DDLJ (1995) - 600 weeks strong

The Shah Rukh Khan/Kajol starrer Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (DDLJ) entered its 600th week of continuous showings at a theater in Bombay on April 13 – an all-time record. The magic of the evergreen romance keeps pulling audiences back to the Maratha Mandir cinema ever since its release on October 20,1995 - and shows no signs of slowing down. The movie delighted audiences, who fell in love with the SRK-Kajol pairing, the fresh story and hit music. It was also the first Indian movie that was received well overseas by NRI audiences. DDLJ was director Aditya Chopra’s first film and at 23 (even as the son of the legendary Yash Chopra) it was a tremendous & risky undertaking. Since then he has directed only one other movie, Mohabbatein, but has been successful as a producer for many others. DDLJ went on to become one of the largest grossers in Indian film history and did extremely well at that year’s Filmfare Awards. In 2001, DDLJ broke the exhibition record, established by the classic Sholay at Bombay's Minerva Theatre (5 years: 1975-1980).





Historically and personally this movie is important to me for many reasons. After the death of Kishore Kumar in 1987 I went into a Bollywood exile of sorts and this was one of the first films that I saw upon emerging from it. It was also the first major hit of SRK as well as Kajol. I was really impressed by the acting of SRK (not realizing he would duplicate that character for virtually every role to follow) as well as the freshness of Kajol (whose unibrow had not yet become a point of distraction for me). Note to Kajol - if you are keeping the unibrow to be 'natural' why even bother with any makeup at all? But DDLJ was also special because it showed that one could grow up in the West but still have an intact Indian value system - something that sounds trite now but was rare to see in Bollywood back then. DDLJ, for all intents and purposes, brought me back to Bollywood and although Kuch Kuch Hota Hain remains my favorite SRK/Kajol starrer - this one is still close to my heart for the aforementioned reasons. For a more in depth review of this movie please visit our friend Filmi Geek's website.





The songs for today also represent an important milestone in my opinion for a true legend in Bollywood, Lata Mangheskar, but not in the way you may think. For the last time I had heard her sing, before this movie, was in Khuda Gawah (1992) and I was saddened by the obvious decline in her voice only three years later. It was subtle mind you but for a true Lata fan it was nothing less than heartbreaking. 'Mehndi Laga Ke' sung by Udit Narayan & Lata is the centerpiece of the movie musically as well as emotionally. But my favorite song remains 'Ghar Aaja Pardesi' sung by Manpreet & Pamela Chopra as it made me miss India in ways that stay with me to this day. As they say - see it again for the first time... DDLJ.

Parzania (2005) - Gujarat Burning

Parzania is an unflinching account of the communal violence that erupted in Ahmedabad (my birth city) after the Godhra incident in 2002. It tells the true story of a Parsi family who lost their son on that fateful day when their livelihood was destroyed by right wing Hindu mobs in what can only be described as planned genocide. It shows how the government & police (later verified by multiple eyewitness reports & the International Human Rights Commission) stood by while their citizens were looted, raped and murdered. Nearly 1000 Gujarati Muslims lost their lives that day and 100,000 were rendered homeless. This movie was incredibly difficult for me to watch as I was brought up in a very secular household and the fact that the atrocities were being committed not by 'foreigners' but by Gujaratis to other Gujaratis. Parzania was directed by an LA based Indian filmmaker, Rahul Dholakia. After incredible resistance in finding distributors for this movie it was finally released worldwide and in India this January - everywhere except Gujarat. Sharmila Tagore (current Indian Film Board Censor Chief) has blasted the Gujarat authorities who have refused to provide extra security to the theater owners who want to show the film but are afraid of reprisals from Hindu fundamentalists.



The movie is mostly in English and while it is lacking at times technically, like the legendary director Satyajit Ray said, those flaws are "like spelling mistakes in a beautiful sonnet". The two main actors, Nasureedin Shah & Sarika, deliver extraordinary performances. This is expected from Shah but the performance delivered by Sarika (an 80's Bollywood glamor girl) is incredibly poignant and makes you numb with grief. Corin Nemec portrays an American journalist who has come to India to complete his thesis on Gandhi's teachings of non-violence. His character is quite jarring and comes off as an alcoholic boor who drops the 'F' bomb entirely too much in the beginning of the film. By the end though he is more restrained and does well as the narrator to the story that he was not yet ready to see. 50 years ago the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King, while flying from Delhi to Ahmedabad, told reporters "I came to India as a tourist. But I go to Ahmedabad as a pilgrim." These days many say that no one associates Gujarat with Gandhi. In fact, Gujarat and communal madness seem to now be sadly and permanently intertwined. Filmmaking is about telling a story, but every now and then the story is so strong that the telling isn't as important anymore - this is one of them. Parzania.



