Hindi
Celebrate National Youth Day with five captivating youth-centric tales
Mumbai: On National Youth Day, also known as Vivekananda Jayanti (12 January), a United Nations report informs that half of the people on our planet are 30 or younger, and this figure is expected to reach 57 per cent by the end of 2030. This survey itself underscores why the concerns of the youth must be amplified in policy-making and also storytelling. This National Youth Day, watch stories that take you into the heart of the aspirations, challenges, dreams and hopes of the young.
Sir Sir Sarla (teleplay)
This Zee Theatre teleplay is as much a coming-of-age tale about young love as about the clash between fantasy and reality. The story explores the feelings that Sarla, a naive student harbours for her professor. Though professor Palekar and she share an unspoken affinity for each other, the much older professor is unable to come to terms with his own feelings and steers Sarla towards a loveless marriage. The third angle of this story is his other student Phanidhar who admires the professor and resents him for the role he has played in his life by pushing Sarla away. Years later, when the three meet again, suppressed emotions bubble to the surface and Professor Palekar realises to what extent he has meddled with two young lives. Filmed by Suman Mukhopadhyay, this Makrand Deshpande teleplay stars him as the professor with Aahana Kumra, Sanjay Dadhich and Anjum Sharma.
12th Fail (film)
This biographical drama produced, written and directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra is like a huge dollop of inspiration for every young person who is struggling to break the cycle of poverty. Based on Anurag Pathak’s book about Manoj Kumar Sharma who overcame countless setbacks to become an Indian Police Service officer, the film shows how a student from a marginalized section of society manages to succeed. The film stars Vikrant Massey in the title role, alongside Medha Shankar, Anant V Joshi, Anshumaan Pushkar, and Priyanshu Chatterjee. This true story of grit and resilience revolves around not just Manoj but an examination system that is loaded against students from poor backgrounds. That Manoj still manages to crack a tough competitive exam like UPSC shows that the young can achieve any dream if they do not give up.
Jawaan (film)
This massy high-octane action thriller is also a wake up call for the youth as it exhorts them to be aware of ground realities and do something positive for the country. Its protagonist who was born in a jail is named ‘Azaad’ to denote the unconquerable nature of the human spirit. He grows into a man with a mission and brings the nation’s attention to its invisibilized citizens including debt ridden farmers, doctors in under-equipped hospitals among others. He also appeals to citizens to vote for the betterment of the country and its democracy. Much like ‘Rang De Basanti’, this film is a call for change and has struck a chord with the youth of the country.
Directed by Atlee, the film stars Shah Rukh Khan in a double role with Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi.
Dhak Dhak (film)
‘Dhak Dhak’ is a film that feels like a breath of fresh air and is for the young and for the young at heart. Its two young protagonists are dealing with the prospect of a loveless arranged marriage and sexist trolling respectively. A middle-aged homemaker and a grandmother on the other hand are eager to free themselves from the weight of duties and expectations. As these four women from different age groups and social backgrounds ride their motorbikes from New Delhi to the highest mountain pass in the world in Ladakh, they get in touch with their authentic selves. This road movie with a difference shows that dreams can be dreamt and achieved at any age. Directed by Tarun Dudeja and produced by Taapsee Pannu, it stars Ratna Pathak Shah, Dia Mirza, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanjana Sanghi.
Dhumrapaan (Teleplay)
Directed for stage by Akarsh Khurana and filmed by Adhaar Khurana, this Zee Theatre teleplay gives audiences an insight into the suppressed angst and frustrations of young people caught in the grind of a draining corporate career. They meet in the smoking area of their office and air their thoughts over appraisals, interpersonal politics, relationships all the while dealing with their stress, fears and insecurities. The teleplay is a comedy about rat race but also talks about mental health and the manner in which young people cope with the pressures in their professions. It stars Shubhrajyoti Barat, Akarsh Khurana, Sartak Kakkar, Taaruk Raina, Sidharth Kumar, Lisha Bajaj and Ghanshyam Lalsa.
Hindi
Remembering Gyan Sahay, the lens behind film, television and advertising
From a puppet rabbit selling poppadums to Hindi cinema, he framed it all.
MUMBAI: There are careers, and then there are canvases. Gyan Sahay, the veteran cinematographer, director, and producer who passed away on 10 March 2026 in Mumbai, had one of the latter. Over several decades in the Indian film and television industry, he turned lenses, lights, and the occasional puppet rabbit into something approaching art.
A graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, Sahay built his reputation as a director of photography across a career that stretched from the early 1970s all the way to the digital age. He was the kind of craftsman who understood that a well-composed shot is not merely a technical achievement but a quiet act of storytelling.
For most Indians of a certain age, however, Sahay will forever be the man behind the rabbit. His direction of the iconic long-running television commercial for Lijjat Papad, featuring its now-legendary puppet bunny, gave the country one of its most cheerfully persistent advertising images. It was the sort of work that sneaks into the national subconscious and takes up permanent residence.
His big-screen credits as cinematographer include Anokhi Pehchan (1972), Pagli (1974), Pas de Deux (1981), and Hum Farishte Nahin (1988). In 1999, he stepped behind a different kind of camera altogether, making his directorial debut with Sar Ankhon Par, a drama that featured Vikas Bhalla and Shruti Ulfat, with a cameo by Shah Rukh Khan for good measure.
On television, Sahay was particularly prized for his command of multi-camera production setups, a skill that made him a go-to technician for large-scale shows and reality programmes. In an industry that has never been especially patient with complexity, he was the calm hand on the rig.
In later life, Sahay turned teacher. He participated regularly in masterclasses and Digi-Talks, often hosted by organisations such as Bharatiya Chitra Sadhna, sharing hard-won wisdom on cinematography, the comedy of timing in a shot, and the sweeping changes brought by the shift from celluloid to digital. He was also said to have been involved in a project concerning a biographical film on Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy.
Tributes from the film industry poured in following the news of his passing, with colleagues remembering him as a senior cameraman who served as a rare bridge between two entirely different eras of Indian cinema. That is, perhaps, the finest thing one can say of any craftsman: he kept up, and he brought others along with him.
