Mumbai's Regal theatre to screen Bambai Ka Babu, CID, Mera Gaon Mera Desh during Centenary celebration of Raj Khosla
The face-off between Dharmendra, essaying the character of a reformed petty thief-turned-farmer Ajit, and Vinod Khanna as dreaded dacoit Jabbar Singh will play out on the screen of Regal, the city's heritage single-screen theatre, on Saturday evening as it will showcase Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971).
The screening is organised as part of its director Raj Khosla's birth centenary celebration and will be introduced by one of the film's leading actor Asha Parekh.
A day-long mini-retrospective of the popular writer-director's movies, titled 'Raj Khosla 100 – Bambai Ka Babu', organised by the Film Heritage Foundation (FHF) at Regal on Saturday, commemorates this 100th birth anniversary. The event will also hold screenings of Khosla's C.I.D. (1956) and Bambai Ka Babu (1960), which have been restored in 4K resolution by the National Film Archive of India (NFDC).
His just-published biography, written by Amborish Roychoudhury, will be released.
In a career spanning three decades and 27 films, Khosla is known for his remarkable song picturisation in the 1950s and 60s as well as revolutionising the way music was integrated into Indian film narratives. Born in Punjab (now in Pakistan), he shifted to Bombay with dreams of becoming a playback singer. Instead, he ended up being an assistant director on Guru Dutt's directorial debut, Baazi (1951), which featured actor Dev Anand.
Though Khosla's directorial debut, Milap (1955), was not a box-office hit, he went on to direct several successful entertainers — from neo-noir crime dramas like CID (1956) and Solva Saal (1958) to the haunting Woh Kaun Thi? (1964) and Mera Saaya (1966).
Describing Raj Khosla as 'the Howard Hawks of Indian cinema' for his remarkable ability to successfully make films in every genre from thrillers, whodunits, musicals, action adventure to love stories and dacoit films, Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, director of Film Heritage Foundation says: 'Raj-ji excelled in song picturisation and was known for having strong female characters in his films. It inspired me as an upcoming filmmaker when I saw images of his hoardings that had a director's chair with his name emblazoned on it.'
Parekh counts Do Badan, Chirag, Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki and Mera Gaon Mera Desh — directed by Khosla — among her favourite films. 'Before my first film, Do Badan, with Raj Khosla, I was known more for my dancing and glamorous roles. Do Badan that changed people's perception of me as an actress that could perform more serious roles. He was a very fine filmmaker and his song picturization was remarkable,' says the Dadasaheb Phalke Award recipient.
'This screening at Regal, Mumbai is a unique opportunity for the cinema lovers to view, for the first time ever, Bombai Ka Babu in 4K restored version. We are also showcasing another classic, CID, restored by NFDC-NFAI,' says Prakash Magdum, managing director of NFDC.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
17 minutes ago
- Hans India
Shalmali Kholgade is back with her new English song, 'all good?'
After impressing the crowd at Zomaland with her energetic live performance, popular Indian singer Shalmali Kholgade is back with a brand-new English single called 'all good?'. The song is now available on all major music platforms. It's fun and catchy but also carries a deep message. Recently, Shalmali's live shows have gone viral online, thanks to her fresh versions of hit songs and her strong stage presence. With 'all good?', she adds another exciting song to her list that shows her growth as an artist. At first, the song feels like a fun, feel-good pop track. But when you listen closely, it talks about how people today are always chasing after more – more things, more likes, more success – and how that can make us forget what really matters in life. The song has upbeat music, a catchy hook, and a message that makes you think. Speaking about the song, Shalmali says, 'We keep running after material things and forget about real meaning. I wanted this song to start a conversation while still making people enjoy the music and feel something.' 'all good?' is Shalmali's return to English music after successful independent releases like 'Chills', 'Here is Beautiful', and her well-received bilingual album '2X Side B'. Though many fans know her from Bollywood hits like Pareshaan, Balam Pichkari, and Lat Lag Gayee, she has been exploring a more personal and unique sound in recent years. With her indie-pop music, Shalmali continues to bring something fresh and real to the audience.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Sonali Bendre reveals Salman Khan made faces at her during Hum Saath Saath Hain shoot: 'We were fighting all the time...'
