Latest news with #AngryYoungMen
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Missing from the frame: Bollywood's female icons
Noticed how Bollywood's leading men are getting the full docu-series treatment lately? The Romantics went back to the chiffon-wrapped dreamscape of Yash Chopra's cinema. The Roshans traced the legacy of a family that shaped both melody and muscle in Hindi films. And Angry Young Men, a series about Salim-Javed, debuted to over 2.3 million views on Prime Video in its first week, becoming the platform's top non-fiction show. Several male stars have gotten the docu-series treatment. Why not Madhuri Dixit Nene or Sridevi? (INSTAGRAM/@MADHURIDIXITNENE) Now, guess how many views the show about Padma Vibhushan Vyjayanthimala Bali garnered? None, because it doesn't exist. You know what else doesn't exist? A deep dive into Rekha's decades of reinvention, a tribute to Waheeda Rehman's or Asha Parekh's craft, a rewind of Silk Smitha's magnetism, a chronicle of Sridevi's eras, or even a global lens on Priyanka Chopra Jonas. Despite more than a century of Indian cinema, no one's telling the women's side of the stories. Film journalist Bhawana Somaaya, 69, has been tracking Indian cinema for almost half a century, and has written 20 books on the subject (including books on the Bachchans and a biography of Hema Malini). She knows there's a bonanza in waiting for anyone who wants to put women's stories on screen. It's the streaming networks that don't seem to be interested. 'Netflix and Amazon Prime are the ones making the documentaries,' she says. 'They think focusing on female power won't work.' Biopics centred on a woman tend to be underfunded. But The Romantics had 35 industry heavyweights. Most decision makers believe that audiences want young faces, recycled plots, the comfort of endless sequels and stories about successful men, Somaaya says. 'The audience is ready to embrace something new.' And done right, a documentary about Parveen Babi's inner world or Helen's impact on today's item numbers can offer new insights into an industry desperately seeking to reinvent itself. The other hitch: Decision-makers in writers' rooms and production houses tend to be under 40. 'Nobody wants to hire anyone over 50. That's a loss of wisdom, perspective and objectivity.' Even if an idea slips past, a biopic centred on a woman tends to be underfunded. Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, Mary Kom and Shabaash Mithu struggled to get made. Meanwhile, 35 industry heavyweights featured in The Romantics. Angry Young Men was championed by Salim-Javed's children. The Roshans used their series to give their own brands a future. Somaaya says that women tend not to show similar ambitions. 'Hema Malini also has daughters. They don't have the time to push this,' she points out. We would love a global lens on Priyanka Chopra Jonas or a deep dive into Rekha's decades of reinvention. (SHUTTERSTOCK) It means that the stories we don't tell now, are the stories that the public won't remember years from now. Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, 45, writer-director of Nil Battey Sannata and Panga, says women are still largely invisible in the filmmaking machinery, as they are in other spheres of life. 'Even when a woman cooks a great meal, she'll say that her husband or family liked it, so it must be good. Not that she made something great.' She recalls how, when her first film, Nil Battey Sannata, came out, people assumed her husband Nitesh Tiwari had directed it. He was livid and had to clarify he wasn't even on set. 'For me too, it took time to say 'Yes, I did this. I'm hardworking and good at what I do'.' That silence shapes how women see their own work and how the world sees theirs. Iyer Tiwari won the Filmfare Award for Best Director for the romantic comedy-drama Bareilly Ki Barfi in 2017. She's directing a film about the love story of Narayana and Sudha Murthy. But she routinely gets introduced as, 'Nitesh Tiwari's wife.' No wonder we're not making documentaries about women, we're not noticing their accomplishments in the first place. From HT Brunch, July 26, 2025 Follow us on
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Javed Akhtar says it was a risk to cast Amitabh Bachchan for ‘Zanjeer', recalls how him and Salim Khan fought to get their deserved pay: ‘A super-duper hit film with a super-duper flop actor'
