Avatar: Fire And Ash is visually stunning and emotionally engaging, offering strong performances and thrilling action, notes Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
The realities at the nerve centre of the Ram Janambhoomi movement are lack of development, rampant unemployment and 12 hour-long power cuts. Most residents hope Narendra Modi will change the situation in Ayodhya.
'If you can come with some arrangement with the Pakistanis that Pakistan ceases to stop creating trouble in Kashmir in return for the Indians not arming Afghanistan, everyone wins.' William Dalrymple discusses his new book Return of a King, Afghanistan, the Mughals and, of course, India with Rediff.com's Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
Jaswant Singh's biography of M A Jinnah has cost him his place in the BJP. Syed Firdaus Ashraf looks at Jinnah and his controversial place in India's history.
Narendra Modi can never be Vajpayee because the poet-prime minister had a heart. Modi doesn't. He only understands the language of business, of profit and loss. It is beyond his capacity to understand a complex country like India, says Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
'If the Opposition associates itself too much with the minorities, then it becomes easy for the BJP to get Hindu consolidation votes.'
'You cannot run Parliament with 800 MPs as nobody will get time (to speak in Parliament). And Parliament sits for barely 60 days in a year.' 'Look at the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. They have 650 MPs and they sit for 150 days on an average in a year.'
What lessons opposition parties need to learn post defeat of Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal elections? The election saw spectacular victor of BJP which rose from 3 seats in 2016 to 206 seats in 2026 assembly elections.
Deepika Padukone talks about her upcoming film, Karthik Calling Karthik, and Ranbir Kapoor.
'The nepotism, corruption, bad governance and 15 years of rampant crime that has happened across West Bengal under her rule led to her ouster.'
'If someone fiddles us on our religion then we will pay back five times more to that person. We have proved that time and again.'
'No Musharraf or Vajpayee can solve this problem till the people of Kashmir are involved,' JKLF leader Yasin Malik tells Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
'Many people have this perception that Biharis are abnormal people,' says director Prakash Jha.
'Strikes into the Gulf countries are proof that the security guarantees offered by the US are ineffective and that the Gulf countries cannot rely on American security assurances for their safety.'
'And be confident that we will do a successful operation... Don't ask for a deadline. It is very difficult to say in such cases,' says Major General R K Hooda.
'We are not AI. We are allowed to break, and rebuild.'
'The liberalisation of the Indian economy has triggered a growing belief in education, because they believe they can be a part of the economic bandwagon and benefit from it.'
The movie has everything going for it. A total paisa vasool film!
'I like to tell stories that are real. When you say something true, it becomes controversial. It's not that I desire controversy; it's just that I want to tell the truth.' Director Rahul Dholakia talks about his new film Lamhaa and the Kashmir issue.
The filmmaker, whose latest film, Black & White hits the marquee on Friday was in a philosophical mood as he recounted the debacle of Kisna, and why Bollywood needs writers more than ever.
Zarine Khan hopes to have her own footprint in Bollywood, with her film Veer.
Journalist turned filmmaker Mahesh Nair speaks to Syed Firdaus Ashraf about his struggle to make it in Bollywood.
Akshaye Khanna talks about his latest, Hulchul.
'The Supreme Court stated that once the delimitation plan is approved by Parliament and receives assent of the President, it cannot be undone. Nor can it be modified.'
During Operation Kagar, 350 Naxalites have been killed so far, including some of the movement's top leaders.
Nagpur police commissioner SPS Yadav says Marlon Samuels' conversation with an alleged bookmaker was no crime, but it certainly violated the ICC Code of Conduct.
'Who among Opposition party MPs has so much power that they raise some issue and the government implements it? The answer is no one except Raghav Chadha.'
Bollywood's comic sensation recommends his all-time favourites.
'When you reach a good point in your life, you should never forget the struggle that got you there. I haven't. That is why I have not become swollen-headed.'
He does not have the flamboyance of Karan Johar. Yet, Priyadarshan is Bollywood's top director, whose last five films have made a good Rs 150 crores in theatrical release only. The director is back with his new film, Mere Baap Pehle Aap.
Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2 may be a comedy filled with chaos, but in its indirect way, it speaks about a time when the Constitution mattered more than one's religion and when the idea of India was larger than personal hate, observes Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
Director brothers Abbas and Mustan Burmawalla are back with what they love most -- thrillers! Their new film, Race, starring Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Khanna, Anil Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Katrina Kaif and Seema Reddy, looks like a slick suspense film about two brothers trying to outsmart each other.
R Madhavan talks about life after his huge hit, 3 Idiots.
After giving us one of the biggest hits of 2009, Salman Khan is back to prove his mettle once again with his pet project, Veer.
Nikhil Advani gets a second chance in life with Patiala House.
Himesh Reshammiya talks about his Radio experience, and his next film Kajra Re.
