Sunday, December 7, 2025
Ranvir Singh film Dhurandhar did 100 crores business in India in 3 days and 135 crores business worldwide
In 3 days Dhurandhar did business of 100 crores business in India and 135 crores business worldwide due to brilliance of Ranvir Singhji, Sanjay Duttji, Akshay Khannaji, Rakesh Bediji, Arjun Rampalji and others.Dhurandhar (transl. Stalwart) is a 2025 Indian Hindi-language spy action thriller film written, directed, and co-produced by Aditya Dhar. Produced by Jyoti Deshpande, Aditya Dhar, and Lokesh Dhar under the banners Jio Studios and B62 Studios, it stars Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun, and Rakesh Bedi.[5][6] The film is inspired by the real-life incidents, geopolitical conflicts, and covert operations of India's intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) with local gangs and crime syndicates in the Lyari area of Karachi, Pakistan.[7] The first instalment of a two-part series, the second instalment titled Dhurandhar Part 2 will release on 19 March 2026.[8]
Principal photography took place from July 2024 and October 2025, with filming taking place in Thailand, Mumbai, Punjab, and Ladakh. The soundtrack and film score were composed by Shashwat Sachdev. With a runtime of 214 minutes, it is one of the longest Indian films ever made.[1]
Dhurandhar was released on 5 December 2025 and received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, with praise towards the performance of the ensemble cast (particularly Singh and Khanna), direction, cinematography, music and the film’s atmospheric world-building, while the lengthy runtime, uneven pacing, and occasional narrative inconsistencies were criticised.[9]
Plot
The film draws inspiration from real-life events involving geopolitical tensions and covert operations conducted by India’s R&AW, particularly those associated with Operation Lyari, a Pakistan government-led crackdown on gangs and criminal syndicates in the Lyari neighbourhood of Karachi, Pakistan.[7] Set against the backdrop of the IC-814 hijacking in 1999 and the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, the film follows India's Intelligence Bureau Chief Ajay Sanyal, who crafts a daring and indomitable mission to infiltrate and dismantle a powerful terrorist network operating out of Pakistan. To execute this high-risk operation, Sanyal recruits an unlikely asset - a 20 year old boy from Punjab, held captive for committing a revenge-driven crime. Recognizing the boy's potential and raw intensity, Sanyal decides to mould him into a weapon capable of penetrating Karachi's ruthless underworld mafia.[10]
The Price of Peace
On 30 December 1999, Devavrat Kapoor negotiates a deal with terrorist Zahoor Mistry to release three terrorists, including his brother, in exchange for the lives of the passengers kept hostages in Kandahar. IB Chief Ajay Sanyal proposes a plan to infiltrate terrorism in Pakistan which is denied by the Chief of R&AW S. S. Bhullar. Two years later in 2001, after the attack on the Indian Parliament, Kapoor decides to work on Sanyal's Operation Dhurandhar.
Stranger in the Land of Shadows
Sanyal sends his agent Jaskirat Singh as Hamza Ali Mazari to Pakistan. Hamza goes to Lyari, Karachi and meets Mohammed Aalam, a juice shop owner. He starts living there, begins working as a waiter in the shop and gets information about Rehman Baloch and other gangs. Since Hamza is a Baloch, he can only join Rehman Dakait's gang.
The Bastard King of Lyari
Hamza gets an intel that Rehman's son Naieem Baloch may be shot at a wedding event the next day by Babu Dakait and his men. Hamza, finding it an opportunity to save Naieem and become a member in Rehman's gang, goes to the wedding. Babu Dakait's men arrive and shoot Naieem. Hamza drives them away but fails to save Naieem, instead saving Rehman's second son Faisal. At the hospital, Uzair Baloch brings Hamza into his gang after learning of his knowledge of guns. Jameel Jamali, a Pakistan Awami Party (PAP) politician, arrives there and tells Uzair not to do anything foolish in the time of elections.
Spending time with Rehman's gang, Hamza gets to know about their illegal practice of making false guns. On Hamza's advice, Rehman decides to avenge Naieem's death. Hamza, Uzair and his men kill Babu Dakait's men, while Rehman himself kills Babu Dakait by brutally smashing his head with a weighing stone.
