January, the first month of the year, saw a number of distinguished celebrities from Hindi cinema taking birth. The month is also noted for Sankranti, with its prominent planetary significance, …
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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Here is looking at the best in cinema and web series in 2025. A year when merit was often sidelined by the audience, the movie halls, the trade and even …
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Web Review: Mrs Deshpande is a Solidly Adapted Thriller
by Rajiv Vijayakar 4 minutes readA serial killer to catch another? Well, crime dramas where criminals are freed or called in to catch other criminals are a cinematic dime a dozen, but this time, it …
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2025 was replete with lessons for the film industry and trade, should they ever bother to see a rather too-transparent writing on the wall. Several filmmakers have stated that they …
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2025 Cinema Recap Part 2: Of Akshaye Khanna, Sequels and More
by Rajiv Vijayakar 5 minutes readHere’s a lookback at a year so unique, as said earlier (2025 Cinema Recap Part 1, South Asian Herald) that the word gets a new connotation in the context of …
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Salman Khan has always been the different Khan. And it’s not me alone saying it, but the industry (including most of his heroines, co-stars and filmmakers), trade and other observers. The Eternal …
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Film Review: Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri is a Romp With a Message
by Rajiv Vijayakar 5 minutes readAh well! Movies whose two halves are as different as chalk from cheese have become quite frequent of late: the trend in today’s times probably began with Kyun! Ho Gaya Na… way …
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2025 Cinema Recap Part 1: Of Critic-Proof and Other Eccentric Cinema
by Rajiv Vijayakar 5 minutes read2025 has been—in cinema—a year like no other. Unique even by standards of uniqueness. And I would like to begin its recap too in a unique way. By looking at …
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Mohammed Rafi: The Voice of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
by Rajiv Vijayakar 5 minutes readToday, the youngest-at-heart playback singer of Hindi cinema would have been 101 years old. But barely a few minutes, if at all, must be passing even today without a Mohammed …
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Film Review: The Great Shamsuddin Family is Just What the Doctor Ordered
by Rajiv Vijayakar 4 minutes readIt makes you involved in their problems. It makes you laugh at their idiosyncrasies. It makes you sympathize with and wish that all their issues are favorably resolved. Finally, it …