Retroscope
Retroscope

Sing freedom: Songs of nationalist fervour

Anil Dixit walks down melody lane to track some of the most memorable songs of our national pride and patriotism Patriotic songs are de rigueur for occasions such as Independ...

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The Forever Story: Protima Gauri (Bedi)

Humra  Quraishi writes that Protima Bedi, was the quintessential modern Indian woman who had once written her own destiny She passed away twenty two years ago on  A...

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Chann Pardesi: Reuniting with the cult-classic

Aparajita Krishna writes, Chann Pardesi would be a stranger to the young cine-goer, India 2020, including the young diaspora generation. However, a news item featured in the ...

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Mohammed Rafi: Forty Years Later

Anil Dixit exults about Mohammed Rafi’s imperishable legacy of songs, on the occasion of the legendary crooner’s 40th death anniversary. I confess I write this on...

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Takes two to duet: Lata Mangeshkar’s duets with female singers

Anil Dixit handpicks a selection of rare film duets in which other female singers matched up to the skills of the Maharani of Melody, Lata Mangeshkar  In the constellati...

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Yesterday’s Agent Vinod: Why he quit Bollywood

Film historian, Dhruv Somani, tracks down Mahendra Sandhu, to his farmhouse in Chandigarh for a freewheeling interview.  He’s Sandhu, Mahendra Sandhu. Now 73, this...

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Lost Melodies: Bollywood’s vast film music heritage

Anil Dixit, walks down melody lane, to select five vastly underrated music scores My go-to metaphor for Hindi film music is that it’s a rich tapestry woven by generatio...

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Wonder Animals: The Untold Story

Khalid Mohamed rewinds to the coached dogs, chimpanzees and elephants that would often steal the show in Bollywood blockbusters.  They’ve been missing from the sce...

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The Unknown Story

Indian cinema’s first superstar, Master Nissar, had passed away in abject poverty How many even know about India cinema’s first superstar, Master Nissar, and how ...

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Sunil Dutt – 6th June 1929 to 25th May 2005

I had  met  Sunil Dutt  more than  once, writes Humra Quraishi in her piece this week, where she recalls one such time when she interviewed him in Delhi. ...

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The magical language of Gulzar

Juhi Saklani looks at the way filmmaker, poet, lyricist and writer Gulzar creates langua...

October 17 2021

‘Having a blast’ is a very ordinary thing to do!

How often have we all said, “Hey, let’s have a blast”, or, “What...

October 16 2021

Disillusionment to anger: A tale of two Vijays

It’s the week of two ‘Vijays’, Guru Dutt and Amitabh Bachchan - the fo...

October 14 2021