Pleasure Without Guilt

Confessions of shy bride: How I turned to films to survive the chaos of my winter wedding

To beat the chaos of my wedding prep, I turned to films, especially centred on weddings. Not to look for any aesthetic ideas, but to soak myself into an emotional marathon.

What makes Jackie Shroff interviews a genre: Good mix of worldly wise and frank talk with a sprinkle of cuss words

Jackie Shroff remains deliriously unafraid of these pitfalls, always speaking straight from his heart in trademark tapori language, without anyone taking any offense. The fun lies exactly in hearing a popular celebrity speak without any trace of self-consciousness.

How pro-wrestling’s combination of sports and spectacle won me over (and helped me understand America)

At the turn of the millennium, when most Indian households such as ours did not have access to the internet, it was pro-wrestling that helped me understand what America was thinking on a weekly basis.

Old Bollywood songs are a treasure trove for every mood, every occasion, every relationship

Even when I was as young as five years old, I could sing word for word several of Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammad Rafi, Kishore Kumar, RD Burman, and Asha Bhosle songs. I didn’t know what they meant, which movies they were from, or who acted in them, but I knew them by heart.

Farooq Shaikh's 1986 comedy Peechha Karro never tries to overreach its universe of sheer silliness and inanity

Released 35 years ago, Pankaj Parashar's madcap comedy Peechha Karro used stupidity to a great effect, turned it almost sublime, and made screwball transcendental.

Jhoom Barabar Jhoom soundtrack was the chef's Kiss of Love in what was otherwise a recipe for disaster

The music of Shaad Ali's 2007 dud Jhoom Barabar Jhoom — composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and lyrics supplied by Gulzar — is everything the film isn't. It is irreverent, kooky, and sensational.

Love, drama and jalebis: How Iss Pyar Ko Kya Naam Doon? added a dash of romance to a TV serial

The enduring popularity of Iss Pyar Ko Kya Naam Doon? lies in how this very textbook romance in effect became the first “full blown love story” to appear on the small screen.

Hot wheels, shiny dials, gearshifts that could launch you into orbits: Why I can't put a break on my love for Fast & Furious

You’d have to be a zombie to not have your adrenaline pumping through each one of those drag races and car chases in the Fast & Furious franchise.

How Limp Bizkit’s Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water became my gateway to heavy music

As much as getting an uncensored version of the 2000 album Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water was like unearthing a treasure – each expletive uttered bringing a toothy grin upon my face – there were often times I heard songs like 'Rollin’' or 'My Way,' where all the abuses were blanked out.

The wholesome, unadulterated joy of watching cinema in fragments — where parts are often greater than their sum

I am now unembarrassed about my propensity to watch and re-watch specific scenes, especially the ones with great background score. Being able to take pleasure in the small moment is, I find, as important and valid as anything else.