The correct dose of drama (Khandan)

Too much fun, I tell you. No wonder I'm never absolutely disappointed by A Bhimsingh's films. Revolving around family relationships in a big joint set-up, mostly set in villages where traditions and customs are heeded, a simplistic plot containing melodrama and awesome performances by a superlative cast. That's the crux yet again of Khandan, one of the biggest grossers of 1965, I'm told. What's not to like here? Sunil Dutt paired with the lovely and rustic Nutan, Om Prakash is sarcastically funny against Lalita Pawar's caustic stupidity, Manmohan Krishna and Sulochana are the quintessential good people, Sudesh Kumar the eternal goat, Mumtaz, the pretty damsel and best of all, Pran, the forever evil villain. And here, with a comic twist! On a roll!!

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Evergreen charmer (Paying Guest)

Dev Anand was not just about romance and good looks. He was much much more. He was about freewheeling fun, about harmless naughtiness, about rollicking laughter, about teasing flirtations and about a gorgeous, gorgeous smile. Paying Guest is a film where you see all these facets of this evergreen charmer. Even though you have the lovely Nutan to feast your eyes on, it's Dev Anand who grips you with his uninhibited panache in this 1956 romance. Right from the very beginning.

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Fun departure (Dil Hi To Hai)

Those of you who are accustomed to being bogged down by the conventional role play of Raj Kapoor should watch this romantic comedy. Yes, Raj Kapoor is the hero in Dil Hi To Hai and he does some delightful comedy with panache. Strange isn't it? Even I was a bit skeptical about seeing Raj Kapoor get into the shoes of what would otherwise be the perfect part for maybe his brother, Shammi Kapoor, but the actor pulls off this personality with elan. For me therefore, it reinstates the fact that Raj Kapoor should not be underestimated. He sometimes displays shades that might just flummox and surprise!!

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Raw appeal (Baarish)

There is a good thing and a bad thing about watching a very, very old Dev Anand film. That would be films in the 50s, when he was yet to become the charismatic debonair who made all of us weak in the knees. He was yet to get the swagger, that style, that mischievous glint in his eyes that crushed the knee caps to jelly whenever he appeared on the screen. And yes, he was yet to get that sweeping hairstyle!

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Of hope and survival (Saudagar)

As you sow, so shall you reap. An adage that befits the plight of Moti, the most famous jaggery seller in the village, who bartends an innocent woman's emotions for his own selfish need. He does not even pause to think that he is doing a heinous crime playing foul with Mahjubin, a woman who never even suspects him once. This widower could very well have continued to deal with her hardships in a dignified manner had Moti not fooled her into believing that he wants to marry her for love. And she would have been saved of feeling distraught at how Moti, and in other words, fate strikes her with a cruel blow.

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A special bond (Chhota Bhai)

When I was in school, there used to be a film aired on television almost regularly. Those were the times when cable TV had just been initiated in India and we, the takers lapped up everything no matter what it was. So, understandably, I was hooked on to these films (whether good or non-sense) at every opportunity. This particular film, of course, was quite interesting. It was a spicy family saga that revolved around a woman and her unique bond with her very young brother-in-law.

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Drama that drowned (Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi)

This has often been the case with me. While browsing for a certain film in free movie watching sites, when I chance upon an obscure film that looks pretty interesting I cannot control the temptation. These maybe films that have not been spoken about much. They necessarily may not have the best lead actors or the most memorable songs. But something about the story is so tantalising that it makes me forget my initial search and I sit down to watch this new discovery at that very instant. And, like it always happens I'm quite amused at how predictable the story line is, how most of these films are family sagas and how almost every one of them stand due to the merit of a superb supporting cast.

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Hotch potch (Basant)

What can possibly go wrong with a romance that stars the inimitable Shammi Kapoor and the charming Nutan? I'd say, a lot of things. If you are not sure of what you want your film to be--- a fresh love triangle, a sad drama or a thriller, if you do not have any idea of how to weave different elements together, if you lack the art of copying from other films craftily and if you allocate too much screen time to side characters without exploiting Pran to the fullest. And yes, not make maximum use of the gorgeous soundtrack scored by the melody master, OP Nayyar and the beauty of Shammi and Nutan put together...

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What's stopping the two? (Saraswatichandra)

It's very difficult for me to accept an ending that looks absolutely redundant. I end up feeling why couldn't the director be more brave and experimentative. Why couldn't he marry off a widow to her true sweetheart? Why does he have to depict her accepting her sad fate and the decisions of a taboo-ridden society? And, why on earth does he have to make the lead character procrastinate so much??? Questions, questions, questions...

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Destination music (Manzil)

I have hardly seen Dev Anand play such a brooding character. Generally this suave and dapper young man entertains with his light frolicky persona. But his Rajkumar Mehta is different. Defiant and determined to the core, Anand, in Mandi Burman's Manzil, is most of the time inebriated and weeping over his unfaithful beloved. But, this 1960 romance's lead pair piqued my curiosity. Nutan and Dev Anand make a handsome couple and the way the film starts, you will be keen to follow this Raju as he scales the heights of success.

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Jaded stars (Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki)

Consider Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki over with the death of Asha Parekh. Figuratively I mean. For, even though the film ends after a mind numbing session of bad songs, loud performances and unexciting fisticuffs, there is hardly any more meat in the drama save the strong histrionics by Nutan. I think it is amazing that this Raj Khosla (melo)drama won a Filmfare best film award in 1978. How on earth?

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Gauri's tale of grit and gumption (Seema)

I'm absolutely convinced. If you have Nutan on the screen, you don't need anyone else. And, if that Nutan is a 19-year-old teenager, the effect is bound to be doubly fresh and scintillating. In Seema, Amiya Chakraborty's touching tale about an honest and brave girl, Nutan shows that she can perform like it's nobody's business...
I read up a bit about Nutan after seeing Seema. Here's a piece of information: this beauty had won the Miss India crown in 1952. Hardly surprising!!

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A simply good saga (Anari)

There are two things I simply love about Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Anari. Mrs. D'sa's magnanimity and Arti's luminosity.
I have never witnessed Lalita Pawar playing such a caring yet stern old woman. She has a heart of gold in this 1959 classic. While she is mostly known for her plotting persona on screen, here she is a warm Christian lady who showers her love and blessings on her orphan tenant. This time when she contorts her face, it thrills you one moment and melts your heart the other. Her eyes glisten with love, not deviousness and she displays the qualities of motherhood to perfection. It's also the very talented Mukherjee's credit to zero in on Pawar to be Mrs. D'sa. You see her in a vastly different light and get smothered by her affections.

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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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Touch syndrome (Sujata)

Bimal Roy's Sujata is a celebration of purity and innocence. This 1959 film focuses on the evils of casteism, but the approach is subtle and straightforward. A single family forms the microcosm of a caste-ridden society, blinded by superstition. The comment is pointed, without much pontification. Full of breathtaking imagery, this is one enduring classic.

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