Cirkus..An Error in Comedy

Even after being warned not to see and even after keeping zero expectations I realised that seeing Cirkus was a mistake.

It’s that kind of mind-numbingly bad.

Shakespeare wrote Comedy of Errors .. One of the first films made was Do Dooni Char in 1968 written by Gulzar , who remade it as Angoor in 1982.

Do Dooni Char had Kishore Kumar and Asit Sen while Angoor had Sanjeev Kumar and Deven Verma.

Rohit Shetty who is inspired by old time comedies ( Gol Maal, Khatta Meetha, Aaj Ki Taaza Khabar) this time takes up Comedy of Errors in Cirkus.

( A film conceived with Shahrukh..and finally made with Ranveer and Varun Sharma).

The film starts in 1942 with Roy Jamnadas of Jamnadas Orphanage (from Golmaal) experimenting with interchanging two sets of identical twins just to prove parvarish (upbringing) > khoon (blood relation).

 Also, wow, the parents name all 4 kids Roy (Ranveer Singh), and Joy (Varun Sharma) keeping respect to the founders of the orphanage. (Murli Sharma and Uday Tikekar).

So, now, we have got a pair of Roy-Joy shaping up their lives in Bangalore as businessmen & the other pair of Roy-Joy performing in a circus in Ooty. Trust me it looks as absurd as it sounds. Ooty’s Roy gets famous as the ‘Electric Man’ as iska “Bijli se koi rishta hai”..but when he holds the live wires.. current passes through the other Roy..

(A tribute to Judwaa..for another dash of Masala).The whole story revolves around how the Bangalore pair go to Ooty for business and what will happen when both these twin pairs will face each other (Spoiler alert: Nothing interesting happens).

Apart from these 2 twin pairs, a whole bunch of comedians is stuffed along with the Rohit Shetty regulars.

Sanjay Mishra does his best but seems to ham ( his style reminder of his work in Rohit Shetty's " All the Best" (2009) but still remains a standout.

What I enjoyed !!

The retro songs used in various sequences..

Title track of Johnny Mera Naam, 

Dil ka bhanwar kare pukar 

Badan pe sitare

Chalti ka naam gaadi 

Aa jaane jaan

Jaata Kahan hai deewane

Tu kya jaane bewafa

Jaa re Jaa Harjaayi ..

Towards the end of the film, a chain of people get electric  seizures to the song, Piya Tu Ab To Aaja .

Apart from that the Retro look is Jarred and an eye sore.

The film is peppered with self-references to multiple other Rohit Shetty films like Singham but Cirkus FINALLY ends with a  Golmaal returns reference, putting an end to my misery.

(Honestly slept through the last 10 mins or so).

Comedy of Errors becomes Error in Comedy here.

I think it will be worth seeing Angoor once to get over this Cirkus.(More illogical than its spelling)

Raj Kapoor and Shailendra.. Birth Anniversary and Death Anniversary..The Irony

Today is the Birth Anniversary of Raj Kapoor. He would have been 98 today.

Ironically it is the Death Anniversary of Shailendra Ji

who has penned Lyrics for many R.K.Films and also made the doomed film Teesri Kasam in 1966.

Teesri Kasam has been analysed by Mona Chaudhary and Katyayni Jha Thakur  last year and I won't go in to the details but will share excerpts of my comment on this

This is a classic which was discussed earlier but can be discussed again and again.

Basu Bhattacharya had made all off beat classics irrespective of their BO performance.

1966

Teesri Kasam is also arguably Basu Bhattacharya’s best (Though it has been put on record that most of the direction was done by his first assistant B.R.Ishara).

The rhythm of the film is lyrical and ever so gentle and rarely has rural ethos been captured so beautifully on the Indian screen. The film, refraining from conventional drama, flows like the song  in the film (Duniya Bananewale) – beautiful, eternal and moving. Though Basu Bhattacharya went on to make some significant films as part of the parallel cinema movement in India in the 1970s and 1980s – Anubhav (1971), Aavishkar (1973) and Grihapravesh (1980) to name some, they never really matched his work in Teesri Kasam.

Coming to the content..

You have beautifully penned the movie..

The blossoming of the bond between Hiraman (Raj Kapoor) and Hirabai ( Waheeda ji) is warm, wistful and charming and is extremely delicately handled. What draws the nautanki dancer to the rustic cart driver is his simple philosophy of life and his natural aesthetic sense which he expresses through his moving songs. Only as the final parting appears imminent, does the intensity strike.

While Teesri Kasam might just have been a tale of another doomed love story, the social status of its protagonists, and its melancholic tone, added layers to the film’s texture.

In the climactic sequence, as Hirabai’s train departs and the parting becomes real, Hasrat Jaipuri’s words float over images of separation — “Sapne jagaa ke tune kahe ko de di judaai, Kahe ko duniya banaayi…”

Raj Kapoor and Waheeda Rehman literally live their roles in the film. Though much, much too old for the role, Raj Kapoor more than compensates with his performance as the naive country bumpkin. One cannot help but smile with him each time he blushes and goes ‘iss’ or be moved emotionally looking at the hurt on his face as Hirabai bids him farewell. Waheeda Rehman responds with perhaps the best performance of her career even considering her films with Guru Dutt.

The Year 1966 has 2 films with the Prefix Teesri..

Teesri Kasam

Teesri Manzil

And as fate would have it the latter was a blockbuster and the former an unfortunate failure.

Teesri Kasam, in spite of its box-office failure, went on to win the President’s Gold Medal  (National Award) as the Best Feature Film of 1966.

However the film had taken its toll on Shailendra and he passed away, a broken man, on December 14, 1966 on good friend Raj Kapoor’s birthday at an age of just 43.

🙏

8th December Dharmendra - Sharmila

December 8th

1935 : Dharmendra ( turns 87)

1944: Sharmila Tagore (turns 78)

such  evergreen stars , Dashingly Handsome and Dimpled Beauty are born on the same day.

This Couple was Hrishikesh Mukherjees favorite.. It is mentioned in his Biography that he has said

"I love all my actors but Dharmendra among the men and Sharmila among the Women and the movies they have worked together are Special "

The two made an interesting and very successful pair, especially in the films that they did together for Hrishikesh Mukherjee. 

Here's a list of films of this birthday special pairing

Anupama (1966)

This was the first time Hrishikesh Mukherjee brought this very compatible pair together. Sharmila played Uma, a repressed girl who hardly spoke. Dharmendra plays a poet and a writer who tried to bring the shy withdrawn Uma out of her shell. Their performances so complemented one another that Hrishida went on record to state this was his favourite star pair. A lot of us agree. Anupama was memorable for its melodies composed by Hemant Kumar.

Devar (1966)

In the same year as Anupama came another powerful drama, this one directed by Mohan Segal. Like Anupama, Devar too was about repressed unspoken love. Dharmendra played Sharmila’s brother-in-law, silently in love with her as he watched her suffer in a bad marriage. A film way head of its times, it was made memorable by composer Roshan’s melodies, "Baharon ne mera chaman lutkar" and "Guzra zamana bachpan ka" sung by Mukesh.

Mere Humdam Mere Dost (1968) 

Dharmendra and Sharmila looked smashing together in Mere Humdum Mere Dost. Lakximant-Pyarelal’s songs went a long way into making this routine film a blockbuster. Chalkaye Jaam, Chalo Sajana, Na jaa Kahin Ab Na Jaa, Hui Shaam Unka Khayaal aa gaya,were blockbusters and heard even today.

Satyakam (1969)

Regarded by most as Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s best film and by far Dharmendra’s most accomplished performance, Satyakam released in 1969. As a man whose idealism destroys his family, Dharmendra’s natural performance has withstood all ravages of time. Sharmila plays the perfect foil as his supportive wife.

Yakeen (1969)

During the same year as Satyakam, Dharmendra and Sharmila were seen together in the kitschy espionage thriller Yakeen, directed by Brij Sadanah. The film is most memorable for its title song which included the hot blooded hero chasing Sharmila, who sported modern outfits. Put her in a ghagra-choli or a western outfit, Sharmila was game for any role. Shankar Jaikishan were the music directors.Yakeen has Dharam Ji in a double role. It was an important film as with it began Dharmendra’s transition towards being the all-time “He-Man”, an action hero – as we would see him quite often in the 1970s... Sharmila looks amazingly beautiful in Yakeen. The duo looks picture perfect!

In the early 1970s, Sharmila was busy doing films with Rajesh Khanna. But she reunited with Dharmendra in 1975  for their beloved director Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s comedy Chupke Chupke, which has acquired cult status over the years.

Chupke Chupke (1975)

Hrishikesh Mukherjee, however, was not your usual filmmaker. He went beyond the image and did a number of films which tapped the comic talent of the duo. “Chupke Chupke” is a classic example of a film where you smile almost all the way through. Be it Dharmendra entering the film as a botany professor and quickly donning the garb of a watchman, Sharmila the student who falls in love and marries him.The drama gets a twist with the entry of Sulekha’s jijaji (Om Prakash in crackling form) and his constant wit and repartee sessions with the professor who uses drag as his main weapon in the game of one-upmanship. We also have  Amitabh Bachchan as a sober, drab academic and Jaya as his bubbly student and we have all the ingredients of an out and out entertainer.

