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If you would ask me what I would like to do for the rest of my life, I would always answer with one word: Eat! via GIPHY If there is anything in the world that I love unconditionally, it is food. Is there anything better than eating your favourite food? Digging into that freshly prepared chicken curry, finished with some chopped coriander, or having your fingers turn yellow after eating that delightful fish curry? via GIPHY Or having a heavenly helping of dal with steamed rice? Or biting into the piece of that decadently gorgeous chocolate cake? via GIPHY Or a spoonful of that Biryani? via GIPHY Who can resist the smell of freshly fried garlic or not get enchanted by the sound of sizzling onions? (The answer is always a resounding “NO”) I mean, can there be any love more sincere than the love for food? If there has to be a unanimous entity for bringing people together, I don't think that can be accomplished by anything other than food. Food has an intrinsic quality, an all-pervasive nature: it serves as a mirror to culture, a part of the tradition, a bond for communities, an allegory for desires, an expression of love. I have hardly come across another entity as ubiquitous as food, its inherent diversity; how its excess can cause you discomfort and so can its dearth. How it trickles down to the most downtrodden parts of society but is also adulated in haute living. How it can be sensual, ignite passions, add spice to your life, and in turn, can also be a proponent of disgust or the start of a grotesque fiasco. Another facet which accompanies food and is crucial is its presentation, its ocular appeal. And as humans, who are visual by nature, our gastronomical desires are magnified tenfold when we see food on the big screen. via GIPHY Remember that Chocolate Cake from the movie “Matilda”? via GIPHY Film and food share a relationship of yore; movies celebrating food are shot gorgeously, are aesthetically pleasing while they tell stories of people like us, and how food influences us all. In these films, food drives the story forward, changes the protagonist's life. Movies also incorporate sound, which is an important aspect of food: be it cutting into it or its preparation, the clanging of utensils, the sizzle of a pan. Essentially, these movies provide the union of two of the senses: visual and aural, which is always an amazing combination. So, here are 16 delectably scrumptious movies that quite literally serve a piece of life (and make you raid your fridge in the middle of the night): 1. Julie and Julia (2009): Stuck in the rut of her bureaucratic dead-end job (Hello there!), Julie Powell decides (Amy Adams) to take on a project to relieve herself from the boredom of her uneventful life. The project: Cooking her way through Julia Child's enormous cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, in 365 days and blogging about it. Little does she know that this little venture of hers will change her life forever. Two stories, two women, bound by their mutual love for food. © Columbia Pictures Starring Amy Adams as Julie Powell and Meryl Streep as the famous, celebrated cook, Julia Child, the movie explores the lives of the two women parallelly in two different eras: Julie, in 2002, as she starts her blog and cooks up all the 524 recipes, and Julia, in 1949, as she moves to Paris and finds her calling as a chef and collaborates on the now-famous cookbook which made her into a culinary icon. © Columbia Pictures Julie and Julia, directed by Nora Ephron, is one of the most heartwarming movies which celebrate food and its importance in life. It drives home the fact that inspiration can come in any form, you just need to believe in yourself. (If you wish, you can read my review on the movie here: USP: The food! The gorgeous, divine, decadent food! Especially the “Butter Monologue” and the “Boeuf Bourguignon”. via GIPHY via GIPHY Meryl Streep as Julia Child is a phenomenon; not only is the resemblance uncanny, she impersonates Julia Child's idiosyncrasies to the T, be it the trademark, out-of-breath, slightly tipsy voice or the quirky mannerisms. via GIPHY via GIPHY “Bon Appetit!” via GIPHY 2. Chef (2014): When Carl (Jon Favreau), a renowned chef of a famous restaurant in California decides to be more creative with his recipes, he is met with resistance from the restaurant owner, Riva (Dustin Hoffman). To make matters worse, he gets into a public altercation with a prestigious food critic, Ramsey Michel, after the latter writes a distasteful review of his food. © Aldamisa Entertainment Heartbroken, he quits the job and embarks on a journey of self-discovery through food; food that he actually loves and that fulfils his creative aspirations. Eventually, he opens a food truck while trying to mend his frail relationship with his estranged son, Percy (Emjay Anthony). Will he be successful? USP: The food scenes are aesthetically attractive, kudos to cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau. via GIPHY Jon Favreau's directorial prowess and love for food is apparent in the movie. via GIPHY 3. The Lunchbox (2012): In an attempt to add some zing into her unromantic marriage, Ila (Nimrit Kaur) turns to the most trusted entity of all: food. And in her quest to quite literally spice up her love life, she decides to send her inattentive husband, Rajiv, a lunch every day with the help of ever-dependable dabbawallas in Mumbai. But by a curious twist of fate, the dabba prepared for her husband lands on the table of Saajan Fernandes (Irfan Khan), an aged, lonely widower who works as an accountant. © UTV Motion Pictures Upon realizing her mistake, she sends in a letter with her next lunchbox elaborating on the predicament, which starts a correspondence that soon turns into a beautiful friendship, guided by letters and an erroneously delivered lunchbox containing delicious food. © UTV Motion Pictures USP: The movie encapsulates the beauty of human relations: how we can forge connections with people we have never met yet can completely relate to and understand. And it helps even more when food is involved in the equation! via GIPHY Again, the food! Especially, the Paneer Kofta which Ila makes as a thank you gesture. :D via GIPHY The superb performances by Irfan and Nimrit tug at your heart. And not to forget, Deshpande Auntie (who is not seen but only heard)! 4. Chocolat (2000): When free-spirited, single mother Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche) arrives in a quaint, quiet village in France with her daughter Anouk, her unconventional ways earn her the ire of the village folk, especially the staunchly conservative mayor, Comte de Reynaud. © Miramax Films Vianne, an expert chocolatier, opens up a small chocolate shop in the village, much to the displeasure of Reynaud who vehemently opposes her, publicly accusing her of bringing temptation into the lives of the people, especially during Lent. via GIPHY As the story progresses, Vianne's eponymous temptation, the aforementioned chocolate, brings about a change in the village and its inhabitants in varied ways. The plot thickens when Vianne's own desire comes in the form of Roux, a gypsy who wants more than her chocolate. via GIPHY USP: The chocolate! Duh! :P via GIPHY 5. Like Water for Chocolate (1992): A passionate Mexican movie, directed by Alfonso Arau and based on Laura Esquivel's novel, showcasing how food affects life, and how our emotions influence not only the food we cook but also the people we serve it to. With themes of magic realism, the movie focuses on the illicit relationship between Tita (Lumi Cavazos) and Pedro (Marco Leonardi). © Miramax Why illicit? Because as per family tradition, Tita, being the youngest of three daughters cannot marry and needs to live her life as a help to the other members, especially her mother, Mama Elena (Regina Torné). Resigned to her fate, Tita learns cooking under the tutelage of the chef, Nacha (Ada Carrasco), who teaches her the relationship between food and life. © Miramax Heartbreakingly, when Pedro comes to express his love for Tita, he is betrothed to her sister, Rosaura (Yareli Arizmendi), in exchange as the tradition still stands. As her affair with Pedro intensifies, her feelings start to seep into the food she cooks, eventually becoming an outlet for her emotions, but also inadvertently manifesting itself the behaviour of the people around her. via GIPHY USP: There are two scenes: As she prepares the cake for Pedro's wedding, Tita weeps, and her tears fall into the batter which leads to an eventful dinner reception. When she uses roses gifted by Pedro to make a quail dinner with rose petal sauce, it leads to her family feeling inexorable carnal desire. via GIPHY 6. The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989): Michael Gambon (Yes, Dumbledore!) stars in this vogueish black comedy/ crime drama as Alberta Spica (The Thief), an uncouth and repulsive gangster who, along with his band of thugs, has taken over the French restaurant “Le Hollandais” but calls himself an urbane gourmet. © Palace Pictures He terrorizes everyone in the restaurant, but the brunt of the terror is unleashed most on his sophisticated wife, Georgina (Helen Mirren/The Wife) and the head chef, Richard Borst (Richard Bohringer/The Cook) who despises Alberta but is unable to do anything about it. Drama ensues when Georgina finds herself lusting for a regular customer, Michael (The Lover/Alan Howard), who is a bookshop owner and reads while he eats. As her affair progresses, Alberta finds out and then makes life hell for the staff which helps Georgina with her lover. USP: The performances by the lead cast. The film uses food as an allegory for the voyeuristic attitude of Alberta and his pretentiousness. His supposed gourmet personality is a far cry from his real one, which he tries to hide like spices are used to mask uncooked food. Warning: You need a strong stomach for this! :P 7. I Am Love (2009): In this Italian film, Tilda Swinton stars as Emma, the Russian-born daughter-in-law of a wealthy, Milanese family, the Recchi's, who is trying to find herself, away from the glittery, Haute living her family expects her to lead. © Mikado Film As she ruminates over her predicament during a lavish family dinner, help comes in the form of young Antonio Bisceglia (Edoardo Gabbriellini), a celebrated chef who incites her dormant passion with the aid of food. Matters worsen when her son Edoardo Jr. clashes with the family regarding the set path for him as Emma finds herself drawn to Antonio. © Mikado Film USP: Tilda Swinton and the prawns. via GIPHY 8. Ratatouille (2007): What can I say about this delightful movie? Not only is it one of the best animated movies to have ever been made, but it also features delicious food! The wonderful comedy revolves around a rat, with a highly developed sense of smell and taste named Remy (Patton Oswalt) who aspires to become a chef. As luck would have it, he ends up in the kitchen of the restaurant of his recently deceased idol, chef Auguste Gusteau's (Brad Garett). © Walt Disney Pictures Once there, he manages to strike up a friendship with the garbage boy, Alfredo Linguini (Lou Romano), helping him and guiding him in creating dishes and earn the appreciation of the new owner, Chef Skinner (Ian Holm). via GIPHY But soon, a secret is revealed that changes the course of the movie. Friendship, love, and food in one neat package! USP: The entire Anton Ego (the irascible food critic portrayed by Brad Bird) sequence and the ratatouille dish, confit byaldi! via GIPHY Never have I seen such a beautiful rendition of food in mainstream animated movies! (Not counting the stunning food shown in Anime :P) via GIPHY 9. Burnt (2015): Starring Bradley Cooper as a drug-addled former executive chef Adam Jones, the story revolves around his quest to put his life back on track and earn a third Michelin Star. © Shiny Penny Productions Adam is a brilliant but mercurial chef whose creativity is marred by his drug habit and unstable temper, which destroys his mentor's restaurant in Paris along with Adam's credibility. Adam realizes his self-destructive streak and goes on a self-imposed exile to New Orleans to gain perspective. He travels to London to pursue his dream of the Michelin Star, under the banner of his restaurateur friend, who grudgingly allows him to become a chef in his hotel. © Shiny Penny Productions His luck seemingly changes until ghosts from his past and his own mental stability conspire to take him down. USP: The food porn! via GIPHY 10. Big Night (1996): In this dramedy, two Italian brothers, Primo and Secondo, put out all strings for the 'Big Night' that will catapult their sinking authentic Italian restaurant, Paradise, to dizzying heights. © Timpano Production Primo, the perfectionist of the two, is annoyed and frustrated by the Americanized version of authentic Italian dishes, which he refuses to serve to customers, insisting on cooking only the true version, leading to him losing customers by the score. Secondo, the businessman of the duo, is more concerned with the running of the place and keeping it afloat than to retain cultural heritage. © Timpano Production With nowhere else to go, they try to strike out a deal with their nemesis, Pascal who owns a successful restaurant, who refuses to give them a loan. But, in an unlikely liberal gesture offers them to treat Louis Prima, a renowned American-Italian singer, to a meal at their restaurant who can change their fortune. Will they be successful? USP: The crowning glory has to be the timpano! via GIPHY Tony Shalhoub as Primo and Stanley Tucci as Secondo are delightful in their roles; the best part of the movie is any scene they are together! 11. 'The Trip' Trilogy (2010/2014/2017-): This BBC series which was made into a feature film stars Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon as themselves on a gastronomical journey through Northern England (in the first movie/series) commissioned by the Observer; their job is to visit different restaurants, try their food and review it. © BBC Worldwide When Steve's girlfriend refuses to go with him on the trip, he invites his frenemy, fellow actor/comedian Rob Brydon to accompany him on the journey. As they travel through England, locking horns with each other on everything. Guided by their egos, trying to outwit each other, while being clueless about fine dining, their animosity dissolves into a camaraderie which is fun to watch. © BBC Worldwide Be it their fight over who can do a better Michael Caine impression or which syllable should be pronounced first in kumquat, Rob and Steve meander across beautiful locales, eating decadent, delicious food. via GIPHY And it isn't over in England! They return to wander across Italy in the sequel with renewed vows to upstage each other. And if that wasn't enough, they are back to eat more and traipse around in broken Spanish in the next sequel, The Trip to Spain! © BBC Worldwide One of the best road trip movies ever! via GIPHY USP: The nearly pornographic shots of the food: The buttery scallops frying in the pan! Absolute bliss! The cheesy pasta in “The Trip to Italy”; divine! Not to forget, the Michael Caine impersonation by Rob Brydon is spot on! Rob and Steve' bromance, their will-they won't-they chemistry, their asinine fights, has to be one of the most hilarious parts of the movie, cementing them into iconic duo status. 12. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971): One of the most adored children's books of all time, 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', was adapted to screen in 1973 in a movie written by Roald Dahl (who later disowned it), with Gene Wilder playing Willy Wonka in a now-iconic role. © Paramount Pictures © Paramount Pictures And who can forget the Oompa Loompas? via GIPHY The story focuses on Charlie Bucket, a poor boy who finds himself the winner of a Golden Ticket giving him access to Willy Wonka's bizarre and unconventional Chocolate Factory along with four other children (and his whiner of a grandfather). via GIPHY The children, each with their unique personalities, are promised a lifetime supply of chocolate at the end of the trip. via GIPHY But will it be as easy as it looks? via GIPHY USP: Willy Wonka's legendary forward roll! via GIPHY The Chocolate Room: All you can eat candy! :D via GIPHY via GIPHY Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka is perfect, and no one has come close to his sweetly comical yet maniacal (and terrifying) portrayal of one of Roald Dahl's most notorious characters. © Paramount Pictures 13. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005): While both iterations of this children's book capture the quirky Willy Wonka and Charlie's adventures inside the Chocolate factory superbly, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is truer to the novel than its predecessor. © Warner Bros. Pictures Starring Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka, this movie has superior special/visual effects and a more whimsical setting, typical of Tim Burton's movies. © Warner Bros. Pictures The movie stands out in terms of character development, giving a backstory to Willy Wonka which serves a reason for his eccentric personality, something which wasn't quite clear in the 1971 movie. via GIPHY USP: The chocolate river! It truly looks edible (also because it is faux melted chocolate) and is much better than the 1971's dull version. It is visually more appealing. via GIPHY The squirrels breaking the nuts always cracks me up! Johnny Depp's portrayal of Willy Wonka is superb; wacky and quirky (but still not close to Gene Wilder), with just a touch of authenticity. via GIPHY 14. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009): Eccentric wannabe scientist Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader) is always working on a new project: spray-on shoes, hair un-balding serum, a monkey thought translator. But unfortunately for him, all his endeavours result in failure. via GIPHY When his new project, a machine that converts water into food, the FLDSMDFR, fails and inadvertently gets launched into space while wreaking havoc on the town, Flint decides to hang up his shoes. © Sony Pictures Animation As he miserably walks around as the social pariah, his machine makes a comeback in style: it starts raining cheeseburgers all over town. via GIPHY Flint then uses a communicator to let the machine cater to the epicurean needs of the residents of Chewandswallow. Overjoyed, the town people keep making requests until their greed and gluttony sets in. via GIPHY As a catastrophe seems to be imminent, Clint sets off with his new friends, Sam Sparks (Anna Farris), Officer Devereaux (Mr. T), Brent (Andy Samberg), Manny (Benjamin Bratt), and his BFF Steve the Monkey (Neil Patrick Harris), to end it. USP: The food storm! All the spaghetti and the meatballs, and the ICECREAM! Flint's father, Tim (James Caan), is the absolute best! via GIPHY 15. Eat Drink Man Woman (1994): In this Taiwanese comedy-drama, Mr Chu (Sihung Lung) is a widowed Chinese master chef with three unmarried daughters, who cooks up a dinner feast every Sunday for his daughters as a tradition. © The Samuel Goldwyn Company His independent daughters, with their ideas of the modern world and diverse dispositions, clash with their traditionalist father over the dinner table. © The Samuel Goldwyn Company As the struggle over the superiority of values continues, with generation gap running rampant, the daughters and Mr Chu realize that perhaps traditions and new ideas can mix well, just like food with unconventional ingredients. via GIPHY Directed by Ang Lee, the movie has a quiet grace about itself, its wisdom percolating in the viewer's mind through the brilliant story. USP: The food throughout the movie, especially the opening sequence. Mr Chu's passion for food and his dexterity in his craft is apparent in the scenes. via GIPHY The beautiful, intricate dumplings! via GIPHY 16. Waitress (2007): Keri Russell stars as Jenna, a down-on-her-luck waitress who creates ingenious pies with uncommon names. Stuck in an unhappy marriage, Jenna's world is further complicated when she finds out that she is pregnant with her abusive husband's child. © Fox Searchlight Pictures As Jenna struggles with the new revelation, her only comfort being the therapeutic pie making she indulges in, respite comes in the form of a pie baking contest with a $25,000 prize which can be the key to her happiness and freedom. © Fox Searchlight Pictures As she gears up for the competition, luck seems to have a different plan for her. via GIPHY USP: The pies and their creative names: The Strawberry Chocolate Oasis Pie, Baby Screaming Its Head Off In The Middle Of The Night And Ruining My Life Pie, Kick In The Pants Pie. via GIPHY As decadent as they sound! :P via GIPHY So, what are you waiting for? Watch these now! Let the foodie in you reign supreme! via GIPHY P.S.: Don't watch these on an empty stomach. :P

