Sunday, April 26, 2026

Rishi Kapoorji the king of romantic films is remembered on death anniversary

Rishi Kapoor died on 30th April 2020 and shocked the nation. One day ago the country was devastated with death news of talented actor Irfan Khan. Rishi Kapoor suffered from cancer and died at an of 1967. He is alive in his works. The viewers of bollywood films wished happy birthday to Rishi Kapoor on 4th September 2019. He had remained one of the most romantic actors that bollywood had ever produced. He started his career as a child artist in Raj Kapoor’s film Mera Naam Joker in 1971. He stormed bollywood films with his romantic performance in the film Bobby in 1973. The film did great business and Rishi Kapoor received the filmfare award for the best actor for his performance in Bobby. Raj Kapoor as producer and director started a new innings with a new team of Laxmikant Pyarellal as against Shankar Jaikishan after the death of Jaikishan in 1971. LP had huge contribution in the music of the films of Rishi Kapoor for the next ten years. From that time onwards Rishi Kapoor remained one the most romantic actors in bollywood films. His films Amar Akbar Anthony in 1977, Laila Majnu in 1976 and Sargam in 1978 were the greatest musical blockbusters of the 70s. The songs composed by Laxmikant Pyarellal, Jaidev and Madanmohan in these films became everlasting hits. The notable songs of Rafi and Lata in this film included “koel boli”, “parda hai parda”, “dafliwale”, “barbad muhobbat ki dua”, “is reshmi pazeeb”, to name a few. LP received the filmfare award for the best composer for 3 Rishi Kapoor’s films namely Amar Akbar Anthony, Sargam and Karz from 1978 to 1980. Rishi Kapoor’s extraordinary capability of giving lips in these songs separated him from other actors of that era. His films Zamane Ko Dikhana Hai, Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahi and Karz created history. He showed his dancing skills in every type of songs of Rafi and Kishore including “hai aga dushman zamana”, “bacchna aye haseeno”, “dard –e- dil”, “om shanty om”, “puchona yaar kya hua”, to name a few. RD Burman and Laxmikant Pyarellal probably gave their best music to Rishi Kapoor in the 70s and 80s. In the 80s, Rishi Kapoor’s films Duniya, Sitamgar, Saagar, Chandni, Cooli, Naseeb, did fantastic business. He got the opportunity of acting opposite stalwarts in the industry namely Dilip Kumar in Duniya, Dharmender in Sitamgar, Kamal Hassan in Saagar, to name a few. In fact due to presence of Rishi Kapoor, producers and directors created romantic stories during an era when Big B, Vinod Khanna, Shatrughun Sinha dominated bollywood with action films. Even in the 90s, Rishi Kapoor’s films Bol Radha Bol, Damini, etc., were appreciated by the audience. He was successful opposite young actresses like Juhi Chawla, Meenakshi Sheshadri, who were one generation younger than him. He had great contribution in the films of eminent directors like Yash Chopra, Manmohan Desai, Subhash Ghai, Ramesh Sippy, David Dhawan, and others. After the debut of his son Ranbir Kapoor in the film Sawaariya, Rishi Kapoor switched to character roles. In 2009 also Rishi Kapoor did well in films like Dilli 6, Pyar Me Twist, Luck By Chance. He received Star Screen award for the best supporting actor in 2010 for his performance in the film Love Aaj Kal. In 2010 he acted in the films Chintuji and Sadiyaan. 2012 had been an excellent year for Rishi Kapoor. At the beginning of the year he acted in a negative character for the first time in his career in the film Agneepath. The film with hero Hrithik Roshan had done business of more than 125 crores. His other film Housefull 2 with Akshay Kumar had become super hit too. It also had done business of more than 110 crores. He is experimenting with new characters in this part of his career. He received best villain award for his performance in the film Agneepath. In 2013, he had acted in the films Chasme Baddoor and Besharam. In 2015 his performance in the film All is Well was very well appreciated. With his death the 3 generation actors Prithviraj Kapoor, Raj Kapoor and Rishi Kapoor ended. It is an irreparable loss to the industry.

