Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit.

Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit.

Sanjay Dutt created an image of a fighter over the years. But whenever he acted with Madhuri Dixit, the producers and directors had brought out the softer performance of Sanjay Dutt.

In Sajan, Sanjay Dutt played the role of a handicapped poet. He dedicated all his poems to Madhuri Dixit. Madhuri Dixit also became a big admirer of the poet without knowing him personally. As Sanjay Dutt knew that being a handicapped person he will fail to make Madhuri Dixit happy, has asked Salman Khan to pretend as the poet who had written all the verses keeping Madhuri Dixit in mind. Ultimately the truth is unveiled and Salman sacrifices his love. The songs in the film like “jiyue to jiye”, dekha hai pehli baar”, “tu shayar hai”, etc, stormed the silver screen.


Sanjay Dutt also acted opposite Madhuri in the film Khalnayak. Although Madhuri was supposed to be married to Jackie, Sanjay had been loyal to her and ultimately surrendered before the police due to her. It was an experiment done by Subhash Ghai by casting Sanjay Dutt in a negative role but the audience responded to the challenge. Jackie also did well in the film.


The other notable film of the successful pair includes Mahanta. It was related to an action –thriller with which Sanjay Dutt is generally associated. His relatives were killed and ill-treated by Amrish Puri and Paresh Rawal and he took revenge in the film in his own way. Jeetender provided adequate support to Sanjay Dutt in the film.


In Sahibaan, Sanjay again acted opposite Madhuri as a second hero, where the romantic part was performed by Rishi Kapoor. The songs in the film composed by Shiv Hari and sung by Jolly Mukherjee including “kaise jiyunga mai” caught the attention of cultured listeners. Madhuri loved Rishi Kapoor, and Sanjay tried to impose his affection with the help of wealth and manpower.

The pair also acted in Thanedaar and Kanoon Apna Apna and the films are still appreciated by filmlovers.

By: Supriya Chatterji.

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Salman Khan and Sushmita Sen.

Salman Khan and Sushmita Sen.

Salman Khan had entertained the viewers with his diversified performances in bollywood films for the last 20 years. But his romantic performance opposite Sushmita Sen had been well appreciated by the audience.


The pair had done well in the film Bibi No. I, where Karishma Kapoor played the role of Salman’s wife, and Anil Kapoor and Tabu were friends of Salman. Salman went to Switzerland and had an affair with Susmita that led to his separation with Karishma. But at the end of the film he could not live with Sushmita, as he understood that she was not fit to fulfil the responsibilities of a wife like taking care of the mother and rearing up the children, etc. The songs in the film like “isq sona hai”, “chunari chunari” became landmark hits.


Both Salman and Susmita did very well in the film Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya, where Katrina Kaif was the other performer. Salman told Katrina that he was married and wanted to give divorce to his wife to marry her. When Katrina got the information she wanted to meet his wife and Salman asked Susmita to pretend as his wife. Salman went on providing false stories and when Katrina came to know about the children of Susmita, she went to meet them. It was a fun-filled comedy film with hit songs like “laga laga lag re”, “just chill chill”, etc.


The combination was sublime in the film Tumko Na Bhool Payenge. Salman and his friend were great shooters and they were used by the Home Minister to shoot his rival. Salman loved Susmita, but his friend shot him and married her. Salman got a new life but he lost his memory. He was supported by Diya Mirza. The major part of the film showed how Salman got back his memory. Salman again returned to Bombay and discovered the truth. He faced his friend and in the encounter Susmita died. The songs in the film “tumsehi pyar ho gaya re” sung by Sonu Nigam became a big hit.

Salman Khan and Susmita Sen are expected to act together in other films in future, as they are well accepted by the viewers.

By: Supriya Chatterji.

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Shahrukh Khan and Juhi Chawla.

Shahrukh Khan and Juhi Chawla.

Shahrukh Khan has acted in numerous hit films in the last 15 years, and during his successful career had acted with many actresses. But his combination with Juhi Chawla was well accepted by the viewers.

The pair did very well in the film Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman. It was a love story of a young couple and the subject matter of the story was simple. Nana Patekar added attraction in the film with his comedy performance. Both of them also did well in the film Yes Boss. The songs in the film like “na koi aisa geet”, “chand tare”, etc., became big hits. Abhijeet, the singer of major songs in the film contributed a lot for the success of the film.


In Darr, Shahrukh Khan showed his versatility by performing in a negative role. Juhi Chawla was married to Sunny Deol, and Shahrukh Khan chased them in different destinations as he was suffering from mental disease and could not forget Juhi. The songs in the film like “tu mere samne” sung by Lata and “jadu teri nazar” sung by Udit Narayan became very successful. Shahrukh attempted to kill Sunny, and compelled Juhi to marry him while both of them were travelling in a launch. Sunny rescued her from the clutches of Sharukh and killed him. The film played a big role in shaping the career of Sharukh.


The pair did very well in the film Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani. Paresh Rawal was wrongly projected as a terrorist, and both Sharukh and Juhi being journalists, unearthed the truth. Although both of them were rivals at the beginning as they worked for separate organisations but ultimately got united to help Paresh Rawal. The songs in the film “hum logo ko samajh sako to”, “ I’m the best” requires special mention.


Both of them did well in comic roles in the film Duplicate. Sharukh Khan played a double role, with one of the characters having affair with Juhi Chawla, with the other being engaged with Sonali Bendre. The character which was innocent had relationship with Juhi, and their romantic performance needs special mention with songs like “mere mehboob mere sanam”, “la lailai”, etc. Both of them opened film production together and gave successful films. The viewers expect Juhi to make a comeback and continue her good work with Sharukh.

By: Rumi Chatterji.

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Dilip Kumar and Wahida Rehman

Dilip Kumar and Wahida Rehman.

Dilip Kumar and Wahida Rehman are considered as one of the most versatile performers of bollywood for the last 60 years. They had performed in successful films opposite other actors and actresses in the their career, but whenever they acted together the viewers had cherished their depth of performance.


Dilip Kumar played a double role in the film Ram Aur Shyam, where he showed his versatility in both the characters. Ram was afraid of Pran, who did beat him up and enjoyed his property. Where as Shyam was smart and wise. Dilip Kumar showed his capability in the comedy sequences as well. Wahida Rehman was associated with Shyam. She also exhibited her class in the film and the songs picturised in the film including “aaj ki raat mere”, “mai tha saqi”, sung by Rafi and Lata, and composed by Naushad had become immortal over the years.


The same combination amazed the audience with their classic performance in the film Dil Diya Dard Liya. Dilip Kumar was the actual prince, but due to loss of identity he was treated like servant by Pran. Wahida Rehman had soft corner for him and their romance blossomed at the end after facing extreme barriers from the society. The tragic andaz of performance of both Dilip Kumar and Wahida Rehman was unparallel in the film. Again music played an important part with Naushad composing some immortal songs like “dilruba maine tere”, “sawan aye”, “koi sagar dil ko behlata nahi.” Rafi and Lata were probably at their best part of career and gave their best in the film.

Aadmi is the other successful film of the legendary pair. Manoj Kumar was the other actor in the film and Dilip Kumar jumped from the cliff of a mountain as he was repentant about his feelings for his friend. He became handicapped and walked on crutches. Both Dilip Kumar and Wahida Rehman could convey the romantic feelings and other thoughts to the audience who appreciated both the story and the music including songs like “na aadmi ka koi bharosa”, “aaj purani raho”, etc., sung by Rafi and composed by Naushad.


The pair was seen for another time in Mashal, where Dilip Kumar could not save Wahida Rehman who died out of severe stomach pain. Anil Kapoor learnt a lot from the effortless performance of the legendary pair. If the most versatile pair of actors and actresses are searched for, the name of Dilip Kumar and Wahida Rehman will always come in the history of bollywood cinema. Their films should be preserved for the new generation.

By: CR Chatterji.

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Sonali Bendre - the timid actress of bollywood.

Sonali Bendre - the timid actress of bollywood.

Sonali Bendre had created a soft, timid image with her performance in bollywood films. She initially participated in beauty contests and started her career with the film Aag, in 1994, opposite Govinda. she made a very significant impact with her performance in the film Bhai, opposite Sunil Shetty.

Bhai was based on the story of Sunil Shetty, a young villager who came to the city and faced te urbanised opression which others also face and his brother was killed due to several reasons. He became an underqworld don and Sonali Bendre supported him in his war against the actual wrongdoers. Sunil Shetty kiled the rival groups and also the infulential persons, by facing them in forests and other hilly aeras, as he as used to fighting in those places. Pooja Batra played the role of the wife of Sunil Shetty.


Sonali Bendre performed well opposite Shahrukh Khan in the comedy film Duplicate. Shahrukh Khan had acted in aduoble role, one with Juhi Chwala, the other with Sonali Bendre. Sonali Bendre had an affair with the Shahrukh Khan who was a smuggler, and when both the persons were interchanged, she accepted the change in the character of the of the other Sharukh Khan. The song in the film "kab maine yeh sochatha" sung by Udit Narayan became a big hit.

Sonali Bendre did well in the film Hum Saath Saath Hai. She was the wife of Salman Khan, where other leading roles were played by Saif Ali khan, Tabu, Karishma apoor, etc. It was a family drama, dealing with the internal relationships of a rich family.


She even won Star Screen award for best performance in the film Hamare Dil Aapke Pass Hai, opposite Anil Kapoor and Aishwaria Rai. Her other notable films include Zakhm with Ajay Devgan, Tera Mera Saath Rahe, etc.

She left films after 2004. The viewers expect her to make a comeback in bollywood films soon.

Shreya Ghoshal – the sweet singer of the present generation.

Shreya Ghoshal – the sweet singer of the present generation.

Bollywood films in the 50s, 60s and 70s were dominated by Lata, Geeta Dutt, Shamshad Begum, Suraiya, Asha, Suman Kalyanpur, etc. In the 80s and 90s Alka Yagnik and Kavita Krishnamurty made a very notable contribution in bollywood films. Shreya Ghoshal had established herslf the future singer of bollywood cinema for the last few years.

Born in a Bengali family in Rawatbhata, in Kota district of Rajasthan, Shreya Ghoshal learnt classical music from Mahesh Chandra Sharma. She participated in the musical competition in the TV Channel titled Saregamapa, and when she reached the finals after defeating renowned female singers, the producers, directors and composers were moved by her performance.


She made her presence felt with her song in the film Devdas, directed by Sanjay Leela Banshali, with the song “bairi piya” and after that she never had to look back. Just like Sonu Nigam had created a gharana by himself and composers agree about his versatility, similarly Shreya Ghoshal is undoubtedly the future of Indian playback singing.

She received the filmfare award for the best female singer along with Kavita Krishnamurty for the song “dola re” from the film Devdas, picturised on Madhuri Dixit and Aiswariya Rai. Her other hits songs include “jadu hai nasha hai” from the film Jism. She also amazed the listeners with the song “piyu bole, piya bole” picturised on Vidya Balan, from the film Parineeta, where Sonu Nigam sang it for Saif Ali Khan. The sweetness of her voice matched the period (late 19th century) when singers of the Bengali traditional families used to present their talent in soft style.


She also the song “apne aansoo peene ke liye” from the film Paheli, very well, along with powerful performance from Rani Mukherjee and Shahrukh Khan in the film. She also received filmfare award for the best singer for her song in the film Guru, titled “barsdo re” composed by AR Rehman.

