Bollywood in trouble?

By

Sharada Iyer

Is Bollywood losing its charm and hold over the audience? This is the big question on the viewer’s mind going by the dismal performance of most of the releases so far this year. Being an avid fan of Hindi cinema, the thrill of watching a film in the cinema hall especially the first show on the first day has always been exciting, but from January to June 2023, the releases have not only been far from exciting, but only a handful are worth even writing about.

Barring Pathan, none have really hit the bull’s eye in terms of box-office collection! The few other films which made a little noise in the cinema halls were Tu Jhoothi Mai Makkar– a romcom with fantastic music but a dull ending to a script which had more potential and The Kerala Story which was a propaganda film on the lines of The Kashmir Files.

Zara Hatke Zara Bachke with Vicky Kaushal& Sara Ali Khan managed to pull in the audience but the producer did resort to the gimmick of offering one ticket free with purchase of every ticket. Even then the occupancy rates had not been much to boast about. Similarly, Satyaprem Ki Katha (Karthik Aryan & Kiara Advani) also managed to scrape through and escaped being a disaster. As far as the plot is concerned, both were average. But these films had the advantage of minimal publicity and word of mouth helped bring in the footfalls.

Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway starring Rani Mukherjee was a sleeper hit and managed decent collections through word of mouth. However, the plot based on a real-life incident had no scope for repeat audience and only attracted the senior audience in the cinema halls. Bheed publicised as a film show-casing the problems faced by migrant workers during Covid did manage to capture some poignant aspects but overall, the emotional connect required for such a subject was lacking.

The year started with a big star-cast thriller Kuttey with Tabu, Naseeruddin Shah, Konkana Sen, Arjun Kapoor, Radhika Madan, Kumud Mishra flopped badly. Another thriller Afwah starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Konkana Sen and Sumeet Vyas got good reviews but did not get good audience response. Zwigato starring Kapil Sharma in his debut role found no takers. Names of films like Lakkadbaggha, Gandhi Godse-Ek Yudh, Almost Pyaar with D J Mohabbat, IB 71, 1920: Horrors of the Heart, etc. hardly even registered in the minds of people.

Many makers preferred the direct OTT release but the problem with this is there are too many platforms like Jio Cinema, Disney Hotstar, Zee 5, Amazon Prime, Netflix, etc. and not everyone has membership of every platform. This kind of release takes away the thrill of watching the film in the first week itself and the excitement associated generally preceding a theatrical release is therefore missing. Many films though good get lost in this process.

Lost, Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga, Chatriwaali, Mrs. Undercover, Lust Stories 2, Mumbaikar, U-Turn, Gaslight, Gulmohur, Kanjoos Makhichoos, Bloody Daddy, were some of the films which got direct OTT releases. etc. These films were good in bits and parts and many of the actors like Yami Gautam, Rakul Preet Singh, Sumeet Vyas, Tilottama Shome, got to explore different kinds of roles but awareness of these films was limited and somehow that magic associated with movies is getting lost in this scenario.

Not much effort is going into choosing a good story with strong characters and a taut screenplay. This year we decided to go in for a spate of remakes but failed big time as these films could not do the kind of business as did their South originals. Bholaa starring Ajay Devgn and Tabu was a remake of Tamil film Kaithi. While the original made at a budget of rupees 25 crores raked in 105 crores, Bholaa with a budget of rupees 100 crores could just muster around 112 crores. The 3-D format was totally unnecessary and created headache with so much gore and violence. Shehzada starring Karthik Aryan was a remake of the Telugu hit Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, but made with a budget of rupees 65 crores, could cough up only around 47 crores (source: Wikipedia). The Telugu film managed to rake in rupees 280 crores.

Selfiee starring Akshay Kumar and Emran Hashmi was a remake of Malayalam film Driving Licence and turned out to be a super flop. Again, while the original was made at a budget of 4 crores, Selfiee’s budget was 110 crores and raked in only 23 crores. Even Salman Khan decided do go in for an adaptation of a Tamil film Veeram for Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan and hardly found any takers. He has no interest to bring a change in his gimmicky song sequences and same old action scenes which even his die-hard fans are finding difficult to digest.

Gumrah, a murder thriller starring Aditya Roy Kapoor in a double role, alongside Ronit Roy and Mrunal Thakur was very enjoyable but sadly was a remake of a hit Tamil film Thadam. The absence of any big star in the cast resulted in the film not getting many screens and the few halls in which it was released went abegging for audience. The new film Bloody Daddy starring Shahid Kapoor opted for a direct OTT release on Jio Cinema platform and did not exactly create any big stir. Again, this was a remake of the Tamil film Thoonga Vanam which in turn had been a remake of the French film Sleepless Night.

Clearly, the ‘remake’ aspect is now not welcomed whole-heartedly as was the case in pre-Covid times. The audience is now more aware of the originals and prefers to see them in their original language with subtitles rather than step into cinema halls and watch remakes. An important aspect is also the budget which goes way too high and all the pre-release hype falls short of audience expectation. A good example of this was the debacle of Vikram Veda last year. Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan just could not re-create the magic of the original starring Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathi. The dearth of original stories is indeed a worrying aspect which needs to be addressed.

Let us come to the biggest disaster that Bollywood has witnessed in recent times- therupees 600 crore film Adipurush, for which the trade pundits just went berserk publishing the first day first show collections of the film in the domestic as well as the international markets. This played on the psyche of the viewers creating a maddening hype around the film but after the opening weekend, the truth hit the audience and the backlash and the anger towards the makers has been unprecedented. The debacle of this mega-budget film has a lot of lessons for Bollywood but only time will tell how much will be gleaned from this experience.

After the release of the trailer six months back, the film had come under a lot of flak for the abysmal special effects and computer graphics. Instead of concentrating and rectifying these things based on the audience and critics’ feedback, the makers went ahead with the release with gimmicks like reserving a seat in every hall for every show for Lord Hanuman, and chanting ‘Jai Sri Ram’ during the promotions indicating political motivation as well. Why the actors and director did rounds of all temples pretending to be pious and divine no one knows!

Even the looks of Lord Rama, King Ravana, Indrajit, Kumbhakaran and Lord Hanuman had been tampered with, and the makers tried to pass it off as a ‘modern’ retake. Worst of all listening to cheap dialogues which played with the sanctity of the epic and the integrity of the characters was inexcusable. But ignoring all this the makers released it and the result was that the matter has reached the High Court with a case registered against the makers for tampering with the epic.

Somehow our industry is still refusing to understand that the pandemic changed the landscape of cinema in our country. So many web-series are being made exploring new topics where talented actors are getting to portray new characters. Being exposed to a mind-boggling variety to choose from, the audience is happy watching content from the confines of their home. To get the audience in the cinema halls the magical ‘X’ factor is missing.

Recently the film Sirf Ek Banda Kaafi Hai released on the platform Zee 5, paved the way for a revolution of sorts. A brilliantly directed film with an outstanding performance from Manoj Bajpayee met with such an overwhelming response that it became the first film to get a theatrical release after releasing on OTT. The story of a minor girl and her brave stance to expose a Godman, and the relentless support lent by her lawyer Solanki, played by Manoj was riveting and nail-biting.

The web-series Jubilee, Dahaad, Rocket Boys 2, Trial by Fire, Saas Bahu and Flamingo, etc., based on original scripts were superb. Many others like The Night Manager and Class also hit the headlines, though the former was the remake of the British series by the same name and Class was a remake of a popular Spanish series Elite. The upcoming web-series The Trial starring Kajol is again a remake of the very popular American drama series The Good Wife. If only we would stop with this remake aspect and concentrate on original scripts, things could start looking better for Bollywood.

The status of our so-called younger superstars- Ayushmann Khurrana, Rajkummar Rao, Ranveer Singh, etc. are all a big question mark. The last hit film they gave was Andhadhun (2018), Stree (2018) and Gully Boy (2019), respectively None of them can guarantee any initial opening collection. After the super flops of Jayeshbai Jordar and Cirkus, Ranveer has no films to turn to. His upcoming Rocky Aur Rani ki Prem Kahani has already been postponed many times and finally releasing in July but so far, the trailer has not got a great feedback.

Of late, Nawazuddin Siddiqui seems to be hell bent on proving himself as a romantic hero but not with much success. His Jogira Sa Ra Ra Ra with Neha Sharma and Tiku weds Sheru opposite newcomer Avneet Kaur did not have many takers.

Another worrying aspect of our industry seems to be the sudden spurt in award ceremonies by popular magazines and websites. Apart from the usual awards for acting like Filmfare Awards, Zee Cine Awards, IIFA, etc., there have been innumerable awards in all kinds of categories which gives our actors opportunities to get all decked up and pose for the paparazzi. Take the most recently held Grazia Millenial Awards where Disha Patni was adjudged ‘Gen Next Style Star’, Aditi Rao Hyadri was declared ‘Trailblazer of the Year’ and Bhumi Pednekar was given the ‘Millenial Star on the Rise’ award.

The popular website Bollywood Hungama hosted the Style Icon Awards this year which included ‘Most Stylish Actor’ (female) for Kriti Sanon, ‘Most Stylish Actor People’s Choice’ (female) for Ananya Pandey,’ Most Stylish Haute Stepper’ for Mouni Roy, ‘Most Stylish Trailblazer’ for Shehnaz Gill, ‘Most Stylish Youth Icon’ for Jahnvi Kapoor, ‘Most Stylish Mould-Breaker’ for Arjun Kapoor, ‘Most Stylish OTT Entertainer’ for Bobby Deol, etc.

Most of the awards make no sense and clearly the emphasis today seems to have shifted from acting to style and fashion. Perhaps this aspect is reflecting in the quality of films and the quality of performances being churned out. Thanks to all this, awards in Bollywood which have always been mired in controversy are now losing whatever little value they had in them. (https://www.thestatesman.com/entertainment/bollywood/akshay-kumar-exposes-award-show-manipulation-and-bribery-in-bollywood-1503197580.html).

A peep into the releases lined up for the next six months:

There seems to be a plethora of biopics/films related to real-life incidents dominating the second half of the year.

Akshay Kumar will be seen playing mining engineer Jaswant Singh in The Great Indian Rescue. Based on the real-life incident of a rescue operation of miners in the coalfields of Raniganj, West Bengal in 1989. Emergency will have Kangana Ranaut playing our late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Main Atal Hoon is a biopic on our late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee which will have Pankaj Tripathi playing the titular role. Huma Qureshi will essay the main role of celebrity chef Tarla Dalal in Tarla.  Swatantra Veer Savarkar will have Randeep Hooda playing the late leader. Vicky Kaushal will be playing Field Marshall Sam Manekshaw in Sam Bahadur.

There are big budget films like- Project K starring Amitabh Bachchan, Prabhas, Deepika Padukone and Kamal Hassan, Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani which has Dharmendra, Shabana Azmi and Jaya Bhaduri apart from Ranveer and Alia Bhatt. Gadar 2: The Katha Continues starring Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel hopes to recreate the success of its predecessor Gadar which released 22 years back and had the brilliant Amrish Puri playing the antagonist. Will this film be able to recreate that magic is a big question mark. OMG 2 will have an aged Akshay Kumar playing Lord Shiva and Pankaj Tripathi is the other protagonist in the film.

Shah Rukh Khan will be seen in a dual role in his ambitious project Jawan opposite South superstars Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi with Sanya Malhotra also having an important role. Salman Khan will team up with Katrina Kaif and Emran Hashmi in Tiger 3. Ranbir Kapoor will try his luck with the film Animal which also stars Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Rashmika Mandana and Tripti Dimri. Both the title and the poster of this film convey the underlying violent nature of this gangster drama. Tiger Shroff will be seen in a thriller with Amitabh Bachchan in Ganapath-Part-1. Ayushmann Khurrana will be seen in Dream Girl 2 opposite Ananya Pandey.

