Latest news with #Dharma
India.com
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
This man used to sell sweets at shop, was given a big break by Madhubala, became Bollywood's famous...., he was...
Born on September 6, 1929, in pre-partition Lahore, Yash Johar grew up managing the family sweet shop post-Partition in Delhi. 'You just wanted your stomachs to be full,' he recalled of his modest upbringing. With nine siblings depending on whoever mattered most, his mother recognised his restlessness and supported his move to Mumbai to pursue his passion. Snapping a star into stardom In 1950, young Yash began working as a photographer for a news agency. His moment came on the set of Mughal-e-Azam, when Madhubala, charmed by his fluent English and confidence, permitted him to photograph her—and even gave him a personal tour of the set. This encounter opened the doors to the filmmaking world. Rising through the studio ranks Yash honed his craft at Sunil Dutt's Ajanta Arts in the early 1950s, assisting on films like Mujhe Jeene Do and Yeh Raste Hain Pyaar Ke. He then moved to Navketan Films, producing classics like Guide (1965), Jewel Thief, Prem Pujari, and Hare Rama Hare Krishna. His success with Guide cemented his place in the industry. Dharma is born In 1976, Johar fulfilled his largest cinematic ambition: founding Dharma Productions. Named to reflect his spiritual grounding, Dharma released its first hit, Dostana (1980), starring Amitabh Bachchan, Shatrughan Sinha, and Zeenat Aman. Although subsequent releases like Duniya, Agnipath, and Gumrah were moderate performers, Johar's lavish sets and emotive storytelling carved a unique niche. Legacy forged with his son Yash's true masterpiece was the dynasty he built with his son, Karan Johar. Together, they crafted blockbusters—Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), and Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003). The latter, Yash's final film, remains a cultural touchstone celebrated for its depth, values, and emotional resonance. A personal life as dramatic as his films In 1971, Yash married Heera Johar, sister of BR and Yash Chopra, legendary filmmakers. A story often told is how he proposed to her in front of icons like Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, and Raj Kapoor. Yash passed away on June 26, 2004, at 74, after battling cancer and a chest infection. Under Karan's leadership, Dharma Productions ascended to its place as one of Bollywood's major powerhouses.
Indian Express
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
A decade and a half on, Karan Johar's Dharma Productions still hasn't topped the meta magic of I Hate Luv Storys
Karan Johar has always stayed a step ahead. He's dared to change, dared even more to look inwards, and perhaps most bravely, dared to call himself out. The silver screen has been both his pedestal and his mirror, where he shaped his identity, and just as often, took it apart. But that reflection is a conversation for another day, for another essay. For now, I find myself staring at Dharma Productions. The empty gloss, the glib vanity spectacles, it makes me pause. When did a house once known for its bold leaps begin to feel so lost? I wonder: is this the same banner that once made me fall in love with cinema? Not just for its grandeur, its carefully crafted beauty, but for the stories that knew how to be delicate, that knew how to feel? I try to trace it back. And I keep arriving at Punit Malhotra's I Hate Luv Storys. A breezy rom-com, never burdened with the weight of legacy, yet in its lightness, holding everything Dharma once was. Unfiltered. Earnest. Joyful. It's not the cause of what's happened since. But it might just be the clearest memory of when it all still made sense. On the surface, it is the most textbook rom-com you could imagine from a mainstream banner. It's as dated as the idea of love pretending to be new. A boy too smug to believe in love ends up head over heels. A girl too sensible to fall for a guy like him… falls anyway. One confesses, the other freezes. Then it flips, the other confesses, and now it's their turn to be stunned. They go in circles. Across cities, across continents. They sing under skies, they cry to soft tunes, they miss flights that were supposed to matter. And in the end, well, the ending is happy, of course it is. I told you, it's cliche to the bone. But the thing with cliches is they earn their name. Not for what they say out loud, but for everything they sneak in underneath. And damn, sometimes, they just bloody work. Sure, Dharma has made better rom-coms since I Hate Luv Storys. Sure, a film like Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani offers a far more layered and even greater entertainment. But there's still something irresistibly bold and unapologetically fun about what Punit Malhotra pulled off in 2010. It may lack polish, but few films wear their meta-commentary with such cheeky confidence. Because, look closer, and the film unfolds as a love-hate letter. It is Karan Johar having a cheeky showdown with himself, and the very syntax that built him. Jai (Imran Khan), the assistant director, shadows Veer Kapoor (Sameer Soni), the country's biggest filmmaker. And if you know Johar, watched all his films, followed his life closely, Veer is no one else but Johar. Amplified, exaggerated, laid bare. The way Veer dreams up his films, the way he lives every line, weeps at his own scenes, that's Johar's signature. It's like Farah Khan cracking jokes at his expense, gently roasting his big, emotional, all-in sensibility. But here's the kicker, Jai is another Johar too. He is the version you catch in interviews, calling out his own dated