In the current geopolitical climate, Yemen is viewed through a singular, tragic lens: as part of the backdrop for the theatre of West Asian conflict. Yet, for the Shahpurwala family, the name evokes a halcyon era that few today remember. Before the missiles, drones and the blockades, Yemen — specifically the port of Aden — was the glittering gateway of the Suez Canal, a cosmopolitan hub where Indian enterprise met European luxury. It was a world where ships docking from the Mediterranean brought not just cargo, but the blueprints of global style.

The family’s journey is rooted in the 1930s’ tradition of “Passenger Indians” — self-funded merchant classes who paid their own way to seek fortune across the British Empire’s trade routes. This was when Zulfi Shahpurwala’s granduncle, Akbarally Shahpurwala, first established himself in Addis Ababa, as a trader. The locals affectionately nicknamed him Kachins — the Amharic word for a “lean man”. Then, in 1958, Zulfi’s father, Asger Rajabali Shahpurwala, left Indian shores for Aden where he opened a store which he named after his uncle, Kachins.

“Aden’s strategic location enabled us to trade in premium quality fabrics from Europe, like velvet and chiffon, and Japanese silk from the Far East,” Asger recalled when this writer met him a few years before he passed away. He soon had a large, discerning clientele, thriving in the salt air and through the rustle of imported textiles.

The Aden, of the 1950s, a British Crown colony, was a strategic marvel, but the 60s saw a political upheaval. “We were doing very well,” Asger continued, “but then, suddenly, after the British left, there was turmoil in the country, so we closed shop and returned to India in 1968.”

The “lean man”, thus, arrived in Bombay not as a refugee, but as a merchant with an exquisite eye and a suitcase full of ambition. Asger, the merchant from Aden opened a textile and tailoring shop on Mohammad Ali Road called Elegant. Fate, it seems, is the best tailor; the shop was situated next to the legendary Punjabi Ghasitaram, famous for its lassi and film-star clientele. As the actors spilled over from Ghasitaram into Elegant, the relationship between the Shahpurwalas and the silver screen came to be stitched together. When this clientele grew, Asger opened another shop in Tardeo in 1973, reclaiming the family’s lucky mascot name: Kachins.

Inaugurated by the legendary filmmaker B R Chopra, the store sat at the epicentre of south Bombay’s cultural boom. “We had to sometimes pull down the shutters,” recalls 56-year-old Zulfi, the third generation to join the business, “because huge crowds would gather outside to get a glimpse of stars entering our shop.”

It was here that the family met their most famous client, another “lean man”: Amitabh Bachchan. The tall, lanky star did not have a “perfect” body for the era’s standards, so Kachins engineered his iconicity in a way. “Our designers gave him flared trousers in light colours, and loose shirts and jackets to suit his frame,” Zulfi reveals.

Whether he was the brooding dockworker in Deewaar (1975) — a film that defined the “Angry Young Man” archetype — or a sharaabi, the actor remained stylish. His wardrobe bridged the gap between Marxist angst and aspirational style. Even the famous indigo knotted shirt — a look born of a wardrobe malfunction where the shirt was too long — became a seminal fashion movement because of Kachins’ styling. While Raj Kapoor’s “Tramp” projected the pathos of the downtrodden through tattered hand-me-downs, Bachchan’s characters projected power through fine tailoring.

The 70s also saw the rise of Rishi Kapoor. To begin with, his clothes for the teenage sensation Bobby (1973) were tailored at Elegant. Later, it was at Asger’s Tardeo outlet that his colourful jerseys and slightly-flared trousers were designed, making him a style icon for many a college student in the country. However, the 80s and 90s films demanded the loud and the flashy—a period Zulfi remembers with brutal frankness.

“In the bargain, we got labelled as ‘too filmy’ which was not something to be proud of,” Zulfi points out. “The work culture had also changed and we were not happy doing what we did.” The “filmy” aesthetic began to grate against the family’s heritage of craft. Zulfi notes that the “unpredictability of film outcomes also often translated into inconsistent payment cycles,” which prevented them from building a truly disciplined, craft-led business.

In the 1990s, Zulfi made a definitive cut. He decided to dump the polyesters of dancing heroes to realign the business with the ethos of Savile Row and Brioni. He chose to “focus on a more discerning clientele that values the quiet luxury of craftsmanship, the nuance of fit and the enduring elegance of garments made without compromise.”

Zulfi grants that the early association with Hindi cinema “placed us at the heart of a vibrant and influential cultural moment,” but insists that true bespoke tailoring was their “true calling.” “This transition was not a departure from our past, but rather a return to our roots,” he emphasizes, “to create garments that are timeless expressions of individuality.”

Today, the Tardeo flagship is a sanctuary of craftsmanship, sourcing fabrics from global giants like Loro Piana and Albini; and it remains at the forefront, harnessing AI to perfect measurements and even expanding to include a ladies’ line. From the docks of the Aden of yore to the high-tech atelier of modern Mumbai, the Shahpurwalas have prospered by knowing when to change the suit and when to keep the soul. The “lean man” has certainly come a long way.

The historic Kapoor Haveli in Peshawar, Pakistan, once owned by the late actor Raj Kapoor, has sustained significant damage following heavy rains and an earthquake on Friday night.

Continuous rainfall had already weakened the structure, and late-night tremors on Friday further destabilized the building. Shakeel Waheedullah, secretary of the Heritage Council in KPK province, confirmed the damage, saying, “A section of the haveli’s wall caved in after the quake.”

The century-old Kapoor Haveli was once home to late actor Prithviraj Kapoor, the first member of the Kapoor family to enter the film industry. Built by his father, Dewan Basheswarnath Kapoor, between 1918 and 1922, it remains a significant cultural site and was declared a national heritage site by the Pakistan government in 2016.

Over the years, the estate has been visited by several members of the Kapoor family. Prithviraj’s sons, late actors Shashi Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor spent time there before Partition, while Raj’s sons, late actor Rishi Kapoor and actor Randhir Kapoor, visited in the 1990s and urged the Pakistan government to undertake its restoration.

