#Sachin Kundalkar

[heavenlyyshecomes]

But in the afternoon, my limbs began to feel heavy and I felt alone again. The future frightened me so much I began to cry. I did not know what was going to happen to me. I felt that everyone must be laughing at me. My head began to fuzz over. Sitting in a chair, I began to cry copiously. I wept on and on until my breath began to catch in my throat.

—Sachin Kundalkar, Cobalt Blue tr. Jerry Pinto

[inmyworldblr]

Gandha (2009) | dir. Sachin Kundalkar

[mubiss]

Cobalt Blue

[timetravellingkitty]

hi do you have any book recs by indian/indian origin authors on the queer indian experience? just not anything do w those books trying to link hinduism and queerness lol (looking at you devdutt pattnaik…)

cobalt blue by sachin kundalkar, originally written in marathi but there's an english translation by jerry pinto

the truth about me: a hijra life story by a. revathi originally written in tamil with an english translation by v. geetha (this one's an autobiography)

any of hoshang merchant's poetry work but he's most known for his anthology yaarana

i'm actually not sure if lamya h. (the author of hijab butch blues) is indian; all i've seen is that they're a south asian muslim from an urdu speaking family but i'll still rec this

the boyfriend by r. raj rao; set in the gay subculture of mumbai and discusses caste and class

tldr; anything that's Not devdutt pattanaik lol

[desi-lgbt-fest]

Hi, any recommendations for desi queer books and/or fanfiction? June is coming up and I want to fill my shelves up with as much queerness as they will hold :p

There's Ruth Vanita who has written non fiction books on Indian queerness.

There's Cobalt Blue book by Sachin Kundalkar.

There's Kari by Amruta Patil (graphic novel).

Ismat Chughtai is a famous author for having written queer stories.

I found a list on Goodreads for Indian Queer Books but I cannot ofcourse vouch for the selection. The list is called 'Queer and Indian'.

Other than that fellas and folks, any recommendations from your sides???? I know there's some amount of RRR and SOTY fanfiction.

[peachypaddys]

ten frames.

cobalt blue (2022) — dir. sachin kundalkar

[sulfurousmirrorscapes]

you seem well versed in marathi language, can you recommend me modern day books in marathi that i can enjoy? i don't mind the genre but I'm a teenager so most of the marathi literature is hard to pick up for me (although i respect it immensely) i believe literature, music and active pop culture is the best way to promote a langauge rather than giving speeches at political venues. I'd like to read more of your own work as well because i saw a post and it was amazing! it's fine if you can't recommend anything too!

p.s. i love your language blog

I don't know enough about Marathi literature to recommend you anything!

I think the closest I know is Cobalt Blue by Sachin Kundalkar, who also directed its film adaptation. It's about a brother and a sister who fall in love with the same man, and it was released in 2013.

You're absolutely right about pop culture being the best way to promote a language, and I wish Marathi had a more active diverse pop culture scene. Maybe in time? I'd love to help in any way I can!

Thank you so much for your kind words about Survive to Read! You can read more of my literature over at Sulfurous Dreamscapes and its associated substack Sulfur Dreams!

Thank you so much for sending me this! ❤️

[desimoviereviews]

Aiyyaa: Cute Movie, Confusing Logic

Follow me on Instagram: @thatguyanesejournalist

Let’s talk about Sachin Kundalkar’s Aiyyaa.

Meenakshi Deshpande, an outspoken and imaginative girl from a conservative family, chases after the man of her dreams while avoiding an arranged engagement/marriage put together by her family.

I can already feel this is going to be a long post. And not in a good way.

See, here’s the synopsis from Rotten Tomatoes (which is the synopsis that pops up on Google when you do a quick search of the film).

“Meenakshi is a drama queen who falls in love with Surya, a Tamil actor. Although she is engaged to another person, she still dreams of getting married to Surya.”

So naturally, I thought this movie was a fleshed-out story about Meenakshi, who is a fangirl, chasing after an actor named Surya and they both fall in love while her parents are setting up her arranged marriage (the music videos did not help in aiding this delusion)

But I wasn’t even close. In fact, that would’ve been a bit more interesting than what the film actually delivers: cuteness, but confusion if you think too hard about the logistics.

