ALYSSA and SHANE MENDONSA Interview: Music's Contemporary Young Wave

Bombay is India's foremost landmark in terms of Hindi cinema and music, both mainstream and independent. Today's post focuses on two musicians who have been crisply and ingeniously contributing to enriching the Indian music scene. Shane and Alyssa Mendonsa have become a leading pair in the new young wave that swings Indian urban music from Bollywood pop to electronic music. Spanning a series of youthful genres, brother and sister have been making their mark, whether it be by opening a DJ school, creating background scores for internationally acclaimed films or remixing Bollywood hits and contributing fresh vocals or sounds to these mainstream favorites.

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ALLAH KE BANDAY from Childhood to Manhood - Interview with FARUK KABIR

‘Allah ke Banday’ has been generating buzz and expectation for several weeks by unraveling a powerful soundtrack, unique promotional visuals, a deep subject and a golden cast including actors Naseeruddin Shah, Sharman Joshi, Atul Kulkarni and Rukhsar Nirmala ('Nishabd', 'Sarkar'). The film is Faruk Kabir’s first venture both in terms of acting and directing, and if this was not enough, Faruk is also behind the screenplay, which focuses on a subject dear to him: the flame that creates incredible potential within each child.

'Allah Ke Banday' is the story of two boys, Vijay and Yakub, who are born into one of the world's largest slums. With an early start in the world of crime, they are sent to a Juvenile Prison, where they encounter its dreaded warden (Naseeruddin Shah) in a world that is more chaotic than the one they left behind.

The Hindi Cinema Blog was very lucky to speak to multitalented young artist Faruk Kabir, who shared his mature take on filmmaking in this exclusive interview. READ MORE >

ATUL KULKARNI and NATARANG Rule the Roost - Interview & Film Review

Better late than never, the Hindi Cinema Blog has finally managed to watch the unmissable and highly acclaimed 'Natarang', Ravi Jadhav's filmic anthem to a man's passion for art and to standing for what one believes in, based on a novel by Dr. Anand Yadav. A story that has the capability of stirring audiences throughout the world, this is unquestionably one of the best Indian films we have come across this 2010! (see the trailer and official 'Natarang' website)

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Exclusive Interview with PURAB KOHLI ('I Am Afia')

The I-View Film Festival in Manhattan has selected critically acclaimed director Onir's newest cinematic opus, 'I Am' for its opening night. The film boasts a vast cast featuring some of  Indian cinema's greatest names and consists of four short films based on real life stories, one of which is the touching tale of Afia, a young woman who wishes to experience motherhood using a sperm donor to give birth to the perfect child.

Purab Kohli, a dedicated actor who has been widely appreciated by audiences in India and abroad for his work in a sound variety of thoughtful and mainstream roles ('My Brother Nikhil', 'Rock On') that reflect his rich sensitivity, tells us more about 'I AM AFIA', in which he stars alongside Nandita Das. Click here to see the film's trailer. 

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