No shame in being sensual: Huma Qureshi on why special songs deserve a new lens
Talking about her own choices when it comes to music videos and dance numbers, the 'Monica, O My Darling' actor shared that intent and aesthetics matter deeply to her. 'The choice of people I work with - they're all amazing and really good at what they do. And I think the idea was not to have a song that would go viral. Yes, we want to make a popular song. Yes, we want to make a hit song and a massy song, but it's also classy," she added.When asked Huma to name an iconic song that she would like to re-create, she said, "I would like to recreate 'Chalte Chalte' from 'Pakeezah'. I don't think I'll ever be able to do as good a job as that one, but I would love to do it."Huma was recently seen in the sizzling track 'Dil Thaam Ke' from 'Maalik', which stars Rajkummar Rao.- EndsMust Watch
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India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Divya Deshmukh exclusive: Fearless chess, World Cup win, and India's surge
India's meteoric rise began in March-April 2024 with Gukesh's Candidates triumph, followed by his World Championship win on December 12, 2024, at the age of 18. On July 29, 2025, Divya added another jewel to the crown by winning the Chess World Cup in Batumi, Georgia. With the title, she became the 88th Grandmaster and the youngest winner of the World her win, Divya has been inundated with congratulatory messages. She received a grand welcome in her hometown of Nagpur and has since met Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra five days after her triumph, Divya spoke to India Today, describing the emotional rollercoaster of the final, her aggressive playing style, India's domination over China in recent months, and how she balances performance with FROM THE INTERVIEW Q) Divya, it's been five days. You entered Batumi as an International Master and a strong contender for the World Cup title. Five days later-you're the 88th Grandmaster, World Cup winner, with a Candidates spot. You've met the Chief Minister. How much sleep have you had? Have you managed to recover? Are you still processing it all?Divya Deshmukh: I haven't had any sleep. It's been quite a chaotic week-but I think this is the kind of chaos people want, so I can't complain much. But yes, I definitely need a lot more time to recover.Q) What were your thoughts when Koneru Humpy made that final blunder? What did you feel in those first few moments when you realised you were about to win the World Cup?Divya Deshmukh: I was so focused on the game, and you can't let emotions take over until it's actually over-there's always a fighting chance. For me, the moment it hit was around 30 seconds before she resigned. I didn't have much time to process it. And once she actually resigned, it was a flood of emotions. It was quite surreal.Q) There's a viral video of you, Gukesh, and Leon Mendonca discussing the game's nuances. Your play in the rapid tiebreakers was aggressive, despite drawish openings like the Catalan and Queen's Gambit. Where does that aggression come from? What drives it?Divya Deshmukh: I think it's just the way I've been brought up. It's always been with me-nothing new. For me, it's just inbuilt to look for aggressive ways to complicate the game. I think I perform better in those situations. So yes, it's natural.Q) What was the one game in the tournament that gave you the confidence that you could go all the way and win the title?advertisementDivya Deshmukh: I always had faith in myself and the belief that I wanted to go for the title. But I wasn't really aiming for it-I was just focused on taking it one game at a time. Then, when I reached the finals, I thought, okay, maybe now it's time to really fight for the title.Q) Can we call you the "Chinese Grandmaster Killer"? You beat Hou Yifan in the World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships, Zhu Jiner, and Tan Zhongyi at the World Cup. What's made you so consistent against China's best? Is there a particular weakness you've uncovered?Divya Deshmukh: That's a tough question. I don't know if it's about them, really. All of them are very strong players. But I didn't do anything new-I just kept fighting until the end. I think that's what helped me.Q) Your opening prep and defensive endgames were solid. You mentioned your Hungarian second, who burned the midnight oil for you. What adjustments did you make between the World Rapid/Team Blitz and the Chess World Cup?Divya Deshmukh: It's not really comparable-they're two completely different tournaments. First, the format: the World Cup is classical, not rapid or blitz. Rapid events are a bit less stressful and happen every year. The World Cup only happens every two years. That was also a team event; this was individual. So yes, the preparation was very different. I had to work much harder. And this was also a test of