guest for her illustrious career over the last 25 years and her immeasurable contribution to the Indian film industry.
She will be felicitated at its inaugural ceremony where dignitaries from world cinema, Indian cinema and West Bengal will be present.
Rani said: “A visit to Kolkata is always special to me as it brings back childhood memories and reminds me of my love for cinema that grew in my heart from an early age.”
“Kolkata International Film Festival has celebrated the legacy of filmmakers like Satyajit Ray,...
- 12/15/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
Rani Mukerji will make a trip to Kolkata to inaugurate the Kolkata International Film Festival with the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee. In its 28th edition, the festival has invited Rani as a Distinguished Guest for her illustrious career over the last 25 years and her immeasurable contribution to the Indian film industry. She will be felicitated at its inaugural ceremony where dignitaries from world cinema, Indian cinema and West Bengal will be present.
As a highly successful mainstream movie star who has sustained over decades and re-invented herself cinematically, she serves as an inspiration for Bengali youth.
Rani said, “A visit to Kolkata is always special to me as it brings back childhood memories and reminds me of my love for cinema that grew in my heart from an early age. Kolkata International Film Festival has celebrated the legacy of filmmakers like Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, Mrinal Sen...
As a highly successful mainstream movie star who has sustained over decades and re-invented herself cinematically, she serves as an inspiration for Bengali youth.
Rani said, “A visit to Kolkata is always special to me as it brings back childhood memories and reminds me of my love for cinema that grew in my heart from an early age. Kolkata International Film Festival has celebrated the legacy of filmmakers like Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, Mrinal Sen...
- 12/15/2022
- by Glamsham Editorial
- GlamSham
Satyajit Rays 1955 classic ‘Pather Panchali’ was named the best Indian film of all time in a poll conducted by Fipresci-India.
Ritwik Ghatak’s 1960 drama ‘Meghe Dhaka Tara’ was placed in the second spot, followed by Mrinal Sen’s ‘Bhuvan Shome’ (1969).
Fipresci took out a list of the ‘All Time Ten Best Indian Films’, listing the top 10 films in the history of Indian cinema across languages.
Ray’s 1955 film ‘Pather Panchali’, which is based on Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay’s 1929 Bengali novel of the same name, marked his directorial debut.
It was also the first film of the Apu Trilogy. Regarded as one of the most iconic films ever made, ‘Pather Panchali’ depicts the childhood travails of protagonist Apu and his elder sister Durga amid the harsh village life of their poor family. It was followed by ‘Aparajito’ (1956) and ‘Apur Sansar’ (1959).
Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s 1981 Malayalam film ‘Elippathayam’, Girish Kasaravalli’s 1977 film ‘Ghatashraddha’, and M.
Ritwik Ghatak’s 1960 drama ‘Meghe Dhaka Tara’ was placed in the second spot, followed by Mrinal Sen’s ‘Bhuvan Shome’ (1969).
Fipresci took out a list of the ‘All Time Ten Best Indian Films’, listing the top 10 films in the history of Indian cinema across languages.
Ray’s 1955 film ‘Pather Panchali’, which is based on Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay’s 1929 Bengali novel of the same name, marked his directorial debut.
It was also the first film of the Apu Trilogy. Regarded as one of the most iconic films ever made, ‘Pather Panchali’ depicts the childhood travails of protagonist Apu and his elder sister Durga amid the harsh village life of their poor family. It was followed by ‘Aparajito’ (1956) and ‘Apur Sansar’ (1959).
Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s 1981 Malayalam film ‘Elippathayam’, Girish Kasaravalli’s 1977 film ‘Ghatashraddha’, and M.
- 10/21/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
Veteran actress Jaya Bachchan was seen complaining to her husband and superstar Amitabh Bachchan for not sending flowers and letters to her like he sends to others as a token of appreciation.
She said questioning Big B: “I have not seen but heard that when you are impressed with someone’s work or nature, you send that person either flowers or letters but you never sent it to me. Did you ever?”
Abhishek Bachchan also nodded his head and Big B replied: “This programme is going public and it is not a good thing.”
Jaya also made Big B speechless by asking an interesting question that what he would do if he is stuck with her on an island and the ‘Shakti’ star failed to answer it and asked for options. To which Jaya said that there are no options for this question.
Bachchan was also left teary-eyed after...
She said questioning Big B: “I have not seen but heard that when you are impressed with someone’s work or nature, you send that person either flowers or letters but you never sent it to me. Did you ever?”
Abhishek Bachchan also nodded his head and Big B replied: “This programme is going public and it is not a good thing.”
Jaya also made Big B speechless by asking an interesting question that what he would do if he is stuck with her on an island and the ‘Shakti’ star failed to answer it and asked for options. To which Jaya said that there are no options for this question.
Bachchan was also left teary-eyed after...
- 10/11/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
Despite the pandemic disruption of the film industry around the world, which impacted everything in film from production to simple moviegoing, the vibrancy of cinema culture throughout the year has felt as strong as ever, and fiercely resilient. In our small but passionate way we also have made a show of force. In 2021 alone, Notebook has published over 400 articles. Here are some highlights from the year—and we encourage you to use the "Explore" menu or dive into our archives to find even more excellent work published this year.ARTICLESTikTok meets silent cinema in Caroline Golum's witty essay. Cinematic technology used not for social celebrity but rather for criminal forensics was the focus of an article by Emerson Goo.The French New Wave's Luc Moullet, a guiding light for Notebook, was the subject of two pieces, one about the extraordinary TV show How to with John Wilson, the other...