As Kapoor & Sons clocks 10 years tomorrow, director Shakun Batra reflects on the making of the family drama, starring Rishi Kapoor, Fawad Khan, Sidharth Malhotra, Ratna Pathak Shah, Rajat Kapoor, and Alia Bhatt.

“There was a two-year gap between when it was written and when it finally got made,” Shakun reveals, adding, “Many actors turned it down. Actors were not comfortable playing homosexuals back then. At one point, I thought I’d never get to make it.”

Eventually Fawad came on board after a brief but defining conversation. “He asked me, ‘Is homosexuality a whisper or a shout?’ I told him it’s a whisper and he agreed immediately,” Batra shares, adding, “We didn’t show anything off-putting. The scene where Fawad breaks down in front of Ratna Pathak Shah saying he isn’t the perfect son, I watched it from the lens of an audience, not a filmmaker.”

The filmmaker also fondly recalls working with late veteran Rishi Kapoor. “There wasn’t a single day when Rishi ji and I did not argue on set, but after watching the film he showered me with so much love... His prosthetics were done by Greg Cannom, the Oscar-winning makeup artiste who worked with Brad Pitt in The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (2008). Even Neetu ji (Kapoor, Rishi’s wife) didn’t recognize him in the get-up.”

Sulakshana Pandit, who sparked to prominence as a singer-actor in the 1970s and whose promising career was cut short by a string of unfortunate events, passed away following a heart attack at Mumbai's Nanavati Hospital on Thursday. She was 71.

Sulakshana Pandit was only 13 when first noticed in 'Saat samundar paar se' (film: Taqdeer, 1967), a duet she sang with the peerless Lata Mangeshkar. Another memorable track, 'Beqarar dil tu gaaye ja (film: Door Ka Rahi)' with Kishore Kumar further underlined her precocious talent.

But in the mid-seventies, producers also noticed her leading lady looks. Over the next decade or so, Sulakshna became a prominent singing star in Hindi cinema. During this period, she was paired opposite top heroes of the time - Sanjeev Kumar (Uljhan, Waqt Ki Deewar), Rishi Kapoor (Raaja), Jeetendra (Sankoch, Apnapan, Dharam Kanta), Rajesh Khanna (Bundalbaaz), Vinod Khanna (Hera Pheri) and Shashi Kapoor (Phansi), among others.

Singing was her core competence though. In some films she acted in, Sulakshana rendered a song or two. But in a field dominated by established singers, it wasn't easy to make major headway. However, Sulakshana showcased her capabilities with her soaring rendition, 'Tu hi sagar hai tu hi kinara' (film: Sankalp, music director: Khayyam). The composition maximized the inherent sweetness of her voice and displayed her mastery over the high notes. It also earned her the Filmfare award for the best female singer. 'Bandhi re kahe preet' (film: Sankoch), which was also filmed on her, and 'Khali pyaala ujla darpan' (film: Sparsh), a masterclass melody by the minimalist composer Kanu Roy, are some of her other classics. Sulakshna came from a family of musicians. Jatin-Lalit, the composer duo, are her brothers. Her actor-singer sister, Vijeta, played the female lead in the superhit, Love Story.

Tareekh pe tareekh — that seems to be the fate of the Hindi adaptation of the Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro-starrer The Intern (2015). Since Deepika Padukone’s KA Productions acquired the rights to the film — initially set to star Rishi Kapoor — in 2020, the project has faced multiple delays. The senior actor’s passing left the film without an anchor until Amitabh Bachchan stepped in to play the senior character. Fresh announcements were made, but the cameras never rolled. The pandemic, Padukone’s maternity break, and several shifting schedules kept pushing the start date further.

For five years, the film remained in limbo, despite boasting marquee names and studio backing. Now, the Jawan (2023) actor has stepped up again to change that. A source reveals that while Padukone will continue to produce the film, she may no longer act in it.

“This time, Deepika will step away from acting in the film to serve solely as a producer, overseeing the creative and logistical reboot. A new leading lady is being cast to play the part she was once slated to perform.”

Apparently, the actor hopes to “explore her career further as a creator”. The source adds, “The Intern is the first of five projects she plans to mount in the coming year. She is looking to tell stories that are globally relevant.”

Riddhima Kapoor Sahni remembers first hearing about Daadi Ki Shaadi from actor and her mother Neetu Kapoor, who was fronting it. At the time, had someone told her that weeks down the line, she’d be featuring in the movie, she would’ve laughed at it. Today, she is excited about making her Bollywood debut and following in the footsteps of her parents, late Rishi Kapoor, and Neetu, and brother Ranbir Kapoor. “I think my father would have been proud of me doing this movie,” she smiles.

Daadi Ki Shaadi, also starring Kapil Sharma and directed by Ashish R Mohan, revolves around the chaos that ensues during a wedding in the family and sees Riddhima play daughter to Neetu. “Two days after mom joined the film, I got a call from the producers, asking if I would join the cast. I think Kapil recommended me. Mom asked me to speak to Bharat [Sahni, husband] and get his opinion on it. Bharat will never stop anyone from doing anything and gave me the go-ahead.”

While her brother Ranbir debuted in movies in 2007 and became a superstar, Riddhima largely stayed away from showbiz. Now, as she is pursuing an acting career, she is amused by the popular notion that women in the Kapoor household were not allowed to act earlier. 

“It isn’t true,” she states, “I didn’t act because I completed my graduation, fell in love, got married, and had Samara. Had this movie come to me then, I would’ve discussed it with my father and taken it forward. I did ads. If this myth was true, Ranbir and mom would have stopped me. My family encouraged me from the first step, including Alia [Bhatt, sister-in-law], my bua [Reema Jain] and cousins.”  

