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Tarun Majumdar: Friend of the Marginal Human Being! Tarun Majumdar, one of the most commercially successful filmmakers of mainstream “family” films, passed away in 2022 at the ripe old age of 91. With him, an entire era of films that consistently reasserted the Bengali, middle-class identity faded away completely. Of course, he had stopped making films due to age-related complications, but that does not detract from Bengali cinema, the numerous beautiful, mass-appeal films that had their hearts in the right place.

From the stories he drew from Bengali literature, through the wonderful music and songs that are hummable to this day, his films are a milestone carved in the history of Bengali cinema. Here I try to recollect seven of his outstanding films that have survived the ravages of time. Most of his leading heroes did not fit into the check box of the mainstream hero, though his films were entirely mainstream.

Subhash K Jha shines the spotlight on Neetu Singh on reel and in real in a birthday special feature.

Baby Neetu grew up to be one of India’s most vivacious actresses. The transition from the adorable little gamine in Do Kaliyan to the exuberant heart stealer in Khel Khel Mein was almost seamless. Very few child stars have graduated to adult roles so effortlessly.

One day Baby Neetu was doing a desi version of Walt Disney’s The Parent Trap. The next day she was all grown up dressed up in leather skirts and boots to play Randhir Kapoor’s costar in Rickshawalla. That’s the story of Neetu’s life. She just went with flow. As a child she was taken from one magazine office to another by her ambitious mother desiring that her overgrown baby be cast in an adult role at the earliest.

Baby Neetu had impressive credentials.

Subhash K Jha celebrates noted actor Raj Kumar by sharing a special playlist of some of his best musical sequences focussing not only on the performance by the actor, but also the brilliance of these songs.

1. ‘Neele gagan ke taley’ (Humraaz):

Raj Kumar’s rough-and-tough image often came in the way of his singing on screen. Not many know that this evergreen Mahendra Kapoor number was filmed on Raj Kumar. But he didn’t lip-sync it. It was placed in the background while Rk wooed the stoic Vimi. Weirdly Sunil Dutt who also had a macho image got to lip-sync several songs.

2. ‘Yeh duniya yeh mehfil’ (Heer Ranjha):

Thankfully, director Chetan Anand allowed Rk to lip-sync this Mohammad Raf-Madan Mohan memorabilia , with devastating impact. Heart-stopping thoughts on heartbreak.

3. ‘Hiya jarat raat din’ (Godaan):

It’s not everyday that an actor gets to lip-sync a song composed by...

Bollywood News: While many Bollywood actresses are known for their bold on-screen looks and glamorous appearances, there are a few who have always stood by their personal boundaries and values — one such name is Moushumi Chatterjee. The veteran actress, known for her strong screen presence and graceful charm, once found herself in tears after being asked to wear revealing clothes for a film shoot.

In a heartfelt revelation from an old interview, Moushumi shared how a particular costume on a film set left her deeply uncomfortable. The actress recalled being handed a backless blouse and a short ghaghra by the costume designer, and her immediate reaction was one of emotional breakdown.

“I felt completely exposed. It was as if I was naked,” Moushumi confessed. Unable to hold back her emotions, she started crying on set.

Saved by Support: Her Husband Stepped In

At a time when young actresses often felt...

Sanjay Dutt’s Khal Nayak To Get A Sequel ( Photo Credit – Instagram; Prime Video )

“Ji Haan, Main Hoon Khal Nayak” – Who can forget these iconic lines and that timeless badass title track from the Subhash Ghai directorial 1994 film Khal Nayak which starred Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit in the lead role? Hold your breath now because the sequel to the film has been finalized and it comes from the horse’s mouth itself. Ghai confirmed the happy news and hinted at the arrival of the movie’s sequel, albeit with a fresh cast.

Subhash Ghai Confirms The Khal Nayak Sequel

According to a news report in News 18, Subhash Ghai revealed in an interaction with the Times Of India that the script for Khal Nayak’s sequel has been finalized. Not only this but the team is now in the process of finalizing the cast and crew for the same. Speaking about the same,...

How Was Moushumi Chatterjee’s Equation With Her Industry Peers? (Photo Credit – YouTube)

Actress Moushumi Chatterjee recently appeared on The Ring with Filmfare and opened up about her exceptional journey in the Indian film industry. She reflected on the challenges of navigating fame, responding to strict societal expectations, and standing her ground in a male-dominated industry despite all odds.

Chatterjee also opened up about her equation with contemporaries during the conversation. Additionally, she remembered her initial days and revealed if she ever fell victim to industry politics. Continue scrolling to know more about her candid conversation!

Mousumi Chatterjee On Her Early Days In Bollywood

Rememebering her initial days in Bollywood, Chatterjee, who took the showbiz by storm as a teenager, said, “Back then, joining the film industry wasn’t easy, especially for a girl. I lived right next to a film studio, my parents were very strict but I had...

Turning the focus on Moushumi Chatterji, Subhash K Jha celebrates her career, along with inside the part stories from the actress about the roles she played and did not play, in this special feature.