- 12/31/2021
- MUBI
Nepotism is again a much-discussed subject in Bollywood, what with 3 prominent star kids Agastya Nanda, Khushi Kapoor and Suhana Khan making their debut in Zoya Akhtar’s next. The “N” word makes all of us movie buffs look inward. Is Bollywood really a den of nepotism? But if we look at the history of Hindi cinema, the star-kid syndrome is relatively recent. It started when Raj Kapoor’s son Rishi Kapoor made his debut with Bobby. Prior to that all the major stars, from Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor in the 1950s to Rajendra Kumar, Jeetendra, Dharmendra in the 1960s to Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, were outsiders. Thereafter star-kid after star-kid was launched with much fanfare. And yet there are 5 outsiders with zero connections in the film industry, who broke through in in spite of nepotism ruling the roost.
Mithun Chakraborty
With his bronze skin and sinewy personality,...
Mithun Chakraborty
With his bronze skin and sinewy personality,...
- 11/12/2021
- by Subhash K Jha
- Bollyspice
The Notebook Primer introduces readers to some of the most important figures, films, genres, and movements in film history.Adoor Gopalakrishnan on the set of KathapurushanIn 1982, Elippathayam (Rat-Trap) was introduced at the National Film Theatre, London, and won the Sutherland Trophy for the “most original and imaginative film” of the year. The Malayalam-language film succeeded in catapulting its director, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, to widespread international acclaim. Until then, the rare British Film Institute (BFI) honor had been bestowed upon only one filmmaker from India: Satyajit Ray. Along with Ray and Mrinal Sen, Gopalakrishnan is one of the most recognized and admired Indian filmmakers in world cinema. The International Film Critics Prize (Fipresci) has gone to him six times successively. Decorated with honors such as the French Government's Commander of the Order of Arts & Letters, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award—India's highest award in cinema—and winner of several international awards, his films...
- 11/3/2021
- MUBI
Parallel cinema cuts loose from the musicality of Bollywood and the common perception of Indian cinema at large. Coming out of West Bengal in the 1950s, parallel cinema appeared as an alternative to the glamour and dance; socially conscious and experimental in style and mood, it maps the origins of art cinema in India, and for the first time, the rest of the world was looking at India as an innovator of film language (Satyajit Ray’s 1955 train sequence Pather Panchali is one of the most celebrated in film history). In this movement, which followed in the wake of Italian neorealism, life's diegetics became the soundtrack, real life movement over set up musical numbers. This mix traces some choice moments in Parallel Cinema’s sound. Many songs and soundtracks from this period have a lofi quality to them—due in part to the quality of audio recording equipment throughout the years of the movement,...
- 10/29/2021
- MUBI
The series Voice of the Unheard: A Mrinal Sen Retrospective is playing on Mubi in many countries starting September 27, 2021.The Guerilla Fighter (1973)"In the beginning, there were the heaven and the earth and also the stinking malarial swamp."—Mrinal Sen, Always Being Born (2004)Instead of pulling an all-nighter to finish his assignment, Dipu (played by Anjan Dutt)—the ebullient young journalist who, at the start of Mrinal Sen’s dizzying, self-reflexive film, Chaalchitra, begrudgingly agrees to write an “intimate family portrait” about growing up just above the poverty line—becomes frustrated, throws a temper tantrum, and falls into a deep, dream-filled sleep. Sen’s itinerant camera dives into the slithy depths of Dipu’s unconscious, where his editor (whose demand for “salable” copy to “feed the public” leads to Dipu’s spiral) sits alone in a pristine, unpeopled bungalow. Lounging below electric lights, he sucks at a pipe and whirring fans deodorize the air.
- 10/1/2021
- MUBI
“The Rapist,” which has its premiere next month at the Busan International Film Festival is the hardest hitting film that Indian filmmaker Aparna Sen has ever made.
A chronicler of different aspects of Indian life, Sen has previously won global acclaim for her eclectic body of work, which includes “36 Chowringhee Lane” (1981), “Paroma” (1985) and “Iti Mrinalini” (2010) as a director.
Sen is also one of India’s most feted actors who has worked with the stalwarts of the country’s cinema including Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen and Rituparno Ghosh and internationally with Ismail Merchant and James Ivory.
Sen had the idea for “The Rapist” some 15 years ago, and decided to revisit the subject after the recent spate of rape incidents in India. “I began to wonder about why men rape. No one is born a rapist. They go through infancy, through the toddler stage and through boyhood in all innocence,” Sen tells Variety.
A chronicler of different aspects of Indian life, Sen has previously won global acclaim for her eclectic body of work, which includes “36 Chowringhee Lane” (1981), “Paroma” (1985) and “Iti Mrinalini” (2010) as a director.
Sen is also one of India’s most feted actors who has worked with the stalwarts of the country’s cinema including Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen and Rituparno Ghosh and internationally with Ismail Merchant and James Ivory.
Sen had the idea for “The Rapist” some 15 years ago, and decided to revisit the subject after the recent spate of rape incidents in India. “I began to wonder about why men rape. No one is born a rapist. They go through infancy, through the toddler stage and through boyhood in all innocence,” Sen tells Variety.
