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Encyclopedia

On This Day

01 Oct, 1906

Cinemaazi remembers S D Burman on his birth anniversary

01 Oct, 1919

Cinemaazi remembers Majrooh Sultanpuri on his birth anniversary

01 Oct, 1924

Cinemaazi remembers Nasir Khan on his birth anniversary

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17May

17 May 2009

Cinemaazi remembers Prakash Mehra on his death anniversary

Prakash Mehra changed the face of 70s Hindi cinema with the angry young man hit Zanjeer (1973). He went on to form a hugely successful partnership with Amitabh Bachchan, resulting in some of the latter's most memorable roles. Today is the director's death anniversary. Image source: Bollywood Direct

17 May 2000

Cinemaazi remembers Sajjan on his death anniversary

Initially starting off as a lead actor in films like Saiyan (1951), Sajjan soon transitioned to character roles. Carving out an impressive career in cinema, he is also remembered for his role as Betaal in the television series Vikram Aur Betaal. Today is his death anniversary.

17 May 1953

Cinemaazi remembers Preeti Ganguly on her birth anniversary

Perhaps best remembered for her comic role as Freny Sethna, the ardent Amitabh Bachchan fan in Khatta Meetha (1978), actress Preeti Ganguly acted in around 30 films in the course of her career. These include Dhuen Ki Lakeer (1974), Khel Khel Mein (1975), Ballika Badhu(1976), Khatta Meetha (1978), Aahuti (1978), Chor Ke Ghar Chor (1978), Thodisi Bewafai (1980), Kranti (1981), etc.

17 May 1952

Cinemaazi remembers Shyam Ramsay on his birth anniversary

Of the seven Ramsay brothers, it fell on Shyam Ramsay's shoulders to direct most of their horror spectacles. The low-brow horror-comedy aesthetics of their films worked marvelously, as evidenced by the stupendous success of their Purana Mandir (1984).

17 May 1951

Cinemaazi remembers Pankaj Udhas on his birth anniversary

Synonymous with the heartstring-tugging song Chitthi aayee hai from the film Naam (1986) most popular with NRIs across the world, ghazal and playback singer Pankaj Udhas has carved a career marked by several high notes, including being honoured with the Padma Shri for his contribution to ghazal singing.

17 May 1937

Cinemaazi remembers Chitra on her birth anniversary

Star of fantasy and stunt films of the 50s and 60s, Chitra had start working at an early age to support her family. An immensely hard worker, she never got her proper recognition in the industry due to a mismanaged career. Today is her birth anniversary.

16May

16 May 1994

Cinemaazi remembers Phani Majumdar on his death anniversary

Prolific and innovative, Hindi and Bengali film director and screenwriter Phani Majumdar is known for his films such as Street Singer (1938) starring K L Saigal, Aarti (1962) and Oonche Log (1965). Interestingly, he also made the film Hang Tuah (1955) in Malay, which was nominated for the Golden Bear at the 7th Berlin International Film Festival.

16 May 1940

Cinemaazi remembers Himanshu Rai on his death anniversary

Born in an affluent Bengali family in Cuttack, Himanshu Rai did his schooling in Shantiniketan, followed by an education in law in Calcutta. While he was in London as a young aspiring barrister, a chance meeting with the playwright and theatre personality Niranjan Pal sparked his interest in acting and filmmaking.

16 May 1926

Cinemaazi remembers Manik Varma on her birth anniversary

Padma Shri Manik Varma was a multi-faceted virtuoso of Indian classical, semi-classical and light music. Born Manik Balwant Dadarkar on 16 May, 1926 she initially trained under Shri Bhope Guruji, followed by stalwarts such as Shri Sureshbabu Mane, Ustad Inayat Khan, Shri Bholanath Bhatt, and Pandit Jagannathbhuva Purohit of the Agra gharana. Image credit: https://gaana.com/artist/manik-varma

15May

15 May 2026

Cinemaazi celebrates the International day of families

Cinemaazi celebrates the International day of families. The worldwide pandemic has brought families together for many weeks, helping people draw strength from one another. On this occasion, we remember Basu Chatterjee’s Khatta Meetha (1978), a story of two families who come to live together involuntarily and end up forming a lifelong bond.

15 May 2005

Cinemaazi remembers Mahipal on his death anniversary

Today is the death anniversary of popular fantasy, mythological and stunt film star Mahipal. He came to everyone's attention as a performing poet, before getting a chance to act in the film Nazrana (1942). At one point Mahipal's fame stretched well beyond the borders of the nation to places in the Middle East and South East Asia as well.

15 May 1967

Cinemaazi wishes Madhuri Dixit a very happy birthday

Cinemaazi wishes the graceful and vivacious dancing star, Madhuri Dixit a very happy birthday. Dixit's rise to superstardom in the late 80s and 90s came at an important juncture of Hindi cinema. Her films played a crucial role in reviving footfalls in cinema halls, and her incredible dancing skills inspired a generation of youngsters to take up the art.

15 May 1922

Cinemaazi remembers Nazir Hussain on his birth anniversary

When one remembers the actor Nazir Hussain, an affectionate, emotional avuncular man doing his best for his family comes to mind immediately. Known for his legendary ability to cry on command, Nazir Hussain was even called “aansuon ka kanastar” (a canister of tears) in the industry.

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