We have seen many films tell us stories of marriage, but never a story of a mother who inadvertently destroys the marriage of her daughter. Kora Kagaz released five decades ago on this day was an exception.

Jaya Bhaduri falls in love with a professor and gets married to him. She is happy with her modest life but not her mother, Achala Sachdev feels her daughter deserves better and constantly interferes in her domesticity, until one day, Jaya leaves her marital home and returns forever.

In the climax, A K Hangal, blames his wife for ruining Jaya’s marriage, The best performance in the film came from Achala Sachdev.

It was a Yash Chopra film and even though the story revolved around a father and his illegitimate son, all the characters, especially the women had a voice. Waheeda Rehman is the woman Sanjeev Kumar loves but  marries a rich girl and becomes a leading business man

Waheeda Rehman, gives birth to Sanjeev Kumar’s son, Amitabh Bachchan. 

Raakhee played secretary to Sanjeev Kumar but when she is accused of foul play she leaves her job and joins Bachchan.

Hema Malini plays entrepreneur, bold and beautiful and Poonam Dhillon the youngest of all has the courage to defy her father and marry the boy of her choice.

Forty-five years ago Yash Chopra projected women who had choices and his banner continues to make the same kind of films even today.

Usually, we associate the word chori with money or gold but this was a film about intellectual copyright. Movies of this kind were not common in the olden days and certainly not in the mainstream movies still Shashi Kapoor and Zeenat Aman dared to experiment with a different story. The movie was released today, many many years ago.

The same story would make an interesting film in present times because today, copyright is a serious issue

This is my favorite Hrishikesh Mukherjee film and talks about attraction- innocence and manipulation. It is the story of a blind father and his simple daughter/ Raakhee.

It is also the story of two friends, Amitabh and Vinod Mehra. Amitabh is a flirt and Vinod Mehra, a silent lover. Both fall in love with Raakhee and lay a bet who will seduce/ propose to her.

Naturally Amitabh wins but is he prepared for how Vinod Mehra will react?

It is a story of guilt and remorse and twenty four years later, the film continues to haunt.how Amitabh tries to make up for his misdeeds.

Dr Amar Kumar Pandey, retired IPS officer and former Director General of Police, Karnataka State, is ready with his second book, A Don’s Nemesis. It is the story of the most wanted don Ravi Pujari and how Pandey systematically lays the trap for him. Pujari had been missing for twenty-six years and all efforts of the police could not reach them to the criminal. Says Pandey, “My book is about the trials and the tribulations of nabbing a don. It is about the law of our country, the dignity the police force and most importantly, a journey into the mind of a criminal -why the don does what he does and how”.

A perfect plot for a mainstream movie, Pandey is fortunate that filmmaker Rakesh Dang has purchased the copy rights of the book  for his film and currently the script and casting is in progress.

I am not sure how Kissi Ka Bhai Kiss Ki Jaan is faring at the box-office but what I know is about that too many careers are riding on the film. To begin with Bhagyashree, Salman’s co-star of Maine Pyaar Kiya released in 1989. Bhagyashree is returning to the big screen after 33 years and two grown up kids (both actors). Next, Bhumika Chawla, Salman’s timid heroine in Tere Naam who got married and disappeared post the release. Chawla returns to the screen as Bhabhi to the heroine and finally, Salman’s three brothers and their co-stars, all from TV, music and other world making a debut in movies. Will they be noticed? I don’t think so.

Vijender Singh, the first Indian boxing Olympic medallist plays one of Salman Khan’s brothers’ and says, “Irrespective of how the film fares at the box-office I have enjoyed the experience of working with Khan. I accepted the film not to make a career in films but for the joy of being around Salman Khan and the experience has been more than worth it”. 

Balaji Vittal, co-author of the National Film Award-winning R.D. Burman: The Man, The Music (2011), the MAMI Award-winning Gaata Rahe Mera Dil – 50 Classic Hindi Film Songs (2015), and the highly acclaimed S.D. Burman: The Prince-Musician (2018) is now out with his new book Pure Evil – The Bad Men of Bollywood (2022).

A graduate in Civil Engineering from Jadavpur University, Kolkata-born Balaji Vittal has spent all his years writing about movies and while most authors choose to focus only on the superstars, Balaji views the villains with affection and respect and credits for making Bollywood movies so engaging and entertaining.

Prof. Dishan Kamdar, Vice-Chancellor of FLAME University, specializes in teaching negotiation analysis and decision-making to students enrolled in different university programs. Drawing from his vast expertise, his new book, Cleansing Moments: Developing Leadership Skills for All Times, is a collection of real-life stories that impart valuable leadership skills.

On the book release in Pune, the author shared, “Leadership is not just about strategies and tactics; but about people and relationships. My reason for writing this book is to influence and shape personalities”. Prof Kamdar is also an executive coach to Ceo’s and is revered as a top researcher and scholar.