Ek Mahal Ho Sapano Ka (1975)

A love triangle featuring Dharmendra with Sharmila and Leena Chandavarkar. This is potentially the  most forgettable film from the Dharam-Sharmila oeuvre. Directed by Devendra Goel it did have Ravi give beautiful soulful music ( Title Song, Dil Main Kisi Ke pyaar Ka,  Dekha Hain Zindagi ko ) to this rathur soulless caper.

After this we had two films

Chaitali ( which had Saira Banu replacing Sharmila after almost 8 reels )

Devdas ( Stared by Gulzar with Dharamendra Hema and Sharmila but shelved )

Finally they came together in 1984 

Sunny 

Sunny in 1984 was the last film in which we saw this screen pair together. Again, the songs made this film of theirs stand out in the 1980s. “Aur kya ahd-e-wafaa hotey hain, log milte hain, judaa hotay hain” is remembered till date as the song that plays an important part in the story. The dignified charm of Sharmila Tagore and the suave looks of Dharam ji added greatly to the weight of the love story of the younger pair-Sunny Deol and Amrita Singh. This was Dharmendra’s home production, where Sharmila played his mistress. He dies at the beginning of the film leaving behind the two women in his life, Sharmila and Waheeda Rehman to fight it out. 

From Anupama in 1966 to Sunny in 1984, Dharmendra and Sharmila, on this journey of dreams, have given us some beautiful films  with equally beautiful songs that always remind us of the fascinating romance they created on the silver screen. A romance that has been captured forever. For people to watch and rejoice in... Wishing both these stars a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY .

May both cross a magical 3 figure.

With inputs and reference : Subash K Jha.

#Repost

Remembering Sonik Omi.. Music Directors who didn't get their Due

Sonik Omi

Does this ring a bell ?

Oldtimers will remember them as music directors for S.K.Kapur , and later for the action brand movies.

But they were very talented and underestimated. 

Sonik Omi was a team of

Uncle Master Manohar Lal Sonik (who was unfortunately blind) and his nephew Omprakash Verma (later he adopted the surname Sonik).

Today is Master Sonik's 99th Birth Anniversary.

Master Manohar Lal Sonik , also born in Sialkot, had lost his eyesight when he was only two. But he never let that deter him from his musical ambitions. He decided to move to Bombay to try his luck in the film industry. Eleven-year-old Om Prakash ji (Omi ) accompanied him.

They did music for a couple of movies in the 50's but it did not work out.

Characteristically, taking the disappointment in his stride, he started assisting other music directors. He went on to work on a string of musical hits with accomplished composers such as Madan Mohan (Woh Kaun Thi, Haqeeqat, Mera Saaya) and Roshan (Barsaat Ki Ek Raat, Aarti, Taj Mahal), and also newbies like Usha Khanna (Dil Deke Dekho) in which he was credited for the Background score.

Meanwhile, Omi, after several abortive attempts to succeed as a singer, had started assisting his uncle. In the Raj Kapoor-Nutan starrer Dil Hi To Hai, we see Sonik-Omi credited for the first time. Impressed with their work, the producers of the film, the Rawal"s, gave them their first break as a music director duo. The title song of the Dharmendra-Nutan starrer Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya (1966) became a huge hit and is a staple at ‘Tribute to Rafi’ programmes even today.

After Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya, the duo did two more films with the Rawals – Aabroo (1969) and Ladki Pasand Hai (1971). In between, they tasted major commercial success in the shape of Sawan Bhadon, 

"Kaan Men Jhumakaa Chaal Men Thumakaa" is a big hit even today. However, the most remembered Sonik-Omi songs from that period would be an epic Rafi tearjerker from Mahua (1969)...' Dono ne Kiya Tha Pyaar magar, Mujhe yaad raha' was an anthem for the jilted heart broken.

Then came the Epic qawalli "Raaz Ki Baat Keh Doon toh" ( Dharma).

Despite delivering such massive hits it was unfortunate Sonik-Omi never made it to the big league. Through the 1970s and ’80s, the duo composed music for a string of action movies mostly by S.K.Kapur ( Maan Gaye Ustaad, Apna Khoon , Raftaar , Shankar Dada and V.K.Sobti ( Umar Quid, Chowki no 11). Even Joginder used them for Pandit Aur Pathan and Bindiya aur Bandook 

Few will know that they also composed for Manmohan Desai in Bhai ho toh Aisa .

Master Sonik passed in July 1993

I personally feel the duo never got their due.

This is my second article on Music directors who made melody but never were in limelight. The first was Usha Khanna.

Reference:. Tribute to Omprakash Sonik

My Swar

Songs to remember

Remembering Geeta Dutt

Revered remembrance of

Geeta Dutt on her 92nd Birth Anniversary today.

She came in the limelight even with minimal musical training but she compensated that with the melody and emotion she brought into her songs.

To quote Raju Bharatan a music critic who has penned biographies of Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle..

 “Geeta Dutt was thandi hawa and kaali ghata rolled into one. The moment she came, you got the refreshing feeling of aa hi gayi jhoom ke. There was a rare swing in her voice. She hit you like a thunderclap… This made Geeta Dutt the one singer that Lata Mangeshkar really feared”.

Geeta Roy made her debut in 1946 under Dada (S.D.) Burman.

Her arrival was sounded in " Do Bhai' where she sang 6 of the 9 songs of the film for Dada.

One of them is the classic 

"Mera Sunder Sapna Beer Gaya'.

Written by Raja Mehendi Ali Khan( also making his Debut).

After this she was the top singer till Lata Mangeshkar entered with Mahal .

But Geeta Roy unfazed tried a new genre of Jazz in Baazi ( again S.D.Burman). She sang six of the eight songs in the film – all solos. The song from the film that stood out and  transformed her career was 'Tadbeer Se Bigdi Hui'.Geeta Roy sang with oomph, her voice giving expression to Geeta Bali’s enamoring looks. The song was a roaring success and Geeta Roy was back. 

Baazi also had a turning point in her personal life. It was during the making of this film that she fell in love with the film’s director, Guru Dutt and Vice Versa. They got married in 1953 and Geeta Roy became Geeta Dutt.

Thus were born some of the most achingly romantic melodies of the 50's- those nuggets of love and its various facets which materialized because there was love in the air.

She went on to sing over 1200 songs in the next 20 year's.

Her most famous and celebrated work in Hindi Film songs is of course with the veteran composers Sachin Dev Burman, O. P. Nayyar and Hemant Kumar. 

She passed away 50 years ago in 1972 but not before reminding us of her enormous talent in the 1970-71 film Anubhav, where she glowed brightly once again and sang three lovely melodies 

'Meri jaan mujhe jaan na kaho', 'Koi chupke se aake' and 'Mera dil jo mera hota' which represent some of the finest work that Geeta Dutt had ever done.

composed by Kanu Roy, two of which were written by Gulzar.

Geeta Dutt’s melodious voice enthralled many in the 1940s and 1950s, but a career that began with a meteoric rise to fame ended in tragedy.

42 was no age to go.

But Even Guru Dutt left at 39 and Possibly wanted to make up with her in heaven 🙏

Bibliography

Official Website of Geetadutt

The Best of Geeta Dutt

Collage : Shailendra Mishra

JOHNY MERA NAAM

Today is the 96th Birth Anniversary of Prem Nath ji.

Ideally I should be reviewing Teesri Manzil ..but that was done last month on Shammi Kapoor's Birth anniversary.

More so as today is also Helens Birthday.

So I will review a comeback film of Prem Nath ji

JOHNY MERA NAAM

Today I am remembering a movie which has completed 52 Years on 20th November yesterday 

The story is simple. Dev Anand and Pran, as Sohan and Mohan, are brothers. They are good at boxing; it is while boxing with each other that they reunite. A criminal Ranjit (Premnath) gets their father, a cop, murdered. Mohan kills the contract killer. Fearing consequences, he escapes in the boot of Ranjit’s car, not knowing that Ranjit got him orphaned. Mohan grows up as a criminal, now known as Moti.

Sohan, on the other hand, proves to be a chip off the old block, becoming a CID officer, hunting for an international gang whose important member Moti is. It is headed by one Rai Sahab Bhupinder Singh ( Again Premnath )

Soham is a charismatic character. He assumes the identity of Johny, a petty thief, and wins his way to Rekha (Hema Malini) through Heera (Jeevan), a gangster. The pursuit takes Mohan and Rekha to some exotic locales in Nepal. 

After many adventures, it is revealed that Rekha’s father Bhupinder Singh was actually in the custody of Ranjit who was impersonating as Bhupinder Singh. Ranjit turns out to be the foster-brother of Bhupinder Singh’s. In the end, of course, the villain gets his just deserts and the hero and the heroine get married.

