Diaspora
The October Denizens
The 10th month of the year is about festivities. Navaratri, Dusshera and Diwali arrive this month. Let us look at the most important names from Hindi Cinema who took birth in…
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.
Advertisement
Wide · 970×250 or 728×90
Diaspora
Film Review: Afratafri (Marathi) is About Relationships, Moneys and the Resultant Chaos
The poster as we see it, and the film’s title (meaning “chaos” or “pandemonium”) may indicate a comedy, but Afratafri is actually not one at all. It is a serious, social drama…
Diaspora
When Kishore Kumar Triumphed in Blues
On October 13, we enter the 40th year since Kishore Kumar, Hindi cinema’s most versatile genius, passed on. The actor-singer-filmmaker-composer, who was also a lyricist and writer, was known primarily as…
Diaspora
Film Review: Pooja Meri Jaan is Passable When it Could Have Been Powerful and Poignant
There is a familiar ring to the tale in real life. Aniket (Vikram Singh Chauhan) and Pooja (Mrunal Thakur) are friends who act together in theater. Aniket has fallen for…
Diaspora
Web Review: Chumbak Draws You with Some Magnetic Characters and Attracts Chuckles and Guffaws
I would term this series as ideal fare for relaxation. No, nothing can touch the heights of J.D. Majethia-Aatish Kapadia’s Sarabhai Vs. Sarabhai or Khichdi. Twice a classic, always a classic. But unlike…
Films
Nana Patekar Steps Into Immortality
He was an institution no less—as an actor and as a human being. Across films, theater and television, but known primarily for Hindi cinema, Nana Patekar also did Marathi (his…
Diaspora
Directors of Baazigar and Race, Abbas–Mustan Return After Nine Years with 3 Monkeys
Arjun Rampal, Vishal Jethwa, Mustafa Burmawala and Tenzin Dalha star in Abbas-Mustan’s latest film, 3 Monkeys, set to release worldwide on December 4. Filmmaker duo Abbas–Mustan have taken Mahatma Gandhi’s well-known…
Diaspora
Film Review: Aali Mothi Shahani (Marathi) is an Average Fantasy Fable
The title, in Marathi, literally means “Here comes the smart-aleck.” In the context of this film, it refers to Gargi (Maitreyee Datye), a girl who is 11, who wants to…
Diaspora
Street Fighter Special Look Features Vidyut Jammwal in his International Debut
“Whenever one of our own makes a mark on the global stage, we take a great pride in it. There was Priyanka Chopra Jonas with Baywatch, then there was Deepika Padukone…
Film Review
Film Review: Prem Keetanu Makes for a Lighthearted – And Musical – Watch
Do not look for big names here. But we have a fair share of gags, fun elements and amusing situations that make our viewing pleasant. And some good music, which is so…
Diaspora
Yami Gautam Dhar Narrates Anecdote About Her Song for Nayyi Naveli
Yami Gautam Dhar received a grand welcome in Patna with dhol beats as she arrived in the city ahead of the Dussehra release of Nayyi Navelli. During her visit, the actress also visited…
Film Review
Film Review: Drishyam The Conclusion is a Cerebral Culmination of an Epic Story
A deviant young man tries to act smart with a young lady, Anju (Ishita Dutta). Her mother, Nandini (Shriya Saran) and she have a confrontation with him. The spoilt brat…
Diaspora
September Denizens
In this feature which commenced in December 2025, we show the most prominent and promising film celebs who have their birthdays in each month. The September 2026 write-up was delayed…
Diaspora
Web Review: The Revolutionaries Focuses More on ‘Body’ Than ‘Soul’
The three legs on which a film (or any visually-narrated story) sits are the script, direction and editing. A whiz at all three, veteran Manoj Kumar (Upkar, Purab Aur Pacchim,…
Diaspora
Film Review: Bandkhor (Marathi) Entertains But is Over-Feminist
It’s entertaining, emotionally riveting but it is feminism in overdrive. Bandkhor (which means a rebel) tells the story about a vivacious but volatile city girl, Meera (Priyadarshini Indalkar), who hails from a…
Film Review
Film Review: The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest has Small-Town Appeal With its Olde-Worlde Approach
All the content is aimed at the smaller centers. When there is a basic bent only towards devotion, mythology and folklore blended with elements of horror, we are reminded of…