lights, camera, kalam.

Love Per Square Foot (2018), directed by Anand Tiwari, is a modern Indian romantic comedy-drama that revolves around two middle-class individuals, Sanjay Chaturvedi and Kareena D'Souza, who decide to marry not for love but to jointly acquire a house in Mumbai, a city notorious for its exorbitant real estate prices. While the film is primarily seen as a feel-good romance, I would like to point out the socio-economic aspects and class struggles for this analysis. I enjoyed watching this film the first time, and upon rewatching, I noticed their class struggles' impact and how it can be viewed as a commentary on the same.  The film is set in Mumbai, a city known for its economic disparities. Further, the plot revolves around owning a house in a city with extremely high real estate rates. The need to acquire a house and take extreme measures to get it depicts the capitalist ideology and how ingrained it is in our society very well. The sense of upward mobility and the societal belie...

For this piece I will be talking about post-independence Indian films. This will include the central ideas the films tried depicting and the questions they tried answering, along with examples from two films: Do Bhiga Zameen and Pather Panchali.  In the post-independence era, there were two major questions that we keep circling back to - 'Who are we?' and 'Where are our roots?'. In the first few years, there was no celebration of independence as such due to the tense and painful partition that the people had just endured. Furthermore, the suspicions on both ends of that of the government that was yet to be formed and the filmmakers added to the lack of India as a newly independent state being depicted. It was only in the 1950s that a patriotic and nationalist approach came into play. An important factor for this is the politics of the time. Within a country that is so vast and varied and full of differences, the government wanted to create a united image for India. The ...

Homesickness is such a bizarre concept to me. As someone who has different places and people as a part of her ‘home’, everywhere I go there is something I miss so how do you define what home you’re missing when someone asks? What do I tell then? My house in Delhi, my room, the food, the city, the people? Or do I tell them about Calcutta? The memories of people and places that no longer exist there, the way an orange bar from a kwality walls cart outside Nicco Park hits on a humid afternoon in May, the rum balls from Flurry’s or the chicken roll from Kusum Rolls, or maybe a drive around the city at night after having kulfi from Vardaan Market or maybe I should tell them about the plum cake from Nahoum’s. Or maybe I should tell them about the friends who are in different parts of the world now? So what do you miss when you feel homesick? Maybe its everything and nothing at the same time. Perhaps as we grow up we just accumulate more people and places that become a part of our homes, ones...

o n a random thursday, a flight from home to a place that might be home soon. it has to be right? i mean i’m there for four years now,  it has to be. standing in a line at the airport,  waiting…waiting…waiting. a random indie song, blasting through my headphones, an expressionless face, thoughts running through my mind, the line is still. a text from a friend far away, a reel on instagram, it’s 3:30am. the song switches,  ‘abhi na jao chhod kar, ki dil abhi bhara nahi’  and all hell breaks loose, thoughts running,  memories flooding, eyes blurred, and i’m suddenly lost,  thinking of friends, family, the city, the food, the familiarity. it all hits me, a wave of nostalgia, for a home that i haven’t even left yet. on my way to a place,  that isn’t home yet. 

The Grand Budapest is a candy-coloured fantasy in and of itself. It exudes an air of idyllic charm with its pink exterior, symmetrical windows, and colourful murals that contrast with the snow-capped mountains. These sugarcoated hues transport the viewer to a time when elegance and luxury were the norm, a world that M. Gustave, the immaculately attired concierge, longs to return to.  However, the pastel colours are soon disrupted. Against a backdrop of muted greys and browns, the news of Madame D's mysterious death is broken, foreshadowing the darker turn the narrative will take. M Gustave's once rose-tinted world is now enveloped in the uncertainty of accusation and the impending war.  As M. Gustave and his trusted lobby boy, Zero, embark on their mission to clear his name, the colour palette shifts further. Their journey is one of constant movement, reflected through the fleeting glimpses of different locations. Each city or landscape has its own unique colour scheme. The pr...

In Nil Battey Sannata, there is a poignant scene that beautifully captures the transformative power of education and the aspirations for a better life that it brings. This scene revolves around Chanda, a hardworking single mother, and Dr. Diwan, one of her employers, who becomes an unexpected source of guidance and inspiration. The scene unfolds in the modest setting of Chanda's workplace, where she works as a domestic help for Dr. Diwan and her family. Despite their socioeconomic backgrounds, Chanda and Dr. Diwan share a bond that transcends their roles as employer and employee. Within this context, they engage in a heartfelt conversation about education and its possibilities for a brighter future for Chanda and her daughter. Chanda opens up about her struggles as a single mother, juggling multiple jobs to make ends meet while encouraging her daughter to pursue her dreams and live a better life. With her wisdom and compassion, Dr. Diwan offers words of encouragement and reassuranc...

Folktales serve as windows into the cultural fabric of societies, offering insights into their values, beliefs, and social structures. The story of Dulla Bhatti is a celebrated Punjabi folktale passed down through generations, capturing the imagination of listeners with its blend of heroism and defiance against injustice.  The tale of Dulla Bhatti, also known as the Robin Hood of Punjab, begins with a lineage deeply entrenched in defiance against Mughal authority. Dulla Bhatti, originally named Rai Bahadur Bhatti, hailed from a line of rebels from Sandal Bhatti, his grandfather to Dulla Bhatti himself. His ancestors, including Sandal Bhatti and Fareed Bhatti, rebelled against unjust Mughal taxation in the Sandalbar region. In retaliation, King Akbar's army demolished their mansions, imprisoned them, and executed them in Lahore. Dulla Bhatti's birth four months after his father's demise marked the continuation of the family's resistance. Legend has it that his birth coin...

'Bhaiya, ek vada pav aur chai laga dijiye.' the constant ringing of this very phrase, the sound of the traffic merges with the voices of students, employees and clamour of labour all chattering amongst themselves. Shree Siddheshwar Wadewale, a small snack centre with a few high tables for customers to place their food on, is a place I discovered through a friend and have not stopped visiting since. Every time I go, I find something new to love about this place, from the regular employees to the adorable dog nearby. Despite the constant traffic considering how close the airport is, the place has a sense of peace and quiet. It is one of the very few things that stay constant around here. Between assignments and extra-curricular activities, having a cup of kadak chai with a spicy vada pav dipped in the tangy chutney, can bring the right amount of motivation to finish the task. People-watching while blasting music and taking a short break has never been this rejuvenating. I, person...