There's nothing better than finding a sharp comeback or quoting something wise when your back is against the wall. Words can indeed be mightier than a sword. Following are some of the most awesome comebacks from famous movies or TV series which you can use on one occasion or the other: 1. When You Tell A Joke And Your Friend Doesn't Laugh: “I'll explain and I'll use small words so that you'll be sure to understand.” —The Princess Bride 2. When Your Friend Does A Silly Thing: “You are what the French call, les incompetent.” – Home Alone 3. When Someone Goes Below The Belt: “You are a sad, strange little man, and you have my pity.” – Toy Story 4. When Your Crush Asks You If She Should Laugh At Your Silly Joke: “Go ahead, make my day.” – Sudden Impact 5. When Someone Roasts You Badly In A Group: “You talking to me?” – Taxi Driver 6. When Your Girlfriend Complains You Drink Too Much: “Well, nobody's perfect.” – Some Like It Hot 7. When Your Bae Asks Why Are You Visiting The Friends/Relatives You Hate: “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.” – The Godfather II 8. When A Guy You Hate Tells You He'll Destroy You In Front Of Your Bae: "You come at the king, you best not miss." – The Wire 9. When Someone Is Trying To Roast You: “You're boring me.” – Blackish 10. When Your Drunk A*s Gets Into A Fight With The Bouncer & Your Friends Ask You To Chill: “I laugh in the face of danger!” – The Lion King Whatever the situation is, a wise-ass reply will make you savage!

Salman Khan doesn't follow the set patterns of Bollywood's rulebook and you might agree with us on this. He doesn't care if his movies are not given great ratings by the film critics because according to him, it's the box office numbers that validate any film. Salman Khan's latest release 'Bharat', which is an official remake of the South Korean film 'Ode to My Father', has turned out to be a lucky project for the actor. The movie is doing pretty well at the domestic market and is inching close to earning Rs 200 crores. The movie opened to mixed reviews from critics as some called it 'bland' and some termed it the perfect Eid blockbuster. But, none of these ratings affect our superstar, Salman Khan, in fact, he feels “scared” when critics praise his movies. In one of the group interviews, while promoting the movie, Salman said, “My validation comes from the box office collections... that the people have liked or not liked a film. It doesn't make a difference if someone (a critic) has given it so many stars (ratings) or ridiculed the film. It's their bread and butter. God bless them, give them two more (slices of) bread,” Salman said in a group interview. Asked how he feels when the critics give glorious reviews to his films, the actor said he is unable to wrap his head around it. To all the journalists who have interviewed me during #Bharat ... a big thank u to all... — Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan) June 12, 2019 He added that he wants the audience to go to the theatres and forget about their life in general when they are watching his movies. Apart from Salman, 'Bharat' also stars Katrina Kaif, Disha Patani, Jackie Shroff, Nora Fatehi, Sunil Grover and Tabu. The movie chronicles important events that have taken place in the country after Independence. Have you seen 'Bharat'? Let us know in the comments below.

There's this inexplicable universal thing, that even if you are a complete coward like me, you would still want to experience the thrill of watching a horror movie, and that too in a pitch dark room (in my case, I can't do this alone). For those with hearts of steel, I am sure watching a horror film is child's play. But, what about spending a Sunday night curled up on the couch and watching a horror film? Isn't that a perfect date? Well, if you have a girlfriend, the trick of watching a horror film always works. This Sunday, get ready for some spooky time with your popcorn ready and yes, a blanket too. I am sure that you wouldn't like to be lost in the streaming jungle, so we have kind of sorted that issue for you. We have picked up 5 horror films on Amazon Prime, which according to us, will surely send chills down your spine: 1. A Quiet Place Ssshhhh...! Yes, that's how you will survive. Director John Krasinski has done a brilliant job in creating a world that will surely give you the chills. 'A Quiet Place' follows the story of a family that's stuck in a place full of aliens, who are ready to kill if there's any sound. It's a very different sort of a horror movie and well, I am sure that you would be SILENT while watching this film. The repercussions will be there post watching the film too. 2. Hereditary Directed by Ari Aster, this movie is yet again a very different attempt in the genre and well, all horror films are not just about jump scares and gore. For those who love the classics, this is something that you would surely like to invest your time in. This falls into the category of psychological thriller infused with horror elements. It will creep you out in a very psychological way instead of being a visual terror. It follows the Graham family as they deal with the death of their grandmother. I am not giving out any spoilers, so this Sunday, watch this one for sure. 3. House On Haunted Hill Some classic horror movies can never die and we can bet you would surely like this one. How about being given $10,000 and asked to stay in a mansion full of murder victims? Would you dare to do it? Nevertheless, you can add this one to your watch list for your lonely Sunday night. 4. Jacob's Ladder Next up is another psychological horror movie, 'Jacob's Ladder'. The movie will take you back to the time of the Vietnam War. It's somewhere an adaptation of Ambrose Bierce's famous short story 'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge'. It follows the story of a Vietnam veteran who continues to experience horrific visions after his return from the war. For sure, it will give you spooky vibes for the day. 5. Night Of The Living Dead Let us take you to Zombie Land! George A Romero's 1968 classic 'The Night of the Living Dead' can give you nightmares and you would actually feel those zombies would be looking for you in real life. So, plan set for Sunday night!

