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The reclusive actress Raakhee Gulzar once known for her incandescent presence in films like Sharmilee, Kabhi Kabhie and Tapasya, is now happy leading an exilic existence.

“I am happy to be out of the rat race. I like my life of retirement. I gave up all that long ago. Main toh kabhi kisike saath competition mein thi hi nahi (I was never in competition with anyone). When I did Yash Chopra’s Daag there was an attempt to pitch me against Sharmila Tagore. It was all nonsense. We hardly had scenes together. I came in the story after interval. She had all the songs. I never cared for these things, ke mera role kitna bada hai, kitne gaane, costume changes kitne hain…I believed in doing what I had to in the given space in every film,” says Raakhee Gulzar as she looks back at her career.

She has fond memories of all her co-stars,...

Subhash K Jha shines the spotlight on the career of the great Shammi Kapoor, focussing on four screen queens that were introduced to the big screen in his films and made a lasting impression.

1. Asha Parekh in Dil Deke Dekho (1959):

Shammi Kapoor’s second film with producer-director Nasir Hussain was Asha Parekh’s first. Initially, Shammi Kapoor wanted Waheeda Rehman in Ddd. And then Sadhana. When Nasir Saab insisted on the 17-year old newcomer, Shammi relented. They went on to do another superhit Teesri Manzil with Nasir Hussain. Also much later, Shakti Samanta’s Pagla Kahin Kaa which was among Shammi’s most accomplished performances.

2. Saira Banu in Junglee (1961):

When it came to his leading ladies Shammi could be an amazing sport. He not only approved of a new heroine in this musical blockbuster he also went all out to promote Saira Banu as the new beauty queen of Hindi cinema.

Watching Subhash Ghai’s Taal twenty-six years after its release is not the charming fairytale affair that one expected it to be. Taal has aged awkwardly. Walking the thin line between the earnest and the touristic, it eventually topples over in the touristic terrain.

A R Rahman’s music is still a treat to the ears. I have always said Ghai is master musician and a tepid storyteller. The way he slides Rahman’s tunes into the narrative made me wish the plodding plot , with its groaning baggage of parampara sanskar, would just move out of the way.

The cultural clash between folk music and modern sounds is so weatherworn it feels like a harmonium moonlighting as a synthesizer.

Could we not just have the songs? They signal a phalanx of glory, short-lived as Ghai plunges into a plot about the shehar ka chokra Manav (Akshaye Khanna) and the gaon...

Saif Ali Khan On Winning National Award ( Photo Credit – Instagram; Facebook )

Recently, Shah Rukh Khan received his first National Award in the Best Actor category for the 2023 release Jawan. The superstar was previously nominated for the prestigious title in 2005, but it was passed on to Saif Ali Khan. The year 2005 was known for some excellent releases and incredible performances. The contenders for the National Award were Shah Rukh Khan for Swades and Saif Ali Khan for Hum Tum. Often, people say that Srk deserved the award for his performance in Ashutosh Gowariker’s movie. However, Saif won it for his performance in Hum Tum.

It’s been two decades since Saif Ali Khan received the National Award. But often, netizens discuss that the actor received it only because his mother and veteran actor Sharmila Tagore was the chairperson of the Cbfc. After all these years, Saif reacted to the discussion...

Vidhu Vinod Chopra In An Interview Recalled His First Meeting With Amitabh Bachchan. (Photo Credit – IMDb)

Vidhu Vinod Chopra is one of the most successful filmmakers in Hindi Cinema, and his last directorial film, 12th Fail, was a success. His most recent work as a producer is the documentary Zero Se Restart, which focuses on the making of 12th Fail. The filmmaker, once recalled how he first met Amitabh Bachchan with Rekha.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra met Sr Bachchan for the first time on the sets of the 1977 film Alaap Probably, directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and starring Rekha in the lead along with Big B. Chopra was there to show him his first film. He told everyone that he had booked the screening place until 5 p.m., and the film could be watched only then.

In a recent interview (via News18), the director said, “Now, Amitabh, Hrishi da, and Rekha are all busy working,...

The honesty of purpose, a sincere commitment to cinema, and a passion for presenting his audience with wholesome, family entertainment – when these phrases had not turned to cliché – is what sums up the work of Hrishikesh Mukherjee, who turned 100 this year.

Hrishikesh Mukherjee gave Hindi cinema a new definition when he graduated from editing to direction without giving up his first love – editing. He defined Hindi mainstream cinema as wholesome family entertainment richly interwoven with a strong storyline, good music, solid, full-blooded characterizations, and a probing, dissecting look into human inter-relationships.

In essence, honesty has been the hallmark of his films, which neither pretended to be of the arty-intellectual kind nor compromised to the demands of the box office. Yet, they grew in popularity at the box office, taking veterans by surprise. Hrishi-da belonged to an era where film people did not wear that imaginary halo of stardom around their...

