About

KathybrellaI’m Kathy Gibson, an entertainment writer living in the Chicago suburbs. In 2007 and 2008, I reviewed Hindi movies for The Naperville Sun. I now post my reviews at this website, exclusively. I am a member of the Online Film Critics Society and I am a contributor to What’s on Netflix.

Bollywood films became a passion of mine years ago when my husband, Greg, bought me a DVD copy of Lagaan and a CD of Bollywood music for my birthday. We began renting Hindi films wherever we could find them: the local Indian grocery store, the public library or Netflix. When I discovered that a local movie theater, the Regal Cantera, often devotes a couple screens to Indian films, I pitched a weekly column to the Naperville Sun. The column was also called “Access Bollywood.”

I don’t speak Hindi, so I rely entirely on English subtitles to understand the dialog in Hindi films. And, as a white woman who’s lived her whole life in Illinois, I occasionally miss certain historical and cultural references particular to India. I tailor my reviews toward Westerners like me, highlighting details and subtitling issues that may make certain films harder to understand than others. That said, the vast majority of Bollywood movies are totally accessible to a global audience.

In my reviews, I try to judge the Hindi films I see in relation to all movies, not just other Indian films. However, I do make some allowances for the smaller budgets and different expectations for Bollywood films, as compared to most mass market fare coming out of Hollywood.

My star ratings are out a total possible score of four stars.

If you’re new to Bollywood, here are a few films I recommend to get you started:
Article 15 (2019)
Lootera (2013)
Kahaani (2012)
Chak De India (2007)
Swades (2004)

Disclosure: I participate in affiliate programs for both Amazon and iTunes, and purchases made via links to those sites from Access Bollywood may earn me a commission.

The photo in the site’s header is a still from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.

116 thoughts on “About”

  1. Sagarika Mukherjee

    Hey Kathy,

    Just loved your reviews on WYR and Wake up Sid. I feel your writing style is very refreshing. I also write reviews just out of interest and also because I am interested in Script writing and direction. Currently trying to put meat and flesh in my story that I want to pitch in front of some producers and directors in Bollywood.
    I feel your way of writing is much better than most of the film critics in Bollywood. All of them write abt the same topics and mention the same flaws and appreciate the same qualities in hindi films.

    Do visit my blog as well and let me know if you find my views interesting.

    Take care
    Sagarika

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  3. Raj Bharti

    Hi Kathy,

    I’m a big fan of Hindi music but watch only selective Bollywood movies, so I heavily rely on online reviews. The key challenge with other reviews is that the most of them are written by Indians living in India, whose taste can be a little different from the West, and sometime they may not be very objective and can also be numb to certain positive cultural aspects. So it’s refreshing to read your review – my only suggestion would be to rate your movies based on 5 stars as that’s the de facto industry standard otherwise readers may unintentionally underestimate a movie with your 3.5 stars rating. Thanks!

    Reply ↓
    1. Kathy

      Thanks for your compliments and suggestions, Raj. I grew up reading Roger Ebert’s movie reviews, so his four-star rating is kind of imprinted on my brain. From now on, I will note in my ratings that the star value is out of four possible stars. I hope that will make the star ratings more useful.

      Reply ↓
  5. lawyerjourno

    Hi, I went through the review you wrote about the movie Houseful and it resembles my analysis of the movie. I am touched, perhaps we two thought the same thing when watching the movie. Keep it up cute pie.
    lawyerjourno

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  6. Ramesh M

    Below are some of my recommendations.

    Pehali http://www.rediff.com/movies/2005/jun/24pah.htm
    Delhi 6 (awesome soundtrack by Rahman) http://www.rediff.com/movies/2009/feb/19arthur-delhi6-review.htm
    Rocket Singh http://movies.rediff.com/report/2009/dec/11/review-rocket-singh-salesman-of-the-year.htm

    Watch a tamil film “Pasanga” too which is so different than the Hindi films http://sify.com/movies/tamil/review.php?id=14884924&ctid=5&cid=2429

    Thanks.