tastes, predictable story beats, and shaky plots. Also Read | Imran Khan says Samir Soni's character in I Hate Luv Storys was inspired by a 'famous director', spelling of film's title was 'butchered' to serve 'numerology' Jai can also be that Karan Johar of the late 2000s, caught in the multiplex surge, watching fresh voices like Anurag Kashyap, Dibakar Banerjee, and Zoya Akhtar rewrite the rules. He wanted to belong, suddenly seeing his own language as stale and worn out. So he swung big. So he made a My Name Is Khan, backed a Wake Up Sid, trying to keep pace. Then there's also Simran (Sonam Kapoor), Johar's purest self, the unfiltered lover of his craft. The one bold enough to show Chandni Chowk in London, daring enough to paint the biggest star in the country as flawed, even unfaithful partner. I Hate Luv Storys isn't just a rom-com. It's essentially a love triangle. A collision of who Johar was, who he is, and who he pretends to have become. It's no coincidence that the film begins with Jai mocking the great romances of Hindi cinema. Yet, it's equally unsurprising that, in one of its most poignant sequences, Punit Malhotra meticulously stages scenes from the three seminal romances Karan Johar has shaped: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, and Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. And fittingly, as Jai watches these iconic moments play out back-to-back, he's swept into an unexpected reverence, falling in love with the very cinematic language he once dismissed. It's a profound meta-cinematic gesture, rich with subtext. Sure, Dharma has had flashes of self-awareness before, and after, but never quite like this. Here, it achieves something far more complex: a reflective prism revealing the existential tensions of an artiste negotiating his past triumphs with an uncertain present. A filmmaker confronting and embracing his own legacy with both irony and affection. As mentioned earlier, it's no wonder the film opens by mocking the language of mainstream romance, only to end up surrendering to it. Much like Imtiaz Ali's Tamasha, which begins by questioning why we tell the same story over and over, and then proceeds to tell exactly that. And perhaps it's no surprise either that I began this piece insisting Karan Johar's meta-conflict was a subject for another day, only to end up tracing its outlines here. I also began by pointing out how the current Dharma aspires to be I Hate Luv Storys, but no longer has the wit to get there. Watch Nadaaniyan, and it's painfully clear. It tries to replicate the grammar of this film, or more specifically, of a Student of the Year, but misses the mark. There's a thin line between self-reference and self-parody. Those earlier films worked not because they leaned on cliche, but because they were in conversation with it. The meta wasn't surface-level; it was introspection, an auteur reckoning with his own image, his own contradictions, through the very thing he loved most: cinema.
Pink Villa
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Who is Sarzameen's director Kayoze Irani? Boman Irani's son who made acting debut with Alia Bhatt, Sidharth Malhotra in SOTY
Recently, the teaser for Sarzameen, starring Ibrahim Ali Khan, Kajol, and Prithviraj Sukumaran, was released, and fans have been going gaga over it. The 1-minute 30-second clip showed Saif Ali Khan's son in a new, rugged, never-seen-before avatar, and we are sure fans are loving it. Well, one thing that not everyone might have noticed is the director's name, Kayoze Irani. For the unversed, Kayoze is the son of popular actor Boman Irani and is making his directorial debut with this one. Let us give you a sneak peek into his life. Kayoze Irani's childhood Kayoze was born in November 1987 in Mumbai. He is the elder son of Bollywood's one of the most-loved actors, Boman Irani, and his wife Zenobia. The director of Sarzameen grew up in a middle-class family, where his father, now a well-known actor, ran a bakery in Mumbai's Grant Road. Irani belongs to a Parsi Zoroastrian family and has been exposed to the arts since childhood. He has closely witnessed the transition of his father from running a bakery at the age of 5 to entering the theatre world when he was 15 years old. Boman was an accomplished mimic, singer, guitarist, and performer, and these talents influenced his son. Talking about his education, Kayoze earned a BA in Film, Television & New Media Production from Kishinchand Chellaram College in Mumbai. How did Kayoze Irani enter Bollywood? Remember Sudo Sodabottleopenerwala in Karan Johar's Student Of The Year? Yes, that was Kayoze Irani. Before making his acting debut, Boman Irani's son worked as an assistant director on the film Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu, starring Kareena Kapoor Khan and Imran Khan. This was a Dharma film too, and it was here that KJo spotted his talent and cast him in SOTY alongside Alia Bhatt, Sidharth Malhotra, and Varun Dhawan. Despite the ensemble cast, it was Kayoze's performance that made him stand out, and everyone remembers his role in the film. How did Kayoze Irani transition to direction? Right after his acting debut, Kayoze moved into direction and directed one of the short films in Netflix's Ajeeb Daastaans, titled Ankahi. This was loved by many, and it paved the way for him into filmmaking. And now he is all set to enthral fans with his first full-fledged film, Sarzameen. Sarzameen's OTT release date and platform Sarzameen, starring Kajol, Prithviraj Sukumaran, and Ibrahim Ali Khan, will be released on Jio Hotstar on July 25. Interestingly, this is Saif Ali Khan's son's second film, and it too will have an OTT release, just like his debut film, Nadaaniyan.
