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5 Disappointing Sequels in Hindi Cinema (Photo Credit – IMDb)

Sequels, whether true (with the story continuing) or ‘in spirit’ haven’t always matched the originals in Hindi films. A welcome exception is when the second film betters the previous one, as happens in rare cases like Tanu Weds Manu or Drishyam. Most filmmakers go wrong by making the next film merely bigger but not better. That was exactly the case with Tum Bin, Rock On!!, Dedh Ishqiya or Welcome Back.

However, there is a perceptible difference between a disappointing sequel and a poor one. Here’s looking at five more prominent calamities, especially after truly memorable ‘prequels’.

5. Bhoot Returns (2012) Streaming On:...

Was there an actress more enchanting and engaging than Nutan? One thing is for sure. Nutan was unlike any other screen legend. She wasn’t a conventional beauty like Madhubala, nor as sprightly and spontaneous as Geeta Bali, or as graceful and rhythmic as Vyjayanthimala.

And yet, there was something about Nutan. Something deep and knowledgeable, as though she had unearthed the secret of the universe and couldn’t live with the burden of the knowledge. Born in 1931, Nutan Samarth was introduced to the screen by her mother, the legendary-in-her-own-right Shobhana Samarth, in a film aptly entitled Hamari Beti. Earlier stalwarts like Chandulal Shah and K Asif had offered her roles. But the doting mother took it upon herself to launch her beti.

Ironically, Nutan fell out with her mother over property disputes. The two women didn’t speak to each other for nearly two decades. Nutan was a fascinating mixture of steel and satin.

Subhash K Jha shines the spotlight on Raj Khosla and shares Filmistan praise for the noted producer, screenwriter and director. Along with the great films, focus also turns to the outstanding music he selected to enhance and expand his films -the man, his movies and the music.

Once while we were speaking about Raj Khosla, the great Manoj Kumar said to me, “How can the man who made suspense thrillers like Woh Kaun Thi and Anita with me make family dramas like Do Raaste and Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki? I wasn’t part of Khosla’s family films or his dacoit dramas. But I couldn’t miss his versatility. No one could.”

Adds Sanjay Leela Bhansali, “I am a huge fan of Raj Khoslaji. Especially his music sense… My God! This is the genius whose films featured some of Hindi cinema’s best songs , ‘Aankhon hi aankhon mein’ (Cid...

Jigar Nagda’s debut film A Boy Who Dreamt of Electricity (2024) is a story of a young Adivasi boy who is born into a hapless system that does not account for his rights. To make matters worse, his house on top of the hill does not have electricity and no one seems to be concerned. What course of action does the young boy, Bheru, take?

The Rajasthani film, A Boy Who Dreamt of Electricity, is going to be showcased at the Habitat Film Festival this week, on May 22, 2025. We recently had the chance to have a chat with filmmaker Jigar Nagda about his film: how he tries to present the truth by being in line with the right facts, the response the film evokes from the Western audience to a throbbing Indian issue, and his five cinematic highs.

Damayanti Ghosh: I wanted to tell you that this must be the...

Netflix’s Jewel Thief was supposed to be some kind of ode to Vijay Anand’s classic, but I don’t think the film does justice to the title. The storyline is extremely weak and predictable, and even after all the efforts put forth by the actors, the end product just isn’t up to the scratch. Also, the age old practice to treat the women characters just like a prop is just as frustrating. Nikita Dutta’s character deserved a better arc. I just hope that Robbie Grewal and Kookie Gulati, the directors of the film, come up with a more engaging narrative if they decide to make a sequel. That said, let’s break down all the major events in Jewel Thief to see how Rehan Roy conducts the heist.

Spoiler Alert

Why Did Rajan Want To Steal The Red Sun?

A famous Indian art collector, Rajan Aulakh,...

Did You Know Akshay Kumar & Vidya Balan Were Supposed To Star In This Bollywood Classic Remake? (Photo Credit – Prime Video)

Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar must be riding high after the widespread critical acclaim of his latest film, Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story of Jallianwala Bagh, released in theatres on April 18, 2025. But did you know that the prolific actor was once considered to play the lead role in a rehashed version of a widely acclaimed Bollywood classic movie? And his co-star for that film would have been Vidya Balan. Sadly, the film never got made. Read on to know the details.

The Bollywood Classic Remake Which Never Got Made

According to a report by India Glitz, Rituparno Ghosh was reportedly set to direct Akshay Kumar and possibly Vidya Balan for a remake of Vijay Anand’s cult romantic drama Guide. The film was tentatively and aptly titled Rahgir. If the...

Can Aamir Khan’s time travel movie be revived?(Photo Credit –YouTube)

Much before Indian filmmakers embraced the sci-fi genre in a big way with films like Koi Mil Gaya, Krrish, Robot, and Ra.One, it was perfectionist actor Aamir Khan who had teamed up with an A-list, award-winning Indian director for an ambitious science fiction movie tentatively titled ‘Time Machine’ with time travel as its main plot device.