When I last went to India in 2005 I was determined to see my Gujarat as a tourist would and to that end bought the 2005 edition of 'Fodor's India'. Imagine my surprise when I got home and realized that out of every state listed in the book - Gujarat didn't even get a mention. I realize that Gujarat doesn't have the glitz and glamor of other Indian states but to not even include it just seemed downright rude! A friend of mine, Anjali Desai, has been living India for the past four years and has published one of the first guidebooks to Gujarat that I know of, check it out here. The song for today is a Gujarati folk song that called 'Ramo Ramo' by Meena Patel and it reminds me of some of my happiest trips to India to see my family. Despite the problems that face it, I truly believe a visit to Gujarat is still one of the safest and most tranquil journeys a tourist can make to Gandhi's ancestral home.

Tribute to Kalyanji Anandji

Bollywood of yesteryear was much easier to classify in regards to it's music than it is today. The male singers short list consisted of Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh & Kishore Kumar - if you needed a female voice you called Lata Mangheshkar or her sister/rival Asha Bhonsle. Similarly the music composers carried more weight than the film directors, as hit songs could all but guarantee a strong opening for the movie. Those composers are mostly gone now but far from forgotten and their names still invoke fond memories for many a Bollywood fan - S.D. Burman, his son R.D. Burman, Laxmikant Pyarelal, Shankar Jaikishen, Naushad, O.P. Nayyar and Kalyanji Anandji.

Kalyanji Shah & his brother Anandji Shah moved from Kutch (in Gujarat) to Bombay in the early 1950's to start a family business. A local businessman who owed their father money gave them their first musical lessons in lieu of paying his bill and the rest as they say is history. They worked with most of the musical greats of that era and were responsible for many memorable film scores (Don, Qurbani, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar & Lawaaris). It was a different time back then as evidenced by a story recalled by the surviving brother (Anandji) from the late 1970's...

"Lataji was a regular at our place for Kutchi home-cooked food, while Ashaji would frequently come over as well. Once we had a major concert lined up with Kishore Kumar in Mumbai but he suddenly took ill. Ashaji and R D Burmansaab called us up at that critical hour and without accepting any money, performed at our show all evening. Burmansaab even belted out our hits like 'Khaike Paan' from Don. Shortly after they had called, we also had got a call from Lataji offering to come sing at the same show."

R.D. Burman singing 'Khaike Paan'? Live in Bombay? Where's a time machine when you need one? Below is a picture of Lata Mangeshkar flanked by the two brothers Shah.



It was a different era back then but lest someone think that these legendary musicians are no longer relevant, one needs look no further than the resurgence that their music is enjoying today. Everyone from the hottest DJ's (who have the hipsters wearing these cool t-shirts) to the Black Eyed Peas (who credited Kalyanji/Anandji on their Grammy award winning album last year) are exposing their 1970's songs to a worldwide audience paying homage to the maestros' tracks that featured funk breakbeats, wah-wah guitars and Motown-style orchestrations. Kalyanji passed away five years ago but his brother is still doing concerts in front of packed crowds - if you live in the Atlanta area don't miss this once in a lifetime chance to see a true Bollywood legend. Click here for more info.



The two tracks from today are from one of their classic but lesser known films, Janbaaz starring Feroz Khan, Anil Kapoor & Dimple Kapadia. They both feature the telltale funk that Kalyanji Anandji are famous for without sacrificing the intricate layering of the music which gives the song it's evergreen status. The first song is 'Jaane Jaana' by Manhar & Sapna Mukherjee, the second is 'Tera Saath Hai' by Kishore Kumar & Sapna Mukherjee.

The Beauty Academy of Kabul (2004)

Although not officially Bollywood, I figured any movie that shows a poster of Madhuri Dixit within the first 5 minutes is good enough for me to be considered a desi flick. The Beauty Academy of Kabul is a movie that my wife picked up randomly at our local Blockbuster. I had little interest in seeing it due to the fact that the subject matter (beauty parlors & Afghanistan) was not high on my 'must see' topics for movies. But it turns out this movie is much more than that and was one of the more interesting and moving movies I have seen this year. I had no idea that Afghanistan was such a progressive country prior to the Soviet occupation in the mid 80's or that it's citizens had so many cultural freedoms. And whatever your position on war, after seeing this movie I for one agree that Afghanistan (and humanity as a whole) is better off without the Taliban. In addition to putting crippling restrictions on what women could do in society they also banned all forms of movies, music and song. Learning about this amazing group of women who stood firm, literally risking their lives at times to bring beauty to their small corner of the world, is truly inspiring. For those fluent in Hindi/Urdu, you will be able to catch many words & phrases that are familiar to you - not enough to not need the subtitles but enough to appreciate the Pashto language. And just for fun, keep a running count of all the Bollywood actress posters in the movie - I got up to fifteen :)



