The Pink Bee

Bhupinder Singh

2012-01-21T22:40:00.000+05:30

Bhupinder is a musician and a singer. He was never top of the heap as a singer, his voice was kind of heavy as if someone was singing though a cold. Indian voices are preferred sweet, especially for playback singing. He was the best guitarist in India at one time. He has provided the guitar sounds for such songs as Dum maro dum and Chura liya hai tumne jo dil ko.

According to wikipedia he used to play violin and guitar over Doordarshan. It was Madan Mohan who heard him and offered him a song in Haqeeqat. He provided music to some songs and sung some songs for Gulzar's movies.

During the 80s when Jagjit Singh spearheaded a ghazal wave, he also cut a few ghazal albums with his wife Mitali. He was seen again on Doordarshan in the typical 'ghazal' uniform of kurta pajama with a shawl slung by his side, his pretty wife beside him, singing ghazals. We don't see much of him now, but I still have fond memories of the lovely songs he sang. Here goes my tribute to his unusual singer.

1. Hoke Majboor Mujhe: This is the song that started it all. He even played a small part in this movie, he was slim and handsome then. This lovely Kaifi Azmi/Madan Mohan song has many singers, wait till you get to Bhupinder.

2. Kisi Nazar ko tera : What a lovely song from the movie Aitbaar. Also an excuse for looking at the lovely Ms. Dimple Kapadia.

3. There is nothing like Gulzar's poetry, the images it invokes, the words he uses. Wow. Bhupinder's voice is as unusual as his poetry, no wonder they produced so many good songs together. The beautiful music is by Jaidev.

4. Dil dhoondta hai : Gulzar-Madan Mohan-Bhupinder-Lata. This song is pure magic.

Dil dhoondta hai phir wohi fursat ke raat din

Baithe rahe tasavure jaana kiye hue.

Gulzar picked up the lovely sher from Ghalib and added his own lyrics to create this magical song.

5. Jaane yeh mujhko kya ho raha hai: Ek baar Phir is not very well known I am afraid, but it was a lovely little movie starring Pradeep Kishan (who?), Deepti Naval and Suersh Oberoi. Music by Raghunath Seth, with lots of guitar, maybe by Bhupinder.

6. Do diwane shehar me: Runa Laila teams up with Bhupinder for this rollicking song. It has a sad version too, but I love love love this song.

7. All these songs are great, amazing, wonderful. But my most favorite Bhupinder is this. It is a beautiful nightclub song to die for. Music is by Khayyam. Lyrics by none other than Kaifi Azmi. Bhupinder plays the guitar and sings for us, onscreen too. Enjoy!

Rut jawan jawan, raat meherban

chedo koi dastaan

Dev Anand will live forever in our hearts

2011-12-04T21:32:00.001+05:30

I think I have always been a Dev Anand fan. His effervescence spilled out from the screen and affected you. While going over my friend Pamir Harvey's post on Dev Anand's screen jodis I realised that there was hardly a heroine that did not look good with him. In fact, I can't think of any girl that did not look good by his side. He was so charming, he looked so in love with his leading lady that she looked like 'the one' for him.

He was so handsome, so urbane looking that is almost incredible how he managed to pull off being a poor guide in the city of Jaipur in Guide. Even more amazing is his performance as a crook with no compunctions in Jaal. It is a movie that deserves to be found and restored. The song "Yeh raat yeh Chandni phir Kahan" is one of the best 10 songs from Hindi films.

Dev Anand has been in so many pathbreaking, trendsetting films. Baazi was the first film to bring a hollywood style thriller genre to bollywood. Jewel Thief and Johnny Mera Naam and Gambler were stylish films that wowed audiences. Who can forget Hare Rama Hare Krishna? Several of his later films like Yeh Gulistan Hamara, Ishq Ishq Ishq, Prem Shastra and parts of Gambler, were shot in North Eastern part of India. Heera Panna was a road movie with Heera and Panna zipping through countryside in a car. The story of his movies in 70s were often odd and unusual. He is nearly in an incestous relationship in both Ishq Ishq Ishq and Prem Shastra. These movies were not too good, but different from the loud stuff that was being trotted out in the 70s.

Dev has been in so many wonderful films that it is not possible to forget him. His handsome looks, unparalleled screen presence and incredible talent ensures that he stays among the top 5 actors of all times.

How to say Goodbye in Japanese

2011-12-02T07:16:00.001+05:30

Years and years ago, I visited Mahabalipuram with my parents. We ran into a guide there who claimed to be able to say 'goodbye' in 10 different languages. It was no mean feat, considering that in those days (early 70s) there were not as many tourists as there are in these days. He rattled off the word in various languages, I managed to recognize one, Sayonara. That was because of this song from Love in Tokyo.

The word Sayonara is so lyrical and sweet, it slips off your tongue like syrup. Imagine the same scene in Germany with Asha Parekh singing:

Auf weidersehen, auf weidersehen, vada nibhaongi, auf weidersehen,
ithlati aur balkhati, kal phir aaongi auf weidersehen.

Doesn't work eh?

Something New Something Old

2011-11-16T23:15:00.001+05:30

My blog template just got a nice touch. The bees in the blog, previously yellow, are now pink. My favicon is now a little pink bee, just like the name of the blog. A big Thank You to Mr. Hell. My nephew and designer extraordinaire. His net address is http://ohellyeah.net in case anyone wants to get in touch with him. This is what is new with my blog.

Now here is something old. A beautiful song featuring the lovely Mumtaz, one of her very early appearences, from the movie Rustom Sohrab. She looks so fresh and pretty and woos the smitten Premnath so sweetly. A song to savour.

Mausam - Love in 2011

2011-09-24T15:51:00.000+05:30

Mausam starts wonderfully. Aayat (Sonam) arrives from strife torn Kashmir to sadda pind Mallekot where Muslims and Hindus live in harmony, to stay with her aunt, wife of the local baker. The local rake, Harry urf Harinder Singh (Shahid Kapur), likes to race trains and make it through the unmanned railway crossing just before the train does. He awaits his joining letter from Air Force, and is content to hang out with his friends, and helping out with the preparations for his sister's wedding. He falls for Aayat, and just before they get to confess their love for each other formally, she leaves. But not before his sister gets married, Punjabi fashion, with the rocking Sajh dhaj ke tashan me rehna, to which both Mika and Shahid do full justice.

All ye people who go to watch Mausam despite my review, would do well to enjoy the amazing song to the full, because this is where the fun ends. Up to this part, everything is nearly perfect. I love the authentic feel of the punjabi culture, the language, the ambience, everything up to this point.

Ok, so next stop Edinburgh. Aayat is selling tickets to a Mozart concert on the streets of Edinburgh, when she runs into Harry again. This time, they are older, and slightly more forward. Things are slow, but yet sweet. Just when Harry is supposed to come to her house to ask for her hand formally, he has to leave because of Kargil war.

And so on and so forth, they keep missing each other sporadically till the audience falls into a stupor. There are some stand alone scenes that are good, but generally everything is so soporific, that you know the movie is beyond redeeming. A pity, because the first hour or so is so wonderful and so full of promise.

I really don't know whether I should recommend the movie or not. I shouldn't, but the first part is definately worth a look.

Such a pity, such a pity.

Bol - Complicated

2011-09-03T19:24:00.001+05:30

Bol is a good movie, and like all good movies, it gets watched more closely. It's faults gets picked on, it is torn apart. This happens even more if the movie is trying to make a point.

Bol piles all that is wrong with Pakistani society on the conservative attitude of people like Hakim Sahib (Manzar Sehbai). Hakim wants a male child, and does not stop trying after years and years of begetting girls. It's his eldest, Zainub (Humaima Malik) that causes him a lot of woe, because she is outspoken, and refuses to take anything silently. As the movie opens, the Hakim finds his wife has given birth to a hermaphrodite. He is filled with disgust and wants to kill the child. On the other hand, he is disgusted when a hijra lands up at his doorstep with an offer to buy the baby. It is precisely this widely differing reaction of the Hakim that makes the movie complicated. He will kill with his hands, but will not sell.

He stifles his wife and daughters with his dictatorial ways. They are not allowed to ever step out of the house. Their window to the world is via their next door neighbours, Mustafa (Atif) and his family, who are endlessly kind to the girls and their mother. It is when they try to rebel, that their world falls apart, a series of tragedies strike them. Hakim Sahib tries to stem the downward spiral but takes them further down till they hit rock bottom.

Zainub, the rebel ringleader harps on about how so many children has made them poorer, pointing out the neighbours who are educating their children and are well off because they have only two. However, for all her blasting away at hypocrisy, she keeps quiet and actually aids her father when he is being blackmailed for killing his son. Why? Because she was afraid she and her family would die of hunger if the father was put away? Hakim Sahib himself oscillates from moral high to the pits as he tries to keep his beliefs intact while his poverty makes him do things he never would.

The sop to the politicians at the end of the film was disgusting, the harping on 'fewer girls' was annoying. Hakim Sahib's conservative attitude and hypocrisy are faults, but with time, such attitude does get watered down. The acting was first rate all round, the ambience of the movie was perfect. The cloistered haveli is a perfect setting for Hakim Sahibs family. I liked the way one of the girls jump the wall on the roof to escape via the good neighbours house. The story of the hermaphrodite son Saif Ullah was very touching. The episode where he is caught dressing in woman's clothes by his sisters and admits to having feelings for the neighbour's son were very viscreal. His sisters' horrified reaction to this was also very natural. They were sheltering him and grooming him to 'be a man'. The Saqa Kanjar episode was hilarious and Hakim's imbroglio with the prostitutes was the best part of the film with its delicious ironies.

Maybe Shoaib Mansoor needs to make a satire on Pakistani society which does not take itself too seriously. That would be very hard hitting indeed.

Shammi Kapoor - Isharon isharon me..

2011-08-14T10:51:00.000+05:30

I have always loved this song Isharon isharon me from Kashmir Ki Kali for its romantic lyrics and lovely music. When I chanced to see this film years ago on doordarshan, I thought I would die of happiness. The song shot among the misty outdoors of beautiful Kashmir with a handsome Shammi and lovely Sharmila, exceeded my expectations. What a handsome couple they make, Shammi and Sharmila.

Shammi Kapoor died this morning, 14th August, 2011 at 5.30 am. RIP Shammi, you will live forever in our hearts, cavorting in Shimla, Srinagar and Paris. Handsome and desirable forever.

A Beautiful Baby of Broadway

2011-05-15T10:13:00.001+05:30

Ek Phool Char Kaante. Waheeda is an orphan with 4 protective uncles of varying tastes. Johnny Walker is her youngest uncle who is a rockstar. Sunil Dutt must impress all four to win the hand of his beloved Waheeda. Here we get to see Iqbal Singh do an Elvis, Johnny Walker gets up and starts dancing too.

Here Sunil Dutt gets up to show his moves, and impress uncle Johnny.

Happy Birthday Madhuri

2011-05-15T09:32:00.004+05:30

I am not a fan of Devdas, but look closely to see how expressive Madhuri was.

Lovely Duet

2011-04-02T13:23:00.000+05:30

I love this song. I wish there was an original video of the song from the film, but there isn't, Sigh!

Just enjoy the beautiful lyrics and singing.

Film : Badshah
Lyrics : Hasrat Jaipuri
Music : Shankar Jaikrishan
Singers : Lata Mangeshkar, Hemant Kumar

The Pink Swan

2011-03-20T20:44:00.002+05:30

The Glamourous and very very young Babita floats among lilies and lotuses while a young and dashing Jeetendra steps about gingerly, serenading her. Enjoy!

7 Khoon Maaf

2011-02-26T12:07:00.000+05:30

7 Khoon Maaf, the much awaited movie by Vishal Bhardwaj, has some good moments. It is a photogenic movie, shot beautifully. The first two husbands are dealt with in detail and show so much promise that it hurts when the movie just falters later, despite the good direction, and fails to seize your attention.

The fault lies, it tears me apart to say so, with the story. The story is by Ruskin Bond, you see, who is my favorite. Priyanka does the femme fatale bits so well, but does not measure up when the story gets darker and she gets older. Vishal tries to introduce a 'psychological thriller' touch to it in later parts, while Ruskin Bond had kept the story light in the novella, and added a supernatural touch in the original story. Vishal also introduced a spiritual touch to the movie with Priyanka getting ordained in the end and confessing to her sins. I wish the culmination of each story had a sort of a crescendo.

I loved the early Priyanka, the young girl who is able to charm men into her net. I loved Usha Uthup, what a debut. Was that Nitin Ganatra as her butler? He was great, I loved him in Bride and Prejudice as the dorky suitor of Lalita Bakshi. Neil Nitin Mukesh was fabulous as Maj Rodrigues, Susannah's first. As actors, the husbands were good. I loved John's get up as the Rockstar, with his punky wig and KILT. Haha.

The movie stopped short of brilliance, which I expected out of the Bond-Bhardwaj combo.

Mera Naam Joker - Pehla Ghanta

2010-12-21T10:58:00.000+05:30

I have never ever seen Mera Naam Joker entirely. It was panned by the critics who called it overlong, self indulgent and voyeuristic. Raj Kapoor was no longer in the flush of youth and he did not look good here. Maybe put off by all this, I have never watched MNJ. I have caught bits and parts of it at times when it was being played on TV Channels. I liked the first bit, which features Rishi, Manoj and Simi. But it is not easy to watch a Hindi movie on TV. There are commercial breaks after every ten minutes that last for further ten minutes. You lose track of what is going on, and lose interest too, pretty fast.

Just last week, I bought a cheapo DVD which has Mughal-e-Azam, Pakeezah, Mother India, Mera Naam Joker and Mehboob Ki Mehndi (the last one is the odd one out really, even if it is an enjoyable movie). After I was done with the others, I put on MNJ. I skidded through the first song where he gathers all his ex-es, and jumped to the flashback - the pehla ghanta bachpan hai part. Raju is a chubby, blue eyed, 16 year old, often teased by his classmates because he is clumsy.

They have a new teacher this year, a pretty young one who quickly gets very fond of Raju and often helps and encourages him. It's the pretty Simi Garewal as Mary.

The teacher takes all the kids on a camping trip, and during this, she falls into water. The rest of the class laughs to see this. But not Raju...

He is struck by feelings he cannot fathom. The teacher looks at his face, and feels abashed.

After the summer break, Mary returns with her fiance, David, a very handsome Manoj Kumar. He is fond of Raju too, and he knows exactly what is going on in his mind, when he catches Raju hovering around Mary.

Mary is frightened by the thunder,

Raju can't help looking at her

David notices the look and talks to Mary about Raju. He loves you, he tells Mary, with the love of a 16 year old who has just realised all the sexual feelings he has. How do you know all this? Asks Mary teasingly. That is because I was 16 once, and know what it is like. Inside I am still 16 and in love with a 20 year old teacher.

Wah wah Raj Kapoor. I have never seen such a beautiful 'coming-of-age' sequence in movies. Before the childhood part ends, Raju has to give the bride away. He is David's best man, and gets to kiss the bride.

Beautiful Mary as the bride

The best man gets to kiss the bride

This is the first heartbreak that Raju suffers, the one that was the most inevitable, and one where there was no deception. Mary never was his, and never pretended to be.

I haven't seen the movie, but I know the story. Raju falls for two more women, Padmini and Ksiena Rabiankina, who ditch him for other men. Maybe I will watch the rest of the movie some day. But nothing will ever take away the fact that this part of MNJ is so good. Rishi Kapoor won, very deservedly, a National Award for the best Child Actor. It made him realise that he wanted to be an actor. He had to give up his beloved steaks to lose weight and become the slim trim young man who could romance young girls on grassy slopes. A fitting debut for a wonderful actor, a true legatee of the Kapoor khandan.

Go Go Go Golmaal 3

2010-11-06T22:39:00.001+05:30

It is hard to beat a class act. Golmaal 1 (Fun Unlimited) was a class act. Rather rough around the edges yet wacky, it quickly became a favorite of comedy lovers. Its title song - Lajawab.

Golmaal 2 wasn't IT at all. Not bad of course, but the added star cast was not able to enhance its appeal. It's title song worked so well - Lajawab 2.

Golmaal 3 - go die laughing. It works and how. The lafantar gang is footloose once again. Madhav (Arshad Warsi) lives with his brothers Laxman (Kunal Khemu) and Lucky (Tusshaar Kapoor - dumb as ever) and father Pritam (Mithun Chakravorty). On the other hand Gopal (Ajay Devgan) and Laxman(Shreyas Talpade) live with their mum Geeta (Ratna Pathak Shah). Dabboo (Kareena) is a hanger on in the family, an anath child, with a dog called Facebook. The Madhav group and the Gopal group don't get along. They wind up wrecking everything within miles around them everytime they meet. Geeta and Pritam have been past lovers and a meeting rekindles their romance. They decide to get married. But can the Madhav and the Gopal group live together as brothers? Here you have a wacky take on Khatta Meetha and Hamare Tumhare.

The best part of the movie is that all the characters belong nowhere. They are like a bunch of wild cats forced to live together. Just like Golmaal 1 (the unbeatable) there is no overt bhai-bhai or dost-dost thing here. The plot is as loose and disjointed as it was in G1 and you just have to be there in the cinema to be able to make any sense out it.

I knew something was seriously wrong with when I found myself able to follow what Tusshar was trying to say! Ae ii aa oo ye!

Kareena looks pretty here, really. I have never been a fan of her looks, but I have to admit she looks good in this movie. She is the prime mover and shaker in a movie dominated by men. The men get to show their machismo in one over-drawn fight sequence. And really, while we are at it, the opening track of Ajay Devgan on two cars and Kareena on one was clearly an animation, it shows yaar. Not that it takes anything away from the film, but please don't tout it as some kind of a stunt sequence. The actors are all too good to have to prove themselves here. Ratna Pathak Shah has maintained her size zero and looks fab.

Go go go Golmaal song rules! How can Rohit Shetty come up with winning title tracks all the time. Here's to a Golmaal 4, hope it keeps the flag flying.

Sherlock Holmes on History Channel

2010-10-25T08:50:00.003+05:30

I was thrilled to see 'The Return of Sherlock Holmes' on the History Channel yesterday. The programme comes on at 11 pm Friday-Sunday. The timings are a bit stiff for me, the early to bed one. I caught one episode in re-run on Sunday, and tried my best to watch the 11 pm one too.

'The Musgrave Ritual' was the one I watched in morning re-run slot. I saw the episode and picked up my Sherlock Holmes bible and read the story through to compare them. Most of the dialogues that the characters speak are taken from the book. There is a bit of a shifting in who speaks it, that's all. To begin with citing the differences between the tele-play and the story, the story is listed in the collection 'The memoirs of Sherlock Holmes' and not 'The return of Sherlock Holmes'. This story is supposed to have been an early case of Sherlock's when he was not yet established as a famous detective, so Dr.Watson was not on the scene. Most of the story is told to Sherlock by Musgrave and just the last bit is when he visits Musgrave's home to figure out the end.

The tele-play takes a linear approach to story telling, making things happen before Holmes' and Dr. Watsons' eyes. In the tele-play, Holmes is suffering from a cold and the good doctor has advised a bit of country air as a cure, so they visit Lord Musgrave who is a college friend of Holmes. Lord Musgrave has a curious butler who is very educated, speaks several languages, can play several musical instruments, yet seems content in his lowly position. Lord Musgrave chances upon him going through his papers one night and fires him. The next day the butler disappears and his ex-girlfriend, a housemaid, turns hysterical. A day later, she disappears too. Upon inquiry, Holmes learns that the butler was looking through a paper which contained the Musgrave ritual, a set of questions the answers to which had to be learned by all young men of the family when they came of age. The questions seem disjointed and mysterious to all but, of course, Sherlock Holmes. He knows that he must decode the Musgrave Ritual to decode the disappearance of the butler and the housemaid.

