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
Kasba.The epic may go to the origins: the archetypes of thought, emotion and spiritual desire, and dissolve them in the present. The sensuous, contemporary life, seen from the perspectives of both past and future: film. Like music, the cinema is experienced as a continuous, live process of energies. It is conceived and best remembered in a flash, a composite whole.—Kumar Shahani, Film as a Contemporary ArtA sequence from Kasba (1990), directed by Kumar Shahani, has remained imprinted in my mind. Adapted from Anton Chekhov’s 1900 novella In The Ravine, Shahani’s melodrama is an exploration of feudal patriarchy in a small township in the mountains of Kangra. The film follows the younger daughter-in-law Tejo’s (Mita Vashisht) brutal power grab, which will finally culminate in the killing of the male heir to the family business. Immediately following this harrowing scene, Tejo stands at the edge of an open window,...
- 4/24/2024
- MUBI
Kumar Shahani, one of the pioneers of India’s arthouse parallel cinema movement, died at a hospital in Kolkata on Feb. 24 after a period of illness. He was 83.
Shahani studied screenwriting and direction at the Film and Television of India, where he was tutored by Indian master Ritwik Ghatak. He won a French government scholarship for higher studies in France, where he studied at the Institut des Hautes Etudes Cinématographiques and assisted Robert Bresson on “Une Femme Douce” (1969).
He returned to India and directed his first feature “Maya Darpan” in 1972. Shahani was known for his formalist style of filmmaking and his landmark films include “Tarang” (1984), “Khayal Gatha” (1989) and “Kasba” (1990).
Internationally, Shahani’s work was particularly appreciated at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, which programmed several of his films including “Maya Darpan,” the short “Var Var Vari,” “Tarang,” “Kasba,” the documentary “Bhavantarana” and “Char Adhyay.” “Khayal Gatha” won the Fipresci prize...
Shahani studied screenwriting and direction at the Film and Television of India, where he was tutored by Indian master Ritwik Ghatak. He won a French government scholarship for higher studies in France, where he studied at the Institut des Hautes Etudes Cinématographiques and assisted Robert Bresson on “Une Femme Douce” (1969).
He returned to India and directed his first feature “Maya Darpan” in 1972. Shahani was known for his formalist style of filmmaking and his landmark films include “Tarang” (1984), “Khayal Gatha” (1989) and “Kasba” (1990).
Internationally, Shahani’s work was particularly appreciated at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, which programmed several of his films including “Maya Darpan,” the short “Var Var Vari,” “Tarang,” “Kasba,” the documentary “Bhavantarana” and “Char Adhyay.” “Khayal Gatha” won the Fipresci prize...
- 2/25/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The world of Indian cinema mourns the loss of Kumar Shahani, a visionary filmmaker whose contributions have left an indelible mark on the landscape of parallel cinema. Shahani, who breathed his last on Sunday at the age of 83, leaves behind a legacy rich with artistic brilliance and innovation.
Born into a world enamored with the magic of storytelling, Kumar Shahani embarked on a journey that would redefine the contours of Indian cinema. His alma mater, the Film and Television Institute of India (Ftii) in Pune, served as the crucible where his cinematic sensibilities were honed. It was here that he found himself under the mentorship of the legendary director Ritwik Ghatak, who recognized in Shahani a spark of genius.
Following in the footsteps of his mentor, Kumar Shahani ventured into the realm of filmmaking with a thirst for experimentation and a keen eye for detail. His sojourn to France, where...
Born into a world enamored with the magic of storytelling, Kumar Shahani embarked on a journey that would redefine the contours of Indian cinema. His alma mater, the Film and Television Institute of India (Ftii) in Pune, served as the crucible where his cinematic sensibilities were honed. It was here that he found himself under the mentorship of the legendary director Ritwik Ghatak, who recognized in Shahani a spark of genius.
Following in the footsteps of his mentor, Kumar Shahani ventured into the realm of filmmaking with a thirst for experimentation and a keen eye for detail. His sojourn to France, where...
- 2/25/2024
- by Chesta Singh
- ReferSMS
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
KollywoodDirector Deepak and actors Rohini and Shraddha Srinath speak to Tnm about their recently released Tamil film ‘Witness’, which narrates the heartbreaking tale about the death of a 20-year-old caused by manual scavenging.Saradha UTwitter/ Sony LIVManual scavenging has been prohibited by the Indian government since 1993 and was made a punishable offence in 2013. However, Dalits and people from oppressed castes are routinely forced into sanitation work, in many cases resulting tragically in their deaths. Though Rs 10 lakh is to be provided as compensation to the victim’s family, there have been lapses in processing it in a majority of the cases. The number of deaths caused by manual scavenging is usually more than what government records show. While these are some of the facts that have been reiterated by activists, journalists, and others pushing for the eradication of manual scavenging, it is rare to see these details being translated on screen,...
- 12/13/2022
- by SaradhaU
- The News Minute
An assortment of 14 Indian films from the 1970s and the 1980s will be screened at the upcoming 44th edition of the prestigious Festival des 3 Continents which is set to be held from November 18 to November 27, 2022 in Nantes, France.
The special section at the festival will also highlight the finest films dating back to the 1970’s and 1980’s from Africa, Latin America and Asia in addition to the Indian films. Among the stalwart Indian directors whose films will be screened are Ritwik Ghatak, Aravindan Govindan, ‘Amma Ariyan’ director John Abraham and Saeed Akhtar Mirza.
