I made my first podcast on Soundcloud. I am not a good speaker, but still made a recording. Sharing with a lot of embarrassment. If you have fiftteen minutes, do listen. I will try to improve :)
Here is the link:
https://soundcloud.com/pankaj-sachdeva-522303115/pankaj-on-film-reviews
Here is the link:
https://soundcloud.com/pankaj-sachdeva-522303115/pankaj-on-film-reviews
Pankaj, this was a fantastic listen. You are well spoken, and your voice is easy to listen to. I enjoyed your sheer enthusiasm for cinema, and for film criticism, that absolutely comes through here. You made some excellent points about film criticism. So many reviewers, or bloggers or youtubers, just give a rundown of the plot and a lot of times don't even leave anything of themselves. It is technical, lazy and soulless. I've always believed that each person brings all of their life experience and perspective to viewing a film, and that affects how the film is perceived and taken in. The very best reviewers use their own lives as a filter through which they can interpret and 'read' a film.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I enjoy most about your blog is that you really get inside of the films, dig deep, and bring forth new understandings and perspectives about the material. I found it very refreshing when I first discovered your blog and it is the reason I am always so delighted when you write a new piece. I know I should leave more comments- I have enjoyed so many of your pieces. Every time I watch an older Hindi film, I always come here and search to see if you've written about it.
I hope that you continue with this podcast. I'd love to hear more of your opinions on film, reviews and some of the reviewers that inspire your own writing. In the meantime, I will definitely read Baradwaj Rangan's work. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Ryan,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your lovely comment. I was a bit nervous that people will not like it, but thank you for the confidence booster. I realized that a written text is much better for podcasts than extempore.
I completely agree with you. Criticism is not just the story, it is much more than that. In addition to technical details, it is also about helping the viewer see something that he/she might have missed. Also, it is about how it impacted you. Each of us has our own way of thinking, and the way we react to certain films is a culmination of our own personality. All these form a part of critical analysis, and as such it is also a very personal exercise.
I think ultimately it all boils down to connection and relatibilty. There are many people who don't relate to films in the way we do; but when we find people who try to watch the movies like we do, we are able to relate more, and get what they are trying to say. I try to uncover relatable issues in films through my blog.
Also, I try to find some little detail that might be of zero importance, but since it is there, it must be mean something. We can be wrong on its significance, but its presence perhaps conveys something.
I will try to make more podcasts, if possible. And, again, thank you for the comment and reading the blog. :)