Comments on Doc Bollywood: 'A tryst with destiny' - Independence Day

Hi Vidur - Of course I remember and I am glad you ...

2010-08-17T23:29:28.530-05:00

Hi Vidur - Of course I remember and I am glad you liked the movie! It is a classic and just like you I love her songs and she is one of my all time favorites. Your blog dedicated to her is really nice and I will be sure to stop by often :)

Lovely article. And even Iam a great fan of Madam ...

2010-08-16T05:35:24.666-05:00

Lovely article. And even Iam a great fan of Madam Noor Jehan. I've also dedicated a blog to her:
www.madamnoorjehan.blogspot.com
Thanks a lot for sharing Anmol Ghadi with me (do you remember?)It was one of the best movies I ever saw. Although Iam a really ardent fan of Madam Noor Jehan, I do like Lata a lot too - and especially in the 40s and 50s. But Madam Noor Jehan did at least 26 films as a singer-actress in India (including her Punjabi films as a child actress). And thanks a lot for the photo too.

Ajnabi - I whole heartedly agree, such a tragedy t...

2009-08-30T14:07:55.388-05:00

Ajnabi - I whole heartedly agree, such a tragedy that such a culturally rich & proud state had to be ripped in half during the Partition. Their influence is still deeply felt on both sides of the border.

Over at Bollywhat the other day there was actually...

2009-08-21T21:27:25.955-05:00

Over at Bollywhat the other day there was actually a discussion of how the influx of Punjabi heroes affected Bollywood--for the better, I'd say!

Shell - they are indeed. Brought up this topic to ...

2009-08-21T16:50:28.786-05:00

Shell - they are indeed. Brought up this topic to some Muslim friends (Indian as well as Pakistani) and the Indian ones just liked SRK because he was a good actor but when pressed admitted that him being Muslim didn't hurt their adoration of him. The Pakistani ones didn't really seem to care one way or the other because to them he was Indian first and Muslim second. Maybe in the days immediately following Partition being Muslim meant more on either side of the border but it doesn't seem so now.

Richard - agree with you wholeheartedly about Madam Noor. I think music is 'new' for you the day you hear it. I first started listening to her in the 80's after digging through some of my parents old LP's and was just captivated. I was a teenager but there was something powerful and honest about her voice that I found simply amazing. It was years later that I saw her in 'Anmol Ghadi' and she far exceeded even my expectations of what her performance would be like.

Nice post. As you know ;), I just love Noor Jehan...

2009-08-17T18:07:22.045-05:00

Nice post. As you know ;), I just love Noor Jehan. I love her more all the time; she is my favorite singer from Indian cinema (or I should say from cinema on the subcontinent - or would "filmi singer" suffice?)... I also greatly enjoy watching her on the screen.

Of course, I come from a different perspective, since I grew up in the U.S. and my obsession with Bollywood and the like has been in full swing for only a couple of years now. (Plus, I've done most of my Bollywood shopping in Jackson Heights, which has a large population from the northern part of the subcontinent, so in terms of the music recordings that are displayed, I think I see more of Noor Jehan than any other classic singer.) But maybe if I'd grown up with Bollywood of recent decades, it would have taken me more time to get into the older sounds of Noor(?)...

I saw some comment on YouTube that Noor Jehan's voice and way of singing are actually closer to the styles/standards of western singing than Lata's, Asha's, etc. That could be the case (I'm not sure). In any case, much as I love Lata too, I love Noor more. :)

Life, politics, entertainment, it's all intert...

2009-08-16T10:08:06.070-05:00

Life, politics, entertainment, it's all intertwined isn't it? I know that I've seen several references to Shah Rukh's muslim heritage in a predominantly Hindu society, but never really understood how it could have such significance, because he is, after all, first and foremost Indian born and raised. I am grateful that the Muslim community has remained a part of the Bollywood scene, both in music and film, and we all benefit from it! Very informative post! Thanks so much!

Amit - agree that K.L. was the first superstar on ...

2008-01-26T18:56:00.000-06:00

Amit - agree that K.L. was the first superstar on screen and playback as well. But his work is not well known to many Bollywood fans although Dilip Kumar & Raj Kapoor are both still fondly remembered even today.
p.s. K.L. was the inspiration for my beloved Kishore Kumar to become a singer!

Sanket, agreed with your comment. But I'd like to ...

2008-01-14T02:01:00.000-06:00

Sanket, agreed with your comment. But I'd like to point out that KL Saigal was probably the first BW male superstar, followed by Dilip Kumar. :)
-Amit

This clown sadly represents the sentiments of a se...

2007-03-04T23:19:00.000-06:00

This clown sadly represents the sentiments of a segment of the Hindu population of India. Just like anywhere you go - you will find racism (in this case not so subtle). The state I am from, Gujarat, has the infamous distinction of having the first documented Hindu/Muslim riot in India. Anyway, these people who say Muslims have 'taken over' the movie industry obviously have forgotten their history. Muslims have always been very prominent in Bollywood in front of and behind the camera as well. The first true male superstar of Hindi cinema was none other than the legendary Dilip Kumar (born Yusuf Khan).

Don't want to bombard your blog with comments - bu...

2007-03-01T02:07:00.000-06:00

Don't want to bombard your blog with comments - but I thought about this post again yesterday when I stumbled upon a message board about that most popular of subjects - SRK. One of the posters there complained about how Muslims have 'taken over the movie industry' and griped about how the younger generation likes Aamir, Salman and SRK instead of their Hindu counterparts. He said something like 'they should be grateful they can work in a country of Hindus, instead they are enjoying stardom'. I was a bit taken aback - I hope this is very much a minority view and that most Indians are proud of the religious tolerance and national unity (for want of a better word) they have shown in making Indian Muslims mega-stars.

Wow... I've never even thought about the impact In...

2007-02-28T04:37:00.000-06:00

Wow... I've never even thought about the impact India's independence had on Bollywood and the people who work in it. Thinking about the impact of the choice of Muslims in the industry to stay or leave is mind-boggling in terms of the profound impact those choices had on their lives, the lives of others, and the entire industry, from that time until now. These are historical events all Bollywood fans should be aware of. Thanks for enlightening me.