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A unique combination of circumstances led to him landing in Bombay soon after the Partition and being tasked with directing a film, though his cinematic experience was limited to being a film journalist. He even managed to rope in a top actor – and on the very first day, questioned his rendition of a crucial scene.

Recalling the episode decades later, veteran Hindi film director and producer B.R. Chopra revealed that Ashok Kumar, who had somehow agreed to act in the film despite his misgivings at its totally green director, was taken aback.

“He then suggested that he would do the shot again in the way I suggested, and prints of both this and the way he had done, should be made, and he would check them the next day to see which was better,” he told Bollywood personality and chronicler Shashi Ranjan in an interview.

As a nervous Chopra arrived...

Ott platforms have not just changed the rules of the entertainment market, they have given, literally, a second life to Bollywood stars who had faded away from the public eye for quite some time. Of late, a number of senior actors, who had virtually retired from the industry or had limited theatrical releases, are now being reinvented and getting a hugely positive response to their work, courtesy of streaming platforms.

Here’s a list of nine actors who are back in the reckoning in their second innings because of Ott:

Harman Baweja

The actor made his debut with the 2008 release “Love Story 2050”, directed by his father Harry Baweja, and charmed the audience with his dancing skills (and little else!), but he was dismissed by all as the poor man’s Hrithik Roshan.

Hansal Mehta’s streaming series “Scoop”, which sees a no-longer-chocolate-boy Harman back in action as Joint Commissioner...

The incredible Rajinikanth - the living legend on his own, known for his phenomenal star power and action once followed the subtle, controlled and noted nuance of Amol Palekar - the actor/filmmaker known for his award winning performance in evergreen gems like Golmaal and other memorable movies like Rajnigandha, Chhoti Si Baat, Chitchor etc.

It may sound strange, weird but it?s true, the crowd pleasing massy flashy image of Thalaivar who can do anything onscreen followed the simplicity of Amol Palekar.

It was the year 1981; The Rajini mania was on the rise thanks to the remakes of his idol Amitabh Bachchan?s Don - Billa (1980), Amar Akbar Anthony - Ram Robert Rahim (May 1980), Deewar - Thee (1981) etc.

1981 - The year when Rajini did Thee - the Tamil version of Amitabh Bachchan?s classic Deewar (1975), the action phenomenon also starred in the Thillu Mullu - (English meaning Hodgepodge) -...

Hyderabad, Nov 15: Actor-filmmaker Amol Palekar expressed his unhappiness over increase in number of child artists, who are more like carbon copies of big stars in movies and music. He believes those with originality should be promoted instead.

An open forum on Children in Media: Rights of Child Artists was held here on the second day of the 18th International Children's Film Festival, India (Icffi), which started Thursday. The "Chhoti Si Baat" star was one of the panelists.

"Why are we asking children to be perfect copies of stars like Salman Khan and Aamir Khan? Why are we encouraging them? Why not encourage original.