Sunday, January 31, 2010

Ishqiya will do good business.


Ishqiya will do good business.

Director Abhishek Chaubey had taken a risk in respect of directing a film involving three crooks. Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi had duped another crook. They had to leave the site and go and take shelter in some other person’s house.

They went and stayed in the house of a widow played by Vidya Balan. While staying with Vidya Balan, both Naseer and Arshad tried to impress her. The characteristics of Naseer and Arshad were not the same.

Naseeruddin Shah coloured his beard black to hide his age. But in terms of addressing his rivals, he never believed in surrendering before them if required. He was very straight forward and hardly compromised in situations which warranted such action. Arshad Warsi on the other hand used his wit to deal with situations.

Both had got impressed with Vidya Balan. Arshad Warsi and Naseeruddin Shah tried to create an impression before her in their own way. Both were rustic characters, so there was no show of decency from either of them. But Vidya Balan also understood their feelings.

Later on both realized that Vidya Balan was also a crook. The shooting done in the backdrop of Uttar Pradesh require special mention. The performances of Naseeruddin Shah, Vidya Balan and Arshad Warsi were excellent. From the last Vidya Balan had matured into a very powerful character actress. She left from where she ended in Paa. The music of Vishal Bharadwaj was equally impressive.

The film has all the elements required for impressing the crowds. If a good film like A Wednesday was appreciated by the audience, there is no reason why Ishqiya should not do well. The viewers should watch the film.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Happy birthday to Urmila Matondkar.




Happy birthday to Urmila Matondkar.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy to Urmila Matondkar, one of the style icons of bollywood industry on 4th February, 2010. She had entertained the viewers over the last 15 years with her variety of performances.

She has been one of the main contributors of Ram Gopal Verma’s films. Most of his films had been related to supernatural power and horror subject matters. Urmila Matondkar had given spirited performances in those films and amused the viewers. Her performance in the film Bhoot meaning ghost requires special mention. She was tortured and ill-treated by a person and after the death of the soul, the unsatisfied spirits entered Urmila’s body and disclosed the truth relating to the sad event to the people at large. The horror, fear, anxiety, etc., were expressed by Urmila in style. The role was difficult to perform and Urmila did it in style.

Her comedy performance in films like Daud opposite Sanjay Dutt was also appreciated. The film was related to stealing of property and the chase relating to them by Paresh Rawal and his men. Apparently there was hardly any action but serious comedy all along the film where Urmila Matondkar and Sanjay Dutt complimented each other.

Urmila Matondkar acted in different types films. Films like Pinjar were made for the interest of serious viewers. While films like Rangeela addressed the common crowd. Urmila Matondkar exhibited her stylish andaz in the film opposite stalwarts like Amir Khan and Jackie Shroff. It was a superhit film and made Urmila Matondkar a leading star of bollywood.

Even in films where Urmila Matondkar had acted with ordinary make up, the story and her performance impressed the viewers. Films like Jungle being made with the background of Verappan’s jungle expeditions were admired by different sections of the viewers. Even her performance in the film Tehzeeb along with Shabana Azmi attracted the attention of intellectual audience. She had an abnormal sister and both Shabana Azmi and she herself treated her with care.

She received filmfare critics award for best actress in 2004 for her superlative performance in the film Bhoot. She also received starscreen award and Zee-cine awards for her powerful performance in Bhoot in 2004.

She also had done impressive item numbers in films like China Gate, Lajja, Ram Gopal Verma Ki Aag, etc. In 2008 she played the challenging role in the film Karz, opposite Himesh Reshammiya, the same role which was played by Simi Garewal in Rishi Kapoor’s Karz. Although the film could not rise up to the expectation if compared with Subhash Ghai’s Karz, even then Urmila’s performance was appreciated. She did a great job in the film Judaai with Anil Kapoor and Sri Devi in the past.

The viewers expect her to continue the good work that she started from her childhood in films like Masoom, and contribute in bollywood films in future.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Happy birthday to Wahida Rehman.




Happy birthday to Wahida Rehman.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to legendary actress Wahida Rehman on 3rd February, 2010. She had played a marathon innings in bollywood films right from the 50s till today.

In the mid-50s, she cemented her position in bollywood films after giving hits after hits in Guru Dutt’s films. In CID, which was produced by Guru Dutt, she played the role of a seductive character who ultimately led to unfolding of truth relating to murder mystery. She acted opposite Dev Anand and balanced him with her powerful performance. In Pyasa, she played the role of a tawaif who gave shelter to Guru Dutt, an eminent poet in the film. The legendary pair was created in that film and songs like “jane kya” sung Geeta Dutt, “yeh mahalon yeh takhton” sung Rafi became evergreen hits.

Although Kagaz Ka Phool did not do well in the box-office, both Guru Dutt and Wahida Rehman received critical acclamation for their powerful performances in the film. Again hit songs like “waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam” sung by Geeta Dutt and “bichar gaya bari bari” sung by Rafi and composed by SD Burman became landmark songs of the period.

Chaudavi Ka Chaand, marked the most successful film depicting the romantic association of Wahida Rehman and Guru Dutt. Rafi’s song “chaudavi ka chaand” composed by Ravi was dedicated towards Wahida Rehman. The muslim pardanashin community was well depicted by Wahida Rehman in the film. She again did well in the film Saheb Bibi Aur Ghulam opposite Meena Kumari and Guru Dutt. It was an adaptation of Uttam Kumar’s legendary Bengali film Saheb Bibi Ghulam directed by Karthik Chatterji. Wahida Rehman played the role of Jaba, which was played by Anubha Gupta in the Bengali film Saheb Bibi Ghulam.

