Upmarket production values. Social dos, glamorous costumes, great sets, doses of emotions for the susceptible who wet their handkerchiefs, grimacing but (usually) non-violent baddies, one or two eccentric characters, a …
Rajiv Vijayakar
Rajiv Vijayakar
Rajiv Vijayakar is the Entertainment Editor at South Asian Herald. He has been a journalist and critic for over 25 years and was part of the National Film Awards Jury in India in 2011 and 2015. He has authored four books, the latest of which, “Music by Laxmikant Pyarelal,” won the National Award for Best Book on Cinema in 2021. He also was on the 2025 jury for choosing the Indian entry for the Oscars.
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British PM Visits Yash Raj Studios, Inks 3-Film Pact and Economy Boost
by Rajiv Vijayakar 5 minutes readIn a memorable cultural exchange moment, British Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, visited Yash Raj Films (YRF) Studios during his ‘trade visit’ to Mumbai. The Prime Minister was treated to …
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Telugu Film Review: Sankranthiki Vasthunam is Exhilaratingly Entertaining
by Rajiv Vijayakar 5 minutes readTrust select Telugu filmmakers to bring in extraordinary freshness in entertainment! After S.S. Rajamouli’s gems and select masterpieces like Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (in the same action-comedy genre as this film), director and principal …
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October, the tenth month of the year, sees a number of distinguished celebrities taking birth. The month is also noted for the birthdays of Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri …
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Film Review: Kantara Chapter 1 is Fast, Furious and Fantastic
by Rajiv Vijayakar 4 minutes readLet me use another ‘F’ word: Fabulous! Wait a moment: this last adjective does not encompass the entire experience. It is for Rishab Shetty’s epic direction and his incredibly-nuanced and potent …
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Akshay Kumar, who has also been a steady support for lawmakers and the Armed Forces and has dutifully depicted real and fictional police personnel in his movies, recalled a recent …
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Kantara: Chapter 1: The Legend has predictably broken all records in its opening, and has amassed immense attention globally as well. It is the latest in the series of successful ‘pan-Indian’ films. Now …
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Note the plus-es: the superficial one first: no numerology in the title! That alone shows confidence in a product! Second, within a rom-com about wrong partners for boy and girl …
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Web Review: The Ba***ds of Bollywood is Campy, Cornily Entertaining with a Whopper Twist
by Rajiv Vijayakar 6 minutes readIt’s campy, crazy, corny and even callous. But it’s entertaining! And the title, so well thought-of, is explained summarily in the last episode. Believe it or nuts, not only does …
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Kantara: Chapter 1 Set to Stun Viewers on Dusshera
by Rajiv Vijayakar 4 minutes readThe modest Kannada film, Kantara, released pan-India and globally in 2022 and created an international storm. Rishab Shetty, its whizkid hero who is also incredibly its main writer and director, is …