Bullets and Roses
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The Jinn
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The Devil's Guardian
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The Butterfly Effect
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Et Tu Brutus
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Cast
Ranveer Singh as Hamza Ali Mazari / Jaskirat Singh Rangi
Sanjay Dutt as SP Chaudhary Aslam
Akshaye Khanna as Rehman Dakait
R. Madhavan as Ajay Sanyal, Chief of IB (based on Ajit Doval)
Arjun Rampal as Major Iqbal, ISI (based on Ilyas Kashmiri)
Sara Arjun as Yalina Jamali, Jameel's daughter
Rakesh Bedi as Jameel Jamali (based on Nabil Gabol)
Naveen Kaushik as Donga
Manav Gohil as Sushant Bansal, Deputy Director of the IB
Danish Pandor as Uzair Baloch
Gaurav Gera as Mohammad Aalam
Raj Zutshi as General Shamshad Hassan
Saumya Tandon as Ulfat, Rehman's wife
Bimal Oberoi as Shirani, Leader of Baloch United Force (BUF)
Asif Ali Haider Khan as Babu Dakait
Madhurjeet Sargi as Prabhneet Singh
Mustafa Ahmed as Rizwan Shah
Udaybir Sandhu as Gurbaaz Singh "Pinda"
Gitikka Ganju Dhar as Shabnam
Umarr Naved Nirban as Zayan
Rouhallah Gazi as Siyahi
Aditya Uppal as ASP Omar Haider (based on Omar Shahid Hamid)
Saurav Khurana as Baba Ladla / Babla
Sunil Sharma as Shaukat
Azinkya Mishra as Faizal Baloch, Rehman's younger son
Hitul Pujara as Naieem Baloch, Rehman's elder son
Ashwin Dhar as Arshad Pappu
Abhay Arora as Yasir Arafat
Danish Iqbal as Dawood Ibrahim
Ankit Sagar as Javed Khanani
Mushtaq Naika as Altaf Khanani
Vinod Tharani as Azam Cheema
Faiz Khan as Sajid Mir
Sanjay Mehta as Abdul Bhuttovi [ur]
Carl Andrew Harte as David Headley
Dalvinder Saini as Ajmal Kasab
Akaisha Vats as Uzair's wife
Bhasha Sumbli as Veena
Vijender Singh as Amarjit Singh Brar
Gurlal Sandhu as Balwinder Sandhu
Vivek Sinha as Zahoor Mistry / Zahid Akhund
Rajesh Sangwan as Ibrahim Athar
Mashhoor Amrohi as Nawab Shafiq (based on Nawaz Sharif)
Sanjay Mehndiratta as Aquib Ali Zarwari (based on Asif Ali Zardari)
Akash Khurana as Devavrat Kapoor, Minister of External Affairs (based on Jaswant Singh)
Ali Raza Namdar as S. S. Bhullar, Special Secretary of R&AW (based on A. S. Dulat)
Himanshu Gokhani as DGP Prashant Kumar, Uttar Pradesh Police
Siddharth Bharadwaj as Balwant
Rajat Aroraa as Mukka
Gursewak Singh as Lassan
Krystle D'Souza as dancer in the song "Shararat"
Ayesha Khan as dancer in the song "Shararat"
Production
Development
The film was officially announced in July 2024 by Ranveer Singh on his social media platforms.[11] The title was revealed as Dhurandhar in December 2024.[12] The film is reportedly inspired by real-life incidents, geopolitical conflicts, and covert operations of RAW.[13] The plot is loosely based on Operation Lyari, a government-led crackdown against local gangs and crime syndicates in the Lyari area of Karachi, Pakistan.[14][15]
Casting
In July 2024, Singh was cast as the lead, alongside Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, Akshaye Khanna, and Arjun Rampal.[16][17] In October 2024, Sara Arjun was cast opposite Singh.[18] Singh plays the role of a RAW agent, while Madhavan was reported to be playing National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.[19][20] Dutt's character is based on Pakistani police officer Chaudhry Aslam Khan, Khanna's character is based on gangster Rehman Dakait, while Rampal's character is based on Pakistani militant-turned-terrorist Ilyas Kashmiri.[21] Singh's character was rumoured to be based on Major Mohit Sharma, an Indian army officer who infiltrated terrorist groups in Kashmir, however this claim was denied by Aditya Dhar.[22][23] In November 2025, Saumya Tandon confirmed she would be playing a pivotal role in the film.[24]
Ahead of the film's release, the family of late Indian soldier Major Mohit Sharma filed a petition in the Delhi High Court seeking a stay on the release, accusing the makers of allegedly drawing inspiration from Sharma’s life and covert operations without seeking the family's consent.[25][26] The Delhi High Court directed the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to consider these objections, following which the Board undertook a fresh examination of the film and found no link to Major Mohit Sharma.[27] Similarly, Chaudhary Aslam’s widow, Naureen Aslam, also objected to his character's portrayal in the film, threatening to take legal action if her husband was falsely potrayed.[28]
Filming
Principal photography began in July 2024 in Bangkok.[29][30] The second schedule commenced in November 2024 at the Golden Temple, Amritsar.[31] In February 2025, filming took place in Filmistan, Mumbai.[32] A schedule took place in Madh Island which was wrapped by late April 2025.[33] In May 2025, some action sequences were filmed at the Dombvili-Mankoli bridge.[34] In July 2025, a dance number was shot at the Golden Tobacco Factory in Vile Parle.[35] Several scenes set in Pakistan were re-created in Thailand.[36] Additional filming also took place in Khera village in Ludhiana, where the production recreated Pakistan-set sequences.[37][38] In August 2025, filming moved to Ladakh, however it was halted after more than one hundred crew members were hospitalised due to food poisoning.[39] In September 2025, the major film scenes were shot in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh.[40][41] Singh wrapped his portions in October 2025.[42] Filming was also simultaneously wrapped in the same month.[43]
Soundtrack
Main article: Dhurandhar (soundtrack)
The soundtrack and film score were composed by Shashwat Sachdev, with lyrics written by Irshad Kamil.[44] The music rights were acquired by Saregama.[45]
The title track was released on 15 October 2025.[46] It was a remake of the 1995 song "Na Dil De Pardesi Nu" sung by Muhammad Sadiq and Ranjit Kaur, composed by Charanjit Ahuja and written by Babu Singh Maan.[47] In 2003, it was remixed by Panjabi MC as "Jogi".[48] The second single titled "Ishq Jalakar (Karvaan)" was released on 25 November 2025, ahead of its schedule due to high public demand.[49] This song was recreated version of Hindi Qawwali “Na To Karvan Ki Talash Hai” from Barsaat Ki Raat (1960).[50] The third single titled "Gehra Hua" was released on 27 November 2025.[51] The full album was released on 1 December 2025.[52]
Marketing
The first-look poster was released on 6 July 2025, coinciding with Singh’s 40th birthday. A teaser was also unveiled on the same day,[9][53] featuring vocals by Jasmine Sandlas. The soundtrack includes a rap segment by Hanumankind.[54] The trailer was originally scheduled to release on 12 November, however it was postponed due to the 2025 Delhi car explosion.[55] It was released on 18 November 2025 at a launch event held at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre.[56] The audio launch took place on 1 December 2025.[57]
While promoting the film at the 56th International Film Festival of India in Goa, Ranveer Singh received strong backlash for mimicking sacred Daeva ritual performed by actor Rishab Shetty in a scene from the film Kantara: Chapter 1, which many found to be disrespectful towards the Bhoota Kola tradition of Karnataka. He further referred to the deva (deity) as a "female ghost" which many felt was disrespectful to cultural and spiritual significance of the traidition in Karnataka. He later apologized online, stating his actions were never meant to disrespect anyone.[58][59]
Release
Theatrical
Dhurandhar was released on 5 December 2025.[60] The film received an A (adults only) certificate from the CBFC for strong violence, along with a finalised runtime of 214 minutes after some violent visuals and cuss words were censored.[1]
Home media
The digital streaming rights were acquired by Netflix.[61]
Reception
Critical reception
Dhurandhar received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics.
