Comments on Doc Bollywood: Chori Chori (1956)

Check him out in 'Shree 420' - it's one of my favo...

2008-05-27T15:58:00.000-05:00

Check him out in 'Shree 420' - it's one of my favorite soundtracks and from what I remember I enjoyed his performance in the movie as well.

As far as his & Nargis' on-screen chemistry goes I completely agree that it is always fascinating. Like Mae West said about sex, Seinfeld said about pizza, I can say the same thing about RK/Nargis movie scenes - even when it's bad it's still pretty damn good ;)

Hmm. I go hot and cold on Raj Kapoor, and right no...

2008-05-18T14:44:00.000-05:00

Hmm. I go hot and cold on Raj Kapoor, and right now I seem to be in a hot "YES RAJ!" phase. The problem seems to be that, when unrestrained, Raj could be terribly annoying but, if he held his powers in check, he could be very, very good - I'd argue better even than Naseer (who I consider the Best Indian Actor) because he was a very humanistic, evocative performer. At least, that's how I felt for him in Awaara and Teesri Kasam - two examples of him in "good" moments. (Whereas he was intolerable in Aag and Sangam, aaarghhh.)

Anyway, even in his "bad" moments, watching him and Nargis is fascinating - the chemistry is amazing! Will therefore definitely check this movie out - thanks for the tip, Sanket!

Sanket, thank you for the kind words, and I am v...

2008-05-16T22:00:00.000-05:00

Sanket, thank *you* for the kind words, and I am very glad you'll be frequenting my blog.

Bollyviewer - you can definitely join in, there's ...

2008-05-14T20:50:00.000-05:00

Bollyviewer - you can definitely join in, there's always room for more at the table ;) I love all the songs from his movies but I feel he was at his best when he wasn't trying to be so darn earnest. I also was rethinking my comparison to SRK and although their acting styles were similiar - RK was just on another level. He revolutionized cinema in India at the time and was a producer as well as a director. SRK may be the most powerful person in Bollywood right now but just follows in a long line of superstars (Dilip Kumar, Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh, etc.).

Richard - thanks for stopping by and for the kind words. Your posts are very thought provoking and RK's early movies were made to entertain as well as for social commentary. I have added you onto my blogroll and will be visiting often. Stella has done an amazing service for lovers of classic Bollywood music and deserves much praise for her efforts. Cheers!

I haven't seen this movie yet, nor have I reached ...

2008-05-13T00:18:00.000-05:00

I haven't seen this movie yet, nor have I reached any definite decision about Raj Kapoor, but I was so taken with Shree 420 when I saw it a couple of weeks ago, that I almost couldn't stop blogging about it:

http://roughinhere.wordpress.com/2008/05/01/the-social-relevance-of-shree-420-to-the-present-day-usa/

http://roughinhere.wordpress.com/2008/04/30/a-great-movie-for-unemployed-people-with-bachelors-degrees/

http://roughinhere.wordpress.com/2008/05/01/another-word-about-shankar-jaikishan-and-the-place-to-find-their-soundtracks/

Though that last one above actually was just my own recommendation for Parties, Sarees and Melodies.

Hopefully, our combined efforts will help to bring Stella_1 a good amount of traffic, because she deserves it for that great resource.

I also appreciate this blog and will probably be visiting it quite a bit in the future...

Can I join the I-dont-like-RK club too? :-)I have ...

2008-05-12T00:08:00.000-05:00

Can I join the I-dont-like-RK club too? :-)

I have always loved the songs from Chori Chori (every song is a 50's gem) and love the story of It Happened One Night, but couldnt bring myself to watch it because of RK. Its the only It Happened One Night remake that I have never seen! Considering that RK could look pretty similar to Clark Gable (moustache and prominent ears), it should be an interesting watch.

Your comment inspires me to blaspheme myself ;) I ...

2008-05-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

Your comment inspires me to blaspheme myself ;) I never really quite warmed up to RK either and see him as the Shah Rukh Khan of that generation. An actor whose popularity was unmatched, whose movies were hits & high quality but as an actor kept doing similar roles over & over.

I understand that RK was a filmmaker instead of just an actor and therefore cannot be compared to Shah Rukh Khan. But many people feel that Khan is a great actor with a wide range in regards to his acting skills.

Nevertheless both of them have some can't miss movies that must be seen if you are a Bollywood fan and 'Chori Chori' in my opinion is definitely on that list. Would love to see what you think about it as wel...

Its a brilliant film with lovely songs, and Nargis...

2008-05-09T17:56:00.000-05:00

Its a brilliant film with lovely songs, and Nargis was amazing, but (I am about to belaspheme): I have never been able to warm up to Raj Kapoor- he just cant stand him in movies- yet. As a result I havent seen this yet, but I will try to bring myself to do it :D