Surya is a painter who is given a few lines at best. Also (maybe it’s because we see everything from Meenakshi’s point of view) it doesn’t seem like he’s that interested in her the entire movie until the ending. You see little hints, like him dropping his handkerchief so she could wipe her tears. But, nothing else. I think the director was trying to mimic an actual crush, but it came through for me as Meenakshi daydreaming about a man who isn’t interested (I get you, girl).

Let’s talk about the other elephant in the room: Meenakshi STALKING this man. I understand the obsession, the fake scenarios in your head, and even talking to people who know him because you’re trying to get close to the guy. But not only did she follow him to his house, she:

Interacted with his mother and lied about her actual identity

Stole a shirt from him to smell his scent without him knowing (although you later find out he did know)

Oh, and let’s not forget the detail that she followed him all the way from his house to the incense factory at the end of the movie because she was “curious about him”. I get this movie is supposed to be feminist-forward (she takes charge of her own love life instead of succumbing to an arranged marriage), but I was too distracted by her actions to acknowledge the "women taking agency over themselves" message.

Stalking someone you “like” is definitely creepy no matter what gender you are.

Aside from that, the dialogue was a bit lackluster. One of the only bright sides is Meenakshi's rant (found here). However, the rest was cringy, especially the "Main daru nahi peeta, nahi peeta, nahi peeta" and the "Main bhi nahi peeti, nahi peeti, nahi peeti" lines (I had to pause after I heard that and force myself to keep going).

The soundtrack, composed by Amit Trivedi, lives up to the plot's wackiness and was possibly one of two things that saved the film (Rani was second). But from the man that released “Navrai Majhi” (English Vinglish) and “Jhallah Wallah” (Ishaqzaade) the same year, this movie’s soundtrack underwhelms a bit for me. This was more because I only remember two songs out of the whole set and not because he made mediocre music. The songs are:

Dreamum Wakeuppam (to my South Indians, I'm sorry but it's catchy as hell)

Sava Dollar (Lavani)

The movie is 152 minutes long (2 hours and 32 minutes). If you want to watch a movie that you don’t have to think too hard about, this is it. Stream Aiyyaa on Netflix, grab a snack, and enjoy!

Do you agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments!

[rmahapatradas]

cobalt blue

once you asked me to soap your back. i took off my t-shirt and rolled my trousers up to the knees. i washed your back and then came out, rolled my trousers down again and put on my t-shirt. then i sat down at the table and began reading.

i realized that i had gradually stopped going to the station road, stopped visiting chat rooms. and this despite the fact that we didn't hold hands for days. as i sat there reading, i glanced back to see you standing at the mirror, drying your hair. it occurred to me then that the change had happened to itself, on its own. you were there all the time. you were mine alone. or so i thought.

in my head i united our names, inscribed them on a brass plate and attached them to a mahogany door that you had carved. our door was the most beautiful in the entire building. everyone would know what a creative person --- with a bright, cool, clear mind --- lived behind the mahogany door. when we discovered that we wanted the same colours on the wall, we high-fived each other. but it couldn't have been any other way. i hadn't given much thought to colour before you came into our lives. you wanted a wood floor; the last room would be your studio. our doors would always be open to our friends: some theatre people, some artists.

when aai and baba dropped in on us, a surprise visit, they always wondered why we took so much time to open the doors. that was because we had seen them through the peephole and we'd rushed about, taking down the nudes you'd just finished from the walls. and as soon as we opened the door, one of them would say, 'why does it always take you hours to open the door? why lock the door anyway? who's coming to steal your stuff?'

on her way to put down all her dabbas in the kitchen, aai would add, 'now that you're doing all this, the least you could do is learn the wipe the counters properly, no?' then she would wipe them herself.

- cobalt blue by sachin kundalkar, translated from marathi by jerry pinto

[moviemasters]

Upcoming Marathi Movies

Marathi cinema continues to thrive with a promising lineup of upcoming movies set to captivate audiences. One of the highly anticipated films is Chandramukhi, directed by Yash and featuring Sai Tamhankar in a leading role. The film promises to blend elements of mystery, romance, and drama in a unique cinematic experience that is sure to leave a lasting impact on viewers.

