'Johnny Lever once told Rishi that he's the only actor he can't ape because he is such a natural.'
Rajinikanth's visible electoral strength is his constant mouthing of the term, 'aanmiga arasiyal', or 'spiritual politics', without he having to explain what it is. By implication, it is all that what Dravidian politics is not about. It may imply anti-corruption, being against Periyar's forgotten anti-god, anti-Brahmin dictum, but also ends up covering 'Tamil pride', which begins with Tamil language where, as a Maratha from Karnataka, he has more to defend himself. However, in the contemporary national context, aanmiga arasiyal is seen as a front for Rajini to market his brand of 'soft Hindutva' but identified even more with the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in political terms, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
'He is busy building an image on the social media as an anti-right-winger.' 'But remember: An actor is only good at what he was born to do,' observes Subhash K Jha.
'It was only to be expected that she would grace the national awards function in her distinctive style.' 'For her admirers, the flouting of norms was in character because she has made her mark in highly competitive Bollywood on her own terms,' says Amulya Ganguli.
Legendary actress Suchitra Sen passed away on Friday after she suffered a massive heart due to which her condition had turned very critical, family sources said.
Ram Gopal Varma's Veerapan to hit the screens this Friday.
Five outsiders with zero connections in the film industry and no money made their mark despite nepotism ruling the roost.
'In 2015 I watched films in so many places. I attended several film festivals around the world -- Berlin, Tribeca (New York), Telluride, Toronto, Zurich, Mumbai, Dharamsala and Goa,' says Aseem Chhabra, author of a forthcoming book on Shashi Kapoor.
The year is ending, but the OTT shows no signs of slowing down. Sukanya Verma brings you everything you can catch this week.
'Other designers take empty suitcases and go shopping for the actors's clothes in New York.' 'To me, this is bankruptcy of imagination.'
Sriram Adittya throws light on Bhale Manchi Roju releasing on the Christmas Day.
'There was no other Lata Mangeshkar, there is none and there won't be any. I will celebrate her life, today and always.'
The award celebrates women of the film industry all over the world.
Dulquer Salmaan plays a character from the 1930s in Ranjith's Njan, and media person John Brittas makes his big screen debut in Madhu Kaithapram's Vellivelichathil.
Sukanya Verma lists significant memories in our 1996 recap.
Aseem Chhabra lists his favourite films from the recent Toronto International Film Festival.
The veteran had complained of respiratory problems.
Even with an ongoing pandemic, theatres in many states functioning at 50 per cent occupancy, a quieter social life and fewer movies, Bollywood still managed to pack in plenty of drama and trauma, fun and festivity, love and war into the year.
'The world will remember Kalpana through the characters that showed her brilliance as an actor.'
In a career spanning six decades, Chatterjee has acted in more than 300 films.
'These days girls are quite independent. They are scared to settle down as they feel their freedom will be taken away. In Pesarattu, what the girl goes through is representative of the new-gen woman. They have this fear of life and marriage, Nikitha Narayan tells Radhika Rajamani/ Rediff.com
National Award winning designer interacted with Rediff readers on Tuesday, September 10, 2013.
A cow that speaks, a question on patriarchy and the story of a 17th-century poet - Sanskrit filmmakers are finding new ways to revive the 'dying' language.
'The last time I met him will be one I will always cherish. It was in February this year.' 'I was asked to give him the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award and was warned he was frail and uncommunicative.' 'I approached him with some trepidation, but was delighted to find that not only did he recognise me, he also hugged me warmly and showered much affection,' Shabana Azmi tells Subhash K Jha.
'My mother is a lady with a lot of emotional stability and strength. And wisdom.' 'When I was younger, she would tell me that if I ever refused water to anyone, I would have to drink gutter water.' 'When I grew up, she would say, "Be liberal when you know what you are talking about, and be conservative when you don't".'
Indian-origin British filmmaker Asif Kapadia says he lived with the idea of making a documentary on Diego Maradona for 25 years, since the 1990s when he was a film student and read a book on the legendary footballer.
Want to add to Sukanya Verma's list? Hit the message board.
'I used to go to Sanjay Dutt, give him the scene, and then act it out.' 'He would say, 'Arrey, Girishbhai kar lunga'.' 'But I would insist: 'Nahin, main karke dikhane chahta hoon'.' He said this was the first time in his career that someone was acting out the scene for him!'
It goes way beyond a fantastic team!
And you thought Bollywood was just about making movies!
'In a typical Telugu film, the sub plot would be the love story. That is not there in my film. The focus is on the job. There is no heroism. The main character is a normal cop.' Terror director Satish Kasetty talks about the film.
'How can so many misfortunes fall on one beautiful family?'
Will this team of 12 change the way films are certified in India?
'The pressure was very high because I am not a Saroj Khan or a Vaibhavi Merchant.' 'I am someone from a reality show.' 'I was a nobody who was given an opportunity to express myself in the best way I could.'
Jnanpith awardee and eminent Malayalam poet, lyricist and environmentalist O N V Kurup passed away at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday following cardiac arrest. He was 84.
Copy these styles and get an instant summer makeover.
'We haven't seen films like these in the Telugu film industry.'
Introducing UCC is a challenging task for any government. The complexities are real and difficult to negotiate as it deals with sensitive religious and cultural sentiments. How can it strike an easy balance between individual rights and community interests?, asks Ramesh Menon.
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