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Wednesday, October 8, 2025
TopicFilmi Flashback

Topic: Filmi Flashback

Raj Kapoor was awed by the global fame of Pather Panchali. He made ‘Jagte Raho’ in Bangla

A film without a lead pair, no romance, or masala and a purist director who belonged to theatre is recipe for commercial failure in Bollywood even today.

An Evening in Paris marked an iconic moment. Showed Indians the Parisian life in desi flavour

Sharmila Tagore’s winged liner, little black dress, sarees paired with knotted blouses to her bikini and puffed hairstyle, everything was on point. Even Shammi Kapoor’s tailored suits, or his colourful shirts were tasteful.

Balraj Sahni and Nutan’s ‘Seema’ is a simple story, almost ahead of its time

The powerful dynamic between the two lead characters can remind one of modern-day films like Dear Zindagi.

‘Mamta’ belongs to Suchitra Sen. Her range is on full display—dancer, mother, fierce lover

The 1966 film explores the life of Devyani who escapes an abusive marriage and becomes a courtesan. Her relationships with ex-lover, her daughter take centre stage.

Yash Chopra tackled Partition and Hindu fundamentalism in Dharmputra, long before Garm Hava

Romantic heartthrob Shashi Kapoor and King of Romance Yash Chopra's first collaboration in 1961 sensitively handled Hindu-Muslim differences and religious bigotry.

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.

‘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.

Smita Patil’s portrayal of a flawed, messy actor in ‘Bhumika’ is fascinating and powerful

Based on memoir of Marathi actor Hansa Wadkar, Smita Patil's Bhumika, a film by Shyam Benegal, is a brutal & unflinching look at the life of a female movie star in Bombay.

‘Koshish’—the nuanced 1972 film portrayed disability as just another aspect of life

The Gulzar-directed film won Sanjeev Kumar his second National Award and remains a landmark in both their careers.

‘Dhool Ka Phool’—Nehruvian secularism of Yash Chopra’s first movie is worth remembering today

The story of a Muslim man raising a Hindu child born out of wedlock is not only a plea for communal peace, but also questions the sexist mores of the times.

On Camera

Once you know how UPA handled illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, you see Modi govt’s propaganda

The 'ghuspaithiya' narrative is being whipped up precisely when illegal immigration has actually diminished. Like most BJP-RSS ideas, it’s just an unimaginative Right-wing trope.

Vietnam & China cutting into India’s footwear exports, NITI Aayog calls for tariff cuts, R&D push

With non-leather products driving global footwear demand between 2020 and 2024, India’s global market share stood at 1.85% in 2024, says a NITI Aayog report.

ISKP & Lashkar converging under aegis of Pakistan’s ISI to take on Baloch fighters

ISKP, a sub-continental branch of the Islamic State, is said to have vowed to extend operations in Kashmir, on encouragement from Pakistan’s security establishment.

How Pakistan thinks: Army for hire, ideology of convenience

Pakistan’s army has been a rentier force available to a reasonable bidder. It has never come to the aid of any Muslims including Palestinians or the Gazans, except making noises here and there.