Asrani may have never been a marquee name up in sparkling lights or on outsized posters but the sheer proficiency with which he realised his characters has unleashed gales of laughter over five decades and made a significant contribution to several landmark films. Dinesh Raheja salutes the iconic actor.
'Women have always been given titles like 'mother' or 'housewife'. 'These tags put so much pressure on a woman to be a certain way.'
'It is something that he always wanted to do and he has achieved phenomenal success in doing it.'
'If there is one thing Shyam Benegal expressed best: It was the Poetry of the ordinary face and ordinary lives.'
Sports films have their own unique charm, but those centered on the Olympics and Olympians stand apart, depicting unparalleled tales of grit, guts, gumption, and glory.
After a long time, here's a film that does justice to the people whose stories are never heard or written about, notes Divya Nair.
'One is not allowed to smoke on the sets of a Hollywood film even during a break.' 'When I asked an assistant to suggest some place where I could light a cigarette, he recommended the bad boys' corner -- where Jack Nicholson smoked.' 'However, I hesitated.' 'But when I was heading back to my chair after the shot, Jack Nicholson asked me if I wanted to join him for a smoke. We had a long conversation over cups of cappuccino.'
Seventy years after Pather Panchali released on August 26, 1955, we finally get it. Shuttling between the village of Boral and a studio in Calcutta, caught between worrying about the next purse of funds and wondering which item to mortgage next, Satyajit Ray was explaining Indians to themselves, discovers Sreehari Nair.
Apple's high-octane racing film "F1: The Movie" roared to the top of the U.S. and Canadian box office this weekend, fueled by star-power and a finely-tuned marketing campaign
Glimpses from India and around the world that will make you smile and cry.
'When India opened its doors to the world, moving away from an agrarian to a market economy, everything, whether life or love, was commodified.'
'I was body-shamed but I never let it get to me.' 'As an influencer, I wanted to show other girls that confidence matters more than size.'
'I don't know when, but I definitely want to see myself there -- maybe doing some action sequences.''
Gram Chikitsalay uses the same template as Panchayat but with a fraction of its humour or charm, observes Deepa Gahlot.
'We want to hide it (by saying) we are too busy in our lives, we have other things to attend to, we have families.' 'But they all had families, including Jyotiba or Mahatma Gandhi, or anybody who challenged the system.'
Arjun Menon looks at 2024's top Web series from South India.
Netflix has announced a thrilling line-up for 2025.
"Religion should remain within the four walls of your home. A Hindu identifies as a Hindu only when Muslims take to the streets or during riots; otherwise, Hindus are divided by caste," he said.
Sukanya Verma shows you everything you can expect from the Rohit Shetty brand of film-making.
Arjun Menon looks at the Top 10 South films that made an impact in 2024.
'I have always looked at people and said, 'You just have to accept. You just have to love. You just have to let this person be and the trouble would be less.' 'But we keep complicating things, and that is the tragedy -- our desire not to understand.'
Sukanya Verma gives us a lowdown on all those wonderful movies she saw and movies you need to see as and when they arrive to a screen or streaming space near you.
Varun Tej's committed performance somehow rescues Matka from being a pointless venture with stylish flourishes and interesting ideas, observes Arjun Menon.
Manjulika, Bajirao Singham, Squid Games, it's an action-packed end to 2024 on OTT this week.
Vikramaditya Motwane and Satyanshu Singh have created an excellent but grim series, applauds Deepa Gahlot.
Manjummel Boys is a largely conventional, commercial movie. But given the rather curvy observations that do stay intact in the film, Rohit Sathish is tempted to think what an even braver, more ambitious film would have done.
Divya Nair recommends that non-Vijay fans save their money and wait for GOAT to drop on Netflix instead. At least you can fast forward and get to the climax faster.
'She is a very thoughtful actor.' 'She is in the industry not only because she is beautiful, but also because she is sensible.'
In the mix of masala flicks that will release this month, including Bharat, there is a serious Ayushmann Khurrana movie as well!
'...something that should be discussed because it is a very important part of life.'
Kraven The Hunter feels like a missed opportunity, a film that could have offered a fresh take on a complex character but settles for mediocrity, observes Sonil Dedhia.
Sukanya Verma lists 10 shows that have her (Korean finger) heart.
Sharmajee Ki Beti's airy-fairy approach doesn't quite convince. It's like the women are all angels readily accepting any change or transgression while the men are either super supportive or super schmucks, notes Sukanya Verma.
Aseem Chhabra picks his top 10 Indian films of 2024, which includes films that have had theatrical releases or are streaming on OTT.
Gladiator 2 delivers an epic experience that may not replace the original in viewers' hearts but certainly earns its place beside it, notes Sonil Dedhia.
July has some interesting content on OTT, with quite a few original shows and movies premiering in the digital space.
'Getting married is not a huge priority in my life right now. Nor has it ever been on my bucket list.
Sukanya Verma gives you some interesting options.
The show takes its own pace to pick up, but then when you least expect, it grabs you by the throat, notes Aseem Chhabra.
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