    Reply ↓
  7. Julie Bauer

    Thanks for this blog, Kathy! I choose DVDs (among other things) for our library. A large number of immigrants from India live in our area, and we added Bollywood DVDs to our collection a few years ago, but it’s really hard to find reviews in English. I ran into your blog by accident, and I’m glad I did.

    Julie

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    1. Kathy

      That’s excellent, Julie! I’m happy my reviews have been useful as you build your library’s DVD collection.

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  8. jmmnewaov2

    Hi Kathy – Good luck with your blog. I’ve just finished reading your write up on The Japanese Wife. I too write reviews, My specialty is not Indian cinema, but I have been a fan of Indian films for many years.

    On my site you can find reviews of such Indian films as
    The Japanese Wife
    Jab We Met
    Love Aaj Kal
    Paa
    Shootout at Lokhandwala
    Main aur Mrs. Khanna
    Kurbaan
    A Wednesday
    fanaa
    Dil Bole Hadippa
    Delhi 6

    and I have also seen
    Lagaan, Chak de India, and Swades – as well as DDLJ. So we do have some similar tastes.

    You can check out my review website. I call it The Arts
    http://jmmnewaov2.wordpress.com/category/indian-films-dvd/

    I am going to set up a link on my site to hopefully send some readers to you.

    Reply ↓
  9. RAJ SHAH

    Hello Kathy,

    As an Indian, I am totally impressed with your passion and in-depther knowledge.
    Keep up the good work !

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  10. Aisha

    Hey Kathy,

    I enjoy reading your insightful reviews all the time.

    I’m from gulf region in the Middle East, as many people of my generation, I grew up watching Hindi movies especially Amitabh Bachchan’s 70’s-80’s “masalas”.

    However, I stopped watching for a long period of time. However, a friend brought me back and I instantly got hooked after I was amazed tof the huge transition in the industry. The movies are no longer masala mix of action, romance and comedy, or the typical love story: two lovers and disapproving parents, and one more thing: the protagonist is invincible no more.

    Hindi movies are more meaningful and realistic than ever and can be compared to Hollywood movies. Now I try to convince everyone I know who still look down on Bollywood movies to change their mind.

    Thank you dear!

    Reply ↓
    1. Kathy

      Thanks, Aisha! I’m glad you’ve rediscovered your love of Bollywood. Your comments are always welcome. It’s amazing to see the evolution in Hindi films in the few years that I’ve been writing about them, as the industry transitions from “please everyone” fare to movies that fill certain niches.

      Reply ↓
  11. Tina

    Hey Kathy!

    Wow, I’m really loving your reviews!!! They really do help me choose what hindi movies to watch! I’ve recently stumbled upon telugu movies and I have to say they’re actually not as bad as I thought they would be. Though there are only a few that are watchable. It would be nice if you reviewed a telugu movie once in a while as they are getting very popular. A MUST WATCH would be Leader. Magadheera, Khaleja, and Vedam are also excellent.

    Reply ↓
    1. Kathy

      Thanks, Tina! I’m glad you like my reviews. Thanks for the Telugu movie recommendations. I really wanted to see Magadheera because of its great promotional posters. I hope it makes its way to Netflix soon!

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    1. Kathy

      Thanks for the link, Srini! I’m active in the forums at The Bollywood Ticket. Jennifer runs a great site.

      Reply ↓
  13. Praveen Varghese

    Hey Kathy!

    Add 3 films to the must-watch list of films(Hindi). Try these:
    Rang De Basanti (Paint it Yellow)
    Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
    Wake Up Sid

    I guess, starters can get a good go as you watch the above movies plus the one’s you already mentioned about in the – ‘About’ column.

    Reply ↓
    1. Kathy

      Thanks, Praveen! Excellent recommendations. I just got back from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and am about to start writing my review.

