'The army and all the people we did spend time with, they emphasised the kind of impact Arun Khetarpal has had on one, the Indian Army and two, just the country as a whole.'
Film folk said their last goodbyes to Dharmendra, who passed into the ages on November 24.
After being unwell for several days, Dharmendra breathed his last on November 24.
'I owe what Shakti became as much to Mr Bachchan as Salim-Javed.'
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.
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.
'I don't have many friends. The ones that I have, I'm very proud of and happy with.'
Dinesh Raheja charts the highs and lows of Hrishikesh Mukherjee's creative association with five megastars -- Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and Dharmendra.
Bappi Lahiri realised disco was a winning ticket and escalated his game with several more dancefloor perennials. Soon, every film producer and music director in town was down with disco fever. On what would have been Bappi Lahiri's 73rd birthday this November 27, Dinesh Raheja rewinds to the late music composer's halcyon days.
'A most sad moment, filled only now with condolence and prayer.'
Dharmendra got his He Man image with Phool Aur Patthar, which was so strong that he never managed to fully shrug it off.
Govinda and Chunky Panday are an absolute delight in the fourth episode of Too Much With Kajol and Twinkle.
Dharmendra's oeuvre was so phenomenal that there was never a phase in his professional life when he was in danger of falling into a rut, in terms of either the kind of films he starred in or the sort of co-actors he worked with.
Amitabh Bachchan was honoured with the Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award at a ceremony in Mumbai's Dinanath Mangeshkar Natyagrih.
Dharmendra remained one of the most loved stars of all time, even when his movies tapered off, and age caught up with him.
From emotional showdowns to the ultimate happily-ever-afters, we recap 10 times Bollywood showed us couples fighting their gharwale for their love.
The cricketing fraternity on Monday paid glowing tributes to veteran actor Dharmendra, who passed away in Mumbai at the age of 89.
S D Burman is that unique composer who remained successful right up to his death with his creative engines never running on empty.
'So much pride you have brought for us all.'
'Every film had its challenges, but Mr India, Sadak and Gandhi were the toughest.' 'Mr India needed imagination, Sadak needed sensitivity and Gandhi demanded historical authenticity.'
How cybercriminals used the names and likenesses of celebrities to trick people into scams.
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.
'One of the dignified aspects of their relationship is that Hema reportedly told Dharamji that she would never disturb his first family.'
Om Puri would have been 75 in October. We look back at his early years through these 16 pictures from his life.
'I have always broken my image every time I went on screen. I don't know what it means to be a Greek God but people used to call me one.'
'Amitabh Bachchan is too tall to play Mr Modi.'
'The Indian consumer is moving so quickly and they have so many options.'
'In these times of vitiated politics, we miss people like Advaniji and Atal Bihari Vajpayee in active politics more than ever.'
Few people have left the kind of imprint on India's advertising canvas as Piyush Pandey. An observer who seemed to know what made the country tick, a man who could find humour in life's everyday struggles and spin magic from it, one who understood that to reach the masses you needed to communicate with them in their language and context -- he was all of this and more.
It's been a while since Hindi cinema had a zany, well-written comedy, applauds Deepa Gahlot.
'Asha Parekh once said he never really went beyond the villager he originally was.'
'Why don't I organise an auction of cinematic memorabilia?' recalls Dinesh Raheja. 'There are sure to be legions of film buffs who will cherish the chance to own souvenirs intimately associated with their favourite stars onscreen.'
'At one time, I felt being a mother was the ultimate experience, a woman was not complete without it.' 'Now I feel it's not the be all and end all. Motherhood is a part of a jigsaw puzzle; life is the real big picture.'
'There'll be extended periods where things aren't working in your favour. But if you believe in the cause profoundly, then you simply persevere.'
120 Bahadur is underwhelming, adding little fresh perspective and generally feeling like a standard war drama we have seen umpteen times before, notes Mayur Sanap.
'I wanted to do something different, so I turned Dharamji into Hardy, making him waddle with Naseer's stick-like Laurel.' 'People enjoyed seeing him in these avatars. When you work with an evergreen superstar like Dharamji, you can make such 'items'.'
As a storm brews online over a child's conduct on Kaun Banega Crorepati, Team India cricketer Varun Chakaravarthy has urged restraint and empathy.
'One day my neighbour in Denver called me and said, "I think somebody is casing your house. So should I call the cops?"... they were scared that people case your house and then rob it.' 'And I said, "no, no, no. It's just that I am an actress".'
'I don't see what the fuss was about.'
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