Amitabh Bachchan had seen a list of flops before he did 'Zanjeer' which completely changed the game for him. The film written by Salim-Javed ( Salim Khan , Javed Akhtar ), was followed by a string of other movies which were also penned by them, eventually making giving Bachchan his 'Angry Young Man' image. No wonder, the documentary on Salim Javed's life which released recently was titled 'Angry Young Men'. Despite 'Zanjeer' success, it wasn't easy for Salim Javed. They didn't have any work for nine months. In a recent interview, Javed Akhtar opened up on it. He said during a chat with Anu Singh Choudhary for JLF International, 'You know, our first film was Andaz. Second was Haathi Mere Saathi. Third was Seeta Aur Geeta. Fourth was Zanjeer, a super-duper hit film with a super-duper flop actor. Yes. We decided that now, enough is enough. We had given four hits in a row.' Talking about casting Bachchan in the film, he added, 'Zanjeer was a major hit. He gave a great performance. But he always gave great performances, even in those films which didn't run. He was good. That's why we took him. We were not even liking him. We could see that he was a volcano of talent, just not getting good scripts.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like ทองคำกำลังทะยานขึ้นในปี 2025 — นักเทรดแนวหน้าเริ่มคว้าโอกาสกันแล้ว IC Markets อ่านเพิ่มเติม Undo He added how situations are never ideal but one has to fight for it. Javed recalled, 'You know, when we came into the film industry, writers were never mentioned on posters or banners. They were very poorly paid. There was no credit, no money. We fought. One after another, we gave films which were very good, and then we fought.' They fought for getting more money for their work which they deserved. 'We said, 'No, these are our terms and conditions. If you cannot pay us that much, if you cannot accept our terms and conditions, we will not work.' We fought. Maybe it is not very easy for everybody to fight the way we did, but at least, as a group, as a whole community of writers, you can stand up and say, 'That much, and no more.' Nobody will give you anything on a platter. Nobody gave us anything on a platter. We fought for it.' He added, 'So we decided that we will take X amount. I remember the amount. But I also remember, in the subject department… After four hit films, for nine months we could not sign a single film, because nobody was willing to pay. They would laugh in my face. 'Kitna bola?' I had bought a second-hand Ambassador for ₹13,000. That was sold again, because there was no work. But after nine months, we took that price. Again, we decided on a price. And we fought to get it. So, nothing comes easily. Don't complain. Situations have never been ideal for anybody.'
NDTV
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar's Family Time With Farhan-Shibani And Honey Irani
New Delhi: Shabana Azmi had a food-filled family time with husband Javed Akhtar, his first wife Honey Irani, Farhan Akhtar and Shibani Dandekar. The wholesome picture will surely drive away your mid-week blues. What's Happening On Instagram, Shabana Azmi shared a picture that screamed family bonding. She captioned the picture, "The family at a loved restaurant!" The picture garnered the Internet's love. Shabana Azmi On Her Equation With Honey Irani During a recent conversation with Filmfare, Shabana Azmi shed light on the key to her healthy relationship with Honey Irani. "That was possible because no mud was flung there. The credit for that goes to Honey, me, and Javed. You're in a big hurry to explain ki ye jo aap galti samajh rahi hai iss ke basis dekhiye (what was assumed as a mistake must have a basis as well). But all three of us refrained from that and it was very wise," Shabana Azmi said. In the docu-series Angry Young Men [Amazon Prime 2024], Shabana Azmi also shared how Honey Irani played a significant role in teaching Farhan and Zoya not to view her as an "evil stepmother." She said, "And I give huge credit to Honey because she could have easily filled the children with tales against me. She just didn't do that. She gave them the security that you do not have to consider her an evil stepmother. She and I have a very warm and really nice relationship." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shabana Azmi (@azmishabana18) Javed Akhtar and actress Honey Irani got married in 1972. They parted ways in 1985. His wedding with actress Shabana Azmi took place in 1984. In A Nutshell Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar, Honey Irani, Farhan and Shibani Akhtar bonded over food at their "loved" restaurant recently.
