'I wish you were here to see for yourself what Mughal-e-Azam means to Indians in America.'
Here's some sizzle from the IIFA Utsavam night, which was dedicated to the south film industries of Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada.
'After meeting him, I learned what brother from another mother actually meant,' Suriya said, looking fondly at Bobby.
When in Landour, discovers Supriya Newar, one of the most important things to do and that too in large measures, is to do nothing at all.
'Though a foreigner on campus, she carried herself with confidence.'
Despite its minor flaws, lack of logic, and lecture-style moral narrative, Vettaiyan should be enjoyed in a theatre amid Rajini fans and their wolf whistles, endorses Divya Nair.
With a team of 20-odd people, Snafu tries to unearth the rough diamonds from millions of songs. Can AI help look for a needle in a haystack? Ritwik Sharma finds out.
Film stars and technicians were awarded at the IIFA awards over the weekend, and here are the big winners.
After Sita Raman, this is a Dulquer Salmaan film that has won Divya Nair's heart.
Payal Kapadia's understanding of what it means to be a woman is as poignant as her authentic portrait of Mumbai's hoi polloi, observes Sukanya Verma.
Tendulkar mourned Bappi Lahiri's demise and said the singer's range of talent was truly amazing.
'There have been and will continue to be, so many captivating stories in colonial India.' 'Obviously, most of the white people were British, so if I am going to take on a role in a film set in one of the most turbulent periods of Indian history, then it only stands to reason that my character would be of British descent.' 'But that doesn't mean all my roles are negative.'
They represent a new tribe whose grace and skill-sets lie well beyond my comprehension, notes Sreehari Nair.
'The formula now is even if there is no profit there should be break-even.' 'We green-light a film only if we can see break-even in it.'
'I was completely in awe of him. After the shot was okayed, I would quickly run back to my chair and sit quietly till I was called again.'
'If it's a good song, you will always see me singing it.'
Anup Jalota and Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt pay tribute to the late Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma.
Thiruvaiyuru, where composer-saint Tyagaraja lived, is an annual pilgrimage for Carnatic musicians, eminent and unknown, young and old.
'Today, music directors do not work on a song that turns out to be the biggest hit of the year.' 'Their main focus is on creating a song which becomes an instant hit.' 'Whether the audience remembers that song after a couple of months or not, that does not concern them anymore.'
Vaani 'little girl big dreams'... Kartik enjoys some chaat...Kamal Haasan jets off...
'Our greatest enemies lie within us Kama -- selfish desires; krodha -- anger; moha -- attachment; lobha -- greed; madha -- pride and matsarya -- envy. Life is a constant battle against these dark forces. An enlightening excerpt from Priya Arora's book, Rama: A Man of Dharma.
'As I watched Mammootty 'try out' Mathew Devassy, I could hear from my theatre seat the ready-made appreciation of the liberal press, their applause for the great actor having flirted with queerness on screen.' 'But it is a flirtation and nothing more, for I could not detect in Devassy any hint of love, not for his homosexual lover, not for his wife,,' observes Sreehari Nair.
Priyanka Chopra made sure to visit Ayodhya with husband Nick Jonas and daughter Maltie Marie.
The Indian Premier League governing council revealed changes ahead of the IPL mega auction, which is likely to be scheduled for November.
Between tons of sexual innuendo and Kapil Sharma brand of slapstick gags characterised in loud caricatures, moronic behaviour, flimsy wigs and cartoonish rhythm, Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video's jarring notions of exuberance have nothing novel to offer, groans Sukanya Verma.
Mehmood and R D Burman shiver, wail and flail when they encounter a stuffed tiger that wags its tail, furniture that moves on its own volition and dancing skeletons and mummies. Dinesh Raheja revisits a must-watch.
Prabha Atre, the woman who could have been lawyer, scientist or doctor but became a globally renowned Hindustani classical vocalist instead, died in her Pune home on Saturday hours before she was to leave for a concert in Mumbai. She was 92.
Mongolia can take a lifetime to happen but rewards the intrepid traveller with enduring memories of a surreal, delightful land.
There was dancing, there was singing and heavy dose of patriotism on a glitzy night at the Indian Premier League opening ceremony in Chennai on Friday.
'I would think a hundred times before I wrote a gay character or a mentally challenged character because it requires a lot of research and empathy. That's the reason I shy away entirely from stories that have rape. I just can't. It's just terrifying for me, as a woman, to handle subjects like that because it's so sensitive.'
Thousands of workers of every description -- from journalists to steel workers, from painters to New York cops, from auto to engineering workers -- marched for two hours down 5th Avenue one of Manhattan's most iconic thoroughfares, reports Jyoti Punwani.
Images that should keep you grinning for days on end.
'It was my job to read out their lines to the actors and make sure they spoke them with the right diction, accent and pronunciation. If you look at my photographs from the Sadma set, you will always find me with a file in hand, even when I am in my costume. While Kamal and Sridevi were diligent about their Hindi dialogue, Silk Smitha, while always respectful, was not too interested in her lines or my instructions.'
Vasan Bala's ability to jolt our Bollywood conditioned brains into experiencing new forms of menace, turning a John Woo-style prison riot into a Chinese communist movement and showcasing Alia in a savage new light won Sukanya Verma's dil and jigra.
Aseem Chhabra lists his favorite 2023 films -- a healthy blend of Bollywood, Hindi indies and some of the best work that is being done in Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Bengali cinema.
'I have no idea as to what Lucky Ali is singing but to me, it sounds great and gels with what I sing.'
'The Indian government is better prepared this time and has reached out to all contenders and not putting all eggs in one basket.'
You can e-mail your pictures to getahead@rediff.co.in (My Lord Ganesha Pix) with your name, location, details about your Lord Ganesha and what this festival means to you. We will publish the best entries right here on Rediff.com.
'After Diwali, I don't see this trend of re-releases going forward. We won't have that window to re-release films because of the kind of movies that are slated to be released.'
'I have no family (in the industry), no network, no mentor.' 'Still, I'm consistently working since 20 years and now I have a National Award.' 'It may take time, but if you're consistently at it, nothing can stop you.'