The Indian films that will be screened at the prestigious festival include ‘Thamp’, ‘Kummatty’, ‘Agraharathil Kazhuthai’, ‘Amma Ariyan’, ‘Thaneer Thaneer’, ‘Titash Ekti Nadir Naam’, ‘Ashad Ka Ek Din’, ‘Khandhar’, ‘Om-Dar-b-Dar’, ‘Hun Hunshi Hunshilal’, ’36 Chowringhee Lane’, ‘Utsav’, ‘Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastan’ and ‘Disha’.
Reacting to the development, renowned filmmaker and author Saeed Akhtar Mirza said: “I am...
The special section at the festival will also highlight the finest films dating back to the 1970’s and 1980’s from Africa, Latin America and Asia in addition to the Indian films. Among the stalwart Indian directors whose films will be screened are Ritwik Ghatak, Aravindan Govindan, ‘Amma Ariyan’ director John Abraham and Saeed Akhtar Mirza.
The Indian films that will be screened at the prestigious festival include ‘Thamp’, ‘Kummatty’, ‘Agraharathil Kazhuthai’, ‘Amma Ariyan’, ‘Thaneer Thaneer’, ‘Titash Ekti Nadir Naam’, ‘Ashad Ka Ek Din’, ‘Khandhar’, ‘Om-Dar-b-Dar’, ‘Hun Hunshi Hunshilal’, ’36 Chowringhee Lane’, ‘Utsav’, ‘Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastan’ and ‘Disha’.
Reacting to the development, renowned filmmaker and author Saeed Akhtar Mirza said: “I am...
- 10/28/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- 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
Film FestivalTIFF 2022 will run from September 8 to 18 without any of the restrictions of the last two years. Prior to the festival, notable works from Satyajit Ray and his contemporaries will be presented between August 4 and 27.Suresh NellikodeYouTube screenshotAfter a long patch of lockdowns and pandemic-inflicted restrictions, it’s time for Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) fans to get spoiled for choice. While the 47th edition of the film festival is two months away, the organisers have planned a wonderful line-up of events and TIFF looks poised for an opulent comeback this year. TIFF 2022 will run from September 8 to 18 without any of the restrictions that were in place in the previous two years. It’ll spring back to its previous normal with added surprises to make good for what was lost in the last couple of years. There were only 50 films in 2020 and 150 in 2021, with fewer in-person shows and more hybrid online shows.
- 7/3/2022
- by Vidya
- The News Minute
Gulzar in Griha Pravesh (1979).Cinema and poetry seem to be such kindred art forms that one would imagine a lot of poets to have turned to filmmaking. In reality, such instances are relatively rare. Maya Angelou directed just the one film, Down in the Delta (1998), and Ethan Coen published a book of poetry called The Drunken Driver Has the Right of Way. Kiarostami was a poet, so were Pasolini and Jean Cocteau. Indian cinema has produced a few poet-filmmakers of its own, such as Buddhadeb Dasgupta and Kidar Sharma. But probably the one filmmaker who has also been staggeringly prolific as both a poet and songwriter is Gulzar.The Western world predominantly sees Indian cinema in two extremities: either as the garish vaudevillian spectacle that everyone broadly recognizes as Bollywood, or the stark realistic storytelling by the likes of Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak. But with at least eleven major...
- 6/14/2022
- MUBI
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
Payal Kapadia’s debut feature A Night of Knowing Nothing opens with the discovery of a box of unset letters in a hostel at Pune’s Film and Television Institute of India. Written in the wake of a lover’s sudden departure by a woman from a lower caste identified only by the initial “L,” stories of solidarity and cinema transport the viewer to university life from 2015 and onwards. In Kapadia’s previous short films like The Last Mango Before the Monsoon (2015) and Afternoon Clouds (2017), women yearned for lost lovers within the secrecy of dreams, where for the duration of a night or a brief nap they could feel freedom from political and cultural strictures. But the epistolary structure and second-person narration of A Night of Knowing Nothing (which played in the Wavelengths program at the Toronto International Film Festival and will play at the New York Film Festival) allows...
- 10/2/2021
- 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
In order to properly understand the evolving aesthetics of Indian Parallel Cinema, the films of Mani Kaul are practically indispensable. While most of his filmography is undoubtedly fascinating, Kaul’s magnum opus remains his enigmatic 1973 masterpiece “Duvidha” which earned him the highly coveted National Award for Best Direction. Having said that, the movie’s achievements cannot be reduced to the names of mere accolades. Instead, its extensive legacy is built upon the fiercely original artistic investigations of Mani Kaul.
Based on the eponymous Rajasthani folk-tale written by the venerable Vijaydan Detha, “Duvidha” is a deceptively complex story about a ghost who lives in a banyan tree. When he sees a newly-wed bride (played by Raisa Padamsee) passing by on her way to her husband’s (Ravi Menon) ancestral house, the ghost is overcome with an uncontrollable desire. While the husband is pre-occupied with the pursuit of wealth,...
Based on the eponymous Rajasthani folk-tale written by the venerable Vijaydan Detha, “Duvidha” is a deceptively complex story about a ghost who lives in a banyan tree. When he sees a newly-wed bride (played by Raisa Padamsee) passing by on her way to her husband’s (Ravi Menon) ancestral house, the ghost is overcome with an uncontrollable desire. While the husband is pre-occupied with the pursuit of wealth,...
- 9/7/2021
- by Swapnil Dhruv Bose
- AsianMoviePulse
Vinothraj P.S. is an Indian filmmaker. While working in a DVD shop in Chennai, he was introduced to people from the Tamil film industry. This led to him becoming assistant director on two films by A. Sargunam. After working as a assistant theatre director, he began making his own films. Pebbles (2021) is his feature film debut with its world premiere at IFFR.
