Despite a promising premise, Anubhav Sinha’s courtroom drama Assi succumbs to formulaic depictions of sexual violence, trading nuance and subtleties for shock value. By Akshita Prasad

Tej Sisodia’s short film It’s Only 47° C highlights the dangers faced by India’s most vulnerable populations at the face of climate change. Sravasti Datta goes behind the scenes with the filmmakers to learn more.

Through films like Viduthalai, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, Virata Parvam, and more, Marnina (Avirup) explores how portrayals of the Naxalite Movement in Indian cinema confront the many under-represented fractures of our democracy.

The team behind the documentary My Otter Diary (2025) speak about filming the enigmatic species, conflict between fisherman and wildlife, and their hopes for otter conservation. By Sravasti Datta

With the recent restoration and re-release of Umrao Jaan (1981), Himanshi Aggarwal revisits the film from a queer lens, as Rekha’s titular character serves as an allegory for anyone forced to perform respectability in a world that denies them legitimacy.

Bollywood has had a long history of finding “inspiration”—or barefaced plagiarism. Nivedita Dey recounts the many films, songs, and creators who imitated from the West (and more) and muses on the value of artistic originality.

From Kalki 2898 AD, Brahmastra, and beyond, Indian cinema has become oversaturated with sci-fi films that focus on motifs from religion and mythology, fixating on technical effects rather than innovative ideas and storytelling. By Marnina (Avirup)

Using alcohol as a vessel, Saurabh Shulka’s comic drama Dry Day focuses on the relationship between capital and elections, the role of women in decision-making realm, and the overlap between the personal and political spheres of life. By Marnina (Avirup)

Observed from a lens of progressing dementia, Goldfish (2023) is a complex story of a mother and daughter’s emotional conflict, of diaspora and community, of music and joy. By Neera Kashyap

Vivek Agnihotri’s controversial film The Kashmir Files is more drama than documentary, an awkward retelling of recent history that propagates more than it educates. By Dhani Muniz

What’s The Chakkar? Episode 8: We’re listening to Ramya Pothuri; reading Peter Wohlleben and Viet Thanh Nguyen; and watching Pagglait. Featuring Ady Manral, Shaista Vaishnav, and Harshita Murarka. Hosted by Karan Madhok.

What’s The Chakkar? Episode 7: We’re reading Namit Arora and Suketu Mehta; listening to Project Mishram; and watching the Hotstar series OK Computer. Featuring Shaista Vaishnav, Anurag Tagat, and Prateek Santram. Hosted by Karan Madhok.