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Veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty has been named the recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke award, India’s highest honor in cinema.

The announcement was made by Ashwini Vaishnaw, India’s Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Railways and Electronics and Information Technology.

The award is given for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema and is named after Phalke, director of “Raja Harischandra” (1913), India’s first full-length feature, who is considered the father of Indian cinema.

Chakraborty, 74, has appeared in over 350 films across multiple Indian languages during his nearly five-decade career. He rose to prominence with his debut in “Mrigayaa” (1976), which earned him his first Indian National Film Award for Best Actor. The actor gained widespread recognition for his role in “Disco Dancer” (1982), a film that also found success beyond Indian shores across Asia, the erstwhile Soviet Union, eastern Europe, the Middle East, Turkey and Africa.

Throughout his career, Chakraborty has collected three acting...

Mudassar Aziz’s Khel Khel Mein is an untameable beast of a film. It is funny, yes. But it is also very sad. It reveals the secrets that are locked in our hearts, or rather in our phones, and how we cannot allow the phone to rule our hearts. That unlimited freedom on the phone is actually a terrible slavery to technology that is destroying lives.

All these ideas are not hammered into the script. Rather, Aziz and his co-writer Sara Brodinar, play a perky precious you-show-me-yours-i’ll-show-you-mine peek-a-boo game of infidelity, creating spaces in confined rooms for intelligent dialogue on how far couples need to respect one another’s space in marriages.

This is assuredly Mudassar Aziz’s most intelligent work, though not all of it works. Akshay Kumar’s roving-eyed oversmart character is a trimmer version of Sanjeev Kumar in Pati Patni Aur Woh.

Perhaps Kumar feels greying...

Jamie Lever, the daughter of veteran Bollywood actor Johnny Lever, is well-known for her hilarious reels on Instagram. She often receives praise for her spot-on mimicry of various Bollywood celebrities, including Asha Bhosle, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Farah Khan.

Jamie posted a fun video where she hilariously trolled actress Sharmin Segal for her ‘expressionless’ performance in the series ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar,’ directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who is also Sharmin’s uncle.

Jamie mocked Sharmin’s performance and dialogues, making the video amusing every second. She captioned the video with hashtags such as “#heeramandi” and “#ekbaardekhlijiye,” adding humor by saying, “I’m Sharmin-da.

One user commented, “I think you had more expression than her… at least your head was moving with every dialogue delivery,” highlighting the humor in Jamie’s video.

Sharmin Segal has been at the receiving end of criticism ever since ‘Heeramandi’ was released on Ott platforms.

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan shall be conferred the ‘Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Puraskar’ at a function scheduled here on April 24, while music maestro A. R. Rahman shall be bestowed the ‘Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Award,’ next week, the organisers said.

The award is given by the Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Smruti Pratisthan, Pune, nurtured by the eminent Mangeshkar family, and shall be given away to Bachchan on his 82nd death anniversary, along with a musical tribute.

Earlier, the inaugural award was given to Prime Minister Narendra Modi (2022), followed by veteran singer Asha Bhosale (2023), for their path-breaking, spectacular and exemplary contributions to the country, its people and society.

Besides Bachchan and Rahman, the other prominent awardees in different categories are: ‘Ghalib’ as Best Marathi Play of the Year, Ngo Deepstambh Foundation Manobal of Jalgaon, litterateur Manjiri Phadke, comedian Ashok Saraf, actress Padmini Kolhapure, singer Roopkumar Rathod, journalist S. B. Torsekar, actor Atul Parchure, producer-actor Randeep Hooda.

New Delhi, April 14 (Ians) Her influence persists in Bollywood even after her name has faded from public memory, althrough remixes of her rollicking hits from the 1950s continue to be in circulation. Another, and not that well-known, legacy of Shamshad Begum, though, was initiating what later became “item numbers”, though her contributions were more perky than provocative, saucy than raunchy, and racy without being ribald.

And then, they were delivered in a robust voice, whose clarity was compared to a temple bell by composer O.P. Nayyar, with a full-blown gusto and sense of abandon.

“Udan khatole pe udh jaaun”, “Mere piya gaye Rangoon”, “Kabhi aar kabhi paar”, “Bisvi sadi hai ye bisvii sadi”, “Leke pehla pehla pyar”, “Kahin pe nigahen kahin pe nishana”, and “Boojh mera kya naam re” are prime examples.

And then, nearly forty years before Madhuri Dixit in “Tezaab” (1988), Shamshad Begum, who was born on this day...

Raj Kapoor directed Padmini Kolhapure In Two Movies: Prem Rog and Satyam Shivam Sundaram(Photo Credit –IMDb/Instagram)

It is said that the Bollywood showman Raj Kapoor had a Midas touch. Raj Kapoor’s 1982 directorial Prem Rog has become a classic cult movie in Bollywood history. The blockbuster musical drama starred Rishi Kapoor and Padmini Kolhapure in lead roles.

Padmini Kolhapure started her acting and singing career at a very young age. The actress went on to become one of the leading ladies of the 80s Hindi cinema, delivering hits like Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Dream Girl, and Ishk Ishk Ishk, all while she was a child artist.

As the niece of legendary singers like Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle, she tried to carry the family’s musical legacy forward. She sang choruses for mega-hit songs like Yaadon Ki Baaraat, Kitaab, and Dushman Dost.

