The two Indian films that got away
Our young critic writes about two under-appreciated films that he thought could have changed the way Indian cinema is perceived worldwide.
Arrival: Palindromes and Non-Sum-Zero Games
In the run-up to Oscars 2017, film analyst Pankaj Sachdeva takes a deeper look at the linguistic themes of last year's most fascinating contender, ARRIVAL.
Dil Chahta Hai: The subtext of fear
Pankaj Sachdeva digs deeper into perhaps the most iconic Hindi film of a generation, Dil Chahta Hai.
The Imposter: A lie-transcending truth
Rohan Murti writes about a keenly designed film that documents one of the most stunning identity thefts of our time.
The Third Wheels of 2016
Our list of the "third wheels" in Hindi cinema of 2016 -- the unsung side-heroes, fleeting faces and cameos of films this year.
IIF Awards, Hindi Cinema, 2016
Our year-ender piece -- an 'awards' take, with various dubious and real categories, on the best and worst of Hindi cinema (Bollywood) in 2016.
The Incessant Restlessness of Adolescence
Tanul Thakur writes about arguably India's most popular cult film (paradoxically true) ever made, Kamal Swaroop's gleefully contradictory and endlessly enigmatic 'Om Dar-B-Dar'.
Pyaasa: The immortal thirst for self-expression
Pranav Joshi, an engineering student and film connoisseur, lyrically reflects on Guru Dutt's classic, Pyaasa -- and its timeless themes of injustice and self-expression.
The perils of privilege
A write-up on Zoya Akhtar's definitive and immensely re-watchable Patch-Addams family ensemble film, Dil Dhadakne Do.
The Eternal Moonlight of Spotted Minds.
We look back on a beguiling American indie called Comet (2014), now known as the calling card of 'Mr. Robot' creator Sam Esmail.
Our World, and Theirs
A throwback to the kitschy, seedy and unforgettable C-grade universe of Ashim Ahluwalia's 'Miss Lovely', by film critic Tanul Thakur.
‘Monsoon Shootout’ Review
The 10th anniversary of HBO's South Asian International Film Festival kicked off with a bang, and then another, and then another. Not sure what I mean? Well when you watch Amit Kumar's "Monsoon Shootout" you'll understand. But for now you'll have to settle with my review. The films explores the ramifications of a single confrontation in three distinct ways. Adi (Vijay Varma),a young cop in his first days on the field, is faced with a choice when he confronts an infamous gangster named Shiva (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). Should he shoot the man or let him live? Director Amit Kumar explores the [...]
Confessions from Brown Hollywood with Reena Dutt
Reena Dutt is an incredibly talented human being. She's a producer, writer, director, actor and superhero. I'm not kidding. Dutt has been involved in some of iiF's favorite projects, one of which just screened at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival (CSAFF) this weekend. Yes you guessed it, she is a producer of "...Or Die" and "Squad 85." As an actress she's been in television shows like "Medium", "Out of Practice", and "Criminal Minds." In fact, she even just shot a pilot for A&E. As far as directing and producing goes, her credits include "Snapshot!", "El Doctor", "June, Adrift" and [...]
Confessions from Brown Hollywood with Gregory Bonsignore
It is no secret that iiF loves the short film "...Or Die", (co-directed by Gregory Bonsignore and John Petaja) which won the Audience Award at the HBO South Asian Film Festival last year. In fact, we're pretty sure our review is longer than the movie itself. Thankfully, that didn't discourage writer and co-director Gregory Bonsignore from talking to us about the film. Greg is one of the nicest and funniest guys you're likely to meet (and I've only met him once!). He's a fantastic writer with credits that include shows like "Lie to me", "Three Rivers" and "Homeland" (where he's a script coordinator). [...]
In conversation with the geniuses behind ‘Farah Goes Bang’ (Part 3)
A while back, I had the distinct pleasure of catching up with the lovely ladies behind the Tribeca sensation, “Farah Goes Bang.” Writer/Director Meera Menon and Writer/Producer Laura Goode shed light on women in film, brown people, virginity and even carnivals during our discussion. I was hoping to put the entire interview in one post, but I think we had too much fun talking for close to an hour. I also thought 3,000 words in one page would be overkill. So here is the final part of this fantastic conversation. Part three discusses the race and gender questions that went [...]
‘Kumaré’ Review
Kumaré is available on Netflix, iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, among other streaming video sources. Visit the website www.kumaremovie.com for more info. Kumaré is a slightly twisted story that unravels into an emotionally trying ending about a disenchanted, suspicious young director and his search for some kind of truth. The movie features the director, Vikram Gandhi, as a disgruntled man whose experiences with the new-age yoga and spiritual teachings have been far less than satisfying. After numerous experiences in search of a more profound truth in the US and India, Vikram takes a different approach than normal. Instead of following the beaten [...]
In conversation with the geniuses behind ‘Farah Goes Bang’ (Part 1)
A while back, I had the distinct pleasure of catching up with the lovely ladies behind the Tribeca sensation, "Farah Goes Bang." Writer/Director Meera Menon and Writer/Producer Laura Goode shed light on women in film, brown people, virginity and even carnivals during our discussion. I was hoping to put the entire interview in one post, but I think we had too much fun talking for close to an hour. I also thought 3,000 words in one page would be overkill. So I'm going to ease you all into this fantastic conversation. Part one reveals how Laura and Meera came together [...]
Tribeca Review: ‘Farah Goes Bang’
I have a confession to make. I've struggled a lot with this review. Not because my reaction to Meera Menon's feature debut was inconclusive. Quite the contrary. I knew I loved this movie the second the credits started rolling. In fact, I think I actually like it too much. As a result I refrained from writing about it for a long time. Maybe I thought I had too much to say, not enough to say or just not the right things to say. Either way, I've floundered long enough. Kandis Erickson, Nikohl Boosheri and Kiran Deol in "Farah Goes [...]