A critic from Bollywood Hungama gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, calling Dhurandhar a well-made, ambitious big-screen experience with top-notch craft, memorable moments and some truly oustanding performances.[62] Renuka Vyavahare of The Times of India gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars, calling the film a "power-packed Karachi mafia thriller" where lead actor Ranveer Singh delivers a "subdued yet scorching" performance that largely anchors the film’s impact. She highlighted the film’s immersive world-building, the gritty, violent underworld of Karachi’s Lyari mafia through a narrative structured in multiple chapters, with a runtime of nearly three-and-a-half hours that nevertheless "rarely feels overbearing", owing to what is described as "stylish, tight storytelling".[63] Rishabh Suri of the Hindustan Times gave the film 3 out of 5 stars describing it as a “lengthy yet loaded spy drama", highlighting the performances of Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna as well Aditya Dhar’s direction. He also noted that the film occasionally feels overlong and dense with too many sub-plots.[64] Radhika Sharma of NDTV gave 3 out of 5 stars, praising the cast performances and soundtrack, but criticised the second half calling it "a completely different film altogether".[65] Gayatri Nirmal of Pinkvilla gave 4 out of 5 stars, praising the second-half, screenplay, and background score but criticised the runtime.[66]
Shalini Gangar of The Indian Express gave 2.5 out of 5 stars, describing the film as an "ambitious spy thriller" that ultimately works only "in flashes." She praised the film’s scale, production values, and the attempt to depict the many layers of Lyari’s criminal, political, and familial dynamics. However, she argued that despite its large cast and multiple narrative strands, the film only intermittently comes together, with its storytelling lacking consistency.[67] Vineeta Kumar of India Today gave 3 out of 5 stars writing "Dhurandhar is a sprawling, muscular, politically sharp thriller that bites off a lot, and thanks to Khanna's explosive brilliance, chews most of it successfully".[68]
Taher Ahmed of Deccan Herald gave 3 out of 5 stars, praising the performances, cinematography, and soundtrack, but criticised the runtime, pacing, and climax.[69] Anuj Kumar of The Hindu wrote "Moored by a charismatic Akshaye Khanna and a brooding Ranveer Singh, Aditya Dhar’s ambitious but overstretched and chest-thumping espionage saga serves political interests, tests endurance".[70] Simran Khan of Times Now gave 3 out of 5 stars, writing "The Aditya Dhar actioner's ending doesn't quite justify its lengthy runtime. However the adrenaline-pumping set pieces and relentless high-voltage action action, paired with a background score that amplifies the drama and keeps the tension from ever dipping, make the ride worth it".[71]
Box office
As of 5 December 2025, Dhurandhar has grossed ₹34.05 crore (US$4.0 million) domestically and ₹4.5 crore (US$530,000) overseas for a worldwide gross of ₹38.55 crore (US$4.6 million)
Happy birthday to Shatrughun Sinhasahab the Shot Gun of India
Happy birthday to Shatrughun Sinha.
The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to successful actor Shatrughun Sinha on 9th December, 2025. He was considered to be one of the leading angry young man of the 70s after Big B.
Although he started his career as anti-hero in films like Khilouna, where the central characters were played by Jeetender and Sanjeev Kumar, within short time, he showed his metal as an action star and ruled bollywood films for another 20 years. He also did well in the film Ek Nari Ek Brahmchari. He was successful in films like Gaye Aur Gauri opposite Jaya Bacchan, Bombay To Goa, etc., in the early 70s.
Shatrughun Sinha learned acting Pune Film and Television Institute and his lessons went a long way in his illustrious career. He had seen other giants in the Pune Film and Television Institute like Hritik Ghatak, Subhash Ghai, etc. Viewers remember his combination with Reena Roy as both played romantic pair in numerous films. Kalicharan was one of the most popular films amongst them.
Whenever Shatrughun Sinha faced Amitabh Bacchan both the actors tried to supersede the other. The viewers enjoyed the rift between the two actors in contemporary films. Both did a fantastic job in Ramesh Sippy’s film Shaan. Shatrughun Sinha’s charishma in the role of a shooter was as elegant as Big B’s angry young image in killing Goga Kapoor’s men in the film.
The other films where Big and Shotgun (Shatrughun Sinha was called by this name) met included Kala Patthar, Dostana, Naseeb, to mention a few. In Kala Patthar there was an encounter scene with Amitabh Bacchan, which was as popular as the encounter of Vinod Khanna with Amitabh Bacchan in Amar Akbar Anthony. In all those films both the actors complimented each other. Even in comedy films like Naram Garam, Shotgun showed his comedy elements and was appreciated.
