Latest news with #Phool
India.com
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
Meet actor who once challenged Sunny Deol and Sanjay Dutt, arrogance ruined his career, no film in 23 years, last film was…, he is…
Many celebrities aspire for their children to attain the same level of success in the film industry as they have. The practice of introducing star offspring into movies is far from recent. Often, these children receive preferential treatment due to their parents' esteemed reputation. Yet, following the triumph of his debut film, he faced significant challenges in maintaining his place in the film industry. Who Is This Star Kid? Here we are referring to Bollywood actor Kumar Gaurav, who is son of the legendary actor Rajendra Kumar. The story of Kumar Gaurav, who is celebrating his 67th birthday on July 11, is full of ups and downs, struggle, success and failure. The life of this actor, who was the heartbeat of millions at one time, is far away from the silver screen today, but his story still inspires. How One Film Shaped Kumar Gaurav's Career? In the 1980s, when there was a period of romantic stories in Bollywood, Rahul Rawail's film 'Love Story' created a stir in the hearts of the youth. In this film, the new pair of Kumar Gaurav and Vijayta Pandit won the audience's hearts. Kumar Gaurav created a stir with his handsome look, innocence and brilliant acting. Gaurav's 'Love Story' proved to be a blockbuster at the box office and Gaurav became a star overnight, surpassing actors like Sunny Deol, Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff and Anil Kapoor. Kumar Gaurav's Overnight Success After the huge success of 'Love Story', Kumar Gaurav was flooded with film offers. His acting in his next film 'Teri Kasam' (1982) was also appreciated, although this film was not as successful as 'Love Story'. After this, he spread the magic of his acting in films like 'Lovers' and 'Naam'. Especially his role in 'Naam' (1986) was well liked by the audience and critics. In this film, he was with an actor like Sanjay Dutt and Gaurav proved with his presence that he is not just a star kid but also a talented artist. When Kumar Gaurav Refused Working With Young Actresses However, reports started coming out about him that he had become arrogant and according to some reports, Gaurav refused to work with younger actresses, due to which the number of his films started decreasing. Many of his films did not perform as expected at the box office, due to which his stardom gradually started declining. The Fall Of Kumar Gaurav In 1993, father Rajendra Kumar produced the film 'Phool' to revive his career, in which Gaurav was in the lead role. But, this film also failed to draw the audience to the theatres. His last Bollywood film was 'Kaante' (2002), in which he shared screen space with stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Suniel Shetty, Mahesh Manjrekar and Sanjay Dutt. He made his last appearance in 2006 short film 'My Daddy Strongest', since from then he bid farewell to the big screen. Gaurav has left behind the glamorous life of acting, it has now been 23 years since his last on-screen presence and he is now spending a simple life with his family.
Indian Express
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Golden Era director spent 15 years making Hindi cinema's most expensive film; nearly bankrupted financiers, died at 48 after making only 3 films
Prithviraj Kapoor, Madhubala and Dilip Kumar-starrer Mughal-e-Azam is remembered as a monumental film in the history of Hindi cinema — one that became a textbook in filmmaking for generations to come. The grandeur achieved in this magnum opus is still something that filmmakers continue to aspire to. But Mughal-e-Azam came into being solely because of the passion, patience, obsession, and a whole lot of madness of one man — filmmaker K Asif. To understand the magnitude of effort that went into Mughal-e-Azam, one must first know the backstory of K Asif and how he found his way into the Hindi film industry. Born in Etawah, Uttar Pradesh, Asif was brought to Mumbai at the age of 17 by his uncle, who opened a tailoring shop for him to earn a living. But Asif had ambitions far greater than being a tailor. His uncle noticed how Asif was more interested in charming female customers than focusing on the work at hand. Sensing his flair for drama and passion, he encouraged Asif to try his hand at filmmaking. In his early 20s, Asif directed Phool, which starred Prithviraj Kapoor in the lead role. The film became the fourth highest-grossing film of the year 1945. Mughal-e-Azam wasn't just another directorial venture for Asif — it was his ultimate passion project. The film would go on to consume his money, energy, peace of mind, and most significantly, 15 years of his life. He began shooting the film in the 1940s. In a conversation with The Print, filmmaker Karan Bali spoke about the massive scale of Asif's vision. He said, 'His films weren't just made; they were sculpted.' Bali explained that Asif would go to any length, regardless of cost, to achieve authenticity in his film. 'Whether it was importing glass from Belgium for Sheesh Mahal, commissioning special footwear from Agra, or having Dilip Kumar's wig made in England — no expense was spared,' he shared. The journey of Mughal-e-Azam was riddled with obstacles. At times, Asif would halt shoots to obtain the perfect materials for the set; other times, his financiers would run into trouble. The film's original financier, Shiraz Ali Hakim, backed the project before Partition in 1947. However, following Partition, Shiraz moved to Pakistan, leaving the film incomplete. Asif was then left scrambling for another financier, eventually finding support in Shapoorji Pallonji, who financed the completion of the movie. 