Latest news with #DibakarBanerjee
New Indian Express
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Cinema Without Borders: Miseries of migration—Aisha Can't Fly Away
Morad Mostafa's debut feature film, Aisha Can't Fly Away, is bound to remind Indian viewers of the Dibakar Banerjee segment, Star, in the 2013 anthology film, Bombay Talkies. The point of commonality is that both these films feature a flightless bird—an emu in Star and an ostrich in Aisha—as a significant presence, more so a symbol of the predicaments and deadlocks in their protagonists' lives. Set in the heart of Cairo, Aisha Can't Fly Away spotlights groups of African migrant workers, specifically a Sudanese caregiver, Aisha (Buliana Simon). It's a detailed, albeit conventional portrayal of immigrant lives in all their dreary, dismal, ugly reality. The stray rays of sunshine are the occasional meetups of the women workers, the joy of their song-and-dance. The Arab language, Egypt-Sudan-Tunisia-Saudi Arabia-Qatar-France-Germany co-production was platformed in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival 2025. The narrative moves along a predictable path. You can see things coming from afar. There is co-option into the world of crime, drug-peddling and violent battles and shootouts between the migrants and the local gangs on the one hand. On the other hand is the tacit, institutionalised sexual exploitation of the vulnerable women at the hands of their misogynistic employees, one of them being the elderly, wheelchair-bound predatory client of Aisha. An additional layer is that of racial discrimination, with Aisha called a 'filthy black woman' while being questioned about her proximity to a young Egyptian chef. He is a friend and confidant who often whips up a warm, comforting meal for her. Food becomes an act of generosity on his part and a symbol of solidarity between the two. The much-needed cheer in Aisha's drab routine.
Indian Express
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar: You're all very mean to Arjun Kapoor; all he needs is a great director to guide him
A bad performance in a hit film will be remembered, but a great performance in a flop won't. This is the harsh reality of commercial Hindi cinema, where quality is inconsequential to success. Arjun Kapoor would know; his finest performance came in a movie that nobody watched. And those that did, misunderstood and mischaracterised it. Either in an act of deliberate vindictiveness or casual apathy, the theatrical release of Dibakar Banerjee's Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar was pushed numerous times, with the pandemic finally presenting itself as the rug it could be swept under. It was an unfortunate blow for everybody involved; Kapoor's career, one can observe, never really recovered. But that isn't because he's bad at his job. Far worse actors have enjoyed far greater success. It's because, as a person, he projects an inherent vulnerability that simply doesn't align with the Hindi film industry's idea of leading men. But this vulnerability is perhaps what made him such an ideal candidate to play Satinder 'Pinky' Dahiya in Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar. Pinky is a suspended cop from Haryana, who, in a desperate effort to be reinstated, agrees to drive a young woman named Sandeep to her death. Conscience strikes when she tells him she's pregnant and on the run because she was about to expose a massive scandal at her workplace. Together, they hide out at a border town in Uttarakhand and plot to cross over into Nepal. Also read – Tees movie review: Dibakar Banerjee's unreleased saga is ambitious, intimate, and incendiary Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar didn't earn particularly positive reviews after its theatrical debut; it was only after the movie was unceremoniously dumped on Prime Video — even Kapoor wasn't told about it — that it found its true audience. This was perhaps the pandemic era's first real sign of changing times and tastes. There was a clear distinction between a streaming audience and a theatre-going audience. Kapoor himself had experienced something like this a couple of years earlier, albeit in a second-hand fashion. He played a cameo in Vikramaditya Motwane's Bhavesh Joshi Superhero, which found similar success after its streaming debut. It is clear from the very first scene of the film that Pinky isn't the sort of rowdy Haryanvi character that Hindi cinema typically typecasts in henchman roles. He's easily provoked, but also a pookie; every fibre of his being appears to be in a constant battle with the patriarchy he's grown up around. He's the sort of person who probably got fit only because he didn't want to stand out in the community he came from; he instinctively grabs Sandy by the throat on a couple of occasions, perhaps because his behaviour has been programmed by the men around him. But he also has the sensitivity to recognise the hurt that this behaviour likely caused his mother, whom he seems to care about. These are the sort of details that you gather when excellent writing — shout-out, Varun Grover — is married with a good performance. It's one thing to appreciate the hard work that Kapoor probably put into his dialect and disposition, but accents and affectations are mere accessories. When a performer draws you in with a silent expression, when they make you wonder what's going on in their mind, that's when you know that they've hit the jackpot. You could admire the way Pinky chews his food, or the way he yawns without covering his mouth. The Salman Khan bracelet on his wrist says so much about who he is. But he communicates so much more when he's simply wrestling with himself; a wannabe alpha who was probably belittled by his father in front of his cousins. In an interaction with Pinkvilla not too long ago, actor Rashmika Mandanna spoke highly of her Pushpa 2 co-star Allu Arjun's 'alphaness', in reference to a 20-minute sequence in the movie where he wears a saree. 