Author: Madhuri Prabhu

Between the noise of numbers and the silence of creation, Ishhan Dhawan has always chosen the latter. In an exclusive tête-à-tête with Cutting Shots, the actor opens up about his journey, his boundaries, and the quiet truths that shape his art. Fresh off Doree 2, Ishhan Dhawan is in no rush to chase the next big thing. “You give everything, and it drains you,” he tells me, owning the pause like a quiet flex. This isn’t burnout; it’s a reset. A moment to delete the residue, erase what no longer belongs, and return to who you truly are. He is…

In an exclusive chat with Cutting Shots, Rahul Dev reflects on his journey from outsider to industry veteran. He also opens up on working with Rajamouli, surviving Bollywood’s chaos, and embracing conviction in a changing creative landscape. No launchpad. No godfather. Just decades of hustle. On screen, he has played warriors, villains, and dads with swag. But Rahul Dev’s real superpower? Conviction. He has been in the industry since before streaming was a thing, and he’s still serving. In an exclusive interview with Cutting Shots, Rahul Dev throws truth bombs on the grind, the grace, and why you can’t fake your…

Before bidding goodbye to 2024, we list down 12 of our favourite Hindi film songs from this year which ruled our music playlist. Recently while scrolling through Pinterest, I came across a quote by Georgia Kates which read- ‘Music is what feelings sound like.’ Well, isn’t she on point? Be it connecting with your emotions or expressing yourself, there’s no better instrument than music/songs! Speaking about Hindi film songs, the year 2024 was quite a mixed bag for listeners. You had the classic case of old wine in a new bottle with makers revamping old chartbusters for their films. At…

From pulling off intense scenes to what it takes to create a successful chemistry on screen, Shakti Arora, in an exclusive tête-à-tête with Cutting Shots, gets candid about his craft and much more. “The one thing I learned is that the camera loves you when you are yourself.”                                                                                                        …

From reflecting upon his journey in showbiz to giving us a peek into how he brings his characters to life on screen, Rajeev Siddhartha gets chatty in an exclusive conversation with Cutting Shots. As Bala, the vengeful assassin in Abhinay Deo’s 24 (2016), Rajeev Siddhartha literally proved that he is here to ‘slay’. In a course of time, he build his acting resume with shows like Romil & Jugal, Four More Shots!, Marzi, Hundred, Aashram, amongst others. This year, he ‘whipped’ up a delicious performance in the Zee5 film Love Sitara, followed by a slimy act in Jio Cinema’s crime…

Rekha, in a throwback interview, shared fond memories of filming ‘Saare Niyam Tod Do’ song for Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Khubsoorat. Late filmmaker Hrishikesh Mukherjee was one of the few storytellers whose movies steered away from masala clichéd troupes and violence, and yet managed to tick all the boxes when speaking about entertaining the audience. No wonder, many directors in today’s age often seek inspiration from his works when they make a slice-of-life film. Among the many gems that Hrishi da directed, who can forget his 1980 comedy drama, Khubsoorat, starring Rekha, Rakesh Roshan, Ashok Kumar and Dina Pathak? Rekha’s rock-solid performance…

Devara Part-1 movie review: Koratala Siva’s ambitious idea fails to translate effectively on the big screen in this Jr NTR-Saif Ali Khan starrer. Cast: Jr NTR, Saif Ali Khan, Janhvi Kapoor, Shine Tom Chacko, Prakash Raj, Srikanth, Ajay, Shruti Marathe, Zarina Wahab Director: Koratala Siva Writers: Koratala Siva There is a ‘superhero’ scene in Devara Part-1 where a bunch of men try to stop Devara (Jr NTR) from pushing a container truck, filled with ammunition, off the cliff, but our man manages to achieve the ‘explosive’ feat. This is somewhat the literal representation of Koratala Siva’s latest action drama. Here, the…

Lakshmi Manchu, in an exclusive tête-à-tête with Cutting Shots, shows us why she stands out from the crowd. “The world’s prerogative is to say no. How you are going to say yes to yourself is only up to you,” Lakshmi Manchu tells me when I ask her about how she sails through opinions and judgements that crosses her way. As someone who believes that being yourself is the most real thing, expect no sugar-coated confessions here! Excerpts- Q. After completing your UG in acting, you moved to LA to sharpen your skills further at Beverley Hills Playschool, where you believe…

Farida Jalal recalled how Gulzar would often ask her to cut down on glamour on the sets of their 1975 film, Khushboo. Hear the film name, Khushboo, and immediately, Kishore Kumar’s haunting ‘O manjhi re, apna kinara’ song flashes through your mind! The Gulzar-directorial, based on Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s popular novel, ‘Panditmashai’ dropped a surprise for the audience when it released as it presented the film’s lead pair- Jeetendra and Hema Malini in a deglamorized avatar. Be it the bespectacled Jeetendra or Hema ditching her bonnet hairstyle and glamorous outfits for non-coiffed hair and cotton saris, the film’s director Gulzar made…

Tanuj Virwani, in an exclusive conversation with Cutting Shots, breaks down how he it all comes together for him when changing skins for his characters on screen. Further, he also unpacks more; from his only ‘regret’ about his last theatrical release, Yodha to spilling the beans about the person who is his harshest critic. “Game badalna toh meri fitrat mein hain.” Remember Vayu Raghavan aka Tanuj Virwani’s famous dialogue from Amazon Prime’s Emmy-nominated series, Inside Edge? Off screen too, the actor refuses to let the knockdowns in his life define him. “I know there will be many more ups and downs…