All posts tagged: Indian cinema history

‘Lagaan destroyed me’: Amin Hajee makes ‘shocking’ revelation about Aamir Khan-starrer | Bollywood News

‘Lagaan destroyed me’: Amin Hajee makes ‘shocking’ revelation about Aamir Khan-starrer | Bollywood News

Published by Webster

4 min readKochiJun 16, 2026 04:57 PM IST While director Ashutosh Gowariker’s Lagaan (2001) became a landmark movie in the history of Indian cinema and marked a turning point in the careers of pretty much everyone associated with it, it wasn’t exactly the case for actor Amin Hajee, who still believes the Aamir Khan-starrer “destroyed” him. However, it isn’t that the epic period sports drama did any harm to him per se, but rather raised the bar for him so high that even he couldn’t surpass it later. Although it’s been 25 years since the movie hit the screens, Amin still believes that he never received a role as impactful as Lagaan’s Bagha, the mute drummer, afterwards. “The truth is, Lagaan destroyed me,” he said during a conversation with news agency PTI. Must Read | Lagaan and Gadar clash that defied Bollywood logic, turned rivals into Rs 198 cr history Amin Hajee on why no role ever matched Bagha The actor then quoted verses from legendary composer-singer Jagjit Singh’s “Hazaron Khwahishein Aisi” to elaborate on …

Kamal Haasan’s 15-year dream turned into a Rs 300 cr disaster despite a GOAT at the helm | Tamil News

Kamal Haasan’s 15-year dream turned into a Rs 300 cr disaster despite a GOAT at the helm | Tamil News

Published by Parlour News

Just as much as the movies he created and gifted Indian cinema, Kamal Haasan’s unrealised projects are also quite famous, if not more so. Besides being regarded as one of the finest actors of all time in the country, Kamal is often hailed as a visionary filmmaker, renowned for his inventiveness and innovation. Hence, whenever he announces a new project, the hype is understandably high. However, his artistic biography lists several projects he mulled over or even announced but couldn’t complete or set in motion, shelving them forever despite lofty ambitions. Among Kamal Haasan’s many unrealised movies was one whose core idea he kept in his mind for a long time. Although he tried to launch the project several times over the years, all his efforts went in vain, and he eventually handed over the core idea behind the story to a dear filmmaker friend, who ultimately brought it to life. However, its fate was disastrous. Don’t Miss | How Rajinikanth turned Kamal Haasan’s rejection into a Rs 982 cr franchise The evolution of Thalaivan …

Raaj Kumar called everyone ‘Jaani’ after his dog’s name, was tougher than Bachchan: ‘He was moody’ | Bollywood News

Raaj Kumar called everyone ‘Jaani’ after his dog’s name, was tougher than Bachchan: ‘He was moody’ | Bollywood News

Published by Webster

4 min readKochiMay 18, 2026 07:12 PM IST Widely regarded as one of the greatest actors in Indian cinema, Raaj Kumar apparently had one silly habit: he used to call pretty much everyone by the name of his dog. Not as an insult, but in a rather endearing manner. While he had this silly side, renowned filmmaker KC Bokadia recently shared that it was tough to handle the acting legend, even more so than dealing with Amitabh Bachchan. “His dog’s name was Jaani. So, he used to call everyone ‘Jaani.’ Fortunately, he never called me by that name and addressed me only as ‘Bokadia saab,’” he shared during a conversation with IndiaTV. Bokadia also recounted a funny anecdote about how he got Kumar on board for his directorial venture, Police Aur Mujrim (1992), on just one day’s notice. Also Read | Madhavan says he refused son Vedaant’s request to ‘spend quality time’: ‘I’m not a cosmetic dad’ ‘Raaj Kumar was a moody man’ “I called him over the phone one evening. We had planned the …

Aditya Dhar’s ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ crosses ₹1,088 crore globally

Aditya Dhar’s ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ crosses ₹1,088 crore globally

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New Delhi, Aditya Dhar’s “Dhurandhar: The Revenge” has crossed ₹1,088 crore gross worldwide in its first week of release, emerging as the biggest global blockbuster in Indian cinema history. Aditya Dhar’s ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ crosses ₹1,088 crore globally According to Jio Studios and B62 Studios, the Ranveer Singh-starrer spy thriller collected ₹814 crore gross in India and ₹274 crore overseas in its eight-day opening week, taking the worldwide gross to ₹1,088 crore. The film’s net collection in India stood at ₹690 crore for the week. In a statement, the makers said “Dhurandhar: The Revenge” has registered all-time record collections across every single day of its first week. “The sequel to the blockbuster ‘Dhurandhar’ has surpassed all previous benchmarks and establishing new records with the fastest run to ₹1000 crores worldwide, the highest opening weekend, and the strongest weekday hold ever recorded for an Indian film globally,” the makers said. The film had set the tone with a record-breaking opening weekend, collecting ₹761 crore globally in its first four days. The momentum sustained through the weekdays, …

The Alien: Satyajit Ray’s unrealised sci-fi dream and the Hollywood film that came eerily close | Bollywood News

The Alien: Satyajit Ray’s unrealised sci-fi dream and the Hollywood film that came eerily close | Bollywood News

Published by Webster

Written by Rhea Kapoor In the late 60s, Satyajit Ray, India’s most celebrated filmmaker, set his sights on a genre few in Indian cinema had explored: science fiction. Based on his own short story Bankubabur Bandhu (Banku’s Friend), Ray developed a screenplay titled The Alien in 1967. Encouraged by none other than Arthur C Clarke, who believed the story had international appeal, Ray travelled to the United States, the United Kingdom, and France to pitch the film to Hollywood. He eventually struck a deal with Columbia Pictures. Marlon Brando and Peter Sellers were reportedly attached to star in the film. The project promised to be a landmark collaboration—bridging Kolkata and Hollywood. But it never happened. Story continues below this ad Ray’s Hollywood contact, Michael Wilson, copyrighted the script in his own name and took the fees, leaving Ray sidelined. Disheartened, Ray returned to Kolkata. Despite Columbia’s attempts to revive the film in the 70s and 80s, The Alien remained shelved. Until 1982. That year, Ray watched E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the now-iconic film by Steven Spielberg. …

Raj Kapoor’s Iconic Lantern Donated To PM Museum In Tribute To Cinematic Icon

Raj Kapoor’s Iconic Lantern Donated To PM Museum In Tribute To Cinematic Icon

Published by Parlour News

Last Updated:February 27, 2025, 14:27 IST The Kapoor family had carefully preserved the lantern for decades and when they recently met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of Raj Kapoor’s 100th birth anniversary, they presented the cherished memorabilia to him The Kapoors present the iconic lantern to PM Narendra Modi. (PTI) Remember the memorable lantern that Raj Kapoor carried in his black-and-white classic ‘Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai’ in 1960? You can now see that lantern at an exhibition at the ‘Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya’ on March 1. The Kapoor family had carefully preserved the lantern for decades and when they recently met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of Raj Kapoor’s 100th birth anniversary, they presented the cherished memorabilia to him. In a fitting tribute to the cinematic icon, the lantern has now been donated to the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya by the prime minister. The lantern will be showcased at the exhibition on March 1 to allow visitors to immerse themselves in the legacy of one of India’s most iconic film personalities, offering a …