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Hrishikesh
Mukherjee on his life and work
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In this rare interview
Hrishikesh Mukherjee, who died on 27 August 2006, talks about his life and
work. The interview was done at his home in Mumbai
by Lalit Mohan Joshi, the editor of South
Asian Cinema Foundation, in 2000, soon after Hrishi Da
got the Dada Saheb Phalke award, the highest award
in Indian cinema. When asked about the absence of
violence in his films the maker of films like
Anari, Anupama, Satyakam and Anand said
"standing on your balcony one can look down
and see the dirty drains or can look up and see the
beautiful sky and stars." Hrishi Da always
looked up to portray an idealistic, truthful,
humane and joyous society.
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Are
they exploiting the NRI film
market?
Shahrukh, Karan and Yash
Chopra in a candid discussion |
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“NRIs have been important to me”, said the
Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan. “NRI market is as
good to us as the market in India and UK is number
one for us”, said the veteran film director Yash
Chopra. “We do not see NRIs as people who are
separate from Indians. They are all Indians and in
fact the NRIs are more Indian at heart then any of
us in India”, said Bollywood’s hottest young
director Karan Johar. Bollywood’s
most successful team made these comments answering
a question of the NRIfm.com editor Vijay Rana in a
press conference during a mini festival called
Bollywood Goes to BAFTA.
To
listen click
here (English) |
Adoor
honoured in London by SACF |
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India's legendary film maker Adoor Gopalakrishnan
was honoured by UK's
South Asian Cinema Foundation. As one of the greatest
exponent of Malayalam cinema Adoor has received
India's highest cinema award Dada Saheb Falke
Award. At this occasion a book - 'A
Door to Adoor' - celebrating his life and
work was also launched. The SACF
is organising the first festival of Adoor's films
in London. Later in a conversation programme
with the SACF
editor Lalit Mohan Joshi the veteran film maker
gave a remarkable insight into some of his films.
To
listen click
here  (English) |
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The biggest compliment for Aishwarya
Rai
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After of the release of
Bride and Prejudice in the US a commentator
said that Aishwarya Rai is 'a Greek Goddess
with the soul of an Indian'. When asked what
is the biggest compliment she has got,
Aishywarya said, when people say 'real'. In
this famous CBS interview she was asked
whether she has got a steady boyfriend. So
what did say?
To
listen click
here (English) |
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Johnny Walker: Secrets of the
great comedian
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Bollywood's
greatest comedian Johnny Walker died
two years ago on 29th July. On his second
anniversary History Talking.com presents a
rare interview with the comedian in which he
shares the secrets of successful life with
the London journalist Bhartendu Vimal. He
talks about his philosophy of life and what
made him so successful.
To
listen click
here (Hindi)
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When
Sunil Dutt said to
Nargis: "I want to marry you"
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In
this extraordinary interview while talking
to Bhartendu Vimal, a journalist based in
London, Sunil Dutt opens his heart and talks about
his early career, when as a shy young man he
was terrified of talking to girls. He tells
the story of how he proposed to his wife,
Bollywood's top actress, Nargis. Always
devoted to alleviate human suffering he
inspired Southall's Indians and Pakistanis
to collect five thousand Pounds for
the Bihar famine in 1968.
To
listen click
here (Hindi)
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His politics of communal harmony
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After
the anti-Sikh riots that followed the assassination
of Indira Gandhi in 1984, Sunil Dutt vowed to stop
communal discord in India. He was them elected
to parliament and dedicated his life to promote
communal harmony. Here he tells the story of how
he entered politics.
To
listen click
here (Hindi)
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Kabir
Bedi on The Far Pavilions, Bollywood and his
women
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Feedback
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Kabir
Bedi has always lived an unconventional
life. After the success of 'Kachche Dhage'
he left Bollywood to work on an Italian
production Sandokan, then headed for
Hollywood, though never forgetting his roots
in Mumbai. In this comprehensive interview
he talks about three women in his life, his
'finest performance' as Mughal Emperor Shah
Jahan in the latest film Taj Mahal and his
latest play in London's Shaftsbury Theatre,
The Far Pavilions. He is playing the role of
Khan Saheb in MM Kay's classic.
