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2026
EPL Season opener 26 - Hull 2-0 Man United
Dear fellow United fans, Please remember that last season, the first game against Arsenal was (and still is) United’s best performance under…
For those looking to enter the Hindi Film Industry
You either die outside Bombay or live long enough to see yourself move to Bombay
We can die for them but they can also kill us
1. I’m a parent of two 2. This is hyperbole 🥲
Becoming a father makes you a better human…
…but becoming a father to a daughter makes you a better man.
My first release
We make a film to say something to the world. Somewhere through the long and painful journey, the apparatus of filmmaking humbles…
Jab main chhota tha, toh kabhi kabhi school se ghar paidal jaaya karta tha...
…Kabhi kabhi bus na leke, ghanto bus stand pe baitha rehta tha. Sadko ko bas dekhte rehna, ek jagah apni nigaah chipka…
The warm hug that is ‘Real Kashmir Football Club’
Thank you for making this one Simaab Hashmi, Mahesh Mathai, Rajesh Mapuskar and SonyLiv.
2025
I don’t remember the last time I wept in a cinema the way I did watching ‘Homebound’.
Neeraj Ghaywan has a rare talent: in a world where the persecuted shut their eyes to their own pain as a way…
‘Was anyone in your film crew disabled / from an indigenous community / LGBTQIA+?’
I am male, I am Indian, I am Muslim, I am a filmmaker. My great grandparents’ home was burnt about five times,…
"Why are our films so bad?"
What does it take to make a film! In simple words, it’s a three part process: 1. Pre-production - where you write…
2024
‘Raat Jawan Hai’ - The triumph of a lightness of touch
'Raat Jawan Hai' on Sony Liv is an extraordinary* show. 2 female friends and 1 guy friend have grown up together to…
2022
‘15 seconds a lifetime’
Really enjoyed this documentary. From the beginning of time, man has craved social standing and will continue to. Man has also been…
‘I may destroy you’ most definitely destroyed me
‘I may destroy you’ made by and starring Michaela Coel, is devastating, bingeable and eye-opening. This show on Hotstar, has an all…
‘Brahmastra’ - When insecurity overtakes spectacle and spectacle overtakes emotion
At the outset, let me say that I enjoyed Brahmastra and I'd recommend it to everyone. I was rooting for it to…
‘Top Gun: Maverick' is a rare film on many fronts
1. It is an exhilarating ride. Very few films have come this close to making you feel you're piloting a fighter jet.…
‘I Love Thane’ - A love letter to thairaav
You know that one word - ‘Thairaav’! That’s the feeling I’ve generally gotten seeing stuff made by Dhruv Sehgal. And that’s the…
‘Mumbai Dragon’ enriches ‘Modern Love: Mumbai’
'Mumbai Dragon', which is episode 3 in the Modern Love: Mumbai anthology is so vividly rich and movingly warm! Written by Jyotsna…
‘Gehraiyaan’ - A baffling tale of two halves
Hardly has there been an Indian OTT film as eagerly awaited as ‘Gehraiyaan’. The trailers of the film, its unique cinematography, contemporary…
‘Sir’ - A triumph of restraint & nuance
‘Sir’ has been on my watchlist for quite some time now. I finally got around to watching it today and boy, was…
‘Sardar Udham’ - A great sequence and a lost opportunity
After watching ‘Sardar Udham’, these words from Rahul Desai’s review resonate with me: “Should we appreciate a film for what it isn’t…
‘Minnal Murali’ is the most accessible superhero movie I’ve watched
While the genre generally tugs at your senses by dazzling and impressing you, this one comes with soul and focuses on the…
‘83’ - If only each player had a distinct personality like in ‘Chak De India’
A film fundamentally requires suspension of disbelief. It succeeds if it is able to achieve that without you realising it. That is…
‘Yeh kaali kaali ankhein’ - Such a promising start, let down by the end
As kids who grew up on SRK films, imagine Raj waiting for Simran to ‘palat’ and Simran then turning into a psycho…
2021
‘Daag achhe hain’ (on conflicts and avoidance)
As someone who grew up surrounded by constant conflict, I've always shied away from it. Something bad would be done to me,…
‘Geeli Pucchi’ - One of the best ever Hindi shorts
I don’t remember the last time I watched a Hindi film this layered and yet this unpredictable! – Written by Sumit Saxena…
‘Joji’ - Malayalam cinema continues to own Hindi cinema
The stunning, dark and beautiful ‘Joji’ on Amazon Prime. Watch out for that one scene where Joji is told to “Wear a…
Often, the difference between feeling disempowered and empowered is just internal.