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  14. Praveen

    Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara made me WOW!! Exceptional story-line, cinematography and the rest of it. Kudos to Zoya Akthar. And yes, I could find Farhan Akthar in his element. The only film of this genre in Bollywood, I believe 🙂 Javed Akthar, the lyricist got some strings together in most parts of the movie which adds a ‘tinge’ of smile to every viewer’s face even in a crisis – something, which always could be a hideout for Imraan who tries to get out of an emotional baggage he used to carry a long way.

    Aisi movie’s na Milegi Dobara 🙁

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    1. Kathy

      Thanks, Chandru. I generally review only Hindi movies (or movies dubbed into Hindi and released in U.S. theaters) just to keep my workload manageable, so I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get to 7aum Arivu. What did you think of it?

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  16. Chandru

    Hi, I loved the movie, actually connected to the film industry from Tamil, this movie has English subtitle, i am actually planning of releasing movie in European market, i thought i could use your western perspective on the marketability, while you seem to slice and dice and be just honest with your comments…

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    1. Kathy

      Hi, Chandru. I’ve been looking for a copy of 7aum Arivu to review and haven’t been able to find one. Good luck with your European launch!

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  17. Vik

    Hi Kathy,

    I read a couple of your reviews and to be honest am intrigued with your perspective on hindi movies. RA.One review was spot on (I too would have loved to see those mid 25 mins removed from the movie). One last thing, you need to check out “Manorama Six Feet Under”. i think you might like it.

    Reply ↓
  18. Amrendra Saxena

    Hey Kathy,

    I came across your blog recently. I must admit, initially, it was more about the fun and curiosity that what perspective an american has on Indian movies! but as soon as i read the first post, my views changed. I am a big movie buff and have been fed up of paid reviews by so called famous critics. I sincerely appreciate and acknowledge the fact that yours are the most precise and unbiased reviews i have come across. just what i wanted!

    I loved your blog so much that i actually spent three hours reading almost every review you have written. You can count me as a fan! 😀

    Keep up the awesome work.
    Take care.

    Reply ↓
  19. Amrendra Saxena

    Pleasure is all mine ma’am! Next time a movie releases, its gonna be ur blog i’d be looking for! BTW even i am an occasional blogger, would love it if u check it out…its practicallyethicalacp.blogspot.com!!

    Reply ↓
  20. Himanshu Desai

    Hi,

    Glad to read your perspective on Bollywood movies. I am an avid moviegoer and I thus appreciate your views on good as well as bad movies of Bollywood. Well, for Tamil and Telugu films, I am as subtitle-stuck as I guess, you are. I watched 7aum Arivu (watched in Telugu as “7th sense” ), it’s good but not worthy enough to write a review upon (what say Chandru?). Being a non-Tamilian, I might not be the apt person to give you Tamil movie recommendations, but I strongly emphasize you to watch any of the Gautam Menon movies (wiki him; his all the movies except last one are hit and truly, classic; especially Vinnaithandi varuvaya; the hindi remake Ek Deewana Tha, will hit theatres soon).

    I shout out about movies and music at my blog Bollywood Dil Se; would be glad if you visit back.

    Reply ↓
    1. Kathy

      Thanks for the recommendation, Himanshu. I see that Gautham Menon is directing Ek Deewana Tha, so that will be a good introduction for me.

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    1. Kathy

      Hi, Umang. I prefer reading subtitles to watching movies with dubbed dialog. I can’t help but notice the way the movements of the actors mouths don’t match up with the spoken dialog, so I find dubbing distracting.

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  22. ketu

    Hi Kathy,

    Some pretty interesting reviews. I haven’t had a chance to browse all if your site so I’m not sure if you have seen the following two films:

    No Smoking (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0995740/)
    Rock On!! (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1230165/)

    Two very different films which go out of the way from your conventional Bollywood, for which reason I like to call them Hindi films and _not_ Bollywood films. The first one is very interesting and I would love to hear your thoughts on it so watch them if you haven’t already.