On the occasion of “Pebbles” winning the Tiger Award at the International Film festival Rotterdam, we speak with him about the landscape of the film, balancing seriousness and humor, the cast, and other topics
The landscape is one of the protagonists of the film. Was that your intention from the beginning? Could you tell us more about the area the story is located in?
I was born and grew up exactly there, in this area in a village around the place where we shot the film. I...
On the occasion of “Pebbles” winning the Tiger Award at the International Film festival Rotterdam, we speak with him about the landscape of the film, balancing seriousness and humor, the cast, and other topics
The landscape is one of the protagonists of the film. Was that your intention from the beginning? Could you tell us more about the area the story is located in?
I was born and grew up exactly there, in this area in a village around the place where we shot the film. I...
- 2/9/2021
- by Teresa Vena
- AsianMoviePulse
By Fahmidul Haq
Bangladesh started producing film regularly since the mid-1950s, when it was part of Pakistan. Due to the colonial military rule by the central West Pakistan, there was a rise of Bengali nationalism and people of East Pakistan started revolting. The East did not get the power even though their political party Bangladesh Awami League got absolute majority in 1970 Pakistan election. The people of the East got increasingly agitated and there was a military crackdown in the midnight of March 25, 1971 and the war started. Through the resistance of freedom fighters and the diplomatic and military support from India, Bangladesh got liberated from Pakistan on December 16, 1971 .
This article selects the 20 best films in post-liberation (1972-2000) Bangladesh. The country had a vibrant mainstream film industry in 1970s and 1980s. Since 1990s, the industry started declining due to many internal and external factors. Meanwhile, since the mid-1980s, there was...
Bangladesh started producing film regularly since the mid-1950s, when it was part of Pakistan. Due to the colonial military rule by the central West Pakistan, there was a rise of Bengali nationalism and people of East Pakistan started revolting. The East did not get the power even though their political party Bangladesh Awami League got absolute majority in 1970 Pakistan election. The people of the East got increasingly agitated and there was a military crackdown in the midnight of March 25, 1971 and the war started. Through the resistance of freedom fighters and the diplomatic and military support from India, Bangladesh got liberated from Pakistan on December 16, 1971 .
This article selects the 20 best films in post-liberation (1972-2000) Bangladesh. The country had a vibrant mainstream film industry in 1970s and 1980s. Since 1990s, the industry started declining due to many internal and external factors. Meanwhile, since the mid-1980s, there was...
- 12/29/2020
- by Guest Writer
- AsianMoviePulse
The November 2020 lineup for The Criterion Channel has been unveiled, toplined by a Claire Denis retrospective, including the brand-new restoration of Beau travail, along with Chocolat, No Fear, No Die, Nenette and Boni, Towards Mathilde, 35 Shots of Rum, and White Material.
There will also be a series celebrating 30 years of The Film Foundation, featuring a new interview with Martin Scorsese by Ari Aster, as well as a number of their most essential restorations, including films by Jia Zhangke, Ritwik Ghatak, Luchino Visconti, Shirley Clarke, Med Hondo, and more.
There’s also David Lynch’s new restoration of The Elephant Man, retrospectives dedicated to Ngozi Onwurah, Nadav Lapid, and Terence Nance, a new edition of the series Queersighted titled Queer Fear, featuring a new conversation between series programmer Michael Koresky and filmmaker and critic Farihah Zaman, and much more.
See the lineup below and learn more on the official site.
There will also be a series celebrating 30 years of The Film Foundation, featuring a new interview with Martin Scorsese by Ari Aster, as well as a number of their most essential restorations, including films by Jia Zhangke, Ritwik Ghatak, Luchino Visconti, Shirley Clarke, Med Hondo, and more.
There’s also David Lynch’s new restoration of The Elephant Man, retrospectives dedicated to Ngozi Onwurah, Nadav Lapid, and Terence Nance, a new edition of the series Queersighted titled Queer Fear, featuring a new conversation between series programmer Michael Koresky and filmmaker and critic Farihah Zaman, and much more.
See the lineup below and learn more on the official site.
- 10/27/2020
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
By Kirti Raj Singh
After the fall of the Shah regime, the Iranian cinema went through a hazardous state and came out with beautiful films…, Films which were not only praised in Iran, but throughout the globe. So what actually changed in films?
Iran was going through changes; nothing was unaffected by the revolt that broke out in 1978-79. Revolution resulted in the rise of the Islamic republic under Imam Khomeini, after the fall of the Shah Regime, which was absolute monarchy. Iran’s rapidly modernizing capitalist economy was replaced by populist & Islamic economic & cultural policies. Much of the industry was nationalized, laws & schools islamicized, and western influences got banned in every possible way. And then there was Saddam Hussein’s invasion in 1980, which, ironically, strengthened the revolution and fed Iranians the determination to carry the revolution outside Iran’s borders.
By 1982, Khomeini and his supporters had crushed their rivals...
After the fall of the Shah regime, the Iranian cinema went through a hazardous state and came out with beautiful films…, Films which were not only praised in Iran, but throughout the globe. So what actually changed in films?
Iran was going through changes; nothing was unaffected by the revolt that broke out in 1978-79. Revolution resulted in the rise of the Islamic republic under Imam Khomeini, after the fall of the Shah Regime, which was absolute monarchy. Iran’s rapidly modernizing capitalist economy was replaced by populist & Islamic economic & cultural policies. Much of the industry was nationalized, laws & schools islamicized, and western influences got banned in every possible way. And then there was Saddam Hussein’s invasion in 1980, which, ironically, strengthened the revolution and fed Iranians the determination to carry the revolution outside Iran’s borders.
