‘Mere Paas Maa Hai!’

November 12, 2024

That the dialogue ‘Mere Paas Maa hai’ ( I have the Mother) would be immortalised we could not assess in 1975 when the film ‘Deewar’ was released and made waves on account of its hard hitting dialogues and performance by Amitabh Bachhan who plays the gangster . The elder brother...

Matinee Show at Allahabad!

September 24, 2024

Friday has a special meaning in my life . It was a day of new film release and takes me back to Allahabad where I spent my youth. How single Cinema theatre was my Mecca! Regular rounds of Cinema halls was part of routine. If not to see a movie,...

Premchand: ‘My Sacred Corner’

August 1, 2024

With age and experience, observation and assimilation we consider certain artistes, writers, leaders as close to our own ideology. Our own ideology to a large extent is influenced by these people, whom we consider as our own ; almost sacred. We refer to them from time to time, verify our...

Scripting Through Songs: Saga of Hindi Cinema

July 16, 2024

The popularity of Music Directors was as high as that of the stars of the film and so their names appeared prominently on the posters. The story of Hindi Cinema is the story of its songs. Truly; our colorful, mosaic culture of rhythm and melody is captivated in reams of...

SCRIPTING THROUGH SONGS: SAGA OF HINDI INEMA

July 16, 2024

The popularity of Music Directors was as high as that of the stars of the film and so their names appeared prominently on the posters. The story of Hindi Cinema is the story of its songs. Truly; our colorful, mosaic culture of rhythm and melody is captivated in reams of...

Shades of ‘Waiting’

June 11, 2024

A glimpse of the Black & White era of Hindi cinema. Cinema of yester-years adds charm, distance and melancholy ; specially the black and white era where the emotion of ‘waiting’ was more profound. It is mostly presented through songs. Though, in modern life any of the lovers-man or woman...

‘Bhaya bhanjana vandana sun hamari…’

May 28, 2024

It is often said that ‘ Thinking maketh the Man’ . We are consistently fighting and resolving conflicts in our mind . One such thought in varying degrees is ‘Fear’ – Fear of the Powerful , of failure, of economic insecurity , of well being of our dear ones ,of...

Raaj Bhasha or Maatri Bhasha?

May 1, 2024

Every language has two sides . The ‘sunny’ side and the ‘shadow’ side ; ‘Dhoop- Chaanv’ . The language of ‘Governance’ and the language of ‘daily use’ . The language of ‘utility’ and the language of ‘creativity’. The language of ‘power’ and the language of ‘love’. The language of ‘control’...

‘Man re tu kahe na dheer dhare….’

April 12, 2024

Poets are Prophets ! They read the pulse of the society the best. Most ; also have this quality to maintain the beauty without being didactic and sermonising . Therefore their words are recited and memorised till date. Poets, world wide are also inadvertent translators of philosophy and social theories...

Bobby at 50: A Tribute

March 27, 2024

‘Bobby’ a film on Teenage love story released in 1973 liberated the Middle class India ; the bulk of the film goers. It freed us from the clutches of our parental controls as the college crowd clapped, wept and cried watching Rishi Kapoor and Dimple, meeting, shying, loving, separating, fighting,...