The Bengalis are boisterous people. We love to talk, and we love to eat. Along with applying copious amounts of “Boroline” and eating tons of fish, we are raised on a steady diet of loving our heritage, our culture; a great part of which is composed of literature and films. © Pinterest So, when we are not busy having our daily quota of “Bhaat Ghum” or debating about politics, we are busy with our cup of “cha” and “Shinghara/Telebhaja” in an “Adda” about movies: past, present, and the future. Or in the contemporary sense, with our trusty bottle of “Old Monk” and delicious Fish Fry. (Enough with the stereotypes! :P ) And it can become a bloodbath if you try to compare recent Hindi mainstream movies with the ones we grew up on. Not only do we have great directors like Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, and Ritwik Ghatak among others, whose brilliance the directors of today cannot even begin to grasp, we have compelling stories which make you think and initiate a stimulating discussion. What Makes Bengali Movies Different? Bengali movies show the human side of people, the real face of humanity, the fate of society. It is about those small moments which change a person. Gone is the hullabaloo of the city, the glitz and glamour. Yet, it encompasses parts of the charm. Importance is given to the apparent monotony of life, the day-to-day conversations which seem trivial but constitute our society. The movies are beautifully directed, have superb cinematography and powerful portrayals. Contrary to popular perception, the Indian Film Industry is made of more than just Hindi commercial/mainstream movies; there is Arthouse cinema, Parallel cinema, regional language films which include exceptional Bangla, Kannada, Tamil, Marathi, Malayalam, Telugu, Assamese movies, et al. And all of these can give mainstream movies a good run for their money. The thing is, people don't watch these movies because the movies do not have the budget for promotion, or the audience is just unaware of them. So, if you, like me, have been crying with rage over the fate of Indian cinema, courtesy of the mediocre and utterly bland movies in the mainstream (Yes, looking at you SOTY 2!), here are 13 Bengali movies that will change your perception of Indian cinema: (Note: There are numerous Bengali movies which are absolutely brilliant, but all cannot feature in a single list.) 1. Mahanagar (The Big City / 1963): © R.D. Bansal & Company Set in the financially strapped Calcutta of the 1950s, one of Satyajit Ray's first women-centric movies, Mahanagar, tells the story of Arati (Madhabi Mukherjee), a middle-class woman who has to step into the corporate world to support her economically crunched family. Though initially supportive of his wife's job, her husband Subrata starts resenting her new-found success and independence, after he loses his job. Subrata is left struggling with his masculinity, guided by societal pressures warning him of the “perils of a working woman”. Arati, now, turns into the sole breadwinner of the family; a feat for which she both begrudged and loved. Arati starts loving her freedom, the liberation the job gives and befriends her modern colleagues which doesn't go down well with her orthodox family. As the story moves forward, Arati realizes her role in society is more than what society teaches her, and she finds a version of herself which had been hidden behind layers of tradition and customs. 2. Meghe Dhaka Tara (The Cloud-Capped Star / 1960): © Chitrakalpa Ritwik Ghatak's masterpiece is a dialogue on society and human nature; the way we take others for granted and leave them the moment tragedy strikes. Neeta (Supriya Chowdhury), Ghatak's heroine, is a beautiful, sweet-natured girl from the suburbs of Calcutta. After the recent upheaval of the Partition, as Neeta and her family, refugees from East Pakistan (Bangladesh), try to make a living in the city, tragedy after tragedy befalls them. In the midst is young Neeta, whose altruistic disposition is exploited to no end by everyone she knows, ultimately putting her on a path of devastation, decorated by problems along the way. Neeta's sacrifices make her a strong woman, but they are also a cause for her despair. Mr Ghatak uses music to elevate the trials and tribulations of Neeta in the viewer's mind. 3. Bhooter Bhabhishyat (2012): © Mojo Productions When ad-director Ayan (Parambrata Chatterjee) visits apparently haunted Chowdhury House to shoot for an advertisement, he gets stranded for the night. A while later, while exploring the manor, he runs into Biplab (Sabyasachi Chakrabarty), a local man who offers to tell him a story to provide him with some perspective upon learning Ayan's desire to become a filmmaker. A funny story about the quirky inhabitants of Chowdhury Baadi who just happen to be ghosts! As the movie unfolds, each character which their unique idiosyncrasies, try to subvert a terrible calamity which befalls them. Being a ghost be damned! No peace even after death! 4. Jatugriha (1964): © Uttam Kumar Films Private Ltd. Directed by the talented Tapan Sinha, this social drama concerning two people who are as alike as they are dissimilar, locked in marital discord, is based on Subodh Ghosh's novel “Jatugriha”. Shatadal (Uttam Kumar) and Madhuri (Arundhati Debi) are on the brink of divorce; a happy marriage that has unwittingly turned into a loveless façade. Ironically, their marriage starts crumbling as the construction of their dream home begins. In the heart of it all, unfulfilled desires and misunderstandings mar the couple's time together, as they slowly drift apart. In the backdrop is their completed home, now standing as an empty house, as Madhuri finally leaves him one day without much ado. Years later, they meet at a railway station, reminiscing about their married life and ruminating over what went wrong. 5. The Apu Trilogy (1955-1959): © Government of West Bengal Satyajit Ray's magnum opus, which cemented his name as one of the greats of cinema universally, is an adaptation of the novels “Pather Panchali” and “Aparajito” by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay, monumental in earning him the much-deserved honorary Oscar. A movie that lies bare the pathos of human life. It follows Apurba Roy (thespian Soumitra Chatterjee's debut as the adult Apu), lovingly called Apu, through three phases of his life: a tragic childhood where he experiences the worst of circumstances but overcomes them (Pather Panchali, Song of the Road, 1955), begins his adolescence (Smaran Ghoshal) with nothing and seems to achieve success (Aparajito, The Unvanquished, 1956), falls in love but then life happens (Apur Sansar, The World of Apu, 1959). © Government of West Bengal Touted as one of the greatest films of all-time, it is an eloquent human story which touches you at the most visceral level. A first of many Soumitra-Satyajit collaborations. © Government of West Bengal 6. Chokher Bali: A Passion Play (A Grain of Sand / 2003): © Shree Venkatesh Films Based on Rabindranath Tagore's eponymous novel, 'Chokher Bali', directed by Rituparno Ghosh, is a story of love, lust, and longing. With themes of adultery, friendship and, societal pressure, focusing on the intertwined lives of Binodini (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), Ashalata (Raima Sen), Mahendra (Prosenjit Chatterjee), and Bihari (Tota Roy Chowdhury), the film delves into the dynamics of a complicated friendship between two diametrically different women: the intelligent and shrewd Bindoni and naïve Ashalata, connected by their love for one man, the callous Mahendra (Ashalata's husband). Matters further complicate when Bihari gets entangled in the passion play. When recently-widowed Bindodini arrives as a guest into the Mukherjee house, the newly-wed Asha finds solace in the company of this wise, new-found friend, and strikes up a friendship, unwittingly naming it: Chokher Bali, a constant irritant in the eye. But Binodini has other plans; she aspires to exact revenge from the two suitors who had previously deemed her unworthy of marriage. Will she succeed in her quest of vengeance? Or will it lead to self-destruction? 7. Antarmahal: Views of the Inner Chamber (2005): © Twitter Set in 19th century Bengal, the movie, directed by Rituparno Ghosh and based on the short story “Pratima” by author Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay, tells the story of human desires and ambitions which when left unchecked bring utter ruination. Zamindar Bhubaneswar Chowdhury (Jackie Shroff) has two ambitions in life: sire a male heir and be feted with the honour of “Raibahadur”. The only problem is that he is unable to do both. Tyrannical yet incompetent, horny, and perennially grumpy, he has been married twice; very recently to young, fresh-faced Jashomati (Soha Ali Khan) whom he ravages every night. His first wife, Mahamaya (Roopa Ganguly), whom he has dismissed as barren, has given up on him and takes pleasure in terrorizing her new adversary. To finally win the coveted title and demean the neighbouring village's zamindar, Bhubaneswar along with his estate manager concocts a plan; make a colossal change to the Durga idol for Durga Puja. Enter handsome Brijbhushan, the sculptor who has to complete the task. But the comely youth seems to attract the attention of the ladies, especially one of his wives. On the home front, Bhubaneshwar's desperate desire to have a son makes him take horrendous decisions entangling his wives, which eventually lead to the unravelling of his life in a traumatic way he never envisioned. 8. Ashani Sanket (Distant Thunder): © Balaka Movies Satyajit Ray's Asani Sanket is an adaptation of Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay's novel of the same name. It explores the aftermath of the 1943 Bengal Famine, which was solely responsible for the deaths of more than 3 million people. Set in provincial Bengal, Mr Ray uses Gangacharan (Soumitra Chatterjee), a Brahmin doctor/teacher and his wife, Anaga (Bobita), as the chroniclers of the story as their calm, leisurely village life gets upended by starvation and hunger. Not only do the lives of the people change for the worse, ironically, but it also starts the collapse of the rudimentary customs and traditions which were strictly followed in better times of the village. 9. Saptapadi (Seven Steps / 1961): © Alochhaya Productions Pvt. Ltd. The iconic duo of Bengali cinema “Uttam-Suchitra” star as star-crossed lovers who meet under unsavoury circumstances. We are taken back via flashback to the 1940s, pre-independent India where Indian students compete with Anglo-Indians with abandon. That is where young, intelligent Krishnendu from a staunch Hindu family, meets beautiful Rina Brown, a talented Anglo-Indian Christian. Love isn't far away, and with the legendary scene of the lovers seated on a motorcycle singing out to each “Ei Poth Jodi Na Shesh Hoye”, it seems that everything will finally fall in place. That is when tragedy strikes, secrets are revealed which spell doom for the bubbling romance. The question is now, after years, will they still be able to have the happiness that has forever eluded them? (Directed by Ajoy Kar, based on Tarashankar Bandyopadhyay's “Saptapadi”.) 10. Deep Jweley Jai (To Light A Lamp / 1959): © Badal Pictures Suchitra Sen stars as “Nurse Mitra”, in one of the most ingenious roles of her career, a nurse in a psychiatric facility where the doctors are trying to experiment with a new type of therapy for the patients: emotional support for their trauma. The nurses are to remain available to the patient as a friend/lover, help them but not get emotionally attached to them. Radha Mitra starts her journey of caring for a particular patient, Tapash (Basanta Choudhury), and seems successful. But what lies ahead for her as she struggles to keep her feelings at bay: a gruesome reality or love forever? A movie questioning the depth of human emotions and lays bare the fact that love is an emotion not be counterfeited. (Ashutosh Mukherjee's short story adapted to screen by Asit Sen) 11. Devi (The Goddess / 1960): © Pinterest Set in rural 19th century Bengal, Kalinkar Choudhuri (Chabbi Biswas), an ardent devotee of goddess Kali, has a vision that his younger daughter-in-law, Dayamoyee (Sharmila Tagore) is an incarnation of the goddess herself. Dayamoyee, always the docile daughter-in-law, dutifully agrees to humour her father-in-law and begins to “bless people”, until it starts wreaking havoc on her mental state. When her husband Umaprasad (Soumitra Chatterjee), away at Kolkata, learns of the turn of events at home, he rushes to save his wife from her fate but tragedy strikes. Another great movie directed by Satyajit Ray, based on a short story by Provatkumar Mukhopadhyay shows how extreme beliefs can turn into a ghastly reality. 12. Goynar Baksho (2013): © Shree Venkatesh Films A comedy surrounding a jewellery box full of secrets! Directed by Aparna Sen, starring Konkona Sensharma and Moushumi Chatterjee, the story focuses on three generations of a Bengali family, with their connecting factor to be a coveted jewellery box. Widowed matriarch Rashmoni (Moushumi Chatterjee) is as cantankerous as they get; quick to anger and extremely fond of her beloved wedding jewels which she keeps hidden in a box, away from the prying eyes of her greedy, materialistic family. When her nephew marries Somlata (Konkona Sensharma), a naïve young girl who is extremely scared of her new in-laws, Rashmoni strikes up a grudging friendship with her, eventually bequeathing her with the “goynar baksho” to save it from getting pawned off by her family. Somlata, now the secret keeper of the box, endeavours to change the luck of her family with her new acquisition. But to make things difficult and keep her niece-in-law in check, Rashmoni returns to haunt Somlata as a spirit. What follows is a laugh riot where the vulture-like family tries to pry away the box from its rightful owner. 13. Charulata (The Lonely Wife / 1964): © R.D. Bansal & Company Based on Rabindranath Tagore's Nashtanirh (The Broken Nest), Satyajit Ray's Charulata explores the psyche of the human mind through the protagonist Charulata (Madhabi Mukherjee). With themes of forbidden love, alienation and loneliness, Charulata focuses on the namesake heroine, a lonely wife who whiles away her time around the house with nothing specific to engage her. Excitement comes in the form of her worldly brother-in-law, Amal (Soumitra Chatterjee), whose company she starts enjoying until it all starts to unravel as desire comes into play. Critically acclaimed and internationally admired, this is one of Satyajit Ray's finest films. Go, give these a try!

