Kalank is about love and violence in time of partition and tells the story of six entangled lives.
Browsing: Features
Shiraz – A Romance of India’, one of India’s films of the silent era, has the distinction of being reviewed twice in The New York Times – once in 1929 when it was first released and now in 2019 in its new avatar. The film which has had a 2 K restoration by the British Film Institute and a fabulous new musical score by Anoushka Shankar has been shown in several US cities
In my column, From Me to You, I share the tale of the last rose which battled the snowfall to tell us about optimism and beauty and how we can go out in a blaze of joy and color.
Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga’ begins, in true Bollywood fashion, with a Big Fat Indian wedding but as you meet the people in this universe you soon realize that it’s not more of the same and that Bollywood is actually taking some risks.
Forget the Vedas, forget the Bible, now we are getting infinite wisdom from chocolate wrappers! When did we start consulting our chocolates for knowledge about life and living?
Calcutta was once known as ‘City of Palaces’ and in the days of the British Raj there were opulent buildings built by the rulers as well as the Bengal elite. Today many of these grand structures are in decay and a passionate chronicler of these disappearing stories is Prabir C. Purkayastha, award-winning photojournalist who tells evocative tales through his camera.
Purkayastha was recently in New York where the Sundaram Tagore Gallery showcased Stories in Stone: Colonial Calcutta, images which tell the story of grand edifices in decline.
Most viewers in America have seen or at least heard of ‘New Amsterdam’ the NBC medical drama which has brought actor Anupam Kher to New York. In fact, as work becomes increasingly global, more and more Indians live on two continents, and actor Anupam Kher is the latest to call both Mumbai and New York home.
Can South Asians survive without cinema? I think not. It’s the surreal chicken tikka of their dreams, the spicy samosa of their entertainment. There are desi film festivals in many US cities, and NY as not one but two festivals back to back.
An all-Indian cast heads the animated film ‘Mira, Royal Detective’ – a great way for young Indian-Americans to see people like themselves on the big Hollywood screen.
New York is full of surprises where unexpected things happen and you get to meet the most unexpected people. I certainly didn’t expect to be eating a home-cooked meal by Master Chef Vikas Khanna served in his 10th floor apartment near the United Nations. Nor did I expect to be eating it with the iconic Pakistani filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy whose powerful work has won her a gaggle of awards including two Oscars and six Emmys.
We’ve all seen thrillers with spine-tingling action, gangsters, undercover agents and secret raids to unearth narcotics, jewels or bombs. In ‘The Price of Free’, all these elements are there except the contraband goods are real, live children who are being abused as modern day slaves.
Will the Desi Vote be as potent as the ‘Desi Girl’ in the Midterm Elections? Listen to Roopa Mahadevan!
“The first time I went to India, for me it was like a dream. To see the artistes was like meeting a superstar, and to experience such a vast ocean of Bharatanatyam! My experience with them has been amazing – sometimes I wish I had two brains so I won’t forget even a word they have said. I only pray I can have the strength and charisma they have, and realize their words in this life.”
Tulsi Gabbard’s Diwali Greeting [dropcap]A[/dropcap]loha and Namaste. I’d like to wish you and your family a very Happy Diwali. Diwali…
If you’re wondering what the Secret Garden is, and where it is, it is Children’s Hope India’s annual gala and it was held on October 7 at Pier Sixty in Manhattan. The theme of this much anticipated fundraiser for the education of under-served children was based on the classic children’s novel ‘The Secret Garden’ by Frances Hodgson Burnett which shows how love and compassion can transform the lives of children.
The movie has pulsating Soca music and the gorgeous island settings. So, who knows, Trinidad with its beaches, its spicy colors and its famous carnival, may become a hot Bollywood location after this film!
Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard shares her Hindu faith and thoughts on Janamashtami, the birth of Lord Krishna. “And by engaging our time, energy, and skills in the loving service of God and all His children, we can be connected with Him.”
Superstar. Bollywood Royalty. Miss World. Guess model. Fashion Icon. International Recording Star. Highest Paid Actress in the Indian Film Industry. Queen of Endorsements. UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. The Empress of High Heels.
Yes, Priyanka Chopra is all these but she’s also something you would never, ever have guessed in a hundred years.
She’s an FOB – Fresh Off the Boat!
elanie Chandra is a South Asian actress who has been seen in several Hollywood movies and TV shows including ‘Code Black’. She currently is producing and acting in ‘Surina and Mel’ with ‘Outsourced’ actress Surina Jindal.
So what is ‘Surina and Me’l about? As Melanie Chandra describes it, it is loosely based on the real-life friendship of Surina (brash, non-committal) and Melanie (poised, type A) the show follows this odd-couple duo as they unsuccessfully navigate their lives as grown-ups, one micro-aggression at a time.
For generations, he was ‘Sanju Baba’, the spoilt, loved darling of the collective Indian nation. The son of iconic Nargis and the wonderful Sunil Dutt, he could do no wrong and if he could or did, nothing would stick to him. Sanjay Dutt of the fabulous dreamy, druggee eyes and the lost little boy smile. Everyone ached for him and his losses, especially for the loss of his beloved mother to pancreatic cancer when he was a susceptible, troubled youth.