Thought Box
Retroscope

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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Kaleidoscope

My Darkest Time

In this long-short personal story of having overcome a big challenge, Gaurav Jain says, “When you break your leg, you know it! There is no perhaps!” “Take t...

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Powerful People

Framed: Film Editor Ballu Saluja

Aparajita Krishna, writer and filmmaker, profiles the much accomplished editor Ballu Saluja in our first in the series of artistes behind-the-scenes.  Cut to: Lagaan (20...

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Kaleidoscope

Over my dead body

Aroona Bhat decodes the last breath; the many times people inhale and exhale before they take it. She figures, that life’s purpose is found somewhere in between. As a c...

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Thought Factory

Sycophancy: At the intersection of Art & Politics

Vinta Nanda writes about the mood in the country. She says that Bollywood and Indian Politics, both, are in deep denial.  It was cringe when DK Sivakumar, Indian politic...

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Kaleidoscope

Grannies, Groins & Growing up: Sonnets from Early Memories

The experiences in Farrukh Dhondy's childhood that formed the man are worked into a collection of sonnets that are fun, charming, full of scabrous humor, exciting and above al...

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Retroscope

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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Alternative Entertainment

Question of Age: The believe-it-or-not pluck of Chunibala Devi

Khalid Mohamed writes on the uncanny story of Chunibala Devi, who at the age of 80 portrayed the tetchy yet lovable village grandma brilliantly in Satyajit Ray’s Pather ...

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Business and Politics

Undekhi: Plain Vanilla, Distasteful Hype

Dr Sandeep Goyal says that SonyLiv's latest thriller offering Undekhi, has landed itself in an unenviable soup of its own making. A promotional gimmick that the streaming pla...

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Retroscope

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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THOUGHT FACTORY: CREATION BEGINS WHERE OPINION ENDS

Art is born from surrender, not control. While opinions about art come from privilege an...

October 30 2025

ALTERNATIVE ENTERTAINMENT: DISCOVERING JEWELS AMONG THE JUNKPILE

Exhausted by the excessive violence, toxic masculinity and crass comedies of pan-Asian a...

October 29 2025

FESTIVALS: STORIES THAT AWAKEN THE WORLD

A masterclass on Conscious Storytelling at WIFF Mumbai 2025 explored how cinema can elev...

October 28 2025