Meanwhile there is a sub plot of Babu and Tara ( Randhawa and Padma Khanna ). Who tries to quit the gang but is caught by Moti at the behest of Johnny. Tara subsequently becomes Bhupinder Singh's keep after a ultra seductive strip tease ( Husn Ke Laakhon Rang)

( Reminds me Some how of this situational  sequence adapted in Don too to a shorter extent where Helen does Yeh Mera Dil ).

Dev Anand and Hema Malini are well balanced and paired ( their first).

Pran and Premnath excel in their roles.

More so Prem Nath who was truly evil and played a role or a lifetime.

How can one forget the triple role trio of I.S. Johar's famous Pehle Ram, Dooje Ram, and Teeje Ram.

Another highlight of the movie are the songs and Song Picturizations.

Kalyanji-Anandji’s compositions are spot on and capture the varying moods and tone of the film to perfection, including the background score.Pal bhar ke liye koi hamein pyaar karle is remembered for not just the way its lyrics and singing but also picturization. We also have Oh Mere Raja ..shot in Nalanda and Shanti Stupa and Lata Mangeshkar's pathos in Baabul Pyaare.It needs to be mentioned here that Vijay Anand excelled in song picturizations.

It is through such wonderful songs and lovely picturizations that the magic of Johny Mera Naam continues to charm us through generations and we continue to hum its tune and conjure up the images which have become almost iconic.

Coming three years after Jewel Thief (1967), this film reaffirms the mastery of Vijay Anand as an accomplished craftsman in the annals of popular Hindi cinema and continues many of the elements of the previous film in terms of intricate plotting, themes and style.

Johny Mera Naam regularly appears on cinema channels also streaming on Zee 5. 

An evergreen Classic which brought Prem nath ji to the fore again and how he did varied roles till the mid 80s.( I remember Desh Premee and Hum Dono as his last ).

DRISHYAM 2

DRISHYAM 2

I had seen on OTT the two original versions directed by Jeetu Joseph 

Mohanlal ( Malyalam) Feb- March 2021

Venkatesh ( Telugu) November -Dec 2021

Both were classics in their own right however I had been waiting for the Hindi version.

Part 1 has been directed by Nishikant Kamat who had passed away in Covid Wave and one was thinking who would direct the second part in Hindi.

Ot turned out to be the Producers son Abhishek Pathak.

Now can't say much on the story.. the makers and director have been faithful to the original just modifying the set up (Goa) as was in 2015s first part.

(I had seen the pre release show in Hyderabad)

The second part starts where the first ended.

The Salgaonkars are still going through the trauma of what happened seven years ago. As the cops are employing new ways and planning & plotting to uncover the case, want Vijay Salgaonkars and his family to confess the buried truths behind all these hurdles. The story revolves around, Can Vijay save his family, and himself too from the cops again? How long can the truth remain buried? 

A new IG has been appointed in the town Police Tarun Ahlawat played with panache by Akshaye Khanna to lead the unsolved missing case of Sameer Deshmukh, son of former IG Meera Deshmukh played by Tabu. This time the cops are following the leads without underestimating any clue.  

The suspense of the story has been weaved with multiple threads that actually make your mind blown leading to a spine-chilling climax and unpredictable twists and turns.

When you think of actors remaking Mohanlal’s magic from the original, there is no other perfect option than Ajay Devgn to do. The much-talked ability to act through the eyes is what makes both the stars more similar than different. As the helplessness of his character’s state of mind is on the relaxed side for the majority of the film, we don’t get to see the intense side we witnessed in the prequel.

The prequel was definitely 5 star

This sequel would possibly be 4 stars but nevertheless a must watch film

It was fun watching the film ina multiplex with a House Full sign.

The film gained from the Advance Hype and bookings which were a great ploy.

We have a winner..and the winner takes it all.

Blast From the Past 1975 FARAAR

#blastfromthepast 1975 again..

47 Years of Faraar 

The year with arguably the most hit and epic films.

1975 was a great year for Amitabh Bachchan. Even if his films received a mixed reaction at the box-office (Sholay and Deewar were megahits; Mili and Chupke Chupke did better than average business; Zameer and Faraar were average though they more than recovered their investment.) his roles were completely different in each film

The film opens with a court scene. Tarun Kumar (Rajan Haskar), a rich and notorious playboy is in the docks for having raped and killed his secretary Geeta ( Anupama) but gets away leaving her brother Rajesh ( Amitabh Bachchan ) who is an amateur painter in Revenge mode seeking Justice.

He finally kills him in a Shiva temple but getting injured himself.

As the news breaks Police Inspector Sanjay ( Sanjeev Kumar) who plans an evening out with his wife Mala ( Sharmila Tagore) has to sacrifice that and launches a search for the murderer.

Mala is now alone and Rajesh enters the house .He forces her at gunpoint to take him on a tour of the house so he can reassure himself that they are quite alone. Holding her son hostage, he forces her to remove the bullet from his arm. His first sight of her shocks him. He tries to hide his face from her, but yells out a name in pain.

When Sanjay comes home, Mala cannot hide her distress. The murderer is their house, and is holding their son hostage. The inspector is livid, but Mala is terrified. What if he hurts their son?

However the child and Rajesh develop a bond and he sings him a song .. Main Pyaasa Tum Saawan .. (Ho Na)

The song draws Mala inexhorably toward her son’s room. As the song ends in a question, she unconsciously answers…(Hoon Toh).

When the door opens, she sees a face from her past. As Rajesh shuts the door in shock, Mala's remembers how she had been on the verge of committing suicide. Rajesh had saved her and had taken her home to his mother and sister; as days pass, their acquaintance ripens to affection, and then to love.

Sanjay on the other hand is going hammer and tongs to negotiate with Raj 

In the meantime, there has been an order from above to lift the police blockades. Will Inspector Sanjay agree? Where will this end? Will Mala ever know why Rajesh turned to murder? What will happen when Sanjay begins to delve deep into Rajesh’s past? 

As an outlaw on the run from the police, eventually hiding out in the house of the very police officer deputed to hunt him down, ( This theme was used in 36 Ghante earlier ) Amitabh’s stunning (and extremely sympathetic) performance had the audience rooting for him; and there was an audience outcry when he died in the film. This was his third successive death onscreen, in the same year ( after Deewar and Sholay). Unlike Sholay, they actually shot two endings – one where he is shot, but removed to hospital; the other, where he is shot and killed. The latter was a more believable end, and a more apt one. (Even though, personally, I didn’t want ‘believable’ at the time; I just wanted Amitabh to live.).

Four things make “Faraar” a special film 

1. The performances of the three principle characters - Amitabh, Sharmila, and Sanjeev. 

2. The basic story/plot ..an on-the-run refugee accidentally seeking solace in a place where multiple elements of his life converge. 

3. The editing- the film reveals to us just enough information to keep us Intrigued, but reserves portions to keep us curious. 

4. A singular haunting melodious track, “Mein Pyaasa Tum Saawan”..from the great pair of.. Kishore Kumar and Kalyanji Anandji. Also with Lata Kishore and Lata Solo.

A lesser known film from Amitabh Bachchan's repertoire.

Written by Gulzar, Directed by Shankar Mukherjee and financed by Gulshan Rai (Trimurti Films).

Available on You Tube.

Uunchai : A Review

Finally I saw the film

Uunchai

It wasn't a film it was an experience..

One of the most perfectly made films of 2022.

Coming on the back of 

"Good Bye" this is another class act from Amitabh Bachchan.

He joins hands with Rajshri Productions after Saudagar (1973). The film also has Anupam Kher whose claim to fame came with Rajshri Productions "Saaransh" . To add we have Sarika who started her career with Rajshri Productions in 'Geet Gaata Chal'.

As a topping we have Boman Irani, Neena Gupta and Danny. 

Sooraj Barjatya directs this encore of talent commendably.

The film is woven around the song ये जीवन है इस जीवन का यही है यही है रंग रूप ( again from Rajshri's Piya Ka Ghar.)

The film begins with a breath-taking sequence and then goes into flashback mode nicely introducing the principal characters.