Moushumi’s career began with Tarun Majumdar’s superhit Bengali film Balika Badhu. She was 19 at the time, but in this lovely story based on Rabindranath Tagore’s short work Samapti, she played a much younger child bride. Later, Jaya Bhaduri played the same role in Uphaar. In fact, Moushumi’s fate seems inextricably linked to Jaya’s.

Moushumi tells me that she was signed on to do Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Guddi, the 1970 film with which Jaya became an immediate and endurable cine icon. According to Moushumi, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, a family friend of her father-in-law singer-composer Hemant Mukherjee, saw her and immediately offered her Guddi. Thereafter, Moushumi had no idea what happened. Without her knowledge, the...

When Reena Roy Took Some Drastic Steps Owing To Her Crush On This Superstar (Photo Credit – Sony Liv)

People love watching movies, and they become fans of the actors. For some people, this obsession has become an obsession. Senior actress Reena Roy once spoke about her unflinching affection for this superstar, so much so that it made her take some drastic steps when she was younger and in school. Keep scrolling for the deets.

She was born Saira Ali and made her film debut as a teenager with Zaroorat, directed by Br Ishara. She gained fame with Jaise Ko Taisa and Zakhmee. After the blockbusters Nagin and Kalicharan, Reena is one of the top-tiered actresses in the Hindi film industry. After marrying the Pakistani cricketer Mohsin Khan, she left the country and settled there. However, after the divorce, she returned to India and acted in films again.

Reena Roy has...

Subhash K Jha, in this installment of Thus day that Year, revisits Aparna Sen’s The Japanese Wife as it touches 15 years since release.

This story of a long-distance ‘marriage’ between a Bengali bhadra-lok from rural Bengal, Snehamoy (Rahul Bose), and his Japanese pen-pal Miyage (Chigusa Takaku), suffers from an incurable disease known as Inherent Silliness. Based on a true story by Kunal Basu, this is the ultimate non-romance between two people who thoroughly deserve each other.

They’re both so annoying and outdated in their naivete, you see! The couple married to each other for over 15 years never meets and barely speaks to each other on the phone a few times. When Miyage falls ill in Japan, Snehamoy goes to the doctor in Kolkata with her medical reports. The doctor’s expression when he hears why the patient can’t come personally to be examined is exactly the way...

Indian film music has always and will always have a varied range of music to create and support the story being told onscreen. From ballads to heartstopping dramatic pieces to full-on dance party tracks, even mash-ups of all are also included to really set a scene, and they are devotional tracks. In this incredible feature in honor of Ram Navami, Subhash K Jha shares his lists some of the best Ram Bhajans and they are from films you might not have heard of. Read on, and then definitely watch and listen. Do not wait!

1. ‘Abb toh aao Dhanush ke Dhari’

(Lata Mangeshkar, Film: Bajrangbali, 1976):

This 1976 film featured Biswajeet as Sri Rama and Moushumi Chatterjee as Sita. Music composers Kalyanji-Anandji said to this writer that the challenge here was to compose songs in praise of Rama that sounded fresh and unheard. My pick is Lataji’s solo, where her plaintive...

Padma Khanna, a trained Kathak exponent who turns a year older on March 10, was a better dancer than all the other dancing stars of her era. She could sizzle in cabarets and mujras without ever looking vulgar. Many iconic songs of the dance genre in the Hindi films of the 1960s-1980s were filmed on her.

To begin with, she had a minor role in the Biswajit starrer Biwi Aur Makaan in 1966, where she was billed as ‘Kumari Padma’. The really big break was the bold striptease in Vijay Anand’s Johnny Mera Naam. The song ‘Husn ke lakhon rang aag hai yeh badan kaun sa ang dekhoge’, and her provocative but never obscene dance moves as she stripped down to a bikini in front of a drooling Premnath, placed Padma on the perch of the prancing pyramid.

The offers poured in. And Padma made sway while the song shined.

Actor Vinod Mehra who was who was born on February 13, 1945, and who passed at age 45 on October 30, 1990, was never an active advocate of his own talent. You would never hear this quiet, polite, affable actor talking about his own performances, let alone his turbulent personal life.

Unlucky in love and marriage, he married twice before settling down to a peaceful matrimony with Kiran Mehra. They had two years and two children together before he passed away suddenly in 1990.

Sadly, Vinod’s personal life made bigger headlines than his quiet, assured performance in a never-ending stream of films from 1955 when he made his debut as a child artiste. Vinod did eight films as a child. His debut as a leading man in Ek Thi Reeta was unremarkable. In an era when actors shouted to be heard, Vinod was the mute performer. His performances never screamed for attention.

He never felt threatened doing heroine-centric film.

International Father’s Day: Seven From Animal To Piku, Heartwarming Movies That Celebrate Fatherhood (Photo Credit – YouTube)

Fathers have always been celebrated in Bollywood films, whether they are severe, laid-back, have dad jokes up their sleeves, or work hard to help their children achieve their dreams.

