Royal mess (Prince)

Disappointing would be an understatement. Actually, Lekh Tandon's Prince is plain bad. A rambling saga that dwells on a spoilt prince and his road to redemption, meanders to and fro through inane turns, delivering stupid results. While the makers gave us a rollicking Professor in 1962, seven years later they hardly could repeat the magic. At least, not for me!!!
Pardon me, but the only good things I've found in the film are Rafi's Badan pe sitaare (it's a sureshot dance number) and

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Playing hard to get (Ziddi)

I used to be in two minds on whether I liked Joy Mukherjee. Well, sometimes his grin really irked me. He spoiled Mujhey dekh kar in Ek Musafir Ek Hasina with his clownish expressions. He copied Shammi Kapoor, my favourite. And, didn't do it well either! His didn't dance, he jumped! But, but, but...
Yesterday, I saw Ziddi, Pramod Chakraborty's 1964 romance. And, I liked him. For, despite his silly grin, he came about as a dashing young man who knows how to tame his obstinate lover. His baritone was smooth and his shoulders broad. He hair, swept up, looked stylish and he carried his natty clothes damn well. He cuts Asha Parekh to size and makes her relent to his overtures. That is a job that this man does well!!!

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Wrong pair (Mere Sanam)

Bengalis have a thing for Bengalis. But, my love for films is not parochial. If that had been the case, I'd be swooning over the likes of Biswajit and Joy Mukherjee. Instead, I find myself drawn to the flamboyance of the very Punjabi Shammi Kapoor, and Dev Anand. One, a robust romantic and the other a naughty charmer.
True, Mukherjee and Biswajit were two of the top draws in their times, but they fail to floor me. In fact, I feel these screen idols were plain lucky. They got to act in wholesome family dramas, made by talented directors, embellished with fantabulous music (many memorable Rafi songs) and got to romance pretty ladies.
One such film is Amar Kumar's Mere Sanam. This 1965 technicolor entertainer stars Biswajit and Asha Parekh, with some great support from Pran, Achla Sachdev, Laxmi Chhaya, Nazir Hussain and Mumtaz. Though the plot is slightly borrowed from

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Harmony from the heart (Ek Musafir Ek Hasina)

Bahut shukriya bari meherbani, meri zindagi mein huzoor aap aaye...
Seriously, what would I have done without OP Nayyar and his universe of melody? His compositions play with my senses, they rock my world and they sooth my nerves! And, when you have nine fantastic numbers played at close intervals, you are in for a jolly good musical treat. Here's introducing Raj Khosla's Ek Musafir Ek Hasina, a film that is a curtain raiser to this talented director's later thrillers.
Truely speaking (strictly my thought), this 1962 Sadhana-Joy Mukherjee starrer would be an absolute washout if not for Nayyar's work. Embellished with nine wonderful songs, the maestro shows us that his music is not just about hoof-beats. Romance, in all avatars, shine forth in the film's songs.
Okay, a bit about the film.

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Three-tiered thriller (Teesri Manzil)

If entertainment could be measured in degrees, I'd call Teesri Manzil, the source of third degree enjoyment!! Considering that this Vijay Anand trendsetter is my favourite (incidentally it was also my father's favourite, and, father and daughter spent numerous hours bonding over this thriller), I should have penned my thoughts on it much earlier. But, truely, I have been mustering up the courage to sum my feelings on this 1966 superhit. For, I really want to reign in the gush and sound objective. But, since I've already seen the film 27 times, that might be a tad difficult. I'll try nonetheless...

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Regal canvas (Rajkumar)

It's like watching one gala theatrical extravaganza. In K Shankar's 1964 hit, Rajkumar, everything is over-the-top, the makeup, sets, costumes, characters and story. But, never mind. It's one multi-coloured royal drama that will keep you hooked. That is, if you incorporate a certain willing suspension of disbelief. The rest, I assure, is like being part of an enthralling carnival.
The best part of the film, apart from the rollicking pair of Shammi Kapoor and Sadhana, are its songs. In fact, just when some implausible sequence is trying your patience, Shankar Jaikishen's music comes to the rescue. With seven chartbusters, Rajkumar is one potboiling entertainer.

