If you have read any of my older posts, you would know about my fondness for Shammi Kapoor (well, you do not even have to read any post; the image in the banner is probably enough!) And then October is such a special month – Shammi Kapoor’s birthday would have turned 86 today (October 21). … More Kashmir ki Kali (1964)
As a South Indian who grew up in Delhi, Deepavali celebrations at home have always been an amalgam of both the traditions – South and North.. In South India, the festival is celebrated a day earlier and the legend behind it is a story from the Mahabharata (and not the Ramayana) – one in which … More Happy Deepavali
The one and lonely Kidar Sharma: an anecdotal autobiography resurfaced among a pile of read, unread books in one of my bookshelves during a massive book-sorting exercise recently. As I saw the title, it struck me that despite having picked it up ages back, it had not been read. Worse, still, it had been completely … More Book Review: The one and lonely Kidar Sharma – An anecdotal autobiography
While I had been meaning to revive this blog – as the rather long hiatus was unplanned – my efforts at actually doing so were rather half-hearted and excuses plenty. A sweet and touching message from Madhu yesterday was the push that I needed. Thank you, Madhu. Considering this is my first post in more … More My favourite songs picturised on Shakila (Jan 1, 1935- Sep 20, 2017) – in memoriam
This blog has been dormant now for 8 months: real life and sheer laziness had come in the way and I kept putting off updating it. Rains in my city, which forced me to stay home from work today proved to be the catalyst. I decided to post something – just anything at all. So that this becomes … More Asha sings for Ravi
This blog had been much neglected over the past two months and I had been planning to revive it before the year ends. A list of 10 of my favourite songs picturised on Sadhana, one of the best actresses of the 60s, had been lying incomplete in the drafts folder for many weeks now and I did not … More My Favourite Songs of Sadhana
Historical fiction is a difficult genre for an author to attempt; after all it is an imaginary narrative that has to be set in the remote past, while depicting the chosen time period and its cultures with accuracy, believability and depth. It requires extensive research and intensive, imaginative reconstruction. The author has to know the period, and … More Crimson City by Madhulika Liddle
In the late 80’s or early 90’s, Doordarshan telecast a fantastic series titled ‘Portrait of the Director‘. It featured six documentaries on six acclaimed directors of Hindi Cinema. It was in the episode on Shyam Benegal, that I first heard about this book. His acclaimed 1977 film, Bhumika, starring Smita Patil in the award winning title role, … More Sangtye Aika (You ask, I tell: An autobiography) by Hansa Wadkar transl. by Jasbir Jain and Shobha Shinde
I was reminded of this wonderful but little-known Hrishikesh Mukherjee film (a movie that I had watched and liked way back), as I leafed through Jai’s recently released book a couple of nights back. I had forgotten most of the movie, except that it starred an utterly delightful Tanuja (in one of her earliest roles) and Lalita … More Mem-didi (1961)
Shankar Mokashi Punekar (1928-2004) was a well-known Kannada novelist, poet, literary critic and translator. Known to be radical and non-conformist in his views, Punekar’s output was prolific. He wrote extensively in Kannada and English – in varied genres – novels, short stories, poetry, and literary criticism. Deeply critical of the modernist movement in Kannada literature, his own … More Awadheshwari by Shankar Mokashi Punekar translated by P.P. Giridhar
Songs, Stories, Books and more... 