There are some freaks amidst us (me) who love the horror movie genre. So much so, we'd watch them alone if we have to. I don't really know what it is. I guess it's the thrill of feeling something other than sadness or joy while watching movies? That particular tingle when you're watching a horror film is irreplaceable and mostly it's just that and, of course, the special effects, CGIs, production and sound effects that make good horror. © warner bros. pictures Now, just like every year, we bring you a list of special horror movies you must watch this year too. It's always good to delve into a better screenplay and visual effects once in a while, and this year promises to take us away from the usual 'haunted house ghost' series and use a bit more creativity in creating horror content. So, gear up because 2019 promises to be a year of good horror and I hope you catch all of them whenever they release. Here's a list of horror films (Hollywood) releasing in 2019: (1) BrightBurn © Sony Pictures releasing James Gunn's production of a dark horror tale of a superhero boy, who lands from outer space just like Superman did. But, he decides to use his superpower for evil and not for the good of mankind. We can call him the anti-Superman child! Releases on: May 24 Watch the trailer here (2) Ma © Universal pictures Octavia Spencer stars in this psychological horror that'll send shivers down your spine, just by watching the trailer. Tate Taylor, a lonely woman allows young people to throw parties in her basement but later, they realise something is definitely not right about her and things start to, let's see, fall apart? Releases on: May 31 Watch the trailer here (3) Annabelle Comes Home © Warner Bros pictures The first 'Annabelle' movie wasn't that scary, the second one was maybe something you could watch with the lights off, sitting alone on your bed, but the third one looks godawful scary AF by the looks of the trailer. It's actually 'Conjuring' meets 'Annabelle' and this time, the doll's not gonna give up, I feel. This movie is a directorial debut for Gary Dauberman, who actually wrote the screenplay for 'IT' Chapters 1& 2, 'The Nun' and 'Annabelle: Creation' and is now all set to direct his first horror flick, a popular franchise. So, the story revolves around the 'Conjuring' protagonists Ed and Lorraine Warren, who've kept the doll in their room of horrors, never to be touched or brought back to life again. But things don't always have to be the way they are, do they? Releases on: July 5 Watch the trailer here (4) Midsommar © A24 This one is surely one of the most anticipated movies of the year. The movie is a folk horror focused on a young girl reluctantly joining her boyfriend for a trip to Sweden, to join a 9-day festival taking place there. The trailer looks a bit ambiguous but still terrifying. Definitely something different horror-wise to catch. Releases on: August 23 Watch the trailer here (5) IT: Chapter 2 © Warner bros pictures The second part of the Stephen King scary clown novel is back with an absolute bang and we can't wait to see what this one's about. Part two will probably see folks from the Losers Club head back to Derry when the red-haired Pennywise resurfaces to get them, once again. The first part was a great success, so let's hope this one's equally scary. Releases on: September 6 Watch the trailer here (6) Zombieland 2 : Double Tap © Sony Pictures releasing The first one released in 2009 and it was a great watch, funny yet focused on zombies mostly. Remember Bill Murrey? Yup the cast is great and so is the plot and we can't wait to witness a couple of Zombie movies lined up this year. Releases on: October 11 Trailer not out yet (7) Child's Play © United Artists releasing Although the scary doll movie has maintained its sequels pretty well, the new one isn't a part of that. In fact, the new 'Child's Play' is the remake of the original one and it seems as scary as the first one was. The movie definitely has some old-school slasher vibe. Can't wait to see this again. Releases on: TBD Watch the trailer here (8) Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark © Lionsgate With Guillermo Del Toro's screenplay, this movie is based on the Alvin Schwartz books and seems quite interesting. The story is about a young woman with a troubled tale, who decides to turn the horrors of her life into a book, which is later discovered by some teenagers who actually experience the book come alive, through her stories. The movie, of course, won't be an anthology but a well stitched together narrative instead. Releases on: TBD Watch the trailer here (9) The Dead Don't Die © Focus Features To add some light humour to an intense horrific year, we have another comical (of sorts) Zombie movie, with an awesome cast. The movie is obviously about a small-town police department battle some zombies. Of course, it's like any other Zombie movie but the cast surely makes this better. With Tilda Swinton, Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Selena Gomez, Steve Buscemi, Rozie Perez and Iggy Pop, this movie looks damn promising. Releases on: July 12 Watch the trailer here (10) Crawl © Paramount Pictres A young woman who tries to save her father from a category 5 hurricane is trapped in her own basement, with a huge Alligator floating about, trying to kill her. This one's a new-age version of 'Jaws' and 'Lake Placid' all mixed into one and yes, it does look scary. Releases on: August 23 Watch the trailer here So, there you have it. Ten awesome horrors releasing this year. I am not sure how many will release in the hall here, but if and when they do, catch them to keep your love for the horror genre alive!

Actors from the Marvel Cinematic Universe appearing in 'Black Mirror' is a bigger crossover than 'Avengers: Infinity War' and 'Avengers: Endgame'. (Sorry, had to do it) First of all, 'Black Mirror' Season five is officially less than a month away, yay! We've been waiting for such a long time and honestly, 'Bandersnatch' was just not enough. Here's the teaser for the fifth season which will premiere on Netflix on June 5th. The first thing you notice is obviously Falcon aka Sam Wilson from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So, with him joining the cast of 'Black Mirror' and appearing in one of the episodes this season, we had enough actors who've appeared in MCU who have also been a part of the Black Mirror cast (or Black Mirror Cinematic Universe?) to come up with a list. Here we go: 1. Anthony Mackie © Marvel Falcon, or should I say, Captain America, is going to be the lead in one of the three new stories coming with the fifth season of 'Black Mirror'. Anthony Mackie being a part of the cast, is also reviving the whole 'Marvel vs DC' conversation since Yahya Abdul-Mateen II from 'Aquaman' is also a part of the show. I'm excited to see what kind of existential crisis his episode has in store for us. 2. Hayley Atwell Agent Carter needs no introduction and actually, even Hayley Atwell as well. Playing the lead in 'Be Right Back', she made the already emotional premise of the episode come to life beautifully. This specific episode is one of the highest rated episodes in the series and I'm guessing a lot of credit goes to Hayley for sure. 3. Daniel Kaluuya Before appearing in Oscar-nominated movies, Daniel Kaluuya was the lead of the second ever episode of 'Black Mirror' - '15 Million Merits'. The 'Black Mirror' episode was somewhat okay but he gave one of the most memorable scenes in 'Black Panther'. 4. Letitia Wright Another 'Black Panther' and 'Black Mirror' star, Letitia Wright appeared in the episode 'Black Museum'. Pretending to be a tourist with a few hours to kill while her car gets charged, she goes to the museum with one aim - avenging her late father. Along with the main plot, that episode has so many other stories, and that's why it's easily one of the best episodes of the series. 5. Benedict Wong I actually found out today that Wong from 'Doctor Strange' (and 'Infinity War' and 'Endgame') has also appeared in 'Black Mirror'. He played a police detective in one of the most brutal episodes of the series ever - 'Hated In The Nation'. Bonus - Miley Cyrus I was planning on including this as a joke since the God of Thunder is her brother in law, but surprisingly, she did voice one line in a scene in 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2'. Well, that was a surprise.

The OnePlus 7 Pro already sounds like the perfect smartphone ever by the Chinese company as its launch is scheduled for next week. OnePlus has now confirmed that the OnePlus 7 Pro will have an HDR10+ display in addition to the 90Hz refresh rate on the panel. The display on the OnePlus 7 Pro has already been awarded an A+ grade by DisplayMate however, the inclusion of HDR10 takes the smartphone even further. © Twitter Currently, only the Galaxy S10/S10 Plus supports HDR10+ on its screens and the OnePlus 7 Pro will be the second smartphone in India to have support. It is the perfect display for users who love to watch video content on the go. Currently, platforms like Amazon Prime, Netflix and even YouTube have HDR compatible shows which should be supported by the OnePlus 7 Pro. OnePlus clarified that it's not ready to share OTT partnerships as of now. HDR10+ is known to adjust the contrast and the dynamic range on HDR content. OnePlus says, since “it is an open format, it's license and royalty free and therefore easily adoptable by manufacturers and content producers with quality maintained through an HDR10+ certification and logo program.” © Twitter “HDR10+ is the future of not just television displays, but also smartphone displays as well. We hope that our newest device will set a new benchmark for the smartphone industry and open up a new world of visual fluidity for users. We're glad we are leading the ranks in sharing quality technology with the world.” says OnePlus CEO Pete Lau. © Twitter The launch event for the OnePlus 7 series is scheduled to take place on 14th May and will be held in three cities i.e. New York, London and Bangalore and will start at 8:15 PM IST. According to rumours, the OnePlus 7 Pro is going to have a QHD+ 90 Hz AMOLED display and will be relatively cheaper than flagship devices. The OnePlus 7 Pro is rumoured to have a starting price of Rs 49,999 for 6GB + 128GB model. You can read more about pricing leaks here.