All time great director Satyajit Ray experimented with Wahida Rehman in the role of a rural woman in the film Abhijan in the early 60s. Wahida Rehman’s broken Bengali having hindi accent attracted the attention of the intellectual viewers. In the 60s she transformed herself into a glamorous heroine.

Her second innings included hit films opposite Raj Kapoor like Ek Dil Sau Afsana, Teesri Kasam, superhit films opposite Dev Anand like Guide, Prem Pujari, and everlasting films opposite Dilip Kumar like Ram Aur Shyam, Aadmi, Dil Diya Dard Liya, to name a few. In Teesri Kasam, Wahida Rehman played the role of nautanki dancer who was attached to a cart driver played by Raj Kapoor.

The songs in these films composed by Shankar Jaikishan, Naushad, SD Burman, etc. created history. The hit songs of Teesri Kasam included “o aa aa bhi jha”, “paan khai saiya”, “mare gaye gulfam”, the hit songs of Guide included “piya tose naina lagere”, “aaj phir jeene ki tamanna hai”, the hit songs of Ram Aur Shyam included “aaye hai barahen meete zulmon sitam. Wahida Rehman’s dancing skills were also exhibited in these films.

She was even sublime in films like Mujhe Jeene Do, Reshma Aur Shera, opposite Sunil Dutt, Bees Saal Baad and Kohra, opposite Biswajeet, Neel Kamal opposite Raj Kumar, Dharti opposite Rajender Kumar, Patthar Ke Sanam opposite Manoj Kumar, to name a few.

Articles after articles can be devoted to the legendary actress who had same box-office popularity like that of legendary star Meena Kumari and Madhubala. Directors like Asit Sen experimented with her in the film Khamoshi, Gulzar experimented with her in the film Namkeen, Yash Chopra experimented with her in the film Kabhi Kabhi.

Viewers had seen her character acting in films like Mashal opposite Dilip Kumar in the 80s to Dilli 6, that was released in 2009. Increase in age had increased her variety of performance and she has been growing old gracefully. The viewers expect her to continue the monumental performances that she had been giving for the last 60 years. Viewers pay respect and regard to the living legend.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Dhananjoy Bhattacharya remained unwept unsung.


Dhananjoy Bhattacharya remained unwept unsung.

Dhananjoy Bhattacharya was one of the classic-best singers of the 50s and the 60s. He was used by most of the leading composers of Bengali films, like Salil Choudhury, Anil Bagchi, Robin Chatterji and other stalwarts.

Dhananjoy Bhattacharya sang the sung “jhir jhir jhir jhir jhir jhir borosa, hay kigo horosha” in the film Pasher Bari. Later the film Pasher Bari was remade in hindi with the name Parosan where Mehmood and Kishore Kumar played cameos. Dhananjoy Bhattacharya also acted in the film Pasher Bari in the role which was later played by Kishore Kumar in Parosan.

Raichand Boral used Dhananjoy Bhattacharya in the film Nilachale Mahaprabhu based on the life of Chaitanya Deb. His song “hari haraye nomokrishna” and “jagannath jagathbandhu” was as brilliant as Manobendra Mukherjee’s “jagannath jagatbandhu”. Anil Bagchi used him in the film Rani Rashmoni in the song “gaya ganga”.

Dhananjoy Bhattacharya continued his dream run with the song “kataro agathe chino paye rakta jhare” in Uttam Kumar’s film Sabar Upare and “bondhure” in Uttam Kumar’s Shilpi which were composed by Robin Chatterji. Shyamal Mitra used Dhananjoy in Uttam Kumar’s film Bhranti Bilas in the song “ahalya”. From the 60s and 70s he devoted time in singing shyamasangeet, the songs for Goddess Kali.

His modern songs in Bengali were sensation by every musical standard. His classically oriented songs and western songs like “jhanana jhanana baje” composed by Salil Choudhury, ““matite jonmo nilam” composed by Prabir Mojumdar, “kabir kheyale premomoy tumi samrat shahjahan” composed by himself, “ogo suchorita” composed by Sudhin Dasgupta, “ei jhir jhir jhir batashe” composed by Sudhin Dasgupta, “ruma jhuma jhum” composed by Rotu Mukherjee, “antabihin oi andharater” composed by Salil Choudhury, “shilpi moner bedona”, “tandra elo bolo jaagi kemon kore”, “chameli melona ankhi”, “bashorer deep aaj”, “Jodi bhule jao more”, to name a few.

He also sang the Bengali version of the song “ayega anewala” sung by Lata in the film Mahal, composed by Khemchand Prakash with the Bengali title “sono go”. He was indispensable figure both in films as well as Bengali modern songs. His songs in Uttam Kumar’s film Nabajanma, religious film Sadhok Bamakhepa, Jotomoth Tatapath require special mention.

Inspite of having huge classical gharana and control, he had remained an unsung singer. But other than Manna Dey and Manobendra Mukherjee, no other Bengali singer had the range and variety of singing like Dhanonjoy Bhattacharya. His songs and films should be preserved.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Rafi and Roshan created history with melody in 60s.




Rafi and Roshan created history with melody in 60s.

Roshan Lal Nagrath, better known as Roshan was born in Gujranwala on 14th July, 1917. His lessons from Ustad Allauddin and Sarangi King Bundu Khan transformed himself into regular composer of All India Radio in the 40s.

He started his career as composer in bollywood films with the film Neki Aur Badi in 1949. In the early 50s Mukesh and Talat Mehmood featured in most of the films of Roshan. Some of the hit songs included “khayalon me”, “sun bairi balam” from Bawre Nain, “tare toote duniya dekhe” from Malhar. Although he had success in the films Shisham, Anhonee, Malhar, etc., his immense talent did not get recognition until he used the man with the golden voice Mohammad Rafi.

