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 sur 
Joined: November 2006
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 Tilak Rishi And His Writing.
Tilak ji is great writer and I am really grateful to him for authorizing me to re-posts all his writing as I am trying to compile and create a journal on Tilak ji.
On 1/15/07, Tilak Rishi wrote: Thanks for your email. While giving permission to re-post my article I wish you a very happy and prosperous year 2007. Regards, Tilak Rishi About the writer.Born in Lahore (India/Pakistan), I am now residing in San Francisco Bay Area, USA. After taking degrees in Law and MBA, I worked as a corporate executive with various companies, including Godrej. Passionately pursuing my hobby of writing, I also remained a regular contributor to newspapers and periodicals in India and the U.S. Many true happenings and characters I came across in life, including interaction with former US President Bill Clinton, inspired my first novel, Paradise Lost and Found, published in the US. A family saga, it starts from Kashmir, when this paradise on earth is almost lost for the tourists because of influx of terrorists from across the border. The family is not only a witness to the loss of this paradise, but also to another tragedy of much bigger magnitude. In the aftermath of the partition of India, along with millions uprooted from their home in Pakistan, the family leaves behind all that it has in Lahore. Starting from a scratch on the difficult path to progress, the family still has many joyful moments when along the way it makes a difference in many a life. The survival to success story climaxes in California, USA, where the family finds the paradise that was lost in Kashmir
Last edited by sur on 17 Nov 2008 00:57; edited 3 times in total
____________ "I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.
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#1 26 Jan 2007 01:52
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| Thanks for the useful Topic sur : |
| gumshuda (26 January), |
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sur
Joined: November 2006
Posts: 10620
Location: Virginia
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Re: Tilak Rishi And His Writing.
Memorable pairs of Bollywood Onscreen chemistry of co-stars creates a professional bond and produces an under current of romantic comaraderie. This is achieved when the players pour their hearts into the roles while doing a romantic scene. When the artistic aspect overtakes clinical professionalism of the actors, the magic of the moment is applauded by the audiences. Bollywood celebrates another blockbuster and also birth of another popular pair. Ashok Kumar-Devika Rani: They, perhaps, made the earliest most popular pair of Hindi cinema. Jeevan Nayya (1936) was their first film together but it was Achhut Kanya (1936), which capitulated the two into big time fame. This was followed by Janmabhoomi (1936), Izzat (1937), Savitri (1937) and Anjaan (1941). There is an amusing story to their starring together for their first film. As a young assistant to Bengali filmmaker Himanshu Rai, Ashok Kumar got his start in acting by accident when he volunteered to substitute for the lead actor of Jeevan Nayya, who fell ill before production was to start. He was terrified to act in the first place opposite lead actress Devika Rani ( also her boss as founder of Bombay Talkies), known as the dragon lady for her smoking, drinking, cursing and hot temper. However, on release of the film they were declared pair of the decade and continued to work in more films, all hits of the time. Ashok Kumar continued to achieve great heights in his career, while Devika Rani, with her outstanding portrayals, classic outlook and distinct style of acting, was declared the First Lady of Indian cinema. Ashok Kumar, the 'ever green hero' as he was called, had great innings in the 40s, pairing with Leela Chitnis in Bombay Talkies films (Kangan, Azaad, Bandhan, Jhoola etc.) and in the 50s with Nirupa Roy in over 30 movies (Aabroo, Aanchal, Aap Beeti, Anurodh, Bhai Bhai, Chand Aur Sooraj, Dharamputra, Grihasti, Gumrah etc.). Prem Adib- Shobhana Samarth: Starred as Ram and Sita in Vijay Bhatt's famous classic, Ram Rajya (1943), the pair's performance was so evocative that they became the eternal Ram and Sita in the audience's minds. In fact, people felt they were no actors enacting the Ramayana characters, but real Ram and Sita had incarnated to act in the movie. They were literally worshipped wherever they went together to promote the film, which was a huge hit. People even had their posters and pictures installed in their homes. Undoubtedly, they would have been flooded with offers to work together in many more movies, especially mythologicals, but it did not happen. Shobhana Samarth, the most unconventional actress of her time, was not available as she got deeply involved in relationship with her co-star of many films and the famous actor, Motilal. Incidentally, Shobhana Samarth was the mother of Bollywood's leading ladies, Nutan and Tanuja, and grand mother of Kajol, Tanisha and Mahnish Behl. K. L. Saigal - Khurshid: He was the Tansen and she was his Tani, together they created wonders with their magic of melodies. He made the audiences give him standing ovation for 'Diya jalao' and she drenched them with the ultra delight of 'Barso re'. With their most powerful portrayal of India's greatest musician and his beloved, Saigal and Khurshid immortalized the romance of Tansen and Tani in the palace of the Mughal Emperor Akbar, and in turn made a name for themselves as the greatest singing duo of Hindi cinema. Earlier too, they had proved as the 'made for each other' pair in Bhakt Surdas, the big musical hit on the life of the blind poet. Saigal's soul-stirring rendering of the poet's 'Madhukar Shyam Hamare Chor' could have been matched only in the melodious voice of Khurshid 'Panchi Bawra Chand Se Preet Lagaye'. It is a pity that the best singing pair ever could not be repeated, with Saigal passing away in 1947 and Khurshid migrating to Pakistan the same year. Surendra - Noorjehan: It was the era of singing stars. Surendra, brought by Mehboob in the Thirtees as Bombay's counter- strategy to Calcutta's reigning singer Saigal, was already the most sought after singing star of Bollywood. Noorjehan, the queen of melody, had cast a spell in the country with her melodious voice and hit songs. What more was needed to make a big musical hit than to bring the two together. The ace director Mehboob Khan and the mastreo Naushad Ali did exactly the same to produce one of the greatest musicals of all times, Anmol Ghadi (1946), with Surendra and Noorjehan as the lead pair. The two singing stars had already given a huge hit, Lal Haveli (1944), and though not a great musical, the film proved their potential as a popular pair. Anmol Ghadi put them on the pedestal of great acheivers, the most popular singing pair. The film was unique for the fact that the lovers did not come face to face till towards the end, and yet were able to express their deep emotions of love throughout with their melodious voice, especially, singing from long distance the all time greatest duet, 'Awaz De Kahan Hei'. Like Saigal and Khurshid, the singing combo of Surendra and Noorjehan also could not continue, with Noorjehan opting for Pakistan. Trilok Kapoor - Nirupa Roy: The pair became famous playing Shiv and Parvati in mythologicals. The super hit Har Har Mahadev (1950) made them immensely popular. So over powering was their pious screen image of Shiv Parvati that people would fall on their feet and pray for their blessings. After the astounding success of the film, mythologicals became the formula for movies with Trilok Kapoor playing Shiv to Nirupa Roy's Parvati in most of the movies. They made the most famous pair of mythologicals of early 50s, working together in 18 films, some of them great hits. The onscreen Shiv Parvati pair was broken when Nirupa Roy moved on to social movies after her highly acclaimed performance in Bimal Roy's classic Do Bigha Zamin. Raj Kapoor - Nargis: He was the greatest showman known to Indian films, she was the greatest of all times, together they made a pair that had chemistry hitherto unseen on Indian screen. Whenever they came together on screen, sparks flew. Their chemistry was electrifying. The passion that each had for the other poured out on the screen as they performed in several films, many of them super hits (Aag, Andaz, Barsaat, Awaara, Anhonee Shree 420, Chori Chori etc). The raw passion between them in Barsaat drove audiences wild. The song 'Pyar Hua Ikrar Hua' from Shree 420 (1955) with Nargis and Raj Kapoor under the umbrella in heavy rain was romance at its heights. The most popular romantic team in history of Bollywood played it cool for nearly eight years before they split up - Nargis leaving him to marry Sunil Dutt. Chori Chori (1956), a breezy entertainer, being their last film together, although she appeared for old time's sake in the last scene of Raj Kapoor's classic Jagte Raho. Dev Anand - Suraiya: The pair became famous for their off-screen romance rather than on-screen. Suraiya met Dev Anand during the shooting of Vidya. She was then an established singing star and he, a raw new comer, but she found him 'cultured and handsome'. It was during the shooting of a song their boat capsized and Dev Anand saved Suraiya from drowning. Suraiya fell in love with her reel and real life hero. Their films together may not have been great hits except Vidya (1948), Jeet (1949) and Afsar (1949), but they had no regrets as their love flourished and their love story was the talk of the nation. The lore has it that Dev Anad proposed to her at the Taj Mahal, putting a diamond ring to her finger. But hell broke loose at her home as her grandmother discovered the ring and threw it into the sea. Her grandmother and uncle threatened to get Dev Anand arrested or killed, and brainwashed Suraiya to believe that if she married Dev Anand, Hindu Muslim riots would breakout. Fearing for Dev's safety, she took the decision to drop out from the relationship. The episode sealed their fate to work together again. Dilip Kumar - Madhubala: She was the icon of Hindi films and he the king of tragedies. When the two starred together for the first time in Tarana (1951), their pairing on and off screen went on to become the most legendary love affair of Indian cinema. It was an affair of melodramatic proportions, worthy of the best of Bollywood scripts. Their stormy relationship lasted about eight years, though the pair continued to pine for each other even after their tragic break-up in 1957, involving a courtroom drama in which Dilip Kumar, standing in the witness box, declared, "I love this woman and shall love her till my dying day." K. Asif's epic, Moghal-E-Azam (1960), their last movie together, took incredible 10 years to complete from the year 1950 to 1960. By the end of the filming, the pair had already gone through their break-up, as if their real life romance was imitating their reel life tragedy. The only difference being the reversal of role of the father - in real life drama it was Madhubala's father, who ruled her every move with an iron hand, that did not let the lovers unite at the end. Inspite of all the emotional upheavel in the pair's lives, their acting excellence made Mughal-E-Azam an all time unsurpassed epic of love story. Guru Dutt - Wahida Rehman: He was sensitive, poetic, magical and above all a genius. She was the embodiment of classic beauty with a truly transcedental appeal. Guru Dutt had discovered Waheeda Rehman and had made her his muse as they starred in a string of movies - Pyaasa (1957), Kagaz Ke Phool (1959), Kala Bazar (1960), Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960) and Sahib Biwi Ghulam (1962). The onscreen lovers were involved in one of Bollywood's great real life love tragedies. Dutt was married and the affair faltered, ending with Waheeda Rehman moving on to establish her own identity outside his world. This hurt Dutt and he lamented, as in Pyaasa, the inability of a prosecuting world to understand the purity of soul. In the Sahir Ludhianvi gem, 'Yeh dunia agar mil bhi jaye to kya hei', Dutt felt as if at a crucification. An air of loss and mystery continues to shroud Guru Dutt's premature death in 1964 from an overdose of sleeping pills. Dharmendra - Hema Malini: He is known as 'Garam Dharam' and she as 'Dream Girl', together they were the most sought after pair of Hindi films in the 70s, teamed in 40 films, at least half of them hits. Working as the hit pair of Shole (1975), the biggest Bollywood blockbuster ever, they became close friends, then lovers and eventually married couple in 1980. During their days of romance, onscreen and off-sets, the gossip columns of film magazines were full of juicy stories how Dharmendra did not let any other hero come near Hema outside the studio walls and he even agressively prevented Hema's other two admirers, Jeetendra and Sanjeev Kumar, from proposing to her. All these rumours were laid to rest recently by Hema herself when she admitted on Karan Johar's popular TV show, 'Coffee with Karan', that it was she who was determined to marry Dharmendra and not the vis-a-versa: "When did you first feel that Dharamji is the man you would want to spend your life with?" shots Karan as he probes Hema Malini to spill the beans about her love story with Dharmendra. Hema admits that she fell for Dharmendra's looks when she first set her eyes on him, "He was the most handsome man I had ever seen. Thats when I said to myself that I would want to be with a man like him", said an embarrassed Hema. Amitabh Bachchan - Jaya Bachchan (Bhaduri): He is the super star of the millennium (BBC onlines poll) and icon of the Indian cinema, and she is the 'woman' behind the successful 'man'. He was still a struggling insecure newcomer in Bollywood carrying the burden of many flops, and she an instant hit as the filmstar-crazy teen tornado of Guddi (1971). On the sets of Ek Nazar (1972) the couple realized that they were in love with each other. Their real life situation was very much similar to their roles in Hrishikesh Mukherji's Abhiman (1973). Jaya had drawn rave reviews for her performance as the talented singer-wife of an insecure crooner and won the Filmfare award. The same year saw the release of Zanjeer, whose immense success changed their lives forever. Playing the angry young man of Zanjeer transformed Amitabh into a mega star. There was no 'Abhiman' (false pride) between them now, both scaling the heights of stardom together. They thought they could now afford to get married and on June 2, 1973, Amitabh, son of the famous Hindi poet Harivansh Bachchan brought home as bride, Jaya, daughter of the noted author-journalist Taroon Kumar. They became the most revered and admired Bollywood couple. On other occasions stars have fallen in love with each other while working together - Rishi Kapoor/Neetu Singh, Ajay Devgun/Kajol, John Abraham/Bipash Basu, but this did not make them popular pairs at the the box-office. Producers, rushing to cast real-life lovers in their movies, had to pay a heavy price. As part of the pre-release promotion of Kyun! Ho Gaya Na and Fida, both the movies focussed on the fact that two celebrity couples, Vivek Oberoi - Aishwarya Rai and Shahid Kapoor - Kareena Kapoor would be seen together for the first time, but the films failed, as the stars could not translate their real life love on screen chemistry. On the ther hand there are stars who showed great onscreen chemistry like Rishi Kapoor- Dimple Kapadia in Bobby, Rajesh Khanna-Sharmila Kapoor in Aradhna and many other movies, Shahrukh Khan-Kajol in all their films, but still they are not considered as great couples who can draw audiences just being together in a movie. In this era of multi-star movies, pairs like Ashok Kumar-Devika Rani. Raj Kapoor-Nargis, Dilip Kumar-Madhubala, who created magic on screen, are history, at least till a pair of their stature emerges from the new breed of Bollywood stars. Tilak Rishi
Last edited by sur on 27 Jan 2007 00:54; edited 2 times in total
____________ "I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.
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#2 26 Jan 2007 01:54
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sur
Joined: November 2006
Posts: 10620
Location: Virginia
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Re: Tilak Rishi And His Writing.
Down memory lane Indiatimes Movies reports that the director of "Chocolate" adds on the deleted smooch scenes in the movie, succumbing to popular pressure (read distributors and actors). Reading the report I recollected the golden era of great movies when Dilip Kumar would be seen playing an antique piano while wooing his ladylove with lines, somewhat like, "Tu kahe agar to jivan bhar mein geet sunata jaoon". In movies then the proverbial tree proved safe bet in courting scenes to keep the lovers at decent distance from each other. Still safer, lovers in some movies remained separated in much of the footage of the film, content to call from long distance, "Awaz de kahan hei, dunia meri jawan hei". And yet the movies celebrated silver and golden jubilees. Then came along Raj Kapoor's 'Bobby', along with it the new trend of youthful romance, with plenty of hugs between the lead pairs. From then on there was no stopping, especially after the liberalization in the Censor Board policy, and singing and dancing "Choli ke piche kya hei" and the sexier numbers that followed, the films have reached a stage where lead actors compete in the smooch game on the silver screen. Why not, the youth today is far more liberal and fun loving than in yester years and looks for a free life style of unrestricted entertainment in films. Taking no risks or rather playing to popular demand, producers fill their films with bold scenes and daring songs and dance sequences. Hopefully, the present trend of S** overtones in screenplay and songs in films is only a passing phase, which will end when the audience taste changes and it gets fed up with too much S** in films. And it won't be too long a wait, as the super success of films like "Black" and "Parineeta" shows. Tilak Rishi
____________ "I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.
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#3 26 Jan 2007 02:02
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sur
Joined: November 2006
Posts: 10620
Location: Virginia
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Re: Tilak Rishi And His Writing.
| By: tilakrishi on Feb 25 2006 in Movies comments rss: | | 1950s and 60s - the Golden Age of Hindi Cinema
21. Awaara (Raj Kapoor, 1951): Raj Kapoor is often compared to Chaplin in his most famous movie Awaara. He assumes the persona of a tramp. The premise of the story is whether it is upbringing or birth that determines good character. The handsome petty criminal Raju (Raj Kapoor) does not know that he is the son of a reputed judge. Raju reforms because of love for Rita (Nargis) and is ultimately reunited with his father. The wonderful film is known for the chemistry between Raj Kapoor and Nargis. Awaara's dialogues, photography, songs and extraordinary dream sequence show the unique strength of Indian cinema. Raj Kapoor's cinema spoke the language of love. Its a pan-universal sentiment that led to this blockbuster classic sweeping people off their feet even in Russia and China. Awaara is, indeed, one of the most popular classics in Indian cinematic history.
22. Baiju Bawra (Vijay Bhatt, 1952): One of the greatest musical classics, Baiju Bawra is about the legendary rivalry between Tansen and Baiju during the reign of Emperor Akbar. The musical spectacle goes into the period specified for a series of joyful jugalbandis between the arrogant Tansen (Surendra) and the humble and exceptionally talented Baiju (Bahrat Bhushan). Their ongoing rivalry is fanned and fuelled when Baiju's father is killed in a scuffle with Tansen's guards and eventually, it reaches a crescendo when the two battle it down in the court of Emperor Akbar. The film's highlight is the classical jugalbandi between the two renowned raga maestros Ustad Amir Khan and Pandit D,V. Paluskar. The music by Naushad is regarded as his best ever. Baiju Bawra demonstrated Naushad's grasp of classical music. The film won him the Filmfare (1954) award for Best Music Director. Meena Kumari looked superbly sweet and pretty as Baiju's innocent and lovelorn sweetheart Gauri. This was Meena's first major screen role, played brilliantly. She won Filmfare Best Actress Award. Meena Kumari climbed to dizzling heights of fame after Baiju Bawra.