- 9/28/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The U.S. lineup at Mubi next month has been unveiled, featuring films by Claude Chabrol, Paulo Rocha, Ulrich Köhler, and more. Notable new releases include Pedro Costa’s striking Locarno winner Vitalina Varela as well as the Julia Fox-led Pvt Chat (check out our extensive interview with director Ben Hozie here.).
As part of their series Thrills, Chills, and Exquisite Horrors, the Martin Scorsese favorite Wake in Fright joins Mubi, along with Fabrice Du Welz’s Alleluia, Nicolas Winding Refn’s underseen Fear X, and Ben Wheatley’s trippy A Field in England.
Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.
October 1 | Alléluia | Fabrice Du Welz | Thrills, Chills, and Exquisite Horrors
October 2 | Styx | Wolfgang Fischer
October 3 | The Green Years | Paulo Rocha | Double Bill: Paulo Rocha
October 4 | Change of Life | Paulo Rocha | Double Bill: Paulo Rocha
October 5 | Your Day Is My Night | Lynne Sachs
October 6 | Hey, You!
As part of their series Thrills, Chills, and Exquisite Horrors, the Martin Scorsese favorite Wake in Fright joins Mubi, along with Fabrice Du Welz’s Alleluia, Nicolas Winding Refn’s underseen Fear X, and Ben Wheatley’s trippy A Field in England.
Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.
October 1 | Alléluia | Fabrice Du Welz | Thrills, Chills, and Exquisite Horrors
October 2 | Styx | Wolfgang Fischer
October 3 | The Green Years | Paulo Rocha | Double Bill: Paulo Rocha
October 4 | Change of Life | Paulo Rocha | Double Bill: Paulo Rocha
October 5 | Your Day Is My Night | Lynne Sachs
October 6 | Hey, You!
- 9/21/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Indian cinema superstar Rajinikanth, 70, will be the 2021 recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke award, India’s highest film honor.
The award is given for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema and is named after Phalke, director of “Raja Harischandra” (1913), India’s first full-length feature, who is considered the father of Indian cinema. It carries a cash prize of Inr 1 million.
Announcing the award on Thursday, Prakash Javadekar, India’s information and broadcasting minister tweeted: “Happy to announce #Dadasaheb Phalke award for 2019 to one of the greatest actors in history of Indian cinema Rajnikant ji. His contribution as actor, producer and screenwriter has been iconic.”
The award jury consisted of filmmaker Subhash Ghai, musicians Asha Bhonsle and Shankar Mahadevan, and actors Mohanlal and Biswajit Chatterjee.
Happy to announce #Dadasaheb Phalke award for 2019 to one of the greatest actors in history of Indian cinema Rajnikant ji
His contribution as actor, producer and screenwriter has...
The award is given for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema and is named after Phalke, director of “Raja Harischandra” (1913), India’s first full-length feature, who is considered the father of Indian cinema. It carries a cash prize of Inr 1 million.
Announcing the award on Thursday, Prakash Javadekar, India’s information and broadcasting minister tweeted: “Happy to announce #Dadasaheb Phalke award for 2019 to one of the greatest actors in history of Indian cinema Rajnikant ji. His contribution as actor, producer and screenwriter has been iconic.”
The award jury consisted of filmmaker Subhash Ghai, musicians Asha Bhonsle and Shankar Mahadevan, and actors Mohanlal and Biswajit Chatterjee.
Happy to announce #Dadasaheb Phalke award for 2019 to one of the greatest actors in history of Indian cinema Rajnikant ji
His contribution as actor, producer and screenwriter has...
- 4/1/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Flix FlashbackGV Iyer wrote and directed this unconventional film that was way ahead of its time, focusing on a couple and their children.Sanjana DeshpandeScreengrab: Nalegalannu Maduvavaru/YouTube/Tvnxt The 1950s were a defining time for the Indian cinema industry. The New Indian Cinema movement, inspired by Italian Neorealism, first began in West Bengal with filmmakers such as Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen making films that presented the reality of the prevalent sociopolitical climate. The flames of parallel cinema soon engulfed the rest of India. ‘Kannada Bheeshma’ Gv Iyer was one of the earlier Kannada parallel cinema filmmakers. Ganapathi Venkataramana Iyer has a legion of esteemed awards to his name. Iyer’s films always circled around the theme of spirituality. However, Nalegalannu Maduvavaru (The Ones Who Will Build the Future) stands out in his filmography. The film, which released in 1976-1977, moves away from the realm of spirituality and explores rationality.
- 12/10/2020
- by Sanjana
- The News Minute
ObituaryChatterjee was considered one of the first proponents of the naturalistic style of acting in Bengali cinema, a trademark of Satyajit Ray's movies.PTIImage: Wikimedia Commons/Biswarup GangulyHe was the actor who epitomised the best of world cinema, transcending the boundaries of country, state and language to give expression to Satyajit Ray's cinematic vision and get framed in celluloid greatness. But the legacy of Soumitra Chatterjee, who died on Sunday at the age of 85, is not limited to the Ray firmament, just as he was never only a Bengali star of Bengali cinema. The suave actor of the world, sometimes called last of the Mohicans and familiar to students of cinema anywhere in the globe, acted in 14 Ray films and over 300 others, gracefully transitioning into commercial cinema in a variety of roles. He made his presence felt on the stage too as actor, playwright and director. One of the...