To keep with the Middle Eastern theme of the post, today's song selection is Baaran by the band, The Third Planet, a multicultural band representing Italy, Algeria, Iraq and India. Their music seamlessly combines each of their heritages and adds a few more traditions besides. Lying behind their sound is the philosophy that disparate peoples have always, thoughout history, influenced each other's musical styles. The songs on this particular album (Kurdistani) are all upbeat with rhythms that are hard to resist. None of the songs are sung in English, so it's rather difficult to say what they might be singing about, but when you're dancing around your own living room, who really cares?



Finally, just wanted to give out a plug to a good friend - Sunkrish Bala. He is an actor (whom you may know from Greys Anatomy & My Name is Earl) whose new show Notes from the Underbelly debuts this Thursday (4/12) on ABC at 10 pm EST. According to him "the show chronicles the misadventures of young, hip thirtysomethings as they embark on life's greatest adventure (parenthood, not bungee jumping). I play a young father-to-be named Eric and it is very rare that actors of color are given the opportunity to play parts in which their ethnicity does not come into play. I can tell you that a good 50 percent of the auditions and parts afforded to me in the film and television industry require me to be rather conspicuously... well... ethnic. This new show has not once deferred to that lowest common denominator, I am just another proud dad-to-be and HILARITY ensues :) If you like what you see then write a letter to ABC letting them know how much you appreciate an actor-of-color playing an ethnically-ambiguous part on television, because yes, TV execs do read them." Check out more about Sunkrish & the show here

Rajasthan on my mind

Don't know if it was the last post I did (on the movie Dor), the amazing dance troupe of Gulabi Sapera (aka the Gypsy Queen of Rajasthan) that we saw live in New York over the weekend or the New York Times travel article that offered guidance on how to see India in under two weeks with the advice to 'skip Rajasthan'. Or maybe it was a combination of all of these things and I just needed an excuse to share some great music that found it's way to me...

Yes, Rajasthan is one of India's most popular tourist destinations (for Indians & non-Indians alike) but suggesting one should skip it because it has become too touristy is just plain silly. It reminded me of when U2's 'Joshua Tree' came out and propelled them to the legendary status that they enjoy now. A friend of mine told me that he was no longer a U2 fan because they had sold out and were now popular. Pardon? Things become popular with people because they are good and are worth visiting (or listening to, etc.) and shouldn't be shunned just because you are now not the only one to appreciate them.



The pictures you see are from our visit to the city of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. This city is literally in the middle of nowhere and takes eight hours via train to reach from the closest rail link - air travel is not an option due to security concerns over it's proximity with the Pakistan border. But if you go there you will be amply rewarded as it is akin to stepping back in time, 'Lord of the Rings' style. One quarter of the population lives in a 13th century fort (the city's centerpiece) that is now home to several inns as well which fill up rather quickly I might add. The picture below is the view from our room in the fort itself. If you do go to India take the time to visit this city, it is something you will not soon forget.



The two songs from today are inspired by Rajasthan - one is from a Bollywood movie (Bhawander) and one is a classical piece. Abto Jagna and Rajasthani Instrumental are both rich in their melodies and make me miss the mythical 'Land of the Kings' that much more.

Dor - My favorite movie of 2006

Dor (Strings) literally fell into my lap with absolutely no advance notice. My mom sent me this movie before she left for a visit to India. I asked her what it was about and she said to trust her and to just watch it. It sat around for several weeks and since I hadn't heard too much about it, I wasn't in any particular rush to see it. We put it on one night with the idea of watching just part of it and viewing the rest later - 2 hours later we were still watching but not yet ready to part ways with the three characters we had grown to care so much about. Our friend Beth agrees, see her take on the movie here.



The story is a simple one yet grows to be quite complex - two women from very different backgrounds meet through a twist of fate and are faced with the question - just how far are you willing to go to save the one you love? The film's mood can be quite intense at times but under the steady hand of director Nagesh Kukunoor it is also tender, humorous and at times full of pure and unbridled joy. The female leads are played by model turned actress, Ayesha Takia and former Miss India, Gul Panag. The male lead is played by Shreyas Talpade who was also in the director's last movie, the award-winning 'Iqbal'. His relationship with Gul's character is truly one of the sweetest and most tender I have ever witnessed on the silver screen - that it was a non romantic one makes it that much more touching.