23. Do Bigha Zamin (Bimal Roy, 1953): Balraj Sahni and Bimal Roy join forces to make this the most moving and memorable film, with the mood, character and feel of the best work of the Italian neo-realist movement. Shambhu Mahato (Balraj Sahni) is a poor farmer who is obliged to go with his young son to Calcutta to make money in order to save his land from a greedy and dishonest landlord. Balraj Sahni's towering performance is the pivot around which the film moves. Brilliantly directed, beautifully photographed, most touchingly acted by the entire cast, the film was the recipient of a Special Mention at Cannes (1954), winner of the Special Progress Award at Karlovy Vary and Best Film and Best Director awards at the very first Filmfare awards.
24. Parineeta (Bimal Roy, 1953): Based on Sarat Chandra's novel, Parineeta is a sweet little love story of two neighbors. Meena Kumari and Ashok Kumar exude that restrained passion seen so often in Bollywood films of yester years. A touch, a chance meeting, a backward glance - and hearts melt. Its the type that starts slow, with a few sparks, and then stoked to create a fire that is difficult to extinguish. It works fabulously for the two. The story is narrated so naturally that it lets the viewers feel as if they are part of the story, may be living across the way watching the two families and events unfold. The film is a gentle look at conventional society, sacrifice and love. Meena Kumari essays one of the best roles of her career in the all-consuming, unswerving devotion to the man who had secretly married her. She won the Filmfare (1955) Best Actress award for the film, while Bimal Roy won the Best Director award for the classic.
25. Boot Polish (Prakash Arora, 1954): This R. K. Films production, directed by Raj Kapoor's assistant, ranks as one of the finest thought provoking dramas asking how we look at ourselves given the limited resources and chices and faced with overwhelming odds. Film's presentation of the humble lifestyle of two children who wish to overcome the obstacles of abject powerty shows the importance of the spirit of endurance and dedication in the face of adversity. The love of the children for each other in the film is very real, and their struggle for survival and social respectability is profoundly touching. The life affirming and rich cinematic experience, Boot Polish, won Special Mention at Cannes Film Festival (1955) and its director nominated for Golden Palm. The film also won Filmfare (1955) awards for Best Film, Best Cinematographer (Tara Dutt) and Best Supporting Actor (David).
26. Mirza Ghalib (Sohrab Modi, 1954): The film based on the life of the great Indian poet who lived during the reign of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last of the Mughal Emperors, won the President's Gold Medal for Best Feature Film of 1954. The film portrays once wealthy poet's trials and tribulations, his triamphs and ultimate descent to poverty, and then to prison; and his tragic ill-fated love with a beautiful courtesan, Chaudvin. The film beautifully captures the mood of the period, its hedonistic pursuits and the fading magnificence of the court of the last Mughal, where poets like Zauq, Momin, Tishna, Shafta and Ghalib assembled to recite their verse. Mirza Ghalib also saw Suraiya's finest dramatic performance as she made alive and vivid the role of Chaudvin. The film also highlights some of her finest singing.
27. Jagriti (Satyen Bose, 1954): One of the finest Hindi movies, Jagriti inspires people of all ages, though the film is produced with essentially children in mind. The film highlights the basic cultural ethos of India, in which the young pay respect to their teachers and elders. It teaches children to be brave in the face of hardship and brings out the rejuvinating effect of music, to motivate children towards patriotism and nobility. Jagrity works on a simple humane level and is at once simplistic, sensitive, thought provoking, humorous and engrossing. A good film doesn't need stars; if the content of the film is rich it overrides everything. Nothing proved this better than Jagriti, a small film with no stars, but such was the impact of this little gem that not only did it take the box-office by storm but also went on to win the Filmfare (1956) Award for Best Film and Best Supporting Actor (Abhi Bhattacharya).
28. Devdas (Bimal Roy, 1955): This best-known version of Saratchandra's Devdas is memorable for indelible performances by Dilip Kumar in the title role, Vijayantimala as Chandramukhi, Suchitra Sen as Paro and Motilal as Chunilal. Roy's version of the story seems subtle and naturalistic with affinities to the emerging Bengali art cinema of Satyajit Roy. The actors are restrained and convincing and often placed in realistic locations. Roy makes careful, meaningful use of his restlessly moving camera throughout the film. When the boy Devdas calls Paro from her room by tossing stones at her window, the graceful shot travels with her from an upper floor to the gate below where she meets Devdas. Years later, when Devdas has returned from Calcutta, the shot reciprocates itself exactly without much fuss, so that the film itself suggests a basic, enduring relationship despite the passing of years. This Bimal Roy classic was awarded Filmfare (1957) awards for Best Actor (Dilip Kumar), Best Supporting Actor (Motilal) and Best Supporting Actress (Vijayantimala).
29. Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje (V. Shantaram, 1955): Song and dance extravaganza, JJPB is one of India's premier classics. Despite being a dance musical with two non-stars, the film was a landmark hit. There couldn't have been a more befitting testimony of Shantaram's foresight nor a better reward for his spirit of adventure. There was a standing ovation for Shantaram in every show when the screening ended. The film earned him President's Gold Medal for Best Film, besides Filmfare awards (1957) for Best Film, Best Director, Best Art Director (Kanu Desai) and Best Sound Recordist (A. K. Parmar). Sandhya never bettered her performance in JJPB. The role of a keen learner and a dedicated disciple fitted her like a glove. Gopi Kishan holds you spellbound as a chareographer and dancer. In the climax, Gopi Kishan visibly revels in the Shiva's famous 'tandav' dance with the magnatism of the blend of energy, undiluted anger and immance grace that draws in not just the dance-literate but every genre of viewers.
30. Jagte Raho (Amit Moitra, Sombhu Mitra, 1956): A chillingly honest and stark Raj Kapoor film, Jagte Raho despairingly addressed the issue of social apathy. Set over a single night's events, the film is a brilliant comic yet critical survey of Calcutta's middle class life. It looks at the city as a nightmare. The movie narrates the naked truth of life's challenges in the city, especially for the unsophisticated, naive, innocent souls who land up to make it big there. Every second of your life is a struggle even if it is for a drop of drinking water. A great story and script and the deep message it sent to the society. The film sees one of Raj Kapoor's most remembered performances, as perhaps the best of his Chaplin inspired roles. However, the scene stealer has to be Motilal playing the role of a drunkard with relish. The other highlight of the film is undoubtedly Salil Chowdhary's musical score. Jagte Raho is one of those rare films which have stood the test of time and is, in fact, more relevant in today's times. The film won Karlovy Vary International Festival (1957) Crystal Globe award for its director, Shamhu Mitra.
31. Do Aankhen Barah Haath (V. Shantaram, 1957): One of the finest movies ever made, DABH won President's Gold Medal (1957), Silver Berlin Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival (1958) and Samuel Godwyn Award at the Golden Globes, USA (1959). The plot is about an idealist police officer who tries to rehabilitate six criminals and succeeds. The 'two eyes' belong to the officer, the 'twelve hands' are those of the six incarcerated murderers. The officer is of the opinion that there's no such thing as a truly bad man, and to prove his point he transports the six killers to a farm, where he puts them to useful work. Amazingly, the jailor's theory is valid one. The prisoners do indeed transform into worthwhile members of society. V. Shantaram was a genius and this movie is his masterpiece. It is an important film which endorses prison reforms and propounds the philosophy that even the most hardened, seemingly soul-dead criminals can be brought in contact with his higher self. The film makes you want to believe in the innate decency of all human beings. Despite being a message film, it remains cinematically alive throughout and played to excellent response at the box-office.
32. Mother India (Mehboob Khan, 1957): A gem in the Golden Age of Indian cinema, this remake of Mehboob Khan's earlier classic Aurat (1940) was the first Indian film to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 1958, which it missed by a single vote. The film also has the distinction of winning five Filmfare awards in 1958 - Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress (Nargis), Best Cinematographer (Faredoon A. Irani) and Best Sound Recordist (R. Kaushik). Mother India is an epic tale of a mother's struggle against adversity and unscruplous moneylender to retain her farm and feed her children. Radha, played by screen queen Nargis, is a strong, passionate mother, tilling the soil with the plough on her back when there are no oxen, raising her children alone and exploited by the local moneylender. Her son conceives a fanatical hatred for this man; his obsession, coupled with Radha's need to live within the boundaries of the law and common decency, ends in classic tragedy. As the film's publicity said, "The grain of rice on your table does not tell the grim tale of the toil that grew it", the film portrays with astounding sucess a powerful view of rural life in a small India village, with raw emotions and cinematic fineness.
33. Pyaasa (Guru Dutt, 1957): A masterpiece, Pyaasa quenches the thirst that one has when there is a desire to view great cinema. This classic film with its haunting atmosphere has the effect of changing one's perceptions of Indian cinema forever. Vijay (Guru Dutt), an unemployed poet, discovers that the love of his life, Meena (Mala Sinha), has married a rich publisher (Rehman). The poet has little to live for besides his only friends, a messeur (Johny Walker) and a prostitute (Waheeda Rehman), who save him in more than one way. Aside from the enthralling screenplay and first rate performances, Pyaasa has also become famous for its extraordinary music by S. D. Burman. Sahir Ludhianvi's trnquil wisdom in the lyrics, beautifully rendered by Mohammad Rafi, adds a haunting dimension to the film. It is in Pyaasa, indeed, where we see Guru Dutt transcend way above the ordinary and succeed in totality.
34. Sujata (Bimal Roy, 1959): Looking at the plight of untouchability, Sujata remains one of the most humanistic films made on the subject. It is a sensitively directed film with the romantic scenes between Adhir (Sunil Dutt) and Sujata (Nutan) almost lyrical. The story is told in a series of deft, restrained episodes, never ever lapsing into self pity that could have easily marred the film. Sujata sees yet another stunning performance from Nutan in the central role. She enacts the role of the untouchable girl with extraordinary grace and is able to convey her hurt, her trauma with just a glance or a jesture. The film is shot handsomely with rich lyrical quality and evocative framing that brings out the human emotions of the story. And helping to lift the film several notches is its evergreen musical score by S. D. Burman. All in all, Sujata endures as one of Bimal Roy's masterpieces and one of Nutan's best ever performances. The film was nominated for Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival (1960) and won Filmfare awards (1960) for Best Film, Best Diractor, Best Actress (Nutan) and Best Story Writer (Subodh Ghosh).
35. Kagaz Ke Phool (Abrar Alvi, 1959): Guru Dutt's semi-autobiographical film, Kagaz Ke Phool is a cult classic through which he almost rehearsed his own death. Intensely personal film, though it was extremely well made, it was not well received by the Indian audiences who prefer happy endings. This film was made ahead of its time. But in today's time, the audiences have definitely realized and recognized its piercing brilliance beyond the pall of gloom. The film looks at the morbid movie industry and the people within it who are like 'flowers of paper'- beautiful to behold but artificial nevertheless and without fragrance. Guru Dutt as the genius filmmaker and Waheeda Rehman as his protegee act beautifully. This melancholic masterpiece is India's first cinemascopic film that boasts of breathtaking cinematography and memorable scenes of wrenching melodrama. The film won President's Silver Medal.
36. Parakh (Bimal Roy, 1960): Like any Hindi movie, this one too has a hero and heroin and a love story, but that is where the similarities end and the movie stops becoming stereotypical. It has lot more to offer - a beautiful love story wherein love, humor, drama and mystry are amazingly interwined. The characters have depth and the complexities of human behavior are explored in a truly entertaining manner. Parakh sees Bimal Roy venture into satire territory wherein he once again establishes what a fine and sensitive filmmaker he was. The film finds him truly enjoying himself as he blows the lid off so called respectable people and shows to what level people can stoop to for money. The film is based on story by Salil Chowdhury with dialogues by Shailendra. Motilal comes up with yet another impeccable and thoroughly natural performance winning the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor award for the role. The film also won Filmfare (1961) awards for Best Director (Bimal Roy) and Best Sound Recordist (George D'Cruz).
37. Kanoon (B. R. Chopra, 1960): One of the strongest things about Hindi films is that they are all musicals. Thrillers, comedies, even Hindi horror films have elaborate song-and-dance pieces. But a few determined directors have attempted to make commercial films without the usual song and dance formula. And while not all have succeeded, at least one remains a landmark. B. R. Chopra made a film that broke the mould. How did he manage to hold the audience interest for nearly three hours without songs, comic relief and without even the benefit of a strong love story track? The answer is, concentrating on the three vital ingredients of any great movie - script, script and script. The success of Kanoon rests largely on the shoulders of two men: Chopra himself and his script writer Akhtar-Ul-Imam. It would take two titans like them to make such a great songless film today, and even then it would be a great challenge. That makes the film's achievement even more impressive. Kanoon bagged the Filmfare awards (1962) for Best Director and Best Supporting Actor (Nana Palsikar).
8. Mughl-E-Azam (K. Asif, 1960): Set in the 16th century AD, the movie brings to life the tale of the doomed love affair between thr Mughal Prince Saleem and the beautiful, ill-fated court dancer, Anarkali. Mughal-E-Azam is a tribute to the imagination, hard work and lavishness of its maker for its grandeur, its beauty and the performances of the artistes. The breathtaking battle scenes, the splendor of the Mughal court, some of the most seductive song and dance ensembles ever filmed, the confrontation scenes between Akbar and Salim - the best of Mughal-E-Azam has never been surpassed and it is the finest testament to K. Asif's cinematic testament. A work of art is the only phrase to describe this historical whose grand palaces and fountains give it the feel of an epic. The heart- wrenching core of romance has the tenderness of a feather touch. The show belongs to Madhubala. Always beautiful, she has never looked this luminous. The film won Filmfare awards (1961) for Best Director, Best Dialogues and Best Cinematography.
39. Bandini (Bimal Roy, 1963): An apex of creativity, Bandini showcases the story of a girl Kalyani (Nutan) bound by love, through all its destructive and redemptive expressions. Set at a time when women had no choices, Kalyani had the courage to not only make choices in her life but to define her own freedom. Nutan displays an extraordinary ability to illuminate Kalyani's inner conflict. If one person is the life and soul of Bandini, it is Nutan. one just has to see the entire gamut of emotions fleeting across her face in the film's key sequence as she murders her lover's wife. It is her best performance ever, and certainly one of the greatest by any actress in Indian cinema. While the events in the story are highly melodramatic, Bimada takes great care to handle them with sensitivity, simplicity and subtlety. He beautifully uses imagery and sound to convey the various moods of the female prisoner, Kalyani. The music by S. D. Burman represents some of the finest work he has done in his entire career. The film won six Filmfare awards (1964): Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress (Nutan), Best Cinematographer (D. Bilimoria) and Best Story (Jarasandha).
40. Haqeeqat (Chetan Anand, 1964): India's first and the finest war film to date, Haqeeqat became a yardstick for subsequent Hindi films based on war. The film is a heroic portrayal of India's 1962 war with China over the disputed Ladakh border. Haqeeqat is the only film that depicts this war in all its reality. The director has brilliantly woven drama and history together on his cinematic canvas. The movie not only involves a sense of pride but also brings a tear to the dry eye as one goes through the termoils of soldiers as they fight with abandon to save their motherland. Kaifi Azmi pens some of his best lyrics for this movie. Madan Mohan is in his elements as he composes some of the gems of his legendary repertoir. The film is also boosted by an extremely well written screenplay that engrosses the viewer. Films like Haqeeqat are made but once in a life time.
41. Guide (Vijay Anand, 1965): Based on R. K. Narayan's novel, Guide is a celluloid poem which gently leads us through the story of a passionate soul, Raju Guide (Dev Anand). With his fair share of venalities, ambitions, insecurities and jealousies, Raju travels towards his eventual redemption. Dev Anand in what is probably his most famous role is neer less than convincing as the guide with all-too human feelings, but also blessed with a higher self. Even if film historians and movie buffs discuss Dev Anand a couple of decades from now, the name Guide will crop up almost instantly as a reference point for his six decades (and still counting) career. This bitter sweet fable that combines eternal love, sacrifice, opportunism, social meladies and spiritualism together is both uniquely singular and immensely satisfying at the same time. A high point of the movie is its soul-stirring music. Guide is one film that showcases the perfect example of integration of songs in the narrative. Guide swept all the main awards at the Filmfare Awards Night (1967): Best Film (Dev Anand), Best Director (Vijay Anand), Best Actor (Dev Anand), Best Actress (Waheeda Rehman), Best Story (R. K. Narayan) and Best Cinematography (Fali Mistry).