The family entertainer was shot in Shimla from April to June. For Riddhima, who was new to acting, embracing a character was a novel experience. She found perfect mentors in Neetu and Ranbir. “Mom and I would go over every line every time we FaceTimed. If there was a challenging scene, she used to give me variations of how to do it. Ranbir would also give me options and ask me to [approach a scene] differently.”

Most of us remember our first jobs vividly. For Anees Bazmee, his first job remains hallowed ground, and for good reason. The director worked with none other than late Raj Kapoor at the legendary RK Studios in Chembur. The mere recollection of his old self, all of 16, serving as an assistant director at the studio between 1978 and 1981, brings a smile to his face.

“Every day I’d take a bus from Malvani where I lived, to Malad station, then another to Vile Parle, where my colleague K K Singh lived. He later wrote Ram Teri Ganga Maili [1985].” From there, the two would travel together to Chembur. A long commute certainly. “Four buses in total, and one-and-a-half hours, one way,” he broke it down, before saying, “But we never thought of it as difficult. We were working at RK Studios. That was everything.”

The energy was unmatched, remembered the Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 (2024) director. The reporting time was 10.30 am sharp. Pack-up time, in contrast, was never fixed. It could be 6 or 7 pm, or past midnight. Did they mind the long hours? Absolutely not. “RK Studios felt like home. There were four studio floors, and every day, shoots, rehearsals, and prep would be going on. It was like a creative mela.”

The biggest incentive of being a part of this mela? Seeing the showman of Indian cinema, up-close and in action. Bazmee recalled, “When you entered, Raj Kapoor’s office was to the left. He sat in a way that he could see everyone who came in or went out. So, we were always aware that Raj Kapoor was watching.”

 Working at one of Hindi cinema’s biggest studios, that too under the tutelage of the legendary filmmaker, was not only an enriching experience, but it also left him with a treasure trove of stories. The director recounted an incident, where Singh and he were writing the censor script of a film. “It was well past midnight. Suddenly a voice boomed, ‘Who’s there?’ Raj Kapoor had come to check who was still working. We told him what we were doing, and he simply said, ‘Chalo’. At 3 am, he took us to his house, woke everyone up, fed us, and sat with us. That was the kind of man he was.”

The four years he spent at RK Studios went by in a flash. Bazmee may have joined at a meagre salary of R300, but the job felt priceless. “We learned so much about films, discipline, and loyalty. Dabbu sir [Randhir Kapoor] and Chimpu [Rajiv Kapoor] would come often. Chintu [Rishi Kapoor] was a big star by then. Raj Kapoor came every single day. He had a private resting space we called ‘the den’.”

The studio canteen, too, holds special memories. For months, he ate dal and roti as that was all he could afford. “On seeing that, Chimpu got emotional and told the canteen manager, ‘Whatever KK and Anees eat, put it on my tab.’ The very next day, KK went all out, ordering chicken, fish, and parathas. I told him not to overdo it, but he said, ‘Let me enjoy today’,” Bazmee laughed.

In 2019, the studio was sold, thus bringing the curtains down on the place that witnessed the making of classics like Awaara (1951) and Shree 420 (1955), and brought the industry together for the Kapoors’ famous Ganesh Chaturthi festivities over the decades. Bazmee said, “When RK Studios shut down, it felt like my house had been sold. Even now, when I pass by this space it makes me very emotional.”

Though she is a part of Hindi cinema’s legendary Kapoor khandaan, Rishi and Neetu Kapoor’s daughter Riddhima Kapoor Sahni stayed away from the limelight for a large part of her life. However, her debut on the reality web show Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives changed that. “I was excited. I’ve been such a fan of the series, so I took it up. Once we began shooting it felt like a vibe and like a party because I knew the other ladies on the show,” says Riddhima. In a conversation with BT, she talks about facing the camera at this point in her life and her bond with her family:

Talking about the filmi keeda in her since childhood, she says, “As a child, I was the one who used to perform all the time. I would dance with a dupatta in front of the family. I used to perform to the numbers from my dad’s movies and dance on tracks from Sridevi’s films. I would pose as a newsreader and read the news as they did on Batmya (news in Marathi) on Doordashan. But then, as I grew up, the switch happened. When we were in college, Ranbir said that he wanted to be an actor, and we all were surprised. I guess Ranbir opened up, and I sort of shied away. Then, I went abroad to pursue my studies. I met my husband (Bharat Sahni) in London, and we got married.”

Her attitude on the show is just like it is in real life, and much like that of her father, Rishi Kapoor. Riddhima shares, “If I feel something’s wrong, I will voice it. These things come very naturally because I say it on your face, and likewise, you can do that with me. I am very straightforward and frank. My mother was nervous about how I would be on the show because she knows I am fiery. My dad always said things that he felt honestly. He was mufat. I would rather be mufat than pretend to be something on your face and something else behind your back. I am proud of the fact that I am like him, I speak my mind like he did. Many of my dad’s friends sent me messages and said that he would have been proud seeing my real side on the show,” she shares.

Riddhima says that her equation with her brother has evolved over the years. She recollects, “We would fight a lot. We would start wrestling the minute our parents left the house. He would think I’m his older brother and try all his wrestling moves on me. Over the years, of course, that changed. Ranbir is soft-hearted and genuinely a good person. He’s someone you can talk to, confide in and share your problems with. He’s a good listener.”

About her brother being a father, she added, "Ranbir’s eyes light up when he sees Raha. Maybe he’s not as expressive as my father or me, but he is the most expressive when he is in front of the camera and now when he is with Raha. Otherwise, he keeps to himself."

The toddler stage was a piece of cake. It is tougher to deal with a teenager. Teens have a mind of their own and they know exactly what they want. These days, even for family get-togethers, Samara sometimes says “No, I don’t want to go.” Everything starts with a no. I have to calmly explain to her that family is as important as friends. I keep drilling that into her head and then I sort of get my way somewhere. We reach a middle point. As long as she does what is expected where family is concerned, it is good enough. Comparatively, the toddler years were a dream.