Sonali Bendre Behl, a prominent face in 1990s and early 2000s Hindi cinema, recently shared amusing anecdotes from the set of Sooraj Barjatya 's 1999 family drama, Hum Saath Saath Hain. In an interview with Bollywood Bubble, Bendre specifically recalled co-star making faces at her during filming, alongside other candid memories. Amusing behind-the-scenes banter with Salman Khan When shown a nostalgic photo with Salman Khan from the Hum Saath Saath Hain shoot, Sonali Bendre joked about her pose, wondering aloud if she was pouring tea or milk in the scene. The moment turned into a playful discussion about her cooking skills—specifically, her ability to make halwa. Sonali admitted she doesn't cook it herself but confidently added that she's perfectly capable of instructing someone on how it should be made, from getting the sweetness right to whether it's properly roasted. The interview took a light-hearted turn as Sonali Bendre reflected on her on-set equation with Salman Khan during Hum Saath Saath Hain. She recalled that the two often clashed playfully, with Salman frequently making faces during her close-up shots, much to her annoyance. Though initially frustrated, Sonali eventually came to understand his layered personality. Behind his tough and sometimes mischievous exterior, she discovered a softer, more genuine side to him—something that took her time to recognize but ultimately left a lasting impression. The iconic costume's weight Sonali also shared a striking memory from the set of Hum Saath Saath Hain, revealing that the golden ghagra she wore in the film weighed nearly 20 kilos due to its intricate zari work. The elaborate costume wasn't easy to handle—it even caused her skin allergies and rashes because of the artificial jewellery she had to wear. She also mentioned that the heavy outfit affected the choreography, as simply turning in it required extra beats. Directed by Sooraj Barjatya, the film continues to be cherished for its portrayal of traditional Indian family values. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Why age gap romance still rules Indian cinema: Govind Namdev, Shenaz Treasury, Vivek Agnihotri, Anant Mahadevan, Rahul Bhat and others discuss the truth behind timeless men and invisible women
In the world of Indian cinema—where fantasy meets formula—few tropes have persisted as stubbornly as the tendency to pair aging male superstars with much younger female leads. What was once accepted without question is now being challenged more vocally—by audiences, actors, and filmmakers alike. From veteran performers to outspoken critics, many are beginning to interrogate not just the optics of these on-screen pairings, but the deep-seated ideology that fuels them. The verdict? Male stardom is still synonymous with timeless appeal, while female desirability is tightly shackled to youth. In this special feature, ETimes gathers unfiltered insights from industry insiders who lay bare the gendered dynamics of Indian cinema's most controversial romantic formula. The classic formula: older male star, young female lead Veteran actor Govind Namdev sums up the mindset behind this casting trend: 'The audience will only like it if there is pairing. Otherwise, why would there be? The producer who invests so many crores, he invests it with the hope or with the observation that people like this pairing.' For decades, commercial logic has kept this formula alive—pairing a popular, aging male star with a young heroine is seen as a safe bet at the box office. Namdev explains, 'Like Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn — their heroines are always young. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo The public likes this pairing, and producers spend crores betting on it.' This idea of 'audience preference' reflects more than just business sense—it reveals a societal mindset where men are expected to age gracefully, while a woman's value is tightly tied to her youth. 'Patriarchal, clichéd, and unrealistic' Actress Shenaz Treasury offers a sharp critique of this trend: 'Unrealistic. Patriarchal. Cliché. Unless the script actually acknowledges the age gap, I'm out. If they cast a 50+ woman opposite a 25-year-old man? Now that would be interesting. Let's flip the script for once. But most times, they just pretend the man is ageless and the woman... invisible after 35. So unless the story has something real to say about that dynamic, I'm not buying it. ' She points out how often the age difference is ignored in scripts, as if men don't age and women simply vanish after 35. She says, 'Sadly, yes. Aging is treated like a scandal. 'OMG she's 43!' – they say it like it's a crime. Not 'Wow, she has so much life experience, depth, and power.' We shame women for getting older, then wonder why everyone's injecting fillers into their faces at 30. And the worst part? Talent doesn't always save you. Wrinkles are still a bigger problem than weak scripts.' Treasury's words highlight the double standard women face both on-screen and off—where appearance matters more than talent, and aging is treated like something shameful. The double standard: men age, women disappear Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri sums up the gender imbalance clearly: 'When I started my career in 2005 with Chocolate, I realized that almost all actors, regardless of their age—whether 40, 50, 60, or 70—insist on having a younger heroine. In fact, there was a time when directors were pressured to sign only young actresses, and this is also a tradition in the South. If you look at South Indian cinema, no matter the hero's age, the heroine has to be young, fair-looking, and sexy. So, what does this indicate? It basically indicates that the role of women in our films is only for three criteria: they have to be young, sexy and desirable. And it is considered that the desirable age is only when you are young and not married.' He points out how men's aging is overlooked or even celebrated, while women's careers drop off once they marry or grow older: 'A hero can have five marriages, affairs, get as old as he