Sucharita Tyagi is an Indian film critic and former radio jockey.[1] Born and brought up in New Delhi, India, she moved to Mumbai, transitioned into web content in 2015, and records weekly review videos for Film Companion.
After graduating with a degree in Communications Studies and Journalism from the Indraprastha University, Tyagi began working as a voice over artist in New Delhi.[2] At 19, she successfully auditioned for a job as a radio jockey at a Delhi-based FM channel.[4] She worked at the Delhi stations of such channels as Red FM and Big FM, before moving to Mumbai, Maharashtra in 2010 to pursue post graduate education and further her career as a radio station host.[5]
I studied medicine till high school [but] shifted my talents to communications studies for a Bachelor’s Degree, and that is when I fell in love with broadcast media. I [...] started Radio two years after that, in 2007. Since then, it’s been a tumultuous way forward. I’ve worked with some of the top most Radio brands in India, and have loved every bit of it. - Tyagi, on choosing a career as kn radio.[2]
Tyagi enrolled in a filmmaking course at the St. Xavier's College, Mumbai and simultaneously began working as programme host for the Mumbai-based FM station Radio City.[2][5] She hosted the programme Freedom Live, which was aimed at promoting Indian independent music.[5] The show was noted for its emphasis on lesser known artists and music.[5][6]
She received attention for a starting a fundraiser to help Nikita Shukla—a visually impaired law student; the story was picked up by several media outlets.[7][8][9] The campaign was widely shared and received attention from films actors and politicians based in Mumbai.[10]
YouTube (2015–present)
Tyagi continued to work with Radio City until 2017, hosting Mumbai Masala; she interviewed various Bollywood and regional artists, then joined film review website Film Companion.[6]
When I mailed the first ever review to production, in the subject I wrote, "Not a Movie Review", and so we decided to call it that! [In my reviews], I simply say what a movie makes me feel, because that is how cinema should be appreciated." - Tyagi, on the title of her series and her style of writing film reviews.[11]
Tyagi's first review video was released on Film Companion's YouTube channel in September 2015 under the title of "Not a Movie Review".[12][13][14]
Tyagi was appointed a member of the Film Critics Guild, one of India's first film critics association[13] as she continued to record weekly reviews for the "Not a Movie Review" series.[15][4][16] Some reviews received good amount of criticism, and sparked controversies and debates among artists and critics.[17][18][19][20][21]
Tyagi made her film acting debut with a supporting role in the 2019 short film Lutf, co-starring Mona Singh and Vinay Pathak.[22] A select few of episodes of "Not a Movie Review" were later compiled and released as a web series on Disney+ Hotstar under the same title in March 2020.[23] Later that year, Tyagi played herself in Vikramaditya Motwane's black comedy, AK vs AK; also starring Anurag Kashyap and Anil Kapoor as fictionalised versions of themselves, the production utilises a film-within-a-film narrative. AK vs AK was released on Netflix on 20 December to positive response from critics.[24]
In 2020, Tyagi launched her own clothing line in partnership with online retailer KadakMerch[25] and started her own YouTube channel, posting weekly film reviews under the title "Ghar Se Movie Review".[26] She also writes for other online media portals and publications.[13][27][28][29]