And the director was none other than the BAFTA winner Shekhar Kapur, who is well known for directing critically acclaimed films such as Masoom, Bandit Queen, and the British historical drama Elizabeth. Read on to know the details about the unfinished film and why it’s still such an intriguing project for Indian movie buffs.

Time Machine Cast & Plot

Besides Aamir Khan in the lead role, Time Machine’s other cast members were Raveena Tandon, Rekha, Naseeruddin Shah, and Vijay Anand, amongst others.

In a special This Day That Year, Subhash K Jha shares memories of his dear friend Rituparno Ghosh and his movie career including Memories In March.

By the time Rituparno Ghosh showed up as a man grieving for his dead partner in Sanjay Nag’s Memories In March, released on April 1, 2011, he had turned cinema into a weapon of anguished anger about his sexuality.

Bereavement and memories are a great high for celluloid drama. Some of the most poignant and memorable films of our times have tapped into the wounds of grief for creative juices and emerged trumps at the box office. Think of Meena Kumari mourning for her impotent marriage in Guru Dutt’s Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam or Supriya Choudhury’s smothered screams of protest for her wasted life in Ritwick Ghatak’s Meghe Dhaka Tara, or more recently, Nicole Kidman blaming the world around her for remaining...

Did You Know Waheeda Rehman Almost Did Not Get Cast In Dev Anand’s Guide?(Photo Credit – Amazon)

Waheeda Rehman and Dev Anand shared an iconic on-screen partnership in Bollywood, starring in multiple films that became classics. Their collaboration is celebrated for its romantic chemistry, compelling storytelling, and timeless songs. The actress started her film journey opposite Dev in 1956’s Cid. However, their film Guide is among their most notable works. Did you know that Waheeda almost did not do the film because of its director? Keep scrolling for the deets.

For the unversed, Guide was released in 1965, directed by Vijay Anand, and produced by Dev Anand. It was a bilingual romantic drama based on Rk Narayan’s 1958 novel The Guide. It follows the story of Raju, a freelance tour guide, and Rosie, the repressed wife of a wealthy archaeologist. It was screened at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival over four decades after its release.

Padma Khanna, a trained Kathak exponent who turns a year older on March 10, was a better dancer than all the other dancing stars of her era. She could sizzle in cabarets and mujras without ever looking vulgar. Many iconic songs of the dance genre in the Hindi films of the 1960s-1980s were filmed on her.

To begin with, she had a minor role in the Biswajit starrer Biwi Aur Makaan in 1966, where she was billed as ‘Kumari Padma’. The really big break was the bold striptease in Vijay Anand’s Johnny Mera Naam. The song ‘Husn ke lakhon rang aag hai yeh badan kaun sa ang dekhoge’, and her provocative but never obscene dance moves as she stripped down to a bikini in front of a drooling Premnath, placed Padma on the perch of the prancing pyramid.

The offers poured in. And Padma made sway while the song shined.

Did Aamir Khan shoot a time machine movie? ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

The science fiction genre has been one of the most anticipated film genres worldwide. It takes the force of human imagination to its limit and the makers are then challenged to match their wildest dreams with the technologies available, and the results have been mind-blowing. In India, while the genre hasn’t been as prolific, there have been notable attempts to delve into sci-fi narratives.

Aamir Khan’s 2014 film Pk stands out as a successful venture into this realm, which blended sci-fi with humor. However, years before Pk, Aamir Khan had already worked on an ambitious sci-fi project titled Time Machine in collaboration with acclaimed director Shekhar Kapur. This movie was initiated in the early 1990s and promised to be a groundbreaking addition to Indian cinema but unfortunately remained unfinished.

Time Machine was meant to be an Indian version...

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Subhash K Jha asked Filmistan what their favorite prem kahaani films are and the answers were amazing!

Amitabh Bachchan:

“Guru Dutt’s Kagaz Ke Phool: poignant and incredible theme, most lingering visuals, music, performances, and the ethereal Waheedaji, she’s my favourite; Anupama … “I just love the softness and simplicity of the film, its unexaggerated performances. It had a lyrical quality about it. This was a film by one of my favourite directors, Hrishikesh Mukherjee.” Bimal Roy’s Devdas: “I have always idolized Dilip Saab; his portrayal of doomed love in Devdas remains unparalleled.”

Sanjay Leela Bhansali:

“Bimal Roy’s Devdas, Vijay Anand’s Guide, Kamal Amrohi’s Pakeezah, K Asif’s Mughal-e-Azam, Satyajit Ray’s Charulata.”

Raakhee Gulzar:

“Satyajit Ray’s Charulata, Vijay Anand’s Guide, Raj Kapoor’s Sangam, Raj Kapoor’s Bobby, Yash Chopra’s Kabhi Kabhie.”

