Toronto Film Festival ends with The Imitation Game grabbing big award
Oscars 2014: Did the Academy get their nominations right?
American Hustle and Gravity may have notched up 10 nominations apiece, but seeing films like Her and Philomena get their due means that the Academy has done its bit. But there’s always Oscar night to undo all the hard work, writes Dean Williams. [Read more…]
The Rising Stars of 2014
Debutant actors understand that they are not yet in a position to dictate terms to the ‘powerful’ superstars. Will the superstars continue to call the shots the way they do? Or will production houses bank on good writers, scripts and have new talent showcase their presence on the Bollywood landscape? Here is hoping 2014 will have emerging talent that will show the way forward. Look out for these fresh face
Siddhant Kapoor – After working as an assistant director and a DJ, Shakti Kapoor’s son Siddhant will be seen in Anurag Kashyap’s Ugly.
Tiger Shroff – Tiger has already been making news as a health and body-building advisor for Aamir Khan in Dhoom 3, he will be seen in Shabbir Khan’s Heropanti co-starring alongside newcomer Kirti Sanon.
Sooraj Pancholi – Suraj Pancholi was involved in the Jiah Khan suicide controversy. And now, word is out that Pancholi Junior is all set to make his Bollywood debut in Subhash Ghai’s Hero remake.
Harshavardhan Kapoor – Like father and sister, another Kapoor to join Bollywood is Anil Kapoor’s youngest Harshvardhan. He will be seen in Mirza Shiba directed by Rakeysh Ompraksh Mehra’s.
Bilal Amrohi – Salman has launched many young stars. This time it’s the grandson of Kamaal Amrohi, Bilal will have Salman as his godfather as he steps into Bollywood.
Athiya Shetty – A film-making and liberal arts major from New York Film Institute, Athiya Shetty will be seen along with Suraj Pancholi in Hero.
Nicole Faria – Miss India Earth and brand ambassador for Frédérique Constant Geneve, after her reign as a beauty queen Nicole is all set to appear on screen with Yaarian, a romance adventure film directed by Divya Khosla
Daisy Shah – Former assistant choreographer for Ganesh Acharya, Daisy has acted in several Tamil and Kannada films. She will be seen along with Salman Khan in Jai Ho.
Ariana Ayam – Hailing from Afghanistan, she landed a role in a short film while working at a Grapich design studio in New York. She will be seen along with debutant Adhayan Suman in Heartless.
Kriti Sanon – An accomplished Kathak dancer and model, Kriti will be seen opposite Tiger Shroff in the upcoming film Heropanti directed by Sabbir Khan.
The Best Indian Documentaries of 2013
Here’s a list of the top documentaries made in India this year
Beyond Bollywood
Marking 100 years of Indian cinema this year, The Beyond Bollywood Project follows four people and their behind-the-scenes lives in Bollywood. Shot over four years, this film is a dedication to the industry’s unsung heroes who work tirelessly behind the scenes. Ruchika Munchchala and Adam Dow are the filmmakers behind this intriguing and insightful journey that tells a story of what it takes to make it in the world’s largest film industry.
Rajula – A tale from the Himalayas
Based on the folk tale Rajula Malushahi, Nitin Tiwari’s tale from the Himalayas portrays the lead character Rajula’s relationships as a father, lover and brother. The narrative tries to find a connect between the old and the new generation.
When Hari Got Married
Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam follow Hari, a 30-year-old taxi driver’s simple story of arranged marriage and courtship as the audience acquaint themselves with Hari’s uncomplicated worldview and see just how traditional most of India still is. Credit goes to the filmmakers who did not milk the story for highlighting issues that plague rural India. It’s a rom-com documentary made all the more poignant because it’s real.
Menstural Man
Amit Virmani’s documentary follows school drop-out Mruruganantham, India’s improbable champion of affordable feminine hygiene. This controversial film has featured on various international media including CNN and BBC and been included in women studies curriculums in more than 90 universities across the world.
Katiya Baaz
If you’ve never lived in Kanpur where the electricity supply is inconsistent at best, then this film by Deepti Kakkar and Fahad Mustafa is an eye-opener. The story chronicles the clash between Loha Singh, a Robin Hood-style power thief who claims to be the best in the business, and Ritu Maheshwari, a government official determined to stop power theft in the industrial town of Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. The 84-minute movie had been screened at the Berlin and Tribeca film festivals before appearing at the Mumbai Film Festival in October 2013.