The changes in the story telling format definitely adds to the effect. It makes the play seem more fast paced and current. Holmes is balanced perfectly with Dr. Watson, and his presence in an episode is always a welcome addition.

The other thing I have noticed in tele-plays often, is that they like closure. In the story, an absconding character is let alone, which adds to the mystery really, but in the tele-play they are shown getting their just desserts. It is not true of just this, but several episodes that I have watched and compared with the story.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the stories that Arthur C Doyle wrote are absolute genius. He makes Holmes so edgy, as if he is on the brink of madness. The way he describes some of the criminals makes you wonder if he really was on their side. It is this ambivalent morality that the BBC series were unable to capture. In all other respects, the series win absolutely. They are the best adaptation that could have been made.

Kalpana- Tu Hai mera Prem Devta

2010-09-25T12:14:00.000+05:30

Years ago, when I was still in junior school, we went on a trip to a beach close by called Balachadi.

Somewhere on this fine sand, our music teacher sat with a tabla, and our science teacher sat with a harmonium. They sang this awesome song for us.

The memory of that day lingers in my mind to this day, and makes this song extra special for me.

Tu Hai Mera Prem Devta
Uploaded by tommydan1. - Watch more music videos, in HD!

Life in a Metro - Bittersweet

2010-09-20T12:47:00.002+05:30

Actually you never give up longing for love, and you don't have to be living in a big city to wish for love. Small town or big, people are always looking for love. The characters you find in this film walk among us; you will run into anytime, anyplace.. looking for a kiosk to buy cigarettes, flipping through a magazine in the doctor's waiting room, sitting by you on the bus, living in your neighborhood, your home, your skin.

That is the trump card of the movie. The characters are real, the dialogue is what we call ’sadharan bol chal ki bhasha’, (un-grandiose). The center piece is undoubtably, Shilpa Shetty. This is so unlike the item girl she was reduced to by the formula filmmakers. I hope she gets some good roles hereafter.

The movie takes you through the lives of four women, Shikha, Shruti, Neha and Shivani. Shikha (Shilpa Shetty) is at a loose end with a husband who no longer loves her. Shruti (Konkona Sen) is looking for a life partner, Neha (Kangana Ranaut) is filling the void in her life with a sugar daddy, Shivani (Nafisa Ali) gets a bonus in shape of an old boyfriend homing in, 40 years too late. The movie takes us through the wrong and right turns the women take. Among the men there is Ranjeet (KayKay), husband to Shikha and sugar daddy to Neha, his secretary. Amol (Dharmendra) who had dumped Shivani years ago, because he wanted to get ahead in life. Rahul (Sharman Joshi) works in Ranjeet's call center and adores Neha, Akash (Shiney) who bumps into Shikha on a bus and gets friendly with her, and Monty (Irfan Khan) who pops up too often in the life of Shruti to be ignored.

The director wastes the minimum possible footage to sketch the characters quickly. As the titles roll, we get quick sketches of where all the lead characters are in their lives. As the songs play, we get an overview of what the characters are doing at the moment. This allows you to grasp the story in a jiffy. The product placement is also quickly dispensed with (Radio Mirchi and Shaadi.com) so that we may get on with the story. The peppy dialogues, the faultless delivery, the clever use of voice-overs, keep the movie moving at a smart pace and audience rofl -ing so the proceedings don't get too morose.

The movie makes you think, and realise that everyone is looking for love and that to keep your heart and mind open is more important. Shivani did not let a past grudge stop her from meeting Amol, and shared some lovely moments with him. Shruti learns to look beyond the ordinary-ness of Monty and love him for being a friend (that gregarious whale -- he is lovable). Neha learns to appreciate the sweet adoration of Sharman.

The movie is worth a watch for many reasons, one of them being the band that sings about the current angst of the characters among the pavements and rooftops of Mumbai. The songs are all lovely. They sound good after the three years that have passed since the films release.

I end got a bit melodramatic for Konkona and Ifran, but they carried it off very well, I must say. All other stories were wrapped up well.

Manna Dey Magic

2010-09-17T08:19:00.000+05:30

A dreamy song by Manna Dey :

Ek samay par do barsatein
Badal ke sang ankhen barse!

Minoo Mumtaz

2010-07-31T12:21:00.003+05:30

In a movie the Hero and the Heroine get the major spotlight. However they cant carry a film on their shoulders, no matter how able they are. They need sidekicks, marginal actors, extras, props, music, singers, bands etc. And all this before the camera. There are many more people behind the camera who bring a movie to us, too many to list. Because the spotlight is on the hero and heroine, we sometimes fail to notice the amazing work done by others. It is when you see just the dance on Youtube or a TV Channel playing just the song videos, that you notice how good the dancing is, how glamourous the dancer looks, how nifty the band in the background is.

This is when a compilation DVD works wonders. You get a bouquet of songs by one artist to look at. Tommydan1 has created a compilation DVD of Minoo Mumtaz songs. You can read all about the DVD here on Mister Naidu's blog and also Richard's blog

Minoo is perhaps best known for her wonderful mujra in Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam, the amazing:

Sakia aaj mujhe neend nahi aayegi
Suna hai teri mehfil me ratjagaa hai

But did you know she appeared in a movie called Black Cat as a heroine?

Alongside Balraj Sahni too ! The movie is a thriller where Minoo is the sweetheart of Balraj Sahni- the police chief- who is harried by the spurt in crime in the city and finds that his sweetheart's brother is the main suspect. Minoo sings the lovely :

Mein tumhi se poochti hoon
mujhe tumse pyaar kyon hai.

But she does not get to dance here, as she is a 'respectable' girl.

From Tom's DVD I picked these songs:

Ae ri jaane na doongi was chosen because of the lovely music, beautiful lyrics and great dancing. There are two unknown girls dancing in a blue dress. Bela Bose and Minoo Mumtaz dance in a pink dress. Minoo is the tallest girl here and the dance is classical.

The second song is a qawwali from Taj Mahal:

Chandi ka badan Sone ki nazar
Is par ye nazakat kya kahiye

Minoo is great here in a blue dress again. I think the actor who is opposite her is Balam. He is the one who opposed Shyama/Ratna in Barsaat ki Raat qawwalis. It sets such a lovely scene, a beautiful song, some great emoting by Minoo and also a dance.

The third song is taken from the film Akeli Mat Jayeo. Rajendra Kumar and Meena flirt with each other while Minoo sings and dances in the background. This is by far my favorite from Tom's dvd. I had heard this song a lot, but never seen its video. It wowed me totally. The song can be viewed on youtube here. The embedding has been disabled. But please do not let that deter you. Its amazingly sexy.

These songs have been taken from youtube and are not the best quality. Tom's videos are crystal clear and bring out all that is amazing in a song.

Now to bring to you one of my favorite songs ever. It is from the movie Jehan Ara. The music and lyrics are just perfect. You can see that Minoo was perfect in a classical dancing as well. Her Kathak is faultless. She is accompanied by a very young Aruna Irani, who leaves the stage when heavy duty dancing is required.

Catfight!!

2010-07-28T08:52:00.000+05:30

Snake And Peacock Fight
Uploaded by tommydan1. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

This dance is from the film Suhaag Raat starring Jeetendra and Rajshri (1968). It seems to take place on a kotha, which is highly unlikely. It is more of a 'stage' kind of a dance. Its fabulous, much better than all those Sridevi's scary nagin dances. The wonderful Laxmi Chhaya teams up with Madhumati for this Snake and Peacock dance.

Ishqiya - Krishna gets a Valentine

2010-02-13T11:17:00.006+05:30

Two goofball petty criminals are being chased by a bigger don. A loving husband and wife are separated by an explosion. After this and Omkara, we would be very afraid to traipse through Uttar Pradesh. It looks like every home breeds a killer. The children here learn to shoot before they learn to wash their butts. Despite such rampant criminalisation of life, there is very little fear. Rather, the criminals are lovable and apt more to fall in love than kill. Make love not war. Babban, who is a lustful whoremonger falls in love when the girl mouths foul words and holds up a rifle. Khalujan is smitten from the word go, as soon as Krishna sings a ditty. Krishna finds love amidst bombs when she sees her lover return to save her. Even Cuckoo the captive finds double love.

There is loads of story here, plenty of scenes that make you chuckle, some scenes that are so subtly funny that they will delight you. Songs are first rate, lyrics better. Who is not captivated by Dil to bachcha hai jee? Ibn-e-batuta took me back to my history lessons. Rekha Bhardwaj's smoky voice is very effective in the amazing Badi dheere jali. In retrospect, this song is perfect as the song of Krishna, who lives her mundane life without anyone suspecting how she is simmering inside.

The second part has been accused of being confusing, but it is not. Everything is well thought out, and ties up somewhere or the other. You have to pay attention to everything, even the old crone who asks for a light to burn her torch, and is sitting by calmly while Krishna goes about her daily business.

Naseruddin Shah...... Khalujan
Arshad Warsi...... Babban
Vidya Balan...... Krishna Verma
Salman Shahid...... Mushtaq
Adil Khan...... Vidhyadhar Verma
Anupama Kumar...... Manju Kakkar
Aalok Kumar...... Nandu
Rajesh Sharma...... Kamalkant Kakkar

I have reproduced the cast here because while the first three actors are very well known and famous, the others are not. The little comedy between Kamalkant Kakkar (Rajesh Sharma), his wife (Anupama Kumar) and the beauty parlour lady (I think - Gauri Mala) is truly truly delicious. These fine supporting actors add to the realistic look of the film.

If it has a failing, it is that of falling between two stools of menace and comedy. I suppose it is a bit of a farce, but it does not go there overmuch. Maybe the story telling is too plain for it. Omkara was gloriously comic and gloriously menacing when the plot demands it, even when Langda Tyagi is being funny, you are chilled because you know the guy is pure evil. This one is too gentle to make that kind of an impact. Vidya Balan is understated. Among the current crop of heroines, she is surely very capable of handling this kind of a role. I would have loved to see Mahie Gill here, she is much more uninhibited and would have done better in the more menacing avatar of Krishna.

Krishna needed to be made the centerpiece of film, as she is the mover and shaker here. I feel the story would have had more of an impact if her character had been given more menace and drama.

It merits a viewing, maybe two, maybe three.

I loved loved the re-appearance of Dhanno ki ankhon me raat ka surma, the classic Gulzar-RD Burman song from Kitab.

Saving Private Ryan - Guest Post by Ashwin Baindur

2009-12-30T08:03:00.007+05:30

This here is a guest post by a fellow blogger, a fine writer. He is a soldier and a nature lover as you can see on his blog The Butterfly diaries

Contrary to the common perception, it is quite difficult to make or even to properly appreciate a war movie. Many things stand in the way. Firstly, except for soldiers, very few of us understand the nature of War. Then, the production of a modern epic is costly, involves large sets, large casts, many explosions, and lately, plenty of special-effects all of which reduce the ease of making a 'good' film. In addition to all this, there are many pitfalls to entrap the director could get entangled with in its making - overfondness for explosions and special effects being the least of them. In such a scenario, it is a rare treat to come across such a balanced and masterfully-crafted gem as Saving Private Ryan - in my humble opinion, the best film Steven Spielberg ever made.

Surprised? I wonder what your opinion will be after reading the review as well as seeing this movie from a different point of view.

Great cinema, as in the case of great literature, holds in its script, or portrayal of it, messages for mankind. What Steven Spielberg does is to include in just one film so many of the conundrums about the nature of war that have troubled mankind through the ages. The name 'Saving Private Ryan' itself gives a tantalising hint to the central premise of the film (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120815/).

Namely, is it worth risking, and losing, lives to save just one man?

In the opening scene, we see an elderly Ryan visiting the graveyards of Normandy and as he kneels in front of some of them, the director cuts to the brutality of Omaha beach publicly acknowledged as the worst bloodbath suffered by American troops in the Second World War.

This battle scene, which was ranked by TV Guide as the best of the 50 greatest movie moments of all time, is an overwhelming assault on one's senses. The soldiers of an unarmed landing craft land unprotected into a maelstrom of fire and flying metal on a beach in broad daylight without cover. With great dificulty a company of 2nd Rangers under Capt John Miller (Tom Hanks) reaches the beach and after suffering very heavy casualties secures a part of Omaha beach-head. What Spielberg achieves with this 24-minute sequence is to impress upon the viewer the Horror of War. He breaks in the viewer's mind once and for all the concept of war as a honourable and glorious endeavour and that losing lives in war is abhorrable.

The scene fades to show the human flotsam on the beaches and focuses on one pack - the name Ryan stencilled upon it.

The scene now moves to the office of the US Army Chief of Army Staff, General George C. Marshall, who discovers that three of the four brothers of the Ryan family have all died within days of each other and that their mother will receive all three notices on the same day. He is then told by his staff that that the fourth son, Private First Class James Francis Ryan (Matt Damon) of Baker Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment is missing in action somewhere in Normandy.

After reading to his staff Abraham Lincoln's Letter to Mrs. Bixby, Marshall orders that Ryan be found and sent home immediately. His staff argues that Ryan may be dead and that it is pointless to risk lives in a foolhardy mission into enemy territory to locate and bring back a soldier who may already be dead. Till this point, the viewer will wholeheartedly agree that it is pointless to risk such lives - the sons of other mothers for just one man.

In response to their arguments, Gen Marshall takes out an old letter written a long time ago to a Mrs Bixby from Abraham Lincoln. Through the formal archaic language of the letter the viewer learns that the letter is one of condolence and that she is the mother of five sons all of whom lost their lives in the American Civil War. The reading aloud by Harve Pressnell evokes powerful emotion.

I cannot stop myself from sharing the text of the letter with you, dear Reader.

"Dear Madam:

I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant-General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle. I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save. I pray that our heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.

Yours very sincerely and respectfully, Abraham Lincoln."

<>

Gen Marshall orders that Pyt Ryan be found and sent home immediately.

By the time the reading is done, I personally was convinced that it was definitely worth anything to save that one last precious son for Mrs Ryan.

This is a very tenuous premise. It struggles like an enraged python as one mulls over it. The first thought that comes is since life is valuable, more lives are more precious than one life. Or is it? Does the great sacrifice of four lives not earn Mrs Ryan the right for her son to be returned to her? If we accept that, then how about the single chld of parents or children of parents who have lost one or more but not all but one lives of their children?

One of the real-life incidents in World War II which inspired this film was that of the Niland brothers, where two of four brothers was killed, but at one point of time, the third was also thought to have been killed (actually he was a POW) and the fourth brother brought back. The other incident was that of the five Sullivan brothers who enlisted in the US Navy on the precondition that they all serve together but who all died when their ship sank during the War. There being many cases of brethren enlisting in the conscripted United States armed forces of World War II, a 'Sole survivor' policy was introduced.

This is the magic of Spielberg! He first convinces you of a premise and then just as strongly convinces you of its the validity of its antithesis! He sets up the first conundrum for the reader to reflect at his leisure after having watched the movie. Now I am not a spoiler nor would I like to walk you through all the other contradictions that Spielberg brings alive in this magnificient film. That is for you, dear reader of Avdi's blog, to watch and discover for yourself. I only wanted to show you the method of finding such hidden lessons in Spielberg's work.

I could go on and on waxing eloquent over the accuracy of battle scenes, the way Spielberg brings life to his characters and so on and so forth, but I am only a simple soldier and should not say more. Better film reviewers than me have written about this film - Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times has written a great critique!

I wish you all the very best of viewing of this amazing movie and hope you can enjoy it as much as I enjoyed it. I enclose with thanks to Avdi for inviting a guest post for The Pink Bee.

Sid Wakes Up!

2009-10-02T17:21:00.004+05:30

There is something really refreshing about seeing a movie you have heard hardly anything about, and discover it scene by scene and be captivated by it.

Sidharth Mehra (Ranvir Kapoor) is a spoilt rich brat who is appearing for his last college exam. His intention is stay up the whole night and study hard and pass. However, he finds himself doodling, watching TV, snacking, snoozing all the time and passing out when he is tries to study. He does badly in his paper, but forgets it all and parties hard with his friends. He attends his farewell party and discovers a pretty bengali girl writing away in her diary. Aisha Bannerjee (Konkana Sen Sharma) is new to Mumbai and looking for a job in a magazine, Mumbai Beat. They are diametrically opposite. Sid is rich, pampered, spoilt, clueless and lazy. Aisha is purposeful, educated, active and independent. But they gel instantly and become friends.

Sidharth's father, Anupam Kher, tries to bribe his son into taking an interest in his business of bath fittings. Sidharth cant be pinned down to a 9-5 job and walks out after a week. He spends time with his college pals and Aisha, helping her settle into a new studio apartment. After a showdown with his parents, he leaves home and moves in with Aisha. His credit card is cancelled and he finds he needs to earn money. He starts working in Aisha's firm as an intern-photograper. He starts dating Tanya, the design-intern, while Aisha finds herself dating Kabir (Rahul Khanna), her boss.

Ok, I had better stop divulging more details. The movie is like a slice of life. The scenes are utterly convincing and very funny without being slapstick-comedic. Although there is 'Plot' as such, things seem to keep happening on their own. The pace of the movie never flags.

Both Sid and Aisha learn more things about themselves. Sid of course, has far to go as he is a spoilt brat who has never given a thought to others. But even seemingly perfect Aisha finds herself doing a double-take when Kabir tells her that she has some immature tastes and needs to be cultivated. (This was surely my favorite scene in the film). Even Sid yells back at Aisha that he tired of being told he is a kid when he has tried so hard to improve himself, but Aisha never seems to acknowledge his efforts.

There are some lovely human touches in the film. The relationship between Aisha and Sid. It is totally refreshing. They are never gooey or pally or overly sentimental. They are just together because they have fun together. Then there is Sid's mom. Played by my old favorite Supriya Pathak. When I saw her name in the credits I was stabbed by a fear that I was going to see a Hansa clone. Surely this iconic character from Khichdi was played fabulously by Supriya, but I didnt need to see it EVERYWHERE. But here Supriya plays a mother who is eager for her son's love. It was so touching that I had tears in the back of my eyes most time. But again, its not the OTT Maaaa type of thing. Just a sweet usual mother thing.

Then there is Sonia (Kashmira Shah) who is Aisha's neighbour. She has the hots for Sid right away. Later she gets pally with them both, teaching Sid how to cook eggs and share a drink with Aisha and ask her about her sex life. Then there is another neighbour who wants Sid to photograph her son, and bribes them with yummy poha.

On the other hand, the life seems a tad easy for them all. There is too much eye candy. Despite her moneyless status, Aisha is able to do up her apartment very well. Sid wears all those cool tees, socks and shoes (well, he has a rich father). Aisha too, dresses up in really cool stuff. They are able to eat out and go pub-hunting despite being freshers at work. But then, the pretty look is pleasing and aesthetic. So ok. It adds to the fun.

As for performances they are all toppers, ALL. Anupam Kher puts in a dignified performance. Supriya is wonderful as the mother who tries to speak english so she may not seem out of place with her son's friends. Kashmira Shah is great. All the people who played Sid's friends are great.

Ranvir Kapoor seems tailor made for the role. When peeved he seems petulant and spoilt. He just seems to be going with the flow. He looks every inch a college grad with his low slung, chaddi revealing jeans and cartoon tees. I loved his bright socks. I think I will hunt for some similar ones for my son. (err for me too).

