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.
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.
Catch the blockbuster Saiyaara on OTT this week along with Rajinikanth's action-packed, Coolie.
'More than the shooting dabbas which we take with us, it's about what's going in their school dabbas.'
More than six years after Dangal, there is finally a worthy follow-up Hindi film, which has not just gone past the lifetime score of the Aamir Khan starrer but also emerged as the biggest Hindi film of all time (including dubbed blockbusters too).
'What is it about the institution of faith that makes somebody get a sense of impunity, that they believe they can get away with anything?'
'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.'.'
'Star didn't think Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi was good enough to come immediately after KBC.' 'Except for Ekta, no one imagined it would become such a hit.'
Piku is a film with tremendous heart, raves Raja Sen.
Inspector Zende had the potential to be genuinely entertaining. Instead, it settles for formulaic fun, observes Mayur Sanap.
'For the longest time, he was not an activist.' 'He was just trying to build his own self-identity, self-respect and ambition.'
From facing Dennis Lillee to filming with Dharmendra, Mohsin Khan goes back in time in a freewheeling interview.
Aseem Chhabra picks his top 10 Indian films of 2024, which includes films that have had theatrical releases or are streaming on OTT.
'I was a nobody when I came here, and now I've become something.'
'Suchitra Sen threatened to leave, with the film only 80 per cent complete.'
It is by no means a perfect list and I might have missed out some important films but these are films that have entertained me, taught me how to be compassionate, to view the world, and understand people, their histories, behaviors and customs.
Here's a look at his next batch of movies to cherish.
Even after 50 years, Sholay remains a lasting reminder of unity, shared memories and the joy of cinema, notes Mohammad Asim Siddiqui.
'I've not been doing much work because I was not getting the kind of roles I want to do.'
'I make films which I think have the possibility of being liked by a majority of people, and you present it with the right emotions.'
'When India opened its doors to the world, moving away from an agrarian to a market economy, everything, whether life or love, was commodified.'
'They are clueless about the man on the currency notes.' 'They have been fed with WhatsApp forwards, so either Gandhi is vilified or deified. There's nothing in between.'
On Alia's 31st birthday on March 15, Subhash K Jha looks at her best films.
'If you watch songs like Acha Ji Main Haari Chalo Maan Jao Na, Lag Ja Gale or Jhumka Gira Re, you'll notice they're not just a distraction. There's a story unfolding within them.'
'Both Shahid and Ishaan are over-thinkers and I'm constantly telling them to lighten up, chill.'
'A director's actor, if I had told her to jump from a building, she would probably have.' 'But I only told her to jump off a running train...'
Despite the mediocrity at large, these films had me in raptures for the emotions they evoked within as a cheering audience, critic and cinephile.
'Even today, though my hair looks different, people recognise me wherever I go. They come up and say 'Aap Maine Pyar Kiya mein thi, na?' I think it's going to follow me to the grave.'
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.
Aseem Chhabra lists his favorite 2023 films -- a healthy blend of Bollywood, Hindi indies and some of the best work that is being done in Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Bengali cinema.
Sooraj R Barjatya was judged Best Director for the Hindi movie Uunchai at the National Film Awards.
'Panchamda created an exclusive theme music for Gabbar Singh, which is used throughout the film every time the dacoit makes an appearance, and in both concept and sound, is so eerie and evil.'
Sukanya Verma looks at Bollywood's best-known diamond robberies in film.
'When you try to do something that's not been tried before, nobody likes that.'
'The moment a movie was declared a hit, he would immediately start planning his next.'
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.
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.
'Your family doesn't want you to come to this field because there's no direction, no formula.' 'It's not as if your career is settled and you will get work consistently.'
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