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Friday, November 28, 2025
TopicOld movies

Topic: Old movies

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.

Barsaat ki Raat was a rain-soaked romance. It had a qawwali that Shah Rukh Khan loves

If a luminous Madhubala is the heart, Sahir Ludhianvi’s Urdu poetry is the soul of Barsaat Ki Raat, 1960’s second-biggest hit after Mughal-e-Azam.

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.

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.

Ek Dil Sau Afsane exposes a society obsessed with male child. It remains relevant even today

The grandmother's insistence on consulting a girl’s astrological birth chart to determine her capacity to bear a son underlines how superstition and patriarchy are deeply intertwined.

Dil Hi Toh Hai was a ‘Muslim social’ — but it put insaniyat and sharafat above khandan

The 1963 film Dil Hi Toh Hai, starring Raj Kapoor and Nutan, is a compelling outlier in the ‘Muslim Social’ genre. It defied conventions, even if gently.

Trishul tested Amitabh Bachchan’s emotional range—and he was more than an angry young man

Trishul came when Salim-Javed were at the high point of their creativity and Bachchan at the top of his stardom.

Jaya Bachchan made Mili unforgettable. Her acting rivalled Rajesh Khanna’s in Anand

With this 1975 film, Jaya Bachchan established herself as a serious performer in an era where women were confined to glamorous, arm-candy roles.

Kal Aaj Aur Kal brought Kapoors together on big screen. That’s all it’s remembered for

If it weren’t for its memorable songs, Kal Aaj Aur Kal would likely have faded into obscurity with its lacklustre performances, weak writing, and no memorable dialogues.

‘Kunwara Baap’ was closest to Mehmood’s heart. Tested his limits as an actor

Mehmood made the film to raise awareness about polio, which had affected his own son, Maqdoom Ali. It also marked the acting debut of his other son, Lucky Ali.

On Camera

Is Bangladesh ready for ‘developed country’ status? It’s all optics for Sheikh Hasina

The graduation is meant to bolster the legacy and legitimacy of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League, even as the real-world preparedness lagged behind the glossy narrative.

Karnataka startups feel the chill as global funding winter sets in. Fintech emerges as sole bright spot

The state raises just $2.7 billion in first nine months of 2025 compared to $4.5 billion last year, with late-stage investments hit hardest.

India and Indonesia inch closer to BrahMos deal, defence ties to ramp up

Indonesia delegation led by Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin visited BrahMos facility & met with top officials & undertook a detailed briefing on the missile system.

A tribute to Tejas. India’s delay culture is the real enemy in the skies

It is a brilliant, reasonably priced, and mostly homemade aircraft with a stellar safety record; only two crashes in 24 years since its first flight. But its crash is a moment of introspection.