Curious Case: By Radhika Bhirani

Radhika Bhirani for Zenger News --- rbhirani@gmail.com --- A much-awaited eponymous word-to-screen adaptation of writer Aravind Adiga’s, Man Booker Prize-winning novel “The White Tiger,” has emerged as the talk of the film town, earning a mix of brickbats and bouquets for zooming the lens on the underbelly of India’s caste and class struggles. There’s a unanimous word of praise, however, for lead actor Adarsh Gourav, who is being tagged as a new “breakout star” from the South Asian subcontinent. “The White Tiger ,” directed by Iranian-American filmmaker Ramin Bahrani, began streaming across over 190 countries through Netflix on January 22, just a few days after having a limited theatrical release in the US. On January 26, the cast and crew had a reason to rejoice as the movie made it to the No.1 spot in a list of ‘Top 10 on Netflix in the World’. Globally known Indian actor  Priyanka Chopra Jonas , who served as executive producer along with Emmy Award-winning filmmaker...

Radhika Bhirani for Zenger News -- rbhirani@gmail.com --- Karan Johar, a filmmaker whose brand of cinema has been defined by big budgets, larger than life sets, song-dance routines, family, romance and heartbreak, took a plunge into uncharted territory of short storytelling with one of the four segments of the 2013 film, “Bombay Talkies.” The film was a tribute to 100 years of Indian cinema, and set the stage for Johar’s continuing tryst with the anthology space. In 2018, he made one film for “Lust Stories,” another anthology, which landed two nominations at the 47th International Emmy Awards. In 2020, he directed a section for “Ghost Stories,” wrapping up a trilogy of anthologies made with Anurag Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar and Dibaker Banerjee, all notable names from the Indian film industry. And in 2021, Johar is producing a portmanteau film, tentatively titled “The Other,” for global streaming platform Netflix, putting together multiple films tied together by a common theme. A...

Radhika Bhirani rbhirani@gmail.com ~~~ He still feels alive. Through memories, moments and memorable qissas. Irrfan Khan, his close ones say, disliked celebrating birthdays. But for his fans across the world, today is really about celebrating his life. A life shaped by excellence and magnificence on screen, a life defined by intelligence and benevolence off screen. Think of him, and you smile. You smile -- about the many roles he played; those which easily escaped the brackets of the conventional hero of Indian cinema, yet had a heroism of their own -- and about his pleasant idiosyncrasies and ideology. Irrfan, you would agree, is missed. The actor would have turned 54 today. He had his own style and sense of humour, bits of which I sampled in two of my brief meetings with him. Once in 2013. In Abu Dhabi, where in the middle of an interview, he started rolling his own cigarette. "Kuchh gadbad nahin hai," he commented with a laugh to quell the look of curiosity on my face. My ...

Radhika Bhirani for BW BusinessWorld rbhirani@gmail.com ~~~ Between the year that has been, and the New Year that beckons, one thing is for certain – the world cannot do without entertainment. The year 2020 witnessed a na­tionwide shutdown of cinema halls for over seven months, permanent closure of at least 500 single screens, investments stuck in delayed movie releases and halted film productions. The upshot of the developments induced by a pandemic of global proportions, was losses that ran into thousands of crores and had daily wage employees struggling for survival. The situation also led to proliferation and adoption of new distribution mediums and unusual audience consumption patterns. Year 2021, industry experts believe, will be marked by new ways, backed by new learnings. The calendar will have a slate of big releases across languages and gen­res. Content will be para­mount. Formats will be re­viewed and budgeting will be smart. Evolution of the dy­namics of film distribution w...

Radhika Bhirani rbhirani@gmail.com ~~~ The thought of some people makes you happy, or melancholic, or angry or cringy. And then there are those whose 'khayal' makes you smile... from the heart. Farooq Sheikh is one. Note the 'is' instead of 'was'. For the simple reason, fans would agree, that even in his absence, his presence is felt with a mere thought. His smile. Genuine, enigmatic, radiant, candid and amiable. Just as he was. "I have no 'akal' and no 'taakat' to make my own films," he told me in 2011, during one of my two short interactions with him. It's one of my regrets. Not having had enough chances to speak to an actor who had everything likeable about him -- on and off screen. His candour, his tameez and tehzeeb, are aspects that live on through memories valued by fellow journalists, film fraternity members and fans. I, for one, am always reminded of his one of a kind, matter-of-fact tone when he told me that Lahore, a fil...

Radhika Bhirani rbhirani@gmail.com ~~~ "Allah Miya Umar Daraz Kare". "Allah Hifazat Se Rakhe". These are Saira Bano's everyday prayers for Muhammed Yusuf Khan, her ailing husband, Indian cinema's 'Kohinoor', 'Tragedy King' Dilip Kumar, who has turned 98 today.  For years, Dilip Kumar's birthday was never about lavish celebrations. It meant an open door to their house. Friends, family members, and even fans would come impromptu, with flowers, garlands and tokens of love. The whole house would be lit up. It But ever since his health went downhill, with his restricted movement and diet, restrictions on any other engagements have been inevitable. This year, he has not been keeping too well. Saira-ji is herself not well. The family is going through a tough time. They lost Dilip Kumar's two brothers to the dreaded Covid-19. There's no question of celebrations. "We will simply thank the Lord for the gift of life and health," Sa...

Radhika Bhirani rbhirani@gmail.com ~~~ There's a lot you learn at school, but some of life's best lessons are, perhaps, learnt outside of school. For Pavail Gulati, the actor whom many recognise as the "Thappad guy", it was a qissa of getting slapped by a school mate, slapping her back, getting slapped again, slapping her once more, and an ensuing apology, that turned into a life-long lesson about why a 'thappad' isn't the answer to anything in life. "I have never been the one to get into fights, anytime in my life," Pavail had told me one afternoon over a phone chat after Thappad, his maiden film as a male lead, released in February, to a largely positive response. The Anubhav Sinha directorial, starring Taapsee Pannu, was a consciousness-raising effort which raised questions that matter. And should have always mattered. About deep-rooted misogyny, patriarchal norms, male entitlement, women's conditioning and about raising a hand at someone,...