Shatrughun Sinha was given an off-beat role by Goutam Ghosh in Bengali film Antarjali Jatra where he played the role of a cremator. He played a marathon innings in films which include commercial success like Goutam Govinda, Dillagi, etc. Even in political career he achieved a lot by working for the people under the BJP banner. He was member of Rajya Sabha and won elections also under BJP ticket. He is called the stylish Bihari Babu by his admirers. He must be a proud father after his daughter Sonakshi Sinha had stormed bollywood with her superhit debut opposite Salman Khan in the film Dabanng released this year.
Both Shatrughun Sinha and Vinod Khanna are considered the greatest competitors with Big B and had succeeded in portraying the role of action heroes in India. Their height, voice and stature helped a lot in portraying those characters. The viewers expect Shotgun to continue the great work in films in future.
The country remembers Dilip Kumarsahab the tragedy king of the millenium on birth anniversary
Happy birth anniversary to Tragedy King Dilip Kumar, the legend of legends.
The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birth anniversary. to Dilip Kumar, better known as Tragedy King on 11th December, 2025. He expired last year as the last legend of the millenium. After the death of evergreen star Dev Anand, few years back at the age of 88 years, Dilip Kumar was the only living legend still in right humour who had adorned the golden age of Indian cinema. An institution by himself, Dilip Kumar had been a torch bearer in the world of romantic acting for the last 72 years. Born in 1922, Yusuf Khan, one of the greatest actors of bollywood films of all times had created new dimensions at every decade with his unique style of acting. In 2013, he fell ill and was hospitalized for a short time. Entire Bollywood became concerned. He recovered and came home. On his birthday many guests came including Asha Parekh, Salim Khan, Rani Mukherjee and others.
Although his performance in tragic roles like Bimal Roy’s Devdas and Madhumati, Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Musafir, and other landmark films had made him an icon of tragedy, he had proved his variation in comedy films, social films, action-oriented blockbusters. Directors like Bimal Roy, K. Asif, Tapan Sinha, Subhash Ghai, consider Dilip Kumar as the greatest actor of all times. He had made the characters immortal which he had played in his illustrious career.
He had given extraordinary lips in landmark songs of the 50s and 60s sung by Mohammad Rafi like “madhuban me radhika nachere” and “do sitaron ka zameen par hai milan aaj ki raat” in the film Kohinoor, “ek shahenshah ne banwake haseen tajmahal”, “tere husn ka kya tareef karun”, “apni azadi ko hum hargese mita sakte nahi”, in the film Leader, “dilruba maine tere pyar me kya kya na kiya”, “koi sagar dilko behlata nahi” in the film Dil Diya Dard Liya, “aaj ki raat mere”, “aye hai bahare dekho” in the film Ram Aur Shyam, to name a few. Giant composer Naushad made the greatest contribution in the films of Dilip Kumar, although Shankar Jaikishan gave quality music in the films Yahudi and Daag, Salil Choudhury contributed in the film Madhumati and Musafir.
Dilip Kumar had acted opposite all the leading actresses of 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, including Madhubala in Tarana, Mughal-i-Azam, Nargis in Babul, Andaz, Meena Kumari in Kohinoor, Azad, Footpath, Vaijayantimala in Madhumati, Ganga Jumna, Leader, Wahida Rehman in Dil Diya Dard Liya, Aadmi, Ram Aur Shyam, Saira Banu in Sagina, Gopi, to name a few.
Even during the 80s, his character roles created new dimension in bollywood films. His performance in the film Mashal, Masdoor, Shakti, Karma, Vidhata had inspired the new generation of actors like Anil Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt and others. He has the record of getting the filmfare award for the best actor for the maximum number of times ( 8 times ) which had not been broken by even Shahrukh Khan till now.
Dilip Kumar had not learned acting from any acting school yet the way he had made Sarat Chandra Chatterjee’s character Devdas immortal, the actors of the next generation consider him an institution by himself. He had played roles of even trade union leaders in the film Sagina, he was the first actor in bollywood films to perform in a double role in the film Ram Aur Shyam. He created a trend and films with double roles were created in the same lines as that of Ram Aur Shyam in Seeta Aur Geeta, Chaalbaaz, Kishen Kanhaiya.
He received the highest civilian award given by Pakistan, Nishan –e- imtiaz which was previously received by only one Indian, that is the former Prime Minister Morarji Desai. He had also received Dadasaheb Phalke award for his contribution in bollywood films. It is not possible to highlight the contribution of the legend of legends in a small article, as he had created an image which made him indispensable over 70 years in bollywood films.
Yet his journey is not over. Even in the present age directors like Subhash Ghai engage him with his new projects these days. Many veteran actors came to Dilip Kumar to greet him on his birthday in 2012 and 2013. The viewers want Dilip Kumar films to be preserved and restored. Viewers had got addicted to his soft tune of dialogue throwing and want him to reproduce the magic again.
Happy birth anniversary to Showman of the Millenium Raj Kapoorsahab
Happy birth anniversary to Raj Kapoor.
Raj Kapoor is remembered by the nation on his birth anniversary on 14th December, 2025. He was probably the most popular actor of bollywood films of the 40s, 50s and 60s other than Dilip Kumar.
Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor still remain the most popular actors of bollywood cinema in the last 70 years. One of the reasons of their immense success includes the superlative class of music being given to the giant actors by Naushad and Shankar Jaikishan.
