Triangle A (Amar Akbar Anthony)

I am not too fond of Manmohan Desai films. Neither do I like Amitabh Bachchan in them. Oh yes! I really don't. The films are loud, hardly have good music, except for a feet-tapping song or two in passing and Amitabh was so in-your-face in them. The other day, I got rebuked by a dear friend for ridiculing the 'Mirror scene' in Amar Akbar Anthony which I'm told that no one else but Amitabh could have pulled off. May be. But I did not find it funny at all! And, I don't like him in these 'dhishoom dhishoom' films. I'd much rather watch him as the egoistic husband in Abhimaan, a scheming jaggery-seller in Saudagar, or the revenging husband in Ajnabi. Those are my kind of films. And I certainly like Amitabh in them.

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Deepak who? (Aabroo)

Seriously, was CL Rawal joking or something? He tags Deepak Kumar, the hero of his Aabroo, as the star discovery of that year. Deepak Kumar who? Never heard of him, never seen him in any film. And after watching this 1968 drama, I know why filmmakers never took a chance by casting him. He is excruciatingly bad as a performer. He has a wispy voice, a comical look on his face, his voice modulations are pathetic and every time he utters romantic nothings, I crack up! Actually come to think of it, he is almost like Mr Bean trying to do some serious Hindi film. Or rather Rowan Atkinson trying to sing, dance, act and cry in a true-Bollywood style. And yes, he is appallingly bad in all aspects!!

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Drama galore (Zindagi)

The best thing about Ramanand Sagar's Zindagi is Vyajyanthimala. Not only is she ravishing and dances like a dream, she actually makes you sit up and take note of her histrionic skills. She is utterly believable as the sensible Beena who reasons with her mother that acting as a profession needn't be slighted at. When she is loathe to barter her love for the sake of easy money, you really feel like lauding her wholeheartedly. She is brave, honest, hardworking and extremely lovable.

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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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Action packed (Ankhen)

Why is Ramanand Sagar's spy thriller called Ankhen? I think it should have been christened Aatish. For, every sequence contains sheer fireworks. Crackling and bursting with excitement and action, this 1968 thriller was not a blockbuster for no reason. Dharmendra as the dashing spy, Mala Sinha as his beautiful agent, Jeevan as the odious enemy chief, Mehmood as the comical aide and spinechilling twists at every turn, Ankhen is a riveting masterpiece. A very desi James Bond-ish adventure this is...

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