When I was a teenager in Catholic school, somewhere in either Junior or Senior year, I remember sitting in Mass one day and hearing the priest tell the congregation during the homily (the discussion of that day’s gospel reading) that sensuality is bad, and I remember thinking “Really? But why?” His sermon didn’t answer my […]
Imtiaz, Zoya and more – T2B, Day 1
So, Day 1 of Ticket 2 Bollywood now over. Madhur Bhandarkar was unable to be there, but sent a video apology. Some 100 or so people – actors, writers, and those hoping to be – turned out for the event at the Chatwal family’s Dream Downtown hotel. Screenwriter Anuraadha Tewari (Fashion, Heroine) gave an overview […]
The Oranges
I attended a screening of The Oranges as the last hot, steamy days of summer trailed off, and beside wanting to see a film with so many favorite actors (Oliver Platt, Allison Janney, Hugh Laurie, Catherine Keener), I relished the thought of spending 90 minutes watching a holiday comedy set in the weeks between Thanksgiving […]
Zoya Akhtar: Male stars drive audiences in
On the occasion of her return to New York this weekend for the two-day Ticket 2 Bollywood event of panels and sessions (together with Imtiaz Ali and Madhur Bhandarkar), here’s an interview I did with Zoya when she was in New York to attend the Engendered Film Festival in August 2009. This was right on […]
Ticket 2 Bollywood
When I first heard about Ticket 2 Bollywood: Beyond the Song and Dance, a weekend conference taking place in NYC next month (at $300 per person), and which is advertised as including the participation of Zoya Akhtar, Imtiaz Ali and Madhur Bhandarkar in a series of panels and classes about the “new” Hindi film biz […]
Opening tonight: Hard Times
Am very excited and curious to see (and hear) the musical drama Hard Times, which opens tonight at The Cell theater on West 23rd Street in New York. It’s set in the Five Points area of Manhattan in July 1863. The location will ring a bell if you’ve seen Gangs of New York or are […]