    Ketu x

    Reply ↓
  23. Amrendra Saxena

    Hi Kathy, eagerly waiting for your review on Ferrari Ki Sawari..lots of good vibes around it here..no honest reviews yet!

    Reply ↓
    1. Kathy

      Thanks, Amrendra! I’m going to see Ferrari Ki Sawaari on Monday, so the review should be up Monday evening or early Tuesday.

      Reply ↓
  24. Amrendra Saxena

    Hi kathy, i was waiting for you review on gangs of wasseypur!! Did you not see it? I liked the movie overall a,nd few scenes, especially the comic ones, were brilliant…now that its sequel is due to arrive on 8th August (In India atleast) you should check it out… wud love to hear ur perspective…!

    Reply ↓
    1. Kathy

      Bad news, Amrendra: Gangs of Wasseypur hasn’t been released in the United States, and I don’t think there are any plans to do so. I’m hoping that changes, because I really want to see it!

      Reply ↓
  26. Jenny K

    GoW has been at a number of film festivals, though. I had been to the Silkscreen Festival in Pittsburgh (which didn’t have GoW, sadly) and so couldn’t afford to go to the New York festival that was running it, later that month. I wouldn’t give up on seeing it here. Fingers crossed.

    Reply ↓
  27. evelyn

    Hey Kathy, I love your reviews!. Your style of writing is unique. Sometimes i find your review more interesting than the movie itself …lol. Keep going with the good work and just one suggestion – Learn hindi, you’ll enjoy movies better that way. Subtitles dilute the humor..

    Love
    Evelyn.

    Reply ↓
    1. Kathy

      Thanks, Evelyn! I’m glad you like my reviews. I probably will learn Hindi one day, but I’ve decided not to for the present. Hindi movies are interesting whether you know the language or not, and I want to review them on behalf of Westerners who don’t speak Hindi. I don’t want anyone to think that they can’t enjoy Hindi movies without knowing the language (although there are plenty of movies — especially comedies — that don’t translate well). 🙂

      Cheers,
      Kathy

      Reply ↓
      1. Khan

        Hi friends can u help me to tell Kathy to add new Bollywood movie in Netflix please like Sultan,jagga jasoos,please

        Reply ↓
  29. Amrendra

    Hey Kathy… Liked your review on Barfi…and also loved the movie.. I am a movie buff and use all kinds of adjectives while giving opinions on movies..but used the term beautiful after a long time for any movie. Anyway, curious to know have you checked the full promo of Jab Tak Hai Jaan…(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0UXgoJ9Shg) I am really excited bout it.. And on a lighter note, have been following up most of your reviews lately, you seem to have developed a crush on Randeep Hooda…haha! Too many words of praise.. 😛

    Reply ↓
    1. Kathy

      Thanks, Amrendra! I guess I haven’t been as clever about disguising my Randeep Hooda crush as I thought I was. 😉 I’m really excited about Jab Tak Hai Jaan, too.

      Reply ↓
  31. Shah Shahid

    Very interesting Blog!

    Always welcome non-Desi perspectives of Indian Cinema. I’ve grown up on Indian Films, then became a filmmaker in North America, so the perspectives on my Blog are somewhat similar to yours.

    Feel free to hit me up for any clarifications or insight into the historical / cultural references in certain films if needed. I find that sometimes direct translations lose the gist or actual intended meaning, which can only be explained with a thorough grasp on expressions used both in South Asia and North America.

    Let’s not even get into song translations. :S

    Followed!

    Reply ↓
    1. Kathy

      Thanks for the offer, Shah Shahid. I checked out your site, and it looks like I’ve got a lot of reading to catch up on. Cheers!

      Reply ↓
  32. Shah Shahid

    No worries Kathy. Take your time. Just start from the newer ones, don’t bother about the archives. Interested to see your perceptions on some movies.

