Alia Bhatt's upcoming cabaret performance in Love & War has sparked renewed interest in Bollywood's classic dance form, prompting a nostalgic look at the legendary actresses who mastered the art.
'It's a very disturbing thing to go back to my life and say, why did I act in such sexist, C-grade films, films derogatory to women. They were just bad films, bad choices. So I did, and did I sell my soul? Of course I sold my soul.'
From Arun Govil and Shobana to Vivek Oberoi and Kajal Aggarwal, meet the sprawling supporting cast bringing Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana to life.
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.
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.
On Raj Kapoor's 38th death anniversary on June 2, 10 soundtracks that reflect the creative crescendos scaled by RK and his musical team.
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.
'My conversations during the meal would be peppered with her priceless anecdotes on Lata Didi and the rest of the singing legends.' 'And she would sing her songs whenever I asked her to.' 'I came away from every meal at her place a richer man.'
This is a franchise built on resilience and has often stumbled but risen with a vengeance, fiercer and hungrier. The question is: when will that happen, and why did it not start from their home ground?
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.
Mohammed Siraj said he was not able to believe that he was called up to the Indian team for the T20 World Cup when he got a call from captain Suryakumar Yadav.
If we, as an audience, are mature enough to dissect facts from fiction, and propaganda from creative storytelling, the director and technical team deserve full credit for putting together an entertaining masala film that deserves a sequel, notes Divya Nair.
Jatin-Lalit's music score for Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge is one of the best-selling soundtracks of all times and their Pehla Nasha is a song for the ages.
'At a time when there was little awareness of world music, playing western tunes on eastern instruments like the flute and the dholak, blending vocal polyphony with Indian folk and contemporary styles, Salilkaku created a new musical genre in Bengal called Gana Sangeet.'
'This leading filmmaker told me: "Don't let the industry cake you up with makeup and wigs. You are a breath of fresh air".'
Older Russians recall Mithun Chakraborty and the song Jimmy Jimmy Aaja from the movie Disco Dancer.
'Once when he was on a flight, the plane hit an air-pocket.' 'The turbulence outside caused it to see-saw violently which caused a lot of panic inside. While his co-passengers were crying and praying for their lives, Salil kaku was writing a song in his head.'
'If I'm proud to be single it's because Lata was so blissfully single.'
'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".'
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.
Though Madhuri's acting was brilliant, there were not many takers for the movie.
Iconic songs, once popular in their own time, are being rediscovered by Gen Z and going viral.
Punjab government has banned Madhuri Dixit starrer Aaja Nachle, which allegedly contains certain casteist lyrics in the title song.
'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?'
Kareena has been a leading lady now for 25 years, Deepika for almost two decades and Alia for over a decade. Dinesh Raheja chronicles the changing ways Bollywood has treated actor-moms.
In conversation with Anil Mehta, the cinematographer turn director.
Haryana on Saturday followed its neighbours Punjab and Uttar Pradesh in putting a ban on the screening of Madhuri Dixit comeback starrer film Aaja Nachle in the state.
Highly placed sources said in Lucknow that Chief Minister Mayawati had written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding that the film be banned all over the country.
'When you are a pioneer and someone who's put on a pedestal, but then the pedestal gets dusty, people don't look at the statue anymore.' 'They would say, 'Yes, yes, of course I know Bimal Roy. He made Do Bigha Zamin.'.'
The Bihar government has issued directives to screen Madhuri Dixit's comeback movie Aaja Nachle in cinema halls without the objectionable lines in a song.
The verdict on Aaja Nachle is uncomplicated. When someone as special as Madhuri Dixit makes a comeback, you expect nothing short of extraordinary. The soundtrack of Yash Raj's latest musical is fairly decent. Still, extraordinary, it's not.
If you ask any young parent what they dread the most about planning their child's birthday, there'd be only one answer: Planning and buying return gifts, notes Divya Nair.
Stressing that he had not intended to hurt the sentiments of certain castes through his lyrics, Mishra said, "I am a responsible writer and lyricist. I wrote the word mochi (cobbler) and it is not a derogatory word. In fact, chammar is a derogatory word and I have never used it." Mayawati has termed the lyrics of the title track Bazaar Mein Machi Hai Maar, Bole Mochi Bhi Khud Ko Sunar as casteist.
A screening of the romantic action thriller Yudhra was held in Mumbai, and its good-looking cast -- Malavika Mohanan and Siddhant Chaturvedi -- made sure to attend.
'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.'
Today's Hindi film mothers are younger, trendier, more mischievous. But, truth be told, says Dinesh Raheja, I still do miss sometimes the comforting presence of the trad mother.
Sukanya Verma celebrates Hrithik Roshan's silver work anniversary with a playlist of 25 of his chartbusters.
Richa Chadha made a deeply personal post on her social media, as she shared pictures from her maternity shoot and spoke about her unborn child.
Shikhar Dhawan showcased his dance moves alongside Bollywood star Akshay Kumar, grooving to the tunes of Mast Malang Jhoom from the coming movie Bade Miyan Chote Miyan.
Subhash K Jha doffs his hat to the musical genius R D Burman on his 30th death anniversary on January 4.