Uunchai is the story of a life-changing journey of three friends. Amit Shrivastava (Amitabh Bachchan) is a successful author, based in Delhi. He is separated from his wife Abhilasha (Nafisa Ali Sodhi) and the closest people in his life are his three friends – Javed (Boman Irani), Om Sharma (Anupam Kher), and Bhupen (Danny Denzongpa). The quartet meets on Bhupen’s birthday . Bhupen, who is originally from Nepal, expresses the desire to head to Everest Base Camp along with Amit, Javed, and Om. The friends, however, reject the idea, citing their old age and health issues. Bhupen goes home after the party and passes away in his sleep. Even in the case of Bhupen, his friends are his only family and they handle the cremation and other rituals. While going through Bhupen’s study, Amit finds that the former has booked a tour package to the Everest Base Camp for his three friends.  Meanwhile, Om is making plans to immerse Bhupen’s ashes in the river Ganga in Varanasi. Amit informs Om and Javed about Bhupen’s Everest plan. He persuades them to join him so that they can release his ashes at the Base Camp since it was Bhupen’s last wish. Om and Javed agree after a lot of persuasion. But there’s a problem. Javed’s wife Shabana (Neena Gupta) will never allow her hubby to take such a risky trek. Hence, Amit comes up with a plan. He tells Shabana that the trio will go to Kathmandu, Nepal where they’ll immerse his ashes. As per the plan, they’ll go to Kathmandu by road since Om is scared of flights. Amit tells Shabana to join them. He tells her that they’ll drop her at Kanpur at her daughter Heeba (Sheen Dass) and son-in-law Valli (Abhishek Pathania)’s place. Once that’s done, the trio will then head to Gorakhpur where Om will meet his brothers, whom he hasn’t met in 30 years. The three friends and Shabana begin their trip. But sadly, things go haywire. They are joined enroute in a sharing agreement with & by Mala (Sarika).What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Amitabh Bachchan delivers a terrific performance, as expected. It is a challenging role, not just physically but also emotionally and Big B comes out with flying colours as always Especially in the second half, he’s too good .. without makeup unrecognisable at times.

Anupam Kher’s part reminds one of his similar acts in Khosla Ka Ghosla and Baby. But he ensures it stands out and does a fine job. His breakdown scene at the Gorakhpur ghat is testimony to his variations.

Boman Irani is competent and underplays his role to perfection.

Danny is a classic case of Long time no see and is welcome on screen even if it is for a short surjourn. Parneeta Chopra leaves her impression in the second half. Sarika and Neena Gupta have apt and well defined roles which they perform well.

Music is melodious but lacks a blockbuster song (Characteristic in a Rajshri production). Back ground music , photography and other technical aspects are top class.

A trek to Everest Base Camp is indeed very grueling and here somehow that intensity is missing to an extent but we can owe that to cinematic liberty.

I give the film 

4 stars out of Five.

Experience it.

Amjad Khan A Tribute

Amjad Khan 

Today is the 82nd birth Anniversary of Amjad Khan.

Another brilliant actor lost early.

He was not even 52 when he passed in 1992.

Son of actor Jayant ( Zakaria Khan)

Amjad started as a child actor in films like Ab Dilli Door Nahin.

His first adult appearance being as a Pakistani Pilot in Chetan Anands Hindustan Ki Kasam.

However his passport to fame was his immortal role as Gabbar Singh in SHOLAY.

In fact he was almost an unknown face in the caravan of stars when the film started substituting Danny

But he carved a niche for himself and Gabbar remains his most memorable role.

Sholay was followed by Charas 

where he played the Sauve Robert.

Amjad suffered a serious accident in 1976. The drugs administered to him caused a lifelong weight issue for the actor.But he was an actor who was blessed with the kind of talent which could tide over the most threatening circumstances and overcome.

He became so popular in demand that he did ,11 movies in 1977.

Which include three Super hits 

Hum Kisi Se Kam Nahin, Parvarish and Inkaar.

He also acted in Satyajit Ray's 

Shatranj Ke Khiladi written by Munshi Premchand as a Nawab whose kingdom was under siege from the British colonial rulers.

Khan’s incomparable diction, which he meticulously practiced, mannerisms and adaptation got him many roles as the villain. However he did get different roles ( Comic and Emotional both ) which helped him to be versatile.

His comic touch was so evident in films like Qurbani and Love story.

He even played characters which were stronger and more popular than the heroes of films, especially films like Dada, Commander and Pyaara Dushman. 

He had a successful pairing with Amitabh Bachchan with whom he did 18 films almost all of them being hits.

Amjad Khan was one actor who could switch on to play nine different characters in nine different films shot in just one day. 

He was only interested in giving the people the kind of enlightening entertainment of which he was an expert par excellence.

He never went after awards and recognition and won just three Filmfare awards for Dada, Yaarana and Maa kasam where as he had done many better roles earlier.

He briefly ventured into direction too

This first Adhura Aadmi was completed but not released and he produced and directed a couple of movies — Chor Police (1983) and Ameer Aadmi Gareeb Aadmi (1985).

Both films were mauled by the censor board for flimsy reasons and that affected their continuity and presentation.

Amjad Khan was a very bitter man after both his films flopped at the box -office and was never the same man again. 

To add to his woes a film he planned with Amitabh Bachchan

Lambai Chaudai was shelved due to Amitabh Bachchan's sudden Hiatus.

The last role he played was that of an old Maharaja lying on his death bed in an art film called Rudaali.

(Some delayed films were however released after his death like Soutela Bhai, Aatank and Do Funtoosh where his brother Imtiaz dubbed for him).

He came, He conquered and He left.

Will miss him and his unique mannerisms always..like

'Hello Hello ji "in Chor Police

'Ludka Ludki" in Love Story

' I Like it ' in Qurbani &

Many more

Above all his dialogues from Sholay remain etched in our hearts for ever.

Please do add any anecdotes and Trivia.

Bibliography: Remembering Amjad Khan by Ali Peter

Happy Birthday Tabu

Happy Birthday Tabu

As filmmakers have quoted, Tabu is never selected for a role, more often than not the characters are written for her. That is the charm of Tabu. As she turns 52 today, here are some words appreciating the varied roles she has portrayed over the years to bring magic to the screen. 

Ever since her debut, at the age of 11, with the 1982 Sagar Sarhadi film Bazaar in an uncredited role, and later in Dev Anand’s 1985 Hum Naujawan, she has only shown excellence in portraying her roles.

Her first role as a leading lady was in the Telugu Coolie No 1.

Her Hindi Debut was supposed to be Prem which got delayed and films like Pehla Pehla Pyaar , Vijaypath got released in 1994 a year before Prem released.

( Vijaypath was a hit the other two tanked )

She did a lot of commercial films till the Gulzar directed Maachis in 1996 (set during the 1984 .Sikh unrest and the makings of an extremist). A year later, Tabu co-starred in the family drama "Virasat" (1997), for which she was nominated for the Hindi Filmfare Award for best actress.

Her role in another drama, "Hu Tu Tu" (1999), did finally land her the Filmfare Award, and in 2000 for her role in "Astitva," she walked away with the critics' award for best actress. 

Tabu won a National award for her role in Madhur Bhandarkar’s Chandni Bar (2001) where she goes from being a naive young girl to becoming a bar dancer in Mumbai and making the city her home. 

She later starred opposite actors Irrfan Kahn and Pankaj Kapoor in Maqbool an Indian version of "Macbeth" (2003).

Tabu has always shattered stereotypes with every character in every era of her career. In a career spanning over nearly four decades, Tabu has rarely portrayed a conventional character since 1996 barring an odd Jai Ho .

Not shying away from any genres, Tabu has also excelled in playing fun characters like the 34-year-old woman who falls in love with a 64-year-old man (played by Amitabh Bachchan) in the fun romcom Cheeni Kum. She also leaves a lasting impact with her role in the Netflix series A Suitable Boy where she romances a boy half her age, newcomer Ishaan Khatter.

Her near recent films like Drishyam (2015) Andhadhun (2018) and Bhool Bhulaiya 2 (2022) have been huge successes and her character portrayal is getting accolades.

We now await Drishyam 2

So, here’s to Tabu, wishing her a very happy birthday! May she continue to bring magic to the screen for many more years to come.

Pics : @Tabutiful Instagram & Google.

POST RETIREMENT

POST RETIREMENT 

It's been a week since I returned from my post retirement vacation to be with my daughter at Dubai and it has been over a month since I retired.

Looking back at the last 35 days

one realises how much daily habituality when severed affects.

Even today as I get up it takes me a few minutes to realise.. I don't have to go to office! Then the next hour goes in trying to plan what to do for the day

My colleagues and office associates are obviously busy and are usually in touch in case of some queries ( which I actually look ahead to)even that is rare.

Retirement and relaxation was correlated by many but at times I find it Taxing. All days are same .. Sunday ho Ya Monday 

So my visit abroad to be with my daughter and meet my brother was a refreshing ten days. But even they ended before I realised.

Yes I have been writing .. reading a bit, bingeing  and movies to whale off the time.

And yes this includes the social media too.

Discussions are on for future prospects but such things take time.

So yes Iam optimestic and hope this also shall pass soon..

Just felt Iike penning my feelings ..

Don't know why but just wish to end with this line ..

वक्त ने किया क्या हसीन सितम ..

AKSHAY KUMAR

Akshay Kumar has had five releases this year.

Bachchan Pandey 

Prithviraj Chauhan 

Both didn't do well.

Now in last 3 months he had

Raksha Bandhan

Cuttputlli 

And Ram Setu

Somehow got to see the final three them Back to Back ..this week

Two on OTT and RamSetu as a Diwali theatre release.

1)RAKSHA BANDHAN :

Akshay Kumar and Aanand L Rai have come up with their next collaboration together after 'Atrangi Re' called 'Raksha Bandhan'.

