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Thursday, December 4, 2025
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Reel Take

‘Abhinetri’ starts conversation on married women and work. Happy, neat ending takes priority

The tragedy of the 1970 movie lies in its squandered potential. As young actors, both Hema Malini and Shashi Kapoor's performances lacked emotional depth.

When Rajesh Khanna was upstaged by a toddler. Aakhri Khat is a forgotten gem

Director Chetan Anand didn’t let Rajesh Khanna sleep for three nights before shooting a pivotal scene. He would call him in the middle of the night.

‘You’ve put on a bit of weight though’—how this film on mother-daughter bond begins

Anvita Brahmbhatt draws from her personal experiences to build the relationship between a mother and her adult daughter in her film 'Over A Cup of Chai'.

Hamraaz was Bollywood’s Shakespearean tragedy. Sunil Dutt, its Othello

The popularity of the film’s album can be jointly credited to the lyrics of Sahir Ludhianvi and the soulful voice of Mahendra Kapoor.

Yash Chopra’s ‘Daag’ had a love triangle with no jealousy. It happily ends in bigamy

Daag would go on to establish Chopra as a filmmaker who would not just explore the fun elements of romance but also touch upon subjects like infidelity, and in this case, bigamy.

Dil Hi Toh Hai was a ‘Muslim social’ — but it put insaniyat and sharafat above khandan

The 1963 film Dil Hi Toh Hai, starring Raj Kapoor and Nutan, is a compelling outlier in the ‘Muslim Social’ genre. It defied conventions, even if gently.

Trishul tested Amitabh Bachchan’s emotional range—and he was more than an angry young man

Trishul came when Salim-Javed were at the high point of their creativity and Bachchan at the top of his stardom.

Ek Chadar Maili Si isn’t an easy watch. Hema Malini plays a woman trapped by tradition

Based on Rajinder Singh Bedi’s Urdu novel, the 1986 film directed by Sukhwant Dhadda is a portrayal of a woman’s bruised dignity and the silent scream of suppressed rebellion.

Jaya Bachchan made Mili unforgettable. Her acting rivalled Rajesh Khanna’s in Anand

With this 1975 film, Jaya Bachchan established herself as a serious performer in an era where women were confined to glamorous, arm-candy roles.

ChaalBaaz was Bollywood’s wild take on feminism. Sridevi showed no one did double roles like her

Sridevi carries ChaalBaaz entirely on her shoulders, effortlessly switching between the timid Anju and the brash Manju. Sunny Deol and Rajinikanth pale in comparison.

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.