Externally, nothing may have changed but internally you would've made a long, painstaking journey to feel empowered enough to react differently to…
My first attempt at poetry
They blocked the road and put up a board, another flyover is coming up, it roared. As I drove past, I spotted…
2020
Scam 1992 - An appreciation post
Since most people would already have watched this one, this isn’t a review or recommendation as much as it is an appreciation…
‘Eeb Allay Ooo’ - Extraordinary Indie filmmaking
A migrant is tasked with shooing monkeys away in Lutyens Delhi. An absurdist satire, 'Eeb Allay Ooo!' is worth a watch for…
‘The Naked Director’ - So novel but can’t sustain its novelty
‘The Naked Director’ on Netflix is an intriguing Japanese biographical series on a novel subject - Porn video director Muranishi Toru and…
#ShockingLoveStory
Boy and girl from different religions Fell in love, wanted to get married. Kept meeting secretly, till they got found. The parents…
Waah re patriarchy!
Women have worked at home for ages and they were called “housewives” or more fashionably - “homemakers”. But when Covid forced men…
The dilemma of 'The Social Dilemma'
A couple of weeks ago, I watched a documentary everyone around me was talking about. The Social Dilemma on Netflix, is a…
What is Film Appreciation?
There is a point in you reading this post only when you can spare at least 10 minutes, 7.5 to watch a…
For Indal - our man-friday who didn’t know our name
I remember when my wife and I moved to Bombay a year ago and were trying out different Cooks, this lanky, sweet-looking…
Paatal Lok: Among the best of Indian OTT
I binged on entire Paatal Lok today. My entire family and I sat through 400 minutes+ non-stop. Mom didn’t even go for…
#BoysLockerRoom didn’t happen overnight
It didn’t happen because some boys in Delhi turned out to be monsters in isolation. It was systemic. Such desensitisation and violence…
Irrfan and his ideology in Cinema shall live on through the people he moved
Since yesterday, I’ve been trying to think why I felt so sad hearing about Irrfan’s death. As much as I would’ve loved…
In this lockdown, spare a thought for the domestically abused!
As a survivor of domestic violence, I know this: Being trapped with your abuser within a confined space can be the single…
"Aaj kal Musalman bachho ka dhyan kuch zyada hi science aur technology pe aa gaya hain…"
I was born into a family that had Muslim names but by beliefs and actions, we were indifferent and irreligious. However, because…
Kumbalangi Nights - A deliciously intricate portrayal of bullies at home
When I told my best friend that I’ve written a short film on the domestic violence in my childhood, he immediately asked…
“When the chips are down, these....civilised people, they’ll eat each other”
In Ahmedabad, since the last two days, don’t know how many WhatsApp messages have been circulating naming and shaming a girl who…
Tips for enduring the lockdown - from my experience of being at home even earlier
In May 2019, I moved to Bombay to pursue my lifelong bucket-list dream of making films that empower and impact. After 13…
‘Thappad’ - Amongst the most necessary Hindi films
Image source: bollywoodhungama.com A bubbly, loving Amu (Taapsee Pannu) has chosen to be a housewife to the imperfect Vikram (Pavail Gulati). She…
‘Once Upon a Time …in Hollywood’ is the kind of indulgence only an established filmmaker can pass off
You know that time when an old uncle sat you down and reminisced about some time from his past, when he felt…
"What's in a name?" - William Shakespeare.
Seems like William uncle never tried coming down to India and renting a home!
The Pharmacist - a documentary about a Father avenging his son
Small-town pharmacist and doting dad Dan Schneider, his wife, their daughter and their son Danny Jr. are an ideal picture of how…
1917 - A truly novel cinematographic experience!