Konkana I have reserved for the last because she is the best. She has lost oodles of weight and looks stunning in this movie. She has turned in an amazing performance. I could watch the movie once more just for her.

Just one plot hole. Konkana is supposed to be 27 years old. During her interview, she seems to be fresh out of college. College freshers are younger than that. It could have been explained a bit. Just a line of dialogue, to describe what she was doing all this time.

To the credit of the writers, they concentrate more on other elements of Aisha-Sid relationship, their mutual comfort, the fun they have together, their chemistry, rather than harping on the age. It is just mentioned once or twice and never again. Another thing I liked was how there are no shadi plans or any serious implications involved with them both. They just like being together so they are. Wow !

Music is by Shankar-Ehsan-Loy and its wonderful. There was this Ektara song that I am dying to hear again.

Great Job by Karan Johar the producer and Ayan Mukherjee the writer/director.

Harry So Fine

2009-07-21T07:26:00.021+05:30

Six of the eight Harry Potter movies are out and the thing to be noted is that they have been so consistent in quality. These movies have excellent production values, the special effects are there in a good measure but they never overawe you. As Harry Potter was literature before anything else, they are very well grounded story-wise. Its not something stretched from cartoons or cooked up just for the sake of producing a SFX heavy movie.

The story itself seems to borrow a lot from fantasy-lore and is yet fresh. The forces of dark and fair is familiar to the readers of LOTR already, but unlike LOTR, Harry Potter is based in current times. The magic world is parallel to the normal world. We are all poor magicless muggles, doomed to live our lives as we know it, while somewhere we cannot see, lies a world where battle rages between the good and evil forces.

Hogwarts seems like the countless boarding school stories we gobbled up when young. For me, notably, the Mallory Towers and St.Clare's series. The children grow up and learn values in these series, quite similar to the kids in Hogwarts. There are feasts and sports and studies. Except in Harry Potter books they learn about the dark arts, fortelling future and casting spells.

The horcrux that contain the soul of the dark lord is also so similar to the evil magician who could not be killed because his life was in a parrot kept in a cage in a faraway castle.

The muggles world which Harry Potter grew up in is so Dickensian. He is an oppressed and disadvantaged orphan, subject to ridicule by his foster parents, living in a tiny room and denied any privileges or rights. He is denied any knowledge of his legacy, and is not allowed any letters even. By contrast, in the magic world he is famous, rich and accomplished. The magic world could be a fantasy of a poor orphan, like the magic world conjured up by the match-girl. But this world is so real, that you quite believe something like this could be going on right now.

So while Harry Potter story absorbs so many elements from other such tales, it is unique in its own way. There are no elves and dwarves and talking animals, but there are lot of people who work magic, giants and weird animals. Its world is lovable and warm and full of people you like instantly. Like Hagrid, Dumbledore, the weasly twins. Hermonine and Ron are the kinds of friends you would like to have.

Yes ! No wonder the books and the movies have such a hold on millions of children and grown-ups.

The books were so vivid and popular that it was inevitable that they would be made into movies.

In the first movie Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone we were shown the poor orphan boy who is having a bad time with his foster parents. He soon discovers his wonderful legacy and enters the world of wizards. Unlike the muggles world where he is a disadvantaged orphan, here he is already famous and rich. Along with Harry it was great to step into Hogwarts, the moving staircases, the talking pictures, the talking hats, Hermoine, Ron, Dumbledore, quidditch. OH the WHOLE JING BANG ! This movie will never lose its sheen for me.

Things are still at kid-level, but are getting a bit serious. The world is still hooked on to Harry Potter. He is gradually getting more clues to his legacy. Looking back it is easy to connect the unease with which Harry will later face regarding the pull of the dark side.

The kids are no longer wee. In this one they have to take some action. It is really my favorite of all (so far) HP movies. Ron-Hermoine action starts tentatively. Hermoine looks fabulous. Emma Watson is turning into a hottie without getting into the gauchy teen phase. Sirius Black is not what they thought he would be. Harry gains a godfather.

Harry finds himself embroiled in a serious game which could be fatal. Goblets of Fire does result in a death, that of a senior student. But Harry comes out of it, growing wiser and stronger by the year.

Decidedly dark, Harry begins to find out the extent of evil that the dark lord can summon around him. In this bleak movie, Harry learns what makes him different, its his friends who nourish his soul and keep him away from evil.

Harry has to learn how to be quick on his feet, be a bit of a sleuth, be a bit clever to find the means to serve his needs. He has lost one friend already and must lose another. He knows now that the time has come when he has to venture out and seek to defeat the Dark Lord.

The last book in the series is to be made into TWO movies, slated to be released in the years 2010 and 2011. Here is wishing there is no postponement and our decade long fellowship with Harry Potter comes to a satisfactory culmination.

Thanks for the Award

2009-07-18T17:16:00.003+05:30

I got this lovely lovely award :

Yes the rules that follow this blog are as follows:

* Link the person who tagged you
* The display of award on your blog with these rules
* Reply to the questions
* Tag 7 people deserving the award according to you
* Come back to BLoGGiSTa iNFo CoRNeR (PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THIS LINK) at http://bloggistame.blogspot.com/ and leave the URL of your Post in order for you/your Blog to be added to the Master List

My Answers to the questions:

* The Person who tagged you : Valerine
* His/her site’s url http://verbalfiend.wordpress.com/
* Date when you were tagged: 16th July 09
* My top 7 fav blogs….

The Papaya Factor
Bedazzled
Vee to hona hi tha
S
Garbles who hardly writes but is hilarious
Bouncing Bubble
Visceral Observations

Waise all the people in my blog list are my favorites, that is why I put them there in the first place. Its horrible to select only 7, but I am sure Vee will enjoy being the only man with the rest of us .. hehe

Bittersweet Slice of Life - Breakfast at Tiffany's

2009-06-16T23:21:00.012+05:30

There are families with a mother and father and children, living together in harmony and setting an example to others. There are other people who live on the periphery, knowing no security, thrown out in the world and forced to find their way around. These people have seen a seamier side of life and have moral values that have been 'adjusted'.

Holly Golightly and Paul Varjak live on the outside of the society. Holly is trying to survive in the world, dreaming of the day she will again be with her brother Fred and raise horses in a Mexican ranch. She wants to save money for this day, but finds it slipping through her fingers. She knows all the rich and eligible bachelors and wants to buy security for herself and Fred by marrying one of them. Paul is a struggling writer and finds that a 'helpful' society girlfriend does not hurt.

Like kinderd souls let loose in the cruel world, Paul and Holly are drawn towards one another. Will they be able to help each other?

Audery Hepaburn's luminous beauty lights up the movie. Her frail, ingenue looks make Holly an iconic character.

Holly Golighty

So frail.

You can understand why the world is in love with Audrey Hepburn, after you see this movie.

Beautiful Always !

2009-06-03T13:03:00.027+05:30

I got the idea for this post from Reema's Post about Five Female Crushes. As usual, she peppers her post with lovely illustrations and pictures to show us why those 5 girls are so beautiful. I wanted to pick up the tag and do something on with-and-without-makeup pics of famous beauties. But instead I found myself picking up girls from a bygone era and found myself looking at the current images of those women, still beautiful.

Madhubala :

Sometimes I feel she is the ultimate beauty. She reigned over bollywood with tags like Venus. She was ethereal in her early hit, Mahal. She is the Ladki bheegi bhagi si who was all allure, innocence and loveliness. She was amazingly funny in Chalti ka naam gaadi, a perfect girl next door who is unabashed and spirited. Her role in Mughaleazam was different. She was both romantic and realistic in the movie. She knew that her love for Salim would never be accepted and foresaw only doom for herself. Despite that she offers her sweet love to Salim and accepts all the hardships she has to face with a fortitute that made her an icon for Love.

There is no old picture of Madhubala because she died young of a heart disease. Even if she had aged, she would have looked just as beautiful. Here she looks like a dream beside Dev Anand.

2. Durga Khote

I have always seen Durga Khote in a character role, mother, grandmother even. She exudes a grace and glory that even a young shapely nymphet would want. She was one of the first women of bollywood, Indian films who chose movies and acting as a career. Despite hailing from a 'good' family she stepped into acting. She was attached not only to the film world but the progressive theatre as well. An intellectual actress she was Beauty and Grace Personified.

She has worked in countless movies, but let me list two or three. She was the grandma who gave her favorite ugly duckling granddaughter Sadhana a makeover in Love in Shimla. She breaks Sadhna's thick glasses, cuts her hair and styles it and gives her a lesson in deportment. Amazing. She was the beautiful Jodhaa in Mughaleazam who is torn between her love for her husband, her duty as the maharani of Hindustan and her love for her son Salim. Class Act ! She was again Dimple's Grandma in Bobby who loves Rishi but cannot allow them run away. At the last, she was seen as Rishi's mother from previous birth in Karz.

The dimples NEVER fade.

3. Ingrid Bergman :

There were a bevy of beautiful women in hollywood, girls who could take your breath away. Girls with sass and spunk and loads of talent. There were studio heads who knew how to get the best out of their stars, how to showcase their talents. They made Hollywood into a standard that the rest of the world struggled to follow.

In this scenario it was difficult to stand out. But Ingrid Bergman had a quiet kind of a beauty that stole over you totally. Sometimes it is not just pretty features and beautiful figure that makes one face stand out, it is some kind of an allure that draws glances, an aura that makes people look at THAT face and no other. Ingrid Bergman had that allure, a soft lovely look on her face that made her look so beautiful. Her supreme talent that made her unforgettable.

Graceful always !

Play it again Sam.

4. Waheeda Rahman :

She had a whammy debut in CID, went on to play a prostitute with a heart of gold in Pyaasa. She looked like a dream. She was the original protege of Guru Dutt, but soon shook off the mantle and became a great star on her own steam. Her opus was surely Guide. She was known as a magnificent dancer and a good actress, both these talents were well exploited in Guide. I think Pyasa and Guide are among the top 5 Hindi movies and Waheeda graces both these movies beautifully.

Her looks never faded !

5. Dimple :

It helps when a great filmmaker launches you. Raj Kapoor was looking for a fresh looking girl to match his cute and talented son, Rishi. He happened to look at Kapadia's older daughter and history was made. In Bobby he chose to re-enact his own first meeting with Nargis.

But of course it was much earlier, during his birthday party that Rishi spots Dimple, framed in candles and prettier than a picture.

Cuter than a button.

Locked up in a room - a scene fraught with innocence and sexiness. Did they do it?

Just when she became the toast of the bollywood town, she tossed it away to marry Rajesh Khanna who was THE man of the moment. An early death, a retirement turns a memory poignant and its subject a topic of debate. Thus the tinseltown sang out its grief when such a natural actress and such a pretty girl bid adieu. Dimple returned with a bang in Sagar, and has never needed to go away. After a few unsavory films during the early period of her comeback, she has chosen wisely and had given us gems like Rudali, Being Cyrus, Dil Chahta Hai and Luck By Chance.

AGE, naah !

Cinderella Comes Back - Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

2009-05-10T15:12:00.008+05:30

I was looking for a good movie to see. There are mighty few choices out there these days. No new releases, bad ones like Tasveer and mediocre ones like Aloo Chat are still around. Among the english ones I had a choice between Underworld, Confessions of a Shopaholic and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. I tried to cart my son along for Underworld, he refused to go. So Underworld went out of the window, its no fun watching a movie like that alone. I would have picked COAS if it werent for a comment on a friends blog that she couldnt watch the movie on DVD it was so boring. Boring is a word thats really scary. So I settled for MPLFAD, as I remembered reading a favorable review somewhere. Frances McDormand clinched the deal further. It is directed by Bharat Nalluri.

Am I glad I followed my instincts ! Wholeheartedly !

Ms. Pettigrew (Frances McDormand) has lost a job, and has been denied the wages for the last week even. She is at the lowest point in her life, having to eat at a soup kitchen, sleep at a train station. She visits her employment agency next morning to find the door slammed in her face, but she nicks a visiting card before she leaves. The visiting card belongs to Delysia Lafosse. She decides to visit Delysia and offer her services. Just as she rings the bell to Delysia's apartment, she has second thoughts, but returns to make another try. The door opens to a beautiul young woman (Amy Adams) who is obviously very flustered. She has one lover in the bed, another on the verge of a visit and another devoted one who waits in the wings, and never the three should meet. She throws her problems right at Guinevere Pettigrew and finds her quite capable of managing them. So Delysia hires Ms. Pettigrew instantly and tags her along with her everywhere for the day.

As it turns out the flighty Ms. Delysia is facing several delimmas at the moment and is sorely in need of a awise counsellor. She has just done with trying to seduce the son of a famous producer, Phil (Tom Payne) in order to bag the lead role in his play. However, she is also in thrall of the owner of a nightclub where she sings, Nick (Mark Strong). He keeps her in luxury, the fancy apartment she lives in is his, and he is in no hurry to give her up. True Love beckons in the form of her piano player Micheal (delectable Lee Pace). It is the night of reckoning - who does she finally submit to? Phil and a career on stage? Nick and Luxury? True love and two tickets to New York with Micheal? She looks at Pettigrew for answers to this and finds her own viewpoints changing through the various points in the day.

Ms Pettigrew is pretty needy herself. She needs a job, food, security for future. She hasnt eaten for a long time, her soup at the soup kitchen the night before had spilled before she could take a spoonful, Delysia's cupboard was bare and she got only drinks whereever she went. Her genteel hunt for food is a delight to watch. She isnt looking for love but is drawn to a handsome and successful Joe (Ciaran Hinds) - a lingerie designer who is a sought after bachelor. In this glittering glamourous world of shallow silly socialites four people try to find love.

It is a totally feel good movie, a romance that is simply not shallow. Despite its breakneck pace you find yourself finding out almost everything about the characters. The loveless Ms Pettigrew who has struggled to survive in this heartless world, a successful Joe who is at last fed up of being the darling of the Beau Monde and wishes to design Gentleman's Socks. Micheal, who just loves Delysia and wants her for himself exclusively. The scheming Edyth who wants Joe for his rich contacts. The young Phil who just wants to be able to sleep around.

Everything is brought to life perfectly. The times, the language, the ambience, the dresses, the cars are all faultless. Amy Adams looks gorgeous, she plays the simpering silly socialite with her heart in the right place to perfection. Frances McDormand is perfect as ever. She speaks like a true Governess here. Her language is a delight to hear. Just after encountering Delysia's naked lover in the bed - She tells her - "He was in the state of nature".

The guys looks absolutely handsome and yummy, esp Lee Pace. The movie is spot on for a viewing.

It reminded me somewhat of Breakfast at Tiffany's, I guess, because Delysia is herself a high society climber and the ambience is similar.

Oonche Log - High Drama

2009-05-09T06:58:00.006+05:30

It was both the RIP Feroze Khan messages on my mobile, and the excellent review of Oonche Log by Memsaab that set me off to hunt down the movie. And what a treat that was.

Major Chandrakant (Ashok Kumar) is a retired major who was wounded in a war and has lost his sight. He has led a disciplined life and has his own moral standards. He cannot bear anyone deviating from them, and his punishment is usually 3 strokes of a whip. He has two sons. The older one, Shrikant (Raj Kumar) is an upright police officer who does not hesitate to rebuke his father if he finds him breaking the law. The younger one, Rajnikant or Rajjo (Feroze Khan) is a student and leads a life given to pleasure. Shrikant senses this and is distaurbed about it, but his love for his younger brother makes him sheild his misdemeanors.

Rajjo is carrying on with a classmate of his Bimla (K R Vijaya), they even holiday in Kodaikanal. This has repercussions when Bimla finds herself pregnant. She asks Rajjo to marry her as he promised. Rajjo is too chicken to broach the subject with his father and tries to brush off Bimla. Shrikant comes of know of the issue and shields his younger brother from the wrath of his father, but insists that Rajjo do the right thing, i.e. marry the poor girl he knocked up. Alas, Rajjo is not as Ooncha (great) as the rest of his family and finds his cowardly ways landing him in a spot he cannot get out of. It even comes close to ruining the integrity of his father and brother.

Of course all I have given here is the kernel of the story. The movie is fleshed out so beautifully, is so beautifully plotted that there are no loose ends. When there was mention of Rajjo's engagement, I wondered why should there be talk of this when the older son was yet unmarried. Right then I hear Major Chandrakant mention that his older son was engaged to a girl of his father's choice. Similarly, the background of the lonely blind Major is conveyed to us in two quick dialogues between father and son when he recounts his encounter with the enemy which left him blind and how he returned from war to find his wife dead.

The movie is shot mostly in interiors, the scene being the house of Chandrakant. It moves outside mostly with Rajjo who is the skittish one. In one telling scene, Rajjo is so pleased to recieve a transistor as a gift from his brother for his birthday, that he hugs the transistor, and dances out to the garden while listening to a lovely song (Hai re tere chanchal). It is almost as if he is the only one of the 3 who can 'stray'.

This is what I liked best about the movie, it goes beyond being just a thriller. It really gets under the skin of the characters. The father, the blind man, cannot see what his younger son is up to. He signifies moral uprightness, and blames Shri for the destruction Rajjo has caused, for keeping quiet when he should spoken up and exposed him. Shri signifies Law, the external control that society imposes upon us. He is constrained to arrest a lawbreaker, even if it is someone dear to him. Rajjo playes the troublemaker - dear to both of them - who really puts their ideals to test.

There are a total of four songs in this movie, all superlative, set to music by Chitragupt with lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri.

1. Jaag dile diwana - sung by Mohammad Rafi
2. Aaja re mere pyaar ke rahi - Lata and Mahendra Kapoor
3. Hai re tere chanchal - Lata and Mahendra Kapoor
4. Ajab teri duniya are insaan - Asha and Mahendra Kapoor (maybe, not sure)

Battle of the Hotties
Right at the outset of the movie you realise that the 3 men share an amazing chemistry. Shri and Chandrakant are constantly bantering with each other, playing Police-Major all the time, even calling each other by their titles, 'Inspector-Major' instead of 'Beta-Pitaji'. Rajnikant is fondly called Rajjo - denoting the love the older men have for their youngest, which could have been a factor in spoiling the son. The three men look absolutely hot, Ashok Kumar is blind, but keeps himself spiffy. Raj Kumar looks very trim in his police uniform and handsome. Rajjo the rake is every bit charming and lovable.

In her review, Memsaab points out how the women in the movie stay firmly in the background. Major's wife is dead and a photograph, Shri's wife is a beloved fiance and again, a photograph, Rajjo's girlfriend appears on screen but is usually veiled and makes a brief appearence. A valuable comment on her post by Raja told me that the movie was actually an acclaimed play. The filmmaker - Phani Majumdar - wisely kept the movie taut and focussed like a play which explains why major action takes place in Chandrakant's drawing room and why the dialogue is so 'descriptive'.

This movie is a hidden classic, there is hardly anything about it on IMDB and you can google up barely anything. You simply have to read Memsaabs wonderful review. I have posted the link at the last, because I wanted to keep the readers on my page. BLUSH

Before you go - the climax is absolutely edge-of-seat-biting-your-nails stuff.

Aamir - Life deals out a nasty hand

2009-04-26T15:19:00.004+05:30

Aamir is happy, he is returning to India to his family. His suitcase is loaded with goodies for his brothers and sisters, he carries his Hindu girlfriend's picture to show to his family, he is on cloud number 9. His dreams shatter rapidly as he disembarks at the airport and finds no fond family awaiting him. He is further puzzled as a cellphone is handed to him forcibly. The phone rings and his nightmare begins in earnest. His family has been abducted and he has to do as directed or face death of his loved ones.