Trending Did Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar & Abhay Deol...

Zanai Bhosale, the grand-daughter of veteran playback singer Asha Bhosale, has been cast in the upcoming film ‘The Pride of Bharat – Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’.

Zanai will be seen essaying the role of Shivaji Maharaj’s wife, Rani Sai Bhonsale in the theatrical film.

The film is directed by Sandeep Singh.

Talking about the casting, Sandeep said: “l feel so honoured and absolutely privileged to be launching Zanai Bhosale, who is a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s family lineage and also shares her lineage with extremely brilliant and accomplished family, with the late Lata Mangeshkar being her aunt and being Asha Bhosale’s granddaughter.”

“She is a proud Bhosale, who has already been gifted with a soulful voice and has a ear for music. But few know what a talented dancer and a skillful performer she is. She will do full justice to the character of Rani Sai Bai. As Shivaji Maharaj’s wife,...

Mumbai, March 4 (Ians) ‘Saas Bina Sasural’ fame actress Rubina Dilaik on Monday shared a video of herself grooving to the superhit track ‘Aaiye Meharbaan’ sung by Asha Bhosle.

Rubina took to her Instagram, where she enjoys 9.6 million followers, and dropped the video. The snippet shows the ‘Chotti Bahu’ actress dressed in a black gown with turtleneck.

She opted for glossy red lips, golden eyeshadow, with her hair tied in a low bun. For accessories, she chose big golden hoop earrings, and bracelets. The outfit was rounded off with black heels.

In the video, Rubina could be seen lip-syncing to the song ‘Aaiye Meharban’ from the 1958 crime thriller ‘Howrah Bridge’ starring Ashok Kumar and Madhubala.

Recently, Rubina and her actor husband Abhinav Shukla celebrated three months of their twin daughters – Jeeva and Edhaa.

On the work front, Rubina was last seen in ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 10’, while Abhinav was last seen in...

It is one of Hindi films’ most cherished and eternal romantic songs, featuring the urbane Guru Dutt and the ethereal Waheeda Rehman, but the dream-like music for “Chaudhvin Ka Chand Ho” was scored by its composer within 10 minutes and its opening lyrics took even lesser time. Music director Ravi, to whom we owe this melody, revealed the tune came to him as he was returning home from work and it took him “just 5 to 7 minutes” to refine it.

Stopping there, he called up lyricist Shakeel Badayuni and recited “Chaudvin ka chand ho…”. In a minute, Shakeel responded with “Ya aftaab ho…” and after another couple of minutes, added “Jo bhi ho tum khuda ki kasam, laajawab ho”.

“Chaudvin ka Chand” (1960) proved to be a pace-setter for Ravi, who was born in Delhi on this day (March 3) in 1926, for it established his reputation, and he went on to score for many...

There are a number of stories about how Gulzar, who has been awarded the 58th Jnanpith Award along with Sanskrit scholar Jagatguru Rambhadracharya, became one of Hindi cinema’s most celebrated lyricists after being better known in his years as a struggler after Partition in Mumbai for his expertise in re-painting cars mauled in crashes.

The one that seems most credible, however, has come from him. Despite his skill with car colours, Gulzar’s first love was the written word and he was a regular at the Progressive Writers Association (Pwa), which was then a creative hub of just about every Titan in Hindi and Urdu literature.

It was at Pwa meetings that the undiscovered poet struck up a friendship with lyricist Shailendra, who introduced him to Bimal Roy, who, in turn, told him that he was wasting his time and talent at a car workshop.

Roy drafted Gulzar, till...

Born and raised in Byculla, Bombay, daughter of a cop who used to be responsible for Mahatma Gandhi’s security bandobast, and adopted for life by Calcutta, Usha Uthup is the voice and spirit of the Swinging Sixties that the eastern metropolis was synonymous with till the Bangladesh War and the red shadow of Naxalism changed it forever.

Now, honoured with the Padma Bhushan, along with her ‘Disco Dancer’ star Mithun Chakraborty, 12 years after she was conferred the Padma Shri, Usha Uthup (formerly Iyer), the Queen of Indian Pop famous for her husky voice, boundless energy, distinctive red bindi and tastefully selected Kanjivarams, sang herself into popular imagination with two anthemic numbers of Hindi cinema’s disco era — Hari Om Hari and Aha Nache Nache.

Not formally trained in music, Uthup got her first singing break in a nightclub in Madras before she moved to Trincas, the Mecca of Park...

The long-anticipated consecration of Ramlala (Infant Lord Ram) in Ayodhya is set to take place today, marking a historic moment in the temple city. The Pran Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony is scheduled to commence at 12:20 Pm, culminating at 1:00 Pm. This auspicious occasion has attracted a constellation of Bollywood celebrities to Ayodhya, eager to witness this momentous event.

Bollywood Celebrities Gather in Ayodhya

The city is abuzz with the arrival of stars like Madhuri Dixit, Ram Charan, Amitabh Bachchan, and others. Kangana Ranaut and Arun Govil were among the first to arrive in Ayodhya. Anupam Kher, another esteemed actor, is also in Ayodhya to attend the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony, expressing his joy and privilege at being part of this historic event.