Put on your cap, equip yourself, pick up your gun and leave on a mission in a live warzone, with virtually zero…
‘Parasite’ makes you uncomfortable & how! One of the best films you’ll ever watch!
It’s been a day since I experienced ‘Parasite’ and I’m not sure how I feel about it! Don’t get me wrong, the…
2019
Of being helped by those I went to help
Had the most beautiful afternoon yesterday. Visited the Dongri Children’s Home in Bombay. One section of it houses over a hundred children…
India - reality v/s perception
While we buy our peace and indifference and eventually form an image of the world around us, it is important to be…
Thank you my fellow Indians
I’m an atheist by choice but a Muslim by birth and have hence borne discrimination multiple times throughout my life. Over the…
“Why are fewer people coming to theatres?”
They charge convenience fees for online booking despite the fact that their lives become easier and more people book as they’re assured…
Social media and the Bermuda Triangle of Youth
An experiment at shedding my inhibitions and laziness and sharing my thoughts on video for the 1st time - On something that…
True independence - Freedom from religion
We think we're free, we think we're unshackled, that most of the things in our lives are of our choosing. The fact…
Rubaru Roshni - One of the most important films you will ever watch
Image Source: Arre At 11 AM on India’s 70th Republic Day, Aamir Khan Productions broadcasted ‘Rubaru Roshni’ on Star Plus. It is…
To disagreeing yet coexisting
It is so important to disagree, to have agency, to be able to exert one’s own filters to process a thought or…
2018
Dear children, here’s a letter to you
By virtue of my personal inclinations and professional domain, I end up counselling quite a few students. If I add to that…
Pollution and Delhi
As I drive back from the mountains, rejuvenated and refreshed, my mind goes back to why I made the trip in the…
On people’s reactions to #MeToo
Right from the time I began noticing how creepy men can be to now with the horrific tales that are coming out…
On toxicity as a goal
Growing up with an abusive father, one of the things I learnt was that if you ignore the specific incidents of extreme…
Social media and the sexualization of children
I remember going to this restaurant a while back. We were asked to wait as a table with about ten very young…
When stepping outside home feels like a warzone
I remember how about a decade ago, each morning I used to pick up my friend in Delhi from a bus-stand she…
Sanju - Why Raju, why?
‘Sanju’ is unlike anything Rajkumar Hirani has directed before! Would the master filmmaker be able to crack a story that’s not about…
When a country is secure with who she is!
In 2012, by virtue of my work with Youth and civic education, the US State Department had invited me for their International…
Of selfies at the Jallianwala Bagh behind McDonalds
I remember reading about the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in my Social Studies textbook as a child. The description was rather vivid and…
The reluctant non-vegetarian
I started eating non-veg because my family did. I loved its taste from the start. Although I faced discrimination for being non-vegetarian…
A study must be commissioned to research this amazing medical treatment
As soon as an employee leaves to be with an ailing family member, the family member recovers so much that the employee…
My initiation to the world of therapy
Someone who yearns for emotional attachment, someone who is stressed at work, someone who has attempted suicide, someone who is being denied…
To hope
If you feel imprisoned emotionally, mentally, physically or financially and feel like your prison is the world and there’s nothing else for…
‘Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview’
'Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview' is a 1 hour video on Netflix. A television interview that was filmed in 1995, it was…
Why hang onto religion at all!
They say religion teaches you to do good, they say religion gives you faith. But I see religion getting people to kill.…
A love letter to relaxation
All day long, all year long, all our lives there is so much intake that occurs. Intake of frustration, anger, envy, influence,…
‘Mukkabaaz’ - Anurag Kashyap, you beauty!
The routes taken are boxing and the state of sports in India but the destinations are seriously intense casteism, patriarchy and recent…
‘Padmaavat’ Review - Much ado about nothing
I would most likely not have watched ‘Padmaavat’ but thanks to the sequence of events orchestrated by the Karni Sena, I decided…
Wagah border and patriotism!
Last weekend, my friends and I visited Amritsar. The Partition Museum just before the Jallianwalla Bagh was beautiful, interestingly it was also…
‘Madness in the Desert’ - An exhilarating documentary about the making of ‘Lagaan’
Just watched ‘Madness in the Desert’ on Netflix. A 140 minutes documentary on the making of ‘Lagaan’ by Satyajit Bhatkal who was…
2017
India - the best individuals, the worst collective?
