Recent Reviews by Bhawana Somaaya
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Bhawana Somaaya is a film critic, columnist and author. She has been writing on cinema for almost 50 years. She is the former editor of Screen and written biographies of superstars like Hema Malini and Amitabh Bachchan. Her books are a point of reference for students studying cinema at Whistling Woods, Mumbai, Manipal University, Mangalore and JNU, Delhi.
Films reviewed on this Page
My Melbourne
Chhaad (The Terrace)
Nadaaniyan
Mere Husband Ki Biwi
Chhaava
Sky Force
Azaad
Zero Se Restart
Pushpa 2
I Want to Talk
My Melbourne (written for Bhawana Somaaya)
One more anthology
There was a time, a little before Covid, when all filmmakers were making anthologies. These films were usually about common subjects like love and loss. Last week, I watched an unusual anthology titled My Melbourne. Four directors come together to tell you real stories. Shot in Melbourne and featuring women, the stories address gender, sexuality, nationality and disability. The film opens with Nandini directed by Onir and introduces you to Indraneel/ Arks Das and Chris/Jackson Gallagher who live in Australi. Indraneel’s father is visiting them from India because Indraneel and he have to collectively immerse the ashes of Nandini, Indraneel’s mother. It is a difficult time for the father and son but they make an effort to let bygones be bygone.
All 2 reviews of My Melbourne here
Chhaad (The Terrace) (written for bhawanasomaaya.com)
Chhaad is a story of most women struggling to break free.
Sometimes a certain space defines your identity and you don’t know it until that space is taken away from you. Indrani directed Bengali film Chhaad tells you about a school teacher, a dormant artist Mitra/ Paoli Dam, who loves to spend her evenings on her building terrace. It is here she befriends her niece and a few kids who come up to fly kites. She attends school in the morning post her daily chores as a daughter-in-law of a joint family, Mitra looks forward to watering the plants on the terrace of their dilapidated building.