Though they hail from different cultures and eras, Satyajit Ray and Wes Anderson share a love for visual symmetry, meticulous framing, and bittersweet storytelling. This piece traces how Ray’s humanism and craft influenced Anderson’s cinematic grammar, offering a quiet dialogue between masters of aesthetic melancholy. Though they hail from different cultures, continents, and historical contexts, Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray and Wes Anderson are linked by more than just Wes’ admiration of the Indian filmmaking legend. They are kindred cinematic spirits, bound by a shared affinity for humanism, symmetry, and meticulous visual composition. While Ray carved his legacy as one of India’s most beloved auteurs and a pioneer of global cinema, Anderson, a native Texan with a penchant for obsessive detail, has repeatedly cited Ray as on of his primary influences. Ray’s cinematic grammar echoes through Anderson’s work, bridging decades and oceans in a quirky dialogue between masters of aesthetic melancholy.

In another great installment of This Day That Year, Subhash K Jha looks back at Vikramaditya Motwane’s Udaan which released in 2010.

Udaan which completed 15 years on July 16, was a ballsy debut by Vikramaditya Motwane, who once assisted the angst-laden Sanjay Leela Bhansali and then his angst-cousin Anurag Kashyap. You can see the lasting impression of both the senior creators in the way Motwane designs the uneasy and violent relationship between the 17-year old Rohan (Rajat Barmecha) and his tyrannical father (Ronit Roy) who’s almost villainous in his despotism.

When Udaan is not busy trying to be a regular nudge-nudge-wink-wink coming-of-age film (Billy Elliot-goes-to-Jamshedpur) it gives us some great moments of cinema , done in shades that leave the camera lens far behind to romance the very core of middleclass life (no doubt corroded and outdated) in the soporific ‘steel town’ . The film starts with a mildly amusing boys-disastrous-night-out-from-boarding-school...

Excusive: The New York Indian Film Festival has crowned its 2025 winners, including Vipin Radhakrishnan’s Angammal, which won the Best Film prize.

Set in a Tamil Nadu village, the movie sees a man struggling to accept his blouseless mother’s traditional attire, leading to complications before his in-laws’ visit

Best Debut Film (in collaboration with Film Critics Circle of India) went to Humans In The Loop, directed by Aranya Sahay

Best Director went to Rima Das for Village Rockstars 2, while the New York Women in Film & Television Excellence in Directing Award went to Shonali Bose (A Fly on the Wall) and Rima Das (Village Rockstars 2)

Best Screenplay was awarded to Second Chance, written by Subhadra Mahaja, while Best Actor was scooped by Nawazuddin Siddiqui (I’m Not An Actor). Best Actress went to Sharmila Tagore (The Ancient).

The Best Feature Documentary prize was scored by A Fly on the Wall,...

Forget whodunnit. The bigger question is, whydunit? Why was this anaemic bland murder mystery even made? Was it a death wish? Or maybe a debt to be cleared? Or perhaps someone held the team at gunpoint and ordered a murder mystery with no twist, no surprises, zero interest, from both the makers and the audience.

Sigh! One more dud from Zee5, the Ott streamers who specialize in shooting themselves in the foot. Detective Sherdil is supposed to be funny, acerbic, sharp, and bang-on. He also plays the harmonica whenever he is inspired. It could be dead body or a living nobody: Sherdil has a tune—one tune, mind it—for all occasions. It is like Rajesh Khanna in Mere sapno ki rani without Sharmila Tagore for inspiration.

All this should have made Sherdil the most interesting detective since Sherlock and his Bengali cousin Byomkesh. As played by the normally-likeable Diljit Dosanjh,...

Note: This review was originally published as part of our TIFF 2023 coverage. The Queen of My Dreams opens in theaters on June 20.

The apple rarely falls far from the tree and religion too often convinces said apple and tree of the opposite. This is the case with Mariam (Nimra Bucha) and Azra (Amrit Kaur) in Fawzia Mirza’s Pakistani-Canadian dramedy The Queen of My Dreams. Both are / were rebellious in their youth, desperate to cut a path that they desired beyond the boundaries of Islam or their parents. And yet both discover they are confined by those same boundaries through culture, generational trauma, and guilt.

That said, this isn’t a somber affair. Not really. Yes, it revolves around the untimely death of Azra’s father / Mariam’s husband Hassan (Hamza Haq), but the tragedy itself is as much a means to expose the cracks in this faltering mother-daughter relationship...

When Satyajit Ray’s 1970 film Aranyer Din Ratri (Days and Nights in the Forest) returned to Cannes this May, it was far from a faded relic. Restored by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur and the Film Heritage Foundation, the film, in ravishingly revived form, was selected for the prestigious Cannes Classics section as a testament to Ray’s enduring influence on world cinema through classics like 1955’s Panther Panchali, which is the first film in the director’s celebrated Apu Trilogy.

To mark the occasion, The Hollywood Reporter India spoke with three individuals deeply touched by the film and its creator: legendary Indian actress Sharmila Tagore, a frequent Ray collaborator; Wes Anderson, whose work bears Ray’s influence; and Dungarpur, whose archival work revived the film.

“I watched [Ray’s 1961 title] Teen Kanya first, just because it happened to be available in a video store in Texas,” Anderson recalls. “That’s how I became interested in his films.

Subhash K Jha shines the spotlight on Nargis the reel and the real her in this special feature.

There were so many facets to the iconic Nargis Dutt .

I once remember her son Sanjay telling me, “Others knew her as the joyous, generous, large-hearted woman. For the world, she was Mother India. For me, she was my mom. Yeah, she pampered me silly. She would deny me nothing. Dad was the disciplinarian. For me, she was…everything.”