An EdTech Conference for Careers360 recently took me on a trip to three Western-European countries and I was reminded of the things…
Loving Vincent - 5 years, 125 artists, 853 oil paintings, 65000 hand-drawn frames to create this…
The world’s first fully hand-painted feature film — ‘Loving Vincent’ is the result of over 5 years of blood, sweat, toil and…
‘An Insignificant Man’, a most significant movie
I’ve often watched movies yearning to find some meaning, some purpose, a message somewhere within. Tonight, I found one, perhaps the best…
‘Aapde chhe ne positive rehvanu’
I’ve seen quite a few “positive” people not do a thing to help anyone else and I’ve seen quite a few “negative/cynical”…
The stereotyping checklist
It can be tough to keep conscious track of when you're stereotyping. So if you genuinely want to not stereotype and are…
Bursting crackers wearing a mask
Imagine when a truck passes by and all of a sudden you’re engulfed by a cloud of dust and instinctively you cup…
2017 and Islamist attacks
Manhattan - October Barcelona - August Lahore - August Iraq - June Tehran - June France - June London - June Egypt…
‘What’s in a name?’
1. I was born as 'Arastu Hasan Jowher' 2. My SBI branch in Ahmedabad didn't understand "Arastu" and so despite my intently…
A day in the life of a girl (Shot from her PoV)
I've always had this fantasy of shooting a video/film where the camera is a character - a woman. A woman's eyes. And…
#MeSorryToo
Just apologising for crimes committed by my half of humanity on the other half...
The only formal job interview I've ever given went something like this
Interviewer: "So what have you done?" Me: "I founded a non-profit when I was 18, we worked with over 6000 College Youth…
What we are used to is ‘social’ and not ‘normal’
On the beautiful albeit sometimes melodramatic English show ‘This is us’, an adopted child seeks out his biological father after growing up…
My favourite greeting these days…
…has to be the one offered by the guards outside PVR: "Namaskar Sir! "Apne haath phailaye"
Just get one question each time I see an Uber driver huff and puff…
…curse, screech and jerk at a traffic jam in Delhi: Kal tak aap khule asmaan mein plane udaate the kya?
Happy In-dependence Day
Think of the world, think of everyone who exists, the aims we have, our morals, beliefs, codes, what we do, what we…
Late at night, I was woken up by someone. She wanted my boarding pass…
You're asked for your ticket and ID by the guard at the entry to the airport. Then if there's a waiting area…
The Oh So Wonderfully, Unavoidably Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
It is hard to slot ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ under any existing bucket! Hence I can describe it best with adjectives —…
This is the Story of my relationship with religion
I was in my 2nd Standard at an excellent Jesuit school in Ahmedabad when my class teacher Mrs Sinha asked “How many…
Stealing a glance at the opposite sex is biology! Continuing to stare and scanning them top to bottom while knowing you're making them uncomfortable is violence!
"A woman was brutally gang-raped and murdered in Haryana's Rohtak.....The victim had allegedly refused a marriage proposal, following which the accused reached…
The difference between what you can do and what you do defines who you are!
A lot of people have begun saying "Yeah but it sells". But should you sell it? Arnab Goswami is able to get…
India’s biggest sandwich isn’t a sub or a roll
It is a progressive Muslim: 1. Discriminated against by fundamentalist Hindus 2. The awareness that if India had been a Muslim majority,…
When I witnessed moral-policing first hand
So my friend and I are returning to his home in Koramangala, Bangalore in an Uber. Both of us are sitting in…
How I started up!
“Every year, I spend so much money on your school fees, food, clothes etc. And what do you do for me? Nothing!…
Nationalism is amongst the most hollow concepts ever
1. Why does nationalism start and end with a country! Why aren’t you overtly protective of your home or Society or area…
Circular rationality?
The more liberal you become, the more rational you become. The more rational you become, the more you scrutinize things for yourself.…
What if we acted as less ‘Indian’…
What if, we for once, as a country, as a people, did not say 'You deserve it' when a woman complained of…
Indian traffic and roads are classic metaphors for Indian behaviour
– When the traffic lights are off or when the cops aren't around, no one follows rules No self-discipline – When we…
2016
Dear Parents, here’s a heartfelt request!
