Tragic romance (Goonj Uthi Shehnai)

My brother believes that a tragic ending makes a romantic film even more memorable. And, if not sad, an expectant one, where the lovers' union is far from achieved. He is of the view that when the denouement is not rosy, it tends to haunt you. Call it poignance or what, I can sense the same when the end credits roll in Vijay Bhatt's Goonj Uthi Shehnai. When circumstances and society tear Kishan away from his sweetheart Gopi, you kind of feel a hollow in your heart. The pain increases when the two lovers meet their end far away from each other, only with the hope that in death will their union be possible. The love that stung the eyes of society shall be consummated in the jaws of death. Perhaps, that is why this Rajendra Kumar-Ameeta romantic tradegy continues to be so memorable...

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Asian fiesta (Love in Tokyo)

When you have Asha Parekh in a film, no matter how far-fetched the plot is and how irksome the melodrama, just sit tight. For, this spunky actress guarantees fun. Disguised as a young Sardar, she entertains to the hilt and when the charade is over, she enthralls as Ashok's pretty sweetheart. Dancing like a deer and a crackshot with emotions she makes Pramod Chakraborty's Love in Tokyo a delight. Not to mention her sparkling chemistry with the dashing Joy Mukherjee...

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Twin trouble (Ram aur Shyam)

Somewhere in the middle of Ram aur Shyam director Chanakya loses steam. That's my guess. For, what starts as a perfectly exciting family drama turns into a rambling and tedious potboiler. The film just goes on and on. So dragged is the denouement that when Anjana and Shanta get to garland their heroes, I kick myself up from semi-slumber to say, "Gosh, at last the deed is done!"

Pardon me, but I think this film could have been so much more entertaining if it had been sharper and tighter. A few inane scenes here and there could have been omitted and Dilip Kumar's sometimes forced comedy could be saved for a more favourable day...

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Wish granted (Nayika Sangbad)

Before going to Mumbai, I prayed to God that I see at least one cinema star getting out of her swanky car, or walking into a posh mall, or maybe, if the sun shone really bright (with Mumbai's monsoons, that's close to impossible), Shahid Kapur taking a stroll on Bandstand (though he lives in Andheri)!! And, if Lord Almighty was indeed happy he would grant me a glimpse of Shammi Kapoor!!

News is, nothing of that sort happened. I saw no Shammi Kapoor, no SRK (though I saw his and Salman's bungalow) and no Shahid (I quite like him, you see). But, yes I witnessed Salman's guards taking his two oversized dogs for their daily walk on Bandstand! Lucky me!! If not the star himself, I was quite excited to see his canine family extensions!!

That's how I am. Imagining crazy things related to cinema. What if some day I get to meet Shammi Kapoor, or say Asha Parekh?

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Love leads (Ghar)

God, it feels so good to be back. To the comforts of my home, to the interactive sessions of my blog and most importantly, to the joys of old films. After a week-long hiatus, I watched one yesterday. With a simple initiation, a sudden twist gradually tightens this 1978 love story. Manik Chatterjee's Ghar turned out to be an emotionally taut drama with convincing performances by Rekha and Vinod Mehra, and an awesome score by RD Burman.
A gruesome personal tragedy can destroy a couple's life. It can perfectly ruin marital bliss, plant suspicion and turmoil in a lover's mind and widen the crevices left by the disturbing incident. In Ghar Vikas and Aarti's halcyon life goes haywire in just one night. Suddenly, everything is shaken, and stirred...

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Swarming syndrome (Mouchak)

What happens when fathers of marriageable girls spot an eligible groom?

In Mouchak, Arabindo Mukherjee's comic caper, they attack him, hound him, stick to him like leeches and almost pummel him into submission!!! And, that's just the beginning of the fun. This 1975 Bengali comedy is another uproarious saga from Mukherjee's stable (the same man who gave us Dhanni Meye). And, here we again have the talented pair of Uttam Kumar and Sabitri Chatterjee with the cute young pair of Ranjit Mullick (he is really, really attractive) and Mithu Mukherjee (she is fireball, I tell you). And, of course Rabi Ghosh (my uncle-in-law, if you rememeber) as a cheeky lovestruck taxi-driver romancing a housemaid!! Just wait till you hear him chuckle with, "Arey ami tokey mohabbat kori!!"

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Of kings and kingdoms (Kohinoor)

I love films like Kohinoor. You don't have to think much. You just go with the flow of the story. Good people, with odds clogging their life, have to battle against the bad ones. But there's no scope for fret. For, the end is always happy. The good guy wins, beating the bad guy to pulp. He gets to sit on the throne accompanied by the beautiful princess. Lighthearted and jaunty, Kohinoor is a perfect example of the archetypal royal saga. Replete with songs, swordfights, schemings and dances, this 1960 adventure flick from S.U. Sunny is one enthralling joyride...

Rana Devinder Pratap Singh is the crown prince of Kailashnagar. As expected there is the conniving dewan who wants his son to usurp the throne by bumping off the prince.

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