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Thursday, December 4, 2025
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Reel Take

‘In Retreat’ film shows a different side of Ladakh. It’s not like Aamir Khan’s 3 Idiots

The movie serves as a reminder of director Maisam Ali’s roots, and reflects his vision of home.

Gulzar’s Mausam had a plot as old as the hills, still held its own against Sholay & Deewar

Unlike Yash Chopra's Lamhe, which didn’t do well at the box office, Gulzar’s movie was received well.

Rekha’s Ghar asks an important question—How does a couple survive sexual assault?

The 1978 classic Ghar attempts to start a conversation around rape and trama, which is absent from most Hindi films to date.

English is a very funny language—Bachchan gave the OG Bollywood monologue in ‘Namak Halaal’

While Bachchan has been rightly applauded for his dialogue delivery in ‘Namak Halaal’, the writer is not widely known—it was actor Kader Khan.

Rekha’s Khoon Bhari Maang showed revenge doesn’t have to be violent—it can also be fashionable

Eccentric headgear, leather outfits, lace gloves, pearls—Rekha’s sartorial choices dominated Rakesh Roshan’s thriller.

Bollywood’s playful resistance to Emergency was Rekha’s Khubsoorat

Khubsoorat won the Filmfare Best Film award in the 1980s. It established Rekha as a star who could carry a film on her own, even in the absence of famous male hero.

‘Insaf Ka Tarazu’ was well-intentioned but couldn’t resist rape fetishisation of ’80s Bollywood

BR Chopra's 1980 remake of 'Lipstick' revived Raj Babbar's career, stalled for three years after his banned debut 'Kissa Kursi Ka'. Despite hesitation, Babbar accepted the role of a serial rapist.

‘Dosti’ was 1964’s breakout hit. A Bollywood film with no romance, hero-villain drama

Its actors, Sudhir Kumar and Sushil Kumar, were not superstars. The music was directed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal, when they were still not the powerhouse they eventually became.

‘Aasha’ explored a different view of one-sided love—that of the woman

Aasha, played by Reena Roy, is complex and empathetic—something female characters in Om Prakash movies have in common.

Sai Paranjpye’s ‘Sparsh’ squashes the ‘lachar-bechara’ image of blind people

Sparsh also highlights that number of books in Braille is abysmally low. It also shows how stories for the blind must make sense to them.

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.