To say Aretha ticked all the boxes when it came to voice technique is like calling Cristiano Ronaldo an efficient footballer, says Kanika Datta.

Politics, favouritism and poor taste in cinema have contributed to embarrassing choices for the Oscar race in the past.This little gem from India needs the love, emotional and financial support from the government as well as the Indian film industry, argues Aseem Chhabra.

As electric they are on silver screen, Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt aren't quite chat show meat, feels Sukanya Verma.

Gajraj Rao's performance in Badhaai Ho is the finest by an actor in a Hindi film this year, applauds Sreehari Nair.

'Thugs is smarter than a lot of 'nationalistic' movies,' notes Rohit Sathish Nair.

Aseem Chhabra salutes the late Italian Master and his cinema.

Will Priyanka start a family? Or does she have some career aces up her sleeve?Longtime Rediff.com contributor Aseem Chhabra, author of <Priyanka Chopra: The Incredible Story Of A Global Bollywood Star, predicts PeeCee's next moves.

'Even when he moves beyond his traditional repertoire, he sticks to a template that does not take him too far from the viewer's gentler emotions,' notes Vikram Johri.

'Kader Khan could be horribly intimidating, impossibly silly, achingly human and, sometimes, all at once.''I was drawn to his magic and magnetism even when I didn't know he was behind it,' recalls Sukanya Verma.

Why do Hindi cinema superstars flounder in their fifties, asks Vanita Kohli-Khandekar.

'This is a movie made with this gaze fixed on its immediate well-wishers, while at the same time it squints hard looking for those swaying back and forth on the fence,' notes Rohit Sathish Nair.

'Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga is a step backward for the portrayal of female camaraderie in our movies,' argues Sreehari Nair.

What is it like to be a woman in a male-dominated profession like a police officer, asks Adrija Shukla.

'When we walk around wearing Batman t-shirts, buy posters of Green Lantern and collect little vinyl figurines of Hulk, such actions remind us that these heroes deal with the realities running rampant in our own lives,' says Kumar Abhishek.

The recently released poster Mental Hai Kya is like an abuse aimed at those who are fighting a disorder that demands support and social understanding, says Tarun Vijay, the former BJP MP.

'The Telugu original with its brilliant rendering of the hero by Vijay Deverakonda works better than Kabir Singh.''It also has a sharper play of caste politics and raw authenticity of characters rooted in a local universe that gets lost in translation when it is remade for a pan-India audience,' argues Ritwik Sharma.

Quentin Tarantino, declares Sreehari Nair, will be remembered as someone who made just two great movies, and who then brought misery upon himself.

Shah Rukh Khan had David Letterman in his grip, giving him no quarter whatsoever, declares Sreehari Nair.

'Many thought it was the end for me,' Lataji told Subhash K Jha.'I just couldn't sing!'

Indian films, and Raj Kapoor in particular, have a special place in Iranian cinephilia or cinemadoosti, Ranjita Ganesan discovers on a visit to Iran.

'The vitriol against Deepika Padukone, who is a hugely popular star, will fade over time. But let's not forget what caused it,' says Shuma Raha.

Joaquin Phoneix (Joker) and Renne Zellweger (Judy) should keep their fingers crossed, says Kumar Abishek.

What has not changed in a decade is the character of Rizwan Khan. He is complex, multi-dimensional and lovable. In fact, his character continues to grow on you, notes Mohammad Asim Siddiqui.

'Visibility is very important, but visibility is also very expensive.'Swapnil Joglekar explores the Parasite phenomenon.

'You will be remembered for a long, long, time,' notes Sudhir Bisht.

'Irrfan transcended celluloid and gave us a taste of his humility and humanity,' observes Sukanya Verma.

Most of us have a memory like that with our fathers, tucked away in the back of our minds or hidden away in family albums. Irrfan's passing took us right back. It's also what made it so personal to so many of us, points out Abhishek Mande Bhot.

from the Winter 2003-2003 Journal

Much can be said about this song’s sacred and secular connotations. At first glance, one might assume that the song speaks to its religious roots; however, given the environment in which the song was created, the song can be taken literally. Taken from The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s enhanced CD, From Ear to Ear, and adapted from field recordings by John and Alan Lomax, this song was known to have been sung by the 1871 Fisk University Jubilee Singers.

New lyrics set to familiar (or some not so familiar) English melodies, recorded using 18th-century instrumentation to recreate the ambience of a small tavern or public meeting place.

Selected performances from nine of Colonial Williamsburg's recordings, including fife and drum marches, chamber music, slave chants, and tavern songs.

Since the first organized Christmas celebration drew visitors to Colonial Williamsburg in 1936, nothing quite matches the beauty, imagination, excitement, pageantry, sights, smells, sounds, and grandeur of the Christmas season in Colonial Williamsburg.

From the Summer 2002 Journal: "Making "Cents" of Colonial Money"

From the Summer 2002 Journal: "Making "Cents" of Colonial Money"

From the Summer 2002 Journal: "Making "Cents" of Colonial Money"

In October 2010, the hosts of Backstory visited Colonial Williamsburg's Kimball Theatre to perform a live show.