'As we enter 2025, it must be acknowledged that there is a convergence of capital, influential people (from business and politics) and technology deciding the destiny of others in the name of pride, patriotism, nationalism, nation building, all of it thinly veiled disguises for personal profit and glory,' asserts Shyam G Menon.
Many of our leading men and women are also all for dramatic physical transformation for the sake of artistic authenticity.
'People don't know about the immense pressures that come with this position -- every decision a judge takes affects real people and their lives.' 'This is not a job that one can take lightly.' A
Action, drama, romance, comedy -- there's something for every kind of audience on OTT this week.
On the 25th anniversary of the battle that made his war cry 'Dil Maange More' part of national lore, we republish that feature to salute Captain Batra's ultimate sacrifice for the nation.
Despite its horror movie momentum, what draws us to Aditya Sarpotdar's narrative is Bittu's homely universe and sweet struggle to confess his feelings to Bela, not Munjya's malevolent antics.
'I'm better now. A ceramic pot fell on me while rehearsing for a next scene to shoot. And I got a deep cut on my right-hand knuckle.'
Generally, though curd has good bacteria, it also has some lactose, says rediffGURU Dr Hemalata Arora.
Throughout its 155 minutes, every scene is doused in blaring background music and melodrama. Disappointment alone won't do, it must feel like a full blown catastrophe, observes Sukanya Verma.
We bring you *that story*, and a lot more, in this fascinating excerpt from Roshmila Bhattacharya's Matinee Men: A Journey Through Bollywood.
After going on to conquer the ring, Nikhat Zareen hopes to inspire young girls to follow in her footsteps and fight for their dreams.
Nearly half a century later, Shyam Benegal's Manthan will be showcased in restored print at this year's Cannes Film Festival. It still serves as a much-needed reminder of setting aside differences in the favour of combined progress and profit, notes Sukanya Verma.
Robot girlfriends, wish granting stars, creepy aliens, private detectives, brace yourself for unlimited excitement on OTT this week.
'Pandi was promised something, that is not happening, so his anger is not of a villain's.' 'That's how all normal humans would react, or they stay silent.' 'Our violence is our silence. So in this world, everybody is innocent.'
'Bahut mazaa aaya tha doing Agneepath. When you are working with good actors, it enriches your acting.' 'Amitabhji and I had done Shahenshah before, but that was a fun film.'
'I got married to Reena secretly through court marriage, with three witnesses. My wedding with Reena was most economical. I took the Bus No 211 and bought a ticket of 50 paise. I got down at Bandra Station West, crossed the bridge, landed in the East and walked towards the highway. I crossed that highway and entered the Griha Nirman Bhavan, where there's a Marriage Registrar Office. So my wedding cost me less than Rs 10!'
Some of her best films are not available on streaming platforms, but Deepa Gahlot looks at her Hindi cinema oeuvre on OTT.
'You have to be good in your project that's releasing today for you to be working on something tomorrow. That will always be the case.'
As new OTT release Bawaal tackles the lives of a terribly unhappy couple, and Satyaprem Ki Katha about a young wife with a tragic secret is a box-office success, here's pick of ten (out of a considerable number) of relatively recent films about troubled marriages.
The Supreme Court on Friday said that it will set up a five-judge Constitution bench to hear pleas challenging the constitutional validity of polygamy and 'nikaah halala' practice among Muslims.
'Our age doesn't define our maturity, our experiences in life do.'
Rediff's Love Guru has answers to all your relationship problems.
2023 was a good year for international cinema with many strong films premiering at the Berlin, Cannes, Venice and Toronto film festivals.
Nothing is going to change in a hurry unless attitudes change and punishments are speedy and fair, notes Ramesh Menon.
rediffGURU Mohit Arora offers advice on how to navigate your dating and relationship problems.
I don't know how the other Friends will react to Matthew Perry's death, but I am sure a part of them will be buried with Chandler, believes passionate Friends fan A Ganesh Nadar.
Things may not always look bright, but the sun won't stay out forever is a running theme conveyed across its short films about people from various walks of life in all their varying moods and musings, applauds Sukanya Verma.
'Nobody is telling you, 'Oh, my God, you are 30 and you are not married!'.'
In a weekly chat with readers, Lovu Guru shares relationship advice and offers solutions.
Scams, stuntswomen, pirates, freelancers, Sukanya Verma shows you everything you can catch on OTT this week.
The question being silently telegraphed around the court room was: When did this happen? Wasn't this trial about Indrani murdering her daughter to prevent her from marrying Rahul Mukerjea, her husband Peter Mukerjea's son from his first marriage?
'I believed that no matter what happened, I would be there to take care of him.' 'He believed it too and even when he fell ill, he had total faith in me, ki main sab theek kar doongi.' 'I tried, I really tried, but I fell short and he went away.'
'There appears to be in the Indian polity a link between being Single and being of prime ministerial timber. It is a trend, a preponderance -- not a statistical verity,' says Dr Shashi K Pande.
rediffGURU Shalini Singh, dating coach and founder of andwemet, an online matchmaking service, offers advice on issues relating to love and compatibility in marriage, dating and more.
'I somehow felt that Muzaffar Ali was in Aligarh to feel the pulse of the Muslim youth, especially in the darker and harsher times that India is passing through,' notes Mohammad Sajjad.
The court can neither rewrite nor alter provisions and the very fundamental architecture of a law as conceived at the time of its framing even by reading something into it, the Centre told the Supreme Court on Wednesday.
Sam Bahadur is a mechanical summary of his life, ticking off one chapter after another without bothering to pause or ponder over their significance and influences, observes Sukanya Verma.
Gems you can enjoy from the time he was at his handsome and magnetic best.
As we enjoy his thrilling The Night Manager series, Deepa Gahlot looks at 10 Anil Kapoor films on OTT that shows off his versatility and star power.
Watch Jubilee's concluding episodes. Radhika Apte is a housewife turned spy. Mithunda makes his OTT debut. Sukanya Verma lists her recommendations.
