Maharashtra legislative council's privileges committee has summoned comedian Kunal Kamra and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare for a hearing over alleged insulting remarks against Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The hearing has been rescheduled to February 17 after both expressed their inability to attend the initial date.
There have been a lot of instances, when film titles have been picked from hit songs.
2026 is all set to be big, when it comes to movie releases from Bollywood as well as pan-India releases from Tamil and Telugu cinema.
After spinning into the spotlight with the hit song-and-dance number Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu in Howrah Bridge (1958), Helen signed scores of films as a dancer. But Helen was raring to step out of her dancing shoes, and play heroine instead.
As the year draws to a close, Rediff's Senior Contributor Roshmila Bhattacharya takes a look at the hits and misses, the highs and lows, the newsmakers and the dealbreakers in alphabetical order.
From double dates to Demogorgon, it's all there on OTT this week. Sukanya Verma lists them.
'Dilipsaab was an interesting mix of spontaneity and stylised acting.'
In 1973, several major leading ladies like Mumtaz, Raakhee, Jaya Bhaduri, Dimple Kapadia, Tanuja, had married and retired from films. Producers wanted a new heroine as a replacement. Many thought Sulakshana was a Mumtaz lookalike and was soon persuaded to sign on multiple films as a leading lady.
'I believe that whether it is Rajini sir or Shah Rukh Khan or Dilip Kumarsaab, these stars are blessed with a cosmic energy. It's a phenomenon that is hard to describe, but it makes you fall in love with them.'
'I would rather make movies in this universe and build up a loyal fan base over a period.'
'For him what's important is relationships, his role, and, of course, the script.' Rediff celebrates Shah Rukh Khan's 60th birthday on November 2 with a special series that introduces us to the man behind the superstar.
'If you look around the world at people of colour, religion, caste, sexuality or any of the marginalised communities, we are always talking in numbers.' 'We are always assigning them a statistic.' 'That is an easy way to assuage your urban guilt. Because you hide your apathy with hollow sympathy.' 'We are, in a way, making them invisible.'
As the spirit of summer holiday takes over , here's looking at 15 Hindi songs whose tourist-y picturisation transported us into a feast of sights and sceneries on silver screen.
'Pahlaj Nihalani came to my rescue. There was no Instagram in those days so I didn't recognise him.' 'I almost fainted when he told me he was Pahlaj Nihalani, the producer of Ilzaam, the hit film that had just made Govinda a star.' 'I told him I was a model and an aspiring actor, and he responded, "You have an interesting face. Come and meet me in the office tomorrow".'
Ajay Devgn can't be Singham all the time, so he returns to his goody avatar as the turban-clad Sikh lad Jaswinder 'Jassi' Singh in Son of Sardaar 2.
'I should make a Rs 1,000 crore film with you.'
'Don was declared a flop because not many people turned up.' 'Luckily, Khaike Paan Banaraswala became a big hit.' 'Word of mouth publicity led to the film becoming a big hit from the second week on.'
'I always considered him as a director, never an actor. Do you know he always considered other actors for his films first?' 'For Pyaasa, he wanted to cast Dilip saab; only when Dilip saab refused did Guru Duttji decide to do the role himself.'
'I saw Bimal Roy's Devdas again a few years ago, almost 50 years after it had been made.' 'I found it very intelligently made; the scenes flowed so beautifully.' 'There is just one scene with both Suchitra Sen and me in the film, and it's beautiful.'
'The largest listenership for Vividh Bharati outside the country is in Spain.' 'The labourers who go there for the tomato-picking season feel cut off from their country and listen to Vividh Bharati to overcome their loneliness.'
Guru Dutt took an overdose of pills twice, once even swallowing opium, calling out for Geeta Dutt even when he was not fully conscious. One suicide attempt, according to sister Lalita Lajmi, was definitely deliberate with Guru Dutt leaving a letter for brother Atma Ram asking him to take care of the production company, his wife and the kids. But she always wondered if the third attempt was actually suicide since there were no calls and no letters.
Gauri Spratt has met Aamir's family and they are all 'extremely happy'.
A few, acting like his followers, cheered him into the stadium while calling out, "Modi, Modi, welcome Modi."
'Everybody was scared, especially with Rajesh Khanna playing a double role and playing my lover and my son.' 'It was quite a risky thing to do. That's why they made me look so old.'
The veteran actor passed into the ages in the early hours of Friday, April 4, 2025. Sukanya Verma looks back at his most memorable performances.
The first quarter has scored mostly flops, with just one blockbuster (Chhaava) and a smattering of those which have recovered costs.
Shailendra's songs were attuned to Raj Kapoor's explorations of the themes and dreams of the Everyman.
The biggest releases of 2025 will actually start arriving in theatres from the Independence Day weekend.
It was a competition and each camel performed to the best of their ability, delighting the crowd.
'Since childhood, I have enjoyed playing with children. Even when I did films early in my career, I would make sure that whatever content I am putting out, kids should be able to watch these films.'
Using snatches of a cult favourite or evergreen classic in its original form for action, comedy or romance can transform the entire vibe of a scene.
It's going to be a party on OTT this September, with a string of interesting releases but the theatre scene looks bare.
The composer had gems to his credit in his long career.
'Mrs shows a dark side to the son and the father.' 'I had to do things that I wouldn't dare to do in real life.'
His cinema of compassion inspired me, gave me tools to develop empathy for others. But it also made me understand that serious, socially committed cinema with deeply engaging narratives and great performances is an art form to admire, appreciate and explore. Aseem Chhabra remembers Shyam Benegal, who passed into the ages on Monday evening.
'Some people make the majoritarian argument that a lot of Indians speak Hindi.' 'But where exactly? Is that not relevant?'
An eventful year -- book-ended by Shah Rukh Khan, no less -- comes to an end with a bang, as big Bollywood releases get ready to release in December.
Payal Kapadia's understanding of what it means to be a woman is as poignant as her authentic portrait of Mumbai's hoi polloi, observes Sukanya Verma.
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