42. Teesri Kasam (Basu Bhattacharya, 1966): It is one of Indian cinema's tragic ironies that a sensitive and poetic films like Teesri Kasam sank without a trace, indirectly leading to its producer-lyricist Shalendra's death due to stress of financial problems caused by the film's failure. The greater irony is that today the film is recognized as one of the all-time great films of Indian cinema. It is considered by critics as Basu Bhattacharya's best film. He had worked under Bimal Roy earlier and it shows in the film. The rythm of the film is lyrical and ever so gentle. Rarely has rural ethos been captured so beautifully on the India screen. The film, refraining from conventional drama, flows like the song of Mahua in the film (Dunia Bananewale) - beautiful. eternal and moving. The blossoming of the bond between Hiraman (Raj Kapoor) and Hirabai (Waheeda Rehman) is warm, wistful and charming and is very delicately handled. Worlds apart, she a jaded nautanki dancer and he the simple cart driver, the duo come together, discover each other and then part ways again. Their relationship is like sheer poetry on celluloid.The film won President's award for Best Film and nomination for Grand Prix at the Moscow Film Festival (1967).
43. Upkar (Manoj Kumar, 1967): Upkar is the movie about a model Indian farmer and soldier. When the issue of Indo-Pak war was hot and the slogan 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan' was making waves throughout the country, Manoj Kumar captured the idea and produced the unforgettable film Upkar. Bharat is a poor farmer who works hard in the farm and supports his widowed mother and step brother, Puran. Circumstances create conflict between the two brothers and force Bharat to leave his farms and go to war. The war brings a touching change in the entire family, bringing them closer to each other. Bharat becomes a symbol of every model Indian farmer and soldier by living up to the slogan of 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan'. With this movie, in a way, Manoj Kumar institunalized himself as the ideal romantic-patriotic hero throughout sixties and seventies. Upkar won Filmfare (1968) Awards for Best Film, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Pran) and Best Lyricist (Gulshan Bawra).
44. Aashirwad (Hrishikesh Mukherjee, 1968): Hrishikesh Mukherjee must be commended for daring to make Aashirwad revolving around Ashok Kumar when the actor was 55 years old and had long been doing character roles. Ashok Kumar made the most of the opportunity, winning both the National and Filmfare (1970) awards for Best Actor. He plays Shivnath, the zamindar who has major differences with his materialistic wife Leela (Veena). Their fragile marital bond is stopped from unravelling only bty their love for their daughter Nina. Hrishikesh Mukherjee shows a marked telent for establishing lasting relationships in brief screen time. This is evident in the easy comaraderie between Ashok Kumar and Harindernath Chattopadhyaya, the inexplicable bonding between Ashok Kumar and Sanjeev Kumar, and love that is constant despite the irreconciliable differences between the ill-matched couple Ashok Kumar and Veena. Mukherjee makes his points without underlining them. The director's faith in budding lyricist and dialogue writer Gulzar's ability to imbibe Ashok Kumar's character with much-needed sensibilities pays off. Its a treat to watch him recite Gulzar's poems with unequalled emotions.
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____________ "I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.
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#4 26 Jan 2007 09:43
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sur
Joined: November 2006
Posts: 10620
Location: Virginia
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Re: Tilak Rishi And His Writing.
Singing stars of yester years We are a nation of music lovers and in music lies our national unity. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Maharashtra to Meghalaya, we can drown all our differences of cast and creed, communal and cultural, political and provincial, and live together as one people, playing or listening to popular music. Whether it was the verse of Sufis and Saints or the melody of Lata Mungeshkar, folk-lore of Ila Arun or the Indi-pop of Daler Mehndi, music has been the biggest binding force for all age groups and all times. Music has also helped in bringing India, Pakistan and Bangladesh on one stage, as was demonstrated in Oakland (California, USA) recently. Many in India may not go to bed without listening to Mehdi Hussan or Ghulam Ali of Pakistan. It was left to Runa Leila of Bangladesh to bring out the best of "Jhoole Lal". Reshma always remained a rage in India whenever she came from Pakistan and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan produced one of his best albums in India. And, of course, melody queen Lata Mungeshkar is a household name not only in India but also in Pakistan and Bangladesh. The list goes on and on.... While we all love the living legends of today, let us also salute the singing stars of the vintage era, who were the pioneers to bring together and bind the people of all regions and religions with the magic of their melodies. K. L. Saigal: Recognized as the greatest singer-actor of the last century, the musical genious became the first to bring music to the masses with his God-gifted voice. His unforgettable melodies continue to enthrall millions of listeners and have become a part of our heritage. Saigal became an overnight super star with the release of the first Devdas in 1935, not so much for his histrionics as for his soulful singing of "Balam Aan Baso Mere Man Main" and "Dukh Ke Din Ab Bitat Nahin". Followed hit movies after movies which became the musical hits for all times, and Saigal, who started his career in Calcutta, became a house-hold name in all corners of the country, with the entire nation spellbound by the haunting melodies: "Main Kya Janu Kya Jadoo Hai", "So Jaa Raajkumari, So Jaa"(Zindagi), "Dunia Rang Rangili Baba", "Main Man Ki Baat Bataun"(Dharti Mata), "Karun Kya Aas Niras Bhai"(Dushman), "Babul Mera Nayahar Chhooto Jaye"(Street Singer), "Ek Bangla Bane Nyara", "Ek Raaja Ka Beta Leke"(Badi Behen), "Prem Nagar Mein Rahane Wala"(Chandidas), "Aye Katibe Taqdir Mujhe Itna Batade"(My Sister) and so on. On persistant demand and irresistible offers of producers, Saigal moved to Bombay in the year 1941. He sang some of his greatest numbers from films produced here:"Rein Gayee Ab Hua Basera", Nainheen Ko Rah Dikha Prabhu", "Madhukar Shyam Hamare Chor", "Maiya Mori Mein Nahi Makhan Khayo"(Bhakt Surdas), "Diya Jalao"(Tansen), "Toot Gaye Sab Sapne Mere"(Parwana), "Gam Diye Mustakil", "Chaha Barbad Karegi" and his last soul-stirring song from Shahjehan, "Jab Dil Hi Toot Gaya, Hum Ji Ke Kya Karenge", before he breathed his last in 1947 at the age of 43. Surendra: Bombay, although the movie capital of India, was left behind at the Box Office by Calcutta film makers because the former had no singer to match Saigal's mass appeal. The directors here were desparately looking for a singer to play a lead in their movies when Surendranath, B.A.LL.B, landed in Bombay to start his practice in law-courts, but, as destiny would have it, was picked up by producer-director Mehboob Khan from a party where he was singing some of Saigal's songs . Surendra, as he was credited by Mehboob in his movies, became a part and parcel of Mehboob's Sagar Movietone, after his very first song, "Birha Ki Aag Lagi More Man Mein"(Deccan Queen) became an instant hit. Since the song was inspired by Saigal'S*** song, "Balam Aye Baso More Man Mein", Surendra became to be known as Bombay's Saigal. However, when "Tumhi Ne Mujh Ko Prem Sikhaya"(Manmohan), from his second movie with Mehboob, became hugely popular with the masses, Surendra made his place for himself as a very talented singer-actor, independent of the Saigal tag. Then followed Surendra'S*** musicals, Jagirdar, Gramophone Singer, Jiwan Sathi, Alibaba, Aurat, Gharib, Jawani etc. and Bombay was on top of the Box Office charts, the place it had been missing for want of a singing talent. Surendra's peak time of a popular singing star continued into the 40s when two of his movies became the greatest musicals of that time. "Bhartrihari", a mythological with music by Khemchandra Prakash, and Mehboob's alltime musical hit, "Anmol Ghadi", with music by the maestro Naushad. "Bhiksha De De Maiya Pingla' from film "Bharthari" is still played, after 60 years of its rendering, wherever the classic play on the life of the king-turned-saint is staged every year during the festival season. The duet from "Anmol Ghadi", "Aawaz De Kahan Hei" has immortalized both Surendra and Noorjehan as the most popular singing pair in movies. After the Partition when Noorjehan moved to Pakistan, the popular pair of Lal Haveli and Anmol Ghadi never got another chance to sing and act together. Surendra did sing some solos in movies thereafter, including the haunting melody, "Teri Yad Ka Dipak Jalta Hei"(Paigam), but eventually switched over to character-actor roles which he continued to play till his death in 1987. Noorjehan: The musical diva of the 1940s, she was given the title of the Melody Queen much before Lata Mungeshkar came to be known by the same title. In fact, Lata Mungeshkar's early singing style was inspired by Noorjehan. Starting the career in Lahore, she mesmerized the masses with her very first film Khandaan and the instant hit, "Tu Kaun Si Badli Mei Mere Chand Hei Aaja". Producers in Bombay raced to capture the prize catch, and soon the singing star conquered India's film capital with her vibrant voice. Hit followed hit: Dharti, Nauker, Nadaan, Dost, Badi Maa, Village Girl. With the Zeenat quawali, "Aanhein Na Bhari, Shikwe Na Kiye" she reached her peak popularity. Then followed her two greatest hits, Lal Haveli and Anmol Ghadi, both co-starring Surendra, with whom she delivered the all time hit duet, "Aawaz De Kahan Hai", besides her ever popular numbers, "Jawan Hai Muhabbat", "Mere Bachpan Ke Saathi", "Kya Mil Gaya Bhagwan" and "Aaja Meri Barbad Mohabbat Ke Sahare". That was in 1946, an year before she migrated to Pakistan, when the masses were still humming her last hit in India, "Yahan Badla Wafa Ka Bewafayee Ke Siva Kya Hai"(Jugnu). She continued to sing great songs to become the Pride of Pakistan and retained her title of Mlika-e-Tarannum till her death in December of 2000. Suraiya: As Noorjehan was the queen of melody, Suraiya was the peoples' choice as the most popular singing star. She generated hysteria amongst the masses that no other singing star, not even Saigal, could generate. The young and the old, the man in the street or at work, they all enjoyed singing to Suraiya's tunes, so captivating and easy to copy. "O Door Janewale", "Woh Pas Rahen Ya Door Rahen", "O Likhnewale Ne Likh Di", "Bigdi Banane Wale", "Murliwale Murli Baja", "Tu Mera Chand Mein Teri Chandni" and many more were hummed in every nook and corner of the country. Every one started believing in their natural talent for singing. Although much younger to Saigal in age, she was given the lead against the legendary singer in Tadbir(1945), Omar Khayyam(1946) and Parwana(1947), that was known more for her hit, "Jab Tumhi Nahin Apne", than for any of the songs Saigal sang in the movie. She was part of the casting coup, along with Noorjehan and Surendra, when Mehboob made his all time musical hit Anmol Ghadi in which she matched her singing talent with the other two great singing stars- "Socha Tha Kya Kya Ho Gaya". Suraiya was still on her peak in the 50s when her contemperory singing stars had moved to Pakistan(Noorjehan and Khursheed) or swithed over to charecter-acting(Surendra) or passed away(Saigal). She too retired from films after giving her greatest hit "Mirza Ghalib" and the great hits "Dile Nadan Tujhe Hua Kya Hei" and "Yeh Na Thi Hamari Kismat". This prompted Pundit Nehru to pay her the ultimate compliment by telling her that she had brought Mirza Ghalib to life-"Tumne Mirza Ghalib ki ruh ko zinda kar diya!" Suraiya preferred to lead a very private life after winning laurels for her last film and passed away in January 2004 after a brief illness. Khursheed: The first of the singing stars, she started her career in 1931, the year when India's first talkie film Alamara was released. She was the only singing actress in the 30s, who captivated the hearts of million with her melodious singing of the immortal songs: "Mohabbat Mei Sara Jahan Jal Raha Hei"(Shahashah Babar), Pahle Jo Mohabbat Mei Inkar Kiya Hota"(Pardesi), "Mori Ataria Hei Sooni"(Beti), "Ghir Ghir Aye Bidaria"(Shaadi), "Jo Ham Pe Guzarti Hei"(Mumtaz Mahal) and many more. Her best period came in the 40s when she was selected to play steller role with the legendary K.L.Saigal in Bhakt Surdas and Tansen. Matching her melodious voice to the one and only one, Saigal, she sang some of her greatest hits in these two movies: "Panchi Bawra Chand Se Preet Lagai", "Madhur Madhur Ga Re Manwa", "Chandni Raat Aur Tare Khile Hein", Ghata Ghanghor Ghor", "Mere Bachpan Ke Saathi" and "Barso Re". Khursheed migrated to Pakistan after the Partition where she eventually faded away from her glorious career in films. She died in April 2001 at the age of 87. The era of the singing stars practically ended with the Partion in 1947 when two of the three finest female singers, Noorjehan and Khursheed, opted to settle down in Pakistan, and the greatest singer of all times, K.L.Saigal, passed away the same year. Their memory may have faded out of many a minds, and even their existance may not be known to the new generations, but what no one can take away is their contribution to Bollywood's melodious magic, especially to the golden age of film music of the 50s and 60s, that was inspired by the great singing stars of the 30s and 40s. Here is a salute to the singing stars of yester years. Tilak Rishi
____________ "I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.
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#5 26 Jan 2007 09:50
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sur
Joined: November 2006
Posts: 10620
Location: Virginia
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Re: Tilak Rishi And His Writing.
Early icons of Indian cinema Life in India would not be the same without the exuberance of cinema, song and dance, melodrama, relevent messages- Indian films have them all, and usually all together in one film. Stars and super stars, hits and failures, outright commercial films and the art genre of films- all are woven together as entertainment supreme. Of the numberless individuals associated with cinema, some are eternally identifiable. Their image and hallmark style render them unforgettable. Some of these marvels are presented here- Bollywood's big three icons of the early years. V. Shantaram (1901-1990) Born Rajaram Venkundre Shantaram in Kolhapur, he hardly had any education. He started his career in theatres as a curtain puller with the Gandharv Natak Mandli. He joined Baburao Painter's Maharashtra Film Company and learnt the intricacies of film making from Painter, incuding acting. In 1929 he formed Prabhat Film Company with the help of some friends. Initially Shantaram followed Painter's formula of mythologicals and historicals. However, his visit to Germany changed his entire outlook as he made Amrit Manthan (1934) on return from Germany. The film beautifully depicted the tension between Budhism and established religious creeds. The close ups and long views were particularly effective. He was one of the early film producers to realize the efficacy of the film medium as an instrument of social change and used it successfully to advocate humanism on one hand and expose bigotry and injustice on the other. Amar Jyoti (1936) was an interesting feminist film about a woman who rebels against injustice by becoming a Pirate Queen. Dunia Na Mane (1937) was the story of a young woman refusing to accept her marriage to a much older man. Admi (1939), a love story of a policeman and a prostitute is regarded his finest film. The film was significant not only in terms of thematic content but also as work of motion picture art, technical innovations and artistic integrity. Padosi (1941) made a strong plea for communal harmony. Its interesting that Mazhar Khan, a Muslim, plays the Hindu and Gajanan Jagirdar, a Hindu, played the Muslim in the film. Shakuntala (1943) was one of his biggest grossers, the first film to run for more than hundred weeks. Jayshree who played the title role in the movie became a top star overnight. Shantaram took her as his second wife and repeated her as leading lady in his next movie, Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani (1946), in which he himself played the title role. The film based on K. A. Abbas's short novel And One Did Not Come Back was an impressive anti-war effort. The film received international recognition in Toronto Film Festival 1947. Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje (1955), his first color film was a box-office smash. The message of the film that India must preserve her artistic tradition and not be swayed by the West was lapped up by the audiences. Do Aankhen Barah Haath (1957), a brilliant film, depicted the true humanbeing within. A policeman (Shantaram) sets up a farm with six murderers. The venture is successful and the murderers prove themselves to be essentially simple people. The film won many national and international awards including Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival besides President's Gold Medal as the best feature of 1957 in India. A prayer song in the movie, "Ai Malik Tere Bande Hum" became a big hit and was adopted by most schools as their morning prayer. Pinjra (1972) was Shantaram's last most acclaimed movie which gave a strong and convincing message against capital punishment. Mehboob Khan (1906-1964) A man of humble beginnings and little formal education, Mehboob Khan, like many other filmmakers of his time, learnt his craft in the Theatre. Born Ramjan Khan in Billimoria, Gujarat, he ran away from home to Bombay and spent his earlier youth scrounging work in studios. He started his career with the Imperial Film Company as a bit player, graduated to acting then directing, to become one of India's greatest filmmakers. The common motif in his movies usually was the oppressed poor pitted against the oppressive rich, be it the poor peasant woman against the slimmy zamindar in Aurat (1940), the poor tribal against the money-grabbing capitalist in Roti (1942), or the commoner agaist the prince in Aan (1952). Mehboob was a great lover of music and in all his movies he paid greatest attention to music. Manmohan (1936), his first big musical hit was inspired by Barua's Devdas (1935), and its leading actor Surendra, was declared Saigal of Bombay on release of the movie. Mehboob produced many musicals thereafter repeating his favorite singing star Surendra in most of them- Deccan Queen (1936), Jagirdar (1937), Alibaba (1940), Aurat (1940), Anmol Ghadi (1946), Elan (1947) and Anokhi Ada (1949). Anmol Ghadi created a stir because of its casting coup of three singing stars together, Surendra, Noorjehan and Suraiya, bsides all time great musical track by mastreo Naushad. Andaaz (1949), his next masterpiece, also had a casting coup with three top stars, Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Nargis coming together in the most modern movie even by today's standards. Mehboob followed Andaaz with Aan (1952), the first Bollywood film in technicolor, perfect in its technique, spectacular in its sets and fights. It was dubbed in French as the film Mangla Fille des Indes. His last greatest hit Mother India (1957), the remake of his most acclaimed film Aurat, was the immortal story of a woman's suffering and endurance while bringing up her children- harsh poverty, a runaway husband, a scheming moneylander, a wayward son whom she is compelled to shoot in the end. It was the first Indian movie nominated for Oscar and won him many awards including Filmfare Award 1958 for best film and best director. Sohrab Modi (1897-1984) Born in Bombay, Sohrab Modi was a stage actor of Parsee Stage. Theatre was his first love. In an attempt to take it to a wider public in the aftermath of talkie films, he set up Stage Film Company in 1935. Plays were filmed and shown- Khoon Ka Khoon (1935), an adaptation of Shakespear's Hamlet, marked Naseem Bano's entry into filmdom. He launched Minerva Movietone in 1936. His early films at Minerva dealt with contemporary social issues such as alcoholism in Meetha Zaher (1938) and the right of Hindu women to divorce in Talaq (1938). Though the films did well, what attracted Modi was the historic genre. Minerva Movietone was famous for the triology- Pukar (1939), Sikander (1941) and Prithvi Vallabh (1943). Pukar was set in the court of the Mughal Emperor Jehangir, where his much vaunted 'an eye for an eye' brand of justice was put to test when his queen accidentally kills a washerman. It was filmed in Mughal courts and palaces which added grandure to the film. The film's heroin Naseem Bano, the first beauty queen of Bollywood, became an overnight star. Modi's greatest film was Sikander which immortalized Prithviraj Kapoor playing the title role. Sikander's lavish mounting, huge sets and production values equalled the best of Hollywood's then, particularly the spectacular battle scenes. Prithvi Vallabh was based on K.M.Munshi's novel of the same name. The film's major highlights were the confrontation between Modi and Durga Khote, the haughty queen Mrinalvati who tries to humiliate him publically, then falls in love with him. The transformation of a rational man into a tyrant was chillingly portrayed by Modi in Jailor (1938). Modi's other notable movies were Bharosa (1940), Parakh (1944) and Jhansi Ki Rani (1953). Sohrab Modi's last most famous movie was Mirza Ghalib (1954). Repleat with the immortal poetry of Mirza Asadullahkhan Ghalib, the film records his foray into the court of Bahadurshah Zafar, the last of the Mughal Emperors. The film won President's Gold Medal in 1954. Dialogue delivery and rich voice set Sohrab Modi apart from others. Sources: Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema (Oxford University Press), India Heritage.com Tilak Rishi
____________ "I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.
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#6 26 Jan 2007 09:52
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sur
Joined: November 2006
Posts: 10620
Location: Virginia
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Re: Tilak Rishi And His Writing.
