scorecardresearch
Add as a preferred source on Google
Thursday, December 4, 2025
HomeFeaturesReel Take

Reel Take

Bachchan’s revenge drama Adalat heralded the ‘woman in refrigerator’ trope of 1980s

‘Adalat’ was one of the biggest blockbusters in 1976. However, it is often not counted among Bachchan’s iconic portrayals in the '70s.

A Kannada short film uses Udupi’s Janmashtami to ask who belongs, and who doesn’t

'Rakkasa' was shot in four days, with all Janmashtami visuals captured in real time during the actual celebrations. Director G Vishnu highlights the everyday rhythms of life and the spirit of Udupi.

Mammootty, Mohanlal reunite after 17 years in espionage thriller Patriot

Mohanlal had a cameo appearance in Mammootty’s film Kadal Kadannu Oru Maathukutty (2013). However, their last film together was Twenty:20, which released in 2008.

Barsaat ki Raat was a rain-soaked romance. It had a qawwali that Shah Rukh Khan loves

If a luminous Madhubala is the heart, Sahir Ludhianvi’s Urdu poetry is the soul of Barsaat Ki Raat, 1960’s second-biggest hit after Mughal-e-Azam.

RD Burman was the last resort for Rajesh Khanna’s ‘The Train’. It gave him 12 more films

A robbery, a hotel, and criminal masterminds—suspense thriller ‘The Train’ took Rajesh Khanna beyond romance.

A pocket watch, a broken toy, and a lifetime of regret —Anmol Ghadi was blockbuster

In Anmol Ghadi, Noor Jehan, Suraiya & composer Naushad made longing a box office hit.

Aamne Samne is one of Bollywood’s best thrillers. Somebody’s out to kill Sharmila Tagore

Director Suraj Prakash manages to hoodwink his audience till the very end, with a new red herring at every turn. Sharmila Tagore and Shashi Kapoor hold the film together.

Gharana wasn’t just any family drama. It exposed a hypocrisy at the heart of Indian homes

In SS Vasan’s 1961 film Gharana, Lalita Pawar plays Shanta, a stern matriarch who rules her house and its members. But she also has a softer side.

Anamika married melody and mystery. It gave two evergreen songs — for romance and heartbreak

Raghunath Jhalani’s 1973 film Anamika starring Sanjeev Kumar and Jaya Bachchan shows how inherent biases can blind someone to reality.

When a Doberman stole the show over Rajesh Khanna’s double role in ‘Sachaa Jhutha’

Manmohan Desai knew well that no Bollywood masala was complete without a loyal animal companion tugging at heartstrings, a trope that would later become central in many films.

On Camera

India’s Russian oil imports are showing up in cryptic new places. The crude map stands redrawn

December oil imports from Russia may drop nearly 50%, but Indian buyers already shifting to non-designated Russian entities and opaque trading channels to keep Russian oil flowing.

From nuclear cooperation to defence, trade to oil, what is expected from Putin’s two-day India visit

New Delhi is interested in firming up bilateral agreements for increased trade, mobility, upgrade of Su-30 MKI fighters and the increased range of BrahMos supersonic missiles.

Gaali cricket: Bavuma stands tall, India’s Test ego cut to size

The India-South Africa series-defining fact is the catastrophic decline of Indian red ball cricket where a visiting team can mock us with the 'grovel' word.