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'Dil Se' is still a puzzle and a feast for the senses

New Delhi, Nov. 13 -- It's the one scene many fans of Dil Se would prefer wasn't there. Amar (Shah Rukh Khan) has followed Meghna (Manisha Koirala) from her home in the north-east to Ladakh, professin... Read More


'Haq' review: Film on the Shah Bano case dances around a thorny issue

New Delhi, Nov. 8 -- There's a scene in Dhoom Dhaam (2025) where Yami Gautam's character goes off on a rant about patriarchy. It felt to me a moment written for the express purpose of being able to sh... Read More


Benicio Del Toro glides into the spotlight

New Delhi, Oct. 31 -- One Battle After Another has an almost wall-to-wall score. The sonic environment is so heady that all the action seems to vibrate to some unheard music in the character's heads. ... Read More


'Thamma' review: Vampire comedy is all teeth, no bite

New Delhi, Oct. 21 -- One of several things franchise filmmaking has taken from us is the satisfaction of seeing entire stories play out. When you always have one eye on the future, and when you aren'... Read More


'The Fifth Cord': Buildings, bodies and a giallo stunner

New Delhi, Oct. 19 -- Horror is my biggest blind spot. As an easily rattled kid, I never took to it; even today, I start at basic jump scares in films. Body horror and gore don't faze me, but it's not... Read More


'Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas' review: Crime film needs more craft and spark

New Delhi, Oct. 17 -- OTT lighting. Killer of scenes. Destroyer of aesthetic. The flat, boring, unengaged style that says, we know this looks terrible but no one expects better anymore. If Akshay She... Read More


'The Smashing Machine' review: Dwayne Johnson shines in otherwise dull film

New Delhi, Oct. 11 -- Don't buy that bowl, I muttered, as Dwayne Johnson cradled it in his huge hands. It's a Japanese bowl and will obviously break at some point, and will then be repaired by someone... Read More


'Homebound' review: Two friends and a country full of obstacles

New Delhi, Sept. 26 -- What's in a name? Everything, suggests Homebound, if you live in India. "When you're in uniform, no one reads the badge," Shoaib (Ishaan Khatter) tells Chandan (Vishal Jethwa) i... Read More


'Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat': The CIA, geopolitics and jazz in DR Congo

New Delhi, Sept. 21 -- In December 1960, jazz drummer Max Roach released We Insist! The album's five tracks were inspired by the Civil Rights movement in the US and the burgeoning freedom struggles in... Read More


'Nishaanchi' review: Anurag Kashyap imitates himself

New Delhi, Sept. 19 -- Aaishvary Thackeray is saying something to Kumud Mishra when a fly buzzes in his face. It throws him off for a split second, but then he brushes it off and continues speaking. N... Read More