Sikandar (2009)

I want to start this review out with a confession. I will watch virtually any movie you put in front of me that has to do with Partition and the myriad of problems that stemmed from it, especially those involving the mystical vale of Kashmir. It's been an obsession of mine ever since I read the book 'Freedom at Midnight' and even though I have lived in the US for most of my life - the subject remains very dear to my heart. I have close friends from both sides of the border and have written a past post on the subject as well. So when I heard about the movie 'Sikandar' I was immediately drawn to it for it's catchy songs as well as it's subject matter.



Sadly though, this movie was just a mess. The first half explored the basic themes of movies of this sort - violence undertaken for the sake of freedom, religious extremism, children caught in this cycle of hate, etc. The story centers around Sikandar - a 14 y.o. Muslim boy who has been orphaned by the jihaadi movement in Kashmir who now lives with his aunt and uncle. One day he finds a gun and the events that stem from that fateful discovery are what make up the bulk of the movie. The director really tries in earnest to point out how complex this problem is and how the solution to it's resolution will not be easy. But he does it in such a confusing and ultimately uninteresting way that his efforts go in vain. There are many better Partition movies out there including 'Pinjar', 'Parzania' and the 1975 National Award winner 'Garam Hawa' (review coming soon).




Not everything was bad about the movie. The actress who played Sikandar's best friend Nasreen (Ayesha Kapoor) was a joy to watch and the scenery was simply spectacular. Not sure if they shot the movie on location but seeing Kashmir is definitely on my bucket list of things to do. And last but not least, a cute little number that is the song of the week - Chaal Apni by Hrishikesh Kamerkar & Hamsika Iyer.

Yaarana (1981)

In 1981 Amitabh Bachchan was at the absolute pinnacle of his popularity in Bollywood. His hits were not only this film but 'Silsila', 'Naseeb', 'Kaalia' and 'Lawaaris' as well. It seemed that everything he touched turned into box office gold and this movie was no exception. It was well received at the box office and the soundtrack was a resounding success as well. I remember this movie fondly not only because of AB but because it was the first movie that I had seen with Amjad Khan playing a good guy. It was a real shocker to see the actor who brought Gabbar Singh to life in 'Sholay' play someone with a heart and even all these years later I remember thinking he was going to turn on AB any minute and just start shooting.

The story is about two best friends (played by AB & Amjad Khan) Kishan and Bishan respectively. They grew up together in a small village and Bishan went off to the city to get an education and when he returned years later to visit he found that his old friend Kishan had an amazing singing voice and vowed to make a star out of him. Plenty of high jinks ensue when the country bumpkin Kishan is taken to the big city and introduced to the wonders of modern technology. My favorite sceene is when Kishan (growing tired of singing lessons) attempts to get himself kicked out of dance class and an all out brawl ensues. Neetu Singh (in a very underutilized role) plays the love interest but is given surprisingly little to do. Like most Bollywood movies the story gets rather silly at the end and goes on for far too long but it was good for the time.



Our friend Beth over at Beth Loves Bollywood had a very different opinion of this film (she hated it) and after reading her post I do get where she is coming from. I saw this film as a 13 y.o. teenager in full hero worship of Amitabh Bachchan but my parents, aunts & uncles all enjoyed the movie as well. Is it a cultural thing or does it just not hold up well over time? There is a heaping dose of physical comedy in the movie and an equally heaping dose of melodrama as well. 'Do Aur Do Paanch' was made just a year earlier with the same director/star and had much of the same elements in it but rewatching that recently was a blast. I have not seen 'Yaarana' since my original viewing and maybe it's best that I keep it that way to preserve the magical memories. And if you do want to undertake the viewing of this movie - do what we do when watching these masala AB movies from the 70's & 80's... Don't worry too much about the plot and fast forward to the songs as well as the scenes with AB himself ;)



At the end of the day though, this movie is remembered for the same reason that many not-so-good Bollywood movies are considered classics - the songs. Yes, there is the now legendary lightbulb suit song Saara Zamana that I wrote about a few weeks ago but the entire soundtrack is just phenomenal. Kishore Kumar was at the height of his career as well and in addition to the high energy songs he gave us two wonderfully tender ones as well. The video for Chookar Mere Man Ko can be found above. My personal favorite though is the song for today's post and is one of the best odes to friendship ever written - Tere Jaisa Yaar.

Your weekly dose of 80's Bollywood Cheese

Saw U2 in concert earlier this year in Vegas and it was a great show - the boys from Dublin can still rock. The above picture is of Bono wearing a red laser jacket while performing the song Ultra Violet (Light My Way). The first thing that came to my mind? Wow, Bono just out and out stole an outfit from none other than the legend himself, Amitabh Bachchan. And didn't even bother to give the man props. The movie? 'Yaarana'. The song? Saara Zamaana. Now granted, the Big B's jacket didn't have red laser lights, it had white Christmasy type ones as you can clearly see in the picture below. But when I got the text messages from friends of mine who saw the show in Houston a few days before I did about the thievery, I knew exactly what to expect.



Now this song is so chock full of delightfully delicious moments that I felt the need to provide some can't miss moments (these can be found below the video itself).



~ The outfit AB is sporting to start the song is just superb. LOVE those sunglasses & that red handkerchief!

~ The entrance of the radiant Neetu Singh for no particular reason except to provide a dance partner for AB.

~ The dance moves here pretty much set the tone for the wonderful cheese moves to follow throughout the song.

~ Nothing however will prepare for the move at the 1:07 mark. Hip thrusts? Michael Jackson style? From AB himself? Believe it!

~ This is followed by some more awesome AB/Neetu dancing.

~ Random prop time - AB gets an electric guitar. Mysteriously though the music doesn't really change all that much but it looks great nonetheless.

~ At the 2:32 mark is when the real magic begins. First the background dancers come in with candles. This is followed by the show-stopping entrance of the fabled WHITE LIGHT ELECTRIC JACKET. Be dazzled folks, be dazzled...

~ Now come a whole new set of dance moves starting with a butt shake that is just as rocking as the hip thrust earlier. At one point the dancers all surround AB in a dance circle and the girls literally fall at his feet in awe. Never underestimate the power of AB, never.

~ The big mystery in this video for me dating back to when I originally saw the movie in 1981 was where the hell did the audience go? Did the budget for the light jacket sequence prevent any extras being hired? If so why not just use stock footage from the first half of the song? Why substitute lights for audience members? Was it an artistic thing? So many questions, so few answers and so many tiny lights/audience members...

~ Missed the hip thrust first time around? Fret not because it makes a reappearance at the 3:35 mark!

Both the movie and soundtrack remain favorites of mine to this day and today's post is a prelude to a full review sometime next week. Cheers!

Your weekly dose of 80's Bollywood Cheese

This one is another Kishore Kumar duet (yes I know, a shocker) and is from the now forgotten movie 'Meri Aawaz Suno'. It stars the always popular but never quite respected "Jumping Jack of Bollywood" - Jeetendra. It also stars my favorite actress from the 80's - the angelic Parveen Babi. Why this song?

- it's a jam.
- the crazy saxophone playing throughout.
- the great costumes including Jeetubhai's awesome silver jumpsuit thingy and Parveen's wicked black genie outfit with just a naughty touch of cleavage.
- the fact that in it, both our stars are undercover cops in the villain's lair.

Here is the description of the movie from the back of the DVD (really)

Sushil Kumar (Jeetendra) lives a middle-class lifestyle along with his widowed mom, Kamini, an unmarried sister, Shobha and his pregnant wife, Sunita (Hema Malini). Shobha falls in love with a wealthy man named Kumar, introduces him to her family, gets their approval and gets married. Shortly thereafter she disappears and the Kumar family realize that Shobha has been abducted by her husband, who belongs to a gang of of women-kidnappers. Sushil is determined to find her whereabouts, gets a job with the Police as a Sub-Inspector, does his work honestly and diligently and is publicly honored. Thereafter he is assigned by CBI Officer Sangram Singh to a secret mission to locate and apprehend smugglers, thieves, and women abductors, which can only be done after he dons the guise of jailed gangster Kanwar Lal, his look-alike. Sushil accepts this assignment in the hopes of being re-united with his sister - not knowing that he is putting not only his very own life but also the lives of Sunita and Kamini in serious danger.