Last year Ajay Devgan's Raid 2 did business of 120 crores in India and 150 crores worldwide

In 5 days Ajay Devgan starrer Raid 2 did business of 100 crores in India and 130 crores worldwide. Raid 2 is a 2025 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Raj Kumar Gupta. The film is a sequel to Raid (2018) and stars Ajay Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh and Vaani Kapoor.[3][4] Set 7 years after the events of the first film, it follows the return of IRS officer Amay Patnaik (Devgn), who tracks another white-collar crime. Like the previous film, the sequel is also based on the income-tax raid conducted by the officers of Income Tax Department who work with intelligence agencies to track white-collar crimes. The film was announced in April 2020.[5] Filming was held in Mumbai, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi in the first half of 2024. Raid 2 was released theatrically on 1 May 2025. Plot Indian Revenue Service Officer Amay Patnaik, an honest and daring officer who has seized over ₹420 crores in his raids, gets transferred for the 74th time to Bhopal, where he tracks another white-collar crime, in the form of Manohar Dhankar alias Dada Manohar Bhai, a corrupt politician on his 75th raid. Later through a series of events and mindful tactics, Amay Patnaik tries to find the black money hidden by Dada Bhai during his raid and gets suspended in the process. Later, after his suspension gets revoked, he continues his raid on Dada Bhai with the help of his Income Tax team. However, Dada Bhai arrives with his local goons to attack Amay but is stopped by his mother who was told the whole truth by Malini to help Amay. Dada Bhai realizes his mistake and surrenders. In the end, Rameshwar Singh alias "Tauji", tries and offers to join hands with Dada Bhai, setting the stage for Raid 3. Cast Ajay Devgn as Amay Patnaik IRS, Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax Riteish Deshmukh as Manohar Dhankar alias Dada Manohar Bhai Vaani Kapoor as Malini Patnaik (Replacing Ileana D'Cruz from the previous film) Rajat Kapoor as Kaul, Chief Commissioner of Income Tax Saurabh Shukla as Rameshwar Singh/"Ramji"/"Tauji" Supriya Pathak as Amma, Dada Manohar Bhai's mother Amit Sial as Lallan Sudheer, Amay's colleague Shruti Pandey as Geeta Devi Brijendra Kala as Vinay Bakaya Yashpal Sharma as Devinder Gehlot Govind Namdev as Kunwar Kuldeep Jayant Rawal as ADC Pritisha Srivastava as Mini Tarun Gehlot as Chhote Navneet Ranag as Mahant Choudhary Sanjeev Jhori as Ashok Kumar Madhavendra Jha as Vishal Mishra Ashish Gokhale as Ashish Verma Vikram Singh as Karan Yadav Vijay Rajoria as Bajaj Sushil Dhaiya as Chief Minister Ankur Sharma as Hawala Operator Vipin Kumar Singh as Abdul Ritika Shrotri as Jaya Umesh Shukla as Parle Chacha Sandeep Kapoor as Puneet Sahani Ayushi Nema as Anita Samayar Singh as Vikram Ghadiyal Avijit Dutt as Lawyer Malani Manoj Shukla as Amay's body double Tamannaah Bhatia (special appearance in the song "Nasha")[6] Jacqueline Fernandez (special appearance in the song "Money Money")[7] Yo Yo Honey Singh (special appearances in the song "Money Money")[7] Production Casting Ajay Devgn reprises his role as Amay Patnaik from the prequel. In January 2024, Riteish Deshmukh joined the cast. [8][9][10] while Vaani Kapoor was cast alongside Devgn, replacing Ileana D'Cruz.[11] Filming Principal photography began on 6 January 2024 and took place in Mumbai, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.[12] The muhurat shot of the film was given by Telugu star Ravi Teja, who headlined the 2024 Telugu remake of Raid.[13] Primary filming wrapped up in April 2024, and patchwork was done by late-May 2024, bringing the film to post-production.[14][15] Director Gupta decided to add two special item numbers before the release of the film after the entire filming was completed in May 2024. The 1st item song with singer-musician Yo Yo Honey Singh and actor Jacqueline Fernandez was filmed in last week of March 2025, while the item song with Tamannaah Bhatia was shot in a Mumbai studio in 1st week of April 2025 over two days, and has been choreographed by Vijay Ganguly.