Naushad gave classic tunes to Dilip Kumar in the films Uran Khatola, Kohinoor, Mughal-I-Azam, Leader, Dil Diya Dard Liya, Ram Aur Shyam, Aadmi, to name a few. Rafi and Shakeel Badayani were the other players in the deadly combination. Rafi’s songs for Dilip Kumar like “madhuban me radhika nachere”, “woh dur ke musafir”, “tere husn ki kya taarif karun”, “koi sagar dil ko behlata nahi”, “dilruba maine tere pyar me kya kya na kiya”, “aaj purani rahon se koi mujhe awaaz na den”, “na aadmi ka koi bharosa”, “do sitaron ka zameen par hai Milan aaj ki raat”, etc., remain one of the greatest creations of all times. If Naushad was unparallel as a composer, Shakeel Badayani was unparallel as a lyricist, Rafi was matchless as singer and Dilip Kumar matchless as an actor.
Producer director Raj Kapoor was the closest competitor of Dilip Kumar during the 40s, 50s and 60s. In fact both the giants had acted together in the film Andaz in 1949. Raj Kapoor’s deadly combination with Shankar Jaikishan had produced super hit films like Barsaat, Aah, Awara, Shree 40, Chori Chori, Anari, Jis Desh Me Ganga Behti Hai, Sangam, to name a few. The music of those films were equally popular and successful. Songs of Mukesh and Manna Dey like “ramaiya vasta maiya”, “mur murk e na dekh”, “sab kuch seekha humne”, “yeh raat bheegi bheegi”, “o mehbooba”, “dost dost na raha” “aa aab laut chalen”, had not lost their flavor even after 50 years of their creation. As Raj Kapoor had other qualities besides acting including production, direction, editing, etc., he is considered the greatest showman of all times even today.
As far as the compositions of Naushad and Shankar Jaikishan are considered, both the composers had very strong classical orientation. Naushad gave folk tunes to Dilip Kumar in Ganga Jumna sung by Rafi including “nain lad jaiy he” and Lata in “dhoondo dhoondo resaajna”, etc. Shankar Jaikishan gave folk tunes to Raj Kapoor in Teesri Kasam in songs like “chalet musafir” sung by Manna Dey, to name a few.
If Naushad displayed the muslim culture of Lucknow, Aligarh with his classical tunes in films like Leader, Kohinoor, Mughal-i-azam, Shankar Jaikishan displayed the European tunes in Raj Kapoor’s films Sangam, Around the World, etc., where the westernized orchestrations complimented the colourful scenary of the foreign countries. In fact, SJ’s tunes “chale jana zara theheron” showed the brilliance of Lake Erie and Niagra Falls stretching from Canada to USA, and mesmerizing the audience. Even in Sangam, the creation of SJ picturised in the snow-clad Switzerland titled “ishq the ishq, I love you” showed SJ’s capability of adapting to European tunes. The musical fountain in Around the World, showed the brilliance of SJ in the film Around the World.
The lyrics written by Shakeel Badayani in Dilip Kumar’s films where music was composed by Naushad were as innovative as the lyrics written by Hasrat Jaipuri and Shankar Jaikishan in Raj Kapoor’ films composed by Shankar Jaikishan. The lyrics contained urdu shairy, bhopuri language, ultramodern lyrics, rural language, etc. and appealed to the masses.
Naushad had composed music in more than 15 films of Dilip Kumar and the same is the case of Shankar Jaikishan in Raj Kapoor’s films. The music of each of those films can be analysed and revisited.
It is impossible to say whether Dilip Kumar’s combination with Naushad was greater than Raj Kapoor’s combination with Shankar Jaikishan, but it is true that the two giants had left assets for generations to cherish which had ended up being masterpieces. New actors, composers, singers, directors learn from the success of the Showman and Tragedy King and the works should be revisited.
Raj Kapoor’s legacy is carried forward by his son Rishi Kapoor, grandson Ranbir Kapoor and granddaughter Kareena Kapoor. Both Ranbir Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor had established themselves in bollywood films and will go a long way. Different private channels showed films of Raj Kapoor on his birthday in 2013. Raj Kapoor’s creations should be preserved and restored.
Saturday, December 6, 2025
Tragedy King Dilip Kumarsahab gave the maximum blockbusters in last 100 years
The nation is shocked by demise of Tragedy King Dilip Kumar sahab's death at 99 years. The success rate of Dilip Kumar in Bollywood films is incomparable.
Bollywood films had given superstars of different dimensions over the last 70 years. Right from Ashok Kumar to Rajender Kumar, Amitabh Bacchan to Shahrukh Khan, the superstars had entertained the audience and created records at box office over the years. These days viewers feel Salman Khan is the badshah of 100 crore, 200 crore, 300 crore club as his films Dabaang did business of 140 crores, Dabaang 2 158 crores, Ready 125 crores, Bodyguard 148 crores, Ek Tha Tiger 198 crores, Kick 232 crores, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo 219 crores, Sultan 300 crores and Bajrangi Bhaijaan 320 crores.
Even after the records of these superstars are compared, there is incomparable record with one superstar of the millennium, that is Tragedy King Dilip Kumar. One of the reasons why the records are incomparable is due to the span of time that the records are spread over. Dilip Kumar was a superstar in the 1940s. He remained a superstar in 1950s. By the 1960s he became a legend. In the 1980s he became a phenonmenon.
During Dilip Kumar’s time, success of films were measured in the context of number of weeks the films used to do business at box office. Now let us see the success in the context of the box office records.
