What to watch before the election, in light of Trump’s troubling stance on white supremacists? Gurinder Chadha’s film Blinded by the Light (2019) is a treat for Bruce Springstein fans, and also a searing critique of white supremacy. “We have seen...
I am not ashamed to admit that I sometimes cry in darkened theaters. It happened during the Jallianwala Bagh massacre scene in Gandhi, Naatak’s powerful play that tugged so expertly at my heartstrings. And my lachrymal glands were at it during Vrindavan, another...
Lucky S.F. Bay area denizens of the high-brow variety, you have yet another event to look forward to that is sure to amplify your festive Dussera season this year. If you are scurrying off to the many poojas, family gatherings and Golus (display of dolls), be sure to...
I wanted to tell Gurinder Chadha that she is to me what Springsteen is to Javed in her film Blinded by the Light (2019). Larger than life. Awe-inspiring. Authentic. Raw. That her 1993 film Bhaji on the Beach was seared in my memory! But when my icon spoke (interview...
“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. I had received some...