I wouldn't really recommend this movie because it wasn't really all that good and unnecessarily violent. But the diamond in the rough was this song which has remained a favorite of mine through the years and was thrilled to have accidentally stumbled upon on it on youtube.

Chashme Buddoor (1981)

Sweet, funny, touching, interesting, REAL... Those are just a few qualities that the film 'Chashme Buddoor' possesses and it's one of those films that I can recommend to any film lover without hesitation. The story is deceptively simple and therein lays it's beauty - no overdrawn melodrama, no excessive violence with only the faintest of convoluted plot twists that make you pray the movie comes to a merciful end. Not saying that movies that have all those things aren't fun to watch but sometimes you just want the filmmaker to keep things simple. Sai Paranjpye is one of the few female directors whose work I have seen in Indian cinema and though her body of work is comprised of just a handful of movies they are all worth seeing. Her first one 'Sparsh' was the recipient of both National as well as Filmfare Awards. 'Chashme Buddoor' is her sophomore effort and remains a favorite of Bollywood fans for it's honest portrayal of everyday life in India. Paranjpye was the recipient of the Padma Bhushan by the government of India in 2006 for her contribution to the arts.



All Indian movies begin with the above certification from the censor board and are rated either 'U' for unrestricted viewing by all audiences or 'A' for adults only. The certificate also gives other useful information such as when the movie was originally released and how many reels or how long it is - I remember sitting in a theater in India while audience members gasped at anything over 30 reels - that was going to be one long movie! I include this bit of trivia because if you look in the lower right hand corner you will see the signature of none other than the legendary director Hrishikesh Mukherjee of 'Abhimaan', 'Gol Maal', 'Mili' and other classics. His movies were always deceptively simple themselves but had a much deeper meaning that still render them classics to this day. Coincidence that his name was the one approving this film? More like kismat I would say.



Before I give a brief synopsis and a few screen shots of the movie I just want to say that if anyone, I mean ANYONE can provide me with that killer poster of Amitabh in the background I would be eternally grateful and would be in your debt for many lifetimes to come.



Our film begins with three college students of whom Siddharth (Farooq Shaikh) - our hero - is the quiet studious one and whose best friends Omi and Jai are more interested in the finer things in life. Namely music, movies, cigarettes, general loafing around and of course - girls. Any new girl that moves into their neighborhood is fair game for their ogling and this forms the central plot of the movie when Neha (Deepti Naval) moves in nearby.



While the guys all genuinely care for one another Omi and Jai are flummoxed by Siddharth's goody two shoes ways and cannot understand why he just wants to study all the time instead of having fun in life like they do. Their fun of course turns to the pursuit of the fair Neha and while their version of what happened when they went to try and woo her is drastically different than the truth it's part of what makes the movie such a gem. Love the glamour shot picture of our beloved Shabana Azmi in the screen cap above!



First Omi tries his luck using his love of shayari (classical Urdu poetry) on the fair maiden. In his recanting of the meeting to his boys (full of lies and exaggerations, i.e. the hallmark of a great story) he tells them that she was actually expecting him. Then he wins her over with his poetry which of course segues into a ghazal with the required costume change.



It's worth noting here that Deepti Naval was one of the most respected art house actresses of her day and I would highly recommend just about anything she starred in.



After hearing Omi's tall tale Jai decides to try his hand at romancing Neha and does so by pretending to be a big time Bollywood producer. Neha of course is blown away by this revelation (in his version of the story of course) and who wouldn't be?



The makers of the film even take a sly swipe at the whole 'long lost brothers reuniting' theme of several masala films of the day, just brilliant.



Jai then tells the boys about the 'screen test' he gave to Neha in the above video clip which is one of my favorite scenes in the movie. Lovers of classic Bollywood movies will recognize many of the songs - all acted out by Jai and Neha.



Finally we have the scene in which Siddharth and Neha meet (above clip) and it is not only my favorite scene of this movie but of any movie I have seen. It is done with such grace and humility by the two actors and is sweet, funny and incredibly real all at once. If you have ten minutes to spare I ask you to take a break from your day and lose yourself for a few minutes by clicking the play button above.



This review would not be complete without mentioning Saeed Jaffrey who plays the mentor/father figure/all around good guy to the boys, Lallan Mia and just never fails to impress in any movie he is in. Add to the mix a couple of guest appearances by two members of Bollywood royalty and you have one special movie. But don't just take my word for it - our friend Beth Loves Bollywood says it's 'endearing, appealing, and engaging. Chashme Buddoor is all those things without being gooey' - and over at Filmigeek it's described as 'perhaps as close to perfect as a film can be'. I think the whole film can be seen on youtube with English subtitles so now you dear reader, have absolutely no excuse not to give it a spin. And if you don't like it, the good Doc promises to buy you a tuti-fruti ice cream next time he sees you.



Today's song is Kahaan Se Aaye sung by Yesudas & Haimanti Shukla. You see, Neha is also a lover of the arts and the above video clip is the sad version of this classically rendered tune.

Your weekly dose of 80's Bollywood Cheese

Just in time for the Abhishek/Aishwarya appearance on Oprah later this afternoon we present the big AB himself along with the reigning queen from down southside, Sridevi. Yes, the song is from a movie that is a quarter century old (!) but it's a jam that can stand alongside the best of them. Some remarks from fans of the song include:

Sonal: OMG!! what sort of dance are they doing? love it!! and sridevi in her prime!!

Nehal: I think that this jam is on one of the greatest compilations I own... a little something entitled the 'Rarest and Sweetest'. Great tune. I didn't know that this was the '80s. These outfits currently exist in our wardrobe. Reetu and I performed this at home last night.

Nafisa: I LOVE this song! And i would so rock that shiny, stripy dress Sri Devi is wearing in the beginning if I had it :/

G: Why aren't those rockin' sleeveless shirts still fashionable dammit?!?

To which the staffers here at Doc Bollywood say...

Sonal - not sure what kind of dance they are doing but we all need to learn it and perform it at our next together which leads us to...

Nehal - there is no other compilation album this song could have been on. you will have to teach us all the dance and let us wear the outfits which leads us to...

Nafi - you would totally rock that dress and it appears that reetu will be able to let you borrow it which leads us to...

G - if we look in nehal's closet we will see that sleeveless shirts are not only still fashionable, they are still being worn.

From the 1984 movie 'Inquillab' about being bitten by a scorpion and equating it to falling in love. The song is just dandy and sung with great gusto by Kishore & Asha. The movie never was a huge hit but combined with the cheez fashion, cheez lyrics (complete with subtitles), cheez dancing and of course 2 of the biggest stars in Bollywood history, it's been one of my favorites through the years. And as an added bonus I believe Beth (from Beth Loves Bollywood) stayed at the resort where this was filmed!

Your weekly dose of 80's Bollywood Cheese

Welcome to a new segment from your friends over at Doc Bollywood - a weekly dose of 80's Bollywood Cheese. I am a child of the 80's and it was during that time that my love of Bollywood was truly cultivated and brought to it's zenith (or Zeenat;). Why the 80's? It was then that I started junior high school, began to watch Indian movies in earnest with the advent of VHS tapes and was an unabashed fanboy of Amitabh with Kishore Kumar providing the playback duties for most of my favorite songs. The 80's were a great time in Bollywood with disco having arrived on India's shores (years after it's demise in the US) and the music maestros of Bombay combined those sounds with just the right amount of desiness to make an original sound all their own.

