scorecardresearch
Add as a preferred source on Google
Friday, November 14, 2025
HomeFeaturesReel Take

Reel Take

‘Boot Polish’, comedy drama with a critical view of a newly independent India

In an era when most Hindi films featured adult characters as protagonists, 'Boot Polish' stood out with its child lead roles—Bhola and Belu.

Parinda introduced gritty realism to Bollywood. A fire on the set injured Nana Patekar

Parinda depicted a new side of Mumbai—the underworld with raw authenticity, unlike the glamorisation seen in earlier films like Deewar.

A courtesan without shame or guilt—1966 film ‘Amrapali’ gave us a proud, powerful heroine

Every tawaif is said to be a corpse in ‘Pakeezah’. In ‘Amrapali’, however, the heroine fights for her status as a ‘nagarvadhu’ and takes pride in it.

Manoranjan—1974 film defied moral police. Zeenat Aman played an independent sex worker

Bright outfits, exaggerated comic scenes, and the lack of long-drawn emotional moments make Manoranjan entertaining. But it was a box office failure.

Raj Kapoor was awed by the global fame of Pather Panchali. He made ‘Jagte Raho’ in Bangla

A film without a lead pair, no romance, or masala and a purist director who belonged to theatre is recipe for commercial failure in Bollywood even today.

An Evening in Paris marked an iconic moment. Showed Indians the Parisian life in desi flavour

Sharmila Tagore’s winged liner, little black dress, sarees paired with knotted blouses to her bikini and puffed hairstyle, everything was on point. Even Shammi Kapoor’s tailored suits, or his colourful shirts were tasteful.

‘BR Ambedkar: Now and Then’ strips the Brahmin gaze off the Bahujan story. It’s a must watch

Jyoti Nisha’s documentary makes it clear that the ‘popular’ story of India is not necessarily the real story of India. At the very least, the story is incomplete.

What’s more potent than Ambedkar today? Lakhs of Ambedkarites at Chaityabhumi in Mumbai

Somnath Waghmare's documentary on Babasaheb’s resting place at Dadar serves as a walking tour for those oblivious to the drumbeats of Dalit assertion that plays out every 6 December.

Mission Impossible goes on a hunt for thrill. Like Tom Cruise and his enemy, it’s everywhere

Dead Reckoning has little to worry about critics who say its plots defy logic. Should you choose to accept the mission, nothing is impossible.

Lust Stories 2 on Netflix shows OTT’s obsession with anthologies and a problem they must fix

If one would like to look at Lust Stories 2 in totality –– is it to be viewed through the startling clarity of Sen-Sharma or the overstated sermon on sex by R Balki?

On Camera

How Nitish Kumar turned all rules of voter behaviour on their head

The conventional wisdom is that if a govt fails to improve the lot of the voters, it is punished. Kumar presided over an economic disaster for 20 years and was re-elected by a landslide.

Wealth nears $99 trillion, still Asia’s rich don’t have succession plans

Much of this wealth is tied to founder-led businesses that employ millions and help anchor regional economies.

Turkey blocks transport of Apache choppers to India through its airspace, new route being worked out

Indian govt officials last month skipped Turkish National Day celebrations in Delhi, in a message to Ankara following its support for Islamabad, particularly during Operation Sindoor.

Bihar is where politics moves, and everything else stands still

Bihar is blessed with a land more fertile for revolutions than any in India. Why has it fallen so far behind then? Constant obsession with politics is at the root of its destruction.