All stories by DINESH RAHEJA
'You Are Not Christ And I Am Not Gandhi'
Rediff.com12 hours agoAmitabh Bachchan: 'Success didn't affect me at all.' Rajesh Khanna: 'I felt next to God!'
'While Others Experimented With Drugs, I Was In Love'
Rediff.com13 hours agoWhen you are in love, you are preoccupied just with that.' 'Nothing else registers. It's like being drugged.'
Mithun: The Outsider We Love To Watch
Rediff.com3 days agoMithun Chakraborty started from scratch in bit roles and had no Godfather backing him. Yet, remarkably, his career now straddles six decades and he continues to win acclaim, observes Dinesh Raheja.
'How Can I Not Be Influenced By Amitabh Bachchan?'
Rediff.com4 days ago'At one time, I felt being a mother was the ultimate experience, a woman was not complete without it.' 'Now I feel it's not the be all and end all. Motherhood is a part of a jigsaw puzzle; life is the real big picture.'
'I've Returned After Living In The US For 28 Years'
Rediff.com3 Oct 2024'My trajectory right now is five steps forward, two steps backwards.'
India's First Hindi Horror Comedy
Rediff.com18 Sep 2024Mehmood and R D Burman shiver, wail and flail when they encounter a stuffed tiger that wags its tail, furniture that moves on its own volition and dancing skeletons and mummies. Dinesh Raheja revisits a must-watch.
The Path-Breaking '70s Actor You Didn't Know
Rediff.com16 Sep 2024Rehana Sultan was all set to be a path-breaker. The time was right. Hindi cinema had emerged from the 1960s musicals era. But somehow, leading film-makers of the time did not believe Rehana had that cachet. It was Zeenat Aman who ended up being the definitive taboo-trasher of the era. Dinesh Raheja salutes the trendsetter of the 1970s, Rehana Sultan.
'Ranbir Is Utterly Butterly Delicious'
Rediff.com2 Sep 2024'All through the making of Dil Daulat Aur Duniya, Rajesh Khanna never acknowledged me.' 'Dev Anand couldn't carry off a dhoti in Insaaniyat. He told me that he would never wear one again.' 'Shammi Kapoor and I began on an icy note during Raajkumar, but once the cold vibes thawed, we became the best of buddies.'
Meet The *Real* Stars Of Sholay
Rediff.com21 Aug 2024Salim-Javed became the first Hindi film writers who could be considered brands, and they are still boldface names, celebrities in their own right, chronicles Dinesh Raheja.
The Genius Behind Bollywood's Beautiful Words
Rediff.com17 Aug 2024As a uniquely multi-hyphenated writer-director-lyricist-author, Gulzar has built a reputation across multiple spheres of film-making and literary creative endeavours. Dinesh Raheja salutes the Master who turns 90 on Sunday.
The Raakhee You Never Knew
Rediff.com15 Aug 2024Raakhee, who turns 77 on August 15, remains an enigma wrapped in a riddle. Dinesh Raheja remembers Raakhee telling him how she loves the rains and how she would drive down to Tulsi Lake in the 1970s and float paper boats in the water. He would like to imagine that Raakhee still does that at her farmhouse.
What Makes Kajol So Feisty At 50
Rediff.com5 Aug 2024If there's one thing the full-of-beans star knows, it's how to stay happy, observes Dinesh Raheja.
Mohammed Rafi's Voice Remains Eternal
Rediff.com31 Jul 2024Forty four years after Mohammed Rafi's untimely demise on July 31, 1980, at the young age of 55, the singer's work continues to enjoy a musical afterlife on radio, television and modern streaming channels.
The Incomparable Waheeda Rehman
Rediff.com28 Sep 2023Dinesh Raheja doffs his hat to the movie legend, who will be honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award this year.
Rare Appeal: Remembering Smita Patil
Rediff.com13 Dec 2022Smita has left behind a rich haul of films that showcase her enormous ability to offer us a glimpse into her soul each time she performed a role.
Why the Tragedy King turned to Comedy
Rediff.com10 Jul 2021After repeatedly essaying the role of doomed lover, Dilip Kumar, a thinking actor, found it diffcult to break out of in real life. Heeding his psychoanalyst, he flirted with some frothy roles and played the swashbuckling hero with elan, recalls Dinesh Raheja.
Farewell, Nimmi
Rediff.com26 Mar 2020Nimmi, the legendary actress, passed away at her Mumbai home on Wednesday, March 25.
Asha Bhosle: 30 Eternal Classics
Rediff.com8 Sep 2018Dinesh Raheja salutes the legend's versatility in her heyday.
Ittefaq: The litmus test of Yash Chopra's career
Rediff.com2 Nov 2017Despite a few flaws in the film, Yash Chopra distinguishes himself.
Shakila starred in some of the finest Hindi songs
Rediff.com21 Sep 2017Shakila's seductive performances in the ever-popular club number Babuji Dheere Chalna and the fabulous torch song Hoon Abhi Main Jawaan made filmmakers sit up and notice this new talent.