In 2025, the top actresses remained absent, the ones who could have commanded strong roles. In any case, great roles for women are not even written in mainstream cinema, but when they get a role worth working for, they did their best.
The year had a variety of films to choose from. Not all of them were successful at the box office, but had merit.
'Winning awards, everything, I don't think you can plan all these things. You don't go out there wanting to make a film saying, 'this film will win an award'. You can't do art with that intent.'
'Somewhere our society's collective morality is lost. There's a kind of moral confusion in our society which reflects in our films.' 'Filmmakers are hiding behind romance, ghost stories, murder mysteries and sex. No film is looking at social issues.'
Dhurandhar's most dangerous idea is that Director Aditya Dhar envisions an Indian state run by a deep state -- an intelligence machinery not accountable to Parliament, courts, or voters. A future political system where unelected officials decide when Indian democracy is 'fit' to function, observes Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
'I'm so grateful Kathal is getting the recognition it deserves.'
Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari is one of those mindless fluff kind of date movies, where there is no real conflict, lots of singing and dancing in fancy outfits (as brief as possible for the ladies), observes Deepa Gahlot.
'Recently a girl who was suicidal was brought to me.' 'When I asked her what was bothering her, she said she and her friend took photos at the same place and posted them on Instagram.' 'While her friend got 23 likes, she didn't get a single like.' 'She said, "nobody likes me, nobody wants me in this world. I am rejected by everybody".' 'And she wanted to end her life.'
Catch the blockbuster Saiyaara on OTT this week along with Rajinikanth's action-packed, Coolie.
Salman Khan's 60th birthday party was among the highlights of the year, and expectedly so.
Trade analyst Girish Wankhede puts together a curated list of the 25 biggest hits in the first 25 years of the century.
Sports films have their own unique charm, but those centered on the Olympics and Olympians stand apart, depicting unparalleled tales of grit, guts, gumption, and glory.
rediffGURU Anu Krishna suggests how to deal with authoritative parents who like to control their children's personal choices.
Bollywood stars always make for good pictures but catching them in their most unguarded, candid moments is what makes for great pictures.
Jatin-Lalit's music score for Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge is one of the best-selling soundtracks of all times and their Pehla Nasha is a song for the ages.
Regena Cassandra posted beautiful pictures from her trip to Munich, and posted them on social media with fun captions.
'It's heartening to see that the festive energy is being driven not only by star-led blockbusters but also by fresh, content-rich films.'
South African pace great Dale Steyn described Hardik Pandya as a superhero who "operates at another level mentally" with an unmatched aura. His comments came after the flamboyant India all-rounder's scintillating knock in the fifth T20I in Ahmedabad on Friday.
Shah Rukh Khan won his first National Film Award for best actor for Jawan, sharing the honour with Vikrant Massey for 12th Fail. Rani Mukerji was named best actress for Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway. 12th Fail was adjudged best feature film.
The production house Vyjayanthi Movies confirmed the news in a official statement on X.
Before Kuttey's release, co-produced and co-penned by VB, Sukanya Verma takes a look back at the filmmaker's unique body of work.
Tere Ishk Mein is a disservice to brilliant actors like Dhanush and Kriti Sanon, who have poured their heart and soul into their performances in a story that fails to honour its characters, notes Divya Nair.
'I am not a greedy film person, even as an actor.' 'While my contemporaries Dharmendra and Shashi Kapoor acted in nearly 300 films each, I've done hardly 35 films in my entire career.'
It's 'not looking like a Diwali lineup, which is usually grand and has superstar movies.'
In the year gone by, quite a few of the younger actors flexed their acting muscle. Whether the films were blockbusters or not is immaterial, what matters is the effort put in.
Ranveer has shown the right instincts in his choice of roles, which he has played with seeming effortlessness, backed with preparation and understanding.
'...That people are suddenly recognising me.'
The way Ananya Panday has been serving looks while promoting her Christmas release Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri proves that the actress could easily dish out styling lessons to fashion enthusiasts everywhere.
Dining With The Kapoors offers a perfectly edited, heart-warming family reunion, but it stops just short of showing the messy nok-jhoks and real moments that could have made it more immersive, notes Divya Nair.
Revolver Rita doesn't use its comic potential to its fullest and ends up a passable comedy that could have used more bite, observes Arjun Menon.
This Delhi Crime series belongs to Huma Qureshi, who plays Badi Didi as a hateful woman. She also commands some admiration for the way she negotiates with venal men and even some degree of sympathy for making the best of whatever life throws at her, observes Deepa Gahlot.
Season 3 belongs to Jaideep Ahlawat who, despite the not so well-etched character, owns Rukma and gives the confrontation with Srikant Tiwari the missing edge of the earlier two seasons, observes Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
'There will be no Malayali who does not recall, at least once a day, what Sreenivasan wrote, spoke or showed on screen.'
After winning hearts in De De Pyaar De 2, Rakul Singh jets off to the Maldives to holiday with husband Jackky Bhagnani.
Eleven-time Grammy-nominated sitarist Anoushka Shankar has added two more nominations to her kitty.
Bharti Singh is expecting her second child and she documented this beautiful phase with a photoshoot.
The Girlfriend is not your typical love story and may not be streaming in as many theatres as you'd like to, but it is definitely worth lauding for showing us the mirror about how we normalise toxic behaviours instead of taking a preachy tone, notes Divya Nair.
'Whenever we did any scenes together, whatever we did in the film, he never said, "Let's do another take or let's move on".' 'He always asked me, "Parmeet, is it okay?" Till I gave my best, he kept going on.'
Women power, rebellious love, shady godmen, love triangles and more on OTT. Sukanya Verma lists everything coming up on OTT this week.
