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In this new addition to the great This day That Year feature series, Subhash K Jha turns the focus on Singh Is Kinng which released 17-years-ago and is part of the great Anees Bazmee-Vipul Shah fall out.

This is the appetizing Punjabi thali which could have had several spinoffs, except for the fact that the director Anees Bazmee had a noisy fallout, leaving the Singh without the King, so to speak.

Crocodile Pug-Dundee, anybody?

Dunno if Singh is king with 2 ‘n’s or not. But he sure is entertaining. Damn entertaining. This film is one of those feasts of flurry that leave the on-the-run characters and the audience breathless.

As the ‘happy-go-looking’ Happy Singh who leaves his village in Punjab to look for a colleague who has disappeared into Australia, Akshay is a revelation. He’s strong and vulnerable, funny and tragic. He’s Chaplin and Jim Carrey rolled into one.

Talking about the ‘Parallel Cinema’ movement in India, Govind Nihalani is considered a stalwart, with films like ‘Aakrosh‘, ‘Tamas‘, ‘Party‘, and ‘Droh Kaal‘ in his oeuvre. But his 1983 film ‘Ardh Satya‘ is perhaps his most celebrated work.

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Depicting the harsh truths of contemporary Indian society, the ‘Parallel Cinema’ movement became a staple for raising voices against societal oppression and telling the stories of people on the fringe. Nihalani’s previous film ‘Aakrosh’ portrays this profoundly, where the oppression of tribals and lower castes is depicted in an unfiltered way. It also showcases his anguish at the apathy of the well-to-do middle class, who refuse to take a stand and slowly succumb to a complacent lifestyle.

‘Ardh Satya’ broadens this central theme through the psychological exploration of its protagonist, Anant Welankar. Coming from a typical Indian patriarchal family, he is forced to...

Mrunal Thakur’s Journey: From TV Beginnings To Earning ₹5 Crore For Son of Sardaar 2 ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

The transition of actor Mrunal Thakur from Television to one of the most sought-after actresses in Bollywood is awe-inspiring. Mrunal who started her career from the small screen with TV serials became a household name for her grounded nature and strong performances in films.

Her introduction to B-Town happened in the film ‘Super 30’, opposite Hrithik Roshan, but it was the pan-India craze, especially after ‘Sita Ramam’, which pushed her to a different league. Today, her fees go up to as high as Rs. 5 crore per project and this proves that she is not only gaining popularity proves that the industry has faith in her talent.

A Bollywood Success With Super 30 And A Breakthrough With ‘Sita Ramam’

Mrunal made her Bollywood success with ‘Super 30’ back in 2019. While her film salary was not revealed,...

Shweta Tiwari Remembers Shooting Illogical Soap Opera Twists, From Bar Dancer Doubles To Random Deaths, All For TRPs(Photo Credit –Instagram)

Shweta Tiwari is one of the most talented actresses in the television industry. She is popularly known for her roles in Kasautii Zindagi Kay, Main Hoon Aparjita, and Begusarai among others. As Smriti Irani returns as Tulsi in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, let’s look back at the time when Shweta Tiwari opened up on TV being illogical. Read on to know more.

Shweta Tiwari Shared Her Views On Unbelievable Twists And Turns

In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, Shweta shared her views on unexpected twists and turns in daily soaps. Talking about her experience while shooting for popular serial Kasautii Zindagi Ki, she shared, “We used to have episodes for the entire week ready. Suddenly, one day we reached the set, and we were informed we are shooting tomorrow’s telecast.

Shoojit Recalled Vicky Donor Casting Journey (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Shoojit Sircar is one of the finest filmmakers of Bollywood. His notable films include Piku, Vicky Donor, and Gulabo Sitabo, among others. Actor Ayushmann Khurrana marked his Bollywood debut with Vicky Donor alongside Yami Gautam. However, did you know that neither Ayushmann Khurrana nor Annu Kapoor were Shoojit Sircar’s first choice? Read on to know more.

Shoojit Sircar Opened Up On The Casting Process

In an interview with Unfiltered with Samdish, Shoojit shared some interesting insights into the casting process of his film Vicky Donor. He shared, “I went to an A-lister actor before Ayushmann Khurrana with the film. I wouldn’t take names because professionally it’s not good to do so. He laughed and said no, reasoning that it’s mainstream. In fact, I went to one more and got the same reaction. If something like this happens a lot,...

Which Indian Star Has The Most Number Of National Award For Best Actor? (Photo Credit – Instagram)

When it comes to India’s most iconic actors, names such as Kamal Haasan, Ajay Devgn, and Shah Rukh Khan tend to feature prominently at the top. All of these stars are widely recognized for giving powerhouse performances that command both audience affection and critical acclaim. Surprisingly, the Indian actor with the highest number of National Awards for Best Actor is not one of them. The historic feat belongs to the Shahenshah of Bollywood himself, Amitabh Bachchan.

Amitabh Bachchan’s Stellar National Awards Record

Amitabh Bachchan has received the National Film Award for Best Actor four times. This achievement makes him the highest awardee in this category in Indian cinema history. Moreover, he had many powerful roles throughout the course of his life that touched people. Here’s a quick look at his 4 National...

Subhash K Jha turns the focus on Naseeruddin Shah’s directorial debut, 2006’s Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota in another feature in his This Day That Year series.