Faith Connections
Pan Nalin’s documentary follows the stories of sadhus, policemen, people and children during the biggest Indian pilgrimage, the Kumbh Mela. The film does not lecture the audience on faith and religion, but captures the vastness of the Mela and the enormity of the number of people who attend it.
Beyond All Boundaries
Cricket is India’s national obsession. Kunal Nayyar’s Beyond All Boundaries follows three cricket fanatics, 30-year-old Sudhir Kumar, 12-year-old Prithvi Kumar, and Akshaya Surve an aspiring female cricketer, for whom the sport is a life-line. The film also received good coverage at the 15th Mumbai Film Festival.
An American In Madras
Karan Bali’s documentary is a peek into Tamil Cinema history. The 80-minute documentary traces the works and life of director Ellis Roderick Dungan who made some outstanding work between the 1930s and the 1950s. This documentary is a celluloid statement on the creative challenges E.R. Dungan faced and how he overcame them.
The Top 10 Actresses of 2013
Forget the actors, this was the year of stunning performances by women in English films. Here are the top 10:
Sandra Bullock in Gravity
Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine
Judi Dench in Philomena
Emma Thomson in Saving Mr Banks
Kate Winslet in Labor Day
Carey Mulligan in Inside Llewyn Davis
Jennifer Lawrence in American Hustle
Meryl Streep in August: Osage County
June Squibb in Nebraska
Julianne Moore in Don Jon
The Top 10 Films of 2013
From a balding huckster and an aging alcoholic to a man seeking his freedom, 2013 has been a great year for films. Here are the top 10.
American Hustle
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Director: David O Russell
Cast: Christian Bale, Amy Adams
Plot: A con man, Irving Rosenfeld, along with his seductive British partner, Sydney Prosser, is forced to work for a wild FBI agent, Richie DiMaso. DiMaso pushes them into a world of Jersey power-brokers and mafia.
Dallas Buyers Club
Genre: Drama
Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner
Plot: In 1985 Dallas, electrician and hustler Ron Woodroof works around the system to help AIDS patients get the medication they need after he is himself diagnosed with the disease.
12 Years a Slave
Genre: Historical drama
Director: Steve McQueen
Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender
Plot: Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Solomon Northup, the New York State citizen who was kidnapped and made to work on a plantation in New Orleans in the 1800s. Steve McQueen directs from a script he co-wrote with John Ridley, based in part by Northup’s memoir. Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Sarah Paulson, and Paul Giamatti co-star.
Philomena
Genre: Drama
Director: Stephen Frears
Cast: Judi Dench, Steve Coogan
Plot: A world-weary political journalist picks up the story of a woman’s search for her son, who was taken away from her decades ago after she became pregnant and was forced to live in a convent.
Blue Jasmine
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Director: Woody Allen
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin
Plot: A New York socialite, deeply troubled and in denial, arrives in San Francisco to impose upon her sister. She looks a million, but isn’t bringing money, peace, or love…
Gravity
Genre: Sci-fi thriller
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Cast: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney
Plot: Gravity is a 2013 3D science-fiction thriller and space drama film directed, co-written, co-produced and co-edited by Alfonso Cuarón. The film stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as astronauts involved in the mid-orbit destruction of a space shuttle and their attempt to return to Earth.
Sound City
Genre: Documentary
Director: Dave Grohl
Plot: Sound City is a 2013 documentary film produced and directed by Dave Grohl, in his directorial debut, about the history of recording studio Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, Los Angeles.
Nebraska
Genre: Drama
Director: Alexander Payne
Cast: Bruce Dern, Will Forte
Plot: Director Alexander Payne takes the helm for this black and white road trip drama starring Bruce Dern as a tempestuous Missouri father who’s convinced he’s won a million dollar magazine sweepstakes, and Will Forte as the son who grudgingly agrees to drive him to Nebraska to claim his winnings.
Blackfish
Genre: Documentary
Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Plot: Notorious killer whale Tilikum is responsible for the deaths of three individuals, including a top killer whale trainer. Blackfish shows the sometimes devastating consequences of keeping such intelligent and sentient creatures in captivity.
