I tend to over-estimate the number of Bengali films I’ve watched. I guess I’m just too easily seduced by Tollywood’s bigger, brasher sibling in Mumbai. According to my IMDB Bengali film list, just two of those that I have seen have been directed by Mrinal Sen, with his 1993 movie Antareen (pictured above) being the … More Where to find Mrinal Sen films online
The BFI’s India on Film season will conclude this month with a back-to-back showing of Satyajit Ray’s renowned Apu Trilogy on Sunday 10 December. And if the thought of seven hours or so of Bengali cinema might be a bit much for one sitting, the London Institute is also showing the films – Pather Panchali, … More India on Film – BFI programme concludes with a Satyajit Ray season
I’m often amazed by the cultural riches that casually appear online for our use and enjoyment – Open Culture being an excellent contributor and curator to this trend. Another is the British Film Institute (BFI), whose National Archives recently released a collection of newly-digitised films from India from the turn of the 20th century to … More India on Film: Calcutta, West Bengal and other treasures from the BFI’s National Archives
Channel 4 has unveiled details of its first Indian film season for 2017 and this time around it’s all about the region’s music. The season kicks off with Tuning 2 You, a six-part look at Indian folk music, and that’s followed by films on Ravi Shankar, Zakir Hussain and a collaboration between Wynton Marsalis and … More Channel 4 goes deep into Indian music for its first 2017 film season
When it comes to Indian films I am usually drawn to the easier-to-watch fare produced by the Mumbai-based industry. A case in point would be the Bollywood film Race 2, which I am currently watching, and then there’s all those Salman Khan films I’ve seen since we got satellite television and the Star Gold channel.
After the disappointment of having no Spring season of Bollywood films on Channel 4 this year and then the slightly underwhelming, documentary-heavy Autumn season last year, I’m excited by this year’s Autumn line-up of Bollywood films. Those in charge of programming have struck what looks to be a really nice mix of new/old and left-field/populist … More Channel 4’s 2016 Bollywood film season
Channel 4’s autumn Indian film season kicks off in the early hours of tomorrow morning and its recent trend to look further than the Mumbai film industry continues. It begins, unusually, with a documentary in Bengali – though made by Polish director Andrzej Fidyk – about a mobile cinema run by Mr Battu and his … More Bengali cinema documentary heralds start of Channel 4’s autumn Indian film season
The first of Channel 4’s two Indian film seasons begins tonight/in the early hours of tomorrow with Qissa (2013), an award-winning social drama/fantasy is set at the time of India’s partition in 1947. It’s the first of six films to be screened over the coming weeks that draw on “moving stories from across the country”, according … More Indian film season begins with Qissa and Bhuvan Shome
A Tangle Of Wires 