Naseeruddin Shah’s only directorial Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota which completed ninteen years on July 21, was a sensitive film that climaxed at the Twin Towers. It was such a nightmarish experience for Naseer he swore never to direct again.

In an interview with this writer on the eve of the film’s release, Naseer answered questions on why he chose direction so late in his life. “For the simple reason that it didn’t seem right earlier on. I remember myself as a typical kid with dreams of directing a film starring myself. I had some ideas at 19, which I’d still like to direct. But I never wanted to become a filmmaker earlier. I only wanted to act. I had no statements to make,...

Nikita Roy Movie Review Rating:

Star Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Arjun Rampal, Suhail Nayyar, Paresh Rawal

Director: Kussh S. Sinha

Nikita Roy Movie Review: Kussh S. Sinha Delivers A Terrific Thriller As A Debut Director (Photo Credit –YouTube)

What’s Good: Superb mounting and terrific performances from Sonakshi Sinha and Paresh Rawal.

What’s Bad: Nothing bad, but the denouement may be a shade tough to comprehend.

Loo Break: Not at all!

Watch or Not?: Yes!!

Language: Hindi

Available On: Theatrical release

Runtime: 114 Minutes

User Rating:

Indians have now made many countries their home, and this story is thus based in London, where siblings Sanal Roy (Arjun Rampal) and Nikita (Sonakshi Sinha) live in a society that promotes rationalism and discourages (with evidence) superstitions and blind and irrational beliefs.

Sanal is bent on exposing a ‘spiritual’ leader named Amardev (Paresh Rawal) who has a great following, but soon begins to...

The Ghazi Attack Is the Kay Kay Menon War Film You Need to Watch Before Special Ops 2 Premieres (Photo Credit – YouTube)

The next chapter in Neeraj Pandey’s gripping espionage thriller series, Special Ops 2, is all set to premiere on Jio Hotstar on July 18, 2025. Starring the ever-dependable Kay Kay Menon as the sharp-witted Himmat Singh, the sequel promises high-stakes action and intense drama.

Over the years, the accomplished actor has delivered powerful performances in acclaimed titles like The Railway Men, Haider, Shaurya, Gulal, and Black Friday. But a few of his standout roles have flown under the radar, and one of them definitely deserves your attention right now. We are talking about the 2017 underwater war drama The Ghazi Attack. Read on to find out what the film is all about and where you can watch it online.

The Ghazi Attack – Plot & Cast

Directed by Sankalp Reddy and inspired by real events,...

10 Years Of Bajrangi Bhaijaan(Photo Credit –Jio Hotstar)

Kabir Khan’s critically acclaimed 2015 comedy-drama Bajrangi Bhaijaan is widely regarded as one of Salman Khan’s finest performances and among his most beloved films. As the movie completes ten years today, here’s a surprising bit of trivia: before Salman took on the now-iconic role of Pawan Chaturvedi, the film was reportedly offered to another top Bollywood star. Can you guess who he was? Read on to find out.

The Bollywood Superstar Who Could’ve Starred In Bajrangi Bhaijaan

According to an earlier report by India TV, the role in Bajrangi Bhaijaan was initially offered to Bollywood’s Greek God, Hrithik Roshan. The report reveals that Baahubali helmer S.S. Rajamouli approached eminent filmmaker Rakesh Roshan with the film’s script and wanted Hrithik Roshan to play the lead role. However, things didn’t move forward due to disagreements over the script’s asking price.

These 10 Bollywood Box Office Bombs Deserve The Top Spot In Your Ott Watchlist! (Photo Credit – Instagram/Instagram)

Some movies smash box office records in every film industry regardless of what critics say. But some well-made films somehow go unnoticed by audiences and quietly slip under the radar. In Bollywood too, several such gems didn’t draw crowds to theatres in a big way despite their merits. We’ve compiled a list of ten overlooked Hindi films that deserved more love at the box office, but absolutely deserve a spot on your Ott watchlist. Read on to see how many you’ve missed.

1. Maidaan (2024) Streaming On – Amazon Prime Video IMDb Rating – 7.9/10 Director – Amit Ravindernath Sharma Box Office Collection (India) – 54 Crores

Plot: Inspired by the incredible story of coach Syed Abdul Rahim (played by Ajay Devgn), who helped shape the golden era of Indian football during the 1950s and early 1960s. It...

Abhishek Bachchan, talks with Subhash K Jha, Exclusively, on his excellent film Shararat, featuring an incredible cast that included Amrish Puri, Mohnish Behl, Helen, Om Puri, Tinnu Anand, Daisy Irani, and Dara Singh Randhawa, which released in 2002, unfortunately opposite Devdas…

What do we do when a meritorious film is completely eclipsed by a mega-event in cinema? Devdas left little room for a small sensitive effort like Shararat to grow, let alone glow. The first and foremost reason why Shararat deserves a chance is for its ability to create a harmony between life and sorrow, death and laughter. The film evokes a nostalgic ache for the young and yet leaves us with a lingering affection for the old.

Gurudev Bhalla’s Shararat enters the bleak but brave world of the old and the dying. His admirable autumn sonata suffers a serious shararat (mischief) due to its untimely release. Sanjay Bhansali’s Devdas overpowers this big-little film,...

