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Thursday, December 18, 2025
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Reel Take

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.

‘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.

On Camera

What the key political events of 2025 tell us about Narendra Modi and India’s future

From Operation Sindoor to India-US tensions to the EC controversies, a clear understanding has emerged about where the politics is headed now.

Steady growth rooted in ‘Dravidian model’. How Tamil Nadu more than doubled its GSDP in 10 yrs

RBI Handbook of Statistics shows state’s GSDP has more than doubled in past decade, finishing second behind Maharashtra. It has performed well across health & education parameters as well.

Israel has ‘realised who its real friend is’, eyes defence expansion in India amid arms curbs by others

It is argued that India-Israel ties are moving from buyer–seller dynamic to one focused on joint development & manufacturing partnership, a shift 'more durable' than traditional arms sales.

India’s top airline just handed sarkar the keys. That’s IndiGo’s real ‘crime’

Don’t blame misfortune. This is colossal incompetence and insensitivity. So bad, heads would have rolled even in the old PSU-era Indian Airlines and Air India.