Bollywood

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) did his most prolific writing between the years 1589-1613; he was the quintessential Bard, has never come close to being duplicated; his works, themes, resonate today as they did hundreds of years ago; no one captures the foils, fantasies, baseness or heroics of the human condition as did this timeless genius. Director Vishal Bhardwaj’s “Haider” is a …

  The sport of boxing has never appealed to me: cauliflower ears, brain damage, even death, resulting from the brutality of the game; but I rarely miss a boxing flick; they resonate with profound pathos, the quintessential joy when the underdog champions; possibly because of the agony, the ecstasy of victory is even sweeter. Some of the greats: “The Champ”, …

Flagrantly, bombastically  cacophonous; every scene, word is punctuated  by a soundtrack guaranteed to render the hearing-impaired profoundly silent; others, achingly in need of Midas Mufflers. Wagnerian in scope and sound, Ajay Devgan is Herculean as “Inspector Bajirao Singham”; questing total annihilation of every bureaucratic malfeasance plaguing India since its 1947’s independence. “Singham Returns” is well-intentioned, action-infused, glamorously-filmed but far too …

On September 16th, Lauren Bacall would have been ninety years old; almost a century of viability, lusting and loving life, protected, enhanced by her inimitable intelligence and wit she was unequivocally the captain of her soul; archetypical woman of substance who did it her way; thrust into the lionizing limelight at nineteen (“To Have and Have Not”) she perpetually reiterated …

“The brighter the light the darker the shadow”. No one defines this prescient observation more than Robin Williams; he lit up film and television with his raucous, insightful humor, impeccable timing, fluent, gifted improvisation; lurking behind this amicable, ingratiating facade was always the omnipresent albatross of depression; a disease as insidious as the most crippling cancer; voraciously devouring one’s spirit …

Another formulaic Bollywood extravaganza, starring ageing heartthrob Salman Khan, who indubitably is starting to scarily resemble a Jeff Koons inflatable sculpture; he’s “Devi/Devil”  a  buffed boy, with idiot savant skills but crippled with a huge affliction of ADD, leaping from one escapade to another, searching for a thrill, “kick” to perpetually inject Masala into his life; karma intervenes in the …

A lighter, gauzier version of 1995’s “Diwale Dulhania le Jayenge” starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. Why the title, so informed by irrevocable breakage, is a mystery; “Humpty” is an indestructible entity when it comes to his choice of a “bride”. Here is delightful romantic comedy blessed by two of Bollywood’s youthful, dynamic film forces. Alia Bhatt is formidable as …

This dreadful monument to poor taste ranks in the laurels of one of the worst films ever made, in any country; an embarrassment to its industry; how and why in Shiva’s name was this ever produced?  Director Sajid Khan proves certifiably unbalanced, not even worthy of the mental institution he places his protagonists in; men, masked as dogs, howling idiocy;   …

This is a film, that despite its origins, has universal appeal; it exponentially gets better and better; focusing on India/Pakistan relations; no sensational headlines, just an insightful look at ordinary people, some nefarious, some humane,  struggling to live in tumultuous times. The film is anchored by the remarkable performance of Sharib Hashmi as “Sunny” a frustrated wanna-be-Bollywood movie star; he …

Here is a Bollywood film guaranteed to entertain most audiences. Lacking the pervasive silliness that informs so many of India’s romantic comedies, it resonates with universal themes, enchanting performances by all the principals, stunning song and dance numbers, gifting audiences warmth, joy and empathy. Alia Bhatt is “Ananya Swaminathan” a Tamilian girl from Chennai; she is feisty, deliciously beautiful and …