Sudhir Mishra’s films are intimate human dramas that illuminate the politics of everyday life and are affected by the forces of socio-political reactionism. His early cinematic creations tackled the rejection of the values, forms, performance modes, and the style of the mainstream, commercial cinema with privileged entertainment values, spectacular display, and melodrama. His out-of-the-box thought process has helped him to establish aesthetic conventions and modes of production of the Hindi film industry, and has also challenged the boundaries between what is alternative and mainstream.

What Sudhir Mishra created was a vision of cinema as an expressive art form, an inspirational form, and a sense of connectedness to a larger and serious international and niche national artistic enterprise that is motivated by the drive to know and represent the world adequately. His films did not shy away from expressing reality in its broadest sense, highlighting varied aesthetic forms, demonstrating, and...

Hindi cinema has often been accused of glamorizing provocative issues like stalking or assault, or non-consent in the name of love & love stories. The essence has enriched and changed over the years, but all was not lost even during the darkest times of Hindi cinema.

And the few films that I’m going to mention here have dealt with the emotion of love with utmost sincerity, respect, and sensitivity it deserves. These love stories might or might not be of the lead characters, but have lifted the spirit of the movie with immense dignity and passion. And I’m not even touching the wave of Parallel Cinema in the 70s & 80s that transported the Hindi movies to the shore of World Cinema. This list is mostly of commercial films driven by star power.

1. Chandravati & Rambharan Mahto

An annotation on the social & gender injustice, director Prakash Jha valiantly infused so many...

In another fabulous installment of This Day That Year, Subhash K Jha looks back at 2002’s Awara Paagal Deewana, the Vikram Bhatt directed comedy, which starred Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty, Aftab Shivdasani, Paresh Rawal, Johnny Lever, Preeti Jhangiani, Aarti Chhabria, Amrita Arora, and Rahul Dev.

What can we expect from a film that that has a triple indication of mental discrepancy in its title? A madcap, zany, kooky laughathon? We got it! Vikram Bhatt who successfully delivered a shiver-giver earlier the same year in Raaz, comes up with a clever and largely enjoyable adaptation of Jonathan Lyne’s The Whole Nine Yards.

The original wasn’t anything to write home about. But this Indianized adaptation with enough eccentric twists and turns to boggle the most accomplished contortionist’s wildest imagination, scores several points for its dead-on writing, above-average production values, unique action sequences and masterful performances.

Producer Firoz Nadiadwala who...

Subhash K Jha looks back at 21 Years Of Farhan Akhtar’s Lakshya, which starred Hrithik Roshan.

Here’s a rare, refreshing, pathbreaking film which is as noble in intent as it is in treatment. Intensely individualistic and pioneering in its fusion of a social conscience with fiction, Lakshya takes us to Kargil …slowly and deliberately. The pacing of the narration is so uniquely unhurried, you wonder if Farhan Akhtar is out on a sublime stroll through a picaresque highway where, like his aimless protagonist Karan, he can encounter anything at any point.

But you soon realize nothing is by chance in this film about finding one’s metier in life. Lakshya takes us through one man’s journey into finding a purpose in life. In doing so, the narration effortlessly finds its own centre. There are no full stops in the seamless narration. And yet the punctuation marks, like Hrithik’s subtly shaded,...

Sitaare Zameen Par & Panchayat Season 4 ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

R.S. Prasanna’s Sitaare Zameen Par, starring Aamir Khan, is all set for its theatrical release on June 20, 2025. Given the star power attached to the film, the buzz surrounding it is naturally high. However, the upcoming sports drama has surprisingly been outranked by a relatively lesser-known film without a star-studded cast. We are talking about the romantic drama Saiyaara, directed by Mohit Suri, featuring Aneet Padda and Ahaan Panday in the lead roles. Meanwhile, Panchayat Season 4, which generated immense buzz and fans are eyeing its release, has been dropped from IMDb’s Top 10 Most Anticipated Indian Movies and Shows list.

Panchayat Season 4 Missing From IMDb Top 10

The eagerly anticipated fourth season of Panchayat, which is scheduled to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on June 24, 2025, is nowhere to be found on the IMDb top ten list. Read on to find out which other...

3 Reasons Why Maa Is The Feminist Horror Film Bollywood Was Waiting For (Photo Credit – Instagram)

The trailer of the Kajol starrer supernatural film, Maa has managed to command the attention of the masses and how! The movie showcases the veteran actress playing a mother who is ready to lock horns with the supernatural forces to save her child. By the looks of it, the movie also explores the folklore of the Bengal-based supernatural force Daitya. Here are 3 reasons why we feel that the movie could be the hard-hitting intense feminist film that Bollywood was actually waiting for.

Kajol’s Performance

Trust Kajol to curate any magic with any project she is attached to. And Maa, seems to be no different. Her character battles it out with a demonized supernatural force that has seemingly targeted her child. The actress exudes the power, intensity, fire and also the vulnerability of a parent...

Sanjay Kapur Passes Away At 53! (Photo Credit – Instagram)

June 12 has been a tragic and exhausting day for the nation as everyone was stuck to their television sets, praying that someone survives the ghastly plane crash in Ahmedabad! However, actress Karisma Kapoor was struck with a personal tragedy the same day as she got the news of her ex-husband Sanjay Kapur’s passing away in London!