By 1982, Khomeini and his supporters had crushed their rivals...
- 4/13/2020
- by Guest Writer
- AsianMoviePulse
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSMartin Scorsese and Paul Schrader in 1973.Martin Scorsese will be executive producing Paul Schrader's upcoming The Card Counter, a casino-set thriller starring Tiffany Haddish, Oscar Isaac, and Willem Dafoe, marking the pair's fifth collaboration. Though we're a little late, we're thrilled by news that the Safdie Brothers have teamed up with comedian Nathan Fielder to pen a half-hour pilot for Showtime. The story reportedly stars Fielder and Benny Safdie in the tale of a curse that threatens the marriage of a couple on a Hgtv show. Recommended VIEWINGMetrograph's official trailer for the 4K restoration of Fruit Chan's Made in Hong Kong, a portrait of nihilistic youth in the city. Abel Ferrara's surreal Siberia stars Willem Dafoe as an isolated man who ventures into "dreams, memory and imagination in an attempt to find his true nature.
- 2/26/2020
- MUBI
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSElaine May by Brigitte LacombeWe're thrilled to hear that Elaine May is set to direct her first narrative feature in 30 years. The film, entitled Crackpot, will star Dakota Johnson. "We searched high and low for the perfect character to portray the role of Rogan, which has some extreme complex character arcs, and after months of research, we decided on James Dean," says filmmaker Anton Ernst. A filmmaking duo has acquired the rights to use the image of James Dean in a forthcoming war drama.Recommended VIEWINGPaul Thomas Anderson's collaboration with the American pop-rock band Haim continue with this music video for their latest single "Now I'm In It." Recommended READINGRitwik Ghatak As New York's Lincoln Center begins a retrospective on the films of Ritwik Ghatak, critic Shiv Kotecha provides an essential overview of Ghatak's...
- 11/6/2019
- MUBI
Since any New York City cinephile has a nearly suffocating wealth of theatrical options, we figured it’d be best to compile some of the more worthwhile repertory showings into one handy list. Displayed below are a few of the city’s most reliable theaters and links to screenings of their weekend offerings — films you’re not likely to see in a theater again anytime soon, and many of which are, also, on 35mm. If you have a chance to attend any of these, we’re of the mind that it’s time extremely well-spent.
Museum of Modern Art
MoMA has reopened, and it is–I do not say this lightly–almost too much in one weekend. See for yourself.
If you can get a standby ticket, Michael Mann presents a print of The Insider on Friday.
Film Forum
“Shitamachi: Tales of Downtown Tokyo” begins with both canon and lesser-known Japanese cinema.
Museum of Modern Art
MoMA has reopened, and it is–I do not say this lightly–almost too much in one weekend. See for yourself.
If you can get a standby ticket, Michael Mann presents a print of The Insider on Friday.
Film Forum
“Shitamachi: Tales of Downtown Tokyo” begins with both canon and lesser-known Japanese cinema.
- 11/1/2019
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
When the Pingyao International Film Festival staged its improbable tribute to the “New Indian Cinema” of the 1960s and 1970s last month, its organizers—historian Ayesha Geeth Abbas, Deepti DCunha, and festival director Marco Müller—placed two films by Ritwik Ghatak (1925–1975) at the center of the tribute. Improbable, that is, because of the radicality of the non-Ghatak contents of the program; even Ghatak’s greatest defenders would concede that (at least with these films) he never quite pushed things as far as some of these filmmakers were able to, preferring instead to work within more popular contexts. Nestled among the more standard fare of Pyiff’s main program, the opaque and challenging delights of this twelve-film series benefited from comparison with other movies; when seen against the both the Chinese and international competition at the festival, it was perhaps inevitable that the life seemed to drain out of the new films,...
- 10/31/2019
- MUBI
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
A breeze of optimism breezes through his pondering realisms, writer, filmmaker Manish Gupta is the talk of the town. Reason is Section 375, the terrific, bold and the most thought provoking court room drama on sexual crimes is written by Manish who has previously prove his mettle in penning fascinatingly absorbing, entertaining and enlightening stories for screen like Sarkar, Rahasya. ?
In a free willing and open - hearted interview, the writer, filmmaker Manish Gupta speaks on the origin of Section 375, the study, the research, most important ? how he managed to maintain the balance by walking on a sharp edged sword and highlighted the truth without disturbing the sanctity of the issue, law and court. Plus, the writer also speaks on the allegations of pushing the MeToo narrative and flipping it into something like MenToo disclosing all the Rahasya behind Section 375. Over to Manish Gupta.
Excerpts from the interview...
In a free willing and open - hearted interview, the writer, filmmaker Manish Gupta speaks on the origin of Section 375, the study, the research, most important ? how he managed to maintain the balance by walking on a sharp edged sword and highlighted the truth without disturbing the sanctity of the issue, law and court. Plus, the writer also speaks on the allegations of pushing the MeToo narrative and flipping it into something like MenToo disclosing all the Rahasya behind Section 375. Over to Manish Gupta.
Excerpts from the interview...
- 9/18/2019
- GlamSham
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 Anand Singh
Sacrifice, a word which conjures images of martyrs, of heroic deeds, and great struggles. We all have dreams and yet, due to circumstances seen and unforeseen, they never materialise. Sometimes we give it up for those we love, giving and giving until we realise we have ceased to exist. When it is too late, we cry out, crushed, forgotten, like a horse that cannot work anymore. Released in 1960 and directed by Ritwik Ghatak, the film “Meghe Dhaka Tara” (The Cloud-Capped Star), shows this in a poignant and memorable manner.
