Jiya jale: Gulzar and his lyrics
Writing subtitles for Hindi film songs can lead to hilarious situations. Famously, the song from Mangal Pandey: The Rising called ‘Mangal mangal’ was translated as ‘Tuesday, Tuesday’! But imagine the chagrin of the person who has to…
Kader Khan: A life that went unsung
I was in school when I saw this film. But the visuals are imprinted on my mind. A foggy graveyard. A little boy crying over his mother’s grave. A fakir arrives and asks the lad about his…
Trinetra: A time for transitions
I’m listening to a seventh semester medical student who is on stage. “I was thrown out of Anatomy dissection hall because I attended class with a nose-piercing.” ‘Well, I would have thrown out any guy if they…
Gulzar: A wizard with words
It is very difficult for me to describe what makes Gulzar stand out. He uses everyday words, and then weaves magic out of them. Gulzar is a writer who can make the most mundane things seem extraordinary…
The man with the pause has finally paused
If there is anything I will remember Atal Bihari Vajpayee for, it will be for his fantastic oratory. He would leave everyone spell-bound with his poetic choice of words. Equally memorable was his style of using the…