'This one man's virtue was that he dreamt a beautiful dream, and he brought that very dream to life in the real world exactly as he had envisioned it,' said Rajkumar Keswani, author of the book Dastan-e-Mughal-e-Azam, in an earlier interview. There are countless examples of how Asif's commitment to authenticity led to months-long production halts. In one instance, after the character of Salim returns from war, Asif wanted to use real pearls for the scene. The shoot was halted for months until he could source the pearls. Not just his own cast and crew, Asif even made the government bend to his will during one such shoot. While filming a grand battle sequence in Jaipur, he noticed electric poles in the background — an obvious anachronism in a film set during Akbar's era. Rather than adjusting the camera angle, he paused production and left the city. He spent the next three months persuading local authorities to remove the poles before returning to the same location to resume filming. In an earlier interaction with Film Companion, filmmaker Karan Johar revealed that his father, Yash Johar, was present on the sets of Mughal-e-Azam and witnessed Asif's uncompromising standards firsthand. He shared an anecdote where Asif halted the film's shoot because he wanted a pond to be filled with real ittar (perfume) for a scene involving Madhubala. While most filmmakers would have settled for water, Asif insisted on authenticity. Karan recalled, 'My father told me about a moment how K. Asif announced pack-up because they didn't have real 'ittar' and he wanted real 'ittar' in the pond so that Madhubala could give up that close-up as a result of that whiff that she would get. She had to give that whiff to give that beauteous expression.' Asif's towering expectations and unrelenting insistence on authenticity led to an extended production timeline that required multiple financiers. It even drained much of his own wealth. The film, which began in 1946, finally released in theatres in 1960 — nearly 15 years later. The final budget remains debated but it is estimated that its budget reached to Rs. 1.5 crore, an unprecedented amount at that time, making Mughal-e-Azam the most expensive Indian film of its time. After Mughal-e-Azam, Asif began work on another magnum opus titled Love and War, this time with Guru Dutt in the lead. Like Mughal-e-Azam, this film, too, faced numerous setbacks. After Guru Dutt's untimely death in 1964, Asif recast Sanjeev Kumar in the lead role and resumed production. But in 1971, before the film could be completed, K. Asif passed away at the age of 48. The film was eventually shelved until filmmaker KC Bokadia revived the project with Rajesh Khanna in the lead. It was finally released in 1986, but failed to make an impact at the box office.
India.com
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
This actress earned much more than many heroes, fell madly in love with Dev Anand but refused to become his wife, quit film industry at 34, she is…
Girls used to be desperate to get a glimpse of Hindi cinema superstar Dev Anand. Famous actresses of his era were crazy about Dev Anand. Both of them met on the sets of a film. That beautiful actress of the 40s-50s, who used to charge more than the hero of her time. This actress was so crazy in love with Dev Anand that she remained alone for him all her life. Once, Dev Anand even slapped this actress. Who is this actress whom Dev Anand slapped? The extremely beautiful actress we are talking about is none other than the talented actress of her time, Suraiya. Apart from being a superstar actress of her time, she was also a famous singer. Very few people know that before or along with Dev Anand, Dilip Kumar was also a fan of Suraiya's beauty and art. Suraiya never got associated with him in that way, but there was a lot of talk about this in the film industry. Both Dev and Dilip liked her. Dev Anand's chemistry with Suraiya Dev and Suraiya first met in 1948 when the film 'Vidya' was released. During the shooting of this film, the closeness between the two started increasing on the set. Seeing Suraiya's beauty and simplicity, Dev fell in love with her at first sight. When was Suraiya born? Suraiya was born on this day, i.e. on 15 June 1929. In 2004, when Suraiya said goodbye to this world at the age of 74, everyone expected that Dev Anand would definitely go to see her for the last time. But this did not happen and this love story ended. Why Suraiya's relationship didn't work with Dev Anand Suraiya's grandmother did not approve of her relationship with Dev Anand. She would not let Suraiya and Dev Anand unite and that is exactly what happened. Eventually, Dev Anand married Kalpana Kartik, but Suraiya remained a virgin throughout her life, in love with him. Dev Anand wanted to marry Suraiya. But Suraiya's grandmother was a villain between the two. Then both of them decided to do a court marriage. But Suraiya could not do a court marriage, and after explaining many times, Dev Anand even slapped her once. But later he realized his mistake and apologised to Suraiya. Suraiya was one of the highest-paid actresses of that era. She brought life to her characters in films like 'Anmol Ghadi', 'Mirza Ghalib', 'Phool' and 'Khoobsurat'. The actress who ruled the industry for more than 4 decades never found love.