When we think of Nargis, we think immediately of Mehboob Khan’s Mother India. It is to Nargis’ career what Sholay was to Amjad Khan. Nothing that Nargis did thereafter could compare favourably with Mother India.

Indeed, Nargis in Mother India is a marvel of Nature. She was only 28 when she played mother to Sunil Dutt and Rajendra Kumar so convincingly. To take such a bold risk of playing a mother so early...

Subhash K Jha celebrates Bunty aur Balbi, directed by Shaad Ali and starring Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukherjee as the con-romance hits 20 years!

Meet Bunty and Babli. They aren’t your average running-around-trees—shooting-the-breeze kind of filmic love birds. Bunty and Babli are special. And not only because they are played by two very special actors Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukherjee.

Shaad Ali whose debut film Saathiya was about a working-class marriage gone unpleasantly awry, here sinks his teeth into a finely- written caper that moves our endearing couple with devilish dexterity through a series of corny-and-funny encounters with petty crime.

Some of these caper situations are decidedly unique to Hindi cinema. Come to think of it, Shaad Ali’s narration sets out to achieve an impossible dream: it makes the dreams of two small-towners the fulcrum of narration, and makes these dreams both funny and sad, sometimes both at once.

Madhavan revisits Tanu Weds Manu Returns with Subhash K Jha as the Aanand L Rai directed film celebrates 10 years.

Tanu Weds Manu Returns takes us into the turbulence and terror of a stagnant marriage, stripping in the process all the tragic solemnity of Basu Bhattacharya’s Aavishkar. My favourite scene of domestic discord has not Madhavan but his screen father trying to explain to his son why a marriage must be kept going even as his wife nags incessantly in the background. The violent conclusion to this sequence typifies Aanand Rai’s incredibly powerful grip over the grammar of satirical drama.

Rai can shock even as we laugh our heads off. I purposely bring up Aavishkar, as it is the only film on marital discord that captures the boredom of a couple who can’t stand each other anymore. Rajesh Khanna looks contemptuously at Sharmila Tagore and says, “Before marriage,...

Amitabh Bachchan Once Revealed Raj Kapoor Visited Him At The ICU After His Horrific Accident In Coolie( Photo Credit – Facebook )

Amitabh Bachchan is a living legend who has worked and spent time with other stalwarts of Indian cinema. Among them was the greatest showman of the film industry, Raj Kapoor. Although they did not do a movie together, they certainly shared a friendly relationship, as Big B once revealed that Raj visited him in the hospital after his accident on the sets of Coolie with a unique gift. Keep scrolling to know what this gift was!

The 1983 classic was directed by Manmohan Desai and written by Kader Khan. It featured an ensemble cast comprising Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor, Rati Agnihotri, Shoma Anand, Suresh Oberoi, and Puneet Issar. While filming a fight scene with Issar, Big B mistimed a jump, hitting the edge of a table. It resulted in a serious internal injury,...

A six-year restoration journey spearheaded by filmmaker Wes Anderson has culminated in Satyajit Ray’s 1970 masterpiece “Aranyer Din Ratri” (“Days and Nights in the Forest”) securing a slot at Cannes Classics.

The restoration project began in 2019 when Anderson, through his position on the board of Martin Scorsese’s The Film Foundation, initiated discussions about preserving the film. “The Grand Budapest Hotel” director’s passion for Ray’s work drove the collaborative effort between The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project, Film Heritage Foundation, Janus Films and The Criterion Collection, with funding provided by the Golden Globe Foundation.

“Anything signed by Satyajit Ray must be cherished and preserved; but the nearly-forgotten ‘Days and Nights in the Forest’ is a special/particular gem,” Anderson said. “Made in 1970. Modern and novelistic. Ray worked in terrain perhaps more familiar to Cassavetes. A clash/negotiation between castes and sexes. Urbans and rurals. Selfish men and...

Here’s When Dhadkan Re-Releases In Theaters(Photo Credit –Venus Movies)

One of the most loved romantic dramas of Bollywood, Dhadkan, is returning to the silver screen. It will be re-released in selected theaters in India on May 23, 2025, as per News 18. Directed by Dharmesh Darshan, the film stars Shilpa Shetty, Akshay Kumar, and Suniel Shetty in the leading roles. The movie was released in 2000 and has remained very close to the hearts of its audience since then. Its suspenseful story, tear-jerking moments, and hit music made it a blockbuster, and the audience now gets a chance to relive those times in theaters.

This re-release is part of a film festival celebrating iconic Hindi cinema. Produced by Ratan Jain, Dhadkan also stars Mahima Chaudhry, Sharmila Tagore, Parmeet Sethi, and Kiran Kumar in supporting roles. In fact, over time, the film has emerged as one of the rare films that still manages...

Cannes 2025: When & Where to Watch – Plus Indian Celebs You Can’t Miss(Photo Credit –Instagram)

The globe’s most glamorous movie festival is here! The 78th Cannes Film Festival started on May 13, 2025, and it’s already making waves. From dramatic red carpet entrances to massive film launches, this year’s event is going to be unforgettable, and Indian stars are all set to leave their stamp on the world stage.

