In 1935, Himanshu Rai was shooting Jeevan Naiyya. In a quick turn of events, his wife and the movie’s heroine Devika Rani eloped with the lead actor. Devika was traced and the actor fired. Search for a new actor began, the trail of which stopped at the lab assistant of the studio Kumudlal Ganguly. Kumudlal’s... Continue Reading →
“Babumoshai! Zindagi badi honi chahiye, lambi nahi” he snapped playfully in his intro scene and set the tempo for the story. People laughed through the movie and didn’t even realise when their eyes got moistened uncontrollably as they left the theatres. In the late 1960s, Raj Kapoor fell seriously ill and his friend Hrishikesh Mukherjee... Continue Reading →
A few snapshots from the gathering at Freedom Park in Bangalore during this weekend. The masses were swelling by the hour. But what struck me were these interesting placards. Some of them were bordering around hagiography, some were plain, some melodramatic and a few highly imaginative. Enjoy these vignettes of a movement. The warning label... Continue Reading →
Gandhi topis are everywhere. There is a new face in every poster. He does not look sophisticated, urban and is definitely not young. But the headlines are constantly screaming his name. Shopkeepers are voluntarily closing down their shops in protest. The dabbawalas of Mumbai have stalled work for the first time. At the age of... Continue Reading →
Madraswallah 