-
1 week ago | 
frontline.thehindu.com | Ashutosh Sharma |C.S. Venkiteswaran |Vaishna Roy
Since taking office in Chhattisgarh in December 2023, the BJP government has woven cultural symbolism into its anti-Maoist campaign. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has repeatedly invoked Maa Danteshwari, the revered deity of Naxal-infested Dantewada’s ancient temple—historically associated with tantric rituals and once a site for human sacrifices—as a rallying force.
-
2 weeks ago | 
frontline.thehindu.com | Ashutosh Sharma |Ashish Rajadhyaksha |Juhi Saklani |Vaishna Roy
The Second Book of ProphetsBenyamin, translated by Ministhy S. Simon & Schuster IndiaRs.599The award-winning Malayalam writer’s latest translated novel reimagines the life and times of Jesus Christ to present a secular version of a revolutionary’s fight against injustice.
-
2 weeks ago | 
frontline.thehindu.com | Ashutosh Sharma |Ashish Rajadhyaksha |Juhi Saklani |Vaishna Roy
This is something every serious cineaste knows: most films of a certain vintage—especially those made by a director with a sense of visual composition, movement, and use of space—are very different beasts when viewed on a big screen in a dark hall.
-
2 weeks ago | 
frontline.thehindu.com | Ashutosh Sharma |Ashish Rajadhyaksha |Juhi Saklani |Vaishna Roy
What happens to iconic film heroes once their historic roles are behind them, they are past their peaks, and new icons enter the stage and take their place? Think of Ashok Kumar and K.L. Saigal of the 1940s, Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, and Guru Dutt of the 1950s-1960s, Dev Anand and Rajesh Khanna of the 1960s-1970s, and Amitabh Bachchan of the 1970s-1980s.
-
2 weeks ago | 
frontline.thehindu.com | Juhi Saklani |Ashutosh Sharma |Ashish Rajadhyaksha |Vaishna Roy
It was the 1920s, and across British India, five children were born who would go on to become legendary names in Hindi cinema and, through their collaborations, gain international recognition as well. Ranbir Raj Kapoor (1924-88) was born in Peshawar to a family of tehsildars; his grandfather was a police officer and his father was a young actor who had given up law studies to perform plays.
-
2 weeks ago | 
frontline.thehindu.com | Ashutosh Sharma |Ashish Rajadhyaksha |Juhi Saklani |Vaishna Roy
In the poignant crescendo of Teesri Kasam (1966), adapted from Phanishwar Nath Renu’s evocative Hindi short story Mare Gaye Gulfam, the final meeting between Hiraman (Raj Kapoor) and Hira Bai (Waheeda Rehman) showcases heart-rending grace in the face of an inevitable parting. Bound by the decree of their circumstances, they stand at the precipice of farewell. Hira Bai, her voice a tender balm, seeks to soothe Hiraman, who is a statue carved from silence, a breathing stone.
-
2 weeks ago | 
frontline.thehindu.com | Ashutosh Sharma |Ashish Rajadhyaksha |Juhi Saklani |Vaishna Roy
The Indian Constitution was enacted in 1950 and underwent its first amendment within a year. The year 1951 also saw the release of Raj Kapoor’s Awara. Both the Constitution and Awara are marked by the incredible array of talent that went into their making. If the Constituent Assembly was filled with some of the most erudite lawmakers of the time, Awara brought together a motley crew of creative minds, including Raj Kapoor, Nargis, K.A. Abbas, and Shailendra.
-
2 weeks ago | 
frontline.thehindu.com | Ashutosh Sharma |Ashish Rajadhyaksha |Juhi Saklani |Vaishna Roy
At one point in Shree 420 (1955)—perhaps the true standout collaboration between Raj Kapoor and K.A. Abbas—our hero introduces us to an unusual enterprise: a “managing agency” with the piquant title of Raj Raj Raj & Co. This is a front for something called Tibet Gold Co. Raj, we soon realise, is scamming an unnamed Sindhi businessman, and his extended subterfuge, including a long conversation faking a Japanese accent, is one of the film’s comedy highlights.
-
1 month ago | 
frontline.thehindu.com | Ashutosh Sharma |Vivek Katju |Vaishna Roy
Mansur al-Hallaj, a 9th-century Persian Sufi mystic, was brutally executed in 922 CE in Baghdad for proclaiming “Ana al-Haq“ (I am the Truth/God), a mystical utterance deemed heretical by orthodox authorities. His execution was more harrowing than that of prominent dissenters such as Socrates, Jesus, Sarmad, Hypatia, and Bruno.
-
1 month ago | 
frontline.thehindu.com | Ashutosh Sharma |Gowhar Geelani |Vaishna Roy
In the rugged hills of Jammu, where the echoes of past wars linger, the recent “ceasefire understanding” between India and Pakistan has triggered a storm of disbelief and smouldering anger.