Janhvi Kapoor will be seen in Bawaal opposite Varun Dhawan. Sonam Kapoor after a hiatus will be seen in a thriller Blind, where she plays a visually impaired girl who helps nab a killer. Neeyat will see Vidya Balan essaying the role of an investigator in a classic whodunit style. 72 Hoorein is a film due for release but there is a lot of controversy for its Islamophobic content.

Except for a handful of these films, not much excitement is there for the upcoming releases. As the days unfold, we will see which films hit the bull’s eye and which failed to live up to the hype …

ANHONEE: The iconic double-role film of Nargis

By

Sharada Iyer

Nargis, unanimously regarded by one and all as one of the finest actresses to have graced the Hindi cinema industry, was born as Fatima Rashid on June 2^nd, 1929, in Kolkata. Her mother Jaddan Bai was a Hindustani classical singer of great repute and one of the earliest female music directors of Hindi cinema and her father was Rashid Khan.

She started her acting career as a child artiste at the tender age of six in the film Talash-e-Haq (1935) and her last released film was Raat aur Din which released in 1967. A combination of elegance, class, grace, beauty, and a rare dignity, she could carry the role of a village belle as well as a sophisticated city girl with equal aplomb and flair.

In her extraordinary career spanning three decades she acted in many memorable films but surprisingly, she got the chance to play a double role only once, and the film was Anhonee which released in the year 1952. This blog is dedicated to this iconic film where Nargis sparkled in both the roles and the film is rated as one of the best double role films made in Hindi cinema till date.

Anhonee was written, produced and directed by Khwaja Ahmed Abbas, popularly known as K A Abbas, and he also wrote the dialogues and story of the film. The cast was headed by Nargis playing both the look-alike characters Roop and Mohini. Raj Kapoor plays Rajkumar Saxena, an advocate who falls in love with Roop. Others in the cast include Agha in a comedy role as Raj Kapoor’s friend, Om Prakash as the villain who loves to annoy people and makes the most of their vulnerabilities and even turns a blackmailer without any qualms. David is the lovable Munshiji- a caretaker uncle, always ready to help Raj Kapoor with a piece of advice and actor Badri Prasad who plays Roop’s father.

The film is quite fast-paced and thoroughly entertaining with an interesting plot and some twists which spring surprises for the viewer. The music director of the film is Roshan and the songs are melodious and we have the soft voice of Talat Mehmood singing for Raj Kapoor which is a new thing to watch! Surprisingly there are five lyricists in the film- Shailendra, Santoshi, Satyendra Athaiya, Naqshab and Sardar Jaffri.

Broad outline of the plot:

Raj Kapoor is an advocate who stays in a rented flat in Lucknow, owned by Thakur Harnam Singh (Badri Prasad) and his daughter Roop (Nargis). Once when he comes to complain about the condition of his flat, he has an argument with Roop but his honesty impresses her dad, the Thakur, who hires him immediately to look after the legal affairs of his firm. Initially Raj feels out of place in this kind of circle of the rich and famous but ultimately, he and Roop fall in love and they plan to get married with her dad’s blessings.

Soon after this Raj meets a client Mohini, a courtesan from Kolkata, who had recently moved to the city. She comes to seek his legal help to prevent the landlord from getting her evicted from the flat. Raj is stunned by the striking resemblance of Mohini to his sweetheart Roop, but refrains from commenting anything. He wins the case for her and she takes a liking to him and even makes him come to her place and watch her dance as part of his fees. But for Raj she is just a client and he has no special feelings for her and she is disappointed.

When he returns home he explains this coincidence of meeting Roop’s look-alike to Roop and her father over dinner. On hearing this, the dad suffers a heart attack and passes away immediately, but before dying, he utters the word ‘Anhonee’. No one understands what it meant and why utters it. Raj continues with his work and is also a support to Roop during this tragic time.

So, who is this look-alike Mohini and what is her connection if any, with Roop? Now that Roop’s father has passed away, how will the truth be revealed? Why did Roop’s father utter the word ‘Anhonee’ before dying? What happens to both Roop and Mohini when they come face to face with each other? Who gets to marry Raj? These are some of the interesting questions unraveled as the movie progresses.

Comments:

The narrative is brisk and there is no boring moment. The direction is spot-on and the performance of Nargis in both the roles as Roop and Mohini is outstanding! She breathes so much life into the two roles and excellently brings out the contrast in their characters and their demeanor which is essentially only because of the difference in their upbringing. She has more scope to show her acting prowess as the brothel girl Mohini and she succeeds in bringing out the emotions in a very believable manner. The interesting twists makes our heart go out to both the characters and as a viewer we feel their pain.

Raj Kapoor with his affable charm and natural acting has also done a superb job but the film belongs to Nargis all the way. Om Prakash as the villain is also very good. The songs are placed aptly and help in carrying the story forward. The plot never loses the focus and there are no unnecessary diversions to the central story.

Double roles have a charm about them and that cannot be denied. though there had been instances of double roles from the beginning, it was B R Chopra’s Afsana in 1951 with Ashok Kumar in a double role that became the first double role film which was a box-office success. The very next year, we had Nargis in a double role in Anhonee. It must have been so intriguing for the audience to watch a story like this more than seventy years back and even today, the magic remains.

For those interested to watch this film, it is available on YouTube. It is a must watch for fans of old Hindi films and especially for Nargis fans.

But for those not interested in watching but would like to know how the plot progresses, here are the details…

Warning: Spoilers ahead

When the Thakur dies, Mohini also chances upon his photo in the newspaper and realizes from a locket that her dying mother (Achla Sachdev in a small role) had given her that the Thakur was her real father whom she never got to meet when he was alive. Armed with this information and Raj’s address in hand, she leaves for Bombay to seek Raj’s legal counsel once more but meets with an accident on the way.

Raj Kapoor gets a call from the hospital that a lady known to him had met with an accident and he must come immediately as she keeps calling out his name. Raj reaches and on seeing her gets upset thinking it to be Roop. But he finds out that it is Mohini and since she had carried his card in her bag, the doctors had given him a call. She tells him that she now needs his help to get 50% share of everything owned by the Thakur as she is also his real daughter.

Raj is so shocked at hearing this that he starts avoiding Roop and does not answer her calls either. He finds himself in a chaotic situation of having to deal with Mohini’s truth, Roop’s wrong image of her father and how the Thakur who had held a spotless image in the society had led a life of lie hiding this important aspect of his life.

David requests Raj to tell Roop the truth but Raj fears that if Roop refuses to part with her share, he may start disliking her and that was a risk he was not willing to take. However, Roop who had come to meet Raj overhears everything and goes to the hospital and brings her sister with her not only to take care of her at home but also to ensure that her sister gets half the share of everything their father had owned. Raj is overjoyed and loves Roop even more now.

Mohini is very happy to come into so much luxury suddenly and Roop tries her best to get rid of her smoking habit and teach her some etiquettes to move around in society. Mohini wanders around the mansion exploring every room and comes across a special room in the attic where she is permitted to light a lamp every day near a huge portrait of their father hanging in the center. Soon complication arises when she sets her eyes on Raj, as she has never had anyone love her the way he loves Roop.

Mohini confronts Roop and tells her that had she also had the upbringing that Roop had been fortunate to have had, maybe Raj would have fallen for her since they both look similar. This makes Roop feel guilty and she goes to the special room which has her dad’s portrait and talks to him to help her solve this dilemma. By mistake she topples a table and some books fall and one of them is ironically titled ‘Anhonee’.

She remembers her dying father’s last words and searches the book for some clue and comes across a hidden letter inside. The contents leave her shell-shocked. It was a letter written by her father addressed to her in which he had confessed his sins. Apparently despite being married to Roop’s mother, he had committed the sin of visiting the nearby brothel every night and developed intimate relations with a prostitute (Achla Sachdev). But when their daughter is born, he shirks away from admitting this in front of everyone and wants to keep this fact hidden for fear of bringing him shame.

What Achla then does was something he had never anticipated. In the middle of the night, Achla enters the Thakur’s house and exchanges the babies leaving behind a note which states that if he cannot accept them together, then she wanted their daughter to get what she rightfully deserves. To avenge the injustice meted out to her, she leaves behind Roop who is born to her in the brothel and takes with her Mohini, who is born to the wife!

For no fault of theirs, the little girls had been exchanged and Mohini had lived her life in the brothel while Roop unknowingly, had taken her place in society. This revelation hits Roop further and now her guilt level increases even more. She then goes to Raj and requests him to marry Mohini as she wants her sister to be happy. He is aghast at the suggestion and rejects the idea.

Now Roop goes ahead with a plan of her own. She promises Mohini that she would marry her off to Raj but on the condition that she dresses up like Roop so that Raj will think that he is marrying Roop. Mohini is very happy with this idea. This song in the voices of Lata Mangeshkar and Rajkumari brings out the emotions of the two sisters effectively.

The marriage takes place but on the wedding night after a while, Raj realizes that he has been tricked and in anger goes and confronts Roop as to how she had destroyed three lives with this senseless decision.

With this turn of events, Mohini gets very angry with both Roop and Raj and feels they have tricked her into believing that she will get a good life. After a powerful confrontation scene with her sister where she is holding a gun in her hand, she shoots at her. The bullet does not hit Roop but grazes Raj. 

She runs away and locks herself up in the special room with the Thakur’s portrait.  She confronts her father in the photo and inadvertently some movement of hers shakes the lamp which falls and the huge portrait comes crashing down on her and by the time Raj and Roop break the door and come inside, it is too late. Mohini dies crying out Raj’s name. 

The script is strong, the story thought-provoking and makes us question our behavior and to what lengths we can go to put up with lies and farce to have a saintly image in public and how due to the nonsense that the elders do, the children suffer for no fault of theirs. It also opens our eyes to the mentality of people to always want to keep a saintly image in public.

I end the blog with a lovely duet from the film in the voices of Talat Mehmood and Lata Mangeshkar which became very popular at that time.

[Images are taken from the Internet]

DAHAAD: A riveting thriller on Amazon Prime

By

Sharada Iyer

Starring Sonakshi Sinha, Vijay Varma, Gulshan Devaiah and Sohum Shah in pivotal roles, Dahaad is easily one of the best thriller web-series currently streaming on OTT. A mind-blowing plot, gripping narrative, outstanding direction, incredible performances, hard-hitting social message all combine to make it an engaging watch which holds our attention till the last scene of the last episode.

Directed by Reema Kagti and Ruchika Oberoi and created by Reema Kagti along with Zoya Akhtar, the brilliantly crafted plot is set in the small town of Mandava, Rajasthan, and deals with the police investigation of a series of unexplained disappearances of young women over a period of several years. The investigation team is headed by Gulshan Devaiah (as SHO Devilal Singh) and his two deputies are Sonakshi Sinha (as SI Anjali Bhaati) and Sohum Shah (as SI Kailash Parghi). Vijay Varma (as Anand Swarnakar) plays a much-loved Hindi teacher-cum-social worker.

It starts with the investigation of one complaint which a brother registers to find out about the disappearance of his sister who is supposed to have eloped with her lover. Soon the police end up finding her body in a public toilet with all the evidence pointing to a suicide and the case is closed. But soon a couple of other cases with the exact similar scenario of the dead girls in public toilet and looking like suicide emerge, leading to a train of investigations and soon many skeletons come tumbling down.

