Retroscope

RETROSCOPE: CELEBRATING THE LEGEND DARA SINGH

On his upcoming 97th birth anniversary, 19th November 2025, Monojit Lahiri revisits the extraordinary life and legacy of Dara Singh — the original Indian Superman whose ...

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RETROSCOPE: MIRACLE AND ‘THE CURSE’ OF JAI SANTOSHI MAA

Khalid Mohamed looks back at 1975, the year of Sholay and the miraculous success of Jai Santoshi Maa and its aftermath — a cinematic contrast that defined devotion, dest...

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RETROSCOPE: MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUITAR

Khalid Mohamed replays the life and oeuvre of Van Shipley, who was a formidable name once, but has never been acknowledged in our Nation’s Hall of Music Fame. Play it ag...

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RETROSCOPE: VILLAIN WITH GOLDEN HEART

Pran Krishan Sikand, the unforgettable screen villain, was in real life a warm and generous neighbour. Monojit Lahiri recalls his childhood encounters with the actor who redef...

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RETROSCOPE: A BITTERSWEET STROKE OF INTERVENTION

A nostalgic journey from childhood Chitrahaar evenings to Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Jurmana, tracing Bachchan’s evolving image, parallel cinema’s rise, and the ...

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RETROSCOPE: FORGOTTEN WOMEN OF HINDI CINEMA

Those forgotten B-grade movie divas of yesteryear: Khalid Mohamed recalls Indira ‘Billi’, Chitra and Naqi Jehan, just three of  the cavalierly sIde-lined B-gr...

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RETROSCOPE: JAIDEV COMPOSED, SILENCE SANG ALONG

On Jaidev’s birth anniversary which was two days ago, on 3rd August, Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri remembers the unsung maestro whose timeless melodies, rooted in classical fin...

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RETROSCOPE: WAQT CHANGED HINDI FILMS FOREVER

Sixty years since its release, Waqt remains a landmark of Hindi cinema, introducing the ensemble cast format and modernising the ‘lost-and-found’ trope with emotio...

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RETROSCOPE: WHEN MELODY WAS KING

His lovingly built bungalow, Ashiana, on the Bandra seafront has survived the encroachments of real-estate sharks of sky-high towers. And despite malicious accusations and the...

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RETROSCOPE: CENTENARY OF A REBEL POET OF CELLULOID

Ranjan Das Gupta marks 100 years of Guru Dutt, the visionary director who blended poetry, pathos, and protest in cinema, transforming Hindi films with his uniquely melancholic...

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PRESERVING JAMSHEDPUR'S LIVING LEGACY

The Parsis of Jamshedpur: Prof. Dr. Avinash Kolhe explores the rich legacy of Jamshedpur...

June 22 2026

THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM AT THE TABLE

As debates around immigration, citizenship and belonging intensify worldwide, Vinta Nand...

June 21 2026

AI, CREATIVITY AND PURPOSE UNITE

From AI-powered filmmaking education and innovative talent recruitment to empathy-driven...

June 20 2026