'I owe a lot to Neil Nitin Mukesh'

After University of Scranton undergraduate engineering students and researchers constructed an Xbox controller that could be used by individuals with motion impairment, they presented the unit to Daniel Sampson (seated). Also pictured (standing, ...

Actor-director Tinnu Anand lives in Madh Island, far away from the madding crowd of Mumbai. The journey to his home is a long one but, once you get there, you fall in love with the place.Rediff.com's Patcy N and photographer Nadisha Daniel were shown into his office which had pictures of Anand working with Satyajit Ray; obviously, these were deeply cherished memories. There were, however, no signs of any of the trophies he has won."I keep them out of the house to scare the crows," he laughed, ...

The unprecendented success of Dharmendra, Sunny and Bobby Deol starrer Yamla Pagla Deewana paved way for a sequel. Only this time, Sangeeth Sivan was roped in to helm the project instead of Samir Karnik, who directed the first film.   With the film opening in theatres today, director Sangeet Sivan talks to Patcy N about his experience on the sets and divulges lesser known facets of the famous Deol trio. Yamla Pagla Deewana was directed by Samir Karnik. How did you come on ...

Jiah Khan, who ended her life by hanging herself in her Juhu flat on June 3, was all of 19 when she made her acting debut in Ram Gopal Varma's Nishabd in 2007. Cast opposite the legend Amitabh Bachchan in her very first film, the then 19-year-old English literature graduate made the industry sit up and take notice of her confidence and raw sex appeal. In a candid conversation with Patcy N around the time her debut film was up for release, Jiah Khan gave us a peek into her life. This is ...

Raima Sen has known late director Rituparno Ghosh since she was 12 years old, and has worked with him in several films. The actress regards him as her mentor and claims that he had a hand in shaping her career. Raima talks to Patcy N about her relationship with the multi-award winning director and what she owes him: I have worked with Rituparno in most of his movies -- Chokher Bali, Antarmahal, Khela, Noukadubi and Sunglass. I last worked with him in Chitrangada (Ghosh's last ...

Nitish Bharadwaj is one of the most successful and recognisable characters on television, thanks to Doordarshan's hugely popular serial Mahabharat and of course his character, Krishna. Bharadwaj, then 23, became an overnight star, and people would touch his feet wherever he went. Twenty five years later, Bharadwaj's life has changed quite substantially. After taking a break from television, he tried movies and then politics, with little success. Today, the actor is directing his first ...

Malayalam superstar Prithviraj may not have scored in his first Hindi film Aiyyaa, but he's ready with his next -- Aurangzeb, co-starring Arjun Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor and Jackie Shroff, and produced by the Yash Raj banner. The actor chats with Patcy N, and tells her about his new film, his plans to shift to Mumbai from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, and why he gets hate mail. Why did you agree to Aurangzeb when you have played a cop many times before? Aurangzeb is my 17th cop movie and I know ...

The popularity of Chhota Bheem among children -- and even adults -- has prompted the makers of the television animation series to make a movie titled Chhota Bheem and the Curse of Damyaan in 2012.  This did so well that it merited a sequel, and so Chhota Bheem and the Throne of Bali releases this Friday.   In the new film, Chhota Bheem and his friends attend the crowning ceremony of the Prince of Bali, Arjun. The kingdom of Bali is captured by the evil Rangda, who arrests the ...

One of the four stories in this week's release Bombay Talkies is directed by Dibaker Banerjee. The other three are directed by Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap and Zoya Akhtar.  Banerjee's story is about a failed man played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who has one last chance to prove to the world -- and most importantly, to his daughter -- that he is worth something. Director of such well received films as Khosla Ka Ghosla (2006) Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008), Love Sex Aur Dhokha ...