Can you believe it’s October already? Where has this year gone? But, keeping aside my onset of a mid-life crisis (that occurs every other month), there’s one great thing about October. Yes! It’s Diwali time.
According to one version of Hindu mythology, Diwali marks the return of Lord Rama to his kingdom after a long period of exile. The residents of his kingdom lit up a procession of diyas (lamps) in anticipation of his arrival, hence why it’s referred to as the Festival of Lights.
But you don’t have to be Hindu to partake in the festivities. It’s an inclusive festival that invites everyone to embrace the goodness within themselves and spread joy and happiness all around. And SBS on Demand has the Diwali Collection with the perfect mix of films and shows to get you started. So pop that delicious ladoo in your mouth and say Happy Diwali!
Eliminate darkness – both outside and within
In Hindu culture, the concept of ‘light’ is metaphorical and can take on multiple meanings. One of the more significant meanings is that light helps you to combat the darker, more negative forces – whether they be external or internal. And no two films demonstrate this idea better than (2021) and (2016).
Writing With Fire is a documentary that traces the workings of ‘Khabar Lahariya’, a grassroots-based, independent, women-led media organisation that seeks give a voice to those who have been de-platformed by the mainstream media. Most of the women who are part of this collective are also Dalits (one of the most oppressed groups in Indian society), and hence, are also fighting against caste-based prejudices, along with misogynistic attitudes and State-backed suppression of information. The resilience of these women is remarkable, but what’s perhaps more confronting is the damning evidence that the State apparatus and institutions in India themselves have been complicit in legitimising prejudices and oppressing minorities. Writing With Fire is the first Indian feature documentary to ever be nominated for an Academy Award. It’s also one of the best films to have come out of India in recent memory that very few have seen. A must watch.
Watch Writing With Fire at SBS On Demand.
Moving from fighting external forces of darkness to fighting those within. In Pal Pal Hai Bhaari from the film Swades (2004), one of my favourite Diwali songs ever written, lyricist Javed Akhtar wrote – “mann se Raavan jo nikaale, Ram us ke mann meN hai” – meaning that one shouldn’t seek goodness elsewhere. It’s ever-present in all of us. We can only see the goodness within once we cleanse ourselves of the darkness in us. And that’s what Hotel Salvation is all about. A deft two-hander between Lalit Behl and Adil Hussain as father and son respectively, it’s a quiet film about reconciliation. The film takes an unusual premise – a father has a premonition that he’ll die soon and checks into a retreat where people who believe their time has come check in to spend their last days – and crafts a delicate human drama around forgiveness and compassion.
Watch Hotel Salvation at SBS On Demand.
Be the light in someone else’s life
There is an aspect of unconditional love and giving that’s one of the most beautiful things about Diwali. It asks you to think about something or someone other than yourself, without asking for anything in return. And I’m going to recommend two films that couldn’t be more different from one another, but are bound together by this common thread of unconditional love and sacrifice.
(2013), directed by Vikramaditya Motwane is not only my favourite film of his thus far, it’s also easily one of my favourite Hindi films of the post-2000s era. Loosely adapted from O. Henry’s short story The Last Leaf, it takes the essence of that short story – the bittersweetness that comes with sacrifice – and weaves a completely original and heart-tugging narrative. Featuring a stellar music album by Amit Trivedi and career best performances by the lead pair Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha, it’s a film that’ll stay with you long after you’ve seen it.
Watch Lootera at SBS On Demand.
If, on one hand there’s the deliberate minimalism of Lootera, then on the other, there’s the opulence of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s (2002). Bhansali is perhaps the closest cinematic cousin to Australia’s very own Baz Luhrmann – they’re both obsessed with style. From the grandeur of the sets to the detailing of the costumes, sometimes I feel the style takes over substance for Bhansali. But one can’t deny, much like Luhrmann, when it all clicks into place, the feeling is magical. Sarat Chandra Chattopadhay’s 1917 tragic novel (on which this film is based), has been adapted time and again for celluloid, such that every generation has had their own version of Devdas. My grandfather had K.L. Saigal in the titular role, my father had Dilip Kumar, and for us coming of age in the 2000s, it is Shah Rukh Khan. If Luhrmann had Romeo+Juliet, we have Bhansali’s Devdas. This film is also what many subconsciously think of when they first think of mainstream Bollywood – fantastic sets, great costumes, immaculately choreographed dance routines and of course, Shah Rukh Khan.