Roshan stormed bollywood music with brilliant composition in the film Barsaat Ki Raat. The romantic film of Bharat Bhushan and Madhubala did fantastic business. Roshan’s brilliant use of sarangi was evident in Rafi’s song “zindagi bhar nahi bhulenge woh barsaat ki raat”. The song was sung by Rafi and Lata at different time in the film. Barsaat Ki Raat was also known for the famous qawalli “na to karwaki talash hai” and “yeh ishq ishq hai isqh ihqh” where Rafi and Manna Dey were equally brilliant. Sahir Ludhiyanvi also made brilliant use of words in the songs of the film.

In 1962 Roshan amazed the listeners with the brilliant composition in the film Aarti. Pradeep Kumar, Ashok Kumar and Meena Kumari played the lead roles in the film. The film had every type of song including folk song and ghazals. The song “baar baar mohe kya samjhaye” sung by Rafi and Lata had complete balance of melody and rhythm. The slow numbers in the film like “ab kya misaal doon mai tumhare shabab ki” sung by Rafi and “aapne yaad dilaaya to mujhe yaad aya” sung by Rafi and Lata can be considered to be some of the best ghazals in the entire 60s. Lata’s song “baharon ki manzil rahi” was equally brilliant.

Roshan used Mukesh and Manna Dey in Raj Kapoor’s film Dil Hi to Hai. The song “laga chunari me daag chupayun kaise” was a fine example of classical excellence in the film where Manna Dey showed his class.

Roshan received filmfare award for the best composer for his landmark creation in Pradeep Kumar’s Taj Mahal. All the songs of the film displayed the royal andaz of songs sung during the mughal period. Pradeep Kumar played the role of Shahjehan and Bina Roy played the role of Mumtaz Mahal. Rafi’s duet with Lata “jo wada kiya hai nibhana parega”, was as outstanding as Rafi’s song “paon chulenedo phoolon ko inaayat hogi”. The use of sarangi require special mention in the song “jo baat tujhme hai teri tasveer me nahi”.

The Rafi Roshan magic continued in the film Chitralekha in 1964. Rafi’s song “man re tu kahe na dhir dhare” is still considered to be one the most landmark bhajans of all times. Roshan was at his best in the film Bheegi Raat. Rafi made the audience stand up on their feet with the song “dil jo na keh saka”. The same song was sung by Lata too in the film. Rafi presented the other ghazal in the film in style titled “jane woh kaun hai kya naam hai in ankhoka”.

The Rafi Roshan combination continued to produce evergreen gems in the films Noorjahan and Bahu Begum. All the songs of Bahu Begum were masterpieces including Rafi’s “hum intezar karenge”, Lata’s “duniya kare sawal to hum kya jawab de”, Asha’s “niklete kahan janeke liye”, to mention a few. Roshan Rafi combination was also evident in the film Mamta. Rafi’s song “in baharon me akela na phiro” was as brilliant as “rahe na rahe hum” sung by Lata.

It is not possible to highlight the significance of Rafi Roshan combination of the 60s in a small article. Separate articles can be written on the music of the films Surat Aur Seerat, Dooj Ka Chand, Bedaag, etc. It was very amazing that Roshan had just received only one filmfare award in his illustrious career. The music of Taj Mahal, Bheegi Raat, Barsaat Ki Raat could qualify for national awards in the respective years. Roshan died in 1969 and the royal combination of Rafi and Roshan also ended with it.

The films and the songs require re-examination, restoration and preservation.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Aarti was a musical blockbuster of early 60s.







Aarti was a musical blockbuster of early 60s.

Bollywood films reached its zenith during the 60s. Director Phani Majumdar directed a classic film Aarti in the early 60s with Pradeep Kumar, Ashok Kumar and Meena Kumari.

Meena Kumari and Ashok Kumar became doctors together. Ashok Kumar went abroad for further studies and after return opened a clinic in West Bengal. Pradip Kumar saved Meena Kumari when she fell in a river in West Bengal while going to a relief camp after a natural calamity. From that time Meena Kumari was impressed with Pradeep Kumar.

Meena Kumari married Pradeep Kumar even after knowing that she had to live in a joint family along with Pradeep Kumar’s father played by Jagirdar and brother played by Ramesh Deo. Ashok Kumar wanted to marry Meena Kumari but due to disinclination showed by Meena Kumari the relationship did not mature.

At the end of the film Pradip Kumar met with a serious accident and required operation. Ashok Kumar was the only competent surgeon in the region to do the operation. Meena Kumari inspite of her differences relied on Ashok Kumar. Ashok Kumar had the scope of showing negligence and killing Pradeep Kumar. Instead he fulfilled the liabilities and responsibilities of a responsible doctor. As part of consideration she asked Meena Kumari to live happily with Pradeep Kumar and his family.

The most striking feature of the film included its superlative music. Roshan composed the tunes and Majrooh Sultanpuri wrote the lyrics. Rafi’s songs “ab kya missal doon mai tumhari shabab ki”, Rafi Lata’s duets like “baar baar mohe kya samjhaye” and “aapne yaad dilaya to mujhe yaad aya” stormed bollywood in the early 60s. Rafi was at his best and the lyrics were written by Majrooh Sultanpuri.

