Umrao Jaan, featuring Rekha's iconic performance, is set for a special 4K restored screening at the prestigious UK Asian Film Festival, where director Muzaffar Ali will also be honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Twenty four years after it first released in 1981, Rekha's Umrao Jaan re-releases in theatres on June 27.
Rekha-starrer Umrao Jaan turns 44, having being released on January 2, 1981.
Legendary singer Asha Bhosle, who passed away at 92, made her last public appearance at Arjun Tendulkar's wedding reception on March 5, 2026.
Bollywood beloveds Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan celebrated their 19th wedding anniversary.
It is impossible to discuss Asha Bhosle without mentioning the word 'versatility', notes Dinesh Raheja.
Words can barely capture the depth and beauty of Asha Bhosle's voice, at once ethereal and ineffable. Her demise has created a void but the songs she sang will never die.
From sultry cabaret numbers to soul-stirring ghazals, Asha Bhosle crafted a sonic universe where boldness met beauty and mischief mingled with melancholy. Her voice didn't just soundtrack cinema, it liberated expression, challenged norms and gave generations permission to feel, flirt, ache and celebrate without restraint. Sukanya Verma salutes the legend.
Snapshots from Asha Bhosle's life.
Asha Bhosle, the iconic Indian playback singer known for her unparalleled versatility and a career spanning over eight decades, has passed away at the age of 92 due to multi-organ failure.
'Today's girls are freer than the earlier generation. They perform more freely.'
'Her presence lit up the room as she reflected on a remarkable career that has shaped generations of Indian cinema.'
Shreekant Sambrani tells himself over and over again, don't lose heart in these dire times, there is asha (hope) still, in the divine voice of Asha Bhosle.
'Ashaji was unlike any other, a voice that defined not only one generation but across a span of cinematic universe! I was and have been the massive fan of her voice, her art, her personality...'
Sukanya Verma raises a toast to the amazing Alka Yagnik's solo song supremacy.
Much, much, much before Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani fussed over What Jhumka, Asha Bhosle trilled in her alluring voice and teased us with tantalising details about the events leading to her precious Jhumka's loss.
'Umrao Jaan has a beautiful soundtrack, and has been very dear to us right from our childhood days. We felt it had the perfect story to recreate for a stage musical.'
Does Harsh Varrdhan need style tips from his elegant sisters?
Aishwarya Rai looks incredible in the stills from JP Dutta's upcoming remake.
In this special series, we re-visit great Hindi film classics. Today, we look back at Rekha, Farooque Shaikh and Naseeruddin Shah's 1981 film Umrao Jaan.
Veteran actor Farooq Shaikh recounts working on the 1981 classic.
Ashish and Viral Parikh of Virtues displayed a gorgeous line of classic formal ethnicwear on Day Four of Lakme Fashion Week. Here is the aptly-named Forever range.
Veteran music composer Khayyam revisits Umrao Jaan.
'There are songs -- quite a few of them -- but the focus will be on the drama.'
'I played five different versions of Woh Subah Kabhie Toh Aayegi for Raj Kapoor, only to be greeted with a totally blank reaction.' 'Thereafter, for 40 minutes, he disappeared, leaving us baffled.' 'But when he emerged, he couldn't stop appreciating our efforts!' 'He said Sahir Ludhianvi's writing was sheer poetry and since all my five tunes were equally wonderful, he would leave it to my discretion to chose the final tune.' 'What could be greater appreciation for an artiste?'
Born on June 25, 1951, Shah was a prominent figure in Indian cinema and television. His career spanned several decades, during which he earned acclaim for his comedic timing in movies such as Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, Maalamaal, Hero Hiralal, Main Hoon Na and Kal Ho Naa Ho.
Sukanya Verma quizzes you to find out just how much you know about the movies.
'Sunny sir keeps me distracted from my morning sickness.'
We flip through our archives and pick some of the best Rekha images through the years.
Dazzling, dancing and decked to the hilt, courtesans in Hindi films are a breathtaking mix of shiny fantasy and flirtatious poetry to behold.
Sukanya Verma quizzes you to find out just how much you know about the movie legend who turns 70 on October 10.
Ananya Pandey's snazzy, selfie-ready style in Call Me Bae is the first thing to have caught our eye about her ultra glamorous debut on OTT this week.
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