B-wood films depict a diverse range of fathers, from those who will go to any length to secure their child’s pleasure (as in Paa and Masoom) to those who will do whatever to ensure their child’s happiness. Some of the best films to watch this Father’s Day primarily include:

1. Masoom

Shekhar Kapur’s film stars Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi as a married couple named Dk and Indu. When they discover that Dk has a son called Rahul from a previous relationship, their world changes. With an interesting story, this movie examines parenting via themes of love, forgiveness, and the bravery to start afresh.

Ravi Kishan Has Worked In A Lot Of Hindi Films & Faced Humiliation (Photo Credit –Facebook)

Ravi Kishan is currently in the news for three reasons. Firstly for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, secondly for his performance in the recently released film Laapataa Ladies, and finally for a woman allegedly claiming herself to be his second wife.

The superstar is one of the first and the biggest Bhojpuri stars in the country. In fact, his contribution to giving the language a solid voice in cinema is unparalleled. However, before turning into a Bhojpuri superstar, he was performing supporting characters in Hindi films.

One such film was Udhaar Ki Zindagi, which starred Kajol, Jeetendra, and Moushumi Chatterjee. The film had Ravi Kishan play a supporting role, and in one of his interviews with Siddharth Kannan, the actor recalled what happened to his paycheck from the film.

Trending “Ravi Kishan Is My Father,...

Ranjeet Opens Up About The Yesteryear Bollywood Parties. (Photo Credit – IMDb/Instagram)

Veteran Bollywood actor Ranjeet was a popular face in Hindi cinemas during the 70s and 80s. He mostly appeared in roles with negative shades. Besides working in Bollywood, he has also worked in several Punjabi movies. The actor was often showcased as an alcoholic on-screen owing to his villainous roles, but in reality, the veteran actor never had a drop of alcohol despite hosting several parties at his place. However, he recently revealed how the then-leading actors like Rajesh Khanna, Parveen Babi, and others partied back then.

He was born as Gopal Singh Bedi near Amritsar and has reportedly played villain in over 200 Hindi movies. He has appeared in films like Dharam Veer, Nagin, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Suhaag, The Burning Train, Namak Halaal, and more. He has also worked in multiple television shows throughout his career. The senior...

Taking a stroll down the memory lane, actress Moushumi Chatterjee has shared about her debut film ‘Balika Badhu’, recalling how she used to elope in between the shots from the set. The 1967 Bengali film ‘Balika Badhu’ is directed by Tarun Majumdar.

Talking about the shooting experience of her debut film, the senior actress said: “I debuted at a very young age. I was 12 years old when I did the Bengali film ‘Balika Badhu’. Initially, I was enjoying the lifestyle but later, I started getting bored, and I started eloping in between shots from the set (laughs). Then the funny thing was, with my dad’s permission, the production team used to lock me inside a glass room till my next shot sequence.”

“Even director Tarun Majumdar Saab, who is like a father figure, used to be anguished by my behavior on-set, and he ended up giving me a funny punishment...

As her film ‘Udhaar Ki Zindagi’ completed 29 years in the industry, actress Kajol revealed that it was a turning point in her career and life as she realised that she was burnt out and had given too much of herself into work; so she decided to take a break.

Kajol took to X where she shared a poster of the film, which released in 1994. It was directed by K.V. Raju.

She shared an anecdote and wrote: “Today marks 29 years of Udhaar ki Zindagi and no it didn’t have any short forms for its name. It kind of just passed by in most people’s memories, but for me it will always be a turning point in my career and my life.”

She added: “I was burnt out and I had given too much of myself away into work.. and I had to do something to change that. I took...

As her film ‘Udhaar Ki Zindagi’ completed 29 years in the industry, actress Kajol revealed that it was a turning point in her career and life as she realised that she was burnt out and had given too much of herself into work; so she decided to take a break.

Kajol took to X where she shared a poster of the film, which released in 1994. It was directed by K.V. Raju.

She shared an anecdote and wrote: “Today marks 29 years of Udhaar ki Zindagi and no it didn’t have any short forms for its name. It kind of just passed by in most people’s memories, but for me it will always be a turning point in my career and my life.”

She added: “I was burnt out and I had given too much of myself away into work.. and I had to do something to change that. I took...

New Delhi, Sep 3 (Ians) Veteran actress Moushumi Chatterjee fondly remembered the late Nutan, and shared an invaluable life lesson she gleaned from the iconic actress, saying the latter was the source of unparalleled inspiration.

Moushumi graced the stage of the dance reality show ‘India’s Best Dancer 3’ as the special guest.

The ‘Dance Ka Triple Dhamaal’ special episode promise a fusion of remarkable talents, as two contestants unite with a choreographer to stun one and all with captivating performances.

One of the standout moments of the episode unfolds during host Jay Bhanushali’s engaging session with Moushumi.