80's Bollywood Cheese is a segment where the movie itself is not really celebrated or discussed because many of them, like today's entry, are forgotten for reasons big and small. Also, in the spirit of 'The Princess Bride' we are not making fun of the songs being presented but are celebrating them in all their past glory for posterity's sake. Mainly though this segment gives a chance for those of us who grew up in that era to relive some fantastic tunes, to give newcomers to Bollywood a chance to see an era that is oftentimes ignored by the media and to provide some needed pizaaz to the daily grind that is life. Enjoy!

Today's song comes to us from 'Nauker Biwi Ka' a 1983 movie I saw at the drive in theater in Ahmedabad (India). Having never been to a drive in movie in America I can't really compare the experience to over there but it was just magical. From the amazing food to the cavalcade of friends & family that were present - it was just a magical experience that unfortunately is part of an era that is no more. But that one night has stayed with me all those years as well as this amazing song.

Kya Naam Hai Tera is sung by Kishore Kumar & Lata and has precious little to do with the rest of the movie. It stars Rishi Kapoor and Reena Roy singing to eachother about their nicknames (he was popularly known as Chintu) leading to the chorus of "Dance with the music, romance with the music". Great dance routines, awesome outfits, amazing tune and of course lots and lots of colors - what else can you ask for?

Hum Kisise Kum Naheen (1977)

70's Bollywood movies are some of our group's favorite ones to watch. The tantalizing tunes, fantastic fashions, kaleidoscope of colors and symphony of stars make them a great choice for group viewing. When one of these movies is hitting on all cylinders the result is escapism in it's finest form as well as a treat for the senses. The filmmakers made these movies with reckless abandon and created some priceless Bollyweed along the way (meaning they were either smoking something while it was being made or you need to in order to fully enjoy them). But what happens when the excesses go to far? When the aforementioned filmmaker puts together all the elements of a classic masala movie but doesn't get the ingredients in quite right? Well what you get is an almost good movie that instead serves notice that sometimes more is indeed less. One of the last directorial ventures by the iconic Nasir Hussain will best be remembered for the fact that I was more confused by the plot line of this movie than by any other movie in recent history. And yes, I know I have said that plot is the least important part of any 70's Bollywood masala movie but it needs to at least be there for god's sake.

But wait Doc, there is a plot isn't there? You can't go for 162 minutes without a coherent plot! Or can you? This is the synopsis of the movie from the back of my DVD - it may confuse you but watching the actual movie may confuse you even more...



Rajesh's (Rishi Kapoor) father, a rich business man winds up his business in Africa and starts off for India with diamonds worth Rupees twenty five crores. The diamonds were hidden in a leather belt with him when he died at Beirut Airport(!). Before dying, he gave the belt to one Mr. Kishorilal and requested him to take his life's savings to his son Rajesh. But Rajesh does not get the diamonds. The diamond belt mysteriously finds it's way into a bicycle tool box belonging to Sanjay (Tariq) who is not even aware of it.
In his search for the diamonds Rajesh comes across Kaajal (Kaajal Kiran), Kishorilal's only daughter. Kaajal in childhood was betrothed to Sanjay but in a cruel twist of fate was separated from him. The two young men, Rajesh & Sanjay, create such a tremendous emotional dilemma in Kaajal's life that she is unable to decide which one will be the right choice. But a more explosive situation is created when Saudagar Singh (Amjad Khan), an international criminal, turns Rajesh, Sanjay & Kaajal into pawns. Saudagar Singh has pursued the diamonds from Africa to India. Who gets the diamonds eventually - Saudagar or Sanjay? Who saves Kaajal's life and wins her love - Rajesh or Sanjay? This is the fabulous and colourful story of romance and intrigue of 'Hum Kisise Kum Nahin'!



What was most maddening about this movie is that Nasir Husain chose NOT to focus on two of the most charismatic stars in Bollywood (Rishi & Zeenat Aman - who is not even mentioned in the plot synopsis) but instead handed it over to two unknowns who just did not have the gravitas to carry such a bloated film. Granted, Rishi & Zeenat may have not been able to either but at least we would have had them in the majority of the movie and perhaps that would have been enough. But it wasn't meant to be and the movie just didn't do it for me. It went on to win several Filmfare Awards including two for Rafi for playback singing, one for the art direction and one for the cinematography. This movie does have something amazing going for it though - R.D. Burman's chart topping and jaw dropping soundtrack. Nasir Husain demanded that Kishore & Rafi get an equal number of songs and in this round it was Rafi that came out the clear winner. The song for today is sung by Asha Bhonsle (aka Mrs R.D. Burman) & Rafiji and is the title track as well as quite possibly the greatest quwalli EVER in the history of Bollywood. Zeenat may not be the star of the movie but she completely takes it over during her rendition of it's title track - I dare you not to get goosebumps when Asha starts singing, it's that good.



Our group viewing included 2 Bollywood virgins and I hate to think that they never tried another one after their misadventure with this one. As various members of our party either fell asleep or got up to start getting ready for that evening, our friend Eric stayed behind watching intently. No matter how ludicrous or inane the movie became, he never moved. Finally, after the umpteenth gunfight (aka needless plot extension )I finally asked him, "Eric, what the hell are you doing?". He looked at me and simply said "I need to know what happened to the diamonds". Well Eric, the below screen caps and synopsis are for you and so everyone can feel they saw the movie and then proceed to watch all the songs on youtube. Warning - the below screenshots may actually entice you to want to see the movie but enjoy them here and only here. Consider yourself warned ;)

The movie begins with a letter from a father to a son~



Followed by a completely unnecessary plot detail (so Beirut was at one time considered exotic? Interesting).



We then learn a little about Rajesh. That he is a great dancer and has AWESOME fashion sense.



This guy looks nefarious but again, a complete mismanagement of star power by NOT using Amjad Khan in more of the movie.



The only saving grace from the goonda camp. These are Kaajal's bodyguards and I am still not sure whether they were meant to be scary or funny - they turned out to be scarily funny (like four Curlys from the Three Stooges).



Flashback to a scene with these lovely two urchins singing the second of three signature songs from the movie, 'Kya Hua Tera Vaada?'. During this whole scene the two fathers agree that the kids will indeed be married someday but instead they get separated by the cruel hands of fate.



Father & son track down the lovely Kaajal's whereabouts and remind her dad of the 'vaada' he made years ago regarding their future. I just love the turban on Shri Ram Lagoo here. Anyway, they are shooed away by Kaajal's dad because he has become stupid rich over the years and they just aren't a good match anymore. Boo!



OK - this is where the fuzziness really begins. Somehow Sanjay starts working for Rajesh (as his manager) and Kaajal is sent to meet Rajesh for a possible 'rishtaa'. Sanjay sees Kaajal and pretends to be Rajesh with the four Curlys standing guard behind her.



Kaajal tells Sanjay that she can't go anywhere without her goons so they decide to ditch them for a day out on the town. This is the goon's 'which way did they go George' look.



Quite possibly my 2nd favorite scene in the movie. While out and about with Sanjay (having successfully ditched the Curlys) Kaajal gets her hands on some balloons and floats away during 'Yeh Ladka Hai Allah'. Colors colors colors!



The real Rajesh (aka Rishi Kapoor) shows up while Sanjay does his best 'Who Me?' look. Somehow during all this I think Sanjay has figured out that Kaajal is his childhood sweetheart, still not sure when that exactly happened though.



Rajesh tries his hand at wooing Kaajal since he was the one who was supposed to do it in the first place and does a splendid job of it. He is freaking Rishi Kapoor after all!



To get to the aforementioned programme, Rajesh needs to do something about the Curlys. He puts something in their chai that doesn't quite agree with them, hilarity ensues!



Is it? Could it be? I think it is... DANCE OFF 70'S SHTYLE!!!!!!!!



I got my own backup band, my nickname is Chintu and I got yet ANOTHER amazing white outfit to do battle with you in, what you got to say now playah?



Rajesh wins a Kaajal for his efforts, was there any doubt to the winner of this one?



