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India.com
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
Meet actress who made debut at 42, worked in over 120 films, still failed to become a star, name is..., Shah Rukh Khan is her daughter's...
Meet actress who made debut at 42, worked in over 120 films, still failed to become a star, name is..., Shah Rukh Khan is her daughter's... There are several actresses in Bollywood who start their careers at young age, rise to stardom, and often quit acting after marriage. However, actress Sushmita Seth followed a very different path. She made her acting debut at 42, starred in some of the biggest hit films, worked with superstars like Rishi Kapoor and Shah Rukh Khan, but still never became a superstar. Sushma Seth began her theatre journey in the 1950s. Later on, she became one of the founders of the Delhi-based theatre group Yatrik in 1964. She first made her Bollywood debut with the 1978 film Junoon at the age of 42, and soon became a popular name in the world of television and films. After starring in television shows like Hum Log and Dekh Bhai Dekh, she portrayed numerous roles and characters in prominent films such as Prem Rog, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Naagin, Deewana, Kal Ho Na Ho, and Dhahdkan, among others. Her roles as mother and grandmother in several movies garnered her immense praise. Credited with acting in over 120 films, the actress has received several awards including the Bharat Nirman Award and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Delhiwale: Death of a chai house
The chaikhana would stay open long after midnight. Its white lighting would continue to dimly illuminate a small portion of the darkened alley outside. While the air inside the tea house would faintly smell of lukewarm milk. And oh, that last table! It would almost always be thickly wreathed in swirly clouds of beedi smoke. The smokers there would be reciting shairyis. The applauding cries of their wah-wah would emanate out into the deserted street, where it would be swallowed by the surrounding silence. Founded in 1966, Modern Tea House in Old Delhi's Havel Azam Khan shut three weeks ago. It is a particular loss for the area's poets. Arriving every night after dinner from nearby galis, kuchas, katras, chattas, and ahatas, they would gather at the Modern to recite their poems. Sometimes, they would have to be nudged to leave, so that other poets could take their place, or because it would be time to close the place for the night. During the day, many of these same verse writers would attend to their jobs and businesses. A few would still return briefly to the chaikhana. If two or three of them happened to be present at the same time, then a nazm or two would again be shared over the noisy slurp-slurp of chai. (One afternoon though, there were no poets present. Instead, poetry aficionados Taslim and Ayub were occupying a table, loudly intellectualising the songs of the 1982 movie Prem Rog.) Meanwhile, the chaikhana's lovely moody interiors had visibly deteriorated over the years. The floor had grown uneven, causing the tables to tremble on touch. The table-tops themselves were stained with rings formed by chai glasses. Rats became bolder, corner cobwebs grew more elaborate. Whatever, one of the memorable characters at the Modern was its proprietor. The polished glow of his face almost spiritual in its austerity, he would silently sit on his throne-like wooden chair, his arms plopped across his chest. The pages of his account book would be scrawled with the names of chaikhana regulars—each serving of chai indicated by a vertical bar. Speaking over the phone, the proprietor says he has now grown old, his children settled in the professions of their choice. Everything meets its end, he mutters philosophically. (He doesn't pointedly ask for it, but it is clear that the courteous gent would prefer to remain unidentified for this dispatch.) One late night, during a long-ago winter, five poets were huddled around the last table, see photo: Munir Hamdam, the late Rauf Raza, Javed Mushiri, Javed Niyazi, and Iqbal Firdausi. The men were trying their new verses, investigating what was clicking, and what was falling flat. Abruptly suspending the lyrical exchange, the poets patiently answered this reporter's queries. Finally, Iqbal Firdausi's intellectual face glanced up. 'If you don't mind, janaab, please leave us now with ourselves.'
India.com
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
'Main ye nahi karungi...'; This actress rejected this superhit film after hearing
In the early 80s, a well-known actress, admired for her charm and talent, was offered a lead role in a film that would later become a massive hit. But there was a catch, a condition she wasn't willing to accept. She walked away, standing by her values. The director, furious and determined, cast another fresh face in her place. What happened next became part of cinematic history of Indian Cinema. We are sure that you must have identified her by now. If not, let us unravel the mystery for you. The Prominent Actress of the 80s Era Here, we are talking about Bollywood actress Padmini Kolhapure. The actress is best known for films like Pyaari Behna, Insaaf Ka Tarazu, Prem Rog, Pyaar Jhukta Nahin, Prawaas and many others. Meanwhile, the actress got her first role in Raj Kapoor's Satyam Shivam Sundaram in which she played role of teenager Rupa, which was immensely praised by movie lovers. When Padmini Kolhapure Refused To… In 1982, Padmini featured alongside Bollywood superstar Rishi Kapoor in Prem Rog, which turned out to be a monstrous success for her. In 1985, Raj Kapoor decided to feature Padmini in her next project Ram Teri Ganga Maili, as the two had a very amazing working experience together, but when she heard the script, she strictly refused the offer made by the greatest showman of Bollywood and said, 'Uncle mujhe maaf kariye, main ye nahin kar paungi', because there was a kissing scene in the film which made her uncomfortable. This made Raj Kapoor angry and hence he decided to never work with the actress again and gave her role to actress Mandakini. After its initial release, the film became the biggest talk of town and landed in some controversies for its kissing and bold sequences. However, this did not affect the film, which resulted in it becoming one of biggest blockbusters of that year and also made Mandakini an overnight superstar. When Padmini Opened Up About Leaving Ram Teri Ganga Maili After many years, during a session of Rajshri Unplugged, the actress opened up about the full incident. ' When Raj uncle told me about the film, there was a kissing scene in it, I had never done such roles, so I did not want to do a kissing scene. I had no problem working with Rajiv Kapoor, but I was not comfortable kissing on screen. That's why I rejected it.
