Bollywood Roots

Amitabh Bachchan has done a variety of political roles on the silver screen. Be it playing a ghost who contests elections or depicting an Anna Hazare character in Satyagraha or a conscientious media baron who believes in reporting abuse rather than creating it, the actor does not shy away from his political performances.

Be it Mala Sinha, who sacrificed subtlety for melodrama, the ultimate fashion icon Sadhana or 'glam-doll' Saira Banu, the yesteryear divas have always ruled the hearts of the audiences. Watch what their co-stars - Manoj Kumar, the late Shammi Kapoor and the late Dev Anand - have to say about the queens of Bollywood.

Her enigmatic smile lit up the silver screens. An actress far ahead of her times, Nutan Samarth pushed boundaries and chose to play unconventional, pathbreaking roles over the usual ones.

The legacy that the three Anand brothers have created for the Hindi film industry is one to look upto. Chetan Anand, Dev Anand and Vijay Anand - the Indian cinema geniuses gave the industry a wealth of talent in the form of S D Burman, Sahir Ludhianvi, Zeenat Aman and others. Watch what cinematographer Baba Azmi, author Sidharth Bhatia and other film historians have to say about the unstoppable Anands as we pay tribute to them.

From intense roles in Khilona, Koshish and Aandhi to comic roles in Angoor and Seeta aur Geeta, Sanjeev Kumar, time and again, proved that with the range and variety he had, he was one of a kind. The National Award winner never shied away from doing 'old age' roles, be it the 'Thakur' of Sholay or 'R K Gupta' of Trishool. Watch Ketan Desai, Rauf Ahmed and other filmmakers and critics giving him a befitting tribute.

Be it C I D, Pyaasa, Chaudhvi Ka Chand, Guide, Prem Pujaari, Reshma aur Shera or the more recent Delhi 6, Waheeda Rehman has always been the epitome of beauty, grace and talent. The National Award winner owns the rarity of eyes that speak. A trained Bharatnatyam dancer, the actress has a natural gift of expression. Watch what critics Shubhra Gupta and Ziya Us Salam have to say about the Chaudhvi Ka Chaand of vintage Indian cinema.

NDTV traces the musical journey of Ravi who has left behind a treasure trove of melodies.

Expressive eyes, bewitching smile and subtle gestures - all this define the beauty of the late actress Suchitra Sen. Called 'The Greta Garbo' of the Indian cinema by filmmaker Gautam Ghose, there was something to her, that even after going into recluse in the mid-seventies, her memories are still fresh. We remember the late actress.

RD Burman and AR Rahman have not been geniuses in a particular genre but are masters of every game. They were not bound by geographies. The world was theirs and the world would listen to them.

One of the prominent faces of meaningful cinema of the 1970s, veteran actor Farooq Sheikh, who died on December 27, 2013 following a massive heart attack, made people laugh and cry with his portrayal of emotions onscreen. Here is a look at the actor's cinematic journey.