Another noteworthy movie on the horizon is Pondicherry, helmed by director Sachin Kundalkar and starring Amey Wagh and Vaidehi Parshurami. This romantic drama explores themes of love, loss, and self-discovery against the backdrop of picturesque Pondicherry. With its engaging storyline and stellar performances, Pondicherry is poised to be a standout addition to the Marathi film industry's repertoire.

As we eagerly await the release of these upcoming Marathi movies, it is evident that the industry is experiencing an exciting phase marked by innovation and creativity. Audiences can look forward to a diverse range of cinematic offerings that promise to entertain, inspire, and provoke thought in equal measure.

[heavenlyyshecomes]

The house is quiet. I’m alone at home. For a while, I basked in bed in the shifting arabesques of light diffusing through the leaves of the tagar. Then I got up slowly, and went down to the backyard, and sprawled on the low wall for a single moment. The silence made me feel like a stranger in my own home. I walked around the house quietly, as a stranger might. The chirping of sparrows filled the kitchen. The other rooms were quiet, empty, forsaken.

—Sachin Kundalkar, Cobalt Blue tr. Jerry Pinto

[moonofiron]

Bookworm ask game: 8, 17, 25.

8: Favourite queer fiction book:

I recently read Still Life by Sarah Winman and I really loved it. I don't have any favourites as such. Sachin Kundalkar's Cobalt Blue does come to mind, though.

17. Favourite finished book series:

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

25. Favourite middle grade book:

My Sister Jodie by Jaqueline Wilson

Bookworm asks

[indiejones]

THE BOLLYWOOD INDIES, 2022 (ANNUAL FILM AWARDS) !

Welcome one & all, to this, the 8th continuous year of the most prestigious & popular (contemporary) online annual Bollywood Film Awards, of the entire awards season, this whole decade-

The Indies.

NOTE: This year's scrolls, unlike past couple of years, do not include the web series segment, which saw it's boom period during the international pandemic induced lockdown for precisely those 2 years, a consequent dip in big quality film productions & produce, that in turn enabled lotsa screen talent to temporarily shift to the web space with much more confined production settings, causing lot more high quality & novel produce here...a level that's under normal circumstances since, somehow seen a drastic dip in collective work, thus causing Indies to take a call in favor of avoiding that segment entirely hereon, or atleast this year. That's not to say a few good productions may not've seen light of day, yet not enough to warrant a entire dedicated Indies awards show for the same.

As also no turnout worth any reckoning on the music front, putting paid to that space too for today.

A year marked most uniquely by the nationwide boycott of Bollywood films at the box office, done for a variety of factors we can't precisely put a finger on, yet that had an extraordinary (read crippling) effect on overall Bollywood earnings for the year, yet since we're not in business of awarding business, rather awarding art, let's get back to our sole area of focus.

This year seeing a very strong showing from a few dubbed South Indian works, & few made in multiple languages incl of South, that not only escaped the boycott wrath, but also found favor on the art front here.

Around the same 30-odd films making it to the elite Indie watchlist here, as for most years, & a similar large pool of winners for all categories in keeping with the now worldly known 'no ceiling on quality' Indies philosophy, except the actresses section seeing only one winner after long!

So enjoy the year's best works in all different aspects, & merrily live the month & year away !

Here is your cream of creams!

. . .

I) BEST PICTURE –

1.(2) ROCKETRY : THE NAMBI EFFECT

&

KARTHIKEYA 2

....JOINT WINNERS !

2.Tara vs Bilal & Dobaaraa & Kantara & Matto Ki Saikil

3. Lal Singh Chaddha & Mister Mummy & Mili

4.Cobalt Blue

5.Sita Ramam & Attack & Dhokha: Round D Corner & Thai Massage

6. Ardh & Radhey Shyam

7. Life is Good

8. Dasvi

9. RRR & Jalsa & Major & Blurr

10. Atithi Bhooto Bhava & Gehraiyaan & Jersey & Double XL & Toolsidas Junior & Cuttputlli & Anek & Tadka

II) BEST DIRECTOR-

1.(8)

MADHAVAN – Rocketry: The Nambi Effect

&

M. GANI – Matto Ki Saikil

&

ANURAG KASHYAP – Dobaaraa

&

SAMAR IQBAL – Tara vs Bilal

&

CHANDOO MONDETI – Karthikeya 2

&

SHAKUN BATRA – Gehraiyaan

&

SACHIN KUNDALKAR – Cobalt Blue

&

GOWTAM TINNANURI – Jersey

....JOINT WINNERS !