- 11/15/2020
- by Nitin
- The News Minute
By Vinayak Chakravorty
He was the alt superstar of Bangla cinema in its glory years, the affable Bhadralok icon who crafted a towering stature ironically banking on down-to-earth, believable characters that represented middle-class Bengal. The brand of stardom was in stark contrast to the other shining luminary of contemporary cinema in the state -- Uttam Kumar -- whose position as Mahanayak in the Bengali psyche was primarily cemented in idol worship and mass hysteria.
Soumitra Chattopadhyay -- Chatterjee to anglicised India -- answers to the term ‘phenomenon' as absolutely as few actors do, for the sheer ease with which he defied the cliches of image. His stardom was sensational, and yet born out of realism. He was the mascot of the peerless Satyajit Ray's oeuvre, having worked with the maestro in 14 films, and yet he scored with the same assuredness in works of contemporary commercial powerhouses as Ajoy Kar and Tarun Mazumdar.
He was the alt superstar of Bangla cinema in its glory years, the affable Bhadralok icon who crafted a towering stature ironically banking on down-to-earth, believable characters that represented middle-class Bengal. The brand of stardom was in stark contrast to the other shining luminary of contemporary cinema in the state -- Uttam Kumar -- whose position as Mahanayak in the Bengali psyche was primarily cemented in idol worship and mass hysteria.
Soumitra Chattopadhyay -- Chatterjee to anglicised India -- answers to the term ‘phenomenon' as absolutely as few actors do, for the sheer ease with which he defied the cliches of image. His stardom was sensational, and yet born out of realism. He was the mascot of the peerless Satyajit Ray's oeuvre, having worked with the maestro in 14 films, and yet he scored with the same assuredness in works of contemporary commercial powerhouses as Ajoy Kar and Tarun Mazumdar.
- 11/15/2020
- by Glamsham Editorial
- GlamSham
Indian actor Soumitra Chatterjee, best known internationally for his long association with Oscar-winning filmmaker Satyajit Ray, died on Sunday in Kolkata after contracting coronavirus. He was 85.
Chatterjee was born in Calcutta in 1935. While at university he developed an interest in theater and was subsequently mentored by Sisir Bhaduri, a doyen in the field. He pursued an acting career in cinema while working as an announcer with All India Radio.
Chatterjee’s film debut, “The World of Apu,” (1959) was the third part of Ray’s celebrated Apu Trilogy that began with Cannes-winner “Pather Panchali” in 1955 and continued with Venice-winner “Aparajito” in 1956. The film began a fruitful association with Ray over the years that included “The Goddess” (1960), “Three Daughters” (1961), “The Expedition” (1962), “Charulata” (1964), “Days and Nights in the Forest” (1970), “Distant Thunder” (1973), “The Golden Fortress” (1974), “The Elephant God” (1979), “The Home and the World” (1984) and “Branches of the Tree” (1990).
Chatterjee also worked with the other greats of Bengali-language cinema,...
Chatterjee was born in Calcutta in 1935. While at university he developed an interest in theater and was subsequently mentored by Sisir Bhaduri, a doyen in the field. He pursued an acting career in cinema while working as an announcer with All India Radio.
Chatterjee’s film debut, “The World of Apu,” (1959) was the third part of Ray’s celebrated Apu Trilogy that began with Cannes-winner “Pather Panchali” in 1955 and continued with Venice-winner “Aparajito” in 1956. The film began a fruitful association with Ray over the years that included “The Goddess” (1960), “Three Daughters” (1961), “The Expedition” (1962), “Charulata” (1964), “Days and Nights in the Forest” (1970), “Distant Thunder” (1973), “The Golden Fortress” (1974), “The Elephant God” (1979), “The Home and the World” (1984) and “Branches of the Tree” (1990).
Chatterjee also worked with the other greats of Bengali-language cinema,...
- 11/15/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Close-Up is a feature that spotlights films now playing on Mubi. Govind Nihalani's Party (1984) is now showing in the series A Journey into Indian Cinema.“Oh, Mrs. Dalloway. Always giving parties to cover the silence.” —Michael Cunningham, The HoursVirginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway begins with the line, “Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.” In Govind Nihalani’s Party (1984), Mrs. Damayanti Rane (Vijaya Mehta) does not buy the flowers herself; she is a minister’s daughter living in a mansion in Mumbai, so she asks her servants to do it instead. She does, however, lay them out in vases. Like Woolf’s Mrs. Clarissa Dalloway, Mrs. Rane is throwing a party to celebrate a friend, in this case, Diwakar Barwe (Manohar Singh), a playwright who has just won a national award for his work. Even before the party begins, she has had a sedative, a shot of...
- 3/30/2020
- MUBI
TributeWhat Jameela did was historically important: studying at a film institute in 1969, at a time when women, especially from the Muslim community, were not encouraged to do higher studies.CrisCourtesy / Facebook.com / Roy VTIn an acting class at the prestigious Pune Film and Television Institute of India (Ftii), sometime in the early 1970s, filmmaker Mrinal Sen walked in for a lecture. He looked at the class of one female student and many men and began, “One lady and gentlemen.” There was a lot of laughter that day, Jameela Malik, that one female student remembered in an article she wrote decades later. She died four days ago, aged 73, and holding a record that people writing her obit would begin with: the first Malayali woman to study at Ftii, in 1969. It has a lot of historical importance, Prem Chand, journalist and film critic, says. “Not just because she was the first Malayali woman to study at Ftii,...