Pradeep Kumar was known for acting in historic films like Taj Mahal, Anarkali, Anandmath, etc. When he was cast in a social drama, Pradeep Kumar depicted the character of a middleclass Indian very well. He later got a job and showed his submissiveness before Meena Kumari. Meena Kumari was probably the most powerful actress of the classic age, that is the 50s and 60s. She as usual reached the depth of the character. Ashok Kumar was sublime in his individual role. The character artists in the film like Shashi Kala, Rajender Nath, Mehmood played their role in style. The film did great business. The film should be restored for its superlative music and powerful performances of the artists in the film.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Films like Dosti were path-breakers in Indian film history.


Films like Dosti were path-breakers in Indian Film History.

Bollywood films had been known for the entertainment they had provided over the years. Entertainment had compelled the producers and directors to make formula films where there was equal share of romance, comedy and action. There were other directors who believed in making films out of classic literature.

Satyen Bose, the director of Dosti experimented with the literature of Nihar Ranjan Gupta who wrote the story for the Bengali film Lalu Bhulu, the story of a blind and a handicapped boy. Sudhir Kumar and Sushil Kumar, were the two artists who played the role of the blind and handicapped boys. In this film the blind boy had an elder sister who declined to identify him. The sister worked as nurse.

Both the boys used to come to meet a small girl played by Baby Farida. Sanjay Khan was the elder brother of the small girl who never liked the presence of the two boys. The handicapped boy got admission in a school where Abhi Bhattacharya was the headmaster. Nana Palsekar who was a reputed teacher in the institution got inpressed with the brilliance of the handicapped boy and taught him.

Nana Palsekar took him to his own house for education as the colony where the boy stayed was full of mischievous boys. But his friend Mohan got deprived out of it. He collected money by singing songs in the street and paid the fees for his Board Exam. Hi friend stood first in the exam.

In the film music played a very important role. Laxmikant Pyarellal had composed only in the film Parasmani before Dosti. Dosti was undoubted their best creation. Mohammad Rafi was as brilliant as ever. The lyrics of Majrooh Sultanpuri made the viewers weep. The songs “janewalo zara”, “rahi manwa dukh ki chinta kyun satati hai”, “chahunga mai tujhe saanz sawere”, “mera to job hi kadam hai” sung by Rafi were milestones in Indian film history. In the Bengali version Lalu Bhulu, Robin Chatterji composed the music, Sailen Ray wrote the lyrics while Manobendra Mukherjee sang the tragic songs “dukho amar shesh kore dao probhu”, “jar hiya akasher”, “ei pran jharona jaglo”, “dukher pothe naamli Jodi”, to name a few. The film had message relating to morality, public policy, etc.

Dosti did brilliant business without any renowned hero like Dilip Kumar or Raj Kumar, a classical dancer like Vaijayantimala. The viewers appreciated classic films in those days and the film was a path-breaker in its true sense of the term.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Happy birthday to Subhash Ghai.


Happy birthday to Subhash Ghai.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Subhash Ghai on 24th January, 2010. Subhash Ghai was considered to be the second showman of bollywood films after Producer Director Raj Kapoor. Subhash Ghai had made different types of films over the last 30 years and in most of the cases the films had appealed to the masses.

His film Karz was based on story of reincarnation of Rishi Kapoor who had been killed by Simi Garewal in his previous life. He identified his mother and sister and unfolded the truth relating to the murder by Simi Garewal. Subhas Ghai was successful to motivate LP to create landmark tunes in the film with Rafi’s song “darde dil” and Kishore’s song “om shanti om” becoming landmark hits in the early 80s. Karz was remade in the recent past with Himesh Reshamiya playing the role of Rishi Kapoor. But the magic of Subhash Ghai’s Karz could not be repeated again.

His film Karma had a subject related to terrorism. Dilip Kumar was the jailor whose family was killed by the terrorist gang led by Anupam Kher. He was imprisoned in the respective jail of Dilip Kumar and took revenge by escaping from the prison and killing his family members. Anupam Kher’s performance opposite Dilip Kumar changed the shape of his career and he became landmark villain in the following years. Dilip Kumar created a force with criminals like Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff and Nasiruddin Shah who were facing imprisonment. They helped him in his fight against terrorism and the mission was successful.

Subhash Ghai’s film Khalnayak was based on the creation of an offender by the evil forces. Sanjay Dutt was compelled to become a criminal and joined the criminal gang. He was arrested by Jackie Shroff and he fled from the prison. Madhuri Dixit the wife of Jackie Shroff helped him to catch Sanjay Dutt at the end of the film.

Subhash Ghai also experimented with legendary actors like Dilip Kumar and Raj Kumar in the film Saudagar. He had the guts to experiment with new actor and actresses and many of them rose to stardom with the start given by Subhash Ghai. Manisha Koirala started her career with Khalnayak and later on became a successful actress of the 90s.

His other successful films include Kalicharan with Shatrughun Sinha, Yadein with Hrithik Roshan, Hero with Jackie Shroff, Taal with Anil Kapoor. Very significantly the music in the films of Subhash Ghai had been extremely successful and LP had played an important role in composing music for his films. Last year Subhash Ghai made Yuvvraaj with Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif and Anil Kapoor. The film did not do great business but the music composed by AR Rehman stole the hearts of the audience. All the songs became super hit including “tu muskura”, “shano shano”, etc. The viewers expect him to continue the good work and create better films in future.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Ayesha Takia has bright future.





Ayesha Takia has bright future.

Actress Ayesha Takia has a very bright future in bollywood films. There are two categories of actresses who perform in bollywood films. The first category includes the daughters of celebrities who make their debut in films made by their parents. Examples include Sonam Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, whose first films had lot of curiousness created in respect of the performance. The second category includes the other actresses who prove their capability by performing in films over a period of time.