2. Mangesh Hadawale – Thai Massage

&

Shaad Ali - Mister Mummy

III) BEST SCREENPLAY -

1.(3) ROCKETRY: THE NAMBI EFFECT

&

KARTHIKEYA 2

&

DOBAARAA

...JOINT WINNERS !

IV) BEST ENSEMBLE –

1.(3) ROCKETRY: THE NAMBI EFFECT

&

TARA VS BILAL

&

MATTO KI SAIKIL

...JOINT WINNERS !

V) BEST ACTOR -

1.(15)

HARSHAVARDHAN RANE – Tara vs Bilal

&

MADHAVAN – Rocketry: The Nambi Effect

&

RISHABH SHETTY – Kanthara

&

DULQUER SALMAAN – Sita Ramam

&

PRAKASH JHA – Matto Ki Saikil

&

AAMIR KHAN – Lal Singh Chaddha

&

RISHI KAPOOR – Sharmaji Namkeen

&

SANJAY DUTT – Toolsidas Junior

&

ANUPAM KHER – The Kashmir Files

&

PANKAJ TRIPATHI – Sherdil: The Pilibhit saga

&

RAJPAL YADAV – Ardh

&

SHAHID KAPOOR – Jersey

&

NEELAY MEHENDALE – Cobalt Blue

&

JACKIE SHROFF – Life is Good

&

RAHEEM MIR – Tara vs Bilal

....JOINT WINNERS !

2. Nikhil Siddhartha – Karthikeya 2 & Gajraj Rao – Thai Massage & Ajay Devgan – Runway 34 & Abhishek Bachchan – Dasvi & Adivi Sesh – Major & Varun Buddhadev – Toolsidas Junior & Naseeruddin Shah – Gehraiyaan & Riteish Deshmukh – Mister Mummy & Pankaj Kapur – Jersey & Akshay Kumar - Cuttputtli

3. Shreyas Talpade – Kaun Pravin Tambe? & Ronit Kamra – Jersey & John Abraham – Attack & Vikrant Massey – Forensic & Deepak Dobriyal – Good Luck Jerry

4. Ankush Gedam – Jhund & Aparshakti Khurana – Dhokha: Round D Corner

5. Prabhas – Radhey Shyam & Nana Patekar – Tadka & Amitabh Bachchan – Brahmastra & Pavail Gulati - Dobaaraa & Rahul Gupta – Matto Ki Saikil & Sunny Hinduja – Thai Massage

VI) BEST ACTRESS –

1. SONIA RATHEE – TARA VS BILAL

....SOLE WINNER !

2. Alina Zasobina – Thai Massage & Khushalii Kumar – Dhokha : Round D Corner & Vidya Balan – Jalsa & Shefali Shah- Jalsa & Pooja Hedge – Radhey Shyam & Genelia Deshmukh – Mister Mummy & Nimrat Kaur – Dasvi & Rubina Dilaik – Ardh

3. Andrea Kevichusa – Anek & Kareena Kapoor – Lal Singh Chaddha

4. Shriya Saran - Tadka & Huma Qureshi – Double XL & Divinaa Thackur – Atithi Bhooto Bhava & Alia Bhatt – Gangubai Kathiawadi

5. Deepika Padukone – Gehraiyaan & Malti Chahar – Ishq Pashmina & Aarohi Sharma – Matto Ki Saikil .

Pleasant memories of 2022 for everyone...& A Happy New Year 2023 to you!

[acekive]

- cobalt blue, sachin kundalkar

[anyaaforger]

if I see one more bitch call cobalt blue an Indian remake of call me by your name, it's gonna be on fucking site bitch

[cinematopeia2]

Cobalt Blue | Azul Cobalto 2021 Sachin Kundalkar