Her
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Director: Spike Jonze
Actor: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams
Plot: A lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with his newly purchased operating system that’s designed to meet his every need.
Top Bollywood Actresses Of 2013
Anushka Sharma
Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola
Sonakshi Sinha
Lootera
Nimrat Kaur
The Lunchbox
Kalki Kochelin
Ek Thi Daayan
Vidya Balan
Ghanchakkar
Parineeti Chopra
Shudd Desi Romance
Huma Qureshi
Shorts
Mahi Gill
Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster Returns
Shruti Hassan
Ramaiya Vastavaiya
Kareena Kapoor
Satyagraha
Top 10 Songs Of 2013
Sari Ke Fall Sa – R…Rajkuma
Director: Prabhu Deva
Music Director: Pritam
Singers: Antara Mitra, Nakash Aziz
Talaiva Tribute/Lungi Dance – Chennai Express
Director: Rohit Shetty
Music Directors: Vishal-Sekhar
Singers: Yo Yo Honey Singh
Sawaarloon – Loteera
Director: Vikramaditya Motwane
Music Director: Amit Trivedi
Singers: Monali Thakur
Mera Mann Kehne laga – Nautanki Saala
Director: Rohan Sippy
Music Director: Falak Shabir
Singers: Falak Shabir
Tum Tak – Raanjhnaa
Director: Anand L Rai
Music Director: A R Rahman
Singers: Javed Ali, Keerthi Sagathia & Pooja AV
Manjah – Kai Poche
Director: Abhishek Kapoor
Music Director: Amit Trivedi
Singers: Amit Trivedi & Mohan Kanan
Tere Mere Beech Mein – Shuddh Desi Romance
Director: Maneesh Sharma
Music Directors: Sachin-Jigar
Singers: Sunidhi Chauhan & Mohit Chauhan
Dilli Waali Girlfriend – Yeh Jawani Han Deewani
Director:Ayan Mukharji
Music Director: Pritam
Singers: Arijit Singh & Sunidhi Chauhan
Khooni Monday – Go Goa Gone
Directors: Raj Nidimoru & Krishna D.K
Music Director: Sachin – Jigar
Singers: Arjun Kanungo, Suraj Jagan & Priya Panchal
The Top 10 Indian Actors Of The Year
Here is our list of Indian actors who proved they were exemplary exponents of their craft
Ranbir Kapoor
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani
Ranbir Kapoor swept audiences off their feet with his flamboyant charm as Bunny in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani.
Ranveer Singh Bhavani
Ram Leela
Ranveer Singh as the coarse, nonchalant and crude Ram saved in Sanjay Leela Bansali’s Ram Leela. Though the film failed impress audiences Ranveer Singh left a lasting impression with some fine acting.
Akshay Kumar
Special 26
Akshay impressed audiences as well as critics with his amazing performance in Special 26.
Farhaan Akthar
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
Actor-cum-director Farhan Akhtar proved with Bhaag Milkha Bhaag that he is here to stay as an auteur.
Sushaanth Singh Rajput
Kao Po Che and Shuddh Desi Romance
Sushaanth Singh Rajput first in Kao Po Che and later with Shuddh Desi Roamnce showed he had screen presence and with the right scripts can become an actor to look out for.
Irfaan Khan
The Lunch Box
Irrfan Khan delivered a superlative performance in the Lunch Box that left moviegoers speechless.
John Abraham
Madras Cafe
John Abraham’s performance in Madras Cafe ably silenced his critics.
Hrithik Roshan
Agneepath
Hrithik Roshan as the brooding Vijay Dinanath Chauhan in Agneepath, set hearts and the box office on fire.
Shah Rukh Khan
Chennai Express
SRK, with his rare ability to laugh at himself made Chennai Express a great film.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui
The Lunch Box
Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s humorous portrayal of a middle-class office goer in Lunch Box was phenomenal.
Aamir Khan
Dhoom 3
Most will agree that Amir Khan has outgrown boyish roles. In Dhoom 3, though people did not like his evil side, his performance was one of the year’s best.