Asha Parekh:

“Bimal Roy’s Devdas,...

To celebrate the day of pyaar, Valentine’s Day, Subhash K Jha shares his picks for the 10 films he believes are the most romantic Hindi films of all time!

1.Amar Prem (1971): The underrated director Shakti Samanta created two timeless odes to love Aradhana and Amar Prem both featuring the charismatic couple Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore. My Valentinian pick is Amar Prem. There is not even an embrace between the lead pair. He is a married man seeking comfort in his loneliness. She, a prostitute mothering him, nurturing his heart as though he were her child. Never seen love so sublime in any film. Never felt more happy to know love lives.

2.Bobby (1973): Every generation has its favourite love story. I pity those who think Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaynege are the acme of amour. Excuse me, Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia in Raj Kapoor’s rugged,...

Fighter Box Office To Avenge Every Single Indian Air Force Disaster Film In Bollywood ( Photo Credit – Viacom18 Studios / YouTube )

Hrithik Roshan plays an Indian Air Force Officer in the upcoming film Fighter. Helmed by Siddharth Anand, the film is all set to release on January 25, 2024. The film is about a group of Iaf fighters who come together for a mission against Pakistan. It also stars Deepika Padukone, Karan Singh Grover, Akshay Oberoi, and Sanjeeda Shaikh as Indian Air Force officers.

After watching the cast look terrific in uniforms, we thought we would research a bit about men and women in uniform on-screen. To our surprise, while there are plenty of films made on the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, and Navy remain much unexplored on-screen.

Quite a few of the films have Iaf as the backdrop, while there are rare films made on the Indian Air Force that offer a...

Dry Day (Prime Video)

Starring Jitendra Kumar, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Annu Kapoor

Directed by Saurabh Shukla

Saurabh Shukla is not only an interesting actor, he also writes scripts and occasionally directs them with rewarding results. I came away from Dry Day with mixed feelings. The mofussil politics is no more the pickled dish that it once used to be. Overkill is the word that comes to mind; especially when the routinely reliable Annu Kapoor says a line as banal as, “Politics mein gunda-gardi ke ilava bahot kuch hota hai” we know the narrative is in trouble.

Most of the film shows that gunda-gardi is the primary driving force in politics , at least in the world occupied by Gannu. Played with an amiable cunning by Jitendra Kumar , Gannu is a certifiable wastrel whose wife Nirmala(Shriya Pilgaonkar) shrieks at everyone in her husband’s family.

Admittedly Gannu does have a large extended family.

Content is king is the belief the film industry has thrived upon all along. An appropriate casting as per the needs of the story completed the basics of making a film. A director craved for a good performer rather than a star and did not chase a star just for the sake of it.

It was because of content that films with no star value such as ‘Saraswatichandra’ (Manish), ‘Kora Kagaz’, ‘Dosti’ (Sudhir and Sushil) and ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’ (Salman Khan) went on to become hits. These are just a few examples.

Rajesh Khanna had delivered many flops before he could give his first hit and so had Amitabh Bachchan. When a good script that matched their talent and persona came up, it made them a star.

When a star is born thanks to a few huge hits, everybody wants to cast him and this phenomenon causes the downfall of a star.

Content is king is the belief the film industry has thrived upon all along. An appropriate casting as per the needs of the story completed the basics of making a film. A director craved for a good performer rather than a star and did not chase a star just for the sake of it.

It was because of content that films with no star value such as ‘Saraswatichandra’ (Manish), ‘Kora Kagaz’, ‘Dosti’ (Sudhir and Sushil) and ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’ (Salman Khan) went on to become hits. These are just a few examples.

Rajesh Khanna had delivered many flops before he could give his first hit and so had Amitabh Bachchan. When a good script that matched their talent and persona came up, it made them a star.

When a star is born thanks to a few huge hits, everybody wants to cast him and this phenomenon causes the downfall of a star.

Stuart Gatt’s “Catching Dust,” which premiered at Tribeca earlier this year, will open the 54th International Film Festival of India (Iffi), Goa.

Robert Kolodny’s “The Featherweight,” which bowed at Venice, will close the festival. Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s “About Dry Grasses,” for which Merve Dizdar won best actress at Cannes, will be the mid-festival gala.

The fiction feature strand of the Indian panorama showcase will open with Anand Ekarshi’s “Aattam” and the documentary strand with Longjam Meena’s “Andro Dream.” The panorama will screen 25 fiction features, including five mainstream films, plus 20 documentaries.

Michael Douglas will deliver the key festival masterclass. The international competition jury will be led by eminent filmmaker Shekhar Kapur (“Elizabeth”) and also includes producers Catherine Dussart (“Silence in the Dust”) and Helen Leake (“Carnifex”), former Cannes market chief Jerome Paillard and Pedro Almodovar’s long-standing cinematographer José Luis Alcaine, P.K. Atre’s “Shyamchi Aai...