Netflix has been at the forefront of streaming video content for consumers and is actively looking to make the experience even better. At first, the company rolled out 4K and HDR support for many of their originals and now, the company is investing in another experiential feature. © Unsplash Netflix has announced that the company is bringing "studio quality” sound for content on its platform that will enhance the overall experience of a viewer. The company is increasing the audio bitrate up to 640 kbps on devices that support 5.1 surround sound and up to 768 kbps for Dolby Atmos. The audio quality will be adaptive similar to how video quality adjusts according to your internet speed. There is a catch though, the high-quality audio will only be available for Premium Subscribers. © Unsplash According to Netflix, “Our high-quality sound feature is not lossless, but it is perceptually transparent. That means that while the audio is compressed, it is indistinguishable from the original source. Based on internal listening tests, listening test results provided by Dolby, and scientific studies, we determined that for Dolby Digital Plus at and above 640 kbps, the audio coding quality is perceptually transparent. Beyond that, we would be sending you files that have a higher bitrate (and take up more bandwidth) without bringing any additional value to the listening experience.” These changes were inspired by a viewing session with the Duffer Brothers, where they were left unimpressed during a screening of 'Stranger Things' Season 2. Since then, Netflix has improved the bitrate for the show to meet expectations of audiences and the Duffer Brothers.

We go along idolising Indian Godmen because they make us see a path that we feel we're too inept to see on our own, and so we follow them blindly. If you're miffed at the fact that I keep saying 'we', let me remind you that a larger chunk of the population likes to believe in men and women who take an alternate recourse to 'discover God', bargaining a better life and worldly peace in return for their followers. © UTV Motion Picture I was once taken to 'Guruji's' shrine and my friend, who is still a staunch believer, asked me to look into his eyes while looking at his picture and get his blessings. She said I may see a visual of him, which means my prayers are answered and I am blessed with his indelible light. I didn't see him, of course, but I did see thousands of devotees staring away at his picture, some claiming they did see him floating about. I am not trying to disregard him or his teachings but this whole set-up seemed so overpowered with Guruji's teachings, that people wanted to believe that they can still see him, even though he passed away a few years ago. © Vicom 18 Motion Pictures These beliefs created by these Godmen work like nascent organisations, growing organically because people desperately need something to believe in and because their minds are so fresh for moulding, they fall prey to easy benevolent teachings of a self-proclaimed hand of God. Bapuji, aka Asaram Bapu, a self-styled Godman was convicted of raping a 16-year-old girl, who was studying at his Ashram in MP. But what's shocking is that his devotees refuse to believe that he committed a crime of such grave intensity. For the longest time, his bhakts thought that Bapu was wrongly convicted but more such cases started coming into the limelight. © Twitter Now, a biopic based on Ushinor Majumdar's novel 'God of Sin: The Cult, Clout and Downfall of Asaram Bapu' is in the making and it's mostly going to be about Bapu's journey on becoming a cult leader, to his downfall and rape convictions. The film will be produced by Sunil Bohra, who has worked on 'Gangs of Wasseypur' and 'Tanu Weds Manu' among other projects. “I read the book and was taken in by lawyer PC Solanki who fought the case for the victims against Asaram Bapu for free. The two lady police officers — one from Jodhpur and the other from Surat — are inspiring, too. In my eyes, they are the real heroes. We will focus on these people and the rest will be based on facts. I bought the rights of the book last month. I have started meeting writers and shall lock the team soon. I want the movie to have an international appeal. The cast will be decided once the script is ready.” Majumdar disclosed to TOI. © Twitter We feel more books and movies should be released about Godmen and their falsehoods that they share with the world and make it temporarily or even permanently blind. There are a few movies Bollywood and independent cinemas that have been made in order to educate people on what blind faith really means and what it does to someone in the longer run. Here are 5 prominent movies based on false faith and Godmen that you should definitely watch to form a perspective: 1. Wild Wild Country © Netflix This Netflix documentary throws light on the controversial Indian Guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his personal assistant Ma Anand Sheela. The movie highlights the biggest case of bio-terrorism that took place in the world which originated from Oregon, where Osho had set up his practice. The movie also talks about Ma Sheela, who was the mastermind behind the attack, while propagating lessons of faith to the world. It's quite an eye-opener, to be honest. 2. Oh My God © Viacom 18 motion pictres Umesh Shukla's hilarious take on Godmen and their practices in the country is a must-watch. It stars Mithun Chakraborty and Paresh Rawal, who plays a middle-class atheist, who file a case against the Almighty when he loses his shop to an earthquake. You'll see the satire this movie is built on clearly. 3. MSG-The Messenger © Hakikat Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. I am only putting this out here for you to see how a self-proclaimed Godman, who's been charged for rape, has made an ostentatious movie that defies the norm of movie-making and culture. If nothing else, you'll see the contradictions of what he says in his movie as opposed to what he actually is in real life! The movie is based on his life and his quest to eradicate drugs and gender-related issues. It's propaganda mostly, although you can watch it for some laughs if nothing else. 4. PK © UTV Motion Pictures Aamir Khan plays an alien who questions the origin of faith, God, religion and Godmen. The movie will make you realise the importance of not being swayed easily by Godmen or anyone else! 5. Global Baba © Vijay Bansal This film didn't do too well but it surely has an important message to deliver. It talks about false faith and wrong beliefs in society instilled by Godmen and their followers. The idea was to detach people from blind faith and make them see otherwise. It's a must-watch for some clear-cut perspective for sure. The idea behind watching these movies is to not completely turn away from your faith and other beliefs. It's to make people realise that Godmen like Asaram Bapu exist as well and you just need to be careful and be open to perspective and viewpoints that can help make an objective decision for you.

Vicky Kaushal needs no introduction. His brilliant performance and choice of films work as his business card for him. After proving his mettle to the world, the actor is now all set to take up another challenging role. Kaushal will play legendary freedom fighter and martyr, Sardar Udham Singh in his upcoming biopic. The movie will narrate the story of the revolutionary who assassinated Michael O'Dwyer, who was the Lt. Governor of Punjab when the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place. Instagram Today, the actor shared his first look from the movie where he is seen standing on the streets of St. Petersburg, with a fierce gaze (that can scare the wits out of you) and a scar on his face. Directed by Shoojit Sircar, the biopic is expected to release in 2020. As Vicky Kaushal gears up to stun his fans with another stellar performance, here's a look at some of his best movies so far that made us shout 'How's the Josh?' each time we watched him on screen: 1. Uri: The Surgical Strikes The amount of love this movie has received speaks volumes about the brilliant acting of Vicky Kaushal and that of every other actor who was a part of it. After all, there is a reason why 'How's The Josh?' became such a huge thing and almost everyone was using the dialogue. Directed by Aditya Dhar, the film was based on the Indian Army's surgical strike across the Line of Control (LoC), as a retaliation to the 2016 Uri attack. RSVP Movies 2. Manmarziyaan Kaushal played the role of a guy named Vicky, a handsome part-time DJ who loses his girlfriend to another guy because of his commitment issues. This movie explained the dynamics of a relationship and love like nothing else. Phantom Films 3. Sanju Vicky Kaushal's character Kamlesh, aka Kamli, wasn't just a supporting character. He was one of the strongest characters in the film and in Sanjay Dutt's life. He stayed with Sanjay Dutt through thick and thin and continued to support him even when the world turned against him. Vicky's flawless performance made all of us feel that both Kamli and Vicky are the kind of friends that every person deserves in their lives. Fox Star Studios 4. Raazi 'Raazi' was owned by Alia Bhatt, but Vicky Kaushal too caught our attention with his portrayal of Iqbal Syed, a commander in the Pakistan army. His struggle of choosing between his feelings for his wife (who was an Indian spy) and his duties towards his country touched all our hearts. Dharma Productions 5. Masaan Vicky made his Bollywood debut with 'Masaan' in 2015 and his performance left even the stalwarts awestruck. Vicky played a boy from the Dom community, whose family works at the cremation ghats. His transition from a young passionate guy in love to someone in immense grief over losing someone was flawless. Phantom Films

It's not brand new information that Bollywood has always been keen on remakes. They draw inspiration from Hollywood primarily or any other regional movie which has an interesting plot. Over the years we've seen many remakes and some of them have done quite well and the audience has loved the adaptations, without thinking that everything is copied scene to scene. Recently, we heard about another Bollywood remake underway that could be a very challenging role for Parineeti Chopra. A direct adaptation of 'A Girl On The Train' (2016) is in the pipeline and we're really excited about that one. The name though hasn't been decided yet, but we're sure Parineeti will do complete justice to her role. © Instagram There have been other remakes that are yet to release in India, and we can only hope they're as good or better than the original. Let's take a look: (1) Bollywood's Remake Of 'The Girl On The Train' © Universal Pictures Even though the name hasn't been decided for this one, it stars Parineeti Chopra. Ribhu Dasgupta will be helming this project and it's based on an American psychological mystery thriller. The original starred Emily Blunt, who played Rachel, an alcoholic divorcee, who gets dragged into a missing person's investigation. Emily won several award and nominations for the film, so naturally, expectations are quite high from Parineeti, who in all probability will play Emily's role in the film! The release is expected somewhere in 2020, as the film will hit the floor later this year. Hopping onto this thrilling ride! Excited to be a part of #TheGirlOnTheTrain's official Hindi remake.@ribhudasgupta @RelianceEnt @amblin #DreamWorksPictures #TheGirlOnTheTrain pic.twitter.com/0cNNzbc3IL — Parineeti Chopra (@ParineetiChopra) 24 April 2019 (2) Bollywood's Remake of 'Rambo' © Instagram Yes, you read that right! Sylvester Stallone's 'Rambo' is all set to be remade in Bollywood and do you happen to have any guesses who's been chosen to play Stallone? It's quite obvious isn't it? Yup, Tiger Shroff will do the honours and his look compared to Stallone's in the film is quite uncanny! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tiger Shroff (@tigerjackieshroff) on May 25, 2017 at 7:05am PDT The film was said to be shelved as there were other projects in the pipeline for both Tiger and Sidharth Anand, the director, but now the movie is said to hit the floors by the end of this year and release sometime in 2020. Seriously, can't wait for this one to come out! (3) 'Dil Bechara'- Bollywood's Remake Of 'The Fault In Our Stars' © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Earlier, the film was named 'Kizie And Manny' but it was later changed to 'Dil Bechara'. If you haven't had a chance to watch 'The Fault In Our Stars', here's your chance to watch the remake instead. The director Mukesh Chhabra has roped in Sushant Singh Rajput and newcomer Sanjana Sanghi for the role. The original movie is based on a novel by John Greene, which was made into a Hollywood classic in 2014 by Josh Boone, starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort. The plot is based on a cancer patient who falls in love with an amputee. The music will be given by A.R. Rehman and we can say without a doubt this is definitely going to be THE love story flick of 2019. (4) Bollywood's Remake Of 'Red' © Summit Entertainment Anil Kapoor is all set to produce the Hindi remake of the Hollywood adventure film 'Red' which starred Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Karl Urban and Mary-Louise Parker. The plot for 'Red' revolved around a black-ops agent who reassembles his own team in a last-ditch effort to uncover assailants. Although the cast hasn't been announced for the remake, we would surely love to see Anil in the main role. The film will be directed by Abhinay Deo, the director for '24' and it's set to release sometime in 2020. (5) Bollywood's Remake Of 'Begin Again' © The Weinstein Company The Keira Knightley-Mark Ruffalo musical starrer 'Begin Again' will be in the making soon enough. Although the cast hasn't been announced yet, we do know it'll be directed by 'Veere Di Wedding' director Shashanka Ghosh. The basic plot revolves around telling a story about the world of music and fresh voices in sound in the Indian scene. Can't wait to see how this pans out! We're not sure when the movie is releasing yet but our money is on the year 2020. So, here we have it. 5 super-cool remakes currently in the pipeline. It's always great to draw inspiration from some good stories and if Bollywood happens to so that from time to time, it's a good thing. They shouldn't mess up the remake though by making it seem shoddy, because then you're just insulting the original film!