It is so refreshing when a movie challenges the viewer with more than the standard 'boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl in the end' plot line. Dor is one of those rare 'perfect' movies in which each actor is brilliant in their role, there is not a single line of extraneous dialogue, where the background photography makes one feel as if they were actually there and every scene moves the story along as if one is turning the pages of a book. Watch this movie, encourage your friends (whether they love Bollywood or have yet to see an Indian movie) to watch it and hope that we are lucky enough to have more movies like this made. The song Yeh Honsla is the standout selection and compliments the movie rather than be the extraneous add on for the actors/actresses to model different outfits while dancing in the rain. Not that there is anything wrong with that but sometimes you just don't need all of that - sometimes less is more.

"Dor is my most challenging and dramatic film to date - the pristine locales, the spectacular cinematography and the soaring music all add up to make it a larger than life film. However, at its core, as in all of my films are the human element, the simplicity of the basic emotions that bind us all."
~ Nagesh Kukunoor.

Farewell to O.P. Nayyar :::

The name Omkar Prasad Nayyar doesn't mean much to today's Bollywood fans but his passing on January 28th marks the end of an era for Hindi cinema's golden age. Born in Lahore in 1927, he was almost as famous for what he did not do in Bollywood as he was for his unforgettable melodies. What he did not do was to record a song with the legendary Lata Mangeshkar - ever. He felt her voice did not suit his compositions and instead made a star out of Asha Bhonsle (Lata's younger sister) who was a virtual unknown before becoming his favorite chanteuse. O.P. Nayyar stopped composing songs for the most part in the late 1970's but he remains an indelible part of Bollywood's musical history.

The two selections for today are from Bollywood's golden era and while the songs may have been released over thirty years ago there is a reason why they are remembered as 'evergreen'. The timeless vocals and melodies remain as fresh and vibrant today as they did when my parents heard them via shortwave signals on All India Radio every evening. Like I have said before - if you haven't heard a song before - it's new for you.

The song for today is Uden Jab Jab, a duet by Mohammed Rafi & Asha Bhonsle from 'Naya Daur' starring Dilip Kumar & Vaijantimala. This album won the Filmfare Award for the best soundtrack of the year (1958) and remains one of the sweetest duets that ever graced the silver screen - see it here.

Do Aur Do Paanch (1980)

Today's review is another joint venture with our friend Beth over at Beth Loves Bollywood. 'Do Aur Do Paanch' is a favorite of mine from 1980 and pure Bollywood comedic gold. The plot is convoluted to say the least and the movie is a typical masala one. In food masala generally refers to a hodge-podge of elements mixed together to add spice to the final product and in movies masala refers to a film with comedy, action and drama - something for everyone.

What I remember on my first (of many) viewings of this movie is that it marked the first time I had heard cursing in Hindi - music to my adolescent ears since it was mostly being done by my hero, Amitabh Bachchan. The competition between the two main actors (AB & Shashi Kapoor) and the way they set each other up for humiliation was a fresh break from the melodramas that were so prevalent during that time. My favorite part remains the food scene (you will know it when you see it) where Amitabh breaks the third wall between him and the audience - just a wink to let you know that he gets it and to not take all this so seriously. As an aside, I met the Kader Khan (who plays the mob boss) at Bombay's Sahar Airport a few years ago and asked him for an autograph. I didn't have any paper on me so I asked him to sign a 1 rupee note that I had - he declined politely saying that it was against his religion to write on money. The things you learn because of Bollywood... For some more thoughts & pictures on this movie check out this post from our friend Maja.

The most famous song from the movie also happens to be my favorite, Tu Ne Abhi Dekha sung by Kishore Kumar (the voice of Amitabh for most of his career). My mama (uncle) who is generally a big critic of Bollywood and decries most of what comes out of there musically as 'crap' told me this song was extremely difficult to sing as it is made up of so many different melodies. Go see it at Jaman which is a new South Asian portal for world cinema. The setup for the song involves AB sabotaging Shashi's attempt to impress everyone with his singing and then singing the song himself. Starring as AB's love interest is my favorite heroine of the time (as well as crush) - Parveen Babi (whose sad life story was recently picturised in another Hindi film but that's for another post).

Water (2005) - for your consideration

"A widow should be long-suffering until death, self-restrained and chaste"
So begins Water, with a quote from 2000 year old sacred Hindu texts - 'The Laws of Manu'...





