The history of Indian cinema has created many films dealing with the sex worker who lives on the fringes of mainstream society and belongs to a marginalised ghetto. Among the memorable examples are Shyam Benegal’s Mandi (1983), Gulzar’s Mausam (1975), T.S. Ranga’s Giddh (1984), B.R.
Being a scholar student of Amity School of Films and Drama, Rishav Ghosh has written and directed several films, the most notable being ‘Synthetic Sati’ recently streaming on Amazon Prime UK and four leading national OTT platforms. His ‘Agamani’ is streaming in Bangladesh OTT, marking
Sati is a Sanskrit term which means ‘a wife who possesses great virtue’. Agehananda Bharati, the late Austrian-born anthropologist who was born Hindu, said that sati was the nicor (essence) of pativratadharma (moral action appropriate for married women) The sati concept was so popular at
Nirjan Sanlaap Over the years, very few Bengali and Indian filmmakers have opted for the works of one of the most outstanding authors of post-Tagorean Bengali literature. Notable filmmakers like Mrinal Sen and Nabyendu Chatterjee have adapted his works, but over the nearly 100 years of
Tucked away in one corner of Uttarpara stands Uttarpara Bengal Photo Studio, the brainchild of 41-year-old Arindam Saha Sardar. A self-taught archivist and restoration artist, Arindam makes biographical documentaries, curates exhibitions of rare artefacts, collects old still and movie cameras, Bengali magazines of yore, and
The great Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay once wrote that Bengalis as a race looked to their rulers for even the history of their own race, and were experts at forgetting their past achievements. Even if we were to set that aside, we can say with certainty
One movie of Ray among many other pathbreaking ones that brought two idols together was Nayak. 55 years ago in 1966, the story of a humble theatre actor turned matinee idol Arindam Mukherjee hit the screens, catapulting Uttam Kumar to a different genre of acting
Few outside West Bengal, or even inside the state, are aware that Rabindranath Tagore directed a film based on Notir Puja, a dramatized version of his long poem Pujarini, written in 1899. Notir Puja or its original long poem offer different perspectives on death in
WHunger finds a prominent place in three films by Satyajit Ray, reflecting three completely different backdrops, though hunger is a significant sub-plot in all three narratives, each one a ‘period’ piece in a manner of speaking. One is Pather Panchali, the second is Goopy Gyne
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6YYkKI4hzg Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates ‘rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular’, performed or chanted in a variety of ways, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The recent Bollywood film Gully Boy directed by Zoya