Five outsiders with zero connections in the film industry and no money made their mark despite nepotism ruling the roost.
P K Nair dedicated his life to restoring and archiving films.
Mani Ratnam is experimenting with a real-life historical in Ponniyin Selvan, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
In this excerpt from a conversation with Samik Bandopadhyay, Mrinalda discusses three legendary actors he has worked with.
'His relationship with Sridevi was not meant to work out, especially since both of them were ambitious, driven and passionate.'
We salute the late thespian in this compilation of his ten essentials movies that highlight his range and stature as an actor par excellence.
The suave actor of the world, sometimes called the last of the Mohicans and familiar to students of cinema anywhere in the globe, acted in 14 Ray films and over 300 others, gracefully transitioning into commercial cinema in a variety of roles.
In a career spanning six decades, Chatterjee has acted in more than 300 films.
'He always seemed one of us, part of the great aspiring middle class -- his values, his simplicity, even the intellectual snobbery which he could barely hide,' observes Mousumi Sengupta.
This is an alternate list of 10 screen roles that saw Soumitra Chatterjee, a paragon of gentility, venture beyond his comfort zone and deliver masterclasses of subtlety and depth, lists Saibal Chatterjee.
'Basuda welcomed viewers into a world that was instantly familiar and comfortable,' observes Sukanya Verma.
Soumitra Chatterjee -- one of the finest Indian actors of our time -- meant so much to Aseem Chhabra.
One of India's greatest actors -- someone who acted in 14 Satyajit Ray films -- doesn't get good movie roles anymore.
'It may not be coincidental that the rise of these warriors with their bile and diatribes has come at a time when the concept of neutrality in journalism is fading.'
'I don't look forward to seeing my films because this only sort of gives me a deep sense of dissatisfaction that I could have done better, and I lose my self-confidence.'
Israel is very good at creating innovation engines, India less so.
'The way the winners react and the speeches they deliver.' 'That is where the fun happens, when the actors and other winners let down their guard, challenge the system, talk about issues that should matter to us,' says Aseem Chhabra.
Mohammed Taufiq has been a waiter at Kolkata's famous Coffee House for 36 years. After encountering at least 50, 100 new faces every day -- including Satyajit Ray once -- all he wants now is to return to his village after retirement.
'No other actor in India was as lucky as me,' Soumitra Chatterjee tells Indrani Roy/ Rediff.com
'Nobody laughed during the shooting. There were fights, swearing and what not. Tempers were high but the unit and the actors stayed on, and finally, the film was made. But it was like riding a wild horse!' Kundan Shah's last interview.
'In our film industry, there are not many opportunities for actors... Our films are not character based, they are hero and heroine based. The only roles we have for character actors are to play the girl's or boy's dad or a police officer...'
'I'm a rascal, I'm going to play a paramahansa?!'
An A-Z of Bachchanalia, the letters expanding into unforgettable bits of his filmography.
'The chair is a referee in a match, whether this side is playing better or that side is playing worse is no concern of the chair.'
On Hrishikesh Mukherjee's 91st birth anniversary on September 30, we bring back excerpts from a Rediff interview with the brilliant filmmaker, just after the release of his last film, Jhoot Bole Kauwa Kate.
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