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Wednesday, January 21, 2026
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Reel Take

Tiger terror, tangled tales—Shashi Kapoor’s Jaanwar Aur Insaan was a cocktail gone wrong

Jaanwar Aur Insaan feels torn between being a socially aware thriller and a mainstream entertainer, which is why the execution falters multiple times throughout its 2.5-hour runtime.

Shyam Benegal’s Bhumika is a raw portrait of a female film star’s turbulent life

In Bhumika, Usha chooses a life that does not align with societal expectations. And Shyam Benegal is not afraid to show her as a deeply flawed woman.

Loafer is proof of Dharmendra’s unmatched versatility

The film's appeal rests on three pillars: Dharmendra’s magnetism, Mumtaz’s glamour, and Laxmikant-Pyarelal's evergreen score.

‘Two Sinners’ is about vigilante justice. It asks tough questions in a 12-minute runtime

In Two Sinners, Azhar and his brother Hussain are on the brink of delivering vigilante justice to Mushtaq. The only information the audience knows is that he has assaulted a woman.

Raaj Kumar & Meena Kumari’s chemistry saves ‘Kaajal’

Known for his unique dialogue delivery and often stylish avatars, Raaj Kumar opts for subtlety in Kaajal. His eyes alternate with ease between anger and pain.

Khatta Meetha was Bollywood’s first blended-family film. Progressive without preaching

The beauty of Basu Chatterjee’s storytelling in Khatta Meetha was that he didn’t show remarriage as something frowned upon or in need of justification.

Gumnaam turned Agatha Christie’s classic whodunit into a Bollywood masala film

Unlike Agatha Christie's book, which explores the lives and thoughts of the characters, Gumnaam puts the spotlight on Mehmood's antics and Manoj Kumar and Nanda's chemistry.

Satish Shah played a dead body in ‘Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro’. And stole the show

Few movies have been able to do justice to dark humour the way this four-decade-old film does. The corpse at the centre of the film speaks loudly about the death of morality.

A ghost, war veteran & a lost nation—Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Naukri was ahead of its time

Similar to what Charles Dickens did in A Christmas Carol, the ghost in Naukri becomes a device to teach the living the meaning of life.

Amitabh and Amjad’s real-life friendship played out in Yaarana. It’s usually different on-screen

Tere Jaisa Yaar Kahan—a Kishore Kumar classic—not just echoed the friendship between the characters in the movie, but also how the duo stood by each other in real life.

On Camera

Telangana govt must look to Delhi for lessons in managing a metro

The Telangana government, which has still not even fully absorbed the TGSRTC, is now going to take over the Hyderabad metro rail. Expectations are not high.

Investors eye Union Budget to unlock gains in state companies

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government may ramp up share sales in the fiscal year starting April 1 to offset a slowdown in revenue growth.

Rafale saga: 25 yrs of detours, deadlocks & political hesitation. Now IAF getting what it always wanted

Instead of buying more Mirages outright in early 2000s, the requirement was tweaked in favour of a medium-weight, multi-role fighter with Mirage-like performance. 

Pakistan se azaadi. Grow up India, stop giving it prime real estate in your psyche

Pakistan not only has zero chance of catching up with India in most areas, but will inevitably see the gap rising. Its leaders will offer its people the same snake oil in different bottles.