Speaking of her profound admiration for Nutan, Moushumi shared: “Nutan Ji, as a guru devi and a source of unparalleled inspiration, possessed an extraordinary aura. Beyond her impeccable make-up, she embodied the essence of a true artist.”

“From her era-defining roles alongside Kishor Kumar ji to her timeless performance in ‘Saraswati Chandra,’ she was a complete actress.

New Delhi, Sep 1 (Ians) Veteran actress Moushumi Chatterjee heaped praise on the heartwarming tribute to Isro, and the success of ‘Chandrayaan 3’ by contestants of ‘India’s Best Dancer 3’, saying a lesson that we should learn from this mission is to never lose hope.

‘India’s Best Dancer 3’ is all set to unleash a weekend of unparalleled entertainment with its much-anticipated ‘Dance Ka Triple Dhamaal’ special. The episodes promise a fusion of remarkable talents, as two contestants unite with a choreographer to stun the audience with captivating performances.

This episode is the contestants’ final opportunity to secure their spot in the coveted Top 8 and they must impress judges, Geeta Kapur and Terence Lewis to achieve this feat. Moushumi will grace the stage as a special guest for this enthralling episode.

A stand-out moment of the evening is the tribute to Isro by contestants Vipul Khandpal and Samarpan Lama, along choreographer Pankaj Thapa.

Mumbai, July 1 (Ians) Veteran actresses Moushumi Chatterjee and Reena Roy will be seen in the upcoming episode of the comedy show ‘The Kapil Sharma Show’. The two will share stories from Bollywood’s golden era.

In one of the stories, Reena will be seen sharing that she was infatuated with Bollywood’s first superstar Rajesh Khanna, and she used to skip her classes to gather with her friends outside his house to catch a glimpse of him.

During a fun banter with host Kapil Sharma, Reena Roy will share how she ended up working with her crush.

The veteran actress will share: “As a child, I had immense love for Rajesh Khanna’s movies, and my infatuation drove me to take some drastic measures. Instead of going to school, I would skip classes to gather with my friends outside his house, hoping to catch a brief glimpse of him.”

She...

A Delhi court on Friday issued a notice to Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s brother-in-law and actor Ayush Sharma, producer K. K. Radhamohan and South Indian actor Jagpathi Babu after hearing a plea against their upcoming movie ‘Ruslaan’.

Satyabrata Panda, Additional District Judge, Patiala House Court, while hearing the plea, issued a notice to all the defendants and asked them to file a reply within one week.

The matter has been further listed for hearing on June 9.

Social activist Jagdish Sharma and actor Raajveer Sharma, through their lawyer Rudra Vikram Singh, had filed an injunction suit to stop the release of ‘Ruslaan’, produced by Radhamohan.

Ayush Sharma is playing the lead role in the movie.

It has been alleged that ‘Ruslaan’ is a copy of the original 2009 movie ‘Ruslaan’ produced by Jagdish Sharma in which Raajveer Sharma was the lead actor.

The plea claimed that the dialogues and story of...

Salman Khan’s brother-in-law Aayush Sharma and producer K K Radhamohan have been served a legal notice for using the title ‘Ruslaan’ for their upcoming movie. The notice claims that a movie with the same title was released in 2009 and that the use of the title ‘Ruslaan’ for the upcoming movie could have legal consequences.

Rajveer Sharma, who played the lead role in the 2009 movie ‘Ruslan’, has sent the notice through his advocate Rudra Vikram Singh. The notice also demands that Sharma and Radhamohan refrain from using any dialogues or stories from the original movie.

The trailer for Aayush Sharma’s movie starring Telugu superstar Jagapathi Babu and Sushri Mishra was released on April 21. According to sources, the movie is set to be released in theaters soon.

The 2009 movie ‘Ruslan’ also starred Megha Chatterjee, the daughter of Moushumi Chatterjee, in the lead role.

The legal notice has created a hurdle...

It is often heard that it is very difficult for actors coming from outside Bollywood to make a place here, but some people not only make their mark on the basis of their talent but also make a special dominance in Bollywood. One such actor is actor Raajveer Sharma. Who made his acting debut with ‘Rang De Basanti’ and then played the lead in ‘Ruslaan’. Moushumi Chatterjee’s daughter Megha was in the lead with Raajveer Sharma in this film.

Actor Raajveer Sharma’s performance in this film was highly praised, he also received many honours in the field of acting. But to handle the family business, he took a break from acting.

Recently, actor Raajveer Sharma was encouraged by his special friends, actors Darshan Kumar and Gurmeet Chowdhary, to try his hand again in the field of acting, after which Raajveer Sharma also constantly came in contact with his...

In his super-prolific career Rishi Kapoor did a lot of junk films. The movies were rancid in their demerits. But Rishi was never short of a miracle even in the films that insulted his incredible talent. Try these, and you’ll know what I mean.

