‘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 […]
Indie Meme Film Festival Brings South Asian Discussions to Austin
AUSTIN: Indie Meme, a non-profit organization, brings its 8th Film Festival (IMFF2023) during April 12 – 16 to Austin. This year’s festival will be held at the AFS Cinema, which presents itself as a marvelous backdrop for independent cinema, dialogue, debate, and discussion. The festival provides a platform for talented filmmakers from South Asia and […]
Eternal Gandhi Museum of Houston to Open in Summer 2023
HOUSTON: Eternal Gandhi Museum Houston (EGMH), the first-ever museum in the Americas dedicated to preserving and promoting Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy of nonviolent conflict resolution, is opening in the summer of 2023. EGMH engaged Solid Light, Inc. from Louisville, Kentucky, to create a world-class museum in September 2019 after interviewing more than a dozen candidates. Solid […]
‘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 […]
5th Annual Puranava Indian Art & Culture Fest on April 15 in Pearland
PEARLAND, TX – The 5th annual Puranava Indian Art & Culture Fest is planned to be held on Saturday April 15 at Pearland Town Center Pavilion, from 4 pm through 8 pm. Admission to the event is free. Competitions in Chess, Art, Quiz, Indian Classical Dance & Music will begin earlier in the day, from 12:30 pm […]
‘Mrs. Chaterjee vs. Norway’: Less Could’ve Been More
By Alaka Sahani This high-voltage drama, powered by Rani Mukerji as the film’s titular protagonist Debika Chatterjee, is about a mother’s undying love for her children. Inspired by the real-life case of Sagarika Chakraborty being separated from her two children by the Norwegian Child Welfare Service in 2011, the film closely follows Debika’s fight against the […]
“Waking Up Free: India’s Journey” at Miller Outdoor Theater
HOUSTON: ‘Waking Up Free: India’s Journey‘ premieres at the Miller Outdoor Theater on March 31, 2023, at 8 pm, as part of Miller’s 100th season and in the 75th year of India’s Independence. A brand new recipient of National Endowment for the Arts funding, Silambam Houston is proud to present this 90-minute thematic presentation in Bharatanatyam that tells the stories of India’s freedom struggle, and celebrates […]
International Hindi Association Hosts “Holi ke Hindi Bol” Poetry Recital
On the afternoon of Sunday March 12th, the JVB Preksha (JVB) Meditation Center was alive with the sound of laughter and poetic musings as the International Hindi Association (IHA) Houston Chapter hosted their event “Holi Ke Hindi Bol”. The program was designed to bring together Hindi-speaking individuals and celebrate the cultural and linguistic heritage of […]
‘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 […]
Unique Violin-Viola Duet Vibrant Varnam to Tantalizing Tri-llana
By Abhishek Balakrishnan and Sudha Mani The Classical Arts Society of Houston opened their 2023 season with a grand concert. The Houston music lovers were gifted with a treat, nay, a double treat of sorts: A Violin and Viola Duet by Sri Vittal Ramamurthy on the violin and Sri VVS Murari on the Viola. They […]
Indo-American Association Presents Berklee Indian Ensemble: The Shuruaat
HOUSTON: The Berklee Indian Ensemble is bringing its genre-bending sound to Houston for the first time ever! Fresh off the release of their GRAMMY nominated debut album, Shuruaat, the Ensemble is on the road with a slate of originals, new arrangements, songs from the album, and, of course, audience favorite classics. Join some of the […]
‘Gulmohar’: Family Drama with Sharmila Tagore and Manoj Bajpayee
by Alaka Sahani What turns a house into a home? Ironically, Gulmohar tries to find an answer to this just when the Batra family is moving out of their plush Delhi bungalow, which is going to be knocked down to make way for a high-rise. When we meet the Batras the night before they have to […]
Beyond Bollywood — 15th Indian Film Festival of Houston Celebrates in Style
From a phenomenal opening sequence featuring a NASA astronaut welcoming the audience to the 15th Indian Film Festival of Houston, featured screenings of 3 world premieres and an Oscar-nominated film, Q&A with filmmakers, to an elegant Awards Night and black-tie sit-down dinner at the Asia Society Texas Center, guests were treated to what was fittingly […]
Mavla Group Celebrates 393rd Birth Anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji
By Rahul Ghag Mavla Group celebrated the 393rd birth anniversary of the great Maratha warrior King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on February 19, 2023 at the energy capital of the world Houston, Texas. The birth anniversary of the great Maratha king Shivaji is celebrated as Shivaji Jayanti every year. The founder of the Maratha Kingdom, Shivaji […]
‘Lost’: Nicely Atmospheric, but Ultimately Dissatisfying
By Shubhra Gupta A young man who does ‘nukkad naatak’ on Kolkata’s teeming streets, goes missing one fine day. His sister and mother are bereft, because no one, least of all the police, seems interested in searching for him. A journalist with a fine nose for sniffing out trouble is on his trail, asking tough […]
‘Shiv Shastri Balboa’: Anupam Kher, Neena Gupta Save Forgettable Film
By Shubhra Gupta Middle-aged ex-banker from Bhopal Shiv Shastri (Kher) arrives in the US, all set to start a new innings. His doctor son (Hansraj) has done well for himself, in possession of a wife, two sons, a neat suburban home, all the trappings of success. As he begins finding his feet in an alien […]
ICC’s 50th Celebration of the 74th Republic Day Resounds in New Venue
By Jawahar Malhotra HOUSTON: This year, if you drove, by force of habit on auto-pilot, to the India Culture Center’s Republic Day celebration figuring it was at the Stafford Civic Centre on Cash Road, you would have been wrong and very much confused. The organizers probably did not leave any posted signs there to re-direct […]