It indeed was fortuitous that on the hundredth birth anniversary of Dev Sahb or Dev Anand, his one of the most famous muse in his cinematic journey – Waheeda Rehman, was conferred with the Dada Saheb Phalke award. Jury may be out whether she should have been conferred with the award earlier than those who got it during the last few years, but it is redemption time for Waheeda Rehman and her fans who continue to increase in proportions with every new appearance that she condescends to either in a movie or on various entertainment channels on television and Ott platforms.

Conferring of the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for me was also an occasion to travel down memory lane and relive those memories. The first brush with Waheeda Rehman was when we watched Bees Saal Baad (1962) at Gorakhpur in a club. Those were the days when movie watching was considered a...

It indeed was fortuitous that on the hundredth birth anniversary of Dev Sahb or Dev Anand, his one of the most famous muse in his cinematic journey – Waheeda Rehman, was conferred with the Dada Saheb Phalke award. Jury may be out whether she should have been conferred with the award earlier than those who got it during the last few years, but it is redemption time for Waheeda Rehman and her fans who continue to increase in proportions with every new appearance that she condescends to either in a movie or on various entertainment channels on television and Ott platforms.

Conferring of the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for me was also an occasion to travel down memory lane and relive those memories. The first brush with Waheeda Rehman was when we watched Bees Saal Baad (1962) at Gorakhpur in a club. Those were the days when movie watching was considered a...

Whodunnits are all the rage these days. Just recently, we had Anu Menon’s Neeyat, with a superlative cast but bland execution. A few years ago, Netflix gave us the highly indulgent Nawazuddin-starring Raat Akeli Hai. SonyLIV’s latest offering is Vishal Bharadwaj directorial, Charlie Chopra & The Mystery of Solang Valley that explores not just a murder but the familial dynamics around it. This Hindi-language web series, based on Agatha Christie’s novel The Sittaford Mystery, was released on September 27, 2023.

This six episodic miniseries is about the murder of Brigadier Meherban Singh Rawat after a séance conducted by his family predicts his death. It cannot be a mere coincidence, which makes the audience wonder if the family close to the brigadier are into black magic or if this was an orchestrated plan to get rid of this rich man, who happens to own a ski resort as well. Jimmy, the adorable nephew of Brigadier Meherban,...

Mumbai, Sep 26 (Ians) On the occasion of the 100th birth anniversary of one of the greatest and most successful actors in the history of Indian cinema – Dev Anand, veteran actress Saira Banu shared a few fond memories with the former, revealing how he used to forward roles to her in his movies.

Saira, who has become an ardent social media user, took to photo-sharing application Instagram and shared a black and white throwback picture with Dev Anand. She also posted two video clips from their movie ‘Pyar Mohabbat’.

The actress penned a long note, which read: “Happy 100th Birthday! In the 1955 film ‘C.I.D.’ Dev Saab wanted to cast my mother Naseemji but at that time Sultan bhai and I were schooling in London and she had to be there with us, so she declined. Shakilaji did the same role. A similar thing happened in the 1958 film ‘Kaala Paani’ where Naseemji...

Mumbai, Sep 26 (Ians) On the occasion of the 100th birth anniversary of one of the greatest and most successful actors in the history of Indian cinema – Dev Anand, veteran actress Saira Banu shared a few fond memories with the former, revealing how he used to forward roles to her in his movies.

Saira, who has become an ardent social media user, took to photo-sharing application Instagram and shared a black and white throwback picture with Dev Anand. She also posted two video clips from their movie ‘Pyar Mohabbat’.

The actress penned a long note, which read: “Happy 100th Birthday! In the 1955 film ‘C.I.D.’ Dev Saab wanted to cast my mother Naseemji but at that time Sultan bhai and I were schooling in London and she had to be there with us, so she declined. Shakilaji did the same role. A similar thing happened in the 1958 film ‘Kaala Paani’ where Naseemji...

Revered Indian actor Waheeda Rehman has been accorded the Dadasaheb Phalke award, India’s highest film honor.

The award is given for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema and is named after Phalke, director of “Raja Harischandra” (1913), India’s first full-length feature, who is considered the father of Indian cinema.

Rehman, the 85-year-old grande dame of Indian cinema has worked with most of the legendary filmmakers of her country during her career and the roles she chose were in films that are considered classics in the annals of Indian cinema. She worked with Guru Dutt in “Pyaasa” (1957) and “Kaagaz Ke Phool” (1959), Satyajit Ray in “Abhijaan” (1962), Basu Bhattacharya in “Teesri Kasam” (1966) and Yash Chopra in “Kabhie Kabhie” (1976), among many other memorable roles.