Nothing is what it seems- this much is clear to the police now, but pressure from the SP who in turn is under the pressure from the politician, do not give them time to think and pursue the leads as they are instructed to wrap up the case at the earliest. The lack of any concrete evidence also leads to a lot of frustration and dead ends, and they almost give up any hope of solving these mysterious suicides. Contrary to the SP’s belief that these deaths must be the work of a gang, Sonakshi feels it could be the work of a maniacal, mentally disturbed, cunning, and cold-blooded serial killer!

The best aspect of the series is that it is just not about who is behind these gruesome acts for that is clear from the first episode itself.  We are gradually taken along the ride with the investigation team to see things from their perspective and how they struggle at every step and it is this chase which makes for many tense scenes. Being a small town does not help either as everything takes time and evidence is scarce. The families of these girls are unwilling to talk for fear of more embarrassment for their family. Already from their viewpoint the girls had shamed them by running away with the lover and now they do not care one bit whether their girls are alive or dead!!!

Exposing this kind of inexplicable and shocking aspect of our societal fabric at various stages of the hunt is what make the series stand apart. Our obsession to get young girls married off as early as possible, and the pressure of dowry are really a curse in today’s times and on top of that the illiteracy and economic condition of the families of the victims act as additional fuel. These revelations act as eye-openers as to how girls are so vulnerable and can easily fall prey to predators on the hunt.

There is also a hint at how the politicians use the love-jihad angle to garner votes and put pressure on police to make unwarranted arrests and punish innocent people. The life of a girl born to rich thakurs is as cursed as her poorer counterparts as both are looking for a path to escape their caged circumstance. These are towns where the surname makes a lot of difference and defines the very identity of an individual.

In this scenario our brave lady police office Sonakshi must additionally deal with the senseless aspect of not only being a woman officer and but also coming from a lower caste. However, she is relentless in her pursuit to get to the truth of the matter and her brilliance shines at every step. The life of our police officers is not without problems. Devaiah’s scenes with his wife and children, Sonakshi’s arguments with her mother and Sohum’s troubles with his family are all woven intelligently into the narrative and makes us privy to their mind-set while solving the case.

At the same time, how easy it is for our killer to don a mask of innocence and go about his life in a calm, unruffled way and yet continue with his gruesome acts makes it spine-chilling! It makes us ponder whom to trust and what we have become as a society.

As the episodes progress, we know exactly how the killer operates but that does not take away any thrill from our viewing. On the contrary, it makes the hunt for him an even more racy, edgy, thrilling, and suspenseful experience. Cinematography is brilliant and captures the essence of small-town Rajasthan beautifully. Dialogues are superb and the tone, diction and dialects used make the whole setting very natural and believable.

Acting is top-class and the choice of cast could not have been more apt. Sonakshi Sinha is just brilliant and her screen-presence is perfect for the role of a no-nonsense police officer. She is highly talented and it was great to see her get her due after a long time. Gulshan Devaiah, an experienced and versatile actor, has given a very natural performance and he brings dignity to the role. Sohum Shah is also very good and the scenes where he deals with his inner turmoil are brought out very well. There are no words to describe the brilliance of Vijay Varma as an actor. He is outstanding in his role and his studied understanding of the character radiates in every scene and it is safe to say that the role could not have been done this effortlessly by anyone else. He is indeed a gem of an actor. The rest of the supporting cast is also very good.

Kudos to executive producers Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidwani, Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti, for giving us this masterpiece! Dahaad is the first ever Indian web series to premiere at Berlin International Film Festival, where it will compete for Berlinale Series Award.

All in all, it is a series which is a must-watch. For those who love thrillers this cat and mouse game will keep you glued to your screens. Here is the YouTube link to the teaser of the series:

Myriad shades of Raga Bhairavi in the voices of Saigal, Rafi, Kishore, Mukesh and Manna Dey

By

Sharada Iyer

This is my ninth blog-post on film songs based on Hindustani classical ragas. This blog brings out the essence of the Raga Bhairavi by presenting four songs each in the golden voices of the top five male playback singers of Hindi cinema- K L Saigal, Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh, Manna Dey and Kishore Kumar. Different music directors in tandem with the lyricists during different eras used this beautiful raga to convey a variety of moods and emotions requisite for the scene and the character in the film’s story.

As I have mentioned in my earlier blogs on ragas, film music only touches upon the essence of the raga without getting into too much technicalities so as to have a greater reach with the listeners. Even those not well-versed in the nuances of ragas can enjoy these songs and get an idea of the beauty of the raga on which they are based. This aspect has ensured the popularity and recall value of these raga-based songs and given them an everlasting quality.

Hindi film music and music directors have thus contributed a lot towards maintaining our legacy by connecting the listener to the ragas in a simplified form packed with melody. With the mastery over the ragas, they have composed songs to suit not only the mood of the character on screen but also to suit the playback singer’s USP to give the song its distinct identity.

Raga Bhairavi is often referred to as the ‘queen of morning ragas’ as the best time to sing this is morning. The raga is also known as the ‘queen of melodies’ as the soothing notes of this raga are very pleasant and can be used to convey a variety of emotions like yearning, love, loneliness, devotion, irony, poignancy, happiness, etc. touching the very soul of the listener.

In Hindi film songs, this raga has been extensively used and lends itself easily to bhajans, thumris and light music. This post also briefly mentions the scene in which the song appears in the film to give an idea about the emotion being conveyed by the character.

MUKESH

This was a special favourite of the combination of Raj Kapoor and Shankar-Jaikishen, and hence there are lots of Mukesh songs based on this raga. Let us start the blog with Mukesh’s most popular song of his career- ‘Awara hoon, ya gardish mein hoon aasman ka taara hoon…’

Film: AWARA (1951)

Music Directors: Shankar-Jaikishen

Lyricist: Shailendra

This film created history with its runaway success at the box-office and remains an unbeatable classic till today. The character of the hero in this film is introduced through this song and one can see how growing up on the streets the young man is a survivor, has a kind heart but has also taken to thievery without any qualms. What a magnificent use of this raga by Shankar-Jaikishen! Every beat and every part of this song retains its freshness and appeal even after 70 years.

Film: SHREE 420 (1955)

Song: ‘Mera joota hai Japani, yeh patloom Englishtaani…’

Music Directors: Shankar-Jaikishen

Lyricist: Shailendra

Once again RK-SJ combo gives us another masterpiece of a film with evergreen songs. The protagonist here leaves his rural life and sets out to carve his destiny in the big bad city of Bombay (now Mumbai). He carries hope in his heart and dreams in his mind and with his happy-go-lucky demeanor embarks on his journey singing this foot-tapping number. The raga blends so beautifully with the emotion.

Film: JIS DESH MEIN GANGA BEHTI HAI (1961)

Song: ‘Mera naam Raju gharana anaam…’

Music Directors: Shankar-Jaikishen

Lyricist: Shailendra

This was the last Black & White film produced by Raj Kapoor. The film dealt with the subject of reformation of dacoits and how they were asked to surrender themselves in order to avoid more violence at the hands of police who were trying to capture them. Raj Kapoor plays a village simpleton who is an orphan and spreads love and happiness wherever he goes through his songs and wins people’s heart. This song is the first scene of the film after which while saving an injured man he is caught by the dacoits.

Film: DIL BHI TERA HUM BHI TERE (1960)

Song: ‘Mujhko is raat ki tanhaayi mein awaaz na do…’

Music Directors: Kalyanji Anandji

Lyricist: Shamim Jaipuri

Dharmendra made his debut with this film and his heroine was Kum Kum. The situation for this song is a sad one-Dharmendra has just got the news that the ship carrying his beloved had capsized and there were no survivors to be expected. Plunged into depths of despair he brings out his innermost feelings in this song and Kalyanji-Anandji have composed a heart-touching melody in raga Bhairavi.

K L SAIGAL

Film: MY SISTER (1944)

Song: ‘Ae Qatib-e-Taqdeer mujhe itna bata de, kyun mujhse khafa hai kya maine kiya hai…’

Music Director: Pankaj Mullick

Lyricist: Pandit Bhushan

This was the last film that Saigal did with New Theatres, Calcutta. The film dealt with the close bond shared between Saigal and his little sister. He decides to sacrifice his love when it tries to come in the way of this bond but when the sister comes to know that she was the reason for his brother’s dilemma, she runs away leaving Saigal heart-broken. Saigal who plays a theatre artist in the film, sings his heart out lamenting at his ill-fortune to have lost the one person whom he loved the most in his life. The lyrics are brilliant, the composition superb and Saigal’s effortless singing is matchless.

Film: STREET SINGER (1938)

Song: ‘Babul mora naihar chuto hi jaaye…’

Music Director: R C Boral

Lyricist: Nawab Wajid Ali Shah (the last Nawab of Awadh)

This song in raga Bhairavi has been sung by almost all the singers within the industry as well as maestros well-versed in classical music and yet none has been able to match the peerless singing of Kundan Lal Saigal. Such was the prowess of this genius that the emotions he packed in the words remain unique and touching and this song is ranked as one of his career-best.

In the film two orphan kids in a village become friends and take to performing on the streets to earn their living. Wanting to make a career in the big city of Calcutta (now Kolkatta), they come across a theatre owner and a manager who is willing to offer them job but slyly shows interest only in the girl. Saigal is relegated to being just her tutor, but being pure in the heart, he does not mind. However, when she gets lured by the riches and the lifestyle and starts to lose touch with her humane side, Saigal decides to return to his village and sings this song in the hope of bringing her back to her roots and away from the world of show-biz.

Film: BHAKT SURDAS (1942)

Song: ‘Madhukar Sham hamare chor…’

Music Director: Gyan Dutt

Lyricist: D N Madhok

Being a singer par excellence, K L Saigal got to act in films where his songs occupied a very important part of the narrative. Bhakt Surdas was one such film. Based on the life of the blind poet Surdas who was a great devotee of Lord Krishna and composed many songs praising the Lord, the film had scope for many songs. The song chosen here in raga Bhairavi is a superb composition and Saigal sounds amazing as always.

Film: SHAHJEHAN (1946)

Song: ‘Jab dil hi toot gaya hum ji ke kya karenge…’

Music Director: Naushad

Lyricist: Majrooh Sultanpuri

One of Saigal’s last super-hit films after he shifted to Mumbai. Saigal plays a poet who falls in love with a girl named Roohi, staying in the palace under Emperor Shahjahan’s protection. However, she is in love with a sculptor who has been given the task of designing the Taj Mahal when Queen Mumtaz Mahal dies. The film had an interesting fictitious story of true love and sacrifice by the poet and how that helped the sculptor to capture what the emperor wanted for his beloved queen in the form of a monument which became famous as the Taj Mahal.

MOHAMMED RAFI

Film: AMAR

Song: ‘Insaaf ka mandir hai yeh, bhagwan ka ghar hai…’

Music Director: Naushad

Lyricist: Shakeel Badayuni

A gem of a film by director Mehboob Khan with a unique storyline which starred Dilip Kumar, Madhubala and Nimmi. Dilip and Madhubala love each other, but circumstances one night lead him to commit an unpardonable sin and though repentant of his horrific act, he is unable to admit it in the open. This song comes in the narrative when he is taken to the temple so that he gets the courage to face his soul and correct his mistake. The only way to move forward in life is to face the truth however ugly it may be, for nothing that we do is ever hidden from the Almighty.

Film: SHAHEED (1965)

Song: ‘Pagdi sambhal jattha pagdi sambhal oye…’

Music Director & Lyricist: Prem Dhawan

Raga Bhairavi can also be used to sing patriotic songs and this was amply proven by music director Prem Dhawan when he composed this poignant song for the film based on the life of the young freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. This film ranks among the best patriotic films made in Bollywood and the songs of the film give goosebumps even when we listen to them today.