You have to be extremely tolerant, patient and kind with teens and understand where they are coming from. That’s what I have learnt. I honestly feel if you show even a little aggression, it just falls flat. Aggression leads to more aggression. You must understand your child’s psyche. We’ve all been through that age. Our parents have gone through that time with us. We have to understand them, adapt and act accordingly. If Samara is not listening to me and she’s stubborn about something, I try to think about it from her point of view and communicate in a language that she’d understand.

It does. I am struggling every day. Just before Samara comes home from school, I literally pray that she’s in a good mood. I pray that all has gone well at school and there are no arguments because anything could be a trigger for kids. This generation is very different.

I have tried every style, to be honest. If I am strict with her or I shout at her, it doesn’t make a difference. No matter how many times I repeat “Samara, study” she won’t listen to me. But when Bharat (she is married to Delhi-based businessman Bharat Sahni) says something even once or if he is upset and corrects Samara, she’s like “okay, fine” and it is done. He doesn’t say anything to her usually so when he does, it matters to her. So, I use him every time she doesn’t listen. I tell him, “Bharat, I have tried my best. Now, it’s time for you to intervene.” He supports me a lot where Samara is concerned. We are a team now.

I am very lucky. Bharat is totally supportive. Samara is our only child and we don’t want to spoil her. We do correct her whenever required but not to a point where she feels we are nagging her. You have to deal with things very delicately so that the child does not feel isolated. So, as a team, we sit her down and talk. We don’t lecture her too much because I know that does not work anymore. We try and reason with her. We give our examples from when we were young and did naughty things and how our parents corrected us. My mother (Neetu Kapoor) also plays a very important part in talking to Samara. She tells Samara about my childhood and how I used to be. I think talking helps a lot. Lecturing doesn’t help. Besides, children ape their parents. Your child may not listen to you, but if you do something, the child will look at you and do the same thing. That is one thing I have learned over the years.

Are you raising Samara the same way? No, because I was quite different from Samara. I was always a nerd. I call myself a proud geek. I keep telling Samara that I used to go to school with two well-oiled plaits and spectacles. I would sit on the first bench and try to impress the teacher. When mom would say it’s time to study, I used to study. If she would ask me to eat or go to bed, I used to do that. I went by the book. Somewhere, I expected Samara to be like me, but she has her own unique personality. When we were kids, we were not exposed to a lot of things that these kids are exposed to. These kids literally have the world at their fingertips. They are more aware. We used to learn whatever we learned from school and whatever our parents taught us. We used to go to a library and open a book and read it. That concept doesn’t exist anymore. So, times have changed and so have we. My mom and dad (Rishi Kapoor) were not strict parents, but we always listened to them. We never argued with them or talked back.

No, he was not strict at all. That’s the wrong impression about him. My dad adored us, and we adored him. The thing is, he didn’t want us to be spoilt. Every parent wants to discipline their child. Sometimes, it would be a little difficult for mom to handle us alone. Dad was always away shooting. He had a very heavy voice. We used to be scared of his voice. It’s not that he raised his voice at us. He never shouted at me. Never. I still remember the time when I wanted to pursue higher studies abroad. I had never left home before that. My dad never once said no to me, but he was so nervous. He was worried about me living abroad on my own. Every time he was stressed, he would march up and down the corridor. When I introduced him to Bharat, he was like, “Okay, where is the boy from? How is the family?” and again he marched up and down the corridor. But he never got angry with us. The only time I used to get scared was when my phone bill used to come. He used to just look at me and look at the long list of calls. At that time, only itemised bills were available. I remember calling up the phone company and asking if I could have a non-itemised bill. I used to get really scared, but he was never strict. It’s just that his personality seemed strict, you know.

Yes, in a way. But they cannot cross a line. We are not their friends; we are their parents. So that respect has to be there. It must be balanced. I expect Samara to come to me and talk to me about anything and everything and not be scared. But at the same time, I don’t want her to take me for granted and say, “Oh, you know what, my mom is really cool. She’s like a friend.”

This is very rare because we live in Delhi, and we don’t have the pap culture here. In Mumbai, when she’s out with my brother or with family, she loves to pose. She enjoys getting clicked; she gets a kick out of it.

Sometimes, she says she wants to join the movies. Sometimes, she talks about becoming a doctor or a singer. I think it is too early to say. If she does want to get into acting, I will surely support her. I will help her follow her dreams and be behind her whether she chooses to be a doctor, an engineer or an actor.

I am. Samara goes to a school where there is no ranking system. You’re competing with yourself which is good in a way as it avoids too much pressure on kids. But sometimes, I really wish there was a little competition because that motivates one to work harder. I am particular about her submissions and homework. When it is exam time, I literally leave everything aside and parade outside her room to keep a watch because she tends to get distracted and takes breaks every two minutes to go to the kitchen for water or something else.

I don’t really tell her what to eat and what to skip because teens often do exactly what you don’t want them to do. We belong to a family of foodies, so Samara is a big foodie too. I do want her to get at least eight hours of sleep but that does not happen as she studies till late. I am struggling with the sleep aspect.

I try to keep a limit on her screen time. No devices are allowed at the dining table. That’s one rule I strictly impose. We all eat lunch and dinner together and chat about our day. I also take away Samara’s phone when she’s done with her research or whatever else. In fact, I try to keep her phone with me as much as possible. I had the biggest argument with Bharat when he wanted to get Samara a phone a year or two back as she was already using a laptop and iPad for schoolwork. Eventually, he gave her his old phone. But now he realizes and says, “You were so right. We shouldn’t have given her a phone.”

I don’t check her browser history because that would drive me crazy, but I have set rules. I trust my child and know that she will not do anything wrong. There was a phase when she was into playing a particular online game. I had read about how unsafe the game can be. So, I sat her down and told her about the negative side of it. I told her what I felt but I left the final decision up to her and told her to be cautious.