- 1/31/2020
- by Cris
- The News Minute
by Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri
(The article was published initially in Projectorhead.in)
The Golden Era: The 1950s and 1960s
The next two decades witnessed Bengali cinema at its best, with a never before coming together of exceptional directors, actors and technicians, a willingness to experiment with forms, techniques and content, and nuanced understanding and application of film techniques. Fittingly enough, the era began with Nemai Ghosh’s Chinnamul (The Uprooted, made in 1951), which despite certain aesthetic glitches, is a telling document of partition and a landmark in the growth of socially conscious cinema in India. Hemen Gupta’s Bhuli Nai (We Shall not Forget) and ’42 (1942), both made in the late 1940s but releasing only in the 1950s, were entirely original subject matters that owed themselves to the director’s experiences as a freedom fighter and were remarkable for the director’s uncompromising sincerity. The First International Film Festival held...
(The article was published initially in Projectorhead.in)
The Golden Era: The 1950s and 1960s
The next two decades witnessed Bengali cinema at its best, with a never before coming together of exceptional directors, actors and technicians, a willingness to experiment with forms, techniques and content, and nuanced understanding and application of film techniques. Fittingly enough, the era began with Nemai Ghosh’s Chinnamul (The Uprooted, made in 1951), which despite certain aesthetic glitches, is a telling document of partition and a landmark in the growth of socially conscious cinema in India. Hemen Gupta’s Bhuli Nai (We Shall not Forget) and ’42 (1942), both made in the late 1940s but releasing only in the 1950s, were entirely original subject matters that owed themselves to the director’s experiences as a freedom fighter and were remarkable for the director’s uncompromising sincerity. The First International Film Festival held...
- 10/26/2019
- by Guest Writer
- AsianMoviePulse
by Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri
(The article was published initially in Projectorhead.in)
The Early Years
While exhibition of films in Calcutta can be dated back to 1896, when one Professor Stevens screened the Lumiere programmes at Star Theatre, it was only in the first decade of the twentieth century that Bengal had its first indigenous film-maker—Hiralal Sen. Calcutta at the time had a strong tradition of professional theatre, and theatre houses served as outlets for films. The earliest screenings were held in theatre houses where films appeared as a double bill attraction alongside the plays. Influential theatre owners, like for example Amarendra Nath Dutta of Classic Theatre, encouraged the production of films by allowing Hiralal Sen to photograph his stage productions, which were then advertised as ‘superfine pictures from our world-renowned plays’ and exhibited. At the same time, given the Bengali’s natural propensity for topical and newsy items, it...
(The article was published initially in Projectorhead.in)
The Early Years
While exhibition of films in Calcutta can be dated back to 1896, when one Professor Stevens screened the Lumiere programmes at Star Theatre, it was only in the first decade of the twentieth century that Bengal had its first indigenous film-maker—Hiralal Sen. Calcutta at the time had a strong tradition of professional theatre, and theatre houses served as outlets for films. The earliest screenings were held in theatre houses where films appeared as a double bill attraction alongside the plays. Influential theatre owners, like for example Amarendra Nath Dutta of Classic Theatre, encouraged the production of films by allowing Hiralal Sen to photograph his stage productions, which were then advertised as ‘superfine pictures from our world-renowned plays’ and exhibited. At the same time, given the Bengali’s natural propensity for topical and newsy items, it...
- 10/25/2019
- by Guest Writer
- AsianMoviePulse
Crouching Tigers includes titles such as Cesar Diaz’ Our Mothers and Anthony Chen’s Wet Season.
Pingyao International Film Festival (Pyiff) has unveiled the bulk of its programme for this year’s edition, including the world premiere of Indian filmmaker Tushar Hiranandani’s sports drama Bull’s Eye, which will screen as a special presentation on Pingyao Night.
Hong Kong filmmaker Jacob Cheung’s The Opera House, starring Mason Lee and Ouyang Nana, will also receive its world premiere at Pyiff as the closing film.
So far the festival, founded by Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke with Marco Mueller as artistic director,...
Pingyao International Film Festival (Pyiff) has unveiled the bulk of its programme for this year’s edition, including the world premiere of Indian filmmaker Tushar Hiranandani’s sports drama Bull’s Eye, which will screen as a special presentation on Pingyao Night.
Hong Kong filmmaker Jacob Cheung’s The Opera House, starring Mason Lee and Ouyang Nana, will also receive its world premiere at Pyiff as the closing film.
So far the festival, founded by Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke with Marco Mueller as artistic director,...
- 9/17/2019
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
By Sayandeep Bandyopadhyay
Over the years, we have seen many great filmmakers emerging from Bengal, the likes of Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Ritwik Ghatak, Buddhadeb Dasgupta being the most notable examples. They have given us many memorable movies which are now considered as true masterpieces. Their minimalist approach towards movies, inspired by the Italian neo-realism movement, has earned them many accolades all over the world. Recently, though, that run of rich, artistic, independent movies for which Bengal was known for has been dried up. The films that are being produced nowadays are not up to the mark. Amongst these, Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s debut film “Asha Jaoar Majhe” (Labour of Love) is like a breath of fresh air.
Watch This Title
Here the title serves as the synopsis. The film is about an unnamed married couple, played by Ritwik Chakrabarty and Basabdutta Chatterjee, who work in opposite shifts to make...
