Bombay Talkies
2013 · Directed by Dibakar Banerjee, Karan Johar, Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap
Original language: Hindi
- drama
- romance
The story
One hundred years of Hindi cinema is celebrated in four short stories showcasing the power of film.
What it’s like
Warm, saturated colour gives way to the grey wet streets and crowded lanes of Mumbai, with cinema itself as the recurring light source: projector beams, studio sets, the glow of a screen in a dark room. Each of the four segments shifts its visual idiom, so the experience moves between tender close-ups, playful stylised framing, and more restrained, observational shots of ordinary apartments and workplaces. The score leans on Hindi film music, with songs and melodic motifs that feel affectionate rather than ironic. Pacing is brisk and episodic, each piece arriving, settling, and leaving before it overstays. The emotional register is wistful, romantic and sometimes bittersweet, tracking characters who are hungry for a bigger life or quietly hopeful about love. Intensity is low: romance, kissing, some sexual suggestion, and a few sad turns, with no gore and little real violence. Good for a rainy evening, a film lover's afternoon, or anyone wanting a gentle tribute to Indian cinema, especially viewers who enjoy short, varied stories.
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