She had song notable Bengali songs like “pagla hawa” in The Bong Connection, “mon diye mon niye” in Agnipath, etc. With a number of songs which are going to be released in different films in 2008, she is expected to continue her good work and the viewers and listeners expect her best in the years to come.

Comedy characters in the films of Satyajit Ray.

Comedy characters in the films of Satyajit Ray.

Satyajit Ray had experimented with diversified subjects in the films he directed over 35 years. Due to reserve personality viewers have a feeling that he hardly experimented with comedy sequences. In fact the presentation of comedy sequences in most cases amazed noted film critics of the western world.

His character Lalmohan Ganguly, played by Santosh Dutta, in the film Sonar Kella, (the Golden Fortress) attracted the attention of intellectual viewers. He was a writer of detective novels, yet provided erroneous information to his readers. He gave wrong information about where a camel stores its water, and that was rectified by Soumitra Chatterji, who played the role of Feluda, the private investigator in the film. Santosh Dutta ultimately got an opportunity to ride on camelback in his way from Pokran to Ramdewra in Rajasthan in the film, and got sever body ache after the ride.


In Joy Baba Felunath, the other film of Ray, Santosh Dutta, refused to drink the juice that was offered to him by Utpal Dutt, in the role of Maganlal Meghraj, a rich businessman of Benaras. Inspite of his reluctance, Utpal Dutt compelled him to face a show of knives being thrown at a target with Santosh Dutta standing in the middle of the target. Santosh Dutta, played a very significant part in Ray’s film Goopi Gayin Bagha Bayin, where he played the role of the two brothers of two separate kingdoms, who were twins. On of them were dictated terms by the diwan played by Jahar Roy.

In Uttam Kumar’s Nayak, there was a scene where the Rajdhani Express had stopped in a station and Sharmila Tagore was talking with Uttam Kumar in the Cantene. From the windows, the presence of Uttam Kumar was felt, and as he was one of the most popular icons of his time, the crowd made gestures and became wild to see him, which made life uncomfortable for Sharmila Tagore, who was not used to facing such situations.


In Paraspathor, tulsi Chakravarty played the role of a middleclass Bengali who got a typical stone which could turn any material into gold. When a rich businessman asked him about the formula, he asked him to note it down, it was “holde sabuj orangotang, it patkel chitpotang”, meaning Yellow-green monkey, stones-pebbles and slipping down on the floor. Most of the humour of Ray, existed in his script, and he created a revolution in terms of converting rich literary texts into scripts fit for story-telling of epic films. It is not possible to highlight the comedy characters of Rays’ films in a short article, but all these films had become learning texts for new filmmakers and should be restored as masterpieces symbolising Indian creative arts.

By: CR Chatterji.

Shammi Kapoor and Asha Parekh.

Shammi Kapoor and Asha Parekh.

Shammi Kapoor in his romantic career , had acted with leading actresses of the 50s and the 60s, including Mala Sinha, Rajashri, Saira Banu, Sharmila Tagore, etc. But his combination with Asha Parekh had provided a number of hits in the 50s and 60s.

In Dil Deke Dekho, in 1959, Shammi Kapoor almost created his image of a flamboyant hero for the first time. The music provided by Usha Kiran was very very successful. Rafi’s song “dil deke dekho” picturised on Shammi Kapoor and mesemrised the audience with westernized orchestration.


In Jawan Muhobbat, the same combination had entertained the audience another time. In those days films were picturised in Jammu and Kasmir, and Himachal Pradesh, and the romantic locations added flavour in the romantic classics.


Teesri Manzil, directed by Nasir Hussain, became very successful in 1966. It gave RD Burman also the recognition of an innovative composer. The film was related to the investigation of a murder. Very significantly Premnath who featured as a hero before that film, switched to roles of antihero and he acted as a villain in Teesri Manzil for the first time. The successful songs in the film sung by Rafi and Asha include “aja aja”, “o haseena zulfowali”, “janeman janeja”, “diwana tujhsan nahi”, “o mere sona re sona re”, etc. The rock and roll image of Shammi Kapoor was complimented by successful choreography provided by Asha Parekh.


Both of them also did well in the film Pagla Kahin Ka, directed by Shakti Samanta. Shankar Jaikishan had played a very significant role in the success of Shammi Kapoor. The music of the film was composed by Shankar Jaikishan, with leading songs like “tum mujhe yuh bhula na payoge”, sung by Rafi and Lata. Shammi Kapoor did put on a lot of weight in the early 70s, and started performing in character roles.

The films of Shammi Kapoor and Asha Parekh should be restored to refresh the memory of old viewers and introduce the new generation to the films of the 60s.

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Bobby Deol and Rani Mukherjee

Bobby Deol and Rani Mukherjee.

Few actors and actresses get viewers acclamation even for acting in few films together. That has happened with Bobby Deol and Rani Mukherjee. Bobby Deol established himself in bollywood films with his dashing performance in the films Soldier and Gupt. He did not imitate any contemporary actors and created a style of his own. Similarly Rani Mukherjee impressed the audience with her performance in the films Kuch Kuch Hota Hai with Shahrukh Khan and Ghulam with Amir Khan.


Both Bobby Deol and Rani Mukerjee were well appreciated for their performance in the film Badal. The film was related to terrorist movements in the Northern part of India, including Punjab. Bobby was a victim of ill treatment from related persons and became a terrorist himself. There were police officers who were corrupted and helped the law breakers which gave rise to more hatred and anti-establishment feelings.


Bobby took shelter in Amrish Puri’s house and created a strategy to kill Ashutosh Rana in the film. Bobby in fact provided security for the family and even assaulted the eve-teasers who had harassed the daughter of Amrish Puri.

Johny Lever did well in the relief scenes in the film. Rani Mukherjee entered into affair with Bobby,not knowing that he was a terrorist. She also did well in the film. The film received good reviews also.


In the same way, Rani Mukherjee and Bobby Deol received good remarks for their performance in the film Bicchu. This film was related to narcotic subsntances and related drugs. Ashish Vidhayrti had killed all the family members of Rani Mukherjee in the film.She had a stepmother and was not happy with her life. She got saved because when Ashish Vidyarti opened fire in the house, she went to Bobby’s neighbouring flat. Both of them changed places, as Bobby was also planning for taking revenge against the perpetrators of crime. The action sequences were new and innovative. The film was also successful. The viewers expect the romantic pair to perform well in the new films in the coming years.

By: CR Chatterji.

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Dharmender and Rafi.

Dharmender and Rafi.

Dharmender had a very long a struggling career in bollywoood cinema and at every stage of his career the playback of Mohammad Rafi had an impact on the viewers. Dharmender initially performed in romantic films where music was probably the major element which had contributed for the success of the films. In Mere Humdum ere Dost, all the songs of Rafi including "na ja", "hui shaam unka", were hits.


In Izzat, Laxmikant Pyarelal's composition for Rafi, namely "lute dil pe diya jalta nahi", picturisede on Dharmender created an aded attraction for the film. In Yakeen, Rafi's song for Dharmender tilted "ek hassen shaam ko dil mera kho gaya", became very big hit.

In the early 70s, Dharmender switched to action films, but there also music played a part. In Aaya Sawan Jhukme, LP's compostion and Rafi's songs like "majhi chal", "aya sawan jhumke", contributed a lot in the success of the film in adition to excellent choreography of Asha Parekh. Dharmender gave good lips in the song "aj mausam batra beimann hai" in the film Loafer, opposite Mumtaz.


Rafi had followed the diaglogue throwing and mannerism of a number of actors in his long career, and in respect of Dharmender, whenever he did sing any song it appeared to the audience that Dharmender was singing it himself. The songs of the film Jeevan Mrityu, composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal and sung by Rafi including "jhilmil sitaron" became very very successful.

The bond of Rafi and Dharmender was strong that the last song Rafi sung in his career, was dedicated to Dharmender in the film Aas Pas. The other succesful songs of Rafi which were picturised on Dharmender include "sare gama" from the film Chupke Chupke, composed by SD Burman, "aakhree geet muhabbat" composed by Madanmohan, "mai kahee kavi na banjayun", from film Pyar Hi Pyar, composed by Shankar Jaikishan, all the songs of Ram Balram, etc.


As Rafi had sung around 26000 songs within 35 years and Dharmender had acted in more than 200 films within period, it is not possible to mention all the successful songs sung by Rafi for Dharmender. But the songs and the films should be restored for the viewers and the musiclovers.

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Uttam Kumar and Sharmila Tagore.

Uttam Kumar and Sharmila Tagore.

Uttam Kumar was the greatest superstar of the Bengali silver screen and was in one way one-man-industry. When he performed in bollywood films, Sharmila Tagore was the actress who complimented his romantic performance with her soft performance.


The pair had been very successful in the film Amanush, directed by Shakti Samanta. The film was based on the life of villagers of Sunderbans. There was fishing community who faced a lot of oppression from the zaminders. Utpal Dutt played the role of the villain who created misunderstanding in the minds of Sharmila Tagore which resulted in deterioration of relationship with Uttam Kumar. Anil Chatterji, the police officer in the film investigated the matter and ultimately helped Uttam Kumar to establish his innocence. The songs composed by Shyamal Mitra and sung by Kishore and Asha became very successful. In fact, Kishore Kumar got the filmfare award for the best singer in the year for the song “dil aisa kisine mera tora” from Amanush. Uttam Kumar was brilliant in giving lips in songs all through his career, so he did a great job in this song also. The Bengali version of the film Amanush, released in 1974, also was successful.


In Anand Ashram, Uttam Kumar played the role of a doctor. He had differences with his father played by Ashok Kumar that led to leaving his ancestral house and settling in a village. He married Sharmila Tagore and she helped him in fulfilling his goal of providing adequate healthcare to rural persons. But Sharmila died while giving birth to her son. Rakesh Roshan played the role of the son and ultimately bridged the gap between Uttam Kumar and Ashok Kumar in the film. The songs in the film was again successful.


Uttam Kumar and Sharmila Tagore were sublime in the film Dooriyan. It was also based on family relationship. Both of them loved each other and gave birth to two children and misunderstanding between them led to separation and each of them lived with one child. The children missed the other parents and both Sharmila and Uttam Kumar never wanted to compromise but ended their misunderstanding at the end of the film. Bhupinders Singh’s song “zindagi zindagi”, and “zindagi me jab tumhare gham nahi the” composed by Jaidev became very successful. Uttam Kumar and Sharmila acted together in Bengali films like Nayak, directed by Satyajit Ray, Shesh Anka, Jadubanghsha, etc. the films should be restored for immense filmic value.

By: CR Chatterji.

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Jackie Shroff – the reserve personality of bollywood.

Jackie Shroff – the reserve personality of bollywood.

Jackie Shroff had shown his reserve personality in the films he had acted in the last 20 years. He had shown his acting skills in Subhash Ghai’s film Hero, opposite Meenakshi. The viewers accepted the new pair at that time.

Jackie had mainly acted in successful films opposite Anil Kapoor. In Karma, he was one of the three prisoners who were facing life sentence who were brought by Dilip Kumar and used in the war against terrorism. On one hand Jackie kept his mark during the action sequences, on the other hand did well with Sri Devi, with whom he had an affair in the film.


