Namrata Thakker takes a walk down memory lane with Big B, in his own words.
When one of the most adored voices of India decided to hang up his boots as far as playback singing is concerned, fans and fraternity went in a tizzy. Sukanya Verma tells you why.
'I am happy showing my age. I don't want to look 20 years younger than my age. Neither have I done any cosmetic surgery nor do I want to.'
'On August 22, 2015, Shyamvar Rai disclosed to you that he had committed the murder of Sheena Bora along with Rahul Mukerjea.' How would Indrani have reacted to this?
'I don't have many friends. The ones that I have, I'm very proud of and happy with.'
MNS chief Raj Thackeray pens tribute to his uncle, Bal Thackeray, recalling their bond and the pain of leaving the family home after quitting Shiv Sena.
Film folk have been rewinding time and posting memories from 2016 on social media. That was certainly an interesting year, going by the many milestones these celebs are posting.
'This leading filmmaker told me: "Don't let the industry cake you up with makeup and wigs. You are a breath of fresh air".'
'The culture of mankind has been spread by the travel gene which pushes one in five people to have the curiosity to move to unknown destinations.'
Mardaani 3 star Rani Mukerji celebrates 30 years in the film industry with a heartfelt conversation with Karan Johar.
'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.'
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.
'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.'
Govinda and Chunky Panday are an absolute delight in the fourth episode of Too Much With Kajol and Twinkle.
Om Puri would have been 75 in October. We look back at his early years through these 16 pictures from his life.
'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'.'
'I owe what Shakti became as much to Mr Bachchan as Salim-Javed.'
'The possibility of Nitish Babu continuing at least for some time is very much there, but don't rule out the artistic possibility of a leadership change executed very elegantly.'
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.
Even after 50 years, Sholay remains a lasting reminder of unity, shared memories and the joy of cinema, notes Mohammad Asim Siddiqui.
'It's there in everyone's heart. That's the beauty of masterpieces.'
'The way the anticipation is built up for Gabbar Singh's introduction scene with sound, image and details of his personality, like the combat boots he wears.' 'The camera comes so close -- not a tele lens shot, but a wide-angle close-up -- that you can almost smell Gabbar's breath.'
Sholay's Basanti is the face of women's empowerment and gender equality. That's why, half a century after the movie first released, we're still talking about her.
Sickness on screen is a sure shot way of seeking audience sympathy and turning on the waterworks.
Amitabh Bachchan was honoured with the Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award at a ceremony in Mumbai's Dinanath Mangeshkar Natyagrih.
The special cancellation highlights the national pride and sporting excellence displayed by the Indian cricket team in securing the Champions Trophy.
The parents of Squadron Leader Abhimanyu Rai, an IAF pilot who died in a trainer jet crash in December 2023, have expressed their anguish over being ignored for entitlements and honours that were given to their daughter-in-law. They believe the government policy should be revised to include parents of martyred soldiers. Group Captain Amitabh Rai (retd) and his wife Chitralekha, the bereaved parents, say they have received no condolences from the government despite losing their only son. They argue that the current policy unfairly favors the martyr's wife, often leading to neglect of the parents. The Rais claim their son's death is not being recognized as a "battle casualty" and therefore he is not being treated as a martyr. They also raise concerns about the pressure on IAF trainers to complete training programs successfully, even when cadets are not prepared, potentially endangering both the trainer and the cadet.
'Do films today even have the courage to question the establishment?'
Sukanya Verma takes a look at all the strange ways Hindi films has dealt with the memory loss syndrome.
'Prior to release, we heard only exemplary things about the film, so the failure came as a complete shock to my father.'
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.
Shahid's heft is the only thing that keeps up the momentum in a mediocre rehash, dumbed down by flimsy motive and mindless bravado, sighs Sukanya Verma.
Sukanya Verma applauds the man, the movies and the many, many, MANY memories he's created on big screen through 80 Amitabh Bachchan moments.
This isn't a compilation of his best films, biggest blockbusters or important milestones but moments that swept Sukanya Verma off the floor, blew her heart into smithereens, regaled her with their sheer silliness, made her laugh till her sides hurt and look at phenke hue paise in disdain.
Melodies that stayed on in the mind and memory are too few and far between. Except the ones that do make an impression are definitely worth celebrating for their refreshing style and substance.
Sukanya Verma quizzes you to find out just how much you know about the movies.
Bollywood doesn't need fire-breathing dragons when it has Bhai.
Sukanya Verma toasts the man, the movies and the many, many, MANY memories he's made on big screen through 80 Amitabh Bachchan moments.
'The combination of star power, compelling storytelling, and action-packed drama promises to set the box office ablaze and kickstart the new quarter on a spectacular high note.'
'Here are 25 stories special to me for one reason too many,' says Sukanya Verma who scored 25 years writing about the movies last week.
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