Premji’s Meera was released today, in the year 1979.There is aninteresting story on how the film was conceived. The filmmaker was keen to work with the dream girl but somehow, she was not inclined to every subject he brought to her and turned it down. “There must be some character you want to play?” the filmmaker asked the actress and Hema Malini responded, “I want to play Meera”. So, Gulzar was signed as writer /director and Lata Mangeshkar was t the original choice for singer voice but Lata had to opt out because she was committed to her private album on Meera bhajans and when she refused, music directors Laxmikant Pyarelal opted out of the project as well. But whatever happens, happens for the best because Gulzar approached maestro Ravi Shankar to compose music and singer Vani Jairam was signed as for Meera’s voice. The rest of course is history. Meera did not click at the box-office but it remains amongst Gulzar’s best films.

When I was a new journalist I met Priti Ganguly, daughter of Ashok Kumar. Priti was a lively and an extremely popular comedian. Filmmakers like Basu Chatterjee repeated her in all his films and she is best remembered for her film Khatta Meetha particularly the song ‘Thoda hai thode ki zaroorat hain’ where she imagines getting married to Amitabh Bachchan (dressed as a Parsi groom). The song became a metaphor of Priti’s life. She had more than sufficient to lead a happy life but an undefined sorrow kept her restless. She sought solace in spirituality, drugs and strangers who betrayed her. She began spending all her time in Ohsho ashram Pune and died early. Today is her birth anniversary and I pray that her soul rests in peace.

It seems like for Adah Sharma it is one controversy after another. If The Kerala Story was about Hindu girls being brainwashed to convert to Islam and the political debate that followed, Sharmas’s next project, The Game of Girgit opposite Shreyas Talpade based on the infamous Blue Whale Game promises to be equally controversial because youngsters across the globe are hooked on to the app, the root cause of innumerable tragedies. Adah Sharma however defends her role and clarifies that she does not play a victim. “I play a cop investigating the mystery. The nature of the game is such that it assigns tasks to the player and the only way the participant can quit the game is if he accomplishes all the assigned tasks. It is mission impossible without either harming oneself or someone else. This is my second film as a cop. The first was Bhavna Reddy in Commando and this time, I play Gayatri Bharga from Bhopal.

Come the month of May and everyone rushes to the Cannes Film Festival, some of them just to release their film posters at the Bazaar and claim that it was launched at the festival. Not all our filmmakers are so naïve, fortunately. Almost a decade ago, Kanu Behl’s debut film Titli premiered in the 2014 Cannes Un Certain Regard section and now Behl is set to have a World Premiere of his second film Agra produced by Saregama at the upcoming Directors’ Fortnight, an independent section of the Cannes Film Festival. Directors’ Fortnight focuses on independent films from throughout the world. It is a free-spirited, non-competitive selection open to all festival goers. Written by Kanu Behl and Atika Chohan Agra explores the sexual dynamics within a family, and the deep dystopian fractures created in a modern India, fast shrinking into pigeon-holed spaces.

Agra was developed at ‘PJLF Three Rivers residency program – in Italy, with the prestigious ‘Cinema du Monde’ film fund backing it. The film was also part of the FBR section of the Viewing Room at NFDC’s Film Bazaar, 2022. Says Kanu Behl, “Agra has been a deeply personal and difficult exploration for me. The film addresses male sexual repression and I am happy that we are finally initiating a dialogue”. Agra is the story of Guru, who lives in a small house with a large family. It is about lack of space, lack of privacy and everyone in the family is repressed and struggles for his expression of sexuality. Kannu Behl started his journey with Love Sex & Dhoka and is in the post production on his third feature Despatch starring Manoj Bajpayee.

Anupam Kher and Yash Raj Films have always had a special relationship. From Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge to Laga Chunari Mein Daag there has always been a role for Kher in a YRF film.Yash Raj Films’ new project titled Vijay 69, is a quirky, slice of life film conceived for the OTT platform featuring Anupam Kher as the protagonist. It tells the story of a sexagenarian man, played by Anupam, who decides to compete in a triathlon contest at the age of 69! To be directed by Akshay Roy of Meri Pyaari Bindu fame under the YRF banner, Roy has also worked on acclaimed films like Mira Nair’s The Namesake, Aamir Khan’s directorial debut Taare Zameen Par and Deepa Mehta’s Water as an Assistant Director.

Maneesh Sharma, director of Band Baaja Baarat and producer of Dum Laga Ke Haisha and Sui Dhaaga is the producer of the film as he simultaneously prepares for Tiger 3.

Their other series on the OTT platform include a crime thriller titled Mandala Murders an edge-of-the-seat entertainer series with Vaani Kapoor and Vaibhav Raj Gupta, hero of Gullak.  The other series is The Railway Men based on the deadly 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy featuring R Madhavan, Kay Kay Menon, Divyendu and Babil Khan in the lead roles. The series is a tribute to the brave railway workers who saved scores of lives on this ill-fated night of devastation and horror.

Children at Mumbai’s Jamnabai Narsee International School received a special visit from actor Dia Mirza, who speaks through Ellie, a stunningly realistic life-size animatronic elephant, as part of a unique People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India child empathy initiative. The elephant blinks her eyes and flaps her ears, just like a real elephant and travels to schools to tell them the story of all the baby elephants separated from their mothers. Ellie’s “personal” story has a feel-good ending, as she is rescued and lives happily ever after at a sanctuary. The idea is to sensitize the children about animal suffering and to make them understand that most animals belong to nature and it is not fair to confine them to a place with chains. Diya Mirza is UN Secretary-General Advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals and UN Environment Program Goodwill Ambassador.

Says Dia, “It is a conscious choice for me to support and work with education initiatives that create such moments. Mirza is also an ambassador for the Wildlife Trust of India, a board member of the Sanctuary Nature Foundation, and a global ambassador for IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare), finds a seamless resonance with Ellie and the cause of safeguarding our elephants. “Captive elephants used for circuses, rides, weddings, ceremonies, and other forms of entertainment are chained when not in use, not fed adequately. They stand in one position on hard concrete surfaces that leads to painful and crippling foot ailments, bone and joint diseases, let us not be inhuman with the animal planet, let us come together and do something before it is too late”.  

The Moonsmith explores the philosophical, emotional, and existential themes in poet Gulzar’s writings. It revolves around nine timeless preoccupations of the human mind, such as Love, God, Relationships, Time, Truth & Reality, Soil & Society, and Death.

The book sets out to offer fresh vantage points to crystallise and chronicle the outpourings of the writer. It follows his work quietly and diligently, making note of everything he thinks, feels, expresses. The author, Shailja is a consultant, an educator, and an artist with Sydney’s popular radio program Voice of India – 89.7 FM, this is the author’s debut book where she attempts to unravel the man behind the magical words. 

Fifty-four years ago on this very day, Jeetendra starrer Waaris directed by T RRamanna was released. Hema Malini featured as Jeetendra’s heroine and Neetu Singh featured as a child star.

Based on a super hit Tamil film Naan released in 1967 the story was written by T N Balu.  The film had lavish sets and told the tale of a queen who walks out of the palace with the crown prince. When the king is no more, the royal family is on a hunt for the heir and many candidates drop by.

Waaris also featured Mehmood and Aruna Irani and RD Burman gave the music.

Five decades have gone by but the lead pair is still relevant. Jeetendra with Balaji Telefilms and Hema Malini as a dancer and as a member of parliament.