Aamir goes all over Mumbai, tired and spiritless. The movie is sad and dark. It is almost like a challange to all the people of the world to make hard choices when they face it themselves.

Uh huh ! I am being a Vee here, that is -- spoilers ahead. If you want to see the movie in earnest, dont read the next paragraph.

At the end of the movie, Aamir suddenly realises that the suitcase he is carrying has a bomb, that he has sweetly been set up. He picks up the suitcase and takes it to a secluded spot and dies with it. He is perhaps aware that his family will not be spared either. It is a singular act of bravery. To spare the unknown old woman, a child that innocently waves goodby to passerbys, at the cost of own's loved ones is a choice not many may make. I may have made the easy exit too, I dont have any claims to being brave. I doubt if the movie will inspire others to take such decisions, but I dont know, it just might.

Spoilers over.

The pace of the movie is quick, and the setting is the streets of Mumbai. The movie looks almost like a documentary, which makes everything look so realistic and you are carried away by the story, even if it is awfully grim. If also makes you realise how innocent bystanders can be involved in some heinous scheme at the spur of the moment. And also that real heros can sometimes go unsung.

Rajeev Khandelwal is the dishy guy from Left Right Left. Many female hearts (including mine) was set aflutter when he appeared on screen. Incredibly handsome, (his eyes are coal black, his features are so even) he has good acting skills even, his only weak point is his slightly weak voice. But hey - his diction is still better than Shah Rukh Khan's. I am hoping he appears soon in some other pic where he vanquishes all the baddies and shows all the wimpy heros on the marquee what a hottie should really look like !

Please someone give Rajeev a good role. We are dying to watch more of him.

Wanted - A Life

2009-04-26T08:11:00.004+05:30

Wesly Gibson (James McAvoy) has a sad life. He spends his days in a cubicle getting bossed around by Janice (Lorna Scott) his overweight bitchy boss. His girlfriend Cathy (Kirsten Hager) is fine. But she cheats on him with his best friend. Wes does a lot of ego googling and is depressed to find nothing coming up against his name. His bank account is zilch and he knows he has to depend on his cheating girlfriend for subsistance. This is pits, man! One can only go up from here.

Suddenly, he is caught in seeming crossfire between two assassins when on a visit to the supermarket. A foxy assassin seems intent on saving his life. She shoots at the other guy till he loses them, takes him on a wild car chase while he is yelling and screaming like the perfect wimp that he is. From now on life changes as Wes realises he is an assassin by legacy, and also a rich guy. All he has to do is to take some really tough training aided by Fox (Angelina Jolie) the foxy assassin.

There are fabulous effect to keep you glued to your seat. James McAvoy plays the Peter Parker character very well. He looks like a wimp too, with his petite looks and red lips. His transformation is well executed, from a wimp to a killer dude.

There are plenty of twists and turns in the plot to keep you engrossed. As in fantasy films and some thrillers, there are some fantastic assumptions here. Like a group of assassins looking inside the warp and weft of fabric to determine the name of the next person to be killed. Like a total wimp turning into the best killer in business in matter of days. Like a guy who bashed his colleagues face is able to get back to his workdesk anytime he wants to.

But still it a movie that is well written and stylishly executed. The odd match of Angeline Jolie and James McAvoy works. Thanks to some good acting by JM. Only time I liked Jolie was when she was playing a tomb raider.

There are some good effects here, as I mentioned before, death defying stunts and curving bullets, almost like target-seeking missiles. Some good punchlines like, 'Kill that motherfucker' and 'What the fuck have YOU been doing lately'.

Sigh ! I am not in a high budget movie dears, or I would dump my boring job n walk out to turn into a gorgeous assassin. For starters, I guess I should buy a magnifying glass and start looking at the warp and weft of my clothes.

Update : I read this morning in the papers that Wanted-2 is in offing and is likely to be shot in India (some parts I guess)

The Pioneers

2009-04-20T08:00:00.001+05:30

The first motion pictures ever screened - by Lumiere Brothers

The Original Celebrity

2009-04-08T07:37:00.005+05:30

The Factory Girl is about aspirations of a pure WASP heiress, Edie Sedgewick and also those of a second generation (I guess) immigrant, Andy Warhol. Edie Sedgewick is full of what is happening in her life at the moment, she seems to have no thought of whats past and what is to come. I know only one other person like that, and that is my father. It is a rare gift. Do you realise how often we agonize over the past and future and completely ignore the present?

Edie ignores her heritage and possibilites totally and drops out of Radcliffe to come to New York after she is smitten by Holly Golightly. She wants to make movies and be famous. She runs into Andy Warhol at a party. He is flirting with a genre called pop-art, and also makes short films. He is struck by her verve and beauty and they kind of hang out together. She is a subject of many of his short films. Their relationship is projected as asexual and that is how I like it. But hanging out at The Factory (as Andy's studio is called) with a set of bohemian actors who do drugs and alchahol. Edie is on her gradual destructive trip, squandering her money, doing drugs, hanging around Andy uselessly, just living in the moment. She has this exclusive look for herself, heavy eye makeup, thick eyebrows, pale lips, a short dress, black leotards and gorgeous dangling, huge, gorgeous earrings.

But things change. Edie gets invovled with Bob Dylan, though he is called something else in the movie. This changes things between Andy and Edie too. He finds other hangers on. Things just get worse for Edie as Bob marries someone else. Her life goes out of control and she winds up bankrupt, junked out and abandoned by her family.

"Let man go on his way to perdition" says DH Lawrence. What we percieve as perdition us could be heaven for Edie. That is how she wished to live, and that is how she lived. How many of us have the courage to do that?

Andy Warhol made his movies with her as a subject, and Bob Dylan wrote two magnificent songs for her. 'Just like a Woman' and 'Leopard Skin Pillbox hat'. Her look was very famous once. She was an original socialite who craved for fame and desire to lead her life the way she wanted. In the present times, Paris Hilton springs to my mind as a famous socialite. But Paris is so put-on and so obviously out for nothing but headlines. Edie had a natural sophistication that is required for a celebrity, and a natural flair for attracting attention.

The movie is riddled with inaccuracies. Andy Warhol is shown as an ruthless exploiter of her charisma. Bob Dylan is painted as a caring lover she rejected. The fact may be quite different, my readings of their wiki pages show.

The movie works amazingly because of two great reasons. Sienna Miller and the story. The story of a rich girl crashing down to dust because of her degenerate (as we see it) living is just so romantic (like a female devdas). And Sienna Miller looks amazing ! Simply Amazing. She just gets into the role, she is great. This is what Jude Law lost? Gosh what a sad loser.

Is Redemption Possible? Just a few thoughts, not really a review

2009-04-04T11:46:00.003+05:30

On the face of it, The Shawshank Redemption is a guys movie. Tough criminals together, some sordid details, plenty of male bonding, and women right where men want them.. looking good on posters.

But as one watches, one realises that it is perhaps an allegory on life itself. Aren't we all living in prisons? Of our own making too, we cant blame the state or some lousy attorney for it. We are hemmed in our regular lives, moving between an endless cycle of office-home-grocery stores-eating and shitting endlessly. Occasionally taking a break to enjoy ourselves in usual ways, making out, going to movies, going to parks, taking a break (like being on a Parole). We are in this rut because we are too fearful of the world outside, like Red.

The stark truth is our wings are not bright enough. We just dont know how to fly away and strike our own paths. It is a kind of a movie that bowls you over in retrospect, and wants to make you watch it again, right away.

Laali mere laal ki, jin dekhey tith laal. Laali dekhan mai gayi, mai bhi go gayi laal.

2009-03-14T20:51:00.006+05:30

Dileep Singh (Raj Singh Chaudhary) , a meek seedha, bhajan singing, god fearing fellow turns up to study law in Rajpur. Awaiting a spot in the hostel, he rooms in with RanSa (Abhimanyu Singh). RanSa is not appropriate company for Dileep, being a degenerate who likes to womenize, drink, and smoke weed. Hence Dileep tries to meet the warden of the hostel for a quicker entry, but to his horror finds himself mauled, stripped and thrown into a room with another naked girl, a young teacher who has just joined, Anuja (Jesse Randhawa). He is mortified and finds a good friend and benefactor in RanSa, who helps him get over his trauma. In turns, RanSa is sucked into student politics by his benefactor, Dukkey Bana (Kay Kay Menon). RanSa is a scion of the royal family and his adversory in college elections is his bastard half-sister Kiran (Ayesha Mohan). Every one seems connected to each other by blood or history.

There are old maharajas who carry a chip on their shoulders for having lost their legacy, there are bastard children seething to claim their name, there are leaders with illusions of bringing back the glorious past. The seemingly innocous elections are bloody and ruthless, with both parties going hammer and tongs at each other to win. Even the student Annual Function is a means to minting money, and a display of power by roping in rich sponsors. Dileep is repelled and intrigued by all these goings on, but finds himself sucked into the whirlpool aginst his will.

In the end, there is a thin line seperating the good from evil, and the most ruthless person wins.

This film is full of violence and anger, and though the catchline is Love.. Power.. Revolution. The Love should read as sex. So far, movies in politics have shown a woman as either the moll of the leader or his shadowy wife, it is for the first time that we see a woman using sex as a means of getting what she wants. To makes things easier for her, Kiran (Ayesha Mohan) has the sophisticated ingenue look of a girl one takes home to one's mother. It is a shock to realise how ruthless the sweet looking girl can be.

Kay Kay Menon, Deepak Dobriyal, Abhimanyu Singh, Raj Singh Chaudhary, Mahie Gill, Ayesha Mohan, Jesse Randhawa, Piyush Mishra, Aditya Shrivastava, Mahie Gill all put in marvellous performances. The music is apt and the lyrics are awesome. Both by Piyush Mishra. Even the dances, choreographed by Maansi, are really good. Mahie Gill has a small role here, she is a mistress of the local leader Dukkey Bana, who dances at night and runs a beauty parlour in the daytime. Abhimanyu Singh has a personality to die for.

So far I have seen only two films by Anurag Kashyap. Gulal and DevD. Here is a director, I feel, who is able to harness the best talent in business to make a consummate film. His casting is first rate, he is able to bring the perfect ambience to the movie, the music is always very easy on the ear, with a special mention for the lyrics. This movie may not be the best ever, but it is a very honest and a praiseworthy effort.

Of course - as they say in Punjabi - you need a jigra to see his films. A kind of a toughness, no namby-pambiness. It says the world is harsh place, and though life destroys you, you love it nonetheless.

Crazy and Beautiful

2009-02-21T20:08:00.011+05:30

Dev Dhillon is a spoilt punjabi kaka. His dad owns a sugar mill and is loaded. Parminder Kaur (alias Paro alias Chammak Challo) is the manager's daughter. The duo is madly in love and have every intent to get it on, marry, have children and continue to live on the sugar mill campus for ever. But destiny has other plans. As in the original, Paro and Dev never get together and Dev goes off on a drinking spree. He goes on his psycheldic way to perdition, doing bootleg drinks and drugs. He is thrown into the room of Chanda by Chunnilal who is her - as she succiently calls him - 'bhadva'.

The movie begins by delineating the stories of Paro, Dev and Chanda and then leaves us to follow Dev until he is done sowing his wild oats. The movie bows to the new generation (finally) and lets us know that they all experiement with sex, hot chatting, nude pics, porn. This does not mean they are depraved. It just means they are learning about life and how to cope with it. While parents just want the kids to discover life via the route they did, parents deciding the career graphs (what to take in 11th - Med, Non-med or Arts), pointing them to a career (doctor, engr, papa ka business, yaa phir nalayak bachchon ke liye Call Centre) , finding a girl/boy for them (Savita aunty ki beti, Puran uncle ka ladka), a lavish wedding, two cute kids (hopefully boys or atleast one boy one girl) and the kids are on a giddy spree through a life of their own, plotting things for their own children.

But Paro, Dev and Chanda have taken life into their own hands. They are spirited and can think for themselves. They are clear about their own sexuality and look bemused at the term - virginity - which is such a prize for the older generation. They are not interested in being 'Good'. Hence they turn into interesting characters, even if they are careening about, clueless about what to do next. They stop being characters and become metaphors of all that is restless within the human soul. Because, without this restlessness, we would never have seen progess and would still be living in caves.

The performances of all the three leads is superlative. Mahi Gill is perhaps way ahead of the rest with her uninhibited act as Paro. At one time, she is on the verge of tears and fighting to control herself. She presses her palms against her face, and the veins on her forehead stand out. It was a magnificent act. Even the glimpse of her taking off her bra to cater to her boyfriend's wish for a nude pic. Sadly, despite her fire, she is the first of the trio to go under, kowtow to tradition and marry an older man for security, love and money, even if it is to spite Dev.

Kalki looks perfect as a schoolgirl whose life spins out of control because her boyfriend was a such a creep. She is suddenly put in a tight spot and spends some time trying to get the situation in hand. Funnily enough, she finds security and identity as Chanda in a brothel. Here she can earn her keep during the night and study during the day.

Abhay is the hero and the quintessential questless man of this saga. He is content to drift and let things happen to him. I dont know if I can label him as a good actor, but he doesnt make any jarring moves, so I guess I can say he melts into the character. All Dev knows is that he needs more daru and more daru and wont say no to drugs either. It is Chanda who jolts him out of his self absorption. That and an epiphanic moment when he is this close to death.

The movie kicks away the model of heros and heroines as perfect characters. These are three normal people who make their own decisions and come back from the brink of sure perdition.

Despite the criticism meted out to it, I loved the music and wanted to pick up a cd right away. I want ALL the songs, not just 'emosonal atyachar'. They are all played out in the background, almost substituting the background music entirely.

A friend of mine said that if Anurag Kashyap took the same team and tried to re-do the movie he wont be able to make the same kind of thing. It is so unique that it just cannot be replicated. Here is a no-holds barred look at life.

LBC - Kaun Banega Superstar

2009-02-12T08:12:00.002+05:30

Movies on the movie industry have a peculiar charm to them. It is like turning a camera back to face yourself, or shooting your own feet, a time to face your own warts. Zoya faces the warts of the industry with a gentle humour with Luck By Chance.

Vikram Jaisingh (Farhan) is a fairly good looking fellow (hot actually) who can emote well, dance well and has a good bod too. He has a couple of friends connected slightly to the movie industry. He has this childhood friend Abhimanyu (Arjun) who is a laidback kind of a character. He does theatre and has this hot neighbour, Sona (Konkona). He also hangs out with another friend who assists Mahesh Bhatt. Almost inadvertantly, 'by chance' to borrow the title phrase, a grandfather clock sets things in motion for Vikram, and he winds up charming the right people, which leads him to a big break.

Our Vikram is not all sugar, he is out to be a superstar and he can be sans scruples when the occasion demands it. All the people in the industry are shown in an equal light, they are neither white nor black. The backbiting, the mediocrity, the manipulations are all shown with such a gentle humour that you are left giggling and marvelling.

The story is like a slice of life and very complete. The characters are totally STANDOUT. There is not one character I would cut out of the movie. Dimple, Juhi, Rishi are the stellar seniors, though Juhi looks mint fresh as Minty. Dimple is grace personified as ever, and her acting is flawless as ever. Rishi is now getting the kind of roles he deserved. He is an emotional, punjabi, old time producer who can shed crocodile tears at the drop of a pin, and wolfs down paranthas with his diet food. Isha Shravani as the debutante heroine, and daughter of an yesteryears superstar is perfect. She looks exactly like a pampered teenager who has had everything on a platter.

If the characters are a standout, I dont have words to describe the script and dialouges. Its simply PERFECT. The dialouges are fun and funny without being smartass. I am dying to reveal the one about khoon and murder. But wont.. no point in spoiling others' fun. The story moves so well, and is so well done, that I feel its one of the best scripts ever in a film industry.

The acting is superlative, the cast is definately ensemble, especially as the hero of this movie is not there to hog footage, but to make a good movie.

If I may please compare this movie to DCH.... Of course DCH is fun personified and one of the best movies out of hindi film industry, but still I didnt quite like the preity-amir ending. It was kinda overdramatic. And I also had a bit of a quarrel about the opulence of sets, the attempt to create a 'designer' look. These two faults are totally avoided in LBC, there is no overt attempt at opulence, and the look is strictly according to the situation. The clothes of the characters and the sets are just perfect.

If I have any bone to pick, its the konkona character. Sona turns out to be the 'goody' character in the end, which was a bit off... a wee bit. Because the underlaying message of the film was, if someone uses you, just use them back.

Do Hanky

2008-12-04T08:00:00.004+05:30

Do Raste was a movie by Raj Khosla that released in 1969. This was a momentous year for Rajesh Khanna. Here was a genuine boy next door who wore bush-shirts over slim fit trousers. His diction (or should I say dialouge delivery) was to die for. He had worked in some avant garde movies like Ittefaq and Aakhri Khat. His Aradhana was a super duper hit. He was well on his way to his Phenomonen status and unequalled adulation.

But what to do, it was the time of the CLICHE. You would take a look at a girl in a saree with the palloo draped over her head and you said, ahhh here is the girl who will make my ghar a swarg. A girl with a bouffant and shamlessly bared arms n you went - nahi nahi, ye ladki mere ghar to nark bana degi. Smokers were BAD people, milk drinkers were innocent. Poor were good and Rich were bad. Villagers were good hearted and City dwellers were evil. Balraj Sahni, Jeetendra, Rajendra Kumar, Rajesh Khanna, Mumtaz, Sharmila Tagore were safe people, you couldnt trust Jeevan, Pran, Prem Chopra, Bindu, Helen and Faryaal.

So Do Raaste was a tale of a middle class family that believed in staying together. The mega-mom Veena had taken a step-son into her affectionate heart and promptly gives birth to 3 more children. The step-son (Balraj Sahni as Nabendu) vows to take care of his step-siblings like his own on his fathers death-bed. His wife (Kamini Kaushal as Madhvi) vows likewise and denies her children milk so that her step-in-laws may be comfortable. The oldest of the steps, Viju (Prem Chopra) is brainy and Nabendu takes huge loans to send him abroad to study. There is an undercurrent of expectation that he will take care of the rest when he is ready to earn big bucks.

The audience already knows that Prem Chopra (Viju) is a bad egg and there is trouble ahead. To top the cake with the cherry, he is married off to Bindu (Neela). Hey, the audience is buzzing .. bahut bura hua. Neela is a nagin in disguise and takes care of Viju's purse and makes him leave home. This is the pits.. no hero ever leaves home, it is always the evil villian. BUT hope is alive because the younger step is now tan tan tana Rajeeesssshhh Khanna. So the audience heaves a sigh of relief. Yeh zaroor is khandan ki izzat ko bachayega. Rajesh Khanna (Satyan) entertains the audience with some songs and a romantic track with Mumtaz (Reena). Chup gaya saare nazaare oye kya baat ho gayi, sings Reena with an innocent pout. Tune kajal lagaya din me raat ho gayi, sings back Satyan with a short shake of the head and a blink. What became a mannerism later is a fresh thing then. The females in the audience are sold hook line and sinker. What a looker !

Neela is up to her tricks to divide brother from brother. Nabendu bears it all stoically, he faces layoff right at the moment, his wife has to sell bangles, he has to sell some tasteless furniture, kids are kicked out of school, his step-mom dies of medical neglect, moneylender is claiming the house. To top it, his good step-brother Satyan (who looks at least 27) is still an undergrad, his step-sister cant work. Only their good neighbour, Jayant, who plays a pathan, helps them. So we have a tiny track on hindu-muslim ekta.

