‘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 […]
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 […]
‘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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
‘Zara Hatke Zara Bach Ke’: Fails on its Comic Potential
By Shubhra Gupta How far will you go for a house of your own? And at what point will you draw the line? Zara Hatke Zara Bachke’s central conflict is one that makes it instantly relatable to millions of middle-class Indians. When it comes right down to it, young Indore-based couple Kapil (Vicky Kaushal) and […]
‘Godday, Godday Chaa’: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
By Sukhpreet Kahlon It’s hard to imagine weddings today without the participation of women. Yet, sadly, in the not-so-distant past, there was a time when traditionally in Punjab, women (especially in the villages) did not accompany the baraat (groom’s wedding procession). The latest Punjabi release, Godday Godday Chaa examines this commonly observed practice, wherein women […]
IAA Presents ‘Dil Se … A Musical on AR Rahman’ by Niche Entertainment
HOUSTON: Milind Oak and Niche Entertainment are no strangers to Houston, having performed many brilliant and highly entertaining shows for IAA Houston, over the years. On Friday June 2nd, IAA will present ‘Dil Se Rubaroo’ with A.R. Rahman … the story of a generation By Niche entertainment., 7:30pm at the Stafford Centre. ‘Dil Se’ is […]
‘Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hain’: Gripping Court Drama
Story: Inspired by real-life incidents, this is the story a Sessions Court lawyer in Jodhpur, who fights a five-year-long battle to bring justice to a minor girl sexually assaulted by a powerful godman. Review: When a revered self-styled godman is in the witness box for the sexual assault of a minor girl, you know the […]
‘Love Again’: Priyanka, Celine Shine in Rom-Com
By Shalini Langer With Celine Dion playing Cupid, counsellor, serenader-in-chief and producer in this film, does love have an option but to burst forth in song and opera, and tick off everything from cheeseburgers to cheesy lines? But if this rom-and-only-some-com has anything going in the department of rom-coms, it is that it is clearly […]
‘Kisi Ka Bhai, Kisi Ki Jaan’: Tired Formula
By Shubhra Gupta The fact that there’s no other name in the credit line of Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan is not accidental. Every one else in the cast is incidental to the non-existent plot, which exists only to serve the legend of Salman Khan, in and as Bhai and Jaan, aka Bhaijaan. So what […]
‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan’: A tired, unimaginative amalgamation of every Salman Khan movie
By Shubhra Gupta The fact that there’s no other name in the credit line of Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan is not accidental. Every one else in the cast is incidental to the non-existent plot, which exists only to serve the legend of Salman Khan, in and as Bhai and Jaan, aka Bhaijaan. So […]
‘Gaslight’: Little Impact from Sara Ali Khan
By Shubhra Gupta A young woman who returns after a long gap to a Rajasthan ‘haveli’ where she spent her childhood, is beset by dark dreams. Her father isn’t there to welcome her. Days go by and there’s no sign of him. Ghostly figures flit behind curtains, a gaslight lantern left winking on the floor […]
‘Bheed’: Grim Reminder of Recent Tragedy
By Shubhra Gupta One of the most shattering sights of the Covid-19 pandemic was the flood of people suddenly rendered rudderless by the announcement of one of the most stringent lockdowns in the world — chief amongst those were daily wagers, and blue collar workers who would starve if they couldn’t go out to their […]
‘Tu Jhooti Mein Makkar’: So Boring Despite Stars
By Shubhra Gupta Luv Ranjan’s latest ‘Tu Jhooti Main Makkaar’ is basically every Luv Ranjan film till now: the guys, they’re the best, the gals, well, they gotta learn their lesson. That, and the one thing no Luv Ranjan movie can do without: the monologue. The plot, basically an excuse to hang this one-line philosophy […]
