Reviews of the latest (and sometimes not-so latest) independent films from South Asians everywhere.
“Blood Relative” Review
"Blood Relative" is a truly moving, gripping documentary by Nimisha Mukerji, director of numerous films including the multiple award-winning documentary 65_RedRoses, set to air soon on the Oprah Winfrey Network. Set in Mumbai, we see a true life story of two brave, young sufferers of thalassemia major, a genetic disease, one variant of which is endemic to South and Southeast Asia where millions are affected with potentially fatal consequences. "Blood Relative" was shown at the South Asian International Film Festival Thursday night. The truest meaning of selflessness and humility defines the contributions of Vinay Shetty, the leader of [...]
“Bureaucracy Sonata” (“Raag Sarkari”) Review
A long time ago, India went through an "interesting" time to say the least. From June 26, 1975 through March 21, 1977, democracy was suspended in India allowing Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to rule by decree. It became known as the "emergency era" in India. During that time, a lot of political activists and members of the opposition party were arrested without trial. Eventually members of the opposition party started voluntarily going to jail because they were promised a monthly pension if their party successful overthrew Gandhi's government. This is the setting and premise behind Vinay Shukla's short film "Raag [...]
“B.A. Pass” Review
I've been struggling to write this review ever since I saw "B.A. Pass", directed by Ajay Bahl, nearly three weeks ago at the New Jersey Independent South Asian Cine Fest (NJISACF). In fact I had initially written the review rather quickly because I loved the movie. But then I read the short story it was based on called "The Railway Aunty" by Mohan Sikka (You can read the full story at Brooklyn Rail) After that, I knew my approach had to change, even if my assessment of the film didn't. It's still a fantastic movie and reading the short story [...]
“Greater Elephant” Review
The following review was done by Dr. Prabhu Jha, an expert on English literature and storytelling in general. His short stories have been published in the literary magazine "Ink" and he runs a blog called Ephemeral Insights. "Greater Elephant", recently premiered in Pune, is a delightful movie, which defies any attempts to label it. Some people might call it a comedy, bordering on the farcical. However, the label of a farcical comedy flies in the face of a very well-done and subtle search for something deeper. And we’re back to square one! In fact, we’re back to a Mahout, who [...]
“Dekh Indian Circus” Review
There is something more powerful about a message or story if its conveyed through the perspective of children. A filmmaker or storyteller can talk about the issues of money, greed and power but the impact is always greater when you can see the effect on innocence. "Dekh Indian Circus", the opening night film at NJISACF by Mangesh Hadawale, is an example of a story that holds more weight because of the mechanism of its delivery. The story centers around the life of a family in a small Indian village. When the circus comes into town, brother and sister Ghumroo and [...]