Although officially submitted by Canada, 'Water' becomes only the fifth Indian movie to be nominated for an Academy Award. The first winner of that group (in the Best Documentary category) was 'Born Into Brothels' last year and I hope 'Water' will continue that tradition. It combines a controversial story, tremendous acting performances and beautifully shot scenes making it one of my two favorite Indian movies of the year (my favorite one will be reviewed in the next few weeks). 'Water' is one of those rare movies that captures you from the first scene and doesn't let you go until the final one. Each line of dialogue is perfectly written and every actor delivers a stunning performance. The simplicity of the sets adds to the grace and power of the film's message.

The shooting of 'Water' was interrupted by Hindu fanatics for 5 years as they objected to the subject matter of how widows are treated in Indian society. A crowd of 2000 rioters burned down the sets in Benares and issued death threats against all those involved in the making of the movie. The production eventually was moved to Sri Lanka where filming resumed under a fake movie title and the film was finally finished 5 years after it was begun. The three female leads all provide memorable performances but none more than Sarala, the eight year old child who plays Chuihya. Sarala had never acted before making this movie nor did she speak a word of Hindi - astonishing considering how naturally she disappears into her role.

My favorite song from the movie is the haunting Piya with music composed by A.R. Rahman (who has said this is the most artistically complete album he has ever created). So tune in on Sunday night to see if the most successful Indian movie to be released in the US (and still unreleased in India) can become the second one to take home the Oscar gold.

10 years on...

Sometimes art imitates life and sometimes life imitates, well, Bollywood. Allow me a moment of self-indulgence to celebrate my 10th wedding anniversary. Now I could wax poetic about how much we care about each other (we do) or how we couldn't imagine our lives with anyone else (we couldn't). But since this is a blog about Bollywood and the music inspired by it we will keep the lessons we have learned over the past ten years limited to how Bollywood has taught us to go about finding one's true 'yaar' (best friend/lover)...



-A true love will wait for you (even if she doesn't say it out loud) while you are imprisoned in a foreign jail somewhere for 20 some odd years - Veer Zaara.


-A true love will dance on broken glass in the stifling heat surrounded by really bad bandits to save your life - Sholay.


-A true love should live every day like it's their last because it really could be - Mohabattein


-A true love will spurn the advances of a very pretty British memsaheb for his spunky small town village girl with a heart of gold - Lagaan.



-A true love should be your best friend. The one that knows all about you but loves you anyway. Just don't let her get away as you go after the new hot babe at school who can recite religious poems and wear the latest fashions with equal conviction - Kuch Kuch Hota Hain. (Or you are going to have to wait for some REALLY tragic circumstances to get your true love back.)




The two songs presented today are from our wedding day and still resonate with very special meaning for us. The first song is Yeh Dil Aur by Lata from the movie 'Prem Parbat' - it is the song that was playing while the flower girls filed into the wedding hall. The second song is Aankhon Mein Humne by (who else?) Kishore Kumar & Lata from the movie 'Thodisi Bewafaii'. It was our first song that we danced to at our reception - the lyrics & music are pure poetry.

Guru (2007)

As hype goes, 'Guru' certainly had it's share of it and for good reason. It was made by one of the most preeminent directors of our day (Mani Ratnam), with music by one of the industry's finest composers (A.R. Rahman), lyrics penned by a legendary poet (Gulzar) and of course headlined by the hottest movie star couple of the day on & off-screen (Abhishek Bachchan & Aishwarya Rai) - the result? A potentially great movie that ultimately collapsed under the weight of it's own ambition. The movie is loosely based on the life of Dhirubhai Ambani and tells the story of how an ordinary man became one of the richest and most powerful men in India. The performance of AB was very good as he completely disappeared into the role (looking eerily like Hollywood actor Alfred Molina). However the finest acting job was by none other than the 'Disco Dancer' star himself, Mithun Chakraborty. His role in the film was unlike any he had undertaken before and served as a validation of his long and storied career in Bollywood. But while the plot was intriguing, the story did not flow, and in the end, the audience was left with more questions than answers.



In the final analysis I would recommend this movie not because it was a great film but because it touched me in a very personal way. It allowed me to experience the India of my parent's youth and my imagination. The uncrowded and unpolluted streets, the fields being tilled by hand, the smattering of my native Gujarati being spoken every so often and the simple way of life uncluttered by the litany of modern conveniences. The train station scene in which Guru is being seen off by his family was particularly affecting for me as it took me back to what it must have been for my father when he came to America. The picture above is of that actual day in 1971 when he did and that is me he is holding. My mother is to his left and surrounding him are various friends that we keep in touch with till this day. The look in his eyes says it all (much as Guru's did in the film) - that dreams are not worth having unless you are willing to go out and live them.

The music selections are Barso Re that depicted the India of that era so very nostalgically and gave Aishwarya her signature song for the movie. The other song is Tere Bina and is used throughout the movie at various points. It's background vocals are sung by none other than A.R. Rahman himself and it is easily the best song on the entire soundtrack.