    Reply ↓
    1. Kathy

      Thanks, Yogesh. If I was watching Bollywood movies purely for my own amusement, I probably would learn Hindi. I’ve decided not to so that I can accurately inform other Americans who read my reviews which films are most enjoyable for moviegoers who don’t understand Hindi. Theek hai? 🙂

      Reply ↓
      1. Yogesh Pandey

        Acha hai ! lol.. While reading your reviews I never felt that you are non-Indian reviewer. Accept it, you have become semi-Indian already! hehe 😛 I really liked your recent reviews so I started reading from the beginning(2008), I feel with time your reviews have become more and more accurate… 🙂

        Reply ↓
        1. Kathy

          Thanks, Yogesh! I am a proud “semi-Indian.” That compliment makes me smile. 🙂 Practice makes perfect, and I’ve had around 225 reviews (thus far) to improve. Glad my efforts have paid off, and thanks so much for reading all of the reviews!

          Reply ↓
  34. Sujit Patil

    Hi Kathy ! First of all thank you for appreciative work on indian films….We…a average indian is forced upon mainstream films which from it’s inception have a common theme – hard core ramanticism or a revenge story or a family drama ! But thanks to some genuine filmmakers and a more deliberate audience grew over decades who no longer wish for a typical spicy bollywood moview…have made some remarkable movie which are more artistic or entertainers in a true sense…
    Below are my few suggestions,hope you can have a look upon them,
    1. Natrang (Marathi Movie) A gripping tale of a lowercaste labour who dreams to be a popular artist but have to act as a transgender to fulfill the audience requirement.

    2.Kaaksparsh (Marathi) – An unsual love story between a man and his brother’s widow .

    Will post some more depending upon your interests.
    Thanks,
    Sujit.

    Reply ↓
    1. Kathy

      Thank you for the recommendations, Sujit! I wish Marathi films were easier to find in the U.S. The market for non-Hindi Indian films is growing here, but slowly. Cheers!

      Reply ↓
      1. Sujit Patil

        Yes,that is so true… By the way,you can find them on youtube with english subtitles as well . Anyways thanks & HNY !!

        Reply ↓
  35. John Davidson

    I enjoy your reviews and normally think they are the best indicator if I will like a Bollywood film. I was disappointed that I haven’t seen a review from you of Table No 21 which from other reviewers seems like a hidden gem.

    Reply ↓
    1. Kathy

      I’m glad you like my reviews, John! Table No. 21 had a brief run in Chicago area theaters, and I wasn’t able to catch it. I’ll review it once it’s available for streaming or on DVD.

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  36. Saran

    Wow, was googling something and ended up on your site,

    Was pleasantly surprised to see an american reviewing hindi movies. How do you guys sit through all the mushy song and dance numbers ?? 🙂

    Just thought ill put in a few suggestions which i hope you would get to watch some how (in case you havent already)

    GangsofWasseypur 1&2
    Udaan
    Water
    Udaan
    The Namesake
    Tere Bin Laden
    Peepli (Live)
    Aamir
    A Wednesday
    Taare Zameen Par
    Gandu (bengali)
    Dil Chahta Hai
    Stanley Ka Dabba
    Paan Singh Tomar (i dint see this one yet, heard its good. Irfan khan is the actor)
    Dev D
    Johnny Gaddaar
    Lakshya (average)
    Shaitan(average)
    3 idiots (average)
    Vaastav
    Mumbai Meri Jaan
    Sarkar (bollywood take on godfather)
    Rangeela (old one but good)
    Manorama Six Feet Under
    Bombay (old one)
    Company
    Omkara
    Devdas(remake of an old movie- “extreme bollywood” 🙂
    and of course the Apu Trilogy (Bengali though)

    Let me know by email if you would love some more suggestions in other Indian languages as well.

    In case you cant find any of these, ill give you a ping next time i come to Chicago.