1.Zehreela Insaan (1974): Right after the gentle romance of Bobby, Rishi Kapoor pasted a mean moustache on his face and played a grey character, a rebel without a cause who can only be tamed by his beloved Masterji, played by Pran who played Rishi’s stern father in Bobby. Rishi falls in love with two women.The first played by Moushumi Chatterjee is forcibly married to a shady man. She ends up a sex worker. Watch Rishi face when he meets her many years later and she tells him her story in the unbearably poignant Lata Mangeshkar song Arrey suno kahani…. This was the first...

It was a night to remember as Shemaroo Entertainment Limited launched its unique show Aur Ek Kahani to celebrate Bollywood?s golden era with iconic Bollywood legends from the classic era occupying the stage.

The stage was brimming with profound nostalgic memories of the stories behind Bollywood evergreen classics haunting one after the another as the stage got occupied with living legends like Nimmi, Kamini Kaushal (last scene in Kabir Singh),?Biswajit Chatterjee, Bindu (popular vamp of the golden era),?Moushumi Chatterjee, Prem Chopra, Jeetendra, Jaya Prada, Subash Ghai, Poonam Dhillon, Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi, Anandji ( from the Kalyan Ji Anandji duo), Pyarelalji (from the Laxmikanth Pyarelal duo), Satish Kaushik and last but not the least the iconic radio announcer Ameen Sayani. All the legends shared the stage with ace trade analyst Komal Nahata last night.

To revisit the golden era again and celebrate the magic of Hindi cinema, ShemarooMe...

Reliance Home Video & Games, in association with Msm Motion Pictures, Saraswati Entertainment and Rising Sun Films released one of 2015’s biggest hits, Shoojit Sircar’s family comedy drama, Piku: Motion Se Hi Emotion on the Home Video format.

The well-attended launch function was held at Crossword located in the suburb of Juhu, Mumbai.

Vivek Krishnani, Senior Vice President, Revenue & Marketing, Msm Motion Pictures kick started the event welcoming everyone. As a Studio that backed Shoojit Sircar’s heartwarming tale, he said, “Piku is a really special film for us and this DVD release will give people an opportunity to bring ‘Piku’ in to their lives once again and relieve this journey many times over”

Sweta Agnihotri, COO, Reliance Home Video & Games, said “Reliance Home Video and Games are pleased to bring the much celebrated ‘Piku’ to Indian audiences. Shoojit’s insightful view of a modern day Indian family is...

Wanna know who is the 'hero' of Moushumi Chatterjee's life, the Bengali beauty, who ruled the 70's with hit films like Anuraag, Roti, Kapada Aur Makaan, Benaam, Kachche Dhaage, Angoor etc. Recently she shared screen space with Amitabh Bachchan in her come back vehicle Piku.

Well, frankly speaking for every married woman it is her husband, who is her 'Hero' but for Moushumi Chatterjee it was her father-in-law Hemant Kumar, the famous singer, music director and filmmaker because besides playing the role of a godfather in shaping her career in films both Bengal and Bollywood, he taught her the urbane living style of Mumbai when young Moushumi Chatterjee (who just 15 years) married his son and came to Mumbai.

In an interview Moushumi Chatterjee candidly confessed, "My 'Hero' is none other but my father-in-law, whom, I fondly called 'Baba' (Hemant Kumar)."

She informed, "Actually it was Baba,...

The festival returns this month for its sixth edition. Every year Liff aims to bring audiences some of the very best new Indian independent cinema, which includes features, documentaries and short films by both acclaimed and emerging filmmakers. This year’s line up promises to leave you entertained, informed, thought provoking and even in some cases leaving a screen shocked.

We now present the films that will be screened at this prestigious festival

Umrika | Opening Night | UK Premiere | cert 12A

Hindi with English subtitles | 98 min | India 2015 | Dir. Prashant Nair | with: Suraj Sharma, Tony Revolori, Adil Hussain, Smita Tambe, Prateik Babbar.

This year’s Sundance Audience Award winner is an uplifting, rights of passage tale about two brothers from a small village who have dreams of making it big in Umrika (America). Udai (Pratiek Babbar) is the eldest and adored by his hard-working mum. He leaves their hamlet on a bullock...

We all have seen the Bollywood industry evolve in every way. With time, the actresses have got equal importance and screen space in movies. Not only that, the year 2014 broke the stereotype about women-centric films performing well at the box office.

Many actresses took risks; be it Kangana Ranaut doing a Queen, Anushka Sharma doing a NH10 or Priyanka Chopra doing a Mary Kom. When asked Deepika if Bollywood's outlook towards heroines has changed with the course of time, she said, "Definitely. And I think it's a very exciting time for the movies right now. Like I mentioned earlier, in terms of the scripts that are being written, the kind of risks that the director are taking or the kind of paths that the women are being offered, at least for me, I can say that it is a very exciting time for me in my career."

Deepika, who was last seen in Piku,...

Yesteryear Bollywood actress Moushumi Chatterjee, who was recently seen in the Bollywood film Piku was welcome back to work by Rishi Kapoor.

He got onto a microblogging site to write, "Thank you Moushami! Mad, crackpot, childlike actor but on camera, cried without external help. Tough! Welcome back to work!"