Not trying to tell you how to do your job Mr. Husain and granted, I am extremely thankful that you decided to put Zeenat into the movie at this point but what the hell happened? I thought Rajesh just won over Kaajal but out of nowhere you magically add Sunita (Zeenat Aman in an uncredited role) to the mix? So confused but can't... stop... watching.



Immediately after the above scene (really) we find out that Sunita has told Rajesh (for unknown reasons) that she can't marry him and so begins the signature scene of the movie with a quwalli for the ages, 'Hum Kisise Kum Nahin'.



Obligatory shot of Zeenat looking both pained and drop dead gorgeous. Rajesh is basically calling her out on her sudden about face at their blossoming love affair.



She takes the bait and then proceeds to take over the move in less than two minutes of screen time (with a little help from Asha Bhonsle).



OK, so by this point I am completely lost and have no idea why Rajesh called Kaajal out for a mountainside picnic when it's clear that Sunita has reciprocated his feelings for her. I just included this shot for the fabulous brown ALL LEATHER SUIT that Rajesh is sporting. Oh, and Sunita disappears, again.



Rajesh takes Kaajal out for dinner and look who just happens to be the entertainment for the evening - it's Sanjay (in a most unfortunate headband)!



And it's signature song number three of the movie - the one that the two childhood sweethearts sang to eachother wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy back in the beginning of the movie. Except this time Sanjay is ASKING Kaajal, "what did happen to your promise?". It all comes together for Kaajal and she is a bit overwhelmed at it all.



Somehow everyone figures out who eachother is and Eric finally gets an answer to his question about what happened to those diamonds. Unfortunately, no one else but him cares about them at this point.



A really really really REALLY long gun battle erupts over the diamonds even though it's clear that no one was around for the big reveal. I love this shot of the gun toting goondas coming after our band of misfits. Why? Because they are wearing matching outfits with matching leather vests to boot, bravo costume designer, bravo.



Now that Rajesh has figured out that Sanjay and Kaajal were meant to be he writes her a letter telling her so. After writing the letter he decides to immediately leave town.



On his way OUT of town he runs into Sanjay coming back INTO town. After reuniting our two doomed lovers (and his dad) the too cute couple ask Rajesh about any parting words of wisdom. I swear that Sanjay is wearing more makeup than Kaajal here but that killer scarf makes up for it.



Guess who else was coming back INTO town to find Sanjay? Yes, our lovely Sunita was if for no other reason than to put a tidy bow of completion on this glorious mess of a movie. Rajesh's advice is what else but the title of the movie? Yes, it makes no sense here but nothing much else did so what's the problem? Zeenat & Rishi - thanks for the memories...

'A tryst with destiny' - Independence Day

Today marks the 62nd year of independence for both India & Pakistan (since it officially occurred at midnight, India chose August 15th & Pakistan chose August 14th). The 'tryst with destiny' - Nehru's words to describe independence in his first speech to a free India - commemorates a great many things both good & bad. The good obviously was freedom from the British, who for the most part loved India but were nonetheless rulers of a foreign land. The bad (at least as far as I am concerned) is the Partition that took place on the eve of independence. There are a great many articles that focus on whether Partition was the correct decision to make and whether it created/solved the problems that plague both countries to this day. I highly recommend every person of South Asian heritage or anyone with an interest in Indian history hunt down the book 'Freedom at Midnight'. Written by two French authors, it provides a fascinating (and at times heartbreaking) account of the events that led up to the Partition of India and often reads as a piece of fiction rather than a retelling of history.



However since this blog is dedicated to music I will limit the focus to 'what if' in that regard. During the time of partition, Bollywood was just beginning to come into it's own. Muslims made up many of the artists (both in front of and behind the camera) and were forced to make a very difficult decision that fateful day in 1947. Can anyone imagine Indian cinema without Mohammed Rafi, Dilip Kumar, Nargis, or Madhubala? Arguably the greatest classic made for the Indian screen, 'Mughal-E-Azam', had Muslim actors in the lead roles, a Muslim music director (Naushad) & a Muslim producer/director (K.Asif)- in 2006 it had the distinction of being the 1st Indian film to be screened in Pakistan in 44 years. How would Bollywood be different if the Muslim artists hadn't stayed on? What would the landscape of Indian cinema look like today without Shah Rukh, Aamir & (even) Salman Khan? It may seem insignificant but I wonder how many talented artists never got a chance to work in the Indian film industry because of politics - and how much richer the tapestry of Bollywood could have been had they been allowed to do so.



The music today comes from 2 legends of Indian cinema - Noorjehan & Lata Mangeshkar. Noorjehan starred & sang in only 8 Indian movies before migrating to Pakistan but her songs are still remembered fondly to this day. Her most famous song 'Jawan Hai Mohabbat' is an ode to youth. While her voice is atypical of the modern artists that we are used to hearing - just give yourself a chance to be captivated by her incredible depth & range as a singer. Lata Mangeshkar (who respectfully referred to Noorjehan as simply 'Didi' or sister) was just breaking into Indian cinema during the time of partition. Some say that if Noorjehan had stayed in India (she was already a superstar), Lata may not have had the incredible success that she did. My favorite song by her is also one of her earliest, 'Mere Aankhon Mein'. Lata combined both sadness & desire in a way that few could. Both singers with completely different styles - and both unforgettable. Madame Noor returned to India for the first time since Partition to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Indian talkie and was received by Lataji & Dilip Kumar. She was nervous about how she would be received but Indian audiences had never forgotten her songs and showered her with the love of a native daughter returning home.

Raksha Bandhan

Today's full moon or shravan is the day of Raksha Bandhan, an annual occurence in the Hindu calendar (usually falling in the month of August). It is marked by a ceremony in which a sister ties a rakhi — which may be a colorful thread or a simple bracelet — around the wrist of her brother. The word "raksha" signifies protection and "bandhan" is an association signifying an enduring bond; and so, when a rakhi around the wrist of one's brother it signifies his sister's love for him. He, likewise, recognizes the special bond between them - and by extending his wrist forward, he in fact extends the hand of his protection over her as well.



Raksha Bandhan not only strengthens the bond of love between brothers and sisters, but goes beyond the confines of the family. When a rakhi is tied on the wrists of close friends and neighbors, it underscores the need for a harmonious social life where individuals co-exist peacefully as brothers and sisters. All members of the community commit to protect each other and society as a whole - an ancient theory popularized by the Nobel laureate, Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore.



This ritual itself is a Hindu one - however throughout the ages it has come to transcend religion like few things can. It is said that Alexander's life was spared in battle only because his wife had tied a rakhi on the hand of the great Hindu King Puru. That kind of bond continues with Desis around the world to this day, in fact my own rakhis are sent by my 'sisters' (Muslims, Hindus & Christans) - all of them very close to my heart. Only one of them is actually related to me but who says you need matching DNA to be considered family?



The musical selection for today is from the 1971 Bollywood movie 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna' - a glorious mess of a movie whose soundtrack produced 3 legendary songs (and will be the subject of a future post). My favorite one of the bunch, one of the sweetest love songs from a brother to a sister ever written, Phoolon Ka Taro Ka, sung by the master, Kishore Kumar with music rendered by R.D. Burman.

Rangeela (1995)

Today's post is a joint venture with our friend Ajnabi over at Paisa Vasool (or Not). By her own admission she is a relative newbie to the world of Bollywood but her fresh view on the medium clearly shows that she 'gets it' just as well as those of us who have grown up loving it.

It was the summer of 1995 and I had just graduated from med school with only four weeks separating my last gasp of student life and the beginning of residency, aka my first real job. So I decided to take a quick trip to India to recalibrate my soul and took my buddy Hasan on the assignment with me. We landed in Bombay and after checking in to our hotel we decided to seek out the legendary 'Metro Theater' and watch whatever movie that happened to be playing there. The Metro was built in 1938 by MGM Studios (thus the name) and was THE premiere place for both Bollywood and Hollywood movies released in India for over half a century. With almost 1500 seats and a pedigree up there with the best cinema halls in the world we knew that we would not be disappointed no matter what movie was being shown.