As kids, the eyes of the world are on us! We are the talk of the town, with everyone “awwwwwing” and cuddling…
‘Dangal’ is not the “all-time-classic” many reviews are making it out to be but…
Let’s get the obvious out of the way. ‘Dangal’ is a good film and it deserves to be watched! The film narrates…
Parenting kids out of what makes special!
As kids, the eyes of the world are on us! We are the talk of the town, with everyone "awwwwwing" and cuddling…
‘Ek aurat hi aurat ki sab se badi dushman hoti hai'
If I am about to be born, you call me a burden If I am born, you then call me the 'izzat'…
‘The book is good, its practitioners are the issue’
Do you judge a country by its people or its constitution? Do you judge a Company by its moves in the market…
The spectrum of hate isn’t a straight line but a circle
Ask a fundamentalist Muslim about Triple Talaq and he'll ask what about Dowry in Hindus! Ask a fundamentalist Hindu about dowry and…
The first 3 signs of a guilty and insecure defendan
1. Attacking the person instead of the point 2. Asking what about another issue 3. Saying there are others too who do…
‘Dear Zindagi’ - Charming but unfulfilling
As the end credits for ‘Dear Zindagi’ started rolling, I sat in my chair in the cinema hall and thought to myself:…
America, you’ve Trumped India
– America, you’ve Trumped India. And you’re worse than us. Because you were expected to be better given all your so-called advancement…
‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ is KJo trying to recreate ‘Rockstar’ but failing just the same
‘Tamasha’, ‘Rockstar’, ‘Yeh Jawani Hai Diwani’ — if you’ve seen any of these films, then you’ve seen the first half of ‘Ae…
Ramblings at the beginning of an adventure
Often when you stand at the beginning of a new path, you get frustrated by how achievers who've already reached way ahead…
Of WhatsApp bloodlust and Facebook patriotism following Uri
In a Utopian world, especially a day after Gandhi Jayanti, it can be safely said that violence is never a sustainable solution.…
Imagine a world where women are men…what an unbelievable, scary nightmare!
Imagine a world! A world where you wake up and your mom sits in a shirt and pant reading the newspaper. Your…
‘Pink’ Review - It’s not the best but given the times we live in, its better than our best
Make no mistake, ‘Pink’ is a landmark film. I doubt if you’ve ever seen a similar Hindi film! It is a retort…
3 kinds of atheism
An Atheist who is not scared is an Atheist. An Atheist who is a little scared is an Agnostic. An Atheist who…
Patronizing parenting vs empowering parenting
"Beta tu chhod de, main dekh lunga" - is not love, it's patronizing! "Tu try kar, koi baat nahi, dheere dheere aayega,…
It’s okay, you’re not doing anything wrong, don’t worry
Divorce is not bad. It’s not a problem. Sometimes things don’t work out. Being single isn’t bad, there’s no problem there. Neither…
This is how so many modern ‘arranged marriages’ work in India
She was a rather simple and uncomplicated person! Very clean heart, could almost be mistaken for a simpleton! She was attractive too…
‘Udta Punjab’ Review - The best first-half in recent Indian cinema
I’ve recently not felt as compelled to participate actively online but the kind of experience that ‘Udta Punjab’ was, pushed me to…
The 2 times when men regulate their eyeballs like crazy
1. When someone enters their password 2. When we stand next to someone at a urinal
Suspicious of boy you chose, supportive of boy brought by bureau
I wonder why most Indian parents react with suspicion, fear and distaste to their child having a boyfriend/girlfriend but are substantially more…
It is our imperfections that make us human
He says approval comes from within but he keeps reopening facebook to check how many likes his last post got. She writes…
The silence at family tables
A crowded restaurant. Tucked away in one corner, I eat alone on my table of 4....and my table feels just as silent…
2015
'Bajirao Mastani': Saved by Bhansali’s mastery over the craft
If Sanjay Leela Bhansali's love stories were to resemble a mountain, the mountain would start with an extremely steep climb that enthralls…
The A to Z of intolerance in Ahmedabad
A is a routine salaried employee in Ahmedabad. A isn't sold a home in a single non-Muslim ghetto because he has a…
Family - enablers or impediments?