Ayesha Takia fall in that category. She was born on 10th April, 1986. Her father Nisith or mother Faridah were not celebrities to the stature of Jeetender, or Feroz Khan or Hema Malini whose children joined bollywood films. Ayesha did advertisement relating to complain girl and acted in music video of Falguni Pathak titled “meri chunari ur ur jaye”. She received the filmfare award for best debutant for the performance in the film Tarzan, The Wonder Car.

After that few average films like Socha Na Tha, Dil Mange Mor followed. She created attention in the film Shaadi No. 1, where Esha Deol and Soha Ali Khan acted with her. All three of them had husbands like Fardeen Khan, Sharman Joshi, etc., who were addicted towards other ladies. Sanjay Dutt came over there and disclosed the truth relating to the affairs of their husbands with other girls like Riya Sen. At the end of the film Ayesha’s husband and the husbands of Esha Deol and Soha Ali Khan understood their mistake and followed the right path.

Ayesha Takia was sublime in the film Salaam-e-Ishq opposite Akshay Khanna. Initially Akshay Khanna did not wanted to marry her for not taking up responsibilities of husband. But later he got convinced and married her. Ayesha gave able lips in the songs “salaam –e-ishq”, “dekho to dekho aisa hota to”, etc. Although the film did mediocre business the songs of the film became super hit. In 2008 and early part of 2009 her films De Taali, Sunday and 8*10 Tasveer did mediocre business.

In 2009, Ayesha Takia acted in super hit film Wanted opposite Salman Khan. Her romantic performance opposite Salman Khan was appreciated by all sections of the crowd. Her softness and submissiveness is liked by different sections of audience. The song “love me love me” became hit in the film. The film did business of more than 75 crore and established Ayesha Takia as a leading actress along with Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor and Katrina Kaif.

The viewers expect her to continue the good work in films like Paathshala and Aap Ke Liye Hum.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Happy birthday to Ramesh Sippy


Happy birthday to Ramesh Sippy.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Ramesh Sippy on 23rd January, 2010. He had been a trend setter in the history of action films in India and was followed by majority of directors of the contemporary period.

Being the relative of GP Sippy, he was associated with hit films from the early part of 70s. The film Andaz with Shammi Kapoor and Hema Malini became a musical blockbuster due to the brilliant tunes created for the film. Shankar Jaikishan composed music of the film and the major songs for the film sung by Rafi like “hai na bolo bolo”, “re mamma re mamma”, “dil use do jo jaan de de” became super hit. Seeta Aur Geeta was another super hit film released in 1972. Hema Malini in a double role was as brilliant as Dharmender and Sanjeev Kumar in their respective roles.

In 1975, Ramesh Sippy made the film of his life, which became the most popular entertainer in the entire millennium. The film was related to the dominance of dacoits in the north and central Indian villages. Amzad Khan in the role of Gabbar Singh gave the best performance of his career in the role of the leader of the dacoits. Sanjeev Kumar showed astounding personality in the role of a thakur of the village who lost his two hands and his entire family in his fight against the dacoits. Amitabh Bacchan and Dharmender being two thieves fought against the dacoits and freed the village from their menace. Ramesh Sippy’s casting in the film including heroines like Hema Malini and Jaya Bacchan, comedians like Asrani, Jagdeep was brilliant. The music of RD Burman mesmerized the viewers with songs like “jab tak hai jaan”, “mehbooba mehbooba”, “holi ke din”, etc.

Ramesh Sippy continued his brilliance in another action film Shaan in 1980. Big B, Shashi Kapoor, Shatrughun Sinha, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Majhar Khan all were their best in the film. The scene where Sunil Dutt as chased by dogs in the films, was extraordinary and the viewers could not distinguish whether they were seeing Hollywood films or bollywood films. Vindya Goswami and Parveen Babi were at their best in the respective romantic roles. The music of RD Burman was brilliant with hit songs of Rafi, Kishore like “janu meri jaan” and Asha like “pyar karne wale”, to name a few.

Ramesh Sippy was unparallel in the film Shakti, where Dilip Kumar’s personality in the role of honest police officer had outcast angry young man Amitabh Bacchan who played the role of his son and a smuggler in the film. Rakhee played the role of the wife of Dilip Kumar and balanced the two personalities in the film. Amrish Puri played the role of notorious smuggler who was eventually killed by Big B. The film became super hit in the early 80s.

Ramesh Sippy was equally evergreen in romantic films like Saagar. He balanced the romantic performance of Rishi Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia and Kamal Hassan in the same film. It is not possible to highlight the achievements of giant director like Ramesh Sippy in a small article considering his success even in the early 90s in films like Akela.

For more than 20 years he was the path-breaker in action films and his films should be preserved and restored to teach the art of film making for the upcoming directors.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Salman Khan will storm bollywood with Veer.


Salman Khan will storm bollywood with Veer.

Salman Khan once again will make his presence felt in bollywood films as a superstar with his brilliant performance in the film Veer. Salman Khan had written the story for the film based on the British rule in India in 1875.

Previously Anil Sharma directed Gadar: Ek Prem Katha and created history in making period films. Salman Khan had devoted lot of time in performing in this film. The film has the same amount of pomp and grandeur like Hollywood films namely Gladiotor, Troy or Braveheart. Salman Khan played the role of a warrior of India in the late 1870s.

India was under the colonial rule at that time and the British Government tried their level best to maintain their imperialistic rule in every part of the country. Considerable part of the film had been shot in Rajasthan, especially Jodhpur. Part of the film was also shot in Buckingham Palace in London.

