THE STORYTELLER

By Avik Basak In most cases, Marvel’s solo superhero films are not just superhero films. For example, in Captain America: The First Avenger , we got a World War II film, while in Ant-Man , we got a heist film, whereas Captain America: The Winter Soldier was made like a political spy thriller and Spider-Man: Homecoming was kind of a John Hughes high school drama. The latest instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe ( MCU ), Black Panther carries this tradition forward as it fuses the superhero genre with science fiction and political drama. “Afrofuturism” is not a new term but I am sure many of us were not familiar with it before this movie hit the screens, at least I was not. It denotes “a cultural aesthetic, philosophy of science, and philosophy of history that explores the developing intersection of African/African-American culture with technology”, according to Wikipedia. The way this film’s story unfolds and the way its science fiction backdrop works, it show...

By Avik Basak After Toilet: Ek Prem Katha , Akshay Kumar is back with another socio-drama, Pad Man that sheds light on the social taboo and restrictions that women of rural India face regarding their menstruation periods and the use of sanitary pads. The movie, directed by R. Balki, shows us the mirror of truth and raises the same old question of how can we develop as a country when we cannot uproot a basic problem like this? How can we call ourselves civilised and strong when we cannot provide the minimal importance and protection to the women in our society? Based on the true story of  Arunachalam Muruganantham, Pad Man not only asks this question but also points out how reluctant we are to act or let someone else act, even if the solution is right in front of us. The most beautiful thing about the movie is that although it talks about women’s problems and how those should be dealt with, it has a man at its centre. So, it is quite justified, when a supporting c...

By Avik Basak When I enter a theatre to watch a film which has been made on a budget of more than 200 crores and is about the historical event of a siege of a castle, I do not know about you but I expect to see a significant amount of battle or war sequences, which is unfortunately not the case with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat . On the other hand, if you are looking for a high dose of well-crafted drama, there is plenty of that in it, a little too much at times. The film that faced a lot of trouble and controversy from the very beginning released to rave expectations from the audiences. Sadly, it has to go down as an overhyped movie as it is neither able to reach the epic standard it promised nor did it utilise the full potential the plot had. Reportedly based on the eponymous poem of the same name by the 15 th -century poet, Malik Muhammad Jayasi, Padmaavat starts off well as it establishes its main players. The fast-paced first half showcases how Khilji o...