Dilip Kumar’s Mela in 1948 was a blockbuster hit doing business for more than 50 weeks and had been called a golden jubilee hit. SU Sunny directed the film. The music was composed by Naushad Ali. The legendary combination of Dilip Kumar, Naushad Ali, lyricist Shakeel Badayani and singer Rafisahab was created by that time.
Dilip Kumar’s Andaz in 1949 was also a blockbuster hit and it remained the 2nd biggest blockbuster in 1949 after Raj Kapoor’s Barsaat. Andaz was directed by Mehboob Khan and had Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Nargis in the lead roles. The music was composed by Naushad Ali and the film was declared a golden jubilee hit which ran for more than 50 weeks.
Dilip Kumar’s Babul in 1950 was a silver jubilee hit which ran for more than 25 weeks. It was directed by SU Sunny. Naushad Ali composed the music of the film. Dilip Kumar and Nargis played the lead roles in the film.
Dilip Kumar’s Deedar in 1951 was again a blockbuster and golden jubilee hit running for more than 50 weeks. Dilip Kumar, Ashok Kumar and Nargis played the lead roles. Nitin Bose directed the film and the music was composed by Naushad Ali.
Aan was Dilip Kumar’s first coloured and India’s first coloured film. In 1952, the blockbuster films was directed by Mehboob Khan. It was a multistarrer film with Dilip Kumar, Murad, Premnath, Nimmi and Nadira in the lead roles. The music was composed by Naushad Ali. By that time the equation was Dilip Kumar + Naushad Ali + Shakeel Badayani +Rafisahab = magic. The film did business of more than 50 weeks and became greatest blockbuster of the decade.
Dilip Kumar’s Azad and Uran Khatola did business of more than 25 weeks in 1955 and were declared silver jubilees. Azad had Meena Kumari and Dilip Kumar in lead roles and music composed by C Ramchandran. Uran Khatola had Dilip Kumar and Nimmi in lead roles. SU Sunny directed the film and the music was composed by Naushad Ali.
Dilip Kumar’s Naya Daur in 1957 was a golden jubilee hit running for more than 50 weeks. BR Chopra and Yash Chopra were involved in production and direction and the film was revolutionary one in the history of Indian films. OP Nayyar composed the music of the film. Dilip Kumar Vaijayantimala, Ajit and Johny Walker were in lead roles.
Dilip Kumar’s Madhumati in 1958 was a golden jubilee hit running for more than 50 weeks. Bimal Roy directed the film and music was composed by Salil Choudhury. Dilip Kumar Vaijayantimala Johny Walker, Jayant were in lead roles. The film swept all the awards at filmfare in 1958 including best actor by Dilip Kumar, best composer by Salil Choudhury, best director by Bimal Roy.
Dilip Kumar’s Paigham in 1959 was a silver jubilee hit running for more than 25 weeks. Dilip Kumar, Raj Kumar and Vaijayantimala were in lead roles. The music was composed by C Ramchandran.
Dilip Kumar’s Kohinoor in 1960 was a golden jubilee hit running for more than 50 weeks. Dilip Kumar Meena Kumari, Kumkum and Jeevan were in lead roles. The music was composed by Naushad Ali, and Rafisahab’s “madhuban be radhika nachere” still is considered phenomenal rendition of raga style music in films.
Dilip Kumar’s Mughal-i-Azam in 1960 was an all time blockbuster. It was a diamond jubilee hit running for more than 100 weeks. It created such a brilliant record at box office, that Sholay only broke the record in 1975. Dilip Kumar, Madhubala, Prithviraaj Kapoor, Durga Khote were in lead roles. The film was directed by K Asif and music composed by Naushad Ali.
Dilip Kumar’s Ganga Jumna in 1961 was a golden jubilee hit running for more than 50 weeks. Nitin Bose directed the film. Dilip Kumar and Vaijayantimala were in the lead roles. The music was composed by Naushad Ali.
Dilip Kumar’s Ram Aur Shyam in 1967 was a golden jubilee hit running for more than 50 weeks. T Chanakya directed the film. Dilip Kumar, Mumtaz, Pran and Wahida Rehman were in lead roles. The music was composed by Naushad Ali. Dilip Kumar for the first time acted in a double role.
In the 1980s Dilip Kumar gave 2 golden jubilee hits, one was Shakti in 1982 and the other was Karma in 1986.
Shakti had Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bachan, Rakhee, Smita Patil, Amrish Puri in lead roles. The film was directed by Ramesh Sippy. Karma had Dilip Kumar, Nutan, Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Naseeruddin Shah, Anupam Kher in lead roles. Subhash Ghai directed the film and Laxmikant Pyarellal composed music of the film.
So in a career of Dilip Kumar of 62 films, more than 25 films ending up as diamond jubilee, platinum jubilee, golden jubilee and silver jubilee is incomparable. India is indebted to Tragedy King for the business he gave over last 80 years. Only the record of Showman Raj Kapoor and in Bengal industry Mahanayak Uttam Kumar can come close to Dilip Kumar. Dilip Kumar always remained a phenomenon.
Filmlovers wish happy birth anniversary to handsome macho star Dharmenderji
The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birth anniversary to Dharmender on 8th December, 2025. He is one of the living legends of bollywood. In 2011, he acted in the film Yaamla Pagla Diwana with Bobby Deol and Sunny Deol, and the film did excellent business. But he promoted his daughter Esha Deol’s film in the later part of 2011, which did mediocre business. In 2013 he acted in the film Yaamla Pagla Deewana 2, with sons Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol.