It's been 4 years since I cut the cord and if you're looking to switch from traditional TV to streaming content, you will probably need a streaming device for your TV. Yes, you can watch content on your smartphone but nothing really beats the big screen. I personally own almost every possible streaming device that you can buy in India, in every room. If you are looking for a streaming device for your room, look no further than this list: 1. Apple TV © BCCL It's probably our go-to streaming box that supports every App out there. As a part of the Apple ecosystem, you get access to thousands of applications on Apple's App Store. Apart from applications, Apple TV can also support casual gaming and with Apple Arcade on its way, you will be able to play console-level games on this device. The Apple TV plays host to every essential app such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube and Hotstar. Apple is also launching its own video streaming service which you can read more about here. You can even get the 4K version if you own a 4K television. 2. Google Chromecast/Ultra © BCCL Chromecast is by far our favourite casting device that can take care of every streaming need. You can even mirror your Google Chrome tabs if you want to stream content from third-party sources. In fact, some of the video players on websites have direct native support for Chromecast. Applications such as Netflix, YouTube, and Hotstar can also stream content directly to Chromecast via your smart device or the Chrome browser. It even supports Google Assistant which is a nifty feature to have if you want to stream content effortlessly. Even though Google doesn't sell Chromecast Ultra officially in India, you can still get your hands on one through unofficial channels. It supports 4K streaming across all applications. 3. Amazon Fire TV © Amazon It's probably our least favourite streaming device on our list as we find the operating system clunky and slow. It does not have native support for YouTube, which is a big negative point for us. The original FireStick TV's remote is also notorious for draining out batteries extremely quickly. Make sure you always have spare batteries or rechargeable batteries handy. In terms of content, FireStick TV does have native support for Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and Hotstar. You can even use Kodi to manage your own library if you know what you're doing. There's also a 4K version available to buy which takes the viewing experience up by a notch. 4. Nvidia Shield TV © Nvidia Nvidia Shield is a device that is focused on streaming video but also appeals to gamers who own an Nvidia GPU. Nvidia Shield TV supports 4K resolution and HDR streaming based on the Android TV platform. You can play games from Android's app store or stream your PC games over WiFi. For 4K streaming, it supports all the major OTT services besides Hotstar.

You can get creative ideas from almost anywhere, and there's nothing wrong in taking inspiration from them. However, things go wrong when you take too much inspiration and end up low-key copying it. We are sure, Bollywood knows this feeling just too well. However, gone are the days of getting inspired by the West. Our directors these days look up to regional movies, particularly South Korean movies to take inspiration from and the most recent example is Salman Khan's upcoming movie 'Bharat'. For those who didn't know, 'Bharat' is an official remake of a South Korean film 'An Ode To My Father'. While some movies are called official remakes, others are simply lifted from the original one. Here are 10 Bollywood movies which we didn't know were 'inspired' from some of the biggest South Korean movies: 1. Rocky Handsome - The Man From Nowhere Starring John Abraham in the lead, 'Rocky Handsome' is the official remake of Lee Jeong-Beom's film 'The Man From Nowhere'. The story is about a mysterious man and a young girl he makes friends with. When the girl is kidnapped and her mother is killed, the man goes to extreme lengths to save the girl. 2. Ek Villain - I Saw The Devil This Mohit Suri directorial starring Sidharth Malhotra and Shraddha Kapoor was loved by many for its fresh storyline and Riteish Deshmukh's brilliant performance as a villain. What most people don't know is that 'Ek Villain' is actually copied from a popular South Korean film 'I Saw The Devil'. However, the Bollywood version is not as gory or violent as the Korean one starring Choi Min Shik, which is till date considered to be one of the best films ever made. 3. Zinda - Oldboy 'Oldboy' is a neo-noir action thriller about a man, who sets out to find out why he was kidnapped and kept inside a cell for 15 years, unravelling some disturbing secrets in his journey. While everyone loves the South Korean film (one of the finest movies ever made), hardly knows about 'Zinda' except for the people who acted in the movie. 'Zinda' starred Sanjay Dutt and John Abraham. 4. Jazbaa - Seven Days Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's comeback movie 'Jazbaa' might have failed to leave a mark at the box-office, but it was appreciated by the critics, especially Aishwarya's power-packed performance. 'Jazbaa' was copied from the South Korean movie, 'Seven Days' and follows the journey of a female lawyer, who has to now win an unwinnable case in order to save her kidnapped daughter. 5. Murder 2 - The Chaser Starring Emraan Hashmi, Jacqueline Fernandez and Prashant Narayanan, 'Murder 2' is a copy of another super hit South Korean film 'The Chaser'. Emraan Hashmi stars as an ex-police officer tasked with finding some missing *** workers. When a young woman is sent by him to entice the kidnapper, Hashmi sets out to find her. 6. Awarapan - A Bittersweet Life A hitman is asked to keep an eye on his boss' mistress. However, when he learns that she is being exploited, he decides to rescue her from the clutches of his boss. While actor Lee Byung Hyun flawlessly portrayed the conflict going on inside the character in the South Korean version, Emraan Hashmi failed to recreate the same magic or should we say turmoil in the Bollywood one. 7. Te3n - Montage Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Vidya Balan, this RibhuDasgupta directorial is a remake of the 2013 South Korean film 'Montage'. The movie features Amitabh as John Biswas, a 70-year-old man, who seeks help from a priest and a police officer to find the people who kidnapped and killed his granddaughter. 8. Do Lafzon Ki Kahani - Always Starring two of my favourite actors, So Ji-sub and Han Hyo-joo, 'Always' is a classic romantic South Korean film about a former boxer and a high-spirited telemarketer who is blind. Romance starts brewing between the two slowly, which changes their life forever. A Hindi version was made starring Randeep Hooda and Kajal Agarwal. If you are hearing the Bollywood movie's name for the first time, then you will get my point. 9. Rock On - A Happy Life Starring Farhan Akhtar, Purab Kohli and Arjun Rampal, 'Rock On' is a story of four friends who fail to make it big in the music industry as their band falls apart due to differences. Years later, they come together to rebuild the dream and embark on a journey they left years ago. This is probably the only movie on this list that was unanimously loved by both the audience and the critics. 'Rock On' is said to be based on the South Korean movie 'A Happy Life'. 10. Prem Ratan Dhan Payo - Masquerade Everyone knows that 'Bharat' is an official Hindi remake of a popular South Korean film. But, not many know that this is not the only film that took inspiration from South Korea. 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo' is another chartbuster movie that was copied from 'Masquerade', a very famous South Korean film.

The much-awaited trailer of Karan Johar's magnum opus 'Kalank' is finally out after the teaser created a lot of buzz recently. Before we dive into dissecting the dichotomy of the trailer, let's just have a look at it first. Now first things first: If we basically had to just sum it up in a few words, looks like it's an ode to Sanjay Leela Bhansali and his wonderful, intricate style of filmmaking. The movie is set in 1945 in the pre-independence era in the backdrop of a complicated love story in the front. We see Sonakshi and Aditya being happily married, then there's Alia who also gets married to him but is actually in love with Varun Dhawan , who plays the role of a guy called Zafar. © Fox Star The screenplay and the direction is handled by Abhishek Varman and towards the end of the movie, there is a train scene which looks likes a cathartic, Aristotlean version of the iconic 'DDLJ' scene. © Fox Star Even though it looks like nothing that we haven't watched before, the whole grandeur and the magnanimity of the movie looks like it will be a crowd puller. The movie releases on 19th April, so watch it if it catches your fancy.

