Songs that have stayed (Zamaane Ko Dikhana Hai)

Yes, yes, yes. My sincere apologies for keeping you all waiting. Those of you who thought I've abandoned this space, well, think again! For, I'm too much a movie-lover to give up this blog of mine. It's taken me time, a lot of time indeed, to come back to it, but here I am, once again. Yes, Malhar's fine. He's now turning three, is as hyperactive as an Energizer Bunny, and extremely (that's an understatement) naughty. And work is very hectic as well! But again, here I am...

Padmini Kolhapuri is a powerhouse of talent. Her energy was palpable in all the films starring her as a child actress so when you see a film where she makes her debut as the heroine, the expectations are obviously huge. Mine were too. I must say I am extremely fond of this bubbly, photogenic actor who has an effortless charm about her. No role is too tough for her. Being in the industry from a very young age, she makes the characters look like a cakewalk. So, when I saw her in Nasir Husain's 1981 romance Zamaane Ko Dikhana Hai, I was waiting for some real fire-cracking in the scenes she set foot with yummylicious Rishi Kapoor. But I was left waiting for more...

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Marrying a widow (Prem Rog)

There is something that makes Raj Kapoor films immensely enjoyable. Even if you do not like some aspects of the films--say the melodrama, the OTT quotient or the excessive stretching of the plot, his films do rev up my interest in the happening. What mostly attracts me is the believable social thread that he ties his characters with. His characters are part of a community that suffers from some social malady or the other and through his story-telling method, he strives to drive home a point about this evil custom and how the protagonist struggles and succeeds to overthrow this societal sickness. This process is presented by Raj Kapoor extremely well through his films. They start off as family dramas, but in the folds of the plot, he sheds light on some social custom that needs to be demolished. His films become social commentaries without resorting to pontification. And that is the best part about the RK films. Look at Shree 420, Awara, Jagte Raho, Ram Teri Ganga Maili and the like. If you watch them carefully, you'll know what I'm hinting at.

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