'Imagine someone who has the guts, power, and alphaness to wear a saree, dance in a saree, perform action sequences in a saree, and deliver dialogues in a saree. For 21 minutes of the film, he is wearing a freaking saree. Tell me, what man can do that?' she asked. Why, besides Kamal Haasan, Vijay Sethupathi and so many others? Arjun Kapoor. It's important to give credit where it's due. In an on-the-nose metaphor for Pinky finally shedding every last vestige of the patriarchy embedded in his soul, he disguises himself as a woman in the film's memorable climax, and finds himself emancipated, both literally and otherwise. Read more – Stolen: The rare Hindi movie that isn't afraid to insult its own audience, and you know what, we deserve it Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar finds Banerjee revisiting a couple of his favourite themes: systemic corruption and middle-class apathy. He's a particularly unlucky filmmaker, whose frustration at his never-ending misfortune was recently unleashed in the rather unwatchable Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2. Kapoor seems to have been cursed with similar bad luck. There's only so much good work going around in Bollywood. His issue isn't a lack of talent, but a complete inability to discern a good project from a bad one. Nothing else could explain Mere Husband Ki Biwi, Sardarji Ka Grandson, and Ek Villain Returns. In times like this, it is important to remember that even someone as blazingly gifted as Colin Farrell latched onto colourful supporting roles when the lead offers dried up. It worked out well for him. Going on a victory lap for Singham Again isn't the answer. If there's one movie that Kapoor should be screaming from the rooftops about, it's this one. Post Credits Scene is a column in which we dissect new releases every week, with particular focus on context, craft, and characters. Because there's always something to fixate about once the dust has settled. Rohan Naahar is an assistant editor at Indian Express online. He covers pop-culture across formats and mediums. He is a 'Rotten Tomatoes-approved' critic and a member of the Film Critics Guild of India. He previously worked with the Hindustan Times, where he wrote hundreds of film and television reviews, produced videos, and interviewed the biggest names in Indian and international cinema. At the Express, he writes a column titled Post Credits Scene, and has hosted a podcast called Movie Police. You can find him on X at @RohanNaahar, and write to him at He is also on LinkedIn and Instagram. ... Read More
India Today
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Dibakar Banerjee's cinema
It had all the makings of a triumph—an acclaimed director, a powerhouse cast, and a standing ovation at the film's first Indian screening at the Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) last year. Dibakar Banerjee's Tees drew cinephiles from across the country. Yet, the celebration carried the weight of heartbreak. In 2023, Netflix—the platform that had commissioned Tees in 2019 and to whom Banerjee delivered it in 2022—had quietly pulled the plug on its release, effectively locking away a film that deserved to be seen.
The Wire
11-05-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
A Decade of Living Dangerously: The Wire Marks its 10th Year with Pressing Unmute in Naya India
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now Media A Decade of Living Dangerously: The Wire Marks its 10th Year with Pressing Unmute in Naya India The Wire Staff 34 minutes ago Directors Dibakar Banerjee, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Alankrita Shrivastava, actor Shahana Goswami and documentary film-maker Vani Subramanian will be in discussion with The Wire's Deputy Editor Jahnavi Sen. Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Donate now Directors Dibakar Banerjee, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Alankrita Shrivastava, actor Shahana Goswami and documentary film-maker Vani Subramanian will be in discussion with The Wire's Deputy Editor Jahnavi Sen On Monday, May 12, 2025, at New Delhi's Jawahar Bhawan at 5 pm. New Delhi: The Wire turned ten today (Sunday, May 11, 2025). It was a decade ago that we began our journey as a digital platform, committed to serving up good information, news, analysis and opinions. Its three founding editors, Sidharth Bhatia, Siddharth Varadarajan and M.K. Venu, were leading names in big media before taking the plunge and testing the waters in the digital sphere. What has evolved now is a platform in English, Hindi, Urdu and Telugu along with a YouTube channel drawing millions to it. We derive our strength from many things. Our sprightly team that is our workforce and brings The Wire to you, 24X7, at present and also those who have worked for us in the past. But The Wire is also the larger ecosystem of fellow-independent media and others who work in the creative space, both fact and fiction. People with whom we share values in the ultimate objective towards interpreting monumental changes in India and the world. On Monday (May 12, 2025), at New Delhi's Jawahar Bhawan at 5 pm we are marking the first of many discussions we hope to hold in the year, centred around the challenges of speaking the truth through film. Directors Dibakar Banerjee, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Alankrita Shrivastava, actor Shahana Goswami and documentary film-maker Vani Subramanian will be in discussion with The Wire's Deputy Editor Jahnavi Sen. Those in Delhi, do come, the closest metro station is Central Secretariat. It is about A Decade of Living Dangerously: Pressing Unmute in Naya India. We look forward to catching you there. Make a contribution to Independent Journalism Related News The Pattern of the Government's Press Censorship The Wire's Series on Indian Fisherwomen Wins 2024 ACJ Award for Social Impact Journalism Statement by The Wire on the Government's Blocking and Unblocking of its Website Backstory | In These Post-Pahalgam Times of Multiple Partitions, Will Media Do the Right Thing? Madhu Limaye's Pivotal Role in Modern India Must Be Remembered India-Pakistan Stand-Off: Main Updates of May 10 How Contract Labour and Caste Inequality Undermine India's Sanitation Drive Nostalgic About a Hyderabad Between Nizam and NTR The Many Meanings of Vietnam View in Desktop Mode About Us Contact Us Support Us © Copyright. All Rights Reserved.
