Cinema: The Magic Lantern!!

Six decades ago, an unknown tubewell mechanic from Sahnewal (Ludhiana) set out on a journey to the ‘City of Dreams’ to realise his ambition of becoming a hero in the Bollywood. He is none other than “Punjab da Sher Puttar” Dharmendra. He is a born entertainer, acting is not a profession for him but it’s his beloved. A director's actor, he could don a dhoti with the same ease with which he could sport a Roman Toga, he could be smoldering in a tuxedo and set a million hearts ablaze. The way his face emotes expressions is unparalleled and his sensitive eyes create an intriguing romance wooing his heroines. Simply dashing Dharmendra with indelible romantic aura, remains true to his image of the lovable prince charming. He blasted the silver screen and the movie halls were drowned in a thousand whistles merely on his entry. He took rapid strides to become the poster boy for the tendon. He is known as the most handsome actor to have ever walked the soil of Indian showbiz. A top draw at

‘Nation First, Always First’ will be the theme of India’s 75th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort. The year-long celebrations as ‘Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav’ at national and international level will showcase India's achievements of these 75 years. The five pillars for the platinum jubilee celebrations include: Freedom Struggle, Ideas at 75, Achievements at 75, Actions at 75 and Resolve at 75, representing the aspirations of the 130crore Indians. The freedom we are enjoying today has been bricked over the years by the great patriots. This is an occasion to remember the sacrifices made by millions of Indians to liberate the country from the yoke of British rule. There were leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, Sardar Patel and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, who led the freedom struggle from the front. There were young freedom fighters like Chandrashekhar Azad, Sardar Bhagat Singh, Shivram Rajguru, Sukhdev Thapar, Batukeshwar Dutt and hundreds of unsung heroes

  There are shooting stars that come and go some blaze brightly and then fade away, but Dilip Kumar was the brightest star, whose light never dimmed. The Last Emperor of Indian cinema, Dilip had once ruled the silver screen with his glamorous prominence as an unmatched giant. The ultimate method actor, Dilip chose his passions mindfully and chiseled them to exemplary standards. His versatility, incredible dialogue delivery and typical disarming smile made him the screen legend beyond his image of a ‘tragedy king’. There was aesthetic classical bliss in his acting and always worked to get under the skin of the character he was portraying. He had a flair for playing the tragic roles but also proved that he was second to none in comedic roles. The erudite and observant Dilip Kumar defined the modern artiste and how he can marry the didactic and the aesthetic schools. Dilip Kumar, a perfectionist, was the touchstone of acting and has inspired generations of actors. His performances have

Eminent litterateur and a ‘poetic’ filmmaker Sagar Sarhadi, was unarguably one of the finest storytellers in the Hindi film industry. His writings were mellow, mordant and modern. His plays brimmed with the angst he felt and convictions that were born out of his beliefs. He wrote films rich in lyricism with their literary flair . His perception of love was unique and yet so inured in tradition. Romance that he wove in his stories had a relatable feel. He breathed life into the emotional roller coasters of Bollywood like Kabhie Kabhie, Silsila and Chandni etc. He had a talent for plumbing the depths of the human heart to create indelible characters. He scripted complex women characters, brought alive by protagonists Rakhi, Smita Patil, Rekha and Shabana Azmi. He yearned for respect to women and disliked their “grotesque presentation” on screen. The iconic dialogues, he wrote for Bazaar, give goose bumps even today. Sarhadi was not swayed by the trappings of showbiz and remained unspo

  Think of Goddess Durga and one of her ostensibly favourite sons comes to mind: Narendra Chanchal, the iconic singer who carved a unique place in devotional singing and the genre remains synonymous with him. He specialized himself in rendering devotional songs/hymns in praise of the Maa Bhagwati. His voice was widely believed to be a hotline to the Mother Goddess and he had the power of intercession. Chanchal was the flamboyant face of the Bhagwati Jaagran, a nightlong session of songs in praise of Maa Vaishno. Though Jaagrans have thousand years of history, but the credit to convert these into outdoor grand music shows goes to Chanchal, earning him the titles ‘Jaagran Samrat’, ‘Dhyanu Ke Avtaar’, ‘Maa Bhagwati Ke Lal’, ‘Aalokik Kanth Ke Swami’ and many more. His mellifluous voice had the ability to pierce straight into the listener’s heart, making every listening an emotional and spiritual experience.   Chanchal, came to be identified with high-pitched Bhents/bhajans. He would not ju