Sanjay, aged 53, passed away due to a heart attack during a polo match! After the news of his death broke, Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan rushed to Karisma Kapoor’s residence in Mumbai to pay their condolences.

Sanjay Kapur’s Cause Of Death

Reports suggest that Sanjay Kapur complained of chest pain and fell from his horse during a polo match. He was provided medical aid immediately, but could not survive. Later, it was reported that he swallowed a bee while playing, and it stung his food pipe,...

This Oscar-Nominated Movie Starring Om Puri & Tom Hanks Is Now Streaming On Ott! (Photo Credit – Prime Video)

Om Puri is widely regarded as one of the finest actors in Indian cinema. The late actor is known for his powerhouse performances in films like Ardh Satya, Maachis, Mirach Masala, Dhoop, Maqbool, and Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, to name a few. But not many know that the legendary actor once starred alongside Tom Hanks in an Oscar-nominated film.

Can you guess which movie? That film was Charlie Wilson’s War (2007), which featured Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, and Philip Seymour Hoffman in the lead roles. Read on to learn about the film’s plot, Om Puri’s role, and where you can stream it on Ott.

Charlie Wilson’s War: Plot

Directed by Mike Nichols and set in the 1980s, the political comedy-drama follows the incredible true story of U.S. Congressman Charlie Wilson...

Subhash K Jha looks again at Govind Nihalani’s vital exploration of the post-Godhra communal riots in Dev. The drama, which was released 21 years ago, featured an incredible cast that included Amitabh Bachchan, Om Puri, Fardeen Khan, and Kareena Kapoor. We also hear from Mr. Bachchan about the making of the film.

Perhaps the only political film of his career, Amitabh Bachchan sinks his teeth as a fence-sitting cop who gradually grows aware of the hydra-headed politics of communalism.

Speaking of the experience, Mr Bachchan said, “Govind Nihalaniji was a great all-rounder. From the direction and cinematography to the lunch on the sets, he takes care of it all. He always brings out a social reality through his cinema. He isn’t afraid to pick subjects that we only whisper about. Working with Govindji proved a revealing experience. Dev is a very powerful subject. It goes into a dark area...

In Govind Nihalani’s scathing Dev, Fardeen Khan’s face mirrors an enduring turmoil and conflict. His role as the disgruntled young Muslim echoes Hrithik Roshan in Khalid Mohamed’s Fiza. But the echoes are far more restrained and projected into a smaller circle. In a role that’s critically central to the dramatic conflict, Fardeen’s awkwardness goes very well with his conflicted character, though the accent remains more South Mumbai than downmarket Baroda.

For Fardeen Khan, Govind Nihalani’s Dev was a game changer. He said, “It was my third film with Kareena Kapoor, and it was she who recommended me for the role, and I will always be grateful to her for that.”

Having to work with a director of such stature and relevance was another new experience for Fardeen. The actor stated, “Being signed by the respected Govind Nihalani for a film with legends like Amitabh Bachchan...

In Govind Nihalani’s Dev, Om Puri was one of the most outspoken actors of the country, played Bad Cop, the communal law enforcer while Amitabh Bachchan played the Good Cop.

Never one to hide his anger and hurt, Om once surprised this writer by suddenly asking, “Why couldn’t Govind have cast me in (Amitabh) Bachchan saab’s role in Dev? I’ve the highest regard for Bachchan saab. I played his elder brother in Ravi Chopra’s Baabul, although I am eight years his junior. I did it for the pleasure of working with him for the first time.”

With Dev, which turned 21 years old on June 11, Om felt the situation was different. “I had done a major successful film Ardh Satya with Govind. But when he made a big-budgeted film (Dev) he went to Bachchan saab to play the protagonist. I was given the negative role of the corrupt cop.

Actor Gulshan Devaiah talks with Subhash K Jha about A Death In The Gunj which released eight years ago on June 2nd.

Gulshan, how do you look back on the experience of working in Konkona Sen Sharma’s directorial debut?

A Death In The Gunj is the only film of mine I absolutely loved upon first viewing. I saw the premiere during Mami in a packed Regal Cinema and I even forgot I was in it! Do you know Konkona initially offered me the part of another character Vikramjit?

Really? Then what happened?

To be honest I was actually quite interested in playing Vikramjit. But I knew that Konkona always had Ranvir Shorey in her mind for it, and they were separated by then. I told her that if they can find a way to work together, I’ll happily step aside because he was her first choice and they...

Subhash K Jha celebrates nine years of A Death In The Gunj Konkona Sen Sharma’s remarkable directorial debut.

It’s hard to define the mood of unrehearsed foreboding and a vague sense of doom that is built into Konkona Sen Sharma’s fragile yet ferocious family-on-a-disastrous-hillstation-holiday film.

If one didn’t know better, one would classify A Death In The Gunj as a whodunit. An Agatha Christie novel condensed into two hours of layered crisp crunchy but seemingly pointless conversations where families on a lazy vacation talk nonsense, play silly games evoking dead spirits (please!) while kids and pets run around in the large crumbling family home as the house-help grumbles about the sudden surge in domestic responsibilities.

It’s a familiar scenario for a tense exploration of fissures and fractures in the joint-family system. Ms Sen Sharma doesn’t miss a beat as her keen eye for detail...