Mithun Chakravarty played the role of Prithvi Singh, the father of Salman Khan in the film. Salman Khan fello in love with Princess Yashodhara played by new actress Zarine Khan. Zarine Khan had made her film debut in the film and had similarity with Katrina Kaif. Salman Khan fought a lot to win Zarine Khan in the film.

Sohail Khan played the role of the brother of Salman Khan and also showed brave action stunts in the film. Jackie Shroff played the role of the father of Zarine Khan. Other character artists like Neena Gupta, Puru Raj Kumar did a great job in the film. The music of the film had been composed by Sajid Wajid. The music had been very impressive.

In the last year bollywood had seen super hit films like The Three Idiots, Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani. Veer has the materials to impress the viewers and end up being a blockbuster. The audience should see the film.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Ranbir Kapoor must have been daring enough to accept te role of Rocket Singh.


Ranbir Kapoor must have been daring enough to accept the role in Rocket Singh.

Ranbir Kapoor must have been very daring enough to accept the role of Rocket Singh. In 2010 he started off with hit films like Wake Up Sid and Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani. After that he signed such a serious film, which had very limited audience. Simith Amin had created attention in bollywood films with his brilliant effort in the film Chak De India, which was released few years back. Viewers commented that Shahrukh Khan did not take that amount of make up and with realistic performance he had given his best.

This time Simith Amin had come up with a similar sort of realistic film with Ranbir Kapoor in the lead role. In the poster also only Ranbir Kapoor is featured with the title, Rocket Singh – Salesman of the year. In the film Ranbir Kapoor was a graduate who got a job in sales.

He joined office in a company related to computer sales and service. He had one target in mind. That was to become the salesman of the year. He was too honest and for those reasons his superior officer considered him a failure. Even his colleages were rude towards him. Manish Choudhury played the role of the boss of Ranbir Kapoor and did a great job. He avoided overacting that is generally done in big-budget films.

Gaohar Khan, who played the role of the receptionist in the film, also showed natural performance. Lastly Ranbir Kapoor had shown that if a powerful script is given he can provide natural performance. In the 70s and 80s, in realistic films of Basu Chatterji and Basu Bhattacharya, these roles were played by Sanjeev Kumar, Amol Palekar, Farooq Sheikh and others. Ranbir Kapoor had taken a risk in acting and performing in these types of roles at the moment when the halls were flooded with big budget films like Paa and Kurbaan.

Ranbir Kapoor had been the most profitable face of the year with hit films like Wake Up Sid and Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani, surpassing Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan. And due to his presence, the director and unit of Rocket Singh can dream about success. The viewers will realize the good effort of the director and producer to make a film without romantic heroine, ten to fifteen songs, pomp, hype, etc. and the film will do well.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Happy birthday to Preeti Zinta.




Happy birthday to Preeti Zinta.

The viewers wish happy birthday to Preeti Zinta on 31st January, 2010. Her age and the success of upcoming stars like Katrina Kaif and Priyanka Chopra create eyebrows in the faces of most of her fans. In 2009 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. She also played an item number in Salman Khan’s film Mr. and Mrs. Khanna titled “amen”. But apart from them she had shown her substantial presence in bollywood films.

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. If the age comes in the way, she can look forward to character roles where her immense maturity can make the difference.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Uncommon songs of Manobendra Mukherjee.



Uncommon songs of Manobendra Mukherjee.

Manobendra Mukherjee, the classical best singer of the 50s, 60s and 70s, had left an everlasting treasure of romantic songs during his 50 years of musical career. The songs and compositions had embraced diverse areas in Bengali music including Nazrulgeeti, shyamasangeet, kirtans, Bagbajarer gaan, Ragprodhan, Ragastroyi, adhunik, etc.

If his romantic numbers like “ami eto je tomay bhalobesechi”, “emni kore porbe mone”, “ei bhalo ei bosonto noy” had stormed Bengali audience in the 50s, there were lot of uncommon songs which did not get publicity, which were rich in musical aspects. There are songs which showed Manobendra’s command over Hindustani classical and jugglery with taal and rhythm.

His song “bolo raat, bolo se kothay” could make the audience speechless with the somber mood and romantic presentation. Similarly the song “phulero dolay aji dole shemoray” sung by Manobendra Mukherjee and Shipra Basu had the flavor of conventional classical song. Similarly “nishitha ratero banshi” had shown Manobendra’s stylish presentation.

Similarly Manobendra had sung blank verses like “ei dur neel akash”, where there were hardly any table. The song was related to rhythm of waves of seas. His song “tumi je adhar tai boro bhalobashi”, composed by Himanshu Dutta had the romantic flavor embedded in it. Manobendra Mukherjee gave wider dimension to the romantic creation.

Besides “ei niralay sagoro belay” was based on reserve mood of the singer. His pure classical numbers like “bhule jete tumi bolona” and “tumi ki esecho aji” can make the music lovers enchanted. Manobendra had simplified classical songs in Bengali and persuaded the music lovers to get acquainted with classical harkats. Even his “romyogeeti” sung in All India Radio had variety and versatility.

His songs “bare bare ke jeno dake”, “rimjhim baje monjiro kar”, “ami parini bujhite parini” could make any classical singer proud. Besides, his song “koto je soyechi betha” composed by Chinmoy Lahiri had the flavor of thumri in Bengali. Manobendra had a huge history of singing devotional songs.

Most of his devotional songs including kirtans, shyama sangeet, bhakti geeti, had enriched Bengali film music. Some of them included “jagannath jagatbandhu” composed by Raichand Boral in the film Nilachale Mahaprabhu, songs sung in the film Badhu, composed by Manobendra himself, Joto Mat Toto Path and Sadhok Bamakhepa composed by Manobendra himself.