However, while the Nabendu group is going hungry what is Neela-Viju duo up to? They are throwing parties where Neela wears a foot-high bouffant with some loose curls dangling about her face. (She looks simply gorgeous with her large eyes slashed by thick eyeliner and the Marge Simpson do). AND they visit strip-tease night club. Gasp ! That is the PITS. There is a pretty good dancer who loses a couple of her veils while Viju smokes furiously and Neela seems to be ENJOYING HERSELF. The message is clear, this couple wants to enjoy life. The audience that has already wrung out one tearfilled hanky and is preparing to use another, gasps in horror. Look at this major slut, she is grinning and partying.

But thankfully, Madhvi bhabhi comes into her own and brings about a closure by going to Viju to beg him for some financial reprieve. While Viju and Neela are busy insulting her back, Satyan pops up at the door. How he found about about his bhabhi's whereabouts are going to remain a mystery to me forever, but he does take the bull by the horns and unlike his forgiving brother Nabendu, he does some plainspeaking. Among the things he says in his clear voice, he also intones - Jis ghar me mard aurat ka ghulam ho wahan me kabhi nahi reh sakta. There were many appreciating ceeties and claps at this. Then he locks his bhabhi in a room, and beats up his brother. Nagin strikes again, and hits Satyan on his head with a heavy flower pot.

Suddenly this emotional potboiler turns into a thriller. What will happen next? Will Satyan die? Will he require an operation? Will he complain to the police against Viju and Neela? But of course, Nagin realises that she cant wish away this part of the family and reconciles with them after Satyen tells the police he fell from the stairs. The audience squeezes out the last teardrops and goes home.

The movie was marred heavily by several cliche-ridden dialouges and situations. I dont think the writer had to do any hard work at all. Some camera movements were really strange. There was a song where Mumtaz and Rajesh Khanna were shot standing behind some coloured screens. The effect was definately kitsch there. But the beautiful songs probably stayed with them, and drew them back to the cinema hall. The lover-boy Rajesh Khanna sings - Yeh reshmi zulfein, yeh sharbati aankhen, inhe dekh kar jee rahe hain sabhi. Mumtaz did her bit by wearing a terrible orange saree and a behenji makeover for the naughty Bindiya Chamkegi. I wish she had worn a peppy pajami kurta for this one. Then there was the aforementioned - Chup gaya saare nazare oye kya baat ho gayi. And also 'Khiza ke phool pe aati kabhi bahar nahi, mere naseeb me e dost tera pyaar nahi'. Lakshikant Pyarelal gave some memorable numbers for this otherwise drab movie.

This was posted on PFC - follow the link under the title else here - http://passionforcinema.com/do-hanky/

Talaash - Revisited

2008-11-01T08:07:00.004+05:30

The movie came out in 1969, the IMDB informs me. My cousins were crazy about movies and I remember a lot of excitement among them for this movie. It was suppposed to be uber stylish, lots of lavish sets and songs and such good stuff.

On diwali, I was flipping channels and came across the movie airing on SAB, and stayed to watch. I had missed a few reels but could recall the scenes. The movie had opened with Sulochana doing the 'kapde see see' stuff. All bollywood movies of the late 60s and early 70s started with a widowed mother sitting by a sewing machine and talking about having raised their kids by stitching clothes, and living in genteel poverty. Cut- and Rajendra Kumar (Raju) is a fresh graduate - BA mind you. Before you double up with laughter, BA in those days was equivalent to an MBA from IIMA. He is snapped up by Balraj Sahni for his 'Industries', right off the campus. Suddenly things are looking up and the young fellow is off to the snow capped hills (where?where?) to celebrate his newfound success with OP Ralhan as Lachchu. Err.. if the 'young' men look too old to be fresh-out-of-college-students, we are to turn a blind eye. After all, Rajendra Kumar was Jubliee Kumar and OP Ralhan was the producer/director/writer of the movie.

There among the hills, the hero finds amour. He runs into a village belle, Sharmila Tagore as Gauri and promptly falls for her. His 'sidekick' - OP Ralhan (Lachchu) also finds himself intrigued by Rita - a dancer. It is Helen, of course, and the audience heaves a sigh of relief, a few good cabaret numbers are in offing. So our lovesick birds sing a few songs and though our good hero would have made an honest woman of the girl immediately, he needs 'maa ka ashirwaad', another clever cliche to stretch the proceedings. He needs to go back, get MKA and return before the next pooranmashi. If he doesnt, the girl vows to throw herself off the cliff. They do get engaged and sing another song - Juneli Raat ma.. which is a tribal song, and I had to avert my eyes each time RK appeared on screen in his sleeveless top (ugh) which is passed off as the traditional thing to wear for your engagement party.

Raju returns to Mumbai to find that his boss (Balraj Sahni) favors him immensely, despite him overstaying his leave. There had been some incident earlier about Raju returning the boss's purse after he had dropped it intentionally to test Raju's honesty. Now, honestly, which fool would keep a measly purse in exchange for a JOB? Raju finds himself elevated to a partner after he clinches a takeover bid for his boss. He gets an imported car and a big bunglow to live in. He also gets invited to the come-home party for the boss's daughter.

It is Tan-tan-tan time as the perplexed Raju discovers that the boss's daughter, Madhu, is Sharmila in a brown wig with sea-green eyes that match Hritik Roshan's. Herein lies the beauty of the film. It is a Romantic Mystery. Who is this girl? Is that girl from the hills with brown eyes and black hair the same girl? How is it possible? The hero stays for the party while a great song plays - a song that brings out the situation perfectly - Tere naina talaash karen jise wo hai tujhi me kahin deewane - sung by Manna Dey - a great song.

Raju rushes back to the hills to check-out the girl again, and finds Gauri blowing on the chullah. He stays a day and Gauri sings him this wonderful song - Aaayega re udke mera hans pardesi. Raju runs back to find Madhu where she was. Now comes a great track of love versus passion. Madhu woos him with her riches and glamour. She wears backless cholis, nighties with decolletage and gowns and drives fast cars and invites him into her bedroom and plays seductive numbers - Kitni akeli, kitni tanhaa si lagi, unse mil ke me aaj. Her father too, showers his largesse on him. The dilemma before Raju is whether he should give in to a life of wealth and ease or give them up and keep his promise to the girl in the hills.

Alas, it was that time of the decade when movies had to be stretched to full 3 hours, melodrama had to be added in huge helpings, humour had to be pushed down the throats of the viewers. Hence we have to watch the parallel track of Lachchu, OP Ralhan, who hogs as much space as the hero, which is why I put 'sidekick' in quotes earlier - this guy is almost like a 2nd hero. Lachchu finds that wooing Rita has its complications, her father had murdered on his mates and is being blackmailed by another. On top of that, Lachchu's father is measly and wants him to marry a rich Parsi girl - Tuntun - (who looks lovely in a tight churidaar kurta and a bouffant- fat but lovely). So the movie does not conclude untill we have had the full dose of the dying mother, dhishum dhishum, car chases, missed planes and hero running behind the heroine who is off to throw herself down a chasm.

I loved the movie for its simple story, compared to later potboilers when there had to be Great Villians, here the issue is really inside the hero, as he struggles with his conscience.

The songs are all good, the music was, afterall, by Sachin Dev Burman. My top favorite is - Aaayega re udke mera hans pardesi.

The choreography sucks generally but the cabarets by Helen are scintillating - Mera Kya Sanam and Karle Pyaar karle. The indoor sets are definately good, Balraj Sahni's office, the rich Sharmila's bedroom with its huge wardrobes and large bed. The cars they drive are all top down convertibles, which was a rage then. The outdoor shoots on the snow-capped hills is not too impressive, the scenes seem to have been shot in a single location.

Rajendra Kumar wears suits to hide his paunch. The heros then didnt think of their body as a temple. Balraj Sahni, with his slim physique looks really natty. Though his acting skills are quite wasted here. Sharmila gets to wear some ethnic skirts for her tribal get up and glamourous sarees and maxies (ugh- i am glad we saw the end of this fashion) and nighties. Helen looks very pretty with her pouts and bouffants and bows and wow legs.

Dev Anand the Eternal Hero

2008-09-28T08:03:00.008+05:30

I am sure most of us wish Dev Anand's filmography - at the bottom of this page - stopped with Des Pardes that came out in 1978. Dev Anand was begining to look old and his mannerisms were getting too pronounced, even so, no mean achievement for someone who was close to 60 then. It was the right time to hang up his boots, a phrase that Dev Saab never knew.

I looked through his filmography and tried to tick the movies I had seen, and found my memory playing tricks with me. Some of this movies I have seen on Doordarshan in bits and pieces and find I cannot remember entirely. I can remember the songs of many of these movies and associate them immediately because I can recollect the drone of the announcer on AIR saying 'Ab suniye Afsar film ka gana, Suriya ki awaz me jise likha hai ... ne, sangeet nirdeshak hain ... ' After a tiresome list of sunnewale, the melodious voice of Suriya would sing - Man mor hua matwala. What songs they are. I am tempted to list them right here, but I think they should come after some movie talk.

The first movie on the list that I have seen is Baazi, a romatic thriller made by Guru Dutt. But alas, do not remember much. I remember Jaal very well. It is not a movie one can forget in a hurry. In Jaal Dev Anand played a tough crook bent upon cheating and looting. Geeta Bali is drawn to him and falls for him helplessly, she realises that when she is roused from her sleep to the sound of him singing - Yeh raat yeh chandni phir kahan, sun ja dil ki dastan. This song alone is worth the price of the DVD, though the movie is good too, a classic. There is some wonderful play of shadow and light in this song. You can see why Geeta Bali was so special here. You can also see how devastatingly handsome Dev was then. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRfVXUk9kFw

Patita with Usha Kiron was another movie with some social message, she was (or pretended to be) an unwed mother here. I dont remember how the movie ended, I think the Mother of the boy - Lalita Pawar was the one who threw spanner in the works, but the songs were to die for.

"Kisine Apne Banaake Mujko Muskurana Sikha Diya"
"Andhe Jahaan Ke Andhe Raaste Jaayen To Jaayen Kahaan"
"Yaad Kiya Dil Ne Kahan ho Tum"

and the toppers

"Mitti Se Khelte Ho Baar Baar Kisliye"
"Hai Sabse Madhur Woh Geet Jinhe Ham Dard Ke Sur Mein Gaate Hain"

I have seen Pocketmaar, which starred Geeta Bali, Dev and the ubiquitous baddie KN Singh, it was a good movie.

CID is not to be missed, for the debut of Waheeda Rehman, for the lovely songs, for the handsome Dev Anand, for it was a slick thriller.

"Jaata Kahaan Hai Deewaane"
"leke pehla pehla pyaar"
"aankhon hi aankhon me ishara ho gaya"
"e dil he mushkil jeena yahan"

1958 to 1965 - This was the glorious period of the rising star Dev Anand, he was young and in his element. The filmmakers of this era were good and made good wholesome romantic comedies. Dev Anand was the consummate flirt, circling his heroine, looking into her eyes, touching her hair, enough to make any woman swoon. No wonder he was such a heartthrob.

I feel I have seen Paying Guest, Love Marriage, Bambai ka Babu, but dont recollect them so much. They pass me by in a blur of lovely songs, with Dev Anand always, always, romancing his heroines.

Hum Dono is another unforgettable movie. You got Dev Anand here in a double dose. As a rookie army officer Manohar and Major Anand. Manohar is sent to the family of Major Anand as a bearer of bad news of his being lost during war. Because they look so similar, Major Anand's distraught family thinks Manohar is Major Anand. For the sake of the sick wife, Nanda, Manohar plays along. He has to deal with own girlfriend, Sadhna who wonders why her beau is not attentive any more.

The songs? To die for - the timeless classic - Abhi na jao chod kar, ke dil abhi bhara nahi - is so beautifully choreographed that the images linger with you forever. Main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya - deserves to be listened to closely for its zen philosophy. Allah tero naam is one of the best gandhian bhajan we have from hindi films.

Asli Naqli, Tere Ghar ke Samne are other two films I have watched. Asli Naqli brought the beautiful Sadhna together with Dev Anand once again. With numbers like koi sone ke dil wala (was it from this film?), Tujhe jiwan ki dor se, Tera mera pyar Amar the movie was a sureshot success.

What can one say about Tere Ghar ke Samne? It was one of those ultimate rom-coms. Dev Anand and Nutan light up the screen with their effervescence. The songs - oh the songs !

Yeh tanhaai haay re haay jaane phir aaye na aaye"
"Tu kahaan yeh bata, is nashili raat mein"
"Dil ka bhanvar kare pukaar" - my fave fave fave
"Dekho rootha na karo"
"Tere ghar ke saamne ik ghar banaoonga"
"Dil ki manzil kuchh aisi hai manzil"

This last song featured my mother as a dancer who had an 'item' in this movie.
you can see it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N86Dv-bHAdA

Guide was the best of Dev Anand. It dared to go where no movie had been before, into marital discord, with the woman leaving her man. It explored the denegeration of a man, why love fails and even explores spirituality. Only Vijay Anand could have pulled off something like this.

"Aaj phir jeene ki tamanna hai"
"Gaata Rahe mera dil"
"piya tose naina laage re"
"din dhal jaaye hai" - (my fave- i will always maintain that Dev Anand looked his handomest in this song)
"kya se kya ho gaya"
"allah megh de"

If we divide Dev Anand's career into different phases, then the 40 - mid 50 would be the early phase with the romantic Suraiyya and Geeta Bali phase, mostly romatic thrillers and comedies. from '55 to '65 again some more romantic thrillers and comedies (but better) with Waheeda, Nutan and Sadhna, with some classics like Hum Dono, Tere Ghar ke Saamne and Guide. Then comes the third phase from '66 to '78 which started off well with thrillers and ended well with Des Pardes. Here he had co-stars like Vyjayanti mala, Hema Malini, Zeenat and Tina Munim. I am not going to talk about what comes after, because it was pure crap.

Jewel Thief was a slick thriller that released in 1967. I saw it much later in a re-re-re run during the times when reruns ran in theatres. I was taken in by the suspense totally and gasped quite like the original viewers who must have found the climax quite mindblowing. Vyjayantimala was exquisite, Ashok Kumar was the gentleman crook, there were a bevy of sexy females (oh well, in one peice swimsuits, but it was the 70s) and Dev Anand who was getting stylised now. His headshake, pursed lips and the hand gestures were popping up more often. The gorgeous songs were still melodious.
"Raat akeli hai, bujh gaye diye"
"Yeh dil na hota bechara"
"rula ke gaya sapna mera"
"Aasmaan ke neeche hum aaj apne peeche"
"Dil pukare aa re aare"
"Hoton pe aise baat"

Right on the heels of Jewel Thief came Johnny Mera Naam. The songs here were kinda chaalu, but the movie had the new star Hema Malini and a good story. It was Vijay Anand again, after Guide and Jewel Thief. Dev Anand mouthed 'Johnny mera naam, nahi' during the climax to the delight of his fans.

I have seen Mahal and Duniya - both passable fare. I think Mahal had a lovely song - but I cannot recollect it right now.

Prem Pujari was a war movie, well made and very watchable. With lovely songs like
"shokiyon me ghola jaye "
"Phoolon ke rang se, dil ki kalam se"

I have lost count of the number of times I saw Gambler. It used to be rerun endlessly on a fledgeling channel in the early days of cable television. The movie had lovely songs, ok story, Dev Anand in full tashan.

"Churi nahi ye mera dil hai"
"Dil aaj shayar hai" - wonderful wonderful song
I am not able to remember all the songs and the internet is not helping much, but a cd is totally worth buying, trust me.

Tere Mere Sapne was a sweet movie, an adaption of The Citadel by AJ Cronin, with some more lovely songs.
"Jaise Radha ne mala japi shyam ki"
"E maine kasam li"

Hare Raam Hare Krishan was again a bold movie, parents divorce, children seperate, sister turns up in picturesque Kathmandu with a bunch of druggie hippies. A gooood movie with an amazing debut by Zeenat who pulled on a chillum with panache. The songs were more disco, but Dum maro dum is something else. A must watch.

Yeh Gulistan Hamara was not half bad. Dev co-starred with Sharmila here, the songs not too good but ok sorts. Chuppa Rustam, a passable thriller with a good song - Dheere se jaana khaityan me.

After this, it was more or less just dragging on for Dev. The formula was set, exotic locales, good music (according to the times), a pretty nubile heroine. The movies like Heera Panna, Jaaneman, Bullet, Warrant were horrid to passable.

Des Pardes marked the debut of the last of great Dev Anand heroines - Tina Munim. The movie was well made and good. But after that - ugh - Avoid.

Even some of his chalu movies have been uplifted by divine songs. I have listed most of them, but missed many. Ok - internet helped finally, the Mahal song I was looking for is this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjXHB5Cj_zY
"Ankhon ankhon me dekho"
"Yeh duniya wale poochenge"

I once owned a cassette of Dev Anand songs... was great.

My wishlist: I wish to see Kala Pani, because it was the only movie where the two most beautiful people of the Hindi film industry came together, Madhubala and Dev Anand.

I wish to see Teen Deviyan because it starred him with Kalpana Kartik and had some of the most sublime songs ever.

"Khwab ho tum ya koi haqeeqat"
"Aise to na dekho"
and my top favorite -
"Kahin be-khyal ho kar"

I have to admit Dev's oeuvre is limited. His movies are mostly romantic comedies or romantic thrillers. Why was he up at the top of the charts along with Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor? I guess the answer is PURE CHARISMA. He had such a magnificent screen presence, that it was hard to forget him. His immaculate waistline and hairline took care of his longevity. He was always seemingly involved with his much much younger heroines, which reinforced his romantic image.
Though he was called the Gregory Peck of India, I beg to differ. With due respect to Mr. Peck, our Dev Anand has a niche of his own, the eternal romantic.

