Glimpses from the magnificent Kochi Biennale.
'I reached Bhopal the day after the gas tragedy; the smell was still in the air. It was a professional hazard but I was not scared.'
'Kedarnath has given me that much needed experience right at the beginning.' 'My experience is not limited to only being in front of the camera.' 'It has also taught me how to sleep at night when you don't know if your film will release, and that's a great learning for a newcomer.'
'How can the monument where the prime minister unfurls the flag on Independence Day, in a ceremony broadcast and telecast nationally, be maintained by a private entity?' asks Jyoti Punwani.
While some states like Kerala and Telangana were badly hit by the strike, the impact was partial in Punjab, Haryana and Maharashtra
'The bhadralok would have earlier baulked at the very idea of wearing a coloured dhoti; now, with Dr Banerjee wearing, it is quite likely to be the hot fashion item during Durga Puja next year,' says Uttaran Das Gupta.
Kanimozhi told reporters that the Palaniswami-led government has become 'bloodthirsty' and the chief minister should be held responsible for the incident.
'The film industry will remain soft targets and continue to be picked upon with no respite, with no choice but to give in due to personal safety and financial compulsions,' says director Suparn Verma.
'I would get very pampered on the sets so my grandpa used to get very scared about that.' 'He would think I would feel great from inside and my life would get messed up.'
Presenting the celebs who made headlines this year with their provocative outfits! Tell us who stunned you the most.
'Alia is brighter than me. I am extremely happy and proud that without her father's help, she has had a successful journey. People didn't think that a girl who was danced to Radha (a hit song in Student Of The Year) could do such serious acting as well.' Mahesh Bhatt, in a candid chat.
Articulate segments of Muzaffarpur have been at the the forefront of all anti-establishment mobilisation, which makes their silence over the atrocities in a shelter home in the town puzzling. Could it be that if those accused of horrific crimes belong to dominant castes and if the victims belong to the vulnerable groups, then the middle classes become mute, asks Mohammad Sajjad.
Sonali's unrelenting spirit, Jai's unacceptable loss, Ijaazat's timeless melancholy, Neetu Singh's zing and not enough Sacred Games dominates Sukanya Verma's Super-Filmi Week.
Saurabh Mukherjea, CEO, Ambit Capital, says he is advising clients to either take a genuinely long-term view on stocks or diversify the portfolio with stocks, bonds and gold for those with a short-term view.
'It is time again for Durga Puja.' 'Time again to be struck by India's astonishing cultural irony, one where the female form is worshipped as divinity while millions of real women are forced to lead restricted lives,' notes Shuma Raha.
Director-actor Samuthirakani gets candid about his journey in the film industry.
'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.'
How a bus conductor named Shivaji Gaekwad became the mega-phenomenon called Rajinikanth.
One of the key reasons for corporate movie makers, such as Reliance and Viacom18, to flock to Tollywood is the growth regional content has shown in recent times.
It's all about the family at the Academy awards.
The UP CM didn't deign to attend the actor's nomination.
'Are you so scared for your own skin that you will not help a lady or a weak man from attack?' asks an anguished A Ganesh Nadar.
'I know many actors living outside India put on accents in films because they think that is how Indians talk. I avoid that.' 'I don't have to prove anything through my accent. My psyche is Indian.' Anupam Kher gives us his 500th film!
'The media, particularly the national media and especially the English media, do not report these stories any longer.' 'They have no interest in crime or human interest stories that do not concern the wealthy,' says Aakar Patel.
In his latest book 'Amritsar -- The Flavours of the Golden City' celebrity chef Vikas Khanna takes us food tripping.
Given the school break, this is the peak travel season and companies catering to the 'friends and family' segment are expected to gain.
One of the finest actors of our time says goodbye, yet again.
Dhruv Shirpurkar's parents never let go of their faith in God while standing with him in his battle against a rare disorder that left him 85 per cent disabled and bound to a wheelchair.
'India's policy makers need to pull their heads out of the sand and recognize the reality that Pakistan has supported and sponsored terrorism on Indian soil for more than three decades; a national counter-terrorism strategy must be evolved in the fullest consciousness of this fact, and of the continued hostility of the Pakistani nation-State to the very idea of India.'
One of the finest minds on foreign exchange management, monetary and fiscal policies, on debt and currency markets, on bank management and governance, and indeed on almost every aspect of modern finance and banking passes into the ages.
Jeremy Corbyn is a most unusual politician in these times.
Sukanya Verma looks back at the decade gone by, in the movies.
"Telling the story of the birth of a nation is never easy. Especially if that nation is as big and diverse as India," said Shyam Benegal about 'Samvidhaan -- The Making of the Constitution of India'.
Aamir Khan tells Urvi Parekh why his next release is probably one of the most important films he has made.
'You come out of the theatre feeling happy, inspired, with moist eyes and in awe.'
'Why is it that we are so forgiving of the glaring problems in grand multi-starrers like Dil Dhadakne Do,' asks Sreehari Nair, 'but when a small film with a truly personal vision seeks our approval, we analyse it through a prism of formal perfection?' 'With its Seinfeldian humour, episodic structure and performers who play off each other's energies, Meeruthiya Gangsters goes farther than most Hindi movies.'
Here are Aseem Chhabra's picks -- 'films that mattered to me, entertained me and will stay with me through the year.'
Life virtually came to a grinding halt across Tamil Nadu as the state woke up to deserted streets with shops, including eateries, remaining shut in the wake of the demise of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.
Aaha Kalyanam is a refreshing romantic comedy, writes S Saraswathi.
Beautifully shot and easy on the eyes, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is thoroughly engaging, writes Paloma Sharma.
