Is James Bond a suave charmer or a misogynist dinosaur, as Judi Dench’s M put it? 

Dhanush’s recent films have addressed issues like land and caste politics, feudalism, injustice and police violence

1981 saw seven Amitabh Bachchan releases, including his only Punjabi appearance in Walayati Babu

Mani Ratnam at 65: Even though ‘Made in Madras’ his youthful and spry songs speak to all of urban India

10 years of Ishqiya’s ‘Dil toh baccha hai ji’: The Naseer-Vidya Balan number plays out like a fantasy of an old man …

Just imagine the world of Bollywood playback singing if Geeta Dutt hadn’t died at a relatively young age of 41

Exploring Saadat Hasan Manto’s Bollywood years in the 1940s and his portraits (and friendships) of the matinee idols

Satyajit Ray changed cinema with poetic realism and humanist concerns, turning the medium into an art form

Despite his good looks and the only voice that could match Bachchan’s, fame did not come instantly to Vinod Khanna

In Bollywood, biopics are in vogue. Are audiences in search of real-life heroes in these uncertain times?

DD’s multi-generational Buniyaad (1987) was about a family torn asunder in the aftermath of Partition

Vasan Bala who saw Nayakan before The Godfather writes about the sprawling Mani Ratnam classic

Noir maven and Vijay Anand fanboy, Sriram Raghavan pays homage to Jewel Thief which released 50 years ago

As 2020 ends, the story of OTT has only just begun. Here’s how it’s shaping the future of entertainment

The bashful actor never wanted to be a typical Bollywood hero, because a hero is a pro at self-love and vanity

Haqeeqat’s Ho ke majboor’ (written by Kaifi Azmi) finds the sweet spot between romance and pining in the time of war

Some of AR Rahman’s best works belong to Mani Ratnam’s sensitive relationship-based films like Roja and Bombay

‘Papa kehte hain,’ a breakout song with which Aamir Khan found his groove, underlines youthful anxiety

The remarkable story of Fearless Nadia, one of Bollywood’s earliest female stunt stars, who has become a feminist icon

“For any director, the pain of an unreleased film is similar to that of the mother of a stillborn baby,” says Shoojit …

Salim-Javed have given us Zanjeer, Sholay and Don among more. But critics call Deewaar their finest hour at the movies

“Creativity is an endless journey,” believes Pankaj Kapur. “In Noh (Japanese dance-drama), they call it ‘flowering of an actor.’”

“A comedian can’t be funny all the time. From Chaplin to Mehmood, they were all serious people,” says Jaaved Jaaferi

The actor (he died in 2020) discusses the effort behind his effortless performances and being an Asian hero in Hollywood

Underrated most of his working life, Vijay Anand is being referenced by admirers like Sriram Raghavan and Anurag Kashyap

Chandni (1989) came at a time when Yash Chopra was disenchanted with all the “violence” and action stuff

Partners in Work and Life: A look at the complexities and comforts of Bollywood’s working couple equations

Kiran Nagarkar praised Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi as “one of the finest political films.” It debunks the Leftist romanticism

Mughal-E-Azam’s ‘Teri mehfil mein’ (so multilayered and interesting) holds clues to the film, predicting Anarkali’s doomed fate

Mira Nair on being a child of the street, her need for a talisman film when shooting, and of the perversity of …

According to lore, Amitabh Bachchan had made up his mind that if Zanjeer flunked he would bundle back to hometown Allahabad

Gulzar-RD Burman’s ‘Tujhse naaraz nahin’ (Masoom, 1983) suggests the helplessness of human relationships

A new book revisits the film Amar Akbar Anthony and shines light on director Manmohan Desai’s enduring masala legacy

Party’s fundamental question, ‘What is the role of art (and artists) in society?’ remains just as intriguing today

Anil Kapoor’s campy Nayak follows the rollercoaster ride of a journalist who becomes Chief Minister for a day

Once trashed as Scarface spinoff, Amitabh Bachchan’s Agneepath holds a special place in the hearts of fans today

Hubris is just one aspect of fame. It triggers something within a person, affecting the outer as much as inner personality

For years, Mithun Chakraborty has been a victim of elite prejudice — what multiplex goers call a ‘downmarket’ star

Parallel cinema of the 1970s and 80s remains influential in Bollywood though chances are you will not notice it

The mystery of why Joginder, father of the fabled lota dance, has fans just about everywhere. Even abroad. Ranga khush!

The story of Deols begins with Dharmendra. Especially, his early years, made riveting each time it is narrated by the man himself.

Mr India’s Music: If there’s one number that comes closest to being the film’s essential theme it is “Zindagi ki yehi reet …

The Writer’s World: Salim-Javed’s Zanjeer case and the good turn it may do Hindi film scriptwriters

Did Farooq Sheikh play his real flirty self in 1983’s Katha? At least co-star Deepti Naval and director Sai Paranjpye think so

Around the world in 80 minutes: India’s avant-garde filmmakers recommend world cinema classics that shaped them

Born to movies, gone to movies: Rishi Kapoor had made a comeback recently, with newfound energy and hunger for more

When RD Burman passed away in 1994, Gulzar lamented that a part of his soul, too, went away with his departed friend

‘At the back of our minds is always this looming fear for his future, ‘What’s in store for Salman?’, says his father …

Female agency, in recent years, has emerged as an interesting cinematic tool—and a highly profitable one

What makes Ranveer Singh the most exciting leading man Bollywood has seen in a long time?

Amidst anti-CAA protests, the politically-charged ‘Jinhe naaz hai’ Pyaasa is a reminder that poets and writers have always held a mirror to …

This is cinema that can make a masochist wince. So how come it is acquiring fans who know—or ought to know—good cinema …

The anonymous lives of Bollywood lookalikes: In Hindi cinema, the job of a lookalike is not just to look like the original, …

The difficult and often distortive experiment of making movies of books

A grey-shaded hero and adulterous heroine, why the 1965 classic was ahead of its time

Maker of cult indie film Om-Dar-Ba-Dar, Kamal Swaroop has spent the last 23 years zealously researching Dadasaheb Phalke’s life

Anand (1971) may be Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Rajesh Khanna’s most iconic collaboration, but it is their second movie Bawarchi that remains truly …

The actor was celebrated for his love stories, but his ability to portray intensity and angst deserve a second look

India’s oldest film industry basks in critical acclaim and newfound power

As ‘Ashad Ka Ek Din’ turns 50, it’s time to revisit Mani Kaul’s transcendental cinema and painterly minimalism