Mr Prime Minister (2005)
Love at Times Square (2003)
Aman Ke Farishtey (2003)
Censor (2001)
Return of Jewel Thief (1996)
Gangster (1994)
Sau Crore (1991)
Awwal Number (1990)
Lashkar (1989)
Sachché Ká Bol-Bálá (1989)
Hum Naujawan (1985)
Anand Aur Anand (1984)
Swami Dada (1982)
Man Pasand (1980)
Lootmaar (1980)
Des Pardes (1978)
Darling Darling (1977)
Kalabaaz (1977)
Saheb Bahadur (1977)
Bullet (1976)
Jaaneman (1976)
Warrant (1975)
Amir Garib (1974)
Ishq Ishq Ishq (1974)
Prem Shastra (1974)
Joshila (1973)
Chhupa Rustam (1973)
Banarasi Babu (1973)
Heera Panna (1973)
Shareef Budmaash (1973)
Yeh Gulistan Hamara (1972)
Haré Raama Haré Krishna (1971)
Tere Mere Sapne (1971)
Gambler (1971)
Johny Mera Naam (1970)
Prem Pujari (1970)
The Evil Within (1970)
Mahal (1969)
Duniya (1968)
Kahin Aur Chal (1968)
Jewel Thief (1967)
Pyar Mohabbat (1966)
Guide (1965)
Teen Devian (1965)
Sharabi (1964)
Kinare Kinare (1963)
Tere Ghar Ke Samne (1963)
Asli-Naqli (1962)
Baat Ek Raat Ki (1962)
Hum Dono (1961)
Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai (1961)
Maya (1961)
Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja (1961)
Bombai Ka Babu (1960)
Ek Ke Baad Ek (1960)
Jaali Note (1960)
Kala Bazar (1960)
Manzil (1960)
Sarhad (1960)
Love Marriage (1959)
Amar Deep (1958)
Kalapani (1958)
Solva Saal (1958)
Baarish (1957)
Dushman (1957)
Nau Do Gyarah (1957)
Paying Guest (1957)
C.I.D. (1956)
Funtoosh (1956)
Pocket Maar (1956)
Dev Anand in Goa (Alias Farar) (1955)
House No. 44 (1955)
Insaniyat (1955)
Milap (1955)
Munimji (1955)
Baadbaan (1954)
'Ferry' (1954)
Taxi Driver (1954)
Armaan (1953)
Humsafar (1953)
Patita (1953)
Rahi (1953)
Aandhiyan (1952)
Jaal (1952)
Tamasha (1952)
Zalzala (1952)
Aaram (1951)
Baazi (1951)
Do Sitare (1951)
Nadaan (1951)
Sanam (1951)
Sazaa (1951)
Stage (1951)
Afsar (1950)
Birha Ki Raat (1950)
Dilruba (1950)
Hindustan Hamara (1950)
Khel (1950)
Madhubala (1950)
Nili (1950)
Nirala (1950)
Jeet (1949)
Shair (1949)
Shayar (1949)
Udhaar (1949)
Hum Bhi Insaan Hain (1948)
Vidya (1948)
Ziddi (1948)
Aage Badho (1947)
Mohan (1947)
Hum Ek Hain (1946)

Rock On! Its Magik

2008-09-07T13:58:00.007+05:30

There cant be a better title for the blog than the title of the movie. It is all about college dreams, music and rock and roll, and of course, friendship. On the other hand, it is all about the making of music and how it is, here, synonymous with chasing your dream.

To begin with there are these four cool dudes who have this rocking band. They seem to have everything going for them. But cut to a decade later and the guy with long curly hair is now working as an investment banker who never smiles, a dull gujju jhaveri who looks dull, a music-man who seems to be scraping it, a guitar dude with droopy mouche who looks henpecked and dull. And then there is the bored wife who seems to have only one thing on her mind- why doesnt my husband smile. Its been 5 years and she is tired of waiting for her life to pick up.

A chance encounter between the wife and the gujju triggers her curiosity about the past life as a rocker that the husband has never mentioned. She thinks this could be the reason the hubby never smiles and tries to get the rockers back together. Hubby frowns at the effort and has words, wife tries to leave, upon which hubby realises he has unresolved issues with his band and needs to get back together with them.

Story is wafer thin and is spread out like butter on the brown toast of a person trying to diet. Farhan Aktar (Aditya) as the lead singer of the band and the investment banker has zero charisma. He is competant and good looking even, but not charismatic. Luke Kenny(Rob) as the scraping musician and the killer-at-the-keyboard is just about adequate. Purab (KD) as the gujju jhaveri and the killer-drums of the band is good. Arjun Rampal as the droopy mouche loser of the present and the magic guitarist of the band is WOW. All of a sudden this wooden model boy has turned into this bankable performer. He looks fabulous, acts fabulous and is the cherry on top of this movie.

The Girls : Prachi Desai thankfully gets into sweet short dresses that highlight her hep young self. She does a good job as Aditya's wife Sakshi who is trying hard to make her marriage work. Shahana Goswami as Debbie is the dress designer turned fishmonger and a very bitter wife to Joe. They love each other but cant deal with life. Koel Purie as Devika is a friend of Sakshi's who takes a shine to KD.

The music and the rock and roll performances of the band Magik is Magik. The music and the stage performances mesmerise. It makes the movie totally watchable and such unadulterated fun.

We have mighty few genres of movies in the Hindi film industry. Its usually just masala mish mash of action, comedy and drama. It is refreshing to see a movie in the hitherto unexplored genre of a rock-band movie. The movie has no pretensions and is purely about the four rockers and what they did and how to get them back together. For just this reason, we have to be very grateful to Abhishek Kapoor.

The songs dude... are to die for and are on my playlist already. Farhan Akhtar the singer is really good. The guy is nothing short of a genius. He has directed some sublime flicks, he is adequate as an actor and now the singing thing! His voice which sounds raspy when he talks, takes on a different timbre altogether when he starts singing. The music by Shankar Ehsaan and Loy is sheer JOY.

Dark is the night

2008-07-20T09:13:00.005+05:30

The Dark Knight was one of the most awaited films of 2008. By Batman afficiandoes at least. Bruce Wayne has just lost his girlfriend to a man who deserves her better. His speech reflects his jealousy as well as his attempt to be fair to a good man and a good woman. Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhal) and Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) are the white knights, fighting criminals in a lawful way. Poor Bruce Wayne has chosen the dark path because he thought it would be more effective, killing dark with dark. Harvey wisely combines his white ways with the dark to nail the mob in Gotham City. But alas, his acts has repercussions that nearly crush the city and its inhabitants. Increased attack on the Mob force them to bring in their trump card, the Joker.

The Joker turns out to be the worst nightmare that Gotham has seen, and Batman has combated. Why? Because the Joker has no agenda but mischief. He has no plans and no ambitions. He is this maverick villain who is very hard to figure out.

Before he is done, there are innocent people who are slashed viciously, blown up and burned, their integrity tested, their personalities twisted.

Micheal Caine and Morgon Freeman are such established actors, that they just have to walk on to the set to give it grace and dignity. Morgon's half-smiles when he deals with corporate upstarts convey a world of dialogue. Micheal Caine as Alfred is perfect.

Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent comes across as a personable man bent upon going the right way to defeat the dark forces until he falls ..

Maggie Gyllenhal as the new Rachel Dawes had to look good mostly, which she does with panache. But this Rachel is also torn between the two men in her life, the dark and the white knight.

Christian Bale is perfect as Batman and Bruce. For a change he actually tries a different personality for both, a casual billionaire who cares less about what is going on around him. Seemingly interested in just womanising and having a good time, he changes when he dons the batsuit, becomes faster, bulkier, gruffer.

Heath Ledger as joker is iconic. He has made history. He gave the role his all. His joker is never menacing, but is playful and comic always. But his deeds belie his appearance as he happily slashes his way through the film, killing and maiming people without remorse. The scene when he skips happily out of the hospital and watching it blow up is going to be around in my mind for a long long time.

Happy viewing folks.. dont forget to watch this one.

Hancock

2008-07-15T08:21:00.002+05:30

Went off to see Hancock yesterday with my son. The movie was handpicked by him out of several offerings. Long live innocence. The movie gets into the groove right away, with police chasing the baddies. Hancock is drunk senseless, ill dressed, foul mouthed and foul tempered. Nevertheless, he lands up to help. The baddies are bashed up and left hanging from some pointy tower in LA. The general public does not know whether to laugh or cry because a lot of property is damaged by Hancock.

In comes Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman), the good hearted loser. He is saved by Hancock from being crushed by a train in his usual destructive fashion. But Ray refuses to bash Hancock, he highlights the fact that his life was saved. Hancock delivers him home and is immediately taken by his beautiful wife and son. The wife seems to dislike him for some reason.

Ray decides to give Hancock a makeover, and tries to make him more people savvy. He gets Hancock a proper super-person suit instead of his usual shorts and shirt. He tries to teach Hancock how to get on the good side of public, damage less property, say some good lines.

The surprise comes when Hancock learns about his past.... which involves Ray's beautiful wife Mary (ahem.. Charlize Theron).

A good story, something different from the usual pat explanations that other superhero's have.

My only grouse with this movie was that it was over too soon. We cant do with a movie that gets over in an hour and a half.. I barely got time to finish my popcorn. Hancock II are you listening ??

A review of Raakh (1989) by my friend Usman Khawaja

2008-06-20T09:58:00.001+05:30

Aamir as Aamir at his adamant best - ashes to ashes.

This dark movie is set in the bizarre twilight zone of the degenerate and venomous world of the Bombay underworld, where there is only one vice that rules - might is right.

It's protagonists search for their own existence in alignment with their ideals for justice and an uneven fairplay and use each other as pawns in a game of violence and corruption.

Aamir is a rebellious scion of a well to do muslim family who in a rash act of rage provokes the gang rape of his Hindu girlfriend by a group of mafia men. The graphic unsentimentality of the act at night in a desolate public spot is chilling.

The relationship breaks up, the girl shuns him and her indifference to any mode of justice drives the youth to extremes, he elopes and lives with social outcasts, where he is helped by a rather shady cop who works outside the parameters of judiciary.

Aamir is totally natural and very effective as the angry, violent and impulsive youth, this is his definitive best act as yet and he needs to go back to his roots as this was his second movie itself, his raw dynamic talent resounds in every scene and the minimalist cinema with expressionist photography enhances his violent deadly role. He is matched by the rather insanely dishonest cop played by Pankaj Kapur and Supriya Pathak as the rape victim who blames him for the incidence in a powerful role. The police are indifferent as there are no witnesses and the victim will not report the crime, although it is acknowledged.

The brilliant young director (Aditya Bhattacharya) has a frustrating setting for a social comment on a grim subject, the perception of acquisition of justice and the means to aquire it, both are unimportant as the net result is more violence and the act leads to anarchy and nihilism. This is a very profoundly effective cinema beautifully shot with minimal dialogues and light, the brooding shadows reflect the title itself which refers to the ashes of the remnants of the living characters in a metaphor as their existence has been reduced to a void which can never be filled.

The finale is bleak and the desperation of the human existence is shown to be damned forever with no hope of redemption, the conclusion is left open to the audience.

This is an anthology of violence, justice and lost youth within the framework of an unjust social hypocrisy where law is invalid and might is right, that might be unreasonable but it could be a universal truth, nevertheless Aditya and Aamir create a dark masterpiece which goes beyond its baroque, brooding beauty with hypnotically lit frames that remind you of the psychological impact and spirituality of the works by Caravaggio and La Tour, an eerie light that explores the human soul and questions its conscience, the answer is inconclusive but still great cinema .

USMAN KHAWAJA

- jbz7879

Narnia !

2008-05-26T15:39:00.001+05:30

I scrolled the mouse up and down on the list of my blogs. Should I write about Prince Caspian/Narnia/CS Lewis/Neil Gaiman on my book blog or the movie one! The train of thought and research started from the movie surely.

The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian is 2nd in the series after The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The Pevensie children are feeling miserable away from Narnia. The way they talk about Narnia makes you feel as if they are on some kind of drug, which they are deprived of. Lo and Behold, Susan's magic horn is blown in far away Narnia and the kids are transported back to Cair Paravel. They dont recognise it anymore, and realise after a bit of sleuthing, that time in Narnia has taken a quantum leap. They find Narnia has gone underground and the wicked Talmerines rule it. The silver lining is that they can help restore Narnia to its former glory if they reinstate Prince Caspian to the throne.

Thus begins the battle between the remaining Narnians and Talmerine. After the intervention of Aslan, the battle favours the Narnians and the children can return to London to catch their train to the school.

Some good special effects, a nice story, (and Ben Barnes) manage to keep the movie afloat. Fantasy afficiandoes agree that the movie could be better. It is certainly better than LWW.

We can look forward to the third in the series, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. This time around Peter and Susan Pevensie will be missing. Lucy, Edmund and a nasty cousin Eustace Scrubb are the ones who will make it Narnia and join the delicious Prince Caspian on an adventure to the end of the world. Ok, this is the movie part. Now over to www.booksbyrotten.blogspot.com for the book part of it.

Bravery goes Awry

2008-04-24T12:09:00.000+05:30

The movie starts nicely, with Rahul Bose bungee jumping. Then cuts to him at a party, uselessly explaining the excitement of the jump to a housewife. Now why was he trying to talk to an auntie at his friend's engagement party. And why does an engagement party have precisely four young people against a horde of older ones?

This goes on throughout the movie, one good scene pitted against another quite useless one.

Story :

Javed Khan (Deepak Dobriyal) is an army officer accused of killing his senior officer at point blank range. He has not attempted to escape, nor said anything in self-defence. Major Akash (Javed Jaffery) is the prosecution cousel at the courtmartial of Javed. It is supposed to be an open and shut case, and they cant find a defence lawyer, so Akash arranges for his friend Major Siddhant (Rahul Bose) to step in. As the location is Srinagar, Siddhant treats it as a fun posting and makes plans accordingly. Kaavya Shastri (Minissha Lamba) is posted in Srinagar as the rookie reporter of Dainik Bhaskar. (Oh really ! do national newspapers send a rookie to a place like Srinagar, and that too a woman?) Anyhow, Kaavya pretends to be Siddhant's cousin to gain entry into the forbidden army territory and get some scoops on the Javed Khan story. She shakes up Siddhant and gets him into trouble for talking to reporters.

However, the offshoot of this encounter is that Siddhant gets serious about the business at hand which is bad news for Brig. Rudra Pratap Singh (Kay Kay Menon), who seems to be involved in all this.

Other things

The movie is based on A Few Good Men that starred Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson and Demi Moore. I thought it had been indianised well, bringing in the angle of an army officer disillusioned by the false encounters and muslim haters.

Good Scenes

The Kavya-Sidhant encounter was very well done. He is blabbering away trying to impress a pretty girl, while she is cool and collected, and delivers her punch at the end. I could see the movie again just to watch this scene.

The initial Brigadier-Sidhant scenes were very well handled too. Kay Kay is perfect as ever, as a Brigadier full of grandiloqence, cowing a Major to near silence. Rahul Bose is perfect too, as a man cowed down by a senior officer. During the second encounter - there was a great dialogue built around a single malt whiskey and the word 'nice'. Again, a scene I could watch again.

However !

The climax was just not able to live up to all the buildup. The evidence is too sketchy and not convincing enough, and was not been elobrated enough. A couple of quick scenes, and the movie is over. Deepak Dobriyal is an amazing actor, but he was made to stare fixedly ahead most times. There were stock shots of Rahul Bose walking about the Army area, and sitting in the court room looking around which were repeated. And even a lay person like me could figure out these were stock shots. The movie was so well written in parts, that you feel bad at the portions that did not work, because of shoddy writing. It is like a good promise gone bad. Well, maybe Samar Khan will improve and come up with something better soon.

Performances

This is definately a plus point in this movie. Rahul Bose, Kay Kay, Javed Jaffery, Deepak Dobriyal, Minissha Lamba, and the pretty girl who plays Javed Jaffery's fiance, are all good actors. Rahul Bose is cute too ! He looks good in a uniform. Javed looks a tad old for the role, but acts well. He even gets to dance a bit (too little). Minissha wears lovely salwar kameez and churidars here. I even stole one dress idea from this, a printed salwar with a plain kameez. She was good as the feisty journalist on a ramshackle scooter. Amrita Rao has a small role, which she does ok with.

The cinematography is pleasing. The songs, just a couple, are sweet.
Nothing wrong with seeing the movie, its quite wholesome on the whole.

Waqt

2008-04-22T00:04:00.001+05:30

Waqt is one of the most stylish films ever in Bollywood.

These days filmmakers clothe their stars in international fashion brands, have them ride fancy vehicles (from cars to planes to copters) and put them in lavish locations (nothing less than a trillionaire-worthy farmhouse in South Africa). The movies, however, lack substance to match the style and wind up looking hollow.

Way back in 1965 BR Chopra came up with this gem of a movie and spawned a new genre of lost-and-found, love triangle, thrills and chills, which has been re-attempted a number of times during 70s and much of 80s, and became a stock formula. This movie was the motherlode that started it all.

STORY:

Lala Kedarnath (Balraj Sahni) is blessed with a devoted and a beautiful wife, three sons, and a flourishing business. He allows himself to be consumed by pride, and paints a magnificient future for himself and his sons. Right then, the town is swayed by a horrific earthquake that seperates the family. The eldest son is taken to an orphanage, the second son is adopted by a benevolant family, the third, a babe in arms, is left with the mother. Kedarnath is hit on his head and is not able to regroup his family. The eldest son Raja (Raaj Kumar) turns to a life of crime under Chinoy Seth (Rehman). The middle son Ravi, grows up to be a lawyer (Sunil Dutt). The youngest Vijay (Shashi Kapoor) has managed to get a BA degree, but has to work as a driver with Chinoy Seth. Circumstance brings the three brothers together. Raja and Ravi fall for Meena (Sadhna) which brings in an interesting love triangle. Meena loves Ravi and a shadow falls on Raja, who is willing to murder to get his love. But as he creeps inside Ravi's house to kill him, he finds out that Ravi is his own brother, thanks to Ravi's baby picture by his bedside.

Just at this time, the story turns into a thriller, with a murder done and Raja accused falsely for it. The last part of the movie is a courtroom drama which bring the guilty to the gallows (presumably) and miraculously brings the family back together. Lala Kedarnath is reunited with his grown sons and wife. The movie ends with a humbler Kedarnath acknowledging his debt to time (Waqt).

STYLE
The movie was stylish through and through. Raja as the criminal, Ravi as the adopted son of a rich man, Renu (Sharmila) as his sister, and Meena (Sadhna) as a barrister's daughter are all rich people and it shows in their lifestyle. Meena's house is a grand bunglow with a vast drawing room that is carpeted from wall to wall. Her boudoir is similarly lavish with a round red bed with gossamer draperies. A staircase sweeps upstairs grandly. This again, became a standard staple in bollywood movies, used as an effective prop in many movies.

The women are laden with glittering diamonds and brooches and buckles. Achla Sachdev looks glorious in the opening scenes with her gotedaar dupatta and heavy jewellery, as befits a well-placed mistress of a rich household. The sarees the women wear when the scene shifts to Mumbai, are all fine organza with embroidery, or silk salwar or churidar with kameez. Sadhna is resplendent in every scene, faultlessly made up and looking gorgeous. Ditto goes for Sharmila Tagore. In the boat song she wears a kameez done up with numerous frills over her tight salwar. Sadhana wore a designer saree in this movie which was quite a trendsetter then. Her trademark, churidars with a kameez, which is such an essential now, was something new then. Sadhna's engagement dress, a fuschia silk churidar is beautiful.

The men are not far behind. Balraj Sahni wers pathani salwars in the initial scenes with zari waistcoats. Raaj Kumar wears natty suits as the gentleman criminal. A younger Sunil Dutt is attired in trousers and trendy shirts, tees and sweaters. Shashi Kapoor is nattily dressed in a spotless chauffeur's uniform, looking handsome as ever.

The cars the men drive are all imported sports cars, in colours like yellow and red. I am not good at spotting the brands but they look impressive. In fact, there is a smart car racing scene between Raja and Ravi, which is pretty good. The wheels move fast and the sequence has been very well picturised.

Songs:

1. Ae meri Zohrajabeen
2. Kal jahan basti thi khushian
3. Kaun aaya ki nigahon me chamak jaag uthi
4. Din hein bahar ke
5. Ham jab simat ke aap ki
6. Mene ek khwab sa dekha hai
7. Chehre pe khushi cha jaati hai
8. Aage bhi jaane na tu

The songs are all melodious, with music by Ravi and lyrics by the great Sahir. The songs are picturised beautifully too. Kaun Aaya was filmed on Sadhana as she waits for Sunil Dutt. However, as she sings, Raaj Kumar comes in and is led into thinking Sadhana cares for him. Mene ik khwab sa dekha hai was a telephone song, and very sensuous too. Aage bhi jaane na tu was a party song, where everything glitters and is uber glamourous.

This album is a must have for people who love old hindi film music, though the heavy voice of Mahendra Kapoor is a spoiler.