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A post shared by Anupam Kher (@anupampkher)

Anupam Kher’s Spiritual Journey

On the morning of Monday, January 22, Anupam Kher visited the Hanuman Garhi temple,...

When Zeenat Aman in her Insta post paying tribute to Feroze Khan has written that the Oxford’s word for 2023 is Rizz which means charisma and Feroze Khan was the star who had the charisma or the Rizz. Expanding the analogy further, in the world of music, it was Rd Burman aka Pancham who oozed of risk or the charisma through his music. On the eve of his death anniversary here is a tribute to the legend-Pancham.

Most of us in either of the night spots or for welcoming the new year at home would have ushered the occasion getting drooled and swooned to either of the multitude of compositions that Rahul Dev Burman aka Pancham has left for us, but how many from amongst us remember that just after four days, when we herald the new year, falls his death anniversary.

The remix industry that has created a slot...

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan has penned an emotional note for team India after they were beaten by Australia in the World Cup final match. He thanked the men in blue for doing the country proud.

On Sunday, Australia beat host India by six wickets in the final match in Ahmedabad adding to their World Cup trophies won in 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2015.

Australia won their sixth Odi World Cup title in stunning fashion as Travis Head powered home the team with a fierce century. Chasing 241 to win, the Aussies won with seven overs to spare. India batted first and were bowled out for 240.

Taking to X, Srk wrote: “The way the Indian team has played this whole tournament is a matter of honour and they showed great spirit and tenacity.”

“It’s a sport and there are always a bad day or two. Unfortunately it happened today….but thank u Team India for...

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan has penned an emotional note for team India after they were beaten by Australia in the World Cup final match. He thanked the men in blue for doing the country proud.

On Sunday, Australia beat host India by six wickets in the final match in Ahmedabad adding to their World Cup trophies won in 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2015.

Australia won their sixth Odi World Cup title in stunning fashion as Travis Head powered home the team with a fierce century. Chasing 241 to win, the Aussies won with seven overs to spare. India batted first and were bowled out for 240.

Taking to X, Srk wrote: “The way the Indian team has played this whole tournament is a matter of honour and they showed great spirit and tenacity.”

“It’s a sport and there are always a bad day or two. Unfortunately it happened today….but thank u Team India for...

A galaxy full of stars were spotted at the India vs Australia’s final World Cup 2023 match on Sunday. Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and actor Ranveer Singh’s celebrating wickets being taken have now gone viral.

The final match is being taken place at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad.

After Mohammed Shami took the first wicket and sent David Warner out after scoring just 7 runs, Srk was seen cheering, shouting with pride and pumping his fist in the air.

When Jasprit Bumrah stumped the second wicket of cricketer Mitchell Marsh, the “Pathaan” star was seen giving a high-five to daughter Suhana.

Ranveer too got all excited over the wickets. He was seen fist pumping in air as the Indian bowlers took Australian wickets and gave a strong competition.

Other than Srk and Ranveer, others who were spotted at the finals were Asha Bhosle, Gauri Khan, Deepika Padukone, Prakash Padukone,...

A galaxy full of stars were spotted at the India vs Australia’s final World Cup 2023 match on Sunday. Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and actor Ranveer Singh’s celebrating wickets being taken have now gone viral.

The final match is being taken place at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad.

After Mohammed Shami took the first wicket and sent David Warner out after scoring just 7 runs, Srk was seen cheering, shouting with pride and pumping his fist in the air.

When Jasprit Bumrah stumped the second wicket of cricketer Mitchell Marsh, the “Pathaan” star was seen giving a high-five to daughter Suhana.

Ranveer too got all excited over the wickets. He was seen fist pumping in air as the Indian bowlers took Australian wickets and gave a strong competition.

Other than Srk and Ranveer, others who were spotted at the finals were Asha Bhosle, Gauri Khan, Deepika Padukone, Prakash Padukone,...

It was indeed a marathon six-hour long radio interview, a first, longest ever and last such – given by the legendary Bollywood singer, the late Lata Mangeshkar, to All India Radio, spread in two sessions in September 1999 – January 2000.

The interviewer was Rj Anirudh Chawla who said “Lataji wanted it to be a tribute to all the people” associated with her since she sang her first playback song in 1945, till 2000, and of course, those who contributed to her long and illustrious musical journey of over 75 years.

“I have now written a book on that interview of Lataji, ‘Tere Sur Aur Mere Geet’, and it will be released on Friday, to coincide with the National Cinema Day being celebrated on October 13,” Chawla said.

The 550-pages magnum opus, described by a veteran music director as an ‘epic’ (‘granth’) includes the free-wheeling A.I.R. interview with the unconquered ‘Nightingale of India’, four hours in...

It was indeed a marathon six-hour long radio interview, a first, longest ever and last such – given by the legendary Bollywood singer, the late Lata Mangeshkar, to All India Radio, spread in two sessions in September 1999 – January 2000.

The interviewer was Rj Anirudh Chawla who said “Lataji wanted it to be a tribute to all the people” associated with her since she sang her first playback song in 1945, till 2000, and of course, those who contributed to her long and illustrious musical journey of over 75 years.

“I have now written a book on that interview of Lataji, ‘Tere Sur Aur Mere Geet’, and it will be released on Friday, to coincide with the National Cinema Day being celebrated on October 13,” Chawla said.

