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PM Narendra Modi (2019)
Propaganda to whitewash the history of a mass murderer and making him look like a hero
Hot steaming pile of propaganda trash aimed to whitewash a mass murderer's history. How do you turn a psychopath bigot into a hero? Watch this movie to learn that. But on the side note, the movie is absolute trash in terms of acting, story and direction.
Triyacharitra (1994)
Ahead of its time! Hard-hitting commentary on gender roles
Found this movie through MUBI India channel. I'm really impressed of the hard-hitting commentary of gender roles in Indian society made by this movie. There is no preaching, no patronizing, but just pure cinema and story-telling. For a movie of early 90s, making such relevant commentary on various issues such as child marriage, patriarchy, gender relations, rape, poverty, without telling you what to think of it - that is cinema. Way ahead of its time! Wonderful casting and brilliant performances.
Dance of the Wind (1997)
Spellbinding somberness
I found this movie through MUBI - India channel. Like most of the reviews mention, this is a movie of a purely spiritual journey. You can sum it up in what Pallavi (Kitu Gidwani's character) says after her mother's death, "I have been singing all this while in my mother's scale (sur). I haven't been able to find mine. Now who'll teach me?". It is also a homage to the tradition of music-making, and what it takes to keep it alive, the sacrifices.
Tumbbad (2018)
Appealing visuals, wonderful theme, and genre-redefining for Indian context!
Ironically, this movie was re-written and re-shot by Anand Gandhi (Ship of Theseus fame). So does that make this venture a ship of Theseus? Is this Rahi's or Gandhi's movie? Ahahah.
Not often do we come across Indian movies that show courage to skip the cheap thrills and focus on the real horrors. Not often do we come across movies that just want to tell a story. Not often do we across movies like Tumbbad.
Having missed it at the theatres, I happened to watch this on a streaming service. It is a story of how greed can overpower goodness and innocence, and spread the poison across generations. From a mother eking out a living as a mistress in the feudalistic era, to a son in the pre-independence colonial era etching a portrait of greed with his life, and finally ending with a corrupted grandson in the post-independence era who loses his innocence to his father and his virginity to his fathers' mistress, the frames capture the rot artistically. Towards the end of the movie, you're left wondering what purpose did Hastars' punishment serve if the humanity never learned the moral of the story? Many of the reviewers have mentioned in their reviews that the story is set over 30 years, give or take. In that case, they didn't focus on the grandmothers' story of how she came to be the way she is.
Brilliantly shot, wonderful story-telling, slow churn of greed and horror in a perfect blend of the real and unreal worlds, this is movie worth every penny.
PS: Had a disappointing experience recommending this to colleagues, who reportedly found it unappealing. This is what mainstream horrors and shallow storylines do to the experience of movie-watching.