A film like Naya Daur had to be made by a visionary. Watching the film after all these years in its new avatar, one cannot help marvel at the courage and passion of the filmmaker.

It is said that writer Akhtar Mirza had approached all the top banners with his story but none was convinced, including the great Mehboob Khan. When he approached BR Films, Chopra agreed instantly much to the alarm of his colleagues. He had to encounter innumerable hurdles during the making, including a court case filed by Ataullah Khan, Madhubala’s father. But Chopra remained undeterred.

One of the huge chapters in Tamil cinema ends with his demise. One of the most versatile directors of the age, Sridhar’s films gave break to many a budding actor including the national-award winning Vikram. With the best musicals and performance-driven films of his age, Sridhar possessed an enviable cine-resume that not many directors can achieve today.

He had worked with almost all the leading actors of the industry including Shivaji Ganeshan, MG Ramachandran, Gemini Ganeshan, Rajnikanth and Kamal Haasan. His film Vennira Adai was famous for its triple debut of successful comic artist Murthy

Ankur Agarwal remembers one of the the greatest actor of all time, Paul Newman, and rediscovers three of his numerous gems: Hud, Sweet Bird of Youth, and The Verdict.
Paul Newman (1925-2008)Paul Newman! What an array of films and great performances, a canvas of life and America, a multitude of emotions, sweat and sultry sang-froid. Cat […]

Bergman was quintessentially a phenomenon by himself. His life, his actions remained unparalleled over the years. Though unbearable at times, the mastermind left a deep impact on human kind, thus, making it practically unimaginable to be ignored. No session of film studies, film criticism, can be completed until he is discussed again and again. Born in July 14th, 1918 to a priest, he started taking interest in theatre as a student of University of Stockholm. He wrote several screenplays including Frenzy for Director Sjoberg in 1944 followed by the “Devil’s Prison” in 1949 …

Tendulkar found solace, and even escape, in his works, as he writes, “There was no thought of tomorrow. Everyday began and ended with work.” And he provided that solace to other creative souls around as writers, directors, playwrights, theatre directors… flocked to him and were born from the womb of his work and his honesty. Examples can be given of film directors like Shyam Benegal (Nishant, Manthan), Govind Nihalani (Aakrosh, Ardh Satya), Jabbar Patel (Saamna, Umbertha and Sinhasan), Amol Palekar (Akriet), Nachiket Patwardan, Satyadev Dubey and many more.

Tendulkar was such a man, who like the ideal teacher for Gandhi, did not just preach lessons, but became the lesson himself. And that is where the greatest contribution of his lay. In the deletion of hypocrisy in his life. In the striving for ‘satyagraha’ - the steadfastness in truth, despite repeated failures. Purists may scoff at this comparison between Gandhian ideals and Ten, who was preoccupied with violence. But to me, there was no greater Gandhian than him, for he not only believed in truth, but lived by the truth, fought for truth and wrote the truth. And violence was the truth he discovered in the times and the society he lived in.

Renowned science fiction writer and co-author of Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 Sci-fi masterpiece “2001: A Space Odyssey” Arthur C. Clarke died early Wednesday. He was 90.

According to an AP report he left written instructions that his funeral be completely secular.

“Absolutely no religious rites of any kind, relating to any religious faith, should be associated with my funeral,” he wrote.

Arthur C. Clarke was the son of an English farming family, born in the seaside town of Minehead, Somerset, England on December 16, 1917. In 1998, his lifetime work was recognized by The Queen of England when he was honored

Born there in 1954, Anthony Minghella went from the Isle of Wight to Hollywood in his lifetime, lived out his dreams of becoming a filmmaker and, on the day of his death, was one of the most promising British directors around. His death came far too early (in the sense that there could ever be a right time for an influential director to die) when he passed away today, March 18th 2008, with many, possibly great films ahead of a person who proved he had talent in him with a filmography that, thus far, had won several awards, ten of them Oscars.