Mani Ratnam’s Underrated Movie To Watch On Ott(Photo Credit –Wikimedia)

Celebrated Indian filmmaker Mani Ratnam is gearing up for his upcoming action-drama movie Thug Life, which features veteran actor Kamal Haasan in the lead. The eagerly anticipated movie is slated for a theatrical release on June 5, 2025. Until Thug Life hits the big screens, we recommend checking out these three underappreciated yet unmissable movies helmed by the Nayakan director on his birthday. You can stream these movies right now on Indian Ott platforms — and trust us, they’re well worth your time.

1. Dil Se.. Release Year – 1998 Streaming On – Amazon Prime Video & Netflix IMDb Rating: 7.5/10

Plot: The intense romantic thriller follows a radio broadcaster, Amar (Shah Rukh Khan), who falls in love with a mysterious woman named Meghna (Manisha Koirala). Though she remains emotionally distant, Amar becomes increasingly obsessed with her, not knowing about her true motives. When he is...

Before Thug Life, Watch These Underrated Kamal Haasan Movies Online (Photo Credit – Prime Video)

Legendary Indian actor Kamal Haasan is gearing up for his upcoming action-drama movie Thug Life, which has been directed by none other than Mani Ratnam. The eagerly anticipated movie is slated for a theatrical release on 5th June 2025. Thug Life marks the reunion of the iconic actor-director duo after more than 35 years, as their last film together was the cult crime drama Nayakan (1987).

Until Thug Life hits the big screens, we recommend watching these two lesser-known movies featuring Kamal Haasan that might have flown under your radar. You can stream these underrated gems on Indian Ott platforms. Read on to know which films we are talking about.

1. Mumbai Xpress Release Year – 2005 Streaming on – Amazon Prime Video & SonyLIV IMDb – 6 Director – Singeetam Srinivasa Rao Trending Nizharkudai Ott Release Date Update: When & Where To Watch Devayani’s Emotional Tamil...

When Ayesha Jhulka Opened Up About Being Replaced From This Dimple Kapadia Starrer Movie(Photo Credit – Sony Liv)

The sweet and supportive Anjali from Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander is etched in every 90s kid’s memory. It was beautifully portrayed by Ayesha Jhulka. It was her breakthrough film, and she starred opposite Aamir Khan. The actress once opened up about the struggles she faced in her early days in the industry. While opening up about it, she also revealed being replaced in a film starring Dimple Kapadia and Sunny Deol. Scroll below for the deets.

Jhulka was a prominent actress in the 1990s. She made her acting debut with the Telugu movie Meti Siddhartha and her Bollywood debut with Salman Khan‘s Kurbaan in 1991. It was a box office success. Despite that, she was reportedly replaced in a few films, including Narsimha, which starred Dimple and Sunny.

A few years...

Kangana Ranaut Stars In Hollywood Horror Debut ( Photo Credit – Instagram ) Kangana Ranaut’s Hollywood Debut Film

Maverick Indian actress Kangana Ranaut, who portrayed former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in her most recent film, Emergency, is now set to make her Hollywood debut, according to a recent report by Variety. The National Film Award-winning actress will reportedly play a leading role in an upcoming horror film titled ‘Blessed Be the Evil’ co-starring Sylvester Stallone’s daughter Scarlet Rose Stallone, who previously starred in her father’s critically acclaimed gangster drama series ‘Tulsa King’. Tyler Posey of Teen Wolf fame will also star in the movie. The film will be directed by Anurag Rudra, who has previously helmed another horror film, ‘New Me’.

Blessed Be the Evil – Plot & Filming Details

The film’s basic plot ostensibly revolves around a Christian couple who are trying to come to terms with a heartbreaking miscarriage...

Subhash K Jha spoke with the powerhouse performer Mita Vashisht about her experiences working on Govind Nihalani’s powerful drama Droh Kaal, which also featured Om Puri, Amrish Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, and Ila Arun.

Droh Kaal was an important film for your career?

Thirty years of Droh Kaal ! It is worth celebrating. It continues to resonate with our times. It is one of the most powerful and evocative films committed to principles of life and character. Droh Kaal also continues to be one of the most original scripts ever written. There is another unique aspect to Droh Kaal .

And what is that?

Normally, it is South Indian films which are remade into Hindi. But in this case, it was the other way around: Kamal Haasanji had taken the rights of Droh Kaal and made a Tamil film Kuruthipunal. And that, too, was successful.

Droh Kaal was your first significant lead,...

Paresh Rawal Accuses National Award Of “Lobbying” ( Photo Credit – Facebook )

Hera Pheri actor Paresh Rawal is one of the finest actors India is blessed with. He was honored with Padma Shri in 2014. The 69-year-old actor is currently grabbing headlines as he allegedly exposes the National Award, accusing it of “corruption” and “lobbying.” Scroll below to know all about his controversial statement.

Back in 2014, Paresh Rawal entered politics as he ran for the general elections from Ahmedabad East constituency. He won and became the Bjp MP. The actor now claims that he was made aware of the lobbying by a sitting Member of Parliament in Delhi.