When it comes to watching a film based on a religious cult theme, there is a natural tendency in most of us to at least try and get a taste of this genre of cinema. The pull towards such films is natural! Call it the excitement and thrill that comes with this genre or the inquisitiveness to get a bit psyched, only to recover stronger later. As one's heart is often in his mouth while watching a religious cult film, simultaneously his mind begins to question the very existence of occult practices, the talks surrounding the paraphernalia and its relevance. For a brief period of time, the dark elements that are often represented in such films connect us to the theme, so much, that we keep coming back to it, every time another version of the film is released. That's what a religious cult can do! In this post, we have deeply researched some of the best religious cult films that have succeeded in capturing our attention over the years and made us talk about them. Here are the top 10 highly recommended films in the religious cult genre. 1. Wicker Man (1973) Robin Hardy's 'The Wicker Man' is unquestionably the mother of religious-cult movies. The British film is an ultimate representation of folk horror and offers a terrifying experience. The film deals with the subject of Paganism and throws light on its multiple consequences. One cannot ignore the uniqueness of the film and the artistic touch it offers. The film stars Edward Woodward, Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento, Ingrid Pitt, and Christopher Lee in lead roles. 'The Wicker Man' is inspired by David Pinner's 1967 novel 'Ritual' and depicts how Police Sergeant Neil Howie leads to his own death while investigating the case of a missing girl. The film is believed to be the 'Citizen Kane' of cult movies! 2. Rosemary's Baby (1968) Over the years, film-makers have debated the relevance of Roman Polanski's Oscar-winning film 'Rosemary's Baby'. However, the film has remained a phenomenon and a popular choice under the horror and religious-cult genres. As one tries to delve deep into the hysterical world of Polanski's creation, it only gets more complicated. Rosemary (Mia Farrow) ultimately loses her baby to Satan as her husband (John Cassavetes) and neighbours plan terrible things for the mother. The film offers sinister twists and keeps one glued to the couch. Polanski's masterpiece is largely entertaining and succeeds in creating sheer psychological terror. 3. Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2006) Stanley Nelson's widely acclaimed documentary 'Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple' is a detailed analysis of the mass murder (led by Jim Jones) that happened on the 18th of November 1978 in Jonestown, Guyana. The documentary film is a collection of archived reports and real accounts of the survivors and previous members of the Jim Jones' Peoples Temple. Jim Jones, an American religious cult leader created an organization for the social good and persuaded many to be a part of it. With more power, he became addicted to drugs and even abused many of his followers. He ultimately persuaded them, a group of one thousand people to move to the remote jungle of Guyana in South America, and promised them a utopian life. Jones was obsessed with the idea of revolutionary suicide and in a final ceremony; he served his people with a fruit punch spiked with cyanide which eventually killed most of them. He later shot himself. 4. Hereditary (2018) Hereditary can be termed as the scariest movie of this decade, but not to be forgotten that the film is inspired by demonology at large. Toni Collette gives a tour-de-force performance in Ari Aster's directorial debut which has already become a horror phenomenon. The film revolves around the lives of the members of the Graham family and narrates how a cult leads to their sinister fate. There are scenes in the film which display the highest form of cult practices including the one when Annie (Toni Collette) performs séance and another one when Joan's occult paraphernalia comes to light. The film is physically exhausting to watch and is deeply terrifying, it is one of the best religious cult films that have ever existed. 5. Children of the Corn (1984) Nothing could be more terrifying than kids killing an entire adult population of a town, as a result of a ritual. 'Children of the Corn' is one religious cult film that has inspired film-makers to keep coming up with more refined horrific versions of it, however, the original has established a huge following over the years. Based on Stephen King's 1977 short story, the film has scared the audience and made them understand the fact that a religious cult practice can eradicate not just families but a whole town! 6. The Master (2012) Joaquin Phoenix delivers the performance of a lifetime in Paul Thomas Anderson's 'The Master', a film that combined Scientology with philosophy. Unlike others, this film is free of supernatural, horror, mystery elements and throws light on much deeper subjects. Freddie (Joaquin Phoenix), a World War II veteran finds himself incapable of dealing with the post-war conditions and seeks help from 'The Cause', a religious movement. The film had performances from heavy-weight actors including Amy Adams, Laura Dern, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Even after much criticism from various Scientology groups, the film was nominated for multiple Academy Awards. 7. Don't Deliver Us from Evil (1971) Directed by Joël Séria, 'Don't Deliver Us from Evil' is a French film loosely based on the Parker–Hulme murder case of 1954. Anne (Jeanne Goupil ) and Lore (Catherine Wagener) friends at a boarding school dedicate themselves to evil and seduction, ultimately leading to self-destruction. The film was banned in France due to its disturbing nature, however, it was later screened at Cannes Film Festival. The film's controversial theme gave it much highlight, the unsettling ending can't be ignored! 8. Suspiria (2018) Suspiria (2018) is inspired by the 1977 film of the same name. The film stars Dakota Johnson (Susanna "Susie" Bannion) and Tilda Swinton (Madame Blanc / Mother Helena) in lead roles and is directed by Luca Guadagnino. The screenplay of the film weaves motherhood with the cult and gives it a display of psychological horror. The film takes the audience back to the cold war affected Berlin, and appears more like a stage play. Susie enrols herself in Tanz Dance Academy run secretively by witches, only to find out that she is Mater Suspiriorum, one of the three witches. The highlight of the film is witches performing 'Volk' followed by the Sabbath. The film is powerful enough to leave one disturbed! It is nauseating. Let us tell you that Dakota Johnson had to go through therapy after filming 'Suspiria'. 9. Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011) 'Martha Marcy May Marlene' is a grim expression of the fact that a cult may haunt you forever, even if you want to get rid of it! Martha (also Marcy May/Marlene Lewis) finds herself delusional and paranoid after she makes her way back to her family. After spending some time under a cult, she tries to make her way out, however, fails to do so. The film outlines the ruinous effects of a coordinated cult hovering over the central character. The movie is highly engaging and was named the best film of the year by Associated Press in 2011. 10. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) Steven Spielberg became more experimental with his themes surrounding the Indiana Jones franchise. 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom' remains one of his most discussed and controversial films ever. Set in colonial India, the film features Amrish Puri (Mola Ram), a savage priest who worships Kali in a cult practice and performs various harrowing cult rituals. The film was banned in India as it majorly clichéd people of brown skin. Heavily criticized for its child unfriendly graphics, the film still remains one of the most watchable cult films on the planet.

Comic book and superhero movies are all the rage these days, what with so many incredible movies releasing. But, since we cover so much Marvel and 'Avengers' (who can blame us?), here's us taking a little break and talking about 'Shazam'. This is for all those people complaining about all the 'Captain Marvel' articles and how we don't cover DC enough. Enjoy! So, the movie is releasing on April 5th and so it was time for the first, spoiler-free reviews to come out and they're all positive so far. The movie is basically getting a unanimous thumbs up from people who have watched it. There's a special mention for Zachary Levi and how brilliantly he basically portrays a young adolescent. It's entertaining, joyful, and sweet. Moreover, people are saying it completely understands the superhero genre. My spoiler-free #review thread of #Shazam The Donner's Superman of our generation, Shazam has so much heart and goes back to the original core of the superhero genre. This movie makes us believe in a world where Superheroes could exist and be loved at the same time. PT 1/15 pic.twitter.com/wh4TFrSPcn — Luiz Fernando (@Luiz_Fernando_J) March 23, 2019 This is a long review thread. There are many fantasy elements though, but inserted in a real world, with relatable people and situations. In such a way that you really believe that all those things could coexist. Basically what the #DCEU tried since #ManOfSteel, but is Shazam who better hit the goal. PT 2/15 — Luiz Fernando (@Luiz_Fernando_J) March 23, 2019 Let's hope so. The cast is perfect in their characters having the time of their lives, and there is chemistry everywhere. Mark Strong delivers a good villain, the supporting characters are awesome. I loved Billy's adoptive parents. Zachary Levi will get the praises he truly deserves. PT 10/15 — Luiz Fernando (@Luiz_Fernando_J) March 23, 2019 To summarise, #Shazam is a triumph, understands the superhero genre like few did recently. Amazing cast and storytelling. An emotional rollercoaster. As said in my reaction, a Gift for the genre, and a winner for WB. PS: wait til the end of the last bunch of credits. PT 15/15 — Luiz Fernando (@Luiz_Fernando_J) March 23, 2019 Seems promising. #Shazam (2019) SPOILER-FREE REVIEW! This movie reminded me of my childhood. I HATED MY CHILDHOOD! That Billy Batson is a MENACE-IN-TRAINING! I yelled, I laughed, I may have even shed a tear. 7/10 pic.twitter.com/2Oaof7gWnN — J. Jonah Jameson Reviews (@jonah_reviews) March 25, 2019 That's exciting. #Shazam ably carries the ball forward for DC's movie universe from #Aquaman. Big action, big laughs, big heart underneath, with terrific star turns from both @AsherAngel & @ZacharyLevi. (I also have to give it up for how well the marketing kept the best surprises under wraps!) — Zaki Hasan (@zakiscorner) March 24, 2019 Well, that's good. My Non-Spoilery thoughts on SHAZAM! SHAZAM is the 1-2-3 punch of the DCCU solo movies, continuing the streak from WONDER WOMAN to AQUAMAN to this fun Big Red Cheese-y flick! @ZacharyLevi @AsherAngelâ© â¦@Jgrazerofficialâ© are all perfect! Will watch EVERY movie in this franchise! pic.twitter.com/q0uYHphqGf — Dan Slott (@DanSlott) March 24, 2019 That's one way to put it. Ain't talked about #Shazam much but I think if you don't “like” this movie or find it “entertaining” you're probably dead on the inside lmfao. — 3-6 Mafia Gang (@MichaelHJordan) March 25, 2019 Can't wait! Saw an early screening of #Shazam . Probably one of the best Christmas movies ever made, right up there with Die Hard and Iron Man 3. Can't wait to see it again April 5! @ponysmasher is amazing! — Funmi Adetola (@FunmiAdetola1) March 24, 2019 Let's hope so. The fun thing is, #SHAZAM is basically creating a VERY new version of the whole mythos for an audience that will mostly have never heard of it, but oldschool/hardcore fans wondering how far/"deep" it's going to go will know like 2 minutes in... and then still be impressed. — Bob Chipman (@the_moviebob) March 24, 2019 Okay then. #Shazam is easily the best DC Comics movie of the current editions -- an absolute blast from start to finish and impressive balance of fun, heart, and terror. Full review: https://t.co/a2OVm4ojpa pic.twitter.com/LXiSzqx6H2 — Brandon Davis (@BrandonDavisBD) March 23, 2019 It's full of surprises! WB deserves a serious round of applause for the level of restraint they exercised with the marketing. That's not an exaggeration, it's unheard of for a CBM......and that's the closest you'll get to a spoiler from me. Incredible. #Shazam — TheFliteCast (@TheFliteCast) March 23, 2019 Oh wow. #Shazam isn't just a great superhero movie, it's the best DCEU movie. Even better than Aquaman. Definitely going to see it a few times before Avengers comes out! pic.twitter.com/DC7p8ynnCS — Jeremy Conrad (@ManaByte) March 24, 2019

When it comes to Bollywood, we guess we all can agree that our filmmakers have come a long way from where they began, and have given us some truly amazing movies in recent time. BUT, then there are some movies that are so senseless that their very existence makes us question our faith in Bollywood. However, not all of them are bad when you are high on 'bhaang' and want to waste your time doing nothing but watch a movie where you don't need logic. Since it's Holi today, we decided to share a list of movies that only make sense or you can sit through, after having a nice dose of good old 'bhaang'. 1. Jaani Dushman: Ek Anokhi Kahaani Everything the writers thought was right was exactly what was wrong with the film - right from the CGI, costumes, storyline, huge list of actors, a ghost bride to the main lead turning into a snake, car, bike...truck, bus, ship, a walking flamethrower and every possible thing imaginable. Shankar Movies Manisha Koirala singing 'Aaja' was probably us asking our brains to come back. 2. Love Story 2050 Hrithik Roshan's doppelganger falls in love with Priyanka Chopra's character, who dies in an accident. To bring her back he decides to go back in time but instead, gets transported to 2050. If only he could have brought back some logic in that same time machine, things would have been easier for the ones watching it. Baweja Movies 3. Aap Kaa Surroor: The Moviee - The Real Luv Story Don't ask about logic here because it's as pointless as the number of ee's and aa's in the movie name. All we know is that the movie was shot in Germany and the writer made sure that everyone remembers this by the end of the movie. Also, since when did Germany have Indian auto rickshaws and why were we not told about this? Mehboob Studio 4. What's Your Raashee? After watching this I am sure a lot of us asked ourselves, "What's my IQ?" Again, the movie stars Hrithik's doppelganger Harman Baweja and Priyanka Chopra in the lead. The movie is basically about Harman meeting one woman from every zodiac sign so that he can decide whom to marry. Wow! If weddings were this twisted, half the people would have gone bald scratching their heads. UTV Motion Pictures 5. Action Replayy The film is based on 'Back To The Future' and features Aditya Roy Kapur as a son who travels back in time to make his parents fall in love with each other. Another time-travel movie where the script only led us to the time machine and nothing else. Blockbuster Movie Entertainers 6. Cash What started off as a diamond heist soon turns into a vicious battle where everyone was fighting everyone. The characters were fighting for their lives, the audience was fighting to get their money back and our brain was fighting for sitting through that. Seven Entertainment Ltd. 7. Fool N Final The only thing this movie gave us is the fact that gangsters' names can be weirder than a Bengali child's 'daak naam'. Moscow Chikna, Gunmaster G9...seriously? We won't blame you if you forgot about this movie's existence. Shemaroo Entertainment 8. Himmatwala All we have to say about this one is that if you manage to sit through the whole movie you're the real himmatwala. Also, it's not your bro, but a tiger who's the best wingman in the whole world. UTV Motion Pictures 9. Rudraksh Bipasha Basu plays a paranormal researcher, who's trying to gain "knowledge that cannot be explained by science or logic", which pretty much explains the whole movie. Off all the characters in the movie, it was the laser-shooting eyed CGI rat we felt really bad for. Karma Entertainment 10. Race 3 'Race 3' does not only make your brain leave your body, but it also makes sure that your brain hates you so much that it never comes back to you. And if you saw it in 3D, you deserve our respect. The exact moment when we saw our brain and logic leaving our body was when this happened - "Our business is our business, none of your business." Salman Khan Films In case, you feel that you still have time to watch more such interesting stuff, you can watch 'Sasural Simar Ka' and 'Naagin' too.