Shaan (1980)

Today's songs are being accompanied by a review of the movie from our good friend Beth over at Beth Loves Bollywood. Even though the movie being reviewed is from 1980 - like all great art, the first time you experience it - it is new for you.


It was inevitable of course that five years after the mega-success of 'Sholay' (Bollywood's tribute to the spaghetti western) the powers that be would get together and attempt to do the same tribute for 007. The result was 'Shaan' which took over 3 years to make, brought back many of the same people that made 'Sholay' and was one of the costliest films of it's time (barely making back it's original budget). The movie itself is just one breathless sequence of events that combines romance, buddy flicks, great songs, implausible plotlines and of course the thing that no Bond picture would be complete without - a signature villain. Seeing Kulbushan Karbhanda now cannot be done without picturing Mike Myers' famous Dr. Evil from 'Austin Powers'. But in his debut film, Karbhanda handled the role perfectly and proved to be more than just a caricature in his alligator infested lair. Amitabh is his usual uber cool hero - fans of AB 2.0 should watch this film to see what made his dad such a star. This film also stars Shashi Kapoor (brother of Raj & Shammi) and my favorite heroine from the 80's, the angelic Parveen Babi.

Try to make this movie today and you can just imagine the pitch... "Ummm - I need the biggest actor of the day, an unlimited budget, great songs, melodrama, side-splitting comedy, action sequences never attempted before in Indian cinema - and oh, did I mention the lead actor will have to wrestle an alligator in the final sequence?". Yes, this movie (like all great Bollywood masala films) is like many movies rolled into one - but with all cylinders firing. The end result is inspired madness that will keep you entertained until the final reel. At times the editing and plot development will challenge your logic but the film has so much energy and enthusiasm you just won't care.

R.D. Burman provided the music for this movie and is universally regarded as one of the true legends of Indian cinema inheriting his talent from another legend - his father S.D. Burman. The song for today is Janu Meri Jaan. The song unfolds in a scene in which our 2 heroes have to get our 2 heroines back after being caught in a lie. The setting? Try a double decker bus then a two seater bicycle followed immediately by a machine gun shootout, view it here.

Thoughts on 'Umrao Jaan' and 'Don'

I was very apprehensive about seeing both of these movies having such strong affection to their respective originals. There are two prevailing schools of thought on remaking classics - one says to leave well enough alone & one says that it will help the original gain a whole new audience. I used to be in the latter group until I realized that most Desis in college today had never seen the original to either of the remakes being discussed today.

Watching 'Umrao Jaan' was like seeing a painting come to life. The cinematography and colors captured India circa 1850 like few other movies before. Aishwarya Rai (looking ethereal) proved to be a formidable Amiran and despite mixed critical reviews of the film, her acting was universally praised. Abhishek Bachchan holds his own against his future bride to be as the Nawab (prince) and gives one of his strongest performances to date. The costumes & dialogue were said to be painstakingly done to recreate Lucknow of that era. Especially lauded was Ash's command of the Urdu language - not bad for a girl from the South who grew up speaking Tamil! The song from the movie is 'Salaam' - see it here. Official movie website here

'Don' on the other hand was something that didn't need to be remade. It's not that the movie was that bad (it wasn't) or that SRK didn't do an adequate job of playing Don (he did). It's that Amitabh so made this role his that no one could do it better and if anyone tried he would just be compared to AB - an unfair thing to say the least. The remake was quite faithful - not only copying the story, but also some of the most famous dialogues and in the ultimate homage, remaking two of the original songs. But while watching it I found myself remembering the way AB said the line or acted the scene - and wishing I was watching the original instead. The movie had some substance - but unlike the remake of 'Umrao Jaan' - it had no heart. The song from the movie is Maurya Re - see it here. Official movie website here.

Kabhie Kabhie (1976) - Part II

The second set of songs from this movie are sung by Kishore Kumar & Lata and given life to on the screen by Rishi Kapoor & Neetu Singh. These songs are much more energetic than the songs from Part I and match the mood of the second half of the film as well. The first half told the story of unrequited love from the viewpoints of the parents and in the second half that shattered love is left for their children to mend and heal. The two stars mentioned above fell in love (onscreen and in real life) during the shooting of the movie and got married soon after it's release.

Both of these songs, Tere Chehere Se & Tera Phoolon Jaisa Rang, helped the lyricist and the musical director win Filmfare Awards (India's equivalent of the Oscars) for 'Kabhie Kabhie'. See the songs here & here. Interestingly, both of these songs were shot in Kashmir during different seasons showing the beauty of this land in more than one mood. Watching these videos, one can almost feel the two stars falling in love - little wonder that they were one of the most popular screen duos of their day.