Time of India
25-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Over 2 lakh sellers from UP drive Amazon growth story
Lucknow: More than 10% of the sellers registered on the platform Amazon are from Uttar Pradesh. Sharing the UP's growth story, senior executives of the company revealed on Wednesday that more than 2 lakh sellers out of the overall 16 lakh sellers are from the state (12.5%). Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Sharing the example of Phool, a Kanpur-based company that recycles floral waste to make products, director sales at , Gaurav Bhatnagar, said UP is playing an integral part in driving the company's growth. Senior manager of Amazon Prime, Pallavi Singh, said, "While sharing our UP's growth story, I would also like to add the launch of a three-day Prime Day event that will unfold next month between July 12 and 14. Lucrative deals will be on offer along with new launches." Sharing more details about their business operations in the state, the executives of the company said that UP is home to a fulfilment centre with a storage capacity of 22.4 lakh cubic feet. "We have 140 service partners with a presence across the state and 2,650 local stores to ensure quick and speedy last-mile delivery," said Singh.
India.com
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
This actress was madly in love with Dev Anand, got slapped by him due to…, Dilip Kumar was also fond of her beauty, her name was…
There have been many prominent actresses who have graced the film industry, including Waheeda Rahman, Madhubala, Nargis, Mumtaz, Sharmila Tagore and others. But one stands out not only for her exceptional acting but also for her remarkable singing talent. She was involved in a relationship with a leading superstar, but their differing religions posed a significant barrier, which led to a huge setback between them. The Exceptionally Talented… Here we are talking about veteran Bollywood actress Late Suraiya, who is still known as one of the greatest artists from the industry. Her notable works include Anmol Ghadi, Mirza Ghalib, Phool, and Khoobsurat. She dominated the industry as both an actress and a playback singer for many decades. However, despite her enormous success, she faced trouble in her relationship phase, which involved the first king of romance, Late Dev Anand. Suraiya and Dev Anand's Unfinished Love Story As we all know, Dev Anand's unique style and charm were so popular that girls and his ardent, die-hard admirers were always eager to catch a glimpse of the superstar. Suraiya was also one of them who was truly and madly in love with him. Suraiya and Dev Anand initially encountered on the filming location of 1948 movie Vidya. Their relationship flourished during production, and they started to spend considerable time together. Nonetheless, reports of their intimacy ultimately got to Suraiya's family, resulting in serious consequences. The various religious differences sparked intense resistance to their relationship, especially from her grandmother. Media reports indicate that Dev Saab intended to run away with Suraiya and marry her. Nevertheless, when Suraiya's grandmother discovered their intentions, Suraiya's family threatened to injure Dev Anand, due to which Suraiya encouraged him for court marriage, but due to unfortunate circumstances, he got furious and slapped Suraiya, which made him regret it later, as she decided to back off from their relationship. The Fate Of Suraiya's Love Story With… Late Superstar Dilip Kumar's name has also been tied to the actress, as it was said that the actor truly admired the charming beauty and innocence of Suraiya. Suraiya and Dilip Kumar were both young stars in the early 1950s, and their on-screen pairing was popular. Rumors of a romance between them circulated, and there were even plans for them to work together on a film produced by a friend of Suraiya's. However, tensions arose during the planning of this film, possibly related to creative differences or other professional conflicts, due to which both stars never decided to work with each other for the rest of their lives. After many years, the two met each other during an award ceremony where Suraiya presented Dilip Saab with, Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to Cinema.
