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By celebrating her 90th birthday with a live performance in Dubai on September 8, Asha Bhosle will be proving yet again that she not only has a tremendous zest for life, but also an ebullience that has enabled her to rule Hindi film music across many genres, from classical to cabaret numbers, sing for generations of composers and audiences, and bring home every award that counts, barring the Bharat Ratna, which she rightfully deserves.

I first met Asha Bhosle after the release of ‘Hare Krishna Hare Ram’ (1971), where I was assisting Dev Anand, and met her last as recently as in 2019 at a music festival in Jaipur, where she was surrounded by friends and admirers, and yet she mentioned to all those present how long our association has been.

I have had the good fortune of writing the lyrics of two of her ageless hit numbers — ‘Jab Chhaye Mera Jadoo’ (‘Lootmaar’; 1980) and ‘Suniye,...

Singer Asha Bhosle, who carved out her own independent niche and ruled the roost over the world of music, turns a ripe old 90 on Friday, and notwithstanding a long and eventful musical journey of eight decades, neither her vocal cords are tired nor has she retired…

It was back way, some 80 years ago, when a petite 10-year-old girl Asha Mangeshkar earnestly stood before a studio microphone and recorded her first playback song for composer Datta S. Davjekar, ‘Chala Chala Nav Bal…’ for a Marathi film (‘Majha Bal’ – 1943).

Though it came just a year after her father Pt. Deenanath Mangeshkar’s passing (1942), Asha’s maiden number did not exactly set the film industry on fire but she continued to get humdrum singing assignments, and like her older sibling Lata Mangeshkar, continued the uphill musical sojourn.

After many Marathi songs, she finally landed a Hind film song assignment for ‘Chunariya’ (1948), and then...

Mumbai, Nov 14: Rati Agnihotri enjoyed watching Neetu Singh in "Do Kaliyan" while Shabana Azmi names Baby Naaz as her favourite child star as celebrities talk about their favourite child artists and songs on Children's Day Thursday.

When it comes to the songs, "Rail gaadi" and "Lakdi ki kathi" are among the favourites.

Here is what celebrities have to say about their favourite child artist and children's song:

Shabana: My favourite child actor was Baby Naaz and my favourite children's song is "Nanhe munne bachche teri mutthi mein kya hai" from the film "Boot Polish".

Rati: My favourite child actor was.

On May 26, when the 66th Cannes film festival draws to an end, India will anxiously wait to see if either Monsoon Shootout or Dabba will bring home a Camera d’Or, the award given to the best debut film in the festival. Ritesh Batra’s Dabba which played in the International Critics’ Week won an audience award-the Grand Rail d’Or-following unanimous praise by the critics and the audiences.

While we wait, let’s go down in the annals of history to know about the Indian films that won awards at the premier film festival. Although they might seem like a rare and exquisite breed, there are actually quite a few of them starting from the very first edition of Cannes.

At the inaugural edition of the festival in 1946, Chetan Anand’s Neecha Nagar screened in competition and shared the Grand Prix with several other films. The top award-now Palme...

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York will hold a retrospective of Raj Kapoor (1924-1988) and showcase eight classics of the legendary actor, director, and producer from January 6 through 16, 2012.

“Largely unknown in North America—except to filmgoers of South Asian descent—Kapoor is revered not only in India but also throughout the former Soviet world, the Middle East, and beyond for the films he made during the Golden Age of Indian cinema. The exhibition is curated by Noah Cowan, Artistic Director, Tiff Bell Lightbox, and organized by Tiff, Iifa, and Rk Films, with the support of the Government of Ontario. It is organized for MoMA by Joshua Siegel, Associate Curator, Department of Film, The Museum of Modern Art.”, says a press release issued by MoMA on Monday.

Presented in newly struck 35mm prints, Raj Kapoor and the Golden Age of Indian Cinema offers an introduction to one of...

The International Indian Film Academy (Iifa) and Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) have joined hands to host a tribute to Raj Kapoor on June 26, 2011 in Toronto. A retrospective film series called “Raj Kapoor and the Golden Age of Indian Cinema” will be held for six weeks at the Tiff Bell Lightbox, the permanent home of Tiff.

This event will take place after the 12th Iifa Weekend and Awards in Toronto, Ontario from 23rd -25th June 2011. The Gala opening on June 26 will be hosted by director Karan Johar.

Raj Kapoor opened his own studio, Rk Films at the age of 24. Called ‘The Showman of the Millenium’, Raj Kapoor won several awards and was awarded the ‘Padma Bhushan’ and the ‘Dadasaheb Phalke Award’ for his contributions to Indian Cinema. His films Awaara and Boot Polish were nominated for the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival.

Mumbai, 6th April 2011: Sharing the same passion for cinematic excellence, the International Indian Film Academy (Iifa) and Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) today announced their collaboration to host a tribute to the legend of Indian Cinema, Raj Kapoor, on the 26th of June in Toronto, post the 12th Iifa celebrations in Canada. The tribute will be followed by a retrospective film series called Raj Kapoor and the Golden Age of Indian Cinema, which will run for six weeks at the Tiff Bell Lightbox, Tiff.s permanent home. The Gala opening on June 26 will be hosted by acclaimed director Karan Johar. This year the Iifa Weekend and Awards will be held in Toronto, Ontario from 23rd -25th June 2011. Several members of the first family of Indian cinema, the Kapoor family attended the media interaction to lend their support to the tribute and retrospective. The legacy of Prithviraj Kapoor has...

Vikramaditya Motwane’s “Udaan”, the film that made it to Un Certain Regard at Cannes International Film festival after seven years has been the talk of the town lately. With Udaan, Indian cinema’s seven year long jinxed relationship with the premier film festival has come to an end. Murali Nair’s Arimpara was the last film to have made it to Un Certain Regard, the section that carries the second most prestigious award, in the year 2003. Prior to that, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas was presented as a special screening out of competition at the festival in 2002.

Come to think of it, India and Cannes have had a cordial relationship right from the start. 1946, the year one of the oldest film festivals began at Cannes, Chetan Anand’s Neecha Nagar was screened as a Feature film in competition. Neecha Nagar was a pioneering effort in realistic Indian cinema and...

The Indian film industry is much more than just songs and dances. Films have reflected the social change taking place and some filmmakers used cinema as the medium to create awareness among people and used them to tackle some serious social issues.* Boot Polish: Abandoned by their father, a family survives in an Indian squatters’ camp, aided by a friendly cripple, by learning to shine shoes instead of begging.*Naya Daur: The fight between traditionalism and modernity unfolds on the big screen.*Purab Aur Paschim: When East meets West, a new kind of patriotism towards one’s homeland unravels. * Mother India: Farmer suicide, exploitation ...