Some of his best known works are Us Paar, Rajnigandha, Chitchor, Piya Ka Ghar, Khatta Meetha and Baton Baton Mein.
'I always felt that Basu Chatterjee was a kind, gentle, man who truly believed that in directing films like Chhoti Si Baat, he was impacting our lives,' remembers Aseem Chhabra. 'He seemed to be on a mission to make us believe that the world could be a better place.'
'Songs are a commercial compromise.' 'I had to invent tricks to fit songs into my films.'
'Basuda welcomed viewers into a world that was instantly familiar and comfortable,' observes Sukanya Verma.
'It is wrong to say he turned director to create starring opportunities for himself. He was happy with what he had.'
On the basis of his rogueish Veeru in Sholay and Parimal in Chupke Chupke, Dharmendra softened his He-Man image and went on to do a series of charming comedies.
In our special series re-visiting great Hindi film classics, we look back at Ashok Kumar, Utpal Dutt and A K Hangal starrer Shaukeen (1982).
Singer-actress Sulakshana Pandit, 71, passed into the ages on November 6 after a prolonged illness. Besides her acting roles, she leaves behind some beautiful songs to remember her by.
Shabana Azmi regards Basu Chatterjee as the true father of Middle Of The Road cinema.
Heavy overnight rainfall caused widespread flooding in Kolkata, disrupting traffic, public transport, and daily life. Train and Metro services were suspended, and many areas experienced significant waterlogging.
Metro...In Dino's assembly of actors exhaust all their charm at the end of this messy musing on metropolitan monotony, observes SUkanya Verma.
Basu Chatterjee's films have wonderful songs, 10 of which Joginder Tuteja lists here.
'I'm a guy who is sure of what he wants and confident of getting it.' 'Jab prem kiya, I knew that one day, I would marry the woman I love and spend my life with her.'
'...saying 'I love you'.' 'In none of the films has my character ever uttered 'I love you' or 'Main tumse mohabbat karta hoon'.'
'These days you are the main inspiration for a lot of young film-makers. They are mimicking your films.'
The 89-year-old leader was expelled by the CPI-M after he refused to step down from his position as Speaker holding that the post is above any party politics.
'Basuda hardly spoke, but he had a sense of humour and that showed in his films.'
As Yesudas turns 84 on January 10, Subhash K Jha salutes the legend.
On August 16, 1980, the Kolkata football derby between arch rivals Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, played at the Eden Gardens (there was no Salt Lake Stadium then) witnessed a massive clash between the supporters of two teams, leading to 16 deaths.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has defended her support for teachers who were dismissed following a Supreme Court verdict, accusing the BJP and CPI(M) of "hatching a conspiracy" to influence the ruling. She dared the BJP to arrest her for supporting the affected candidates, while asserting that her government will abide by the verdict but explore all legal options. The development has triggered political reactions with the BJP demanding Banerjee's resignation, while the CPI(M) expressed concern over the impact on the education system. Banerjee also criticized the BJP's handling of the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh, drawing parallels to the school jobs scam in West Bengal.
With the monsoon sweeping across many parts of India, Subhash K Jha picks 5 of his favourite romantic rain songs.
Girish Karnad's demise leaves Shabana Azmi shattered.
'He loved reality in all his films.' 'He would say films are made for the common man and they should feel the realness while watching it.'
'I don't think Waheeda had the confidence that I could pull it off, so she said no.'
A 10-time Lok Sabha MP, Chatterjee was a central committee member of the Communist Party of India-Marxist, which he had joined in 1968. He was the Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 2004 to 2009.
Soumitra Chatterjee -- one of the finest Indian actors of our time -- meant so much to Aseem Chhabra.
She breathed her last in a hospital in Mumbai on August 15.
Hema Malini and Dharmendra, who celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary on May 2, made a beautiful couple on screen.
This is an alternate list of 10 screen roles that saw Soumitra Chatterjee, a paragon of gentility, venture beyond his comfort zone and deliver masterclasses of subtlety and depth, lists Saibal Chatterjee.
His cinema of compassion inspired me, gave me tools to develop empathy for others. But it also made me understand that serious, socially committed cinema with deeply engaging narratives and great performances is an art form to admire, appreciate and explore. Aseem Chhabra remembers Shyam Benegal, who passed into the ages on Monday evening.
Film folk have been celebrating these last few days. Here's looking at just how.
Shashwata Chatterjee on watching the football World Cup, spending days in the MP's Delhi home and the day his Dadu came to visit him in his college in Los Angeles.
Both Ramala and Subhas took care of the old and ailing Basu in his last years and paid a visit to his Indira Bhawan residence regularly.
An amateurish crime comedy that wants to be taken seriously, Mrs Undercover can never quite find its bearings, observes Sukanya Verma.
'His wicked sense of humour, his compassion will be hard to replace.'
Here's your chance to ask her anything at all!
The trio will feature in Aye Dil Sambhal Zara, along with Paresh Rawal.
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