SEXY

The cut version of Waqt relayed on Indian Television is a letdown. One needs to see a full version DVD to get a feel of how sexy the movie was. The affair between Sadhana and Sunil Dutt is pretty passionate. Everytime they come together, things get steamy. From the duet where they 'sorta' kiss. The usual trick of showing the couple in a suspicious clinch. The phone song, Mene ik khwab sa dekha hai is practically like phone sex with the couple exchanging what seems like fantasies which are depicted in a dream sequence. One line goes -

aanch dene laga kadmon ke tale barf ka farsh, aaj jaana ki mohabbat me hai garmi kitni; sangemarmar ki tarah sakht badan par tere, aa gayi hai mere choo lene se narmi kitni
-- Woo Hot !

Not to be missed is the extremely sexy scene where Sunil Dutt and Sadhana go swimming. Thereafter they go to the changing rooms, and wrapped in towels exchange sweet talk through the partition. Of course, Sadhana's swimsuit covers more than the minidresses that heroines wear these days. But she is wrapped in a towel in the changing room and things get quite decorously steamy between them.

WIND UP

Jab tumse mohabbat ki hamne,
tab jaake kahin ye raaj khula
marne ka saleeka aate he,
jeene ka sha'ur aa jaata hai.

Sadhana sings the lines for her beloved, but they apply more to Raaj Kumar in the movie. The hardened criminal falls for the charms of Meena, his pretty neighbour. He yearns for the respectability of normal life, but Chinoy Seth wont let him go. He is suave and debonair in the movie, handsome and personable. He had some memorable lines which he delivered with style. Yeh chaku khelne ki cheez nahi hai, lag jaye to khoon nikal aata hai, and Jinke ghar sheeshe ke bane ho, Chinoy Seth, wo doosron pe pathar nahi maarte. There are no heated or bombastic exchanges between Rehman and Raj Kumar. Though they are partners, there is little love lost between them. Yet their exchanges are delivered in an ultra cool style which is a delight to watch.

Later, Raj Kumar got typed in these kind of crime-by-circumstance, sacrificing roles where he rarely got the girl, and often died in the climax. His trademark became lines begining with 'Jaani' and delivered with a hand rubbing the neck. But here, he is cool and fresh.

Sunil Dutt got a lot of bombastic stuff. First as the hyperactive lover, later as lawyer trying to save his friend. There is this unintentionally funny scene in the end. In the movie, Raj Kumar knows Sunil Dutt is his brother, and he know he is the son of Lala Kedarnath. So when the older couple discover each other at the fag end, Raj Kumar is the one who knows that he is their son too. Sunil Dutt is the only one who has no clue that he has all these relatives around him. But rather than feeling flummoxed and demanding explanations he just jumps into the group sportingly and goes for a family hug.

The overwrought scene at the end nearly mars the proceedings, but that was the demand of the times, the abrupt happy ending.

A classic for sure, this movie.

How Jalaluddin becomes Akbar and gets his girl

2008-02-25T16:20:00.001+05:30

Ashutosh Gowrikar begins at the begining, to explain to us WHY Jalauddin marries Jodha. Jalal wants to blend in, not forever spend his life as an outsider bent upon conquering and pillaging India. Then, to bring out the romance between Jodha and Akbar, Ashutosh wanted to delay the consummation of wedding, which means he has to come up with valid reasons for the same. So in come the issues Jodha has with the cross-cultural marriage. I have started thus, because a lot of people have accused JA of being rather long and pointless at times.

Maybe in reality the proceedings between Akbar and Jodha were tad less romantic. Akbar was short and stocky and had an unsightly mole on his face. Jodha’s clothes were possibly not this well co-ordinated. I dont know how fastidious the couple was about physical hygiene. I even read somewhere that Jodha converted to Islam, her children were certainly brought up as Muslims.

But then the whole idea of romance is to throw a beautiful veil over reality so that we are left clutching our breast and sighing as a beautiful royal couple inch closer to each other throughout the movie. There was a happy couple seated next to me in the cinema hall and the girl had her head on the shoulder of guy during the consummation scene (Sigh Sigh).

The movie moves at a slow pace, savouring the twists in the plot, lingering over made up history. In the meantime, there is plenty to admire in the movie, the grand landscapes, the elobrate forts, grand rooms, the wonderful clothes, the breathtaking jewellery. My eyes widened at Aishwarya’s beauty showcased in those gorgeous clothes and jewellery. She quite looks the part of a regal princess, and for a change, does not botch up the acting. Thank god, she had no ’Sunehri’ lines here. Hritik makes a handsome king, he carries off the arrogance, the urdu diction , and the topi quite well. The expressions flit across his face. Here is an actor totally comfortable with what he does. He is completely believable as Jalaluddin Mohammed.

I quite liked the supporting cast, Sonu Sood as the unhappy Surajmal. Ila Arun as Mahamanga, Punam Sinha as the Begam, the hunky villian Nikitin Dheer as Sharifuddin (he rocked in the final hand to hand combat).

Now for my take on the story. A very Hindu Jodha finds herself married to Jalaluddin Mohammed and is sure she is going to be miserable. But she finds at the outset, that her mother-in-law is a warm and a loving person. She makes Jodha feel at home. The nasty king is actually a handsome well mannered creature who (surprise surprise) RESPECTS her. But our skittish girl leads the king to a merry dance before he can get into her royal bed. In fact, his riyaya ( sorry urdu hangover - meaning his janta) accepts him before Jodha does. Thanks to his summary dismissal of the hindu pilgrimage tax, they bestow upon him the title of AKBAR which means GREAT. But he has to vanquish some more enemies before he can live happily ever after. For this we get a wow hand to hand combat scene which could have been right out of WWF. After which Akbar shows the meddling clerics who is the boss, and gets to plug for Hindu-muslim ekta. As history shows Akbar really did care for all religions, I will not say Ashutosh was trying to put in a pop message for highlighting this.

Haider Ali (the writer) tries not to use too many esoteric urdu or hindi words, and confound the modern viewer. I liked the music, it was very apt. As the marriage immediately benefits the pilgrims to Ajmer Sharif, it is appropriate that the wedding was serenaded by Khwaja Mere Khwaja. It seems that the people who were put off by the song have not heard of the spinning dervesh and the sufi qwaali during which the devout would often get up and dance. Azeemoshan Shehenshah was a magnificent presentation. Kehne ko jash baharan and Inn Lamhon ke daaman are also well presented and very romantic.

The length of the movie did not bother me, I was totally engrossed. I loved the historical references
(faulty at times), I loved the grand spread and I loved the romance. Maybe the younger generation was a bit put off by these factors, but not me.

Only thing that mystified me was the thanks offered up to Shatrughan Sinha in the credits. Why? For letting his beautiful wife act in the movie?

My Best Friend's Wedding

2008-02-20T17:22:00.000+05:30

The first time I saw My Best Friend's Wedding, I did not appreciate it at all. I was in a bad mood maybe and was horrified at the successful career woman Julianne running after an obvious MCP Michael and his doormat-in-the-making girlfriend Kimmy. I have some recollection of writing something on it, kind of an early blog, along the lines of - 'Please Julianne, do not demean yourself.'

I have mellowed now, a movie is a movie. It is one of those eternally timepass movies, the equivalent of a good Mills and Boon, where you can suspend your better judgement and just be swept away in beautiful visuals, good acting and marvellous songs. It seems to actually get better with each viewing.

The story is about a couple of out-of-touch best friends, Michael and Julianne who had a torrid affair once. Michael and Julianne have teetered deliciously on the edge of friendship and love ever since. Julianne is a successful food critic based in New York and Michael is a sports journalist based in Chicago.

One day Michael calls up Julianne and announces that he is getting married and wants Julianne to see him through that. "It's amazing the clarity that comes with psychotic jealousy. "
Says George Downs Julianne's Editor and her current best friend. Julianne suddently realises that SHE wants Michael too and runs off to Chicago to break up her best friends wedding.

The movie looks like a wedding planner's dream come true. The bride's side is always dressed in some pleasing shade of pastel, some varient of the colour pink, blue, orange or floral. Julianne, the sensible career woman is dressed in browns and greys. As the father of the bride owns a sports channel, he is stinking rich, which allows several lavish sets. Kimmy (Cameron Diaz) looks ravishing with her blue eyes and babydoll clothes and hair. Julianne (Julia Roberts) looks amazing with her big hair that curls all over the place, a wonderful shade of warm brown, and with her equally warm brown eyes. Michael looks like a boy next door that girls always flip for, not forbiddingly handsome, but very likeable. And dont even get me started on Rupert Everett.

Kimmy (Cameron Diaz) is the girl who has knocked the socks off Michael. Young, soft, yeilding Kimmy seems totally romantic and impulsive. She believes that if you love someone you say it right then, and out loud.

Michael (Dermot Mulroney) is the wholesome middle class guy who lives by his sweat. He works hard as a sports journalist and loves his job. He enjoys it despite the long hours, erratic schedules and a lousy pay. He always thought Julianne was his kind of a woman until he meets Kimmy.

Julianne (Julia Roberts) is the total career woman, the New Woman who does not think she lags behind men in any aspect. She is able to handle her career quite well, thank you. She can knock back drinks and not resort to any feminine wiles to woo men. She is a tomboy grown into a gorgeous woman in a sort of a denial of her charms. She is a commitment phobic and does not have any relationship that lasts over a couple of weeks.

George (Rupert Everett) is Julianne's editor and her best friend. He has this quizzical expression when dealing with Julianne because she surprises him constantly. He is smart, urbane, well entrenched in the arty circles of New York, but is grounded enough to be able to see things as they really are. He is willing to stand by his best friend, Julianne forever and not pass judgements on her. But at the same times he can give her hard-headed advice too, as a true friend should. What I love best is the way he drops everything at hand to be with his best friend in times of need. He looks divine, gorgeous, yummy.. somebody stop me.....

The film has a lovely soundtrack. 'Wishing and Hoping' the title track performed by Ani Defranco is really sweet. The topping on the cake is obviously Diane King covered 'Say a little prayer for you' which is practically the theme song of the film. There are other nice songs in the movie, but I like these the best.

There are some wonderful sequences in the movie, which are heartbreakingly poignant. When Michael tells Jules, "Kimmy saysif you love someone you say it, you say it right then, out loud. Otherwise the moment just...passes you by". Jules has this bittersweet look on her face because she knows that the moment has passed her by. Then there is the difficult confession scene in the end, when Julianne knows she has to come clean and confess to the dirty tricks she has been playing to get Michael. And after that, the feisty catfight scene in the ladies washroom when the docile Kimmy springs her claws and goes publically for the scheming Julianne.

But the scene I can watch many times over without tiring is the lunch scene where George joins Julianne as her newly declared fiance. Kimmy's mother leans over and asks George how he met Julianne. Julianne says, "Oh, he is my editor". But our flamboyant George is on a romantic roll and this is too bland for him. He launches into a hilarious over the top purple prose like description of their first meeting closing with all the guests at the lunch happily joining in as he sings 'In the morning when I wake up, before I put on me make-up, I say a little prayer for you'.

For me the movie stands out for the lovely performances by the leading quartet of Cameron Diaz, Dermot Mulroney, the incomparable Julia Roberts and my favorite Rupert Everett. He starts the movie with Julia Roberts and rightfully closes it too, dancing with her to cheer her up. The movie would surely not have been the same without him.

A rose is a rose

2008-02-15T13:56:00.000+05:30

Anyone who reads books has heard about The Namesake, written by Jhumpa Lahiri. It won the Pulitzer prize and was on the bestseller list too, the blurbs tell us. Mira Nair even made a successful movie on the book.

A friend of mine who read the book raved about it, and lent it to me. Luckily I had some free time on my hands at the time and read through the book almost at a stretch.

The book started a little jerkily, just before the arrival of Gogol in the world. Ashima Ganguly, displaced from Calcutta to USA, is yearning for taste of home in her pregnancy and has made a bit of chivda (or whatever the bengali's call it). She suddenly feels the labour pains coming on and is rushed to the hospital. She gives birth to a baby boy. Ashima and her husband Ashoke cannot even think of abandoning the conventions of their culture. Back home, the baby would have been named lovingly by some elder in the family. In fact, the name is on the way, posted by way of a letter. The baby's formal name is put on the hold, and the child is given a pet name, Gogol. Through a series of circumstances, Gogol never acquires a formal name.

The story, of course, is about how easily Ashima and Ashoke balance their Bengali and American way of life, and how hard it is for Gogol/Nikhil to do that. His attitude towards his name reflects his attitude towards the Bengali way of life and also towards the American way of life. He goes through his life, picking up american girlfriends, and an indian wife. How he finally makes peace with himself when he says at one time "Actually there is no such thing as a perfect name".

As we live, we learn more about ourselves (atleast some of us do). And it is these lessons that are the most valuable.

However, the standout point of the books is not so much the theme, good as it is. The standout point is the style and language. NEVER PRETENTIOUS. So much so, that the first couple of chapters almost sounded humdrum to me. Then the effect kicked in. The author was skillfully picking up sounds inside the heads of various characters and relaying them to us. She knew exactly how much to tell us about the character and at what time. Some facts are held up to whet our curiosity, and when we learn about them, it makes shivers run through us.

I was blown away because the story is so ordinary, and is so well told that it seems extraordinary.

I have always loved the short stories of Nikolai Gogol. He was a favorite of Ashoke Ganguly as well. He was once in a train accident when he was a young man in India, and reading a book by Gogol at the time. This accident and his surivival is his most life-altering moment, and is inextricably linked to Gogol. When time comes for him to name his firstborn, he thinks of Gogol. His son does not share his sentiments fully and hates Gogol the writer. At the end of the book, when he is at peace with himself, he picks up a book by Gogol, gifted to him by his father, and starts reading it.

Our names are the legacies bestowed upon us by our parents. Ram Khilawan may get a fancy schooling later and try to mask his downmarket name by calling it RK, or Ram K Prasad. Not being named flamboyantly like Amitabh Bachchan, poor Jatin Khanna calls himself Rajesh Khanna. Ava wrestles with her unusual name and bears the jibes of her classmates and some insensitive elders. What kind of a name is Ava? ask the philistines who never heard (in those times) of Ava Gardner.

But alas, I do not have the writing style of Jhumpa Lahiri and cannot write a book about my ordinary life and make it linger in the minds of readers like the fragrance of fresh jasmine.

Capote - The mind of the writer - A devil's workshop

2007-12-11T22:14:00.000+05:30

Watching the movie Capote

Sometimes to achieve something you have to push the envelope. Cross the lines of nicety. Break the barriers. The people who act as catalysts of change in thought were never people who were popular.

To twist the famous Spiderman quote, sometimes with great success come people who think you should shoulder great responsibility too.

On November 16, 1959 Truman Capote came across a newsitem in the inner pages of New York Times, about the Clutter family that was shot dead in a Kansas village. He was already a successful novelist and a short story writer. He had a good life, he was famous and infamous, he moved in important circles. Like a compulsive writer, he was looking for a new subject. This item appealed to him, and he decided that he would write a book on it.

But this time, he wanted to write a true account, a novel that was like a newspaper article, meticulous and factual rather than fiction. The best way to go about it was to go down to Kansas and reserch for his book material there. He recruited the assistance of his longtime friend, Nelle Harper Lee.

Nelle was able to help him gain a foothold into the Kansas community. He wormed his way into people's minds to gain their confidence, elicit information that was necessary for the book. He even bribed, charmed and cajoled his way around to be able to get upclose and personal with the two killers, Smith and Hikock. He used tact and tricks, lied and twisted facts to get his way. He plied the prisoner with books, and even promises of help with their case.

He even arranged for a lawyer for the killers which made them look upon him as a saviour. They start believing that he is out to help them and opened up to him. It was a victory for Capote. To be able to look into the mind of killers firsthand. He had the background of the victims in place, thanks to Harper Lee and her help. The investigations were revealed to Capote thanks to being close to the Police.

Back in New York, in the literary circles, he was able to generate curiosity about the book even without having written a word, such was his way with people. He was able to sell the idea of the book. When he did write the book, it lived up to the hype. In fact, it created a new genre, the factual fiction. And, Capote had the right ingredient to make it work.. the working of the mind of a criminal. The book was serialised in New Yorker, but was yet to be completed.

Until the case concluded either way, in pardon or in execution, he could not complete the book. He was looking for closure. Admittedly, a death-sentance would provide the required thrill to the end. A pardon would water it down. The tussle here was between being an opportunist, and being humane towards the killers. It is implied in the movie, that through inaction, failure to provide the killers with additional legal help, he actually was instrumental in getting the killers executed.

As a professional writer, Capote's motive was to get as deep into the scene of crime as possible, as deep into the minds of the criminals as he could. Whether it automatically pegs on him the responsibility to help the criminals or not is debatable. Fact is, he could not have written a novel as compelling as 'In Cold Blood' unless he had broken the barriers of niceties.

As for the other faults that the movie listed, showing off, partying, promoting himself shamelessly, well, every person has these quirks which make them interesting and tolerable. It is the faultless people who are so boring and intolerable.

The Flightplan

2007-12-09T16:05:00.000+05:30

Jodie Foster stars in this thriller. Jodie Foster is big and can be relied upon to carry a movie. It starts with Jodie who is dealing with loss. Her husband has just died. She is carrying the coffin of her husband to America by air, and is accompanied by her 6 year old daughter.

En route she loses her daughter. No one on board believes she had her daughter with her. For starters, how can a child get 'lost' on a plane? The Captain (Sean Bean) launches a search for the girl, but without any result. He makes a few calls and finds out that the Jodie's girl had also died along with her husband. She is treated as a mental case and an on-board psycologist (Greta Satchi) comes to counsel her.

The air marshall Carson, (Peter Saarsguard) seems sympathetic to her and seems to want to help her. Jodie keeps slipping away to conduct searches of her own, which yeild nothing. She even opens her husbands coffin in the luggage area to check.

So far, the ambience of the movie manages to create a psycological thriller look. Even we are forced to question, does the little girl exist on 'plane or is she a figment of Jodies distraught imagination. The movie moves on a grand scale. We imagine either a large conspiracy or a straitjacket for Jodie.

But alas, the movie wimps out when Carson is seen as a villian who has a plan of planting a bomb on the plane and blaming it on Jodie. He plans to run away with the ransom while the police put a bullet in Jodie's head. In all this huge conspiracy he is helped only by an airhostess. Of course, Jodie manages to total the guy and blow him up with the plane and walk out with her daughter.

In the end.. just a run of the mill thriller.

Safar - life is a travel

2007-10-11T19:17:00.000+05:30

Was wakeful a couple of nights back. Flipping channels, I caught a young Sharmila talking to a boy. I stuck around, the scene was interesting. A couple of scenes later, realised the movie was Safar. A 1970 offering by Asit Sen, starring Sharmila Tagore, Rajesh Khanna, Feroze Khan and Ashok Kumar.

The movie was about a couple of med students, Neela (Sharmila) and Avinash (Rajesh) who love each other but things lie unsaid between them. Neela tutors a young boy Montu. Montu's older brother, Shekhar (Feroze) falls headlong for Neela and proposes marriage. In the meantime, Avinash finds out that he is terminally ill with blood cancer. He forces Neela to accept Shekhar's proposal, as Shekhar is healthy and rich, and will keep her happy. Neela accepts and is a dutiful wife, if not wholly loving. She cant get over Avinash, and Shekhar realises it. He becomes obsessed with Neela and ruins his business and finally commits suicide.

