‘Jaane Jaan’: Intricate Plot and Characterization Makes This an Intriguing Watch
By Dhaval Roy Story: The crime drama follows the story of a single mother and her daughter, who find themselves entangled in a murder. They find an unexpected ally in their neighbor, a simple but genius teacher while navigating the ongoing police investigation. Review: A single mother, Maya D’Souza (Kareena Kapoor), finds herself amid a murder […]
Kinjal Dave Garba: Power of Music, Community, and Collaboration
HOUSTON: On a memorable Sunday, Sept 17th evening in Houston, Kinjal Dave, the reigning queen of Gujarati folk music, cast a spell over 2000 eager fans. This spectacular show, organized by Ramdev Masala and Nextstar Entertainment, was a testament to the power of music, community, and collaboration. Promoted exclusively by Masala Radio 98.7 FM, the […]
‘Gold Fish’: Superb Story Brought to Life
By Archika Khurana Goldfish story: Anamika, a half-Indian half-English woman returns to her home in UK, to confront the challenges of her mother’s dementia and to get closure on the emotional wounds that stem from her upbringing. The film explores the complexities of the mother-daughter relationship while touching on various other sensitive themes. Goldfish review: ‘Goldfish’ […]
‘Jawan’: SRK is the Hero of Bharat that is India
By Renuka Vyavahare Synopsis: A masked vigilante (Shah Rukh Khan), sets out to accelerate some right societal changes, in his own ways. He along with his army of superheroic women, works towards enabling justice by taking on a dangerous arms dealer Kali (Vijay Sethupathi). Review: No one seems to be having more fun than Shah […]
A Kavi Semmelan that Kept the Packed Hall in Stitches!
HOUSTON: On Friday, August 11, 2023, the International Hindi Association Houston Chapter and India Culture Center, once again hosted the highly anticipated annual event, the Hindi Hasya Kavi Sammellan. Three distinguished poets from India embarked on a North American tour, captivating audiences across 24 different cities before culminating their journey on Labor Day weekend. The […]
‘OMG 2’: Funny & Thought-provoking, OMG 2 Outshines the Original
By Renuka Vyavahare OMG 2 Story: A diehard bhakt of Lord Shiva, Kanti Sharan Mudgal (Pankaj Tripathi) is forced to question his own thoughts and societal norms on morality, religion and sex after his son gets expelled from school on grounds of obscenity. OMG 2 Review: A video by an anonymous person captures Kanti’s troubled teen […]
ICC Celebrating Independence Day & 50 Years of Excellence
HOUSTON: On Aug 19th, at Houston Marriot Sugar Land, we are thrilled to commemorate the remarkable milestone of 50 years ICC gala, since the establishment of the India Culture Center at 6 pm. For half a century, our organization has been dedicated to promoting and preserving the rich heritage, traditions, and diversity of Indian culture. […]
Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani: Karan Johar Packs a Few Surprises in Melodramatic Film
By Shubhra Gupta Having finished watching ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’, I have to confess I am conflicted: do I turn my back on this brand new film from Karan Johar because it’s loud and melodramatic in the way mainstream Hindi family dramas used to be and still determinedly are, refusing to budge from broad-brush-stroke-y […]
Mughal–E-Azam Creates History in Houston!
HOUSTON: Harry Shah of Bollywood Entertainment took Houstonians back nearly 500 years to relive the splendor of the Mughal Era for three days – JULY 14-15-16 during Mughal-E-Azam, the Broadway Musical at the Wortham Center, presented nationally by Cinema on Stage. The recently remodeled Wortham Center with its spectacular high ceilings, lush maroon carpet and […]
‘Bawaal’: Varun Dhawan-Janhvi Kapoor-starrer Promises a Lot, but Keeps Faltering
The story of an uncouth braggart undergoing a change of heart in the company of a good woman is an old one. Nitesh Tiwari’s ‘Bawaal’ promises us more, by trying to make that arc bigger and deeper, but keeps faltering, never quite knowing what to make of a wholly harebrained flourish in the plot. And […]
‘Tarla’: A Savory Tale of Heartwarming Moments
By Ronak Kotecha Story: Based on the life of the late Tarla Dalal, the film chronicles her journey from being a modest housewife to one of the most celebrated chefs of India, who spread her magic of vegetarian recipes all over the globe. Review: Tarla Dalal (played by Huma Qureshi) became a household name for her […]
‘Neeyat’: Vidya Balan’s Murder Mystery is Unoriginal, Familiar
By Shubhra Gupta A colourful billionaire is hosting a bunch of his good friends on an island. It’s all fun and games till someone gets bumped off, and a clever coot shows up to solve the mystery. Now, what does the central premise remind you of? Why, ‘Knives Out 2’, right? Make that rich guy […]
‘Satyaprem ki Katha’: An Overcooked Plot
By Shubhra Gupta The latest family drama starring Kartik Aaryan and Kiara Advani is an attempt to be radical while keeping it under wraps, hoping viewers will swallow the ‘brave’ stuff if it’s wrapped tightly enough in an ultra-bright red-and-yellow palette, Gujju bhais and bens doing dandiya, referencing endless iterations of ‘kem chos’ and ‘maaja […]
Rooted in Wellness Highlights Health Disparities in Communities of Color at Tagore Center Foundation Event
HOUSTON: The Tagore Center Foundation (TCF), in partnership with Pembroke Taparelli Arts & Film Festival (PTAFF), recently hosted the “Rooted in Wellness” Film Festival event at its newly opened campus in West Houston. The Rooted in Wellness film festival promoted diverse modalities of health and wellness to communities of color through two short films, followed by panel […]
Masala Radio 98.7 FM Celebrates 30 Year Journey @ Musaafer
HOUSTON: Masala Radio 98.7 FM celebrated 30 years with 30 of their team members also known as the “Crazy Masala Crew”. The party was held at Musaafer – one of America’s most enchanting Indian restaurants & bar. The journey of 30 years seems extraordinary for Sunil & Sandhya Thakkar who started the radio show in […]
Beware! In ’97 Minutes’, Your Life Could Change in Midair!
By Jawahar Malhotra HOUSTON: This city usually doesn’t have a rush of movie premieres, especially after the disastrous two COVID years that hurt attendance at the theatres. So it was a big splash when the movie “97 Minutes” premiered over the past weekend on Sunday, June 11 at the Star Movie Grill in the far […]
‘Bloody Daddy’: Predicatable Plot, ‘Been There’ Thrills
By Shubhra Gupta More than anything else, an actioner unfolding over 24 hours needs to gallop along at break-neck speed. Bloody Daddy, a remake of the French language Nuit Blanche, which in turn was adapted in Tamil as ‘Thoonga Vanam’ starring Kamal Hasan, has all the ingredients of a pacey thriller. But, despite the occasional […]
Margaritaville Lake Resort Honors Cultural Traditions of South Asian Weddings
CONROE: Located about an hour north of the Houston area, a lush, tropical oasis on a secluded lakefront awaits – Margaritaville Lake Resort, Lake Conroe | Houston. A destination in itself, the resort offers the perfect setting to carry out the time-honored traditions of South Asian weddings. “Our wide array of venues, amenities, and activities […]
IAA Hosts Niche Entertainment’s ‘Dil Se’: Superlative Singing & Dancing
By Jyoti Kulkarni HOUSTON: The musical genius of composer A.R. Rahman was on display through a superlative audio-visual and live performance by Niche Entertainment of Pune. Niche has presented a series of such unique performances for over a decade, including “Bhairav to Bahiravi”, “Black and White” and “Prabhat to Sairat”. Niche Entertainment is currently on […]