But it is her role as Rosie in Vijay Anand’s “Guide” (1965) that Rehman remembers with the greatest fondness. “When I signed ‘Guide’ more than 50 years ago, my friends told...

There was one occasion when Dev Anand, forced to quit a blue-collar job he depended on for sustenance, ripped his elder brother Chetan Anand of Rs (the then) princely sum of Rs 5,000 to launch a less than moral venture, and if this was not enough, began wooing the girl his younger brother Vijay ‘Goldie’ Anand fancied, and eventually in luring her away.

If these sordid revelations shock you, do not think too badly of Dev Anand. For all this did not happen in real life, but in reel life, in the social romantic comedy “Kala Bazaar” (1960), which has several distinctions to its credit but chiefly stands out for being the only film in which all the three Anand brothers acted together.

While Chetan Anand had directed the early Dev Anand films, he had sought to branch out on his own after “Taxi Driver” (1954) to indulge in his own creativity, and...

There was one occasion when Dev Anand, forced to quit a blue-collar job he depended on for sustenance, ripped his elder brother Chetan Anand of Rs (the then) princely sum of Rs 5,000 to launch a less than moral venture, and if this was not enough, began wooing the girl his younger brother Vijay ‘Goldie’ Anand fancied, and eventually in luring her away.

If these sordid revelations shock you, do not think too badly of Dev Anand. For all this did not happen in real life, but in reel life, in the social romantic comedy “Kala Bazaar” (1960), which has several distinctions to its credit but chiefly stands out for being the only film in which all the three Anand brothers acted together.

While Chetan Anand had directed the early Dev Anand films, he had sought to branch out on his own after “Taxi Driver” (1954) to indulge in his own creativity, and...

If India ever had a star, it was Dev Anand. He was the mould in which subsequent generations of stars were cast. Dev Anand was born Dharamdev on September 26, 1923, in the Shakargarh tehsil of Gurdaspur district of Punjab. His father Pishori Lal Anand was a successful advocate and a follower of Mahatma Gandhi. Dev, the third of four brothers, graduated with English Honours from Government College, Lahore. He moved over to Bombay to join his older brother Chetan, who was trying to get a break in films.

Both brothers got involved in the progressive Indian People’s Theatre Association (Ipta). Chetan made ‘Neecha Nagar’ in 1946 and went on to win the Grand Prix at the inaugural Cannes film festival.

Dev told me that when he heard that Babu Rao Pai of Prabhat Film Studios was casting for a new film, he literally gatecrashed into his office and got the lead...

If India ever had a star, it was Dev Anand. He was the mould in which subsequent generations of stars were cast. Dev Anand was born Dharamdev on September 26, 1923, in the Shakargarh tehsil of Gurdaspur district of Punjab. His father Pishori Lal Anand was a successful advocate and a follower of Mahatma Gandhi. Dev, the third of four brothers, graduated with English Honours from Government College, Lahore. He moved over to Bombay to join his older brother Chetan, who was trying to get a break in films.

Both brothers got involved in the progressive Indian People’s Theatre Association (Ipta). Chetan made ‘Neecha Nagar’ in 1946 and went on to win the Grand Prix at the inaugural Cannes film festival.

Dev told me that when he heard that Babu Rao Pai of Prabhat Film Studios was casting for a new film, he literally gatecrashed into his office and got the lead...

‘Badass Ravi kumar’, produced by Himesh Reshammiya’s music label ‘Himesh Reshammiya Melodies’ all set for a Dussehra release on 11th October 2024. The film will be a spin-off from his popular ‘The Xpose’ franchise starring Himesh as Ravi kumar his character from the franchise.

Set in the glamorous and larger than life 1970s era, the film will be a musical action entertainer with opulent songs and some very high octane action sequences designed by the best action directors across the globe.

The biggest surprise will be Prabhu Deva who will essay the role of a villain, Carlos Pedro Panther for the first time, a larger than life eccentric villain against Ravi kumar. Other key cast and credits of the film including 9 other villains besides the lead heroine and many big character artists will be announced soon along with the director of the film.

The script has been in the works...

‘Badass Ravi kumar’, produced by Himesh Reshammiya’s music label ‘Himesh Reshammiya Melodies’ all set for a Dussehra release on 11th October 2024. The film will be a spin-off from his popular ‘The Xpose’ franchise starring Himesh as Ravi kumar his character from the franchise.

Set in the glamorous and larger than life 1970s era, the film will be a musical action entertainer with opulent songs and some very high octane action sequences designed by the best action directors across the globe.

The biggest surprise will be Prabhu Deva who will essay the role of a villain, Carlos Pedro Panther for the first time, a larger than life eccentric villain against Ravi kumar. Other key cast and credits of the film including 9 other villains besides the lead heroine and many big character artists will be announced soon along with the director of the film.

The script has been in the works...

The birth centenary of Indian cinema icon Dev Anand will be celebrated with restored versions of some of his classics receiving a theatrical release across the country.