The 550-pages magnum opus, described by a veteran music director as an ‘epic’ (‘granth’) includes the free-wheeling A.I.R. interview with the unconquered ‘Nightingale of India’, four hours in...

Revered Indian actor Waheeda Rehman has been accorded the Dadasaheb Phalke award, India’s highest film honor.

The award is given for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema and is named after Phalke, director of “Raja Harischandra” (1913), India’s first full-length feature, who is considered the father of Indian cinema.

Rehman, the 85-year-old grande dame of Indian cinema has worked with most of the legendary filmmakers of her country during her career and the roles she chose were in films that are considered classics in the annals of Indian cinema. She worked with Guru Dutt in “Pyaasa” (1957) and “Kaagaz Ke Phool” (1959), Satyajit Ray in “Abhijaan” (1962), Basu Bhattacharya in “Teesri Kasam” (1966) and Yash Chopra in “Kabhie Kabhie” (1976), among many other memorable roles.

But it is her role as Rosie in Vijay Anand’s “Guide” (1965) that Rehman remembers with the greatest fondness. “When I signed ‘Guide’ more than 50 years ago, my friends told...

Mumbai, Sep 12 (Ians) Actor Sooraj Pancholi, who stars in the new and fresh avatar of the 1970s iconic track ‘Jaane Jaa’, said he is thrilled to be the part of the song, and shared the reason for doing the project.

The song ‘Jaane Jaa’ is from the 1972 movie ‘Jawani Diwani’, starring Randhir Kapoor, Jaya Bachchan, Balraj Sahni, and Nirupa Roy in the lead. The original track was sung by Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle.

The new version of ‘Jaane Jaa’ features the soulful voices of Atif Aslam and Asees Kaur and has been reimagined by DJ Chetas. Sooraj and TV actress Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia engage the audiences in the music video.

Sooraj, who is delighted to be back on screen with ‘Jaane Jaa’, said: “I am extremely thrilled to be a part of this iconic track Jaane Jaa’s re-creation. The theme and the storyline of the music video are...

She is last of the Mohicans, belonging to a golden era of music, and is the only flag bearer left perhaps in whole of the world who has seen music evolve from basic instruments, to melodies, to synthetic instruments, to club music and what not! You name any new adaptation in music, and Asha Bhonsle’s association with that genre will immediately pop up.

But whatever be the genre in which she is going to render her vocal prowess, one thing is for sure, her voice will not falter to a node. This is perhaps one of the reasons why when Naushad, who had a wonderful sojourn with Asha Bhonsle in the black and white era and till the sixties, when he came back to give music in Dharamkanta (1982) chose Asha Bhonsle to give voice over to his Tawaif song. Naushad who hailed from Lucknow, had said that his choice...

The legendary playback singer, Asha Bhosle, turned 90 on Friday, and it was disheartening to see that most celebrities forgot to acknowledge her birthday. Known for her versatility, and melodious voice, Asha is one of the most successful singers in Hindi cinema though her body of work extends beyond just the Hindi cinema. In her career spanning over eight decades she has recorded songs for films and albums in various Indian languages.

She has received several accolades, in addition to two Grammy nominations. Bhosle is also honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, and Padma Vibhushan. The Guinness Book of World Records acknowledged Asha in 2011 as the most recorded artist in music history.

Given her immense contribution to the Indian music industry, and her status as an iconic figure, Bollywood celebrities overlooking her birthday raises questions about the industry’s appreciation of its own icons, and the importance of recognising their contributions.

By celebrating her 90th birthday with a live performance in Dubai on September 8, Asha Bhosle will be proving yet again that she not only has a tremendous zest for life, but also an ebullience that has enabled her to rule Hindi film music across many genres, from classical to cabaret numbers, sing for generations of composers and audiences, and bring home every award that counts, barring the Bharat Ratna, which she rightfully deserves.

I first met Asha Bhosle after the release of ‘Hare Krishna Hare Ram’ (1971), where I was assisting Dev Anand, and met her last as recently as in 2019 at a music festival in Jaipur, where she was surrounded by friends and admirers, and yet she mentioned to all those present how long our association has been.

I have had the good fortune of writing the lyrics of two of her ageless hit numbers — ‘Jab Chhaye Mera Jadoo’ (‘Lootmaar’; 1980) and ‘Suniye,...

Intrinsically talented, both, separately and jointly, gave a new direction to Hindi film music. But to achieve this, Asha Bhosle and Rahul Dev Burman had to surmount a major “hurdle” – creating a new identity distinct from their illustrious and established kin: elder sibling Lata Mangeshkar and father Sachin Dev Burman.

And both succeeded – with a combination of luck, support, their own undeniable virtuosity, and above all, their first joint effort.

AshaBhosle – who is still going strong at 90, having worked with four generations of music composers from O P Nayyar to A R Rehman – added a sensuous allure and element of forthrightness for the Hindi film heroine, without becoming risque or boisterous, even as Burman adroitly used pop and jazz to good effect in electrifying film music – bringing the age of Elvis Presley and the Beatles to India.

Rejected at a trial for a film in 1947 as the sound recording engineer...