I found Raksha Bandhan as an initially regressive film that compresses a potentially most interesting plot point of dowry (with unsubtle humour in the first half) into a melodrama turning progressive in the second.

(I could anticipate the interval even while watching it on the small screen).

It was released with Laal Singh Chadda (another flop) and whatnwas common?

Golgappe.

While It’s a life philosophy for Aamir Khan in Laal Singh Chaddha and a business gimmick for Akshay Kumar’s Lala Kedarnath. In a snack stall in Chandni Chowk, Delhi, run by generations before him, Kedarnath continues to feed golgappa's to "expecting" women, perpetuating a myth that they will ensure she has a boy child.

Lala is in Love with Sapna ( Bhumi Pednekar) whose  father wants them to marry.. but...

Akshay Kumar is competent as always..the sisters do well as also Bhumi Pednekar and the other actors do justice to their roles 

The film is just 108 mins but with the songs pitching in the fast forward botton made it smaller.

I don't regret missing this on the big screen.

2)CUTTPUTLLI

A thriller that is a remake of a Tamil hit Ratsasan (2018). it chases a serial killer who brutally targets teenaged schoolgirls in the scenic town of Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh and leaves the brutalised face of Cinderella dolls as his signature. He is pursued by Arjan Sethi (Akshay Kumar), a sub inspector who was once an aspiring filmmaker, specialising in stories of serial killers. 

It's an Akshay Kumar show all the way. The star deserves praise for trying out different variations of the same template, but he is playing them with the intensity of a well-oiled machine that is more efficient than exciting. He is ably supported by Chandrachur Singh. The talented Rakul Preet Singh seems to be using small parts with big stars as an investment for the future.

This film is a link to the chain of films on serial killers.

Raveena Tandon's Aranyak and Vikrant Massey's Forensic, to name a few.

On the whole, CUTTPUTLLI has its share of thrilling moments but turns out to be average fare thanks to its weak climax.

But a good watch.

3) RAM SETU

Ram Setu stars Akshay as an archaeologist, Dr Aryan Kulshrestha, who proudly tomtoms his atheism to the press. The year is 2007. Around this time, the evil shipping magnate Indrakanth (Nasser) finds a project stalled by religious devotees. Indrakanth needs a portion to be shaved off the Ram Setu a.k.a. Adam’s Bridge a.k.a. Ram’s Bridge – a natural formation running between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka – so as to shorten the route to be taken by one of his fuel-guzzling ships.

Dr Aryan is roped in for his expert analysis on a waterborne work station with Gadgets which would fit in to any 007 Bond film. He is assisted by other experts of which one is Jacqueline Fernandez and in an emergency by a surprise element. 

How he goes about his job in an Indiana Jones adventure scenario is to be seen on the big screen.

Altogether, Akshay Kumar's Ram Setu has an interesting premise but the script is weak as also the characterisations.

The special effects VFX are not upto the mark.

RAM SETU is a songless film. The theme track is played in the end credits. Daniel B George's background score is exciting and in sync with the film’s mood.

Director Abhishek Sharma’s thought of making a film based on Ram Setu is fine and his search work is visible on screen. Though Abhishek Sharma’s on-paper ideas are good, the execution part lacks emotional connectivity.

25 Years of Dil Toh Paagal Hain

DIL TOH PAAGAL HAIN

completes 25 Years today.

Hard to comprehend how it was not mentioned by any of our contributors.

Finally I decided to cover it.

DTPH may not be as popular as DDLJ or some other Yash Chopra hits , however it is memorable as it brought together Madhuri, Karishma and Shahrukh.. all three stalwarts of that period with Akshay Kumar added in.

The plot revolves around the idea of love of three people: Pooja (Madhuri Dixit), Rahul (ShahRukh Khan) and Nisha (Karishma Kapur). Pooja believes in soulmates and that there's someone made for everyone. Rahul doesn't believe in love, and neither in the fact that you can live all your life with just one person. Nisha believes that love lies within friendship and that friendship will one day blossom into love. The film is about their journey of friendship, love, their passion for dance, heartbreaks, and, above all, hope. The moral of the story is that the heart is crazy, and no matter how much you avoid it, it will eventually lead you to your true destination of where your heart really belongs. To add is the charector of Ajay (Akshay Kumar) who is the fiancee of Pooja.

The story is fairly simple, and may be the only thing lacking in the movie. Rahul, a director, starts with describing a new play that his performing team is going to put on "Maya", translated as "illusion". The lone female dancer in his team is Nisha . Nisha, madly in love with Rahul, once tells him about her love. As Rahul starts making this play with Nisha in the lead as "Maya", she gets injured, and the real "Maya", Pooja arrives. Pooja is arranged to marry Ajay , a businessman from London. Pooja takes the part as Maya hesitantly. From there, the story rolls to the finale quite peacefully.

The music director, Uttam Singh, relatively unknown before this album released (except for a few albums in the eighties), reached a high with his compositions. Anand Bakshi’s mastered the lyrics one more time. The songs and the Dance of Envy were stupendous hits.

The choreography and technical aspects of the direction during the songs show off the real beauty of Yash Raj Films. Yash Chopra’s direction stresses his experience and delicate handling of the movie.

The movie swept away most of the awards of the year including all major awards at the Filmfare Awards in 1997 such as Best Film, Best Actor (Shah Rukh Khan), Best Actress (Madhuri Dixit), Best Supporting Actress (Karishma Kapur), Best Art Direction, Best Music Direction, and Best Dialogue. And not only this, the film also swept away two National Awards apart from many other public and critic awards.

All actors have done their job well however considering that Karishma was not the first choice for Nisha ( Kajol, Raveena and even Juhi Chawla were considered) one feels she owned the role (I am by no means a fan of Karishma Kapoor). Pooja (Maya) is mystically played by Madhuri..

And Rahul ..Naam toh Suna hi Hoga.

Available on YashRaj Video and Paid You Tube.

Image is of CD of the film.

Vinod Mehra and Ghar (1978)

Today is a tribute to a complete actor but low profile Gentleman who never got due recognition in Bollywood inspite of being part of many successful films

Vinod Mehra whose death Anniversary falls today. ( 30.10.1990).

Recently I did a post on his only Production and Semi-directed Guri Dev. 

Today I'm Revisiting his Classic Film Ghar..

Vikas Chandra( Vinod Mehra)and Aarti (Rekha ) marry each other after the boy's rich father opposes the match. He is put off by the fact that Aarti is an orphan, and not wealthy at all. But, Vikas will not relent. For, Aarti is a wonderful person. Ebullient and attractive, she loves Vikas dearly. So, as expected, Vikas is shown the door by his father when the couple tie the knot. Stripped of his ancestral belongings and rights, Vikas and Aarti now struggle to find a decent place to settle down (it is Mumbai ( Bombay) after all!). And, after much running from pillar to post, they get hold of a good house. Aarti takes up the cudgels of decorating the house and soon the couple is seen enjoying conjugal bliss. Aarti is the homemaker and Vikas earns a decent sum to feed both of them and cough up enough money to pay the bills. All is well till one doomed night...

One Evening Vikas and Aarti go to catch a night show of Loafer. The show breaks past midnight. They decide to walk home in the absence of proper transport. A pack of leery louts riding a cab attack the couple on the way. They assault Vikas and abduct Aarti. Next morning when Vikas gains consciouness, he somehow staggers to a police station. Tension mounts till Vikas gets the news of Aarti lying unconscious in the hospital. She has been assaulted and gangraped, a trauma that has numbed her to silence...

Their happy existence is rudely shattered. Life changes for ever. Their privacy is gone. As is their joy. The man feels hounded and guilty. The woman is numb with shock and defiled.

The challenge now is to put their lives in order all over again. Both are still tranced and the way they cope up during this difficult transition forms the core of Ghar.

What is incredible about the film is the enormous sensitivity displayed by Vinod Mehra and Rekha in enacting a grim subject like this. Their love for each other is so touching that it pains you to see them go through this ordeal. Yet, it is this very edifice of love that triumphs and lays the base for a new beginning. 

Those amazing eyes! Those large, luminous eyes of Rekha revealing a lot, concealing a little more (The song Aapki Aankhon Main is apt). That wonderful smile of Vinod Mehra dissolving into eternity. That unparalleled chemistry between the two. They made ordinary moments appear extraordinary. And did even better with the special ones. Add to that some remarkably soothing tunes of R.D. Burman, an under-celebrated master then. And very, very Gulzar-like lyrics from the peerless Gulzar and you have a film that breathes, no lives, through its lead pair and its songs.  the hugely popular “Aaj kal paun zameen par nahin padte mere”, “Aapki aankhon mein kuchch” , “Tere bina jiya jaye na” and "Phir Wahi Raat hain"  are remembered as classics even today.