Kabhie Kabhie (1976) - Part I

Few movies have such universal appeal across generations as the 1976 classic, 'Kabhie Kabhie'. The songs for the movie log in at #13 according to the BBC's 'Top 40 Bollywood Soundtracks of all time'. Parents & their kids alike know the songs and the songs resonate with even those Desis that have not been bitten by the Bollywood bug. In short, a movie like 'Kabhie Kabhie' comes along only so often in Hindi cinema and it's not only due to all six of it's stars turning in career-defining roles. It's also due to the fact that there are few movies that boast of such a rich haul of timeless lyrics, lilting music, poetic dialogue and a theme that explores the many aspects of romance - both young and young at heart.

To date, Yash Chopra maintains that 'Kabhie Kabhie' was an art film in commercial garb. It combined many big stars of the day with roles that audiences were not used to seeing them in and of course - it had those timeless songs. Yash Chopra's financer and friend Gulshan Rai even told told him after watching the film that he felt he had wasted his money and that the film had little chance of success. But Yash did not waver in his support & 'Kabhie Kabhie' went on to become the biggest hit of the year.

'Kabhie Kabhie' ranks among my 10 "desert island soundtracks" meaning there are entirely too many great songs to just select 1 or 2 favorites. Thus there will be two songs for today and two more next week (all presented in chronological order of how they appear in the movie). The 1st song is Main Pal Do Pal by Mukesh and is preceded by the now famous introduction to the movie by Amitabh Bachchan (see the song here). The 2nd song is arguably the most famous love song in all of Indian cinema, the title song of Kabhie Kabhie itself - just perfect in it's lyrics, music and vocals. The video shows however that the lyrics belie what is really happening on screen.

Devika Rani - Bollywood's First Lady

This year marks the 70th anniversary of one of the landmarks of Indian cimema, 'Achut Kanya' (The Untouchable Girl). The star of the movie was Devika Rani, co-founder of Bombay Talkies and an icon of Indian cinema herself. She was the grand niece of the legendary poet & Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore who was knighted but resigned his commission out of protest to British rule in India. Devika herself was no stranger to awards being the first ever recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award - annually given for lifetime achievement to Indian cinema and the Padma Shri Award for her contribution to the arts.

Devika Rani went to England in the 1920's to study architecture and also ended up studying drama & music at the Royal Academy of Drama. It was there that she met her husband (Himanshu Rai) who was an Indian actor and film producer. Together they collaborated on one of the first Indian talkies 'Karma' in 1933. While on their honeymoon in Germany they became well acquainted with many German filmmakers and technicians who came to Bombay to usher in Bollywood as we know it. One of those, director Franz Osten, was responsible for her most memorable role in 'Achut Kanya'. Starring opposite her was Ashok Kumar (older brother of Kishore) who incidentally was cast after the original hero eloped with Devika. However, she did return to finish the film.

The earliest (and still one of the few) films to deal with the Dalits/Untouchables, it was the fledgling Bombay Talkies first bonafide hit. This film about a Brahmin boy and an Untouchable girl who fall in love generated quite a bit of controversy during the same time that Mahatma Gandhi was crusading for the rights of the Dalits in Indian society. Gandhi gave many lectures regarding this issue and fasted for the Dalit's rights to enter temples, an act that resulted in many death threats against him. Gandhi declared that there is no such thing as an untouchable in the holy writings as the very idea conflicted with humanity and therefore could not be the divine truth. Despite many attempts to reform this issue it still persists in modern India to this day. See one innovative idea to help with improving the Dalit's lives here

The songs for today are not from the movie itself but rather are inspired by it. The first one is Phoolon Ke Rang sung by Kishore Kumar from the movie 'Prem Pujari'. Devika often teased her friend and co-star Ashok about how much a better singer his younger brother Kishore was and often listened to his songs on her movie sets. The second song is from another recipient of the Padma Shri Award, Diwaliben Bhil. She originally hails from Junagadh, Gujarat and is a member of the Koli tribe. Diwaliben also happens to be a member of the lower castes but this did not stop her from achieving international fame & success. The song is a traditional Krishna Bhajan but it is made very special by her rendition of it.

Travelers from Rajasthan - 'Musafir'

The meaning of 'Musafir' is traveller or voyager and if you allow them - this band from the Indian state of Rajasthan will take you on one amazing music trip. The musicians of Rajasthan are considered the fabled original gypsies (since proven true by linguistic & DNA evidence) and consist of 11 singers, dancers and instrumentalists who have the rare ability to function as one. Rajasthan's musician castes are predominantly Muslim, dating back over 500 years to when the Moguls first invaded India. The kings (or maharajas) tended to hire the best local musicians and many of them converted to Islam in order to work in the court. They adopted the name Khan and passed their new faith onto their descendents.

