What do you expect of a child who has lost his father at the age of six and left to grow up lonely and neglected? For starters, you can expect growing bitterness and disillusionment. What do you expect of a young boy whose childhood is spent in a decaying neighbourhood, chequered with poverty and stagnation? [...]

If there’s one thing Christians, Muslims, and orthodox Jews agree on, it’s that gays aren’t welcome. Of course, each group believes the other two are eternally rejected by God too, so what are you gonna do?
Director Malcolm Ingram’s compassionate 2006 documentary Small Town Gay Bar isn’t about religion, per se, but it takes place in [...]

Welcome to the world of film noirs – a world infested by two-bit thugs and crooked cops, anti-heroes with a thing for cynical wisecracks, platinum blondes ready to take a good man on a bad ride, femme fatales in the garb of damsels in distress, shabby joints where men of dubious intents plot shady deals over cheap whiskey and cigarettes, seedy hotel rooms where love is just another word. This is a dark, dark world where you get greed, lust, betrayal, double crosses and murder in plenty – a world devoid of the so called good things of life.

The film industry, in the form we understand today, is approaching its centenary. The first attempts to organise and standardise production, distribution and exhibition date from around 1910/11. A few years later, the first Hollywood studio majors began to appear in nascent form (Universal and Paramount in 1912). But it was not until 1927 [...]

While speaking about Ray’s contributions to the world of cinema, it is very easy to overlook, especially those who do not speak Bengali, his prolific literary output. In fact it can be safely said that, had he not been a filmmaker, he would still have been as famous, at least in Bengal – such was [...]

Ray covered a host of genres in his lifetime – from psychological, urban dramas to satirical comedies and musicals, from political films to children’s fantasies, from historical epics to detective movies, from noirish tales to simple fables, from road movies to buddy films – he covered ‘em all. In Jalsaghar (The Music Room) you have [...]

Satyajit Ray was a Renaissance Man – a versatile genius of immense capabilities. A towering personality, he wasn’t just one of the great auteurs of world cinema, but also a prolific writer, a brilliant illustrator, and an exceptional composer among others. Born to a family of literary giants, Ray is a cultural icon like few others.