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A hearty tale of love (Dil Deke Dekho)

Shammi Kapoor's called Roop in Nasir Husain's Dil Deke Dekho. An apt name. With that kind of a face, nothing else would do justice. He is a charmer, who slips into multiple roles with utmost dexterity. He is tall, strapping and cool, a loverboy who is hard to stay away from. He is a dutiful son, an passionate lover and a quickwitted comedian. So, Roop, the one with a beautiful face, effortlessly makes your heart skip a beat. He makes you laugh with his Professor Saamri gags, tickles your funny bone as Mirza Changezi and makes mush out of you as the smooth Roop or Raja. In the very words of Prof. Saamri, "Oh, tera kya kehna" or maybe, "Yeh aankhen nahin do teer hain"...

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His Majesty, Yul Brynner (The King and I)

The King and I is what it is, for Yul Brynner. I feel. For, I don't think there possibly could have been anyone as neat a fit for the shoes of King Mongkut Of Siam. Yul Brynner fits the role to the T. He is handsome. He is funny. He exudes a royal aura. And his intense eyes... Sigh!!! Not to mention his perfect Siamese accent, his adorable English language faux pas, his cutely reprimanding behaviour and his entertaining obstinacy!!!
He is a study in contrasts, this king, in the 1956 hugely popular Rodgers and Hammerstein production. Here's how. The king's repartee is full of malapropism. But, our king is supremely confident of what he says. So, when he sings, What a puzzlement, he is but projecting his ignorance in a lovingly humourous way. Really, how on earth is one expected to learn if every English book says different things on one topic??? Really...

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Twin bonanza (Hum Dono)

Hum Dono is an archipelago of emotions. A poignant drama revolving around the inanity of war, Amarjeet's 1961 classic is a rare treat for the senses. Whether it is the warmth of a mother-son relationship, the closeness of two sweethearts, the faith and trust between a married couple or the promise of filial love, Hum Dono's large canvas has equal opportunity for all emotions. With tender moments galore, this Dev Anand-Nanda-Sadhana masterpiece reinstates my love for social and family dramas. Oh! How I love this roller-coaster joyride...
What does war do to a man? Vijay Anand pens a touching saga to address this issue. He highlights the banality of war and the sad repercussions such political maladies have on a common man's life. A war tears a son away from his old and frail mother, it separates a man from his loving wife and it builds a huge wall between two sweethearts harbouring a dream in their expectant hearts to settle down in bliss. Even when war ends, nothing is hale and hearty.

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Pitter patter extravaganza (Singin' in the Rain)

Once, while trying to keep my eyes open during a drab history class in school, I heard my teacher mouthing a dialogue from Singin' in the Rain. I'm still in the dark regarding the purpose of her reference but I'm grateful to her for introducing me to the wonders of this 1952 musical comedy. She was talking about Gene Kelly and his greatness and I found myself snapped back from the land of grogginess to that of cinematic excitement. Automatically, drowsiness fled and I was all ears!!! Such is the magic of this iconic film...it's enthralling, captivating and festive... The pleasures almost multiply every time I sit back to enjoy it...
It's not for nothing that film critics all over the planet call this Gene Kelly classic the Greatest Hollywood musical ever.

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Paradise lost (Kashmir ki Kali)

Kashmir beckons! The land of undulating valleys, salubrious climes, azure canopies and multi-hued flora gets a sheer magical persona in Kashmir Ki Kali, Shakti Samanta's 1964 saga of love in earth's paradise. Whatever, happened to the place...
The landscape's beauty is heigthened by the charming lead...Pristine Sharmila Tagore makes a promising debut in this musical romance. No one bothers about her act though. Champa's (Tagore) deep dimples are enough to take your breath away. She is truely a Kashmir ki kali (a flower in Kashmir).

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Love thy neighbour (Tere Ghar Ke Saamne)

Didn't know Vijay Anand had this in him!!! A breezy, fun romance that is! Without his trademark suspense, sudden twists and nailbiting action... In 1963's Tere Ghar Ke Samne, he sheds his sleuth like qualities to give film lovers a joyful musical. And, he puts in the backdrop, a baseless rivalry between two good-natured neighbours...Though the film begins on a very Romeo-Juliet note, its end is predictable, and hence, immensely satisfying...

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Dramatic twist (Mera Saaya)

Wholesome. That describes Mera Saaya, Raj Khosla's courtroom thriller. And, just like a shadow, this 1966 masterpiece stays with you. With a unique plot, nuanced approach, mindblowing music and stunning performances, Mera Saaya is a gem that never goes out of fashion. In fact, tu jahan jahan chaley ga, Mera Saaya saath hoga...

