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As a storyteller it is vital to not repeat. After his series “Pett Kata Shaw”, director Nuhash Humayun explained he wanted to explore new stories in his new project, again blending modern approaches with Indian folklore and myths. Considering his short feature “Moshari” was produced by director Jordan Peele and actor Riz Ahmed, it is perhaps only a matter of time before he will aim for international audiences. However, “Dui Shaw”, as his new series is named, delves even deeper into folklore while also looking at themes of Bangladeshi politics and society. As Iffla 2025 screens the first two episodes of the series, “Waqt” and “Bhaggo Bhalo”, this review may also be considered a first look.

In “Waqt” we meet four men, Raju (Allen Shubhro), Kaysar (Rizvi Rizu Chowdhury), Jahangir (Abdullah Al Sentu), Jashim (Rafayatullah Sohan) and Altaf (Refat Hasan Saikat). In order to make a bit of cash, they have...

The unsung composer Ravi Sharma, known in the music world as Ravi churned out many a widely-sung chartbuster in the 1960s mainly in the voices of Asha Bhosle and Mahendra Kapoor.

Unlike the other great composers of the time, Ravi’s songs were known, but he was not.

Think of some of the biggest hits of the 1960s—’Neele gagan ke taley’ (Humraaz), ‘Tum agar saath dene ka vada karo’ (Humraaz), ‘Chaudhvin ka chand ho’ (title song), ‘Yeh raatein yeh Mausam nadi ka kinara’ (Dilli Ka Thug), ‘Chalo ek baar phir se ajnabee bann jayen hum dono’ (Gumraah), ‘Sau baar Janam lenge (Ustaadon Ke Ustad), ‘Milti hai zindagi mein mohabbat kabhi kabhi’ (Aankhen), ‘Ae mere dil-e-nadaan tu gham se na ghabrana’ (Tower House), ‘Raha gardishon mein hardam’ (Do Badan), ‘Ae meri johra zabeen’ (Waqt), ‘Aaj mere yaar ki shaadi hai’ (Aadmi Sadak Ka)—they have one factor in common — Ravi.

When Mamta Kulkarni And Her Rumored Husband Vicky Goswami Were Embroiled In An Alleged Drug Case (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Former actress Mamta Kulkarni has been in the news lately for taking Sanyas in the ongoing Maha Kumbh. She also attained a new name, Mai Mamta Nand Giri. Her consecration ceremony occurred in the Kinnar Akhara. She also performed her Pind Daan on the banks of the river Ganga on Friday (January 24). With this, she has also renounced her worldly life. However, did you know that Mamta was once one of the most prominent actresses in Bollywood, and her personal life also made headlines.

Mamta Kulkarni made her debut with the 1992 film Tirangaa and went on to be part of some successful films like Karan Arjun, Krantiveer, Sabse Bada Khiladi, Andolan, China Gate, Baazi, Waqt Hamara Hain and Aashiq Awara. She achieved immense fame and success in her brief tenure in the industry.

The Yash Chopra Foundation, the philanthropic arm of leading Indian studio Yash Raj Films, unveiled a new scholarship program on Friday, coinciding with what would have been the 92nd birthday of its founder, Yash Chopra.

The initiative aims to support children of low-income Hindi film industry workers who are registered members of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees. The program will offer financial assistance of up to INR500,000 per student for undergraduate and postgraduate studies in fields including mass communication, filmmaking, production, direction, visual arts, cinematography and animation.

Yash Chopra, who died in 2012, was a pioneering figure in Indian cinema. Known equally for his gritty films and romantic dramas, Chopra directed numerous critically acclaimed and commercially successful films over his five-decade career. His “Waqt” popularized the multi-starrer in Hindi films, while his grittier films include all-time classics “Deewar” and “Kaala Patthar.” Chopra is regarded as the father of romance...

A unique combination of circumstances led to him landing in Bombay soon after the Partition and being tasked with directing a film, though his cinematic experience was limited to being a film journalist. He even managed to rope in a top actor – and on the very first day, questioned his rendition of a crucial scene.

Recalling the episode decades later, veteran Hindi film director and producer B.R. Chopra revealed that Ashok Kumar, who had somehow agreed to act in the film despite his misgivings at its totally green director, was taken aback.

“He then suggested that he would do the shot again in the way I suggested, and prints of both this and the way he had done, should be made, and he would check them the next day to see which was better,” he told Bollywood personality and chronicler Shashi Ranjan in an interview.

As a nervous Chopra arrived...

It is one of Hindi films’ most cherished and eternal romantic songs, featuring the urbane Guru Dutt and the ethereal Waheeda Rehman, but the dream-like music for “Chaudhvin Ka Chand Ho” was scored by its composer within 10 minutes and its opening lyrics took even lesser time. Music director Ravi, to whom we owe this melody, revealed the tune came to him as he was returning home from work and it took him “just 5 to 7 minutes” to refine it.

Stopping there, he called up lyricist Shakeel Badayuni and recited “Chaudvin ka chand ho…”. In a minute, Shakeel responded with “Ya aftaab ho…” and after another couple of minutes, added “Jo bhi ho tum khuda ki kasam, laajawab ho”.

“Chaudvin ka Chand” (1960) proved to be a pace-setter for Ravi, who was born in Delhi on this day (March 3) in 1926, for it established his reputation, and he went on to score for many...