The typical Rajasthani band reflects only a single ethnicity yet Musafir is a secular mix of Hindu, Muslim, Gypsy and Sufism. Their songs build slowly with the harmonium or sarangi giving the tune as the singer incants the scale. The percussion then begins and more singers begin the melody with other instruments blending in. The song itself may pass through as many as thirty changes in mood and tempo before climaxing with all musicians joining in at the end. Whatever the song, tempo or improvisation - the eleven group members manage to communicate internally producing the effect of a singularly mesmerizing entity. See an article on the band here

Moria Badnawa is an instrumental that interprets a famous folk song about a peacock from the village of Badnawa. The song follows the peacock through it's day - first singing as the sun rises, opening his tail as the sun continues it's trek across the sky until it finally attracts a female peacock as dusk arrives. Listen as the song begins with just 1 instrument and reaches it's crescendo as each subsequent one is added in perfect harmony with the other. The song Halleriya means lullaby and is sung at the celebrtion for a new birth. It represents not just the mother and father's happiness but the whole village celebrating the arrival as well.

For more pictures of Rajasthan - click on the link 'Nilong's Rajasthan Collage' from our trip there in 2005.

Born Into Brothels (2004) - India's Oscar Triumph

Officially speaking, India has had three movies that have been selected by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars) but none has ever taken home the golden statue. That drought ended last year - not with a big Bollywood production or even an art film but with a small documentary - 'Born Into Brothels'. In 1995 New York photojournalist Zana Briski went to India to document the harsh conditions for women in a developing country. She was interested in female infanticide, child marriage, dowry deaths and widowhood. A friend took her to Sonagachi, a red light district in Calcutta and "from the moment I stepped foot inside that maze of alleyways, I knew that this was the reason I had come to India." Briski developed close relationships with the women and then with their children.

Briski noticed the children were fascinated with her and her photography and got the idea to teach them to document their lives with their own photos. She chose children who were eager to learn and gave each a point and shoot camera to use. Even though Briski had never used a video camera before, she decided to film the process. What happens when the line between merely documenting tragedy and doing something about it become blurred?

The answer lies in this poignant story of how these children are taught to visually record their lives in the squalid margins of society. We witness the frustrations, victories and disappointments that ensue in a world where criminals' children are stigmatized and not accepted into private schools. These students come from several generations of sex workers and drug dealers where the girls constantly face the imminent specter of 'joining the line' to earn money for the family. The children have witnessed and experienced things that most of us never even have to think about. They are treated as little adults who have to cook and clean from early morning until late at night while neighbors hurl profanities in their direction throughout the day. Just when the movie starts getting too heavy the children get an unexpected advocate to help change their lives - themselves. Don't miss the special featurette on the DVD that shows their lives 3 years later which is as moving as the film itself.

The 2 songs for today are from the soundtrack of the film. The 1st one is a simple yet elegant classical composition consisting of only two instruments - the Tabla & Flute. The 2nd song is Gopala by Krishna Das, a musician originally hailing from New York. Das is an accomplished singer in the Kirtan style of chanting (invoking the name of god multiple times). Used by many religions throughout India, Kirtan is one of the oldest forms of meditiation whose origins trace back over 500 years. While it is somewhat strange to hear ancient Hindu chants sung by a self-described 'ordinary white guy lucky enough to have found India',the resulting music will surprise you. To learn more about Krishna Das go here, to learn more about Kirtan go here.

Umrao Jaan (1981)

The sequel to the timeless saga 'Umrao Jaan' opens tomorrow and a whole new generation will see the often duplicated story of the courtesan with a heart of gold. Rekha's portrayal of this doomed heroine earned her the National Award for best actress back in 1981 and is considered her finest performance. Whether Aishwarya captures that same magic with Abhishek Bachchan remains to be seen. This is the 2nd of 3 big remakes of 2006 (aka the year my Bollywood memories were pillaged) that began with 'Don' and with 'Sholay' left to go. Call me old-fashioned but some things are timeless and need to remain untouched - tomorrow will tell if perfection can indeed be improved upon.

In Ankhon Ka Masti & Dil Cheez Kya Hai are the 2 evergreen classics from the movie and are both sung by Asha Bhonsle (Lata's younger sister). The lyrics, music & style of both songs made them #1 hits then and both remain classics to this day. See Rekha recreate life in 19th century India here and here.