Category: Personal Essay
“A Happy Lady Movie”
“Shall we watch a movie today?” I asked my cat. “Can you pick a movie?” I thought for a minute. “A happy movie? A happy lady movie?” My cat, of course, could not. We scrolled […]
Is It Feminist?
Is it feminist? Who does it benefit? Whose purpose is served? One could argue that applying a label like “feminist” to any piece of pop culture or a consumer good is foolish, since generally those […]
Awards and Representation
This past weekend saw the 90th Academy Awards here in the States. It was pretty exciting in a few ways: for the first time, a black man (or black person at all) won best screenplay. […]
Where is Mom? Motherhood in Contemporary Bollywood Movies
My mother introduced me to film, both Hollywood and Bollywood. She patiently sat through countless terrible children’s movies, she slowly introduced me to good cinema. She insisted on staying through the credits. Ma loved pop […]
Strong Female Characters
Let us start at the top. Her hair is beautiful, full and shiny. Often it flows past her shoulders. It is an outward symbol of her inner turmoil; a change in hair is a change […]
On Learning New Things
I started this website because I wanted to write about Bollywood. I wanted to share my love, annoyance, disappointment, and hopes. Fear held me back from getting my thoughts out there, and it still does. […]
Just dance with SRK
When the movie ends, I want to dance. Bollywood actors and actresses are so talented, they make dancing look so effortless (and the ones who aren’t technically proficient at least look like they are having […]
New Ads One Day Maybe Please?
Watch a video from Eros Entertainment on YouTube, and you will first be treated to an ad featuring Salman Khan. You can watch all of his hits on your computer or mobile device! And other […]
Who Do You Think You Are, Dhoom 3?: Bollywood and Cars and Me
After renewing my learner’s permit twice, and totally failing to parallel park during the road test, I finally got my driver’s license when I was 18. A few days later, I was in my first […]
Writing about Bollywood
Inevitably, when I tell people I enjoy Bollywood, I’m met with stares or “what?” or “oh, with the dancing, right?” The largest film industry in the world is still often treated like a joke, while […]
Feminist Bollywood 