Film: MERI SURAT TERI AANKHEN (1963)

Song: ‘Nache man mora magan dhigda dhigi dhigi…’

Music Director: S D Burman

Lyricist: Shailendra

One of Ashok Kumar’s finest performances where he plays a very dark and supposed ‘ugly’ man who had been shunned by his biological father at birth because of his looks. But the kind doctor gives him to a poor childless couple who adore him and bring him up like their own son. When he comes to know about his real parents, he hopes to impress his father this time around with his magical God-given voice but takes care to sing from a place on the stage where light cannot fall on his face and shock his father. Ashok Kumar sings with joy in the hope of meeting his parents and Asha Parekh matches steps with élan to Rafi’s mesmerizing vocals.

Film: DHOOL KA PHOOL (1959)

Song: ‘Tu Hindu banega na Musalman banega…’

Music Director: N Dutta

Lyricist: Sahir Ludhianvi

A child born out of wedlock is abandoned by the young college mates Rajendra Kumar and Mala Sinha who feel they had committed a grave mistake and are not ready for shouldering such a big responsibility. A wandering samaritan played by Manmohan Krishna brings him home and raises him away from the confines of religion, caste and other such barriers teaching him that all are humans first. The poignant and meaningful lyrics so apt especially in today’s time, are set to the beautiful raga Bhairavi making it one of the best film songs based on this raga.

KISHORE KUMAR

Film: AMAR PREM (1972)

Song: ‘Chingaari koi bhadke toh saawan use bujhaye…’

Music Director: R D Burman

Lyricist: Anand Bakshi

A classic film which has completed more than 50 years and is still remembered for its outstanding songs as much for Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore’s performances. R D Burman just outdid himself composing such unbeatable gems in different ragas. The song chosen here is sung by our Kishoreda who made sure that no one could have sung this song better than him. The calm evening spent on the boat with his loved one Rajesh Khanna reflects about life’s ironies in the meaningful lyrics and raga Bhairavi feels so soothing to the ears. (The video link of the song is not permitted for embedding, hence uploading audio link)

Film: BEMISAAL (1982)

Song: ‘Kisi baat par main kisise khafa hoon…’

Music Director: R D Burman

Lyricist: Anand Bakshi

Once again, the RD-Anand Bakshi combination uses this raga in a subtle way to bring out Amitabh’s emotions in this song towards his closest friend Raakhee. She is married to his friend Vinod Mehra but when Amitabh holds her hand and forces her to dance with him in front of everyone in the party, she gets very upset and does not speak to him. The film had Amitabh Bachchan in a double role as the elder brother and that role though very small in terms of screen space is however, very significant for the storyline.

Film: GAMBLER (1974)

Song: ‘Dil aaj shaayar hai gham aaj naghma hai…’

Music director: S D Burman

Lyricist: Neeraj

Undoubtedly this song can be ranked among Kishore Kumar’s best songs, his voice takes us on a magical ride as he touches upon raga Bhairavi. Dev Anand plays a gambler but hides his identity from his lover Zaheeda because of which misunderstanding occurs and she leaves him and becomes friends with Sudhir. This songs is sung at a party where they meet and he conveys his deep feelings for her.

Film: KUDRAT (1981)

Song: ‘Hame tumse pyar kitna yeh hum nahi jaante…’

Music Director: R D Burman

Lyricist: Anand Bakshi

A story of reincarnation and murder this was a highly entertaining film Rajesh Khanna and Hema Malini playing the lovers in both the births. This song comes in the previous birth when Rajesh Khanna confesses his deep love for Hema and the soft notes based on the raga are soothing to hear and convey the feelings beautifully.

MANNA DEY

Film: DIL HI TOH HAI (1963)

Song: ‘Laaga chunari mein daag chupaun kaise…’

Music Director: Roshan

Lyricist: Sahir Ludhianvi

This is a truly mesmerizing gem from Manna Dey. His effortless singing is proof of his mastery over the notes and the outstanding composition by Roshan makes this one of the most loved songs of Manna Dey. This is a very enjoyable film with Raj Kapoor and Nutan sharing a superb on-screen chemistry with their comic timing. In the scene preceding this song, the real singer who was supposed to sing fails to turn up and on the request of his friend Agha, Raj Kapoor disguises as the old singer and takes his place to belt out this superb song.

Film: DOOJ KA CHAAND (1964)

Song: ‘Phool gendva na maaro lagat karejva mein chot…’

Music Director: Roshan

Lyricist: Sahir Ludhianvi

A typical family drama of the sixties, the film had an impressive cast of Ashok Kumar, Chandrashekhar, Bharat Bhushan, Saroja Devi, Ratna Bhushan, Azra and Agha. Bharat Bhushan himself was the producer but lost a lot of money as the film did not click at the box-office. The songs of the film however, became popular especially the song chosen here.

Sung by Manna Dey in raga Bhairavi, the song comes in the film in a hilarious situation. To impress his lover whose condition to marry him was that Agha had to be a brilliant singer, he tricks her with the help of his friend Bharat Bhushan who plays the song on the gramophone record sitting behind a bush and Agha lip-syncs to it but by the end the appearance of a snake exposes the truth.

Film: MANZIL (1960)

Song: ‘Hato kaaheko jhuti banaao batiyaan…’

Music Director: S D Burman

Lyricist: Majrooh Sultanpuri

The film starred Nutan opposite Dev Anand and he plays a struggling musician in the film. Born to a rich dad he has no interest in assisting in his dad’s business and determined to carve his own path, he leaves home and lands up in the city of Bombay where he is befriended by Mehmood who runs a small ‘paan’ (tobacco) shop. He likes to sing and this song comes during a friendly scene where he makes Dev Anand listen to him singing. Manna Dey’s singing and Mehmood’s perfect acting make this song an enjoyable watch.

Film: SHREE 420 (1955)

Song: ‘Dil ka haal sune dilwaala…’

Music Directors: Shankar-Jaikishen

Lyricist: Shailendra

After three superb classical renditions, here is Manna Dey in a different mood singing a fun-filled song where the notes touch upon raga Bhairavi very lightly. This is yet another memorable song from the repertoire of the Raj Kapoor-Shankar Jaikishen combination. Raj Kapoor is a poor orphan who leaves his village and comes to Bombay in the hope of a brighter future for himself in the city. Here he befriends a group of poor honest people staying together who take him in as one of them and treat him as family. He entertains his friends with this funny song.

JUBILEE web-series based on our cinematic history is a masterpiece not to be missed

By

Sharada Iyer

Set against the backdrop of the studio system of Hindi cinema which was prevalent in the 1940’s and 50’s, Jubilee is a highly engrossing 10-episode web-series streaming on Amazon Prime Video and easily one of the best shows I have watched on OTT. This is perhaps the first of its kind of show for the viewers where we are transported back in time to experience the scenario in the country when our cinema was at its nascent stage. 

Created and directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, it has a riveting plot which is part fiction and part reality about the beginning years of our film industry and centers around a film studio ‘Roy Talkies,’ fashioned on the lines of the pioneering Bombay Talkies studio. Writer Atul Sabharwal and Vikramaditya Motwane have skillfully recreated the circumstances that existed between 1947 and 1953 by capturing not only the intrigue, glamour and the magic of cinema of that time, but also the dark, secretive, and scandalous side of the industry.

The plot takes its basic cue from the real-life incidents connected to Bombay Talkies studio like the rift between the husband-wife team of Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani, and the scandal that rocked the industry when Devika Rani ran away with the hero of her film Najmul Hussain. Due to this one incident, Ashok Kumar- a lab technician with ordinary looks took his place as a hero and became a star overnight, and ultimately all this resulted in changing the course of Hindi cinema forever.

Those familiar with our film history are aware of powerful names like Himanshu Rai, Devika Rani, Prithviraj Kapoor, Raj Kapoor, Ashok Kumar, Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar and Nargis. Somewhere in the ensemble cast of this web-series, we will find familiarity with all these real-life characters but there are shades of grey given to all of them which adds mystery, allure and drama to the fictional narrative. Filled with thrilling twists and turns the series keeps the viewer engaged from the first scene of the first episode to the last scene of the last episode without ever losing its focus and that is the remarkable achievement of this series.

The series also highlights the pain and trauma caused to the people connected to the film industry because of the partition of India in 1947. As our country’s tryst with cinema had begun in 1913 with the release of the first silent film, our film industry had already completed three decades by 1947. With the result, the partition affected the destiny of many people who were already either part of this profession or aspiring to get into the profession thus playing a crucial role in shaping their future lives as well as the future of our cinema.

There are basically five protagonists- the studio owner (played by Prosenjit Chatterjee), his wife (Aditi Rao Hydari), the studio owner’s right-hand man (Aparshakti Khurana), a refugee with dreams (Siddhant Gupta), and a nautch girl (Wamiqa Gabbi). The plot has several layers and the story is told from the angle of all the five protagonists which gives the series an interesting tapestry of colours and emotions. Actors Ram Kapoor as a financier, Arun Govil as the friend’s father, Nandish Singh Sandhu as Aditi Rao’s lover and Shweta Prasad Basu as Aparshakti’s wife also play important characters and add weightage to the cast.

How the various characters crisscross each other’s paths that lead to their happiness and heart-aches, anger and resentment, the kind of struggle they must undergo to follow their passion and the predicaments in their path are all so skillfully woven into the story to help us understand the struggling period of the film industry. There is not a single wrong note as thorough research has gone into the writing.

Every department involved deserves praise- from the scale of the sets to the authentic costumes and hair style, from the body language of the actors to the dialogues, everything has been given attention to the minutest detail. The outstanding camerawork deserves special mention for bringing to life an era which so many of us have only read about.

One of the best aspects of the series is the outstanding music. If such a plot had not been supported by the perfect music, the whole series could have fallen flat but music director Amit Trivedi’s sincere compositions end up making the music of the series to be one of its biggest USPs. He has taken inspiration from the music of our golden era and composed 12 songs and each of them is remarkable. Once we finish watching we cannot stop listening to the songs on loop!

Every tune and situation will remind us of some old song and yet each of them manages to stand out for its melody and fresh approach. There is a touch of Shankar-Jaikishen, S D Burman, O P Nayyar, Saraswati Devi, Khayyam, etc., but they ultimately belong to Amit Trivedi.

The one who deserves equal credit for the brilliant music of the series is the supremely talented female writer, Kausar Munir. Her understanding of each situation and her sync with the director’s thoughts are spot on and she has penned incredible lyrics for each song. After all, the high recall value of the old songs even today has a lot to do with the emotions packed in the lyrics and Kausar Munir has managed to capture that very magic in the songs of Jubilee.

Singers Mohammed Irfan, Sunidhi Chauhan, Vaishali Mhade and music director Amit Trivedi himself have all done a brilliant job in recreating the feel of the 40’s and 50’s. The series will surely make us nostalgic for the music of yore and remind us of what we are missing today. Sunidhi has changed her pitch and tone and sounds too good.

Coming to the perfect casting of all characters. The ensemble cast includes some amazing young talented artistes and senior veterans.  Aparshakti Khurana has finally found the perfect role to step in and prove what a power house of talent he is. Siddhant Gupta is the most energetic and charming of the lot and one can see shades of Raj Kapoor in his character. He is brilliant and the subtle nuances he adds to his character are too good. He is probably the find of the series! Wamiqa Gabbi not only looks lovely but has excelled as the nautch girl. She is definitely a talent to watch out for, and gets to show a range of emotions.

