Curious Case: By Radhika Bhirani

Radhika Bhirani rbhirani@gmail.com ~~~ The thought of some people makes you happy, or melancholic, or angry or cringy. And then there are those whose 'khayal' makes you smile... from the heart. Farooq Sheikh is one. Note the 'is' instead of 'was'. For the simple reason, fans would agree, that even in his absence, his presence is felt with a mere thought. His smile. Genuine, enigmatic, radiant, candid and amiable. Just as he was. "I have no 'akal' and no 'taakat' to make my own films," he told me in 2011, during one of my two short interactions with him. It's one of my regrets. Not having had enough chances to speak to an actor who had everything likeable about him -- on and off screen. His candour, his tameez and tehzeeb, are aspects that live on through memories valued by fellow journalists, film fraternity members and fans. I, for one, am always reminded of his one of a kind, matter-of-fact tone when he told me that Lahore, a fil...

Radhika Bhirani rbhirani@gmail.com ~~~ "Allah Miya Umar Daraz Kare". "Allah Hifazat Se Rakhe". These are Saira Bano's everyday prayers for Muhammed Yusuf Khan, her ailing husband, Indian cinema's 'Kohinoor', 'Tragedy King' Dilip Kumar, who has turned 98 today.  For years, Dilip Kumar's birthday was never about lavish celebrations. It meant an open door to their house. Friends, family members, and even fans would come impromptu, with flowers, garlands and tokens of love. The whole house would be lit up. It But ever since his health went downhill, with his restricted movement and diet, restrictions on any other engagements have been inevitable. This year, he has not been keeping too well. Saira-ji is herself not well. The family is going through a tough time. They lost Dilip Kumar's two brothers to the dreaded Covid-19. There's no question of celebrations. "We will simply thank the Lord for the gift of life and health," Sa...

Radhika Bhirani rbhirani@gmail.com ~~~ There's a lot you learn at school, but some of life's best lessons are, perhaps, learnt outside of school. For Pavail Gulati, the actor whom many recognise as the "Thappad guy", it was a qissa of getting slapped by a school mate, slapping her back, getting slapped again, slapping her once more, and an ensuing apology, that turned into a life-long lesson about why a 'thappad' isn't the answer to anything in life. "I have never been the one to get into fights, anytime in my life," Pavail had told me one afternoon over a phone chat after Thappad, his maiden film as a male lead, released in February, to a largely positive response. The Anubhav Sinha directorial, starring Taapsee Pannu, was a consciousness-raising effort which raised questions that matter. And should have always mattered. About deep-rooted misogyny, patriarchal norms, male entitlement, women's conditioning and about raising a hand at someone,...