HOMEBOUND, SABAR BONDA, and the Immeasurable Burden of One’s Roots
Through sensitive character studies and relationships, Homebound and Sabar Bonda pose urgent questions about migration and the life-altering distances between the metro and the village. By Sarthak Parashar
‘Bandi’; Or the Words that Redefine a Woman
When a young man calls a woman a ‘bandi’ in Made in Heaven, he casts the burden of decency upon her shoulders. Kavya Maheshwari explores how the intersection of language, power, and gender in contemporary Indian society reinforces patriarchal norms.
Stranger Lives: AJEEB DAASTAANS—four uneven short films on life, love, and intersectionality
The four short films in Netflix’s Ajeeb Daastaans—far removed in theme and setting—are bound together by their ability to shock. And it’s Neeraj Ghaywan’s beautifully-crafted Geeli Pucchi that elevates the uneven anthology. By Harshita Murarka
City On Screen: Banaras to Varanasi
From Water and Lagaa Chunari Mein Daag to Masaan and Mukti Bhawan, Ankur Choudhary examines films about the holy city of Varanasi to uncover the uneasy intersection of culture, gender politics, modernity, and more.
Personal Essay by Devanshi: ‘Your favourite movie is probably not your favourite movie because it was the best film you have ever seen. It is your favourite because Zee Cinema played it a zillion times in the summer of 2014 while your mother folded clothes in the next room, and you unconsciously absorbed its dialogues through domestic osmosis.’