Reel Review

Trivializing women’s (mental) health

Naomi Osaka has been in the news recently for pulling out of the Tokyo Olympics, refusing to do media interviews…

By ElsaMarie D'Silva
October 4, 2021
Trivializing women’s (mental) health
The Impossible Collective: A Review of Rituparno Ghosh’s Dahan (1997)
Poster for the Bengali film 'Dahan"
June 1, 2014
The Impossible Collective: A Review of Rituparno Ghosh’s Dahan (1997)
The Dirty Picture
Poster for the film 'dirty picture', shoeing actress vidya balan leaning against actor emraan hashmi

The Dirty Picture, directed by Milan Luthria (2011) has ushered in various debates around sexuality through its representation of sexuality…

By Sujatha Subramanian
October 1, 2014
The Dirty Picture
Sita Sings the Blues
An animated figure of Sita, with big kajal-laden eyes, wearing a crown, pink lehnga, and having four hands. She holds a shell, a lotus, and a sudarshan chakra in three hands. The background is watery green.

“For every incarnation of Rama, there is a Ramayana”, says AK Ramanujam in his essay ‘Three Hundred Ramayanas’. So, too, there…

By Lekha Sridhar
January 15, 2015
Sita Sings the Blues
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan – A Contemplative Reflection
Poster for Shubh Mangal Saavdhan

The movie Shubh Mangal Saavdhan was a commentary about perversions in our society – the denial of the truth about sexuality, that sex is normal, that sex could be just another physical need, that sometimes sex can be boring, that sometimes sex can frustrate.

By Shreya Varma
September 2, 2019
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan – A Contemplative Reflection
Sara’S

Released on Amazon Prime, Sara’S is a Malayalam movie scripted by Dr Akshay Haresh, directed by Jude Anthony Joseph, produced…

By Authors
September 1, 2021
Sara’S
Review: What Sex Work Taught Feminism: Tales Of The Night Fairies
cover image: youtube

Tales delicately yet powerfully draws out the conflict between sex workers and feminism in India,at a time when a lot of feminists thought of prostitution through a SWERF lens[1].

By Moulshri Mohan
January 2, 2020
Review: What Sex Work Taught Feminism: Tales Of The Night Fairies
REVIEW: WHAT SEX WORK TAUGHT FEMINISM: TALES OF THE NIGHT FAIRIES
TALES OF THE NIGHT FAIRIES

Five sex workers – four women and one man – along with the filmmaker/narrator embark on a journey of storytelling….

By Moulshri Mohan
January 2, 2018
REVIEW: WHAT SEX WORK TAUGHT FEMINISM: TALES OF THE NIGHT FAIRIES
Review: What Sex Work Taught Feminism: Tales of the Night Fairies
Two sex workers standing and talking outside a chawl. They both are dressed in sarees, and are wearing a red bindi on their forehead.

Note: Five sex workers – four women and one man – along with the filmmaker/narrator embark on a journey of storytelling. Shohini Ghosh’s Tales of the Night Fairies explores the power of collective organising and resistance while reflecting upon contemporary debates around sex work. The labyrinthine city of Kolkata (Calcutta) forms the backdrop for personal and musical journeys.

By Moulshri Mohan
April 18, 2016
Review: What Sex Work Taught Feminism: Tales of the Night Fairies
Review: What a controversial book and blockbuster tell us about male infertility
Still from film 'Tanu Weds Manu Returns'. A woman and a man in a wedding. The man holds a baby wrapped in a white cloth in his arms. The woman wears a red Indian suit, red bangles, and has open hair. The man wears a red turban and golden kurta.

What does Tanu Weds Manu Returns (2015) have in common with Perumal Murugan’s controversial book, One Part Woman (2013)? Stories on emasculation…

By Shweta Krishnan
July 1, 2015
Review: What a controversial book and blockbuster tell us about male infertility
Review: Unbelievable
a still from unbelievable

I believe that such mini-series as “Unbelievable” will help people have a better understanding of what women go through when they experience a horrific incident like rape or sexual assault.

By ElsaMarie D'Silva
October 15, 2019
Review: Unbelievable
Review: The Last Summer

Last weekend, after a very hectic week, I was looking for a light and easy movie to watch and came…

By ElsaMarie D'Silva
May 1, 2020
Review: The Last Summer
Review: Tamil Cinema’s Women Scientists – Sassy, Nerdy, and Still Tamil
Pooja Kumar plays a female scientist in Tamil movie 'Viswaroopam'.

Looking through the prism of Tamil cinema, a female scientist distorts the simplistic, straightforward portrayal of women that most movies adopt. Her knowledge and authority on a subject enable her to challenge the hero (gasp!) in areas that he may not know about. Often, she flaunts her sexuality; it’s brash, open and departs from norms.

By Vani Viswanathan
July 15, 2016
Review: Tamil Cinema’s Women Scientists – Sassy, Nerdy, and Still Tamil
Review: Scarlet Road
A woman dressed in a red and black dress is seen walking with a red umbrella. She is caucasian and has blonde hair and is looking off into the distance contemplatively. Beside, there is a small polaroid image of the same woman woman lying in bed with an older man. The name of the movie, 'Scarlet Road', is written on top.
August 1, 2014
Review: Scarlet Road
Review: Risk-averse Bollywood Tackles Taboo Issues
A still from the film ‘Secret Superstar’, showing a young girl and boy staring at each othjer, both wearing school uniforms

Several recent mainstream Hindi films have dealt with issues of sexuality and gender not usually discussed in the intended audience’s drawing rooms.

By Shaifali Agrawal
May 1, 2018
Review: Risk-averse Bollywood Tackles Taboo Issues
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