Superstars of Indian cinema Mumbai (Bombay) is the Mecca of Indian Cinema. Hundreds of young men and women come here from all parts of India every day to pursue their dreams - Bombay Dreams - of becoming a star. For so many what begins as glittering, glorious dream almost invariably turns into a terrible mirage. Only very few, destined to fulfil their dream, are given a break to become actors. But they have only won the heats, the real race to stardom is yet to begin. To win this marathon race, they need to show their extra-ordinary talent, stemna and passion to work hard, and ofcourse, the luck. Those who reach the top three positions and are able to retain that status for a long period are far and few, they attain superstardom. They are treated with god-like reverence by millions of their fans. The study of Hindi cinema from early 30s, when the first Talkie was made, to date, reveals that an actor cannot retain his superstar status for more than twenty years in most cases, and in each 20-years era there are generally three superstars shining simultaneously. Here is my humble tribute to the trivia of each era. 1930s - 40s: Ashok Kumar, Surendra and Motilal Ashok Kumar: One of India's most famous actors, Ashok Kumar was known as the 'ever green' hero of Hindi cinema. As a young assistant to filmmaker Himanshu Rai, he got his break in acting career by accident when he volunteered to substitute for the lead actor, who fell ill before production of the film Jeevan Nayya (1936) started. The same year and for the same reason, the producer offered him to play the lead in his next film, Achut Kanya, both opposite Devika Rani, the First Lady of the Indian cinema. His unique easy-style acting, quite a contrast to theatrical acting common then, was highly acclaimed. Both the films were also hits at the box-office and Ashok Kumar was in demand, not only for movies made by his mentor, Himanshu Rai, but also by other directors - Kangan (1939), Bandhan (1940), Naya Sansar (1941), Jhoola (1941), Najma (1943). Bollywood's first super hit Kismet (1943) that ran for three years in Bombay, gained him national fame for his charismatic performance. Ashok Kumar remained the most sought after star, even in character roles after he was over-age for lead roles, and appeared in 300 movies, most of these hits - Mahal (1949), Samadhi (1950), Afsana (1951), Parineeta (1953), Chalti Ka Naam Gadi (1958), Dhool Ka Phool (1959), Kanoon (1960), Mere Mehboob (1963), Bandini (1963), Jewel Thief (1967), Pakeeza (1971) and Victoria No. 203 (1972). In his private life, Ashok Kumar was a fine painter and an active practitioner of Homeopathy. Popularly known as Dadamoni - jewel of an elder brother - he never celebrated his birthday after his famous brother, Kishore Kumar, died in 1987 on his birthday. Surendra: Movie makers in Bombay were desperately looking for a singer to match K. L. Saigal, whose melodious voice was making Calcutta's New Theatres far ahead of them at the box-office. Their search ended with the famous producer-director Mehboob Khan discovering a 6-feet tall, handsom singer, Surendra, to play hero in his first musical, Deccan Queen (1936). The melodious rendering of 'Birha ki aag lagi more man main' in the movie, was only a start to establish Surandra as the Saigal of Bombay. Then followed another hit song, 'Tumhi ne mujh ko prem sikhaya', a duet with Bibbo in Manmohan (1936). With both the movies becoming hits at the box-office, Mehboob repeated him in Jagirdar, Gramophone Singer, Alibaba and his classic Aurat, all great musicals, Surendra was now the super singing star. Forties proved far more lucky for him with many hit movies and at least three super hits - Lal Haveli (1944), Bharthari (1944) and Anmol Ghadi (1946), in which he sang the all time greatest duet with Noorjehan, 'Awaaz de kahan hai'. In later years, Surendra played chracter roles in numerous films, including super hits Baiju Bawra, Waqt, Milan and Mughl-E-Azam. Motilal: If Ashok Kumar was charismatic, Surendra was melodious, Motilal was the most natural actor. He did not act, he just lived his role. Acting for him meant merging his soul with that of the character he played in his easy acting style. This made him a star right from the start of his career in social melodramas of the 30s - Dr. Madhurika, Kulvadhu, Vatan Parast, Do Ghadi Ki Maang, Jagirdar, Hum Tum Aur Woh, Sach Hai etc. Back to back hits, Holi (1940), Sasural (1941), Pardesi (1941), Arman (1942), Taqdeer (1943), and Dost (1944) marked his emergence as a superstar. The biggest runaway hit, Ek Thi Ladki (1949) put him on top of the popularity chart of actors of the era. But his best was yet to come - Mr. Sampath (1952), based on a R. K. Narayan's story, got him the highest acclaim for acting from critics as well as the public. He also excelled in character roles in movies such as, Devdas, Jagte Raho, Ab Dilli Doo Nahin, Paigam, Anari, Parakh etc. In private life he was an aristocrat who moved in the best of circles. His romance with co-star Shobhana Samarth, who was already married and was mother of Nutan and Tanuja, was the biggest love story of Bollywood that has never been filmed so far. . 1950s - 60s: Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand Dilip Kumar: The greatest actor ever to grace the Hindi cinema, he is also famous as the King of Tragedy. The audiences gave him standing ovation in packed cinema halls for his powerful performance and came out wiping tears at the tragic end to their hero's love story in the greatest tragedies made by Bollywood - Jugnu (1947), Shaheed and Mela (1948), Andaaz (1949), Babul and Jogan (1950), Deedar (1951), Udan Khatola and Devdas (1955), Madhumati (1958), Mugha-E-Azam (1960) and Ganga Jamuna (1961). In superhits of the 60s, Azaad, Kohinoor and Ram Aur Shyam, Dilip Kumar showed the lighter side of his reel life which was as rewarding for the viewers as his great tragedies of the 50s. His perfomance was not only applauded by Indian audiences, but it also attracted the attention of foreign film producers, at least two of them offering him important roles - 20th Century Fox in The Rains Came and David Lean in Lawrence of Arabia. Dilip Kumar declined both the offers - "In your own bazaar you enjoy a certain status. What's the point of venturing into fields unknown, where you have no say." Dilip Kumar's real life romance with Madhubala in the 50s was no different from his reel life Tragedies of the period - the couple could not unite at the end. He later married Saira Banu and is leading a happy life. As a man, Dilip Kumar is a very fine human, full of humility and compassion. Raj Kapoor: Producer, director, actor, editor, entertainer, he was all in one - the greatest showman of Indian cinema. He was working as assistant to Kidar Sharma when the director gave him a break as actor in Neel Kamal (1947) opposite Madhubala. An ambitious youngman as he was at 24, he produced, directed and acted in Aag (1948). His next production Barsaat (1949) was a smash hit, which not only established him as a great producer director, but also made him a superstar overnight. The film also produced the most popular romantic team in Bollywood history. Whenever Raj Kapoor and Nargis came together on screen, sparks flew , their chemistry was electrifying. Same year, Mehboob, in a casting coup, starred Raj Kapoor-Nargis team with Dilip Kumar for the most modern romantic triangle ever, Andaaz (1949). The film was a grea hit and helped all the three stars achieve the highest standards in acting. Raj Kapoor's next production, Awaara (1951) was another mega hit, which was the first Indian film to have gained popular acclaim abroad, especially in Russia, where the movie and songs were dubbed in Russian language. Amongst his other productions, Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1960) and Sangam (1964) were also superhits. A great admirer of Charles Chaplin, his own 'tramp' (Awaara, Shri 420, Mera Naam Joker) is modeled somewhat on his mentor, though with a definite individual flair. Raj Kapoor, the recipient of Dada Phalke Award and several other awards for his acting and direction, appeared in 60+ films, many of them great hits. Dev Anand: Handsome and debonair, called Gregory Peck of Bollywood for his resemblance to and similarity in acting style of the Hollywood superstar. - played the mischievous lover boy chasing the heroin. A graduate of English literature, he came to Bombay to join his elder brother, producer director Chetan Anand. Starting his career as actor in Hum Ek Hein (1946), he soon attained stardom with his first super hit Ziddi (1948). In early years of his film career, he became famous for his romance with Suraiya, the singing rage of the era and his co-star of many movies - Vidya (1948), Jeet (1949). Shayar (1949), Afsar (1950), Nili (1950) and Do Sitare (1951). However, the real fame came when most of his movies turned super hits - Baazi (1951), Jaal (1952), Munimjee (1955), Pocketmar (1955), Paying Guest (1957), Kala Pani (1958), Kala Bazaar (1960), Bombai Ka Babu (1960), Hum Dono (1961), Guide (1965), Jewel Thief (1967), Johnny Mera Naam (1970) and Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1971). The audiences, especially the youth, loved him for his boy next door image - part lover, part clown, part good-doer. As producer director he is known for launching new faces who later become great stars - Zeenat Aman, Tina Munim, Jackey Shroff and many more. Known as the 'ever green' hero, the super star of 50s and 60s, continues to produce and act even now - his latest, Mr. Prime Minister is due for release any time now. Lately his movies have not done well at the box-office, but it does not dicourage him - "I never give myself a chance to get depressed. I think ahead and move on." I 1970s - 80s: Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra and Rajesh Khanna Amitabh Bachchan: In the year 1973, a film was released - Zanjeer. The film saw a new kind of hero, the angry young man, who took the law in his own hands and fought the villain. The people saw him as their savior. The actor playing the lead role, till then a struggler with a string of flops behind him, is Amitabh Bachchan. With his tall and lean looks, Amitabh Bachchan became the emblamatic of the new kind of action hero - Dewar and Sholay (1975), Trishul, Don and Muqaddar Ka Sikander (1978), Shaan (980), Kala Pathar and Shakti (1982), Coolie (1983). He excels in all types of roles, be it action, drama or comedy - a one man variety entertainment show - Kabhi Kabhie (1976), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), Mr. Natwarlal (1979), Suhag (1979), Silsila and Lawaris (1981), Namak Halal (1982). The 'Superstar of the Millennium' (BBC poll), selected as the first celebrity from India to be immortalized at Madam Tussaud's Wax Museum, London, recipient of Padma Bhushan and numerous awards, Amitabh Bachchan is still the busiest star with roles specially written for him - Baghban (2003) and Sarkar (2005). Dharmendra: Another great action hero, the North Indian (Punjabi) macho man, had to struggle hard in the 60s to become one of the top superstars of the 70s and 80s. He got the break by winning the Filmfare Spot-the-talent contest, and signed his first film, Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere (1960). Producers saw the potential in his performance and offered him roles, mainly in soft romantic movies - Anpadh (1962), Bandini (1963), Soorat Aur Seerat (1963, Phool Aur Pathar (1966) and Satyakam (1969). The 1970s saw Dharmendra take to action genre like a fish to water, and emerged 'Garam Dharam', the hunk action hero of great hits - Mera Gaon Mera Desh, Jugnu, Kahani Kismat Ki, Yadon Ki Baraat, Raja Jani and Sholay, which also revealed another facet of Dharmendra - his flair for comedy. Dharmendra has been awarded the Filmfare Life Achivement Award for his contribution to Indian cinema. Rajesh Khanna: The Rajesh Khanna phenomena swept Bollywood off its feet after the release of Aradhna in 1969. The hysteria generated was unlike anything seen before. BBC made a film on him - Bombay Superstar. A textbook prescribed by the Bombay University contained an essay - The Charisma of Rajesh Khanna. Aradhna was a golden jubilee hit, so was his next movie, Do Raaste (1970). Khamoshi (1969) and Safar (1970), came up with sensitive performances straight from the heart. Anand (1970) showed him giving his greatest ever performance as a man stricken with cancer but wanting to live life to the fullest before he dies. His other hit movies include Kati Patang, Amar Prem, Dushman, Haathi Mere Saathi, Apna Desh, Bawarchi, Namak Haram, Daag, Aap Ki Kasam, Prem Nagar, Roti, Amardeep, Thodisi Bewafai, Avtaar and Sauten. 1990s - onwards: Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan Shahrukh Khan: One of the biggest Bollywood heart-throbs of the past decade, he is India's most bankable star. His drive for perfection and sincerity to profession won him the maximum awards - 11 awards in 15 years of career so far - Deewana, Darr, Baazigar, Kabhi Han Kabhi Na, Anjaam, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Dil To Pagal Hei, Kuch Kuch Hota Hei, Muhabatein, Devdas and Veer Zaara, besides Padmashri. In real life too he plays the role that he played in his hit production, Main Hoon Na - he cares for all those who are close to him. His star power and popularity makes him bigger than the biggest - Badshah Khan, as he is called with respect. Salman Khan: The actor attained star status with Sooraj Barjaya's Maine Pyar Kiya. Phenominal success of Hum Aapke Hein Kaun established Salman as one of the famous formidable Khan trio. Today he is a sought after hero, working with almost all the top banners. Often known as Bollywood's 'Bad Boy' for his knack of walking into trouble, this macho hunk has a heart made of pure gold. He does good deeds and disappears, just like spiderman. His transformations can be sensitive, vulnerable, funny, agressive and charming, as his roles demand. One thing he does irrespective of the role is getting rid of his shirt to show his muscles. A health freak, he is voted 7th best looking man in the world by People Magazine. All his films have a fantastic opening and many of them prove great hits - Sajan, Andaaz Apna Apna, Karan Arjun, Khamoshi, Kuch Kuch Hota Hei, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Tere Naam, Mujh Se Shadi Karoge, Maine Pyar Kyon Kiya and No Entry. With the last three back to back super hits, currently he is at the peak of his career. Amir Khan: Born in a noted film family (grand uncle- Nasir Hussain, father- Tahir Hussain), he went directly into films from college and made his first hit movie playing a college boy - Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988). He won Filmfare Sensational Debut Award for the film. Known as a perfectionist, as far as possible, he works only in one movie at a time. His other hits include, Dil, Dil Hei Ke Manta Nahin, Jo Jeeta Wahi Sikander, Rangeela, Raja Hindustani, Ghulam, Sarfrosh, Dil Chahta Hei. His first production, Lagan, was not only a big box-office hit in India, but was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film (2001). After rave reviews of his latest film Mangal Pandey -the rising, all eyes are on his forthcoming film, Rang De Basanti. Along with the other two Khans, he is still going strong. There has never been a dearth of great actors whose super talent and dedication for the industry has made an indelible mark in the history of Hindi cinema. The emerging new generation of superstars are already in sight - Hritik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham, Saif Ali, Vivek Oberoi, Zayyad Khan, Fardeen Khan, Arjun Rampal, Aftab Shivdasani and Shahid Kapoor. I wish them luck. 1930s - 40s: Ashok Kumar, Surendra and Motilal Ashok Kumar: One of India's most famous actors, Ashok Kumar was known as the 'ever green' hero of Hindi cinema. As a young assistant to filmmaker Himanshu Rai, he got his break in acting career by accident when he volunteered to substitute for the lead actor, who fell ill before production of the film Jeevan Nayya (1936) started. The same year and for the same reason, the producer offered him to play the lead in his next film, Achut Kanya, both opposite Devika Rani, the First Lady of the Indian