Over the years, we have seen many great filmmakers emerging from Bengal, the likes of Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Ritwik Ghatak, Buddhadeb Dasgupta being the most notable examples. They have given us many memorable movies which are now considered as true masterpieces. Their minimalist approach towards movies, inspired by the Italian neo-realism movement, has earned them many accolades all over the world. Recently, though, that run of rich, artistic, independent movies for which Bengal was known for has been dried up. The films that are being produced nowadays are not up to the mark. Amongst these, Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s debut film “Asha Jaoar Majhe” (Labour of Love) is like a breath of fresh air.
Watch This Title
Here the title serves as the synopsis. The film is about an unnamed married couple, played by Ritwik Chakrabarty and Basabdutta Chatterjee, who work in opposite shifts to make...
- 8/9/2019
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
A film festival is set to pay homage to Indian cinema's noted names Veeru Devgan, actor-filmmaker Kader Khan, Mrinal Sen and Girish Karnad.
The legacy of the legends will be remembered at the 10th edition of the Jagran Film Festival, where two movies of each of them will be screened.
Also Read:?Glamsham Classic Rewind: Remembering Girish Karnad's Vamsha Vriksha
Its 'Homage' section will have filmmaker Rohit Shetty in-conversation with film critic Rajeev Masand on Veeru Devgan, whom Shetty regarded as a 'guru', at Siri Fort Auditorium on July 20.
Jff will begin in Delhi from July 18 and will travel through Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Varanasi, Agra, Meerut, Dehradun, Hisar, Ludhiana, Patna, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Gorakhpur, Raipur, Indore and Bhopal. The festival will culminate on September 29 in Mumbai.
The legacy of the legends will be remembered at the 10th edition of the Jagran Film Festival, where two movies of each of them will be screened.
Also Read:?Glamsham Classic Rewind: Remembering Girish Karnad's Vamsha Vriksha
Its 'Homage' section will have filmmaker Rohit Shetty in-conversation with film critic Rajeev Masand on Veeru Devgan, whom Shetty regarded as a 'guru', at Siri Fort Auditorium on July 20.
Jff will begin in Delhi from July 18 and will travel through Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Varanasi, Agra, Meerut, Dehradun, Hisar, Ludhiana, Patna, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Gorakhpur, Raipur, Indore and Bhopal. The festival will culminate on September 29 in Mumbai.
- 7/3/2019
- GlamSham
Actor Jisshu Sengupta, who is balancing a film career in multiple languages and is geared up for his sci-fi web series "Skyfire", says slowly but surely Bengali cinema is reaching out to the national audience as the theatrical release of regional films has expanded.
Bengali cinema has had an impact at international film festivals with the work of iconic filmmakers like Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, and Ritwik Ghatak among others, apart from movies by filmmakers like Rituparno Ghosh, Aparna Sen, and Goutam Ghose or Kaushik Ganguly and Srijit Mukerji. But now across India also, movies are getting a platform for release.
On the changing scenario, Jisshu told Ians here: "I think slowly, but surely Bengali cinema is reaching out to the national audience as regional films are getting a wider theatrical release. When it comes to the global audience, our presence is very much there. For ages, Bengali cinema holds...
Bengali cinema has had an impact at international film festivals with the work of iconic filmmakers like Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, and Ritwik Ghatak among others, apart from movies by filmmakers like Rituparno Ghosh, Aparna Sen, and Goutam Ghose or Kaushik Ganguly and Srijit Mukerji. But now across India also, movies are getting a platform for release.
On the changing scenario, Jisshu told Ians here: "I think slowly, but surely Bengali cinema is reaching out to the national audience as regional films are getting a wider theatrical release. When it comes to the global audience, our presence is very much there. For ages, Bengali cinema holds...
- 5/22/2019
- GlamSham
The 12-title line-up includes classics from filmmakers such as Ritwik Ghatak, Mrinal Sen, Mani Kaul, Shyam Benegal and Adoor Gopalakrishnan.
This year’s Pingyao International Film Festival (Pyiff) is hosting a retrospective of Indian New Wave cinema from the 1950s to the 1970s.
The 12-title line-up includes classics from filmmakers such as Ritwik Ghatak, Mrinal Sen, Mani Kaul, Shyam Benegal and Adoor Gopalakrishnan. The programme will kick off with two titles from Ghatak, who was considered the godfather of the Indian new wave and a mentor to other filmmakers (see full list of titles below).
India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting,...
This year’s Pingyao International Film Festival (Pyiff) is hosting a retrospective of Indian New Wave cinema from the 1950s to the 1970s.
The 12-title line-up includes classics from filmmakers such as Ritwik Ghatak, Mrinal Sen, Mani Kaul, Shyam Benegal and Adoor Gopalakrishnan. The programme will kick off with two titles from Ghatak, who was considered the godfather of the Indian new wave and a mentor to other filmmakers (see full list of titles below).
India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting,...
- 5/19/2019
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
Back for it’s 10th edition, the Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival has announced its full line-up as well as the list of guests that will be attending the Festival this year.
Their most diverse showcase yet, with 10 languages and 7 talented women Directors’ films being premiered, the Festival will play host to multi-award winning director Anurag Kashyap and one of India’s most talented actress, Radhika Apte.
This year’s highlights include a red carpet opening night at Picturehouse Central with the exciting World Premiere of cop whodunnit “Article 15” starring Bollywood star Ayushmann Khurrana directed by Anubhav Sinha. Our closing night marks the return of Ritesh Batra, the Director of “The Lunchbox”, with the premiere of “Photograph” starring the legendary Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
Ayushmann Khurrana in “Article 15”
In addition to the Screen Talks with Anurag Kashyap and Radhika Apte, there will also be a Chai with Chadha event, where prolific...