Singer Asha Bhosle, who carved out her own independent niche and ruled the roost over the world of music, turns a ripe old 90 on Friday, and notwithstanding a long and eventful musical journey of eight decades, neither her vocal cords are tired nor has she retired…

It was back way, some 80 years ago, when a petite 10-year-old girl Asha Mangeshkar earnestly stood before a studio microphone and recorded her first playback song for composer Datta S. Davjekar, ‘Chala Chala Nav Bal…’ for a Marathi film (‘Majha Bal’ – 1943).

Though it came just a year after her father Pt. Deenanath Mangeshkar’s passing (1942), Asha’s maiden number did not exactly set the film industry on fire but she continued to get humdrum singing assignments, and like her older sibling Lata Mangeshkar, continued the uphill musical sojourn.

After many Marathi songs, she finally landed a Hind film song assignment for ‘Chunariya’ (1948), and then...

New Delhi, Aug 30 (Ians) Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi, is the time of joyous celebrations where sisters cherish their bond by tying rakhi around the wrist of their brothers, a symbol of mutual trust, friendship and love.

Our siblings may be the people who annoy us the most, but they are also the people who are sometimes the biggest figures of influence in our lives, their role in our lives actively shapes us and without them, life may just become a bit too empty.

To commemorate this joyous occasion, Ians has put together Top 10 Hindi songs celebrating the spirit of Raksha Bandhan.

1. ‘Phoolon ka taaron ka’: An icon of Indian cinema and music, this track from the 1971 film ‘Hare Ram, Hare Krishna’, is indeed a timeless Raksha Bandhan classic that has defined the Raksha Bandhan and touched the hearts of generations. The song is picturised on Dev Anand and Zeenat Aman.

New Delhi, Aug 26 (Ians) In the new episode of ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ season 15th, a contestant revealed that he desires to take his ladylove to Venice for a Gondola ride, and for this he has taken inspiration from the host of the show, and megastar Amitabh Bachchan.

The ‘Kbc Play Along’ special episode saw Finance Executive Saurabh Sengupta from Durg, Chhattisgarh, making his way to the hot seat of the quiz reality show.

Big B welcomed Saurabh and asked about his dream, and what will he do with the amount that he wins.

Replying to the ‘Sholay’ actor, Saurabh said: “I have interest in cooking. It’s my hobby. So, I wish to open a restaurant of my own. Also I have one fantasy from a very long time, that if I win an impressive amount, I will take my girlfriend to Venice, for a Gondola ride.”

Amitabh exclaimed and said: “Ohhh hooo.

Mumbai, Aug 23 (Ians) Actor Shakti Kapoor praised Kumar Sanu for his melodious voice and shared an incident when he traveled economy to the US listening to Sanu’s songs.

Shakti, whose family is very closely knit with the families of Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle, was present at the launch of Kumar Sanu’s new song ‘Ishq Hai’ which has been presented by Octave Music.

The actor was all praise for Kumar Sanu’s soothing voice and also shared an anecdote from 30 years ago.

He shared, “30 years back I was going for a show to the US. I was in the business class and during the journey a member from the music team came and told me to come to the economy class and listen to a young boy’s songs. I went back and throughout my journey from India to the US, I was sitting in the economy class...

There are a number of stories about how Gulzar, who turned 89 on Friday, became one of Hindi cinema’s most celebrated lyricists after being better known in his years as a struggler after Partition in Mumbai for his expertise in re-painting cars mauled in crashes.

The one that seems most credible, however, has come from him. Despite his skill with car colours, Gulzar’s first love was the written word and he was a regular at the Progressive Writers Association (Pwa), which was then a creative hub of just about every Titan in Hindi and Urdu literature.

It was at Pwa meetings that the undiscovered poet struck up a friendship with lyricist Shailendra, who introduced him to Bimal Roy, who, in turn, told him that he was wasting his time and talent at a car workshop.

Roy drafted Gulzar, till then known as Sampooran Singh Kalra, for his last film,...

Karan Johar has brought the magic of Bollywood back to the big screen with his brilliant film Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. The film, which stars Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh, Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan, and Shabana Azmi, has garnered rave reviews and is a global hit.

The director brings the heart and soul of Bollywood with story, style, dance, romance and especially with the music! The songs of Rrkpk, by the acclaimed composer Pritam with lyrics by the amazing Amitabh Bhattacharya, harken back to the classic Hindi film songs but with a new vibe. Mind-blowing, spectacular, and full of Bolly-music brilliance come to mind when describing the soundtrack. Read on as we take a closer musical dive at the tracks of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.

If you have seen the Tum Kya Mile video, you know it takes you back to the classic Bollywood song sequence, and I love it.

Legendary singer Asha Bhosle will perform in Dubai on her 90th birthday on September 8. The concert – ‘Asha@90 Live’ – will be held at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai and will see the veteran singer perform some of her most memorable tracks on the occasion of her birthday.

Bhosle interacted with the media on Tuesday, and spoke about the concert. She also sang the song ‘Tu Tu Hai Wahi’.

In her career spanning over eight decades, the Padma Vibhushan awardee has recorded songs for films and albums in various languages and received several accolades, including two National Film Awards, 18 Maharashtra State Film Awards, and two Grammy nominations, among many others.

She is considered to be one of the most influential singers of India and has over 12,000 songs to her credit in various languages.