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Music, the food of love (Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon)

What made Nassir Hussain's pictures a box-office sellout? I say, fetching women, fabulous music, picturesque locales, smart heroes and a roughly tolerable plot. You get ample of that in the 1963 romance Phir Wohi dil Laya Hoon. The director etches a credible love story with plenty of song and dance, a menacing villian and fun situations in lovely Kashmir. Yes, you get to see the heavenly place before it got ripped apart!!!

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Thrill pill (Jewel Thief)

Chor bahut chalaak hain. But, even more clever are those who created this chor. The year was 1967. Navketan gifted filmlovers a movie whose magic is yet to be replicated. Dev Anand and his younger brother, Vijay outdid themselves. They made Jewel Thief, a rare suspense thriller that is sleek, stylish and engaging. In the same genre as Hitchcock, and maybe a little of Bond, this jewel of a film sends chills down my spine after every frame. I am yet to be done with it...

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Delightful democracy (Parakh)

Kanhaiyalal, a well-known character artist in the Hindi films during the 50s and 60s, was kind of typecast. He always played cunning old men striving to fatten their own coffers. In Bimal Roy's Parakh, the delightful actor is at his petty best as the village priest. He camouflages his selfishness and greed with religiosity. He uses God for his own benefit. Everytime he sneaks up behind a tree to sleuth about two lovers, eavesdrops into a private conversation, plots with the village moneylender or fools God-fearing villagers, you clap and wait for his next serve. I'm not even going into the way he mouths "Narayana, narayana". Simply rollicking!!

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Due credit (C.I.D)

Dharam Dev Pishorimal Anand writes his heart out in Romancing with Life, his autobiography. He traces his roots to Gurdaspur and recalls his struggles as a strapping but thin 25-year-old jobhunting in busy Bombay. He dots the narrative with multihued incidents from his film career and personal life that made him DEV ANAND, the star. While doing so, he credits Vijay Anand's Baazi for making him a household name.

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Love holds (An Affair to Remember)

Simplicity can be quite profound. That's why An Affair to Remember holds its ground even today. Because it is a magical concoction of simplicity, warmth and love. The 1957 Leo McCarey classic grips us with its tight storyline, sudden twists and mushy sequences. The music, especially the soulful title track composed by Harry Warren, lodges itself in your heart long after the end credits roll. The lead characters, Deborah Kerr and Carey Grant, instill your faith in romance. And the endearing Grandma is the perfect icing on the cake.
Grant's portrayal of Nickie Ferrante is immaculate. He is suave and has a heart of gold (amid his hectic schedule of pursuing beautiful women, he accomodates his regular trips to meet his ageing grandma). This ace almost wins over beautiful Kerr, who he meets while on a cruise.

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Why old films?

I have to tell what I felt when I saw Shammi Kapoor lipsyncing to Tumsa Nahin Dekha. What I felt when he as Anil Kumar Sona said, "My my, too many things for a little girl like you." This scene from the thrilling Teesri Manzil, featuring the coolest Kapoor, curvaceous Asha Parekh and a hilarious fat somebody, is a definite rewind when I play the cult classic. It's like I roll my eyes, and my tongue, when the protagonists bombard against each other, a definitive foreplay to two and a half hours of cinematic pleasure. Catchy story, compelling performances and mindblowing music from Panchamda, this Vijay Anand classic is one reminder why I love old films. Because, they are lovable and they remind me of my father: the umpteen hours both of us spent watching classics and later discussing them and tch-tching on how they don't make films like that anymore.
Yes, they don't. Where have all the Mary Poppins gone? Where are films like Gene Kelly's Singing in the Rain? Or maybe, The Sound of Music? Why doesn't anyone look oh-so-romantic like Yul Brenner in The King & I? Where have all of them gone?
No, Shammi Kapoor is not my only favourite. And, Asha Parekh is just one of them who I love smiling at. There is a whole gamut of actors, lyricists, directors and musicians. The constellation that made old films such a spectacular universe. But yes, Shammi Kapoor, the dancing prince, has yahooed his way in my heart! But my heart is quite roomy and there is place for more talents.
There is a joy, a connect I have with old films-both Hindi and English. Something that makes me feel with them, for them. Something that draws me to them. It's too small a life, I feel, to fit all those great films that were made during the golden years of the Hindi and English film industry. But till there's time, I'm here to see and love them all. Well, love not maybe, but watch. And watch well. Therefore, read on then...