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Toronto to Oscars: Meet the One-Woman Army Taking Assamese Cinema to New Heights
A few weeks ago, I watched ‘Bulbul Can Sing’, a coming-of-age film directed by Rima Das, about three teenage friends—Bulbul, Bonnie and Suman—and how they navigate love, life, friendship, questions of...
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Once A House Painter, This Artist’s Stunning Bollywood Murals Are A Must-See...
With The Positive Collective, The Better India’s COVID-19 coverage is available to regional language publications for free. Write to editorial@thebetterindia.com for more details. If you are a...
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10 Years of ‘Udaan’: How ‘Azaadiyan’ Continues to Propel Its Lead Actor’s Life
Vikramaditya Motwane’s stunning directorial debut, Udaan (2010) played a significant role in rejuvenating the spirit of realism of Hindi cinema. Produced by Anurag Kashyap, this landmark coming-of-age...
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What Happened to Baahubali’s 10,000 Weapons? Hint: You Won’t Like The Answer
From the days of silent, black-and-white films, there has been tremendous progress in every aspect of filmmaking. Even the numbers have grown exponentially. Tens of thousands of feature films,...
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No To Racism But Yes to Fairness Creams? 10 Celebs Who Stood up For Dark Skin
‘Black Lives Matter’ protests broke out across the USA last week after a Caucasian police officer’s action resulted in the death of a black man, George Floyd. Floyd’s death is widely-attributed to...
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Amrish Puri to Amol Palekar, This Genius Inspired Loyalty From India’s...
In all honesty, the first time I had ever heard of legendary playwright, director and producer Satyadev Dubey was not through one of his plays, but an interview veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal gave to...
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From Goalpara to Star Trek & Beyond: Meet Adil Hussain, The Complete Actor
When you talk about Adil Hussain, the first thing that comes to mind is the sheer range of characters he can embody. He can seamlessly pull off playing characters ranging from a suave Commissioner of...
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Independence Day 2020: 5 Online Resources To Help You Celebrate Like Never...
The year 2020’s Independence Day (I-Day) celebrations will be unlike any we have seen before. Traditional I-Day events will have to be restricted with social distancing rules in place. But, that does...
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Did You Know Amit Sadh of Kai Po Che & Shakuntala Devi Once Lived on The...
To say that Amit Sadh was dealt a poor hand in life would be an understatement. The 41-year-old actor lost his father at the age of 16, ran away from home, worked as a domestic help, a security guard,...
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‘Write Honestly’: S Hareesh on Turning His Story Into India’s Oscar Hope...
S. Hareesh is the assistant village officer at Neendoor, a hamlet tucked away in the hills of central Kerala. He’s also the mind behind India’s latest entry to the Oscars, Jallikattu. The film is based...
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Crime Patrol Scriptwriter Shares Inspiring Tale of Growing up in Govandi Slums
At a time when the youth of Mumbai’s Govandi slum were either doing odd jobs for money or were struggling to cope, Afzal Razvi was striving for something that people around him hardly dared to dream of...
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Dangal To Baahubali: Mumbai Artist Uses Mundane Items To Create Magic in 3000...
Amidst the backdrop of World War II, two individuals are putting their lives at stake to support the Indian National Army (INA) by transporting a gem-encrusted sword to its members, to be used as...
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32000 Km And 500 towns: Mumbai Photographer’s Journey to Save Single-Screen...
For the last 17 years, Hemant Chaturvedi always began the new year with a travel ritual. A Mumbai-based photographer and cinematographer, he travels all the way to Prayagraj (earlier known as...
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India’s First Intimacy Coordinator From Mumbai Is Making ‘On-screen...
In 2018, India’s social climate experienced a transformation like no other. A clarion call for sexual violence survivors, the #MeToo movement allowed thousands of people to share their accounts of...
View ArticleThe Time I Met Legend Dilip Kumar, the Powerhouse of Indian Acting
“Ae waqt aaj tu tham ja…” is how I felt when I saw my idol dressed in white trousers, a shirt and sandals, walking down the stairs of his palatial Pali Hill bungalow in Bandra, Mumbai. He walked...
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Chakda Xpress: Jhulan Lived In A Tin Roof Home, Fought Off Judgmental Relatives
“Kitne logo ne daanta mujhe. ‘Ladkiyan bhi cricket khelti hain? Beta, padhayi-likhayi bhi karte ho kya?’(I was scolded by a lot of people. ‘Girls also play cricket? Do you even study?).” Before Jhulan...
