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Thursday, December 4, 2025
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Reel Take

Jeevan Mrityu made Dharmendra-Rakhee hit pair. It was a corruption-revenge saga of the 70s

Jeevan Mrityu was a revenge thriller produced by Tarachand Barjatya, a break from the ‘clean’ family entertainers that the production house was then known for.

Manoj Kumar’s Purab Aur Paschim set the template for Bollywood’s East vs West showdown

Before Akshay Kumar’s famous Namastey London speech, there was Manoj Kumar’s ‘Zero diya mere Bharat ne.’

‘Muqaddar Ka Sikandar’ gave India its most popular tragic hero—and a mega hit in Soviet Union

'Muqaddar Ka Sikandar' cemented the partnership between Bachchan and Prakash Mehra who directed the movie. The two had worked together in Zanjeer, which was Bachchans’ breakout film.

This director was told Musahars were ‘evil’. New film tackles their marginalisation, his bias

In 'Swaha', filmmaker Abhilash Sharma tackles discrimination, desperation and exploitation. It is set to be screened at IFFK's 'Indian Cinema Now' section this year.

‘Mujhe Insaaf Chahiye’ is a classic that has aged well. It sits on Rekha’s able shoulders

Rekha’s entry catapults the movie into a league of its own. She unapologetically questions why society is quick to shame women for their choices while excusing men.

Chitchor is all about a woman’s right to love. ‘Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon’ couldn’t match up

Chitchor is all about a woman’s right to love. ‘Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon’ couldn't match up

Love, Bombay, middle-class — Basu Chatterjee’s ‘Rajnigandha’ is relevant even today

‘Rajnigandha’ articulated the conflicting thoughts of its woman protagonist, at a time when inner female turmoil wasn’t considered a crowd-puller or even an interesting film plot.

Rajinikanth-Amitabh Bachchan’s Andhaa Kaanoon started new trend — North-South union

What’s interesting is that Rajinikanth's character in the movie is called Vijay, a name closely associated with Amitabh Bachchan.

Blind man, cheating wife, bumbling cop—Sanjeev Kumar’s ‘Qatl’ was a perfect Bollywood thriller

‘Qatl’ was Sanjeev Kumar’s last film; he finished dubbing it a day before he died. The premise of the film: Who will believe a blind man can plan the perfect crime?

‘Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki’ was a cringy film on adultery. All-forgiving wife was 80s ideal

Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki emphasises the qualities that make an ideal wife, sacrifice at the top of the list, and the ability to forgive her husband for anything and everything.

On Camera

Why Bihar migrates has a 500-year old answer — from Mughal taxpayers to peasant warriors

Migration in North India isn’t just due to lack of development today. It was shaped by the evolution of labour markets under Sher Shah, Mughals, and the East India Company.

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.