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Wednesday, September 24, 2025
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Reel Take

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.

Khandhar is Mrinal Sen’s most poetic film. It’s a masterpiece of stillness and silence

Khandhar’s emotional core lies in what is left unsaid. Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddin Shah's towering performances convey unspoken yearning and forbidden longing without relying on dialogues.

Shatrughan Sinha was Bollywood’s villain. ‘Kalicharan’ made him a hero

Before Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘Don’, Shatrughan Sinha played a cop-and-con double role in the 1976 film ‘Kalicharan’.

Sunil Dutt sold 7 cars to make Reshma Aur Shera. It’s an Indian Romeo & Juliet story

Set in Jaisalmer, Reshma Aur Shera is a love story caught in the crossfire of family vengeance. It was a Box Office flop but its visual boldness is timeless.

With Aavishkar, Basu Bhattacharya turned his troubled marriage into a masterpiece

Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore played a couple falling apart in Aavishkar. Basu Bhattacharya based it on his own marriage and even filmed it in his house.

Hariyali Aur Rasta was a romantic drama that questioned arranged marriages

While Manoj Kumar’s Shankar is easy on the eyes in the first half and turns into a Devdas-like figure in the second, it’s the two female leads who drive the storyline.

Feroze Khan’s Dharmatma released the same year as Sholay and Deewar. It still stood out

Feroze Khan paid close attention to the sartorial choices of each character. His eclectic wardrobe featured colourful scarves paired with shirts left unbuttoned till his navel.

‘Love Story’ launched Kumar Gaurav as teen heartthrob of 1980s India. He was a nepo baby

Music carries the film’s romance. Songs such as ‘Dekho Maine Dekha Hai Yeh Ek Sapna’ and ‘Kya Ghazab Karte Ho Ji’ express the hope and the giddiness of young love.

On Camera

‘I am Assam,’ Zubeen Garg had said. He was the soundtrack to our lives

Zubeen Garg's funeral entered the Limca Book of Records as the fourth-largest such procession in the world.

Market regulator SEBI clears Adani Group of impropriety alleged by Hindenburg Research

SEBI probe concluded that purported loans and fund transfers were paid back in full and did not amount to deceptive market practices or unreported related party transactions.

China navy achieves breakthrough with new fighter jet launch system. What are electromagnetic catapults

China’s most advanced aircraft carrier—Fujian—uses electromagnetic catapults, a core component of future aircraft carriers.

India doesn’t give walkovers to Pakistan in war. Here’s why it shouldn’t do it in cricket either

Many really smart people now share the position that playing cricket with Pakistan is politically, strategically and morally wrong. It is just a poor appreciation of competitive sport.