Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures, the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge, has marked the upward surge of mankind and greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the U.S…  Read More →

“I watched a snail crawl along the edge of a straight razor. That’s my dream. It’s my nightmare. Crawling, slithering, along the edge of a straight razor … and surviving.” I am sure many have heard the voice of Colonel Walter E. Kurtz searing through their soul and then screaming in nightmarish pain. While you are writhing in pain at the sight that pulls you in the nightmare of the Vietnam War, Apocalypse Now, the movie plays... 

Director: BR Chopra Writers: Akhtar-Ul-Iman  (writer); C.J. Pavri (story) The movie starts with a bang, literally! The first scene opens with a chase and a gunshot and MURDER! The premise of the movie unfolds rapidly in the next 8 minutes: that the law is blind and punishes an innocent on the basis of evidence that might well be false. And that on the basis of that evidence what right has kanoon to take away what it cannot give back – the... 

Ek Doctor Ki Maut The first thing that comes to your mind after watching   Ek Doctor Ki Maut directed by the Late. Tapan Sinha is that why has India stopped creating such masterpieces. The struggle is there , the society is still corrupt, talent at times is still subject to ridicule , where are we heading?? Media and its mass mediums are no longer social watchdogs but just tools to make money. The questions haunt and scare. Coming back to the... 

VK is cornered at K’s. He wages a lone battle against the alliance of K, M & V. K: Dude, how can you call yourself a movie buff and even aspire to be a director when you haven’t seen a classic like this? VK: Don’t know… somehow haven’t tried watching it so far. And I don’t like Shahrukh. K: How can you say that when you haven’t even watched the film yet. How many movies of his have you seen anyway? VK: Hmm… Hey Ram, Swades... 

Mouna Ragam! How can one not know about this phenomenal Indian (Tamil) movie that was released in 1986. This movie turned out to be an important milestone in Tamil cinema.  Mastermind behind the movie was Mr.Mani Ratnam, the legendary veteran who gave us innumerable classic movies since the 1980’s. Apart from him, the film had an impeccable storyline that portrays the transitions happening in a girl’s life. It sounds simple but... 

As one awaits with anticipation the new product RAAVAN from the God of Images/Visuals, Mr. Mani Ratnam, one’s mind and heart are enveloped by nostalgia—the nostalgia of being audience the first time to another masterpiece by the same helmer: ‘Dil Se.’ 1998 was the year when Mr. Varma had fantastically assaulted our senses with the crime master-piece SATYA. Just one month later, the Indian audience was to be treated to a product by another... 

Cinema is like a huge scratch board, where I scribble my thoughts and leave it for the world to read on, I expect the entire world to read it, but the sad part, very few notice it, and fewer read it; thanks to the other doodles that over power my doodle and hence have crowded the board. I have two options- either I go on staring at the board and crib about …  Read More →

Mohammed Rafi & Chitragupta Teri Nazar Teri Ada ; Singer: Mohd Rafi. Dil Walo Ki Toli Nikali ; Singers: Mohd Rafi & Asha Bhosle. Mohabbat Karegi Asar Dhire Dhire ; Singers: Rafi & Asha. Hole Re Dole Re ; Singer: Asha Bhosle; Pyar Kiya Hai Aise ; Singer: Rafi. Dekhoji Wada Karo ; Singers: Rafi & Asha. Music director: Chitragupta. Lyrics: Kafeel Aazar. Film: Sorry Madam / Teri Ada . If none of us has heard – or heard about... 

This is about my correspondence with Professor Roald Hoffman, a Nobel laureate regarding Ritwik Ghatak’s Meghe Dhaka Tara. Roald Hoffman got Nobel in chemistry in 1981 for Woodward-Hoffman rules in organic spectroscopy. Apart from his expertise in academics he writes plays and poetry. He visited Calcutta in 1999 to deliver a lecture in Indian Association for Cultivation of Science. After his lecture he watched Meghe Dhaka Tara in Jadavpur... 