Sundays are meant to prepare you for the dreaded Monday blues and a long week ahead. You've probably bathed, eaten, and you're back in bed, browsing Netflix or maybe skipping through YouTube videos. Looking for a little something to tickle your funny bone? Well, if you're a true blue Punjabi movie fan, this list maybe done and dusted for you. If not, then here are a few recommendations for your Sunday binge. Most of these movies are easily available on Netflix and Amazon Prime, so subtitles won't be an issue. 1. Carry On Jatta (Part 1 & 2) This has to be on your list. Trust me, this movie and its sequel never ever disappoint. A man caught in a web of lies, with so many hilarious characters thrown into one frame, this will have you ROFL like never before. 2. Jatt & Juliet (Part 1 & 2) Diljit Dosanjh and Neeru Bajwa never disappoint in this cop drama series which has part romance and a lot of comedy thrown into it. Also the sound track of the movies is quite good. 3. Vadhaiyan Ji Vadhaiyan This one is a comedy of errors which is nothing short of a laugh riot. If you want to watch a no-brainer, slapstick comedy which leaves you gasping for breath, just watch this and you're sorted. 4. Manje Bistre This one stars the gorgeous Sonam Bajwa and is a comedy movie with a Punjabi wedding in the background. The second part is already in the making. 5. Ambarsariya Another comedy featuring Diljit Dosanjh, which is a comedy of mistaken identity, and some peppy music to go with it. Even if you're not a pro at Punjabi, these movies will lighten up your Sunday like nothing else.

Tom Hanks is unquestionably a gem in Hollywood. If it comes to picking out the most talented and versatile actors in the world, his name is a must in the list, even if we keep Meryl Streep at the top. In a career spanning over 40 years now, Hanks has worked in multi-genre films. He is not only director Steven Spielberg showman; in-fact is the audience's favourite too. Till date, Hanks has worked in a plethora of films that have grossed billions of dollars at the box office and his performances have inspired both his co-stars and young actors. In this post, you will get to know about his best performances. Here is a list of the 10 best Tom Hanks films that shifted the narrative around performance-oriented films: 1. Forrest Gump (1994) Tom Hanks became a household name for his career-defining role in 'Forrest Gump'. The film helped in establishing him as a perfect mainstream star eligible for the toughest of roles which were on his way. Not only did Hanks earn an Academy Award for playing the lead in the film (he got his first Oscar for 'Philadelphia'), this was one role that no one else could have done better than Hanks. 'Forrest Gump' also won five other Academy Awards in major categories including the one for Best Picture, just when it was competing against heavyweight films like 'The Shawshank Redemption' and 'Pulp Fiction'. The year 1995 thus became a glorious year for Tom Hanks, director Robert Zemeckis and 'Forrest Gump' and an unforgettable one for movie buffs. 2. Philadelphia (1993) The 1993 film 'Philadelphia' showed us how versatile Tom Hanks could be. Whether it was Andrew (Hanks) losing himself to the tunes of Maria Callas' powerful opera or giving the members in the court a glimpse of his lesions, he dedicated himself to every scene in the film. Directed by Jonathan Demme, 'Philadelphia' happened to be the first mainstream film that acknowledged the theme of HIV/AIDS, homosexuality, and homophobia. Hanks received his first ever Oscar for the film and gathered appraise for his moving performance from critics and fans all over the world. The film was pronounced to be a definite AIDS movie by Seattle Post-Intelligencer. 3. Big (1989) The list is incomplete without us giving a mention about 'Big'. Josh Baskin's (Hanks) wish of growing into an adult comes true overnight. Hanks succeeded in capturing the very essence of his character and thus gave one of his most iconic performances ever. Directed by Penny Marshall, the film has been termed as 'undeniably funny' and 'refreshing' by the critics. It also earned Hanks his first ever Academy nomination in the year 1990. 'Big' became a trendsetter in the league of age-changing comedies including 'Like Father Like Son' (1987) and '18 Again!' (1988). 4. Saving Private Ryan (1998) Playing the United States Army Ranger Captain John H. Miller could have been one of the most challenging roles in Tom Hanks's career. 'Saving Private Ryan' has remained one of the most talked about films coming from the actor. Hanks shone the brilliance of a heavy-weight performance and the film went on to be regarded as one of the most watched World War II movies of all time. Hanks has always remained a favourable choice of director Steven Spielberg who further cast him in several films thereafter including his 2017 film 'The Post'. For the 71st Academy Awards, Hanks received a nomination in the Best Actor category for this film. 'Saving Private Ryan' was nominated in a total of 11 categories. Hanks captured the very essence of his part and made the audience see both the heroic and civilian side of it. 5. Cast Away (2000) It was the fifth time in 2001 that Hanks was nominated for an Oscar for playing a lead actor (though he didn't win this one). Directed and co-produced by Robert Zemeckis, 'Cast Away' re-established Hanks's image as an 'everyman' in Hollywood due to the variation in the roles played by him. 'Cast Away' chronicles Chuck Noland's journey who fights for his survival on an inhabited island after his aeroplane crashes in the South Pacific. The film turned out to be a commercial and critical success and brought Hanks to limelight again. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hanks stated that he wanted to examine the very idea of four years of hopelessness especially in the absence of food, water, shelter, and company! 'Cast Away' is a must watch Tom Hanks film. 6. The Terminal (2004) Another path-breaking film happened when Hanks decided to work again with Steven Spielberg in the 2004 comedy-drama 'The Terminal'. As Hanks played Viktor Navorski (a man with an Eastern European-Russian mix nationality), it actually made people believe about the existence of the otherwise fictional country Krakozhia. Thanks to his deep understanding of accents and dialects! The film follows the story of Navorski who is denied entry into the United States and therefore goes on to live at the John F. Kennedy Airport terminal for nine long months. Inspired by real-life events, Spielberg's film got huge attention and mostly positive reviews; Hanks' performance was the soul of the film. The movie comes with a feel-good message and Hanks was able to deliver it without a scintilla of doubt. 7. Captain Phillips (2013) Hanks's stint as a merchant mariner Captain Richard Phillips in 'Captain Phillips' has remained one of his most serious roles of all time. A smart-powerful performance by Hanks made this film a Hollywood biopic done right. Paul Greengrass's direction also received acclaim from the critics. In the film, Phillips is taken hostage by pirates in the Guardafui Channel (based on a real incident). The flick was nominated for six Academy Awards, while Hanks received a Golden Globe nomination for his compelling act. 8. Bridge of Spies (2015) Historic-drama 'Bridge of Spies' directed and co-produced by Steven Spielberg turned out to be another film, Tom Hanks received praise for. With his compelling performance, Hanks made this story, set during the cold war, an intensely gripping tale. Hanks played James B. Donovan, a lawyer who defends a spy of the Soviet Union (played by Mark Rylance). One can clearly see Hanks weaving a rather interesting character as he goes on to give Rylance an equal opportunity to perform, thus not ending up overpowering his aura. Their lawyer-spy companionship got the film the best picture nomination during the 2016 Academy Awards. 9. Apollo 13 (1995) Ron Howard's 'Apollo13' happened to be an adventure-filled tale especially for Tom Hanks, who gave a memorable and moving performance for his fans as the Apollo 13 Commander Jim Lovell. Hanks worked together with Kevin Bacon and Bill Paxton in a larger part of the film and established an exact image the audience was expecting from this role. There was much clarity to Hanks's character in the film. He once mentioned to AMC, “From Apollo 7 on up, I lived this stuff.” The movie was nominated for nine Academy Awards and grossed over $355 million worldwide. 10. Sully: Miracle on the Hudson (2016) 'Sully' is the first ever actor-director collaboration between Tom Hanks and Clint Eastwood. The film is inspired by the real incident of Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger (played by Hanks) landing an aeroplane on the Hudson River, thus saving all passengers on the flight. Though the film received average reviews from the critics, its commercial success was undoubtedly on Hanks's shoulders. Hanks was also given the Hollywood Actor Award for this role.

Bollywood is no more a door which opens only for Indians and 'desis' residing outside thriving on K3G and Rajshri Productions movies. Bollywood has crossed borders and broken cultural barriers for India in many countries and lately, China's intriguing affair with Hindi movies has only grown with time, and here are 5 movies which have helped in the process : 1. Dangal Aamir Khan enjoys a special place in the hearts of the Chinese audience and is already a household name in the country. China's first introduction with Khan's talent was back in 2001 when 'Lagan' was released there. The appetite wasn't much back then but now, he is clearly a famous name. His portrayal of a determined father giving it his all to train his daughters for wrestling is something that the audience loved. 2. Padman Akshay Kumar is another actor who enjoys great popularity in China. The audience there fell in love with the entrepreneur's dedication to his wife in the movie, which led to a life-altering moment for women in rural sectors. 3. Secret Superstar Aamir is clearly like royalty in China and all his movies end up on the 'must-watch' list eventually. This was one which also touched the hearts of the Chinese audience with a simple story of a girl harbouring big dreams. 4. Bajrangi Bhaijaan Let's just say even China couldn't resist the magic of Salman Khan ( that's not us but the data that claims how his movies are blockbusters). This movie ended up making over 238 million Yuan in China. 5. Hindi Medium You might wonder why a story of an urban couple running around the circles of society to get their son admitted in a desirable school struck a chord with the Chinese audience. The thing is that the dilemma of parents trapped in an urban set up with limited resources had a universal appeal. So the subject was what made the movie work well in China. Following suit is Ayushmann Khurrana's 'Andhadhun' which is now all set to release in China as 'Piano Man'.