'The economy is in a free fall.'
'And it's been declining for so long, so consistently, that the promise of growth and better days now looks a fantasy.' 'A mid-1970s kind of pessimism, even hopelessness, is growing among the young.' 'This isn't what Mr Modi promised them.' 'Their aspirations and needs are clear and present, and not being fulfilled,' notes Shekhar Gupta.
'I don't make big budget films. So if my film makes Rs 120 crore, it's a huge hit. We finish fast, make it on a small budget and recover fast,' Akshay Kumar tells Patcy N/Rediff.com.
'Though it's a story of inspiration, Meghna Gulzar's Chhapaak is not the kind of film you walk out feeling entertained or ecstatic about,' says Sukanya Verma.
'They are acutely aware of how they can use their power as a means to either continue dominating people or to get ahead.'
'When Priyankaji's candidature wasn't announced, where is the question of her backing out?'
We pay homage to Bhanu Athaiya by celebrating her best creations.
'Other designers take empty suitcases and go shopping for the actors's clothes in New York.' 'To me, this is bankruptcy of imagination.'
"This move will strengthen the unity of the country, which is the requirement of the hour," says Charu Wali Khanna.
'Katekar kya hai? Wardi ke neeche ek insaan hai.' 'System me pissa hua aadmi hai.'
Sushma Swaraj has fought battles fearlessly, lost a few, and won many. By rights, according to many, she is the one who should have been declared the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate for this year's general elections. But that didn't happen. Is that why she is so quiet these days?
Abhishek has been posting fond memories and interesting anecdotes on Instagram, recapping his #RoadTo20.
'The stimulus packages, sector reliefs, loans etc are coming to industry, but state governments have not got any money from GST, no money from excise, no money from any income source.'
'Modi's interview style is distinct, and alas one that is increasingly being followed by others as well, notably by the man who is out to challenge him, Rahul Gandhi.' 'This may appear aggressive and combative to readers and viewers, but the fact is that sometimes it becomes unclear as to who is interviewing who,' discovers Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
'This film was being made when I was pregnant, so even if they wanted, I couldn't do the role.' 'The film went to another actress, but she made them wait for a year.' 'After Adira was four months old, they decided that if I am going to start acting again, they should approach me.'
Bewakoofiyaan never really establishes its chief motive, says Sukanya Verma after watching the film.
36-year-old Sunil Yadav, who works as a garbage collector for the civic body in Mumbai is an inspiration. He chronicles the arduous journey he took to secure his MPhil degree and why he refuses to give up his job despite his education.
In our special series re-visiting great Hindi film classics, Sukanya Verma looks back at Madhubala and Kishore Kumar's Half Ticket (1962).
'Two years since the film released, but everything is still Sairat, Sairat...'
On his 73rd birthday, here's celebrating 10 hilarious moments when AB cracked us up with his lively antics.
'How will we pay for their education now?' asks a grandmother about her two grandchildren who lost their father in Mumbai's liquor tragedy.
'Our country has enough talent, writers and composers to create music.' 'The previous generation did their job and went.' 'I think we need to leave behind some things.'
Throughout, Mekhail spoke calmly, with hardly an inflection making even the barest attempt to hijack his tone. His tone was so empty it made his narrative all the more touching. And ugly and grey, as the monsoon sky beyond the window.
'They will talk about secularism, but communalism -- they just won't say there exists such a beast.' 'It's harmful for society to brush it under the carpet.' 'If we talk about secularism, we must talk about communalism.'
'What I directed was pure gold. Kangana turned it into silver.'
'Children are always under some kind of pressure. Pressure to perform in examinations, peer pressure of all kinds, pressure to look good; their hormones are going crazy. And there's nobody to help them.
'We, the audience, listen to stories that have nothing to do with us and we cry, just from the truth of those stories.' 'And Anvita is one of those people who makes this happen.'
'As I became a citizen of the United States of America, I knew I was supposed to be shedding my Indian citizenship, but at the end of the day, Mera dil hai Hindustani,' says Roopa Unnikrishnan, Rhodes Scholar, Commonwealth Gold Medalist and Arjuna Award winner.
And then came the chief moment of Friday. If the courtroom had a soundtrack, Beethoven's 9th would be playing, providing a triumphant, dramatic prologue to the production of this last clip. A woman reporter was asking Mekhail about Sanjeev Khanna. He says clearly, without mincing words, emphatically: 'Never seen him. First time I am hearing his name.'
The ripping off the lid, that Mekhail did, on the chain of episodes that lead up to his sister's murder, while condemning Indrani for her actions, for the first time, paradoxically, allowed a more human -- if flawed and complicated -- picture to emerge of Indrani, allegedly The Woman Who Killed Her Own Daughter and shocked a nation.
When it came to his cross examination by Sanjeev Khanna's lawyer Niranjan Mundargi, Imtiaz Shaikh appeared to be afflicted by that peculiar gap-in-one's-memory or Choosy Memory Syndrome with his recall of other dates in his life, except those directly related with the murder, shaky or non-existent.
Brazilian model Bruna Bernandes -- who wants to become a cardiologist -- is in India to try her luck. She's already worked with SRK and Salman and finds India safer than Brazil.
"Everyone knows me because of that terrible tragedy. My memories of Mosul only bring me sadness. How can I be proud about my fame? I lost everything there," Harjit Masih told Rediff.com's Swarupa Dutt over the phone.
RailYatri offers a host of travel-related services to a 4.5 million user base. Shine Jacob finds out what's next for the app.
Aseem Chhabra picks the scenes that left him impressed this year.
Her elfin face could be seen and once more after many days the victim of this murder had a face and a presence.
'My recent films didn't do well but that's a part of the game. I don't have any complaints. I feel sad and dejected, but you have to get moving,' Sharman Joshi tells Sonil Dedhia.
Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, chief imam of the All India Imam Organisation, who led a delegation of 30 Muslims to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 3, tells Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com how the meeting came about and what was discussed during the 75-minute convivial meet.
'The stereotype of an actress is that she's dumb, somebody who will sit on your lap, giggle on stupid jokes, come to the van when she's being called, receive a call at 3am and come over to your house. So when a girl comes along and challenges this, people get uncomfortable.'
Dum Laga Ke Haisha is a series of riveting moments that make you moist in the eye and chuckle with joy, says Sukanya Verma.
