Read the full article on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/berlin-film-festival-indians-at-berlinale-before-zoya-akhtar-rima-das/
Mainstream ventures like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Paruthiveeran, Dil Se. Art-house classics by Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen. And Shah Rukh Khan seems really popular.
In a review dated May 15, 1977, India Today characterised Shyam Benegal’s Manthan as “a valid contribution in sociological terms”. True enough. The film is, after all, about the empowerment of rural milk producers, through a co-operative. But what was it doing in the Culinary Cinema section at the 2010 Berlinale, alongside films like Chris Hegedus and DA Pennebaker’s Kings of Pastry, which was about French pastry chefs competing for an award? For that, we must turn to this section’s credo: “Films about the dark sides of the food world, such as hunger and poor nutrition, monocultures and factory farming, are also an important part of the programme because they raise awareness about the consequences of our eating habits.”
Going through the Berlinale’s selections over the years yields fascinating trivia about the Indian presence at the festival. The earliest entry I found was from 1956. Come on, take a guess. No, it isn’t Jagte Raho, the Raj Kapoor-starrer that won four National Awards and the Crystal Globe Grand Prix at the 1957 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. It isn’t Satyajit Ray’s Aparajito, either — the second installment of his career-launching trilogy. The film is (drumroll)… Spring Comes to Kashmir, a 12-minute Films Division documentary directed by Ravi Prakash. It won the Silver Bear in the Short Film category. Here it is, in gorgeous Eastman Colour.
Continued at the link above.
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Baradwaj Rangan 
Kid
February 7, 2019
Wosobipo is a remarkable memory-piece and coming-of-age drama (it’a sad that the director never made another feature)-
one of the finest Indian films of that decade and superior to 99% of Hindi films of that time. There are very few films from that region which can match upto this Gautam Bora film in terms from pure craft. I can’t recommend this film enough (It really needs to be restored..the current print is quite poor). A good companion piece to this (which covers some of the same themes) is Manju Borah’s Assamese film Baibhab.
And Tunnu Ki Tina is nothing like Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety. It begins as a spoof of mainstream Hindi films, then morphs into a comedy (amd a rom-com) and then finally enters into a more realistic and also somewhat tragic zone. If anything the Brechtian element is similar to that in couple of Ketan Mehta’s films (Hero Hiralal, Oh Darling). Kamdar’s film and Pankaj Advani’s “Sunday” (the latter spoofed those silly, dumbed-down films CFSI made in the garb of “children’s cinema”) were the two 90s works which were a send-up of the mainstream Bollywood idiom.
Didn’t know Chokh too went to the Festival. Terrific film and completely deserving of the honour. And such a departure from the easy miserabilism of Utpalendu Chakraborty’s Hindi film “Debshishu”.
But surprised to see Aaj Ka Robinhood there. It’s a well made film (and leagues ahead of what CFSI usually made), but nothing remotely special. And even for kids, Tapan Sinha has made better films..Sabuj Dwiper Raja comes to mind instantly. But Lavanya Preeti is superb film, almost lyrical at points (Bir other children’s film Baaja is equally good)
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