I do worry. When she was younger, she was a performer. She used to sing and dance or give gyaan on some topic in her own baby way. Mom and I used to record videos of her. She used to love it. Now, she records her own videos but she always takes my approval before posting. I don’t really look after her Instagram account but I do watch what she posts.

I am friends with her on social media as of now. She’s just entered her teens so you never know. But I have confidence in her. I don’t think she will block me because I do give her freedom. I remind her: “I give you all the freedom, just don’t misuse it and don’t let me down.”

Honestly, I would not want her to use social media or even have a phone for that matter. But that’s not possible. These days, kids use laptops and iPads in school and all the school-related communication is on WhatsApp. So, there’s not much one can do. If I’m upset, I do take away her phone for a couple of hours. And then she’s like, “But mamma, my homework is on my phone.” So, then I have to hand it over. It is a tug-of-war.

Samara is an aware and intelligent child. She doesn’t really pay heed to trolls. She tells me, “Mamma, I don’t even read most of the comments. Everyone is not out there to love me. People can love me or hate me. It’s ok, I’ll do my thing.” I have told her that people say all kinds of nasty things and if we start listening to every person, we are giving them the upper hand and letting them win. I tell her to not pay attention to people we don’t know as they don’t know how nice a person she is. I also stress on the importance of being a good human. I want to be proud of the fact that I raised a good child.

No, I was never paranoid. It’s just that Samara is my only child and I could not bring myself to leave her somehow. I never left her for even a day for the first three-four years. I used to take her with me wherever I went. Bharat used to say, “When are you going to have a life? You need to start leaving her. She is also growing up.” But he respected the fact that I was with her at that time. The first time I left Samara behind in Delhi was when I had to rush to Mumbai when dad was hospitalized. After that, I started leaving her for two to three days at a time, so she got used to it and I became more confident too. When I was shooting for Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives recently, I left her for 10 days. I think leaving a child behind is a personal choice and moms should do it when they feel comfortable.

Communication. Whether you are a stay-at-home parent or a working parent, it is important to spend at least one hour with your child daily. You need to put devices away, get off work calls and simply talk to your child, ask them how their day went. You have to give your child the confidence, love and comfort of knowing that no matter what happens you will be there for them. If you keep saying no for everything, your child may feel shy or may not come to you if something goes wrong. He or she may start lying and hiding things which is something no parent wants.

Absolutely. Whenever Samara is at home, she joins my yoga session. She is very good at yoga. I actually advised her to start a YouTube channel where she can inspire teens to practise yoga. She’s very creatively inclined. She loves to dance, sing, paint and act. She’s currently doing a play at school where she is part of the main cast. These are just small steps, and it is great for her confidence.

It’s too soon to tell. All I can say is that Alia and Ranbir are amazingly hands-on parents. I used to think Bharat is such a hands-on dad. When he was home, he would just be there for Samara and take care of her. But after seeing Ranbir, I realize he is a really good dad too. He does it all, from changing diapers to burping her. In fact, he calls himself a burp specialist. You know, no one really has a manual for parenting. As a first-time parent, every day is a learning process and every one’s parenting style is very different. But from what I can see from the outside, they are amazing parents.

The casting of Brazilian model Giselli Monteiro as Harleen Kaur was considered an unlikely choice. Imtiaz had said, “Giselle came to me through dress designer Anaita Shroff. She was to play Jo, Saif’s Caucasian girlfriend in the second-half. She wasn’t right for Jo. But my wife (Preety Ali), who was there, suggested Giselle for Harleen.”

Did you know, the film originally ended on an unhappy note? Saif had shared, “We had a sad ending at first and then Imtiaz relented and gave us a happy ending. I now wonder, which is better? I think Jai deserved to lose Meera, but we were worried about being too clever.”

When a sequel was announced, actor Saif Ali Khan wasn’t interested in doing it and had said, “I don’t see it as a continuation... Imtiaz should probably try and make one of these every 10 years, calling it Aaj Kal with different actors! I’m hoping it is a different story, though.” Incidentally, his daughter, actor Sara Ali Khan acted in the film’s spiritual sequel, Love Aaj Kal (2020).

Saif wanted then-girlfriend actor Kareena Kapoor Khan to be cast opposite him. Saif had said, “I think, she was quite keen to work with Imtiaz Ali again and I think he promised her his next movie. Her boyfriend being the producer of Imtiaz’s next movie and being in the situation that she was, she was wondering and finding it hard to understand why we had cast Deepika, I think.”

Imtiaz later admitted that “casting Deepika was a risk”: “It was a challenge to myself as Deepika was a newcomer.” Imtiaz was so sure about his casting choice that he offered Meera’s role to Deepika even before she committed to making acting her career.

This love story had received the stamp of approval from late filmmaker Yash Chopra. In an interview, Imtiaz had shared, “I remember that Yash ji had called me after watching it. I had rushed away from the room I was in, and went to the balcony to hear very carefully what he was trying to say. He liked the film, that was a great moment for me.”

Actor Neetu Kapoor made a cameo appearance, returning to screen after 26 years. Imtiaz had revealed, “I fell on my knees and told her I am a huge fan. After a lot of persuasion, I finally convinced her to act in my film.” Neetu later said that she did the film “as a favour” to Rishi.

- The working title was Production No 1, because it was Saif Ali Khan’s first production. Later Aaj Kal, and Elastic were considered as titles.

- While shooting for the song Chor Bazari, Deepika Padukone met with an accident. In the scene where she is supposed to fall from a table and land in Saif’s arms, the actor ended up on the floor, but avoided serious injuries.

- The songs Aaj Din Chadheya and Aahun Aahun were initially not a part of the film. But composer Pritam convinced Imtiaz Ali to include them, saying that the film needed a romantic track.

- The film was remade in Telugu in 2011, titled Teen Maar and starred Pawan Kalyan, Trisha Krishnan and Kriti Kharbanda.