[16][17][18] Soundtrack Raid 2 Soundtrack album by Yo Yo Honey Singh, Amit Trivedi, Rochak Kohli, Sachet–Parampara and White Noise Collectives Released 30 April 2025 Recorded 2024–2025 Genre Feature film soundtrack Length 14:25 Language Hindi Label T-Series External audio audio icon Raid 2 - Full Album on YouTube The film's soundtrack is composed by Yo Yo Honey Singh, Amit Trivedi, Rochak Kohli, Sachet–Parampara and White Noise Collectives while the background score is composed by Amit Trivedi. The first single titled "Nasha" was released on 11 April 2025.[19] The second single titled "Kamle" was released on 16 April 2025.[20] The song "Tumhe Dillagi" was recreation for the film by lyricist Manoj Muntashir and composer Rochak Kohli. Their original were written by Purnam Allahabadi and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and were composed by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.[21] The fourth single titled "Money Money" was released on 22 April 2025.[22] Track listingNo. Title Lyrics Music Singer(s) Length 1. "Nasha" Jaani White Noise Collectives Jasmine Sandlas, Sachet Tandon, Divya Kumar, Sumontho Mukherjee 3:00 2. "Kamle" Kausar Munir Sachet–Parampara Sachet–Parampara 3:52 3. "Tumhe Dillagi" Manoj Muntashir Rochak Kohli Jubin Nautiyal 4:12 4. "Money Money" Yo Yo Honey Singh Yo Yo Honey Singh Yo Yo Honey Singh 3:21 Total length: 14:25 Release Raid 2 was originally slated for a theatrical release in February 2025 but later rescheduled to be release on 1 May 2025, to make use of long weekend of International Labour Day and Maharashtra Day.[23][24][25] The film was released on 1 May 2025.

Sunday, April 19, 2026

Asha Bhosleji sang the maximum duet songs with Rafisahab which is around 903 songs

Versatile legendary singer Asha Bhosle died on 12th April 2026. After a huge history of legendary singing done from 1940s till date she ended the marathon music innings. From Ravi Shankar Sharmaji, OP Nayyarsahab, Shankar Jaikishanji, RD Burmansahab, Bappi Lahiriji and many composers used her versatile voice quality. Asha Bhosleji sang the maximum number of duet songs in her illustrious career with Rafisahab and the number was 903 songs. Mohammed Rafi and Asha Bhosle sang approximately 65+ duets under the musical direction of R.D. Burman. These collaborations, part of over 120 total songs Rafi recorded with Burman, included iconic hits like "O Mere Sona Re" (Teesri Manzil, 1966) and "Chura Liya Hai Tumne" (Yaadon Ki Baaraat, 1973). Key details of their collaborations: Major Hits: "Zulfon Ko Aap Yun Na Sanwara Karo" (Chandan Ka Palna), "Kitna Pyara Wada Hai" (Caravan), and "Chand Mera Dil" (Hum Kisise Kum Naheen). Peak Period: The collaboration flourished in the late 1960s and 1970s, with R.D. Burman often using the pair for romantic and upbeat numbers. Asha Bhosle and Mohammed Rafi sang approximately 89 romantic duets together under the music direction of O.P. Nayyar. These 89 songs represent the vast majority of the 179 male-female duets Nayyar composed in total. They are best known for hits like "Deewana Hua Badal" and "Isharon Isharon Mein". Key details regarding Asha-Rafi-Nayyar duets: Total Duets: They sang ~89 male-female duets. Famous Examples: "Uden Jab Jab Zulfen Teri" (Naya Daur), "Ek Pardesi Mera Dil Leke" (Phagun), "Aap Yun Hi Agar Milte Rahe" (Ek Musafir Ek Haseena), "Deewana Hua Badal" (Kashmir Ki Kali). Style: Their duets are known for being romantic, playful, and often featured in films with the "tanga beat. While Shankar-Jaikishan primarily partnered with Lata Mangeshkar for their main romantic duets with Rafi in the 1960s, they composed a significant number of peppy and romantic duets for Asha Bhosle and Mohammed Rafi, particularly in the 1950s and early 