emotional, physical, and mental resilience-because it's an elimination format, and you could be out at any After your win, you said it was "fate." And you'd already beaten Humpy before-at Tata Steel in the Rapids. But why describe this title as fate? From the outside, your play looked solid and Deshmukh: I said "fate" in reference to how I got my GM title-not about beating Humpy. Before going into the tournament, I had no GM norms. And then overnight, I went from IM to GM with no norms. That's why I called it fate.Q) We're clearly in a golden era-Gukesh is World Champion at 18, Pranav Venkatesh is World Junior Champion, you and Humpy are in the Candidates. But on the flip side, you're still only India's fourth female Grandmaster. Why do you think India hasn't produced more women GMs? Are you hopeful this will now change?Divya Deshmukh: Definitely. I was very happy when Humpy reached the finals, because it's a great thing for Indian chess. Whether I win or Humpy wins, it's going to inspire young girls either way. I really hope it motivates them. And with the recent chess boom, it's quite obvious-this is not the end. There are going to be many You've been called the "CEO." Dina Belenkaya called you the "Bollywood girl." The attire you wore also became symbolic-people said you kept winning because of the outfit's colour! Now, heading into the Grand Swiss and Candidates, will you be thinking more about your chess or your wardrobe?Divya Deshmukh: (laughs) No, of course not. I don't spend much energy thinking about what I'll wear. It maybe takes up 1 percent of my mind space. It's something that helps me feel confident and powerful-that's why I do it. But the focus is chess. Definitely not clothes. - Ends
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
From the India Today archives (1988)
(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated July 31, 1988)He is not handsome by conventional standards. He is short, dark and can easily be ignored in a crowd. But for all that, he is the undisputed superstar of the South, a man whose name spells box-office magic, the Midas of the eight long years, Rajinikanth has occupied the number one slot in south Indian films. Now, 115 films and almost as many hits later, he has reached a stage where he can choose his roles and, more significantly, restrict himself to four Tamil films a year. The remaining time is spent in Bombay acting in Hindi the late M.G. Ramachandran could compete with that phenomenal box-office record. But Rajinikanth is also the hero from the South—which has traditionally produced leading ladies for the Hindi screen—who has survived in the competitive world of Bombay films. Next month, Rajinikanth's first English movie, Bloodstone, in which he plays a taxi-driver, will hit the screen in 1,500 theatres all over the US. Shot mainly in Bangalore, the action packed entertainer has been co-produced by Amritraj Productions and the NRI Metro Film Corporation, owned by Dr Murali Manohar, a film film is about an American couple on a visit to India who get involved with a gang of smugglers. Rajinikanth, a local taxi-driver, comes to their aid. Made at a cost of one million dollars (Rs 1.30 crore) the film will be distributed worldwide by Columbia film fits in perfectly with the superstar's designs for the future. "I have reached a dead-end as far as Tamil films are concerned. Through Hindi movies, I have got a national image. What I want today is worldwide recognition," says Rajinikanth. In any event, by 1990, he plans to take a break from Tamil films and start directing his own even his most ardent fans believe that Rajinikanth's real talent lies in Tamil films which have made him what he is today. He is the only Tamil hero whose films are sold even before shooting starts. He is reported to get Rs 25 lakh per film, the highest paid to any hero in the Manithan (human being) released last Diwali is a box-office success, while his latest Guru Shishiya (master-pupil) is drawing packed houses. Says G. Venkateswarao, producer, distributor and president of the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce: "He is a goldmine for producers and distributors."No wonder producers form an endless queue outside his door. The average cost of making a Rajinikanth film in Tamil is around Rs 70 lakh. But the film is sold by the producer to the distributor for over Rs 1 crore. A super-successful Rajinikanth film can do business for over Rs 2 crore. Some producers are even buying and dubbing some of his earlier, run-of-the-mill Hindi films into Tamil. Last week, yet another Hindi film of his, Asli Naqli, was dubbed into Tamil as Njane Valabhan. What then is the secret of the success of a man who rose from an ordinary bus conductor to be a megastar? In one word, charisma, Rajinikanth has a screen presence which is awe inspiring. In the Tamil context, his exaggerated swagger and his trademark gimmicks like tossing a