Shahid Kapoor has spent over two decades in the film industry, evolving from a romantic hero to taking on complex, layered roles. From Udta Punjab to Kabir Singh, he has consistently chosen characters with …
Rajiv Vijayakar
Rajiv Vijayakar
Rajiv Vijayakar is the Entertainment Editor at South Asian Herald. He has been a journalist and critic for over 25 years and was part of the National Film Awards Jury in India in 2011 and 2015. He has authored four books, the latest of which, “Music by Laxmikant Pyarelal,” won the National Award for Best Book on Cinema in 2021. He also was on the 2025 jury for choosing the Indian entry for the Oscars.
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He is basking in the applause and appreciation for The Mehta Boys, with which he starts out as writer, director and (co-)producer. Among the most grounded human beings in showbiz, Boman …
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Bansuri Jab Gaane Lage is Novel and Sublime Ode to a Giant flautist
by Rajiv Vijayakar 6 minutes readAn extraordinary artiste needs an extraordinary presentation for his life-story. Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia has no equal in the field of flute virtuosos and it is not for nothing that he …
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Emergency Provides a Balanced Look at Controversial Figure
by Rajiv Vijayakar 6 minutes readBy leaps and bounds, if India ever had a controversial figurehead, it was only one name. Indira Gandhi. The woman, also responsible for the biggest blot on free India’s history—the …
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Film Review: Azaad Slips Majorly in Vital Second Half
by Rajiv Vijayakar 5 minutes readThis is a film with one illustrious title predecessor (Azaad in the 1950s with Dilip Kumar in the title-role) and one quite successful 1978 film with Dharmendra. But this time, the …
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Retrospective of Mani Ratnam Celebrates “Four Decades of Cinematic Excellence”
by Rajiv Vijayakar 2 minutes readG5A’s Cinema House unveils a retrospective that honors the legendary Mani Ratnam. This meticulously curated celebration marks Mani Ratnam’s four extraordinary decades of storytelling that has redefined the boundaries of …
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Woe and betide! This is the first Hindi release of the year, and it’s a pathetic cinematic exercise on all counts. Fateh means ‘victory’ but the film not only ‘defeats’ the audience sensibilities but …
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Sangeet Maanapmaan (Marathi) is About All-Round Brilliance
by Rajiv Vijayakar 6 minutes readIn Marathi theater, there is a hallowed tradition of ‘sangeet natak’ or musical plays. The tradition goes back over centuries and an eminent member of this elite league was Sangeet Maanapmaan, …
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Hrithik Roshan Hosts Exclusive Party for the Media on His Silver Jubilee
by Rajiv Vijayakar 3 minutes readHrithik Roshan, who once said, “I thought I would just get passing marks. But what I got was much more and it’s growing and scaring me. One fine day I …
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‘Equestrian’ Surprise Highlight of Azaad Trailer Launch
by Rajiv Vijayakar 4 minutes readThe trailer launch event of Azaad, which releases on January 17, had an ‘equestrian’ surprise for all—Ajay Devgn heads the cast along with nephew and debutant Aaman Devgan but neither is …