In an interview with The Lallantop, Paresh Rawal began, “Mujhe Modi sahab ki government me nahi mila hai. 2013 me mila hai. Vo government ka award hai. National award ki main qadr karta hoon. National award me kabhi kabhi kya hota hai…technicalities – kisi ne bheji nahi thi film.

Subhash K Jha is back with another look back at films, with a This Day That Year installment, this time focussing on Govinda’s brother’s directorial, the odd tale told in Pyar Diwana Hota Hai, which released 23 Years ago.

Govinda’s brother Keerti Kumar directed his star-brother in seven films. Of them, Radha Ka Sangam in 1992 was an honourable misfire with some fabulous songs by Lata Mangeshkar.

Then there was Keerti’s Pyar Diwana Hota Hai, released in 2002 with its weird mixture of mirth and morbidity proved a nerve-wracking experience for the audience.

There are two main categories of films. Those that enlighten and those that entertain. Some do both, while the rest do none. Pyar Deewana Hota Hai…. falls in the none category. It’s a strange story about a small-town boy, Sundar (Govinda), in Mumbai, whose only mission in life is to get a girl to smile and speak to him.

Hansal Mehta has been a prominent filmmaker for over three decades, and some of his most well-known titles include Shahid, Aligarh, and The Buckingham Murders, among many other incredible films. He is also widely known for Scam 1992, a show that ranked third on the list of the IMDb Top 50 Most Popular Indian Web Series of All Time. Mehta recently curated a list of his all time favourite Indian male actors, listed alphabetically, exclusively on IMDb.

The list includes new actors, established stars, and yesteryear icons like Balraj Sahni, Dilip Kumar, Motilal, Om Puri, Sanjeev Kumar, Satish Kaushik, Shashi Kapoor, and Utpal Dutt.

Of course, the director has already worked with 10 of the actors, including Adarsh Gourav, Gagandev Riar, Manav Kaul, Manoj Bajpayee, Mithun Chakraborty, Nana Patekar, Naseeeruddin Shah, Pratik Gandhi, Rajkummar Rao, and Satish Kaushik.

This truly was a list that encompassed all the film industries in India. Along with the Hindi film actors,...

Looking back at Kamal Hasan’s Mumbai Express, talking with Subhash K Jha on the eve of release the actor said is a ‘triumph of writing’ as the comedy celebrates 30 years since it’s release. Calling it a joyous film, he revealed that the Tamil, Hindi, and Telugu versions were all shot simultaneously, plus so much more!

If you like Kamal Haasan’s timeless comedies, this one will make you scratch your head. The too-clever-for-its-own-good screenplay(written by Kamal Haasan) subverts the unorganized crime of kidnapping into an occasion of situational comedy.

But the humour never rises above the murmur of mirth created by the plot. Unlike Pushpak or Appu Raja, where the leading man’s mythic proportions as a cerebral hero of the masses were used to create protagonists who were rooted to a poignant ground reality, here efforts to locate the everyman-hero into a middle-class milieu are fully farce-sighted.

Reexaming Dilip Kumar’s film especially his last film, the misconceived Quila, which the actor said at the time he would like to forget, that released 27 years ago

The mythical Meena Kumari’s last film was not the timeless Pakeezah but an atrocity named Gomti Ke Kinare where she looked ill at ease, and not only for health reasons. And India’s biggest celluloid superstar Rajesh Khanna’s swan song was the terrible Riyaasat.

Hard to believe that Dilip Kumar’s career as an actor ended with Quila in 1998 …or did Dilip Kumar end his career prematurely because of Quila, a purported suspense thriller where everything that could possibly go wrong, did go wrong, leaving the Thespian’s farewell performance more than a tad misconceived.

Why did the great actor, perhaps the most accomplished actor in Indian cinema, agree to be part of a film so infuriatingly infantile? When I asked the Thespian this question,...

Subhash K Jha revisits the adaption of V.S. Naipaul’s novel Mystic Masseur, directed by Ismail Merchan, which was released in 2001. Om Puri’s thoughts on the film right after he returned from the location shoot in Trinidad are included in this special feature.

Ismail Merchant’s adaptation of V.S. Naipaul’s Mystic Masseur is no achievement. The ‘unfilmable’ novel is part of the immense Naipaulean vision of an existential conundrum where characters don’t mean to say what or who they are. But they are, period. No wonder the author denied permission to film any of his novels. Mystic Masseur was the first of his books, which the Nobel prize-winning V.S. Naipaul allowed to be filmed.

I’m sure Naipaul doesn’t regret his decision to let Merchant into the invaluable merchandise of his creativity. The film has turned out exactly how Naipaul would’ve wanted it to.

Check Out Our Exclusive Interview With The Diplomat Director Shivam Nair! (Photo Credit – YouTube)

The Diplomat director Shivam Nair shot to fame with the television serial Sea Hawks in the late 1990s. Like many directors who came from the small screen, including his close friends Neeraj Pandey, Sriram Raghavan, Imtiaz Ali, and Anurag Kashyap, Shivam took a while to make it to the big screen but has since made a distinct name for himself.

Ahista Ahista (2006) was his debut film, followed by the brilliant Maharathi (2008), produced by Paresh Rawal and based on a Gujarati play. The film did not perform well, primarily because it was released in the 26/11 week, and it took Shivam seven years to make his next, Bhaag Johnny, his first for T-Series.

