by Atiya Hasan – Houston, TX The Oscar nominated movie Lagaan forever put Aamir Khan on our maps. It was his production company’s first movie and, boy, did he get it right. Since then he has become one of the most elusive and perplexing celebrities of Bollywood.  He avoids all award ceremonies...

by Sneha Goud – Managing Editor I’m a newbie when it comes to Bollywood. I didn’t spend my childhood memorizing the words to Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. But as I tell my friends, I’m trying to be more “ethnic” so I was excited to hear the Museum of Modern Art was presenting...

By Sheela Lal – University of Missouri Last month, I finally watched City of God. No, not the Brazilian movie of the same name, but a 2011 release. Skimming over the Wikipedia page, I learned that despite the raving critical reviews, it failed commercially. Personally, I can only assume it failed...

by Keertana Sastry and Sheela Lal Let’s face it, Indian movies are… not all gems. The songs, the lame dances, the cheese, OH the cheese! That’s what we all grew up to love. But the films on this list have a healthy balance of cheese and maturity that would make anyone take India’s movie industry...

By Atiya Hasan  In what seems to be a Bollywood sequel to Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, an intense story of a tragic love triangle has emerged. The individuals involved were attractive, intelligent, and on the path to bright careers. Maria Monica Susairaj is an up and coming actress from...

by Komal Thakkar – George Washington University – Star Contributor Who doesn’t look forward to reading a sappy romance novel on the beach, watching Fourth of July fireworks illuminate the sky, sleeping in until the late afternoon, and breathing in the distinct scent of sunscreen? I...

by Nadya Agrawal – UCLA   In response to Akon’s new song “Chammak Chalo” for the upcoming Bollywood film Ra One.   Ey, Chammak Chalo My beyootiful girl with the almond eyes And red scarf With those kickin curves, you got my heart Filled with sand of your distant land Ima...

By Sheela Lal - University of Missouri Last year, I started my South Asian radio program, Rangeela, without understanding Tollywood. What was this? How had I not heard about it? Is Telugu real or is the Internet just messing with me? My program depended on exposing mid-Missouri to a wider spectrum of...

By Sheela Lal - University of Missouri I have never seen Sholay all the way through in one sitting, before now. In all the texts on Indian cinema, Sholay makes an appearance. To have a real understanding of Hindi film theory, I decided to watch Sholay again through an adult, feminist perspective. To...

by Shritin Patel – Houston Baptist University Graduate Lately, I’ve been busy; I’ve been running around… I’ve been… I’m out of excuses. Truth is I had a small case of writer’s block. Actually, in this book for writers I read (well skimmed through the first...