Indian Express
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Raj Kapoor wondered why he was ‘accused of exploiting women', argued with censor board for Zeenat Aman's portrayal in Satyam Shivam Sundaram: ‘If Fellini shows a nude woman…'
Raj Kapoor is still remembered as one of the greatest filmmakers of Indian cinema but in his later films, many viewers started pointing out that women in his films were presented with a certain male gaze that seemed exploitative. Raj was aware of this criticism but he believed that was seen as exploitative by others, was his way of showing a woman's beauty. Almost all of his films after the 1970s, including Bobby, Mera Naam Joker, Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Prem Rog and Ram Teri Ganga Maili presented a lot of its female characters in a sexualised way and Raj addressed the same in the book presented by his daughter Ritu Nanda. In the book, Raj Kapoor: The One and Only Showman, Raj spoke about the time that he had a conversation with the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) regarding his film Satyam Shivam Sundaram. The film starred Zeenat Aman in the lead role and her costumes in the film created quite a stir in those days. Raj shared in the book, 'We are shocked by nudity. We must grow up. In a country that has produced seven hundred million children, people are shocked by partial nudity! Why are we so hypocritical? Children don't grow on trees. They are made in bed. And what is immoral in showing a beautiful girl? Take cinema to the villages, give them entertainment. The only entertainment they have now is brewing alcohol, drinking it and producing children.' Raj then spoke about showing Satyam Shivam Sundaram to the censor board in India and shared, 'When the film (Satyam Shivam Sundaram) was complete, I asked the censor board, 'Which is more harmful, this or what you are permitting? You see the banners and posters all over India. Everybody is holding a gun or a sword or something with which to kill, in a country that propagates non-violence! Can't you understand that that is what is harmful?'' ALSO READ | Gram Chikitsalaya review: Safe and staid Panchayat redux colours itself in sameness Raj insisted that he respected women, and did not understand why he was accused of exploiting them. He said that when a director like Federico Fellini showed women in the nude, it was seen as art, but when he tried something similar, it was seen as exploitation. 'I respect women and I cannot understand why I am accused of exploiting them. If a Fellini shows a woman in the nude, it is considered art. If I show off a woman's beauty, it's called exploitation,' he wrote. Women in Raj Kapoor's films weren't always shown in the same way as there was a significant shift after the 1970s. He acknowledged that and wrote, 'What influenced my work of the early 1950s is not necessarily what will influence the work of the 1980s. It is not that idealism has been lost. I have taken up themes in which women are perhaps more active than men or are more subjected to emotional tyranny by society.'
Hans India
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Hans India
Remembering Rishi Kapoor: A Cinematic Legacy That Lives On
On the death anniversary of Rishi Kapoor, we pause to celebrate not just the loss of a great actor but the undying legacy of a performer who left an indelible mark on Indian cinema. From the innocent charm of young love to the gravitas of socially charged roles, Rishi Kapoor's journey was one of constant evolution, passion, and magic. Here are some of the films that truly defined his remarkable cinematic voyage: Bobby (1973): The Arrival of a Star At just 20, Rishi Kapoor burst onto the screen as the lead in Raj Kapoor's Bobby — a film that redefined teenage romance for a generation. His portrayal of a rich boy in love with a poor girl became a cultural touchstone. Iconic moment: 'Hum tum ek kamre mein band ho…' became an anthem of youthful rebellion and love. Karz (1980): The Cult Classic Directed by Subhash Ghai, Karz was ahead of its time, blending reincarnation, suspense, and memorable music. Rishi's performance as a rockstar avenging his past life's murder left a lasting impression. His guitar-strumming silhouette and the anthem 'Om Shanti Om' became pop-culture milestones. Prem Rog (1982): Breaking Social Barriers In Prem Rog, Rishi Kapoor delivered one of his most emotionally layered performances. The film tackled the taboo of widow remarriage with sensitivity and courage, and Rishi shone in his role as a man challenging regressive norms. Chandni (1989): Romance, Redefined In Yash Chopra's Chandni, Rishi brought soul and sophistication to a genre in decline. His chemistry with Sridevi, coupled with timeless songs, brought back the era of the romantic musical. Song that stole hearts: 'Tere mere hothon pe…' Kapoor & Sons (2016): Scene-Stealer Even in his later years, Rishi Kapoor proved he could still command the screen. As the quirky, sharp-tongued grand-father, he added both humor and heart to this modern family drama. It was a testament to his versatility and enduring appeal. Mulk (2018): A Patriarch's Plea One of his final landmark performances, Mulk saw Rishi take on the powerful role of a Muslim patriarch defending his family's honour in a politically charged environment. His portrayal was layered, dignified, and deeply moving. A Legacy Etched in Film From the chocolate boy of the '70s to the character actor of the new millennium, Rishi Kapoor was never afraid to reinvent himself. His career was a masterclass in longevity, adaptability, and pure love for the craft. Rishi Kapoor may have left the world on April 30, 2020, but his performances continue to breathe life into every frame he touched. Whether it was the innocence of first love, the angst of injustice, or the charm of a timeless hero, he brought truth to fiction and emotion to celluloid. As we remember him today, we don't just mourn a star — we celebrate a storyteller who gave generations a reason to fall in love with cinema.
