‘Boong’: Manipur’s beauty, injustice and tumult depicted through a child’s gaze
Lakshmipriya Devi’s BAFTA-winning debut film ‘Boong’ is a gentle exploration of the harsh realities in today’s Manipur, writes author and podcaster Mohua Chinappa.
Tag: Films
Creating the sets of ‘Homebound’ taught me to be empathetic: Khyatee Kanchan
Award-winning production designer Khyatee Mohan Kanchan talks about her work in ‘Homebound’, India’s official entry to the 2026 Academy Awards, and her experiences working behind the scenes in Bollywood for two decades.
This Indian-origin filmmaker is amplifying Afghan refugee voices
At a time when women’s voices are being systematically silenced, US-based Indian-origin documentary filmmaker Ankita M Kumar has set out to bring Afghan refugee stories to the world. Her first film has now been backed by Naseeruddin Shah.
Trance and transcendence: Anu Malhotra on her new book ‘Shamans of the Himalayas’
Filmmaker Anu Malhotra’s new book delves into the hidden spiritual traditions of Himachal’s Kullu Valley, exploring divine possession, sacred healing and nature rituals often ignored by Western-oriented education systems.
I watched 20 films in 7 days – here’s what they taught me about storytelling
A film buff reflects on the hero’s journey in cinema after watching several acclaimed films at the Bengaluru International Film Festival. Narratives reveal complexities of dreams, escapes, relationships, outcomes, and emotional depths. Whose story is it anyway?
“Patriarchy and politics have denied Muslim women justice both within religion and as citizens”: Zakia Soman
Zakia Soman has been fighting for Muslim women’s rights for decades. Now, her son Arastu Zakia’s short film ‘Riha’ (Unlocked) based on her life and experience of domestic abuse, is being screened at Tasveer Film Festival 2024.
“An audience problem”: Making gender-conscious cinema while the box office celebrates toxic masculinity
eShe TV hosted a panel discussion with the producer of the new Hindi film ‘Joram’, Anupama Bose, along with the film’s three female leads, Smita Tambe, Nimmy Raphel and Megha Mathur, on female characters in Bollywood and gender-sensitive filmmaking.
Patriarchy, market forces and the problematic portrayal of women in South Asian films and television
Gender representation in South Asian films and television is marred by sexist storylines, domestic violence and normalisation of sexual harassment. Who decides that this is what viewers want or need to see?
Actor-director Saloni Chopra on her new film ‘Coconut’, love versus tradition, and being a brown girl in Australia
Actor and writer Saloni Chopra’s directorial debut ‘Coconut’, made during the pandemic in Melbourne, explores a modern romance where love and identity are at a crossroads with culture and tradition.
The Cause and Effect of Gender Violence in India – ‘The Brown Box’ Ep.2
In episode 2 of ‘The Brown Box’ podcast for eShe, host Rani Jeyaraj speaks to actor-filmmaker Dr Lakshmi Devy and renowned activist Smita Bharti about gender violence in India.
“Borders are there but stories can bridge the gap” – cinema’s powerwomen at eShe Peace Summit
Full report on what powerful women directors and producers from India and Pakistan had to say at eShe Indo-Pak Peace Summit Led by Women
“I hope this strange, toxic phase does not deter women joining the film industry” – Alankrita Shrivastava
Alankrita Shrivastava speaks up about Rhea Chakraborty’s media trial, filmmaking in the time of clampdown on dissent, and her new film Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare.
Making Motherhood Synonymous with Sacrifice Is Unfair to Women – ‘Shakuntala Devi’ Co-writer
Nayanika Mahtani, co-writer of the new biopic ‘Shakuntala Devi’, reflects on films, feminism and the line between career and family that women have balanced over the past century.
“A gig that terrifies you and gives you purpose”: what it takes to direct MAMI Mumbai Film Festival
Artistic director of the prestigious MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, Smriti Kiran has turned around its fortunes in the past few years.
A few good women: the glaring gender gap among Indian cinematographers
Only a fraction of cinematographers in Mumbai’s film industry are women – how does the skewed ratio play out in their career growth?
How Bollywood uses violence against women to pander to male complexes
Film critic Suparna Sharma points out how rape and women’s trauma are used in Indian films as a cinematic tool to show men earning personal glory.
The Sordid, Family-Unsafe World of Netflix
Even someone as non-judgemental, non-prudish and open-minded as Sunita Pandey suffered shock upon shock.
The Hidden Truths in ‘The Wife’ Only a Woman Would Recognise
A wife trades her truth to help her husband look better than he actually is. Is that the price of marriage?
Chitrangada Chakraborty behind the ‘Tottaa Pataaka Item Maal’
An actress who thrives in unconventional roles, a performer from a lineage of Bengali film bigwigs, a photographer, a ukulele player – who is Chitrangada Chakraborty?
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