A Legacy Beyond the Screen
The Genesis of a Giant Main Hoon Jahan, Kal Koi Aur Tha; Yeh Bhi Ek Daur Hai, Woh Bhi Ek Daur Tha!(Where I stand today, another stood yesterday; this is but an era, as was that!)~Sahir Ludhianvi (Daag) On December 29, the Indian film fraternity and millions of fans worldwide pause to mark the 83rd […]
A Modernist Titan of Urdu Letters: Remembering Shamsur Rahman Faruqi
Shamsur Rahman Faruqi (1935–2020), the towering Indian Urdu poet, author, critic, and theorist, reshaped Urdu literature by infusing it with modernism. On this fifth anniversary of his passing on December 25, his legacy endures as a bridge between tradition and innovation. Pioneering Criticism and Literary Revival Faruqi formulated fresh models of literary appreciation, blending Western […]
An Eternal Voice: A Tribute to Mohammed Rafi on His 101st Birth Anniversary
“Hazaron saal Nargis apni be-noori pe roti hai, Badi mushkil se hota hai chaman mein Didawar paida.”As Mirza Ghalib’s couplet reminds us, true genius blooms rarely. On December 24, 2025, we celebrate the 101st birth anniversary of Mohammed Rafi, born in 1924 in Kotla Sultan Singh, Punjab—a voice that transformed Indian music and touched the nation’s […]
Shyam Benegal: The Enduring Light of Parallel Cinema
“Vo gaya to saath hi le gaya sabhi rang utaar ke shehar kaKoi shakhs tha mere shehar me kisi door-paar ke shehar ka Kisi aur des ki aur ko suna hai, ‘Faraz’ chala gayaSabhi dukh samait ke shehar ka, sabhi qarz utaar ke shehar ka” Shyam Benegal: The Enduring Light of Parallel Cinema On the […]
THE QUIET ARCHITECT OF INDIAN TELEVISION & LITERARY REVOLUTION
Manohar Shyam Joshi Manohar Shyam Joshi (1933–2006) occupies a rare and enduring place in India’s cultural history. A gifted Hindi writer, journalist, editor, and scriptwriter, he is best remembered as the creator of Hum Log (1984), India’s first television soap opera, and later classics such as Buniyaad, Kakaji Kahin—a sharp political satire—and Kyaap, the novel […]
Meher Castelino, India’s First Femina Miss India & Pioneering Fashion Journalist
Meher Castelino, the trailblazing beauty queen who became the inaugural Femina Miss India in 1964 and later emerged as one of the country’s most influential fashion journalists, passed away on December 16, 2025, in Mumbai. She was 81. Early Life and Historic Pageant Victory Born in Mumbai, Castelino graduated from the prestigious Lawrence School in […]
Remembering Internationally Renowned Filmmaker, Director & Screen Writer Shyam Benegal
Remembering internationally renowned Filmmaker, Director and screenwriter # Shyam Benegal on his 91st birth anniversary (14 December) Probably one of the the greatest filmmakers from India Shyam Benegal was a legendary Indian film director, screenwriter, and documentary filmmaker. Often regarded as the pioneer of parallel cinema in India, Benegal’s career spans over five decades, during […]
Mulk Raj Anand at 120: Champion of India’s Forgotten Lives
On this 120th birth anniversary of Mulk Raj Anand—born December 12, 1905, in Peshawar—his defiant credo endures: “Our tragic age demands poetry of courage and not whimpers about the inevitable end of all maya.” Far more than a pioneer of Indo-Anglian fiction or “India’s Charles Dickens,” Anand forged novels that elevated the sweeper, coolie, and […]
SC RAPS COMEDIANS ON OBJECTIONABLE CONTENT
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday flagged several concerns over ‘objectionable content’ circulating online, and discussed what measures can be taken to ensure that while freedom of speech is protected, no sentiments are hurt either. The court made the observations while hearing a case involving popular content creators Samay Raina, Ranveer Allahbadia and others, […]
N K SARREN ; A BRILLIANT STORY IN PHOTO JOURNALISM
Zooming in on Satyajit Ray: A Rare, Defining Moment Photo -journalist Narendra Kumar Sareen never quite fit the mould of a routine assignments man. Even in his early days, field jobs bored him. He yearned for something deeper—frames shaped by instinct, light, and artistic impulse rather than newsroom diktats. Creativity, not deadlines, drove him.————————So when […]