The film revolves around a family of six, the parents and their four children. The father is a school teacher and the mother (played by Gita Dey) is a housewife. The eldest child, Shankar (played by Anil Chatterjee) is unemployed and aspires to be a singer. The second child, Nita (played by Supriya Choudhury) is...
Sacrifice, a word which conjures images of martyrs, of heroic deeds, and great struggles. We all have dreams and yet, due to circumstances seen and unforeseen, they never materialise. Sometimes we give it up for those we love, giving and giving until we realise we have ceased to exist. When it is too late, we cry out, crushed, forgotten, like a horse that cannot work anymore. Released in 1960 and directed by Ritwik Ghatak, the film “Meghe Dhaka Tara” (The Cloud-Capped Star), shows this in a poignant and memorable manner.
The film revolves around a family of six, the parents and their four children. The father is a school teacher and the mother (played by Gita Dey) is a housewife. The eldest child, Shankar (played by Anil Chatterjee) is unemployed and aspires to be a singer. The second child, Nita (played by Supriya Choudhury) is...
- 8/10/2019
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
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
She is one of the most talented actresses in Indian cinema today who always gets completely lost inside her characters. Whether it is Safiya in Manto, Neeti in Delhi Crime Story, Neeli in Qissa, Nutan Yadav in Made In Heaven or Ishrat in Hamid, Rasika Dugal always delivers an outstanding and many times award-winning performance.
To celebrate the success of Hamid, Stacey was able to catch up with Rasika for a fascinating and fun conversation. Check out this in-depth interview where the actress talks of her surprising beginning, the roles she has played, the tears she has cried, and what we will see her in next!
Is acting something you’ve always wanted to do?
No, actually I pretty much fell upon it by chance. I had done a little bit of theatre while I was a student of Mathematics in a college in Delhi, but I never considered it...
To celebrate the success of Hamid, Stacey was able to catch up with Rasika for a fascinating and fun conversation. Check out this in-depth interview where the actress talks of her surprising beginning, the roles she has played, the tears she has cried, and what we will see her in next!
Is acting something you’ve always wanted to do?
No, actually I pretty much fell upon it by chance. I had done a little bit of theatre while I was a student of Mathematics in a college in Delhi, but I never considered it...
- 6/12/2019
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
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
As many as 1,854 feature films were submitted to be part of the 2019 Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival from across the world this year. As many as 39 nations are represented as production or co-production countries. India is missing.
Filmmaker Onir rightly questioned: "What are we supposed to celebrate about Cannes 2019... The cinema that's being celebrated or just the clothes our actors wear and the parties they attend. Somehow that is all that seems to be talked about."
Barring the overwhelming red carpet or party looks of Bollywood actresses making a splash on social media, an India Pavilion, organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Ficci, is doing its bit to forge international partnerships in distribution, production, pitch India as a shooting destination and promoting film sales and syndication.
India may be one of the largest film producers in the world, but no film from the country made it in the competition categories.
Filmmaker Onir rightly questioned: "What are we supposed to celebrate about Cannes 2019... The cinema that's being celebrated or just the clothes our actors wear and the parties they attend. Somehow that is all that seems to be talked about."
Barring the overwhelming red carpet or party looks of Bollywood actresses making a splash on social media, an India Pavilion, organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Ficci, is doing its bit to forge international partnerships in distribution, production, pitch India as a shooting destination and promoting film sales and syndication.
India may be one of the largest film producers in the world, but no film from the country made it in the competition categories.
- 5/20/2019
- 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
Madhur Bhandarkar, who is here for the 72nd Cannes Film Festival, says Indian filmmakers need to create cinema focussing on real and "earthy" subjects to have visible representation at such platforms.
India has zero representation in terms of films at the competition categories of the Cannes Film Festival this year.
At the India Pavilion of the gala, Bhandarkar engaged in a conversation with filmmaker Rahul Rawail around the current state of Indian cinema and the way forward.
Bhandarkar, known for films like "Page 3", "Traffic Signal" and "Fashion", said: "It is unfortunate that there is no Indian cinema (here). They are looking for strong content... He (a festival official I met) told me the audience is very different here in Cannes, so they have to choose the best one.
"We need to have strong content like the cinema of (Satyajit) Ray and Ritwik Ghatak, which basically has the Cannes value... That...
India has zero representation in terms of films at the competition categories of the Cannes Film Festival this year.
At the India Pavilion of the gala, Bhandarkar engaged in a conversation with filmmaker Rahul Rawail around the current state of Indian cinema and the way forward.
Bhandarkar, known for films like "Page 3", "Traffic Signal" and "Fashion", said: "It is unfortunate that there is no Indian cinema (here). They are looking for strong content... He (a festival official I met) told me the audience is very different here in Cannes, so they have to choose the best one.
"We need to have strong content like the cinema of (Satyajit) Ray and Ritwik Ghatak, which basically has the Cannes value... That...