wants, do VFX to his face, shoot with body doubles... nothing matters because we make hero worshipping films, not heroine worshipping ones.' Agnihotri's words expose the patriarchal system that keeps male stars on a pedestal while women are pushed aside as they age. "No matter how talented an actress is or how good her performances are, once she gets married or is seen to be in a relationship with someone, her demand suddenly goes down," he adds. Searching for new stories: actors want meaningful roles Govind Namdev shares a more hopeful take based on changing audience tastes: 'These days, people are liking biographies more. They are liking stories coming from real incidents... If people like my work, they want to see me in a new form.' He welcomes roles that allow for fresh, unconventional pairings: 'If I am paired with a heroine, I will get to see something new... On screen, as a performance, we will get to see something new, there will be some new movements.' Namdev's views suggest audiences are ready for stories that explore romance beyond youthful glamor—stories with older characters who bring emotional depth and authenticity. Jai Santoshi Maa—rivaled Sholay, beat Deewaar | I Witness Industry inertia slows change Despite growing calls for more realistic and diverse storytelling, Bollywood's old power structures keep progress slow. Agnihotri comments: 'There are very few heroine-centric movies made in our industry. And even those are typically made when leading actresses get married, have children, retire, or reach an age where they can no longer be paired with a male hero—only then are they cast in such roles. This is a very male-dominated industry. It has been like this for umpteen number of years and I have a feeling it's going to remain like this for a very long time.' He also reveals how star egos influence casting decisions: 'Heroes also dictate on the set... if a heroine is taller, they will stand on stools or use tricks to appear taller themselves.' This shows how patriarchy controls not just stories, but the entire filmmaking process—reinforcing old norms. Agnihotri elaborates further: 'Another problem is that the roles, the way they are conceived and written is only, only, only to boost the ego of the star, not of the character. We don't write character-driven roles, we write star-driven roles. We want the star to be so happy with those, writing of those roles that he should say yes to the film then and there. And another problem is that heroes also dictate on the set, you know. Like a taller heroine, no, no, then heroes will get a patla and they will stand, which means a six-inch stool or three-inch stool and they'll stand on that. So taller heroines generally have an issue over there. And in any scene if a heroine is dominating a lot, now this is a secret nobody wants to talk about, but in a scene where heroine is really dominating or her performance is better than the hero, then very often her performances will be trimmed or she may be speaking dialogues but the camera will stay on the close-up of the hero. This is a very, very common thing in commercial films. As far as I am concerned, I don't make those kind of films, I make very, very realistic films, so I don't see that problem. And in my film, all the heroines are very, very powerful, they don't depend on the men at all. In fact, they challenge men. If you look at Buddha in a Traffic Jam, same case. If you look at The Tashkent Files, the main lead actress was a heroine who challenged the entire system. In that, the role of Pallavi, though she is handicapped on a wheelchair but a very powerful role. If you see The Kashmir Files, again you will find on one side there is a woman who is a victim but on the other side there is a woman who is challenging the system and changing the system. Yes, that was a kind of a negative role. If you look at it from one perspective, from another perspective, it's a very, very powerful role. And same in the case of The Vaccine War. Vaccine War was about Indian women scientists and we celebrated them. Women scientists say, we can do it. And my next film, The Bengal Files, again has very, very, very strong women roles. In fact, I would call it a woman-centric film. So I don't face that problem and I deliberately do that because that's how I look at women.' Actress Sohaila Kapur sums it up with piercing clarity: "Simple answer. We are a society still stuck in patriarchy." Reimagining romance: What the future could look like Shenaz Treasury believes it's high time love stories reflect real life better. 'Make a love story about people in their 40s or 50s — post-divorce. Or a woman in her 50s with a 38-year-old man. Now that would be more real and romantic.' When asked what desirability means for women on screen — and whether that definition is changing — Shenaz says, 'Women also like looking at hot men. Period. So let's stop pretending it's only women who need to look good. When I was growing up, men could have paunches and still be romantic heroes. Now they're hitting the gym too — and I'm thrilled about that.' On how patriarchy influences the way romance is written and visualized in Indian cinema, she doesn't hold back: 'So many rom-coms still feel like they were written by a 60-year-old uncle who thinks women don't age and men don't need therapy. The power dynamic is always tilted. Women have to be perfect. Men just have to show up. But times are changing — slowly. We need more scripts where love feels equal, age is real, and desire doesn't only belong to the 20-year-olds. ' She urges filmmakers to flip the script and embrace mature storytelling: 'Women definitely look better as they age because they take care of themselves. Compare a 50-year-old Indian woman to a 50-year-old Indian man — who's sexier? Men don't take care of themselves as much as women do.' Her candour challenges the twin biases of ageism and sexism head-on. Veteran perspective: Anant Mahadevan on skewed pairings Director Anant Mahadevan points out the long-standing double standard. 