Prosenjit as the studio owner inspired from Himanshu Rai’s character looks so natural and he is perfectly cast. Aditi Rao Hydari is the perfect combination of class, elegance, and glamour and at the same has a strong will of her own and the director could not have asked for a better actor to remind us of Devika Rani. Shweta Basu Prasad is another talent who is a born natural in front of the camera. Nandish Singh Sandhu is the supposed Najmal Hussain and does a good job. Ram Kapoor is a delight to watch in any role and this series adds yet another feather to his cap.

Viewers who are in love with our cinema and have some idea about its history will thoroughly enjoy this fictional take especially the song situations for the memories they are bound to rekindle. For the others the series will be a thrilling ride which gives a glimpse into our past but with a hypnotic twist. Saying anything more about the series will spoil the fun for those who have not yet watched. In fact, not posting YouTube links to any of the songs either because they must be experienced first-hand while watching the series and enjoyed.

Three Cheers to the entire team for this memorable ride!!! Planning to watch the whole saga all over again and enjoy even more…

Down memory lane with unsung music director C ARJUN

By

Sharada Iyer

Many cine-lovers may not recollect the name of music director C Arjun off-hand, but the songs composed by him for a mythological film became a rage in 1975 as the songs entered every household giving them an immortal quality.

Let us travel back in time to 15^th August, 1975. A small budget mythological film was released with hardly any known faces alongside a big-budget multi-starrer with big names. Coincidentally, both films in their first week did not do well but later gathered so much momentum that they went on to create history in their own way and are remembered to this day for their phenomenal success stories, for no film has quite emulated the kind of success they garnered and are considered evergreen classics today. The films were Jai Santoshi Maa and Sholay respectively!

While Sholay had everything going for it starting from the cast to director to writers and music director, Jai Santoshi Maa had only an emotional storyline and devotional songs and was based on a goddess about whom not much is even written about in our mythology. In fact, she had existed mostly in ‘Vrat Kathas’ or in the stories behind the fasts which women in some parts of the country observed on Fridays for the goddess. Yet the film defied all imagination and expectation and took the entire nation by storm with the kind of devotion and sincerity and simplicity woven in the plot making it an unbelievable super-hit. Though in terms of box-office collections, Sholay was declared the top grosser of the year, Jai Santoshi Maa was at the third spot beating films like Deewar, Sanyasi, Pratiggya, Khel Khel Mein, Chupke Chupke, etc. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Hindi_films_of_1975)

Undoubtedly, one of the major contributing factors of the film’s success was the music of the film. Written by Kavi Pradeep and composed by C Arjun, the simple yet melodious devotional songs which became so popular back then, are remembered even today. Though the music of the film entered every household, sadly the music director’s name after the initial fame remained in the background and soon became a name confined to film history books. Neither before this film nor after this, did C Arjun get to see success like this in his career.

The film in fact popularized the goddess so much and people were so touched that would keep their footwear outside and shower coins and flowers while the movie was being screened. The songs transported them to the level of bhakti hitherto never witnessed before. When the lights in the cinema hall dimmed out, the audience experienced a divine connect with their goddess which could not be explained.

Let us start our journey with two of the evergreen songs from the biggest hit of C Arjun’s career-Jai Santoshi Maa. The major actors in the film were Ashish Kumar, Kanan Kaushal, Bela Bose, Anita Guha, Bharat Bhushan. The first song is by Usha Mangeshkar and the second song by Mahendra Kapoor.

Song: ‘Mai toh aarti utaroon re Santoshi Mata ki, Jai Jai Santoshi Mata…’

Song: ‘Yahan wahan jahan tahan mat pooch kahan kahan hai Santoshi Maa…’

Music director C Arjun was born on September 1st, 1933, in Sind, Karachi (undivided India) and his full name was Arjun Parmanand Chandnani. In his entire career, though he always got to compose music for B-grade and low-budget films, his music was always top-class. It was his songs composed for the film Punar Milan (1964) that made people notice him initially. All the songs stood out for their soothing melody especially this romantic solo by Mohammed Rafi. Picturized on actor Jagdeep and actress Ameeta the song retains its charm even after fifty years. In one of his interviews C Arjun mentions how he was a little unhappy about the beginning of the song and that’s when Rafi Sahb added the light humming on his own in the beginning making the music director very happy.

Song: ‘Paas baitho tabeeyat bahal jaayegi, maut bhi aa gayi ho to tal jaayegi…’

C Arjun was initiated into music from a very young age and his father was his first music teacher. Later the family migrated to Baroda, Gujarat, after partition. After coming to Mumbai in search of work in films, he joined the then popular music director Bulo C Rani as an assistant. He got his first break as an independent music director in 1958 in a Sindhi film Abana. The songs were a big hit. He made his debut in Hindi films in 1960 with the film Road No. 303, and had Mehmood, Shubha Khote, K N Singh, Twari and Helen in main roles. Here is a foot-tapping duet from the film sung by Mohammed Rafi and Asha Bhosle.

Song: ‘Pehli pehli baar mile hain do deewaane, acchha ji…’

Here is a beautiful duet in the voices of Rafi and Asha once again from the film Punar Milan. The combination of rhythm and melody impart a freshness and charm to the song which leaves a lasting impact on the listener.

Song: ‘In pyar ki raahon mein, tera hi sahara hai…’

C Arjun worked a lot with Mohammed Rafi and composed many melodious songs, both solos and duets. I came across this immortal duet in the voices of Mohammed Rafi and Talat Mehmood from the 1963 film Sushila (though in some places it says 1966). The lyrics impart the feeling of not giving up hope even in our darkest times with Rafi being the sound of hope- ‘Gham ki andheri raat mein, dil ko na bekaraar kar, subha zaroor aayegi, subha ka intezaar kar…’

Not much is known about this film but available information says the film was released in 1977 and the title was changed to Subha Zaroor Aayegi. Nothing however could create a dent in the quality of this gem of a song.

In our films even if the songs are good, their picturization and the actors lip-syncing matter a lot. This is where perhaps C Arjun got left behind in terms of recollection of his songs. For instance, the lovely romantic solo by Mohammed Rafi- ‘Jitni haseen ho tum utni hi bewafa ho… ‘, from the film Mangu Dada (1970) suffers not only from bad picturization but also from the stars Sujit Kumar and Faryal who look completely out of place in the song sequence. Imagine the effect of the song had the stars been Rajendra Kumar and Meena Kumari or Dev Anand and Nutan, the song would have made headlines1

However, the stars on whom his songs would be picturized did not matter to C Arjun who kept composing superb songs with sincerity. In 1961 the film Main aur Mera Bhai starring Mehmood and Ameeta was released and had amazing songs. Again, not much is known about the plot of this film. The poster of the film shows two Mehmood faces. Did he have a double role in it? I could not find out. I request the readers to part with any information they come across. Here is an interesting Mukesh-Asha duet from the film. Meanwhile here is the audio link to the song:

Song: ‘Main abhi gair hoon mujhko abhi apna na kaho…’

There were two Rafi solos in the film- a fun loving peppy romantic song and a poignant philosophical song.

Song: ‘O gori, zulm kare zulf ka bikhar jaana…’

Song: ‘Murakh hai insaan o bhagwan…’

In 1978, came a film Nawab Saheb starring Parikshit Sahni, Rehana Sultan and Tamanna. The film was hardly known at the time of its release but one Usha Mangeshkar solo from the film became a big-hit and used to be played on the radio almost every day. Many may recollect the song after listening to the link below.

Song: ‘Ab se pehle toh yeh dil ki haalat na thi aaj kya ho gaya…’

The film also had two more lovely songs- a solo by Rafi and an enjoyable qawwali by Rafi and Manna Dey. The lyricist was Sahir Ludhianvi. C Arjun thus showed his prowess in composing different kinds of songs with elan.

Song: ‘Hum mein hai kya ke hame koi haseena chahe…’

Song: ‘Uss jaane do alam ka jalwa parde mein bhi hai beparda bhi hai…’

Some other films for which he gave music were Ek Saal Pehle, Chale Hain Sasural, Guru aur Chela, Love in Kashmir, Sant Rohidas, Sati Nag Kanya, Raksha Bandhan, Aankh ka Taara, etc. C Arjun worked with many amazing lyricists namely Jaan Nissar Akhtar, Sahir Ludhianvi, Gulshan Bawra, Indeevar, Kavi Pradeep, Qamar Jalalabadi, Raja Mendi Ali Khan etc.

Here is a lovely ghazal written by Raja Mehndi Ali Khan for the film Punar Milan and sung by Asha Bhosle and Mubarak Begum. Picturized on Shashikala and Ameeta the song seems to have gone unnoticed. If it were not for YouTube and these rare uploads, we would perhaps never know the existence of so many old songs.

Song: ‘Chaah karni thi chaah kar baithe, zindagi hum tabah kar baithe…’

An outstanding Mohammed Rafi- Ash Bhosle duet from the film titled Ustad Pedro (1971) deserves a mention for its melody. The actors again seem unknown faces. Listening to the audio alone gives a soothing feeling.

Song: ‘Chaayi ghata baagon mein mor bole, phool khilne ka mausam aa gaya…’

Whether people today remember him or not, he continued working till the year 1983 and passed away in the year 1992, at the age of 59 years due to heart attack. This blog is a humble tribute to this sincere music director by remembering some of his outstanding compositions.

I end the blog with this popular haunting duet by Suresh Wadkar and Usha Mangeshkar from the film Kanoon aur Mujrim (1981). This is yet another song marred by the actors and the picturization, hence playing the audio here. I have heard this song so many times yet never knew the name of the music director. Both their voices sound so fresh and wonderful. It certainly looks like Usha Mangeshkar got to sing some of her career best songs under C Arjun.

Song: ‘Shaam rangeen hui hai tere aanchal ki tarah, surmayi rang saja hai tere kajal ki tarah…’

Who was music director Nashad?(Not to be confused with music maestro Naushad)

By

Sharada Iyer

Many music directors in our film industry’s history are not remembered today for they did not have a long career and could not make a lasting impact in the music scene as compared to their more successful counterparts. However, in the short span that they worked, they did come up with some rare gems which remain evergreen even today.

This blog-post remembers one such music director of the 1940’s and 1950’s- Shaukat Hussain Ali Haidri who made his debut in the industry as Shaukat Dehlavi with the film Dildar in 1947, but was later given the name Nashad when he was signed for the film Naghma in 1953.  Let us start the blog with two of his most popular compositions:

Film Baradari (1955) (Directed by K Amarnath)

Song: ‘Bhula nahin dena ji bhula nahi dena, zamana kharaab hai daga nahi dena…’

Singers: Lata Mangeshkar & Mohammed Rafi

Song: ‘Tasveer banata hoon tasveer nahi banti…’

Singer: Talat Mehmood

Every Hindi film-song lover can easily remember the lyrics, the tune and even the singers of these beautiful compositions, yet how many of us know that the music director of these two gems was Nashad?

Born in Delhi in the year 1923, Shaukat Hussain’s love for music soon brought him to Bombay in search of work. He got his break in 1947 to compose the songs for the film Dildar.

In 1948, he had three releases-Toote Taare, Suhagin and Jeene Do. In Toote Taare, he composed the tune for the famous ghazal, ‘Na kisiki aankh ka noor hoon…’ in the voice of singer Rajkumari which became popular. (Incidentally I came across an article which stated that this ghazal which for many years had been thought to be written by Bahadur Shah Zafar has been written by Muztar Khairabadi, grandfather of writer Javed-Akhtar. (https://www.hindustantimes.com/music/na-kisi-ki-aankh-ka-noor-hoon-was-written-by-my-grandfather/story-GibYWGOlWAePqsoYfGzXfN.html)

Here is a catchy Geeta Dutt solo from the film Jeene Do (1948):

Song: ‘Hum unko dekhne waale ae chand tujhe kya dekhen…’

In 1949 he introduced singer Mubarak Begum in the film Aaiye.

