100 years of cinema: The magic of Shankar-Jaikishan

We're on a 100-year journey, in search of untold tales that got made behind mics, mixers and harmoniums, to string together the sound of our cinema. ...
11:41 AM, May 10, 2013

'Raja Harishchandra' to be screened again in Patna on May 3 New Delhi: India's first feature film 'Raja Harishchandra' will repeat history as it is set to be screened in Patna tomorrow, exactly a hundred years later since its release in 1913. "India's first film 'Raja Harischandra', a silent movie, will be screened in Patna as part of an event commemorating the centenary year of the Indian cinema," president, Cine Society, Patna, R N Dash told PTI. Though cinema entered India...  
05:54 PM, May 02, 2013

Indian cinema has completed its 100 years on May 3, 2013. India's first feature film 'Raja Harishchandra' was released on this day in 1913. On this occasion, we bring to you a compilation of 50 iconic film scenes that have influenced the popular culture in a big way.Mother India (1957): In Mehboob Khan's 'Mother India' a righteous Radha (Nargis) shoots her younger son Birju (Sunil Dutt), a bandit who kidnaps a girl of his village on her wedding day. While fleeing with the girl, Birju is warned by Radha to let the girl go. When he diesnt relent, Radha shoots him and Birju eventually dies in his mother's arms. Sholay (1975): Who can forget the 'Ye Haath Mujhe Dede Thakur' scene from one of the most memorable films from Bollywood. Taking revenge for his family's death Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar) hunts for Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan) but the latter instead cuts off Thakur's hands. The acting prowess displayed by Amjad Khan and Sanjeev Kumar makes it one of the most powerful scenes in the film.
06:05 PM, Apr 30, 2013

100 years of cinema: Bollywood's first swimsuit act

Take a look as Karan Johar tells us how fashion evolved over the years in Hindi films and the earliest diva's and trendsetters of the Hindi film Industry. ...
04:59 PM, Apr 25, 2013

100 years of cinema: The story behind 'Parinda'

Watch scenes from the landmark movie 'Parinda' where Anil Kapoor mentored Jackie Shroff and in the end Jackie walked away with the best actor award. ...
09:28 AM, Apr 18, 2013

100 years of cinema: Dilip Kumar, Big B, SRK strike a pose

An emotional Dilip Kumar was ably supported by the dapper Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, and it was smiles and thumbs up all around. ...
05:34 PM, Apr 12, 2013

100 years of Indian cinema: The first talkies and era of taking risks When the first talkie - Ardeshir Irani's 'Alam Ara' came out in 1931, India was already familiar with the concept of feature films. ...  
12:10 PM, Mar 13, 2013

Melbourne film fest to celebrate 100 years of Indian cinema The upcoming Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) will celebrate 100 years of Indian cinema and showcase some of the most celebrated movies of the last century. ...  
04:29 PM, Mar 10, 2013

Even though films came in the early part of 1900, the mass hysteria that accompanies films in present times came much later. The Indian society in the pre independence era was also a conservative one, where film viewing was restricted to a certain section of the society- mostly the elite and films was yet to spread far and wide. The emergence of larger than life stars slowly started emerging post-independence. The advent of media also helped in making the actors more accessible to the audience. Tabloid, gossip columns, and major influence of the west helped in making stars larger than life, close to demigods in a country which was made the world of cinema its escape from the daily routine.With Gregory Peck type of looks, Dev Anand seemed too westernized for the films that were being made in the 1950s. Many even shunned him as someone who just looked good but couldn%u2019t act. While initially he did play soft romantic roles, he then shifted to films which spoke about social issues. The craze for his typical swagger, his style, his body language caught on soon and was aped by the youth. The charming smile and the thoughtful eyes poured deep into the hearts of millions of fans and ladies swooned all over him. The man went on to make some memorable films, some of which became cult classics, launched several new faces in the film industry and lived life in his own unique way and refused to get old. Rajesh Khanna:He taught the country the term %u2018superstar%u2019. Till then, actors had strong fan following but the hysteria that Khanna brought was unmatched. The shy boy won a talent hunt contest and landed his first role in a feature film in %u2018Aakhri Khat%u2019 in 1966 but within a year Khanna%u2019s popularity started spreading far and wide. So much so, that the ending of Nasir Hussain%u2019s %u2018Baharon Ke Sapne%u2019 had to be changed from a sad one to a happier one following national uproar. His popularity reached delirious in a short span-stories of how his car was covered with lipstick marks, his name was chanted by women on the road while his car passed by are part of film folklore now. And Kaka, as he was popularly known as, still remains the only actor to have back to back fifteen consecutive solo superhits, during the years 1969 to 1972., a feat which is yet to be broken by any actor.MG Ramachandran: Films and film actors are taken very seriously down south. Actors are treated differently, given god like status. Generally starring in romance or action films, MGR got his big breakthrough in the 1947 film 'Manthiri Kumari', but 'Malaikallan' in 1957 was the film that catapulted him to superstardom. MGR had been politically active since the early years of his acting career. While he continued to make films and act in them, his involvement in building Tamil Nadu%u2019s new political system was also quite prominent. Perhaps, his superstar persona helped him gain support when he broke away from DMk and formed his own party AIADMK in the 1972. The only actor to have received the Bharat Ratna (posthumously), he is still considered an icon in Tamil Nadu.
04:44 PM, Mar 02, 2013

100 Years of Cinema: History of kissing on screen For almost four decades, Bollywood's only association with intimacy was two nodding dandelions and the camera panning to logs burning in the fireplace. Desire was portrayed through symbolism on the celluloid as filmmakers learned to fear the censor board. But this wasn't always the case in cinema's 100 year history. Actresses were as bold in the 1930s as they are today, perhaps even more. ...  
08:33 AM, Feb 20, 2013

As we celebrate 100 years of Indian cinema this year, we tip our hats to the women from the various film industries who dared to chase their dreams against all odds. The pioneers often faced prejudice as stumbling blocks. We pay tribute to their relentless pursuit of art, hard work, talent and beauty.Known for her roles in 'Mughal-E-Azam', 'Mahal' and 'Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi', Madhubala's beauty is what fables are made of. Her real name was Mumtaz Jahan Dehlavi but her screen name Madhubala stuck as she debuted at the tender age of nine to support her family. She is considered one of the most talented actresses of all time in Hindi cinema. Devika Rani, who starred in films like 'Achhut Kanya', 'Jeevan Prabhat', 'Karma' was the biggest star in the early 40s. Devika Rani defied conventional sensibilities even back then. Her on-screen kiss with her actor husband Himanshu Rai in the 1933 film 'Karma' is considered Hindi cinema's first.Popular for her performance in 'Samadhi', Nalini Jayawant was a prominent face in Bollywood films from early 40s to late 60s.
05:18 PM, Feb 12, 2013

Bollywood actor Kalki Koechlin smiles during a press conference to promote her upcoming movie 'Shanghai' in Ahmadabad, Saturday, June 2, 2012. The movie will be released on June 8.Bollywood actors Abhay Deol, left, Emraan Hashmi, center, and Kalki Koechlin arrive to attend a press conference to promote their upcoming movie 'Shanghai' in Ahmadabad, Saturday, June 2, 2012. The movie will be released on June 8.Kolkata Knight Riders team co-owner and Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan gestures during a press conference at his residence in Mumbai, India, May 30, 2012. Kolkata Knight Riders won the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket title on Sunday, defeating two-time defending champion Chennai Super Kings by five wickets in a high-scoring final.
05:28 PM, Jun 02, 2012