Known as one of the triumvirate of superstars who ruled Hindi-language cinema in the 1950s and ’60s (along with the late Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar) Anand made such hits as “Guide,” “Hare Rama Hare Krishna” and “Prem Pujari.”

The birth centenary of Anand, who died in 2011, is on Sept. 26. On Sept. 24 and 25, the “Dev Anand@100 – Forever Young” festival will screen four of his classic films at 55 PVR Inox cinemas across 30 Indian cities including Mumbai, Pune, Goa, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Trivandrum, Chennai, Bangalore, Lucknow, Kolkata, Guwahati, Indore, Jaipur, Nagpur, Chandigarh, New Delhi, Gwalior, Rourkela, Raipur, Noida, Kochi, Aurangabad, Vadodara, Surat and Mohali.

The films are Raj Khosla’s “C. I. D.” (1956) and Vijay Anand’s “Guide” (1965), “Jewel Thief” (1967) and “Johny Mera Naam” (1970). They have...

Intrinsically talented, both, separately and jointly, gave a new direction to Hindi film music. But to achieve this, Asha Bhosle and Rahul Dev Burman had to surmount a major “hurdle” – creating a new identity distinct from their illustrious and established kin: elder sibling Lata Mangeshkar and father Sachin Dev Burman.

And both succeeded – with a combination of luck, support, their own undeniable virtuosity, and above all, their first joint effort.

AshaBhosle – who is still going strong at 90, having worked with four generations of music composers from O P Nayyar to A R Rehman – added a sensuous allure and element of forthrightness for the Hindi film heroine, without becoming risque or boisterous, even as Burman adroitly used pop and jazz to good effect in electrifying film music – bringing the age of Elvis Presley and the Beatles to India.

Rejected at a trial for a film in 1947 as the sound recording engineer...

Following a turbulent year plagued by Covid-19 and an industry reckoning following the suicide of a high-profile actor, the Producers Guild of India (Pgi) is again stepping outside its remit to get the entertainment industry back on track.

The Pgi has begun disbursing relief funds to daily wage workers in India’s entertainment industry, who have been the hardest hit group in an industry devastated by Covid-19 since March 2020. Through this drive, funded by Pgi member Netflix, the guild is transferring funds directly into the bank accounts of thousands of active technicians affiliated to the Federation of Western India Cine Employees, the umbrella association with which most film workers are affiliated.

Earlier this month, funded by members, the Pgi conducted a mass vaccination camp for industry workers in Mumbai.

These efforts aren’t part of the organization’s remit and aren’t enshrined in its charter, which is mainly to champion producers’ causes,...

One of the finest poets of 20th century Urdu literature, Majrooh Sultanpuri was born on this day 101 years ago. His contribution to the Hindi film industry as a lyricist is also phenomenal, so much so that any writing or research work on the Bollywood music scene would be incomplete without his mention.

Born Asrar ul Hassan Khan on October 1, 1919 in Sultanpur, currently in Uttar Pradesh. Sultanpuri has penned countless memorable songs in his career spanning six decades, and has collaborated with talented musicians spanning generations, from Sachin Dev Burman to Rahul Dev Burman to Jatin-Lalit. He has been honoured with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award among numerous other recognitions.

It is impossible to sum up such a genius' oeuvre in a list of a few songs. Ians takes a look into some of Majrooh's popular songs that you may want to hum while you think of the great creative artiste.

KollywoodAce cricketer Harbhajan Singh will be acting in a crucial role in the film.Digital NativeTime travel told in a humorous tale with Santhanam in the centre of it all is what the trailer of upcoming Tamil film Dikkiloona promises. The trailer, which released on Friday, shows the actor playing triple role as the hero, comedian and villain. Dialogue writer-turned-filmmaker Karthik Yogi is wielding the megaphone for this venture which is produced under the banners Kjr Studios and Soldiers factory. Releasing the trailer the makers tweeted, "Time travel ku time aachu, adhuvum sirichikitey oru journey naa? Ready ready ready! #DikkiloonaTrailer out now!!” “It is time for time travel, a journey full of laughter. Ready, ready, ready!” it says. The power-packed two and a half minute trailer shows the hero time travel to year 2020 (assuming the story is set in a different time) with the help of a time machine invented...

KollywoodThe film's director Anand Balki took to his Twitter account to ask for people's opinion.Digital NativeSanthanam’s comedy-drama Server Sundaram in which he plays a chef was completed long back but the film has been lying in cans due to some financial problems involving its producer. It was also recently announced that the film would hit the screens this Republic day but later it was pushed since Santhanam's Dagaalty too was scheduled for release on the same date. The latest update we hear is with a half a dozen of films planning for a direct digital release due to the current pandemic situation, Server Sundaram, too, is planning for a direct Ott release. The film's director Anand Balki took to his Twitter account to ask for people's opinion. #serversundaram Ott la release panlama? — anandbalki (@anandbalki) April 26, 2020 Server Sundaram has been delayed for the past three years. The film also stars Bijesh,...