Song: ‘Mohe aane lagi angdayi, aaja aaja balam…’

In the year 1954, when music director Mohammed Shafi signed the newcomer Suman Kalyanpur for her first film Mangu, Nashad gave her a break in Darwaza, which released in the same year. Her lovely duet from the film which she got to sing with Talat Mehmood was a big hit:

Song: ‘Ek dil do ha talabgaar badi mushkil hai…’

Here is a naughty number from the film Jawab (1955), sung by Asha Bhosle and picturized aptly on Geeta Bali to capture her mischievous personality:

Song: ‘Main toh ho gayi re barbaad rama pyar karke…’

The film also had a happy and sad version of a lullaby by Talat Mehmood picturized on Balraj Sahni.

Many of the films for which Nashad composed music were not considered ‘A’ grade films or top films and even good songs in ‘B’ grade films sometimes went unnoticed. In 1949 his songs for the film Dada were noticed but he did not get any notable big projects. Many of his songs were sung by Shamshad Begum.  But he also recorded songs with Geeta Dutt, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Surinder Kaur and Suman Kalyanpur.

A rare duet in the voices of Shamshad Begum and Surinder Kaur from the film.

Song: ‘O, aa jao zara phir meri bigdi ko banane…’

His music in Zindagi Aur Toofan in 1958 was pleasant and melodious and all songs became popular. Starring Nutan and Pradeep Kumar, this Muslim social took us down the lanes of Lucknow and told the tale of Nawabs and ‘Kotha’ girls. Here is a lovely duet by Asha Bhosle and Shamshad Begum picturized on Nutan and Minoo Mumtaz.

Song: ‘Badi mushkil se hum samjhe woh hame kya samajhte hain…’

The name change to Nashad…

Shaukat Ali was given the name Nashad by lyricist Nakshab Jarchavi in 1953 for the film Naghma which starred Ashok Kumar and Nadira. It so happened that the film was going to be Nakshab’s debut film as director and being friends with music maestro Naushad Ali, Nakshab requested him to compose music for Naghma. Those days Naushad’s name as music director attached to any project was enough to create a buzz and success was guaranteed. But Naushad was bound by his contract to Kardar Productions and expressed his inability to take on this assignment.

However, Nakshab Jarchavi was not a man to dwell on this for long. He then got a unique idea and signed Shaukat Dehlavi as the music director for his film but insisted on changing his name to Nashad, which the latter accepted without any qualms. In a few days, when the announcement of this film was made with Nashad’s name being clearly mentioned as the music director, it was assumed by everyone that the name Naushad had been misspelt.  

Probably Nakshab himself might have done it as a ploy to create a little confusion. The information from him clearly stated the right spelling but as nobody had heard of the name Nashad before this, it was never sought to be clarified and it was taken for granted by many press articles that it must be a spelling error for Naushad. Nakshab Jarchavi was lucky and his film Naghma benefitted from this and became a big hit.

Here are two super-hit songs from the film, both sung by Shamshad Begum. The songs have a haunting quality and will stay with the listener for a long time:

Song: ‘Kahe jaadu kiya jaadugar baalma…’

Song: ‘Badi mushkil se dil ki bekarari ko karaar aaya…’

After the success of Naghma in 1953, when the film Baradari released in 1955, the same kind of thing happened.  The film was a musical hit especially the two songs- ‘Bhula nahi dena ….’ and ‘Tasveer banata hoon…’. The film remains Nashad’s best work but somehow in people’s psyche the songs were associated with Naushad and not another person by the name of Nashad. To the listener, some of these songs may have even sounded like Naushad’s compositions of that era.

That Nashad was a talented music director can be vouched for by the variety of songs he composed- from peppy dance numbers to sad songs to melodious romantic duets and poignant heart-touching songs, he was at home in all these, but somehow the name never registered in many a listener’s mind. Listen to this lovely duet sung by Talat Mehmood and Asha Bhosle from the film Bada Bhai (1957):

Song: ‘Chori chori dil ka lagana buri baat hai…’

This foot-tapping Asha solo from the same film picturized on Helen is so typical of so many of Helen’s dance numbers of that era:

Song: ‘Hello Hello Hello, Hello Hyderabadi…’

This is a rare vintage duet in the soothing voices of Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi from the film Hathkadi (1958):

Song: ‘Piya jab se liya toone haathon mein haath…’

He composed music for a variety of situations in his short Hindi film career from 1947 to 1963. Here is a robust fast-paced number from the film sung by Mohamed Rafi and picturized on Johny Walker from the film Zara Bachke in 1959. The song beautifully captures the unique spirit of the actor which was so characteristic of his on-screen image:

Song: ‘Pata note karo hamara, hum se aa milna dobaraa…’

Looking back, Shaukat Ali himself did not keep his name constant and composed music for different films under different names- Shaukat Ali, Shaukat Dehlavi, Shaukat Hydari and Shaukat Hussain. Then came the year 1953 when he was asked to change his name to Nashad. Ironically, the name change cost him a lot as he never got credit for the few gems he did compose and though he retained the name Nashad for the rest of his career, his name today remains confined to the pages of film history and very few remember him or his music.

Later he migrated to Pakistan in 1963 and from 1964 and became a successful music director there. He passed away in 1981. What characterized his songs was perhaps the simplicity of the music arrangement which made the lyrics stand out and the singers brought in all the emotion to enhance the beauty of the compositions. I cannot end the blog without posting this melodious romantic duet from Pyar Ki Dastaan (1961) picturized on Sudesh Kumar and Ameeta and sung by Talat Mehmood and Suman Kalyanpur.

Song: ‘Sun le meri jaan, keh rahi zubaan, pyar ki dastan…’

Nashad could never repeat the success of the film Baradari but he never lost hope and whatever came his way he gave his best. Some of the songs were really lovely but got lost in the tussle with bigger hits and more successful films. These words of the lovely poignant number composed by him and sung by Mohammed Rafi from the film Jawab, 1955 seem apt for Nashad- ‘Aaj gham kal khushi hai yehi zindagi sun le pyaare, Aadmi woh joh himmat na haare…’.

A few thoughts on PATHAAN and its stupendous success

By

Sharada Iyer

By now it is known to everyone that the box-office collections of Pathaan have broken every conceivable record and created scores of new records not only just in India but across the globe in several countries as well. The recent statistics show that the worldwide collections have crossed Rupees 1000 crores!!!

Shah Rukh Khan brought a different definition to the image of an action hero. Despite all the super fights and stunts he performed, he retained a certain softness of character and came across as a charismatic action hero and not just a rugged, hard-core fighter. He carries off the action sequences with panache and aplomb.

Salman Khan had a cameo which was very entertaining and it was great to see the camaraderie of the Karan-Arjun duo on screen after a long time. Deepika looked superb in the action scenes and John Abraham was excellent in the negative role. His suave persona matched Shah Rukh’s charm in the action scenes making their face-offs more appealing. The action sequences were well done and it was thrilling to watch and the songs and background music were both enjoyable!

Whatever may have been the contribution of the other factors of the film, there is no denying that Shah Rukh Khan’s charisma was responsible for carrying the film to such dizzying heights of success and his fans have been more than happy to see their favourite star on screen after four years and that too in a new action avatar. They have flocked to see the film in large numbers more than once. Families stepped out to watch the film to get back the magic of Bollywood masala movies which they had been missing since a while. Even the section of people who after Covid 19, had become lax to step out and watch a movie in the hall decided to make an exception for this one and soon it became a must-watch on everybody’s wish-list.

Interestingly, right from the day of its release or one could say from the very first show itself, Pathaan has been in the news more for the collections it has been earning rather than the merit of its content, direction, story or even the acting by the cast. Somewhere this psychology worked well and suddenly no one wanted to miss out or be left out and wanted to see for themselves what the film was all about.

To be honest, Pathaan is a good time-pass typical Bollywood masala entertainer with some exciting action scenes and no boring moment throughout, but by no stretch of imagination can it be described as an outstanding film or an unforgettable film or a classic film or even a film which tugged our heart in any scene. Shah Rukh himself has had a string of films which have been way better than this film and yet what is it about Pathaan which has made it one of the biggest blockbusters of all time in film history?

If one looks at the journey of Pathaan and how it has performed at the box-office, it is easy to comprehend that the numbers indicate the love the people have for their beloved star Shah Rukh Khan, the magnetic hold he has had over his fans in the last thirty odd years in the industry and the support he has within the country as well as across borders all over the world. Not everybody is blessed to have this kind of extraordinary connection with his fans and the kind of love and adoration he garners from his fans across all age groups is unbelievable!!!

The magical combination of Shah Rukh Khan and Yash Raj Films coming together was certainly one of the factors which made people curious to know what had the star chosen as the comeback vehicle after a brief hiatus of four years. The PR machinery of the popular star came into full swing leaving no stone unturned to generate interest in the audience to see their star back in a new avatar. Added to this the intelligently shot teaser followed by the thrilling trailer of the film gave a glimpse of the kind of new image of Shah Rukh Khan had in store for the fans.

The makers managed to keep the story under wraps and hardly anything was known about the film till its release, except that it was going to an action thriller. Adding Deepika Padukone as the heroine and John Abraham as the antagonist further gave a fillip to the aura surrounding the film. This time King Khan decided to release the film in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu as well, keeping in tune with the current Pan-India appeal of South films.

Shah Rukh Khan had in these four years of break probably been doing some introspection about his future and taken a lot of care for his comeback film. The film industry during this period witnessed a lot of unforeseeable changes as the star system seemed to be fading out and content became king. The pandemic changed the landscape, scenario and viewing of films by the public. No one wanted to step out unless the film was offering something different and spectacular. Many big-budget films had become abysmal flops and OTT shows and platforms became the preferred mode of entertainment. 

The #BoycottBollywood trend had caused quite a setback for the image of the industry and the stars. The accusations of nepotism and favoritism by big production houses and camps hit the limelight and finally the tsunami of stupendous hits from our own South film industries had started making Bollywood look jaded compared to the haloed status it had been enjoying previously.

On the personal front, Shah Rukh had undergone a trying time when his son was arrested on a false drug charge and the investigation took its time. During this entire harrowing period, the star maintained a stoic demeanor and a dignified silence till the truth came to light and his son was acquitted. The haters were silenced and his fan base and support from the general public increased further.

In this scenario, Pathaan was not just going to be merely a comeback film for Shah Rukh Khan, it would also be a test for the values the star had always stood for, and his views on religious harmony in the industry and how much support he would get. He knew that his advantage of being an outsider who carved his destiny on his own merit and won the love and adulation of the people would work in his favour. He had always endeared himself to fans and media people during all his interactions and his witty and honest answers are a pleasure to watch and read.

Unknowingly, destiny favoured him when the first song from the film ‘Besharam Rang…’ was released. This song and its picturization sparked such a heated debate that it took the internet by storm and gave the film the kind of publicity which even the makers would not have envisioned. The hate-mongers of Bollywood and politically motivated elements of the society tried every trick in the book to fuel religious animosity by creating a ruckus over the colour of Deepika’s bikini and Shah Rukh’s shirt and the scintillating yet provocative choreography.  There were threats to shut down cinema halls in some cities if the people involved refused to toe the line.

But this time their move backfired and the brouhaha surrounding the song which included positive and negative comments ensured that every single person, even those with little or no interest in films not only ended up seeing the song but also decided to watch the film come what may. The hook steps of both the songs of Pathaan had millions of fans dancing to the song in different languages and from different parts of the world. The publicity from all this started turning the tide and people now wanted to see the film just to show their support for the star.

