Professor Bollywood

Bollywood Movie Reviews by Sandeep Krishnamurthy, Contact Information.

I am a professor by day and Bollywood movie critic by night. The last few years have seen an explosion in the level of interest in popular Indian cinema among Western observers. At the same time, much of this interest has been misguided and based on stereotypes. I meet many desis who are out of touch with Bollywood. This is my message to them. “This ai’nt your Dad’s Bollywood.” If you are basing your opinion of today’s popular cinema on an old Indian movie, you are out of touch. Bollywood has changed for the better. Even for us Bollywood fans, it has been staggering to see the bold strides popular Indian cinema has made in recent times. Everything has improved. The stories cover a broader range of issues. The technique is on par with Western movies- if not better. The acting is better. Not every Bollywood movie is a musical (a misconception many Americans suffer from)- we have had a few movies with minimal music and the old song-and-dance routine has given way to a more subtle place for music.

Having said all this, my vision for this space is to provide reviews of movies that I consider important. A movie can single-handedly affect the trajectory of a culture. My vision is to highlight some of these impressive movies and describe their impact on desi culture. If you haven’t already, go see these movies- chances are they are available at places such as Netflix, iTalkies and your local library.

If you love Bollywood, drop me a line.

Movie Reviews (in random order)

Lagey Raho Munna Bhai (2006) | Munna Bhai MBBS (2003)

Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006)

Khosla Kaa Ghosla (2006)

Bend It Like Beckham (2002)

Swades (2004)

Baghban (2003)

Fanaa (2006)

Padosan (1968)