FILM REVIEW
Sweet and sour nature of life

4 Tamarinds and Toffees is a delightful and nostalgic film on two women directed by a young and thoughtful director, writes Shoma Chatterji.

#Women's Films and Books #Reviews
FILM REVIEW
Tackling demonetisation
FILM REVIEW : Tackling demonetisation

Shunyota, a feature film in Bengali, has an all-India resonance that will echo across the country if and when it’s subtitled version will be screened, writes Shoma Chatterji.

#Reviews
AIDS AWARENESS
HIV-positive or not
AIDS AWARENESS : HIV-positive or not

Shoma A. Chatterji reviews Tamil film Sila Samayangalil, a touching film on AIDS directed by Priyadarshan.

#AIDS #Reviews
MANUAL SCAVENGING
A gross violation of human rights
MANUAL SCAVENGING : A gross violation of human rights

Manhole is a scathing celluloid indictment on the state of manual sewer cleaners in India, writes Shoma A. Chatterji.

#Caste #Human Rights
WOMAN'S CONSENT
Painting the country Pink
WOMAN'S CONSENT : Painting the country Pink

Will a ‘NO’ from a woman remain ‘NO’? Asks Shoma A. Chatterji while reviewing the movie, Pink.

#Gender and Media #Women
ID REMEMBRANCE
The Dhemaji tragedy
ID REMEMBRANCE : The Dhemaji tragedy

Parthajit Baruah, director of documentary The Dhemaji Tragedy – An Undefined Chapter, the tragedy that happened on the Independence Day in 2004 talks to Shoma Chatterji.

#Media Interviews #Media #ASSAM
FILM CENSORING
The brouhaha on censorship
FILM CENSORING : The brouhaha on censorship

The tremendous rage against Pahlaj Nihalani around the Udta Punjab (2016) issue finally resolved by the High Court gives a reason to revisit some memorable deletions and suggestions made by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) over the years, says Shoma Chatterji.

#Media
NORTHEASTERN CINEMA
Telling tales from the Northeast
NORTHEASTERN CINEMA : Telling tales from the Northeast

Shoma Chatterji writes about the challenges faced and efforts being made in the Northeastern states of India to encourage and support film making.

#People #Media #Society
HUMAN RIGHTS REPRESSION
Debaranjan Sarangi: Another artist incarcerated

Debaranjan Sarangi, a documentary film maker, writer and human rights activist was arrested recently in Kashipur, Odisha. Shoma Chatterji writes about Sarangi's arrest, his activism and his films which deal with Adivasis and their struggles.

#Society Films and Books #Human Rights
FEATURE
The Dalit in Indian cinema

Shoma Chatterji talks about caste and the portrayal of Dalit in Hindi cinema beginning with Bombay Talkies Achhut Kannya (1936) to Bimal Roy’s Sujata (1959) followed by many mainstream films, and the small-budget, low-key ones which have focused on this significant social issue in the past so many years.

#Caste #Reviews
GOUR HARI DASTAAN
A celluloid tribute to Gandhi
GOUR HARI DASTAAN : A celluloid tribute to Gandhi

At a time when we're drifting away from Gandhiji and the values he stood and fought for, a film like Gour Hari Dastaan comes as a reminder of what we've lost and forces us to reflect on why. Shoma Chatterji reviews this film about a Gandhian and his fight to prove that he was indeed a freedom fighter.

#History #Reviews
VAW IN INDIAN CINEMA
Should films have statutory warnings on violence against women?

A 90-second video put together by a group of women activists demands a pop-up statutory warning on screen every time a woman is assaulted or abused. Shoma Chatterji critiques the video, raising several questions over its content as well as the stance that it takes.

#Gender and Media #Gender Violence #Media #Women
FILM REVIEW
The story that tells you what our courts are really like

Court narrates a compelling story and evolves into a hard-hitting realistic portrayal of the Indian legal system. Shoma Chatterji reviews the film with a deep exploration of all that sets it apart from a regular courtroom drama.

#Reviews #Society
REVIEW: INDIA’S DAUGHTER
What to expect when you watch the most talked-about film today

Though based on strong reporting, India’s Daughter remains restricted in its scope, and even strays from its purported objective, thanks to a very pronounced colonial supremacist gaze, writes Shoma Chatterji in a dispassionate review that cuts through the noise.

#Gender Violence #Reviews #Women
FILM REVIEW: QUISSA
The strange tale of the 'son' who wasn't!

Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely Ghost, a recently-released feature film,exposes the shocking depths of insanity to which a father may be driven by his obsession with a male heir. Shoma Chatterji reviews the film, underlining the brutal, patriarchal society that it lays bare.

#Gender and Media #Reviews #Women

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