Mamata Shankar remembers the amazing actor Sreela Majumdar, who passed into the ages last week.
'At a time when there was little awareness of world music, playing western tunes on eastern instruments like the flute and the dholak, blending vocal polyphony with Indian folk and contemporary styles, Salilkaku created a new musical genre in Bengal called Gana Sangeet.'
'Mrinal jethu gave a new perspective to Indian Cinema.'
The filmmaker will be honoured on February 2.
'How do you expect me to tone down my anger when the most prominent culture in India today is the culture of corruption, in every sphere of life?'
'The last time I met him will be one I will always cherish. It was in February this year.' 'I was asked to give him the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award and was warned he was frail and uncommunicative.' 'I approached him with some trepidation, but was delighted to find that not only did he recognise me, he also hugged me warmly and showered much affection,' Shabana Azmi tells Subhash K Jha.
Reliance Mediaworks' has restored the 1984 film Khandahar which will premiere at the festival under the Classic category.
'Mrinalda, the world, and for sure my world won't be the same without you,' Nandita Das tells Subhash K Jha.
The 70th National Awards saw some beautiful moments on stage and off it.
Shyam Benegal passed into the ages on December 23, leaving behind a rich legacy. We look back at some interesting moments from his life.
National-award winning actor, producer, hotelier, ex-politician, cricket team owner, philanthropist, highest tax payer, reality show judge, animal lover and, above all, people's hero -- Mithun Chakraborty -- who has been conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award -- is truly a force of nature, notes Sukanya Verma.
Mithun Chakraborty started from scratch in bit roles and had no Godfather backing him. Yet, remarkably, his career now straddles six decades and he continues to win acclaim, observes Dinesh Raheja.
'...be it a comedy, thriller or a love story.' 'The bhindi costs Rs 30 per kilo, but the price of potato remains unchanged.'
'Thank you to the Cannes Film Festival for having our film here. Please don't wait 30 years to have another Indian film.'
'I somehow felt that Muzaffar Ali was in Aligarh to feel the pulse of the Muslim youth, especially in the darker and harsher times that India is passing through,' notes Mohammad Sajjad.
The Kerala Story is among a long list of films that invited bans and censorship.
Mithun Chakraborthy on Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and working in his Tahader Katha, for which he won his second National Award.
After Satyajit Ray died and Mrinal Sen retired, Bengali cinema was no longer what it used to be - until Rituparno Ghosh triggered its revival.
Had he not taken his final curtain call on April 23, 1992, Satyajit Ray would still, undoubtedly, have been making movies.
'Till a cheque comes into my account, I don't feel like a professional actor.'
Here's celebrating the veteran Bengali actor.
'Satyajit Ray is most relevant even today.'
An FIR lodged at the police station alleged that the actor had used dialogues like 'Marbo ekhane lash porbe shoshane' (Will hit you here and the body will land in the crematorium) and 'Ek chobole chobi' (A snakebite will turn you into a photograph, meaning will kill you) at a rally after joining the BJP on March 7. The complainant alleged that these dialogues caused post-poll violence in the state.
'...and showcased in their original beauty.'
Smita has left behind a rich haul of films that showcase her enormous ability to offer us a glimpse into her soul each time she performed a role.
'Not since the time when my Devdas went to Cannes have I felt this level of enthusiasm for my cinema being honoured internationally.'
Thousands on Wednesday took to the streets in Kolkata to join a silent procession of intellectuals, film personalities, writers, painters and people from other walks of life to condemn the "recapture" of Nandigram by the Communist Party of India (M).
Ironically, the BJP, which seeks to unseat the TMC from power, has taken a leaf out of Mamata Banerjee's strategy of soliciting tinsel town's support towards causes and fielding actors in elections.
'To see India being recognized at a global level at a platform like this... 'I think it says a lot about where we are as a nation and the road ahead for us as a nation.'
Amid huge cheers from supporters, Chakraborty, borrowing a dialogue from one of his films, said, "Ami joldhorao noi, bele borao noi... ami ekta cobra, ek chobol-ei chobi (Don't mistake me for a harmless snake, I am a cobra, can kill people in one bite)," he said.
'That would once and for all teach all the film-makers of this country a fitting lesson!'
'My film will not only be a reminder for all of us who have gone through these hellish two years, but also a reference point for future generations and for the four-five year olds who would have forgotten everything by the time they grow up.'
On her 72nd birthday on September 18, Sukanya Verma gives three cheers to the legend and lists 20 of her stellar performances.
'A great loss for the fraternity. Your work will be missed & cherished.'
'Fashion brands that have leading stars as brand ambassadors spend a fortune on showcasing them.'
'He never went to the Bombay industry.'
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