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Ardeshir Irani: The School Teacher Who Brought Sound to Indian Cinema
After Prithviraj Kapoor made his pact with god at the Gateway of India, he asked the Victoriawalla to take him to a hotel. He did not know a soul in this city, nor did he have a single address. The...
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Lata Mangeshkar: 30,000 Songs, Bharat Ratna, & a Fight to Elevate Playback...
Lata Mangeshkar, the ‘Nightingale of Bollywood’ has passed away on the morning of 6 February 2022. The veteran singer was admitted to a Mumbai hospital in early January this year after she tested...
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‘The Courage To Go Far’: Jai Bhim’s Rajakannu Began His Career As A Mimicry...
“Oru kadha sollata sir? (Shall I tell you a story, sir?)” asks Vedha, essayed by actor Vijay Sethupathi, every time he shares a snippet of his life in the 2017 neo-noir thriller Vikram Vedha. The man...
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When Madhubala & Nargis Inspired Greek Songs That Brought Solace to Refugees
During the closing ceremony at the 2004 Athens Olympics, recording artists Antonis Remos and Anna Vissi sang a rendition of a popular Greek song called ‘Mandoubala’. Originally sung in 1959 by the...
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200 Old Indian Films Owe Their Preservation to This Retired Fisherman in Hawaii
Grateful viewers often take to YouTube’s comment section to thank Thomas (Tom) Daniel for bringing their favourite movies back to life. Some recall old memories of what struck them about these films....
View ArticleWatch: Why Did 5 Lakh Gujarati Farmers Crowdfund a Movie in 1976?
Remember the iconic song from the Amul ad that went, “Mero gaam kaatha parey…” The song that brings instant nostalgia was originally part of a film named ‘Manthan’ (1976). It was one of the largest...
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Made by Dev Anand’s Brother, This is The First Indian Film to Win Cannes’...
As we approach the world-renowned Cannes Film Festival later this month between 17 and 28 May, which will take place in France, cinema aficionados across India will be looking forward to their...
View ArticleRRR, Jersey, Panchayat: Your Fresh OTT Binge-List of 10 Things to Watch This...
As the OTT world witnesses some much-awaited releases today and in the next couple of days, gear up for thriller, action, romance and more. Netflix Jersey Follow the journey of Arjun Talwar, essayed by...
View ArticleStranger Things 4, KGF Chapter 2: The Biggest OTT Releases to Binge This Weekend
If you’re looking for shows and films to get your weekend started, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s the latest on the movies and series that are taking the OTT world by storm this week. Netflix...
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Peaky Blinders, Code M: What to Watch on Amazon Prime, Netflix & Other OTT...
As you flip through the latest releases on your OTT screens, you will be met with a range of different genres. Choose to spice up your weekend with horror and thrill or take it slow with a rom-com....
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Suzhal, Masoom, Jayamma Panchayathi: Latest OTT Releases For That Weekend Binge
The weekend is here and it seems like the weather too is in favour of you snuggling up in bed and binging on some flicks. So, will it be drama or thriller or the all-time favourite rom-com? You take...
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What to Watch This Weekend? 10 Indian Shows & Movies Across OTT Platforms
Along with some new releases that the OTT world has just witnessed, there are also some great old shows you could catch up on. Here’s a selection of ten such Indian shows and movies for you to select...
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Top 10 Indian Shows & Movies to Watch on Netflix, Amazon Prime & More This Week
June has drawn to an end after giving the OTT world some much-acclaimed releases. But with a new month beginning, there is so much that’s yet to come. Brace yourself for excitement galore as Hindi,...
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Ponniyin Selvan: Who Were the Cholas, One of the World’s Longest-Ruling...
“The Cholas are coming,” reads the caption on many posts sharing the magnificent teaser of ‘Ponniyin Selvan’, Mani Ratnam’s magnum opus, which is based on Tamil writer Kalki Krishnamurthy’s famous...
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Forgotten Polymath’s Prison Experiment Inspired Bollywood Classic & Won a...
Do Aankhen Barah Haath, a 1957 Hindi cinema classic directed by V Shantaram, which among other accolades won a National Award and Golden Globe Award, has a remarkable back story. A cannon of popular...
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After Ponniyin Selvan, A Look Back At 10 Mani Ratnam Films You Should Watch
Mani Ratnam’s Tamil-language epic period drama ‘Ponniyin Selvan:1’ (PS:1), which releases today, has captured the imagination of movie-goers and history buffs alike. The first of two cinematic parts...
View ArticleNational Awards: Key Wins, Big Moments & a Film That Won 5 Honours
The 68th National Film Award Ceremony for 2020 was held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Friday. President Droupadi Murmu presented the awards to the winners, with veteran actor Asha Parekh winning...