Known for her versatility, the singer has worked with an array of music directors from different generations such as O.P. Nayyar,...

Romantics are gushing through the ears and the trigger is Dharmendra crooning – अभी न जाओ छोड़कर – to Shabana Azmi which culminates in an impromptu kiss in ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’. The original song from Dev Anand’s Hum Dono still is a swan song for the lovers especially when the lady in question is planning to leave, while the boy has the innate desire that she stays, and this yearn is not relegated to teenagers. It continues to reverberate through the ages ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ has amplified it.

I am reminded of a party that we were attending in Ranchi. It was around midnight and as the guests started walking away, I snatched the mike and started singing this evergreen song and those who had taken their cars out of the parking lots dumped it, came back and we kept on singing...

Mumbai, Aug 2 (Ians) Ranveer Singh shared a heartwarming Instagram post with his 93-year-old Nana (maternal grandfather), on Wednesday, calling him the “peak of Rocky-ism” and a “heartthrob”.

The actor, whose recently released film ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ is getting a lot of appreciation from the audience, showed his fondness for his grandpa in the post, which includes one where the two are dancing to the Hindi song ‘Jhumka gira re’.

The first image has the actor posing with his Nana, with both making the ‘V’ sign with their hand. While Ranveer has the slogan “What Jhumka??” written on his light blue sweatshirt, his nana is wearing a black t-shirt with “Team Rocky” written on it.

Ranveer posted: “Nana is peak Rocky-ism! 93 and Rock(y)ing!!! such a #Heartthrob.”

In a video, the actor and his grandfather dance to Asha Bhonsle’s song ‘Jhumka Gira Re’, and Ranveer plants...

New Delhi, June 26 (Ians) For someone who has worked with the likes of Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Manna Dey, Jagjit Singh and has contributed to the soundtracks of popular movies including ‘Page 3’, ‘The Body’ and the recently released Nawazuddin Siddiqui-Bhumi Pednekar starrer ‘Afwaah’, the paradigm shift in Hindi film music is hard to ignore.

Music composer Shamir Tandon points out, “Now, films have fewer songs and there is no lip-synching. In fact, some films are songless. There are not many situations that warrant a music number. The duration of songs has been reduced too. It may appear for a few seconds and then fade out, unlike the past when multiple ‘antras’ would play.”

The music composer, who has worked with Sudhir Mishra in the past too, tells Ians that it is always a pleasure associating with the latter as he has a clear vision and does not stick to tried-and-true concepts,...

The song ‘Bareilly Ke Bazaar’ from the upcoming film ‘Chatrapathi’ was unveiled on Thursday. The song is a party number and features actress Nushrratt Bharuccha and actor Sreenivas Bellamkonda.

It has been crooned by Sunidhi Chauhan and Nakash Aziz and is a lyrical play around on the ‘Jhoomka gira re Bareli ke bazaar mein’ from the famous song by Asha Bhosle.

The song features Arabic textures sonically with thumping beats on the drum machine. The music of the song has been composed by Tanishk Bagchi with lyrics penned by Mayur Puri.

Talking about the song, Sunidhi Chauhan said, “‘Bareilly Ke Bazaar’ is a very sensuous track and the beats are addictive – We tried bringing in a flavour and vibe that would appeal to the masses and can’t wait for them to hear it.”

Nakash Aziz said, “It was great collaborating with Sunidhi Chauhan and lending my voice to Sreenivas Bellamkonda.

Legendary singer Asha Bhosle – of the pre-eminent Mangeshkar clan – was conferred the coveted ‘Maharashtra Bhushan – 2021’ Award at a swank function near the Gateway of India, on Friday evening. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other dignitaries, including Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar, were present and hailed the 89-year-old Asha Bhosle’s singing career which has completed 80 years.

“Asha-tai is the ‘pride of Maharashtra’… The Mangeshkar family has been ruling the minds of the fans for over eight decades and served the field of arts through their singing and music,” said Shinde.

The Award, instituted by the erstwhile Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party regime (1995-1999), carried a cash component of Rs 25-lakh, a shawl, a memento, and certificate. The event saw a documentary on the life and times of Bhosle screened which left the audiences enthralled.

Shinde said that in her long music career, Bhosle had sung...

Two young composers from Maharashtra, Avinash-Vishwajeet, have composed a fresh Punjabi dance number to showcase the Great Indian Wedding for ‘Murder Mystery 2’ on Netflix. Directed by Jeremy Garelick, who has written ‘The Hangover’ as well as directed and produced ‘The Break Up’ among others. with screenplay by James Vanderbilt, known for writing films like ‘Zodiac’, ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ and its sequel, Independence Day: Resurgence as well as co-wrote and produced Scream and its sequel, the film stars Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, and is all set to release on Netflix on March 31.

Avinash-Vishwajeet are known for their pathbreaking music. Having produced songs and done original background scores for over 75 films across 25 years in Marathi, Kannada, Telugu and Konkani movies. As active musicians, the duo individually have thousands of stage shows with singers of the likes of Asha Bhosle and Shreya Ghoshal, in venues like Royal Albert Hall, film and television production,...

As popular singer, Alka Yagnik is celebrating her birthday on March 20, Bollywood actress Juhi Chawla wished her on this special day and gave her credit for making many of her tracks famous.

