Lubaba Mahjabin Prima

Only recently, viewers saw the release of the trailer for Shah Rukh Khan’s upcoming movie, “Pathaan”. Since the trailers release, many Bollywood fans are excited at the prospect of what the film will have in store, particularly because it casts Deepika Padukone opposite SRK.

In early 2007, writer-director Imtiaz Ali began working on his second film, casting the then real-life couple Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor in their fourth film together. Viewed as an underdog during its making by many, even Kareena herself, the movie went on to not only surprise everyone, but also to set a precedence in terms of quality. Today, even after 15 years, the movie is immensely popular and loved. Sensitively crafted characters, picturesque cinematography, hilarious dialogues and amazing music have earned it a space in our hearts and minds, like no other Bollywood movie.

In October 2012, Bollywood witnessed the cinematic comeback of one its greatest stars ever, Sridevi, in the film "English Vinglish”. The immense commercial and critical success of the movie was remarkable in more ways than one, and was pivotal in the way woman-centric cinemas were viewed in South Asia’s film industry. After her film “Judaai”, released in 1997, Sridevi went to a hiatus for 15 long years. After her majestic comeback no one thought possible, “English Vinglish” was monumental in shaping the industry’s outlook regarding married actresses -- who were deemed ‘unfit’ for leading roles. In the male-dominated industry, actresses are mostly considered to have a short screen life, because movies didn’t have good enough roles to fit them after a certain age. But when Sridevi was hailed as the "female Rajinikanth in India", notions regarding who can and cannot be a superstar were built anew.

Now, be it TikTok reels or YouTube shorts, her song "Teka Pakhi" from the Chorki Original film "Dui Diner Duniya" is all the rage.

Can you imagine Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in a movie? That is exactly what happened in 1973, on the set of the movie "Sangram". The man behind this unimaginable feat was one of the finest directors of Bangladesh, Chashi Nazrul Islam.

A dark comedy, with artistic value and a brilliant satirical take on the social fabric of formerly colonised countries, "Foreigners Only" is yet another masterpiece by Nuhash Humayun.

Ever since the teaser for Andrew Dominik's "Blonde" was released, it received a lot of publicity. The film is based on a novel of the same name, and is a fictionalised take on the life and career of the illusive American actress, Marilyn Monroe.

“Sherdil: The Pilibhit Saga”, released in June, is indeed a breath of fresh air from the other recent projects of Srijit. It is based on the character Gangaram, a village chief, who offers to sacrifice his life for his villagers. When the harvests at the village are bad for consecutive years, and he fails to attain any government scheme to support his starving people, he hatches a plot.

Mahalya has arrived once again, bringing with it the spirituality and festivity that many of us love and cherish. And while the festivities alone are joyous enough for us to celebrate the holiday, it would be even more delightful to watch a few good movies that captivate the essence of the occasion.

A group of friends talking, laughing and creating music. A room filled with beautiful doodles in the background, and books scattered all around. This is the setting for Hatirpool Sessions.

Recently, all of Bangladesh is celebrating the success of our tigresses at the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Women’s Championship this year. However, for South Asian women, choosing sports as a profession is rarely encouraged.

Fifty-one years ago, in this very month of September, Allen Ginsberg visited the Jessore Road. Upon his return to America, he would write the anti-war poem “September on Jessore Road”, which would be monumental in shifting the opinions of Americans to oppose the support of Pakistan in the Liberation War.

Yesterday, the teaser for Neha Kakkar’s latest song, "O Sajna", was released. The song premiered in its entirety earlier today (September 19). “O Sajna” is a rendition of the song “Maine Payal Hai Chhankai” by Falguni Pathak from 1999.

After the Second World War, Europe went through a phase of modernisation, with the royal family becoming increasingly irrelevant to the common man. In order to sweeten and modernise their image, Lord Brabourne suggested using the new medium of television.

From Mira Nair’s “Monsoon Wedding” to Imtiaz Ali’s “Highway”, the chronicle of Hindi cinema mainly was linear with similar kinds of stories, songs, making and melodramatic extravaganza. Nevertheless, it is high time that the country, which is to date wrapped up with archaic societal injustice, discrimination and backdated familial norms, realises the importance of telling stories that had not been heard before.

Today marks the 112th birthday of the enigmatic filmmaker, Akira Kurosawa. His love for films made him work prolifically, directing thirty films over the span of five decades.

Delhi is a city with massive economic disparities, coupled with a population that is too large and a police force that is understaffed, one can only wonder what will happen when a series of murders start to take place throughout the city? This conundrum is explored in season two of “Delhi Crime”, through a brilliant cast, captured in the dark colour palettes and ominous music that resonates the gore amidst the bustle of Delhi.

Yesterday, August 31, marked the birthday of legendary filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh. Through his writing and direction Ritu took the audience to a world where the clouds deliver messages of gloom, where the separation of lovers is mourned, and where boundaries of gender roles crumble.

Right from the beginning, Chorki, the online streaming service, has stood out for its distinct choice of content. This week, it added the Bengali dubbed version of “Bandhobi”, a 2009 South Korean independent film, which stars Bangladeshi actor Mahbub Alam. “Bandhobi” is written and directed by indie darling, Dong-il Shin, and showcases an unusual friendship between a rebellious teenage girl and a migrant worker in Korea. 

In a part of the world where women are told that marriages should be the centre of their lives, the web-series “Sampurna” offers a distinct take on the topic. The series, directed by Sayantan Ghoshal, is available on the Hoichoi app and website.