View ArticleWho Is Gauri Sawant? Trans Rights Activist’s Life Inspires Series Starring...
Posting the first look of her upcoming series Taali — based on the life of transgender activist Gauri Sawant — Sushmita Sen expressed pride and gratitude for “having the privilege of portraying this...
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Doctor G: ‘See Skills, Not Gender,’ Says Doc on What It’s Like to Be a Male...
Radha was shocked when she found out that she was pregnant. And the fact that it had only been a few months since she had moved to Chennai, as well as that she was unmarried, added to her woes....
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Who is Neera Arya, INA’s First Woman Spy Whose Bravery Inspired a Biopic
Trigger warning: Violence against women Through India’s struggle for freedom, there emerge a number of names to whom we owe our independence. And one such significant name is that of Neera Arya, who...
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A Curtain Puller at Drama Clubs Once Controlled 50% of India’s Box Office...
Jamshedji Framji Madan — the Parsi business person, film magnate and owner of Madan Theatres, who at one point controlled more than 50% of box office collections during India’s silent film era —...
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RRR’s ‘Naatu Naatu’ at Oscars 2023: Meet the Choreographer & Lyricist Behind...
SS Rajamouli’s much-acclaimed RRR track ‘Naatu Naatu’ has been topping the charts and has now found its way to the 95th Academy Awards 2023 shortlist for the Music category. Here, it will be competing...
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11 Must-Watch Indian Movies on OTT Platforms That You Might Have Missed in...
There is no question that 2022 was a fantastic year for Indian cinema. Yes, I’m emphasising the phrase ‘Indian cinema’ because audiences had the opportunity to witness cinematic juggernauts emerging...
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Kadwi Hawa to Kantara: How Indian Cinema Championed the Fight Against Climate...
A few tourists are aboard a boat in the middle of the ocean, conversing about a famed yet bygone, underwater city. They discuss how this place was once where people arrived in planes, the nerve centre...
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The Couple Behind ‘Trial by Fire’ & Their Long Battle for Justice After...
Justice delayed is justice denied. This famous legal maxim encapsulates the story of Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy, who spent over two decades seeking justice after they lost their children...
View ArticleTrial by Fire: The Captain Who Lost His Life Saving 150 Others in Uphaar...
‘Trial by Fire’ has been receiving a lot of acclaim since it premiered on Netflix on 13 January 2023. It merits noting that the series is based on a true story, dating back to 1997. Known as the...
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Who Is Sankaran Nair? Biopic to Show His Historic Battle Exposing Jallianwala...
Today historians regard the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919 as a “decisive step” towards the end of British rule in India, turning moderate Indians against colonial forces and even pushing...
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When A Bollywood Classic & 2 Gandhians Got Over 200 Dacoits to Give Up Their...
In 1960, Vinoba Bhave, a social activist and a celebrated disciple of Gandhi, received an interesting letter. It was from Tehsildar Singh, the son of famous dacoit Man Singh from the deep ravines...
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‘Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro’: A Management Trainee Was The ‘Comic Cement’ of This...
“To me, Ravi [Baswani] was Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro,” said Kundan Shah, director of the film, in Jai Arjun Singh’s book Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro: Seriously Funny Since 1983. “He was the comic cement of the film....
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A Raipur Boy in Mumbai Paved the Way for Chhattisgarhi Cinema with His...
There are some films that leave their mark in time, and Shyam Benegal’s Ankur (1974) is one classic example. The film’s achievements extend beyond the confines of bagging three National Awards....
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From Prejudice to Pride: Evolving Representations of Disability in Cinema
Popular media can be a powerful facilitator in inculcating disability pride, acting as a mode of representation for people with disabilities to see those like them included in the mainstream. However,...
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Dhanush Biopic on Isaignani Ilaiyaraaja: The Real Story of India’s ‘Musical...
The name Ilaiyaraaja evokes a certain magic for his fans, who span across generations and countries. Everyone in my family has a favourite song, and a memory associated with the musician. Late nights...
View ArticleVikrant Massey’s ’12th Fail’: This IPS-IRS Couple Inspired the Movie
Once in a blue moon, you come across a real-life story that pales even perfectly orchestrated movie scripts in comparison. One such instance is the life of IPS Manoj Kumar Sharma, who failed Class 12...
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Why Chhattisgarh’s ‘Village of Youtubers’ Got a Rs 25 Lakh Studio From Its...
“You know, in Tulsi village, we didn’t just become YouTubers. We turned the whole place into a YouTubers’ village. It’s as if our village found a new voice through YouTube, and now we’re all...
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