Juhi shared a throwback picture with Alka and also a solo photograph of her. She wrote in the caption: “Happy Birthday Alkaji..A 100 trees for the beautiful, melodious voice, that made my songs famous…truly indebted..”

Alka has also responded: “Thank you for giving my voice your gorgeous face! Love you.”

Alka has sung a number of songs which were picturised on Juhi like ‘Ae Mere Humsafar’ from ‘Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak’, ‘Mujhse Mohabbat Ka Izhar Karta’ from ‘Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke’, ‘Jadu Teri Nazar’ from ‘Darr’, ‘Aur Kya’ from ‘Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani’, among others.

Born on March 20, 1966, Alka started her career with singing bhajans for Akashvani and later became successful with the popular dance...

Mumbai, March 18 (Ians) ‘Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai’ actress Shubhangi Atre remembered the first day of the shoot on the sets and how she felt embarrassed when the camera lens was broken as she gave her first take as Angoori bhabhi. She also shared how once veteran singer Asha Bhosle praised Shubhangi for her role in the show.

She recalled: “The memory of my first day and the first scene at the shoot is still fresh. As I gave the first take as Angoori, the camera lens broke. Initially, I was very embarrassed and stressed, and my reaction was, ‘Oh! my God, what just happened?’ But then the entire cast and crew applauded, which was a huge surprise.”

“They said, ‘a broken camera lens is a good omen and a good start, you will go far!’. I was so relieved and felt so good about that gesture and statement. It truly...

For a self-taught musician, it is rather impressive how his melodies underscored popular culture for a range of occasions in late 20th century India – be it children’s lullabies “Chandamama door ke” or “Chal mere ghode”, “Ham bhi agar bachche hote” for their birthdays, “Mera yaar bana hai dulha” and “Aaj mere yaar ki shaadi hai” for marriages, as well introducing Afghan and Arab strains into Hindi film music.

That was the talent of music composer Ravi, whose contributions went beyond providing enthralling music in films such as “Chaudhvin ka Chand” (1960), “Gharana” (1961), “Waqt” (1965), “Do Badan” (1966), and “Hamraaz” (1967).

To Ravi also goes credit for giving Asha Bhosle a prominent place in playback with songs ranging from playful “C A T cat, cat maane billii” to wistfully romantic “Jab chali thandi hawa” (“Do Badan”) to the entrancingly philosophical “Aage bhi na jaane tu” (“Waqt”), as well helping Mahendra Kapoor evolve from yet another Mohd Rafi clone,...

Jamie Lever and her brother Jesse have left viewers spinning with their recently released adventurous mini-series on Mx Player, ‘A Spin Around Dubai’. While viewers are in awe of their bond and comical timing, what is creating conversation is also Jamie’s outstanding mimicry.

From mimicking Farah Khan to Asha Bhosle, the young comedian is known for her hilarious renditions of celebrities. Recently, Jamie spoke about how she’s worked on mimicry and revealed how she mimicked her father, the legendary actor comedian Johny Lever.

“Mimicry is a form of comedy that I chose to do and I feel that very few people are skilled at it. I have a knack for it, so I wanted to use it to push myself in the field and it has been a big advantage for me. Actually, it was not dad but Ashaji (Bhosle) was the first personality whom I mimicked, and...

Singer Esha Gaur is all set to make her Bollywood debut with Vikram Bhatt’s 1920, which stars actress Avika Gor. She adds that it was her mother who discovered her singing talent when she was young and credits her mother for the way her career has shaped up.

“1920 is my biggest work achievement till date. My work partner gave me this chance to sing this scratch and hence by God’s grace, it got approved. I am from a doctor-family; my father, brother and grandfather are doctors. My mother had an inclination towards singing and she figured out the singer in me when I was four-years-old because of her my music journey came out so well. I have done Masters in Music,” says Esha, who is known for singing the title track for Ek Aastha Aisi Bhi on Star Plus, Guddan Tumse Na Ho Payega song Lakeerien, Belan Wali Bahu,...

Veteran actresses Zeenat Aman and Poonam Dhillon will be seen recreating the magic of the golden era – the 1970s and 1980s – in the upcoming episode of singing reality show ‘Indian Idol 13’.

A promo shared by the channel on Instagram, show the two actresses gracing the show with contestants singing ‘Meri Soni Meri Tamanna’ from the 1973 film ‘Yaadon Ki Baarat’. The original track is sung by Asha Bhosle and Kishore Kumar.

“Chirag aur Kavya milke banayenge apne performance se Indian Idol 13 ke manch ko aur bhi musicana! Dekhiye inhe Iss Sat-Sun, raat 8 baje, Indian Idol 13 mein! Sirf #SonyEntertainmentTelevision par!” the channel captioned the promo.

‘Yaadon Ki Baaraat’ is directed by Nasir Hussain. It featured an ensemble cast, starring Dharmendra, Vijay Arora, Tariq, Zeenat Aman, Neetu Singh and Ajit.

‘Yaadon Ki Baaraat’ has thus been identified as “the first” quintessentially “Bollywood film.”

It is still remembered fondly for its Hindi soundtrack, composed by music director R.D. Burman.

Singer-actress Iulia Vantur has revealed how legendary singer Asha Bhosle was her inspiration when she was recreating the song ‘Yai Re’ along with Honey Singh. The song is originally from the 1995 movie ‘Rangeela’, picturised on Urmila Matondkar and sung by Asha Bhosle and Aditya Narayan.

