“Jamini, Jamini…” Calls out her mother in a frail yet demanding tone. This shout is one of the most haunting ones I have ever heard in Hindi cinema. There’s a lot to do with the actor’s (Gita Sen) tenor and vocal quality but it is also about the fact that Jamini […]
Read Time : 11 Minutes
‘Tujhse Naraaz Nahin Zindagi’ on a bike…
Hindi cinema’s favourite wordsmith, Gulzar, turns a year older on August 18th. Here’s a small tribute that was penned in 2016, propelled by everyday memories that slowly made fall in love with his work. Bombay and Gulzar Gulzar for some uncanny reason linked me to the city of Bombay. As […]
Read Time : 13 Minutes
Isssh… It’s the anniversary of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Devdas’
Kolkata based love stories make me go weak in the knees. Be it the ones penned by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay (Devdas, Parineeta) or others like Raincoat and Meri Pyaari Bindu, a lot of them paint childhood love on celluloid with remarkable beauty. Now, there exists no bigger literary piece on […]
Read Time : 12 Minutes
Shah Rukh Khan… and 20 incredible women who matter!
The king of romance knew his women. He courted them, swept them off their feet – in swashbuckling Shah Rukh Khan style. And women loved him back, with great zeal. It is not without a reason why Shah Rukh Khan is the ultimate romantic hero. Today, as King Khan celebrates […]
Read Time : 13 Minutes
25 Lata Mangeshkar Love Songs That Immortalize Yash Chopra
Yash Chopra is the doyen of Bollywood romance. Lata Mangeshkar is the first lady of Hindi film music. He lent character to Swiss Alps and chiffon sarees. She taught a hundred leading ladies to emote. Together they made romantic songs that transcended generations, rewrote Bollywood history. Today, every film produced under Yash […]
Read Time : 8 Minutes
“Kareeb”… Because there’s great beauty in simplicity!
Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Kareeb released in July 1998. Based on a story penned by Chopra’s mother-in-law Kamna Chandra, the film is about two simple individuals in love. Simplicity is the catchword for Kareeb. It is a tale of simpletons. Their tribulations aren’t larger than life. The surroundings, the music, the production […]
Read Time : 5 Minutes
‘Ijaazat’: Sensitivity, Empathy, and Gulzar’s Lyrical Storytelling
Ijaazat. Gulzar knew how to name his films. As a matter of fact, the title is almost a counter-statement on what the protagonists end up doing! Ijaazat starts on a placid note. The zingy Asha Bhosle number “Chhoti Si Kahaani Se” followed by our male lead alighting a train only […]
Read Time : 10 Minutes
10 luminous characters, one gifted actor – Manisha Koirala
Manisha Koirala – One of the finest female actors commercial Indian cinema has ever seen. A face that could launch a thousand beauty brands – ethereal is too small a word to describe her. Blessed with a gorgeous pair of dove-like eyes, powerful dialogue delivery and a strong screen presence, she reigned […]
Read Time : 13 Minutes
Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna – 10 years and we aren’t ready for it yet!
In the very beginning of Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, Javed Akhtar – in one of his best verses ever – sums up the storm of a film that we should have prepared ourselves for! “Khushboo ke jhonke, ek pal theherke… Jaise hawaon mein kho jaate hai… Dilchasp lamhe, aksar guzarke Khwabon ke jaise hi […]
Read Time : 3 Minutes
‘Sparsh’: A Classic ’80s Romance Garnished With Chemistry and Simplicity
Sparsh– The most effortless film viewing can ever get. You feel a breeze while the wind blows, a whiff of the heroine’s perfume’s scent when the hero mentions it. Sensitive to the core, the movie speaks a beautiful language of love, care and empathy. 1980s was perhaps the best decade for […]