cigarette in the air and catching it in his lips have made him a household Mani, an auto-driver who has seen Guru Shishya four times: "Rajani saar is my hero. All his films may look alike but his style is terrific." In Tamil Nadu, millions of children not only imitate the 'Rajani style' but also make him out to be a superman. Says AVM's Saravanan, the biggest producer in the South: "There is no need of a story in his films. There should be a chance for him to do comedy, drama and action. His screen presence and powerful delivery make him a bearer cheque of a crore rupees for producers."advertisementBut Rajinikanth the man is even more appealing to his fans than the star. There has always been a reckless and defiant quality about him that provided, during his early years of stardom, unending grist for the gossip mill. His personal life was embellished by widely-publicised drinking bouts and public brawls. His favourite targets were film journalists who wrote about his "eccentric" lifestyle. In at least one case, he tried to kill a journalist by driving a car straight at him. There were also stories of how he wrecked a five-star hotel's restaurant in in 1981, he had a nervous breakdown and had to be hospitalised. After that he cut down his film assignments, the next year quietly married Latha, a local college girl, and settled down. Recalls the star: "I could not cope with the pressures of stardom. A few years earlier I was making Rs 320 as a conductor and suddenly I was getting Rs 5 lakh per movie. The fame, money and overwork pushed me to a breaking point."Then followed his spiritual phase from 1986 onwards when he became a devotee of Raghavendra Swami (the Madhwa saint). He even acted in the movie Raghavendra, where he almost made the saint a cult figure. He also became an admirer of the Hare Krishna (ISKON) group, and talked about wanting to take up sanyas. His marriage according to film magazines, was then on the rocks, due to his involvement with all this only added to the mystique. Says Sujatha, a Madras housewife: "It's his personal life that makes him interesting. Everybody has a soft corner for him, mainly due to his background." The common man can identify with Rajinikanth's rags to riches story—one reason why his films do well in Rajinikanth does not have a Tamil background. He was born Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, a Maharashtrian, and spent his childhood at Basvangudi, a lower middle class suburb in Bangalore. His mother died when he was eight. His father and brother never cared for him and he took to the streets. He studied up to the pre-university stage. Poverty forced him to do all manner of odd jobs—he even worked as a coolie in 1973 he landed a job as a bus conductor with the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation. Three years later, bit by the acting bug, he hopped on a train to Madras where he joined a film acting course run by the South Indian Film Chamber. It was here that director K. Balachandar spotted changed his name from Sivaji Rao to Rajinikanth and gave him a break in Apoorva Raagangal (strange melodies) in a villain's role. His next film was Moondru Mudichu (three knots) where he was again a villain, but with innovative mannerisms. Says Balachandar: "Rajani was the first actor I met who insisted that he be taken as a villain. He was a unique villain, with specialised mannerisms that went down well with the masses."But it was Bharati Raaja's 16 Vayadhinile (16 years of age)—released in 1977—which earned him super stardom. The movie also catapulted into fame its hero Kamalahasan and heroine Sridevi. It was as an anti-hero that "the Rajani style" created waves at the box-office. But stardom also meant switching roles from villain to hero, which he did successfully in Dharmayudham, a major next big role was in K. Balaji's Billa, a Tamil remake of Amitabh Bachchan's Don that saw him overtaking Kamalahasan as the number one star in the South. Says Bharati Raaja: "Kamalahasan is a great artiste, but Rajinikanth is the hero of the masses. Since 16 Vayadhinile, I have made many award winning movies which bombed in the box-office. To cover my losses I am forced to make a Rajani film."But the tragedy is that the megastar is in reality lonely and aloof. A mellowed man, he is wary of the press. He does not have any close friends and even on the sets, keeps to himself. Apart from shooting assignments, he rarely moves out of his simply-furnished three-bed roomed house at Poes Garden, a posh locality in Rajinikanth: "I am a simple man. I don't believe that just because you are a star you should have imported things." He drives himself to work in a 1980 model Premier Padmini. He had built himself a huge house at Velacheri, a suburb of Madras, but only stayed there a week before shifting back to Poes Latha, his plump and homely wife: "He is a changed man, a spiritual person in quest of the truth. He