
Lata Mangeshkar, legendary Bollywood singer, dies at 92
The singer who defined music and melody for generations in India has died in Mumbai
Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi
Desk
Politics, markets, cricket and culture from India — pulled from every section, newest first.
439 stories · page 5

The singer who defined music and melody for generations in India has died in Mumbai
Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi

India’s stunning 1983 World Cup triumph is retold in endearing style by a sports film with a sharp anticolonialist drive
Phil Hoad

Over-reliance on a spooky score and clunky pacing mean that Vishal Furia’s remake of his own film simply reiterates the original’s dubious talking points
Phuong Le

Michal Sulima follows piano tuner Desmond O’Keeffe’s expedition to transport a piano to a village school high in the Himalayas
Cath Clarke

An elderly English couple take a 5,000-mile road trip across India and Bangladesh in their Rolls-Royce in this gentle travel documentary
Cath Clarke

This engaging music doc recounts the time the band enjoyed a spiritual summer of love in Rishikesh, and briefly turned the whole world on to India
Peter Bradshaw

One of Bollywood’s most bankable actors has written a revolutionary pregnancy book that lifts the lid on libido, caesareans and more. She discusses power, pay and the reality behind the glamour
Hannah Ellis-Petersen

Grown adults behave like horny kids in this ill-judged comedy, meant to start discussion about contraception in India
Mike McCahill

Religious symbolism abounds in this dreamlike story of a teenager’s loss of innocence in pre-independence India
Peter Bradshaw

A look at Indian politics elevates this crowd-pleasing blockbuster, in which movie god Kumar lives out his super-spy fantasy
Mike McCahill

Karan Johar-produced film about Vikram Batra, who died in the 1999 India-Pakistan conflict, promotes him as a model citizen – with model looks to boot
Mike McCahill

A series of big films this year will focus on Indian military conflicts with Pakistan, reflecting an escalation of political belligerence
Nirpal Dhaliwal

Beauty technician Sachi and cigarette seller Parveen yearn for ‘freedom lives’ where they can proudly flaunt their relationships with other women in this free-form film
Phuong Le

India’s only all-women news organisation is the subject of an award-winning documentary. The film-makers explain their inspiring courage and energy
Cath Clarke

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s film has high ambition but dodges complexity in favour of overheated melodrama
Phil Hoad

The actor, who has died at 98, gave expression to the intense cultural complexities raised as independence met modernity – with respect, depth and subtlety
Nirpal Dhaliwal

Star of Indian cinema who pioneered method acting in Bollywood
Shahnaz Habib

The star was a defining figure in post-independence Indian cinema and was one of the country’s first method actors
Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi

From Mumbai noir to plantation Macbeth, Kerala’s more dynamic and independent-driven industry is responding urgently to the pandemic
Namrata Joshi

Balan excels as a resolute forest officer battling sexism and corruption, as well as nature, in the latest satirical thriller from Newton director Amit V Masurkar
Phuong Le

The re-release of Mira Nair’s unflinching 1988 story of street children, prostitutes and drug dealers shows it has lost none of its power
Peter Bradshaw

Why use the door, Salman? Bollywood megastar goes back to basics, pummelling everything in sight including narrative cohesion
Mike McCahill

Years of adherence to stringent rules leave a performer at odds with society in this melancholy film from India’s first Venice competitor for two decades
Xan Brooks

This heartfelt documentary focuses on free-ranging dogs and the people on the fringes of Indian society who care for them
Andrew Pulver