In many ways, the film is Rekha’s arrival card. Until then she was used for a couple of songs and dances as the hero’s sweetheart. Manik was the first to give her a role that gave her ample opportunity to prove her acting credentials. She does not let go of the opportunity. The common man might easily recall “Umrao Jaan” and “Muqaddar ka Sikandar” among Rekha’s early notable ventures. But truly it was “Ghar” that laid the foundation. Of course, Vinod Mehra is suitably charming as a lover boy and pretty mature as the helpless husband. Not to forget Dinesh Thakur and Prema Narayan with their moments of vim and shine.

Ghar in 1978 was up against three top Bachchan starrers – Muqaddar Ka Sikander, Trishul and Don –but found a place for itself in history. It won an award for best story.

It was said about Vinod Mehra that he knew how to live every character. He played the hero, hero's friend, policeman, lawyer or even the occasional Villian or grey shades (Like in Takkar and Khuddhar)

However Vinod Mehra never did quite crack the big league in Hindi cinema as he was part of an era which had a plethora of saleable stars right from Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna to Shashi Kapoor and Dharmendra. Yet, his sensitive portrayals in Lal Patthar, Amar Prem, Anuraag, Anurodh , Bemisal, Jurmana and, of course, Ghar will always be remembered. Vinod Mehra died when he was just 45, a sad end for someone who did not quite have a Megastar status but whose talent was never in doubt.

Ghar is streaming on Disney Hotstar and also has a copy by Ultra Video on YouTube.

Images : Pin Interest , IMDb

Muqaddar Ka Sikander 44 Years

Yesterday 27th October

Muqaddar Ka Sikander completed 44 years.

which was a big hit and the highest grosser of the year which had 5 other releases of Amitabh Bachchan (Including Don, Trishul, Kasme Vaade).

MKS was the fourth movie of Amitabh Bachchan with Prakash Mehra.

Muqaddar ka Sikandar was also the 5th movie in a row which had these two top stars in parallel hero roles, the other four being Hera Pheri, Khoon Pasina Parvarish and Amar Akbar Anthony. 

This was an action movie but with an undercurrent of Devdas.

But the film was so radically mainstream that the complex imprint of Devdas was rendered almost unrecognisable.

The ‘Devdas complex’—the trope of pining over an unattainable love—as many researchers call it today is one of Hindi cinema’s mainstays. In Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Mehra used it to the hilt to create a larger-than-life sympathetic character, Sikandar (ironically named after the conqueror), and win over his massive audience.

Who can forget the iconic dialogue by Kadar Khan ( and performed by him too )

“Sukh ko thokar maar, dukh ko apna. Arre sukh to bewafa hai, chand dinon ke liye aata hai aur chala jaata hai, dukh to apna saathi hai, apne saath rehta hai. Dukh ko apna le. Taqdeer tere kadmon me hogi aur tu Muqaddar ka Badshah hoga.”

Now if Sikandar is Devdas we have Memsaab or Kaamna as Paro.. other characters from Devdas do appear. Nautch girl Chandramukhi becomes Zohra Begum (Rekha) while Chunni Babu becomes Pyarelal Awara (Ram Sethi).

On major deviations we have Vinod Khanna's charecter Vishaal and Amjad Khan as Dilawar who loves Zohra ( to complete the equation

A loves B loves C and D is fond of A but D is adored by E.

A to E can be identified by the readers 😀.

The story is epic and iconic so won't elaborate.

Kudos to Prakash Mehra

Unlike Bimal Roy before him, or Bhansali after him, he wasn’t interested in examining the psyche of his protagonist. His pursuit was to please his audience which he did.

Kader Khan’s work in Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, conveying an array of characters through dialogue, is considered among his best ever in a film that was designed to be a crowd pleasing star-vehicle for Amitabh Bachchan who was at his Zenith 

And the star overpowered everyone and everything with his larger-than-life screen presence.

As the end-credit tagline of Muqaddar Ka Sikandar reads, it’s ‘a film to remember’.

48 Years of Roti Kapda aur Makaan

#blastfromthepast 

ROTI KAPADA AUR MAKAAN (48 years)

18th October 1974

For those who read my tribute to Amitabh Bachchan on his birthday may remember that I had mentioned that my tryst with him began with this movie.

A star-spangled melodrama about love, betrayal and unemployment, RKAM saw Manoj return to the role of the Every-man Bharat,( after Upkar, Purab Aur Pashchim & Shor) The conscience of the nation pricked by the growing corruption in our society and by the inability of the common man to cope with the pressures of compromised living. While Upkar was inspired by Lal Bahadur Shastri’s slogan Jai jawan jai kisan, RKAM found its inspiration in Indira Gandhi’s Garabi hatao slogan. 

The plot is very well thought out and is directed to perfection by Manoj. It revolves around Bharat (Manoj) who after studying for years and getting a degree can´t get a job; He has two younger brothers at home Vijay (Amitabh Bachchan) and Bharat (Dheeraj Kumar), an ailing father, worried mother and a young sister. He also has a girlfriend (Zeenat Aman) who wants Bharat to get a job and fulfil her dreams in life. These dreams consist of a nice house, lots of travelling and a nice car. She loves Bharat for his honesty - the one thing that he is proud to have. Bharat has a fight with his brother Vijay after which he leaves home and vows to return only after he has become something. In the meantime Sheetal (Zeenat) gets a job and starts falling for the charms of the lovely Mr. Kapoor (Shashi Kapoor). Bharat loses Sheetal to Mr Kapoor. He finally gets a job at a construction site where he meets Moushmi Chatterjee. She is a victim of rape and is now bringing up the son that happened after the incident and a happy-go-lucky Sardar (Prem Nath). Bharat loses his father after an incident and gets done for jail after he tries to steal the medicine for his father. His father passes away and Bharat vows to become a rich man even if that means losing his honesty! How Bharat becomes a rich man, gets all his needs in life but loses his self-respect is what forms the rest of the story. In the meantime Vijay returns as a die-hard army officer and his other brother becomes a police officer. Little do they know that their idol of a brother has become a corrupt don.

In terms of performance everyone gives a great performance and lives up to their role. Manoj Kumar has never been a mind blowing actor-but it´s his character and mannerisms that enabled him to succeed

Amitabh Bachchan as Vijay ROCKS! He exudes his regressed anger which was later coined as "Angry Young Man".His role is shorter than Manoj´s but his character is one that the audience instantly LOVE! Right from his entrance his dialogues and delivery is just pure dynamite. His re-entrance into the movie as an Army Officer with one arm is also great. Infact when the movie re-released Amitabh Bachchan was on the forefront of the posters and publicity.

Zeenat Aman as Sheetal was pretty good too. She oozed oomph and in “Hai Hai Yeh Majboori”. She acts gracefully and her scenes with Manoj are great special mention in the climax. Shashi Kapoor is good in his role too; he doesnt have much to do but looks good as the law abiding citizen.

Moushumi Chatterjee was very competent in her role. She looked gorgeous and was amazing in the emotional scenes. Just witness the scene where she loses her kid and dad in the sewers. Madan Puri made a pretty ace villain and everyone else in the cast did their part well. Prem Nath also performs well and deserves a special mention. Dheeraj Kumar as the third brother throws in the Deewar angle which came 4 months later.

Music had always been a strongpoint in Manoj Kumar films and remains the same here. All songs are chartbusters.

The song Mehngayi Mar Gayi from the film still rings true. With the spectre of welfare freebies turning inflationary, it can be considered a song of all times.

My favourite "Aur Nahin Bus Aur Nahin" and "Main Na Bhoolonga" are lovely renderiyng and Lyrics.

Technically the film is also pretty good and he introduces fight master Veeru Devgan here.

Also Nariman Irani is the Cinematographer and the germ of "Don" was born during the second shooting schedule of this film as Chandra Barot was assistant to Manoj Kumar.

Roti Kapda Aur Makaan remains one of the highlights from classic Indian cinema with strong themes, affecting performances and timeless music from the greats.

42 Years of Dostana

42 years of Dostana

17th October 1980 

Released 40 years ago this day Dostana never makes the cut when it comes to the oeuvres of the people involved — it would not feature in the top-five Salim-Javed scripts, or the best of Raj Khosla, Amitabh Bachchan, and Shatrughan Sinha’s filmographies.

Although a commercial success when it first released, the film itself appears to fall short of its potential considering the names attached. While Dostana’s plot more than qualifies to be fully ‘filmi’- childhood friends Vijay (Amitabh Bachchan), a cop and Ravi (Shatrughan Sinha), a lawyer, often find themselves on opposing sides of law – Vijay nabs bad guys and Ravi represents them in the court of law – they never let anything come in between till both of them end up falling for the same woman, Sheetal (Zeenat Aman) – it’s probably the only love triangle attempted by screenwriters 

Salim Javed .

On the face of it, Dostana is typical 1980s film that packs in a little of everything in terms of standard Hindi cinema fare. Yet, beneath all this, Dostana has a few things going for it and perhaps this is why the film still continues to work its magic in a silent but resolute manner. Directed by Raj Khosla, Dostana is the first film that was produced by the late Yash Johar, who is today better known Karan Johar’s father. Yash Johar had originally wanted Vijay Anand to direct the film but incessant delays on the filmmaker's part to commit, saw Johar approach Raj Khosla through a common thread ( Navketan ).