cinema. His unique easy-style acting, quite a contrast to theatrical acting common then, was highly acclaimed. Both the films were also hits at the box-office and Ashok Kumar was in demand, not only for movies made by his mentor, Himanshu Rai, but also by other directors - Kangan (1939), Bandhan (1940), Naya Sansar (1941), Jhoola (1941), Najma (1943). Bollywood's first super hit Kismet (1943) that ran for three years in Bombay, gained him national fame for his charismatic performance. Ashok Kumar remained the most sought after star, even in character roles after he was over-age for lead roles, and appeared in 300 movies, most of these hits - Mahal (1949), Samadhi (1950), Afsana (1951), Parineeta (1953), Chalti Ka Naam Gadi (1958), Dhool Ka Phool (1959), Kanoon (1960), Mere Mehboob (1963), Bandini (1963), Jewel Thief (1967), Pakeeza (1971) and Victoria No. 203 (1972). In his private life, Ashok Kumar was a fine painter and an active practitioner of Homeopathy. Popularly known as Dadamoni - jewel of an elder brother - he never celebrated his birthday after his famous brother, Kishore Kumar, died in 1987 on his birthday. Surendra: Movie makers in Bombay were desperately looking for a singer to match K. L. Saigal, whose melodious voice was making Calcutta's New Theatres far ahead of them at the box-office. Their search ended with the famous producer-director Mehboob Khan discovering a 6-feet tall, handsom singer, Surendra, to play hero in his first musical, Deccan Queen (1936). The melodious rendering of 'Birha ki aag lagi more man main' in the movie, was only a start to establish Surandra as the Saigal of Bombay. Then followed another hit song, 'Tumhi ne mujh ko prem sikhaya', a duet with Bibbo in Manmohan (1936). With both the movies becoming hits at the box-office, Mehboob repeated him in Jagirdar, Gramophone Singer, Alibaba and his classic Aurat, all great musicals, Surendra was now the super singing star. Forties proved far more lucky for him with many hit movies and at least three super hits - Lal Haveli (1944), Bharthari (1944) and Anmol Ghadi (1946), in which he sang the all time greatest duet with Noorjehan, 'Awaaz de kahan hai'. In later years, Surendra played chracter roles in numerous films, including super hits Baiju Bawra, Waqt, Milan and Mughl-E-Azam. Motilal: If Ashok Kumar was charismatic, Surendra was melodious, Motilal was the most natural actor. He did not act, he just lived his role. Acting for him meant merging his soul with that of the character he played in his easy acting style. This made him a star right from the start of his career in social melodramas of the 30s - Dr. Madhurika, Kulvadhu, Vatan Parast, Do Ghadi Ki Maang, Jagirdar, Hum Tum Aur Woh, Sach Hai etc. Back to back hits, Holi (1940), Sasural (1941), Pardesi (1941), Arman (1942), Taqdeer (1943), and Dost (1944) marked his emergence as a superstar. The biggest runaway hit, Ek Thi Ladki (1949) put him on top of the popularity chart of actors of the era. But his best was yet to come - Mr. Sampath (1952), based on a R. K. Narayan's story, got him the highest acclaim for acting from critics as well as the public. He also excelled in character roles in movies such as, Devdas, Jagte Raho, Ab Dilli Doo Nahin, Paigam, Anari, Parakh etc. In private life he was an aristocrat who moved in the best of circles. His romance with co-star Shobhana Samarth, who was already married and was mother of Nutan and Tanuja, was the biggest love story of Bollywood that has never been filmed so far. Tribute to the superstars of 1930s and 40s is incomplete unless a glowing mention of two other great stars is made - Prithviraj Kapoor and K. L. Saigal. The former had his finest moments playing Alexander The Great in Sohrab Modi's Sikander (1941) and later as Emperor Akbar in Mughl-E-Azam (1960). Prithviraj Kapoor remained more devoted to drama than films and founded Prithvi Theatres, the training ground for many a great actors, including his famous sons, Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor. K. L. Saigal was more famous as the greatest ever singer of Hindi cinema than as an actor. He spent best part of his career in Calcutta with New Theatres and moved to Bombay in mid-forties only, where he gave three great musicals - Tansen, Bhakt Surdas and Shahjahan. 1950s - 60s: Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand Dilip Kumar: The greatest actor ever to grace the Hindi cinema, he is also famous as the King of Tragedy. The audiences gave him standing ovation in packed cinema halls for his powerful performance and came out wiping tears at the tragic end to their hero's love story in the greatest tragedies made by Bollywood - Jugnu (1947), Shaheed and Mela (1948), Andaaz (1949), Babul and Jogan (1950), Deedar (1951), Udan Khatola and Devdas (1955), Madhumati (1958), Mugha-E-Azam (1960) and Ganga Jamuna (1961). In superhits of the 60s, Azaad, Kohinoor and Ram Aur Shyam, Dilip Kumar showed the lighter side of his reel life which was as rewarding for the viewers as his great tragedies of the 50s. His perfomance was not only applauded by Indian audiences, but it also attracted the attention of foreign film producers, at least two of them offering him important roles - 20th Century Fox in The Rains Came and David Lean in Lawrence of Arabia. Dilip Kumar declined both the offers - "In your own bazaar you enjoy a certain status. What's the point of venturing into fields unknown, where you have no say." Dilip Kumar's real life romance with Madhubala in the 50s was no different from his reel life Tragedies of the period - the couple could not unite at the end. He later married Saira Banu and is leading a happy life. As a man, Dilip Kumar is a very fine human, full of humility and compassion. Raj Kapoor: Producer, director, actor, editor, entertainer, he was all in one - the greatest showman of Indian cinema. He was working as assistant to Kidar Sharma when the director gave him a break as actor in Neel Kamal (1947) opposite Madhubala. An ambitious youngman as he was at 24, he produced, directed and acted in Aag (1948). His next production Barsaat (1949) was a smash hit, which not only established him as a great producer director, but also made him a superstar overnight. The film also produced the most popular romantic team in Bollywood history. Whenever Raj Kapoor and Nargis came together on screen, sparks flew , their chemistry was electrifying. Same year, Mehboob, in a casting coup, starred Raj Kapoor-Nargis team with Dilip Kumar for the most modern romantic triangle ever, Andaaz (1949). The film was a grea hit and helped all the three stars achieve the highest standards in acting. Raj Kapoor's next production, Awaara (1951) was another mega hit, which was the first Indian film to have gained popular acclaim abroad, especially in Russia, where the movie and songs were dubbed in Russian language. Amongst his other productions, Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1960) and Sangam (1964) were also superhits. A great admirer of Charles Chaplin, his own 'tramp' (Awaara, Shri 420, Mera Naam Joker) is modeled somewhat on his mentor, though with a definite individual flair. Raj Kapoor, the recipient of Dada Phalke Award and several other awards for his acting and direction, appeared in 60+ films, many of them great hits. Dev Anand: Handsome and debonair, called Gregory Peck of Bollywood for his resemblance to and similarity in acting style of the Hollywood superstar. - played the mischievous lover boy chasing the heroin. A graduate of English literature, he came to Bombay to join his elder brother, producer director Chetan Anand. Starting his career as actor in Hum Ek Hein (1946), he soon attained stardom with his first super hit Ziddi (1948). In early years of his film career, he became famous for his romance with Suraiya, the singing rage of the era and his co-star of many movies - Vidya (1948), Jeet (1949). Shayar (1949), Afsar (1950), Nili (1950) and Do Sitare (1951). However, the real fame came when most of his movies turned super hits - Baazi (1951), Jaal (1952), Munimjee (1955), Pocketmar (1955), Paying Guest (1957), Kala Pani (1958), Kala Bazaar (1960), Bombai Ka Babu (1960), Hum Dono (1961), Guide (1965), Jewel Thief (1967), Johnny Mera Naam (1970) and Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1971). The audiences, especially the youth, loved him for his boy next door image - part lover, part clown, part good-doer. As producer director he is known for launching new faces who later become great stars - Zeenat Aman, Tina Munim, Jackey Shroff and many more. Known as the 'ever green' hero, the super star of 50s and 60s, continues to produce and act even now - his latest, Mr. Prime Minister is due for release any time now. Lately his movies have not done well at the box-office, but it does not dicourage him - "I never give myself a chance to get depressed. I think ahead and move on." In 50s and 60s, when the superstars Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand ruled the Hindi cinema, three other stars, shining brightly over the bollywood sky, attracted much attention - Rajender Kumar, Sunil Dutt and Shammi Kapoor. Rajender Kumar came to be known as Jubilee Kumar after most of his movies celebrated silver jubilee run in theatres - Mother India, Ghar Sansar, Goonj Uthi Shehnai, Dhool Ka Phool, Chirag Kahan Roshni Kahan, Mere Mehboob, Dil Ek Mandir, Sangam and many more. Sunil Dutt was acclaimed for his powerful performance in social melodramas like Ek Hi Raasta, Mother India, Sadhna, Sujata, Gumrah, Waqt, Khandaan, Milan and Hamraz. Padosan, in which he teamed up with Mehmood and Kishore Kumar to play comedy role, is considered the best ever comedy film of the era. Shammi Kapoor, the top hero of musical comedies, displayed his unique dancing talent in song and dance numbers - Tumsa Nahin Dekha, Dil Deke Dekho. Junglee, Professor, Rajkumar, Kashmir Ki Kali, Janwar, Teesri Manzil, An Evening in Paris, Brahmchari, Andaz, Tumse Achcha Kaun Hei etc. 1970s - 80s: Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra and Rajesh Khanna Amitabh Bachchan: In the year 1973, a film was released - Zanjeer. The film saw a new kind of hero, the angry young man, who took the law in his own hands and fought the villain. The people saw him as their savior. The actor playing the lead role, till then a struggler with a string of flops behind him, is Amitabh Bachchan. With his tall and lean looks, Amitabh Bachchan became the emblamatic of the new kind of action hero - Dewar and Sholay (1975), Trishul, Don and Muqaddar Ka Sikander (1978), Shaan (980), Kala Pathar and Shakti (1982), Coolie (1983). He excels in all types of roles, be it action, drama or comedy - a one man variety entertainment show - Kabhi Kabhie (1976), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), Mr. Natwarlal (1979), Suhag (1979), Silsila and Lawaris (1981), Namak Halal (1982). The 'Superstar of the Millennium' (BBC poll), selected as the first celebrity from India to be immortalized at Madam Tussaud's Wax Museum, London, recipient of Padma Bhushan and numerous awards, Amitabh Bachchan is still the busiest star with roles specially written for him - Baghban (2003) and Sarkar (2005). Dharmendra: Another great action hero, the North Indian (Punjabi) macho man, had to struggle hard in the 60s to become one of the top superstars of the 70s and 80s. He got the break by winning the Filmfare Spot-the-talent contest, and signed his first film, Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere (1960). Producers saw the potential in his performance and offered him roles, mainly in soft romantic movies - Anpadh (1962), Bandini (1963), Soorat Aur Seerat (1963, Phool Aur Pathar (1966) and Satyakam (1969). The 1970s saw Dharmendra take to action genre like a fish to water, and emerged 'Garam Dharam', the hunk action hero of great hits - Mera Gaon Mera Desh, Jugnu, Kahani Kismat Ki, Yadon Ki Baraat, Raja Jani and Sholay, which also revealed another facet of Dharmendra - his flair for comedy. Dharmendra has been awarded the Filmfare Life Achivement Award for his contribution to Indian cinema. Rajesh Khanna: The Rajesh Khanna phenomena swept Bollywood off its feet after the release of Aradhna in 1969. The hysteria generated was unlike anything seen before. BBC made a film on him - Bombay Superstar. A textbook prescribed by the Bombay University contained an essay - The Charisma of Rajesh Khanna. Aradhna was a golden jubilee hit, so was his next movie, Do Raaste (1970). Khamoshi (1969) and Safar (1970), came up with sensitive performances straight from the heart. Anand (1970) showed him giving his greatest ever performance as a man stricken with cancer but wanting to live life to the fullest before he dies. His other hit movies include Kati Patang, Amar Prem, Dushman, Haathi Mere Saathi, Apna Desh, Bawarchi, Namak Haram, Daag, Aap Ki Kasam, Prem Nagar, Roti, Amardeep, Thodisi Bewafai, Avtaar and Sauten. 1990s - onwards: Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan Shahrukh Khan: One of the biggest Bollywood heart-throbs of the past decade, he is India's most bankable star. His drive for perfection and sincerity to profession won him the maximum awards - 11 awards in 15 years of career so far - Deewana, Darr, Baazigar, Kabhi Han Kabhi Na, Anjaam, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Dil To Pagal Hei, Kuch Kuch Hota Hei, Muhabatein, Devdas and Veer Zaara, besides Padmashri. In real life too he plays the role that he played in his hit production, Main Hoon Na - he cares for all those who are close to him. His star power and popularity makes him bigger than the biggest - Badshah Khan, as he is called with respect. Salman Khan: The actor attained star status with Sooraj Barjaya's Maine Pyar Kiya. Phenominal success of Hum Aapke Hein Kaun established Salman as one of the famous formidable Khan trio. Today he is a sought after hero, working with almost all the top banners. Often known as Bollywood's 'Bad Boy' for his knack of walking into trouble, this macho hunk has a heart made of pure gold. He does good deeds and disappears, just like spiderman. His transformations can be sensitive, vulnerable, funny, agressive and charming, as his roles demand. One thing he does irrespective of the role is getting rid of his shirt to show his muscles. A health freak, he is voted 7th best looking man in the world by People Magazine. All his films have a fantastic opening and many of them prove great hits - Sajan, Andaaz Apna Apna, Karan Arjun, Khamoshi, Kuch Kuch Hota Hei, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Tere Naam, Mujh Se Shadi Karoge, Maine Pyar Kyon Kiya and No Entry. With the last three back to back super hits, currently he is at the peak of his career. Amir Khan: Born in a noted film family (grand uncle- Nasir Hussain, father- Tahir Hussain), he went directly into films from college and made his first hit movie playing a college boy - Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988). He won Filmfare Sensational Debut Award for the film. Known as a perfectionist, as far as possible, he works only in one movie at a time. His other hits include, Dil, Dil Hei Ke Manta Nahin, Jo Jeeta Wahi Sikander, Rangeela, Raja Hindustani, Ghulam, Sarfrosh, Dil Chahta Hei. His first production, Lagan, was not only a big box-office hit in India, but was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film (2001). After rave reviews of his latest film Mangal Pandey -the rising, all eyes are on his forthcoming film, Rang De Basanti. Along with the other two Khans, he is still going strong. There has never been a dearth of great actors whose super talent and dedication for the industry has made an indelible mark in the history of Hindi cinema. The emerging new generation of superstars are already in sight - Hritik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham, Saif Ali, Vivek Oberoi, Zayyad Khan, Fardeen Khan, Arjun Rampal, Aftab Shivdasani and Shahid Kapoor. I wish them luck. Tilak Rishi
____________ "I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.
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#7 26 Jan 2007 10:00
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sur
Joined: November 2006
Posts: 10620
Location: Virginia
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Re: Tilak Rishi And His Writing.