The Best of World Cinema
Viva La Libertà
Language: Italian
Director: Roberto Andò
Cast: Toni Servillo, Valerio Mastandrea, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Michela Cescon. Il
Synopsis: Viva La Libertà takes a dig at Italy’s political system. The film, released just a week before the election, begins when the leader of Italy’s opposition party drops out of sight and is replaced by his bipolar identical twin, fresh from the madhouse. Anchored by Toni Servillo’s usual consummate performance(s), this winking critique of Italian politics offers several pleasurable digs at the establishment, though its staid craftsmanship and general lack of vitriol don’t provide the bite most politically-inclined auds will expect.
Night Train to Lisbon
Language: German and Portuguese
Director: Bille August
Cast: Jeremy Irons, Mélanie Laurent, Jack Huston
Synopsis: Night Train to Lisbon is about Raimund, a Latin teacher and an ancient languages expert. We see how his life changes when he saves a young woman on a bridge in the Swiss city of Bern, from jumping to her death. The woman disappears, but she leaves her coat behind. Raimund finds inside the coat a book by a Portuguese doctor, which contains a train ticket. He then sets off on a journey to Lisbon. While looking for the author, Raimund revisits a dark chapter in the country’s history and unveils a tragic love triangle.
Venus in Fur
Language: French
Director: Roman Polanski
Cast: Emmanuelle Seigner, Mathieu Amalric
Synopsis: The film is based on the eponymous American play. The play itself was based on Leopold von Sacher-Masoch’s novel Venus in Furs. Venus in Fur is about a playwright Thomas. Thomas mourns the poor performances of the actresses who auditioned for his play. Once he has given up and is about to leave the theatre, a woman who claims to be actress Vanda arrives and convinces him to let her read for the part. Thomas’s surprised how Vanda is sensitive to the character and knows every line by heart. As the audition progresses, the intensity is doubled and the attraction Thomas feels for Vanda turns into obsession.
La Grande Bellezza
Language: Italian
Director: Paolo Sorrentino
Cast: Toni Servillo, Carlo Verdone, Sabrina Ferilli, Carlo Buccirosso,
Synopsis: The film is about an elderly socialite, Jep Gambardella. He used to be a famous novelist in his twenties. Now, he only happens to write cultural columns and throw parties in Rome. After his 65th birthday party, he takes a walk through the ruins and city streets, and reflects upon his life, his first love and sense of unfulfillment. So will he be able to get back to his writing?
Vis À Vis
Language: Croatian
Director: Nevio Marasovic
Cast: Rakan Rushaidat, Janko Volaric Popovic, Kresimir Mikic
Synopsis: It centers on a film director and his lead actor trying to bond on an isolated island in winter.
Blue Is the Warmest Colour
Language: French
Director: Abdellatif Kechiche
Cast: Adèle Exarchopoulos, Léa Seydoux
Synopsis: It is romantic story about a lesbian couple Adèle and Emma. The film is an adaptation of a graphic novel by Julie Maroh. The emotions are intense, cataclysmic and unforgettable.
The Golden Cage
Language: Spanish
Director: Diego Quemada-Diez
Cast: Karen Martínez, Brandon Lopez, Rodolfo Dominguez
Synopsis: The film is about three Guatemalan teenagers and their attempts to cross the Mexico-US border. The name of the film has been taken from the Mexican ballad, Jaula de Oro, which is about the despair of Mexicans who have actually made it to the US.
Paradise: Hope
Language: Austrian
Director: Ulrich Seidl
Cast: Melanie Lenz, Joseph Lorenz, Michael Thomas, Vivian Bartsch, Johanna Schmid
Synopsis: This is the final film in Seidl’s Paradise trilogy. The film is about Hope – Melanie, the 13-year-old daughter of the first film’s protagonist and niece of the second film’s subject.
Borgman
Language: Dutch
Director: Alex van Warmerdam
Cast: Alex van Warmerdam, Annet Malherbe
Synopsis: It narrates the tale of Borgman. Her arrival in the tree-lined avenues of an exclusive residential area marks the beginning of a series of bizarre events centred around a wealthy couple, their three children and their nanny.
Child’s Pose
Language: Romanian
Director: Călin Peter Netzer
Cast: Vlad Ivanov
Synopsis: It is about a 60-year-old woman Cornelia and her 34-year-old son, Barbu. Barbu tries to lead an independent life. However, he lands up in trouble and is saved by his mother. From then on Cornelia expects Barbu to once again become the dependent child he was before. A still traumatized Barbu just does that. The film explores this grey area between motherly love and self-serving manipulation.