A look at the 2025-2026 scenario shows clearly that, besides the Dhurandhar franchise, the films that have truly done great business are almost always multi-star films, nationalistic movies, comedies and horror comedies. …
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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Film Review: Batwara 1947 is Heart-Tugging Saga on Humanity Rather Than on Partition
by Rajiv Vijayakar 6 minutes readThis year, we have seen Ikkis and Main Wapas Aaunga on the traumas of Partition. They were very personal for the protagonists and endeared us to their issues. But the films were probably rejected …
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Lokesh Kanagaraj is a writer-director of a decade’s standing. He has also made cameo appearances in a few films. But now he chooses to make a lead debut, and what …
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On the eve of the release of Aamir Khan’s production, Batwara 1947 we got a rapid-fire with Preity Zinta, who makes a comeback with the film after a gap of seven years. …
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Web Review: Amar Vishwas is Twisted Thriller That Could Have Been Crisper
by Rajiv Vijayakar 3 minutes readA convoluted murder mystery, Amar Vishwas (named after the hero, who like all crime-connected forces, has a traumatic backstory!) is about a lawyer who decides to investigate on his own when he …
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3-Day Global Celebration of Marathi Cinema in the US
by Rajiv Vijayakar 3 minutes readThe 3rd NAFA (North American Film Association) International Film Festival, organized in association with the Government of Maharashtra, is being held in San Jose, California, from August 7-9. The 2026 …
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Film Review: Ohh My Dog Is an Uplifting Love Story Between Humans and Their Best Friend, a Dog
by Rajiv Vijayakar 5 minutes readIt’s a canine carnival. The versatile writer-filmmaker, Amit Rai, who gave us Road to Sangam in 2010, I-Pad in 2015 and above all, the super successful OMG 2 in 2022, treks into another terrain—love between humans …
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India got its Independence this month. Here’s looking at the souls who attained birth this month too and went on to be significant in Hindi cinema. Taapsee Pannu / August …
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Jai Hind, Jai Sindh—A Love Story, is now ready to capture Indian hearts in four major languages — Hindi, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu, taking its story to audiences across different …
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Web Review: Musafir Café Ends on a Needless Cliffhanger
by Rajiv Vijayakar 5 minutes readHaven’t we all experienced that lovely balloon that blows to a delightful size and shape and then something happens. Poof! In a second, it bursts and there is nothing left. …