by Geetika Pathania Jain | Jan 19, 2019 | Films
“Is it true there was cross-dressing in early Indian cinema?” The question came from a young Texan undergrad, and there was some muffled laughter in the audience. I paused for the room to be quiet. It was up to me to provide some cultural context to these young Texan...
by Geetika Pathania Jain | Jan 14, 2019 | Culture
The Indian TV channel was playing Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (HAHK) when the phone call came to say that Aparna’s wedding had been called off. “Is the wedding postponed or canceled?” my mother was asking on the phone. When she hung up, she shook her head. A single...
by Sagaree Jain | Jan 5, 2019 | Culture
I lived ten years in texas sun, singeing my brown body. today’s paper, leaking red, a bloody tapestry. “rawalpindi,” says my mother. and she drips into her sink. I churn to know. from where she hears. these brown bodies sing. It whistles through me when she mourns. a...
by Hamida Parkar | Dec 26, 2018 | Films
Women shone in Hindi cinema in 2018, the Khans sobered down, solid scripts made their mark, and character actors rocked big along with stunning lead performances. HAMIDA’S TOP TEN COUNTDOWN Here are my top ten, chosen mainly for their content, uniqueness, and...
by Hamida Parkar | Dec 20, 2018 | Films
Serendipity in the form of a buffalo helped Guru Dutt discover Waheeda Rehman. A driving accident with a buffalo cart badly damaged his car and Dutt was stranded in Hyderabad for three days with friend and working partner Abrar Alvi. Alvi narrates the story in Sathya...
by Hamida Parkar | Dec 14, 2018 | Culture
The first thirty minutes of Mirzapur dish out thrilling flavor samples for a first taste with a seasoned chef. The delicious ingredients aka the key cast are introduced with careful precision in the first episode by writers Karan Anshuman, Puneet Krishna and Vineet...