Watch Devdas at SBS On Demand.
Embrace the magic of stories around us
One of the most fun things about Diwali for me is that the idea of it is rooted in such a fantastical story – a fable of sorts – that it makes you want to believe in things that otherwise seem impossible. And there’s no one in Indian cinema who is blurring the boundaries between the real and the imaginary, incorporating folklore and magical realism in his narrative style, like Pushpendra Singh. Singh uses fables and folklore to highlight the oppression of minorities in the masterfully crafted doco (2019). The story lands us in the shoes of Moti, a Muslim child musical prodigy who is forced to sing to earn his survival, and his dreams of wanting to escape his reality.
Watch Pearl of the Desert at SBS On Demand.
Embrace love – with a bit of adjustment
You know what’s one of the worst things about contemporary cinema? The ‘rom’com’ as a genre is practically dead. And that’s truly sad. Thankfully, the Diwali collection caters to your rom-com fix. I want to talk about two films that subvert this genre in their own ways.
(2014) is a film that’s about what can happen to a couple after marriage. Sid (Farhan Akhtar) and Trisha (Vidya Balan) are a happily married couple whose lives get messy when Trisha announces she’s pregnant. Sid isn’t ready to be a father but he also doesn’t have the balls to have an honest conversation with his partner. So, he does the next best thing – he lies that he’s okay with this news. But the seed of doubt has been planted in his mind. Is he ready for this responsibility? Can he be a good father? May be the problem is Trisha, after all why did she have to get pregnant? Things spiral out of hand quickly in this refreshingly self-aware comedy that’s all about coming to terms with the fact that relationships need work. Also, this film made the whole ‘breaking the fourth wall’ thing cool way before Fleabag did. Just putting it out there.
Watch Shaadi Ke Side Effects at SBS On Demand.
Heck, I know (2018) technically isn’t a rom-com (it’s closer to a romantic drama), but I’m putting it in the rom-com category. And that’s because it’s the closest director Anurag Kashyap will ever come to making a rom-com. We’re introduced to Rumi (Taapsee Pannu), a young woman who is madly in love with Vicky (Vicky Kaushal), a part-time DJ who is a happy-go-lucky person. He has his heart in the right place but is also an irresponsible and impulsive brat. Enter Robbie (Abhishel Bachchan), who is the exact opposite of Vicky. He’s calm, responsible and the sort of ‘boring’ guy Rumi would never go for. But, due to a twist of fate, she’s forced to choose between the two. Manmarziyan has shades of Linklater’s Before Trilogy, especially in the way it charts this progression from young love to one that has more self-awareness over time. Watch it to see Kashyap’s lighter touches – he gets to have some fun in this genre away from his usual crime and gangster fares.
Watch Manmarziyan at SBS On Demand.
And finally, here comes the food!
Can any Diwali celebration ever be complete without an array of one too many food items? This is not a trick question. The only correct answer is no. And I’m so glad there are plenty of food-related shows to get you in the Diwali spirit. There’s the Diwali-special episode of , which takes you through the preparation of some of the mouth-watering dishes and sweets one would commonly prepare to welcome the festive season. If you’re less familiar with Indian cuisine, there’s always the charming late Anthony Bourdain to fall back on. One of the most beautiful things about Bourdain was that he always had an openly curious mind and never imposed his worldview when it came to cuisines and cultures where he was an outsider. His episode on Punjabi cuisine in is a shining example of respectfully sharing and participating in a cross-cultural exchange. And finally, because I’m biased, as a Kashmiri myself, I was thrilled to find an entire selection of – from Dum Aloo to Rogan Josh and Tamatar Chaman. If you do decide to make any of these at home, please do flick me an invite.
Watch these and more in the SBS On Demand Celebrating Diwali-Deepavali Food collection , including Kashmiri Kitchen: Dum Aloo (you'll find recipes for all the Kashmiri Kitchen dishes ).
These films, documentaries and more are streaming now at SBS on Demand as part of the .