Jackie was sublime in his performance in the film Kaash, opposite Dimple Kapadia. Even in Ram Lakhan, he played the role of the elder brother of Anil Kapoor and the police officer. He was honest and dutiful, as opposed to Anil Kapoor who used his cleverness for giving fitting reply to lawbreakers. Dimple, also did well in her role as the wife of Jackie in the film.

In Khalnayak, Jackie played the role of the police officer, who arrested Sanjay Dutt for his unlawful activities. Although Sanjay escaped from the prison and that led to lot of criticism of Jackie, but ultimately he brought Sanjay before the court of law. Madhuri Dixit did well in the film opposite Jackie.


From mid-90s, Jackie acted in character roles, and showed his variation of acting. He played the role of Chunillal in Shahrukh Khan’s Devdas. He amazed the viewers with negative performance in the film Mission Kashmir. He played the role of the terrorist who persuaded Hrithik to be involved in terrorism and kill Sanjay Dutt. He adapted the general characteristics of terrorist in the film.

His other successful films include Gardish, Aaj Ka Daur, 100 days, etc. In 100 Days, he was the murderer who killed Madhuri’s sister. He has transformed himself as a good character actor and the audience expects him to continue his good work in the years to come.

By: Rumi Chatterji.

Pradeep Kumar and Meenakumari.

Pradeep Kumar and Meenakumari.

Pradeep Kumar and Meenakumari had acted together in successful films in the 60s and most of them created a lasting impact in the minds of the viewers. They performed well in the film Aarti. Pradeep Kumar was suffering from incurable disease in the film and Meena Kumari shared his grief in the film. Ashok Kumar also did well. Rafi and Lata’s songs in the film composed by Roshan including “aapne yaad dilaya”, “aab kya missal doon”, etc., created history.

Both of them were sublime in the film Bheegi Raat. They had an affair but after Meena Kumari met with an accident the engagement broke and Meenakumari lived with Ashok Kumar. Meenakumari attended the little child of Ashok Kumar. At the end of the film Ashok Kumar sacrificed his love and asked Pradeep Kumar to marry Meena Kumari. The songs in the film sung by Rafi and Lata and composed by Roshan including “dil jo na keh saka”, “jane who kaun hai”, etc. became big hits.


Bahu Begum had historical touch and showed the muslim pardanashin community. Again the affair between Pradeep Kumar and Meenakumari, could not succeed due to social obstacles. Meena Kumari was scheduled to marry Ashok kumar and she left her house on the day of marriage. Then she found herself in a kotha. The story had a number of twists and turns and ultimately Ashok Kumar burnt himself to sacrifice his love. The film depicted the conservative society very well and the actors showed the restraint that was followed at that point of time. Again Roshan came out with memorable compositions including songs given to Rafi, Lata, Asha, like “nikle the kaha”, “hum intezar karenge”, “duniya kare sawal”, etc.


Pradeep Kumar and Meena Kumari also acted in the film Chitralekha. The subject matter was bit complicated with philosophical thoughts being embedded in the film. Rafi’s song “man retu kahe nadhir dhare” had lyrics which raised a lot of questions. The film did moderately in the box-office.


Pradeep Kumar and Meena Kumari had tremendous popularity and their screen presence had helped in bringing serious subject matters close to the mass. The films should be preserved for aesthetic values.

By: Supriya Chatterji.

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Amitabh and Jaya Bacchan.

Amitabh and Jaya Bacchan.

Amitabh and Jaya Bacchan had performed together in the realistic films of 70s and impressed the viewers with their powerful performance. In Abhimaan, directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Big B played the role of a singer who went to a village and got impressed with Jaya and married.

Jaya’s musical talent was unearthed and she also became a renowned singer. She became more popular than Big B and it led to family tensions and Jaya left her singing career. At the end of the film the misunderstandings were resolved and they sang together. The songs in the film composed by SD Burman including “tere mere Milan ki yeh rehna”, “teri bindiya re”, etc., became very very successful.


Jaya and Big B did well in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Milli. Both of them stayed in the same apartment complex. Jaya became extremely sick and died at the end of the film. Ashok Kumar performed well in his character role. The songs in the film composed by SD Burman like “maine kaha phulo se”, “bari suni suni”, etc. became hits.


Both of Jaya and Big B did well in the film Zanjeer. The film was based on the story of a police officer who faced a number of obstacles to face the smugglers and lawbreakers in the society. In fact Big B got his image of angry young man from this film. Jaya supported him very well in the film and showed her concern during strong encounters. Pran did well in the film, specially the lips he gave in Manna Dey’s song “yari hai iman mera yaar meri zindagi” composed by Kalyanji Anandji.


Jaya and Big B also did well in the film Silsila, where Rekha also provided memorable performance. The film was shot in Kashmir and other picturesque locations and the music composed by Shiv Hari was extraordinary. Songs of Lata like “yeh kaha agaye hum” had mesmerised the viewers and is remembered even today.

Jaya and Amitabh also had other hit films including Sholay, Bangsi Aur Birju, Chupke Chupke, etc. As both of them had versatility in their performance, whenever the pair had combined in bollywood films, the films became box-office hits and also got critics acclamation.

By: CR Chatterji.

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Dharmender and Hema Malini.

Dharmender and Hema Malini.

Dharmender and Hema Malini had acted together in a number of successful films in the 70s and 80s. In Jugnu, Dharmender involved himself in risky deeds and earned money which he distributed among the poor people. Hema Malini performed her part very well in an otherwise action film.

In Seeta Aur Geeta, Hema Malini acted in a double role depicting the two twin sisters in the film. On of them was associated with Sanjeev Kumar while the other one was associated with Dharmender. The film was based on the similar storyline like that of Dilip Kumar’s Ram Aur Shyam. The film became interesting when the two sisters got interchanged and the people got confused with their new characteristics. RD Burman gave very impressive music in the film.

Sholay is known to people for its totality, where the individual characters became immortal over the passage of time. Even there, the highly talkative Hema Malini complimented the comedy performance and action skills of Dharmender. The viewers accepted the pair in the film just like the other pair in the film including Big B and Jaya Bacchan.


In Gulzar’s Kinara, Dharmender had performed in a guest role, but there also the viewers accepted the pair. In Dharmender got killed due to accident with Jeetender’s car. He is shown in flashback. Bhupinder Singh’s song composed by Rd Burman titled “ek hi khwab kaibaar” picturised on Dharmender impressed the music lovers.

The same pair was well accepted in the film Burning Train. Although the film was based on the story of a super-express being built but due to bombing by Danny, had got burnt, the romantic portion displayed by Dharmender and Hema Malini got public appreciation. Dharmender even did well in the tragic sequence when due to misunderstanding he left the train and left Hema Malini also.

The pair had performed in other successful films like Charas, Naya Zamana, Dreamgirl, Rajajani, etc. Their films should be preserved for the new generation to see the mixture of romantic subjects and action thrillers.

By: Rumi Chatterji.

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Sunny Deol and Meenakshi Sheshadri.

Sunny Deol and Meenakshi Sheshadri.

Meenakshi Sheshadri, one of the most educated actresses of the 80s and 90s, complimented the performances of Sunny Deol in the major films she acted with him. In Ghayal, Meenakshi played the role of a journalist had an affair with Sunny.

The film took a turn after Sunny came to know that his brother Raj Babbar was killed by Amrish Puri. The rest of the film was related to the revenge that Sunny did take against all the persons who were involved in the killing and who backed Amrish Puri in the film. Sunny previously faced imprisonment due to false charges being levied on him. Meenakshi showed her composure in the film by facing Om Puri, the police officer who was given the duty to provide security to Amrish Puri, in a tactful way.


Even in Ghatak, Sunny played the role of a person who was brought up in Benaras and came to Bombay and saw the rule of the underworld in the film. He showed courage in facing the group led by Danny and provided courage to the shop keepers and citizens who faced the tyranny of the mafia group. Amrish Puri played the role of the father Sunny and died at the end of the film. Meenakshi was very impressive in the film and supported the war against the mafiaraj in her own way.


In Damini, Meenakshi probably brought out her best. Her role was related to a daring girl who had agreed to give testimony in a case related to sexual harassment where her husband Rishi Kapoor’s family members were involved. She only received support from Sunny Deol who played the role of the lawyer who handled the case with bravery. Sunny was sublime in the film and his performance in the court opposite Amrish Puri requires special mention. Meenakshi ultimately impressed the judge in the case who reiterated the case was a historical one, and the witness was special.


Meenakshi left films in the mid-90s and the combination of Sunny Deol and Meenakshi were not seen any more. The viewers expect that Meenakhi can make a comeback and perform in character roles opposite Sunny Deol in future.

By: Supriya Chatterji.

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Uttam Kumar and Satyajit Ray.

Uttam Kumar and Satyajit Ray.

Satyajit Ray, one of the greatest directors of the world brought a new dimension to film-making in India, with his first film Pather Panchali, in 1955. As he believed in perfection in realistic approach in story telling, his casting was based on his own illustration of the character that he portrayed in the films. Very significantly a number of unknown faces were given a scope to perform in his films, including Karuna Banerjee, who played the role of the mother of Apu in Pather Panchali and Aparajito.


Critics wondered about the view of Satyajit Ray about the leading matinee idol of Bengali silver screen, Uttam Kumar, who was dominating Bengali commercial cinema in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Satyajit Ray clarified his stand by making a film on the greatest superstar of Bengali Uttam Kumar, titled Nayak, in 1966.

The film was based on the struggle of a middleclass Bengali person and the obstacles he had overcome to reach the number one spot in contemporary cinema. He accepted Uttam Kumar as the uncrowned king of Bengali cinema and showed that he was adored like a son by Bengali mothers, as husband by Bengali wives, as a brother by Bengali sisters. The film had won national and international awards.


In 1967, Satyajit Ray directed Uttam Kumar to play the role of a detective in the film Chiriakhana. The story was related to a number of murders that took place in a zoological area in the suburbs of Kolkata. Uttam Kumar played the role of Satyanyesi, meaning the finder of the truth, and showed his potential in depicting the different attributes of a detective right from level of understanding, analysing events to the skill of examination of witnesses.


Uttam Kumar received the national award for the best actor in that year, for his outstanding performance in Chiriakhana. He proved his metal even in a so called realised film which can be considered a work of art. Just because Soumitra Chatterji had played the role of significant characters in immense number of Ray’s films, there is a misconception that Ray overlooked the talent of Uttam Kumar. Ray never believed in making films which had conventional hero, so his character actors had made major contribution including Utpal Dutt in Agantuk, Tapen Chatterji and Robi Ghosh in Gopi Gayin Bagha Bayin, Chabi Biswas in Jalsaghar, Om Puri in Sadgati. He acknowledged the capability of Uttam Kumar in the two films he had worked with him and agreed that he was indispensable in the Bengali film industry.

By: CR Chatterji.

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Review of Race.

Review of Race.

Race, the action thriller directed by Abbas Mastan had provided a lot of ingredients for amusing the audience who are used to seeing these types of films. The film showed that Saif Ali khan and Akshay Khanna were half brothers who had a farm in Durban. Saif Ali overlooked the affection of Katrina Kaif, his secretary, but created relationship with Bipasha Basu, a model in Durban.

Anil Kapoor, a detective appears over there with the job of investigation of a murder mystery. He showed his sense humour in the film, as everyone knows that Anil Kapoor had been every successful in comedy roles in the past and all the roles he played previously had contributed to the success of the film. But his investigation went on slowly as his secretary played by Sameera Reddy was not shrewd and dasing.