Independent research can be conducted on the creations of Manobendra Mukherjee including his classical songs and compositions. Many of his uncommon creations were valuable treasures which can motivate the new generation in developing their own music.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

It is very strange that Kurbaan did mediocre business.


It is very strange that Kurbaan did mediocre business.

Amongst the big budget films of 2009, Kurbaan was one of the films which did not do great business. The film had message relating to evil effects of terrorist attacks. Rensil D Silva experimented with Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor in the film Kurbaan. Karan Johar produced the film with the backdrop of terrorism.

In the film Kareena Kapoor who previously lived in US returned to India after her father had cardiac arrest. Kareena Kapoor met with Saif Ali Khan when they were in Delhi University and fell in love with one another.

Kareena got a job in US and took Saif Ali Khan to US. She helped him to work as Professor of Islam in the same University where Kareena Kapoor worked. Kareena Kapoor was contacted by Dia Mirza’s sister who anticipated that she would be killed. She conveyed the message to Dia Mirza, but by that time she was killed. Kareena Kapoor developed intimacy with Dia Mirza, Vivek Oberoi and Nauheed Cyrusi. While Kareena Kapoor was pregnant she heard that Om Puri and others planned to blast the flight in which Dia Mirza was flying.

Kareena Kapoor later found out that Saif Ali Khan was involved in the same terrorist activity in which Om Puri and others were involved. Saif Ali Khan kept Kareena Kapoor under house arrest and threatened her that in case she disclosed anyone about the conspiracy, her father in India would be killed. The flight exploded and everyone in the flight was killed.

Vivek Oberoi joined the terrorist group with the mission of taking revenge against Om Puri, Saif Ali Khan and others. Om Puri preponed the plan of blasting three subway stations in New York. Ultimately Saif Ali Khan sacrificed his life to save Kareena Kapoor and the child in the mother’s womb.

The music composed by Salim Sulaiman was very impressive. The song “shukran allah” sung by Sonu Nigam, Salim Merchant and Shreya Ghoshal became superhit. The other songs like “dua”, “ali maula” all were very impressive.
Just because the viewers had discarded action films in the recent past, the film did not do great business. Otherwise the performance of Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Om Puri and Vivek Oberoi were excellent. The director had taken pains to shoot in underground metro stations and did innovative work while showing the blasts. The effort did not get the reward that it deserved. The viewers should watch the film to understand the negative effects of vengeance in the name of zihad. Nothing is achieved excepting killing innocent persons who have nothing to do with the policies of 1st world countries.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Happy birthday to Namrata Shirodkar.


Happy birthday to Namrata Shirodkar.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Namrata Shirodkar, one of the successful actresses of 90s, on 22nd January, 2010. She was the sister of successful star Shilpa Shirodkar and also a colourful personality. She showed her skills in the fashion world as well.

She did extremely well in Raj Kumar Santoshi’s film Pukar, opposite Anil Kapoor. She played the role of the daughter of a military major and interacted with Anil Kapoor. Anil Kapoor wanted to marry her, but her mother played by Rohini Hattangiri, was not interested as she got sick with the life military personnel.

Madhuri Dixit was a friend of Anil Kapoor, and due to jealousy with Namrata Shirodkar, she hatched a plan of disgracing Anil Kapoor. A false case was filed against him and he was thrown out from the armed forces. Namrata also left for accomplishing her career as a model and Anil Kapoor had to struggle to prove himself to be innocent.

The film took a turn in the second half as Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit worked together to prevent a terrorist attack from Danny and his men. Anil Kapoor received national award for his impressive performance in Pukar. Namrata’s performance was well appreciated.

Namrata Shirodkar was sublime in her role in the film Aghaaz. Sunil Shetty came to the city of Mumbai for education of her sister. But as Sunil Shetty did not fulfill the demands of the underworld group in the film, his sister was raped. Sunil Shetty filed a suit against all the members of the housing complex to make them aware of their responsibilities. All of them had scene the incident yet due to fear none of them raised any hue or cry.

Namrata Shirodkar helped Sunil Shetty a lot in understanding the nature of people in Mumbai who were professionals and not as simple as rural people. Her friendship with Sunil Shetty was depicted well in the film. She even played a significant role in getting his sister admitted in a college in the neighbouring area. Sunil Shetty united the local people in their fight against the demands of the underworld and killed the suspected culprits.

Namrata did her best in the film Vastav, opposite Sanjay Dutt. It was film totally based on the underworld people in Mumbai. Sanjay Dutt, who was a law-abiding citizen, killed one of the underworld person and from that time went on killing the other mafias and became an underworld don. But he also faced the agonies of living a life full of fear against the police. Namrata Shirodkar played the role of the wife of Sanjay Dutt in the film. She adjusted herself with the life led by Sanjay Dutt. Sanjay Dutt received filmfare award for his performance in the film.

Namrata Shirodkar left films at a time when she was being given good offers and challenging roles by many bollywood directors and producers. The viewers of bollywood films expect her to make a comeback as it there is requirement of experienced actresses in characters roles in modern films.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Pyar Impossible will hardly attract viewers.


Pyar Impossible will hardly attract viewers.

The film Pyar Impossible will hardly attract viewers. Director Jugal Hansraj had experimented with a very dry subject,

In the film Uday Chopra fell in love with a college girl Priyanka Chopra. Priyanka Chopra was a multi-talented student in the film. During the college days she attracted everyone’s attraction and everyone wanted to impress her. Although Uday Chopra had weakness towards her he could not say it to her.

Seven years later Uday Chopra again enters the life of Priyanka Chopra. The relationship was related to Priyanka Chopra’s relative played by Advika Yadav. By that time Priyanka was working in office under the supervision of Dino Morea. Dino Morea’s conduct was very rude towards everyone.