Where To Watch Cannes 2025 Live & Important Dates

The festival will take place from May 13 to May 24, in Cannes, France, and fans all over the globe can witness every second live. As per Zee News, the opening ceremony will commence at 7:15 Pm local time (10:45 Pm Ist) on May 13 and include the presentation of the Palme d’Or d’Honneur.

Here’s where you can watch it live:

Festival de Cannes official YouTube channel Mubi FilmyDoo (starts 2:30 Pm...

Mumtaz Once Revealed Rajesh Khanna’s Reaction To Her Getting Married & Moving Abroad(Photo Credit – YouTube)

Mumtaz and Rajesh Khanna were one of the biggest hit pairs of the 1960s and 1970s. They charmed the audience with their chemistry, but it ended after the actress got married and moved to the US. The actress once shared the heartfelt reaction of Kaka after she left the industry and it proves how close they were behind the screens as well. Keep scrolling for more.

The duo worked in numerous movies, including Aap Ki Kasam Dushmun, Sachaa Jhutha, and more. Their Aap Ki Kasam is the most memorable one, especially for the songs. Khanna was the first superstar of Indian cinema and had excellent chemistry with other heroines as well. His chemistry with Sharmila Tagore is also one of the most remarkable who gave huge blockbuster movies. She was on a sabbatical for over a decade,...

When Shabana Azmi Was Humiliated By A Choreographer & She Left The Set Crying ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Veteran actress Shabana Azmi is known for her powerful performances and trailblazing career. However, she, too, had a vulnerable phase in the industry. The actress once recalled an incident where her choreographer humiliated her on the sets of Parvarish. She walked out of the set and even started crying while walking barefoot on the road. Keep scrolling for the deets.

Parvarish was a film by Manmohan Desai featuring an ensemble cast led by Shammi Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna, Neetu Singh, and Shabana. Amjad Khan and Kader Khan played the villains in this movie. It was one of the highest-grossing films of that year and among Desai’s four hits of the year as well.

In a throwback interview with Adi Pocha [via Bollywood Shaadis], Shabana Azmi shared an incident from the sets of Parvarish when she...

Did Ram Madhvani direct an important segment of Aamir Khan’s Taare Zameen Par?(Photo Credit –Wikimedia/Instagram)

Bollywood actor Aamir Khan has donned the director’s hat for only one film until now, and that was ‘Taare Zameen Par’ aka ‘Like Stars On Earth’. The critically acclaimed film, written by Amole Gupte, came out in 2007 and struck the right chords with the audience.

But did you know that Aarya director Ram Madhvani also directed an important part of the film? Read on to learn what segment that was.

Which Part of Taare Zameen Par Did Ram Madhvani Direct?

You might be a bit surprised to know that Ram Madhvani directed the song Bheja Kum, which featured in the National Film Award-winning movie. It appeared in the later reels of the first half of the movie. And here is why the song was so important for the film’s story.

Paresh Rawal Accuses National Award Of “Lobbying” ( Photo Credit – Facebook )

Hera Pheri actor Paresh Rawal is one of the finest actors India is blessed with. He was honored with Padma Shri in 2014. The 69-year-old actor is currently grabbing headlines as he allegedly exposes the National Award, accusing it of “corruption” and “lobbying.” Scroll below to know all about his controversial statement.

Back in 2014, Paresh Rawal entered politics as he ran for the general elections from Ahmedabad East constituency. He won and became the Bjp MP. The actor now claims that he was made aware of the lobbying by a sitting Member of Parliament in Delhi.

In an interview with The Lallantop, Paresh Rawal began, “Mujhe Modi sahab ki government me nahi mila hai. 2013 me mila hai. Vo government ka award hai. National award ki main qadr karta hoon. National award me kabhi kabhi kya hota hai…technicalities – kisi ne bheji nahi thi film.

Looking back at Siddharth Anand’s Ta Ra Rum Pum , Subhash K Jha focuses on this slick, funny, khushi, aur gham slice of life film that released in 2007. As a bonus, we also hear from Rani Mukerji, who revealed she was ecstatic after reading the script, plus what it was like to work with Saif and so much more!

There’s a moment in Siddharth Anand’s Ta Ra Rum Pum , which clocks eighteen years, where Rani plays that clichéd sequence where the hero’s fallen-on-hard-times wife rejects a fat cheque from her rich father.

“I did the right thing, didn’t I?” Rani asks her screen-hubby Saif, who looks aghast. “You turned down a cheque for 50,000 dollars? For that sum of money, I’m ready to be compromised every day.”

The above sequence is a strangely subverted interpretation of that sequence from Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Satyakam, where Dharmendra’s...

Sharmila Tagore Once Shared How Rajesh Khanna’s Lavish Gifts Sometimes Led To Strained Relations With His Co-Stars( Photo Credit – Facebook )

Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore resulted in some classic Hindi movies, which are popular not only for their stories and performances but also for their songs and dialogues. Khanna was the first superstar of Indian cinema, which had its own perks and setbacks. Being a highly successful actor, Kaka was generous about his gifts to his co-stars as well. However, this sometimes caused problems in the relations. Sharmila once opened up about it and explained the reason behind it. Keep scrolling for more.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Rajesh Khanna epitomized success in Bollywood. Films like Anand, Kati Patang, Haathi Mere Saathi, and Rakhwala became massive box-office hits, cementing his status as the first true superstar of Indian cinema. His films with Sharmila, like Aradhana, Safar, and Amar Prem,...