These were some really sweet words!

Piku also starred Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Irrfan, Jisshu Sengupta and others. Directed by Shoojit Sircar and produced by Ronnie Lahiri, the film released on 8th May, 2015.

Relationships are complicated things. Real relationships are emotionally exploitative, and we are sometimes the exploited and sometimes the exploiter. The regular commercial films don’t (or can’t afford to) have insights like these. It is the slice of life films like Piku that show us how the relationships that suffocate us can also be the ones that mean the most to us.

So we have the perpetually irritable Piku (Deepika Padukone) whose hypochondriac father Bhaskor (Amitabh Bachchan) is obsessed with his bowel movements. A difficult man to live with, he is nonetheless the centre of Piku’s universe. Into this not-so-cozy family enters Rana (Irrfan), the taxi stand owner who volunteers to drive Piku and Bhaskor to Kolkata after all his drivers refuse to drive the constantly bickering father-daughter duo. He observes them and begins to understand Piku’s frustrations.

It’s all about loving your parents but not the Karan Johar way.

Director: Shoojit Sircar Screenwriter: Juhi Chaturvedi Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Irrfan Khan, Moushami Chatterji, Raghuvir Yadav, Jishu Sengupta Running time: 123 mins Certificate: PG

Beautifully capturing a slice of ordinary life, Piku tells a universal story of the shifting dynamics between parent and child. Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone and Irrfan Khan are united on a road journey, in this heart-warming tale of familial love that never once loses its way.

Piku (Deepika Padukone) is a working woman, balancing the demands of her career as an architect with caring for her 70-year-old, hypochondriac father Bhashkor Banerjee (Amitabh Bachchan) and indulging his daily obsession with his bowel movements. When they embark on an impromptu road trip to Kolkata, Rana (Irrfan Khan) - the owner of a taxi firm and the only person willing to put up with the temperamental pair – becomes unwittingly embroiled in the volatile father-daughter relationship.

With a tenuous plot,...

He has played the good guy and the bad guy, but it’s not often that you get to see Irrfan Khan play a romantic lead in a film. But the actor has surprised everyone with Piku and he is glad that director Shoojit Sircar offered him the romantic role opposite Deepika Padukone as their love story is made up of endearing moments and gestures.

Irrfan plays the role of Rana Chaudhary, who runs a cab service in Delhi and that’s how he comes in Piku and her father’s life. The actor said the movie, slated to hit the screens on May 8, was an emotional but fun ride for him, Deepika and Amitabh Bachchan. “It is a very entertaining and engaging film and love is a very important part of this story. It was Shoojit’s trust in me that he gave me a romantic lead. I was...

Amitabh Bachchan, the superstar of the millennium; Deepika Padukone, India’s numero uno actress; and Irrfan Khan, Bollywood’s best export ever to the West, have come together for Shoojit Sircar’s family comedy drama Piku, that releases in cinemas worldwide on 8th May 2015. Produced by Msm Motion Pictures, Rising Sun Films and Saraswati Entertainment, Piku is being distributed worldwide by Yash Raj Films Pvt. Ltd.

A fresh and ingenious comedy-drama that trails an extraordinary yet very quirky father-daughter relationship, Piku will charm cinemagoers of all ages and is sure to be lauded by cineastes and critics alike. One of India’s most versatile directors, Shoojit Sircar, leads cross-generational audiences on a cinematic journey that represents original, Indian cinema at its most accomplished. Beautifully conveyed onscreen and balancing emotion with breezy humour, Piku is this summer’s must-watch movie.

Among the industry’s most celebrated artists, Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone...

Before your imagination starts running wild let us put it straight that we are not referring to any movie or endorsement. Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has a humorous side too and can easily tickle our funny bones.

He got onto a microblogging site and wrote that a star's standings is measured by a fruit juice shop in Delhi which had his photo for many years and then it got replaced by Srk, Salman and Akshay.

"Star standings gauge - a fruit juice shop in Delhi. For many years had my pic on name banner .. then Srk, now Salman and Akshay,!!" Big B wrote.

Big B will next be seen in the upcoming Bollywood film Piku which also stars Deepika Padukone, Irrfan Khan, Jishu Sengupta, Moushumi Chatterjee and others. Directed by Shoojit Sircar and produced by Ronnie Lahiri, Piku is set to release on 8th May, 2015.

The eighth season of the Indian Premier League has begun and people seem to be enjoying it just like the previous seasons. It isn't a hidden fact that Indians are die-hard cricket fans and Bollywood movies releasing during the Ipl season have suffered. During the initial seasons, there were not many releases during the tournament, but now there are around nine movies releasing. Here is a list of the Bollywood films releasing during the Ipl season, check them out...

Ek Paheli Leela and Dharam Sankat Mein

Both the films Ek Paheli Leela and Dharam Sankat Mein release today i.e the 10th April, 2015.