Time Out
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
In Praise of Love
A theatre industry truism is that playwright Terence Rattigan – a titan of the mid-twentieth century British stage – had his career unfairly derailed by the Angry Young Men of the 1950s, and is surely due a revival soon. I'm skeptical about this, mostly because I remember people saying it for at least the last 15 years, a period in which I have seen an awful lot of Terence Rattigan plays, usually revived to great acclaim. The truth is that there was absolutely no way his work was ever again going to scale the insane success of his commercial heyday: he is the only playwright in history to have two plays notch up over 1,000 West End performances. But if his lifelong insistence on writing about posh people undoubtedly took him away from the post-War zeitgeist, he remained pretty damn popular in his later years. And this despite the fact he'd long moved away from the frothy populist comedies that gave him his mega hits, having shifted shape into something altogether more melancholic. That's a long way of introducing the Orange Tree's new production of his penultimate play In Praise of Love. You can see why it doesn't get revived much: it's a bittersweet chamber piece that feels like it is set in a very specific time and place, that involves posh people. It's also based on the lives of actor Rex Harrison and his third wife Kay Kendall, who are considerably less well known now than they were 50 years ago. But if you'd struggle to see it doing three years in the West End, Amelia Sears's revival is nonetheless exquisite. Its protagonists are Sebastian Cruttwell (Dominic Rowan) – champagne socialist manchild and superstar book critic (imagine!) – and his Estonian wife Lydia (Claire Price). As an intelligence officer in postwar Berlin, Sebastian married Lydia to get her out from behind the Iron Curtain, with little expectation that they'd stay together. But they have, rubbing along eccentrically for 25 years, still together in posh, rich Islington middle age, with a 20-year-old son Joey (Joe Edgar) who writes plays and is enthused by a somewhat resurgent Liberal Party. Production wise it's classy but not flashy: great accent work, a fine cast who don't feel they need to pounce on the laughs, beautiful lighting from Bethany Gupwell, Peter Butler's set dominated by a handsome liquor table so heavily used I started to feel pissed by osmosis. It plays out as a melancholy farce: Lydia has discovered she's dying, and doesn't want to tell Sebastian, reasoning he's too hapless to be able to cope with it; instead she confides in Mark (Daniel Abelson), her closest friend and a former lover. But Sebastian is less incompetent than he appears and has, in turn, been trying to protect Lydia from the knowledge of her condition. In Praise of Love is an elegant elegy for Rattigan's own war-time generation. Clearly Sebastian and Lydia's great days are behind them, and in a way everything since the war has been a long anticlimax for them. They were only thrown together by very specific circumstances and were never really suited to each other. They have come out of 25 years together scarred and bruised and awkward. And yet they love each other; they love Mark; they love Joey. It papers over all the cracks. It means they can forgive each other. But if the title suggests somebody is going to leap onto a table and make a big speech about how awesome love is, Rattigan isn't so vulgar as all that and is firmly in show-don't-tell mode. He's also on top form as a craftsman: In Praise of Love works because it's the definition of bittersweet, simultaneously a sad play and a happy one as it follows two people finally coming to understand each other even as they reach the end of their time. Of course Terence Rattigan is never again going to be anything like as popular as he was at his war-time peak, but in 2025 I don't think anyone seriously doubts his greatness – if they ever really did.
Hindustan Times
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Javed Akhtar says daughter Zoya is a tougher taskmaster than son Farhan Akhtar: ‘Dono alag tarah ke films banate hain'
Lyricist Javed Akhtar is one of the most prolific writers in the industry and has worked with several directors in the course of his decades-long career in Bollywood. In an interview with The Lallantop, Javed was asked about the experience of working with his children, Zoya Akhtar and Farhan Akhtar, on their respective films. Javed candidly shared how it is never easy when it is with them. (Also read: Kangana Ranaut gave written apology, asked Javed Akhtar in court: 'Aap meri agli picture mein gaane likhenge?') During the interaction, when Javed was asked about which one of the two is a tougher taskmaster, he said, 'Dusro ke liye kaam karna asaan hain apne bachho ke liye bada mushkil hain. Unko aisa nahi hai ki hamara baap hain toh hum kuch kahe nahin. Humein toh kuch kehna hi hain. Zoya tough taskmaster hai (It is easier to work with others than with my own children. They will not spare me just because I am their father. They will say something. Zoya is the tough taskmaster).' He went on to add how their films are so different from one another. 'Dono hoshiyaar hain aur dono alag-alag tarah ke film banate hain. Common nahi hain. Ab jis tarah ki film Farhan banate hain Zoya nahi bana sakti. Jis tarah ki Zoya banayi hain Farhan nahi bana sakta. Unka definitely alag-alag school hain. Both of them are doing well (The two of them know their work and make different films. They are not common. The kind of films Farhan makes cannot be made by Zoya and vice versa. They definitely come from different schools).' Farhan is all set to make Don 3 with Ranveer Singh. Meanwhile, Zoya co-produced the feature film Superboys of Malegaon and the docu-series Angry Young Men, which was based on Salim-Javed. Her last directorial venture was Netflix's The Archies.
