Reviews & Musings

If you’ve ever walked out of a movie theater feeling transformed, humming a melody, or quoting a line that hit you right in the soul, you already know the magic we lived during the Lights, Camera, India !  a.k.a. our recent Online  Film Appreciation Workshop by Karwaan Heritage .  If Satyajit Ray had directed a documentary about the love for Indian cinema and invited a few professors, critics, musicians, and die-hard fans to co-write it, it might look something like this workshop. This wasn’t your average academic affair. This was a full-blown cinematic experience. A masterclass. A masala epic of knowledge, nostalgia, and nonstop  naach-gaana . A cinematic pilgrimage.  A celebration of Indian cinema so immersive, so joyful, that even the most punctual of us stopped caring when sessions ran overtime. (And they always did.)

Lakeerein hain to rehne do, kisi ne rooth kar gusse mein shayad kheech di thi. Unhi ko ab banao paala aur aao kabaddi khelte hain. Lakeerein hain to rehne do -Gulzar   These words captivated my attention to the television screen and stayed with me long after the teaser promo of Kya Dilli Kya Lahore was over.   Source: Google Images Every time I think of Pakistan the only thought that comes to my mind is how similar we are, yet so distinct and the biggest line of demarcation that defines who we are is the line drawn between our countries. Partition as an issue is very close to my heard for unknown reasons. I have read a lot about it in books like Train to Pakistan and of course movies like Gadar, Waqt... the only question that used to haunt me every time was who gave them the right to divide us like this, creating an irrevocable barrier in hearts of people leading to a gap which just keeps getting wider with the passage of time.   Perhaps these lines b...