All stories by ASEEM CHHABRA
How Sholay has played out in our lives again and again
Rediff.com14 Aug 2015'A friend said there was a new phenomenon occurring during every screening. Audience members were mouthing the dialogues with the characters on screen.' 'It was a truly amazing experience. It was impossible to hear what was being said on the screen. There was so much noise, laughter and celebration in the theatre. And the film was not even a month old.' Aseem Chhabra remembers seeing Sholay twice in the couple of weeks after it opened.
'Making a film is like being married'
Rediff.com31 Jul 2015'There are too many things that haven't gone out of you. So even though the years may have gone by, you are still close to the films in terms of the making.'
Why our grandmas and mothers fell in love with Omar Sharif
Rediff.com14 Jul 2015'He was a magnificent looking man -- perhaps the best looking international actor of the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, even in the current century. And quite definitely the first actor from Asia to make it big in the West,' says Aseem Chhabra.
'I wanted to understand what happened to Amy and why'
Rediff.com10 Jul 2015'It was impossible to please everyone with Amy Winehouse's story because it is complicated and dark. Everyone has his or her own version of what was going on and I found myself caught in the middle of it.'
Review: Asha Jaoar Majhe is one of the best Indian films of 2015
Rediff.com29 Jun 2015Bengali film Asha Jaoar Majhe is a must watch, a once in the lifetime kind of work that should be supported by film lovers and experienced on the big screen, writes Aseem Chhabra.
Jaws drove people away from beaches...and into theatres!
Rediff.com19 Jun 2015When Jaws released in June 1975, it changed the way Americans watch movies, says Aseem Chhabra.
'Patang is seeped in my soul. Thank you, Prashant Bhargava'
Rediff.com18 May 2015'Prashant has left us and it is really tragic. But I want to hold on to those little moments of happiness that he shared with me and with others whose lives he touched. That is how I want to remember him.' Aseem Chhabra pays tribute to Patang director Prashant Bhargava, who passed away on May 16. He was only 42.
Review: Bombay Velvet is marred by weak storytelling
Rediff.com15 May 2015Bombay Velvet spends too much time on period details and loses focus, notes Aseem Chhabra.
How Bombay Velvet got made!
Rediff.com5 May 2015'I kept telling Anurag, "I don't care about anything, I don't want any money. Just get the film made".' 'One day I called Anurag and someone else picked up the phone. He said, "Hello, Sir." I responded, "Hello, but who are you and why are you picking up Anurag's phone?" He said, "I am Ranbir Kapoor Sir". And he told me he was doing the film and he was very excited.'
Remembering Bollywood's big supporter
Rediff.com30 Apr 2015'Richard Corliss started loving Bollywood late in his career, but he gave everything he had in his power as a critic to promote India's Hindi cinema.'
Exclusive! Saving the Apu Trilogy
Rediff.com29 Apr 2015The journey of the digitally restored version of The Apu Trilogy is packed with dark stories and years of near detective work by those determined to preserve some of Satyajit Ray's finest works.
The first Pakistani to win an Oscar jazzes it up
Rediff.com28 Apr 2015Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's next film is about aging Pakistani musicians who get a second chance because of jazz.
'India is full of mysteries'
Rediff.com27 Apr 2015'We are dealing with a size of the world that equaled England and France combined. We are talking about 250 years of history.' Sultans of Deccan India, 1500-1700: Opulence and Fantasy -- a first of its kind exhibition anywhere in the world -- opened at the Met, April 20. Aseem Chhabra spoke to Navina Haykel, the curator of the show.
'I don't like the Indian style of acting'
Rediff.com22 Apr 2015After working on Mr India and Sagar, Partho Sen-Gupta left to study filmmaking in France at 26. He returns with the dark and moody Sunrise.
The Indian and Pakistani behind one of 2015's most important films
Rediff.com21 Apr 2015Hemal Trivedi, a Hindu filmmaker originally from India, and Mohammed Ali Naqvi, a Muslim from Pakistan have made one of this year's most talked about films.
Saying goodbye to America's best TV show
Rediff.com6 Apr 2015'That Mad Men is currently the best-written show and quite unlike anything else out there is an understatement.'
'I am dying to play a negative character'
Rediff.com5 Mar 2015Arjun Mathur recounts his journey as an actor in Bollywood.
10 remarkably SEXY films to watch this Valentine's Day!
Rediff.com13 Feb 2015Skip Fifty Shades of Grey. Watch these well-made films recommended by Aseem Chhabra.
10 remarkably SEXY films to watch this Valentine's Day!
Rediff.com13 Feb 2015'I never owned even a suit before the Oscars'
Rediff.com5 Feb 2015Three films and one TV show old Suraj Sharma is glad that an acting career means he is not behind a desk. Aseem Chhabra finds out that despite a life that can be heady Suraj hasn't lost sight of reality