International flights to India invariably arrive in darkness and very early in the morning thus allowing one to get right to sightseeing if sleep can be successfully fought off. We had a lovely breakfast of chai & biscuits on Juhu Beach and arrived at the theater in time for the noon show. The scene that awaited us was nothing short of chaos - throngs of people, police literally beating back the crowds with sticks and jolted us into the reality that we were indeed in the birthplace of Bollywood. The sign out front which read 'House Full' did nothing to deter us and from previous experiences we knew the next step was to find the guy selling 'tickets in black' with those magic words रंगीला written on a piece of wafer thin paper.



There were several scalpers about and they were all surrounded by desperate moviegoers looking to make a deal - in fact the whole thing resembled what the trading floor on Wall Street must look like. When our turn came we were offered the ever elusive balcony ticket and to make the deal even sweeter, with it we were entitled to get in 15 minutes early to see a 'Super Duper Laser Show Production featuring The Spirit of Rangeela'. How could we say no to that even though the Rs 150 we were forking over were six times the original price? We got our snacks/popcorn/Thumbs Up and were ushered promptly into our seats for the start of an incredible first day in India. Yes, the laser show was in reality a bunch of spinning lights on a globe and the Thumbs Up could have been a little colder but at that point we were just having too much fun and the movie itself did not disappoint one bit.



'Rangeela' was the first soundtrack made for a Hindi film by A.R. Rahman and alot of careers were riding on it's success. Ram Gopal Verma had no real hits to his name and other than a role as a child in 'Masoom', Urmila was a virtually unknown actress. Aamir Khan was an established name but had a couple of flops prior to the release and there as in Hollywood, you are only good as your last movie. Only Jackie Shroff (or Jaggu Dada as he is affectionately known in his native Gujarat) was a proven name but had been given a supporting role and ironically was playing a movie star. The careers of all the principal players were never the same as the charisma of the two leads and the popularity of the soundtrack propelled this movie into becoming one of the biggest hits of the year.



Playing the street smart orphan Munna (Aamir Khan) whose friendship with the starlet who dreams of making it big Mili (Urmila) and how their relationship gets tested when a Bollywood actor Raj Kamal (Jackie Shroff) gets into the fray made for an immensely watchable plot. Aamir Khan's dialogues and delivery using the slangish Bombay Hindi was something not seen since Amitabh did it to perfection with 'Don' almost twenty years earlier. And Urmila, playing Mili with equal parts sweetness and vamp, earned herself a Filmfare Award nomination for best actress. One of my favorite scenes from the movie finds Munna (in an attempt to show Mili that he is indeed as suave as that lout of a Bollywood actor Raj Kamal) donning a YELLOW suit and taking Mili to the Oberoi Sheraton where he is (unknowingly) foiled by an autograph signing Raj Kamal. Sweet, funny and tragic all in one fell swoop.



Yes, at the end of the day it's the soft heart under the tough exterior of Munna & the real feelings of Mili under her desire to become of a movie star that make this movie a must see for any Bollywood fan. But let's not forget about the landscape changing soundtrack that shook up the very foundations of popular filmi music as to why this movie is still so fondly remembered today. A.R. Rahman snagged a record 3 trophies at the Filmfare Awards that year - best Hindi soundtrack for 'Rangeela', R.D. Burman award for best newcomer for 'Rangeela' and best Tamil soundtrack for 'Bombay' (whose songs were later recorded in Hindi for it's subsequent release worldwide). Video of title track below



Rahman's mix of East/West sounds that never strayed far from their Indian roots were reminiscent of Bollywood soundtracks from the 60's but carry his unique signature on them . The catchy songs don't sound dated and are as fresh and lively today as are all of Rahman's recordings to date. My favorite song from the movie is Yaaron Sun Lo Zara sung by Udit Narayan & Chitra. As far as the rest of mine and Hasan's trip went, suffice it to say that it couldn't have gone wrong after a beginning like that and that it concluded with cold beer & prawns on a beach in Goa watching a beautiful sunset while our new Goan friends cooked us a meal on an open fire behind us, but that's a story for another day ;)



The above picture (taken this year by the way) has absolutely nothing to do with the movie but is just a little bonus for all the Urmila Mantodkar fans out there. With her combination of looks and talent I just can't fathom why we don't see her in more movies.

Nishant (1975) & farewell to Akbar Ali Khan

Based on a true story, Nishant was avant garde filmmaker Shyam Benegal's sophomore effort (after Ankur) and with it he brought back what would be his favorite muse for her second movie as well, Shabana Azmi. If you are looking for the prototypical Bollywood naach-gaana fest then this is not your type of film. It is (at times) difficult to watch, has no songs, contains very little music and has a feel as bleak as the dusty village where it was shot. But as I have said before, I appreciate it when a film challenges the viewer and though you may not like what you see on screen, 'Nishant' delivers an emotional wallop like few films do.

A virtual 'Who's Who' of Indian cinema star in this movie including the aforementioned Shabana Azmi, Nasureedin Shah (in his debut), Kulbushan Kharbanda, Amrish Puri, Girish Karnad and a smoldering 19 year old Smita Patil appearing in just her second movie. Nishant went on to win the prestigious National Award for Hindi Cinema in 1975 and was officially selected as a nominee for the Palm D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. The story is unsettling and at times infuriating but the film itself is compelling if only for the fact that it shows something different and gives the movie fan a chance to see so many living legends of Indian cinema in their early days.



We are introduced to the character of the Zamindar (a surprisingly buff Amrish Puri) early on in the film as someone who is not to be taken lightly. He takes whatever he wants from whomever he wants without any disregard to how his actions affect others. Ironically he is shown to be a highly religious man and the very villagers who loathe his presence are forced to seek his blessings on all auspicious occasions.



The underrated Girish Karnad plays the new schoolmaster of the village who arrives with his beautiful wife and young son but soon comes to see the ugly truth of his new surroundings. The Zamindar has 3 younger brothers who all share his sense of entitlement and in this scene are explaining how the schoolmaster can make extra money by letting them 'borrow' his wife for the evening.



Shaken by the brazen disregard for societal norms, he spends that evening sitting with his family in their modest surroundings. Having told the brothers that he is not interested in their offer he does not suspect (nor does the audience) that his wife would soon be kidnapped in full view of the entire village from his home. Unable to stop them on his own he begs the villagers to help him and then goes to register a complaint at the local police station.




Patel (Kulbushan Kharbanda) is the policeman who feels for this man but knows he is powerless to do anything about the abduction. It would have been easy to make the cop a caricature and dismissive of any complaints against the powerful family. But Kharbanda's take on the role is to make an almost sympathetic character who at the end of the day is a coward but one who the audience understands is just a cog in the powerful machine that is the Zamindar's world.



Rape scenes in any movie are difficult to watch but few of them convey the feeling of bleakness so subtly as this movie does. The morning after Sushila (Shabana Azmi) is abducted and brutally raped by the brothers of the Zamindaar begins with the aerial shot above. No words nor any music accompany the scene and the silence is what makes digesting what has just happened even more horrific.



Shushila is kept as a prisoner in the house for most of the movie while her husband tries in vain to get her out. Watching his attempts to help her by talking to the police all the way up to the government officials fall on deaf ears all while she is getting brutalized night after night is numbing. I almost wanted the schoolteacher to bust down the door of the house Amitabh-style and teach them all a lesson with a good thrashing but unfortunately Bollywood doesn't always work like that. Much of the story takes place during this part of the movie - the schoolteacher finally taking his story to the priest who, as a man of god, decides there is a limit to evil, Sushila's resentment towards the husband that is letting her languish in this house of horrors every day, the youngest brother's Vishwam (Nasureedin Shah) growing infatuation with Sushila and his wife Rukhmani's (Smita Patil) disgust with everything that she is witness to.