    Keep watching bollywood 😉

    Reply ↓
    1. Kathy

      Glad you found the site, Saran! You’ll find my reviews for many of the movies in your list here. As the sole reviewer at this site, I generally stick to just Hindi movies so as not to get overwhelmed. How do I endure the mushy songs? My local theaters don’t have interval breaks during the movies, so that’s when I run out to grab popcorn! 😉

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      1. Saran

        Damn you’ve watched more hindi than me. (not joking, im from the south)
        I think you should have an archive system similar to blogger (is there a similar option in wordpress?), where you can see the list of the posts under a particular month. Scrolling to see the names of the movies you’ve reviewed is a bit cumbersome, dont you think.

        You’re missing a lot sticking to hindi alone, Some of the non hindi indian movies are generally less commercial, but much better to watch. Tamil(i believe you’ve watched Enthiran 🙂 ) and Telugu is like bollywood on steroids. Bengali and Malayalam have some pretty awesome ones. Just sayin 😉

        Now on, im gonna search your site for a review before i head for a new hindi movie…

        Reply ↓
    1. Kathy

      You’re welcome, sumit! I enjoy the movies, and I really like writing about them. Thanks for reading!

      Reply ↓
  39. Anirudh

    Hello Kathy. I know Bollywood is the most prolific movie industry, but sometimes south Indian movies turn out to be surprisingly good too. For example, “Eega”, a Telugu language movie.

    Reply ↓
    1. Kathy

      I have heard so many good things about “Eega.” I wish it was easier to find a good copy of it in the U.S. Hopefully I’ll get to see it some day.

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  40. Krish

    I recently watched swades and prior to watching swades I watched Fiza and Mission Kashmir. Watching swades reminded me of your review where I had commented 🙂 so here’s to recommending you to the movie Fiza. Since it’s a 2000 movie its unsophisticated unglobalised and has a charm of its own. Its the kind of movie I remember from my child hood when I was not into watching films but went with my family. The soundtrack is absolutely wonderful from A R Rahman. I hope you enjoy it. Newcomers to bollywood can associate with the modern films, but since you have been following films for quite a while, I hope you can enjoy the older movies.

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  41. Jim

    Hi Kathy,

    Great job with the site–I like the way you review, and that you do take a critical eye to acting, dialogue, etc, and articulate your views (vs. some reviews which seem to gloss over these details.) Do you think you could do a “non-musicals Hindi movie” type post? You may have done one already, and if I’ve missed it, sorry! But I’ve stumbled upon Lunchbox and quite like it, but I’m struggling to find other movies like that (and less like the Taal/Lagaan that my Indian friends seem to enjoy as more mass entertainment.)

    thanks!

    Jim

    Reply ↓
    1. Kathy

      Thanks for the compliments, Jim! I’ve never done a post on “non-musicals” if only because they’re so rare. And it’s hard to find a Hindi movie with a soundtrack more sparse than The Lunchbox! However, I looked back through some of my yearly “best of” lists (the 2013 list has links to the rest at the bottom of the page) and came up with a few suggestions to get you started while I consider writing a more thorough post on the subject. Any suggestions from other readers are welcome!

      Kahaani, Ishaqzaade, Shahid, and Kai Po Che! are currently available for instant streaming on Netflix.

      Reply ↓
      1. Jim

        Thanks Kathy! This is so thoughtful. I’ve purchased Lootera on your advice (and am hunting down Swade.) I’m really excited about the others as well. Keep up the great work!

        Reply ↓
        1. Kathy

          You’re welcome, Jim! I hope you like Swades as much as I do. It’s available on Netflix instant, if that works for you.

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  42. Jim

    Really liked Swade! Rani/Queen I just saw with a friend last night–I liked it, but felt it wasn’t that strongly acted, though endearing.

    Reply ↓
  43. moviemavengal

    Kathy,

    Love your site! I also fell in love with Bolllywood films because of Lagaan. I live in Naperville, and haven’t ventured out to watch a Bollywood film at either the Regal Cantera or Cinemark, but now that I know you go there regularly, and they will have subtitles, I’ll be going.

    I haven’t watched many Bollywood films in quite awhile, and I’m using your reviews, and also recommendations from my Indian next door neighbor for new films to try.

