Frames of Reference

Every Frame Evokes a Memory, and Every Memory is Worth Sharing

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My name is Uday Nandivada and I am an Indian American in my sixties – a part time poet and a full-time movie fan. Movies, especially Hindi movies have shaped many things in my life. My celebrations begin with a song, and my disappointments end with one. I grew up in a literary family, which perhaps influenced my choice of movies. But it was movies that shaped my view of the world. Encouraged by some friends I started “Frames Of Reference” as a place for fellow cinephiles like me to gather and take this nostalgic trip along with me.

Category: Reviews

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  • War and Peace – A Review of “The Voice of Hind Rajab”

    War and Peace – A Review of “The Voice of Hind Rajab”

    Let’s be clear about what Director Ben Hania is doing here, because it matters. The Voice of Hind Rajab is not a war film. There are no battlefield sequences, no graphic violence, no images of rubble or bodies. The entire film is set within the beige offices of the Red Crescent call center in Ramallah…

  • The Storyteller Review – The Subtle Art of Redemption and Retribution

    The Storyteller Review – The Subtle Art of Redemption and Retribution

    According to Wikipedia, a hundred and thirty-four Hindi movies were produced and released in 2025, of which I saw thirty-eight. I only found a handful of them worth watching, and even fewer worth reviewing or recommending to anyone else. Ananth Mahadevan directed two of the three or four that I felt stood out – The…

  • The Yoke Bearer – Review of Dhurandhar

    “Violence produces only something resembling justice, but it distances people from the real thing” – Leo Tolstoy Let me confess upfront that I am no fan of sectarian historiography. There is much to be said for the political motives behind the making of Dhurandhar. But this is not a political blog, so I will resist…

  • Lost and Found

    “Laapataa Ladies” – Not the Usual Bollywood “Long Lost Brothers” Story Kiron Rao’s second directorial venture was an order of magnitude improvement over Dhobi Ghat, her directorial debut in 2011. It was understated, engaging, and a pleasant and much needed detour from the gore and violence of the new millennium. A low budget film with…