Guide (1965) & 'K For Kishore'

So I really tried to get away from yet another post about a Kishore Kumar song but alas, it was not meant to be. It was a sign from above, literally, as we were watching Sony TV via satellite over the holidays. First we saw the Filmfare Awards from last year with SRK performing host duties all complete with the obligatory shot of Big B followed by a shot of Rekha immediately after. In between there was trivia aplenty about the Filmfare Awards themselves (the Bollywood equivalent of the Oscars). One of those tidbits was regarding the movie 'Guide' starring Dev Anand & Waheeda Rehman which swept the awards of Best Movie, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress & Best Screenplay.

This now legendary movie was shot simultaneously in both Hindi & English and was ahead of it's time in both story & technical aspects. Waheeda Rehman's advisers told her it would be 'career suicide' to play the controversial role for which she ultimately won both critical and commercial acclaim. It is deep & moving film - see it without the benefit knowing too much about the story and your time will be well rewarded. S.D. Burman provided the soundtrack for the film which is often considered the 3rd star of the movie but didn't win any awards for his efforts. The most famous song from the movie is just as fresh and amazing as the day it was released but again went home empty handed at the Filmfares. Which brings me to the other reason I wrote about Kishore today...



Immediately after the awards show we watched a new singing competition whose premiere was the biggest debut on Sony TV for an original series. It is called 'K for Kishore' and pits 20 contestants culled from throughout India in an effort to find that one singer that not only sounds like Kishore but emulates his spirit as well. The judges include Amit Kumar (Kishore's 1st son), Bappi Lahiri & the singer Sudesh Bhonsle. It was then that I realized that I was not alone in missing Kishoreda - that everyone from the 20 year old contestant who was born after Kishore's death to the 60 year old grandfather who learned to sing every Kishoreda song ever recorded and has his picture in his mandir - missed him as well and that he is still relevant now despite all the years since his passing. The song for today is 'Gaate Rahe' (a duet by Kishore & Lata) whose sweet melody, amazing picturisation, poetic lyrics and the strength of Kishore' voice as he holds those first few notes seemingly forever makes this one of my all time favorites and the perfect song to open the new year. Happy 2008 and thanks to everyone for all of your support and good wishes!

Kishore Kumar - My all time favorite

The below duet from 'Abhimaan' is sung by Lata & from my favorite artist in Indian cinema - Kishore Kumar. For those of you that know me, you may have been wondering when I would send out songs by him - no reason for not doing so, just never the right time. Kishore was a true artistic genius - a producer, director, musical composer and actor. Of course he will always be remembered most for his golden voice (the voice of Amitabh in his heyday). He passed away in 1987 and his death made me to just stop watching Hindi movies for a few years as I had no desire to watch a movie without his singing in it. I started again with 'Aashiqui' a few years later only because the songs on the soundtrack were actually written for Kishore and sung by the 'voice of Kishore', Kumar Sanu.

Kishore remains my favorite singer to this day - read more about him here

'Abhimaan' & not so 'Sweet 16'

Watched 'Sweet 16' on MTV last night and it necessitated a mid-week post out of sheer anger. What happens when you combine a bratty 15 year old teen aged girl, her older (and possibly borderline intellectually functioning) sister, an unlimited amount of discretionary income & 2 parents that have obviously disregarded every rule for raising kids that their parents taught them in the homeland? Well you get the sheer embarrassment to all persons of South Asian origin that was aired last night to a national (and international) television audience.

If you didn't see the freak show of a birthday party (and in true Desi fashion - a combo graduation party for the older sister) then consider yourself lucky. This dad (who has already given a private jet, a Bentley & Mercedes to his daughters plus a limo until they get their licenses) provided an unlimited budget, a helicopter HIRED JUST TO DROP FLOWERS, an elephant, police security detail and dolis to carry his daughters in like it was their freaking wedding. I don't blame the kids though, they were just doing what they were allowed to do - congraulations mom & dad - you have just ruined any semblance of a normal life these 2 girls could have ever had.

Which brings us to the music selections for today {Tere Mere Milan & Tere Bindiya Re} duets sung by Kishore Kumar/Lata and M.Rafi/Lata respectively. They are from the 1973 classic 'Abhimaan' - starring Amitabh & Jaya Bachchan (in their last film before getting married). This is what I refer to as a perfect movie - great acting, tight directing (the movie clocks in at 2 hours and 10 minutes with songs), and a very different story. All 7 of the songs on this album are bona-fide classics. For those of you that know Jaya from her 'mother' roles in recent films - you will be impressed by her ability to hold her own against her very formidable husband to be. She was a great actress in her day, capable of doing just about any role with conviction and quiet dignity.

Yes these songs are 'old' but my thinking is that if you have never heard them before, then they are new to you.

By the way, this movie was shot on a shoestring budget, which goes to prove that you don't need money to have class.