Asrani may have never been a marquee name up in sparkling lights or on outsized posters but the sheer proficiency with which he realised his characters has unleashed gales of laughter over five decades and made a significant contribution to several landmark films. Dinesh Raheja salutes the iconic actor.
'The industry has lost a legend... and we've lost someone who shaped the very soul of our cinema.'
'I owe what Shakti became as much to Mr Bachchan as Salim-Javed.'
'The second Sunday after Sholay's release, Amjad and Shehla had taken Shadaab to Juhu beach. They were strolling leisurely when, to Shehla's shock, he suddenly picked up their son, grabbed her hand and pulled her along, urging her to run. They raced towards their car and had just managed to get in and lock the doors when all hell broke loose. Hundreds started banging on the car, shouting, 'Gabbar Singh bahar niklo!''
Dharmendra's oeuvre was so phenomenal that there was never a phase in his professional life when he was in danger of falling into a rut, in terms of either the kind of films he starred in or the sort of co-actors he worked with.
It was a merry evening at Mumbai's iconic Prithvi Theatre, which is celebrating its 47th year with a 17-day theatre festival.
Dharmendra remained one of the most loved stars of all time, even when his movies tapered off, and age caught up with him.
'The way Helen ma'am grooves, she's so seductive.'
After spinning into the spotlight with the hit song-and-dance number Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu in Howrah Bridge (1958), Helen signed scores of films as a dancer. But Helen was raring to step out of her dancing shoes, and play heroine instead.
While Amitabh Bachchan's chemistry with his heroines -- from Jaya Bhaduri to Rekha to Hema Malini -- brought sizzle to his films, many of his biggest blockbusters have been powered by his combustible combination with male co-stars.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi, along with MNS, held a protest march in Mumbai against alleged irregularities in the voters list, claiming it favors the ruling BJP. Key leaders participated and addressed a rally highlighting issues like multiple entries and wrongful deletions.
'At times when the pressure, glitz and glam felt horribly garish, there he was with no pretences or guile. A sweet reminder that life is about the real things not the fluff.'
Salim-Javed became the first Hindi film writers who could be considered brands, and they are still boldface names, celebrities in their own right, chronicles Dinesh Raheja.
'His belief that he is touched by the Almighty reflects in his performances.'
Mahavatar Narsimha emerges as big a blockbuster as 1975's Jai Santoshi Maa.
In a heartfelt tribute to mark 50 years of Rajinikanth in cinema, a fan named Karthik adorned the Rajinikanth temple in Madurai, Arulmigu Sri Rajini Temple, with over 5,500 photographs of the superstar.
Kiran Joneja opened up about her personal life and her marriage with Sholay Director Ramesh Sippy in a conversation with Lehren TV.
Veteran actor Satinder Kumar Khosla, popularly known as Birbal, succumbed to a cardiac arrest on Tuesday, September 12. He was in his 80s.
Quoting a dialogue on the villain Gabbar Singh from the Hindi blockbuster Sholay, the Supreme Court on Wednesday "confirmed" its earlier order staying the premature release of gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli who is serving life imprisonment in a murder case.
In a scathing attack on the Congress in his address in the Lok Sabha, Modi also called it parjeevi (parasitic) party and claimed that it ate into the votes of its allies.
Women's cricket team gets rousing welcome at India House in London
'Don was declared a flop because not many people turned up.' 'Luckily, Khaike Paan Banaraswala became a big hit.' 'Word of mouth publicity led to the film becoming a big hit from the second week on.'
Because of Mukesh's much-hailed association with Raj Kapoor, it is often overlooked that the singer has also scored hits with almost all major heroes. On Mukesh's 102nd birth anniversary on July 22, Dinesh Raheja recalls some of his classic songs.
Amid swirling rumours of tension between them, Kuldeep Yadav and Rinku Singh have set the record straight with a heartwarming gesture of friendship.
'We didn't create the Angry Young Man persona for Amitabh Bachchan.' 'We created the Vijay persona and then Amitabh Bachchan fitted into it.'
None of Amjad Khan's subsequent roles could outshine Sholay. He had begun his career at the top and had no higher peaks left to conquer. Dinesh Raheja salutes the iconic actor on his 80th birth anniversary.
Reddy alleged that contracts worth thousands of crores were awarded to people close to Modi, who then purchased Rafale aircraft.
'Those were not kind days for a woman with a break-up. The world has changed; today, nobody cares.'
HP shares a closing bond with MS, whom he refers to as his 'brother', someone he turns to in times of adversity, turmoil and even to understand his own mind.
Superboys of Malegaon is a delight to watch, raves Deepa Gahlot.
The story of Superboys Of Malegaon is so heartening that the film -- in the hands of an accomplished director like Reema Kagti -- is bound to be a worthy watch, feels Deepa Gahlot.
Male bonding is among Bollywood's favourite subjects, and there have been many films about it, like Dosti, Anand, Sholay...
During Emergency Indira Gandhi acquired absolute power. Lakhs of political opponents, students, activists were arrested.
Angry Young Men misses some important elements of the Salim-Javed story including an understanding of the duo's creative process. In fact, the two men do not even appear together in the same space in the series.
'Thanks to Chhaava's success, I now have the creative freedom to pick and choose.'
Dharmendra was fascinated by Gabbar's role, then he said he would like to play Thakur. 'I told him he won't get Hema Malini.' 'He laughed and said okay (to play Veeru).'
'Every time I watch Sholay telling myself that it is nothing more than a 'brazen potboiler,' the movie works. However, each time I take it for this iconic masterpiece, Sholay falls short; terribly short,' says Sreehari Nair.
Though Zanjeer is credited as Amitabh's breakthrough film, it didn't immediately enthrone him. Rajesh Khanna countered with a huge hit in Daag that year. But Deewar upended audience's cinematic taste and filmland hierarchies at the very start of 1975. Bachchan emerged as a one man industry, the angry young man who could regulate the thermostat of the entire film industry, recalls Dinesh Raheja.
Angry Young Men gloats in Salim-Javed's well-known attributes yet never gains access into the process or passion behind one of Indian cinema's greatest chemistries at work, observes Sukanya Verma.
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