Actor Ranbir Kapoor revealed that his wife, actor Alia Bhatt has undergone more changes for him since their marriage than he has for her. During an episode of Nikhil Kamath’s YouTube podcast People by WTF, Ranbir discussed the deliberate adjustments that Alia had made to help him feel more comfortable.

“She used to speak in a very loud tone. I think my father’s (late actor Rishi Kapoor) tone, growing up, always rattled me. So, she really made an effort to change that. And that’s not easy, when you’ve lived 30 years of your life speaking in a certain way. She does many things to put me at ease and I hope I could say the same, but I don’t think I’ve done it yet,” Ranbir remarked.

Opening up further about his relationship with his wife, the 41-year-old shared, “Alia was somebody I met over the years, and I knew that she was special. I have immense respect for her as an actor and also, how she is as a daughter and a sister. She really makes me smile. I love going home to her.”

He also described her as an “overachiever”, “very passionate about work” and “extremely intelligent”, noting that while her attention can be a bit scattered, he has managed to capture it over the years.

During the conversation, Ranbir also reflected on how the frequent arguments between his late father and mother, actor Neetu Kapoor deeply affected him as a child, particularly due to his dad’s tone.

Ranbir and Alia began dating during the pre-production phase of Ayan Mukerji’s 2022 blockbuster fantasy film Brahmastra. They were married in 2022 in a private ceremony at their Mumbai home and welcomed their daughter, Raha Kapoor, later that year.

Mumbai is on the list of the Best Food Cities in the World for good reason. And one establishment in the city that holds the torch out to this culinary heritage is Gaylord, which opened in 1956. The flagship dining house in Churchgate embodies a rich history, having been the flavour of international and Indian celebs. Bollywood veterans B R Chopra, Raj Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Rajesh Khanna and singer Lata Mangeshkar had their fave delicacies here, so did the iconic musicians Pandit Ravi Shankar and The Beatles!

After it’s first-ever extended closing, Gaylord has reopened. It’s a case of old-meets-new, as co-owner, Divij Lamba, calls the decor, “a love letter to our past”.

Divij goes back in time as he shares how his great-grandfather, Pishori Lal Lamba launched Gaylord in collaboration with Iqbal Ghai (both Delhi-based entrepreneurs who established the Kwality restaurant chain in 1947).

Divij and his brother Dhruv grew up hearing stories of the who’s who dined at Gaylord. He says, “Celebrities were regulars here, so were a lot of cricketers. They made it their post-match destination as CCI Club almost opens into Gaylord. Veteran composer duo Shankar-Jaikishen also used to visit all the time and they had a table reserved here.”

The transformation sees Gaylord’s iconic alfresco-style seating now exuding a warm and contemporary Parisian vibe along with red couches on its mezzanine floor. But the makeover apart, Gaylord also holds on to its past. “We’ve made sure that history is not lost; the decor still takes people to another age,” adds Divij as he points to a collection of 155 photos around — sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar with George Harrison. French designer Christian Louboutin had also visited.

Of course, the food undeniably does the talking, too. Divij adds, “We’ve ensured that the faves — Chicken à la Kiev and Lobster Thermidor are back. So is the signature butter chicken, given the North-Indian lineage of the restaurant.” The revamped space has plans to host cultural nights from live grand piano recitals, to live music events and specially curated high tea parties.

Today, as the brothers helm the business, Divij admits, “There is this sense of responsibility to carry forth our legacy. We’ve tried not to change the DNA of the place as that is what Gaylord is known for. The idea is to maintain the past, as that is the real treasure.”

Gaylord is a combination of both the partner’s names ‘Ghai’ & ‘Lamba’. Lamba had posted an advertisement asking for suggestions and one of the reader suggested the name ‘Gaylord’. They liked it as it had both partners initials.

Riddhima Kapoor Sahni is set to make her acting debut with the third instalment of the reality web show Fabulous Lives vs. Bollywood Wives. As she approaches this crucial juncture in her career, she misses her father, late Rishi Kapoor, even more on his death anniversary today. 

“I could have asked so many questions because this is my first time [in front of the camera],” shares Riddhima, adding, “Of course mum (actor Neetu Kapoor) is around to help me all the time, but as a family, we wish Papa was around.”

The jewellery designer also talks about how Rishi would’ve been very “excited” about his granddaughter Raha (brother, actor Ranbir Kapoor and actor Alia Bhatt’s daughter). 

She and the family like to remember the happy time they spent with Rishi before he passed away in 2020. “My dad used to say whatever was in his heart. That is something that I have imbibed from him,” shares Riddhima, who wants to see how her debut is received by the audience before taking on any other project.

Flying high on the success of two releases, Homi Adajania’s Murder Mubarak and Sriram Raghavan’s Merry Christmas, actor Sanjay Kapoor has been wanting to work with both filmmakers as a producer first. The actor, who possesses the rights of the 1975 film Khel Khel Mein, wanted either one of them to direct the remake.

In 2012, Sanjay stated that he would take the remake on floors and cast fresh faces as leads but that didn’t materalise. The OG film starred late Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Kapoor and Rakesh Roshan. Now, that his daughter Shanaya Kapoor will soon make her film debut, ask him if he will cast her in the remake and he replies, “If I am going to make it today, I will obviously make it with Shanaya.”

While the 58-year-old isn’t sure when will be the right time for the film, Sanjay insists that he will make the remake, someday. “Right now, I am very busy with my work as an actor, but I will definitely make the film. It’s a film that is very close to my heart.”

He further adds, “I remember that when I got the rights of the film, Chintu (late Rishi Kapoor) told me that he and Neetu will do a cameo whenever I remake the film. So, whenever the time comes, I will miss Chintu, but I will make sure Neetu is still in it,” he ends.

“Wow, it’s been 25 years! It doesn’t feel like that at all,” says an amused Manoj Bajpayee. Joining HT City’s silver jubilee celebration, the actor is excited to also celebrate his films Shool and Kaun (both 1999) reaching this milestone.

