Bombay Talkies (2013)

Four distinct short films come together to celebrate the history and diverse narratives of Indian cinema.

The story

Bombay Talkies is an anthology film featuring four short stories that explore various facets of life and art in India. The first segment follows Avinash, a young man who leaves home after coming out as gay, and his complex interactions with a married couple. The second story centers on Purandar, a struggling stage actor who finds artistic redemption in a minor film role. The third narrative depicts a young boy's secret passion for Bollywood dance and his efforts to fund his sister's education. Finally, a young man travels to Mumbai on a quest to fulfill his father's eccentric wish involving a Bollywood superstar.

First release year

2013

Runtime (minutes)

128

Production countries

India

Original languages

Hindi

Directors

Karan Johar; Dibakar Banerjee; Zoya Akhtar; Anurag Kashyap

Writers

Karan Johar · writer; Dibakar Banerjee · writer; Zoya Akhtar · writer; Anurag Kashyap · writer; Reema Kagti · writer

Cast and characters

Rani Mukerji · Gayatri; Randeep Hooda · Dev; Saqib Saleem · Avinash; Shiv Kumar Subramaniam · Avinash's father; Nawazuddin Siddiqui · Purandar; Sadashiv Amrapurkar · the spirit of Purandar's stage mentor; Naman Jain · Vicky; Ranvir Shorey · Vicky's father; Swati Das; Katrina Kaif · herself (cameo appearance); Vineet Kumar Singh · Vijay; Sudhir Pandey · Vijay's father; Amitabh Bachchan · Himself (special appearance)

Genres

anthology; LGBTQ-related

Themes

identity; artistic integrity; parental expectations; generational cycles; LGBTQ+ issues

Tone and mood

melancholic; inspiring; celebratory

Premise and plot tags

anthology; tribute; LGBTQ+

Franchise connections

Bombay Talkies series

Reception

The film received positive reviews, with critics praising the collaboration of four top-notch filmmakers, the swift pacing, and the emotional core of the stories.

Reported review scores

Bollywood Hungama · score: 4/5 · scale: stars; Hindustan Times · score: 4/5 · scale: stars; Tushar Joshi · score: 3.5/5 · scale: stars; Sukanya Verma · score: 3.5/5 · scale: stars

Awards and nominations

Queer Palm · nomination · 2013 · nomination

Production trivia

The title pays homage to the 1930s film studio Bombay Talkies.; The film screened at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.

Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.

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