All stories by ASEEM CHHABRA
The Difference Between Fawad And Shah Rukh Khan
Rediff.com5 Aug 2024'I think because India is a bigger country and Bollywood is such a well-oiled machine, the star thing has become so much bigger than the actor thing.'
Kamala Harris Is A Desi At Heart
Rediff.com23 Jul 2024'I think of that young baby, still in her diapers, balancing with her arms held up by her mother, a Tamil woman wearing a salwar kameez and a dupatta, seated on a stoop,' recalls Aseem Chhabra.
'Bombay Has An Intoxicating Personality'
Rediff.com21 Jun 2024'It's such a mishmash of wonderful things, so many different cultures, subsections of society and weird histories.'
'The Hope Is About Friendship'
Rediff.com27 May 2024'Hope is about being more accepting of each other, the kind of solidarity and friendship that even our families may not be able to give.'
'You Can Feel Buddha's Teaching In Ladakhi Culture'
Rediff.com17 May 2024'I have nostalgia for Ladakhi culture, which is common to both Muslims and Buddhists.' 'It is kind of a Buddhist way of life. You are compassionate and nice to each other.' 'You are good human beings.'
'Manthan Never Looked As Good As It Does Now'
Rediff.com15 May 2024'The problems that the film explores still remain. It was a different time when we made the film. We were young and we thought we could change the world.'
Ripley Review: Mind-Blowing!
Rediff.com15 Apr 2024The show takes its own pace to pick up, but then when you least expect, it grabs you by the throat, notes Aseem Chhabra.
'I damaged my voice on purpose'
Rediff.com10 Apr 2024'Pandi was promised something, that is not happening, so his anger is not of a villain's.' 'That's how all normal humans would react, or they stay silent.' 'Our violence is our silence. So in this world, everybody is innocent.'
The Oscars Are Not Always Predictable
Rediff.com11 Mar 2024In the biggest surprise of the night, Emma Stone grabbed the Best Actress trophy for the complex portrayal of a Frankenstein-like character Bella, in Yargos Lanthimos' electrifying and most original film Poor Things. Aseem Chhabra recaps the 96th Annual Academy Awards.
Martin Scorsese Has An Announcement
Rediff.com22 Feb 2024Martin Scorsese, 'the reigning king of cinema', gets an honorary Golden Bear at the 74th Berlinale.
The Indian Film Making Global Waves
Rediff.com21 Feb 2024'I thought of a suppressed country and a free world.' 'If we travel from one to another, what will that road look like?' 'What colours, music there will be? What kind of people would you see?'
'This film makes you become patient'
Rediff.com8 Feb 2024'Usually, we are always worried that we are missing out something in life.' 'We are very keen for the audience to have this as a cinema experience in theatres.' 'You get the rare chance to be patient.'
'I wanted to write about a young woman's sexual awakening'
Rediff.com5 Feb 2024'I went to a school in Baroda, where if the boys harassed us, the teachers pulled the girls aside and said, "Oh, your skirts are too short".' 'They made us feel ashamed of having any sexual feelings or having bodies that were growing up to be a young women.'
371 Films And Shows To Watch!
Rediff.com28 Jan 2024Aseem Chhabra rates the movies he's watched in 2023, and tells you where you can watch them!
'We all need a little piece of utopia in our life'
Rediff.com24 Jan 2024'This was a film, a story that had never been told before.'
'Nothing honorable about this killing'
Rediff.com12 Jan 2024'Find a name that changes the words honor killing and hopefully it includes the word murder.' 'If you use the words, you are trying to justify the murders.'
10 Films: Indian Cinema At Its Best
Rediff.com27 Dec 2023Aseem Chhabra lists his favorite 2023 films -- a healthy blend of Bollywood, Hindi indies and some of the best work that is being done in Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Bengali cinema.
2023's Must Watch Movies From Around The World
Rediff.com26 Dec 20232023 was a good year for international cinema with many strong films premiering at the Berlin, Cannes, Venice and Toronto film festivals.
'I have very deep connections with India'
Rediff.com22 Dec 2023'When democracy first came to Bhutan people had no idea and they were like 'What is that?' Oh it's that thing they have in India where the leaders are always fighting and arguing.' When I screened the film to Bhutan's film committee, they thought my film was good but they were concerned about that line. They wanted me to change that line. They said, 'We don't want to offend India.' I tried to tell them that Indians have a great ability to laugh at themselves but they insisted I change it.'
A Film About Sex Not Seen In India Before
Rediff.com26 Oct 2023'Agra is about sexuality and sexual repression, and the relationship of sexuality to the physical spaces that we are in.'