This is a modified version of the piece that appeared in Ultimate Choice #14 by Film For Thought Among all the American films that depict racism in its ugliness, Mudbound takes it to a notch higher, pointing to the sheer purposelessness of it. Set in Mississippi, a geography that has been an emanating point of … Continue reading MUDBOUND: Rooted in Dirt
In this episode, Ram and Sagar read O. Henry’s short-story, Psyche and Pskyscrapper. Published in July of 1912, the story is equally relevant today. You can listen to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts, among other hosting sites. Visit the wesbsite for a full list of platforms the podcast is available on. … Continue reading The Futile Podcast #9 – Reading O. Henry’s Psyche and Pskyscrapper
In this episode, we have Saahil Siddiqui, a fellow film blogger who just started out writing about films. Hop in as Ram and Saahil talk about love for writing, favourite writers, Imtiaz Ali, Shah Rukh Khan, and a lot more! Part 1: Part 2: Continue reading TFP #8: The Beginners – Writing About Films #1 – Saahil
Orginially Published in Cinema Sentries. Daniel Roby’s Most Wanted (also known as Target Number One) begins with Daniel Léger (Antoine Olivier Pilon) a troubled young man, receiving his first paycheque as a lumberjack. It’s a cheque, remember. Moments later, we see him talking over the phone with his mother, who is clearly suspicious of him when he asks … Continue reading Most Wanted: A Middling Crime Drama with Identity Crisis
Originally Appeared in Film Inquiry I adored Colour Me Brown by Juggy Sohal for multiple reasons, with the major one being how simple yet powerful it is. While the film could be termed yet another YouTube video, the heart succors this in getting rid of the label. Speaking about one’s race and the associated complications of being different, the … Continue reading Colour Me Brown: Tiny Film With Abundant Heart
Originally appeared in Baradwaj Rangan’s blog. If you’re a non-Telugu-speaking movie-viewer who discovered Telugu cinema during the lockdown, relying on the multitude of OTT services, it is highly likely that your cinematic comprehension of Telugu cinema is confined to OTT hits, which mostly represent the tiny good side of the Telugu cinema. For instance, the … Continue reading Arjun Reddy is a Landmark of Telugu Cinema, Regardless of Its Moral Incorrectness
Did we make sense? Let us know @RamVenkatSrikar and @Iasragas. Continue reading The Futile Podcast #7: 10 Years of Udaan
10 years after release, there is little to say about Inception which hasn’t already been said. Let me elucidate what the film meant to me. Inception, to my 13-year-old self, was a revelation. It changed the way I looked at cinema forever. As a South-Indian boy who grew up feeding on popular regional cinema, bollywood, Star Movies, … Continue reading 10 years of Inception, a film that taught me to look beyond entertainment
Originally appeared in Film Inquiry. Shot as a documentary, a convivial, middle-aged Bill Cooper (Jeff Zornes) gives us a tour of his standard American home in the opening scene of Gather in the Corner. He takes us through the living area where he claims to spend a lot of time watching TV, the dining area, and … Continue reading GATHER IN THE CORNER: Balances Storytelling and Commentary
Last week marked 95th birth anniversary of the legendary Guru Dutt. So, here is an episode appreciating the film’s themes, social criticism, cinematic aesthetics, and most importantly, the iconic soundtrack that remains the gold standard for music in Hindi cinema. Join Ram and Sagar as they discuss the film that released during their grandparents’ childhood. Continue reading The Futile Podcast #6: Celebrating Guru Dutt’s Pyaasa