Looking back at his journey as an actor, Bajpayee says, “These films played an important part in my career. They gave me new respect [in Bollywood]. Shool showed the industry that Manoj is lead actor material. Before that, they saw me in supporting roles in Satya (1998) and Kaun. People stopped offering me anything lesser than that (lead roles). Shool is now a cult film.”

Shool saw him play a police officer navigating the politician-criminal nexus in Bihar, while Kaun was a suspense thriller. As both the films were vastly different from each other, the 54-year-old feels they gave him a perfect chance to show his versatility. “The audience saw me doing different things. These films and the response they got reassured me that I’m going in the right direction,” he ends.

Before Shool was released, I was invited for a launch in Delhi. I remember HT City coming up [and talking] to me. There, I also met the late (actor) Rishi Kapoor, who said good things about the film. So, HT City is connected with my memory of Shool. I wish everyone at HT City all the best for the future.

Johnny Gaddaar holds a special place in Neil Nitin Mukesh’s heart for numerous reasons, one of which is the fact that it was his debut role. In a chat with us recently, Neil shared that he prays daily, hoping to get a chance to reprise the role.

“Despite my constant efforts, there has not been any progress yet (on a possible sequel). I’ll keep pursuing the team, hoping to convince them that I am still relevant to reprise the role that is synonymous with me and my existence. Let’s hope things work out,” he said.

Neil has often found himself at the centre of internet humour. While he doesn’t support belittling someone for someone else’s 15 seconds of fame, he shared that he had no choice but to navigate this landscape.

“I never expected this to be the new norm. I do not belong to that school of thought. But then, the legends haven’t been spared, so who am I in comparison? Honestly, I’m still figuring out the meme culture, but have learned to smile it off as long as it makes someone happy,” he said.

Neil shared that roles with shades of grey attract him. The actor, who has played a variety of roles in his career, shared, “Roles with shades of grey have attracted me and thrillers are my forte. If the opportunity came by to something in that zone, I’d jump right into it.”

I feel one should not mess with classics. That said, if there was one role that I would absolutely love to recreate, it would be Rishi Kapoor's role from Yeh Vaada Raha.

Neil’s last big screen appearance was in 2019 (Bypass Road and Saaho). When asked if he plans to return in a movie soon, he replied, “I’ve never understood the term comeback. As an artiste, there are times one needs to sit back, rehearse, reinvent, but mostly sharpen the axe before getting back in the field. Unfortunately, the pandemic created a bigger gap in this process. The industry and its functioning changed. While offers were coming in, by the time I signed something exciting, it took longer than expected. But production and writing has kept me busy.”

Remember the popular song Naayak Nahin Khal Nayak Hoon Main? These lyrics from the Khal Nayak (1993) title track actually led director Subhash Ghai to conceive and create the cult film.

“The whole film was written with the thought that every villain knows who a good man is. That’s why, I always call the antagonist, the tragic hero of the film. And because I wanted to bring this theme out well on screen, casting was the most difficult part,” says Ghai, who also co-wrote the film.

The filmmaker recalls how many stars, including actors from his past projects Jackie Shroff, Rishi Kapoor and Anil Kapoor, wanted to work on Khal Nayak. “It was challenging for me to find the right fit,” says the filmmaker, sharing why he finally chose Sanjay Dutt over the others.

“Sanju asked me why I chose him, and I told him it’s because of his eyes. Uski aankhon mein ek bholapan hai. But in the very next moment, you see a man who’s full of anger,” he elaborates.

But that was not all. The 78-year-old says that another crucial factor was that he wanted an actor “who would completely surrender to the director”. It was the “principal character” and Ghai adds, “I wanted to get it right. I enacted each and every scene for Sanju. I wanted to make the character unpredictable. Yeh abhi pyaar karega ya maar dega, pata nahin lagta. Fortunately, he played the character exactly how I asked him to.”

To make Dutt look unpredictable, Ghai had to improvise some scenes last-minute. He recalls, “There’s a scene when he goes to jail to meet a guy and talks nicely. But as Sanju’s character hugs him, woh uska gala daba kar usse maar deta hai. Not many people on the set were aware of this and were quite surprised.”

He also reveals, “In Choli Ke Peeche, we decided to improvise and added a patch to Sanjay Dutt’s eye to bring more drama to the scene. And I think that worked well as it looked really good on screen.”

From bringing producer Aditya Chopra out of the shadows in front of the camera for the first time to late actor Rishi Kapoor’s last interview — the docuseries The Romantics is stirring up quite a buzz. And director Smriti Mundhra, also known as the creator of Indian Matchmaking, didn’t anticipate just “how much the series would tap into people’s sense of nostalgia and love of cinema”. Excerpts:

It has been a journey of over three years since we started this process and began the research — watching a lot of films, going through the whole catalogue of the production house and what was happening around the time these films were made. All this [was] because we wanted to paint a larger picture in terms of what movies tell us about the time we live in.

One of the reasons I wanted to tell the story through the lens of Yash Chopra was because of the longevity of his career and how it started in the aftermath of the Partition. I realised how closely these elements of the political and socioeconomic climate are braided into their personal story.

Once I could show him what the series and telling of the story of his father would be with his perspective, that’s probably what convinced him, finally. Anyone who has worked in any capacity with Aditya Chopra can tell you that he holds creative integrity to the highest standard, and will move mountains to make sure that the creative integrity of whatever project he is involved with, is intact.

He kept a cool head with me. He had some time after seeing it to just absorb before I talked to him. Maybe if he was really angry, or horrified, he conveyed that to somebody else, but he didn’t convey that to me. After he saw it, the first conversation that I had with him was him saying, ‘Okay, I see what you mean’.

It is one of the highlights of my career. I feel so lucky and privileged that I got that opportunity, not knowing that just a month later, we were going to lose him. He seemed his best on the day I interviewed him. He looked great, was gregarious, very chatty and charming. There was Neetu ji (Kapoor, actor and Rishi’s wife) with him, and they just had such great banter going on. I’m so glad that I got to interview him when he was in the mood to talk, especially given that it was his last interview.

