In popular imagination, the Allied invasion of continental Europe is dominated by the Normandy Landings. The opening amphibious landing scene in Spielberg’s ‘Saving Private Ryan’ and the Cold War narrative of the joint Anglo-American thrust to free Europe and clear the road to Berlin have both contributed to this narrative. The truth was that months … Continue reading The Forgotten ‘Battle for Italy’ and Naples in 1944
Abbas Kiarostami’s Certified Copy is essentially a meditation on whether a copy of a work of art can possess the same “essence” as the original. I watched it mainly because it featured Juliette Binochet, and the film certainly did not disappoint. It was charming, eccentric, strange, and undeniably brave in attempting something though Kiarostami could … Continue reading Warhol and Jasper Johns’ ‘Coca Cola’
After “A Room with a View’, I felt I had to read Forster’s other famed work – “A Passage to India’. Though I’m late to the party, I’m convinced that this book would rank as one of the best works of fiction written by a foreigner about India. The closest rival to this claim would … Continue reading Forster’s ‘A Passage to India’
I finally watched Wim Wenders' 'Perfect Days' which came out in 2023 only to discover that the wonderful movie was commissioned as a marketing pitch for the 'Tokyo Toilet' project. The 'Tokyo Toilet' project was an initiative of Nippon Foundation under which 17 toilets were redesigned by 16 world famous architects including Pritzker awardees, in … Continue reading The Tokyo Toilet
Crime 101: After I long time, I ended up enjoying a properly executed crime caper. The business model of streaming platforms has made quantity triumph over quality. So it was good to see one that stood out. Jane Eyre: I tried watching this after finishing the book. But the adaptation was weak and I quit … Continue reading What I Watched – April 2026
E. M. Forster’s A Room with a View, beyond its exploration of class in Victorian Britain, also captures the tourism mania that gripped the country at the turn of the century. With the British Empire at its zenith, the continent and far-flung regions such as India, Egypt, and South Africa became accessible, exerting a powerful … Continue reading Forster’s ‘A Room with a View’
Pluribus: Though I don’t read Sci-Fi, I enjoy watching the genre on screen. The philosophical angles and the mind-bending scenarios always make it worthwhile. Pluribus didn’t disappoint and got me thinking about loneliness, Big Brother, conformity and free will. It was also nice to revisit the landscape of Breaking Bad – Arizona. Burn After Reading: … Continue reading What I Watched – March 2026
After reading up on the Islamic Revolution, I was on the lookout for something to watch and chanced upon this documentary titled: Iran: A Cinematographic Revolution. The 90 minute documentary chronicles the evolution of Iranian cinema beginning from the reign of the Shah till the early aughts when the theocracy was firmly in power. The … Continue reading Iran: A Cinematographic Revolution
Il Sorpasso: Wrote about this here and also about Jhumpa Lahiri Sinners: Science Fiction and Horror are two genres that I've never been fascinated with. The Oscar hype around Sinners forced me to check it out. I ended ruing my decision. How does one suspend belief to this extent? Weapons: Despite being disappointed by Sinners, … Continue reading What I Watched – February 2026
The Wuthering Heights adaptation has been all over the news for various reasons. So I first read Bronte’s novel and then went to check what the fuss was all about. The Margot Robbie-Jacob Ellordi starrer wasn’t great but it wasn’t terrible too. The childhood bond between Heathcliff and Catherine was tenderly captured. The interior design … Continue reading The ‘Wuthering Heights’ Rabbit Hole