KollywoodWritten and directed by R Kannan, 'Biskoth' also stars Tara Alisha Berry.Digital NativeComedian turned actor Santhanam shared the first look poster of his upcoming film Biskoth online and wrote, “Here it is the first look of my next rom-com #BiskothFirstLook produced & directed by @Dir_kannanR Hope u guys love it.” Here it is the first look of my next rom-com #BiskothFirstLook produced & directed by @Dir_kannanR Hope u guys love it @maslapixweb @mkrpproductions @TaraAlishaBerry @tridentartsoffl @EditorSelva @johnsoncinepro @radhanmusic pic.twitter.com/F0RBWHtbMI — Santhanam (@iamsanthanam) March 4, 2020 Written and directed by R Kannan, Biskoth also stars Tara Alisha Berry. Sowcar Janaki, Anandraj, Motta Rajendran and Manohar form the rest of the star cast. Reports are that Biskoth will be veteran actor Sowcar Janaki’s 400th film and she will be playing Santhanam’s grandmother in it. Besides directing the film, R Kannan is also producing Biskoth under his home banner.

Celebrated film director Sriram Raghavan, who's film 'Andhadhun' has been selected for the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (Iffm), on Saturday said that the leading lady of the film Tabu did not check every scene on the monitor after shooting and that the director always wanted to work with her.

Sharing his work experience with Tabu, Raghavan said, "I generally start thinking about the cast once the scripting is done but Tabu I had in mind even while writing the character. She was cool when I approached her. She also used to get zapped by the character while I was narrating. She is one person who doesn't look at the monitor after each and every scene. She is beyond professional and instinctive."

"I used to trip on Tabu as an actor so getting a chance to work with her and also the film doing great is nice," he added.

KollywoodDirected by Vijay Anand, the film will star Rittika Sen as the female lead.Digital NativeDigital NativeSanthanam is coming out with a new film and unveiled the first look poster online on Thursday. Titled Dagaalty, the poster features Santhanam in a stylish look. The first look has created a lot of expectations among movie buffs. Here goes the first look of #Dagaalty directed by @vijayanans co-starring @SenRittika @iyogibabu Produced by #18Reels @SPChowdhary3 Music by @VijayNarain Dop @dopdeepakpadhy pic.twitter.com/54FLSCHIav — Santhanam (@iamsanthanam) June 6, 2019 Dagaalty will be directed by Vijay Anand, an erstwhile associate of director Shankar. The film is bankrolled by Sp Chowdhary’s 18 Reels in association with Santhanam’s Handmade Films. Rittika Sen has been roped in to play the female lead in this flick with Yogi Babu onboard as comedian. Dagaalty has music by Vijay Narain and cinematography by Dipak Kumar Padhy. Santhanam currently has A1: Accused No.

TollywoodThe song 'Nee Neeli Kannullonna' is a soulful, romantic rendition.Tnm StaffEver since the teaser of Vijay Deverakonda’s Dear Comrade released a couple of weeks ago, there is one thing that has caught the audience’s attention apart from Vijay and Rashmika Mandanna’s sizzling chemistry on screen- the soulful song that plays in the teaser for less than a minute. While still in anticipation to listen to the entire song from the movie, the makers of Dear Comrade have released another song from the movie, ‘Nee Neeli Kannullonna’, a two and a half minute romantic number by singer Gowtham Bharadwaj. The song is a beautiful rendition that introduces Rashmika Mandanna, who is playing the role of a cricketer in the movie. Rashmika has donned a different get-up for the movie and looks her natural best. ‘Nee Neeli Kannullonna’ is a confession of the man’s love for his lady,...

The 1965 film had music by Sd Burman and lyrics by Shailendra who together composed a brilliant album with evergreen songs like Tere Mere Sapne, Gaata Rahe Mera Dil and Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai. Directed by Vijay Anand, Guide starred Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman...

The 1967 film had music by Sd Burman and lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri and Shailendra, who gave us some memorable songs like Yeh Dil Na Hota Bechara, Raat Akeli Hai and Hothon Mein Aisi Baat. Directed by Vijay Anand, Jewel Thief starred Dev Anand and Vyjayanthimala...

The 1966 film had memorable tracks like Aaja Aaja and O Haseena Zulfon Wali created by composer R.D. Burman and lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri. Directed by Vijay Anand, Teesri Manzil starred Shammi Kapoor and Asha Parekh...

Secret Superstar

Starring Zaira Wasim, Aamir Khan

Directed by Advait Chandan

It is easy and comforting to get swayed by the rags-to-riches fable constructed with such contemporary diligence and zeal by first-time director Advait Chandan. But once you get to penetrate the bubble of bonhomie and get into thick of things, so to speak, you come face-to-face with an unnerving sterility.