Hindi cinema - super heroines Bollywood is basically a hero oriented industry. Male leads would often see that their female co-stars got less footage, less meaty roles, less publicity, that they do not turn scene stealers. Nevertheless, some of the most memorable films have been those that were women-centric. These films have given some great female stars who commanded an equal position with the male leads and also no less a superstar status. Here is my tribute to the female superstars of Hindi cinema. 1930s and 40s Devika Rani: First Lady of the Indian Cinema and an acknowledged beauty, Devika Rani goes down in the annals of Hindi films as actor par excellence. In 1920s, when she was in London to study architecture, she met Himansu Rai, the founder of Bombay Talkies. He offered her to design sets of Light of Asia (1925) and they came back together to complete the project. Romantically attracted to each other, they soon got married and Devika Rani was now not only the head at Bombay Talkies but also the female lead in the initial movies. Karma (1933) gave her instant fame and rave reviews for her performance. She made a very successful team with Ashok Kumar - Jeevan Naiya, Janma Bhoomi, Achut Kanya, Izzat, Savitri and Anjaan. After untimely demise of Himansu Rai in 1940, she took over the reins of Bombay Talkies. Amongst her discoveries at Bombay Talkies was Dilip Kumar. For her contributions to Indian Cinema, Devika Rani was the first recipient of the prestigious Dada Sahib Phalke Award in 1970. After Himansu Rai's death she married the famous Russian painter Svetoslav Roerich and stayed in their estate in Bangalore till her death in 1994. Naseem Banu: Daughter of the legendary playback singer Shamshad Begum, Naseem was one of the most beautiful figures to grace the Indian screen. She was the Beauty Queen of her time and a superstar of her days. Starting her career in Khoon Ka Khoon (1935), she was an overnight sensation on release of Sohrab Modi's all time classic, Pukar (1939). Her song in the movie 'Zindagi ka saaz bhi kya saaz hai, baj raha hai aur beawaz hai' was a big hit. Her other hit movies include Talaaq, Ujala, Begam, Jeevan Sapna, Anokhi Ada, Chandani Raat and Sheesh Mahal. She retired in the mid-50s so that she would groom her daughter Saira Banu for an acting career. Durga Khote: A strong woman, Durga Khote had a glorious career that spanned 50 years, which included acting, production and direction. She later diversified into short films, ad films and documentaries with considerable success for over 25 years. Starting her career in Ayodhecha Raja (1932) she acted in over 200 films. Her powerful performance in Amar Jyoti (1937) made her an overnight star who was thereafter sought for woman-centric films, especially historicals. Her major films include Rajrani Meera, Nand Kumar, Adhuri Kahani, Maya Machindra, Patit Pawan, Jeevan Natak, Inquilab, Saathi, Narsi Bhagat, Geeta, Vijay, Bharat Milap, Prithvi Vallabh, Mahatma Vidur, Pannadai, Mirza Ghalib and Mughal-E-Azam. Shanta Apte: Whanever films about strong women are discussed, V. Shantaram's Dunia Na Mane (1937) tops the list. In the film, Nirmala, an orphan girl is given in marriage to an old rich widower. She revolts and refuses to consummate the union with her husband. Shanta Apte played perfect Nirmala. This was her third most memorable performance in a row - the earlier two being in Shantaram's classics, Amrit Manthan (1934) and Amar Jyoti (1936). Shanta Apte's other great movies include Zamindar, Apna Ghar, Mohabbat, Duhai and Subhadra. She was also a great singer of her time, who sang her own songs in films. Shobhana Samarth: Contrary to today's rules where actresses are considered stale once they get married, Shobhana Samarth's film career only began after her marriage. Best known for her portrayal of Sita in Ram Rajya, she became the eternal Sita in the audiences' minds. Her major films include Do Diwane (1936), Apni Nagaria (1940), Bharat Milap (1942), Ram Rajya (1943), Nauker (1943), Taramati (1945), Sati Taral (1947). In 1950 she produced Hamari Beti to launch her daughter Nutan. Noorjehan: Diva of the 1940s, Noorjehan started her film career in Gul-Bakavali (1939), but it was Khandaan (1942), a big hit, that made her an overnight star. Her song, Tu Kaun Si Badli Mein Mere Chand Hei Aaja, was a sensational hit. The people lapped up the combination of good voice, beautiful looks and the great acting talent. They thronged the theatres in thousands and applauded her every song sequence on the screen. Most of her movies became big hits - Duhai, Nauker, Nadaan, Dost, Badi Maa, Village Girl and Lal Haveli. In Zeenat she popularized the qawali as never before - Aahein Na Bhari Shikwe Na Kiye was sung everywhere, in schools and on the streets. She reached her peak with Mehboob Khan's Anmol Ghadi (1946) and Jugnu with Dilip Kumar. She migrated to Pakistan in 1947. Khursheed: The first of the singing stars, she started her career in 1931, the year when India's first talkie film Alamara was released. She was the only singing superstar in the 30s, who captivated the hearts of million with her melodious singing of the immortal songs: "Mohabbat Mei Sara Jahan Jal Raha Hei"(Shahashah Babar), Pahle Jo Mohabbat Mei Inkar Kiya Hota"(Pardesi), "Mori Ataria Hei Sooni"(Beti), "Ghir Ghir Aye Bidaria"(Shaadi), "Jo Ham Pe Guzarti Hei"(Mumtaz Mahal) and many more. Her best period came in the 40s when she was selected to play steller role with the legendary K.L.Saigal in Bhakt Surdas and Tansen. Matching her melodious voice to Saigal, she sang some of her greatest hits in these two movies. Khursheed migrated to Pakistan after the Partition. Suraiya: As Noorjehan was the queen of melody, Suraiya was the peoples' choice as the most popular singing superstar. She generated hysteria amongst the masses that no other star could generate. The young and the old, the man in the street or at work, they all enjoyed singing to Suraiya's tunes, so captivating and easy to copy. "O Door Janewale", "Woh Pas Rahen Ya Door Rahen", "O Likhnewale Ne Likh Di", "Bigdi Banane Wale", "Murliwale Murli Baja", "Tu Mera Chand Mein Teri Chandni" and many more were hummed in every nook and corner of the country. Suraiya was still at her peak when she retired from films after giving her greatest hit Mirza Ghalib. 1950s and 60s Madhubala: The most beautiful star of Hindi cinema, she was brilliant in both, comedy as well as in high dramatic performance. While she matched Kishore Kumar step by step in his madcap antics in Chalti Ka Naam Gadi, her performance as the doomed courtesan Anarkali in Mughal-E-Azam equalled that of Dilip Kumar as Prince Salim. Madhubala began her Bollywood life in Kidar Sharma's Neel Kamal (1947) opposite Raj Kapoor and became a superstar in Mahal (1949), a super super suspence thriller. A spate of hits followed - Amar, Howrah Bridge, Kala Paani, Phagun, Passport, Half Ticket and Sharabi. Madhubala's memorable career in Hindi films was cut short by her untimely death. Nargis: One of the greatest Indian actresses, Nargis started her Bollywood journey with a break by the ace director Mehboob in Taqdeer (1943), but real stardom came her way with Mehboob's Andaaz and Raj Kapoor's Barsaat. Both movies were mega hits. Nargis played the lead in a spate of super hits opposite Dilip Kumar - Mela, Jogan, Babul and Deedar. After Awaara (1951) she worked exclusively with Raj Kapoor - Aah, Anhonee, Ashiana, Bewafa, Shri 420, Chori Chori and Jagte Raho. Her magnum opus Mother India (1957) represents the pinnacle of her career and won her the Best Actress award at the prestigious Karlovy Vary Festival. Nargis was the first film personality to be awarded Padmashree. Meena Kumari: She was one of the most beloved actresses of Bollywood. She took performance to new heights with her classic contributions including Parineeta, Baiju Bawra, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Daera, Ek Hi Raasta, Sharda, Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai, Dil Ek Mandir, Aarti, Kajal, Phool Aur Pathar and Pakeeza. She also excelled in light hearted roles - Azaad, Miss Mary, Shararat and Kohinoor. She won Filmfare awards for Best Actress in Baiju Bawra (1952), Parineeta (1953) and Sahib Bibi Ghulam (1962) and made history in 1962 by bagging three Best Actress nominations - Aarti, Main Chup Rahungi and Sahib Bibi Ghulam. She was called the Tragedy Queen for playing the suffering woman to perfection. Vijayantimala: The first South Indian actress who made it big in Bollywood, Vijayantimala's greatest legacy to Indian cinema is that it has become a must for any inspiring actress to be an accomplished dancer. She started her career in Hindi films with Bahar (1951), a big hit, primarily because of her dance numbers. In Devdas (1955) she played dancing girl Chandramukhi and won Filmfare award for Best Supporting Actress. Naya Daur (1957), a mega hit, made her the most sought after star. Bimal Roy's Madhumati (1958), shot her to the highest echelons of stardom. She won Filmfare awards for Best Actress in Sadhna (1958), Ganga Jamuna (1961) and Sangam (1964). After her last big hit, Jewel Thief (1967), she retired from films. Waheeda Rehman: Another great dancer from South Indian films, Waheeda Rehman was spotted by Guru Dutt in a Telgu film and brought to Bombay to work in his production, C.I.D. (1956). The film was a big hit but her role of a vamp was not that big. The real srardom was offered to her on a platter in Guru Dutt's masterpiece Pyaasa (1957), followed by two more classics from Guru Dutt, Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959) and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962). Her hit movies include Chowdhavin Ka Chand, Kala Bazaar, Bees Saal Baad, Mujhe Jeene Do, Kohra and Ram Aur Shyam. With Guide (1965) she reached the peak of her career, playing the difficult role of a desparate housewife. Nutan: Launched in Hamari Beti (1950) by mother Shobhana Samarth, Nutan's major breakthrough as an actress par excellence came with Seema (1955), which won her Filmfare Best Actress Award. Whether it was the light hearted Paying Guest (1957) or Bimal Rai's intense Sujata (1959), brought out the best in her. She continued with her bright career with Tere Ghar Ke Samne, Anadi, Chhalia, Milan, Khandaan, Sarswatichandra, Saudagar, Sajan Bina Suhagan and Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki. Her greatest performance was in Bimal Roy's Bandini (1963). She won record-breaking 5 Filmfare awards for Best Actress - Seema (1957), Sujata (1960), Bandini (1964), Milan (1969) and Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1979). 1970s and 80s Sharmila Tagore: She won a timultuous welcome to Hindi cinema when she appeared with her glorious dimples and sassy smile in the romantic comedy Kashmir Ki Kali (1964) opposite Shammi Kapoor. With Evening in Paris (1967), she went on to become one of the hottest and most glamorous actresses. She won Filmfare Best Actress Award for Aradhna (1970) and National Award for Mausam (1975). Her other great movies include Anupama, Waqt, Chupke Chupke, Satyakam, Khushboo, Griha Pravesh, Namkeen, Desh Premi and Mississipi Masala. Rakhee: One look at Rakhee and you are immediately drawn to her gaze. There you find the fire as well as melancholy, depending on her mood of the moment. In Sharmeelee (1971), her debut film, the cameraman devoted half an hour to her close-ups. She is truly a photographer's dream. She has a long list of super hits, to her very successful career spanning 30 years in the industry - Reshma Aur Shera, Lal Pathar, Be-Iman, Heera Panna, Daag, Black Mail, Banarsi Babu, Joshila, Angarey, Tapasya, Kabhi Kabhie, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Jurmana, Kala Pathar, Lootmaar, Shaan, Laawaris, Shradhanjali, Bemisal and more. She won Filmfare Best Actress Award for Tapasya (1976), Best Supporting Actress Award for Daag (1976) and Ram Lakhan (1989). Hema Malini: She entered Bollywood as the 'Dream Girl' of Raj Kapoor in Sapnon Ka Saudagar (1968), but became dream girl of multitude of movie goers with Johnny Mera Naam, the mega hit of 1970. Then came Seeta Aur Geeta (1972) and she was the top female star, winning the Filmfare Best Actrss Award for the film. Her stocks went high with a string of hits opposite Dharmendra - Raja Jani, Jugnu, Solay, Pratigya, Phandebaaz, Dream Girl, Dillagi, Charas, Azaad, Aas Paas, Andha Kanoon etc. Gulzar brought to limelight Hema's histrionics excellence in Khushboo (1975), Kinara (1977) and Meera (1979). Hema Malini has the distinction of bagging Filmfare Best Actress Award even for her comeback film Baghban, more than 30 years after she won her first award. She was awarded Padma Bhushan in 1999. Rekha: Superstar of South India, Gemini Ganeshan's daughter Rekha entered Bollywood with a bang, with her first film Sawan Bhadon (1970) becoming a super hit. Her most memorable movie is Umrao Jaan in which she played the role of the poet-cum-court dancer with the charm that captivated the audience as never before. She won the National Award for the film. Her big hits include - Mr. Natwarlal, Khoon Psina, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Namak Haram, Suhag, Ram Balram, Kasme Vaade, Do Anjaane, Alaap. Khoobsoorat and Khoon Bhari Maang won her Filmfare Best Actress Awards. She also won Best Supprting Actress Award for Khiladion Ke Khiladi (1998). The icon of beauty and glamor in Bollywood, she credits Yoga and balanced diet as the secret of her ageless face and figure. Sridevi: Stunning beauty and an accomplished dancer, Sridevi came to capture Bollywood in the 80s, after conquoring the South Indian cinema. In fact, she is the only actress to have attained superstar status in Hindi cinema and the South Indian regional cinema at the same time. Dance has always been Sridevi's forte in all her films. Her dance number in the mega hit Chandni - Mere Hathon Mei Nau Nau Churiyan - made the dance mendatory at every marriage in any nook and corner of the country. Childlike, spontaneous and comic, she excelled in the art of slapstick and physical comedy - Mr. India (1987) and Chalbaaz (1989). She won Filmfare Best Actress Award for Chalbaaz and Lamhe and nominations for Sadma, Chandni, Khuda Gwah, Gumrah, Laadla and Judaai. She is now more active as producer than as an actress. 1990s and onwards Madhuri Dixit: N. Chandra's Tezaab (1988) - Ek Do Teen Char - took the nation by storm and celebrated Golden Jubilee. The sensational newcomer, Madhuri Dixit, who performed the super hit song-cum-dance number, became a superstar overnight. The Ek Do Teen girl, as she came to be known, gave another stunning performance in Dil (1990) and Madhuri was now the most sought after star. An ultimate beauty and a wonderful dancer, she has achieved milestones in her career with her flawless performance, winning Filmfare Best Actress Awards for Dil (1991), Beta (1993), Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (1995), Dil To Pagal Hai (1998) and Best Actress - supporting role for Devdas (2003). She also got nominated for Best Actress for her Tezaab, Prem Pratigya, Saajan, Khal Nayak, Yaraana, Pukar and Lajja. Madhuri moved to USA after her marriage to an NRI doctor in Los Angeles, and with this concludes the list of superstars of the last Century. The new Millenneum opens with some of the most beautiful actresses, many of them Beauty Queens, who are emerging as superstars, with their awards- winning talent and some very successful films to be proud of : Aishwarya Rai: Miss World 1994, she is the first Indian actress to be on the jury of the Cannes International Film Festival. She won Filmfare Best Actress Awards for Devdas and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. She looks forward Umrao Jaan and important foreign assignments under negotiation. Kajol: Considered the best on-screen pair with Shah Rukh Khan (Baazigar, Karan Arjun, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Khush Kabhi Gham), she won Filmfare Best Actress Awards for Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham. Rani Mukherjee: Treasure house of talent, she is considered as the reigning queen of Bollywood with big recent hits to back her for the position - Hum Tum, Veer-Zaara, Black and Bunty Aur Babli. Her other hits include Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Ghulam, Sathiya and Chalte Chalte. She won Filmfare Best Actress Award for Hum Tum. Priyanka Chopra: Miss World 2000, winner of the Filmfare Best Debut Award for Andaaz (2003) and for the Best Actress-negative role for Aitraaz (2004), she has a string of successful films recently - Mujh Se Shadi Karoge, Waqt, Barsaat and Bluffmaster. All eyes are on her forthcoming films Krrish and Don. Preity Zinta: Winner of Filmfare Best New Comer Award for Dil Se (1998), Best Debut Award for Soldier and Best Actress Award for Kal Ho Na Ho (2003), she is on rise with recent hits Veer Zaara and Salaam Namaste, besides the super hit Koi Mil Gaya. Kareena Kapoor: She is the winner of Filmfare Awards for Best Female Debut (Refugee), Special Award (Chameli) and Best Actress Award (Dev). Her other successful films include Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Yuva, Ajnabi, Aitraaz, Hulchul, Bewafa and Dosti. She is looking forward to Milenge Milenge, Don and 36 China Town. Last but not the least, one of the greatest actresses of our time is Shabana Azmi. Leading light of the Indian New Wave cinema, she dominated the films of the 'parallel cinema' in 1970s and 80s made by India's famous arthouse directors Shyam Benegal, Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Aparna Sen and others. Her most memorable movies include Ankur, Nishant, Junoon, Atithi, Sparsh, Mandi. Madam Sousatzka, City of Joy, Fire, Earth and Morning Raaga, besides the Filmfare Best Actress Award winning films Swami, Arth and Bhavna. In an effort to pay sincere tributes to all the great artistes, I might have missed some inadvertantly. However, the great performance of these actors is never underrated. Their glorious and shining artistry par excellence has made Indian cinema unparalleled. Tilak Rishi
____________ "I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.
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#8 26 Jan 2007 10:02
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sur
Joined: November 2006
Posts: 10620
Location: Virginia
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Re: Tilak Rishi And His Writing.
From Bollywood with laughs The common man, living most of the time in stress and strains of the day-to-day drudgery, has always looked to comedies for respite and relief. Hindi cinema has carried on the tradition of discovering and rediscovering the comedians from the bygone era till today, who excelled in evoking laughter with their talent and perfect comic timing. The conventional comedian came on the screen as the hero's companion and clicked in a big way when Lal Haveli, made in the early '40s, became the biggest hit of the year. Yaqub, the great comedian of yester years, played singer- actor Surendra's friend in the film. Followed another hit, Ustadon Ke Ustad in which Mukri, the shortest comedian with longest innings, played companion of the tallest hero, Sheikh Mukhtar. And the formula for the hit film was ready. Playing the hero's friend in film after film, comedians Agha, Gope, Johney Walker, Mehmood, Rajendra Nath, Deven Verma, Jagdeep, Keshto Mukherji, Asrani and others became increasingly popular. Tun Tun and Shobha Khote deserve special mention for their heartwarming performances. Later many of them even turned producers. Comedian-turned-producers had shown that they could be explosively comic when they had all the freedom to handle the script. Bhagwan, a versatile actor and director besides being a comedian, produced some very successful comedies including a super hit, Albela, with Geeta Bali giving a great performance as the leading lady. Kishore Kumar, the hero-cum-comedian produced the all time hit comedy Chalti Ka Naam Gadhi. If comedy is the populists' art, Mehmood was one of the greatest of populist artistes. He made his movies not for the award committees or critics but for the masses. Perhaps, it was to please his fans that he started depending heavily on double-meaning dialogues for his comedies, an inspiration for many present day producers to make similar movies. I. S. Johar, a journalist-turned comedian-cum-producer, caught the audience imagination with his biting, at times juicy, satire. Of the many hit movies he produced, Shrimatiji and Hum Sab Chor Hein were more popular. At the peak of his popularity, Johney Walker also produced some slapstick comedies, including the hit Joru Ka Ghulam. The comedy team clicked in a big way when Johar Mehmood In Goa with I. S. Johar and Mehmood became a big box office hit. Padosan, another all time comedy hit, owed its astounding success as much to teaming the two great comedians Kishore Kumar and Mehmood together, as to the superb performance of Sunil Dutt. Although new comers then, Asrani and Paintal proved quite a hit comedy team in Aaj Ki Taza Khabar. Dhoomal and Mohan Choti received better audience response when they appeared together as a team. Sundar, the comedian with the largest number of movies to his credit, was at his best when teamed with Majnu. Character artistes-cum-comedians had been often cast in important roles in Hindi films but no one ever reached the heights Om Prakash touched in his long career. Right from his Dassi days in Lahore to Aye Bahar, Pehli Jhalak, Chaman, Ladki, Azaad, Namak Halal etc., he dominated the Hindi cinema for decades. The only other actor who came close to him in comic timing and innovative humour was David. His long list of hit movies included Kismat, Naya Tarana, Dharti Ke Lal, Chandni Raat, Ladli, Samadhi, Sargam, Hamara Ghar and Boot Polish. Jeevan, Ajit, Shakti Kapoor and Kanhaiya Lal, the veteran artistes of long standing, used their comic talents to turn their negative roles into comedy. Jokes revolving around Ajit's lines have ever remained popular. Radha Krishan was another bright artiste who was able to make audience roar with laughter by his peculiar way of using his voice. He was also the luckiest comedian whose every movie was a hit. Growth of star system in the '70s and increasing popularity of thrillers in the '80s sidelined the comedians for quite sometime. With the arrival of Johney Lever on the big screen, there is a welcome revival of the comedians' role in Hindi cinema. Paresh Rawal, Arshad Warsi, Rajpal Yadav joined in to steal crucial scenes from big stars with their bright comedies and super timings. They are in great demand and deserve long innings like their predicessors of the bygone era, but it is not that easy for them. They are facing big competition from stars turning comedians, especially after the super success of situational comedies sans conventional comedians, such as Dhoom, Mujh Se Shadi Karogi, Babli Aur Bunty, Maine Pyar Kyon Kiya and No Entry. Still, with their outstanding talent in comedy they have created a fan following of their own and likely to keep coming for us in film after film from Bollywood with laughs. Tilak Rishi
____________ "I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.
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#9 26 Jan 2007 10:06
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sur
Joined: November 2006
Posts: 10620
Location: Virginia
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Re: Tilak Rishi And His Writing.
