Vidhiism Events are specially curated movie-watching experiences that include a cultural introduction to the film, a pop-up bazaar of Indian handicrafts and Indian cuisine wherever possible. I have a background in journalism and 10+ years of experience writing about Indian cinema. At every screening, I present a well-researched cultural introduction to the film, explaining its background, sharing anecdotes, historical references and snippets of my interviews with the filmmakers. Further embellishing my screenings is Vidhiism handicrafts, my pop-up bazaar of Indian goods such as scarves, purses and silver jewelry that I have curated directly from the makers. I arrange for authentic Indian food at my screenings by collaborating with Indian restaurants or working with the chefs at the venue by sharing my personal recipes with them. If you would like to host a Vidhiism screening at your venue, please write to me on vidhisjukebox@gmail.com to collaborate.
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Past events
Bollywood Spotlight Series 2
October 15, 2023 – November 8, 2023
Venue: The Latchis Theatre, 50 Main St, Brattleboro, VT
Reviving my collaboration with The Latchis Theatre in Brattleboro, in 2023, I presented yet another season of my month-long Bollywood Spotlight Series featuring four Indian films at the historic theater. The films were spread over four weeks with two screenings per film every week: Sundays 4pm and Wednesdays 7pm. At every screening, I presented an introduction to the film. The attendance was higher than the previous year with more audiences turning up through word-of-mouth and pulling in their family and friends; some even turned up for repeat viewings and diligently came every week to catch the different flavors of each of the films.
The first week was the historical period drama, Bajirao Mastani (2015), the love story of a warrior named Bajirao Ballad. The opulent production design and stellar cinematography made it a thoroughly enjoyable theatrical experience. Week 2 was India’s biggest blockbuster Sholay (1975), a film that changed the course of Bollywood films and created several landmark trends. The third showcase was Monsoon Wedding (2001), one of the most recognizable crossover films directed by Mira Nair. Several American audiences admitted to having watched the film when it released 22 years ago and were thrilled to revive the cinematic experience again. The fourth week featured 3 Idiots (2009), one of the most-loved, feel-good Bollywood films of recent times. In the afterglow of 3 Idiots and at the conclusion of the series, several audiences left gushing feedbacks with the Latchis Theatre to continue programming Indian films and promised to attend the Spotlight Series every year to get their dose of Bollywood potpourri.
Last Film Show / Chhello Show (2021)
August 18, 2023
Venue: Epsilon Spires, Brattleboro, VT
Last Film Show is a Gujarati-language film bearing the original title, Chhello Show directed by Pan Nalin. It was India’s entry to the 95th Academy Awards in the ‘Best International Feature Film’ category. The film won two National awards, India’s most prestigious awards, one for Best Gujarati Film and another for Best Child Actor to Bhavin Rabari. Chhello Show was screened inside Epsilon Spires in Gujarati with English subtitles and the audience was bowled over by the endearing and poignant film. Ahead of the screening, in my introduction to the film, I also shared snippets of my interview with Pan Nalin. The full interview is available on my podcast, @vidhisjukebox. Link to podcast here.The film is about a nine-year-old boy named Samay living in a remote village in Gujarat in western India who sells tea at the railway station with his father. Samay falls in love with movies upon watching his first film at a single-screen theatre in a town neighboring his village and dreams of becoming a filmmaker. Chhello Show is a semi-autobiographical account of the director who grew up in a similar village in Gujarat watching masala Hindi movies and swapping lunchboxes with a local projectionist. Several critics have compared Chhello Show to Cinema Paradiso (1988) even calling it a “spiritual successor” of the latter.
Bollywood Spotlight Series 1
October 6th-30th, 2022
Venue: Latchis Theatre Brattleboro, Vermont
October 2022 was the debut of my Bollywood Spotlight Series that I curated in association with The Latchis Theatre in Brattleboro, VT. The showcase involved screening one Bollywood film, twice every week. I curated films from different genres and time periods. During the promotional campaigns for the series, I encouraged audiences to dress up in fancy or Indian attires and a number of attendees participated enthusiastically as seen in the picture. The Bollywood epic Mughal-E-Azam (1960) enthralled the audiences in the first week with its elaborate production design, stunning visuals, beautiful costumes and soulful music. In the second week, English Vinglish (2012), the feel-good feminist film, was extremely well-received. Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003) surprised audiences in the third week with its emotional content despite being a comedy film. Shree 420 (1955) in the final week turned out to be a crowd favourite and the overwhelming response of the audience was testimony to the timelessness of Raj Kapoor’s cinema.
Umrao Jaan
August 18, 2022
Venue: Epsilon Spires, Brattleboro, VT
A period biographical drama about the life of a courtesan named Umrao Jaan Ada, the Bollywood classic Umrao Jaan (1981) was screened at a historical church-turned-performing arts venue in Brattleboro called Epsilon Spires. My introduction to the film comprised a brief history of courtesan culture in India along with anecdotes about the making of the film that director Muzaffar Ali had shared with me in an exclusive interview. The mostly female audience was swooning over the gorgeous costumes adorned by the women in the film and later satiated their cravings for Indian clothes and jewelry by shopping at the Vidhiism handicraft pop-up stall.
PK
July 23, 2022
Venue: The Stone Church, Brattleboro, Vermont.
The screening of PK (2014) in the summer of 2022 was a really special one. Refugees from Afghanistan had settled in Brattleboro and neighboring areas the previous winter and were still adjusting to their new life in Vermont, USA. As a gesture of welcoming them, I requested the owner of The Stone Church, Robin Johnson to allow free entry to all the Afghani refugees to watch the film PK. I was aware that the people of Afghanistan love Bollywood films and this event turned out to be the perfect way for them to mingle with the local community. American audiences appreciated the film for its poignant message, sharp satire and comedy.
Sholay
November 13, 2021
Venue: Epsilon Spires, Brattleboro, Vermont
The Bollywood classic, Sholay (1975) was shown on the big screen after 41 years inside the Sanctuary at Epsilon Spires in Brattleboro, Vermont. Several South Asian audience members residing in the US since decades, fondly recalled memories of watching the blockbuster film in their respective countries such as India, Bangladesh and Nepal. It was a nostalgic evening of a shared movie-watching experience.
Ship of Theseus
August 27, 2021
Venue: Backlot Cinema, Epsilon Spires
In the summer of 2021, Vidhi’s Bollywood Film Club received a grant from the Windham Arts Council of Vermont for hosting a free screening of the independent film, Ship of Theseus (2012). The screening was held outdoors at Epsilon Spires in Brattleboro, Vermont as part of their Backlot Cinema series that began during the Covid-19 pandemic. Ahead of the screening, audience members were able to listen to semi-classical Indian music curated by me while savoring Indian cuisine by local restaurant Shital’s Vegetarian Kitchen. Read the full introduction to the film here.
Queen
July 10, 2021
Venue: The Stone Church, Brattleboro, Vermont
One of my favourite Bollywood feminist films, Queen (2014) was screened at The Stone Church in Brattleboro, Vermont in the summer of 2021. Along with the introduction to the film, I also helped the chef prepare pakoras: fried Indian snacks made with chickpea flour and vegetables. At the screening, audiences enjoyed shopping for Vidhiism Handicrafts during the intermission and grooving to the pre-screening Bollywood dance music, also curated by me. Check out highlights of the event and audience responses in this video.