'I grew up in an environment which is very submissive and conservative. People would judge you if you wore a short skirt.' 'I made my way up from there to Mumbai and landed a big song Aila Re Aila with a huge star like Akshay Kumar.'
Subhash K Jha lists the inimitable Mohammad Rafi's five most enduring romantic songs.
Maintain a safe distance from people who are reluctant to share their real names or photos with you, advises Ravi Mittal, founder, Quack Quack, an online dating app.
'I promise you, you've never seen her do anything like this.' 'It is a complete reinvention of Janhvi Kapoor.'
'Laapataa Ladies opened a lot of doors for me.' 'I have gotten so much love from audiences and seniors in the industry that it's overwhelming.' 'I get calls from superstars. I'm holding my heart and it's like, "Oh my God, they are calling me? I am their fan and they love my work!"'
'If a senior person like Ranvir Shorey, who has worked in the industry for so many years, cannot take a stand for me, what should I expect from the others?'
After a rather dull April when there were hardly any theatrical or OTT releases, May would be a lot more crowded with a dozen odd movies and web series arriving.
'The primary set took over three months to build with 14,000-15,000 workers employed at a time.'
'We ensured that Mallikajaan's Shahi Mahal lived up to its name.' 'One zardosi panel cost around Rs 4 lakh; the one with the kalpavriksh was around Rs 5 lakh.'
'The problems that the film explores still remain. It was a different time when we made the film. We were young and we thought we could change the world.'
When was the last time you saw a face in a letter?!
Sukanya Verma remembers the Boss in 30 of his underrated, overlooked gems in Hindi film music.
'You suddenly realise that in this entire big scheme of things, you're just one speck.'
Arthur J Pais remembers the time when Manna Dey recorded his first ever Malayalam song for the film Chemmen.
There's a lot of entertainment coming your way on OTT and in theatres in August.
'See, nobody asked "Michael Jackson arrey, aap aaj kal toh filmon mein nahi gaate ho".' 'The problem is in India, a lot of undue importance is given to film singing.'
'I could tell there was an extraordinary intensity about Amitabh Bachchan even in bad films.' 'Kuch baat thi.' 'Salim saab and I insisted on casting him in Zanjeer.'
'Israelis have great love for India,' says Ashish Mehrotra looking back at his memorable visit to Israel a few years ago.
Biswajit, movie heart-throb of the 1960s, remembers The Legend.
Akshay promotes Raksha Bandhan... Suhana-Agastya on a dinner date... Alia promotes Darlings...
If in the current streaming age, audiences can watch the originals, why would they spend their money on second-hand content? Is it possible that mainstream Hindi filmmakers have lost the pulse of their audience, asks Deepa Gahlot.
Aseem Chhabra picks the scenes that left him impressed this year.
Joginder Tuteja looks at the actresses, who waited patiently, and will now release their films in theatres this year.
'I told Shah Rukh I wanted to sign him for our film, Deewana.' 'He responded by saying that he had no dates.' 'I was shocked because he hadn't had a single release till then.'
'All my life, I have made expensive films. This time, I want to make the least expensive film ever made in Bollywood.' 'It's an honest attempt to climb Mount Everest without knowing if I will reach the peak.'
'2016 was the age of convenience for Hindi movies; of down pat effrontery and planned feeling triumphing over attempts to discern something complexly beautiful,' says Sreehari Nair.
The BJP seems wanting to return to a 'Tamil Hindutva' agenda for elections in Tamil Nadu, explains N Sathiya Moorthy.
For the first time ever, Alia has scored a Rs 100 crore+ weekend opener, which takes her straight to the superstar league.
'How do you stay so energised? So young?' 'Dev Anand flashed that familiar crooked grin and told me, "The mind never grows old. It urges you to surge ahead".'
'40 years later, the world is still singing I Am A Disco Dancer.'
Tea with Twinkle... Arjun celebrates... Tara meets a special friend...
Aditya Chopra may be a household name in India, but few have seen his face, recognise his voice or know the brain behind the business outside his tight inner circle. The Romantics makes sure it has its own to brag about when he, finally, appears before the camera, notes Sukanya Verma.
'If it weren't for Om Puri, a whole range of our big city experiences wouldn't have found their honest representations on the screen.'
In these pandemic stricken, music bereft times, what can be more joyous than a playlist of golden melodies?
'Laxmi was insistent that our homes should never have name-plates, because the name Laxmikant-Pyarelal should never be separated!'
After Dhaakad failed at the box office, some social media accounts claimed that Kangana Ranaut hasn't had a single success since Queen. True or False? Find out for yourself in this box office ledger.
'I don't watch my films more than once, otherwise I will fall in love with myself.'
The best films are not necessarily the most successful -- that would be another list altogether -- although sometimes quality and commerce do converge.
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