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Shoma A Chatterji

Dr. Shoma A Chatterji is a freelance journalist, film scholar and author based in Kolkata. Her focus of interest lies in Indian cinema, human rights, media, gender and child rights. She has authored 24 books mainly on Indian cinema and on gender and has been jury at several film festivals in India and abroad. She has won two National Awards – for Best Film Critic in 1991 and for Best Book on cinema in 2002. She has also won four fellowships over the past 10 years.

My creations

NEW THEATRES and B N SIRCAR

New Theatres and B N Sircar

Shoma A Chatterji traces the life and vision of B N Sircar, founder of New Theatres, whose pioneering studio shaped Indian cinema.
Raj Kapoor and the Male Gaze

Raj Kapoor and the Male Gaze

Raj Kapoor’s portrayal of women in his films evolved from respectfully depicting Nargis to later adopting a more sexualized ‘male gaze’ approach
Jatugriha and Ijaazat - film review

Jatugriha and Ijaazat: Love in Fragments

Jatugriha by Tapan Sinha is one of the films that handled the theme of schisms in marriage with aesthetic sensitivity, technical finesse and, most importantly, strong social relevance.
Remembering Mrinal Sen

Remembering Mrinal Sen

Mrinal Sen’s films evolved thematically, exploring societal and personal journeys, while maintaining a balance between storytelling, cinema as a medium, and his contemporary context.

‘Aesthetic Potentials of Sound are Rarely Explored’ – Budhaditya Chattopadhyay on the Use of Sound in Cinema

Dr. Budhaditya Chattopadhyay is an India-born media artist, researcher and writer. Shoma A Chatterji catches up with the artist and talks on two seminal works on sound in cinema.
Dharmendra, Jagdeep and Amitabh Bachchan in Sholay

Soorma Bhopali Lives On…

Shoma Chatterji pays tribute to the immortal Soorma Bhopali – comedian Jagdeep who never failed to raise a laugh.
VARTAK NAGAR film review

Vartak Nagar – A Story of Four Crows

A Unique Perspective on the 1982 Mill Strike In Bombay. Vartak Nagar is about the coming-of-age of the four teenage boys amid the terrible financial crisis.
BASU CHATTERJI TRIBUTE

The Cinema of Basu Chatterji: Simple, Straightforward, Incisive

Basu Chatterji’s simple, straightforward narratives explored ordinary characters placed in extraordinary circumstances they struggle to live and overcome.

Rajlokkhi O Srikanto: Looking at the Quintessential Escapist in Retrospect

Shoma A Chatterji reviews Pradipta Bhattacharya’s Rajlokkhi O Srikanto (2019), that looks back in retrospect at Sarat Chandra’s classic novel.

Tarikh – Moving Beyond Deadlines and Datelines

Tarikh shows how the social media can create an alternative world for a person who is able to shut out the mainstream world. A Review by Shoma Chatterji.
nagarkirtan movie review

Nagarkirtan: Love that Transcends Conventional Gender Clichés

Kaushik Ganguly’s mastery lies in seeking to understand and include the personal experiences of a transgender in Nagarkirtan. A Silhouette Review.

Ahaa Re: If Food be the Music of Love, Cook On…

Ahaa Re offers a unique perspective on the subject of cooking as a catalytic agent, serving as a bond between countries and people. Review by Shoma Chatterji.

Vertigo (1958): A Question of Identity Sixty Years Later

Hitchcock’s Vertigo is a classic example of portraying woman as one who can easily be manipulated by men, one who bears it all even at the cost of her identity.

Gaheen Hriday: A Powerful Film by Agnidev Chatterjee

Gaheen Hriday makes the audience think about man-woman relationships in the contemporary, urban world and in adultery. A review.
Munshi Premchand on Celluloid (silhouette)

Munshi Premchand on Celluloid

Revisiting the path-breaking films made on the stories by Munshi Premchand, the genius Hindi author, as a tribute on his birth anniversary.

Haami – Too Much Noise for a Simple Peck on the Cheek!

Haami brings to fore some of the relevant issues that disturb the young minds of today’s children and also their parents. Shoma A Chatterji reviews.