Rehearsals not only save money and time but raise the standard of the performance level also of the cast and crew associated with a film. If cast includes non-professional actors or actors with least or no experience and crew is also less experienced or crew members are also going to make their debut then importance of rehearsal increases manyfold. These new dreamers may have energy and time in abudance with them but normally they lack in terms... 

Some  time  back,  my  father  had  forwarded me  a  mail,  from  one  of  his  friends. It  was a slide  show,  containing  some  wonderful  pictures  of   Russia,  the  beautiful  snow  bound  landscapes,  the  onion domed  cathedrals,  the  lovely  Russian  women.   But  more  than  the  lovely pictures,   was   the  music,  coming  in  the  background,  soft,  slow,  languorous,  it ... 

Mohini..!! Mohini..!! For The Win!! In true HIMYM fashion, I’ll start this story with – So kids, this is more of an emotional ride than anything else. Because I am a child of the Eighties. Yes, the eighties. When Windows meant ‘Khidki’ and the mouse was only a rodent. And the movie Tezaab and me got acquainted through a Durga Puja pandal who used to play ‘Ek Do Teen’ in an infinite loop. I nagged my Didi to... 

“If I were a rich man… Yabba Dibby Dibby Dibby Dibby Dibby Dibby Dum… All day long I’d Biddy Biddy Bum”, sings Tevye. And he does Biddy Biddy Bum quite a lot, although perhaps not in the same way that a rich man would. Tevye is a poor man in adverse times and faced with many odds and contradictions makes his life hard and for most of us one that would make any Biddy Biddy Bumming absolutely impossible. And yet Tevye is blessed... 

Dharmendra had his 75th birthday a few days back, and our very own Khalid-Saab paid a glowing tribute to the ‘Naram’ Garam . And that set me thinking about the various sensitive roles that Dharam paaji did, especially in the first phase of his illustrious career. Of course, Satyakaam would take the honors for being his most sensitive performance, but films like Anpadh, Bandini, Kaajal and Anupama , among many others, would also vie for an... 

Kasba is one the two most accessible movies of Kumar Shahani , the other one being Tarang (1984) . Based on the short story ‘ In the Gully’ by Anton Chekhov , the movie was co-written by Bhisham Sahni , Gulzar and Fareeda Mehta . It has Manohar Singh , Mita Vasisht , Shatrughan Sinha and Raghuvir Yadav in the lead. The film contains various themes in its narration. Maniram does illegal business with the help of his daughter-in-law Tejo.... 

M. S. Subbulakshmi I have some memories associated with my old VHS tape of the 1947 Hindi version of the 1945 Tamil film Meera that is synonymous with M. S. Subbulakshmi (1916-2004). The year was 1991. Rajiv Gandhi had been assassinated on May 21. Sometime in the next couple of days or so, Doordarshan, in a gesture of magnanimity reserved for such somber occasions, paid homage to the departed soul by screening Chandraprabha Cinetone’s Hindi... 

Note: This post contains some spoilers! François Truffaut once said “In love, women are professionals, men are amateurs”. This is the most succinct way to describe his 1962 classic “Jules et Jim”. As the title suggests, it is the story of the friendship between two diversely different men despite the alliteration – one is a German, the other is French; one is a hermit, the other a lover. Throw into their midst a famously moody and... 

Xi from The Gods must be crazy Raindrops, raindrops fall upon my window Sparkle of the leaves of the thirsty apple tree Raindrops, raindrops down the hill and through the meadow No time to stop on the journey to the sea   A leisurely and loving look at life can bring a smile that can last a long, long time, and that affects us more deeply than the loudest guffaw. Raindrops at the end of a cooling rain that paints the landscape green can create... 

Chetan Anand showed a brave attempt by making Aakhri Khat . He tried to set different boundaries with this film. He had a 15 months old toddler as the lead actor in his film and elder actors had supporting roles in a story revolving around the kid. Aakhri Khat reveals that cinema can be so powerful that it may force an audience to wriggle to …  Read More →