As of today, the producer, director and the actors are enjoying their moment of glory. Trade pundits are busy declaring that Bollywood has returned with a bang and the audience is happy to get a blockbuster film after ages. One thing is clear-It is not going to be easy for any film to emulate the success of Pathaan in a long time to come…

Pathaan is a colossal success at the box-office and Shah Rukh Khan has managed to bring back the audience in a big way. In defiance to the system which was curbing creative expression, perhaps inadvertently Pathaan ceased to be just a film and became a movement… a movement which ended up driving hordes of people to the cinema halls and turn the film into a spectacular success!

Bollywood 2022: The year at a glance…

By

Sharada Iyer

As another year gets folded in the annals of cinematic history, here is a brief write-up of the good and the bad that characterized the year…

Looking back, 2022 was not a great year for Bollywood in terms of content as well as box-office hits. Over-publicized big-budget films turned out to be box-office duds and put a question mark against the pull and charm of the so-called superstars of the industry who could not even muster up a decent first weekend collection. The message is loud and clear: without a strong script, the audience is not going to be fooled by just a star name.

The year will be remembered primarily for the tough competition from the Hindi dubbed films of Telugu, Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam industry, which created a big dent in the Bollywood’s collection. These superb Pan-India films from South hit Bollywood like a tsunami and engulfed the entire nation with their new ideas and novel ways of story-telling. RRR, Kantara, Pushpa, Karthikeya 2, KGF 2, 777 Charlie, Vikram, Major, Vikrant Rona, Ponniyin Selvan and Sita Ramam, were some of the films that turned out to be big blockbusters. By combining stories rooted in our culture with awesome visual effects they gave us cinema which was appealing and entertaining.

Further competition continued from the content on OTT platforms available in English, Hindi, and regional languages. As they are offering a lot of variety to choose from in terms of subject and treatment, people are not willing to step into cinema halls unless something different and spectacular is being promised. The craze for the first weekend rush is taking a backseat and people do not mind waiting for a few weeks to watch the same at their leisure. Moreover, several good films are nowadays getting released directly on OTT platforms and that has also altered the film’s collections.

Despite all these aspects, some films left their mark and made the year memorable.

Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali came up with the brilliant and heart-rending real-life story of Mumbai’s prostitute Gangubai Kathiawadi, which touched a chord in every viewer’s heart. The spectacular vision of director S S Rajamouli once again made cinema viewing an unforgettable experience and his mind-blowing RRR left the viewers spellbound. Kantara brought to screen a remarkable tale from the village of coastal Karnataka with emphasis on folklore and human vs nature conflict and swept the nation in its wake.

Badhaai Do was a thought-provoking take on the LGBTQ+ community and told a unique tale of a lesbian sports instructor and a gay cop who enter into a marriage of convenience to escape the pressures of society. In Drishyam 2, director Abhishek Pathak kept up the thrill and suspense of the first part and though it was a remake of the superhit Malayalam original, acting by the brilliant cast was a big plus point. Directed by Nagraj Manjule, Jhund was an inspirational sports-drama based on the heart-warming journey of a real-life school teacher who gets a football team ready by training talented slum kids.

Rocketry-The Nambi Effect was a touching tale based on the life of ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan. The film was written, produced, and directed by R Madhavan who also played the protagonist. Shabash Mithu also deserves a mention for bringing to life the difficult journey of Mithali Raj-one of our greatest names in women’s cricket who captained India from 2004-2022.

The year stood out for many thriller films and this genre seems to be gaining a lot of popularity as we had several films and web-series based on crime drama. Films like Monica O My Darling, Jalsa, Darlings, Blurr, Dobaara, Govinda Naam Mera, Freddy, Forensic, Hit: The First Case, Good Luck Jerry, Chup: Revenge of An Artist and web series like Criminal Justice 2, Delhi Crime 2, Mai, Fame Game and Mithya proved to be a refreshing change and all were enjoyable.

It was a good year for the female actors with many of them stepping out of their comfort zone and taking on a variety of roles.

Alia Bhatt cemented her position further with two incredible performances. Donning the role of a sex-worker in Gangubai Kathiawadi, she lived the role of the real-life prostitute on whose life the film was based. She followed it up with a very convincing act of an abusive wife in Darlings. With this film she also turned producer launching her own production company Sunshine films. Though it was small role, she also starred in the year’s two big blockbusters- Brahmastra Part 1: Shiva and RRR though the latter had her in a small role only.

The ever-dependable Shefali Shah had a brilliant year with top-class performances in the films Jalsa, Darlings and Doctor G as well as the two web-series- Delhi Crime 2 and Human. Vidya Balan came up with a scintillating act in Jalsa, Neena Gupta also had a great year with memorable roles in Uunchai opposite Boman Irani, Goodbye opposite Amitabh Bachchan, Vadh opposite Sanjay Mishra and was superb in the 2 web-series- Panchayat 2 and Masaba 2.

Taapsee Pannu had five releases and continued her success story by trying out a variety of roles. She was superb in the crime thrillers Blurr and Do Baaraa, as well as the biopic Shabash Mithu where she essayed the role of the Indian Cricket Captain Mithali Raj. Her outing in the time travel film Loop Lapeta was fun to watch but in Tadka she had a small role and somebody else had dubbed for her but her pairing with Ali Fazal was good.

Huma Qureshi who is becoming better with every film delighted the audience with her sensuous presence in Monica O My Darling. She was excellent in the thriller web-series Mithya, and as the lady politician in the web-series Maharani 2, and was seen in a light-hearted role in Double XL which is a take on the lives of girls who are overweight and undergo body-shaming. She also had a lovely song picturized on her in Gangubai Kathiawadi.

Tabu is indeed an actress nonpareil, and she proved it with her towering presence in Drishyam 2 and an interesting double role in Bhool Bhulaiya 2. The surprise packet of the year was the super talented Sakshi Tanwar stepping out of her usual goody-goody characters and donning the role of the avenging mother in the nail-biting web-series Mai.

Other actresses who deserve a mention are Nimrat Kaur as the illiterate politician in Dasvi, Bhumi Pedenekar as the closeted lesbian in Badhaai Do, Kiara Advani in Govinda Naam Mera and Radhika Apte in the two crime thrillers Forensic and Monica O My Darling. Yami Gautam was also good in her roles in Dasvi and A Thursday. Madhuri Dixit could not have asked for a better OTT debut than the intriguing web-series The Fame Game, and she was wonderful.

Two beautiful and talented actresses from North-East made their presence felt with their acting and yet not much was written about them. 21-year-old Andrea Kevichusa from Nagaland made her debut in Anek opposite Ayushmann Khurrana and Chum Darang from Arunachal Pradesh acted as Bhumi’s lesbian partner in Badhaai Do. Youngsters who deserved a word of appreciation were Tripti Dimri in Qala, Jahnvi Kapoor in Good Luck Jerry, Alaya F in Freddy and debutante Avantika Dassani in the web-series Mithya.

Among the heroes, Akshay Kumar delivered five flops in a row creating a record of sorts-Prithviraj Chauhan, Bachchan Pandey, Raksha Bandhan, Ram Setu and Cuttputli. Today the term superstar is being used very lightly for anyone who gives one hit per year and incidentally the current self-proclaimed superstar Ranveer Singh ended up giving us two of the worst films this year- Jayeshbai Jordaar and Cirkus. He has concentrated more on endorsing several brands and being part of energetic promotional events.

Aamir Khan spent many years getting the rights of Forrest Gump and toiled hard in making Lal Singh Chaddha but the audience was not in a mood to watch the saga and it became a total disaster. Salman Khan had a poor outing with a cameo in the Chiranjeevi starrer Godfather and Shah Rukh Khan had a cameo in a few films of which his performance in Brahmastra won him appreciation. Ranbir Kapoor was terrible in Shamshera and though his Brahmastra was a hit, there were many factors which went into getting those numbers and he was certainly not the primary reason. Ayushmann Khurrana came up with average films like Anek, Doctor G and An Action Hero. Varun Dhawan was good in Bhediya but annoying in Jugjugg Jiyo. The duo of Saif Ali Khan and Hrithik could not recreate the magic of their counterparts Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathy in the Hindi remake of Vikram Vedha and the film fell short of the Tamil original.

The older guard on the other hand fared much better. Amitabh Bachchan had five releases this year and he was brilliant in all of them – Uncchai, Jhund, Runway 34, Goodbye and Brahmastra and a cameo in Chup: The Revenge of an Artist. Each film had him playing a different character and his zest for experimenting with new characters continues unabated. Anupam Kher had a good outing with The Kashmir Files, Uunchai and Karthikeya 2, and Anil Kapoor was in full form in Jug Jug Jiyo. Abhishek Bachchan was appreciated in Dasvi and Pankaj Tripathi gave winning performances in the film Sherdil-The Pilbhit Saga and the web-series Criminal Justice Season 2.

Ajay Devgn delivered a super-hit in Drishyam 2 and was appreciated for his small but important roles in RRR and Gangubai Kathiawadi. His directorial venture Runway 34 was also good. Raj Kummar Rao fared well with Badahaai Do and the crime thriller Monica O My Darling. Karthik Aryan was brilliant in Freddy and Jim Sarbh was good in Gangubai Kathiawadi and the web-series Rocket Boys. Vijay Verma was the surprise packet of the year with his superb act in Darlings. It was a pleasure watching Akshaye Khanna’s polished act in Drishyam 2.

Film songs which had been such an integral part of Hindi cinema have over the last few years taken a complete backseat and songs are incorporated only as dance numbers to create a buzz before the release of the film. Look at what the makers of Pathan have done. Publicity negative or positive will keep the audience in the loop and the first released song from the film which created quite a stir has received record-breaking viewership hits on YouTube.

There were rare films like Gangubai Kathiawadi and Brahmastra where all songs were melodious and picturized well. Our Southern industries are still giving a lot of importance to music and songs and their picturization as could be seen from RRR, Kantara, Ponniyin Selvan I, Pushpa and Sita Ramam. This is one area which really needs attention, if we don’t want to lose out on our distinct identity.

Here are a few of my favourite songs from 2022:

‘Jab Saiyaan…’ from Gangubai Kathiawadi

‘Kesariya tera…’ from Brahmastra

‘Varaha roopam…’ from Kantara

‘Naacho Naacho…’ from RRR

‘Yeh Ek Zindagi…’ from Monica O My Darling

‘Waqt ke jungle…’ from Do Baaraa

‘Hindustan Meri Jaan…’ from Shabash Mithu

2023 beckons us with lots of hopes and expectations for the film industry. The past year had many learnings for Bollywood but how much would be put into action remains to be seen. Will we continue to pander to the star system or will the actors playing strong characters take charge? Will the big names continue to fight for the festival weekends or will they have the guts to take on the industry with just their talent? Will the regional films continue their pull and give Bollywood a fight? Will Hindi cinema also give supreme importance to script and story or just continue with their run of sequels, remakes and biopics? Let us wait and watch…

2012-2022: A decade gone by since Rajesh Khanna left us…

By

Sharada Iyer

Today is Rajesh Khanna’s 80^th birth anniversary…

How time flies! It is indeed difficult to imagine that it is already 10 years since our beloved superstar left us. The memory of his charming face and that magical smile which made him endearing to his fans remains etched in the memory of cine-goers and his record of giving 15 super-hits in a row continues to remain unbroken till date.

It is now part of cinematic history that just like he had no control over his meteoric rise to dizzying heights of stardom, he had no control over the even bigger fall he witnessed after the rise. The language of film-making changed, the audience taste and expectations changed, romance gave way to action, newer stars arrived, new ways of story-telling and music came to the fore. Perhaps a combination of all these factors led to a major shift and Rajesh Khanna was caught off-guard. He was putting in the same effort and his acting was the same but now people did not flock to see his films.