Shivam Nair’s old friend, Neeraj, then called him to direct his spin on Baby, the 2017 Naam Shabana, after which they co-directed Special Ops, among...

Subhash K Jha revisits the drama Dirty Politics, which features Om Puri, Mallika Sherawat, Anupam Kher, Jackie Shroff, Naseeruddin Shah, and more as it completes 10 years.

In Dirty Politics, producer-director K C Bokadia’s dirty look at the filth in Indian politics is hopelessly outdated. This is the murky Machiavellian world of Prakash Jha’s politicians stuck in a time warp. Denuded of all intellectual sensibility. It harks back to the 1970s when netajis in our films were so caricatural they belonged to cartoons in vernacular newspapers.

Om Puri plays the lecherous politician with lip-smacking relish, like a diabetic man whose wife is away to her maike while he gorges on forbidden junk food.

This is junk food for the audience that believes cinema is about seductive heroines, lascivious villains, loud, over-punctuated background music, camera angles, and cinematography that seems to adhere to the gimmicky treatment, like an annoying, sniveling...

Starring Abhishek Bachchan, the incredible Delhi-6 directed by Rakesh Omprakash Mehra, released on On February 20th, 2009 also featured Waheeda Rehman, Sonam Kapoor, Aditi Rao Hydari, Rishi Kapoor, Supriya Pathak, Atul Kulkarni, Pavan Malhotra, Deepak Dobriyal, Divya Dutta, Vijay Raaz and Om Puri. Talking with Subhash K Jha, Abhishek shares some memories from the shoot, including how the cast and crew felt like a big family.

What do you remember of Delhi-6?

We were truly like one big family. Though it was a set, we felt it was home. None of us had his or her own makeup room. We all got ready together in the same room and got the hair, makeup, and wardrobe done together. And there was one makeup person. We also had one common dining room where we all had to sit together to eat. So, it was about building a bond beyond the screen. None of...

Masaba Gupta On Facing Racism (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Ace fashion designer Masaba Gupta opened up on facing racism while growing up and also shared how her mother, Neena Gupta, inhibited her from joining the industry due to her looks. Read on.

In an interview with Faye D’Souza for her YouTube channel, Masaba shared how she faced discrimination and body shaming as a child. She said, “I keep seeing how lighting plays such a big part in your appearance. There have been times when I have done a shoot where the lighting is slightly different, and I look a little bit more light-skinned than I am. And then people would say, ‘How is your skin so fair?’ It’s a skin tint I am showing people, and if I put a filter, my face will look blurred.”

Masaba further shared that since she launched her makeup brand, Lovechild, people have been very mean to her.

Om Puri was seen in a very unusual English-language film titled The Hangman directed by debutant Vishal Bhandari. Subhash K Jha looks back at the drama, which clocks 15 years on February 5th.

Said Om, “It’s about the turmoil of a hang-man. It’s a somber film about a man who doesn’t want his son to be a hangman. My son finally ends up in the gallows. We all know how tough it was for them to find a hangman for the recent execution of that boy for rape and murder in Kolkata. My character portrays the stress and drama of being in the most thankless job on this earth. It’s not an entertaining film by any means. But it’s a very powerful film.”

Om Puri, playing a character apparently inspired by real life, is in emotional form as the doting dreaming father of an earnest son who,...

The year 1980 was crucial for Naseeruddin Shah. It was the year when two of his career’s most decisive films, Saeed Mirza’s Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Aata Hai and Sai Paranjpye’s Sparsh, were released within months of each other. While in Mirza’s film, the indomitable Naseer played a very angry member of a minority community, in Sparsh, he again played an extremely marginalized character from another minority community. The community of the blind. Unlike Albert Pinto, who was perpetually angry, Anirudh Parmar in Sparsh loses his cool only when reminded of his physical specialness.

Back then, blindness was known as a handicap. And Anirudh, steeped in righteous pride, won’t bear with the ‘h’ word. What makes Sai Paranjpye’s Sparsh such a special film about a specially-abled character is Anirudh’s stubborn refusal to be slotted as a victim. So dogged is Anirudh in circumventing...

Akshay Kumar Rejected Maqbool, Making Way For Irrfan’s Glorious Debut! (Photo Credit – Instagram/YouTube)

It was in the year 2003, on the same day, that Bollywood witnessed one of its brightest stars finally arrive. It was the day when Indian Cinema celebrated Irrfan in his full glory, and one might thank Akshay Kumar for making this happen, the very moment he rejected Vishal Bhardwaj’s Maqbool!

The adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the tragedy film starred the Paan Singh Tomar actor along with Tabu in the lead along with Pankaj Kapur. The Dark Love Story was his debut film as a lead, but he was not the first choice for the role!

Akshay Kumar’s Miyan Maqbool

Maqbool was earlier titled Miyan Maqbool, and Vishal Bhardwaj approached Akshay Kumar to play the lead. However, the Sky Force actor rejected the film, citing a weak climax since he felt that the...

There are three heroes in Subhash Ghai’s Kisna: The Warrior Poet. Ashok Mehta’s cinematography, Ghai’s exquisite shot compositions, and Vivek Oberoi’s understated, rugged, and implosive performance. All three empower the film, which is an engrossing look at the British Raj with tenderness instead of rage.