Ek Paheli Leela stars Sunny Leone, Jay Bhanushali, Rajniesh Duggal, Mohit Ahlawat, Jas Arora, Rahul Dev and others is directed by Bobby Khan and produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Ahmed Khan and Shaira Khan.

Dharam Sankat Mein stars Paresh Rawal, Naseeruddin Shah, Annu Kapoor, Murli Sharma and others.

After Aarakshan, we will see actress Deepika Padukone playing the role of Amitabh Bachchan's daughter once again in the upcoming Shoojit Sircar directorial Piku. This family drama is extensively shot in Kolkata and has recently completed its shoot schedule.

Amitabh Bachchan who has shot previously with the actress expressed his sorrow when he had to part ways with his co-stars after the end of the shoot. Recently, when the megastar came across Deepika Padukone and his yet another co-star from the film Irrfan Khan at an event, Amitabh reminisced about the days of the shoot and took to Twitter to mention about it. He said, "And meeting up with the lovely Deepika and the talented Irfan .. wanted to start shooting again for 'Piku' .. but its all over !"

Produced by Msm Motion Pictures, Piku also stars Moushumi Chatterjee, Jishu Sengupta and we will also see Pizza 3D actor Akshay Oberoi in a cameo.

By Rima Bhatia and Stacey Yount

With big stars, great directors, romance, dance, drama and thrills, it certainly looks as if 2015 is going to be a fabulous year at the movies! Being the Bollywood fans that we are, we all had a list of movies we were looking forward to seeing this year. We started off at 10 but then kept thinking ‘oh wait this movie’ and we have to add that, so check out the 25 films we can’t wait to see in 2015!

Shamitabh

Starring – Amitabh Bachchan, Dhanush, Akshara Haasan

Director – R Balki

Producer – Sunil Lulla, R Balki, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, R. K. Damani, Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Sunil Manchanda, Shobha Kapoor, Ekta Kapoor and Dhanush

Music – Ilaiyaraaja

Release Date – February 6th

Scripted and directed by R. Balki and featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Dhanush and Akshara Haasan in her debut, Shamitabh has been in the news since August 2013 when initial reports on...

Deepika Padukone is currently working on her next film Piku with Amitabh Bachchan and Irrfan Khan.

After learning Tamil for Chennai Express and a Maharashtrian accent for Happy New Year, Deepika will now learn Bengali for Piku. The actress did workshops with director Shoojit Sircar and also took help from Moushami Chatterjee.

Deepika said, “I’ve played a Tamilian in Chennai Express, a Gujarati in Ram Leela, Maharashtrian in Happy New Year, a Goan in Finding Fanny…and now a Bengali in Piku. Bengali is a soft and lovely language. It’s always fun to learn a new language and a different learning experience.”

The post Deepika learns Bengali for Piku appeared first on BollySpice.

The New York Indian Film Festival (Nyiff) announced the full lineup last night for their 14th year of celebrating independent, art house, alternate, and Diaspora films from/about/connected to the Indian subcontinent (May 5 – 10) at the SoHo Tiffin Junction. Dedicated to bringing these films to a New York audience, the festival will feature 34 screenings (23 narrative, 11 documentary) –all seen for the first time in New York City.

The festival highlights various cinemas of India’s different regions – Marathi, Bengali and two films from the Northeast. In addition the festival covers cinemas from the neighboring South Asian countries – four films by Pakistani filmmakers, two from Sri Lanka – a feature and a documentary, and one from Nepal.

The festival’s Marathi films include Postcard and multiple-award winning films Astu and Fandry. Directed by Nagraj Manjule, Fandry received rave reviews in India, winning the grand jury prize at the Mumbai Film Festival in October...

The New York Indian Film Festival (Nyiff) announced the Opening Night Gala film: Anurag Kashyap’s Ugly, a sensational tale of corruption, indifference, and systemic violence that begins when a 10-year-old daughter of an aspiring actor disappears.

The festival is widely recognized as the oldest, most prestigious Indian film festival in the United States, showcasing some of the greatest talents working in the diaspora. Celebrating its 14th year, Nyiff will run May 5 to 10 at a variety of prestigious New York City venues, including the Skirball Center for Performing Arts, where the opening and closing films are set to take place. The full line-up of screenings and events will be announced on April 8th, 2014.

Director Anurag Kashyap returns to Nyiff after closing the 2012 festival with his highly received film, Gangs Of Wasseypur, a two-part five-hour long drama that Hollywood Reporter declares “puts Tarantino in a corner with its cool command of cinematically-inspired and referenced violence,...

Kolkata, March 11: Veteran actress Moushumi Chatterjee Tuesday ended speculation about contesting the Lok Sabha elections on a Trinamool Congress ticket, and also said no to campaigning for candidates.

In 2004, Chatterjee had contested the Lok Sabha elections for the Congress from Kolkata North East constituency but lost to Communist Party of India-Marxist (Cpi-m) candidate Mohammed Salim.

Last week the actress met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat Nabanna, fuelling speculation that she was eyeing a ticket for the polls.

"I am not thinking of politics at the moment. Though.