Secret Superstar is one of those well-meaning films that keeps reminding you constantly of how well-meaning it is. Many times as I watched Advait Chandan’s panoply of tricks and treats I felt I was being offered a Christmas deal with ‘Santa’ Aamir Khan mentoring the film’s 15-year old wanna-shine Zaira Wasim whose brilliance as an actor is far more dazzling than anything that is written into this film to support her dreams.

Everyone, we are told in many different ways in this stretched-out ode to wish-fulfilment, has the right to dream.

This 1963 film had music by Sd Burman and lyrics by Hasrat Jaipuri who created some beautiful songs together like Dil Ka Bhanwar and Yeh Tanhai Haaye Re Haaye. Directed by Vijay Anand, Tere Ghar Ke Samne starred Dev Anand and Nutan...

Baadshaho

Starring Ajay Devgan, Emraan Hashmi, Sanjay Mishra, Ileana d’Cruz, Esha Gupta, Vidyut Jamwal

Directed by Milan Luthria

If you are looking for a film that is unintentionally funny because it takes itself so seriously you would think the end-result would be a heist film on a par with Vijay Anand’s Jewel Thief or at least Milan Luthria’s Kachche Dhaage, then look again.

This is no Oceans 11. Baadshaho is a class apart. Seldom have I come cross a screenplay so absurd and bombastic it qualifies among the most deplorably written feasts of fatuousness in recent times. Making it worse are the performance. So pretentious and hammy are the actors it would be an insult to good taste to call them actors.

Topping the list of performing travesties is Ileana D’Cruz. Playing what looks like a Gayatri Devi lookalike she gives what could possibly rank among the...

Starring Shahid Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut, Saif Ali Khan

Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj

In art, as in life, consistency is not a quality that is easily obtainable. In the life that is created in Vishal Bhardwaj’s art the characters are so flawed and fractured and so driven down to destruction by their own demoniacal desires that you fear they would collapse under the weight of their own ambitions and longings.

This is true as much of the characters as the director himself. Vishal Bhardwaj’s latest arguably his most ambitious film to date could have ended up being the Bombay Velvet/Mohenjo Daro of 2017. It is rescued, no redeemed, by an excruciatingly exquisite perception of the wounds and lashes that love pelts down on those who are its victims.

Rangoon is a simple tale, unnecessarily complicated by its characters’ prevarications. It is a story pinned down to a bobbing blueprint...

Shah Rukh Khan continues to explore new avenues through his roles. After playing his own fan in Fan and a real-life gangster hooch seller in his next release Shah Rukh Khan goes right into the role of a tourist guide in Imtiaz Ali's next untitled film. According to a well-informed source the role is directly inspired by Dev Anand's legendary turn as tourist guide in Vijay Anand's Guide. "Shah plays a tourist guide. Like Dev Saab in Vijay Anand's film there are many twists and turns in the Shah Rukh Khan's character-graph. He undergoes a moral transformation that changes his life and that of others whom he encounters," says the source. It looks like Shah Rukh Khan is determined to bend the rules as far as possible even if it means forfeiting his regular blockbuster level of success.

We first experienced the magic of Siddharth and Garima’s writing in the Sanjay Leela Bhansali directed Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela. The duo, along with Mr. Bhansali, brilliantly transformed the story of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet into an Indian context and the result was rave reviews for the writing and the stars.

For their next project they entered the world of a love story of a warrior – Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s epic Bajirao Mastani starring Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra. For what is being called his magnus opus, Mr Bhansali went to Siddharth and Garima to paint beautiful pictures with their lyrics for three of the biggest songs, ‘Deewani Mastani’, ‘Pinga’ and ‘Mohe Rang Do Laal’.

I was granted the amazing privilege to interview Siddharth and Garima about RamLeela and it was a joy to write the piece. This week, I once again was honored with the...

It was way back in 1966 when Vijay Anand’s Teesri Manzil was released. The film turned out to be a smash success and remains popular till date. While ‘O Haseena Zulfonwali Jaane Jahan’ and ‘Aaja Aaja Mein Hoon Pyar Tera’ remain popular till date, courtesy Mohammad Rafi’s exuberant singing, R.D. Burman’s foot-tapping score, Majrooh Sultanpuri’s catchy lyrics and of course Shammi Kapoor’s dance moves, one track which continues to make for a melodic hear is Asha Bhosle’s ‘O Mere Sona Re Sona Re’.

Now in the 50th year anniversary of Teesri Manzil, the film’s leading lady Asha Parekh has paid a tribute of sorts to the Nasir Hussain musical. The 73 year old veteran actress, who continues to make social appearances, has just made her debut on Dubsmash. The song that she chose? ‘O Mere Sona Re Sona Re’.

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