He had acted in more than 300 films and bollywood industry was heavily dependent on the star in the 60s and 70s. He started his journey with romantic films. His successful romantic films included Phool Aur Pathar with Meena Kumari, Mamta with Suchitra Sen, Mere Humdum Mere Dost with Sharmila Tagore, Aye Din Bahar Ke with Asha Parekh, Pyar Hi Pyar with Vaijayantimala, to name a few. Rafi’s songs picturized on Dharmender like “gar tum bhula na doge,” “ na ja kahin ab na ja”, “o majhi chal”, “dil kahen ruk ja”, “aaj mausam bara beimaan hai”, etc., had remained evergreen gems. His combination with legendary singer Mohammad Rafi was evergreen. As he acted in the production and direction of different legends in the 60s, including Bimal Roy, Chetan Anand, Asit Sen, etc., he gave lips in the songs of Rafi composed by different composers. Some of the examples include “aap ke haseen rukh” composed by OP Nayyar in the film Baharen Phir Bhi Ayegi, “dekha hai teri ankhome” composed by Shankar Jaikishan in the film Pyar hi Pyar, “chalkaye jam” composed by Laxmikant Pyarellal in the film Mere Humdum Mere Dost, “tere paas aake” composed by Ravi in the film Aankhe, “in baharon me akela na phiro” composed by Roshan in the film Mamta, to name a few.
He played a different innings in the 70s. His image of action hero created revolution in bollywood films. He had a very muscular physic and created a trend of actors who involved themselves in exercises. His discipline had been followed by the actors of the next generation like Sunny Deol, Sanjay Dutt, Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan and others. His successful films in the 70s included Jheel Ke Us Paar, Jugnu, Sholay, Dream Girl, etc.
His combination with Hema Malini is considered as one of the most colourful onscreen combination after Raj Kapoor Nargis and Dilip Kumar Vaijayantimala. Dharmender had acted in more than 20 films with Hema Malini, most of which were super hit. The most renowned films included Raja Jani, Naya Zamana, Sholay, Charas, Seeta Aur Geeta, Burning Train, Dream Girl, etc.
Dharmender acted in off-beat films as well. The best example was Gulzar’s Kinara. He was the husband of Hema Malini in the film who was a noted classical dancer. He was killed due to an accident with the car of Jeetender in the film. Bhupinder Singh’s song picturised on Dharmender titled “ek hi khwab kai baar dekha hai maine” remains as one of the greatest off-beat creations of RD Burman. His performance in the film Maa, based on the life of elephant requires special mention. He took a young elephant away from his mother to use him in Circus. The mother elephant revolted and killed Dharmender’s mother Nirupa Roy in the film. Dharmender’s patent dialogue “maa kasam”, “kamine”, etc., were memorized by youths of the 70s.
Both his sons Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol are successful actors of bollywood films. Dharmender still has acting left in him and the viewers expect him to carry on the marathon innings that he had started 50 years back.
Happy birthday to Sharmila Tagoreji the romantic star of Indian films
The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to legendary actress Sharmila Tagoreji on 8th December 2025. Her hit films like Kashmir Ki Kali opposite Shammi Kapoorji, Waqt opposite Shashi Kapoorji, Amanush, Anand Ashram opposite Uttam Kumarji, Mausam opposite Sanjeev Kumarji are still remembered by her admirers.
Dharmender and Sharmila Tagore had acted in many bollywood films together and in most of the cases the films had become extremely successful. Their film Mere Humdum Mere Dost became hit mainly due to the melodious music composed by LP in the film. Rafi’s songs like “na ja, kahin ab na ja”, “hui shaam unka”, etc. became landmark hits in the late 60s.
They did very well in the film Satyakam directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Dharmender played the role of an engineer who came to know the crude reality relating to the corruption in the relative sector. He married Sharmila Tagore whose modesty was outraged and there was nobody to marry. Dhamender received the acclaimation of critics for his good performance in the film.
Both of them showed their comedy skills in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s film Chupke Chupke which was the remake of Uttam Kumar’s film Chodobeshi. Dharmender was a Professor of Botany who pretended to be the driver of Om Prakash and ran away with Sharmila. Big B was asked the play the role of the Professor of Botany and he did the acting to perfection and got ultimately engaged with Jaya Bacchan and got married to her. SD Burman’s music was successful with songs like “ab ke sajan”, “chupke chupke” sung by Lata and “saregama” sung by Rafi and Kishore.
Both of them did well in the film Yakeen, where again the music was excellent. Rafi’s song “gar tum bhula na doge” became big hit in that age. With the advent of action films Dharmender got involved in big budget films like Sholay, Jugnu, Charas, etc., and Sharmila Tagore concentrated to soft romantic films like Mausam, Dooriyan, etc., with Sanjeev Kumar, Uttam Kumar and others.
Yet the viewers accepted the pair of Dharmender and Sharmila Tagore both in the soft romantic films and comedy films.
The films should be restored and preserved.
Dharmenderji and Jeetenderji careers were enhanced by superhit Rafisahab songs in combination with LP
Rafisahab shaped the careers of Dharmender and Jeetender in the 1960s where music was by LP.
Rafisahab is remembered on his birth anniversary in December 2021 and death anniversary on 31st July 2021. Laxmikant Pyarellal faced the greatest challenge in establishing their career in Bollywood films in the 1960s. There were a number of reasons for that. Firstly a huge number of legendary composers were dominating Bollywood films in the 1960s ranging from Shankar Jaikishan to Naushad Ali, Madanmohan Kohli to Roshanlal Nagrath, C Ramchandran to OP Nayyar, Salil Choudhury to SD Burman, Vasant Desai to Kalyanji Anandji, to name a few. The list just goes on. Most of these legends were specialists in their own area. LP had to compose music having identity of their own which was very difficult. They faced the acid test in the early 1960s and late 1960s and became famous. Rafi Sahab was one of the biggest contributors in the careers of LP in the 1960s. The article speaks about the contribution of Dharmender, LP and Rafi Sahab and also Jeetender, LP and Rafi Sahab in the 1960s.