The other thing that separates Dostana from all the other Salim-Javed scripts is that along with Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973) it might be the only other film where music plays a vital role in the narrative. It is not as if Salim-Javed films do not feature memorable music but almost every single script of theirs is chiseled to near perfection and this often makes the need for songs almost irrelevant.

Dostana is one of the few movies done by Amitabh Bachchan and Shatrughan Sinha together and both of them have done superbly. Alongwith the seasoned writers, the seasoned director (Raj Khosla) has also left no stone unturned in utilizing the talent and the popularity of the twosome to the optimum. Zeenat Aman was at the peak of her career at that time and she has completed the glamour quota alongwith some good acting too. Pran, Prem Chopra and Helen have also done exceedingly well. The character of Helen is such in the script that it takes you aback as the story heads towards its ending scene. All others are also perfectly in place.

Technically and production value wise, the movie is up to the mark. Editing is sharp. The fight and chase sequences have been executed very well the climax is superb. The narrator has not allowed the momentum of the movie to slacken at any place.The courtroom scenes involving Shatrughan Sinha (playing the role of a criminal lawyer) are quite impressive and the seasoned script-writers who are the dialog-writers as well have shown their class once again. Despite being too simplistic, the court-room scenes are just too good and must have been able to generate claps in the theatres when this movie was released. And keeping the angry young man image of the larger than life hero - Amitabh Bachchan, scenes have been written specially for him. The scene in which Amitabh slaps Prem Chopra's man (Amrish Puri) in his presence is highly effective and quite in line with the towering personality of the legendary hero of the Indian cinema.

There is a good balance between romance and comedy on one hand and action and thrill on the other in the script. The friendship of the heroes and its breakage proves to be the icing on the cake.

Amitabh Bachchan was outstanding and his equation with Zeenat Aman and Shatrughan Sinha is played with equal aplomb. A feast for his fans.

Seen in first week at Chitra Dadar .

I think main theatre was Eros.

Zeenat Aman played the sole heroine with two competing heroes in 3 movies in 1980. She played a role in Dostana with Amitabh & Shatrughan, Qurbani with Vinod Khanna and Feroz Khan, and Bombay 405 miles with Shatrughan & Vinod Khanna. Truly in Demand

Doctor G A review

Doctor G

Knowing Ayushmann Khurana's penchant for doing different track cinema with a lining of comic timing one goes to this film in expectation of something slapstick. A Thought passed if it would be an extension of Munna Bhai MBBS or and Vicky Donor or even an inspiration from Carry on Doctor (1967).

It's not so.

Doctor G is a typical Ayushmann Khurrana film. It’s about a small town ( Here Bhopal) guy, stuck in a situation that society considers unusual. Over time, with the help of his family and friends, he learns that there is more to life than people’s perceptions and he overcomes his hesitations and embraces his flaws.

Doctor G is the story of a reluctant gynaecology Masters student Uday Gupta (Ayushmann Khurrana) who lives in Bhopal with his mother Shobha (Sheeba Chadha). His best friend is Chaddi (Abhay Mishra) who is also his tenant and an IAS aspirant. Thanks to Uday's apparent low marks and rank, he is not able to get into his favourite stream orthopaedics. He is asked to opt for gynaecology. His orthopaedic cousin Ashok (Indraneil Sengupta), who is also his role model, asks him to take up gynaecology and keeps trying to get a better rank next year so that he can try for orthopaedics again. Uday begins his course and he is the only male in his batch. He gets into a tiff with his batchmates and the head of the department, Dr. Nandini Srivastava (Shefali Shah) who detests him for not being passionate about the course. Hence, his life is hell. Also, his girlfriend Richa breaks up with him after she complains that he’s too possessive and also that he doesn’t understand women. Meanwhile, he slowly gets interested in the course and becomes a close friend of Fatima (Rakul Preet Singh), who is also in the same batch and develops a crush on her .

She tries explaining to Uday that they should remain friends and that they can’t get into a relationship. But due to Uday’s immaturity and his misogynistic attitude, he fails to understand Fatima’s point of view. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

It’s like two different movies pre & post the interval where the first half will give you a proper ‘humour/drama’ balance but the second half would leave you thinking did you really like the first hour so much to enjoy this overall? Credit where it’s due, it’s really funny where it should be as there are multiple moments which will leave you in splits.

Coming to the performances

Ayushmann Khurana is amazing with his skills as an actor and this film showcases the same,

Rakul Preet’s subtle-yet-quirky performance is balanced and she looks pretty. Shefali Shah and her ingenious presence add the desired weight to Dr Nandini’s school of thought but the character arc remains pretty weak by the climax.

Sheeba Chaddha plays the role of a forward mother turning romantic & her crafty ways of approaching the character help to be with her in the scene.

Then there is a parallel track of Kavya (Ayesha Kaduskar)

No spoilers..

I enjoyed the film

Rating 3.5 * stars.

Happy Birthday Amitabh Bachchan #ab80

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMIT JI

A HEARTFELT ASSOCIATION WITH YOU

ALERT : Very Long Post 

It's 11th October. Amitabh Bachchan completes 80 years and 53 years of entertaining us. It was 1969 he made his debut. I was just 5 years old. In 1970 we left for Brighton England for my Fathers doctorate, ( before which in 1969 a superstar came on the horizon in form of Rajesh Khanna I remember the last movie we saw before leaving India was Aradhana). We were in England for almost 4 years. So I missed the phenomena of Rajesh Khanna and the blooming of Amitabh Bachchan. I remember the first movie I saw was Roti Kapada aur Makaan it was 1974 at Heer Palace Kanpur. I fell in love with the charismatic character of Vijay .

The second movie I remember was Benaam. A suspense thriller and my admiration for him increased. This was followed by Majboor and reruns of Anand Namak Haraam and Abhimaan.

I used to ask my parents to take me to see his releases.We had to try thrice before we could see Deewar and Sholay both released in the year of emergency 1975. Faraar, Chupke Chupke and Mili were the first movies I saw more than once in those days as a 11 year old. .

After almost 2and half months during my Diwali Vacation of 1975, we finally got tickets to Sholay. The movie then was ruthlessly edited with Asranis scenes as also Jayas Holi Scenes being cut . But that movie had a great impact on me, esp the character of Jai.

It was later in 1976 in its Golden Jubilee week we saw Deewaar.

After Deewar I was totally smitten with Amitji, I used to tie a knot on my shirt like he did. Since then somehow or the other I saw every movie released.

In 1979 in 9th Standard I bunked school and went to see The Great Gambler ( which my parents would not allow as it was for Adults ). In Pune I understood the concept of Advance Booking, where bookings for a movie used to open on Monday and if one wished to see a film First day then that booking needed to be done. I remember that I saw Muqaddar Ka Sikander 4 times on the trot in 4 days.

 Sholay I saw there 5 times in a week, this was thankfully the uncut version .

It is a well-known chapter of Indian film history beginning with the release of Prakash Mehra’s Zanjeer in 1973 which turned Amitabh into a goldmine—.

This movie I finally got to see first on DD and in the theatre as late as 1980 during a re-run. Smouldering in the Salim-Javed dialogues and refracted through the Amitabh flamboyance fired the imagination of a whole nation as nothing had ever done before a trend which was carried ahead in Deewar, Sholay,Trishul, Don, Kaala Pathhar, Shaan, Shakti.

Standing in the Advance Booking Queues from 7am on the Monday of the release week that's another experience.

From Pune used to go for Summer Vacations to Mumbai and saw many movies there. Namak Halaal, Dostana, Desh Premee, Mahaan were all seen there.

Once I decided to go and visit his house, then Prateeksha. I had gone alone and after I reached just looked at the house in awe.

I always used to think if I could ever meet him, see him.

Thats a long story and long time ahead.

One incident I remember that in 1991, my father was travelling from Delhi to Mumbai,( and from Mumbai to Pune by road, as Pune airport was not functional then). On reaching home he asked me during dinner , guess who was next to me on the flight ( He was eligible for Business Class then ). I couldn’t guess and he told me, your favourite Amitabh Bachchan. I was zapped, I said Dad did you get his autograph ? Dad replied, “why should I , Iam not his fan, when you meet him, take it"

Cut to 1994 , I had won the All India award for Best Sales performance and the award was to be given at Mumbai. We were invited to Mumbai and put up at Ajantha Ambassador hotel.  As I reached the Hotel, I saw a Mercedes Van coming out of the gate, I wowed it and came to the reception where my colleague told me “You should have come a bit earlier, Amitabh Bachchan was in the lobby to pick up Jaya Ji {who had her office on the second floor ( Saraswati Audiovisuals, the makers of the TV hit series Dekh Bhai Dekh). So I Mercedes I saw was his 

The Journey moved on..