To listen click
here (English) |
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SACF
London honours MS Sathyu
The
legendary director tells the inside story of
the partition classic 'Garm Hava'
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South Asian Cinema
Foundation (SACF), recently
honoured the veteran film director M. S. Sathyu
for his contribution to Indian cinema and theatre.
Sathyu was honoured for Creative Excellence for
his film Garm Hava (1973). The
partition of India was a taboo until he picked up
the theme and filmed it with great sensitivity.
Here he tells the inside story of the making of a
classic. Particularly poignant is the story of an
old brothel mistress from Agra whom Sathyu gave
the role of the family matriarch, who refuses to
migrate to Pakistan.
To listen click
here (English)
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Madhuri's
three 'most favourite films'
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Madhuri
Dixit gave many super hit films in her illustrious
career. Critics may differ about her best films. But
in this interesting interview she gives her verdict
on what she considers to be her three 'most favourite
films'. The interview was done a few years ago by
London based journalist Bhartendu Vimal when she was
filming Prakash Jha's film Mrityudand.
To
listen click
here (Hindi)
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Dev Anand: My three love affairs
The evergreen Super Star
shares some of his life's secrets
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In
an extensive interview with the History Talking
.com editor Vijay Rana the evergreen Bollywood
star Dev Anand shares some of
the secrets of his life. He talks about his first
and failed love affair with the Bollywood beauty
Suraiyya. “I proposed to her … and it was a
romantic disappointment that made a man out of
me.” A heartbroken Dev Anand than found
comfort in the 'aanchal'
of Kalpana Kartik.
They married on the set of 'Taxi Driver'.
After that Kalpana disappeared from the films. His third love was
the love of movie making, a passion that will
never fade away. So who stopped his marriage with
Suraiyya? Did he stop Kalpana Kartik from acting
in the films and what is the secret of his
evergreen image? Dev Anand answers questions that
you always wanted to know from him.
To
listen click
here (English)
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Dev Anand: My journey from Lahore to stardom
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In
this second part Dev Anand talks about his journey
from Government College Lahore to Mumbai. He
fondly remembers his college that he would be
visiting again in March. He talks about his films
like 'Ziddi', 'Bazi' and 'Guide'.
He remember his dearest friend Guru Dutt. And most
important of all he reveals the philosophy of his
life and the secret of his being evergreen.
To
listen click
here (English)
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Waheeda
Rahman remembers Guru
Dutt and Guide |
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Recently,
the legendary Bollywood actress
Waheeda Rahman came
to
London to publicise the cause of
her favourite Mumbai based
charity Pratham and in her busy
schedule she found time to talk
to the History Talking.com
editor Vijay Rana. She talked
about her debut in Guru Dutt's
film CID, the rumours that she
was in love with him, her
underplaying acting style and of
course about her best role - the
unconventional Rosy who ditched
her husband and fell in love
with a tourist 'Guide', played
by Devanand. To
listen click
here (Hindi)
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Saeed
Jaffrey on divorce with Madhur, Gandhi and Chess
Players
Saeed
Jaffrey launches the History Talking.com
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Veteran
actor Saeed Jaffrey travelled down the memory
lane in an interview before an invited audience
with the History Talking.com editor Vijay Rana.
In his inimitable mimicry he talked about his
early life and how Raj Kapoor and Satyajit Ray
gave him some of the memorable roles in their films.
He also remembers about his life in London and
New York where he played the famous role of Dr Godbole
from The Passage of India.
Divorce with Madhur Jaffrey
To
listen Click
here
(English)
On
Bollywood, Gandhi and Chess Players
To
listen Click
here
(English)
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Attenborough:
Ray was the creator of the ‘most beautiful paintings' |
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History
Talking.com presents the 2003 Satyajit Ray Memorial
Lecture delivered by the Lord Richard Attenborough, a
close friend of the legendary film director. The lecture
was recently organised by the Satyajit Ray Foundation and
the Nehru Centre in London. In a remarkable journey down the memory lane Lord
Attenborough remembers the day he went to see Ray's debut
film Pather Panchali. He also talks about his role in
Ray's 'Chess Players' and tells us what Ray thought of his
Oscar winning film Gandhi. According to Ray it was 'not a
fantastic piece of cinema.' |
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The
filming of the ‘Chess Players’ a great experience
To
listen click
here (English)
On the inside story of the making of 'Gandhi'
To
listen click
here (English)
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