Educationist Madan Mohan Malviya and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee are the 44th and 45th distinguished personalities who have been conferred with the country's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna.
'One has to move with the times to stay relevant.'
Shatranj Ke Khilari was Satyajit Ray's first Hindi film. The Master set the Premchand story against the backdrop of the First War of Independence in 1857. Bijoya Ray, his wife, reveals fascinating glimpses behind the making of the epic in this exclusive excerpt from her memoir.
Detectives, superheroes, biopics, documentaries, it's all there on OTT this week. Sukanya Verma offers some suggestions.
Ironically, the BJP, which seeks to unseat the TMC from power, has taken a leaf out of Mamata Banerjee's strategy of soliciting tinsel town's support towards causes and fielding actors in elections.
Oscar winners, festival favourites, massy entertainers, all-time classics, Sukanya Verma offers plenty to pick from on OTT this week.
'Vishal Bhardwaj, Haider will ensure you a permanent place in the galaxy of filmmakers like Guru Dutt and Satyajit Ray.'
'I have nostalgia for Ladakhi culture, which is common to both Muslims and Buddhists.' 'It is kind of a Buddhist way of life. You are compassionate and nice to each other.' 'You are good human beings.'
'My film will not only be a reminder for all of us who have gone through these hellish two years, but also a reference point for future generations and for the four-five year olds who would have forgotten everything by the time they grow up.'
Ross and Rachel end their super long break. Kate Winslet solves Easttown's grimmest mystery. Huma Qureshi gets political in Bihar. All this and more on OTT this week notes Sukanya Verma.
Mohammed Taufiq has been a waiter at Kolkata's famous Coffee House for 36 years. After encountering at least 50, 100 new faces every day -- including Satyajit Ray once -- all he wants now is to return to his village after retirement.
'He used to come to the cinema hall like he was visiting a temple for worship.'
Shatranj Ke Khilari was Satyajit Ray's first Hindi film. The Master set the Premchand story against the backdrop of the First War of Independence in 1857. Bijoya Ray, his wife, reveals fascinating glimpses behind the making of the epic in this exclusive excerpt from her memoir.
In the last three years, 20 gardens have changed hands, and 90 per cent of the buyers are from non-tea background.
Siddharth Chauhan, winner of the Satyajit Ray Award
'My mother is a lady with a lot of emotional stability and strength. And wisdom.' 'When I was younger, she would tell me that if I ever refused water to anyone, I would have to drink gutter water.' 'When I grew up, she would say, "Be liberal when you know what you are talking about, and be conservative when you don't".'
If fate had willed, Alia Bhatt's first movie co-star would have been Aditya Narayan, singer Udit Narayan's talented son.
'I'm a rascal, I'm going to play a paramahansa?!'
Sukanya Verma lists her 10 favourite male performances of 2021.
'India was 10 years old when Guru Dutt made Pyaasa, but even at that young age, its poets -- including the film's lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi -- appeared disappointed with the direction the country was taking.'
'Salman wanted to do the interview properly. That's why he was nervous, you know, that dad should be happy.'
An encyclopedia to the best Durga Pujo eating.
Subhash K Jha gives us the very best of Waheeda Rehman.
The journey of the digitally restored version of The Apu Trilogy is packed with dark stories and years of near detective work by those determined to preserve some of Satyajit Ray's finest works.
'...and showcased in their original beauty.'
'Not since the time when my Devdas went to Cannes have I felt this level of enthusiasm for my cinema being honoured internationally.'
Anushka Sharma turns 33 today, May 1, and Subhash K Jha picks his favourite five Anushka performances.
'War is never a solution. It's nothing but real estate business I am against any kind of violence.'
'If there is an artiste somewhere in India or in the world who wants to express her art, I hoped that this award would inspire them, and add meaning to their journey.'
Variety is the spice of life and the greatest USP of OTT platforms. Sukanya Verma points out all the wonderful stuff to choose from this week's mix.
Named after Satyajit Ray's famed detective, the Feluda test, which is priced at Rs 500 and can deliver a result in 45 minutes, is able to differentiate SARS-CoV-2 from other coronaviruses even if genetic variations between them are minute.
The place, a melting pot of people from the world of art and culture for decades, had downed its shutters on March 20 this year after the West Bengal government imposed a lockdown.
Shakespeare Wallah had been out of circulation for a long time, but a restored version of the film opened in New York on November 10. It will travel after that to other cities in the US and hopefully, soon to India as well, says Aseem Chhabra, author of the bestseller Shashi Kapoor: The Householder, The Star.
The award was presented for his outstanding contribution to cinema.
'Within just a day, they had binge-watched the entire season 2 and now they are asking for season 3!'
There is no escaping Rahul Bose's compassion. He wears it like a name tag in Poorna, feels Sreehari Nair.
Divya Nair makes a list of Tamil films you must watch at least once. The good news is that they're on OTT right now.
'My father gave his life trying to elevate the art of acting in the adverse conditions of noughties Bollywood.'
'I somehow felt that Muzaffar Ali was in Aligarh to feel the pulse of the Muslim youth, especially in the darker and harsher times that India is passing through,' notes Mohammad Sajjad.
Cadila, Biocon developing rapid antibody testing kits; Eris, Mylan, Gland importing. There are two kinds of testing for the novel coronavirus - the real-time polymerase chain reaction test kit that uses throat or nasal swabs and provides results in a few hours, and the other is antibody-based rapid testing kit that use blood samples and provides results in a few minutes.
