Since the turn of the millennium, films were slowly becoming shorter in length. With notable exceptions. Like Lagaanand Gadar—Ek Prem Katha, both released on the same day in 2001: Lagaan had a runtime of …
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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Needless Furor Over Neeraj Pandey and YRF films
by Rajiv Vijayakar 3 minutes readIn a bizarre motion, the National Human Rights Commission issued a notice to the Ministry for Information and Broadcasting, following a complaint that the title of the forthcoming film, Ghooskhor Pandat (A …
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Dharmendra To Be Honored With The Outstanding Achievement Award At JIFF
by Rajiv Vijayakar 2 minutes readExactly doing what my feature on December 2 (“Appreciate Them In Life, Not Later!”) stated is avoidable, yet welcome ironically on sheer merit, the legendary Dharmendra has been honored too …
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Film Review: Vadh 2 is Ingenious and Layered Thriller
by Rajiv Vijayakar 4 minutes readWriting and directing a thriller with strong characters making for stronger content is something that needs high dedication and ability. Clearly, writer-director Jaspal Singh Sandhu has both. After Vadh in 2022, he …
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Film Review: Lagnaachaa Shot (Marathi) is a Light but Flawed Entertainer
by Rajiv Vijayakar 4 minutes readThe basic premise is one giant leap of fantasy, given that we are in 2026. A young man, Abhi (Abhijit Amkar), who works in Bangalore, is summoned to Mumbai and …
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Netflix Unveils 2026 Slate As it Celebrates Triumphant Decade in India
by Rajiv Vijayakar 9 minutes readA grand event, all of five hours (!!!!!) long, was held by Netflix India at Mumbai’s J.W. Marriott Hotel, to not just announce their ambitious slate for 2026 but also …
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February, the shortest month of the year, still sees a number of celebs who were born among film denizens. Here we list the most accomplished names from cinema who are …
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Akshay Kumar’s Acting Guru Revealed—It’s Chunky Panday
by Rajiv Vijayakar 2 minutes readIn the upcoming episode of Wheel of Fortune, Akshay Kumar revealed an unexpected chapter from his early acting days, crediting Chunky Panday as his first acting mentor. Much to everyone’s surprise, …
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The beginning is crackerjack, and the pace never falters, till the very end with a superb climax and a still better post-climax! As per the story’s conclusion, Shivani Shivaji Roy …
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Web Review: “Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web” Is Custom-Made for Entertainment – Pun Intended
by Rajiv Vijayakar 5 minutes readHaving dealt with police officers and espionage agents, writer-director Neeraj Pandey now shifts focus to India’s customs officers for a gripping narration on contraband and protocols followed by customs officers. …