Their most diverse showcase yet, with 10 languages and 7 talented women Directors’ films being premiered, the Festival will play host to multi-award winning director Anurag Kashyap and one of India’s most talented actress, Radhika Apte.
This year’s highlights include a red carpet opening night at Picturehouse Central with the exciting World Premiere of cop whodunnit “Article 15” starring Bollywood star Ayushmann Khurrana directed by Anubhav Sinha. Our closing night marks the return of Ritesh Batra, the Director of “The Lunchbox”, with the premiere of “Photograph” starring the legendary Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
Ayushmann Khurrana in “Article 15”
In addition to the Screen Talks with Anurag Kashyap and Radhika Apte, there will also be a Chai with Chadha event, where prolific...
- 5/17/2019
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
This June, the prestigious London Indian Film Festival will once again thrill audiences with outstanding and thought-provoking independent cinema, including India’s new wave of Lgbtq+ films. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the UK and Europe’s largest South Asian film festival, supported by the Bagri Foundation and the BFI, Liff runs from 20th June to 8th July across 5 UK cities. This year, the festival will showcase 25 feature films in 11 languages. Not only that the festival is featuring films by 7 women directors. There are films from 6 countries including the UK, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, USA, and Poland. As well as screenings and special Q & A events, there are three very special In Conversation events with Anurag Kashyap, Gurinder Chadha, and Radhika Apte. That is just part of the exciting list of films and events you can be a part of at Liff!
Cary Rajinder Sawhney, Executive & Programming Director of the festival says:...
Cary Rajinder Sawhney, Executive & Programming Director of the festival says:...
- 5/11/2019
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
This is a movie that was not originally planned as a comedy and went on to win Indian National award for the best Feature film, Director and Actor for the year. “Bhuvan Shome” was released in 1969 and is widely credited as to have pioneered Indian Cinema’s new wave and is a confident endeavour at many levels.
It starts with depictions of the legends of Bengal (including Satyajit Ray) and makes one think of how fortunate the language, culture and art scene of the land had been and still is. You are sure in the least to envy those who call this part of India home.
The great auteur Mrinal Sen allows the script to grow organically, developing funny bones in the process untill a wholesome body of art emerges. And in his own words, it is also a rare commercial success.
Bhuvan Shome (played by Utpal Dutt...
It starts with depictions of the legends of Bengal (including Satyajit Ray) and makes one think of how fortunate the language, culture and art scene of the land had been and still is. You are sure in the least to envy those who call this part of India home.
The great auteur Mrinal Sen allows the script to grow organically, developing funny bones in the process untill a wholesome body of art emerges. And in his own words, it is also a rare commercial success.
Bhuvan Shome (played by Utpal Dutt...
- 3/18/2019
- by Arun Krishnan
- AsianMoviePulse
Khandhar was the 22nd feature film Directed by Mrinal Sen and released in 1984. The movie won India’s National film award for Best Direction, Best Actress and Best Editing. It was screened in many international film festivals and has won accolades all over the world.
Ruins (Khandhar) of old palaces, fortresses, mansions etc have provided the grand setting to several iconic movies. This is one among the best. Mrinal Sen will go on living through his work. Along with Ritwik Ghatak and Satyajit Ray, he has taken Bengali cinema to envious heights.
Novelty seeker Dipu (Pankaj Kapur) invites his friends Subhash (Naseeruddin Shah) and Anil (Annu Kapoor) to his dilapidated ancestral home in the country. The story revolves around the three days they spend there in the company of the caretaker and his daughter. The only other occupants are a mother (Gita Sen) and her daughter named Jamini (Shabana Azmi...
Ruins (Khandhar) of old palaces, fortresses, mansions etc have provided the grand setting to several iconic movies. This is one among the best. Mrinal Sen will go on living through his work. Along with Ritwik Ghatak and Satyajit Ray, he has taken Bengali cinema to envious heights.
Novelty seeker Dipu (Pankaj Kapur) invites his friends Subhash (Naseeruddin Shah) and Anil (Annu Kapoor) to his dilapidated ancestral home in the country. The story revolves around the three days they spend there in the company of the caretaker and his daughter. The only other occupants are a mother (Gita Sen) and her daughter named Jamini (Shabana Azmi...
- 2/5/2019
- by Arun Krishnan
- AsianMoviePulse
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSCharlie Chaplin in The Pilgrim (1923).Happy New Year! Thanks to the Sonny Bono Copyright Act, all copyrighted American works from 1923 have entered the public domain, legally allowing for re-publication and re-use. This includes Cecil B. DeMille's silent version of The Ten Commandments, and Charlie Chaplin's The Pilgrim.Two legends, directors Ringo Lam and Mrinal Sen, have passed away past week. Lam was a trailblazing member of the Hong Kong New Wave in the 1980s, while Mrinal Sen helped to usher in a new wave of filmmaking in India alongside Satyajit Ray. Recommended VIEWINGActor-comedian turned auteur Jordan Peele has swiftly produced his followup horror film to his unanimously celebrated Get Out. Here's the ambiguous yet stirring first trailer for Us.Janus Films have gracefully restored Jackie Chan's death defying Police Story films, in which he brilliantly stars,...