Nasureedin Shah's first film role introduces us to a spineless character (Vishwam) that we are not used to seeing him play. Not entirely comfortable with the way his brothers treat women as objects he nonetheless joins in the fray the first time he sees Sushila. As his feelings for her grow stronger it puts an enormous strain on the relationship with his wife Rukhmani and it is through this deft ability to hold his own ground around these two powerful actresses that a star is born.



And last but not least we have Smita Patil in the role of the long suffering wife Rukhmani. Her presence in the film elevates it into art every time she appears onscreen. Her transformation from a passive wife who tolerates what goes on around her to one that eventually becomes disgusted with what she is witness to is powerfull and proves as another reminder that she was taken from us entirely too early at the age of 31. Watching the movie hurtle towards it's powerful and controversial ending is not easy but then again, real life never is.



Ali Akbar Khan, the foremost virtuoso of the lutelike sarod, whose dazzling technique and gift for melodic invention, often on display in concert with his brother-in-law Ravi Shankar, helped popularize North Indian classical music in the West, died on Thursday at his home in San Anselmo, Calif at the age of 87. His father was a stern, sometimes brutal taskmaster, rousing his young son at dawn for several hours of practice before breakfast and continuing well into the evening of what were often 18-hour days. Allauddin Khan had elevated the status of instrumental music, previously regarded as inferior to vocal performance, by synthesizing various regional styles into a modern concert style. His son absorbed his encyclopedic knowledge of North Indian music and eventually outstripped him as an instrumentalist. The song for today is Water Lady (Panihari) from the album 'Garden of Dreams'. Ustad (honorary title meaning master) Khan and a thirteen-piece East/West orchestra perform classical ragas and Rajasthani folk songs. Combining sarod with Western classical instruments such as the cello, violin, bassoon and oboe, Khansaab brilliantly merges Eastern and Western musical traditions to produce an album of astounding beauty.

Smile Pinki (2008) - Oscar Winner for Best Documentary Short

'Slumdog Millionaire' was not the only movie based in India that took home an Oscar in 2008, just the biggest one - 'Smile Pinki' on the other hand is the littlest one but thanks to HBO it's getting some major airplay this month. I simply love when movies drop me into the story without any inkling of what I am getting myself into. Set in India, 'Smile Pinki' tells the tale of a girl named Pinki who lives in the village of Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh. Pinki was born with a cleft lip that led to her being ostracized by her community and eventually to her dropping out of school due to constant ridicule by her classmates. The film begins with a social worker from The Smile Train who literally walks from person to person with leaflets detailing how free operations are being offered to any child born with a cleft lip or palate. The camera then follows the trail of one of the leaflets to Pinki as well as one to a boy named Ghutaru. The story just unfolds organically from there scene by scene as we learn more about the children and their daily lives. I usually keep my posts as spoiler free as possible but from the first time we meet Pinki we instantly form a bond with her and her father. We hope that this fairy tale of a story will end happily as the heartache of how deeply these children are affected by their deformity comes fully into view. The makers of the film never bombard the viewer with the why or how this charity came to be - just that it is and that it's changing lives one child at a time without any great fanfare.



As HBO's president of documentary and family programming Sheila Nevins explained, a good doc can uniquely provoke "feeling for someone who was a stranger to you five minutes ago. You didn't know that person, you didn't know that issue and suddenly that person becomes a part of your human family." There are many lessons to be learned from this magical little movie and some of them are quite obvious - to appreciate the things we have in life when others have so little, the unflinching love of a father who wants nothing more than what's best for his child and that children never cease to surprise us despite what life throws at them. But it was the subtle idea that you don't necessarily have to save someone's life in order to save them that stayed with me long after the credits rolled. Yes, children in developing countries are in need of basic necessities to just stay alive but what about after that? In a place where deformities are still blamed on the supernatural and black magic, looks are not just skin deep - they go much much deeper. And seeing what this one operation that takes just 45 minutes and costs all of $250 made me want to go to India and spread the good word about The Smile Train myself. Not that one actually needs an excuse to ever go there but now you have one.



The music in the movie is composed of some lovely sitar & tabla pieces and I was all set to put one of them up as today's song. But as fate would have it, a favorite tune of mine popped up in the movie in one of the most unlikeliest places - as a cell phone ringtone. The song is Gayatri Mantra by Anuradha & Kavita Paudwal and at 55 minutes it clocks in at 15 minutes longer than the movie itself. To call it a mere song would not be doing it justice though. The Gayatri is considered the holiest verse of all the Vedas (ancient Hindu religious texts) and Mantra simply means chant. I have long thought that Anuradhaji's voice was incredibly melodic and although she had some success in Bollywood, it's in the realm of bhajans (religious songs) that she has truly found her forte. The same verse repeats itself but while listening to the song it never grew tired or repetitive - just soothing (and that's coming from someone who doesn't consider himself all that religious). But it's the meaning behind the words that really brought it all together for me in regards to the greater message behind the movie...

ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः तत् सवितुर्वरेण्यं भर्गो देवस्य धीमहिधियो यो नः प्रचोदयात्
(O God, Thou art the giver of life, the remover of pain and sorrow, the bestower of happiness; O Creator of the Universe, may we receive Thy supreme light and may Thou guide our intellect in the right direction)

Anmol Ghadi (1946)

The songs and history surrounding Mehboob Khan's classic 'Anmol Ghadi' have captivated me for as long as I can remember. The movie marks the oldest Bollywood film I have ever seen and while the actual plot is not particularly interesting, it's the story behind the story that made watching this movie an absolutely captivating endeavor. Today's post is a joint one with our friend Richard over at Dances on the Footpath who writes about classic Indian cinema and has posted some amazing songs from youtube up on his site as well. This tale from the maker of 'Andaz' (the only film that starred Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor & Nargis) and 'Mother India' (the first Indian film to be nominated for an Oscar) revolves around a pair of childhood sweethearts - Lata (Noorjehan) and Chander (Surendra) who reunite years after a tragic separation. A melodramatic love triangle ensues when Basanti (Suraiya) falls for Chander and he can't bear to tell her the truth of who he actually pines for. Lata & Basanti both fall for Chander and the only real question I had while watching was how and why these two enchanting women would fall for such a bore such as Chander. But like I previously alluded to, the real reason to watch this movie is for the historical importance of this movie and to see the picturization of the classic songs that are still hummed today more than sixty years after the movie's release...



Noorjehan (above) was the top box office draw in India at the time of this movie's release and was known for her acting ability as well as her incredible voice. Not considered particularly 'beautiful' in the classic sense, she nonetheless had a radiance that transcended any preconceived notions about beauty. However historical events were conspiring to take this rare talent out of Bollywood for good when the Partition of India occurred the following year and Madame Noor chose to leave her fame and fortune behind and move to Pakistan. Had she chosen to remain there is no doubt that she would have commanded the silver screen for years to come as she was beloved by both the movie going public as well as the film industry itself. It's quite ironic that her character's name in the movie (Lata) was also the real name of the person who benefited most from her departure. Lata Mangeshkar was not well known at the time of Partition but emulated Noorjehan's voice early in her career and the two remained close throughout the years with Lata referring to Noorjehan lovingly as 'Didi' (sister). This movie is Noorjehan's swan song and her performance as well as her renderings of it's signature songs help make this movie a must see for any true Bollywood fan.



Suraiya (above) was also an established star when Mehboob Khan approached her to complete his coup of bringing together three of the biggest stars of the day for the film. She, along with Noorjehan and Surendra, were among the last of a dying breed in Bollywood - that of the actor who also provided his/her own playback singing. It is difficult enough to be skilled at one much less do both so well and the fact that she was just seventeen when this movie was made makes her performance even more incredible. Her songs are well known to true film aficionados and her place in Bollywood history was cemented with this star making turn. Like Noorjehan, her voice was not as high as Lata and her compatriots but was resonant and uniquely hers instead of being indistinguishable from the masses. She had the unenviable task of being the 'other woman' in the movie but succeeded in making her character likable and injected much needed cheer into the often gloomy story.