Radio Free Asia
2 days ago
- General
- Radio Free Asia
Event kicks off celebration of Dalai Lama's 90th birthday
DHARAMSALA, INDIA — The Dalai Lama said there would be a 'structured framework' for his succession and reflected on a 'profoundly purposeful and deeply fulfilling' life as spiritual and administrative leaders gathered on Monday to begin celebrations for his 90th birthday. 'Throughout my life, I have worked for the welfare of the Tibetan people, preservation of the Dharma, and for the happiness of all,' he said. 'I believe this human life of mine has served the whole of mankind and I remain committed to dedicating the rest of it, too, for the well-being of all.' The event took place on a fog-veiled monsoon morning in the courtyard of the Main Temple in Dharamsala, decorated with sacred traditional thangkas, or paintings, fresh garland offerings and derkha, or special offerings on the Tibetan New Year. Around 8,000 people attended the event at the temple and in overflow locations, organizers told RFA. Guests included spiritual leaders from the major Tibetan Buddhist sects and representatives of other Buddhist and religious traditions, plus the leaders of the Central Tibetan Administration, administrative staff and members of monastic communities. Organizers presented the Dalai Lama with an award, The Peerless Teacher of the 21st Century, lauding his service. They also performed a ceremonial long-life offering, wishing the spiritual leader continued good health. The event was the first in a series of ceremonies marking the Dalai Lama's birthday, which is Saturday. A high-level meeting of spiritual heads from the major Buddhist sects will take place from Wednesday through Friday, followed by ceremonial events and celebrations that will kick off a 'Year of Compassion' event series, with programs scheduled across the globe. An announcement is expected on the Dalai Lama's succession, potentially stemming from the meetings this week. He made a brief reference to succession plans during today's birthday event, saying 'there will be a structured framework for the future continuation of the Dalai Lamas' institution in times to come,' but offering no further details.
India Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Controversial BJP MLA T Raja Singh quits party amid Telangana leadership tussle
In a setback to the Telangana BJP, Goshamahal MLA T Raja Singh quit the party on Monday, expressing strong disappointment over media reports that Ramchander Rao is set to be appointed as the state BJP his resignation letter addressed to Telangana BJP chief G Kishan Reddy, Raja Singh said the decision reflects a 'betrayal' of lakhs of karyakartas who stood by the party through thick and decision has come as a shock, not just to me, but to lakhs of karyakartas, leaders, and voters who have supported the BJP. Telangana was ready for BJP to form its first government, but the wrong leadership choice has put that in jeopardy,' Raja Singh wrote. Calling out what he termed as a leadership imposed by 'individuals running the show from behind the curtain,' he alleged that personal interests had prevailed over the party's interests in Telangana. 'I cannot stay silent or pretend that all is well,' he his letter, Raja Singh clarified that while he is stepping away from the BJP, his commitment to Hindutva ideology and the service of Dharma remains unchanged. 'I will continue to raise my voice and stand with the Hindu community with even greater strength,' he it a difficult but necessary decision, he said, 'The silence of many should not be mistaken for agreement. I speak not just for myself, but for countless karyakartas and voters who today feel let down.'Raja Singh also made a direct appeal to the central leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and party general secretary BL Santhosh, urging them to reconsider the current leadership situation in Telangana. 'Telangana is ready for the BJP, but we must choose the right leadership to honour that opportunity and not let it slip away,' his letter Singh signed off the letter with 'Jai Hind. Jai Shri Ram.'He has often courted controversy for his remarks. In April this year, during a Ram Navami procession in Hyderabad, he said the amended Waqf law would put an end to what he called 'land jihad' in the also used the platform to reiterate his demand for India to be declared a 'Hindu Rashtra,' claiming it was the 'demand of every Hindu.'- EndsMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Telangana
