Barring a Shah Rukh Khan, an Akshay Kumar or a Preity Zinta, it is near impossible for most Indians to break into Bollywood's exclusive club of star children. Hearteningly, it is still possible for Indians born in middle class homes to become star technicians like 3 Idiots director Rajkumar Hirani. Patcy N and photographer N V Reuben traveled to Raju Hirani's home town Nagpur last week to discover how his journey to directorial superstardom began.
And the reason has everything to do with box office collections, says Vanita Kohli-Khandekar.
Advait Chandan decodes Aamir Khan.
'We will never really lose him because in death, his spirit, trapped in a frail body, has been set free and will surround us like the air we breathe.'
A look at the top tweets from your favourite Bollywood celebrities.
When a Hindi film does well in Chennai, it's time to sit up and take notice, says A Ganesh Nadar.
'The colloquial language forced a turn to the recent past and I thought about the hangings of men like Afzal Guru and Yakub Memon.' 'Whatever their deeds, proven or still in doubt, did their deaths not deserve to be mourned by a sister, wife, or child?' A fascinating excerpt from Amitava Kumar's Writing Badly Is Easy.
'I can snap my fingers and get 1,000 people overnight, but I can't guarantee that they will develop because there has been zero change in education in the country in the last nine years.'
She spills the beans with Rediff.com's Anita Aikara
Bouldering is the new favourite among India's adventure enthusiasts
'What happens at a time like this is that you always look up to someone for inspiration and strength.'
Deven Verma passed away into the ages on December 2. We re-publish an interview done with the veteran actor.
An inside view of Tanishaa's beautiful bungalow.
Ameesha Joshi tells Harish Kotian/Rediff.com what made her and Anna Sarkissian devote much of the last 10 years on a movie on women's boxing in India.
'I may have been six, but children at that age are aware that there is something called death. I was petrified for Pa, but tried not to show it. I would pray every night, begging for his recovery, at the same time sneaking in a request for a new toy or a pencil set.'
Deven Verma passed away into the ages on December 2. We re-publish an interview done with the veteran actor.
"Our soldiers don't have any personal animosity with Pakistani soldiers. The bullets our soldiers face are not filmy. Salman gets up after being hit by a bullet," Raj said, reacting to Salman's remarks, adding "I have seen his tubelight blinker many a time."
Aseem Chhabra's take on the highlights of Indian cinema this year.
Those in the business of films believe the timing of the sentencing could not have been worse
"It takes away from the entire hard work of the designer. "That 15-second-long walk of showstopper is all that is remembered about that show."
A look at the top tweets from your favourite Bollywood celebrities.
'It's very expensive for a girl to become an actress. I remember I was nominated at all the award shows for Tanu Weds Manu, and conscientiously, like a new actress, I attended all of them and I was bankrupt by the end of it! I had to find a costume stylist, a hair stylist, a makeup stylist...!' Ronjita Kulkarni/Rediff.com gets inside Swara Bhaskar's mind.
... Lin Laishram from Manipur, in a candid chat, springs many surprises
Over Dosas in Mumbai, Oscar winner Megan Mylan tells Vaihayasi Pande Daniel why she chose India and girls empowerment as the subject of her new documentary.
The stunner turns 35 today, October 20.
'For me, he was a bridge to lifelong friendships in a land where I had none.' 'He helped break barriers of language and suspicion.' Maharaj Damodardas salutes the one and only Rajinikanth!
All of us have filmi shaadi favourites. Tell us yours!
A look at the top 10 tweets from your favourite Bollywood celebrities.
Sringaravelan plot's wanders on aimlessly with no logic. You just have to go with the flow of the comedy, which gets quite boring towards the end.
The Lord Of The Rings star made his maiden visit to the country as a musician - performing in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Delhi from September 3 to 9
But this project is changing that -- one public artwork at a time.
The RSS realises that with a majority BJP government at the Centre and in several states, now was the best time to undermine and perhaps outdo the Congress-Left 'stranglehold' over campuses and young minds.
'I really wonder how are we really democratic? How is there freedom of expression? As a filmmaker, I feel bound at every level, be it what I put out on celluloid or what I say in print.' Karan Johar joins the intolerance debate.
Wearing a Lucknowi kurta, the senior Bachchan was quite the star of the evening!
'The more conversations I have, the more I realise how boringly similar we are -- they love their family, crib about work, and considering the cholbe na attitude and frequent strikes, I could easily be speaking to someone in Kolkata or Kochi.'
'On her birthday, I decided to meet her and dressed up for it.' 'Then I saw her walking towards me with a boy. I thought it could be her brother.' 'But when she came close, she asked, "Have you met my boyfriend?"' 'That day I realised the value of sad songs in India.' 'That was the first time I was heartbroken.'
One of India's greatest actors -- someone who acted in 14 Satyajit Ray films -- doesn't get good movie roles anymore.
'I don't prepare (for a character), I become it. I don't have to think about a character too much, I become it. I give a lot of attention to detailing. Once I become the character, I go and deliver the scene.' Aishwarya Rai Bachchan gives us an insight into her life.
Saurabh Shukla, one of our finest character actors, on his life and movie career.
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