1960s. Their collaboration includes well-known songs from films like Boot Polish (1954), Baap Re Baap (1955), Basant Bahar (1956), and Laat Saab (1964). Key Asha-Rafi duets with Shankar-Jaikishan: Nanhe Munne Bachche (Boot Polish, 1954) Piya Piya Piya Mora Jiya Pukaare (Baap Re Baap, 1955) Mud Mud Ke Na Dekh (Shree 420, 1955) Kar Gaya Re (Basant Bahar, 1956) Aye Chaand Zara Chhup Ja (Laat Saab, 1964) Although they created a lower volume of romantic duets compared to O.P. Nayyar, their collaborations, including many fast-paced and iconic numbers, are considered crucial to the era's musical landscape. Asha Bhosle and Mohammed Rafi recorded approximately 74 duets under the music direction of Laxmikant-Pyarelal. While Asha Bhosle sang nearly 494 songs total for the duo, their collaborative duets spanned films from the 1960s to the 1980s, including popular songs from films like Loafer (1973) and Karz (1980). Total Asha-Rafi Duets with LP: ~74 Total Asha songs with LP: ~494 Total Rafi songs with LP: ~379 Key Examples: "Motiyon Ki Ladi Hoon" (Loafer), "Ek Haseena Thi" (Karz), "Zindagi Ek Natak Hai" (Natak), and "Aisi Waisi Na Samaz Sajana" (Jaani Dushman). Though Lata Mangeshkar-Rafi duets with LP are often highlighted, the Asha-Rafi team was exceptionally prolific under the duo. Madan Mohan and Asha Bhosle recorded a substantial number of duets with Mohammed Rafi, with Asha Bhosle singing in about 43% of Rafi's duets with the composer. While the exact total count varies based on source, the partnership produced popular duets including "Husn Jab Jab Ishq Se Takra Gaya" and "Kabhi Tera Daman Na Chhodenge Hum". Key details regarding Asha Bhosle-Rafi duets under Madan Mohan: Key Songs: "Husn Jab Jab Ishq Se Takra Gaya", "Kabhi Tera Daman Na Chhodenge Hum", and various, largely in the 1960s. Ravi Shankar Sharma ("Ravi") composed a significant number of duets for Mohammed Rafi and Asha Bhosle, with estimations suggesting over 100 duets. Asha Bhosle was Ravi's most prominent female singer, featuring in roughly 50% of his total compositions, and they often collaborated for Ravi-Rafi duets, particularly in films like Ghar Sansar and Pyar Ka Saagar. Key Ravi-Rafi-Asha Duets & Details: Total Composition Volume: Ravi composed around 250 songs for Rafi, with about 42% being duets, many featuring Asha Bhosle. Notable Duets: "Mujhe pyar ki zindagi denewaale" – Pyar Ka Saagar (1961) "Sahar Se Door, Masti Shor Picnic Hali Dilwaloon Ki" – Ghar Sansar (1958) "Haal dil ka sunayen to kaise" – Pyar Ka Sagar (1961) Significance: Ravi's collaboration with Asha and Rafi is highlighted as a "class combination" and often considered a highlight of his melodic, soft-styled compositions. Based on available records, C. Ramchandra composed at least 14 duets featuring Asha Bhosle and Mohammed Rafi together. While C. Ramchandra frequently used Asha Bhosle, his collaborations with Rafi were often in combinations with other singers, or in songs like "Aap ka chehra masha Allah" from Rootha Na Karo (1970). Key Notes on the Collaboration: Asha Bhosle was heavily used by C. Ramchandra (Chitalkar) during the 1950s and 60s. The 14 duets represent a notable, though not the highest, number of combinations compared to his work with Lata Mangeshkar (41 duets) or Shamshad Begum (20 duets). Some songs were featured in films like Rootha Na Karo. Chitragupt composed approximately 140 duets for Mohammad Rafi and Asha Bhosle. Overall, Chitragupt created a significant body of work for Rafi, with around 261 total songs (121 solos, 140 duets), making him one of the most prolific composers for the legendary singer. Key points about their collaboration: Prolific Duets: Chitragupt's duets for Rafi and Asha are considered highly melodic, frequently featuring in his hit soundtracks. High Output: With 140 duets, Chitragupt ranks high among composers who used the Rafi-Asha pairing extensively. Context: While Chitragupt is known for his work with multiple singers, his