- 5/19/2019
- GlamSham
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
Kolkata, the eastern Indian megalopolis once known as Calcutta and commonly referred to as the City of Joy, has long been thought of as the center of intellectualism in India. Many of the country's most internationally lauded artists hail from the West Bengal capital. Not only are filmmakers like Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak associated with Kolkata, but also some of the nation's most famous authors like Rabindranath Tagore also hail from the region. So when images of Kolkata come to mind, it is these lofty names that tend to shape the world's vision of the art of the region. Fine Art photographer Ronny Sen's debut feature film, Cat Sticks, points a well trained eye at the underbelly of the city, tracing a loosely interwoven network...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 1/28/2019
- Screen Anarchy
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
It is often said that no object or human being has a value of its own, we give it value. Some things are so close to us that we can never part with them. In it resides a part of who we are. We often anthropomorphize it and it becomes our best friend. A confidant who sticks with us through thick and thin. Making a movie about such a connection is always a tough task. Directed by the great Ritwik Ghatak and released in 1958, “Ajantrik” is such a movie. It revolves around a taxi driver, Bimal (played by Kali Banerjee) and his car, Jagaddal, a 1920 Chevrolet Jalopy.
Buy This Title
The movie opens with two men urgently looking for a taxi since one of them is to get married that day. They are refused by everyone until they are informed by a boy, Sultan, that there is someone who can take them to their destination.
Buy This Title
The movie opens with two men urgently looking for a taxi since one of them is to get married that day. They are refused by everyone until they are informed by a boy, Sultan, that there is someone who can take them to their destination.
- 10/28/2018
- by Anand Singh
- AsianMoviePulse
Courtisane Festival in Gent, Belgium (March 28 - April 4) in collaboration with the Essay Film Festival in London, UK (March 21 - 29) has brought together a selection of Mani Kaul films for a program titled Soft Notes on a Sharp Scale:The Rambling Figures of Mani Kaul. Two events, seemingly unassuming and unrelated, that happened in the mid 60s were instrumental in shaping the cinematic landscape of India. J.S. Bhownagary was appointed Deputy Chief Producer for a second stint at Films Division in 1965, and Ritwik Ghatak moved to Pune to teach at the Film and Television institute of India (Ftii) in 1966. The first resulted in experimental documentaries being made by the likes of S.N.S. Sastry, S. Sukhdev, Pramod Pati, M.F.Hussain and the second was the harbinger of what is commonly referred to as the New Indian Cinema, with Ghatak during his tenure at Ftii acting as an influential figure for the likes of Mani Kaul,...
- 3/28/2018
- MUBI
The festival returns this month for its sixth edition. Every year Liff aims to bring audiences some of the very best new Indian independent cinema, which includes features, documentaries and short films by both acclaimed and emerging filmmakers. This year’s line up promises to leave you entertained, informed, thought provoking and even in some cases leaving a screen shocked.
We now present the films that will be screened at this prestigious festival
Umrika | Opening Night | UK Premiere | cert 12A
Hindi with English subtitles | 98 min | India 2015 | Dir. Prashant Nair | with: Suraj Sharma, Tony Revolori, Adil Hussain, Smita Tambe, Prateik Babbar.
This year’s Sundance Audience Award winner is an uplifting, rights of passage tale about two brothers from a small village who have dreams of making it big in Umrika (America). Udai (Pratiek Babbar) is the eldest and adored by his hard-working mum. He leaves their hamlet on a bullock...
We now present the films that will be screened at this prestigious festival
Umrika | Opening Night | UK Premiere | cert 12A
Hindi with English subtitles | 98 min | India 2015 | Dir. Prashant Nair | with: Suraj Sharma, Tony Revolori, Adil Hussain, Smita Tambe, Prateik Babbar.
This year’s Sundance Audience Award winner is an uplifting, rights of passage tale about two brothers from a small village who have dreams of making it big in Umrika (America). Udai (Pratiek Babbar) is the eldest and adored by his hard-working mum. He leaves their hamlet on a bullock...
- 7/8/2015
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
Dry Summer
Written by Metin Erksan, Kemal Inci, and Ismet Soydan
Directed by Metin Erksan
Turkey, 1964
In 2013, the Criterion Collection released a Blu-Ray/DVD box-set entitled ‘Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project’. The box set consists of six films from various parts of the world that have received high-quality restorations, thanks to the assistance of Martin Scorsese and The Film Foundation. And yet, it has to be said that some of the films Scorsese had commissioned for restoration and home video release leave a lot to be desired: Djibril Diop Mambety’s The Journey of the Hyena (1973; Wolof title: Touki Bouki) is a Senegalese-made bore of a chore to sit thru as it imitates the horrid French New Wave works of Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard; The Wave (1936; Spanish title: Redes), an American-Mexican co-production between directors Fred Zinnemann and Emilio Gomez Muriel and photographer Paul Strand, which is a short...
Written by Metin Erksan, Kemal Inci, and Ismet Soydan
Directed by Metin Erksan
Turkey, 1964
In 2013, the Criterion Collection released a Blu-Ray/DVD box-set entitled ‘Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project’. The box set consists of six films from various parts of the world that have received high-quality restorations, thanks to the assistance of Martin Scorsese and The Film Foundation. And yet, it has to be said that some of the films Scorsese had commissioned for restoration and home video release leave a lot to be desired: Djibril Diop Mambety’s The Journey of the Hyena (1973; Wolof title: Touki Bouki) is a Senegalese-made bore of a chore to sit thru as it imitates the horrid French New Wave works of Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard; The Wave (1936; Spanish title: Redes), an American-Mexican co-production between directors Fred Zinnemann and Emilio Gomez Muriel and photographer Paul Strand, which is a short...
- 1/1/2015
- by Christopher Koenig
- SoundOnSight
International and documentary competitions include The Skeleton Twins, ‘71 and The Look of Silence. A total of 17 world premieres secured for the festival, which has received a budget boost.
The 10th Zurich Film Festival (Sept 25 – Oct 5) has revealed its full line-up, which comprises 145 features – up from 122 last year – from 29 countries.
