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2012 Bollywood Summarised: Oh womaniya.. Aha Womaniya..!

Let us not talk of box office figures. Please. There’s a khan-dani monopoly there. Let us also not talk about awards. (No offence to those deceased and alive) but there is an oh-so-predictable formula to find yash  at such events and win “ Awards of the year ”. Let's shift focus to content. Let’s talk about unforgettable cinematic moments that won’t leave us for a long long time. And when I sit back and recall, 2012 looks like a year when a handful of women made a huge amount of difference. These weren’t sporadic highlights in one stream of cinema, but a consistent display of excellence in various streams. Here are some such wow moments and the women behind them: Women of bollywood 2012: I am not only talking about actors or technicians alone. Even in terms of characters and portrayal of women this year at the movies. Be it a gutsy real-nameless Mrs Baagchi of Kahaani or a earthy Shalini Sahay in Shanghai , they have had a more meaningful presence on screen than in pre

English Vinglish - how sweet, how savory, how sridevi!

Is it just a coincidence that Gauri Shinde’s chose her protagonist to be an “entrepreneur” of Laddoos ? A Laddoo looks deceptively simple, but is just as difficult to make- ever running the risk that it might turn over-sweet, a little carelessness and the look might be unwelcoming.  And that’s how much thought and care Shinde puts into the movie – there is so much love, care and detailing she pours into every frame that she, like the character in her film, ensures a perfectly brilliant looking, delicious and yet not over-sweet film. No. This is not a complicated film – there is no disability at its core, there is nothing shattering about the pathos of the character, but yet, there is everything relatable about the character of the movie. Shashi (Sridevi) is your typical Indian middle-class housewife – who is made feel incompetent simply because she struggles to throw an English phrase or two at a breakfast table. Or if she insists that the English teacher speak to her in Hindi.

Ek Tha Cinema!

Ek Tha Cinema K J Kartik No. I haven't seen Ek Tha Tiger, but it doesn't stop me from believing in my gut which says it will , at best, be a mediocre film, full of unbelievable stunts that the can-be-christened-rajnikant-of-bollywood Salman Khan has done with a cockiness and expression that can put even Mr Bean to shame. But how does it matter. Just like it doesn't matter what the critics have to say, to determine if the film should work or not. I cannot pin point when this started to happen - when did it stop mattering whether or not, the film is good, for it to succeed. It makes me, well, jealous! Believing in the old and almost childish school of thought of meritocracy, I have lived to believe that he who deserves, gets success. That one must excel, to be rewarded. That content matters. These recent spate of so called "100 crore club" films have me wondering, if that really means anything. RA.ONE, declared unanimously as a flop by all critics, still