Om Puri would have been 75 in October. We look back at his early years through these 16 pictures from his life.
Dhurandhar may not have the dark realism of a spy story which a web show can manage. But it does not have the flamboyance either, that has come to be associated with espionage movies, observes Deepa Gahlot.
We look at the longest Hindi movies through the years, and interestingly, most of them have done well.
'Pahlaj Nihalani came to my rescue. There was no Instagram in those days so I didn't recognise him.' 'I almost fainted when he told me he was Pahlaj Nihalani, the producer of Ilzaam, the hit film that had just made Govinda a star.' 'I told him I was a model and an aspiring actor, and he responded, "You have an interesting face. Come and meet me in the office tomorrow".'
Govinda and Chunky Panday are an absolute delight in the fourth episode of Too Much With Kajol and Twinkle.
'One is not allowed to smoke on the sets of a Hollywood film even during a break.' 'When I asked an assistant to suggest some place where I could light a cigarette, he recommended the bad boys' corner -- where Jack Nicholson smoked.' 'However, I hesitated.' 'But when I was heading back to my chair after the shot, Jack Nicholson asked me if I wanted to join him for a smoke. We had a long conversation over cups of cappuccino.'
'On the set, he was this big personality, the great Om Puri. But at home, he was like a fluffy teddy bear.'
Govind Nihalani made some of the finest films of the 20th century: Aakrosh, Ardh Satya, Party, Aaghat and, of course, the Partition epic television series Tamas. On his 84th birthday on December 19, a tribute.
Kareena hosted a get-together at her residence over the weekend. Take a look at the pictures.
'I don't know how long cinema will survive.'
Wondering where to catch some overlooked, understated gems. Here are some OTT recommendations for you.
'Naseer does not have the sense of humour that Om Puri has. 'Also Om has a great deal of compassion as a human being. Naseer was too focused on his own self.' A fascinating excerpt from Sangeeta Datta's book, Shyam Benegal.
'We wouldn't have had to face all this had our national leaders taken care to select a place for Sindhis and sent us there, instead of sending us all over to settle in places where the locals didn't want us.' 'They could have partitioned Sindh and given us a Sindhi state from its two Hindu-majority districts.' 'Wasn't that the logic of Partition?'
Shyam Benegal, the shining beacon of the Indian cinema, was laid to rest on Tuesday around 3 pm with full state honours and a three-gun salute at Shivaji Park, central Mumbai.
'He can't remain upset for long, not with Sonakshi.'
'He treated stars and assistants with the same unfailing courtesy.'
'Foreign exchange is being squandered.' 'Every top star is given tickets for his spouse, children, parents, ayahs, bodyguards, friends, friends of friends...' 'I've heard stars are even given shopping money.' 'Who is paying for all this?'
'...be it a comedy, thriller or a love story.' 'The bhindi costs Rs 30 per kilo, but the price of potato remains unchanged.'
'I find his sense of history astounding, not just history of film, but of life in general.' Another fascinating excerpt from Sangeeta Datta's book Shyam Benegal.
'Everybody knows about Prasoon Joshi's friendship with Aamir Khan.' 'No one is surprised that Thugs Of Hindostan was given an all-clear censor certification out of turn.'
Noted lyricist Prasoon Joshi will replace him as the chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification.
'With his passing, Indian cinema has lost its most undaunted voice, a voice of unsettling truths, a window to history, a school of filmmaking.'
'Stop using the censor board as a means to get publicity for films,' the censor chief warns filmmakers.
Sukanya Verma quizzes you to find out just how much you know about the movie legend who turns 70 on October 10.
'I don't think Waheeda had the confidence that I could pull it off, so she said no.'
Bollywood heroines generally avoid taking on the Central Board of Film Certification or its chief but Bidita made has no bones about how she feels over the CBFC's cuts in her film.
Nihalani was chosen on the recommendation of Shatrughan Sinha.
'We've no objections to women wearing lipstick under a burqa. But the film shows these women doing unmentionable things,'
The Censor board chief doesn't want to talk about it though.
"CBFC is part of the government, the responsibility of which is not only limited to issuing certificates to the films but also to preserve the culture and tradition of the country. CBFC is needed so that right kind of films are exhibited in public.
Quite a few members of the film fraternity attended the wedding reception.
Every day a Party unfolds on social media where armchair activists, politically charged influencers, trend pundits, gyaan givers and troll armies change the world in their heads but remain clueless about the nation's grassroots reality, feels Sukanya Verma.
The most unusual howls of protest from Bollywood have shown that even people known for party drugs draw the line somewhere, says Mitali Saran.
His cinema of compassion inspired me, gave me tools to develop empathy for others. But it also made me understand that serious, socially committed cinema with deeply engaging narratives and great performances is an art form to admire, appreciate and explore. Aseem Chhabra remembers Shyam Benegal, who passed into the ages on Monday evening.
'The National award that Dibakar has returned for Khosla Ka Ghosla belongs to the producer of the film. So, basically Dibakar is protesting with a gesture over which he has no claim,' says Nihalani.
'Pre-wedding conflicts are common. We are all okay now. Whatever the stress has been sorted out.'
Ashoke Pandit took to Facebook to slam Nihalani, saying Anushka Sharma's NH10 was a victim of his 'crass functioning'.
Nihalani suggests that the producers should exercise more checks and curbs on the censor copy of their films.
If Pahlaj Nihalani glanced back at his own filmography as producer, by his own brand new standards; the man would have a hard time approving the extent of vulgarity and provocation they contained.
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