It all began with the first film, 1955’s Pather Panchali; considered a masterpiece still to this day. In this fascinating feature, Subhash K Jha turns the focus on Satyajit Ray, The Father of Indian films. The writer, director, and composer went on to create 36 brilliant films, and his legacy as a master storyteller and filmmaker lives on.

What was the world doing when you first saw Pather Panchali for the first time? I must have been 18 or 19 when I met Apu and Durga for the first time. They were so close I could touch their heartbeat. I don’t know what happened to Subir Banerjee and Runki Banerjee, who played Apu and Durga. But the two siblings in Pather Panchali have remained a part of our lives since 1955.

A year later, Apu was a gawky youngster in Aparajito in pursuit of his dreams while his mother languished in the village.

The New York Indian Film Festival (Nyiff) is rolling out the red carpet for its silver jubilee with a program that bridges cinematic generations, connecting Oscar-winner James Ivory’s enduring fascination with India to contemporary star power led by Manoj Bajpayee in the festival’s opening night selection.

Set to run June 20-22 at Manhattan’s Village East by Angelika, Nyiff’s milestone 25th edition will spotlight “An Arrested Moment,” a short documentary from The Metropolitan Museum of Art directed by Dev Benegal that explores Ivory’s long-standing relationship with Indian art and culture.

The festival kicks off with the East Coast premiere of “The Fable,” starring acclaimed actor Manoj Bajpayee alongside Priyanka Bose and Deepak Dobriyal. Directed by Raam Reddy, whose debut “Thithi” captured the Golden Leopard at Locarno, the film debuted at the 2024 Berlinale.

This year’s lineup reflects both reverence for cinema’s past and excitement for its future.

Sharmila Tagore and memories go back a long way. In Satyajit Ray’s Nayak, she shared Uttam Kumar’s reminiscences of an unforgettable journey. Fifty-nine years later, the incandescent Ms Tagore is back in a film about fade-proof memories and snapshots of a well-lived life.

There is an unintended referential, reverential moment of nostalgia in writer-director Suman Ghosh’s Puratawn(The Ancient), where Indraneil Sengupta, playing Sharmila Tagore’s son-in-law, urges her, “Gao na.”

He unknowingly echoes Rajesh Khanna’s two famous words in Shakti Samanta’s Amar Prem when Sharmila Tagore stops singing.

I am not sure whether Sharmila actually sings for her daughter and son-in-law in Paratawn: the end credits start rolling, and we just hear a voice singing about long-forgotten dreams and aches.

The line between the present and the past is effectually ebbed in Ghosh’s fragile, gentle take on memory, its loss, and tentative retrieval.

When Dharmendra Took A Cryptic Dig At Javed Akhtar (Photo Credit – Wikipedia/Instagram)

Amitabh Bachchan starrer Zanjeer is a breakthrough film in the senior actor’s career. It was released in 1973 and is credited for launching Bachchan’s image as the “Angry Young Man” of Indian cinema, a persona that defined much of his career in the 1970s and ’80s. But did you know that part was actually written for Dharmendra? It was written by the incredible duo- Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar.

Javed once revealed that the Dharam Veer actor refused to take on the role for unknown reasons. This revelation reportedly did not board well with Apne star as he seemed to have taken a cryptic jibe at Akhtar after this report came out. Zanjeer is iconic for several reasons; for example, it marked the end of the romantic hero era and the rise of the action-oriented, morally conflicted protagonist.

Dev Anand Was Once Mistaken As A Taxi Driver( Photo Credit – YouTube )

Dev Anand was a beloved actor who was considered one of the most significant and successful in the industry. He was a trendsetter and a risk-taker known for his charm and mannerisms. Actors often face weird situations because of their profession, and something similar happened with Dev as well. A foreigner mistook him for a taxi driver, and that person even asked the actor to take them to the red light area. Keep scrolling for more.

He worked in the industry for over six decades and in more than one hundred movies. Anand was honored with the Padma Bhushan and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. Some of his best-known movies include Baazi, Taxi Driver, Cid, Guide, Jewel Thief, and more. His last film, Chargesheet, came out in 2011. He was also the director of that movie. The veteran actor passed...

Smita Patil Once Had A Bad Dream About Her Co-Star Who Suffered A Terrible Accident A Day Later ( Photo Credit – YouTube )

Smita Patil is regarded as one of the finest and greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinema, and she has won several accolades in her career. She was a woman of substance who left a mark with her portrayal of strong and independent women. The actress has worked with some of the most prominent actors of that time, including Amitabh Bachchan, Amol Palekar, and more. However, this article is about the time when she had a bad dream about one of her co-stars who ended up in a near-fatal accident a day later. Keep scrolling for the deets.

Outside of her film career, Patil was deeply committed to women’s rights and social issues, frequently using her voice to promote meaningful change. In 1985, she was awarded the Padma...

