In a no-filter conversation with Rediff's Rishika Shah, Miss India World Nikita Porwal has a few confessions to make.
'She taught us that acting wasn't something people did because they couldn't do anything else. It was a skill. A skill that needed to be constantly polished and shaped, and the respect you command with that.'
One of the finest minds in theatre, besides being an exceptional actor and filmmaker. She showed me just how much I still had to learn and understand.'
From hilarious treasure hunts to recycled jokes, here's how every Dhamaal film stacks up from worst to best.
Indrans' standout performance deserves a sharper screenplay than this over-edited, all-too-familiar revenge saga, rues Sreeju Sudhakaran.
'It was done with record speed. First, a revolt of the MLAs, which was obviously engineered.' ''No one believed me when I said the MLAs breaking away is not the real issue.' 'It is like a comet. The head doesn't matter, the tail matters.' 'And the tail is Parliament. Suvendu has gifted the prime minister 20 MPs.'
Loneliness can engulf people at different stages in their lives. Weighing in on their lonely state of mind are three people -- a soul-searching Gen Z stage actress, Malikka Advani; a beleaguered big-tech employee in his 40s, Vinod Patel; and a confidence-exuding business writer, Maya Lalchandani -- who reveal the different methods they employ to tackle this emotion.
13 films from the 2026 Cannes film festival, highlighting award-winning international cinema, unexpected gems, and restored classics that truly celebrated the art of filmmaking.
'I didn't tell anyone in the film industry. I used to think people might assume that if he has cancer, he might die, and they would probably not offer me any work. So I didn't tell anyone.'
Ahida Sarmai, a special child with Down's Syndrome, makes her own space among Dhurandhar's biggest stars.
From the genius of Drishyam to the misfires of Mirage, here's ranking every Malayalam thriller directed by Jeethu Joseph before Georgekutty returns in Drishyam 3.
'Despite acting in some 100 films and television plays, people still remember the daadi of Hum Log.'
'Each mother I have played is different, but the writing dictates the doing of it. If it's written well, that's half the work done for an actor.'
If TVK MLAs and ministers are perceived as clean, or demonstrably cleaner than their predecessors, the credibility dividend will be enormous. The voter will feel rewarded, points out Ramesh Menon.
Ahead of Daadi Ki Shaadi's release, here's looking at Bollywood's history of mature romances, from classics like Aandhi to modern hits like Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani, which showed that love needs no retirement age.
The strength of the human spirit in the face of oppression and collective action is a theme well suited to these divided times, but Pallichattambi needed to be more precise and focused in its imagination to the make the noble intentions stick, notes Arjun Menon.
As Riteish Deshmukh turns director again with Raja Shivaji, we look at past actors who stepped behind the camera and delivered some of Hindi cinema's most memorable films.
...reopen for up to six months. Until then, the Strait stays nearly closed. The world pays. And no one, including the man who started this, can say when it ends, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War.
Amid escalating tensions with Iran, President Trump is urging nations dependent on Middle Eastern oil to deploy warships to the Strait of Hormuz to safeguard critical global energy supplies.
The LPG squeeze on India's restaurant sector is the quotidian face of a deeper crisis.
Aseem Chhabra lists his top 10 films from this year's Sundance festival, a blend of narratives and documentaries made in the US and other parts of the world.
When everyone has footage and no one can verify it, the loudest voice wins, notes Prem Panicker who begins a daily blog on the War in the Middle East.
Om Puri would have been 75 in October. We look back at his early years through these 16 pictures from his life.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle's art is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good, amazing, terrific, beautiful, imaginative... Avan Verma has run out of words.
Late one evening, strolling around Mehboob Studio's car park, he was darkly introspective, admitting that marriage had been on his mind a few years ago. But despite his anger and tears, his possessiveness and wisdom, the person had moved away and he had let them go.
Aseem Chhabra ranks the Best of 2025's films that released in theatres, or went directly to OTT platforms.
Madhuri shines brighter than the stars...Kalki goes retro... Neha's bravest shoot....
'You need the drishti, the experience. I am beginning to see things differently.'
'On the set, he was this big personality, the great Om Puri. But at home, he was like a fluffy teddy bear.'
A poignant political play, needed for today's times, is being staged in Mumbai.
'He surprised us by telling us he wanted to make a career in acting.' 'We were scared since we knew nothing of this profession but then, he landed a role in Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding.' 'After seeing him holding his own on screen, we decided to let the boy pursue his passion.'
Red Square and VDNKh easily rank among the most striking places I've visited -- both for their historical significance and architectural splendour.
My admiration for Russian culture, vision and ambition grew with every step as I clocked the miles, Nitin Sathe tells us after a visit to Moscow and St Petersburg.
The MiG-21's sharp silhouette and supersonic roar will live on in the memories of those who flew it, those who maintained it, and those who watched it streak across the sky as a symbol of India's strength, asserts IAF veteran Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd).
'Had these leaders known that Jinnah was dying...'
India needs to be technologically and militarily prepared to defend itself from both Pakistan and China, alerts Ramesh Menon.
>The Indian Army still uses old British-era names and recruits soldiers based on caste or region, which hurts national unity, argues Colonel K Thammayya Udupa (retd).
'We share everything with each other.'
'Thankfully, as Indians, we have a long history of trans people in our culture, in our religions, in our mythology.' 'It's not a fad which has suddenly come into existence, the way that a lot of Americans treat it.'
'If you respect people, if you accommodate people, these are good attributes to have.' 'Like the whole world is a mixed bag of people, our industry is the same.'
