Conversations Over Chai

Raj Kapoor (14.12.1924-02.06.1988) Mohammed Rafi (24.12.1924-31.07.1980) December 2024 marks the birth centenary of two of Hindi cinema...

My love for old Hindi film songs is familiar to all those who have read my previous posts. And those who are familiar with my writing know t...

Photo: India Today Rajesh Khanna's undeniable charm, his screen presence and his soft, boyish looks made him the idol of millions, no d...

Directed by: Ramesh Sippy Music: Shankar-Jaikishan Lyrics: Hasrat Jaipuri, Gulzar Starring: Shammi Kapoor, Hema Malini, Rajesh Khanna, Si...

This list grew out of the discussion that Shalini and I had at the end of Luck by Chance. Of how even ‘sensitive’ directors and writers do a...

25.12.1919-05.05.2006 Naushad Ali. The name conjures up an old world aura, tehzeeb, and of course, scintillating melodies. From the footpath...

As I mentioned earlier, I hadn’t really thought of Nargis as one of my ‘favourite’ actresses, until I realised that whenever...

01. 06. 1929 – 03. 05. 1981 When I’m asked about my favourite Hindi film heroines, I usually have Meena Kumari top the list, followed...

The other day, I was thinking about a couple of long-ago conversations on my blog. B logger Chitrapat Sangeet had posted one of his favour...

Ten days ago, on December 11, Dilip Kumar, the last of the golden age triumvirate turned 95. I wanted to do a post on the occasion, bu...

My husband’s aunt , R – his mother’s cousin – is one of my favourite people in all the world. She’s always cheerful, and despite having b...

This category – The Divas – came about because I didn’t know how to categorise the gamut of 60s heroines who, unlike their predecessors,...

Directed by: Mehboob Khan Music : Naushad Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri Starring: Raj Kapoor, Nargis, Dilip Kumar,  Cuckoo, Mu rad Co...

'Life's as tedious as a twice-told tale' quoth Shakespeare in King John. ' Life's but a walking shadow', he...

A long time ago, on one of Dustedoff 's posts, fellow-blogger Harvey said he had heard about a missing Hemant Kumar solo from Gu...

22.07.1923 - 27.08.1976 I am on record as having stated that Mukesh is an extremely limited singer. 'Limited' in the s...

This was meant as a sister-post to the earlier one , but once I began to delve into the theme, I realised that 'philosophical' son...

Receiving the Padma Bhushan on 31st March 2009  (AP Photo/Mustafa Quraishi) When I first began to research the songs of Shamshad Beg...

14.12.1924 - 02.06.1988 Ranbir Raj Kapoor, born in Peshawar, then undivided India, was the eldest son of theatre doyen Prithviraj Kapo...

Shamsher Raj Kapoor 21-10-1931 - 14-08-2011 I h ad meant to do this post some time, but never thought that I would be writing it ...