Iulia is known for foot-tapping tracks such as ‘Baby Ko Bass Pasand Hain’, ‘Veere’, ‘Main Chala’, ‘Tera Tha Tera Hoon’, ‘Selfish’, ‘Party Chale On’ and ‘Harjai’.

She said: “Back home in Romania when I would listen to Indian songs, Asha ji’s were among the first I heard and I instantly fell in love with her voice.”

Iulia listed some of the popular tracks sung by Asha Bhosle that are her favourites, and shared why she loves listening to them.

“Among my favourite songs are ‘Chura Liya Hai Tumne’ and ‘Yeh Mera Dil’, which I can listen to on a loop. And now that I...

Mumbai, Dec 24 (Ians) Karisma Kapoor recreated the iconic song ‘Kajra Mohabbat Waala’ originally picturised on her mother and veteran actress Babita along with yesteryear’s Bollywood star Biswajit from the 1968 film ‘Kismat’.

The track was special in many aspects including Biswajit becoming the first hero of that era who dressed as a woman for the song. The hit number was sung by Shamshad Begum and Asha Bhosle.

Karisma is known for giving several hits including ‘Jigar’, ‘Anari’, ‘Coolie No.1’, ‘Jeet’, among others. She became a star with her roles in movies such as ‘Raja Hindustani’ and ‘Dil To Paagal Hai’. Karisma won the best actress award for ‘Fiza’.

The 48-year-old actress appeared on the singing reality show and enjoyed listening to the performances by the Top 10 young talents including Aarohi, Atharva, Dnyaneshwari, Palakshi, Harsh, Rafa, Prajyot, Devika, Atanu, and Jetshen on the tracks from the 60s era.

Wearing an amazing...

Actress Kangana Ranaut has said that she has said no to the “insane amount of money” being offered to her to perform at weddings and private parties.

Kangana took to Instagram, where she shared a video of veteran singer Asha Bhosle talking about how her sister and late legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar never performed at weddings.

In the video, Asha Bhosle is talking about how her elder sister and legendary singer was once offered a million dollars to sing at a wedding, but she refused the offer.

She was heard saying: “Kaha 2 ghante sirf aap darshan dijiye humari shadi meina.”

Kangana captioned: “Agree. Even I never danced in weddings or private parties, even though I have the most popular songs…denied insane amount of money…glad to come across this video.. Lataji truly so inspiring.”

On the work front, Kangana is filming her directorial, ‘Emergency’, where she will be seen...

The eternal combination of music with films and stars, many a times their fate intertwined, with each giving a boost to the other, is considered a hallmark of Indian movies. This has been the tradition of almost all films produced in India – since the humble beginning made with “Raja Harishchandra” (1913) by the venerable Father of Indian Cinema, Dhundiraj Govind ‘Dadasaheb’ Phalke.

Among the sackful of musical blockbusters churned out by Bollywood, one of the front-rankers is K Asif’s National Award winner “Mughal-e-Azam” (1960) with a dozen unforgettable scores by the Master of the Baton, Naushad Ali. Surprisingly, this all-time megabuster did not see Dilip Kumar, the winsome Prince Salim, singing a single song on the silver screen.

All the 12 songs in “Mughal-e-Azam” were left to other characters such as the besotted Madhubala (Anarkali) and the jealous Bahar Begum (Nigar Sultana), a wandering soothsayer, or royal court musician Tansen, in the...

Yusuf Khan aka Dilip Kumar – the intense, multi-faceted actor who rose to be not just a superstar but a supergiantstar – and inspired generations of future actors and filmmakers with the art and science of his acting talents, remains glowing brightly in the starry film galaxy. On his 100th birth anniversary on Sunday, here’s a quick view of a few of his top, timeless, superhit films which still enthrall movie buffs, now mostly on the small screen.

In his acting career spanning 55 years, Dilip Kumar performed in an estimated 57 films with an awesome success rate of around 65 per cent.

The eternal mega-blockbuster was, of course, “Mughal-e-Azam” (1960), directed by the legendary Asif Karim (better known as K Asif), which shattered records and created new ones, many which still stand unbroken today.

In the film, Dilip Kumar essayed the role of a bohemian Prince Salim, who later became fourth Mughal Emperor Jahangir,...

Indo-Norwegian Indie artist Syed Ali and veteran singer Gunjan Singh have collaborated for an upcoming single called ‘Tu Mera Jahan’. This song is all about the lovers’ longing, missing the amazing time they spent together as a couple, and how they again want to be together.

Talking about the song, Syed said: “Tu Mera Jahan is a romantic sad song with a primary focus on the vocals combined with live instruments. We have also added a cultural element to the song by introducing the Norwegian folk style of the violin in the track. The orchestral build-up with high pitch vocals really elevates the song and gives it a wide dynamic feel.”

Gunjan Singh has sung some famous tracks like ‘Noorie’, ‘Kinna Sohna’, ‘Naiyon Dil Lagda’, ‘Aap Ki Nazron Ne Samjha’ and many more. Gunjan has been performing all around the world with famous Bollywood artists like Sonu Nigam, Asha Bhosle,...