Co-director Nadja Schildknecht revealed a rise in budget for the festival as well as growth in anticipated guest numbers.
“This year, we expect some 500 guests (previous year 450) from around the world to accompany their films,” she said.
“And the budget has increased accordingly to CHF6.9m ($7.4m) (previous year CHF6.1m/$6.5m).”
As previously announced, Tate Taylor’s James Brown biopic Get On Up will open the festival on Sept 25. The closing film has yet to be revealed.
International competition
The International Feature Film Competition includes 14 titles, some of which have received critical acclaim at previous festivals such as Yann Demange’s action thriller ‘71, which debuted at the...
The 10th Zurich Film Festival (Sept 25 – Oct 5) has revealed its full line-up, which comprises 145 features – up from 122 last year – from 29 countries.
Co-director Nadja Schildknecht revealed a rise in budget for the festival as well as growth in anticipated guest numbers.
“This year, we expect some 500 guests (previous year 450) from around the world to accompany their films,” she said.
“And the budget has increased accordingly to CHF6.9m ($7.4m) (previous year CHF6.1m/$6.5m).”
As previously announced, Tate Taylor’s James Brown biopic Get On Up will open the festival on Sept 25. The closing film has yet to be revealed.
International competition
The International Feature Film Competition includes 14 titles, some of which have received critical acclaim at previous festivals such as Yann Demange’s action thriller ‘71, which debuted at the...
- 9/11/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Waheeda Rehman & Guru Dutt in Pyaasa
The 28th edition of the Il Cinema Ritrovato Film Festival, one of the major film festivals in the world dedicated to film restoration, will showcase a special section titled “The Golden ’50s: Endangered Indian Classics”.
This package has been curated by the Film Heritage Foundation founded by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur in Mumbai with the aim of showcasing landmark Indian films and creating awareness about the urgent need for preservation and restoration of these films.
The festival will be held in Bologna (Italy) from June 28 to July 5. The festival website says about Indian cinema, “One of the most important film heritages in the world. Quantitatively it has no rival, but it urgently needs to be preserved: this exhibition aims to be a reconnaissance, a first exploratory step towards recovering the classics of Indian cinema.”
The package includes Raj Kapoor’s Awaara, Mehboob Khan’s Mother India,...
The 28th edition of the Il Cinema Ritrovato Film Festival, one of the major film festivals in the world dedicated to film restoration, will showcase a special section titled “The Golden ’50s: Endangered Indian Classics”.
This package has been curated by the Film Heritage Foundation founded by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur in Mumbai with the aim of showcasing landmark Indian films and creating awareness about the urgent need for preservation and restoration of these films.
The festival will be held in Bologna (Italy) from June 28 to July 5. The festival website says about Indian cinema, “One of the most important film heritages in the world. Quantitatively it has no rival, but it urgently needs to be preserved: this exhibition aims to be a reconnaissance, a first exploratory step towards recovering the classics of Indian cinema.”
The package includes Raj Kapoor’s Awaara, Mehboob Khan’s Mother India,...
- 5/5/2014
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
India named guest country for 10th Zurich Film Festival
The 10th Zurich Film Festial (Sep 25-Oct 5) is to focus on India in this year’s New World View section.
Zff will screen ten new feature and documentary films by emerging Indian filmmakers and a short film block.
India produces between 800 and 1,000 films annually. But rather than focus on Bollywood, Zff will focus on latest developments in the type of auteur film that first came to the world’s attention in the mid 50s thanks to such luminaries of the so-called Indian New Wave as Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak and Mrinal Sen.
In explaining the decision to choose India, Zff co-directors Nadja Schildknecht and Karl Spoerri said: “New Indian cinema has experienced an upsurge in recent years, and not just on the subcontinent.”
“New projects have been realised over the past few years that undermine common stereotypes. The movement from mainstream to independent cinema is unmistakable. This development...
The 10th Zurich Film Festial (Sep 25-Oct 5) is to focus on India in this year’s New World View section.
Zff will screen ten new feature and documentary films by emerging Indian filmmakers and a short film block.
India produces between 800 and 1,000 films annually. But rather than focus on Bollywood, Zff will focus on latest developments in the type of auteur film that first came to the world’s attention in the mid 50s thanks to such luminaries of the so-called Indian New Wave as Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak and Mrinal Sen.
In explaining the decision to choose India, Zff co-directors Nadja Schildknecht and Karl Spoerri said: “New Indian cinema has experienced an upsurge in recent years, and not just on the subcontinent.”
“New projects have been realised over the past few years that undermine common stereotypes. The movement from mainstream to independent cinema is unmistakable. This development...
- 3/28/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
India named guest country for 10th Zurich Film Festival
The 10th Zurich Film Festial (Sep 25-Oct 5) is to focus on India in this year’s New World View section.
Zff will screen ten new feature and documentary films by emerging Indian filmmakers and a short film block.
India produces between 800 and 1,000 films annually. But rather than focus on Bollywood, Zff will focus on latest developments in the type of auteur film that first came to the world’s attention in the mid 50s thanks to such luminaries of the so-called Indian New Wave as Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak and Mrinal Sen.
In explaining the decision to choose India, Zff co-directors Nadja Schildknecht and Karl Spoerri said: “New Indian cinema has experienced an upsurge in recent years, and not just on the subcontinent.”
“New projects have been realised over the past few years that undermine common stereotypes. The movement from mainstream to independent cinema is unmistakable. This development...
