The want of privacy (Piya ka Ghar)

I'd gone to Mumbai (how I still love calling the maximum city Bombay; it sounds romantic) in 2009 with my husband. After a day of sightseeing, we both took time off to meet our respective friends. While he sat down for his beer and gossip with his school friends, I went about town with a friend-cum-colleague. We went from one part of the city to another, and I suitably gaped at Jalsa, Mannat, Salman Khan's house (his dogs were being taken for a walk at bandstand!), Kareena Kapoor's house and Shahid Kapoor's house. While we licked our ice-golas and chatted with merry candour, Aditi (that's my friend) told me that she has been very busy trying to let out her family's 1BHK flat. And guess what they were charging as rent? Rs 40,000 for 750 square feet! The moment she quoted the numbers, many things crossed my mind (apart from almost choking at that point!).
I said to myself, "So there goes the dream of darling hubby of ever living in this city. How can I give up a comfortable life in the Capital for a matchbox existence in the city he loves so much? Yes, I love films alright, but it's absolutely okay to watch them on television. I don't have to live with the stars in this city! Rs 40,000 for 750 sq ft!!! Are they kidding me?"

Read more »

Forgiveness comes naturally (Bahurani)

This is a typical family masala entertainer that sails smoothly because of its easy story and good performances. Yes, the melodrama, the conniving, the songs, the twists, the dances are all in place. But what stands out in this 1963 film is how a woman hold court throughout. A feisty heroine helps her husband come into his own through the light of erudition. She does all the good deeds despite the thorns strewn in the way. She does not dither, does not take the easy path and yes, she is rewarded in the end. T Prakash Rao's Bahurani, is a sweet family drama about love, devotion, family bonding, relationships and forgiveness. And what's a win-win situation here is that all the melodrama is restrained. It never flies over the roof!

Read more »

More of Jubilee Kumar (Hamrahi)

My tryst with Rajendra Kumar continues...

This time I encountered Kumar playing a philanderer turned good husband. Did he do it well? I didn't get to reason that out because I kept feeling let down by the director's decision to cast Jamuna in the role of the leading lady. A good actress she is, but certainly not gorgeous in the looks department. And definitely not the person for whom Shekhar might be forced to rid himself of his frivolous ways, his penchant for girls and for plunging into total depression when she tells him how unfortunate she is that she had to marry this rich and spoilt individual. Throughout the film, I kept missing Sadhana, who would have added so much meat to the role of this defiant girl. And maybe then Hamrahi would have been so much more pleasing. Great cast, good story but the fun fizzles out in many parts...

Read more »

Marvellous Meena (Ardhangini)

I like all Meena Kumari films. Well, almost. Even when the script is faulty or loose, I keep my eyes fixed on the charming lady because I know that she will make the moments picturised on her come alive with her deft histrionics. But then, she alone cannot do much if the film is really bad. In those cases I take solace in the fact that she tried and tried. Luckily, Ardhangini is not a film like that...

Read more »

Almost nothing to like (Sharada)

Those of you who have seen Sharada and have liked the L V Prasad flick, please pardon this blogger. I too, like all you old film buffs wanted to see this Meena Kumari and Raj Kapoor enterprise for a long, long time. I had imagined that it is going to be one good drama with plenty of twists, turns, histrionics and punchy dialogues. But lo! What I got in return was an utterly contorted, soppy, vague and inane film that should not have been in the first place itself. This is not the way you project a self-sacrificing and great woman. The emotions are forced, the actions are unrealistic and a great team of actors totally wasted. There, I've said it. I've said bad things about a much celebrated 1957 film and I'm ready to accept the brickbats for it. But then, I have reasons for doing so.

Read more »

Supporting it strong (Beti Bete)

One thing's a given when you sit down to watch a L V Prasad film; there will be a plethora of twists and turns in the life of the main protagonists, family members will be separated by a freak stroke of fate, while one sibling regales in wealth, the others will have tormented livelihoods, there will be umpteen occasions when the members will come face to face with one another without each realising that they are related and most importantly every crease will be ironed out as the climax approaches.

Read more »

Soulful sonatas (Maya)

This is one film that will stay on with you because of the wonderful music. The story has been heard before, the characters seen and the denouement expected. But these songs are so powerful even today that whenever they play they bring bliss to my senses. I'm talking of Salil Chowdhury's fantastic score in  Maya, the 1961 romance directed by D.D. Kashyap. The film has a likable plot and famous faces. But more than anything, the songs just stand out from the crowd of events and situations, pulling you into a soulful reverie that lingers on for eternity...

Read more »

Victims of circumstance (Anhonee)

I've always had immense faith in the pairing of Raj Kapoor and Nargis. Be it their high strung passion depicted in Awaara, their innocent love story in Shree 420, their likable romance in Aah or their adventurous affair in Chori Chori. In every single one of these cinematic delights, these two awesome actors have delivered. But, here is one film that took me absolutely by surprise. An obscure film, Anhonee is fantastic not just for its intriguing story and taut execution but also for the very different personalities that the two actors have in the film. Rajkumar Saxena is so pragmatic yet passionate, Roop is an honest and loving woman and Mohini is a crafty and impulsive revenge seeker. Three believable characters who make this 1952 film a captivating affair. After watching this griping drama, I can safely say that I've seen a good film after a long, long time...

Read more »

Fending for answers (Gharana)

I need some questions answered. Why do all films from the Gemini stable start off with a punch and then degenerate into some regressive drama? Why are the women in their films projected as husband-worshippers? Why do they trust so easily? Why do they forgive even more easily? And yes, why does Rajendra Kumar carry a police constable's stick throughout his screen time in SS Vasan's Gharana?

Read more »

Memory loss (Dulha Dulhan)

In the hullabaloo surrounding Sangam, the first coloured blockbuster produced under the Raj Kapoor banner, one small film got entirely lost. Dulha Dulhan, an obscure film, or rather a not very celebrated venture, is another 1964 romance starring Raj Kapoor that not many of us have heard about. At least, that was the case with me.
A random Raj Kapoor search on Youtube  introduced me to this one. The pairing of Raj Kapoor and Sadhana sounded quite intriguing and I was hooked.

Read more »

Fun fable (Teen Bahuraniyan)

Teen Bahuraniyan projects Prithviraj Kapoor in a very different light. As the patriarch of a joint family, he is both stern as well as indulgent. Playing the woolly grandpa Dinanath, this actor is a revelation of sorts. His obesity doesn't hinder his delightful performance in this comic fable about a family and its tryst with false pride.
Kapoor here is old.

Read more »