The irony here was, that the terminally ill man, Avinash, survives Shekhar. Neela finds she has lost her love, Avinash, as well as her husband, Shekhar.

Well scripted, well acted and well made, the movie was a treat. The ambience and the dialogue were authentic. Well, a little dramatic at times.

But the songs .. they were extremely pleasing.

1. Jeevan se bhari teri aankhen
2. Nadiya chale chale re dhara
3. Hum the jinke sahare
4. Jo tumko ho pasand wohi baat kahenge
and the ever popular
5. Zindagi ka safar hai ye kaisa safar

The last song reflects the mood of the movie. Had Neela remained faithful to Avinash, what little time he had would have been well spent, and Neela could have had a fulfilling marriage. Though Avinash was the one who was dying, my heart went out to Shekhar who loves Neela so deeply and so hopelessly.

JOSH -- The Chak De India Girls

2007-08-26T10:11:00.000+05:30

Shahrukh Khan is an established star, the Badshah of Bollywood. He worked with a one film director Shimit Amin and 16 newcomers to give us the magic that is Chak De India.

After the movie was over, the viewers wanted to know ‘Who are the Chak De Girls?’ It is a triumph on part of the casting team of CDI that they managed to pick up 16 raw and extremely believable girls to form the rookie hockey team. The girls actually come from different parts of India. Here is a list of the girls and how they were picked.

Anaitha Nair, 21
Bangalore

On field: Aliya Bose
Position: Right Out
Jersey No. 7
How I was picked: I got third time lucky after missing out on the film’s hockey and acting auditions. So it was five months from my first audition in February to my making it to the team last June. I was one of the few with zero hockey experience. I had done English theatre in Bangalore for five years, a Malayalam film, By the People, apart from a brief role in Phir Milenge.
The best and the worst: Getting into the mental discipline of a sportsperson was quite difficult as I’ve never had even a remote connection with any sport.
SRK moment: Every moment initially. We were so thrilled that he was around though later of course we got used to it.
Next move: My next release is going to be the Nagesh Kukunoor directed Aashaye opposite John Abraham.Chak de means: It’s a term of celebration.

Tania Abrol,21
Abohar, Punjab

On field: Balbir Kaur
Position: Full back
Jersey No. 3
How I was picked: The production team was scouting around colleges in Punjab and found Tania in MCM DAV College in Chandigarh. ‘‘They told me to hit the ball and say a few lines,’’ says Tania. She hit it hard and was called to Mumbai for another round of auditions.
The best and the worst: The worst was definitely the alarm going off at 3.30 am and the run for the practise sessions. ‘‘But once there, we had a rocking time. We forgot all about our injuries, bruised ankles, back aches, and just got down to the game.’’
SRK moment: The Main Hoon Naa hug he gives everyone on the sets and all of us playing soccer with him.
Next move: Studies—she’s in third year college—but who knows it could be films after that!
Chak de means: A milestone in my life.
— Jaskiran Kaur

Shubhi Mehta, 28
Delhi

On field: Gunjan Lakhani
Position: Right HalfM
Jersey No. 4
How I was picked: Being an MTV roadie finalist, I was asked if I would like to go for the film’s hockey auditions. Next happened my acting audition and that worked fine too as I had done theatre in Bangalore.
The best and the worst: The best thing was that I got to learn hockey. The worst was that I got injured a lot.
SRK moment: On the first day of the shoot, I was sitting in a corner of the cloakroom on a small stool. Shah Rukh walked up and asked if he could share it with me. We sat there chatting for nearly 20 minutes and then I asked him a really silly question, ‘Do you enjoy acting?’ He replied, ‘‘I guess after 16 years I am supposed to enjoy it,’’ before adding, ‘‘Choti choti stulon par aisi badi badi batein hoti hain…’’
Next move: A couple of scripts have come my way.
Chak de means: Sportsman spirit. It’s a magic call that lifts you.

Sagarika Ghatge, 20
Mumbai

On field: Preeti Sabarwal
Position:Centre forward
Jersey No. 9
How I was picked: I’ve always wanted to be an actress but my parents insisted I complete my graduation. So the day my BCom final exams were over, I went for the audition with a few of my regular photographs. I didn’t even have a portfolio. But I was selected on the day of my audition itself. I was the last one to join the team.
The best and the worst:Getting to know so many people and keeping pace with Shah Rukh sir was the high point. Getting up at 4.30 am for training was the tough bit.
SRK moment: My entry scene where I was supposed to show attitude, but I was so nervous of Shah Rukh that I could hardly do it convincingly. But he gave me some tips.
Next move: I’ve got film offers.
Chak de means: Play your heart out and make India proud.

Arya Menon, 19
Bangalore

On field: Gul Iqbal
Position: Left
Jersey No. 10
How I was picked: Having played school level hockey I went for the film’s Bangalore auditions just for the heck of it. My Hindi wasn’t too good, so I didn’t think I would be selected. However, one of the film’s assistant directors who saw my hockey audition liked my performance and I was called for the role after a month.
The best and the worst: We trained for two months and then all through the film’s shoot. The best thing about training was meeting so many wonderful people.
SRK moment: When I saw him with the stubble I told him, ‘Please don’t shave off the beard, you look so hot in it!’ And he bragged about it to every one.
Next move: I definitely see a career for myself in south Indian cinema.
Chak de means: Fun! Let go! The most awesome experience ever!

Seema Azmi, 30
Azamgarh, UP

On field: Rani Dispotta
Position: Right Defender
Jersey No. 2
How I was picked: I am an NSD graduate and have acted in many films including Water. The casting director had seen my work and I guess they thought I fitted in. My mother tongue Bhojpuri helped my essaying the character of the Jharkhandi girl Rani better.
The best and the worst: The training was great but I hated waking up at 3.30 am in the morning.
SRK moment: The way he used to recharge us with his infectious spirit especially when we were all tired. I liked the way he would exhort us for another run with his signature shout of ‘Bhago India bhago!’
Next move: I am currently directing a play on war widows called The Silent Front in Bangalore. I have some interesting character roles in Hindi films as well.
Chak de means: An experience that has changed my whole life.

Vidya Malvade, 32
Mumbai

On field: Vidya Sharma
Position: Goalie and Captain
Jersey No. 18
How I was picked: The casting director had seen me on my travel show. So, there I was playing the goalie and the captain—even though I had no association with hockey.
The best and the worst: The training taught us the spirit of the game, so much so that when I held the Cup as captain, I cried spontaneously. The toughest part was getting into the pads initially and getting the moves right. But being a Kathak dancer helped.
SRK moment: My first scene with him that had only him, me and a hockey stick and I hit his leg with my first move. But he just said chill and taught me how to wield it right.
Next move: I am doing Sanjay Gadhvi’s Kidnap and Junction starring Abhay Deol.
Chak de means: Just go for what you believe in!

Kimberly Miranda, 21
Mumbai

On field: Rachna Prasad
Position: Utility Player (one who can play any position)
Jersey No. 14
How I was picked: The director and the casting agent came to my college, St Andrew’s, during Sunday practice and watched me play. Later they asked me if I was interested in being a part of the film. I said yes because it is about a sport that is close to my heart.
The best and the worst: The fitness was the best thing. The worst was that sometimes you over-did your exercises.
SRK moment: In Australia, we used to play football after the shoot. SRK is a good footballer.
Next move: A graduate in History from Khalsa College and a state hockey player, Miranda has shifted focus to football. Is currently a senior level footballer representing Maharashtra.
Chak de means: India!

Nichola Sequeira, 17
Mumbai

On field: Nichola
Position: Bench and also a Utility player
Jersey No. 12
How I was picked: A friend had gone for an audition and recommended my name. The casting agent then came down during a tournament at St Andrew’s College where I study and saw me play. They offered me a role but then decided against it because I was only 16. But they changed their mind.
The best and the worst: I practice regularly so there is nothing particularly good or bad about it.
SRK moment: In a scene, which was later edited out, my character was to replace Gunjan. The scene was not shot in sync-sound so SRK came up to me and said, ‘‘I can’t think of anything to say, so I will quietly mouth ABCD, make sure you don’t laugh.’’
Next move: I’m clueless. I guess sports, hockey.
Chak de means: Hockey and India.

Raynia Mascarenhas, 21
Mumbai

Played: Raynia
Position: Utility player
Jersey No.16
How I was picked: I have played hockey and represented Mumbai. I read an article in the newspaper and got interested. So my mother who works with Radio City got in touch with some friends who put me through Yashraj Studios.
The best and the worst: Nothing apart from the fact that it was really grilling and that too is both a good thing and a bad thing.
SRK moment: He took us clubbing in Melbourne and later we all partied the night away at our apartment.
Next move: I just want to concentrate on my job now. I work with Spice Jet in the ground support control department.
Chak de means: All the 16 girls in the team.

Nisha Nair, 20
Mumbai

On field: Soi Moi
Position: Defence
Jersey No. 17
How I was picked: I am a state level player. The casting agent came to BHA (Bombay Hockey Association) and I was asked to audition and later they let me know that I’d been chosen for the part.
The best and the worst: There is nothing better than playing hockey or football in the rain. There was no bad part.
SRK moment: Meeting him for the first time on the field at BHA and later playing football after a shoot in Melbourne.
Next move: Studies and sports.
Chak de means: Hockey.

Lalhming Kimi, 20
Mizoram

On field: Mary
Position: Defender
How I was picked: A goalkeeper in her state team, her game and a great voice got her the role.
The best and the worst: Hockey came easy to her.
Next Move: Kimi is all set to graduate from player to coach—she’s pursuing a diploma in hockey coaching from Netaji Subhash National Institute of Sports, Patiala.

Sandia Furtado, 20
Mumbai

On Field: Nethra Reddy
Position: Left Out
Jersey No. 11
How I was picked: I had dropped in at the Yashraj office to meet my mum who was auditioning some of the actors for the movie. That’s when the casting director saw me and suggested I get on board.
The best and the worst: The best thing about the training was doing the stunts.
SRK moment: There’s a scene where I am being bullied by Bindiya and Shah Rukh just comes along and puts his arm around me. A lot of people really envied me.
Next move: I am a third year student of sociology and anthropology and first want to be done with college. I am open to doing ads but films are a strict no till I finish college.
Chak de means: Being one.

Chonchon Zimik, 24
Manipur

On field: Molly
Position: Left Half (back)
Jersey No. 6
How I was picked: A fashion design student from IITC, Pune, Zimik’s friend recommended her to a casting agent from Yashraj Films. ‘‘I was called for an audition. It was a hilarious experience because I was asked to say some fighting dialogues in Hindi. I don't speak Hindi well so the entire effect was rather comic. But I guess it worked.
The best and the worst: I trained for three months and I am happy that I can now play our national sport. Waking up at 4:30 am everyday for three months was the tough bit!
SRK moment: I’m clumsy and I was always getting into a spot. Shah Rukh always laughed at that and I can never forget that smile and that twinkle in his eye when he would look at me.
Next move: Post film, I was slightly confused. But I’ll be realistic, I am not exactly what Bollywood is looking for. I work in Mumbai in a fashion designing workshop and will stick to fashion designing. But if there is a good role in a film that deals with the North-East or my state, then I am game for it.
Chak de means: Victory!

Chitrashi Rawat, 17
Dehra Dun

On field: Komal Chautala
Position: Right In
Jersey No. 8
How I was picked: I had gone to Jabalpur as a member of the Uttaranchal hockey team to play in the national women’s tournament when I was asked to come for the audition. The film’s director saw me play the left striker in a couple of matches after which I was selected.
The best and the worst: Though I am a professional player I got to learn a lot on the techniques used in international hockey. On the personal front, since I was the youngest team member, everyone pampered me silly. However, the worst thing was getting up every day at 4am for practice that would continue till 2 pm.
SRK moment: There is a scene where Shah Rukh hugs and lifts me. We did so many retakes of the scene that by the time it was finally canned I had begun to smell like him.
Next move: I intend completing my graduation in Mass Media and I will be playing hockey for my college from September. As for acting, the offer has to be really exciting. For now, she’s content doing her Haryanvi Komal Chautala act for friends.
Chak de means: An emotional mantra for motivation.

Shilpa Shukla, 26
Hazipur

On field: Bindiya Naik
Position: Centre Half
Jersey No. 5
How I was picked: Having worked in theatre for six years I was fine about the acting bit, the hockey part was a bit dicey. Casting director Abhimanyu and director Shimit Amin had seen my performance in Khamosh Paani and were keen on casting me. I too was keen on playing the 'bad girl'. So I landed up at the audition, the only girl with a hockey stick, two days after my husband gifted me one on Valentine's Day.
The best and the worst: I had never imagined I would ever go through six hours of daily practice. The high point was being coached by Mir Ranjan Negi (former Indian player and coach).
SRK moment: It’s the Zipper scene when I come on to Shah Rukh. Though I was never daunted by his star status, after doing the scene I was literally shivering for two or three minutes. I wrote my experience of doing that scene on a card and gave it to him. He read it and gave me an assuring hug.
Next move: I have signed a film, Junction, opposite Abhay Deol
Chak de means: Urja, energy, enthusiasm and power.

2007-05-19T08:40:00.000+05:30

First they stood together on the stage ..

Then he turned to the crowds and shouted : No condom no sex

The crowd clapped and cheered.

Then he turned towards the lady and saluted her .. thus;

And thus;

And the crowds they roared and cheered.

That would have been the end of the matter, but the Aids Awareness event for Truckers in Delhi was a well covered event. With two celebrities like Richard Gere and Shilpa Shetty on stage, there was ample video, still and press coverage. The news channels went berserk relaying the ‘kissing clip’ again and again. One guy got so mad (in far away Jaipur) that he file a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) and got an arrest warrant out for Richard Gere. But then, Richard Gere isnt an Indian Citizen. Now the matter has gone sub-judice and next hearing is on 26^th May. Indian citizens may be keep their TVs switched off against an onslaught of the ‘kissing clip’ once again. Curious NRI’s may search the You Tube for the same. There are plenty of zealous souls out there helping the world know what Shilpa and Gere did.

Gere is in India so very often. He is a disciple of Dalai Lama and forever zooming down to Dharamsala. Then he spends ample time in Mumbai’s socialite circles helping their various causes, attending dinners et all. Pinkbee thinks he should be well aware of the Indian aversion to PDA. (public display of affection- for the uninitiated) Upon being introduced, there are women who will look stonily at the profferred hand and say ‘namaste’ with folded hands instead. This happens in several Barjatya movies too. Young people are supposed to dip down and touch your feet instead of shaking hands. But then, Sigh, this is Pinkbee’s middle class world. In the higher socities people peck at cheeks all the time, and which Socialite would scorn a peck on the cheek by an International Star?

Maybe Gere wanted to give a live demo of ‘No condom no sex’ when he spotted Shilpa by his side, and teach his audience how to go ‘thus far and no further’. His motivation is a mystery to Pinkbee and she wishes the matter would go away. Alas, Shilpa pops up again and says – Gere calls me at least once a day and sometimes twice too inquire about my welfare. He is concerned and wants to know if I am coping well with all the adverse publicity. He is a gentleman, if not an officer. India gets a regressive image abroad by all this tut-tuts Shilpa. But the regressive crowds are here : they are burning effigies and photographs.

Pic3

They want their share of the publicity pie. They are not bothered about India’s image abroad.

The hoi polloi (like yours truly) say, we are not like that, we don’t think there is any harm in that kiss. The media is trying to milk TRPs, The PIL guy is looking for publicity, the effigy burning crowds are looking for publicity, Shilpa and Gere are getting publicity. The truckers have had their fun. Let it RIP

pinkbee

Namastey London

2007-03-27T19:32:00.000+05:30

THE PINK BEE

THE BUZZ:

PROMISES FUN AND GAMES, PRETTY GIRL, HANDSOME BOY

THE TROUPE:

Akshay Kumar is an old khiladi. He has proved his hand at action, comedy and drama. Katerina Kaif is a pretty girl and manages not to get on your nerves. A good call for someone who is known more as an eye-candy and more for her hunky boyfriend than as an actress. Rishi Kapoor is again an old hand at convincing portrayals. He wowed us as the choclately young hero in Bobby etc and is now doing great job in ‘senior’ roles. Upen Patel is the eye candy for females. Look on girls and don’t expect serious histrionics here. The director, Vipul Amrutlal Shah has given us movies like Aankhen and Waqt – The race against time.

THE SHELL

East meets west, west realizes the superiority of east, west bows to east. Katerina is the pretty Londoner who is made to go back to India by her desi-at-heart father. Who should she find milking the cows in apna pind but Akshay Kumar who tries to convince her about the desi goodness. Full of ‘funjabi’ elements, with dependable Akshay the movie can do no wrong.

For a full list of credits check http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0795434/fullcredits

THE FEEL:

With the word ‘Fun’ in the tagline and with no other movie in competition, Namastey London is all set to storm the box office. Moviegoers like Akshay and Katerina. All they want is that the movie be made well and have some funny situations. The college kids are running up the ticket sales in the weekday shows and the family/working crowd is doing the same at weekends.

THE SPIEL

Years ago when Manoj Kumar made Purab aur Paschim- he presented Saira Banu as a half Indian half British girl, wearing tight fur lined micro minis with an atrocious blonde wig. She smoked cigarettes non-stop and blew humungous amounts of smoke. She also wore loads of eyeliner and pink lipstick. She was supposed to portray a ‘good’ girl who doesn’t know the Indian ways thanks to her British mother. It is left to Manoj Kumar to show her what being an Indian means, reducing the audience to clapping frenzy by chanting ‘bharat maa’ after every 10 seconds. Now Vipul Shah teams up with Akshay Kumar to do that all over again with a better dressed Katerina and lots more humor and lot less preaching.

TheNamesake

2007-03-23T14:01:00.001+05:30

THE BUZZ:

GOOD MOVIE, GOOD ACTING, GOOD STORY

THE TROUPE:

THE NAMESAKE comes to us with impressive credentials. Mira Nair has given us movies that entertain and provoke. Sooni Taraporevala is an acclaimed photographer and scriptwriter. Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel was well received. Tabu needs no introduction as a serious and accomplished actress. Likewise Irfan Khan always comes up an impressive performance. Kal Penn is the face of overseas indian perpetually dealing with angst of being an alien in a land where he was born and brought up. The character actors like Ruma Guha Thakurta, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Tanushree Shanker are names to reckon with.

THE SHELL

Born in the USA, bred of Bengali parents, torn between two cultures. That is the shell of the Namesake. Those who have read the novel will have a fair idea of what is to come.
Those who haven’t, can enjoy the surprise. Big names and the hat ke movie will draw the discerning crowds to the cinema halls. Reviewers are expected to praise the movie. In all fairness, the movie is likely to be worthy of it.

For a full list of credits check http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0433416/fullcredits

THE FEEL:

You are not likely to find houseful boards there just yet. But the sale might pick up. No rickshawallahs in the hall to whistle along with the proceedings. A MUST SEE FOR THE REGULAR MIDDLE CLASS UPWARD CROWD THAT HUNGERS FOR GOOD DECENT MOVIES TO WATCH. Movies that are like movies and less like kitsch.

THE SPIEL:

When Bend it like Beckham released in India, it was a huge hit. The cinema hall was full of young college going crowd and several ‘families’. Their empathy with a dark skinned girl who just wants to play football and make out with her cute coach was total. The movie was ‘dil se’ and real. Ever since then, this crowd of filmgoers has been adopting wholeheartedly movies by Gurinder Chadda, Mira Nair, Deepa Mehta which speak about the Indian Diaspora, albeit on the celluloid.