The pioneers in Indian cinema Of the numberless individuals associated with cinema, some are eternally identifiable. Their image and hallmark style make them unforgettable. Some of these marvels are presented here. Oct 24 2005 Life in India would not be the same without the exuberance of cinema, song and dance, melodrama, relevent messages- Indian films have them all, and usually all together in one film. Stars and super stars, hits and failures, outright commercial films and the art genre of films- all are woven together as entertainment supreme. Of the numberless individuals associated with cinema, some are eternally identifiable. Their image and hallmark style render them unforgettable. Some of these marvels are presented here- Bollywood's big three icons of the early years.
V. Shantaram (1901-1990)
Born Rajaram Venkundre Shantaram in Kolhapur, he hardly had any education. He started his career in theatres as a curtain puller with the Gandharv Natak Mandli. He joined Baburao Painter's Maharashtra Film Company and learnt the intricacies of film making from Painter, incuding acting. In 1929 he formed Prabhat Film Company with the help of some friends. Initially Shantaram followed Painter's formula of mythologicals and historicals. However, his visit to Germany changed his entire outlook as he made Amrit Manthan (1934) on return from Germany. The film beautifully depicted the tension between Budhism and established religious creeds. The close ups and long views were particularly effective. He was one of the early film producers to realize the efficacy of the film medium as an instrument of social change and used it successfully to advocate humanism on one hand and expose bigotry and injustice on the other. Amar Jyoti (1936) was an interesting feminist film about a woman who rebels against injustice by becoming a Pirate Queen. Dunia Na Mane (1937) was the story of a young woman refusing to accept her marriage to a much older man. Admi (1939), a love story of a policeman and a prostitute is regarded his finest film. The film was significant not only in terms of thematic content but also as work of motion picture art, technical innovations and artistic integrity. Padosi (1941) made a strong plea for communal harmony. Its interesting that Mazhar Khan, a Muslim, plays the Hindu and Gajanan Jagirdar, a Hindu, played the Muslim in the film. Shakuntala (1943) was one of his biggest grossers, the first film to run for more than hundred weeks. Jayshree who played the title role in the movie became a top star overnight. Shantaram took her as his second wife and repeated her as leading lady in his next movie, Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani (1946), in which he himself played the title role. The film based on K. A. Abbas's short novel And One Did Not Come Back was an impressive anti-war effort. The film received international recognition in Toronto Film Festival 1947. Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje (1955), his first color film was a box-office smash. The message of the film that India must preserve her artistic tradition and not be swayed by the West was lapped up by the audiences. Do Aankhen Barah Haath (1957), a brilliant film, depicted the true humanbeing within. A policeman (Shantaram) sets up a farm with six murderers. The venture is successful and the murderers prove themselves to be essentially simple people. The film won many national and international awards including Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival besides President's Gold Medal as the best feature of 1957 in India. A prayer song in the movie, "Ai Malik Tere Bande Hum" became a big hit and was adopted by most schools as their morning prayer. Pinjra (1972) was Shantaram's last most acclaimed movie which gave a strong and convincing message against capital punishment.
Mehboob Khan (1906-1964)
A man of humble beginnings and little formal education, Mehboob Khan, like many other filmmakers of his time, learnt his craft in the Theatre. Born Ramjan Khan in Billimoria, Gujarat, he ran away from home to Bombay and spent his earlier youth scrounging work in studios. He started his career with the Imperial Film Company as a bit player, graduated to acting then directing, to become one of India's greatest filmmakers. The common motif in his movies usually was the oppressed poor pitted against the oppressive rich, be it the poor peasant woman against the slimmy zamindar in Aurat (1940), the poor tribal against the money-grabbing capitalist in Roti (1942), or the commoner agaist the prince in Aan (1952). Mehboob was a great lover of music and in all his movies he paid greatest attention to music. Manmohan (1936), his first big musical hit was inspired by Barua's Devdas (1935), and its leading actor Surendra, was declared Saigal of Bombay on release of the movie. Mehboob produced many musicals thereafter repeating his favorite singing star Surendra in most of them- Deccan Queen (1936), Jagirdar (1937), Alibaba (1940), Aurat (1940), Anmol Ghadi (1946), Elan (1947) and Anokhi Ada (1949). Anmol Ghadi created a stir because of its casting coup of three singing stars together, Surendra, Noorjehan and Suraiya, bsides all time great musical track by mastreo Naushad. Andaaz (1949), his next masterpiece, also had a casting coup with three top stars, Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Nargis coming together in the most modern movie even by today's standards. Mehboob followed Andaaz with Aan (1952), the first Bollywood film in technicolor, perfect in its technique, spectacular in its sets and fights. It was dubbed in French as the film Mangla Fille des Indes. His last greatest hit Mother India (1957), the remake of his most acclaimed film Aurat, was the immortal story of a woman's suffering and endurance while bringing up her children- harsh poverty, a runaway husband, a scheming moneylander, a wayward son whom she is compelled to shoot in the end. It was the first Indian movie nominated for Oscar and won him many awards including Filmfare Award 1958 for best film and best director.
Sohrab Modi (1897-1984)
Born in Bombay, Sohrab Modi was a stage actor of Parsee Stage. Theatre was his first love. In an attempt to take it to a wider public in the aftermath of talkie films, he set up Stage Film Company in 1935. Plays were filmed and shown- Khoon Ka Khoon (1935), an adaptation of Shakespear's Hamlet, marked Naseem Bano's entry into filmdom. He launched Minerva Movietone in 1936. His early films at Minerva dealt with contemporary social issues such as alcoholism in Meetha Zaher (1938) and the right of Hindu women to divorce in Talaq (1938). Though the films did well, what attracted Modi was the historic genre. Minerva Movietone was famous for the triology- Pukar (1939), Sikander (1941) and Prithvi Vallabh (1943). Pukar was set in the court of the Mughal Emperor Jehangir, where his much vaunted 'an eye for an eye' brand of justice was put to test when his queen accidentally kills a washerman. It was filmed in Mughal courts and palaces which added grandure to the film. The film's heroin Naseem Bano, the first beauty queen of Bollywood, became an overnight star. Modi's greatest film was Sikander which immortalized Prithviraj Kapoor playing the title role. Sikander's lavish mounting, huge sets and production values equalled the best of Hollywood's then, particularly the spectacular battle scenes. Prithvi Vallabh was based on K.M.Munshi's novel of the same name. The film's major highlights were the confrontation between Modi and Durga Khote, the haughty queen Mrinalvati who tries to humiliate him publically, then falls in love with him. The transformation of a rational man into a tyrant was chillingly portrayed by Modi in Jailor (1938). Modi's other notable movies were Bharosa (1940), Parakh (1944) and Jhansi Ki Rani (1953). Sohrab Modi's last most famous movie was Mirza Ghalib (1954). Repleat with the immortal poetry of Mirza Asadullahkhan Ghalib, the film records his foray into the court of Bahadurshah Zafar, the last of the Mughal Emperors. The film won President's Gold Medal in 1954. Dialogue delivery and rich voice set Sohrab Modi apart from others
____________ "I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.
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#10 27 Jan 2007 01:03
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sur
Joined: November 2006
Posts: 10620
Location: Virginia
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Re: Tilak Rishi And His Writing.
Salute to the Bollywood comedy stars Oct 4 2005 Th e common man, living most of the time in stress and strains of the day-to-day drudgery, has always looked to comedies for respite and relief. Hindi cinema has carried on the tradition of discovering and rediscovering the comedians from the bygone era till today, who excelled in evoking laughter with their talent and perfect comic timing. The conventional comedian came on the screen as the hero's companion and clicked in a big way when Lal Haveli, made in the early '40s, became the biggest hit of the year. Yaqub, the great comedian of yester years, played singer- actor Surendra's friend in the film. Followed another hit, Ustadon Ke Ustad in which Mukri, the shortest comedian with longest innings, played companion of the tallest hero, Sheikh Mukhtar. And the formula for the hit film was ready. Playing the hero's friend in film after film, comedians Agha, Gope, Johney Walker, Mehmood, Rajendra Nath, Deven Verma, Jagdeep, Keshto Mukherji, Asrani and others became increasingly popular. Tun Tun and Shobha Khote deserve special mention for their heartwarming performances. Later many of them even turned producers. Comedian-turned-producers had shown that they could be explosively comic when they had all the freedom to handle the script. Bhagwan, a versatile actor and director besides being a comedian, produced some very successful comedies including a super hit, Albela, with Geeta Bali giving a great performance as the leading lady. Kishore Kumar, the hero-cum-comedian produced the all time hit comedy Chalti Ka Naam Gadhi. If comedy is the populists' art, Mehmood was one of the greatest of populist artistes. He made his movies not for the award committees or critics but for the masses. Perhaps, it was to please his fans that he started depending heavily on double-meaning dialogues for his comedies, an inspiration for many present day producers to make similar movies. I. S. Johar, a journalist-turned comedian-cum-producer, caught the audience imagination with his biting, at times juicy, satire. Of the many hit movies he produced, Shrimatiji and Hum Sab Chor Hein were more popular. At the peak of his popularity, Johney Walker also produced some slapstick comedies, including the hit Joru Ka Ghulam. The comedy team clicked in a big way when Johar Mehmood In Goa with I. S. Johar and Mehmood became a big box office hit. Padosan, another all time comedy hit, owed its astounding success as much to teaming the two great comedians Kishore Kumar and Mehmood together, as to the superb performance of Sunil Dutt. Although new comers then, Asrani and Paintal proved quite a hit comedy team in Aaj Ki Taza Khabar. Dhoomal and Mohan Choti received better audience response when they appeared together as a team. Sundar, the comedian with the largest number of movies to his credit, was at his best when teamed with Majnu. Character artistes-cum-comedians had been often cast in important roles in Hindi films but no one ever reached the heights Om Prakash touched in his long career. Right from his Dassi days in Lahore to Aye Bahar, Pehli Jhalak, Chaman, Ladki, Azaad, Namak Halal etc., he dominated the Hindi cinema for decades. The only other actor who came close to him in comic timing and innovative humour was David. His long list of hit movies included Kismat, Naya Tarana, Dharti Ke Lal, Chandni Raat, Ladli, Samadhi, Sargam, Hamara Ghar and Boot Polish. Jeevan, Ajit, Shakti Kapoor and Kanhaiya Lal, the veteran artistes of long standing, used their comic talents to turn their negative roles into comedy. Jokes revolving around Ajit's lines have ever remained popular. Radha Krishan was another bright artiste who was able to make audience roar with laughter by his peculiar way of using his voice. He was also the luckiest comedian whose every movie was a hit. Growth of star system in the '70s and increasing popularity of thrillers in the '80s sidelined the comedians for quite sometime. With the arrival of Johney Lever on the big screen, there is a welcome revival of the comedians' role in Hindi cinema. Paresh Rawal, Arshad Warsi, Rajpal Yadav joined in to steal crucial scenes from big stars with their bright comedies and super timings. They are in great demand and deserve long innings like their predicessors of the bygone era, but it is not that easy for them. They are facing big competition from stars turning comedians, especially after the super success of situational comedies sans conventional comedians, such as Dhoom, Mujh Se Shadi Karogi, Babli Aur Bunty, Maine Pyar Kyon Kiya and No Entry. Still, with their outstanding talent in comedy they have created a fan following of their own and likely to keep coming for us in film after film from Bollywood with laughs.
Tilak Rishi
____________ "I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.
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#11 27 Jan 2007 01:06
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sur
Joined: November 2006
Posts: 10620
Location: Virginia
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Re: Tilak Rishi And His Writing.
Bad guys of Bollywood The typical plot of Bollywood's three-hours plus bonanza runs according to a predictable formula- two young lovers find their chances of marriage threatened by a nafarious villain or a seemingly insurmountable social barrier, but after several songs, a long car chase and a cliff hanging fight, all obstacles are suddenly removed just in time for a whirlwind wedding before "The End". Just as songs and dances are important in a Bollywood movie, so are the villains and the vamps, without whom the story would literally fall apart. However, even in this typical plot, the role of the villain has varied according to the time-frame of the film and more importantly, the personality of the actor playing the villain.
In the early years, the villain was usually the wicked 'zamindar' or the blood-sucking 'bania' in the village. Kanhayalal, one of the earliest villains of the Hindi cinema, excelled in the role of the 'bania', as no other villain ever matched his mastry of the charecter. The cunning, cruel and conniving 'bania' of Mehboob's Aurat (1940) was so powerfully played by Kanhayalal that the director could not think of any other actor to play the character in his famous remake of the movie, Mother India, and repeated him after nearly twenty years for another great performance in his greatest movie of all times. Jeevan was another well-known villain of early years who played the proverbial village moneylander in several movies of the 40s and 50s, besides playing his signature role of Narad Muni in almost all the mythological movies. There was one similarity between the two players, they had both mastered the art of converting their villainy into comedy. Another villain of yester years who displayed similar ability was Yaqub, who played the vagabond son in Aurat, and was as popular a villain as he was a comedian- Lal Haveli (1944). In later years this quality is bundently displayed by Shakti Kapoor who became immensely popular playing comedian-cum-villain in 300-plus movies.
With the change of scenerio from the village to the city, the villain became the big time smuggler or the smart operator in the business of black-marketing and underworld. K. N. Singh- Baazi (1951), Hulchal (1951), Awara (1951), Jaal (1952), C.I.D. (1956), Howra Bridge (1958) and nearly hundred other movies he acted in- was one of the most dreaded villains in this catagory, because of his very dominent personality and great dialogue delivery. With the proverbial pipe in mouth and dress-code to match the occasion, he was the first to bring a sort of sophistication to the role of a villain. Madan Puri, the veteran villain of 200 plus movies, was another city-brand baddie who dominated the Cinema of the late 40s and 50s. His most notable movies were, Ahinsa (1946), Vidya (1948), Nau Do Gyarah (1957), Howra Bridge (1958). The run-away hit of the Seventies, Dulhan Wohi Jo Piya Man Bhai, changed his career from a villain to a lovable elderman, which left an idelible mark in the hearts of his fans. It is ironical that the famous villain, Amrish Puri, entered the industry introducing himself as Madan Puri's younger brother but in later years, the veteran Madan Puri was often referred to as Amrish Puri's elder brother.
Post independence period saw the rise of many renowned villains of the new generation- Prem Nath (Barsaat, Aan, Teesri Manzil, Johny Mera Naam, Tere Mere Sapne, Bobby, Amir Garib, Janeman and hundred-plus movies), Ranjeet (Sawan Bhadon, Sharmili, Reshma Aur Shera, Victoria No. 203 and nearly 200 more films), Danny Denzongpa- Padmshree 2003 (Sanam Bewafa, Khuda Gawah, Zaroorat, Mere Apne, Dhund, Kala Sona and over 150 films), Manmohan, known for enacting rape scenes with extraordinary perfection (Railway Platform, Yeh Raaste Hein Pyar Ke, Gumnam, Mera Saya, Upkar, Shikar, Poorab Aur Pachhim and 60-plus films), Gulshan Grover- pencilled in to play the villain in the next James Bond flick, Casino Royale, the villain of 350 films, seen in Hollywood, French, German, Canadian and British films in recent years, is currently awaiting release of his latest Hollywood movie, The Aftermath; Mohnish Bahl, son of famous leading lady Nutan (Bekrar, Raja Hindustani, Koyla, Dulhe Raja, Ek Rishta and nearly 100 more movies). In recent years two actors of exceptional talent gave memorable performance as villain- Kulbhushan Kharbanda, the Shakal of Ramesh Sippy's Shaan, who looked no less forceful than a villain straight out of the best of the Bond flicks, and Manoj Bajpai, Bhiku Mhatre of Satya, that made a star out of a 'no body'.
