Sahir Ludhianvi’s hard-hitting, haunting words make ‘Phir Subah Hogi’ relevant even today
This 1958 Raj Kapoor and Mala Sinha-starrer was all about criticising the government, talking about cruel realities and helping the disadvantaged.
Mr India may have been played by Anil Kapoor but Sridevi was the best thing about it
Arguably India’s first superhero movie, Mr India is the result of things not working out as planned — and no one is complaining.
Nutan’s understated yet powerful performance in Bandini is a masterclass in acting
Bandini is special for many reasons — Nutan’s performance, Bimal Roy’s direction, and Gulzar’s debut as a lyricist.
Madhubala and K Asif’s grandeur is what makes Mughal-e-Azam an epic
A film with one of the highest production costs and the biggest collections, Mughal-e-Azam’s success can be put down to Madhubala’s grace and beauty.
Arth may have been based on Mahesh Bhatt’s life, but Jagjit Singh played a starring role
Jagjit Singh's haunting ghazals compel listeners to question the meaning of love, loss, life and identity.
OP Nayyar’s music turned Howrah Bridge from a movie to a whole mood
Madhubala and Ashok Kumar-starrer Howrah Bridge has music as a character.
Anand Math is the anti-establishment film to watch and learn from
Starring Geeta Bali, Bharat Bhushan and Ajit, the film shows the struggle behind rebellion and poses some uncomfortable questions.
Shabana Azmi is what Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay thought of when he wrote Swami
The 1977 film is an excellent tribute to Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s book, which put the woman and her desires and angst in the forefront.
Chashme Buddoor, aka Saeed Jaffrey, and the art of making a small role fill the screen
The 1981 rom com and buddy film starring Saeed Jaffrey shows you don’t have to be centre stage or mainstream to have an impact.
1942: A Love Story — the swansong that brought R.D. Burman back to stay
Music company HMV had told Vidhu Vinod Chopra it wouldn’t pay if he signed R.D. Burman. Thankfully, he didn’t listen.
China’s blunders in Wuhan should settle the debate about democracy and economic progress
The virus exploded from Wuhan to the world because the Chinese form of government abhors transparency. What they need is democracy — and India should learn this lesson.
Is talk of lifting lockdown premature or is it necessary to allow some economic activity?
As the Narendra Modi government considers the option of extending the Covid-19 lockdown beyond 14 April, concerns around its impact on the economy are growing.
Defence
Indian Navy veterans slam ‘childish’ US response to Roosevelt ship incident
Former Navy Chief Admiral Arun Prakash says captain of USS Theodore Roosevelt should’ve resigned if he felt system let him down, rather than leaking mail to media.
Poke fun at taali, thaali, diya and mombatti all you want. Modi couldn’t care less
Modi knows who he needs to speak to, who he should toss, who he can address in kind. People accuse him of infantilising his voters, but it’s a winning strategy.