is almost like a son to me, and I am a mother figure for him." Latha says the press has exaggerated the stories regarding their differences. The Rajinikanths have two daughters—Aiswarya, six, and Soundarya, three. Says Rajani: "We hardly socialise and generally keep to ourselves." He describes himself as a man in pursuit of spiritual solace who reads many books on philosophy. He has invested the bulk of his earnings in real estate and is constructing a Rs 1 crore marriage hall in co-stars have only admiration for him. Says Radha, a popular Tamil heroine: "He is not only a great box-office draw but also a fine person." Adds producer Saravanan: "He is very disciplined on the sets and a producer's dream."Rajinikanth today will not touch a movie which will go against his image on the screen. He has also been criticised for taking minor roles in Hindi films. But the superstar is unfazed. "I cannot do more than four Tamil films a year otherwise I will be overexposed. Hindi films give me a national audience...I am an alcoholic but at the same time a workaholic."With the kind of hysteria he generates, it is inevitable that the star would be avidly sought after by every political party in the state. But he has made it clear that politics is not his cup of tea. "I hate the prevailing political climate. I will never be identified with any political party." Having achieved stardom at home—at last count, there were 8,000 Rajinikanth fan clubs in Tamil Nadu—he is now seeking international recognition. Apart from Bloodstone, Rajinikanth is to star in a thriller to be shot in Australia by Mani Retnam, the director of Nayakan, that won Kamalahasan the best actor he is convinced that he should quit while he is ahead. Says he: "By 1990, I want to quit. The thrill of being a star is fading out." Rajinikanth, however, has a reputation of being moody and unpredictable. Something that hundreds of producers are banking on, determined as they are to ensure that the goose does not stop laying its golden to India Today Magazine- EndsMust Watch
Indian Express
9 hours ago
- Indian Express
National Award-winning costume designer acted opposite Rajesh Khanna, designed Sridevi's outfits in Ajooba, died of cancer 10 years before son's debut
Late legendary superstar Rajesh Khanna may have married actor Dimple Kapadia in 1975, but one of his most memorable onscreen pairings was with Dimple's late younger sister, Simple Kapadia. She made her acting debut opposite Khanna in Shakti Samanta's Anurodh (1977), at the age of 18—the same age Dimple was when she debuted in Bobby four years earlier. 'It is definitely not a Bobby, and can never even be compared to it. Just like I guess, I can never be another Dimple. Actually, I'm quite uncomfortable working with him (Khanna) because when you know a person inside out it seems funny seeing him so different in front of a camera,' Simple had said in a 1977 interview to India Today. After her debut, Simple Kapadia went on to appear in Rajesh Khanna's 1987 thriller Chakravyuha, directed by Basu Chatterjee. Her filmography also includes the 1979 romance Ahsaas, starring Shammi Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor; Chatterjee's Man Pasand (1980) opposite Dev Anand; Dev Anand's 1980 mystery Lootmaar; the 1981 action film Shakka opposite Jeetendra; Nasir Hussain's 1982 romantic thriller Zamane Ko Dikhana Hai; Dulha Bikta Hai (1982) with Raj Babbar; T. Rama Rao's Jeevan Dhaara (1982) starring Rekha; and the 1985 drama Rehguzar opposite Shekhar Suman. Simple went on to design costumes for Sridevi in Shashi Kapoor's 1990 superhero film Ajooba, Juhi Chawla in Yash Chopra's 1993 romantic thriller Darr, and her niece Twinkle Khanna in her 1995 debut Barsaat, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi. She also worked on Meenakshi Seshadri's look in Santoshi's 1996 action film Ghatak, styled Kamal Haasan and Tabu in the 1998 comedy Chachi 420, Amrita Singh in Guddu Dhanoa's 2002 historical drama 23rd March 1931: Shaheed, and Ayesha Takia in Imtiaz Ali's 2005 directorial debut Socha Na Tha. Simple Kapadia even won the National Award for Best Costume Design for Kalpala Lajmi's Rudaali (1993), starring Dimple Kapadia in the titular role. Simple's last film as a costume designer was the 2006 crime drama Gafla. She was diagnosed with cancer the same year, but she reportedly continued to work till she breathed her last in Mumbai in 2009 at the age of 41. Also Read — Rajesh Kumar criticises 'Bollywood hierarchy', says 'had a human conversation' with Dimple Kapadia: 'Sitting on same couch as stars difficult at times, can't only appreciate…' Simple Kapadia had married Rajinder Singh Shetty in 1992, but the marriage didn't last long. She had a son with him, Karan Kapadia, who made his acting debut in Benzad Khambatta's 2019 action thriller Blank, which also starred Sunny Deol. Karan's debut film released 10 years after his mother's death.