- 1/7/2019
- MUBI
Mrinal Sen, the filmmaker who won India’s highest film honor, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, has died. He was 95 and passed from natural causes at his home in Kolkata.
Sen is known for his contributions to Bengali parallel cinema, a movement originating in West Bengal that took a serious approach to filmmaking, rejecting mainstream Indian commercial cinema and its dance-and-song routines.
The movement was known for serious content, realism and the sociopolitical climate of the 1950s and early 1960s.
Sen was born on May 14, 1923, in Faridpur, now in Bangladesh. He originally moved to Kolkata to study physics, but turned in a different direction toward filmmaking. His feature debut was in 1955. Raat Bhore starred Uttam Kumar.
Sen went on to direct such films as Neel Akasher Neechey, Baishey Sravan, Bhuvan Shome and Akaler Sandhane.
In 1983, Sen received the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian award. In 2005, he received the country’s highest film honor,...
Sen is known for his contributions to Bengali parallel cinema, a movement originating in West Bengal that took a serious approach to filmmaking, rejecting mainstream Indian commercial cinema and its dance-and-song routines.
The movement was known for serious content, realism and the sociopolitical climate of the 1950s and early 1960s.
Sen was born on May 14, 1923, in Faridpur, now in Bangladesh. He originally moved to Kolkata to study physics, but turned in a different direction toward filmmaking. His feature debut was in 1955. Raat Bhore starred Uttam Kumar.
Sen went on to direct such films as Neel Akasher Neechey, Baishey Sravan, Bhuvan Shome and Akaler Sandhane.
In 1983, Sen received the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian award. In 2005, he received the country’s highest film honor,...
- 12/30/2018
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Indian director Mrinal Sen died Sunday in his hometown of Kolkata after a prolonged illness. He was 95.
Sen formed the acclaimed trio of legendary directors Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak from the eastern state of Bengal who pioneered a new wave in Indian cinema which also won international acclaim.
Born in 1925 in Faridpur in undivided India during British rule in what is now Bangladesh, Sen made his directing debut in 1955 with Raat Bhore and went on to gain recognition for his subsequent films, 1959's Neel Akasher Neechey and 1960's Baishey Shravana.
His filmography was known for both ...
Sen formed the acclaimed trio of legendary directors Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak from the eastern state of Bengal who pioneered a new wave in Indian cinema which also won international acclaim.
Born in 1925 in Faridpur in undivided India during British rule in what is now Bangladesh, Sen made his directing debut in 1955 with Raat Bhore and went on to gain recognition for his subsequent films, 1959's Neel Akasher Neechey and 1960's Baishey Shravana.
His filmography was known for both ...
- 12/30/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Indian director Mrinal Sen died Sunday in his hometown of Kolkata after a prolonged illness. He was 95.
Sen formed the acclaimed trio of legendary directors Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak from the eastern state of Bengal who pioneered a new wave in Indian cinema which also won international acclaim.
Born in 1925 in Faridpur in undivided India during British rule in what is now Bangladesh, Sen made his directing debut in 1955 with Raat Bhore and went on to gain recognition for his subsequent films, 1959's Neel Akasher Neechey and 1960's Baishey Shravana.
His filmography was known for both ...
Sen formed the acclaimed trio of legendary directors Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak from the eastern state of Bengal who pioneered a new wave in Indian cinema which also won international acclaim.
Born in 1925 in Faridpur in undivided India during British rule in what is now Bangladesh, Sen made his directing debut in 1955 with Raat Bhore and went on to gain recognition for his subsequent films, 1959's Neel Akasher Neechey and 1960's Baishey Shravana.
His filmography was known for both ...
- 12/30/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Legendary Indian filmmaker, Mrinal Sen died of a cardiac failure in Kolkata on Sunday. He was 95.
Sen was born in 1923 in Faridpur, British India (now Bangladesh). He debuted in 1955 with “Raat Bhore” and found local acclaim with “Neel Akasher Neechey” (1959) and “Baishey Shravana” (1960). He won India’s national awards for best film and director for “Bhuvan Shome” (1969).
Along with his contemporaries Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak, Sen was part of a troika of directors from the Eastern Indian state of Bengal that put Indian cinema on the global stage. During a tumultuous time in Bengal politics in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Sen and Ray both made Calcutta trilogies, with Sen choosing to be overtly political with “Interview,” “Calcutta 71” and “Padatik.” Ray took the humanist approach with “Pratidwandi,” “Seemabaddha” and “Jana Aranya.”
In 1981, Sen won three awards at Berlin for “Akaler Sandhane.” He had earlier won Berlin awards for...
Sen was born in 1923 in Faridpur, British India (now Bangladesh). He debuted in 1955 with “Raat Bhore” and found local acclaim with “Neel Akasher Neechey” (1959) and “Baishey Shravana” (1960). He won India’s national awards for best film and director for “Bhuvan Shome” (1969).
Along with his contemporaries Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak, Sen was part of a troika of directors from the Eastern Indian state of Bengal that put Indian cinema on the global stage. During a tumultuous time in Bengal politics in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Sen and Ray both made Calcutta trilogies, with Sen choosing to be overtly political with “Interview,” “Calcutta 71” and “Padatik.” Ray took the humanist approach with “Pratidwandi,” “Seemabaddha” and “Jana Aranya.”
In 1981, Sen won three awards at Berlin for “Akaler Sandhane.” He had earlier won Berlin awards for...
- 12/30/2018
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
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