'Your warm protective hugs that felt like the cosiest blanket, holding your soft yet strong hands which had unspoken messages and your voice calling out my name that followed with endless conversations, laughter and shayaris.'
'The industry has lost a legend... and we've lost someone who shaped the very soul of our cinema.'
'One of the dignified aspects of their relationship is that Hema reportedly told Dharamji that she would never disturb his first family.'
'At parties and premieres, Meena openly showered affection towards Dharam. Sometimes she would even take his hand and the next day it would be in print. On one occasion, mischievously almost, she recited a love couplet from Ghalib, which left no doubt in the audience's mind about Dharmendra's position in her heart.'
'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.'
Hema's father couldn't contain his rage and almost physically pushed Dharmendra out of the house. 'Why don't you get out of my daughter's life? You are a married man, you can't marry my daughter,' he repeatedly yelled. But a pleading, helplessly sentimental and slightly inebriated Dharam could not be budged.
'Asha Parekh once said he never really went beyond the villager he originally was.'
As the year draws to a close, Rediff's Senior Contributor Roshmila Bhattacharya takes a look at the hits and misses, the highs and lows, the newsmakers and the dealbreakers in alphabetical order.
'I have always broken my image every time I went on screen. I don't know what it means to be a Greek God but people used to call me one.'
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.
Veteran playback singer and actress Sulakshana Pandit passed away on Thursday evening after a prolonged illness, her family said. She was 71.
Dharmendra remained one of the most loved stars of all time, even when his movies tapered off, and age caught up with him.
All that boxer Amit Panghal wanted after winning his first and only Asian Games gold in September 2018 was a meeting with Dharmendra.
Dharmendra's demise means the loss of one of the biggest icons ever in the Hindi film firmament.
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.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his two-day state visit to Mauritius, presented President Dharam Gokhool with Gangajal from the Maha Kumbh Mela. The visit marks Modi's return to Mauritius after nearly a decade, showcasing the strong relationship between India and Mauritius.
In 1973, several major leading ladies like Mumtaz, Raakhee, Jaya Bhaduri, Dimple Kapadia, Tanuja, had married and retired from films. Producers wanted a new heroine as a replacement. Many thought Sulakshana was a Mumtaz lookalike and was soon persuaded to sign on multiple films as a leading lady.
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.
'Winning awards, everything, I don't think you can plan all these things. You don't go out there wanting to make a film saying, 'this film will win an award'. You can't do art with that intent.'
From facing Dennis Lillee to filming with Dharmendra, Mohsin Khan goes back in time in a freewheeling interview.
Army jawan Kapil Panwar, who was brutally assaulted by toll plaza staff in Meerut, expresses his distress over the incident, while authorities take action against the toll operator and arrest suspects.
The Telangana CID has arrested the secretary of the Hyderabad Cricket Association in connection with a probe into alleged forgery, cheating, and criminal breach of trust.
The family of an Army jawan, Kapil, recounts the brutal assault he endured at a toll plaza in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. They describe the attack and the injuries he sustained, while police investigate and make arrests.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested former Haryana Congress MLA Dharam Singh Chhoker from a five-star hotel in Delhi following a brief scuffle. Chhoker, along with his sons, is accused of defrauding over 1,500 homebuyers and siphoning off over Rs 500 crore through their real-estate companies. The ED had been seeking Chhoker's presence in the investigation since May 2022. The politician was caught at the Grappa Bar of the Shangri-La hotel on Ashoka Road. He is currently in ED custody for six days.
Varun Tej and Lavanya wed in Italy in November 2023.
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.
Protests and a partial bandh were observed in the communally sensitive Bhaderwah town of Doda district in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday following an objectionable social media post allegedly put up by a leader of a Hindu group. The post drew resentment from members of both Hindu and Muslim communities, prompting authorities to suspend mobile internet services as a precautionary measure. An FIR has been registered against the accused, Virender Razdan, and raids are underway to nab him.
Sukanya Verma looks at instances of aristocrats falling for commoners on the silver screen.
Veteran Bollywood actor Dharmendra and two others have been summoned by a Delhi court in a cheating case related to the "Garam Dharam Dhaba" franchise. The court found a prima facie case of cheating and criminal conspiracy, ordering the accused to appear on February 20. The case stems from a complaint filed by Delhi businessman Sushil Kumar, who alleged that he was induced to invest in the franchise in 2018. The complainant claims he paid Rs 17.70 lakh but was later ignored by the accused.
Heavy rain triggered flash floods in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir, killing three people and prompting the rescue of over 100 others. The floods also caused landslides and mudslides, disrupting traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. Rescue operations are ongoing, and the situation is being monitored by authorities.
FIRS were earlier registered in connection with the three-day Dharam Sansad that was held in Haridwar last December where hate speeches were made targeting members of a community.
'We want to hide it (by saying) we are too busy in our lives, we have other things to attend to, we have families.' 'But they all had families, including Jyotiba or Mahatma Gandhi, or anybody who challenged the system.'
The Sangh chief said, "Even Veer Savarkar had said if the Hindu community gets united and organised, it will speak about the Bhagwad Gita and not about finishing or harming anyone."
'We didn't create the Angry Young Man persona for Amitabh Bachchan.' 'We created the Vijay persona and then Amitabh Bachchan fitted into it.'
Besides the not-so-hidden unease between Modi and Adityanath, Modi chose to address the Lok Sabha to ensure that he could personally claim all the kudos, observes Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
A pregnant tribal woman was allegedly made to wash the blood stains from the bed of a government hospital in Dindori in Madhya Pradesh after her husband bled on it, officials said on Saturday.
The upcoming Delhi Assembly elections will see around 20 candidates who have switched parties, with the AAP, BJP, and Congress fielding former foes in a bid for political gains. While these candidates aim to prove themselves in their new political homes, they face challenges including apprehension among members of their adopted parties. The article provides details of prominent leaders who switched sides, including those who joined the AAP, BJP, and Congress.
'The people of Gujarat are more religious than people of other states, this gives the BJP an advantage.'
Film families celebrate Diwali with memorable pictures on social media.
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