More than 25 years ago, when Raj and Simran’s love in the lanes of London faced patriarchal conservativeness, an Indian-American teenager felt like someone had mirrored her identity crisis as a young member of the Indian diaspora.

Unsurprisingly, as the fan grew into a filmmaker, Smriti Mundhra desired to pay homage to the man behind the film, Yash Chopra. The result is the Netflix documentary, The Romantics.

“I wanted to explore the films that were important to me and formative in my adolescent years,” says Los Angeles-based Mundhra. To document the legacy of the late filmmaker, whose career spanned five decades, was anything but easy. To top it, she wanted to go beyond Chopra, and dip into the contribution of his son, Aditya, who has been at the helm of the production house since his father’s death in 2013.

“I first pitched the idea to YRF [Yash Raj Films] since they have the archival material, behind the scenes footage, no one had seen before. I was sure that it existed somewhere in a vault. So, I approached them to tell the story of Hindi cinema history through the lens of Yash Chopra and the studio he built. The timing was right because the studio was approaching its 50th anniversary. They were in a reflective headspace.”

The next hurdle before Mundhra was to be able to schedule meetings with the stars central to Chopra’s universe. “Everybody was willing and eager to talk because of the love and respect they have for him. But coordinating actors’ schedules was quite the challenge,” says the director, who eventually managed to get Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, the late Rishi Kapoor, Rani Mukerji, Madhuri Dixit and Katrina Kaif among others to be part of the series.

Now, she had to convince Aditya Chopra himself. Famous for being the recluse, he is behind the running joke in Bollywood: Aditya Chopra is merely a rumour. His love for his father and his work managed to compel him to sit before a camera for an interview for the first time in 20 years.

“It was harder than coordinating an interview with Salman Khan, honestly. But we managed. He has so much respect and regard for his father that it was difficult for him to say, no,” Mundhra says.

While archival interviews of Yash Chopra that find their way into the series take the audience through his perspective on movies and approach to filmmaking, Aditya’s interview delves into how Yash Raj Films turned into the Yash Raj Studio. Mundhra found a stark difference between the way the two think; the reason perhaps for the director’s realization that Aditya is the producer Yash Chopra could never be.

“He is knowledgeable about the film industry in a way that’s similar to his father, but also very different. Yash Chopra was all heart, passion and love. Aditya is all brain, he is so smart. What they have in common is utmost respect for the audience. Their common and ultimate goal is to please the viewer.”

And so, the late veteran responded to the sentiment of the time. The initial years saw him make movies inspired by a broken post-Partition India, whether it was Dhool Ka Phool (1959) or Dharamputra (1961). His inclination towards poetry and human vulnerability was evident in the 1973 hit Daag, which was also his first film as independent producer. And while he knew that he had found a lifetime companion in romance, he reacted to the anti-establishment sentiment in 1975 India by giving the audience Deewaar. As Chopra evolved, so did his hero, eventually moving away from the “angry, young man” image to the softer, sometimes messier individual unafraid to love.

Aditya picked up from where his father left off and took it a notch higher when he made Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, bringing to screen a hero who was desired by women and whom men aspired to be like.

This progression is what makes Hindi cinema unique, thinks Mundhra. “It was interesting for me to see how the male archetype evolved over the course of the studio’s filmography.... from say, Amitabh Bachchan in Deewaar to him two years later in Kabhi Kabhie—dramatically different. And then, in 2015, you have Ayushmann Khurrana in Dum Laga Ke Haisha. The idea of what a leading man or leading lady should be is constantly evolving, film after film, generation after generation,. And you see lots of unexpected heroes and heroines along the way, which I really love about Hindi cinema,” she says, adding that it was “incredible” to speak to perhaps the biggest of Yash Raj heroes, Shah Rukh Khan.

“He looked at Yash Chopra as a father figure. They were extremely close. And I think there’s still a bit of sadness [in Khan] that he’s no longer with us. Dare I say, I think he misses him. I don’t want to project too much, but I think there’s a [special] bond between the Chopra family and him. Obviously, their fates are intertwined too. Shah Rukh’s career is closely linked with YRF and its success. It’s like they’ve grown up together; the studio and the star.”

And while the hero was at the centre of it all, Chopra was faithful to portraying female desire, aspiration and dilemma. He didn’t view the woman’s identity as one derived from the actions of men, but rather made it one nurtured by agency and the ownership of her aesthetics and fallacies. Both, female film stars and women viewers wanted to be Yash Chopra heroines.

“There are ways in which he portrayed his female characters with respect for their desires and wants... I think those films were ahead of their time. He was sensitive to a woman’s point of view, which I don’t think too many filmmakers from his generation can claim,” she says, adding that while movies by Chopra, his son and the studio itself have been criticized for lacing stories with lavishness that only the privileged can afford, their complex themes, provocative and progressive reflections on relationships and love, made them stand the test of time.

“He would package them like big, multi starrers, with beautiful costumes. So, you didn’t realize immediately that he was gradually shifting your idea of what conventional love and marriage is.”

Mundhra rates her interview with the late Rishi Kapoor as one of her next favourites. She shot with him and his actor wife Neetu Kapoor a month before the veteran passed, in April 2020. “There was some energy that day [in the room] when we were talking... we talked for more than three hours. He wanted to keep talking, and had so many memories to share. He offered great insight. It was a magical conversation,” she recalls.

The documentary appears to have satiated the fan and filmmaker in Mundhra. She now hopes that the experience does to the audience what it did for her: bring them closer to the movies. “What we really want, as humans, and especially as Indians, is to remember that we are passionate about cinema. It’s so central to our culture, history and tradition; it’s a part of our contribution to the world and people are excited to be reminded of this, and don’t like to feel cynical when they think of Hindi films or Bollywood.”