Shoma A Chatterji
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Article Bengali
As filmmakers, our job is to find stories that need to be told, says Jhilli director Ishaan Ghose
The debut directorial feature of renowned filmmaker Goutam Ghose's son bagged a Golden Royal Bengal Tiger at the 27th Kolkata International Film Festival.
Article Bengali
Ritwik Ghatak, the eternal refugee – Anniversary special
The writer-director, who died a forlorn man on 6 February 1976, wrestled with the splintering of culture and the state of the individual displaced by politics in his films.
Article
Chidananda Das Gupta, film critic par excellence – Centenary special
The director, scholar, author and occasional music composer will always be remembered as a titan of cinema journalism.
Article Bengali English 1 more
Aparna Sen – Indian cinema's brilliant humanist
The celebrated director and actress, who turned 76 last month, sheds light on her craft, out-of-the-box themes and worldview.
Article Bengali
Dhananjay Mandal's documentary Maagoner Gaan sheds light on West Bengal's beggar folk music
The film explores each age-old school of maagan, which is essentially fading away into obscurity.
Article Malayalam
G Aravindan's Kummatty: A breathtaking ode to childhood innocence and nature's splendour
The Malayalam classic was recently restored by the Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project, Film Heritage Foundation and Cineteca di Bologna.
Article Assam Hindi 2 more
6 films that ride on the humble bicycle – Special
On World Bicycle Day, a look at how the humble two-wheeler has served as a narrative device in some acclaimed films.
Article Bengali
When Sharmila Tagore learnt some important life lessons – Satyajit Ray centenary special
The veteran recalls how her entry into cinema as a teenager under the auteur's guidance became a turning point for her in more ways than one.
Article Bengali
The cinematic musical genius of Satyajit Ray – Centenary special
Though Ray used some masters of classical music for his early works, he had his own ideas about what the music should be like in each film of his and so eventually took over the role himself, creating some iconic scores in the bargain.
Article Assam
The struggle of real people to live despite all the odds inspired God On The Balcony: Biswajeet Bora
Biswajeet Bora, who won the Best Director award for the film at the 26th Kolkata film festival earlier this year, speaks about the film and his own journey in cinema.
Article Hindi
Shashikala (1932–2021): Star who gave up fame and success for peace
Shashikala walked out of Tinseltown not once, but twice, to embrace a life of abandonment the first time and of selfless service the second.
Article Hindi
I don't consider myself a talented actor, so I rely on intensive and extensive homework: Manoj Bajpayee
Bajpayee, winner of the National award for Best Actor for his role in Bhonsle (2020), speaks about why he was so keen that the film be made, how the character of the retired policeman evolved, and the politics of insider versus outsider.
Article Malayalam
Rediscovering G Aravindan through Esthappan (1980) – Death anniversary special
Esthappan, which won a National and as many as five Kerala state awards, is a work of abstract beauty which, at the same time, is tangible in its humaneness.
Article
Women whose talents were subsumed by marriage to famous men
On International Women's Day, Cinestaan looks at the creative and gifted wives of filmmakers who, for reasons best known to themselves, chose to vicariously bask in the reflected glory of their spouses’ excellence.
Review Hindi
Kosa review: A brutal reality of India that disappears in a media black hole
Mohit Priyadarshi’s debut film tells a tale of unimaginable cruelty that continues to torment remote areas of the country peopled by aboriginal tribes.
Article Italian
Federico Fellini: The dreamer who roused generations of filmmakers
The Kolkata International Film Festival handpicked five of the auteur's feature films and a documentary on one of his works to celebrate the filmmaker who would have turned 101 this month.
Article Hindi
45 years of Chhoti Si Baat: A nostalgic trip back to Bombay
Basu Chatterji did not believe in presenting evil characters in his films and this comes across in Chhoti Si Baat as well. There are no larger-than-life characters and the love stories are simple and sweet.
Article Hindi
Dilip Kumar, unlimited and unbound – Special
The actor, with his magnetic screen presence and legendary versatility, has consistently defied the constraints of hollow sobriquets.
Article Bengali
Soumitra Chatterjee (1935-2020): Icon who enriched Bengal's culture and Indian cinema
Soumitra Chatterjee never made a distinction between art and commercial cinema. His very presence could redeem even the most crassly commercial projects. But cinema wasn't his only identity.
Article Hindi
Sholay and the magic of Mangesh Desai's sound design – 45th anniversary special
Sholay offers a case study in how sound should always be synchronized with the entire film holistically and with the cast distinctively.