'At a time when there's a lot of conversation happening around how AI has made art directors and production designers jobless, we will simply say that if your work speaks for you, you will never be out of work.'
We asked colleagues, present and past, to reflect on a man who has made such a difference to their lives and careers. Here it is then, a rich collection of memories that offer enchanting glimpses of the enigmatic Ajit Balakrishnan.
Aseem Chhabra lists his favourite Indian films of 2021.
Gen Z, don't shy away from expressing your ideas, and millennials, be receptive to new perspectives, suggests Sonica Aron, founder of the HR consultancy firm, Marching Sheep.
Tata Electronics' Rs 91,000 crore semiconductor fab in Dholera, Gujarat, in partnership with PSMC, will generate over 20,000 direct and indirect skilled jobs in the region and construction of the mega unit is expected to begin this year, according to a statement on Thursday. The planned unit - India's first commercial fab, marks Tata Electronics' entry into the global semiconductor industry. Tata Electronics said it is "proud to lead India's entry into global semiconductor fabrication".
This Telugu-Tamil film (which is likely to be dubbed in Hindi and other languages) stars Prabhas, Rana Daggubati and Anushka Shetty.
'Gangubai required Alia to change her body language, voice, even the look in her eyes.' 'I threw the challenge at her and she was more than up to it.'
'In our Indian content, you always see the mother is presented a bit differently.' 'But in this show, the mother is the one who's most glamorous and she is the bombshell of the show.'
'There cannot be anyone like Air Marshal Keelor -- he was so difficult to emulate.' Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd) salutes War Hero Air Marshal Denzil Keelor PVSM, KC, AVSM, VrC who passed into the ages last month.
'It's such a mishmash of wonderful things, so many different cultures, subsections of society and weird histories.'
Showtime is watchable but never engrossing, notes Sukanya Verma.
'I have been trying to make a movie for seven years. I got a chance only now.' 'I have taken my script to every office from Dharma to Tips to Eros.' 'I have narrated my script to every actor possible. Nobody believed me.' 'Because of OTT, people like me are finally getting a chance to make something.'
'The jester's job, the joker's job, the fool's job is to make fun of people to make them seem beautiful.'
'I grew up in a place that used to be the best city in India: Allahabad.' 'The city has given some of the best writers, politicians and musicians to the country. 'Today, it has gone to the dogs.'
'There have been and will continue to be, so many captivating stories in colonial India.' 'Obviously, most of the white people were British, so if I am going to take on a role in a film set in one of the most turbulent periods of Indian history, then it only stands to reason that my character would be of British descent.' 'But that doesn't mean all my roles are negative.'
At this year's TIME ball in New York City on Thursday, April 25, you would have run into a Coimbatore-born American scientist, looking lovely in Sabyasachi Mukherjee designer finery, who would most likely have been hanging out with Dua Lipa.
With an endless number of star kid debuts in the offing, we thought of looking at how this decade's brigade compares to their mums, dads, uncles or siblings.
The film is being submitted for BAFTA members' consideration in all categories including Best Film, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Leading Actress and Film Not in the English Language.
Justice Bobde, who decided several key cases during his tenure including the historic Ayodhya verdict, was administered oath as the 47th CJI in November 2019 and retired on Friday.
'Since God was being shown in live action on such a large scale, Prasanth was initially sceptical about going with an animated character.'
Sukanya Verma recaps all those events from 25 years ago.
A small step in this direction was taken with making triple talaq a punishable offence in the last Parliament session. But UCC is difficult to implement, reports Archis Mohan.
This isn't a hatchet job, and my excuse for the exercise is my feeling that when you invert some of the clichés mentioned here, you might just arrive at the portals of genuine movie-making energy, says Sreehari Nair.
Sukanya Verma gives us a lowdown on all those wonderful movies she saw and movies you need to see as and when they arrive to a screen or streaming space near you.
While the country is gripped by Ram Mandir frenzy, Danish Husain -- without shouting from the rooftops -- silently staged his opinion with this play on one of India's best-known poets, observes Neeta Kolhatkar.
One can only pray he finds his peace while we take comfort in the knowledge of having a true friend and the therapeutic power of humour. Sukanya Verma mourns the passing of Matthew Perry.
Tokyo -- the songs Japan, Love In Tokyo and Sayonara from the 1966 Hindi film automatically pop up in the mind -- is buzzing and crowded like any other metropolis, discovers Deepa Gahlot. The modern apartment blocks are built cheek by jowl, so close together that one can open the window and borrow sugar from the neighbour in the next building. One of the fears of the Indian traveller is the unavailability of vegetarian food. Every city and town in Japan has an array of Indian restaurants that serve every variety of cuisine, right from Gujarati to Punjabi to Andhra and Kerala meals.
Aseem Chhabra gives us the top films that enriched his year.
Is it is necessary to play divisive politics to succeed in the next general elections? asks Dr Sudhir Bisht.
'Or because I am getting a s**tload of money.'
The launch of Koel Puri's Clearly Invisible In Paris, in Mumbai, last Friday, revealed Suhana's star power.
ITo steer clear of sanctimonious newspaper stories all your life, and then be saddled with movies like Kadak Singh -- now there's a rotten bit of luck worth moaning about, sighs Sreehari Nair.
'Film shooting is a long process, and it is important to have a good bonding with the person you are going to spend six to eight months of your life.' 'Baaki, film toh bann jaati hain.'
'A lot of what you see on screen, particularly the night of the massacre, is pretty close to what really happened as it is based on survivor stories.'
Lakadbaggha takes up too many issues and does not do justice to them, points out Deepa Gahlot.
Aseem Chhabra lists the best non-Hindi language films he watched in 2020, with the hope that they will have a wider reach in the new year.
Rohit Sharma lauded Akash Madhwal for his scintillating fifer as Mumbai Indians marched into Qualifer 2 with a crushing win over Lucknow Super Giants.
British writer and historian Patrick French has died in London after battling cancer for four years, his family announced on Thursday.
RRR threw a lifeline, or so it seemed -- to a world that was down in the dumps. Keeravani and his Naatu Naatu just happened to be in the right place at the right time, notes Saibal Chatterjee.