Insipte of the ups and downs, odds and evens Amitabh’s box-office records can be described only in superlatives. Producers and distributors seemed to believe still that “even a flop with Amitabh’s name on the marquee is a good enough grosser”, which was proved by the trade.

His image of the “angry young man” had viewers reeling under the magic of neorealism, where dream and daydream coalesced in a brave new world. The myriad manifestations of Amitabh’s no-holds-barred rebellion offered a blissful release to the repressions of a whole generation. The star became a cult figure of radical dynamism, of iconoclastic change.  The Amitabh archetype continues to reflect variations on a simplistic mould, magnified to a brilliant potency; it has now become part of the collective psyche of a nation of filmgoers. Amitabh individuates his roles with the utmost confidence and conviction. He makes the unsubtle seem subtle, touches the crass with class, makes melodrama credible. Certainly, no other Indian actor had the speaking eyes and spellbinding voice to infuse nuanced suggestivity into stereotypical situations. His finesse did not alienate his characters from the masses.

In the mid 90s he moved towards central Character roles .

Then in 2000 came the super hit T.V. show ‘Kaun Banega Carorepati’ anchored by Amitabh. It gave an entire new life to his career which was under the dark shadow.

Finally out of the blue came the date, 12thNovember 2018.

The prelude to this date was the fact that I had connected to Amitji on all his social media accounts , also my senior colleague  DrManoj Mehta who was an active participant of ABEF ( Amitabh Bachchan extended Family ), offered us a chance to be a spectator at the KBC show , we ( My friend / ex senior from Godrej Sanjay Pandey  , and ex Mahyco colleague Kapil Sharma  ) . The date was 12th November. It was the last week of shooting of that season. We reached the sets at Film City at 2 pm sharp but had a long wait till 8pm till we were finally seated, alas in the third row. It was another wait for an hour before the shoot began. Finally at @ 9.00pm he came in a Maroon Suit, seeing him I froze.. There he was some 25 feet away from me. Very interactive with the crowd, very sportive, responding to our comments and jokes. How almost 4 hours past, and it was well after 12am that the photos he has with the audience started and well after 1 am that he left. Look at his dedication reached the sets at 9 am completed 2 episode shoots and left at 1 am. He had just turned 76 then. I had finally seen with my eyes, my hero , my idol, or even if I may say My god.

But better things were ahead, The 2019 edition of KBC started in August 2019.

We had epressed our wish to be a participant again. It was 18th July, at 7.12 pm got a message from Dr Manoj that we could attend the shoot on 6thAugust as the show restarted on 5th August. This time the procedure was different. There was an online procedure which need to be followed up with the invite.

We did that. But July end, rains started in Mumbai and Pune, everywhere there were spells of flooding, roads closed. Sanjay and Myself were the only two left from Pune and a friend of Sanjay, Kailash Agarwal was to join us at Mumbai.

The forecast was rains, we debated till late evening weather to go or quit, but the urge of seeing him was so much that we decided to take the risk.

We reached at 3 pm sharp , but this time there wasn’t a long wait. We enrolled ourselves and it was an hour and half later that we were inside. This time being enrolled from the ABEF , we got privileged entry, and were in the first row.

Oh what a feeling it was !! Another hour Later Big B made his majestic entry. Again he was interactive with the crowd, and the shooting ended at 8.30 pm.

Then the photographs moments came. Finally he was in front of me, I had taken a token gift for him, which he accepted. Took his Biography along which he autographed. I was trembling in joy as I shook hands with him, talked to him, it lasted a minute but the emotions were beyond eternity.

This year after a two year gap again KBC happened and that too from VIP Gallery ..

Finally at the age of 55 & 58  and 45 years of being his devoted fan later I got to meet him.

Just last Friday his latest film Good Bye released..but certainly there is no Good Bye from him in reality for many years ahead.

Nobody else ever had this deadly combination of unmatched talent and charisma and nobody else will ever have it in future. Then there was style, polish and a great deal of seclusion encouraging rumours and augmenting the aura. Anyway one looked at it, the man radiates power. To recapitulate there has only been one super star in India, and that is Amitabh Bachchan

Thank You for reading and for your patience 🙏

BACK TO BEGINNING : AMITABH BACHCHAN FILM FESTIVAL DAY 1

BACHCHAN BACK TO BEGINNING

DAY 1

DEEWAR

Yesterday I saw Deewar on day one of the Amitabh Bachchan Back to Beginning film festival.

MEMORIES

I remember seeing Deewar for the first time in its Golden Jubilee Week in Kanpur.

26th January 1976.

Earlier we missed the opportunity during 1975.

My tryst with Amitabh Bachchan started with Roti Kapda Aur Makaan and then later saw his earlier films in reruns.

I remember the impact Deewar had on me. After the movie we went shopping and I insisted on buying a shirt larger than my size then so I could tie a knot to it. My parents were not amused but allowed it. 

Exactly a year later in January 1977 we had gone to see

Imaan Dharam, but it was House Full (Yes it has a great start but it fizzled out subsequently). In a theatre nearby Deewar had been re-released and we saw it a second time.

After that we shifted to Pune and I used to see the movie whenever it was released in Morning shows or otherwise.

I last remember seeing it twice in Amravati at Prabhat Theatre in 1984-85 where it had released as a stop gap arrangement.

That was the 25th and 26th time I saw this classic.

Since then I regularly watch it on the small screen and also have a DVD of the same.

Yesterday thanks to this festival I saw it a 27th time.

What an experience..

The Ceetees..the Dialogues being recited by the excited and enthusiastic public. 

मैं आज भी फेंके हुए पैसे नहीं उठाता

मैं यहां तुम्हारा इंतजार कर रहा हूं

ये सड़क क्या पीटर के बाप की है?

etc etc

The awe at which the new current generation was seeing this classic was a stupendous experience.

Looking ahead to the other films to be seen over the next 3 days till his birthday on 11th.

I will pen similar memoirs of all the selected films.

GOOD BYE..A first Day Review

GOOD BYE

Hum Aapke Hain Kaun had come across as a film which was called Story of a Wedding and after.

Good Bye can be called Story of a Funeral and after.

The film is about a dysfunctional family of Harish Bhalla ( Amitabh Bachchan) his wife Gayatri ( Neena Gupta) and his two sons and a daughter Tara (Rashmika Mandhana). They also have an adopted son Angad and an almost adopted house help.

The film starts with Tara who is shown a budding lawyer  winning her first case and hence goes out to party.

Her mother Gayatri (Neena Gupta) calls and messages but Tara ignores it and the phone discharges. The next day, her father Harish (Amitabh Bachchan) calls and that's when she learns that Gayatri has passed away. (She lives in with her boyfriend Mudassar (Shivan Narang).)

Tara rushes to her hometown, Chandigarh to be with Harish.

As mentioned Harish has three more children - Karan (Pavail Gulati) who is abroad and married to Daisy (Ellie Avaram), Nakul and an adopted son, Angad. All of them are away. Karan and Angad also book the first available flight to Chandigarh. Nakul, meanwhile, is unreachable as he is on a trek (His story and track is not well established). Tara is the first one to reach. She and Harish don’t see eye to eye and both clash over the funeral ceremony type. Harish also gets upset with Karan and Angad as he feels that they don't seem moved by their mother's demise. Harish's behaviour leads to induced disharmony in the house ( A bit extension of Baghban but just that small portion). But all of them have no choice. They have to stay together under one roof for a few days. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

The story is relatable and well-intentioned. Most of us will be able to relate to certain goings-on and moments in their own lives 

I personally recollected the moments after my mother passed 14 years back and father five years ago and confess had me teary eyed.

However the emotional quotient is accompanied by underlying humour which is unique and never looks forced or out of place.The tracks of the neighbourhood aunties and P P Singh (Ashish Vidyarthi) are funny. They are very relatable as we have all come across such people at funerals. The scene where the family members imagine Gayatri is talking to them is sweet and well edited. The Haridwar track in the second half, involving Pandit ji (Sunil Grover) is also entertaining and enlightening.

Amitabh Bachchan, as always, gives his best and delivers a bravura performance. The way he brings out the sadness and anger over the situation is beautifully portrayed ( There is also an animated portion of him as he narrates the story of his marriage). Rashmika Mandanna has a fine screen presence.(I couldn't believe she was the lass Srivalli of "Pushpa".) Unfortunately having a Panjabi premise , her noticable accent seems out of place but she has given a first rate performance for her first nondubbed Hindi film. Her eyes do a lot of talking indeed.

The rest have done their roles well including their pet "Stupid".

Amit Trivedi's music is well woven into the film. 'Jaikal Mahakal', 'Chann Pardesi' and 'Maaye' are quite touching. 'The Hic Song' is peppy. His background music is also very apt. 

If anything the film slips in the second half with many loose ends not connected.

However I will give it **** ( Four stars ) for meaningful emotions and Amitabh Bachchan who delivers this just 4 days before his 80th birthday.