Did Govinda Speak To His Dead Mother On A Movie Set? (Photo Credit – Sony Liv)

As one would expect, Bollywood star Govinda was extremely close to his mother. Nirmala Devi, aka Dulari, was a renowned Padma-Shri recipient singer-actress. She passed away in 1996 at the age of 69. But do you know Chi Chi once spoke to his dead mother on a movie set almost 13 years after her passing? Scroll below for the lesser-known tale.

In 2009, Chi Chi was shooting for his film Life Partner in Mumbai. The romantic comedy, directed by Rumy Jaffery, also starred Fardeen Khan, Tusshar Kapoor, Genelia D’Souza, and Prachi Desai. It, unfortunately, isn’t one of the most memorable films of his career, but what allegedly happened on sets will be remembered in history!

As per mid-day, Govinda once believed that his late mother arrived on Life Partner sets. To bring her to the shooting location was his brother,...

When Raj Kapoor Narrated The Story Of Mera Naam Joker While The Heroines Were Seated On His Lap (Photo Credit – YouTube)

Legendary actor-director-producer Raj Kapoor is known for his glorious contribution to Indian cinema. However, some of the aspects of his personal life often appear to be scandalous to people. Did you know that actor Ranjeet who was known for his villainous roles in Hindi movies had once recalled a rather bizarre incident about the script reading session of the 1970 film, Mera Naam Joker?

For the unversed, Mera Naam Joker starred Raj Kapoor in the lead role and was also directed by him. According to a report in Bollywood Shaadi, in an interview with Ani, Ranjeet recalled how Kapoor would narrate the story of Mera Naam Joker to the heroines of the film while they were seated on his lap. The actor said, “Mera Naam Joker picture thi na… uski...

After Aamir Khan Blames Ott, Tigmanshu Dhulia Reveals New Films Are Box Office Disasters! (Photo Credit – Wikipedia/Prime Video/Instagram)

Recently, Aamir Khan, in an interaction with the media, blamed Ott platforms for the failure of films at the box office. Now, filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia has discussed another reason for the failure of Hindi films and the success of South Indian films at the box office!

In an interview, the filmmaker blamed one basic reason for audiences not turning in the theaters to watch the film – the ever-high ticket prices in the multiplexes. Pointing out how this is a real-estate business model, Dhulia discussed the difference in ticket rates between the North and South.

Discussing the issue in a podcast Ani, Tigmanshu Dhulia said, “Aapko ticket thodi bech rahe hain picture ka, aapko parking ka ticket bech rahe hain, popcorn bech rahe hain, samosa bech rahe hain, kya kya tacos bech rahe hain,...

Babil Khan Blasts An Influencer & Asks Unfollow Pratyush! (Photo Credit – Instagram)

The internet users are currently very confused, and everyone is frantically searching for a man called Pratyush Dua, who has caused distress to Irrfan’s son, Babil Khan! The Qala actor took to his Instagram stories and posted a video with a header text that said, ‘Unfollow Pratyush’!

In his video, Babil can be seen losing his calm over a social media influencer called Pratyush Dua. In his video, Babil said, “Mujhe aajkal bahut strongly aisa feel hone laga hai ki hum hamare feed ke liye, hamare page ke liye, handle ke liye ab bus, kuch bhi karne ko taiyaar hai. Kya asli hai, kya nakli hai isme ab antar dhoondhna mushkil hai.”

Babil Khan further pointed out how stressed and angry he is over the content on social media and said, “Content word se mujhe ab nafrat hai,...

Hema Malini, Jeetendra, Dharmendra & Shobha Kapoor Were In A Weird Love Square! (Photo Credit – YouTube)

Dharmendra and Hema Malini are two superstars who made sure that their love found a fate, and the two married each other despite the actress’s family’s disapproval of marrying an already-married woman. It was during such a time that the Basanti of Hindi Cinema was told to get married to superstar Jeetendra!

Yes, you read that right! The Himmatwala actor’s alliance was fixed with the Sholay actress, despite the two of them dating other people! While Dharmendra was the love of Hema’s life, Ekta Kapoor’s father was dating Ekta’s now mother and then a cabin crew – Shobha Sippy!

When Hema Malini’s family learned about her affair with the married actor Dharmendra, her mother made sure that Jeetendra‘s wedding was fixed. She met his parents, and the alliance was fixed.

Deepika Padukone’s Next Project Revealed (Photo Credit – Instagram)

It is not a hidden fact that Deepika Padukone’s glimpse was shown as Amrita, the mother of Ranbir Kapoor’s Shiva, in the 2022 film Brahmastra. The actress will most likely make an appearance in the sequel of the film, wherein her character is likely to have an integral part to play. However, according to the latest development, the actress is now set to essay the role of another star kid’s mother. We are talking about none other than Suhana Khan. Yes, you heard that right! The actress will play have a cameo appearance as Suhana’s mother in the thriller flick King which also stars Shah Rukh Khan in the titular role.

According to an exclusive report in Peeping Moon, director Siddharth Anand has roped in Deepika Padukone for an extended cameo in King. However, her character will have...

When Is Tusshar Kapoor & Shreyas Talpade’s Kapkapiii Releasing? ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Kapkapiii, an upcoming horror-comedy, starring Shreyas Talpade and Tusshar Kapoor, is all set to release in theatres this year! The movie marks the final film of late director Sangeeth Sivan, known for cult comedies like Kya Kool Hain Hum and Apna Sapna Money Money.