The 10th Zurich Film Festial (Sep 25-Oct 5) is to focus on India in this year’s New World View section.
Zff will screen ten new feature and documentary films by emerging Indian filmmakers and a short film block.
India produces between 800 and 1,000 films annually. But rather than focus on Bollywood, Zff will focus on latest developments in the type of auteur film that first came to the world’s attention in the mid 50s thanks to such luminaries of the so-called Indian New Wave as Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak and Mrinal Sen.
In explaining the decision to choose India, Zff co-directors Nadja Schildknecht and Karl Spoerri said: “New Indian cinema has experienced an upsurge in recent years, and not just on the subcontinent.”
“New projects have been realised over the past few years that undermine common stereotypes. The movement from mainstream to independent cinema is unmistakable. This development...
- 3/28/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Kolkata, Feb 20: A new book on the late Bengali cinema icon Suchitra Sen offers a peep into the life of the elusive actress through rare photographs, replica of posters and insights offered by renowned filmmakers.
Titled 'Mahanayika' (great actress), the 500-page book was released Wednesday and has write-ups on Sen by director Ritwik Ghatak, Ajay Kar and Asit Sen, among others.
It also carries an article by Sen's biographer and friend Gopal Krishna Roy.
"Besides photographs and posters, there is a collection of news clippings reporting her death," Roy, who was present at the launch, told Ians.
The 82-year-old actress died at a nursing home here Jan 17 following a massive cardiac arrest.
Ians...
Titled 'Mahanayika' (great actress), the 500-page book was released Wednesday and has write-ups on Sen by director Ritwik Ghatak, Ajay Kar and Asit Sen, among others.
It also carries an article by Sen's biographer and friend Gopal Krishna Roy.
"Besides photographs and posters, there is a collection of news clippings reporting her death," Roy, who was present at the launch, told Ians.
The 82-year-old actress died at a nursing home here Jan 17 following a massive cardiac arrest.
Ians...
- 2/20/2014
- by Shiva Prakash
- RealBollywood.com
Based on the popular Bengali novel of the same name, Chander Pahar is an unfocused adventure-cum-travelogue.
At first, writer-director Kamaleswar Mukherjee's adaptation is an homage to the domestic melodramas of Ritwik Ghatak, the subject of Mukherjee's directorial debut. Pressured by his concerned mother, 20-year-old daydreamer Shankar Chowdhury (Dev Adhikari) leaves home and becomes a stationmaster for the Uganda Railway, resulting in a preposterous man-vs.-nature narrative.
Shankar stubbornly ignores multiple lion assaults and one black mamba molestation — all captured in slow-motion, compounding Dev's already awkward performance — so he can make like David Livingstone and master, in Shankar's words, "the Dark Continent." Then, after saving fellow...
At first, writer-director Kamaleswar Mukherjee's adaptation is an homage to the domestic melodramas of Ritwik Ghatak, the subject of Mukherjee's directorial debut. Pressured by his concerned mother, 20-year-old daydreamer Shankar Chowdhury (Dev Adhikari) leaves home and becomes a stationmaster for the Uganda Railway, resulting in a preposterous man-vs.-nature narrative.
Shankar stubbornly ignores multiple lion assaults and one black mamba molestation — all captured in slow-motion, compounding Dev's already awkward performance — so he can make like David Livingstone and master, in Shankar's words, "the Dark Continent." Then, after saving fellow...
- 1/7/2014
- Village Voice
What:
The Root Reel presents Anup Singh’s love essay, exploring the life and work of Ritwik Ghatak ~ Ekti Nadir Naam / The Name of a River, followed by an interaction with Amrit Gangar.
Ekti Nadir Naam
Directed by Anup Singh
Written by Anup Singh & Madan Gopal Singh
Cinematography: K.K. Mahajan
Language: Bengali (with English Subtitles)
Duration: 90 mins
When:
Tuesday 28th January,2014, 6:30pm
Entry:
Free, On a First-Come-First-Seated Basis
Venue:
Alliance Française de Bombay
Alliance Française Auditorium,
Theosophy Hall,
Near Nirmala Niketan,
New Marine Lines,
Churchgate. Mumbai.
About the Film:
Anup Singh’s debut feature, The Name of a River, is an ambitious, evocative docu-fictional essay exploring the life and work of the great Indian film-maker, Ritwik Ghatak (1925-1976).
Ghatak’s reputation as India’s most important film-maker has been steadily growing since the first major retrospective of his films was organised internationally in the 1980s. Satyajit Ray has described...
The Root Reel presents Anup Singh’s love essay, exploring the life and work of Ritwik Ghatak ~ Ekti Nadir Naam / The Name of a River, followed by an interaction with Amrit Gangar.
Ekti Nadir Naam
Directed by Anup Singh
Written by Anup Singh & Madan Gopal Singh
Cinematography: K.K. Mahajan
Language: Bengali (with English Subtitles)
Duration: 90 mins
When:
Tuesday 28th January,2014, 6:30pm
Entry:
Free, On a First-Come-First-Seated Basis
Venue:
Alliance Française de Bombay
Alliance Française Auditorium,
Theosophy Hall,
Near Nirmala Niketan,
New Marine Lines,
Churchgate. Mumbai.
About the Film:
Anup Singh’s debut feature, The Name of a River, is an ambitious, evocative docu-fictional essay exploring the life and work of the great Indian film-maker, Ritwik Ghatak (1925-1976).
Ghatak’s reputation as India’s most important film-maker has been steadily growing since the first major retrospective of his films was organised internationally in the 1980s. Satyajit Ray has described...
- 12/27/2013
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
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