'They are as layered and complicated as life itself.' 'There is love, but there is also pain and fire.'
As the year draws to a close, Rediff's Senior Contributor Roshmila Bhattacharya takes a look at the hits and misses, the highs and lows, the newsmakers and the dealbreakers in alphabetical order.
While Aamir Khan enjoyed a quiet Eid with his family, Salman Khan preferred to party at his sister Arpita Khan's Eid bash.
Agra is weird, even ambitiously so, as the film moves between being disturbing and just plain odd, it doesn't fully land on either side, observes Mayur Sanap.
The cheeky young man who once gave me one-word answers grew into a philosophical, detached star yet remained simple and humble, never letting stardom steal his heart, notes Rediff's Shobha Warrier who first interviewed the Dadasaheb Phalke Award winner in 1987.
A case was registered against actor Allu Arjun and others in connection with the death of a woman due to asphyxiation as crowds "jostled" at a film theatre in Hyderabad during the premiere show of the actor's latest film Pushpa 2: The Rule, the police said on Thursday.
'Amrishji had a fascination for the colour red and wanted it in every movie costume of his.'
Mari Selvaraj delivers his most rage-filled film in years, with a superbly cast Dhruv Vikram giving it his all, notices Arjun Menon.
Farah Khan and Ananya Panday are poles apart and that's exactly what made the latest episode of Too Much With Kajol And Twinkle so interesting. From funny anecdotes to candid confessions, the duo spilled it all out.
Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde launched a veiled attack on Uddhav Thackeray, invoking characters from a film to criticize Thackeray's leadership and policies ahead of upcoming municipal elections. Shinde highlighted government initiatives and defended his position, while also criticizing the opposition's performance.
What beauty means to Rakul... Malavika is tired of adulting... Sobhita introduces us to her Avengers...
While the DMK depends on a 'silver sieve' of welfare schemes to stay in power, its support is slowly draining away under the weight of poor governance, corruption, and voters who are no longer satisfied with benefits alone and now want basic administration to work, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
Salman Khan was moved to tears on the latest episode of Bigg Boss 19.
She's a gorgeous beauty who is as comfortable in grungy tees as she is with exquisite saris.
Catch the blockbuster Saiyaara on OTT this week along with Rajinikanth's action-packed, Coolie.
From double dates to Demogorgon, it's all there on OTT this week. Sukanya Verma lists them.
As Vikram Phadnis' celebrated 35 years in fashion and cinema, these couples added a touch of romance on the red carpet.
After starring in Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 12, Jannat is getting ready for another exciting reality show, The Traitors.
Audiences will hope that Rajinikanth's Coolie, Lokesh Kanagaraj's action film and Rajkumar Hirani's Dadasaheb Phalke biopic are not marred by Aamir Khan's disconcerting, repetitive performances. Aamir's real strength lies in championing stories that challenge conventions and are considered risky by mainstream filmmakers.
Where does Kamal Haasan stand on the issue of imposition of Hindi in the south? "I stand with Punjab. I stand with Karnataka. I stand with Andhra," is his quick reply.
'They were born stars the day they were selected for this film.'
'Jitni umar likhi hai, utni likhi hai. Bas yahin hai.'
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.
When asked which politician would ace the ramp, she had a surprising answer.
'I have been in love where I had no identity of my own. I had also broken up because I was strong-headed in the relationship.'
Everything is over the top -- the style, the violence, the action. So nothing else matters, not gravity, bullets, or the presence of stalwarts like Naseeruddin Shah, observes Mayur Sanap.
'Bollywood now pushing propaganda with #TheTajStory a film twisting history by showing the Taj Mahal as a temple. A country boasting of being the 4th largest economy is drowning in fantasy & communal myths. When propaganda feels ashamed, you know it's India 2025'
'I can't wait to show the series in India.'
This is the magic of Sircar's filmmaking -- National Award winners, many of them -- that makes every new work of his an eagerly-awaited affair.
Mirai is an ambitious, but lazily timid visual effects overkill that squanders away potential with an undercooked early draft screenplay that needed rework, notes Arjun Menon.
Thanks to its good reviews, Superman is adding to its fan base. And this time, the fan base is really, of the furry kind!
'After the first Kantara, when they announced the second one, I kind of knew he will call me. I had this instinct. Then he called me at midnight and I didn't pick up. I was like, I'm not talking to anybody at 12 at night. The following day, I called and we chatted. He said, I have to narrate you something. I said, I know, it's Kantara!'
From India's entry to the Oscars to the foodie flamboyance of Bollywood's first family to Srikant Tiwari's hope for a hat-trick and Korean entertainment in deeply dark mode, it's raining OTT goodies this week.
Over-the-top platforms make it difficult for movies to run for long periods on the silver screen, thus hurting the cinema industry.
'When India opened its doors to the world, moving away from an agrarian to a market economy, everything, whether life or love, was commodified.'
Inspector Zende had the potential to be genuinely entertaining. Instead, it settles for formulaic fun, observes Mayur Sanap.
Taming the animal called AI in its many avatars will clearly remain a work in progress.
Saif Ali Khan made his first media appearance after his shocking stabbing incident last month, and looked happy to announce his latest film, Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins.
While Nishaanchi is not a homerun for Kashyap, there's enough joy in this audience pleaser, notes Mayur Sanap.
'The work of a film-maker is going out and making films.' 'And if you are in prison for 15 years, you can't make films.'