Just like his films from 1969-1979 proved to be significant for him, the eighties also formed a very important phase in his career. This blog-post examines some of his films, the good and the bad, released during this decade from 1980-1989. The stories of most of the films released during this decade, barring a few, revolved around rape- revenge sagas, fight against corrupt evil-mongers, extra-marital affairs and misunderstandings, stories with emotion and melodrama and a few action films.

Of the 70-odd films that released in the eighties, Rajesh Khanna came up with memorable performances in films like Avtaar and Thodi Si Bewafaai with Shabana Azmi, Amrit and Aakhir Kyon with Smita Patil, Agar Tum Na Hote with Rekha, Dhanwan with Reena Roy, Dard with Hema Malini and Poonam Dhillon, Souten with Tina Munim and Padmini Kolhapure, Awaaz with Jaya Prada and Dharam Aur Kanoon with Asha Parekh and Jaya Prada.

He tried a variety of roles- an egoistic husband, a serial killer, a psychiatrist, a corrupt lawyer, a village simpleton, a judge, an arrogant playboy, a thakur, an inspector, a thief, a smuggler, a dacoit, etc. He was even seen as a college student, a father, and a grandfather as well. It was not that his acting was not good, but somehow, he had lost the ‘Midas touch’, his fans had moved on and Rajesh Khanna was no longer the blue-eyed boy of the box-office.

Looking at his repertoire, one could see that he tried to portray different characters in these films and that included some not-so-likeable characters also. For instance, he started the decade by playing a serial killer in Red Rose and his heroine was the young Poonam Dhillon. Looking at the audience taste today one could say that perhaps the film was ahead of its time. Today a mainstream top actor is accepted in any kind of role but in 1980, it was a great risk on the part of Rajesh Khanna who was known for his romantic image to have played the role. The film remade from the south super-hit Sigappu Rojakkal did not do for Khanna’s career what the Tamil one did for its hero Kamal Hassan.

He also starred in a horror film Phir Wohi Raat, where he plays a psychiatric doctor. The film was directed by his friend and co-star Danny Denzongpa and had a young actress Kim as his heroine. Bandish had him and Hema Malini playing college students and that just did not go down well with the audience and the first half an hour of eve-teasing and other pranks by Khanna made his character quite annoying. In Aanchal, despite the presence of actors like Rekha, Raakhee, Amol Palekar and Prem Chopra, the film suffered owing to the regressive storyline. The story centered around the misunderstanding created by the suspicion of Khanna carrying on an illicit affair with his sister-in-law Raakhee unknown to Raakhee’s husband Amol Palekar. The story seemed straight to have been taken from the late 50s or early 60s.

One of the major aspects of this decade which became a big challenge for him was the absence of heroines with whom he had created a hit-pair during his hey-days. After Mumtaz quit the industry post her marriage and with no films opposite Sharmila Tagore also, he lost two of his best heroines with whom his on-screen chemistry had been magical. Actresses like Hema Malini, Zeenat Aman and Rekha from the seventies were there but his films opposite them in the eighties lacked the special ‘X-factor’.

In the eighties, he had to team up with many new heroines like Sridevi, Jaya Prada, Padmini Kolhapure and Poonam Dhillon all of whom were a good 20 years younger to him. Heroines like Zahira, Priya Rajvansh, Kim, Preeti Sapru, Smita Patil, Tina Munim, Reena Roy, Meenakshi Seshadri, Salma Agha, etc. were all almost 12-15 years younger to him and his pairing with these young girls did not do him much good. The only actress with whom he made a great pair was Shabana Azmi, and together they gave some memorable films which brought out the best in terms of their performances and their chemistry.

He also starred in several two-hero projects and multi-starrers where his other heroes included Jeetendra, Dharmendra, Vinod Mehra, Rakesh Roshan, Rishi Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha, Vinod Khanna, Mithun Chakraborty, Raj Kumar, etc. It was also nice to see that many of his usual group of character artistes like Prem Chopra, Sujit Kumar, Om Shivpuri, Roopesh Kumar, Ranjeet, Asrani, A K Hangal, Danny Denzongpa and Satyen Kappu continued to work with him bringing to these films their special touch and ardor.

Undoubtedly director Mohan Kumar’s Avtaar opposite Shabana Azmi could easily rank amongst his top 3 career-best performances. As the old man who loses his hand and is also betrayed by his own sons, Rajesh Khanna was brilliant. The film was a super-hit and loved by everyone and even today it can be watched any number of times for the emotional connect of the story and for the performances of Rajesh Khanna and Shabana Azmi.

Thodi Si Bewafaai was another life-saver for Rajesh Khanna. Not only was the film different in its treatment about divorce, the role had a quiet dignity that suited Rajesh Khanna’s age and maturity and he was excellent. Plus, his pairing with Shabana Azmi was exceptional. These two actors always shared an intellectual chemistry when it came to their on-screen performances and the film was big hit.

Kudrat was a re-incarnation thriller with a murder woven into the storyline. Rajesh Khanna got together with Raj Kumar and it was great watching the two together after Maryada (1971). The film also had Hema Malini, Vinod Khanna, Priya Rajvansh and Aruna Irani in the cast. He plays a lawyer and the last 45 minutes of the film had exciting courtroom drama which was engaging to watch.

Dard released in 1981 saw him in a double role and it was a remake of Suchitra Sen’s 1960 film Mamta, but instead of the heroine playing the double role of mother and daughter, this time the hero Rajesh Khanna got to play both the father and the son. The film did well and he was superb in the older role.

Dhanwan had him play the rich arrogant playboy who is miffed when the heroine Reena Roy is not impressed with his money and position and does not take kindly to his advances. She prefers the simpleton Rakesh Roshan which leaves Rajesh Khanna very jealous. Circumstances make him lose his eyesight. He then realizes his mistakes and becomes a better person.

In Amrit, he essays the role of a grandfather who shares a lovable bond with his grandson but is ill-treated at home by his son. He ends up striking a unique friendship with Smita Patil whom he meets in the park where they both bring their grandchildren to watch over them when they play. The situation in her house and her plight at the hands of her son is similar to that of Rajesh Khanna and they understand each other’s pain.

Awaaz had him in the unique role of a lawyer who defends all criminals and is friends with the crime lords which include Amrish Puri, Prem Chopra, Madan Puri, and Sudhir. While his close friend Suresh Oberoi who is an inspector keeps warning him that he was not happy with Khanna’s way of working, and even gets killed for his honesty, the hard truth hits Khanna only after his own wife (Jaya Prada) and sister (Supriya Pathak) fall prey to the criminals. He then embarks on a journey of revenge and murder.

Dharam Aur Kanoon had a huge star cast- Rajesh Khanna in a double role as father and son, Asha Parekh, Dharmendra, Jaya Prada, Danny Denzongpa, Iftekhar, Vinod Mehra, Mazhar Khan, Om Shivpuri and Dheeraj Kumar. In the father role Khanna is a judge and does not like his son who he feels is a waster. The film was entertaining and the camaraderie between him and Dharmendra was superb and his pairing with Asha Parekh was also fine.

In Souten though he was cast opposite two very young actresses Tina and Padmini Kolhapure, the film turned out to be a blockbuster owing to its taut screenplay, intelligent direction, good performances, and excellent music. Aakhir Kyon was passable and had Khanna in a side role of a true friend of Smita Patil, while Rakesh Roshan plays her Casanova husband who cheats on her by sleeping with Tina Munim. Agar Tum Na Hote had him in the role of a widower with a child and this mature role suited him a lot. Rekha who comes to work as the child’s governess has a face resembling Khanna’s dead wife and the plot thereafter was interesting.

While these films were good, many of his other films did not have good scripts and some had such weird plots. Take for instance Nazrana where he had three heroines opposite him- Smita Patil plays his wife, Sridevi is their maid’s daughter and Preeti Sapru is a model who works for him. Sridevi stays in a slum and to stay safe from the goons of her locality, she rubs mud on her face to look dark and unattractive (preposterous idea). As luck would have it, one rainy night, when Smita Patil is not at home, Sridevi decides to dance in the rain and lo and behold the mud comes off her skin and Rajesh Khanna cannot take his eyes off her and no prizes for guessing where they end up! In 1983, Preeti Sapru had acted as Khanna’s daughter-in-law in Avtaar and four years later her pairing as a lover opposite Khanna did not look appealing.

In Dil-e-Nadaan, he and Shatrughan Sinha are like brothers as he has been adopted by Shatru’s family. He also has a girlfriend Jaya Prada and a secretary Smita Patil. As usual one rainy night, in a drunken and lonely state, he ends up sleeping with Smita Patil but requests her to keep it a secret from Jaya Prada. Unfortunately, the latter comes to know and breaks off with Khanna without telling him that she knows about his shenanigan. Shatrughan now falls for Jaya Prada and complications follow without any meaning.

Rajesh Khanna gave yet another forgettable film in Oonche Log where he teamed up with Salma Agha and Preeti Sapru. He is adopted as a kid by a Thakur played by Pradeep Kumar but years later, we see that after the Thakur’s death, his brother Prem Chopra and his son Danny Denzongpa ill-treat him, make him live in their stables, and whip him brutally when they discover he loves the Thakur’s daughter Salma Agha. The script, songs, direction-everything was bad about the film and no performance stood out.

Indrani Mukherjee, the heroine of his first film Aakhri Khat played his mother in the film Fiffty-Fiffty. In the double role of the father and the son in Dard and Dharam aur Kanoon, he was paired opposite Hema Malini and Asha Parekh respectively. While the older Rajesh Khanna looked great as their husband in the films, the young Rajesh Khanna could just not pass off as the son to these actresses and addressing them ‘ma’ looked weird. His heroine of Daag Raakhee, played his elder sister-in-law (brother Amol Palekar’s wife) in Aanchal.

Fiffty-Fiffty saw him team up with Tina Munim for the first time and the light-hearted entertainer where both play con artists, was passable. Ashanti had him in the role of an inspector, who is wrongly accused of a crime and he takes the help of three women – Zeenat Aman, Parveen Babi and Shabana Azmi to seek revenge.

Awara Baap had a terrible storyline and this time he teamed up with Meenakshi Sheshadri in a double role and the film tanked miserably at the box-office. Films like Paapi Pet Ka Sawaal and Naya Kadam also did not do much for his career. In the film Adhikar he does not want his wife Tina Munim to pursue a career in singing and the scene where he drags her roughly out of the recording studio and throws her on the floor and slaps her was not appealing to watch.

In Asha Jyothi he starred opposite Rekha and Reena Roy and both the heroines fall in love with him. But the melodramatic story was quite painful to watch and, in the end, both the women sacrifice their lives for each other and the tragic turn of the plot made no sense. Films like Masterji, Maqsad and Naya Kadam opposite Sridevi and Jaya Prada are best forgotten.

The eighties in a nutshell did not really boost his career much but he continued to work in many films. In the initial years of his career, whatever he touched turned to gold, but in later years the lost glory never returned. The song ‘Yaaron utho chalo bhaago daudo marne se pehle jeena na chodo yaaron…’ from his film Avtaar fits him aptly as he did not bow down or spend time reminiscing of the days gone. He took both these phases of his career in his stride with dignity and gave his best in whatever way he could to all the projects.

He was fortunate to have enjoyed his short-lived but unprecedented superstardom when the industry was still in what is attributed to have been the ‘golden era of Hindi cinema’. To describe his success, the media coined a new term ‘superstar’ for him for the first time and he will always be remembered as the original one! He retained his charisma and aura till the end.

We will always miss you dear Kaka…