Aseem Chhabra watched some great films and some huge disappointments in 2021.
Will this team of 12 change the way films are certified in India?
We are all blessed that Irrfan Khan has left us a treasure trove of his remarkable films. The characters he played were real, believable. We recognised them and they have stayed with us. And so a fan I like to believe Irrfan Khan did not die, says Aseem Chhabra, the actor's biographer on Irrfan's first death anniversary.
Some movies of 2021 excelled in content but yet, they did not do well.
Aseem Chhabra picks the finest Indian films in the 2010-2019 decade.
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu presented the National Film Awards to the year's winners with actors Vicky Kaushal, Ayushmann Khurrana and Keerthy Suresh receiving top honours.
Sukanya Verma looks at all the movies he's made so far. Tell us your favourite in the poll.
Dangal's and Shemaroo's entry shows there is ad-supported gold at the bottom of the Indian consumer pyramid if you can keep the costs low.
'Somewhere, I have to be true to myself. At this point in life, I am more interested in human drama.'
Mira's films are alive, rocking and so true to the reality I know. They are gifts that I keep revisiting, and I cannot wait for what more she will share with us, notes Aseem Chhabra.
'While writing the script, I had shared it with some Indie filmmakers and they had asked me who I wanted for this part. I had said Shah Rukh Khan and we had all laughed because we had no access to Shah Rukh Khan!' But director Rahul Dholakia did swing it and cast the superstar in his new film Raees.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui's film Liar's Dice has been selected as India's official entry to the Oscars 2015, and he's thrilled!
Kanti Bhatt, respected Gujarati author and journalist, passed into the ages on August 4, 2019, at the age of 88. In tribute, we reproduce an article his wife Sheela Bhatt wrote about him 19 years ago.
On the 20th anniversary of her tragic death, the actress remains strikingly relevant.
Glimpses of the change Narendra Modi promised million of voters were visible at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Modi has now no excuse, but to perform and change India for the better. Sheela Bhatt/Rediff.com reports from the presidential palace. A feature on the swearing-in ceremony like none other.
'I personally consider Indian cinema as one of the most creative and powerful forms of cinematic expression in the world.' 'An average Indian film is 10 times better than a costly American production because of the creativity involved.'
'Art Deco was the last of the truly international styles.'
'Success is not easily gained. Even if it is, it's very hard to sustain it.'
National award winner Chaitanya Tamhane tells us the story behind his film, Court.
'You can say I kind of fit into the everyman role that Chetan Bhagat writes about.' 'It's an amazing compliment for me. Rather than play the hero, it is more about playing the character.' Arjun Kapoor discusses his movies and more.
Newspaper readership was 50 per cent in the 16-19 year age group, the highest in any age segment, followed by 42 per cent each in the 12-15 years and 20-29 year age group.
The campaign's main theme song 'Main hi toh Hindustan hoon' has been penned by Javed Akhtar.
Sukanya Verma looks at the jhoola, and how it's an unforgettable part of many a Bollywood imagery in celebration, romance, frolic and, sometimes, even menace.
Gandhi attacked Modi and the BJP while latching on to the bribery allegation made by Narendra Patel, an activist of the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti.
Why did Kamal Haasan name the leaders he did?
Telangana government is all set for the week-long celebrations to observe Formation Day on June 2, marking one year of formation of the new state.
Ahmedabad's cultural scene would not have gone beyond the garba, but for Mrinalini Sarabhai's pioneering efforts.
It's never too late to start your career in Bollywood.
'The Maharashtra government diktat is another meddling example in an industry where politics or language has no role to play.' 'Cinema has a universal language. Filmmakers are divided across regions, but united in their passion for films,' says director Suparn Verma.
Young Telugu actress Ulka Gupta makes her debut in Andhra Pori a remake of hit Marathi film Timepass.
Jab Harry Met Sejal has the stars, the songs, the scenery and everything you'd imagine in a love story. But in the absence of soul, none of it really matters, feels Sukanya Verma.
'Ek Hasina Thi is the best movie of its kind. Similarly, for Omkara and Hum Tum. But after that, what do you do? You just flatten out and start doing some bad movies because they aren't making any (good movies). I mean, what has Vishal Bhardwaj made after Omkara that is comparable? What has Kunal Kohli made after Hum Tum that is comparable?' Saif Ali Khan hopes that new film Chef impresses.
And no, the list doesn't start and stop with Boman Irani!
In Danny Boyle's biopic, reports Aseem Chhabra from the Telluride Film Festival, 'we are left with Jobs -- the man, a genius as well as (what Steve Wozniak calls him in the film), an asshole!'
'The media, particularly the national media and especially the English media, do not report these stories any longer.' 'They have no interest in crime or human interest stories that do not concern the wealthy,' says Aakar Patel.
'For the last ten years they have approached me every single year.' 'There was a year when I was really looking forward to going.' 'I wanted to see how interesting it is to spend 60 days with random people.' 'But as time progressed the dirt kept becoming bigger and bigger and personalities kept becoming smaller and smaller.'
'We in the Anglicised middle class are unconcerned about the vast majority of Indians. We insist on only our concerns and anxieties being debated. All other Indians are irrelevant,' says Aakar Patel.
We present an excerpt from Kishore Kumar: Method In Madness by Derek Bose.
Mumbai fans celebrate the release of Rajinikanth's latest film, Kabali.
'The way the daredevil feats are set up, they don't have the maniacal feeling of actual gun battles, or good jazz, or a whacked-out dance performance -- they just don't provide you that giddy tingle you go looking for in such films,' feels Sreehari Nair.
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