The film was a massive hit when it was released and represented one of the final hits in the Bollywood of undivided India. The city scenes provide a rare look at Bombay from a simpler age and one can just imagine how Marine Drive must have been without all the smog & traffic from modern times. Yes, the acting is a bit dated and the use of the static camera shot on song sequences can feel a little odd. But if you just tune out the story and concentrate on the two leading ladies as the songs tumble onto each other in the narrative - you will be rewarded with a rare look into the beginnings of modern day Bollywood. The sense of history behind this film becomes even more apparent with the knowledge that all Indian movies were banned in Pakistan after Partition. The image above is of the first poster printed in Pakistan for an Indian movie (note the lack of Hindi script present on the original poster) due to the immense popularity of 'The Nightingale of Pakistan' - Noorjehan. She returned to Bombay in 1982 to receive a special award for her contribution to Indian Cinema and Lata's speech welcoming her back to the land of her birth was said to have all of Bollywood's elite on their feet.



The songs from today are both by Noorjehan, one solo song and one being a duet by her and Surendra. Jawan Hai Mohabbat remains one of those evergreen songs I could hear over and over yet never tire from. Her voice, it's lyrics of eternal optimism and musical score (done by my favorite composer Naushad) all combine to make this a song that always puts me in a better mood when I hear it. The other song, Aawaz De Kahan Hai is the polar opposite of the first one and highlights Noorjehan's ability to evoke an emotion in a song even if you don't understand a single word of Hindi/Urdu. It's by far Surendra's best work in the movie and allows the audience to feel their longing for one another throughout the years through it's timeless melody (video below).

Celebrating 40 years of Amitabh Bachchan

A nice three part retrospective of the Big B....

Mr India (1987)

The late 80's were a time of great flux in Bollywood. Amitabh Bachchan's reign at the top was slowly grinding to a halt due to a spate of questionable film choices, an injury during the filming of 'Coolie' and his foray into politics. A chance meeting between Bollywood newcomer Anil Kapoor and art film director Shekhar Kapur (who between them had exactly 2 hits to their name) led to the creation of one of the most beloved films of Indian cinema - 'Mr India'. The hyper-success of 'Sholay' in 1975 had inspired every producer of that time to try and recreate the winning formula of that film with varying results. During this time period the art film market had just started to find it's own audience with Kapur's own 'Masoom' as one of it's earliest hits. But along came this little film (one of my wife's favorite movies) with absolutely no budget, an unconventional love story, a bunch of adorable little kids, starring Anil Kapoor and a very evil villain - all helmed by a director who knew next to nothing about making a traditional Bollywood movie. The film went on to become the biggest hit of the year and remains a cult classic to this day and yes, I do realize that the previous sentence could describe 'Slumdog Millionaire' just as easily as it does 'Mr India'.



Anil Kapoor was not the most logical choice to star in this story of a fellow with a heart of gold who took care of a bunch of orphans while living in a dilapidated house on the beach who proceeds to fall in love with Sridevi and eventually would go on to defeat a villain named Mogambo bent on world domination by accidentally stumbling upon a cape of invisibility (really). The actor had only few films under his vest but was not a big star by any sense of the word. But the success of this film combined with the Filmfare Award he won for his previous one 'Mashaal' had every magazine anointing him the heir apparent to Amitabh Bachchan. Now I am one of the biggest Amitabh fans to walk the planet but I don't even think Amitabh could have been the heir apparent to himself after the mega success of his storied career. Sridevi was an already established star but cemented her reputation as one of the most bankable actresses of her time with her role in the film. Shekar Kapur inexplicably left world of Bollywood after this movie to direct the Academy Award winning 'Elizabeth' but left a nice little legacy in Indian cinema with this movie, the above mentioned 'Masoom' and 'Bandit Queen'.



And of course one can't forget Amrish Puri's unforgettable performance as Mogambo, the villain whose quest for world domination and penchant for referring to himself in the third person with the unforgettable tagline of "Mogambo Khush Hai" (Mogambo is pleased). Yes, he may have achieved wider recognition with his roles as the good yet stern father in 'DDLJ', 'Pardes' and 'Viraasat' but he created one of the most memorable villains ala Heath Ledger's Joker with this nefarious evildoer. Shekar Kapur was reportedly interested in making a sequel (with his uncle Dev Anand as producer) but talks stalled and his name was withdrawn from the project. But as things somehow do in the magical world of Bollywood there will be a fairy tale ending to this story after all. Anil Kapoor & Sridevi have signed on to reprise their original roles and none other than SRK himself is in talks to tackle the role of Mogambo! The song for today is Zindagi Ki Yehi by Kishore Kumar and was one of the last songs he recorded before his untimely death that year. It's a toe tapping tune with a great message that basically states that life just is and that every bad thing is inevitably followed by something good. The video below is from The Parody Song and you can play a rousing game of "guess the movie" from all the songs contained in it.

Shashi Kapoor - overlooked but never overshadowed

Shashi Kapoor (ne Balbir Raj Kapoor) turned 70 in March of this year but sadly, yours truly neglected to write a birthday post in his honor. 2008 also marks the 60th anniversary of his debut on the silver screen in his brother Raj Kapoor's movie 'Aag'. And finally, this year would have been the 50th wedding anniversary to his beloved wife Jennifer (who passed away from cancer in 1984) with whom he had three children. To make up for overlooking one of my favorite stars I decided to do a tribute to Shashiji, long considered one of Bollywood's favorite sons but also one of it's most underrated. His flame never shone quite as bright as his elder brother Raj or as his contemporary (and close friend) Amitabh - but he holds a special place in my heart and countless other fans of Hindi films. Indeed, click on most any Bollylink on the side of this post and you will find a plethora of Shashi fans. Like me they just adore him and wax poetic about his acting, sense of style, how 'Shashilicious' he is and so on and so forth.



I missed much of his early career in the 60's & 70's but after seeing him in 'Chor Sipahee' during my first trip back to India I instantly became a fan. I remember having lengthy discourses with Indian friends about who was better, Amitabh or Shashi? Even at the videostore I would ask my parents to only get the movies starring either of them and when they started doing their 'buddy movies' together - well that was one heck of an era for this Bollywood fan. To this day they both remain my two favorite heroes and asking me to pick between them simply cannot be done. Amitabh was larger than life - an impossibly tall superman of an actor, with movie star good looks, sporting perfectly coiffed hair and whose baritone voice shook the goondas to their core.

But Shashi? He was of average height at best, had curly hair that had a mind of it's own, who had a distinctive voice indeed but nothing earth-shaking and while unmistakably handsome - his smile betrayed some crooked choppers that made him look, well accessible. Because you see, yours truly was of average height, had curly hair that would expand exponentially in the Texas humidity, had teeth so crooked I needed braces for years and had a voice that would never be picked to narrate any documentaries. I loved Shashi because he wore all his imperfections on his sleeve and never tried to be more than what he was - he showed me that to be truly successful one just had to have 'it' and boy, did he ever. Amitabh represented the superhero whom I could admire from afar and could never be - while Shashi was the everyman whose films I watched and realized that he was actually someone who I could be or at least try to. And that is what makes Shashi so special indeed, for he had charisma & charm - an unlimited supply of it at that.



Below watch a short tribute to Shashi that AVS did last week that was the inspiration for today's post. Today's selection is Sar Se Sarke, a song that I consider to be the forgotten song of Silsila. In my opinion it is one of the best Kishore/Lata duets ever done and is picturised quite beautifully with Shashi & Jaya Bachchan. It is sometimes overlooked (go figure) because of the other two Kishore/Lata songs that were picturised with Amitabh & Rekha. Those songs are great indeed but the producers felt Shashi's so good that they decided to open the movie with it. The video for the song is directly below the AVS tribute...

Slumdog Slam!

