When Rajesh Khanna was a superstar in the early 1970s, female fans would write letters in blood to him. But the man himself had eyes only for one woman: His girlfriend Anju Mahendru.
As David Dhawan hints at potential retirement after Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, we revisit his iconic Bollywood comedies that defined an era of entertainment.
Mammootty's greatness lies not in hiding his flaws, but in turning them into his most powerful acting tools, observes Sreehari Nair.
Asha Bhosle, the legendary playback singer, had a lifelong passion for cooking, which she considered a stress reliever and a way to connect with loved ones.
'She was the last of the diggaj kalakaars after Lataji, Kishoreda, Rafi saab and Mannada and with her demise, the golden era of Hindi film music has truly ended.'
John Abraham and Bipasha Basu emerged as a popular power duo who set new fitness goals for their audience.
One of the reasons for Katrina Kaif and Ranbir Kapoor's break-up was reported as family pressure.
Meena Kumari would nudge a blushing Suraiya on the sets of Sanam and whisper 'Aa rahe hai... aapke' when Dev Anand sauntered onto the sets.
Shammi Kapoor and Mumtaz were at different stages in their lives -- he had already enjoyed stardom for a decade while she had just graduated to leading lady roles.
Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor juggled their personal lives with the pressures of fame and stardom... till they couldn't anymore, and decided it was just not meant to be.
Vijayta Pandit has revealed that Gaurav's father, onetime jubilee star Rajendra Kumar, made sure that she never signed another film with his son Kumar Gaurav despite filmmakers clamouring to repeat their pair.
Shatrughan Sinha and Reena Roy's journey towards a happy ending hit a speed bump -- Shatru already had a long-standing girlfriend in actress Poonam Chandiramani.
The relationship high point was reached on Amitabh Bachchan's 60th birthday party, when Jaya Bachchan called on stage 'my to-be daughter-in-law Karisma Kapoor'.
If Rajesh Khanna was the greatest star of Hindi cinema, the songs played a major part in his superstardom.
'One day, I was working in my office late in the evening when suddenly the peon comes and says Saif Ali Khan has come to meet you.' 'Saif told me, "I'm desperate. I've been thrown out by Sattee Shourie, I'm homeless and penniless. Can you do a film with me?"' 'I thought about it and saw him in the character which I was writing.' 'So I gave him a cheque of Rs 5,000 and said, "We'll work together".'
'I am happy showing my age. I don't want to look 20 years younger than my age. Neither have I done any cosmetic surgery nor do I want to.'
'Recently a girl who was suicidal was brought to me.' 'When I asked her what was bothering her, she said she and her friend took photos at the same place and posted them on Instagram.' 'While her friend got 23 likes, she didn't get a single like.' 'She said, "nobody likes me, nobody wants me in this world. I am rejected by everybody".' 'And she wanted to end her life.'
'If I count how many films I refused and how many heroines got awards in those films...'
Manish Malhotra held a grand premiere for his debut production, Gustaakh Ishk, and invited friends from the film industry.
Dinesh Raheja charts the highs and lows of Hrishikesh Mukherjee's creative association with five megastars -- Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and Dharmendra.
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.
S D Burman is that unique composer who remained successful right up to his death with his creative engines never running on empty.
Govinda and Chunky Panday are an absolute delight in the fourth episode of Too Much With Kajol and Twinkle.
Where Dhurandhar leaned into aggressive bloodlust through its acerbic storytelling, Ikkis moves in the opposite direction, asking us to see people beyond uniforms, slogans, or sides, observes Mayur Sanap.
'Kartik was keen to do a double role for some time now. And who better to script and direct it than Anees Bazmee?'
'I don't regret anything I've done in my life.'
Kamini Kaushal was one of Indian cinema's long-lasting actresses, who went from playing Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand's heroine to Manoj Kumar and Rajesh Khanna's mother.
'Sulakshanadidi was never the same after Sanjeev Kumar turned her down.'
Dharmendra's demise means the loss of one of the biggest icons ever in the Hindi film firmament.
'I never behaved like a star. So why would anyone behave like a star with me?'
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.
'What a talent, what an actor! 'Cast him as anyone, anything, and he is ready for the challenge. I get restless when I don't have him in my film.'
Kamini Kaushal, who began her career with the 1946 classic Neecha Nagar and went on to act in a host of films right till 2022, passed away in her Mumbai home on Thursday night.
Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan are an absolute riot in the third episode of Too Much With Kajol and Twinkle as they recall some of the craziest incidents from the 1990s, both personally and professionally.
'He was always sweet and polite with me.'
'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.'
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.
'I believe that whether it is Rajini sir or Shah Rukh Khan or Dilip Kumarsaab, these stars are blessed with a cosmic energy. It's a phenomenon that is hard to describe, but it makes you fall in love with them.'
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.
Sukanya Verma makes a playlist of 15 profound Rajesh Khanna ditties.
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