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by Harsh Vardhan  When it comes to our film industry, we are all aware of the kind of lacklustre 150 minute experience we are generally served with, in the name of cinema. One of the major issues that is deep-rooted within Indian film makers is, I feel, their reliance on superstars for the success of their film. Unlike Hollywood, which is considered to be the biggest film-making industry in the world, directors and scriptwriters in our industry have to take the back seat and let the major superstars decide the fate of the movie. Their face value is purported to be the real value of a film. Seldom do we hear about movies that have done exceptionally well but didn’t have a superstar (male or female) in it. Masaan, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, is a special film considering all the aspects mentioned above. It has been almost a year now since Masaan released, and it's certainly carved its own niche among the audience by now.
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by Vanya Lochan  The concept of bhadralok, as opposed to the chottolok, is of great significance in the social history of colonial Bengal. Bhadralok in Bengali stands for the ‘respectable’, the cultured and educated, i.e., the middle and upper classes, whereas in contrast, the chhotolok make for the “small people” or the poorer, lower classes. Bhadramahila are the women of the bhadralok. The concept of bhadralok played an important role in the 19th century cultural renaissance in Bengal and the social reform movements there. What should be further mentioned is the bifurcation that came into the picture in relation to the social and political spheres, and in that sense, there came up a dichotomy of the world into two domains - ghar and bahir, the home and the world. The dichotomy of ghar and bahir did not, however, imply a clear chasm between what was European and ‘material’ and what was ‘inner’, distinctive and spiritually superior. With the emergence of several reformist movements aimed at undoing various oppressive structures of patriarchy such as Sati and efforts at enabling women to attain liberty by means of providing education and equal opportunities, the dynamics created by the confrontation between this ingrained dichotomy and an attempt at renewal of Bengali social structure resulted in the formation of a new kind of patriarchy - something where attempts to construct a ‘new woman’ who was apparently liberated were being made but at the same time, the innate nature of control over the female sexuality could not be overpowered. Ace film-maker Satyajit Ray’s ‘Charulata’ (The Lonely Wife) (1964) can also be understood in a similar light. by Smita Ganguli  Aimlessly flipping through a copy that belonged to my mother, in search of some ‘dirty’ snippets in literature back in the day when I wasn’t permitted to read it. That was then and this is now, and after a brief hiatus, I have finally managed to read this down. Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita will leave you baffled, let you hope you land up on a meagreness of words to comprehend first, and explain later as to what you feel about this postmodernist text. It is however, very tough to critically write about literature, let alone postmodern literature for that matter. Therefore, mine will be a rather simplistic take on this novel, placing more emphasis on how the characters appeal to me. by Anuja Pal  As an indie buff who is always on the lookout for the best independent films made in the last few years, it was inevitable that I would find my way to the magic that is Frances Ha. A friend had told me once, "Nothing can go wrong when it's Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig together," and I realized the reality of the remark after watching this simplistic comedy-drama. Directed and written by Noah Baumbach, the film follows the (mis)adventures of 27-year-old Frances Halladay, (played by Greta Gerwig, who also co-wrote the script) a free-spirited dancer in Brooklyn who shares an apartment with her best friend, Sophie. by Srijon Mukherjee  The fact that someone like me actually played and completed God Of War II isn’t a testament to how easy the game is - it’s a testament to how much I enjoyed playing it. I’m not a gamer in any sense of the word, and it’s not because of a lack of gaming skills, but more because I usually tend to abandon playing a game as soon as I’m stuck in a part for some time. This strange voice in my head whispers to me, comforting me, and assuring me that life is about moving on, and anyway, who needs that kind of pressure to perform in a fucking game? I know, a lot of you do, and yes, it’s not really pressure, but hey, my life, my escapist argument, okay? by Tarique Ejaz  Tekken is one of the pioneers of one-to-one combat gaming, along with Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. However, over the years it has slowly and steadily consolidated its franchise with an ever growing fan base who find the allure of diverse fighting styles, taken mostly from those that are in action at present in the various parts of the world, seemingly irresistible. The thing about Tekken is that it is more than just a fighting game with a background story encompassing a set of central characters. It denotes a game that provides its other characters (supporting would be an unfair justification) the opportunity and space to contribute to the main theme of disputed bloodline but also add to the existing continuity of the series.
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