    One suggestion for your site, is I wish I had a way to find all your four star reviews, three and half star reviews, etc., similar to your archive links.

    I appreciate the lists you’ve made in this comment section. I loved Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, thanks to your recommendation, and enjoyed Chak De India. Chak De India made me realize how little I know about the different regions of India, and the prejudices between them.

    I’ll be checking your site regularly from now on!

    Melanie (moviemavengal)

    Reply ↓
    1. Kathy

      Thanks for the kind words, Melanie! And what a small world! Next time you’re heading to the Cantera for a Bollywood film, let me know via Twitter (@kathyfgibson) or email (accessbolly @ gmail.com), and we can meet up. Whenever there’s a new release, I’m at the first show on Friday morning.

      As for the ability to search for reviews by star rating, I’ll work on adding links to the sidebar. In the meantime, you can find a list of reviews with the same rating using the tags at the bottom of each post. For example:
      http://accessbollywood.net/tag/4-stars/

      Thanks again for writing! — Kathy

      Reply ↓
  45. meeradarjiyr1

    Hi Kathy, hope you are keeping well. I’m not sure if you’ve seen my blog recently, however I am working on my next Documentary project ‘TRANSINDIA’ which explores the lives of Hijras in India. You can read more about the project here: https://meeradarjiyr1.wordpress.com/2014/12/08/support-transindia-documentary/

    It would be great if you could spread the film campaign through your blog/networks, as there is only 10 days left for donations. Contributions will also help offer food and clothing to the Hijra community igg.me/at/TransindiaDocumentary/ .

    Many thanks.
    Meera

    Reply ↓
  46. dev toutu

    Since you are an indian movie affectionado….please watch these movies and let me know what you think and maybe leave your own reviews on them.

    (1) The legend of Bhagat Singh – Ajay Devgan recd. a National Award for his portrayal of the legendary Bhagat Singh
    (2) Hera Pheri – I n my humble opinion, one of the greatest indian comedies of all time
    (3) Golmaal (old) with Amol Palekar – Another all time great comedy
    (4) Qurbani – one of the older slick bollywood action movies with some of the greatest songs in bollywood history ever
    (5) Company – Ajay devgan again in a masterful performance; Vivek oberoi in an amazing breakthru debutant performance
    (6) Prahaar – one of my all time favorite movies with great actor Nana Patekar
    (7) Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar
    (8) Roja – since you like Mani Ratnam – great movie that started it all and a great soundtrack as well
    (9) Baazigar – movie that made Shah Rukh Khan a star
    (10) Rang De Basanti – Again an all time great Aamir Khan movie

    Reply ↓
    1. Kathy

      Thanks, Dev! I’m somewhat limited by availability as to what I can review, since I’m based in the US. However, Rang De Basanti is on Netflix here, so I hope to review that in the near future.

      Reply ↓
      1. dev toutu

        So I recently moved permanently from the US to Canada and its become harder for me to watch Bollywood movies since the number of theaters that carry them in Canada are so few and far in between. By the way, i ve been staying away from the theaters recently with all the trash that has been coming out. I was reminiscing lately, and was thinking about how great Detective Byomkesh Bakshy was compared to all this recent trash. I would easily rate that movie like 9/10. The movie I m looking forward to this year is “WAZIR” with AB and Farhan Akhtar, the trailer looks badass, hopefully the movie lives up to expectations !!!

        Reply ↓
        1. Kathy

          Yeah, there hasn’t been a lot of incentive lately, Dev (although Talvar was excellent). I’m not familiar with the specifics of the Canadian theater market, so would you mind telling me a little more about your situation? Where do you live, and how close is the nearest theater that carries Bollywood movies? I’m so curious as to why there are so few theaters across Canada that carry Hindi films, when there seems to be so much demand.