Akshay Khanna had been showed as a chronic alcoholic and he promised to leave alcohol once he married the girl who had an affair with his brother Saif Ali Khan. The same woman being shared by the brothers led to tensions and killing and the murder investigation of Anil Kapoor was focused in those lines. The rest of the film was directed towards the unearthing of the murder mystery


In respect of performance, Anil Kapoor was probably the best performer as ever. Saif Ali Khan had shown his aggression but in the performance lacked variation. Akshay Khanna neither performed too well, nor very badly. As far as the actresses were concerned Bipasha and Samerra got similar types of roles as they had performed earlier. Katrina did well.


The action sequences were nice and the location of Durban had provided a treat to the eyes of the audience. The film is expected to do well, because last year noen of the action thrillers had done well, and there was predominance of comedy films. This year after a long time an action thriller had been directed with proper gameplan and thoughtful casting.



Just like Jodha Akbar, Race is also going to make the audience happy and a perfect gift for Holi, the festival of colours.

Shahrukh Khan and Kajol.

Shahrukh Khan and Kajol.

Shahrukh Khan had dominated bollywood films for the last 15 years and had successful films opposite major actresses performing during that period of time. But his combination with Kajol had given a number of hit films. Kajol also acted in films opposite leading actors like Salman Khan, Ajay Devgan, Sanjay Dutt, but her films with Sharukh Khan had been the most successful ones.


The combination did well in the film Bazigaar, which created the identity of Shahrukh Khan. In Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Shahrukh and Kajol studied in then same college. Kajol played the role of a unconventional character who was not matured. Rani Mukherjee joined the same institution and impressed Shahrukh. A the end of the film there was twist, with Shahrukh Khan appearing in the marriage party of Kajol when she was scheduled to marry Salman Khan. The songs in the film "tum paas aye" sung by Udit Narayan, "yeh ladki hai", "koi mil gaya", etc. were big hits.


Both of them did well in the film Karan Arjun which was directed by Rakesh Roshan. Both Sharukh and Salman played double roles as the film was related to re-incarnation. They played the role of the son of Rakhee and were born to take revenge against Amrish Puri for the evil deeds done against them in the previous life. The musicin the film was composed by Rajesh Roshan and the songs like "jati hoon mai" weer successful.


Both of them were well accepted in the film Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. Kajol gave a break to her acting career after she married Ajay Devgan. Otherwise she could haev acted in more films with Shahrukh Khan. The viewers expect the producers and directors to cast them in new films together as both have matured in acting over the years.

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Vinod Mehra – the sophisticated actor of bollywood.

Vinod Mehra – the sophisticated actor of bollywood.

Vinod Mehra created an identity for himself with his sophisticated performance in the bollywood films of 70s and 80s. He acted well in the film Lal Patthar, in a supporting role where the main character was played by Raj Kumar. The film was the hindi version of Uttam Kumar’s Bengali film Lal Pathor.

In Anurodh, he played the role of the friend of Rajesh Khanna, in a film based on the life of a singer. He was sympathetic and helpful to his friend during the period of struggle as depicted in the film. The story was similar to Uttam Kumar’s Bengali film Deya Neya.


In Bemisaal, he played the role of the friend of Amitabh Bacchan. Both Vinod Mehra and Amitabh had affection towards Rakhee. It was directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and the music was composed by RD Burman, with hit songs like “Yeh Kashmir Hai”, etc. It was based on Uttam Kumar’s Bengali classic film Ami Se O Sakha. Vinod Mehra was a doctor and it was discovered that he earned money by conducting operations related to abortion and illegal things.

Vinod Mehra was very successful in Gulzar’s film Ghar, opposite Rekha. The film was based on romantic story and the music composed by RD Burman was very melodious. All the songs in the film were successful, including “aap ki aankho me”, “phir wohi raat hai” sung by Kishore, “tere bina jiya jae na” sung by Lata, etc.


Vinod Mehra also acted in the role on unpleasant characters, like the role of the brother of Amitabh in the film Khuddar, who was selfish and ungrateful.

He died in 1990, creating a big loss to the bollywood industry. His films should be preserved for the rich stories and proper direction.

Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit.

Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit.

In the late 80s and early 90s the combination of Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit had given a number of box-office hits. Anil Kapoor acted with Madhuri Dixit in a number of films, but the film which created a lasting impact on the viewers for the first time was Tezaab. Anil Kapoor was subjected to unfair treatment in the society and took revenge against Kiran Kumar in the film. Madhuri Dixit contributed with her dancing capabilities in the song “ek do teen” composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal.


In Ram Lakhan, Anil Kapoor plyed the role of the brother of Jackie Shroff (the police officer in the film). Anil Kapoor showed his comedy skills by extracting money and favour for Anupam Kher, the father of Madhuri Dixit in the film. Anupam Kher was a miser and Anil Kapoor created tricks to make sure that he spends his money. There was music, action, drama in the film.

In Jamai Raja, Anil Kapoor entered into a war of words against Hema Malini, his mother-in-law and the mother of Madhuri Dixit. Hema Malini was proud about her wealth, manpower and property, and Anil Kapoor taught her to be humble and showed her that everything cannot be bought by paying money.


In Kishen Kanhaiya, Anil Kapoor played a double role. One of the brothers was fond of cinema and imitated a number of actors in the film and amused Madhuri Dixit. The film was made in the same line in which films like Ram Aur Shyam and Seeta Aur Geeta are made. Amrish Puri did well in the film.

Anil Kapoor won the national award for the best actor for performing in the film Pukar. It was directed by Rajkumar Santoshi. He was thrown out of Indian armed forces due to false charges brought in by Madhuri Dixit. Later Mahduri Dixit relaised her fault and tried her best to assist Anil Kapoor in his fight against terrorism. He saved a number fo citizens from a planned terrorist attack launched by Danny.


The films of Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit involved different types of stories including comedy stories, action-thrillers, etc. and the viewers had accepted the pair in films like Khel, Zindagi Ek Jua, Jiwan Ek Sanghursh,etc. Viewers expect that both Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit can act together in character roles if suitable script is given to them.

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Hrithik Roshan and Preeti Zinta.

Hrithik Roshan and Preeti Zinta.

Hrithik Roshan and Preeti Zinta, had acted in few films together but whenever they had acted together they received good reviews. The had done well in the film Koi Mil Gaya, directed by Rakesh Roshan. The subjectmatter of the story was not new but rarely used in Indian films. Hrithik Roshan met an extraterrestrial body and acquired power. It helped him to reform himself and changed him from a handicapped background.


Preeti Zinta was considerate towards Hrithik during his early days in the film and understood his character. She also helped Hrithik Roshan in maintaining his relationship with the extra-terrestrial friends. The film was made mainly for children who enjoyed it more than others.

In Laksh, Hrithik and Preeti acted in a more serious story. Hrthik did not have any goal in life and he was confused. After schooling when his other friends decided about their careers Hrithik could not make up his mind. He even joined the army due to one of his friends taking the decision of joining the army. Preeti was a good friend of him and told him that every human being should have a goal in life otherwise life has not meaning. She became a journalist and covered news on different subjects.


Hrthik even returned back home after facing severe punishment in his Army Training school. But Preeti Send him back. During that time, the Kargil war broke out and Hrithik had to face Pakistani forces at the Line of Control.

He was guided by senior officers played by Big B and Om Puri. He took it as a challenge and created a goal of raising Indian flag at the peak of Siachen. He went with a group of 6 men out of which some of his friends died. Ultimately he succeeded in his mission.


In fact, both Hrithik and Preeti had other successful films and they never required each other for the overall success of their films. But whenever they acted together their understanding was reflected in their performance.

The viewers expect Hrithik and Preeti to act together in more films in the years to come.

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Deepti Naval – the realistic actress of 80s.

Deepti Naval – the realistic actress of 80s.

Deepti Naval had followed the same path which was laid down by Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, in the 70s in realistic films. She had acted in a number of films which showed the struggle of middle-class Indians in the late 70s and early 80s.

In Saath-Saath, opposite Farooq Sheikh, she played the role of a student who had an affair with Farooq and when the time came for building their house they saw the crude reality of economic problems. Jagjit Singh composed brilliant music in the film, and the songs in the film like “yeh tera ghar yeh mera ghar”, “tumko dekha to yeh khayal aya”, etc., became landmark hits.


Deepti Naval also acted very well in the film Katha, where Naseer and Farooq played tow different characters. Both of them stayed in the same flat-complex where Deepti Naval stayed, but both were different in their ideologies. Naseer was a simple person, who lived a middle-class life and was honest, generous and truthful. Farooq came and stayed in Naseer’s house and gave a feeling to everyone that he was working in a big company and had a bright future. He took the recourse the falsehood and Deepti Naval even agreed to marry him based on the false impression. The film became successful in the early 80s.

Besides Deepti Naval also acted in comedy films like Kisise Na Kehna, where Farooq Sheikh, the son of Utpal Dutt, wanted to marry her, but due to his father’s desire had to show a different identity of Deepti Naval, telling his father she was a village girl, knowing traditional things. She was a doctor and had to portray herself as simple girl as Utpal Dutt hated ultramodern aggressive girls. Saeed Jaffery had done very well in the film and helped Farooq and Deepti Naval to hide their identity before Utpal Dutt.


Deepti Naval also did well in Mirch Masala, directed by Ketan Mehta. Although Smita Patil played the main role, the film was based on oppression of women in the rural areas of India and Deepti Naval was the wife of the mukhia played by Suresh Oberoi and had to show her frustration in respect of the unfair things that were practiced in the village.

Although Deepti Naval also acted in commercial films like Yalgaar, with Firoz Khan, she is remembered for the realistic performance she had provided in the parallel films and refined commercial films.

Lata and Sadhna.

Lata and Sadhna.

The leading actresses of the 50s and 60s were indebted to Lata for shaping their career in bollywood with the outstanding she had provided to most of them. Sadhna had created a lasting impression in the minds of viewers with her glamour and powerful performance in most of her films.

She was blessed with immortal music composed for her by legendary composers and melodious songs sung by Lata. In Asli Nakli, Lata’s song “tera mera pyare amar” composed by Shankar Jaikishan, became a big hit. In Mere Mehboob, Lata’s song “mere mehboob tujhe meri mohabbat ki kasam”, and “mere mehboob me” sung by Lata and composed by Naushad became everlasting hit.

In Aarzoo, Sadhna ‘s glamour and performance opposite Rajender Kumar was complimented by romantic songs of Lata composed by Shankar Jaikishan including “aji ruth kar ab”, “bedardi balma”, etc. In Rajkumar, Sadna balanced the performance of Shammi Kapoor. Lata’s songs like “aja ai bahar” composed by Shankar Jaikishan contributed a lot for the success of the film.


In Woh Kaun Thi, Madanmohan’s composition of music had created a great impact on the minds of the viewers. Lata’s songs for Sadhna, including “lag ja gale”, “nina bares rimjhim rimjhim” had maintained both the uncanny atmosphere and the melody of the composer. Manoj Kumar also performed very well as a doctor in the film.

In Mera Saya, the title song “tu jaha jaha chalega” sung by Lata and composed by Madanmohan stands out as one of the most legendary compositions of the legendary composer. The film involved suspense relating the death of Sadhna, the wife of Sunil Dutt in the film and the song haunted the audience throughout the film.

