Weak procrastinator (Amar)

Mehboob Khan's bold drama Amar happens to have a yo-yo effect on me. There are moments when I am swept away by the tight narrative, and there are times when I brush aside the nonsensical goings-on on the screen. There are times when I love Dilip Kumar for having the gall to undertake this grey part, then there are those situations when I feel like whacking him for tediously lengthening the film with his procrastination. There are sighs that I let out for the unharnessed rustic charm of Nimmi and there is the utter exasperation when instead of breathing fire she whimpers and simpers into love for her violator. But there is one person who takes my breath away... Madhubala, for being so heartbreakingly beautiful, so smart, so compassionate and then in the end doing what she aught to be doing. In relinquishing her rights and love, she emerges as the strongest character of this 1954 super dramatic film, that is hailed as being ahead of its times for no tiny reason.

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Love in Lucknow (Mere Mehboob)

I had never thought that I'd like Rajendra Kumar. I had also not thought that a somewhat restricted Muslim society would throw up any likeable qualities about it before me. I had also not thought that despite the director squandering away the chance of using a super villain like Pran, I will forgive him. But I guess, there is always a first time. Here is a film that made me experience many firsts.

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Guard of honour (Aan)

Or should I say taming of the shrew? For, more than half of Mehboob Khan's Aan shows Jai Tilak trying to win over the admiration and love of the hugely vain Rajkumari Rajshree. But, no one's complaining here. In the thorn-filled path of Jai and Rajshree's union, there are a gamut of songs, fencing duels, daunting escapades and plenty of delightful action. Not to mention the antics of the swashbuckling hero, his easy charm and the attraction of sexy Nadira in her introducing lead role.

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