Kolkata, Nov 17: Bollywood beauties Bipasha Basu, Sushmita Sen and Rani Mukherjee were among renowned women actresses felicitated Sunday at the 19th Kolkata International Film Festival which came to an end with a celebration of women's power.

Veteran actress Mousumi Chatterjee and leading Bengali film heroine Koel Mullick completed the list of "pancha kanya" (five daughters) feted by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the star-studded closing ceremony of the eight-day festival.

Before a packed Science City auditorium audience, Banerjee presented the actresses -- all of whom either reside or have their roots.

Recently the West Bengal Government announced to felicitate five actresses of Bengali origin at the 18 Annual Kolkata International Film Festival (Kiff). The actresses that would be honorued include Moushumi Chatterjee, Sushmita Sen, Rani Mukerji, Bipasha Basu, Konkona Sen Sharma. Truly these Bong beauties have played a pivotal role in Indian cinema and deserve appreciation. However, the first Bong beauty who made her presence felt in Bollywood seemed to be ignored. Can readers...

Abu Dhabi, Oct 30: "You made a brilliant ghost", an audience member rightfully complimented veteran actress Moushumi Chatterjee at the ongoing Abu Dhabi Film Festival (Adff) post the screening of Bengali film "Goynar Baksho", in which she features as an entertaining spirit.

"This is a comedy, and it also has a serious side to it," director Aparna Sen cautioned the audience before the film, whose title means "The Jewellery Box", rolled at the Emirates Palace here Tuesday night.

The cautionary note was true - at the outset, it appears to be a comedy film laced with humorous dialogues and an endearing chemistry.

Festival kicks off Thursday with gala screening of Daniel Schechter’s Life of Crime.

Forest Whitaker will be among the guests when the Abu Dhabi Film Festival kicks off Thursday evening. Whitaker will receive the festival’s Black Pearl Career Achievement award.

The festival will open with a gala screening of the Middle East premiere of Life of Crime with director Daniel Schechter and actor Mark Boone Junior both in attendance and participating in an audience Q&A.

Another career achievement award winner will be actress and director Hiam Abbass, who stars in festival world premiere Peace After Marriage.

International guests will include Danis Tanovic, Amma Asante, Jia Zhangke, Beeban Kidron, Emir Baigazin, Agnes B, Cedomir Kolar, Uberto Pasolini, Tao Zhao, Eugene Domingo, Louis Garrel, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Catherine Dussart.

Arab stars set to attend Adff include Mervat Amin, Hend Sabri, Ahmad Ezz, Basel Khayat, Eyad Nassar, Kinda Aloush, Abed Fahad, Manal Khader, Nesrine...

Festival kicks off Thursday with gala screening of Daniel Schechter’s Life of Crime.

Forest Whitaker will be among the guests when the Abu Dhabi Film Festival kicks off Thursday evening. Whitaker will receive the festival’s Black Pearl Career Achievement award.

The festival will open with a gala screening of the Middle East premiere of Life of Crime with director Daniel Schechter and actor Mark Boone Junior both in attendance and participating in an audience Q&A.

Another career achievement award winner will be actress and director Hiam Abbass, who stars in festival world premiere Peace After Marriage.

International guests will include Danis Tanovic, Amma Asante, Jia Zhangke, Beeban Kidron, Emir Baigazin, Agnes B, Cedomir Kolar, Uberto Pasolini, Tao Zhao, Eugene Domingo, Louis Garrel, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Catherine Dussart.

Arab stars set to attend Adff include Mervat Amin, Hend Sabri, Ahmad Ezz, Basel Khayat, Eyad Nassar, Kinda Aloush, Abed Fahad, Manal Khader, Nesrine...

Veteran actress Moushumi Chatterjee and noted filmmaker Sai Paranjpye threw open the 3rd Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival at Cinemax Versova on Wednesday.

Moushumi Chatterjee also inaugurated an art exhibition “Celebrating the lost art of Bollywood billboards with a queer twist’’.

Sai Paranjpye said that she was part of the festival for the second consecutive year– in 2011 she headed the jury – and was impressed with the strides that the festival had taken in the last three years.

The opening ceremony was followed by the screening of Beginners starring Ewan McGregor and Christopher Plummer. Plummer won the 2012 Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for Beginners in which he essays the role of an elderly man who comes out of the closet.

The jury for the festival comprises actor-director Renuka Shahane and Parvin Dabas, theatre actor Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwal, television actress Mona Ambegaonkar, and film critic Mayank Shekhar.

This year the festival received...

Veteran actress, Moushumi Chatterjee celebrates her 64th birthday today. The actress who has contributed a lot to both Bollywood and Tollywood (Bengali film industry) was born on Apr 26, 1948 in Calcutta (now Kolkata). Her debut film was Balika Badhu (Bengali flick) and later after marriage she entered the Hindi film industry. Chatterjee won Best Actress award for Balika Badhu and was Best Actress Nominee for Anurag. She recently received Lifetime Achievement award fro...