Try joining your daddy's business and everyone will support you. Try saying you want to do your own thing and everyone will…
The simplest things are the hardest
Ever noticed the one commonality within what experts such as doctors, counsellors, teachers and even achievers such as successful entrepreneurs, sportspeople, actors…
The violence men perpetuate…
– We do two events in the space of a few days. The venues are popular colleges in Ahmedabad. We discuss social…
How men get socialized into being overtly sexual
– You're a kid. Your sister's a kid. One evening, all of a sudden, your father shouts at her for wearing 'indecent'…
Bajrangi Bhaijaan - Salman & Kabir Khan’s best film yet!
– Irrespective of whether Salman didn’t realize what he was participating in or whether he made a conscious choice, this is definitely…
Jurassic World - Undeserving of a review
– Actors — Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, Irrfan Khan – Cinematography — John Schwartzman – Visual Effects…
2014
PK - Imperfect but necessary!
The sequence of events in my head while watching ‘PK’: 1. A few minutes into the film: Me — “WOW! What acting…
2 States - should instead have been called 2 Halves
‘2 States’ could very well have been named ‘2 Halves’ because each half of the movie seems to have been handled by…
Queen - Unmissable portrayal of the triumph of a woman’s spirit
Notice the small nuances of ‘Queen’: – A major part of Rani’s transformation is attained through sexual liberation over her experiences in…
2013
‘Ram Leela’ review: It does so many things right but it does just as many wrong
Right at the onset, one must make it clear that ‘Ram Leela’ is a desi adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic Romeo and Juliet.…
‘Gravity’ Review: It's not a movie, it’s an experience. One of my favourite movies of all time!
The only negatives in ‘Gravity’ are that Indian Cinemas force an interval into it and that the movie ends. An experience beyond…
‘The Lunchbox’ Review: Love - As pure as it gets…
I have always felt that the primary differentiator between English cinema and Indian cinema has been the makers’ approach to the portrayal…
Shuddh Desi Romance - Tom & Jerry & Tom…
Claiming to be a modern take on love and relationships for today’s young India, ‘Shuddh Desi Romance’ explores live-in relationships and the…
Madras Cafe - Novel, bold...yet not a landmark movie
Bollywood has perhaps never seen a film such as ‘Madras Cafe’. Set against the backdrop of the Sri Lankan civil war during…
B.A. Pass - As hard-hitting as it gets
A depressing yet engrossing tale about the realities of this world and the unfailing selfishness of people around, B.A. Pass is not…
Ship of Theseus - A landmark for Indian cinema
There are very few things in life which are complete or sequenced perfectly. Most situations end up having incomplete ends that are…
‘The Good Road’ - A decent film & a giant leap for Gujarati Cinema, scrutinized with the wrong lens
Image Source — Glamsham A group named ‘Apna Adda’ that I am an active member of screened Director Gyan Correa’s ‘The Good…
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag - A mixed affair that exhausts yet never disengages
‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ is the kind of film you end feeling unsure of how you feel! You do not hate it, in…
Raanjhanaa and “The girl who used the boy”
He sleeps around with girls, he is a “playboy”. She talks of sleeping around with boys, she is a “slut”. Many viewer…
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani - Just how could the maker of 'Wake Up Sid' make this one?!
“Though people tell me that they loved Wake Up Sid and those within and outside the industry too feel that from trade…
Go Goa Gone - so close yet so far
– Directed by: Raj and D. K. – Cast: Kunal Khemu, Vir Das, Saif Ali Khan, Pooja Gupta, Anand Tiwari – What…
Nautanki Saala - Hopefully the only bad film Ayushmann will ever do
One of the most frustrating films in recent times, ‘Nautanki Saala’ makes you wonder what was the whole point of ever making…
2012
English Vinglish - A Heroic leap for Hindi Cinema!
1. The star of the show — Director Gauri Shinde. Conceptualized and executed a brilliant concept that is so relevant to everyone,…