'The fixation on pairing has been a recurring issue for decades. An ageing male lead is no deterrent for filmmakers or audiences. We've seen 30-plus, even 40-plus, actors playing college students. But the lens isn't as kind to female leads — marriage alone can lead to their declassification, let alone aging. It's a myopic view of filmmaking.' He contrasts this with the West: 'In Hollywood, female leads age with grace and are entrusted with mature characters. Here, we seem to doubt the appeal of our female talent. It's just one of many clichéd ways we look at storytelling.' Breaking the mold: Rahul Bhat on chemistry and connection Actor Rahul Bhat rejects the notion that romance is the domain of the young. Asked if he'd be comfortable playing a romantic lead opposite an older or same-age actor, he responds, 'Absolutely. I think chemistry isn't defined by age — it's defined by connection, energy, and truthfulness in performance. We rarely see it because the industry has long fed into a one-sided fantasy: that men can age but women must remain frozen in time. That narrative is being challenged now, thankfully, but we have a long way to go.' He's clear on the need for equity in storytelling. 'Older actresses not only deserve to lead love stories — they need to. Love doesn't expire at 35. In fact, it deepens. Women who have lived, loved, lost, and evolved have far more textured stories to tell. Why should those stories be denied a romantic arc?' On portraying love across an age gap, he adds, 'It depends on how the story handles it. If the age gap is there to titillate or pander, it feels forced. But if it's honest and rooted in character, it can be incredibly moving. As actors, our job is to find that emotional truth — age should add layers, not limitations.' He also calls out the industry's long-standing bias: 'Scripts have long equated desirability with youth. But the good news is, that's changing. Actresses like Vidya Balan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Shefali Shah, Neena Gupta — they're leading love stories with incredible grace and depth. Audiences are responding. The industry just needs to catch up.' Sadia Khateeb : Acting transcends age Sadia Khateeb, who starred in The Diplomat, shares a grounded perspective: 'I mean, as long as actors are comfortable being paired opposite each other, it does not matter if the girl is older or vice versa. Acting is a job where one has to act; it has nothing to do with realism.' She emphasizes that casting choices should serve the story and the director's vision: 'If the director has a vision and the script demands such a pairing, then as actors, we have to fulfill that vision and make the story work.' However, Sadia also calls out the pressures women face: 'I hope seeing ageing of women as an expiry date changes over time; it's a deeply rooted stereotype that has been ongoing not just in the industry, but in society. Women, after they cross a certain age, have a lot of pressure. Age shaming women is somehow a conditioning that has happened over the years — a sort of patriarchy. I hope and pray this changes eventually. Ageing is beautiful; it means you are living. ' Time to grow up: Sandiip Sikcand 's blunt take Actor and creative director Sandiip Sikcand doesn't mince words. 'It's ridiculous to see men in their 60s dancing with heroines old enough to be their daughters. Even audiences recognize the disconnect — that's why these films live on hype and Instagram reels but flop at the box office.' He urges Bollywood to mature. 'The same old stories, senior actors refusing to age, and talented women not getting the right roles — this all needs to change fast. More than stars or projects, Bollywood now needs stories and actors.' Sikcand points to global examples of progress. 'In the West, women do their best work after 30. Even the South gives actors fabulous platforms — their finest work often comes when they act their age.' Power imbalances in casting: Rajesh Tailang weighs in Actor Rajesh Tailang highlights the deeper problem. 'Bollywood's romantic pairings aren't just about chemistry — they mirror the industry's power imbalance. The more powerful the male star, the less expectation there is for him to play age-appropriate roles.' He shares a personal example: 'Meanwhile, I'm cast as the father of actresses who are paired opposite heroes 3–4 years older than me.' Ego and culture: Karan Razdan's perspective Writer and actor Karan Razdan traces the issue to deep-seated beliefs. 'There's an old Indian saying — a man never gets old. And I think the industry takes that literally. Whether it's Mumbai, Chennai, or elsewhere, the hero's ego still needs validation through a younger heroine.' Signs of progress: Karan Singh Chhabra on shifting dynamics Actor Karan Singh Chhabra notes that change is visible, especially on streaming platforms. 'If you look at recent web series, Bhumi Pednekar — who is older than Ishaan Khatter — is romantically involved with him, and the story requires that.' He's hopeful about the direction things are heading. 'Young actress, older actor, older actress, younger actor, same-age pairings — everything's being explored now. Times are changing, and the audience is evolving.' Beyond Bollywood: Mozez Singh on societal bias Director Mozez Singh expands the lens. 'This entire concept is ageist and misogynistic — and it must change. Unfortunately, it's not just films. In real life too, an older woman with a younger man is still seen as odd. But the reverse is normal.' He reminds us that cinema is a mirror. 'The problem is bigger than Bollywood. Films reflect society — and that's where the real work must begin.' Conclusion: Time for a new love story The age-gap romance trope in Indian cinema isn't just a casting quirk. It's a reflection of deeper societal norms that favour male stardom and female youth. But voices across the industry — from actors to directors and writers — are now challenging the status quo. The appetite for real, nuanced, and inclusive love stories is growing. And slowly, but surely, the script is beginning to flip. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
