Hindi
Cast & crew of 21 sarfarosh: saragarhi 1897 celebrate army day with the 7th Battalion of sikh regiment of the indian army
MUMBAI: The cast & crew of 21 Sarfarosh: Saragarhi 1897 commemorated the Army day with the Soldiers of Sikh regiment of Indian army. Actors Mohit Raina & Mukul Dev personally took the soldiers of the Sikh regiment on the tour of the set in Aamgaon where the epic battle of Saragarhi is currently being filmed. 21 Sarfarosh: Saragarhi 1897 is a fiction show inspired by the real-life story of 21 brave soldiers of the 36th Sikh regiment of the British Indian Army.
In September 1897, a contingent of 21 soldiers from the 36th Sikh Regiment of the British Indian Army led by Havildar Ishar Singh successfully defended a remote outpost in the North West Frontier Province from an attack by over 10,000 Afghan tribesmen in what has been called one of the bravest last stands in military history. Produced by Contiloe Productions, 21 Sarfarosh:Saragarhi 1897 will be aired on the new entertainment channel Discovery Jeet starting February 12.
Speaking on the occasion Contiloe Pictures, CEO, Abhimanyu Singh said, “We are honored to have the Soldiers of Sikh regiment in our studio on this special day, where the bravest of the country are celebrated. Battle of Saragarhi is considered as one of the bravest day in the Indian history, we salute them in the admiration of their bravery and show gratitude in recognition of their courage.”
Star actor Mohit Raina, added, “It was an absolute delight to host soldiers of the Sikh regiment, along with their families, on the special occasion of the Army day. Playing the role of Havildar Ishar Singh has helped me appreciate the spirit, the ethos of Indian soldier even more than ever before. It is a supreme emotion when an individual elevates his thoughts to such a high that life itself becomes immaterial as he is ready to give it all to the motherland. Our soldiers defy every odd, face every challenge, so that we all can enjoy our lives. I salute this spirit.”
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.