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  47. Prachy Mohan

    Hi Kathy, I love your site! And it’s so good to see someone living in the North America reviewing Bollywood movies because the tastes differ so much from India! I wrote my first review on Tamasha: https://prachymohan.wordpress.com/2015/12/04/tamasha-a-review/. I’d love to hear your thoughts based on both the review and the movie 🙂

    Also, I highly highly recommend City Lights…not a big movie but probably the best Bollywood has ever produced!

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    1. Kathy

      I really enjoyed your review, Prachy! Thanks for the recommendation on City Lights, too. My local public library had a copy on DVD, but it was scratched so I couldn’t finish it. 🙁 Would love to see it on Netflix someday…

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  48. Ashwin Atresh M.S

    Hi Kathy,

    I came across your review(s) by chance when sifting through some reviews on IMDB. Loved the way you have written them. I noticed you had reviewed Badlapur, Agent Vinod and Johnny Gaddar too. I was wondering if you had seen one of Sriram Ragahavan’s earlier works titled “Ek Hasina Thi(2004)?

    Look forward to more of your reviews. You have a new fan:)

    Regards
    Ashwin M.S

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    1. Kathy

      Thanks so much, Ashwin! I haven’t seen Ek Hasina Thi, and from what I recall, it isn’t easy to find in the US. All the best! — Kathy

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  49. TL

    Kathy – I just wanted to let you know that yours are hands down my go-to reviewer for Hindi movies…more than any other reviewer, I have been aligned with your ratings. Thanks for your excellent work. I’m an ‘ABCD’, so that may explains one of the congruence in our views 🙂

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  51. Pingback: Why I Love Indian Cinema – MovieMavenGal

  53. Jas Singh

    Dear Kathy,
    I accidentally came across your website yesterday and I must say that I fell in love with it. I love watching Hindi/Punjabi movies and wait until they are released on dvd. I do not watch the fake prints that become available right away, but wait for the orginal dvd to release. Lately there have been almost four months delay for the dvd to release unlike before. So I search Amazon and Netflix for any new movies. I was pleasantly surprised to see that you keep that list updated. As a matter of fact the three movies that were added today, I didn’t expect to see that on your list. But to my surprise you have already added those. Good work. I am glad I found your website. Will start reading your reviews as most of the others I find on Indian websites don’t make any sense.
    Thank you,
    Jas

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    1. Kathy

      Thank you so much, Jas! You made my day! I’m like you — if I can’t catch a movie in the theater, I wait for the official DVD or for it to release on a trustworthy streaming service. I’m glad you’ve found my lists and reviews valuable! — Kathy

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  54. Sumith

    Thank you, this is my go to site to search for any new hindi movies of Prime and Netflix.
    Will you be able to add the contents from Hotstar as well? They do get new Bollywood movies to. In that way your blog will be one Stop for major Bollywood streaming.

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    1. Kathy

      Thanks so much, Sumith! I wish I could make a Hotstar list, but they don’t have a system for sorting their movies that allows me to easily keep track of the titles in their catalog (unlike Amazon Prime and Netflix). If they ever add an option to sort their titles alphabetically or by newest additions — and not just by “popular” — I’d love to do it.

      Also, when major new releases show up on Hotstar, I try to mention them in my Streaming Video Posts. Cheers! — Kathy

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  56. MP

    I found your site by accident. About three months ago I developed a love for Bollywood films and since then have been obsessed Indian movies and serials. I’ve subscribed to Hotstar for the serials. Like you, I’m totally dependent on the English subtitles.

    Reply ↓
    1. Kathy Post author

      Welcome, MP! I’m glad you found the site! With all of the new content streaming services are posting, you’re going to be very, very busy!

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  57. desidividend

    I have been visiting this website for quite some time to check latest Movies on Amazon/Netflix.
    I think maybe you should start writing some Indian Movie related content and Especially some of the Indian movies released early this year kept AMC, Regal cinemas little busy with new content. Early June is there 83 Movie releasing.
    USA is second biggest market for Telugu movie industry following Bollywood.

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    1. Kathy Post author

      Thanks for visiting the site, desidividend. My father died recently, so I am not reviewing movies right now.

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