collaboration with Rafi, especially in romantic duets with Asha Bhosle, is a hallmark of his musical style. Happy birthday to Asha Bhosle. The viewers of bollywood films and listeners of music all across the country wish happy birthday to Asha Bhosle on 8th September, 2025. She had remained a legend of legends in the field of music. She came to limelight in the 70s and 80s and ended up being the most successful female playback singer after Lata Mangeshkar. In the 50s, Asha Bhosle had to face the competition from other singers dominating the bollywood playback industry like Lata Mangeshkar, Shamshad Begum, Noorjahan, Suraiya, Geeta Dutt, Suman Kalyanpur, Sudha Malhotra and many other singers. Asha’s successful songs in the 50s include “mur murke na dekh” composed by Shankar Jaikishan in the film Shree 420, “aiye meherban” composed by OP Nayyar in the film Howrah Bridge, “accha ji mai hari” composed by SD Burman in the film Kala Pani, to name a few. In the 60s, OP Nayyar backed Asha Bhosle, and her duets with Rafi in films like Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon released in 1963, Ek Musafir Ek Haseena released in 1962, Mere Sanam released in 1965, Kashmir Ki Kali in 1964, are considered milestones in Indian film music. Her famous duets with Rafi include “naznee bara rangeen hai wada”, “mai pyar ka rahi hoon”, “isharon isharon”, “diwana hua badal”, “bahut shukriya”, “zulf ki chayon me chehere ka ujala lekar”, etc. Few other composers only reposed their confidence on Asha like Khayyam who made her sing memorable songs in Raj Kapoor’s film Phir Subah Hogi, released in 1958. Ravi had given songs to Asha Bhosle in films like Waqt, Humraaz, Gumraah, etc. Some of her notable songs in those films include “in baharon me in fizayon me”, “wo subah kabhi to ayegi”, etc. Roshanlal Nagrath’s famous qawalli “na to karwaki talaash hai” in Barsaat Ki Raat in 1960 featured Mohammad Rafi, Manna Dey, Asha Bhosle and Sudha Malhotra. Shankar Jaikishan used Asha Bhosle in Rajender Kumar Vaijayantimala starrer Suraj, notably in the song “kaise samjhayun” which was a classical duet song between Mohammad Rafi and Asha Bhosle. The list can go on. In the 70s Asha Bhosle married RD Burman and it changed the career of the premier singer. Her westernized style of singing was used by RD to give her super hit songs like “piya tu ab tu aja” in the film Karwan, “dum maro dum” in the film Hare Rama Hare Krishna, “chura liya” in the film Yaadon Ki Baraat, etc. She sang in almost all the films where RD Burman composed music. Asha Bhosle had sung landmark qawallies opposite Mohd. Rafi like “hum kisi se kum nahi”, in the film Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahi, “pal do pal ka” in the film Burning Train, etc. In the 80s, Asha Bhosle crossed new milestones by showing her skills in singing mujras in the film Umrao Jaan, composed by Khayyam. All the songs in the film including “dil cheez kya hai”, “justju”, etc., were appreciated by the critics. Her song “mera kuch saman” in Gulzar’s film Ijazat showed the versatile class of singing of Asha Bhosle. She received filmfare awards a number of times and she balanced the innovative style of singing of Kishore Kumar with her own innovation. It is not possible to cover the accomplishments of legendary singer Asha Bhosle in a single article as she had sung more than 25000 songs in hindi and other languages. Even her songs “amar din katena”, “aro dure cholo jai” in Uttam Kumar’s Bengali film Choddobeshi composed by Sudhin Dasgupta was worth mentioning. After marrying RD Burman, she had sung a number of Bengali songs composed by RD Burman. She had even sung ghazals with Ghulam Ali. In 2012, she had remained one of the judges of Sony TV Indian Idol 6 Program along with the other judges Anu Malik, Sunidhi Chauhan and Salim Merchant. There also she did a great job. The listeners expect Asha Bhosle to continue the great work she had started more than 50 years back.