Here is the list of the films in which LP composed music in the 1960s.
1963
1. Harischandra Taramati 2. Parasmani
1964
3. Aaya Toofan 4. Dosti 5. Mr X In Bombay
6. Sant Gyaneshwar
7. Sati Savitri
1965
8. Boxer
9. Hum Sub Chor Hain
10. Lootera
11. Shriman Funtoosh
1966
12. Aasra
13. Aaye Din Bahar Ke
14. Chhota Bhai
15. Daaku Mangal Singh
16. Dillagi
17. Laadla
18. Mere Lal
19. Naag Mandir
20. Pyar Kiye Ja
21. Sau Saal Baad
1967
22. Anita
23. Chhaila Babu
24. Duniya Nachegi
25. Farz
26. Jaal
27. Milan
28. Milan Ki Raat
29. Night In London
30. Patthar Ke Sanam
31. Shagird
32. Taqdeer
1968
33. Baharon Ki Manzil
34. Izzat
35. Mere Hamdam Mere Dost
36. Raja Aur Rank
37. Sadhu Aur Shaitaan
38. Spy In Rome
1969
39. Aansoo Ban Gaye Phool
40. Anjana
41. Aaya Sawan Jhoom Ke
42. Dharti Kahe Pukar Ke
43. Do Bhai
44. Do Raaste
45. Inteqaam
46. Jeene Ki Raah
47. Jigri Dost
48. Madhavi
49. Mera Dost
50. Meri Bhabhi
51. Pyaasi Sham
52. Saajan
53. Satyakam
54. Shart
55. Wapas
1970
56. Aan Milo Sajna
57. Abhinetri
58. Bachpan
59. Darpan
60. Devi
61. Himmat
62. Humjoli
63. Jawab
64. Jeevan Mrityu
65. Khilona
66. Maa Aur Mamta
67. Man Ki Aankhen
68. Mastana
69. Pushpanjali
70. Sharafat
71. Suhana Safar
LP and Rafi Sahab combination stormed Bollywood with the films Parasmani in 1963 and Dosti in 1964. Rafisahab’s songs “wo jab yaad aye” in Parasmani and songs “chahunga mai tujhe”, “rahi manwa dukhki chinta”, “janewalon zara”, etc. in Dosti rocked Bollywood. LP received the first filmfare award in 1964 for their composition of music in the film Dosti.
For Dharmender LP composed music in 1966 in the film Aye Din Bahaar Ke. Rafi Sahab’s song “mere dushman” became smash hit. In 1967, LP composed music in the film Farz of Jeetender. All the songs of Rafi Sahab like “mast baharon ka mai aashiq”, “tumse o haseena”, “baar baar din ye aye” became smash hits.
In 1968, LP composed music in Dharmender’s films Baharon Ki Manzil, Mere Humdum Mere Dost and Izzat. In the film Izzat, Rafi Sahab’s song “loote dil pe diya jalta nahi hum kya karen” was a masterpiece. Mere Humdum Mere Dost had super hit songs of Rafi Sahab including “najaa kahin ab na jaa”, “chalkaye jam”, “huyi sham unka”, to name a few. In Baharon Ki Manzil all the songs were sung by Lata as they were picturized on Meena Kumari.
In 1969, LP composed music in Dharmender’s films Satyakam and Aya Sawaan Jhumke. Rafi Sahab’s songs like “majhi chal”, “awa sawan jhumke”, and other songs became super hit. LP composed music in 1969 in Jeetender’s films Jeene Ki Raah, Dharte Kahen Pukarke and Jigri Dost. All the films became super hit. One of the reasons for the success included the splendid music. Rafi Sahab’s songs in Dharti Kahe Pukarke included the title song “dharti kahe pukarke”. Jigri Dost had fast numbers of Rafi Sahab like “mere desh me pawan chale purwayi”, “raat suhaani jag rahi hai”, “dil me kya hai”, “phool hai baharon ka”, to name a few. Jeene Ki Raah fetched LP the other filmfare award in 1969. Rafi Sahab’s were smash hits like “aane se uski aye bahar”, “aa mere humjoli aa”, “ek banjara hai”, ‘chanda ko dhundte” to name a few.
In 1970, LP composed music in Dharmender’s film Jeevan Mrityu. Rafi Sahab’s song “jhilmil sitaron ka aangan hoga” became a runaway hit. LP composed music in Jeetender’s films Humjoli, Himmat and Jawab. Rafi Sahab’s songs in the film Humjoli became bumper hit like “dhal gaye din”, “tik tik tik”, “haye re haye”, “chal shuru ho ja”, to name a few. All the songs of Himmat became bumper hit like “hai shukr kit u hai ladka”, “maan jayiye maan jaiye”, “das gayi nagin ki zulf teri”, to name a few. In Jawab, both of Rafisahab’s songs “chali kahan hansti gaati” and “kis karan jogan jog liya” became hit.
By the early 1970s LP emerged as a leading composer in Bollywood music. So they started composing music in the films of Rishi Kapoor, Sanjeev Kumar, Shashi Kapoor and every prominent stars of the 1970s and 1980s. But their launching pad was made with the combination of Rafi Sahab in the films of Dharmender and Jeetender. All these songs and films should be restored.
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