The other successful songs of Lata that were picturised on Sadhna include “humne tumko pyar diya hai jitna” from the film Dulha Dulhan, composed by Kalyanji Anandji, which was also sung by Mukesh for Raj Kapoor in the same film, “hume teri mohabbat ka sahara mil gaya hota” from the film Baharen Phir Bhi Ayegi, composed by LP, etc.

The films of Sadhna and the songs by Lata should be preserved for generations because they have lost their relevance even after 40 years of their composition.

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Anupam Kher – the gifted character actor of bollywood.

Anupam Kher – the gifted character actor of bollywood.

Anupam Kher created his own identity with the performance in the film Surhansh. He showed the crude reality that those citizens who had shed blood in Indian freedom movement or participated in the movement had been ill-treated when they became old. For entering the office of a minister the person had to cross a number of clerks, assistants, secretaries without whose permission there was hardly any access. He showed the frustration through his performance.

In Daddy, he showed the relationship between a father and a daughter played by Puja Bhatt. The pains he faced had compelled him to get addicted to alcohol. He was rediscovered by the affection of his daughter. While performing in the off-beat films Anupam Kher also made significant contribution in the big banner films.

He faced Dilip Kumar in Karma directed by Subhash Ghai in a negative role. He plyed the role of Dr. Dang and led a terrorist mission to destroy India. Dilip Kumar created an army comprising of hardcore criminals including Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff and Naseer and destroyed his establishments. Very siginificantly he did not try to imitate Pran or Amrish Puri or the other traditional villains but created a style of his own.

He was sublime in comedy roles and showed his talent in films like Jamai Raja, Ram Lakhan, etc. Comedy is based on sense of timing, and Anupam Kher had always been elegant in those performances. Even in roles where the character required compassion he excelled in those roles also.

In Kahona Pyar Hai, he played the role of the father of Amisha Patel and he engaged his men to kill the commissioner, but from the time he knew that Hrithik had seen it and was still alive he changed his plans for killing him as his daughter was also associated with him. He had surrendered before the police at the end of the film.


He was also sublime in his performance in the film Refugee, where he played the role of a village sarpanch in a village situated in the border district in India. Indian security officials often came to his house to inspect the whereabouts of Abhishek Bacchan who had the tendency of reaching Indians to Pakistan and bring them back. The role required depth of understanding which he showed with his performance. With over 200 films in bollywood in a span of 20 years, he had created an institution by himself and is expected to continue the good work in the years to come.

By. CR Chatterji.

Karishma Kapoor – the enthusiastic actress of bollywood.

Karishma Kapoor – the enthusiastic actress of bollywood.

Karishma Kapoor made a significant contribution in the bollywood films of 90s. She was very enthusiastic and the energy was reflected in the roles she had played. She did well opposite Shahrukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit in the film Dil to Pagal Hai. It was a romantic film with songs of Lata and Udit Narayan becoming big hits like “dil to pagal hai”, “kab tak chup baithe”, etc.

She did well opposite Sunil Shetty in Gopi Kishen and Krishna. In Gopi Kishen, Sunil Shetty played a double role and Karishma had an affair with the smarter character depicted in the film. Karishma also showed her dancing skills in the song “hae huku”.


She played the role of a docile wife in the film Bibi No.1, opposite Salman Khan and Sushmita Sen. She believed in all the false stories told to her by Salman. When she came to know about his affair with Sushmita she left him and send her two children to Salman’s house. Her friends Anil Kapoor and Tabu helped her to bring the confidence of her husband back. Salman realised that having an extra-marital relationship is fine during the early days but when liability of the children are to borne in, the girlfriend fails miserably in her duties. Salman reverted back to Karishma at the end of the film.

She did well in Shyam Bengal’s film Zubeida along with Manoj Vajpai. Besides she got a challenging role in the film Fiza, where she played the role of the sister of Hrithik Roshan. It was an off-beat film with Jaya Bacchan playing the role of her mother.


She also did well in the film Hero No. 1, opposite Govinda. Govinda had shown his comedy skills in most of the films he had acted in, and it had been a challenge for Karishma to match him in performance in those films and she had complimented him in those roles.

Her other successful films include Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge, opposite Salman Khan, which was also a comedy film. After marriage she left films. The viewers expect her to make a comeback in character roles because a lot of acting is still left in her.

By: Rumi Chatteri.

Akshay Kumar and Sunil Shetty.

Akshay Kumar and Sunil Shetty.

During the last 15 years, the combination of Akshay Kumar and Sunil Shetty had given a number of hit films. Their combination had been as successful as the combination of Amitabh and Vinod Khanna in the mid -70s.


In Mohra, Akshay Kumar played the role of the police-officer, while Sunil Shetty worked with Naseer, thinking that he was killing the anti-socials for the welfare of the society. At the end of the film, Sunil Shetty realised that Naseer himself is one of the underworld dons. Very significantly Akshay maintained the romantic sequences in the film opposite Ravina Tandon.

In Dhadkan, both Akshay and Sunil Shetty, faced each other in a romantic subject matter. Both of them loved the same girl played by Shilpa Shetty. For Fulfilling his desire to marry Shilpa Shetty Sunil Shetty tried the evil means and was also appreciated by the critics for his villainish performance.


After experimenting in action films and romantic films, Akshay and Sunil Shetty had probably impressed the audience the most with their comedy performance in the film Hera Pheri. They paid rent and stayed with the same landlord played by Paresh Rawal and the individual fight between Akshay and Sunil Shetty always resulted in loss to Paresh Rawal. Akshay even took signature from Sunil Shetty, in blank paper and submitted in a bank to deprive him from the job and give the same job to Tabu. Sunil Shetty saw the family condition of Tabu and ultimately allowed her to work in the bank. Behind the comedy subject-matter there were tragic stories of all the characters.

Both Akshay and Sunil Shetty did equally well in the film Phir Hera Pheri. Akshay invested all the assets of Paresh Rawal and Sunil Shetty and paid to a fraud company which boasted that they could double the money in short time. Bipasha, the agent of the company ruined all of them and the film was based on the fact that how the three of them recovered the loss. While Paresh Rawal is an experienced actor and expected to do well, Akshay and Sunil Shetty’s performance improved with time. Viewers expect the combination to do well in the next episode of Hera Pheri which is going to be released in near future.

By: CR Chatterji.

Rajender Kumar and Rafi.

Rajender Kumar and Rafi.

Jubilee Kumar Rajender Kumar was probably one of the most romantic actors of bollywood films whose films have become immortal due to their extraordinary music. Due to strong dominance of Dilip Kumar during the 50s and 60s, Rajender Kumar’s tragic-oriented performances got overshadowed but the playback provided by Rafi in nearly all his films had created history. From 1963 to 1966, all the films of Rajender Kumar celebrated silver-jubilee and he became Jubilee Kumar.

Rafi’s epic songs picturised on Rajender Kumar range from “jeevan me priya tera saath rahe”, in Goonjh Uthi Sehnai, composed by Vasant Desai to “palko ke peeche se” from Talash, composed by SD Burman. Shankar Jaikishan’s marathon compositions for Rafi and Rajender Kumar include “chalke teri aankho se”, “ai nargisi mastana” from Aarzoo, “yaad na jaye” and “dil ek mandir hai” from Dil Ek Mandir, “mujhko apne gale laga lo” and “yeh ansoo meri dil ki zuban hai”, from Humrahi, “meherbaan likhoon” from Sangam, “ to buraman gaye” and “tum khamseen ho” from Ayee Milan Ki Bela, “o priya, kaun hai jo sapno me aya” from Jhuk Gaya Aasman, “baharon phool barsao” and “kaise samjhayun” from Suraj, “teri pyari pyari surat ko”, from Sasural, “khuda bhi aasma se” from Dharti, etc. The list can go on. Shankar Jaikishan probably covered every possible types of songs from Rafi that were picturised on Rajender Kumar, including soft romantic songs, ghazals, pure classical, westernised chord-oriented compositions.

Other than Dilip Kumar, Naushad had probably composed music for maximum number of films of Rajender Kumar, which include Palki, Ganwar, Mere Mehboob, etc. Rafi’s songs “mere mehboob tujhe” and “ai husn zara jag”, from Mere Mehboob, stands out as the most refined classical compositions depicting the pardanashin community of Aligarh and surrounding areas.

Even when Laxmikant Pyarelal composed songs for Rajender Kumar, he kept Rafi in mind and composed songs which suited both of them, including “aap aye bahar aye”, from Aap Aye Bahar Aye, “tu meri sapno ka rani banegi” from Gora Aur Kala. Even Ravi had composed melodious songs for Rafi and Rajender Kumar.

If the films of Rajender Kumar should be revisited for story telling, strong performance of him and the actresses like Meena Kumari, Vaijayantimala, Wahida Rehman, Sadhna, then the songs composed by legendary composers and sung by Rafi should restored as well for their immense musical value.

By: Supriya Chatterji.

Related Reading

• Immortal Ghazals sung by Mohammad Rafi.
• Awards received by Mohammad Rafi in his illustrious career.
• Mohammad Rafi- the greatest voice of the last century.
• Rahul Dev Burman’s immense respect for Mohammad Rafi.
• Laxmikant Pyarellal’s immortal relationship with Mohamand Rafi.
• OP Nayyar’s immortal relationship with Mohammad Rafi.
• Salil Chowdhury’s relationship with Mohammad Rafi.
• Ravi’s memorable combination with Rafi.
• Roshan's everlasting bond with Mohammad Rafi.
• SD Burman and Mohammad Rafi.
• Rafi’s pleasant memories with Madanmohan.
• Khayyam and Jaidev’s relationship with Mohammad Rafi.
• Kalyanji Anandji’s association with Mohammad Rafi.
• Naushad’s association with Rafi.
• Rafi and Jeetender
  

Rakhee – the reserve actress of bollywood.

Rakhee – the reserve actress of bollywood.

Rakhee created a unique acting culture, which was different from other actresses of bollywood. Her soft, sensitive, reserve nature had motivated producers to give her unique roles which had contributed to the success of the films of 70s and 80s.

Rakhee got a big break opposite Shashi Kapoor in the film Sharmilee. She played a double role with one sister, being shy, while the other one very outspoken. The film had very good music composed by SD Burman, and songs like “khilte hai gul yaha”, “megha chaye”, sung by Kishore and Lata, became superhits.

Rakhee’s performance in Barsaat ki ek raat, opposite Big B, received critical acclamation, as she played the role of a blind girl, in the film. She also acted in the Bengali version of the film titled Anusandhan, directed by Shakti Samant. Rakhee did well opposite Vinod Khanna in the film Muqaddar ka Siqandar, where Big B, loved her and even died at the end of the film to save her. Rekha also did well in the film. Her successful films opposite Big B, include Kabhi Kabhi, Kasme Wade, Kala Patthar, etc.

Rakhee got a very challenging role in the film Shakti, opposite Dilip Kumar. Dilip Kumar played the role of an honest police officer who never compromised with any criminals. Rakhee had to balance her affection towards her son played by Amitabh with her respect towards her husband. Big B from her childhood developed hatred towards his father thinking that he never cared for him. When he was kidnapped by Amrish Puri, Dilip Kumar told the kidnappers they could kill his son, but he was not going to release the members of the gang who was arrested and imprisoned. Rakhee also showed her personality before her daughter-in-law played by Smita Patil.

Rakhee’s performance was also appreciated in the film Shaan, where she played the role of the wife of Sunil Dutt, a dutiful police officer. Sunil Dutt was killed by Kulbhishan and she and her daughter faced a number of attacks by the enemies which was faced by Big B, Shatrughun Sinha and Shashi Kapoor.

Rakhee acted in character roles in a number of films and thereto she had excelled, examples being Soldier, with Bobby Deol, Karan Arjun, with Salman and Shahrukh, etc. She acted in a number of Bengali films including Parama, directed by Aparna Sen. Viewers expect her to continue her good work in character roles in the years to come.

By: Rumi Chatterji.

Pran – the indispensable actor of bollywood.

Pran – the indispensable actor of bollywood.

Bollywood films during the 50s, 60s and 70s, would have remained incomplete without the brilliant performance of Pran. He was there in almost every alternative film. Viewers remember his performance in the role of the famous dacoit in Raj Kapoor’s Jis Desh Me Ganga Behti Hai. He also replicated the style of living of dacoits that operated within the chambal region during that period in the early 60s.

Pran had a great combination with Dilip Kumar. He insulted him in every possible manner in Dil Diya Dard Liya and ultimately came to know that Dilip Kumar was the prince whom he treated as a servant. He became mad at the end of the film. In Ram Aur Shyam, he went on hammering Ram played by Dilip Kumar and got the treatment back from Shyam which was also played by Dilip Kumar. If viewers were amazed by Rafi’s songs like “aaj ki raat mere”, “aye hai bahare”, “mai hoon saqi”, etc., Naushad’s powerful composition, Wahida Rehman and Mumtaz’s acting then Pran maintained the balance with the villainish performance.


When Pran played character roles like the one in Upkaar, opposite Manoj Kumar, viewers were flabbergasted with the compassionate performance and excellent lips in Manna Dey’s song “kasme wade” composed by Kalyanji Anandji. In Gumnaam, Pran acted opposite Helen, and performed the role of a side –hero, who was also killed by Tarun Bose, the villain in the film. Pran brought life in the song “is duniya me jeena hoto” composed by Shankar Jaikishan by clapping along with the choreography of Helen.

Again Pran acted in the role of a strict grandfather in Gulzar’s Parichay, in 1972, whose values clashed against his son Sanjeev Kumar who was classical singer and died leaving five children. Jeetender, the teacher in the film bridged the gap between Pran and his grandchildren including Jaya Bacchan, by explaining the emotions of both the generations. Viewers saw Pran in the role of an Afghan character in Zanjeer opposite Amitabh, again the father of Big B, Rishi Kapoor, Vinod Khanna, in Amar Akbar Anthony, in 1977.


Without Pran, Shammi Kapoor’s films Kashmir Ki Kali, Rajkumar, Joy Mukherjee’s Love in Tokyo, Phi Wahi dil Laya Hoon, Biswajeet’s Mere Sanam, Rajender Kumar’s Ganwar, would have remained incomplete. All the films of Pran, ranging from the 50s to the 80s should be preserved and restored as he had remained an institution by himself.

By: Supriya Chatterji.

Utpal Dutt – the majestic actor of bollywood.

Utpal Dutt – the majestic actor of bollywood.

Utpal Dutt is one of the most versatile theatre personalities who had glorified bollywood films with his knowledge and classic performances. He created his own theatre group called Little Theatres in the 60s, where he directed famous plays like Angar, Ferrary Fauj, Nicher Mahal, etc., and also translated Shakesperean plays like Othello, Macbeth, etc. into regional languages and directed them.

He performed very well in Mrinal Sen’s film Bhuban Some. Hrishikesh Mukherjee utilised his outstanding comedy conception in films like Guddi, Golmaal, Naram Garam, etc. In Guddi, he played the role of the relative of Jaya Bacchan, and with the help of Dhramender, showed her shooting of different films. Jaya was obsessed towards Dharmender and just like other teenagers, she used to think that whatever was shown in any film was true. Utpal Dutt showed her the reality and broke her myth.

In Golmaal, he was the owner of Urmila Traders, and the father of Vindya Goswami. He employed Amol Palekar in his company he went on taking the recourse of falsehood one after the other to survive in the company. Utpal Dutt believed in old values and Amol Palekar even played a double role, one showing the character of Ram and the other showing the character of Laxman. The film had excellent script, and Utpal Dutt’s loud performance had balanced Amol Palekar’s soft dialogue throwing.

The same team did very well in the film Naram Garam, where Utpal Dutt was told by an astrologer that marriage can change his fortune. He went to marry Swaroop Sampad at an old age, while his relatives appeared and he asked Amol Palekar to marry her. Wihle comedy performance looked very easy due to talented performance from Utpal Dutt, he also played the role of villain in a number of films.

He played the role of villain opposite Uttamkumar, in Amanush, opposite Amitabh in Inquilab, etc. His other notable films include Kisi Se Na Kehna, with Farooq Sheikh, Barsaat Ki Ek Raat, with Big B. Utpal Dutt was also a big asset in Satyajit Ray’s films. He played the leading role in the film Agantuk, where depicted the values of Ray himself. Besides his performance in the role of Maganlal Meghraj in Joy Baba Felunath and villanish performance in Hirok Rajar Deshe, amazed the viewers. It is difficult to highlight the contribution of Utpal Dutt in a small article because he was scholar, great theatrical personality, powerful actor of bollywood and tollywood films. Actors of the present generation can learn a lot from the performances of Utpal Dutt.

By: CR Chatterji.

Kishore and Amitabh.

Kishore and Amitabh.

Kishore Kumar had been one of the leading entertainers of bollywood for more than 40 years. In the mid-70s, he left acting and only concentrated on playback singing. That was also the period when Big B ruled bollywood industry.

Although Amitabh’s films are better known for their action-pact scenes as he was identified as angry young man, yet major songs sung for him by Kishore had become everlasting hits. Kishore’s song in the film Abhimaan, picturised on Big B, including “tere mere Milan ki yeh raina” became big hit. Both Abhimaan and Milli were directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and the music composed by SD Burman, contributed a lot for the success of the these films. In Milli, Kishore’s song, “bari suni suni”, touched the hearts of musiclovers.

In Don, Kalyanji Anandji’s composition for Kishore like “khaike paan banaraswala”, “yeh hai bombai nagariya”, “are diwano”, etc., were all successful. Big B gave excellent lips in the songs and all had contributed for the success of the film Don.

There were romantic films having songs sung by Kishore, where Amitabh was seen in a romantic mood, like Kasme Wade. Rd Burman had composed music for the film. The song “kasme wade”, picturised on Amitabh bachan, became a big hit. Similarly in Silsila, which was based on a romantic story with Rekha and Jaya Bacchan, Kishore’s songs for Amitabh like “dekha ek khwab” reached the hearts of millions of filmlovers.


Kishore could imitate any actor, and his style of singing matched Amitabh the most. The other successful songs of Kishore picturised on Amitabh include “Jaha teri yeh nazar hai”, from Kalia, “my name is Anthony gonzalves” from Amar Akbar Anthony, “chukar mere manko”, from Yaarana. The list can go on.

The program K for Kishore, shown in TV channels had dedicated one program only on Kishore’s songs for Amitabh. The combination is still alive in the minds of numerous filmlovers.

By: CR Chatterji.

Ritesh Deshmukh – the successful actor of recent years.

Ritesh Deshmukh – the successful actor of recent years.

Ritesh Deshmukh had shown his potentiality of performing in different types of roles in the bollywood films made over the last few years. He did well in his early films like Tujhe Meri Kasam, Masti, etc., but got critical acclamation for his performance in the film Malamaal Weekly.

Malamaal Weekly had a unique story of a villager in a remote part of India won a loterry ticket and died. The ticket seller played by Paresh Rawal and his friend Om Puri came to know about it. They tried to kept it secret but huge number of villagers came to know about it including Ritesh Deshmukh who loved Om Puri’s daughter. The villagers decided to ask Om Puri to pose as the lottery winner and get the amount from the respective authority (Arbaaz Khan) who came from the city to give the cheque. The landlady of the village came to know about it and tried to inform Arbaaz about it but got drowned in a river while traveling by a two-wheeler. There were silly incidents at every part of the film and Ritesh had adjusted himself with the requirement of comedy performance in the film.


He also did well in Bluff Master with Abhishek and Priyanka Chopra, and Darna Zaroori Hai, directed by Ram Gopal Verma. Producers and directors had acknowledged the comedy conception of Ritesh and given him comedy roles during the recent years. In Dhamaal, he was one of the friends who wanted to get the treasure of lumpsome money from Goa. He traveled along with Javed Jaffery, Arsdhad Warsi, and others and was stopped at every point by Sanjay Dutt, the police officer in the film. There were funny incidents in the film and Ritesh had made them look lively. For example he jumped from a tree to get into a bus which was traveling to Goa and tried to pay for ticket, but realized that the Bus had been hijacked and there were dacoits instead of conductors.

In Apna Sapna Money Money, he played the role of Kishen and changed his make up a number of times in the film to continue his affair. There was strong performance from other actors like Anupam Kher, Chunkey and others.


Over the last few years, comedy films had done very well in box-office and the capability of Ritesh Deshmukh to adapt to different conditions had made him an indispensable part of these films. Viewers expect even better performance in the years to come.

Mehmood – the versatile comedian of bollywood.

Mehmood – the versatile comedian of bollywood.

Mehmood had been an indispensable comedian of the 60s and 70s and most of the bollywood films made during that era became successful due to his brilliant performance. He started his career by performing in small roles and even negative roles like the one he played in Guru Dutt’s Pyaasa in 1957, where he played the role of the brother of Guru Dutt, who was only interested in money.

But with the early 60s, he got roles in probably every alternative film. He performed well in the film Ziddi, with Subha Khote, where the main role was played by Joy Mukherjee and Asha Parekh. Manna Dey’s song “mai tere pyar me” composed by SD Burman became a big hit. Even in Love In Tokyo, Mehmood and Subha Khote supported Joy Mukherjee and Asha Parekh.

In Gumnaam, he got a typical role of a South Indian cook and he created relief scenes in the otherwise crime thriller. Rafi’s song “hum kale hai to kya hua dilwale hai” composed by Shankar Jaikishan was picturised keeping Mehmood in mind. Many actors later on imitated him in similar type of roles.


Mehmood played the role of a Kashmiri boatman in the film Aarzoo. Amidst romantic performance of Rajender Kumar and Sadhna, he played his serio-comic role very well. In Parosan, he played the role of a music teacher who taught music to Saira Banu. But he entered into music contest with Sunil Dutt, where the songs were sung by Kishore Kumar. Manna Dey’s song “ek chatu naar”, “sawaaria”, had become immortal with passage of time.

Even in Pyar Kiye Jaa, he acted in the role of the son of Om Prakash and selected Mumtaz for his film. Shashi Kapoor and Kishore Kumar were the other heroes. No-one sponsored his films. Manna Dey’s song “o mere naina” became superduper hit.

It is difficult to highlight the notable films of Mehmood who had acted in more than 100 films, including Bombay to Goa, Do Kaliya, Kunwara Baap, etc. His films should be restored for new actors to learn the variation in comedy acting.

By: Rumi Chatterji.

Rafi and Jeetender.

Rafi and Jeetender.

Rafi had an everlasting combination with Jeetender and contributed a lot for the success of Jeetender in bollywood films. In Farz, Laxmikant Pyarelal’s composition for Rafi including “mast baharon ka mai aashiq”, “baar baar din yeh aye”, became superduper hits. Similarly Shankar Jaikishan’s composition for Jeetender which was sung by Rafi titled “rukh se zarah naqab” from the film Mere Huzoor became very successful.

Jeetender was a very powerful dancer and RD Burman’s composition for him in the film Carwa, complimented his dancing style. The songs sung by Rafi including “are ho goriyan kahan tera desh re”, “kitna pyara wada hai” became big hits and the film also did well with powerful performance of Asha Parekh.

All the songs composed in the film Banphool by Laxmikant Pyarelal for Jeetender became successful. Rafi had sung the songs “o sapno ki rani” and other songs of Banphool extremely well. The other notable songs of Rafi which were picturised on Jeetender include “dhal gaya din”, “tick tick tick”, “mere des me pawan kare”, etc. Some of them had westernised orchestration, while the other songs were based on rural tunes.


The song “raat suhani jag rahi hai” in the film Jeegri Dost, picturised on Jeetender and Mumtaz became very very successful. The orchestration of Laxmikant Pyarelal was excellent, Rafi and Lata were at their best form, also the picturisation of the dream sequence also requires special mention.

Even Rafi’s song “bari mastani hai meri mehbooba” picturised on Jeetender and sung for Tanuja, became big hit in the late 60s. Even during the late 70s, when Jeetender shifted to other types of films including the films of Gulzar like Kinara, Rafi’s combination with Jeetender continued in films like Asha, where Rafi’s song “ashaoke sawan me” with Lata stormed the silver screen.

Even in Burning Train, the famous qawalli titled “pal do pal ka saath hamara’ was picturised on Jeetender and Neetu Singh and sung by Rafi and Asha. Had Rafi survived for a longer period musiclovers could have got more number of melodious songs sung by Rafi for Jeetender. All these songs should be preserved as they signify the golden creation during the 60s, 70s and early 80s.

By: Supriya Chatterji.

Related Reading

• Immortal Ghazals sung by Mohammad Rafi.
• Awards received by Mohammad Rafi in his illustrious career.
• Mohammad Rafi- the greatest voice of the last century.
• Rahul Dev Burman’s immense respect for Mohammad Rafi.
• Laxmikant Pyarellal’s immortal relationship with Mohamand Rafi.
• OP Nayyar’s immortal relationship with Mohammad Rafi.
• Salil Chowdhury’s relationship with Mohammad Rafi.
• Ravi’s memorable combination with Rafi.
• Roshan's everlasting bond with Mohammad Rafi.
• SD Burman and Mohammad Rafi.
• Rafi’s pleasant memories with Madanmohan.
• Khayyam and Jaidev’s relationship with Mohammad Rafi.
• Kalyanji Anandji’s association with Mohammad Rafi.
• Naushad’s association with Rafi.

Neetu Singh – the spontaneous actress of bollywood.

Neetu Singh – the spontaneous actress of bollywood.

Neetu Singh is one of the spontaneous actresses who had provided significant performances in the bollywood films of 70s and 80s. She had started her career as a child artist by performing in the film Do Kaliyan where the main roles were performed by Biswajeet and Mala Sinha.

Neet Singh stormed bollywood films by forming a legendary pair with Rishi Kapoor. Her performance in Khel Khel Me was well appreciated by film lovers. He story depicted the youth and immaturity of college students who got into trouble by playing informal games. Rakesh Roshan also did well in the film.


In Kabhi Kabhi, she did well opposite Rishi Kapoor, who played the role of the son of Shashi Kapoor. Shashi Kapoor was married to Rakhee, who had an affair with Big B, who was legendary poet but could not marry him. The songs in the film “kabhi kabhi mere dil me”, “mai pal do al ka shayar hoon”, sung by Mukesh and Lata became everlasting hits.


Neetu did well in Amar Akbar Anthony, in 1977, opposite Rishi Kapoor, in the role of a muslim woman whose father played by Mukri hated Rishi Kapoor the famous Qawalli singer in the film. The immortal qawalli sung by Rafi and composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal titled “parda ho parda” was dedicated to Neetu Singh and Rishi Kapoor’s lips in the song is perhaps one of the best lips ever given in Indian films.

Apart from Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Singh also acted opposite Shashi Kapoor in Dewaar, Shatrughun Sinha in Kala Patthar, Big B in the Great Gambler, Jeetender in Burning Train. She gave excellent lips in the film Burning Train, in the song “pal do pal ka saath hamara”, sung by Asha and Rafi and composed by RD Burman. She had a spontaneous appeal with her effortless performances in the roles she had played.


After marrying Rishi Kapoor, she had left films, but still filmlovers cherish her spontaneous performance in the bollywood films of 70s and 80s. Viewers expect her to make a comeback in character roles in future.

Lata and Jaidev.

Lata and Jaidev

Jaidev is one of the off-beat music composers who had composed music for selected films but most of those films had received critics acclamation. Lata had a fantastic combination with Jaidev and contributed a lot for his success in bollywood films. Jaidev’s bhajan “allah tero naam, ishwar tero naaam” in the film Hum Dono sung by Lata and picturised on Nanda in 1961 had become almost a national song for the country. It was composed in raag gour sarang and the movement of the song was really unconventional.

Jaidev’s composition for Lata in the film Mujhe Jeene Do, including the song “raat bhi kuch bheegi bheegi”, became very successful. The film was based on the life of dacoits and Sunil Dutt and Wahida Rehman received credit for their realistic performances in the film. In Prem Parvat, Jaidev’s composition for Lata titled “yeh dil aur unki, nigahon ke saaye” became very successful. The film had Hema Malini and and other less known performers.

Lata’s song in the film Reshma Aur Shera titled “ek meethi si chubhan” became very successful. The film had Sunil Dutt and Wahida Rehman in the lead roles with Amitabh and Vinod Khanna in small roles. Jaidev could create the folk effect of Rajasthan as the film was based on Rajasthan.


Similarly Jaidev’s composition in the film Gaman , Ankahi had been highly appreciated by the musical community and Jaidev also received national award for his classical composition in these films. Similarly in the film Kinare Kinare, Jaidev’s composition for Lata like “aaj achanka kaise toote”, “ har aas ahska baar hai” became very very successful. The film had leading actors like Dev Anand, Meena Kumari and Chetan Anand.

Whenever Jaidev’s name appears in the list of music composer for bollywood films, his extraordinary treatment of ragas and folk effect is kept in mind and as Lata had dominated the industry for more than 30 years, Jaidev and Lata’s combination created a different impact in the mind of music lovers. The songs should be preserved for immense musical value.

Related Reading

• Lata Mangeshkar – the uncrowned queen of Indian playback singing
• Lata’s combination with RD Burman
• Lata and Shankar Jaikishan
• Lata and Naushad
• Lata and Madanmohan
• Lata and SD Burman
• Laxmikant Pyarelal and Lata
• Salil Chowdhury and Lata
• Lata and Roshan
• Lata and Kalyanji Anandji
  

Sameera Reddy – the consistent performer of bollywood.

Sameera Reddy – the consistent performer of bollywood.

Sameera Reddy is one of the telegu actresses who had done very well in bollywood films. She also acted in the Bengali film Kalpurush directed by the famous director Buddhadeb Dasgupta.

Ram Gopal Verma gave her a huge break in the film Darna Mana Hai. She was one of the friends who were discussing about their horror experiences. Very innovative stories were depicted and at the end of the stories the supernatural power killed the respective story-tellers. Although all the stories were related to ghosts and spirits they were very entertaining.


Sameera Reddy also did well in the film Musafir, with Anil Kapoor, which was otherwise an action film. She also did well in the film Maine Dil Tujhko Diya opposite Sohail Khan, the brother of Salman Khan, Sohail Khan made his acting debut with this film. Sameera got admitted in the same college in which Sohail had got admitted and entered into an affair. Her father played by Kabir Bedi never like the affair, and at the end of the film they got married against the wishes of the father. The song “sananana” became a big hit.

She also acted in the film Taxi Number 9211 along with Nana Patekar and John Abraham. The film had a unique story with Nana playing the role of a taxi-driver. John had to contest his father’s will in a court of law and required a lift in Nana’s car. From their trouble began and both became staunch enemies of each other. Sameera had an interesting role and she supported the other actors in the film with her decent performance.


She also did well in the film Plan along with Sanjay Dutt, Dino Morea and Priyanka Chopra. She had acted in anumber of telegu films with Chiranjeevi and acted even in bollywood films opposite Chiranjeevi. She is expected to do well in the film Race along with Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Khanna and Anil Kapoor with Bipasha Basu and Katrina Kaif supporting her. She had been consistent in her performance and the viewers except better performance from her in the years to come.

Lata and Kalyanji Anandji.

Lata and Kalyanji Anandji.

Kalyanji Anandji had contributed to Indian films for more than 40 years. As Lata had dominated bollywood industry for more than 30 years, she had sung a number of songs composed by Kalyanji Anandji.

Her song ‘bekhudi me sanam” which was picturised on Babita and was alson sung by Rafi, created an everlasting impact on the mind of the viewers. Lata also contributed in the film Jab Jab Phool Khile, where Kalyanji Anandji’s music provided hit songs for Shashi Kapoor and Nanda.


Kalyanji Anandji gave excellent music in the film Kora Kagaz. Although Kishore Kumar stole the hearts of people with his tragic song “mera jeevan kora kagaz’, but Lata was sublime with the song “mera parne me”. All the duet songs sung by Kishore and Lata in Johny Mera Naam, picturised on Dev Anand and Hema Malini, and composed by Kalyanji Anandji became hit, including “o mere raja”. Similarly in Zangeer, the song “chakku churiya” sung by Lata and picturised on Jaya Bacchan became successful.

In Geet, all the songs sung by Lata and composed by Kalyanji Anandji were highly appreciated including “mere mitwa”. Rafi also sang very successful songs in Geet which were picturised on Rajender Kumar. Lata’s songs were also successful in Gopi, where the songs were somposed by Kalyanji Anandji.

Even the songs in the film Don, composed by Kalyanji Anandji and sung by Lata were very very successful, including “jiska mujhe tha intezer”. The film was based on action, but Kalyanji Anandji had given melodious songs and all were hits. Lata was also sublime in Muqaddar Ka Siqandar. Kalyanji Anandji composed the music and Lata’s songs were picturised on Rekha and Rakhi.

Kalyanji Anandji had survived the transition of bollywood film music along with Laxmikant pyarelal and contributed to the film music of 80s with Lata. The songs should be preserved for immense musical value.

By: CR Chatterji.

Related Reading

• Lata Mangeshkar – the uncrowned queen of Indian playback singing
• Lata’s combination with RD Burman
• Lata and Shankar Jaikishan
• Lata and Naushad
• Lata and Madanmohan
• Lata and SD Burman
• Laxmikant Pyarelal and Lata
• Salil Chowdhury and Lata
• Lata and Roshan

Anu Malik and Sonu Nigam.

Anu Malik and Sonu Nigam.

Anu Malik had created his own identity in the field of music composition in bollywood films. He had given hit songs one after the other in the last 10 years. He is a big admirer of Sonu Nigam and while participating in the Indian Idol program as a judge he admitted that Sonu Nigam is the best singer of the country.

He had given a number of memorable tunes to Sonu Nigam in his illustrious career. In Border, his song “sandese ate hai” and “hume jab se muhobbat ho gayi hai” picturised on Akshay Khanna and sung by Sonu Nigam, received critics acclamation. In Refugee, he gave he very melodious songs like “mere humsafar mere humsafar”, “panchi nadiya pawan ke jhoke”, etc. which were picturised on Abhishek Bacchan and sung by Sonu Nigam. Sonu Nigam’s memorable performance created a different impact on the minds of the viewers of the film.


Even in Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai, Anu Malik’s composition for Sonu Nigam titled “rabba mere rabba” became superduper hit. Jeetender’s son Tushar Kapoor started his career with the film and Sonu Nigam’s song had given a tremendous break.

Anu Malik’s composition for Sonu Nigam in the film Mai Hoon Na, attracted the attention the viewers. The film became hit and the songs were successful. Similarly Anu Malik’s composition of Sonu Nigam’s song “no entry” in the film No Entry picturised on Salman Khan became very very successful.

The combination of Anu Malik and Sonu Nigam had given a number of successful songs of different flavours for the last 10 years and the filmlovers expect the combination to continue their good work and as Sonu Nigam is the role model of new singers in India, he has a lot of responsibity in terms of continuing his brilliant performances.

Satyajit Ray and Soumitra Chatterji

Satyajit Ray and Soumitra Chatterji

Satyajit Ray had brought a new dimension in realistic films in India. Satyajit Ray had used different types of character actors in his films including Soumitra Chatterji. Soumitra had started his career in Ray's film Apur Sangsar, which was the last part of the Apu Trilogy. The film was based on the story of Bibhutibhushan Banerjee which showed Apu's journey from village to Kolkata and the related experiences. Mainly the incidents were tragic, as he lost his wife Sharmila in the film and for that reason left his son and went to work in a coal mine in Bihar. Later his love for the son had brought him back to the village in Khulna. Soumitra did justice to the character of Apu.

In Abhijan, Ray gave Soumitra, the role of a Punjabi driver who had tried to create his destiny by driving different vehicles. He got asociated with Wahida Rehman and learned to settle down as his previous life became absolutely uncertain. Ray had expermented with a number of characters who made an impression in Soumitra's mind.

Ray gaev Soumitra the role of his life in Sonar Kella, in 1974, wheer he played the role of a private detective who travelled from Kolkata to the different cities of Rajasthan, including Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, etc., and saved a little child named Mukul from two bandits who thought Mukul new the information relating to treasure lying in golden fortress. Ray used excellent storytelling which made the audience absolutely spellbound. Soumitra understood the character very well, which involved intelligence, sharpness and bravery. Soumitra also did well in Joy Baba Felunath direcetd by Ray.


In the late 80s and 90s, Ray made less number of films of films as he was sick, even during that period he gave an important role to Soumitra in the film Ganashatru. It was a film related to a doctor plyed by Soumitra who found the bacteria for causing jaundice in the test report and wanted to make the villagers of Chandipur aware that the drinking water used near a temple was not safe for drinking. As his brother playedby Dhritiman was the Chairman of the Municipal Board, he never wanted any information which affected the popular image of the temple. He waged a war of words against Soumitra and made him the enemy of the people. At the end of the film Soumitra got people's support for his noble cause.

Ray had given character roles to Soumitra in films like Shakha Prashaka, Charulata, Ghare Baire, etc., and made the best use of him. These films should be restored for the excellent treatment by Ray and also powerful performance from al the actors including Soumitra Chatterji.

Shilpa Shetty - the entertaining actress of bollywood.

Shilpa Shetty - the entertaining actress of bollywood.

Shilpa Shetty had entertained the viewers with her cheerful performances right from her first film Baazigar. She had done well in that film , where Kajol played the lead role along with Shahrukh Khan. the she got roles one after the other in bollywod films.

She acted in the hit film Mai Khiladi Tu Anari opposite Akshay Kumar. Saif Ali Khan also did well in the film. The song "hum dono hai alag alag" became big hit. She also acted in the film Auzaar oppoiste Salman Khan and Sanjay Kapoor. The film was an action pact story and the music composed by Anu Malik was very successful with songs like "are baba", "I love you", etc.

Shilpa Shetty also acted in serious films like Tarqieb, where she played the role of the friend of Tabu who was killed in the film. Nana Patekar did the investigation and Shilpa Shetty also was interrogated about the reasons for Tabu's death. Perhaps her best performance came in the film Dhadkan opposite Akshay Kumar and Sunil Shetty. It was a triangular love story where both Akshay and Sunil Shetty loved the same girl.

She had also acted in Garv in a small role opposite Salman Khan. She also acted in films made in other languages like Telegu, Tamil, Kannada, etc. The viewers except the same consitency from her in the bollywood films that are going to be made in future.

Balraj Sahani – the elegant character actor of bollywood.

Balraj Sahani – the elegant character actor of bollywood.

Balraj Sahani is one of the most gifted character actors of bollywood films of 50s, 60s and 70s. He performance used to be absolutely natural, without mannerisms. He was sublime in his performance in Do Bigha Zameen, where he portrayed the character of a villager who had come from his village and settled in Kolkata and earned his livelihood by rickshaw-pulling. It was a classic film of Bimal Roy and Balraj Sahani expressed the different emotions of the peasant in style.

In Seema, he played the role of superintendent of a home which cured women suffering fro mental disease. Nutan, who was depressed due to family disturbances was admitted there, and Balraj Sahani taught her to be positive in life and make life meaningful. He gave very quality lips in the songs composed by Shankar Jaikishan which included “tu pyar ka sagar hai” sung by Manna Dey and “kahan ja rahe ho” sung by Rafi.


In Kabuliwala, he played the same role which was plyed by Chabi Biswas in the Bengali film, which was baased on the classic literature of Tagore involving an Afghan father who left his country and came to Kolkata to sell mewa, pesta, etc. He loved the daughter of a bengali middle-class family, which reminded him about his own daughter in Kabul. He got involved in a violent affair and was imprisoned for life. When he came out of prison, hee entered the house of the Bengali family and saw the little girl named Mini getting married. The savings that was available with the father of Mini was given to Balraj Sahani so that he can return back to Kabul. Tagore had portrayed that the love of a father towards his daughter is uniform across the world. Balraj Sahani brought out the emotions very well. Manna Dey’s song “ai mere pyare watan” composed by Salil Choudhury was well appreciated by filmlovers.


Balraj Sahani’s other notable films include Lajwanti, Waqt, Izzat, etc. In Waqt, he played the role of the father of Raj Kumar, Sunil Dutt and Shashi Kapoor, who were lost during an earthquake with their mother and he spent his entire life in search of the children whom he met at the end of the film. He even acted in a negative character in Dharmender’s Izzat. For more than 30 years he maintained a respectable image in bollywood films and his film should be restored for new generations to learn the art of realistic, natural performance.

By: CR Chatterji.

Urmila Matondkar – the major contributor in Ram Gopal Verma’s films.

Urmila Matondkar – the major contributor in Ram Gopal Verma’s films.

Urmila Matondkar had acted in experimental roles for the last 15 years. But the viewers remember her more in scary characters created by Ram Gopal Verma. She acted as a child artist in Masoom, in 1983. She showed her innocence in the character as she was the daughter of Shabana Azmi who liked to play with her step-brother played by Jugal Hansraj. She gave good lips in the song “lakri ke kathi” composed by RD Burman.

She stormed bollywood films with her performance in Ram Gopal Verma’s Daud, opposite Sanjay Dutt. It was serio-comic film which was based on a stolen property. Both Sanjay and Urmila travelled in different places and were chased by thiefs for the stolen property. The story was straight forward, but the performance of Urmila was well appreciated by the audience. She proved her identity also in the film Rangeela with Jackie Shroff.


She previously acted in romantic role in the film Narsimha, where the main role was played by Sunny Deol. Om Puri played the negative character in the film who was killed by Sunny at the end of the film, after he freed himself from the bondage of Om Puri.

Urmila had also acted as a girl in a Ram Gopal Verma film titled Bhoot, who did exceptional activities due to involvement with a dead soul. She was treated in the film and it was realised that the ghost wanted to let the people know about the way it was killed in the previous life. Ram Gopal Verma’s film Darna Mana Hai, and Darna Zaroori Hai, are based on supernatural subjects which many people don’t believe. Only the good aspect of these films is that he had good story-telling and camera work which created interest in the minds of the viewers.


Urmila also acted in Judaai, opposite Anil Kapoor and Sri Devi. Urmila had also performed in item numbers including the song in the film China Gate. The film involved the story of retired military officers assembling in a village to kill a notorious group of dacoits who disturbed the law and order of the respective area. Urmila’s performance was appreciated in addition to serious performances from Om Puri, Naseer, Amrish Puri, Paresh Rawal, etc. Her notable films include Maine Gandhi ko nahi mara, Ek Haseena thi, Jungle, Satya, etc. The viewers expect Urmila to continue her good work in films which are going to made in future.

By: Rumi Chatterji.

Salil Chowdhury and Lata.

Salil Chowdhury and Lata.

Salil Chowdhury had made his major experiments in bollywood films with the help of Lata. He gave the solo song “jago mohan pyare” in Jagte Raho, in 1956, where there was chorus effect with the solo song. As it was film related to social justice produced by Raj Kapoor, there were hardly major sequences for songs, otherwise he would have given more songs to Lata.

In Madhumati, in 1958, Bimal Roy gave scope to Salil Chowdhury to compose a number of songs as it involved the romantic story between Dilip Kumar and Vaijayantimala. All the songs composed by Salil Chowdhury and sung by Lata including “aaja re pardesi”, “dil tarap tarap ke keh raha hai aa bhi ja”, “daiyare daiyare jangal papi bichua”, were big hits. Salil Chowdhury also won the filmfare award for the best composer in that year.


In Maya, Salil Choudhury’s composition for Lata and Rafi titled “tasveer teri dil me” became big hit. It was picturised on Mala Sinha and Dev Anand. Also the songs composed by Salil Choudhury in other films like “na jiya lage na’ sung by Lata was successful.

Salil Choudhury gave successful songs to Lata in the films Parakh, Half Ticket, Anand, etc. Also he gave excellent songs to Lata in Bengali films like “hai hai pran jaye” in Marjina Abdulla, “biswapita tumi he prabhu” in Sister, etc. Lata’s major basic discs in Bengali include songs composed by Salil Choudhury, a number of them were used for bollywood films as well.

The major basic discs in Bengali composed by Salil Choudhury for Lata include “saat bhai champa”, “aakash pradeep jale”, “ na mono lagena”, “aaj noi gungun gunjan preme”, “ore mono pakhi”, etc.


Salil Choudhury had gone abroad a number of times and most of his compositions had western influence including songs from Russia, Hungary, Poland, etc. He used the western touch and mixed it with the eastern classical and folk music and created history both in bollywood films and Bengali films. If 50 best songs of Lata are selected obviously 5 compositions of Salil Choudhury will stand tall among other compositions. The songs should be restored for immense musical value.

Related Reading

• Lata Mangeshkar – the uncrowned queen of Indian playback singing
• Lata’s combination with RD Burman
• Lata and Shankar Jaikishan
• Lata and Naushad
• Lata and Madanmohan
• Lata and SD Burman
• Laxmikant Pyarelal and Lata
• Salil Chowdhury and Lata
• Lata and Roshan