The film promises to deliver spine-chilling moments wrapped in rib-tickling humor. It will be released in cinemas on May 23, 2025. In addition to Tusshar and Shreyas, Kapkapiii also stars Sonia Rathee, Siddhi Idnani, Jay Thakkar, Varun Pandey, Dherendra Tiwari, Dinkar Sharma, and Abishek Kumar.

The horror-comedy is produced by Jayesh Patel and Umesh Kumar Bansal under the banner of Bravo Entertainment and presented by Zee Studios. The screenplay is penned by Saurabh Anand and Kumar Priyadarshi. Scroll below to know what the team said while talking about their experience of working on the movie.

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When Shramila Tagore Shared Her Thoughts About Working With Rajesh Khanna (Photo Credit – YouTube)

Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore were known for their intense chemistry, and the duo made some of the biggest hits back in the day. They have worked together in multiple movies, and they are still engraved in people’s memories. Khanna was a superstar, and his status reflected in his workspace. His pressure wasn’t limited to acting alone—his fan following, particularly among women, was overwhelming. Many went to extreme lengths: writing him letters in blood, marrying his photographs, and mobbing him at public appearances. Sharmila once revealed she was relieved when she stopped working with him.

Kaka was the first superstar in the Hindi film industry to have consecutive hits. Tagore and Khanna’s films were not only financial successes but are still famous for their dialogue. Some of the notable movies include Aradhana,...

Subhash K Jha revisits Gulzar’s Namkeen (1982) and as a bonus, he includes a conversation with the director who takes us inside the story, the actors and the music in this fascinating installment of This Day That Year.

Perhaps the timing was wrong. Or as Munnabhhai would say, ‘Isska to good luck hi kharaab tha.’ But Gulzar’s Namkeen and its dew-drop tenderness compounded by a compelling resilience of spirit, flowery in its fragility and steely in its strength, failed to evoke a favourable response at the boxoffice.

It came during the year when the Bachchan wave swept across the box office with Namak Halaal, Khuddar, and Shakti. It was also the year when two female-oriented films, Nikaah and Prem Rog, did exceedingly well. Namkeen tragically failed to form a trio of successful ladies’ pictures in 1982.

A pity!

Gulzar Saab loves the film, just as one favours the child who...

Bollywood Stars Religious Switch (Photo Credit – Facebook)

Love knows no boundaries, and several Bollywood celebrities have shown that love can rise above religion. Let’s take a look at Bollywood stars who have taken bold steps to switch their religion for love.

Sharmila Tagore and Mansoor Ali Khan:

Legendary actress Sharmila Tagore was born in a Bengali Brahmin family. After marrying Indian cricket legend Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi in 1969, Sharmila embraced the name of Begum Ayesha Sultan highlighting the blending of cultures in their family.

Amrita Singh and Saif Ali Khan:

Born in Sikh family, Amrita Singh converted herself into Islam to before marrying actor Saif Ali Khan in 1991. Their relationship grabbed limelight due to the age difference between the former couple. The duo parted ways in 2004 and are parents to Sara Ali Khan and Ibrahim Ali Khan.

Trending Samantha To Rashmika Mandanna: A Look At Highly...

Ibrahim Ali Khan’s Debut Film Nadaaniyan Is Trending On Netflix (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Ibrahim Ali Khan has made his Bollywood debut with Nadaaniyan, and the film is trending on Netflix at the number one spot in India. Starring him and Khushi Kapoor, the romantic drama is making a mark and the social media is buzzing with praise for Ibrahim. We’re sure many of you are still wondering whether to watch this teen-drama or not.

So, without wasting any time, we list down five reasons why this romantic drama produced by Karan Johar’s Dharmatic Entertainment and helmed by Shauna Gautam should be on your watch list this weekend.

A Light-Hearted Film

Nadaaniyan, starring Ibrahim Ali Khan and Khushi Kapoor is a light-hearted film. It will remind you of your old times because, in any generation, love and friendship remain the same. It is basic – Dosti ki hai, nibhaani to padegi!

Sharmila Tagore talks with Subhash K Jha about her iconic film Aradhana, that also featured Rajesh Khanna, which released in 1969, returning to theatres.

One of your most important films, Aradhana, is back in movie theatres?

Yeah, I was taken as a serious actor in Hindi cinema after that. Before that, I did a lot of glamorous roles like An Evening in Paris and Kashmir. I also did Devar and Anupama before Aradhana, which were very performance-oriented characters.

No, no, so it would be wrong to say that Aradhana was the first time when you were taken seriously by Hindi audiences ?

But the depth of the audiences’ appreciation…. I remember when that scene was shown, you know, the first time the audience sees me as the old person in the jail and the entire hall started giggling. Yes, yes, that happened. My director, Shakti Samanta, left the hall saying that Sharmila Tagore had not been accepted.

Subhash K Jha revisits Farhan Alhtar and Vidya Balan’s Shaadi Ke Side Effects, which released in 2014.

“When I do something wrong, I say sorry to my wife. When my wife does something wrong…. I say sorry to my wife.”

One of the gems that flows out of Farhan Akhtar’s mouth while addressing the oldest question on the gender equation is: What does a woman really want in a marriage? Could it be the same things as a man? Maybe the route taken by the two individuals is different.