Slumdog did it - and did it on the grandest, biggest and most prestigious stage on the planet. It built a head of steam and barreled through the awards circuit like a runaway locomotive, albeit a very colorful one like in 'The Darjeeling Limited'. It's now even receiving the inevitable backlash that all successful entities get: it portrayed India in a bad light, won only because it was directed by a non-Indian, the kids never got paid, etc. Was it the best movie of the year? I leave that up to history and your personal taste to decide. I don't think it was as egregious of a choice as in 1999 when 'Shakespeare in Love' beat out the now classic 'Saving Private Ryan'. Rather I feel it was more akin to the previous year when the crowd pleaser 'Titanic' won over the technically superior 'LA Confidential'. For that matter I don't even think that it was the best Bollywood/Indian movie to be nominated for the prize and believe that 'Mother India' and 'Lagaan' were better films overall. Some Academy members have argued that we should hold Oscars ten years after the movie has been released because it's only then that the we can see how it will be remembered by history. It's all a moot point of course and I for one am overjoyed that this "little movie that was going straight to DVD' won. Why?



Because the stamp of approval it received by Hollywood's elite made Bollywood hip, cool and accessible to the general public. I cannot tell you how many people I know who did not even know the word Bollywood before this movie come out are now suddenly very interested in everything about it. I am lending out DVD's to people almost daily and they keep coming back for more. All things Desi had been becoming popular steadily over the last few years with pop music and henna on celebrities - this win has taken everything to that proverbial next level and there seems to be an insatiable appetite for it. With the ease of availability of movies on the internet I hope that people will dig deeper and see that there is a whole new world of discovery for them and it's my promise that the good Doc Bollywood will be there to help in any way he can. The song for today is sung by M.I.A. with music by A.R. Rahman and is from the original soundtrack. Hearty congrats for his Oscar win although I do prefer some of his other soundtracks much more. Judd Apatow (director of 'Pineapple Express') loved the song so much he put it on the "red band" trailer for the movie - some of the language makes it not safe for work so watch with caution. FYI - if you like the trailer, you will probably like the movie too ;)

Pineapple Express - Red Band Trailer from Judd Apatow

Shakti (1982)

The recipient of the Filmfare Award for Best Picture of 1982 marked the first time that Bollywood fans got to see two living legends together for the first time. Amitabh Bachchan was said to have wanted to work with Dilip Kumar for many years but kept waiting for the right script. The team of Salim-Javed were commissioned to write one with instructions to give both stars equal roles and were rewarded with the Filmfare Award for Best Screenplay for their efforts. The story revolves around the relationship between the two stars (playing a policeman/father and his son) and the fateful decision made by Dilip Kumar's character early on in the movie. When confronted by gangsters who are holding his son ransom, the wafaadar cop refuses to negotiate with their demands, forever scarring his only child delicate psyche and thrusting him into a life of crime. This leads to an inevitable climax between the two much like what happened to a family separated by crime in 'Deewaar' (also written by Salim-Javed). Made by the same writing/directing team who brought us 'Sholay', this movie is a gritty and solid drama that is made even more complete with all the star power behind it.



The star power doesn't just extend to the two stars which brings us to the character of Roma Devi, played by Smita Patil. A star of parallel cinema who was also an activist for the advancement of women and children in India, Smita Patil transitioned seamlessly into mainstream Bollywood and brought grace and dignity into any role she played. She died due to complications from childbirth at the age of 31 and her passing (like Madhubala before her) left behind an incredible void that was filled in time with the likes of Shabana Azmi, Nandita Das and Tabu. Her role as Amitabh's love interest could have been easily overlooked amongst the two leads but she remains one of the most memorable things about the movie. So who came out ahead in the old guard versus the new between Dilipsaab and Amitji? The Filmfare Award went to Dilip Kumar even though Amitabh was nominated in three out of the available five nominations (the other two movies he was nominated for were 'Bemisaal' and 'Namak Halal'). As a fan of both, it came out to a draw for me as they both have such different styles and showcased them brilliantly for this movie.



'Shakti' broke new ground not only for the pairing of the two aforementioned stars in their first and only movie. It also did so for having only three songs in the entire film during a time when big Bollywood movies mandated at least six to fill up the soundtrack. Today's selection is Humne Sanam Koby Lata, a beautiful number that is just enchanting in both it's music and delivery. R.D. Burman provided the music and usually reserved his best work for wife Asha Bhonsle but Lata just takes this song (about writing a letter to her lover) and makes it something special. Indeed, she insisted on singing it during a tribute concert to R.D. shortly after he passed away. Much like the movie 'Heat' in which Al Pacino & Robert Deniro shared the screen for only a few key scenes, 'Shakti' does the same with Amitabh & Dilip Kumar and the end result for both movies is the same - an instant classic that holds up years down the line.

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Just tell me a good story Mr. Moviemaker, it's really not too much to ask. While you're at it go ahead and challenge me by making that story just a little different than the other ones out there, teach me something I didn't know before and make me feel an emotion - any emotion. You don't need to blow up a bunch of stuff (although sometimes it does make the story more fun) or spend a billion dollars making your point - just spend some time telling me a good story and that will make all the difference. The tale of Jamaal (Dev Patel) aka the Slumdog and how he just might become a Millionaire is a good example of how to by make a very special Bollywood movie by someone who has no experience in how to do so - but who does know how to tell one heck of a story. Danny Boyle has directed two of the most original and exhilarating movies of the past few years with 'Trainspotting' and '28 Days'. And if you can make movies about drug abuse and zombies (respectively) a movie experience, by all means then, go ahead and try your hand at a movie about - street children, orphans, religous riots, lost (and found) love, crooked cops & even crookeder criminals and last but not least - game shows.



If you don't know how in the world anyone could have possibly made a movie about all this and have it ALL MAKE SENSE then watch this little independent movie that is the current darling of the awards circuit. Winning the Golden Globe for best drama, best director, best screenplay and (drum roll please) - best original score for the maestro A.R. Rahman - who became the first Indian to win the prestigous prize. The awards will most likely continue to pile up as it has been nominated for 11 awards at the BAFTA's - the British equivalent of the Academy Awards - and is all but a shoo in for the Oscars themselves. Danny Boyle did his homework and watched a slew of Bollywood gangster movies to get a feel for the genre. Indeed, he called out 'Deewaar' (1975),one of my all time favorite movies, as being 'absolutely key to Indian cinema'.



With all the accolades being heaped on this movie the only thing I was worried about was the possible backlash about how India is portrayed in the movie like this rant from the Big B himself. Considering he is so prominently figured in one of the movie's key scenes I am somewhat taken aback by his reaction to it. Bombay is one of the greatest cities in the world and this movie portrays it in one of the most honest ways I have ever seen it done so. We get enough of celluloid eye candy from the glorious musicals that Bollywood pumps out year after year - a movie or two that shows us the seedy underbelly of the city is refreshing (if somewhat unsettling) as well. A friend of mine called me after watching an advance screening and asked me 'What would you do for an autograph of Amitabh Bachchan?' and then told me I had to go see this movie. Indeed, when I saw what our protagonist Jamaal is willing to do for the autograph I instantly knew that the makers of this movie 'got it' when it came to Desi culture.



The soundtrack boasts many great tracks that represent the first collaboration between A.R. Rahman and the Sri Lankan born singer M.I.A. They were both mutual fans of the other when the director of the movie introduced the two and challenged them to provide a soundtrack that was as frenetic as the city itself. The result is a product that helps move the story along at a breakneck pace but slows down the action when needed. Today's selection is Ringa Ringa which is played when Jamaal and his brother Salim go looking for Latika (Freida Pinto) in the city's notorious red light district. If the song reminds you of Choli Ki Peeche it's because it was sung by the same two singers as that classic Bollywood tune, Alka Yagnik & Ila Arun.

*Evdience that 'Slumdog Millionaire' has already achieved success in the US that is usually reserved for Hollywood productions - the yellow scarf that Freida Pinto is wearing in the movie has been on the 'must have' lists in many a gossip rag. Adding to the mystery of the movie, the wardrobe designer says it was a one of a kind piece that would "bookend the journey--to tie her childhood yellow dress to her final look".