Let’s turn the page, says the sage within Subhash Ghai. Let’s not look at our colonisers as vicious villains. Smoothly substituting vitriolic with vermilion, Ghai paints a landscape of valour, idealism and melodiousness that transport you into a realm of undulating and comforting rhythms that nature invented for man to savour as delicacies to nibble.

Nibble on, then, as Ghai transports us to the idyllic idealism of an era that’s gone with the wind. Sweeping with panoramic passion through a Himalayan landscape, he makes the narrative breathe the air of untouched, unspoilt characters surrendering themselves into the bosom of nature.

In his 30-year career as an actor Amrish Puri did over 200 films. In his early years, most of the work he did was either quality-oriented work for the avant-garde directors Shyam Benegal and Govind Nihalani or outright kitsch, where he used his powerful voice and screen presence to accentuate the cinematic definitions of evil. Puri’s truly fertile phase as Bollywood’s most dependable character-actor, or actor of character, began in 1992. Here’s a checklist of his best films.

Nishant (1975):Playing the eldest brother in a family of zaalim(cruel) zamindars who abduct and rape a schoolteacher’s wife, Amrish Puri struck a note of immediate and everlasting terror in viewers’ hearts. Though the film had other terrific actors it was Puri who dominated the show in every way possible. The role had apparently been written for the Bengali actor Utpal Dutt, who excelled at playing obdurate disciplinarians. Puri, too,...

Pioneering director with a vital role in India’s ‘parallel cinema’ movement who used his films to explore difficult issues

The Indian film-maker Shyam Benegal, who has died aged 90, was a pillar of the “parallel cinema” movement, the informal grouping of independently minded and funded creatives whose work stood in stark, socially committed contrast to the song-and-dance escapism of Bollywood.

Responding to real events and centred on marginalised characters (often women), Benegal’s breakthrough films of the 1970s rejected the cosmetic, crowd-pleasing approach of the Hindi mainstream. Yet they found an appreciative audience both at home and abroad, helping to make household names of such performers as Shabana Azmi, Om Puri and Naseeruddin Shah.

Dabangg is the story of a village cop, Chulbul ‘Robin Hood’ Pandey, who deals with corruption and the system according to his own moral compass. The film offers a glimpse into Chulbul’s romantic escapades and his strained relationship with his family, which the local politician Chedi Singh (Sonu Sood) cunningly exploits to his advantage.

When Dabangg first hit theaters in 2010, I couldn’t quite understand the hype surrounding it. It was madness—everyone seemed gaga over it. But why? It had ear-splitting sound effects, and most annoyingly, music that drowned out many of the one-liners delivered by the cast.

It was a spectacle of exaggerated fights and loud sounds, a film where Salman pandered to his audience by ripping his shirt off, driven by the sheer force of his rage. Of course, at the time, a Salman Khan film without a shirtless scene was unthinkable. Like most Hindi films,...

Singh Is Kinng Part 2 Will Not Happen Without Akshay Kumar! (Photo Credit – Prime Video/Instagram)

Akshay Kumar has starred in iconic films like Hera Pheri, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, and Welcome. Many of them are being revived by the makers. Producer Shailendra Singh recently announced that he is working on the sequel of Singh Is Kinng and plans to rope in a new actor for the leading role. But our Khiladi wasn’t very happy with the development. He has played his masterstroke to stop that from happening. Scroll below for the details!

In a recent interview, Shailendra Singh confirmed that he is working on Singh Is Kinng Part 2. He also shared his willingness to work with either Good Newwz actor Diljit Dosanjh or Simmba star Ranveer Singh. But Akshay isn’t letting any of his co-stars take away what is rightfully his! Although Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 is currently enjoying massive success,...

Singh Is Kinng 2 on the way with Ranveer Singh or Diljit Dosanjh? (Photo Credit – Amazon Prime Video/Instagram)

More than 16 years after the release of Singh Is Kinng, a sequel to the hit action comedy film is finally in the works. Producer Shailendra Singh, who has acquired the title’s rights from Akshay Kumar and producer Vipul A Shah, has confirmed that Singh Is Kinng 2 is officially developing.

However, the movie will not continue the journey of Akshay Kumar’s Happy Singh; instead, it will follow a new character. According to Shailendra, he plans to sign either Ranveer Singh or Diljit Dosanjh for the lead role. Producer Shailendra Singh Confirms Singh Is Kinng Sequel

In an interview with Midday, Shailendra Singh revealed that he wanted to make Singh Is Kinng 2 for years, but the rights had lied with Akshay Kumar and Vipul A Shah, who refused to let them go.

Sunny Deol Was Left Stunned When A Female Co-Star Slapped Him Hard( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Sunny Deol is one of the biggest stars in the Hindi film industry and has been in the industry for decades. He has an angry young man image and is known for his action-packed movies and some specific nuances. His dialogues from the film, like Gadar, are inscribed in his fans’ minds. He has this huge aura in the movies. Imagine shocking someone like him! Actors do not really hit their co-stars during a scene, but sometimes accidents happen, and something similar happened with Deol. Scroll below for the deets.

Besides being an accomplished actor, director, and producer, he was also a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha. He is the son of veteran actor Dharmendra and one of the highest-grossing actors in Indian cinema. The actor has worked in over ninety movies, winning...