Director Saket Chaudhary raises some pertinent questions on the fake road signs that could lead to an aborted marriage. Not all of the winking homilies work. But the film holds together primarily because of the intelligent writing and the sharp and crisp way the two main actors interpret the parts of the two individuals in a marriage that has a lot going for it,...

When Zeenat Aman Was Upset With Dev Anand’s Autobiography (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Zeenat Aman and Dev Anand worked in many commercially successful movies and were among the most successful onscreen pairs. Zeenat considered the legendary actor as a mentor as she gained prominence after starring in his film, Hare Rama Hare Krishna. However, did you know that the actress was left enraged after receiving a copy of Anand’s autobiography, Romancing With Life? It all had to do with the part wherein the late actor had penned down his feelings for the yesteryear actress.

When Dev Anand Confessed His Feelings For Zeenat Aman

Talking about the same, in his autobiography, Dev Anand revealed that he had fallen in love with Zeenat Aman while they were shooting for the 1971 film, Hare Rama Hare Krishna. He had planned a romantic confession at the Rendezvous at the Taj Hotel rooftop, wherein they had once dined together.

Cinema is an integral part of a state’s ideological apparatus, which today in the 21st century stands taller than its counterparts. When an artist, whose existence is determined by the relations of production, translates his imagination into sound and images, it takes the form of something which can roughly be called cinema and reflects a collective’s or an individual’s relations with the state.

With every passing political shift – which inevitably changes the base and affects the superstructure inexorably, cinema, like its counterparts, suffers the dread of becoming dated. Rarity occurs when a film transcends the materialistic changes of a society, which naturally differs from the time when it was produced. Satyajit Ray’s “Nayak” (1966) belongs to such a rare pedigree. Its re-release in theatres, in a 2K restored print, is nothing less than a political event which invites us to read this classic which still competently corresponds...

When Saif Ali Khan Revealed Sharmila Tagore Felt Hurt After Hearing About His First Marriage (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Saif Ali Khan is one of the most versatile actors in the industry. He is also a loving and caring family person. He has a very warm and affectionate relationship with his mother, Sharmila Tagore. However, he once made her break into tears and hurt her. Saif did not tell his mother about his marriage to Amrita Singh. Keep scrolling for the deets.

Saif and Amrita were married for thirteen years and tied the knot in 1991. They have two kids, Sara and Ibrahim. Sara has already made her debut and appeared in multiple movies. Ibrahim will also make his Bollywood debut with Nadaaniyan opposite Khushi Kapoor. Saif and Amrita’s relationship reportedly ended on a bitter note and now he is happily married to Kareena Kapoor Khan. They have two sons, Taimur and Jeh.

I was only 24 when I met Manmohan Desai. Just eight years later, this man who was full of joie de vivre was gone.

How? The suddenness of this happy-go-lucky man’s death drove all of us movie buffs up the wall. To me Manji, still seems like the least likely candidate for self annihilation.

Though his aching back was against the wall, literally, he held forth on man movies and life with an infectious zest. His comments on offbeat films and filmmakers had me in splits. His films were kitsch art, though catch him admitting to anything arty about his works! His cinematic world encompassed a utopia where high melodrama resolved itself magically. To his abiding exasperation critics insisted on searching for logic in his films.

The maverick moviemaker said to me, “Do they realize how much brains and money are needed to make my kind of films? I really enjoy what I’m doing.

Manorama, who was known for her comic and negative roles, never got her due from the Hindi film industry. Now when, seventeen years after her death, memes are devoted to her comic virtuosity. It is emphatically tragic that she died in penury.

Hema Malini, who was ‘tortured’ by Manorama in Ramesh Sippy’s Seeta Aur Geeta, remembers the senior actress fondly. “She was so convincing as my wicked aunt; the audience hated her for torturing poor Seeta, and that was me. I remember there was a scene where she makes me undrape my saree. I was shaken after that scene. So evil on screen! But such a warm, friendly human being in real life.”

Sadly, the Indian moviegoing audience largely confuses the actor for the character and the character for the performance. Another brilliant actress, Shashikala, was hated by the public as she largely played negative characters. Sharmila Tagore once...

Vidhu

Vinod Choora’s period drama Eklavya was released 18 years ago, and Subhash K Jha revisits the film that featured an all-star cast including Amitabh Bachchan, Sharmila Tagore, Sanjay Dutt, Saif Ali Khan, Vidya Balan, Raima Sen, Jackie Shroff, Jimmy Sheirgill and Boman Irani.

How do we define the plot of Eklavya? It partly borrows the dark, undefinable pathos of Shakespeare’s tragedy and partly reverts to the palatial pathos of the Mughal Empire, where patricide frequently collided with complex Oedipal equations. Eklavya takes us into a territory totally unexplored and designed to create an ethos of infinite resonances.

Eklavya is a film of many virtues. Screenwriters Abhijat Joshi and Chopra aim for a sense of heightened tragedy that underlines the cinema of Kurosawa and the music of Mozart. The quality of the sound design (Biswajit Chatterjee), background score (Shantanu Moitra), and cinematography (N. Natarajan Subramaniam) elevates the bizarre tale...