Honesty is the best policy, or so they say... (Shakha Proshakha)

Malhar is sleeping right now. So, I've tiptoed out of the room to write a post, while his grandparents stare lovingly at him. I might add that in his sleep, Malhar smiles and makes various expressions! Of them, his gummy grin and his pouts are the cutest. He also stretches a lot and wakes up accidentally because of that. And then he yells so that I run and lull him back to sleep. Who will make him understand that if he stretches so much, he is bound to wake up...  And I think he snores, and even sometimes neighs like a horse!!
Okay, before all that stretching and pouting and stretching pull me back, here's a bit on one of Satyajit Ray's brilliant works on the juxtaposition between honesty and corruption...

Shakha Proshakha, made in 1990, is bang on target right from the very beginning. Ananda Majumdar (Ajit Banerjee) is a retired industrialist and a venerated man in society. On his 70th birthday he is shown to have a long conversation with his second son, Proshanto (Soumitra Chatterjee), who used to be a brilliant student with a bright future, before a cruel accident snatched away all his prospects.

Read more »

Lacking the courage (Kaapurush from Kaapurush O Mahapurush)

I've been absent from the blogging world for quite some time now. I've had my reasons...
On the 7th of this month, my husband and I got blessed with a beautiful baby boy. Yes! I'm a proud mother now, to my doll-faced bundle of joy. And yes, he's kept me on my toes ever since his arrival. Though all he does is eat, sleep, pee and poop, yet somehow not a moment passes everyday when I'm not staring at his face. Yes, he's occupying my entire life now!!
I've named him Dingding. And occasionally I call him things such as White Kitten, Chini and Shona. We are yet to christen him. I'm still searching for a unique name that starts with S. Yes, I want my son to have the same initials as his mother :)
Suggestions are welcome...

Since Dingding has kept me busy, I haven't had much time to catch up on golden oldies. So, I'll write about a film that I saw a few months back. It's a good one directed by Satyajit Ray, and which is a complete contrast to another film that is celebrated for as much its humour as for its sarcasm, multiple layers and its characterisation.

Read more »

Songs that melt (Sunny)

The last time I was watching Raj Khosla's Sunny, I was in Class 8. And, I had my final examinations starting the day after! But, the movie-buff that I was, I just couldn't resist the temptation. It was a pleasant afternoon and RD Burman's score, Sharmila Tagore's pretty face, Waheeda Rehman's histrionics and the beginning of a good emotional drama was too much. However, the experience was cut short by my father, who woke up from his afternoon siesta and hollered out to me to switch off the television and sit down with my books. I did so right away. And yes, I kept sulking right away, too. Hmmm, the life of a student...
Now things are different. I can watch films anytime of the day. Well, maybe not just anytime, because there are still scores of chores to do. But what's the harm in thinking so! At least, I do not have to shun the films for some examinations!

Read more »

Man, woman and doctor (Dil Ek Mandir)

It's not for nothing that Raj Kumar received a Best Supporting Actor Filmfare award for his portrayal of Ram in C V Sridhar's emotional drama Dil Ek Mandir. For, here is a man who despite being diagnosed with lung cancer and waiting on the brink of desolation and doom, is buoyant, pragmatic and jocund all the time. He is not afraid of death and he has no qualms in securing a stable and safe future for his wife after his death. He relaxes the tension in the plot with his amiable repartee and is a foil to the otherwise morose and dejected doctor who is suffering from the pangs of unrequited love. If you ask me, Ram is one of the main reasons why I was able to complete the film.

Read more »

Needs some re-casting (Holi Ayee Re)

Harsukh Jagneshwar Bhatt must have been seriously cashstrapped. Or else, why would he squander away a reasonable good script by casting some absolutely unknown faces in his Holi Ayee Re. The best he can manage are some famous character actors who salvage the film from the brink of disaster. But I feel, this 1970 romance-cum-family drama would have done fairly well if we would have had a better and a more formidable cast. Here's how...

Read more »

Prefer the remake... a bit more (Kangan vs Uljhan)

When I watched Nanabhai Bhatt's Kangan a few months back, I quite liked it. Though the narrative ran a tad slow, it had the elements of an engrossing mystery. The best part was Nirupa Roy starring as the female lead. She really was a pretty sight and played her part well. I never liked Ashok Kumar as a male lead so here too I was noncommittal. But the main thing was the story. It was a gripping mystery that hooked me to the very end.

The other day, I watched Raghunath Jhalani's Uljhan. And wonder of wonders, it was a remake of the 1959 film. The story was absolutely same but the treatment, I might add, was better. Not that the old one was bad, but the remake had everything in place. The cast was fabulous and the 1975 film ran fast. Which means it's even more engrossing.

Read more »

Inane accusations (Aap ki Kasam)

Now tell me something: Why is everyone in Aap ki Kasam losing sleep over how to exonerate Kamal? Why are they so driven towards showing him sympathy? Does he really deserve any? An insecure and stupid man who brings nothing but unhappiness to everyone around him, Kamal should have just been ignored and allowed to live his life the way he wanted to. I sound harsh, but please, after what he does, I feel he deserved nothing but that...

Read more »