Manoj Bajpayee is one of the finest actors of our generation. His foothold in Hindi cinema has spanned both the commercial (Satya and Shool) and the independent (Kaun and Pinjar). The most striking feature of his varied filmography is how well he consolidates the nuance in his body language even when the films he acts in are unquestionably mediocre. He managed to do something incredibly unique through his sheer skill- to make us think through his humour.

The drama genre features stories with high stakes and a lot of conflicts. They’re plot-driven (Fight Club, Reservoir Dogs) and demand that every character and scene move the story forward. Dramas follow a clearly defined narrative plot structure, portraying real-life scenarios (King Richard, Spencer) or extreme situations with emotionally-driven characters. 

2001 was a landmark year in Indian cinema. Films like Dil Chahta Hai and Lagaan ushered us into a new era of Bollywood. A period that saw the distinction between mainstream and alternative cinema fading. A lot of stars endorsed films that were till then only done by “actors”. There was a lot of experimentation. There’s some hope with some decent films doing well, and even mainstream stars like Ranveer Singh (Gullu Boy) and Varun Dhawan (October) supporting something different. But we…

The decade of 2000s brought in a very prominent paradigm shift in the Hindi cinema. The language of cinema changed with Dil Chahta Hai, the magnitude of movies became ambitious with Devdas, romance turned relatable with Jab We Met, patriotism had a new meaning with Chak De India, and kindness was the new cool with Munnabhai MBBS. We also got introduced to the twisted, dark mind of Vishal Bharadwaj and Anurag Kashyap. Whatever the fruits of a more evolved and tolerant…

In a world where individuals can be casually stigmatized for being ‘different’, extraordinary intellect can’t always be a gift. Movies like A Beautiful Mind (2001), Shine (1996), Good Will Hunting (1997), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), The End of the Tour (2015), The Man Who Knew Infinity (2016) dealt with super-smart people burdened with mental or emotional problems. The films mentioned below grapple with such problems or quandary (of kids & teens), some with unflinching profundity and some hide its relevant messages…

The film is a beautiful depiction of the cultural convergence of American and Chinese traditions. Like ‘Minari’, we see an immigrant family struggling to make ends meet and connect with each other. The disconnect among the members is akin to the ‘Ghost Town’ narrative that sees outsiders arrive in a foreign land and cannot find their way. There are stark observations about the innate nihilism in the present Gen Z, identity crisis, fractured relationships, and the existential coming together of…

Almost every publication, article, documentary or podcast on Roman Polański includes the adjective ‘controversial or ‘problematic’. It goes without saying, that this is done for all the right reasons. During the heated discussion about Polański’s personal life, his artistic achievements become a secondary matter. Overlooking his filmography would be a true loss and disrespect towards dozens of talented people that helped to shape it. Among his frequent collaborators were composers: Krzysztof Komeda and Alexandre Desplat, director of photography Paweł Edelman,…

With the recent release of Matt Reeves' The Batman and Christopher Nolan’s Tenet before that, Robert Pattinson has been at the center of media attention lately. Kick-starting his career with the teen sensation Twilight before developing a taste for indie, Pattinson has proven his ability to tap into various roles and genres. Now that he has done the two most mainstream Hollywood things to do, becoming a superhero and working with Nolan, let’s look at Pattinson’s impressive filmography so far.