Amongst the vamps of the Hindi cinema, the early years saw them as the Monster-in-Laws or the step mothers(Manorma) or the extra-stiff Mausi (Leela Mishra), but the real vamps are the loose women dressed in revealing western outfits, who attempt to entice the hero with their seductive eyes. Three vamps of exceptional talent made the heroins run for their money dominated the cinema for many decades. Kuldeep Kaur (Kaneez, Samadhi, Afsana, Anarkali, Pyar Ki Rahen and over two dozen hit films) was the first female villain who created hell for the heroin and her family in the 40s and 50s. Shashikala (Jugnu, Doli, Arzoo, Nau Do Gyarah, Sujata, Kanoon, Junglee, Waqt and over 100 other films), with her innocent charm and attractive looks could easily be the leading lady in films. The producers somehow, preferred to cast her as the cunning other woman, bent upon breaking the relationship of the love birds, which she could accomplish with astounding success almost till the climax. The tables are turned against her, to give a happy ending to the film. Bindu, popularly known as Mona Darling after her classic portrayal of the 'bad girl' in Zanjeer (1973), defined the Bollywood cabaret dance numbers and the role of the vamp. She acted in about 150 movies, many of them super hits which made her the most saught after actress next only to the top heroins of her time. Both Shashikala and Bindu, like their contemporary counterparts in the world of male villains, switched over to character roles after giving stunning performances as vamps, their latest appearances being Bindu in Mein Hun Naa and Shashikala in Mujh Se Shadi Karoge. Kuldeep Kaur passed away early in her career, in whose shoes entered Nadira, though making her character more sophisticated. Starting her career with Aan (1952), she acted in 60-plus movies, including Raaj Kapoor's super hit Shri 420. Padma Khanna followed the foot steps of Bindu, becoming a very popular 'oomph girl' of the 70s. She worked in over 70 films with the most memorable performance in Johny Mera Naam. Evergreen Helen, the queen of cabaret, deserves a special mention, though she was never really a vamp in the true sense of the word. She remained for more than three decades an essential part of almost all first-rate movies, with at least one hot dance and song scene, now a days popularly known as 'item number', that was invariably the star attraction of the movie. Her role in Don will ever be remembered for the depth of emotion and the height of characterization the 'vamp' could reach in a movie. She has worked in over 200 films, starting from Awara (1951) to the presently under production Marigold. Dancing all the way to unprcidented heights of popularity in her half a century of career in Bollywood has baffled many, including the renowned producer director of documentaries in Canada, Eisha Marjara, who has produced a full length movie on Helen, Desparately Seeking Halen (1999).
Amongst all the villains of the Indian cinema, old and new, male and female, the following could be rated as the top-5 on account of their popularity, performance and legendary legacy:
Pran: The 'Villain of the Century' has had marathon six decades long career in Hindi cinema and is one of the most celebrated actors in the industry. The story of the most famous 'bad man' of Indian cinema began in Lahore (Yamla Jatt, Chaudhary, Khandan, Sahara, Ragni etc.) before destiny brought him to Bombay after the Partition. After Ziddi (1948) became a super hit, there was no looking back for him and he became the star attraction of hits (Apradhi, Badi Behen, Afsana, Bahar, Pehli Jhalak, Azad, Devdas, Kundan, Munimji, Chori Chori, Madhumati, Chhalia, Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hei, Raaj Kumar, Ram Aur Shyam, Milan and so on). He worked extensively with the 'Trimurti' of the golden era, Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand and Raaj Kapoor and won several awards- Filmfare (1967, 1969, 1972, 1997), Stardust (Villain of the Millaneum-2000), Screen (Lifetime Achievement Award-2000), Zee TV (Lifetime Achievement Award-2000) and Government of India (Padmbhushan-2001).
Amrish Puri: He was truly among the greatest villains in the history of Hindi cinema, second perhaps, only to Pran. Following the footsteps of his elder brother Madan Puri, already a wellknown villain, tried his luck testing for a film actor albeit a leading man in 1950s. Rejection turned him towards the world of theatre where he showed his histreonics abilities. It was after a struggling period of nearly twenty years when he was offered a role in Sunil Dutt's Reshma Aur Shera (1971). However, much of his role ended on the editing table. It was his association with Shyam Benegal that led to Amrish Puri being noticed as an actor of substance. His menacing act as Mogambo in Shekhar Kapur's Mr. India was not just a turning point in his career but also the most memorable comic-book-villain-acts in Hindi cinema. He was finally a star when well into his 50s. What more, he even got called by the Hollywood great, Steven Spielburg, to play villaneous Mola Ram in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984). His unstoppable super hits (Ram Lakhan, Tridev, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Saudagar, Pardes, Taal, Gadar etc.), made him as big a star as the leading actors in the movies.
Amjad Khan: Shole will ever be remembered for the heights it took villainy to in Indian cinema. Unlike earlier villains who were content to be pain in the neck for the lovers in the film, Amjad Khan's Gabbar seems to pursue evil as an end in itself. He, who can boast of being the most imitated character of Hindi cinema, is the villain that people love to hate. He was unarguably the most legendary character of tinsel world. His dialogues are now folk-lore and the trademark ferocity, Amjad Khan as Gabbar Singh is a true blue-cult figure. What better tribute can be paid to this legendary villain that Director Ram Gopal Verma could not think of any other actor to play Gabbar Singh in his modern day version of Shole than the all time greatest actor, Amitabh Bachchan.
Ajit: The Indian actor whose charming villainy and most lapped up one-liners made him a national folk hero during a film career that spanned several decades in Bollywood. His Mona Darling (Zanjeer) and Loin (Kalicharan) have stuck together as inseparable part of his villaneous support system. His penchant for Christian named cronies, ranging from Michael and Peter to Robert and Lily is legendary. His one liner from Kalicharan, "Sara shahar mujhe loin ke naam se janta hei", drew instant applaud from masses and then multiplied into hundreds of more such whacked out lines, especially as the real and made-up dialogues between him (the boss) and his dumb assistant Robert. He found ample support from his overly made-up sexy assistant, Mona (Bindu). Together they epitomized the smuggler/ villain and his dumb/sexy moll of the 70s, he delighted his fans by making a complete mockery of his mean act.
Prem Copra: The cold-blooded demon of Bollywood, was destined to continue the legacy of the legendary villain Pran, on the latter's switching over from villainy to character roles. He got his first break in Chaudhry Karnail Singh (1962), a National Award winning film, and there was no looking back ever since. He showed his skill in spine chilling films as the super villain who could deceive, kill, rape and maim with an ease with which an ordinary mortal goes about his daily chores. After the runaway success of Upkar and blockbusters like Kati Patang, Woh Kaun Thi, Teesri Manzil, Poorab Aur Paschim, Jheel Ke Us Paar, Dream Girl, Des Pardes etc., Prem Chopra was on the peak of his career, shining in every aspect of the role of a villain. With the inimitable tinge of humour, Chopra added a new dimension to his devlish roles. A veteran of 400 films, the celebrated author of the famous line of Bobby, "Prem naam hei mera, Prem Chopra", he has been decorated with many awards.
With the sad demise of Amrish Puri this year, Ajit and Amjad Khan earlier, and self retirement from villainy by Pran and Prem Chopra, the typical villain is almost extinct from the Indian cinema, though not the villainy. Their place has been taken by the leading actors taking to negative roles for a change- John Ibrahim (Dhoom) and Hritik Roshan (Dhoom 2), Abhishek Bachchan (Yuva) and the legendary Amitabh Bachchan (RGV's Shole) for example. How far their fans will go to accept them as villains remains to be seen. As of now, the traditional villains and the vamps in Indian cinema are nearing extinction, with heroes and heroins assimilating such roles into their own characters. However, the memory of the veteran villains and the vamps will remain for ever in the history of Indian cinema.
____________ "I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.
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#12 27 Jan 2007 01:12
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sur
Joined: November 2006
Posts: 10620
Location: Virginia
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Re: Tilak Rishi And His Writing.
1. Bill Clinton: One of the most interesting experiences in the U.S. was watching the vigorous campaigning for the presidential elections by the Democratic candidate Bill Clinton for his first term. I sent him a letter of congratulations on his great victory, even though I was certain it would be lost in multitude of such messages. But to my surprise, I got a prompt reply from the President elect. It encouraged me to write again on his inauguration as President of the United States. Within weeks I received an envelope with the White House marking. President Bill Clinton had personally replied to my letter of congratulations. Later on, during eight years of his presidency, I wrote several letters on varied subjects to President Clinton and I am proud to possess his personal replies to each one of them. The unique privilege of corresponding with President Bill Clinton remains my most precious experience in life- it made me, an ordinary man, feel extra-ordinary. 2. USF Dean: After we had sent our son for higher studies to the U.S., the main topic of conversation with our friends was, how he was doing in America. They expressed concern that at his young age, he would not be able to withstand the cultural explosion that would confront him in the U.S. They feared drugs, drinking and dating starts from the school age. Although we had full faith in his ability to face and overcome any challenges there, we still thought it worthwhile to make a trip to the U.S. and see for ourselves the atmosphere and the environment in which he was pursuing his studies. During our first trip to the U.S., our most important engagement was to visit the University of Sanfrancisco, and meet the Dean, for which he had already taken an appointment. As we settled down to talk to the Dean, he initiated the conversation by complimenting us for sending our son so far away from home for higher studies and he felt that our son had a very strong academic foundation from schooling in India. He emphatically brushed aside all our doubts about students taking to bad habits like drugs and drinking in American universities- "Students from all over the world come to the U.S. for higher studies because the country provides the finest facilities, excellent environment and the best faculties available anywhere in the world. Since the education is expensive, only very serious students enroll. It helps the universities to have an environment that is ideal for serious studies." The Dean was gracious for not only giving us his precious time but also a promise to give personal attention and supervision to our son during the entire period of his stay in the University. Our meeting with the Dean, that went on for over an hour, was indeed the most rewarding experience of our trip. 3. El Granada Neighbors: Within a couple of years after getting a good career break with a computer giant, our son had a house of his own. A nature lover, the house he bought was in El Granada, on the California coastline, 20-miles south of San Francisco. It was a beautiful newly built house, with the only drawback- lack of landscaping. We decided what our housewarming gift to him would be- to do landscaping ourselves during our visit. As soon as our neighbor, across the street, saw us weeding wild plants without proper tools, he came over with all his garden tools- "These tools will make your work easier. I will also be there to help you and will ask Mac to help us, he has the most modern garden tools." What a wonderful neighbor, we thought. Tom not only gave us much of his own time but also enlisted help of his friends. With all the tremendous effort and energy they put into the project, the wild land around Alok's house turned into a beautiful lawn. Not to forget the Hutchins, living three houses away, who contributed fruit and vegetable saplings from their home nursery, adding great value to the landscaping. We could never imagine that there could be greater neighbors anywhere. 4. Cool at work: I joined the retail management team of a reputed chain that dealt in high-end luggage and travel accessories. It was my first exposure to the working environment in the U.S. and I was thrilled by the experience. The place looked like the showpiece of the country, the melting pot, where immigrants of varied nationalities and cultures blended beautifully. Our sales team comprised of the stores manager, of Moroccan origin, three Russian girls, a Mexican, a Phillipine, a Korean, an African American, a White American and the boss, the Regional Manager, an American lady. The atmosphere at the store, though very professional with dress code and other regulations strictly enforced, was the coolest I have ever seen in my career. The boss took the initiative to make the environment very pleasant with her humor and 'take it easy' policy. Indeed, the life was never so easy and enjoyable at work. 5. Warm and friendly people: The thing that struck us instantly about American life was its pleasantness. Right from our first encounter with immigration and custom officers, who made us feel very comfortable and even helped us in repacking our bags after their inspection, to our walks on the beaches, we experienced it every where, every day. Almost every one, who passed us on the beaches or the side-walks greeted us and some even stopped to talk. Very simple, sincere and warm people; Joe, my classmate at the computer learning school, gave me a computer as gift when he learnt that I did not have one. No wonder, multitude of people kept coming from their homelands around the world, and felt at home here. It is interesting to see them talking to each other in their own language-Chinese, Japanese, Russian, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Arabic etc., besides the Indian languages, especially Punjabi, Gujarati, Tamil and Bengali. And they have their own stores, temples, towns (China Town, Little India etc.) and even cities (Yuba City which looks like a city in Punjab- India), which makes life so much like in their country. 6. Stranger at airport: At the JFK international airport in New York, we had to wait for our connecting flight to India for several hours. While we were sitting at the airport lobby, a lady, after seeing off her sister, came straight to Jeet, my wife, "Your beautiful silk suit says you are from India." And she sat down next to her, informing that she loved India and had visited the county many a times. During their conversation she came to know that we still had several hours to our flight but we could not go out to see the city, which we had not seen, as we had finished all our limited foreign exchange that we had brought from India. Looking admiringly at Jeet's bangles, she said, "I love your bangles. These must be very expensive." Jeet responded by removing her bangles, "Take them, these will look nice on you too." The lady took the bangles but insisted that she must pay for the same, but Jeet did not relent, "Please accept these as a gift from India you love so much." Thanking Jeet, the lady left, but not before leaving a hundred-dollar bill on her lap. Bangles were only an excuse to help us have a round of the city. Compassion comes naturally to the common man here. No surprise, the country has the biggest charities and the greatest foundations anywhere in the world. 7. Dollars' worth: The first time when we came to the U.S. as visitors, we thought America must be the most expensive place to live- what, a 'samosa' costing Rs. 30/- and bread 60/- to 90/- rupees (Dollar = Rs. 30/- then). Now, living and earning in the U.S., we feel life here is much less expensive, especially the food, than back home, or for that matter anywhere in the world. Where in the world one can have a lavish lunch-buffet with a spread of twenty tempting dishes to select from, for dollars five to ten? And average price of gas at dollars 2.50 per gallon, when the price is at its highest, is still the cheapest in any country. Indeed, the essential living expenses vis-a-vis the median family income are low enough to leave them with enough money to spend at their discretion- mainly on leisure and to improve their life style. No wonder, people come here to work from all over the world, especially the developing countries, and earn dollars to live a good life and also make life better for families back home with their savings. 8. Advantage Senior Citizens: When we went to watch a movie with our son and daughter-in-law for the first time, we noticed that our tickets cost half the price of theirs. Later we found that at most places, especially in buses, trains and many restaurants, the senior citizens were not only given special discounts, but also a special place. The government gives them free health insurance for the best medical care, besides other social benifits, including social security and supplementary income. Getting old has its advantages in the U.S. 9. PublishAmerica: I have the most exciting experience interacting with PublishAmerica, the reputed publishers. Thanks to them, although an immigrant, I am proud to be an author published in the U.S. My book, Paradise Lost and Found, narrates the survival to success story of a family who suffered in the aftermath of the partition of India in 1947. PublishAmerica considered it a well desrving story for publishing in America. Throughout the process of publishing, the tremendous support I received from their very proficient editors was, indeed, very encouraging. Americans' first love is reading books, even surpassing their passion for cars, and this is a great incentive for writers to come here for their literary pursuits. 10. Son at Sun: Nothing in the world makes parents happier than seeing their children make significant progress in life. Our son, Alok, completed his higher education in U.S. and joined Sun Microsystems, where he is now the Principal Engineer. What better excuse can parents have to be in the U.S. after their retirement, than to be near their children? U.S. has many a shining sons and daughters from India and the rest of the world, making a mark on this land. Tilak Rishi
____________ "I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.
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#13 27 Jan 2007 23:48
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sur
Joined: November 2006
Posts: 10620
Location: Virginia
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Re: Tilak Rishi And His Writing.
posted by Tilak Rishi Sunday, September 18, 2005
The director of "Chocolate" adds on the deleted smooch scenes in the movie, succumbing to popular pressure (read distributors and actors). In this context I recollect the golden era of great movies when Dilip Kumar would be seen playing an antique piano while wooing his ladylove with lines, somewhat like, "Tu kahe agar to jivan bhar mein geet sunata jaoon". In movies then the proverbial tree proved safe bet in courting scenes to keep the lovers at decent distance from each other. Still safer, lovers in some movies remained separated in much of the footage of the film, content to call from long distance, "Awaz de kahan hei, dunia meri jawan hei". And yet the movies celebrated silver and golden jubilees. Then came along Raj Kapoor's 'Bobby', along with it the new trend of youthful romance, with plenty of hugs between the lead pairs. From then on there was no stopping, especially after the liberalization in the Censor Board policy, and singing and dancing "Choli ke piche kya hei" and the sexier numbers that followed, the films have reached a stage where lead actors compete in the smooch game on the silver screen. Why not, the youth today is far more liberal and fun loving than in yester years and looks for a free life style of unrestricted entertainment in films. Taking no risks or rather playing to popular demand, producers fill their films with bold scenes and daring songs and dance sequences. Hopefully, the present trend of S** overtones in screenplay and songs in films is only a passing phase, which will end when the audience taste changes and it gets fed up with too much S** in films. And it won't be too long a wait, as the super success of films like "Black" and "Parineeta" shows. ____________ "I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.
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#14 17 Nov 2008 01:02
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