Senior Rediff.com Contributor Aseem Chhabra is director of the New York Indian Film Festival, an entertainment writer and author of Irrfan Khan: The Man, The Dreamer, The Star. You can e-mail the author at aseem.chhabra@gmail.com
Aseem Chhabra watched some great films and some huge disappointments in 2021.
One could be anywhere -- huddled around a transistor radio at home in the evenings, walking past a neighbour's house, or waiting at a bus stop and Lata Mangeshkar's voice would reach us. Aseem Chhabra pays rich tribute to The Legend.
There was no drama, no applause, no tears, no laughter. The 79th Golden Globes had indeed lost its lustre, says Aseem Chhabra.
Aseem Chhabra lists his favourite Indian films of 2021.
Aseem Chhabra lists his favourite films, most of them shown at international film festivals held virtually (Berlinale and Rotterdam), hybrid (Toronto) or physical (Cannes and Venice).
'You need to be very passionate towards life, not because you are a film-maker, but because you are a human being.' 'If you can do that, then I think it reflects in the films that you make.'
Films that amazed Aseem Chhabra at the El Gouna Film Festival in Egypt.
Aseem Chhabra lists his favourite films from the recent Toronto International Film Festival.
To be able to bid farewell to Daniel Craig is an emotion all fans of the Bond franchise must experience, feels Aseem Chhabra.
'If someone is consistently horrible to you, for me, I would ask myself, what am I doing?' 'Why am I continuously putting myself as a target for this?'
'So much so we don't feel the need to create anything, but just bask in that glory.' 'It's time to move on.' 'How much burden can you put on a person or the legacy of the person?'
'My Nani passed away in January 2016 and the house belonged to her and my Nana.' 'After they passed away, the family decided to sell the house.' 'My mother's immediate response was that we have to make a film in this house before it was sold.'
Aseem Chhabra lists 10 of his favourite films that played in various sections at the 74th Cannes Film Festival.
'I am fascinated by people who cannot accept things.'
'Of the people here in Europe who have watched The Story of Film: A New Generation, the most talked-about clip is the one from Ram Leela.'
If Netflix and the film's producers thought they would bring younger audiences to the master's works, many who might have aversion to decades-old black and white films, they have failed with the experiment, says Aseem Chhabra.
There is a world that Satyajit Ray created in his films that I wanted to be a part of -- as Durga bathed in the rain to Ravi Shankar's music; when Charulata sat on the swing regretting she never had a child; and Aarti stood up in defence of her colleague. Aseem Chhabra shares interesting memoris of Satyajit Ray on the latter's birth centenary on May 2.
We are all blessed that Irrfan Khan has left us a treasure trove of his remarkable films. The characters he played were real, believable. We recognised them and they have stayed with us. And so a fan I like to believe Irrfan Khan did not die, says Aseem Chhabra, the actor's biographer on Irrfan's first death anniversary.
Despite the smaller scale of the event, the mood at the ceremony was cheerful, notes Aseem Chhabra.
Aseem Chhabra introduces us to the best of Berlinale.
© 2025 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances