Review of My name is Khan.

Review of My name is Khan.

Karan Johar is coming up with his new project with the title My name is Khan. Shahrukh Khan also had co-produced the film. Shahrukh Khan’s fans are waiting anxiously for the release of the film as he failed to give any hit film in the last two years and lost the number one position.

In this film Rizwan Khan was a muslim who was brought up in Borivali (as a child the role was played by Tanay Cheda) in Mumbai with his mother played by Zarina Wahab. After growing up Khan, (Shahrukh Khan) entered into an affair with Mandira played by Kajol.

The affair blossomed into marriage. After long period of time the viewers will find the hit pair of Shahrukh Khan and Kajol together. They were utilized to their limit by Karan Johar in the past and will be seen once again in My name is Khan.

Khan suffered from Asperger Syndrome (a form of serious disease which impairs abilities relating to social interaction). After the 9/11 attack, Khan was arrested as a suspected terrorist.

His peculiar behaviour and sickness created background for the sickness. After he was arrested he was cured by a therapist played by Sheetal Menon. That part of the film will be interesting as the viewers will be anxiously waiting for the consequences relating to Shahrukh Khan’s arrest.

The other actors and actresses who had performed in the film include Jimmy Shergill, Bilal Khan and others. Shahrukh Khan had done a splendid job once again.

But there is lot of doubt relating to acceptance of Kajol as a heroine once again. Bollywood is dominated in the recent years by Katrina Kaif , Priyanka Chopra and others. Kajol had lost her glamour some time back and her presence with Shahrukh Khan is a weakness in the film.

The music is given by Shankar –Ehsaan –Loy and the music is impressive just like any other films of Karan Johar. The performance of the character artists in the film is very impressive. Although Shabana Azmi left the role of the mother of Shahrukh Khan after being cast initially, Zarina Wahab did do well in the film.

In a nutshell it can be said that the film is going to be a big hit inspite of the negative factors.

Review of New York.

Review of New York.

New York is the upcoming film which is going to be released in June 2009. 2009 had not started with great number of hit films and for those reasons the viewers are anxious to see a hit film very soon.

New York is directed by Kabir Khan and produced by Aditya Chopra. John Abraham, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Katrina Kaif and Irfan Khan are the major contributors in the film. It tells the story of three friends Katrina Kaif, Neil Mukesh and John Abraham who face untoward events and their lives are changed with those events.

Shooting for a film was done in Philadelphia and New York. FBI Helicopters and SWAT teams were used in such shooting. In January, 2009, John Abraham, Katrina Kaif and Kabir Khan were called by the crew members to attend a birthday party.

Crew members who came in one car did get entry to the night club. The others who shared the other car including Katrina Kaif, Kabir Khan, Neil Nitin Mukesh and John Abraham were denied access.

The security personnel did not recognize John Abraham, Katrina Kaif, Neil Nitin Mukesh and Kabir Khan and demanded their identification. Neither the other crew members nor they themselves were able to satisfy the security officers about their identity. They mentioned that they were actors and actresses from India but such deliberation was not accepted.

By the time all the above-mentioned stars returned back with their identification the entire program ended. It was in the nature of a party and the party was over. The film had a unique subject and there is every possibility of success once it is released.

In the film the changes brought about by 9/11 attacks were also touched by the director. Katrina Kaif had turned everything into gold and the viewers want to keep their fingers crossed to have another successful film.

Yash Raj Banner had a very rough time last year. Katrina Kaif’s master luck and John Abraham’s muscular body can turn his luck with this film.

The brilliant locations will also add colour to the romantic presentation of the film.

Happy birthday to Paresh Rawal.

Happy birthday to Paresh Rawal.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Paresh Rawal on 30th May, 2009. He had remained indispensable for the last ten years. He initially showed his metal in off-beat films like Woh Chokri.

The image of villain in Woh Chokri inspired directors to cast him as villain in other films as well. His landmark films as villain include Vijeta and Mahanta opposite Sanjay Dutt, Auzaar opposite Salman Khan, Gupt opposite Bobby Deol, Ghayal opposite Sunny Deol, to name a few.

From the late 90s, action films lost their predominance and bollywood banked their resources on comedy films. From that period Paresh Rawal remained the uncrowned monarch of bollywood films. His performance in 36 China Town was brilliant by every acting standard. He was being suspected as one of the culprits in a murder case by Akshay Khanna and struggled hard to prove himself wrong.

Paresh Rawal did an even better job in the film Chachi 420 with Kamal Hassan. He wanted to marry chachi played by Kamal Hassan himself, and balanced the powerful performance of Om Puri and Amrish Puri.

Paresh Rawal gave a lifetime performance in the film Hera Pheri and compelled the producers and directors to make a sequel of the film with the title Phir Hera Pheri. Akshay Kumar and Sunil Shetty were the other actors who gave inspired performance along with Paresh Rawal. Even his performance in the film Golmaal require special mention. He played the role of blind person in the film who gave shelter to Ajay Devgan and his friends in the film.

Paresh Rawal’s performances in softer roles also had touched the viewers. He was sublime in the film Nayak opposite Anil Kapoor and Amrish Puri. Even then, the viewers expect to be represented in comedy roles more than any other roles.

His performances in films like Maalamaal Weekly with Om Puri and Mere Baap Pehle Aap with Akshay Khanna, proves the fact that he cannot be replaced in witty roles. The viewers expect him to continue the great work he had done over the last 20 years.

Priyanka Chopra's future ahead.

Priyanka Chopra’s future ahead.

Priyanka Chopra had remained the uncrowned queen of bollywood films in the last year. She acted in different types of films all along the year and had remained the most popular face in the entire year. Her films of the last year include God Tussi Great Ho, opposite Salman Khan, Fashion, Chamku opposite Bobby Deol, Dostana opposite John Abraham and Abhishek Bacchan, Love Story 2050 opposite Harman Baweja, to name a few.

The films got mixed responses from the audience. Dostana was super hit. Chamku and God Tussi Great Ho did mediocre business. Love Story 2050 ended up being flop. In fact Priyanka Chopra would have lost the number one spot for the film Love Story 2050. But the success of the off-beat film Fashion had helped him to maintain the stardom.

She got the filmfare award for the best actress of 2008, due to her brilliant performance in the film Fashion. Madhur Bhandarkar had shown the struggle of a girl who came from New Delhi to build her career in the fashion world. The fashion industry had always remained cruel towards new entrants. The successful careerists had to do everything for their success, including spending nights with some of the designers and producers of fashion contests.

Bollywood industry at this point does not have a number one actress in the form of a ruler, the way Madhuri Dixit was a leader in the 90s. So Priyanka Chopra’s major competitor include Katrina Kaif whose glamour had bewildered viewers for the last 4 years.

But the manner in which leading actresses lost stardom in a space of time, it will concern Priyanka very much. Rani Mukherjee was an automatic choice of producers two years, who had almost faded away from the industry within the last two years.

Priyanka had started this year with the performance in the film Kaminey opposite Shahid Kapoor. Within a very short time she has to produce superhit films or lose the stardom she gained last year. The viewers wonder whether Priyanka Chopra will be able maintain it for long, considering the competition that will come from Aishwarya Rai, Lara Dutta, Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone, Kareena Kapoor and others. The viewers wish for the best.

Urmila Matondkar had always remained underrated actress.

Urmila Matondkar had always remained underrated actress.

Urmila Matondkar had always remained underrated actress inspite of providing landmark performances in her illustrious career. She started her career as child artist in Shekhar’s Kapoor’s off-beat film Masoom in the early 80s.

Although Shekhar Kapoor made the film with intellectual performers like Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi, the commercial audience had enjoyed the film to the fullest extent. Bhupinder Singh’s song “huzur is kadar bhi na itrake chaliye”, Anup Ghoshal’s song “tujhse naraz nahi zindagi” composed by RD Burman still remains a landmark in Indian film music.

In the same film Urmila Matondkar’s lips in the song “lakri ki kaathi” is still remembered by cinematic crowd in India. Urmila was sublime in Ram Gopal Verma’s ghostly venture “bhoot”. She played the role of the unsatisfied soul who got into the body of another individual to take revenge against the ghastly murder committed some time back.

Her performance in off-beat films had compelled producers and directors to cast her in complex roles in serious films like Pinjar, Tehzeeb, etc. In Tehzeeb she complimented the powerful performance of Shabana Azmi, who was considered the greatest Indian actress of all times by eminent director Tapan Sinha.

If those performances show the depth of acting of Urmila Matondkar, their performance in commercial films show her adaptability in any form of situations. She was brilliant in the film Rangeela opposite Amir Khan and Jackie Shroff. The film was commercially successful and Urmila adjusted her stylish image to perfection in the film.

She was successful in many commercial films including Daud, opposite Sanjay Dutt, Judaai opposite Anil Kapoor and Sri Devi, to name a few. Even her dance numbers in films like China Gate had amazed the viewers.

But she had remained underrated all along her career. Neither she was considered the competitor of Juhi Chawla or Kajol in the mid 90s, nor Rani Mukherjee or Preeti Zinta in the late 90s, nor Katrina Kaif or Priyanka Chopra in the present period. Whenever complex roles are created, producers and directors think about Urmila Matondkar, but when the films end up in success, her name is forgotten.

Urmila Matondkar should ignore the publicity and reaction of media towards her and continue the good work that she had done till date.

Happy birthday to Rajesh Roshan.

Happy birthday to Rajesh Roshan.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Rajesh Roshan on 24th May, 2009. He being the son of legendary composer Roshan, was expected to compose unique songs. His father Roshan was considered one of the greatest composers of all times with his classic tunes in films like Bahu Begum, Barsaat Ki Raat, Aarti, Bheegi Raat, Dil Hi To Hai, Taj Mahal, etc.

When Rajesh Roshan joined bollywood in mid-70s, music lost part of their significance. The main reason was that it was the age of anti-establishment films where Amitabh Bacchan,Vinod Khanna, Shatrughun Sinha, Dharmender, and others raised their voices against the evil practices existing in different sectors in India. Even then Rajesh Roshan’s compositions in films like Julie, with the title song “Julie” sung by Kishore Kumar, and Yaarana, with the song “chu kar meri manko” sung by KK, had attracted the attention of the viewers.

From the time his brother Rakesh Roshan turned into producer and director, Rajesh Roshan gave his best music in those films. His music in the film Karan Arjun with Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan became super hit. Some popular songs included “jaati hoon mai”, “o bandhan do”, “gup chup gup chup”, etc.

Rajesh Roshan and Rakesh Roshan combination created history with Hrithik Roshan’s first film Kahona Pyar Hai. All the songs in the film “kahona pyar hai”, “pyar ki kasti me”, “haseeno ki mehfil”, etc., stormed bollywood. In that year the filmfare awards in most of the categories were won by Hrithik Roshan, Rakesh Roshan, Rajesh Roshan. The brilliant locations of New Zealand added hue and colour in the musical blockbuster.

From that time whenever Rajesh Roshan, Rakesh Roshan and Hrithik Roshan, worked together to produced gold. The music of Koi Mil Gaya was super hit with songs like “koi mil gaya”. The locations of Australia and the lips of Preity Zinta complimented the powerful performance of Hrithik Roshan in the film.

The same combination provided brilliant songs in the film Krissh. Again the music of Rajesh Roshan was liked by the viewers with songs like “dil na diya”, “chori chori chupke chupke”. In this film Priyanka Chopra was as elegant as Hrithik Roshan.

Hrithik Roshan has a long way to go. So both Rajesh Roshan and Rakesh Roshan are expected to produce gems in upcoming projects involving all three of the them in future.

Review of the film Kaminey.

Review of the film Kaminey.

Vishal Bharadwaj had addressed the viewers of bollywood films with his new film Kaminey after some time. It is based on the story of two twin brothers who hate each other.

Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra had been cast in the lead roles in the film. Shahid Kapoor played the double roles of Guddu and Charlie. Guddu started his life from the famous slum in Mumbai called Dharavi, but joined a NGO firm. He was honest, generous and hardworking. He had the ambition of crossing the different levels and reaching higher summits in the corporate world.

On the other hand Charlie was involved in betting in the race course. He wanted to climb the ladder of success with a short-cut route. His ambition was to be a legitimate bookie and get recognition. He had the skills for the job and did well.

Both the brothers had defects in their speech. Guddu stammered whenever he was nervous. Charlie also had other kinds of communication problems. Both the brothers hated each other. On one day, Charlie faced a problem with his rival bookies and also was chased by cops.

While Guddu was involved in street play his girlfriend Sweety Bhope came and said that she became pregnant. When he wanted to marry her, he found there was new problem. Her brothers were dons, and chased him for the unfortunate happenings.

It was at that part of the film where the two brothers who hated each other came closer. The performance of Shahid Kapoor in double role was very impressive. Priyanka Chopra was full of energy as usual.

Vishal Bharadwaj’s story and direction has the elements of success. The music also has been given by Vishal Bharadwaj, which was equally impressive. The lyrics are written by Gulzar.

In a nutshell it can be said that the film will be a hit film and viewers should go to the halls and watch the film.

Review of Suno Na

Review of Suno Na.

Amy Thanawala, the director of the film Suno Na, had again experimented with the subject which was previously used in Preity Zinta’s film Kya Kehna. In that film the role that was played by Preity Zinta, the same role had been played by Tara Sharma in Suno Na.

In Kya Kehna, Preity Zinta was made pregnant by Saif Ali Khan, who engaged with her in an affair, but did not agree to marry her. But Preity Zinta wanted to give birth to the child even if the father denied the paternity of the child. Preity Zinta was thrown away from her family comprising of Anupam Kher and others.

At the end of the film Chandrachud Singh, who was a friend of Preity Zinta, agreed to marry her and accept her child. It was female-oriented film, where the strong performance of Preity Zinta was the backbone of the film.

In Suno Na, Tara Sharma interacted with her gay neighbor during the days when she was pregnant. The conservation allowed her to be relaxed, forgetting the attitude of the outside world in respect of her unwanted pregnancy. She also interacted with a timid Professor who kept her in good humour during the bad days.

At the end of the film Tara Sharma was relaxed to know that the Professor was ready to accept Tara Sharma’s child as his own child and also marry her. Tara Sharma’s performance in the film was as good as Dharmendra Gohil’s performance.

The story of the film was good. But the only problem in respect of these films getting box-office success lies in the repetitive subject-matter, which can hardly amaze the viewers. These days bollywood films had not seen wide success after recession. In that perspective middle-budget films has to come up with innovative subject matter if the audience are to be attracted.

The film may do moderate business in future.

Priyanka Chopra fulfils the requirements of modern day directors.

Priyanka Chopra fulfils the requirements of modern day directors.

Priyanka Chopra is today’s most popular actress of the bollywood film industry. She had started her career in bollywood films after she won the Miss India contest title. Since then she never looked back. Her first film Andaz opposite Akshay Kumar and Lara Dutta did well in the box office. But initially she haven’t got that much recognition, but with the film Mujshe Shaadi Karogi opposite Salman Khan and Akshay kumar , Priyanka Chopra became a leading star of the period.

She had got the grace, glamour and attitude in her which is very much wanted by today’s audience and young crowd. She gave stunning performance in the Fashion and got the filmfare award for the best actress for the year 2009. In between she did perform in many films including God Tussi Great Ho, Chamku , Love story 2050, Dostana and Billu Barber in 2009. Her next upcoming film which is about to be released is titled Kamina opposite Shahid Kapoor.

The big factor which had kept Priyanka Chopra ahead of Lara Dutta, Ash, Katrina and others, include her capability to adapt herself in different roles. Whenever the situation demanded she played the role of an upstart American in the film Dostana. She effortlessly managed the comedy sequences along with Abhishek Bacchan and John Abraham. In the film Love Story 2050, she adjusted herself to the hi-tech world that would have emerged around 40 years from now on.

Her role in God Tussi Great Ho was totally different. There were misunderstandings and traps set by either Sohail Khan or Salman Khan. She faced the events and was firm in her affection towards Salman Khan.

Similarly in Billu Barber, her performance in a dance number opposite Shahrukh Khan requires special mention. In fact she had given elegant lips in the songs “tujhe aksa beach dikhadun”, “salaam-e-ishq”, “tenu le”, etc.

The viewers expect her to continue the brilliant work that she had started in 2008 and do even well in 2009 and the years to come.

Review of the film 99.

Review of the film 99.

As the history of comedy films in the last 5 years had been favourable, director Raj Nidamoru and Krishna D.K. again experimented with comedy in the film 99. The film was based on the background of Indian cricket being entangled with the scams relating to match-fixing in the late 90s. That was the time when South African team was also alleged to have been involved in match-fixing which led to banning of many cricketers from their country.

In this film, Kunal Khemu and Cyrus Broacha were two crooks who old duplicate sim cards during the period when mobile phones just entered the Indian market. For middle-class people the schemes provided by the mobile companies were attractive and it made mobile phones very popular. When one of such sales led to controversy with Mahesh Manjarekar, they were compelled to either join their gang or pay them Rs 40 lakhs.

The gang previously worked as extortion agents and Kunal Khemu and Cyrus Broacha were persuaded to get involved in the same business. They were sent to collect the dues from Boman Irani, a bollywood actor and also a serial better. Boman Irani promised the two of them that he could get them away from the tangle by winning a bet relating to India South Africa match.

In between there were romantic sequences between Kunal Khemu and Soha Ali Khan, but the scope of such romance was too small if the other happenings in the film are taken into consideration. The entire part where Boman Irani delegated the responsibility relating to providing betting cards of the India South Africa match to Dilli’s bookie Vinod Khanna had both serious and comedy sequences.

From that time onwards one character passed their blame on to the other character. In totality the subject-matter of the film was very novel. But the execution was not that impressive. In 2009, most of the films had done very ordinary business. Considering that factor the film 99 is not looking as one of the films which can change the fortunes overnight.

But the film has the prospects of doing moderate business. Boman Irani, Kunal Khemu and Soha Ali Khan’s performance in the film was very impressive. Let us hope for the best.

Death of Prakash Mehra.

Death of Prakash Mehra.

The viewers of bollywood films pay homage to the departed soul of Prakash Mehra, who died today in 2009. He was considered as one of the leading directors who had shown the path of making action films in India.

His film Zanjeer, made Amitabh Bacchan, who was also called Big B, the megastar of Indian cinema. He gave him the role of a brave policer who never feared any law-breaker. He fought his way out against Ajit and his men with the help a pathan played by Pran. The film released in 1973, changed the shape and colour of bollywood films.

After the success of Zanjeer, Yash Chopra made Deewar, Ramesh Sippy made Sholay, Subhash Ghai made Kalicharan, which stand out as the landmarks of action films in Indian cinema. Those actors who were known for their romantic performances in the 60s, became famous as action heroes in the mid-70s. Sunil Dutt was sublime in Zakhmee, Feroz Khan evergreen in Dharmatma, Dharmender brilliant in Charas and Jugnu, Vinod Khanna successful in Burning Train.

Prakash Mehra’s other film Muqaddar ka Sikander, created Big B and Vinod Khanna as the greatest superstar of the 70s. Big B lived as an orphan in the film but became a big don who cared for the poor people. He loved Rakhee, who had soft corner for Vinod Khanna. At the end of the film to save Rakhee and others, Big B fought against Amzad Khan’s men and died. The song “rote hue jaate hai sab” sung by Kishore Kumar and Rafi and composed by Kalyanji Anandji, became super hit.

Lawaarish was one of the other super hit films of Prakash Mehra and Big B. Big B lived the life of an orphan. Big B made the song “mere angneme” equally famous by lending his own voice. Prakash Mehra’s other hit films include Namak Halal, Sharabi with Big B, Mela with Feroz Khan and Haseena Maan Jayegi with Shashi Kapoor.

Prakash Mehra was known in the last few years as the maker of the films Munna Bhai and Lage Raho Munna Bhai.

Munna Bhai MBBS and Lage Raho Munnabhai was the story of a local don Munna Bhai played by Sanjay Dutt. He came a doctor in Munna Bhai MBBS, while he did gandhigiri in Lage Raho Munnabhai. Both the films became super hit and created a successful beginning and created a path for making sequels.

Prakash Mehra’s films should be restored and preserved to remember him as the trendsetter of action films in India.

Anup Kumar and bengali films.

Anup Kumar and Bengali films.

Anup Kumar is considered to be a gifted actor who contributed a lot in Bengali films of the 50s and 60s. Most of his notable performances were made in the films of Tarun Majumdar. He did a great job in the role of a bohemian character in the film Palatak.

Palatak was a story of a Bengali whose mind never stuck in one place. He travelled from one village to another and gathered experiences. Anup Kumar was sublime in Tarun Majumdar’s other film Nimantran. He had done his best in the comedy film Dadar Kirti.

In the film Dadar Kirti, Tapas Pal, a failure in academic career came to his relative’s house in rural Bengal. Anup Kumar played the character of Bhombolda and exploited the innocent character Tapas Pal. He asked him to run in the hot fields and also swim in the cold water at night, to develop his learning capacity.

While Tapas Pal stayed in the village, Mahua Roy Choudhury, one the neighbours developed a soft corner for Tapas Pal. When her marriage was fixed with another person, Anup Kumar made efforts to get rid of the groom so that the marriage could be arranged with Tapas Pal. In fact helped him after realizing the damage he had done in the beginning of the film.

Anup Kumar had acted in more than 50 films with Uttam Kumar, the greatest superstar of Bengali cinema, including Pathe Holo Deri, Sagarika, Agniparikkha, Rajodrohi, to name a few. Anup Kumar’s performance was well appreciated as comedian.

He did well in many serious films as well like Thagini with Sandha Roy, Rajen Tarapdar’s Jeeban Kahini. In Jeeban Kahini, he gave word to Bikash Roy, the father of Sandhya Roy, that he would commit suicide to help him get money out of insurance. But matters ended up in such a manner that none of them had to die and the film had a happy ending.

Even Sandeep Roy used Anup Kumar to play the role of Lalmohan Ganguly, the character played by Santosh Dutta in Satyajit Ray’ s Sonar Kella.

Anup Kumar’s films should be restored to see his performance in Bengali films over 50s, as his earlier performances include the film Chandrasekhar, in the late 40s, where Ashok Kumar and Chabi Biswas played leading roles.

Review of Dhoom 2.

Review of Dhoom 2.

Dhoom 2 was a film released few years back. Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai were cast in negative roles. So the producers and directors took a huge risk in giving negative roles to romantic actors and actresses of the stature of Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai.

Hrithik Roshan was an international thief. Most of his operations were done with very high quality of high-tech power. He was a master of disguises. In many operations he took make ups which compelled viewers to think that he had been statutes of museums.

Abhishek Bacchan was given the responsibility of arresting Hrithik Roshan that it was proved that Hrithik was smarter than the cops. Aishwarya Rai was the other thief who entered into a partnership with Hrithik Roshan for committing stealing operations.

Abhishek Bacchan was well supported by Bipasha Basu who also took police training. Both of them had affair and worked together to arrest Hrithik and Aishwarya. When they confronted each other, Hrithik fell from a cliff and made the police believe that he had died. But he escaped and lived a new life with Aishwarya Rai in another part of the world.

But Abhishek Bacchan arrested Hrithik Roshan at the end of the film when he found him serving in hotel industry. He did not put Hrithik behind bars as he informed him about the place where the stolen property was kept. The music of the film was super hit. All the songs in the film became extremely popular including the songs “crazy kiya re”, “dhoom machale”, “my name is ali”, etc.

The romantic locations all across the world including sunny beaches added attraction for the viewers. Bipasha Basu’s exposure in the film as usual pulled lot of crowds to the halls. Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai’s online chemisty made the viewers speechless.

Dhoom 2 did even greater business than Dhoom. Dhoom 2 even brought back the box-office of Aishwarya Rai who did not hit films in the preceding years before Dhoom 2. The film once again proved that Hrithik Roshan was a genius. His charishmatic endeavours were too good for Indian audience who were not used to see Hollywood performances.

Deepika Padukone versus Sonam Kapoor.

Deepika Padukone versus Sonam Kapoor.

The viewers of bollywood films wonder between Deepika Padukone and Sonam Kapoor, who has the greater prospect. The general comparison between the two star arises because they started their film career almost at the same time. In 2007 Sonam Kapoor acted in her first film Saawariya opposite Ranbir Kapoor, while Deepika Padukone stormed bollywood with her first film Om Shanti Om opposite Shahrukh Khan.

At the same time both Sonam Kapoor and Deepika Padukone were daughters of celebrities. Sonam Kapoor will always face comparison with her father Anil Kapoor who was superstar of the 80s. Although Deepika Padukone’s father Prakash Padukone was a star in a different field, that is badminton, she will have the challenge of matching her father in name, fame and popularity.

Regarding the beginning of their career, Deepika Padukone had a dream start, as her first film ended up being a blockbuster. But to what extent it happened due to the individual performance of Deepika Padukone was a big question. Shahrukh Khan’s double role, Arjun Rampal’s performance in a negative role, the brilliant songs like “tumko paya hai” sung by Sonu Nigam and other songs like “aankhon me teri”, was the backbone of the success of the film. Besides, the title song “om shanty om” had huge number of stars like Dharmender, Jeetender and Kajol, Lara Dutta, Preity Zinta, etc., performing together. Even the song “dheem tana nana” had actors of the 60s and 70s like Sunil Dutt, Rajesh Khanna, Jeetender, superimposed with the sequence of Deepika’s dance number.

On the other hand Sonam Kapoor’s beginning in Sawaariya was not that eventful. It was a film of Sanjay Leela Banshali and along with Ranbir Kapoor, established performers like Salman Kan and Rani Mukherjee acted in the film along with the new pair. In that count, Deepika Padukone started with a greater popularity than Sonam Kapoor.

But in the last two years, while Deepika’s later films had mixed results, Sonam Kapoor’s other film got both success and critical acclamation. Deepika’s film Bacchna Aye Haseeno with Ranbir Kapoor became hit, but her other film Chandni Chowk to China with Akshay Kumar did mediocre business.

Sonam Kapoor’s film Dilli 6, released this year, had story, powerful performance from different actors and actresses like Abhishek Bacchan, Rishi Kapoor, Wahida Rehman, Om Puri, etc., and also powerful music. Viewers realized that whenever good scripts were given to Sonam Kapoor, she showed her potentials.

The real test of the two actresses lies from here onwards. Both had become familiar faces in bollywood films. They have to compete with new stars like Kangana Ranaut, Asin and also established stars like Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta, Katrina Kaif, Kareena Kapoor, etc. The viewers expect both of them to do well and bring innovation in the bollywood industry with their performances.

Vidya Balan has to make a comeback.

Vidya Balan has to make a comeback.

Vidya Balan was considered to be a leading star of bollywood two years back. Firstly her success in films like Parineeta opposite Saif Ali Khan and Sanjay Dutt, and Lage Raho Munna Bhai opposite Sanjay Dutt, attracted most of the producers and directors to cast her in big budget films.

Vidya Balan’s dialogue “good morning Mumbai” created a trend for all the radio jockeys all across the country. Besides her impressive lips in romantic songs like “piyu bole, piya bole”, or “pal pal pal pal har pal har pal” created a lasting impact in the minds of viewers. Directors had such a huge amount of confidence on Vidya Balan that they did not hesitate to cast her in ghostly roles like that played in the film Bhoolbhoolaiya. An unsatisfied soul entered her body and made her do weird activities. The film became super hit and Vidya Balan was at the top of the world after her performance in that film.

She was sublime in the film Salaam-e-ishq opposite John Abraham. Probably her role Tehzeeb, was the most challenging one in the film if compared with the roles of Juhi Chawla, or Isha Koppikar, or Priyanka Chopra. She lost her memory in the film, and could not even recognize her husband John Abraham. All along the film John Abraham struggled to remind her about her past and at the end of the film he was accepted by Vidya Balan. The viewers went to pensive mood during the song “yaa rabba”.

But her performance in ultramodern roles in the following years brought her downfall. She tried to play the role of a modern girl staying in Australia in the film Hey Babby, opposite Akshay Kumar. Although the interaction of the child artist in the film with Fardeen Khan, Akshay Kumar and Ritesh Deshmukh charmed the viewers, Vidya Balan’s make up in the film was not appreciated at all. Besides, her harsh attitude towards Akshay Kumar also did not suit her looks. The film did excellent business but Vidya Balan lost her track in bollywood films.

Last year her role in the film Kismat Connection opposite Shahid Kapoor also was not appreciated by viewers at all. Again she was cast with ultramodern make up which never suited her. The story of the film was innovative. The fortunes of Shahid Kapoor did shine once he got associated with Vidya Balan in the film. But neither the film had the masala which could move the viewers, nor the songs and the dance sequences could create any impact. Critics argue that Vidya Balan could very well had avoided the role in the film.

Those roles which are stylish in nature which suit vamps like Bipasha Basu or young stars like Katrina Kaif cannot necessarily suit Vidya Balan. Her soft style of dialogue throwing can reach her to any high level in bollywood films. She should stick to her image and if she can choose proper roles, she has a bright future in bollywood films. Viewers expect her to make comeback in proper roles which suit her where she is unparallel.

Celina Jaitley in the last few years

Celina Jaitley in the last few years.

Celina Jaitley had been a common face in bollywood films in the last few years. Although she had not created any threat for the leading actresses like Katrina Kaif and Priyanka Chopra, she had acted in many super hit films.

No Entry probably is the most successful film of Celina Jaitley. She had an affair with Fardeen Khan which entered into controversy. Initially she thought Fardeen Khan had gone to commit suicide. She gathered the neighbours of the locality stop Fardeen Khan from committing suicide. But Bipasha Basu was send by Salman Khan to Anil Kapoor’s house, and Lara Dutta returned home saw both of them, Anil Kapoor told Lara Dutta that Bipasha was the wife of Fardeen Khan.

From that time onwards to hide one lie Anil Kapoor and Fardeen Khan went on telling numerous lies. Ultimately it led to filing of divorce by Lara Dutta and Celina Jaitley. Salman Khan had to come all the way from abroad to settle their problem. Celina Jaitley even adjusted herself with the romantic locations of Mauritius. She deserves the credit for the success of the film along with Lara Dutta, Bipasha Basu and Esha Deol.

She was sublime in the film Golmaal Returns. In the first film Golmaal, all the friends including Ajay Devgan, Arshad Warsi, etc., were associated with only one actress that was Reema Sen. In the second part the friends interacted with a number of actresses including Kareena Kapoor, Celina Jaitley, Amrita Arora and others.

The film was serio-comic in nature and Celina Jaitley maintained the comedy element in the film at par with the co-actors like Tushar Kapoor, who was dumb in the film and expressed his feeling with funny sounds and postures. She also gave elegant lips in the song “golmaal golmaal”, etc.

Celina Jaitley is still in search of dynamic roles in bollywood films which she did not get in her short career span. Viewers feel that she has acting in herself, the producers and directors had exploited only her screen presence and style statements, if they give her challenging roles she can prove herself in near future.

Happy birthday to Madhuri Dixit.

Happy birthday to Madhuri Dixit.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to beauty queen Madhuri Dixit on 15th May, 2009. She ruled bollywood films in the late 80s and 90s. In fact after her retirement of films no single actress of bollywood films could be associated with the number one position.

From Tezaab, she dethroned Sri Devi from the number one position and created sensation in bollywood. Her dance performance in the song “ek do teen” in Tezaab, surprised the viewers. Her pair with Anil Kapoor was well accepted by the viewers. The hit films of the immortal pair include Ram Lakhan, Khel, Jeevan Ek Sunghursh, Zindagi Ek Jua, Parinda, etc. In the late 90s, she proved herself in every type of film and was cast by different directors and producers.

Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit stormed bollywood with romantic performance in the film Saajan. It was the musical blockbusters of early 90s which shook the industry. All the songs of the film were hit including “jiye to jiye kaise”, “mera dil bhi kitna paagal hai”, “mai shayar hoon”, etc. Madhuri Dixit was considered the best dancer of the country at that time. Even her performances in the other films opposite Sanjay Dutt were also impressive including Khalnayak and Mahanta.

In off-beat films like Nana Patekar’s Prahar and Parinda, Prakash Jha’s Mrityudand, her performance impressed the intellectual audience. She acted in those films with hardly any make up and still created her impression. She received the filmfare award for the best actress a number of times. Viewers remember her notable performance in the film Beta opposite Anil Kapoor. She fought against her mother-in –law to get justice for her husband.

Her other hit films include Dil opposite Amir Khan, Hum Aapke Hai Kaun opposite Salman Khan, Aarzoo opposite Akshay Kumar, Koyla and Dil To Paagal Hai opposite Shahrukh Khan, to name a few. She became such a phenomenon in the mid-90s, that the producers associated the success of the film with her more than the heroes of those films.

In Raj Kumar Santoshi’s Lajja, in a multi-starrer film Madhuri Dixit was not cast opposite the leading actors like Jackie Shroff, or Anil Kapoor, yet her performance stands out as one of the best performance of the film. Her womanhood in the film attracted every type of audience.

Also her performance in crime-thrillers like 100 days attracted viewers. It was a murder mystery, where Jackie Shroff, the boyfriend of Madhuri killed her sister Moonmoon Sen. Madhuri Dixit expressed the anxiety and horror in the film to perfection.

Even her performance opposite Anil Kapoor in the film Pukar requires special mention. Anil Kapoor got national award for the best actor for the performance in the film. It was a film related to patriotism and Madhuri Dixit was probably the only actress in bollywood who could match Anil Kapoor in his struggle against terrorists.

Viewers consider her as the best actress of the last 30 years and want her to make a comeback in character roles in future.

Happy birthday to Pooja Bedi.

Happy birthday to Pooja Bedi.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Pooja Bedi, the daughter of legendary actor Kabir Bedi on 11th May, 2009. She was born in a star family with her mother Pratima Bedi being a classical dancerand father being an established actor. Although she came from an acting family as Kabir Bedi had experience of performing in Hollywood films as well, her contribution in bollywood films had not been that substantial.

Her film Vishkanya in the early part of her career was based on the story related to snakes. In Indian films fantasies based on the life of snakes had amazed the viewers in the past. The film Nagin in the mid-70s, with Reena Roy, Jeetender, Mumtaz and others, did fantastic business. So Pooja Bedi was lucky to start her career with such films.

Later on her film with Amir Khan, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander, did fantastic business. The film was based on teenage romance. Amir Khan always had a special place in the minds of viewers as his romantic appeal always attracted the female audience right from the release of the film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. Pooja Bedi probably had given her best. All the songs in the film became successful including the song “pehla nasha, pehla khumar” sung by Udit Narayan.

Her other notable films included Aatank Hi Aatank and Lootere. She was very impressive in Mahesh Bhatt’s film Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Ayee. It was a film related to human relationship and Pooja Bedi’s performance in a supporting role was appreciated by the critics. She was as impressive as Pooja Bhatt and Rahul Roy in the film.

In the late 90s, all of a sudden she faded away from the industry. But she continued to appear in television shows. She was the anchor of the TV shows Not Just Page 3 and Just Pooja in Zoom TV. In the following period she even participated as contestant in TV shows like Jhalak Dikhlaja in Sony TV, Heart Beat, Mum Tum or Hum, Jodi Kamaal Ki, Nach Baliye, etc., in Star TV, also Fear Factor – Khatron Ki Khiladi in Colors.

The viewers expect her make a comeback in bollywood films in the years to come.

Review of Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya.

Review of Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya.

The film Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya was another brilliant venture of David Dhawan. It was a multi-starrer film produced by Sohail Khan. The actors and actresses who performed in the film included Salman Khan, Katrina kaif , Sushmita Sen ,Sohail Khan, Arshad Warsi , Isha Koppikar, Rajpal Yadav and others.

Salman Khan was an orthopedic surgeon in the film. He had an affair with Katrina Kaif, who was a model. To stop the female patients from flirting with him, Salman told everyone that he was married. Katrina also believed in the fact. She asked Salman Khan to introduce her with his wife.

He convinced Sushmita Sen, his nurse, to pretend as his wife. Sushmita met Katrina with two children of her relative and spoke about her relationship with Salman. Katrina thought the children were Salman’s children and wanted to meet them. When the children were introduced Katrina came to know that her previous wife had a boy friend. Then she wanted to meet him and for that matter Salman Khan had to ask Arshad Warsi to act with Sushmita Sen. Then came the artificial divorce scene, where Salman Khan’s mother stepped in from Punjab and accepted Sushmita Sen as the wife of Salman Khan.

At the end of the film Sushmita Sen went to Karina Kaif and told the truth. Katrina asked Salman Khan to marry Sushmita Sen who agreed to pretend as his wife. Katrina Kaif married Sohail Khan who was struggling actor in the film. The entire story was depicted with comedy sequences. Himmesh Reshamiya’s music composition was very impressive.

All the songs in the film became super hits including “just chill chill”, “saajan, tumse pyar ki larayi me”, “teri meri love story ka angle”, etc. Sonu Nigam, Udit Narayan and other singers contributed well in the film. The performance of Rajpal Yadav in the role of soldier who lost his legs in Cargill War requires special mention.

Rajpal Yadav’s legs were normal, yet he used to come to Salman Khan’s clinic only to meet Sushmita Sen. He helped Salman Khan to reach the airport to stop Sushmita Sen to leave the country at the end of the film. Arshad Warsi’s acting as lawyer in the divorce scene was phenomenal. Isha Koppikar did not get proper scope of dialogue throwing in the film but her dance performance in the song “saajan, tujhse pyar ki ladayi me” was very impressive.

The performance of Salman Khan’s mother by the actress who was also an Officer in the Ministry of Tourism, Rajasthan was extraordinary. Katrina Kaif and Sushmita Sen looked the beautiful in the film if compared with any other film in their career. Sohail Khan spend most of his career in production and direction of films, but in respect of his performance probably he did his best in the comedy role which was as important as Salman’s role. Day by day Salman Khan also has matured as a good comedian, because these days producers and directors rank him after Anil Kapoor and Govinda, whenever they think about comedy films.

David Dhawan should continue with brilliant ventures like Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya in future also.

Sonali Bendre in the 90s.

Sonali Bendre in the 90s.

Sonali Bendre showed a lot of promise in the 90s when she joined bollywood films. She had spontaneity in her performance and did not imitate any star. She was sublime in Aamir Khan’s film Sarfarosh.

Sarfarosh was the film based on the story of an honest police officer who addressed the corruption existing in the police department itself and the other wings of the Govt. Sonali Bendre ably assisted Aamir Khan in his noble mission. Jagjit Singh’s song “husnwale” became very successful.

Her performance in Sunil Shetty’s film Bhai requires special mention. Although she loved Sunil Shetty like Pooja Batra but when she knew that Pooja Batra was also attached to him, she sacrificed her love. She died at the end of the film while fighting for the cause of Sunil Shetty. In fact she helped Sunil Shetty to learn urbanized style of living as he came from the hills and was uneducated.

She acted in completely different role opposite Shahrukh Khan in the film Duplicate. Shahrukh Khan played a double role in the film, one having an affair with Juhi Chawla while the other having an affair with Sonali Bendre. She acted opposite Shahrukh Khan who played the role of the smuggler. From the time the two characters interchanged Sonali Bendre expressed the astonishment in style. Her lips in the song “mere mehboob mere sanam” require special mention. Although the film had mainly comedy element in it, the powerful performance of Sonali Bendre and Juhi Chawla helped the film to be successful.

Her other hit films include Hum Saath Saath Hai, opposite Salman Khan, Zakhm with Ajay Devgan, to name a few. She received the star-screen best supporting actress award for her brilliant performance in the film Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai. Her performance in the film was as outstanding as Anil Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai.

After success in films like Jis Desh Me Ganga Rehta Hai with Govinda, Major Sahab, etc., she left films in 2002. The viewers expect her to make a comeback in character roles.

Pooja Batra in the 90s.

Pooja Batra in the 90s.

Pooja Batra made a very impressive entry in bollywood films in the 90s. Her success in the fashion industry attracted producers and directors of that period. She got very landmark roles like the one in the film Virasat.

She played the role of the girlfriend of Anil Kapoor, who returned from US and tried to adjust herself in the rural environment of the village where Anil Kapoor lived. But all of a sudden his father Amrish Puri died, and Anil Kapoor had to take charge of the administrative duties and for those reasons Pooja Batra returned back to US. The short role of Pooja Batra was very impressive.

In Sunil Shetty’s Bhai, Pooja Batra got a serious role. She taught Sunil Shetty’s brother, who got killed by miscreants. Even her father Om Puri, the lawyer in the film got killed. Pooja Batra married Sunil Shetty, after he became the leader of deprived people of the locality. Although the film was action based, the performance of Pooja Batra was as impressive as Sonali Bendre who also had attachment towards Sunil Shetty.

Pooja Batra was sublime as assistant reporter in Anil Kapoor’s film Nayak. Anil Kapoor was a reporter in the film who was asked to take the interview of Amrish Puri, who played the role of the Chief Minister of Maharastra. Anil Kapoor asked very bold questions and showed the statistics relating to the performance of the respective ministry. It was poor and required introspection. Amrish Puri gave him the challenge of bringing in reforms within one day and by passing an ordinance handed over the chair of CM to Anil Kapoor.

In one day Anil Kapoor arrested the wrongdoers, brought cases against unlawful businessmen and created sensation in the state. Pooa Batra assisted him in his work along with Paresh Rawal. Although Rani Mukherjee was the main actress in the film, Pooja Batra’s role was equally important.

To everyone’s surprise Pooja Batra left films in the late 90s, when she looked the most matured. The viewers still feel that lot of acting is left in her and she should make a comeback in character roles in future.

Deepika Padukone has a real challenge ahead.

Deepika Padukone has a real challenge ahead.

Deepika Padukone, the daughter of International Badminton player Prakash Padukone, was born on 5th January, 1986. She accomplished her studies from Mount Carmel College in Australia and pursued her career as a super model. She had modeled for famous Indian brands like Limca, Dabur Lal Powder, Close Up Toothpaste and Liril.

She won the Model of the Year award at the Kingfisher Fashion Awards, became one of the models for Kingfisher Swimsuit Calender 2006 and won two awards at the Idea Zee Fashion awards. She became the brand ambassador of Kingfisher Airlines, Levi Strauss, Tissot SA.

After impressing the judges of the modeling world she featured in private album Aap Ka Suroor of Himesh Reshamiya. She got one of the biggest breaks of her life in Farah Khan’s film Om Shanti Om.

She had a double role in the film which was based on reincarnation. Shahrukh Khan also played a double role and created history with his entertaining performance. The music of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy was superlative and the songs contributed a lot in the success of the film.

The film also had the dream sequence with the song “om shanty om” where actors like Dharmender, Jeetender, Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Lara Dutta, Rekha, Shabana Azmi, Priyanka Chopra, etc., gave lips. The other songs “tumko paya hai to”, “ankho me teri ajab si ajab si adayein hai”, etc. The dancing capabilities of Deepika Padukone was also exposed in the song “din tana na na na”, where images of Sunil Dutt, Jeetender, Rajesh Khanna were superimposed.

If Om Shanti Om was a dream for Deepika Padukone, the next film Bacchna Aye Haseeno was also after mirth. She was one of the girls other than Bipasha Basu and Minissha Lamba who had involvement with Ranbir Kapoor in the film and changed his life. This film also had exotic locations, melodious music of Vishal Shekhar. The songs “bacchna aye haseeno”, “ki mujhe pyar hai” had created waves in the minds of the viewers after the release of the film.

If the awards of Deepika Padukone in the form of Best Debutant under the Filmfare Awards and box-office success of the two films are separated Deepika will face reality for the first time with the film Chandni Chowk to China. Akshay Kumar will act opposite her in the film.

The film is going to be released this year itself and it has both comedy and action. Akshay Kumar had been shown as a cook who will learn martial art and show his skills in China. By this period of time Deepika Padukone’s glamour had been acknowledged by the viewers and the critics.

But her acting capability is still under introspection. In Chandni Chowk to China and the following films like Production No. 1, her acting performance will be scanned and if she succeeds she will be following the gharana of Aishwarya Rai, Sushmita Sen, Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta and others who had come from the fashion world and took bollywood films by storm. In that sense her real challenge is ahead.

Robin Chatterji and Sandhya Mukherjee

Robin Chatterji and Sandhya Mukherjee.

Robin Chatterji was the uncrowned king of bengali cinema during the golden age in the world of music direction. The entire industry dependant on Robin Chatterji and whatever work he had produced can be very well be designated as masterpieces. He contributed the most in Suchitra Sen’s films and for those reasons Sandhya Mukherjee, whose voice suited Suchitra Sen the most, sang majority of songs composed by the legendary composer.

In Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen’s film Sagarika, Sandhya Mukherjee’s song “sei to amar prothomo phaguna bela” composed by Robin Chatterji mesmerized the audience along with Alpona Banerjee’s “hridoy amar sundoro tobo paye” picturised on Jamuna Sinha and Shyamal Mitra’s “amar sapne dekha rakonya” picturised on Uttam Kumar. The film stormed Bengali cinema as the audience accepted Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen as the greatest romantic pair to be ever born in this country.

Robin Chatterji’s composition for Sandhya Mukherjee titled “dheere bondhu dheere” in the film Pathe Holo Deri had the romantic element embedded in them. Similarly in the film Pathe Holo Deri, all the compositions of Robin Chatterji for Sandhya Mukherjee including “e sudhu ganer din”, “e chaya bhora logone aaj”, “tumi na hoy rohite kache”, etc., presented the romantic presentation of Bengali modern songs for the first time.

The same combination had provided brilliant songs like “monero madhuri mishaye” in Suchitra Sen’s film Shriti Tuku Thak, “ami sapne tomay dekhechi” in Suchitra Sen’s film Bipasha, “ghum ghum chand” in Suchitra Sen’s film Sabar Upore, to name a few. Robin Chatterji provided brilliant tunes to Sandhya Mukherjee in also films like Nayikar Bhumikay, including devotional songs like “notun surjo alo dao, alo dao”.

Robin Chatterji exploited the classical skills of Sandhya Mukherjee, as she was the student of Ustad Bare Ghulam Ali Khan, in the film Uttar Falguni. Suchitra Sen played the role of the singer Panna Bai in the film who sacrificed her entire life to make her daughter a barrister. The film had classical songs and Sandhay Mukherjee’s classical andaz created separate dimension for the viewers. In the hindi remake of the same film titled Mamta, composer Roshan had to match the classical compositions of Robin Chatterji, as the Bengali film won international awards for best performance and other technical awards.

Besides Sandhya Mukherjee had many basic discs of Bengali modern songs like “amare loye je”, “ei nodi tire”, etc., composed by Robin Chatterji, which had the same romantic appeal and brilliant use of the piano which was used with elegance by Robin Chatterji, all along his career.

Probably Suchitra Sen could never had become mahanayika (megaactress), had she not got the compositions of Robin Chatterji and songs of Sandhya Mukherjee, as they contributed even in actress-oriented films like Grihadaha, Kamallata, where Suchitra Sen played character roles. The films having compositions of Robin Chatterji and songs of Sandhya Mukherjee should be preserved and restored for their musical value.

Nadira - the sizzling star of golden age.

Nadira – the sizzling star of golden age.

Nadira used to be considered a sizzling star of the 50s and 60s, the golden age of bollywood cinema. Her beauty was different than the traditional stars like Nargis or Madhubala, and her charishmatic intonation had created a separate place in the minds of viewers. She acted in the first coloured film of bollywood that is Aan, made in the early 50s opposite Dilip Kumar.

From Aan itself, the smartness of Nadira reflected in her acting as the film required horse-riding and adventurous acts which were difficult for other actresses of the same era. In 1955, Raj Kapoor gave the role of her lifetime in the film Shree 420. Her villainish performance in the film did outcast Nargis in the same film. The song “mur murke na dekh” composed by Shankar Jaikishan and sung by Asha Bhosle and Manna Dey was picturised on Nadira and Raj Kapoor. The lips of Nadira created a lasting impact in the minds of the viewers and Shree 420 became a super hit film.

The good part of Shree 420 in the career of Nadira was that it made her a rising star. But the bad part was that from that film her image in negative characters got bolstered and producers and directors started casting her in negative roles. In Dil Apna Aur Preeti Parayi, she acted opposite Raj Kumar and Meena Kumari. Raj Kumar had affair with Meena Kumari, a nurse in the film, and after marriage with Nadira, the weakness towards Meena Kumari led to disharmony in the family. Nadira matched Meena Kumari in acting in a musical blockbuster, where once again Shankar Jaikishan amazed the viewers with songs like “ajeeb dastan hai yeh”.

Nadira’s strong command over urdu had earned her majestic roles in films like Pakiza, where the muslim pardanashin community was shown. Nadira’s performance in the film was appreciated by the critics who consider the epic film of Kamal Hamrohi, as one of the greatest films of all times. In the mid-70s, with advent of action films, characterization of negative personalities underwent a change. Even in those films Nadira contributed in her own way. Her performance as a step-mother of Shabana Azmi in the film Amar Akbar Anthony created special attraction. Her torture towards Shabana’s family was detected by Vinod Khanna, who was police officer in the film and she was arrested.

In the mid-80s, she made valuable contribution in Ramesh Sippy’s romantic film Saagar. She was associated with Kamal Hassan, who made the viewers cry at the end of the film when his romance ended in failure. She loved Dimple Kapadia who was addicted towards Rishi Kapoor. When Rishi Kapoor was attacked by his relatives Kamal Hassan saved at the cost of his own life. Kamal Hassan had special relation with Nadira and he used to disclose his private matters to her. Nadira was compassionate towards Kamal Hassan when she came to know about his sacrifice.

In the 90s, Nadira’s performance in the TV serials directed by Gulzar, where Om Puri interviewed her about her film career, was equally impressive. Kamini Kaushal also acted in the serial and matched Nadira in the special role. Nadira’s films should be preserved to grace her remote style of performance having sizzling effect and also lasting appeal.

Shilpa Shetty had survived in bollywood films for longest time.

Shilpa Shetty had survived in bollywood films for longest time.

Shilpa Shetty had survived in bollywood films for longest time if her career is compared with other actresses of the contemporary period. She started her career in 1993, with the film Baazigar opposite Shahrukh Khan. Although Kajol played the main role, Shilpa Shetty was very impressive in her role. She continued with her performance in glamourous roles from that time.

She was very popular for her spontaneous smile which had a charming effect. Her performance in Sunil Shetty’s film Prithvi was well appreciated. It was an action-pact film where Sunil Shetty unearthed the misdeeds of Suresh Oberoi but Shilpa Shetty was very impressive in the action sequences. She also did extremely well in the film Tarqueb. It was a suspense thriller where Nana Patekar unearthed the murder mystery relating to Tabu. Shilpa Shetty played the role of the friend of Tabu and showed her maturity during the period of interrogation.

Shilpa Shetty was sublime in the film Auzaar, opposite Salman Khan and Sanjay Kapoor. She faced the two actors who provided stylish performance in the action thriller. The music composed by Anu Malik in the film was extraordinary. All the songs in the film became superhit including “I love you” “oye oye oye”, “are baba, are baba”, etc. The biggest challenge of Shilpa Shetty was to transform her to suit the requirements of heroines of action films. Her height and body fitness suited the character played in the film.

Shilpa Shetty even contributed in the films of 2008 when new actresses had entered the arena. For example Shilpa was used in the dance sequence of the film Dostana. The entire film Dostana was shot in Miami beach. The first song of the film “shut up and dance” composed by Vishal Shekhar was picturised on Shilpa Shetty and her appearance in the film at her mid-30s can even surprise Priyanka Chopra who was the main actress of the film.

Shilpa Shetty had become the brand ambassador of the team Rajasthan Royals in the IPL League and she also contributed and sponsored the team partially. She appears in the songs used for promos titled “halla bol” which shows her body fitness in the dance sequence.

She had probably survived the fierce competition in bollywood films for the longest time. Although she did not reach the no. 1 position like Madhuri Dixit or Sri Devi, she had a steady box-office for the last 15 years. The viewers expect her to continue the good work in the years to come.

Bipasha Basu and style statement.

Bipasha Basu and style statement.

Bipasha Basu in the last few years had been considered as the style icon of bollywood films. Initially she started her career with bold performances in films like Ajnabee. She acted in negative character opposite Akshay Kumar, which other actresses would have declined to do in the early part of their career.

She took up the challenge of playing the role of call girls which hardly any actress would have liked to take up. Her performance in the film No Entry involves one of such a kind of role where the character was central one. She had lured Anil Kapoor and Fardeen Khan and that had led to misunderstanding with their wives Lara Dutta and Celina Jaitley, respectively. It was solved at the end of the film by Salman Khan. Bipasha’s stylish lips in the song “no entry” created a different dimension in the film.

She even agreed to sign the film Bacchna Aye Haseeno, opposite Ranbir Kapoor who was much younger than her in age. Upcoming stars like Minisha Lamba and Deepika Padukone also acted in the film, but viewers do agree that Bipasha perhaps had provided the most stylish performance in the film. The song “bachna aye haseeno” became super hit.

Even in 2009 Bipasha acted in the film Aa Dekhen Zara opposite Neil Nitin Mukesh, who was quite junior to her. The film had a lot of action sequences. Although Bipasha’s stylish performance was appreciated but the film did not do reasonable business till now.

With huge success in commercial films Bipasha Basu never hesitated to do refined off-beat films like Madhur Bhandarkar’s Corporate. The stress and strain of the corporate world was shown in the film. Also the stories behind the successful careers of CEOs and entrepreneurs were also presented in the film. Critics agree that perhaps Bipasha gave her best performance in the film Corporate.

She even acted in comedy films like Chor Machaye Shor opposite Bobby Deol. Although the film had similar story like that of Amol Palekar’s Golmaal, Bipasha Basu maintained her style in the serio-comic film. Bobby Deol played two characters together in the film.

Even in crime-thrillers like Race, she maintained her style. She was almost killed by the men of Akshay Khanna and her fear, anxiety and other emotions were expressed with style. Her combination with Saif Ali Khan was as powerful as Akshay Khanna’s performance opposite Katrina Kaif in the film.

Bipasha Basu should maintain her stylish andaz in the following films as that is a type of performance which is inherent in her and suits her dialogue delivery and other mannerisms. Viewers expect her to continue the good work in the years to come.

Reema Sen in Golmaal and Phir Hera Pheri.

Reema Sen in Golmaal and Phir Hera Pheri.

Comedy films in the last few years have allowed the unsuccessful actresses to get recognition through the group effort. Golmaal was one of the hit films where Reema Sen got a scope of performing opposite Ajay Devgan, Tushar Kapoor, Arshad Warsi and others.

Tushar Kapoor played the role of a dumb character who could not express himself. All the four friends took shelter in Paresh Rawal’s house as he was blind and thought them to be their grandson. Reema Sen was their neighbor and was liked by the all the four friends. She initially showed irritation about the actors but later one got impressed with their skills.

Each of the friends including Ajay Devgan, Arshad Warsi, hatched up plans to impress Riya Sen in one way or the other sometimes by winning racing car competition or dancing competition, etc. At the end of the film Reema Sen married Tushar Kapoor to everyone’s surprise. The songs “golmaal” became successful.

Reema Sen got a witty role in the film Phir Hera Pheri. She had an affair with Akshay Kumar and got involved in the hera pheri to return the money to be given to the underworld gang. Sunil Shetty got involved with Bipasha Basu, who played the role of a fraud character who promised to get the money of private persons being doubled, and ran away with the money to pay the debts of few wrongdoers.

Reema Sen and Bipasha Basu played a key role when all the characters in the film assembled in a circus to get the diamonds hidden in the place. All the actors including Milind Gunaji, Paresh Rawal, Johnny Lever, etc., did a great job in the circus scene. The acrobatic acts in the circus done by Akshay Kumar and Sunil Shetty entertained the viewers and the film ended up being successful.

Both the films Golmaal and Phir Hera Pheri had impressed the viewers to such an extent that the sequels of the films are under production at the moment. Reema Sen probably got the greatest success in those films (which were related to group effort), but her actual test lies in the films where she can act independently.

The viewers expect Reema Sen to show her unique style in new films to create her separate identity and contribute well in bollywood films.

Chabi Biswas was considered the greatest actor by Satyajit Ray.

Chabi Biswas was considered the greatest actor by Satyajit Ray.

Satyajit Ray, the Oscar winning director of Indian films considered Chabi Biswas as the greatest actor ever to have been born in Asian soil. Ray brought the neo-realistic movement in Indian films and whenever he made a statement about an actor that statement used to be considered the verdict of Supreme Court judge. In that perspective Ray’s comments about Chabi Biswas in Shamik Banerjee’s interview had justified the fact that Chabi Biswas was the only actor in Indian cinema whose improvisation in a Satyajit Ray film had flabbergasted international audience of US, Canada, France, Germany, etc.

Satyajit Ray was known as the greatest perfectionist of his age. His script had each and every dimension relating to the work of the actors and actresses and there was hardly any scope of improvisation. But Chabi Biswas was such a great actor who could hardly be directed, nor guided, as his own innovation relating to the respective role that he played was brilliant by every acting standard. Ray had cast Chabi Biswas in three films Jalsaghar, Debi and Kanchenjungha, and due to his tragic death in 1962, Ray never got the scope of experimenting with the legendary actor in his following films.

In Jalsaghar, the character Biswambhar Roy could not have been portrayed by any other actor better than Chabi Biswas. It was based on the epic literature of Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, where Ray showed his brilliance in the depiction of Feudal System during Colonial period in Bengal. For Chabi Biswas, aristocracy got predominance in his life as a zamindar, and that dignity, personality, honour could not be sacrificed during his lifetime. As long as Chabi Biswas’s wealth matched with his aristocracy, the zamindar compromised with other aspects of life, but when the upcoming wealthy people in the village like Gangapodo Basu, by becoming rich through business, tried to equate themselves with the dignified landlord, they faced the tassles.

Ray admitted, the scene where Chabi Biswas brought baijee (classical singer) from Benaras to perform in his house and Gangapodo Basu tried to give her reward and Chabi Biswas prevented him, the diction, the aristocracy and dignity could only be portrayed by Chabi Biswas. He said a performer can be first rewarded by the host who called her, not the invitee. The scene where Chabi Biswas was told that due to lack of duty paid by the farmers, there was no money to light the jharlonthon, Chabi Biswas went upstairs and showed the photographs of his ancestors whose sacred legacy he carried forward, and that was the scene which shook international audience. Ray once said, had Chabi Biswas been born in US, he would have received Oscar award for his performance in Jalsaghar.

Chabi Biswas’s performance in the film Debi, based on the epic literature of Prabhat Mukhopadhay, was unparallel. He almost got the illusion of seeing Goddess Kali in Sharmila Tagore, who was his sister-in-law. The expression for the belief which was based on devotion to God, was very complex, which could be only played by Chabi Biswas. Ray admitted, that had Chabi Biswas not been there, he would not have made the film at all.

In respect of roles having dignified presence, Chabi Biswas could not be replaced. The best example was Kanchenjungha. There Chabi Biswas was a rich industrialist. He could not equate others with himself as he had money, power, recognition in society. But Ray experimented with the abstract subject of the greatness of Kanchenjungha creating an impact in the minds of all the passersby including an egoist of the stature of Chabi Biswas. That was the reason when Chabi Biswas called the name of his friend Banerjee, the film ended with the realizationof the greatness of the Himalayas.

All the films of Satyajit Ray where he exploited the majestic performance of all time great actor Chabi Biswas should be restored and preserved. Lessons of acting and film making cannot be learned in a better manner than observing the great works of the two giants together.

Remembering Satyajit Ray on 2nd May, 2009.

Remembering Satyajit Ray on 2nd May, 2009.

Viewers of international films all across the world remember Oscar Winning Director Satyajit Ray on 2nd May, 2009. Ray was born on 2nd May, 1921, and critics feel it was the birth of legend of legends and probably one of the greatest talents the world has ever produced after Rabindranath Tagore. Ray showed his excellence in every different of film making including script writing, costumes, music direction, costume designing, etc.

My father, Chitta Ranjan Chatterji, Ex-Chief Public Prosecutor, Bankshall Court, North, Calcutta, represented Sandip Ray, the son of Satyajit Ray, in a case relating to recovery of manuscripts from Uday Acharya, the brother of Nirmal Acharya, a renowned critic. When the manuscripts of Ray’s films were seized from Udai Acharya’s house and opened from sealed trunk it was seen that they were pictographic in nature. Script of the film Pather Panchali, Gonoshotru had illustrations at every part which showed the secret of Ray’s brilliant characterization in films.

Probably some of the actors and actresses in Ray’s films rose to stardom through the images portrayed by Ray. Chabi Biswas mesmerized the film lovers with his dignified performance in the role of Bishambhar Roy in the film Jalsaghar. Charu Prakash Ghosh was unparallel in the role of Birinchibaba in the film Kapurush Mahapurush. Anil Chatterji was unparallel in the role of Post Master in the film Teen Kanya. Utpal Dutt gave his performance for his life in the character Maganlal Meghraj in the film Joy Baba Felunath.

Similarly Om Puri and Smita Patil were sublime in their roles in the film Sadgati. Sanjeev Kumar entered the skin of the character played in the film Shatranj Ki Khiladi. Uttam Kumar could not have been replaced by any other actor in the film Nayak. Karuna Banerjee had made the role of mother of Apu immortal in the film Pather Panchali. Sharmila Tagore was outstanding in the film Debi. Tapen Chatterji and Robi Ghosh are still remembered by filmlovers through their character Goopi Bagha.

All the Indian directors like Shyam Benegal, Adoor Gopalakrishnan ,had agreed that they learnt the art of story-telling from Ray’ films. Even the theme music of the legendary director had moved the directors all across the world. Audrey Hepburn, the Oscar winning actress while awarding the Oscar award for lifetime contribution of Ray, said in her speech that Ray’s direction had the soul of Apu in the Apu Trilogy march out from the village of West Bengal and explored India and expressed the struggle for existence of every middle-class individual of the country.

Whenever classic literature of novelists and writers were used in films, Ray created his own dimension in those films, including the standard of excellence in the films Charulata and Ghare Baire which were based on the epic literature of Tagore. Films made by Ray from his own literature like Sonar Kella, Joy Baba Felunath, Agantuk, etc., were equally brilliant.

The films of Ray should be preserved to disseminate the art of script writing, costume designing, theme music, camera work, neat direction, etc.

Uttam Kumar and Arundhuti Debi.

Uttam Kumar and Arundhuti Debi.
Uttam Kumar in the 50s and 60s acted opposite different actresses, some who were beautiful, like Sumitra Debi, Suchitra Sen, Sharmila Tagore, etc., while others who had wide ranging acting conceptions like Manju Dey, Sabitri Chatterji and others. Arundhuti Debi was one of the highly educated characters whose qualifications were expressed in the characters she had played in a long career spanning over 25 years.

With Uttam Kumar Arundhuti Debi acted in approximately 8 films including Bokul, Shiulibari, Jhinder Bandi, Jotugriha, Nabajanma, Manmayi Girls School, Pushpodhonu and Bicharak. While in Bicharak, she expressed the feelings of a confused sister whose elder sister was married to Uttam Kumar. Uttam Kumar was attracted to Arundhuti Debi and when fire broke out in the house and his first wife Deepti Ray required his help, he declined to help her and allowed her to die. A similar type of case was adjudicated by Uttam Kumar when he was a judge, when Chabi Biswas, the Public Prosecutor talked about the liability of the accused who could have saved the life of his brother, but he did not do so. Uttam Kumar was asked by Arundhuti Debi to examine his own conscience about his liability towards Deepti Roy in Prabhat Mukherjee’s classic film.

Arundhuti Debi and Uttam Kumar showed their comedy conception in the film Manmayi Girl’s School, where they had to pretend to be spouses, because their landlord rented his house to them only on the condition of marriage. But their playacting resulted in an affair with one another. In Pushpadhanu, Arundhuti Debi brought up her husband’s child after he deserted her and got attached with Uttam Kumar who understood the feelings of an established dancer who got recognition but was a loner.

Jhinder Bandi was made with the historical touch of Prisoner of Zenda and Tapan Sinha astonished the viewers with his treatment in the Indian context. The royal style of living of Rajputs was well demonstrated by both Uttam Kumar and Arundhuti Debi. Shiulibari was directed by Pijus Bose, who utilized the talent of Uttam Kumar and Arundhuti in a story based on the life of villagers of West Bengal.

Jotugriha, directed by Tapan Sinha, was probably the most successful film of Uttam Kumar and Arundhuti Debi. In that film lack of begetting a child led to disharmony of the married couple. Both Uttam Kumar and Arundhuti Debi got separated and even after separation never lost the respect of each other. The story ends with both the spouses travelling in to trains which crossed each other. The level of performance of both Uttam Kumar and Arundhuti Debi, was such that there were no Indian actor or actress who could match the standard of performance.

Uttam Kumar was the greatest superstar of Bengali cinema and became one-man industry in the 70s. Critics argue that no Indian star other than Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor had the individual charishma which Uttam Kumar had and if his Hindi films clicked he could have created serious competition for the stars of 60s. But Arundhuti Debi’s films with Uttam Kumar were so rich in literature, script and performance that critics argue that the combination addressed the concerns of intellectual audience of the country more than any other combination. The films should be restored for their aesthetic value.

New actresses had not created impact in bollywood films.

New actresses had not created impact in bollywood films.

New actresses like Koena Mitra, Reema Sen, Riya Sen, Ayesha Takia, Payal Rohatgi and other actresses who had contributed in bollywood films in the last few years had not created any serious impact in the minds of viewers. They had got partial success in the some of the films but had not affected the popularity of frontline actresses like Katrina Kaif, Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta, etc.

Koena Mitra’s only successful film, include Apna Sapna Money Money, opposite Hritesh Deshmukh. The film was serio-comic in nature and the credit for the success goes to the effort of other actors like Anupam Kher, Chunkey Pandey and others. The song “dekha jo tujhe yaar” became super hit. Riya Sen’s successful film also includes Apna Sapna Money Money, Heroes, etc., where she got major roles. She cannot boast about any serious role which had created any long term impact in the minds of viewers.

Payal Rohatgi’s only successful film includes 36 China Town, opposite Paresh Rawal, where the credit for the success of the film goes to mainly Akshay Khanna, Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor. The song “aa ashiqi hai teri” became hit, but the film was a suspense thriller where Payal Rohatgi’s contribution was nothing better than a side actress. Both the Reema Sens are known for one or two films like Malamaal Weekly or Phir Hera Pheri. In Malamaal Weekly Reema Sen acted opposite Ritesh Deshmukh while in Phir Hera Pheri, the other Reema Sen acted opposite Akshay Kumar. Although these films were successful, the result was the combined effort of other stalwart actors.

The only actress in this list whose career went in some direction include Ayesha Takia. Although her successful films like Salaam-e-ishq were related to group effort, and this year’s film 8*10 Tasveer got critical acclamation, viewers accepted the fact that she had acting potentiality which if exploited could lead to success in future. The songs of Salaam-e-ishq were extremely successful including “teri ankhoki matwali kajal ko mera salaam”, “ya rabba de de koi jaan bhi agar”, became landmark hits, and the image of Ayesha Takia was transformed with the performance in the film.

All these actresses had miserably failed to fill up the vacuum created by the aging of successful actresses like Vidya Balan, Sushmita Sen, Aishwarya Rai, Preeti Zinta, etc. Bollywood directors and producers have to still rely on the older actresses as they themselves know that these new actresses had hardly created any impact in the minds of the viewers.

Future of Preeti Zinta in bollywood films.

Future of Preeti Zinta in bollywood films.

These days Preeti Zinta is seen more frequently during IPL matches involving Kings Eleven Punjab. As she has invested her money in the team and the team under the captainship of Yuvraj Singh ranked within the first 4 teams in the IPL last years, the viewers have lot of hope in the team. Preeti Zinta is seen cheering her team nearly in all the matches played in South Africa.

The question that comes in the minds of viewers of bollywood films is that is there any future of Preeti Zinta in bollywood films? Her age and the success of upcoming stars like Katrina Kaif and Priyanka Chopra create eyebrows in the faces of most of her fans. This year she had acted in a challenging role in Deepa Mehta’s film Videsh which was made in the background of the life of Indians in Canada. Although her performance was extraordinary and the film is destined to win a number of awards just like any other film of Deepa Mehta, the film cannot determine the destiny of Preeti Zinta in bollywood films, as such type of films are seen by mainly intellectual audience.

If her success in bollywood films is examined, it will be seen that the films related to Australia had always stormed bollywood. Her first film Soldier opposite Bobby Deol became superhit. She was sublime in Farhan Akhtar’s super hit film Dil Chahta Hai, where again her romance with Amir Khan in the film was associated with Australia. Her super hit film Salaam Namaste with Saif Ali Khan was based in Australia. Even Rakesh Roshan’s mega project Koi Mil Gaya was also based in Australia and Preeti Zinta’s career was given new turn along with Hrithik Roshan.

Besides earlier her acceptance of any role was backed her age and popularity amongst viewers. Her film Kya Kehna was accepted by the viewers, her role in Kabhi Alvida Ne Kehna opposite Shahrukh Khan was also accepted. She was sublime in Salman Khan’s film Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega, etc. , where Rani Mukherjee also played major part. Even last year her performance in the film The Heroes opposite Salman Khan was appreciated by the viewers. Her record in bollywood films show that she had achieved name, recognition and identity in bollywood films.

The test of popularity is under scanner as the new actresses had created fierce competition in the recent years. Besides, the role of smart tall models like the ones played by Priyanka Chopra in Dostana or Katrina Kaif in Race or Lara Dutta in Partner cannot suit Preeti Zinta. From the time she acted in the film Jhoom Barabar Jhoom her fortune started going in the other direction.

Viewers expect her to face the odds and still make valuable contribution in bollywood films as there is no doubt that she is still beautiful, fare, talented and crowdpuller.