Uday Chopra’s soft conduct opposite Priyanka Chopra attracted everyone’s attention. Besides Uday Chopra’s attitude of doing everything for Priyanka Chopra was contrast to Dino Morea’s rude conduct.

But besides that the story did not have any twist or turn. The story did not have anything new. The music of the film was also not that catchy. Only the songs “ten on ten” and “pyar impossible” reached the audience.

The only factor in favour of the film was the acting of Priyanka Chopra. Priyanka Chopra just like Katrina Kaif had only given hits after hits in 2008. Priyanka Chopra had beauty, maturity and viewer’s votes, everything.

Unless her individual box-office create magic, Pyar Impossible will hardly attract the viewers who had got innovative films in the recent times like Kurbaan, The 3 idiots, etc.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Bipasha Basu in 2009.











Bipasha Basu in 2009.

Bipasha Basu showed her romantic presence in landmark films in 2009 like All the best. She acted opposite Ajay Devgan and made everyone laugh with her hilarious performance. She has been one of the most sought after models who had become indispensable in bollywood films in the last few years.

In the Lux Sabse Favourite Kaun night she won the award for the most style icon of 2009. Her stylish andaz had been appreciated by the viewers of the modern days.

When she initially joined bollywood films in Ajnabee with Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol, Kareena Kapoor, her smartness and aggressive performance was discussed amongst producers and directors. With passage of time new producers found similarity of Hollywood stars like Angelina Jolie and Sofia Lorrain and started giving her roles which were both bold and beautiful.

She was considered an art-film actress after her restrained performance in Madhur Bhandarkar’s off-beat project Corporate. Her hit films include Ajnabee, Bacchna Aye Haseeno, Race, etc.

She had bagged the award for the most stylish icon last year in 2008, during a year when other bollywood stars like Aishwarya Rai, Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra had stormed bollywood films with their stylish performances and westernized dress-ups.

Although the complexion of Bipasha Basu was darkish, her looks were unique and that was the reason she was used by directors of different dimensions. In films like Dhoom 2, where Aishwarya Rai showed challenging stunts opposite Hrithik Roshan, Bipasha Basu complimented Abhishek Bacchan in the film with her smart performance. Till date she had performed in more stylish roles than tradional characters.

It did not matter to her that she had not been identified as romantic stars like Preeti Zinta, or Rani Mukherjee or Kareena Kapoor, who had ruled bollywood films for the last 5 years, as long as her performance in contemporary films were appreciated and her films did brilliant business in India and abroad.

Even with increase of age, viewers had to accept her presence in films in 2008, like Bacchna Aye Haseeno, where she had performed opposite younger stars like Deepika Padukone and Minissha Lamba. In an interview before a private channel Ranbir Kapoor mentioned that Bipasha Basu was the most matured actress who had acted opposite her in his short career. Beyond style and dance performances she had very strong acting conception which had still kept her in the rat race.

The viewers expect her to continue her brilliant work in bollywood films and show more dynamism in future.

Neha Dhupia in recent times.


Neha Dhupia in recent times.

Neha Dhupia, the daughter of Commander Pradip Dhupia of Indian Navy, had attracted public attention after winning the Miss India Universe 2002 crown in that year. After beginning her career in the film Qayamat: City Under Threat, she impressed the viewers with challenging role in the film Julie where her glamour was used to perfection.

But she got a notable role in the film Kya Cool Hai Hum in 2005. She acted opposite Ritesh Deshmukh where Tusshar Kapoor and Isha Koppikar were the other pair. Isha Koppikar, the police officer in the film was sent by Anupam Kher to investigate a case relating to a habitual offender. Tusshar Kapoor was suspected to be a murderer and Isha Koppikar was sent to his house to monitor his activities. Ritesh Deshmukh had an affair with Neha Dhupia and married her at the end of the film. The film was serio-comic in nature and Neha Dhupia performed very well in her respective role.

She also got a purposeful role in the film Shootout At Lokhandwala. The film was related to a real-life story where the Bombay police had trapped the underworld group in a house in Bombay and fired at them. Sanjay Dutt gave a memorable performance in the role of Encounter specialist in the film opposite Vivek Oberoi who played the role of a mafia don. Neha Dhupia did her part very well.

She did even better in the film Chup Chup Ke, in the role of the sister of Kareena Kapoor. Shahid Kapoor pretended to be dumb in the film and stayed in their house. Neha Dhupia acted as a mediator between Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor and helped in the marriage between the two. Neha Dhupia knew that Shahid Kapoor could speak but never informed Sunil Shetty or Om Puri or any other member of the house about it. Although the film was related to the serio-comic relationship between Om Puri, Paresh Rawal and Rajpal Yadav, Neha Dhupia kept her mark in a reserve role and in some of the sequences even acted better than Kareena Kapoor.

She was even impressive in her supporting role in the film Singh is Kinng, where Katrina Kaif and Akshay Kumar had the lead roles. Singh is Kinng also did good business in India and abroad.

But if her performance in the earlier films like Sheesha and new films like Mithya are compared it will be found that initially the stylish screen presence and bold performance of Neha Dhupia was publicized by the producers.

These days the acting skills of Neha Dhupia are used. She had been bold enough to act in the role of a prostitude in the film De Dana Dan. The role required comedy timing and she did extremely well. So it raises the valid question, whether the glamour of Neha Dhupia had decreased over the period of time? Unless she grabs any glamourous role in near future she will not remain in the rat race where the competition between Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif, Kareena Kapoor is very keen.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Happy birthday to Sonali Bendre.







Happy birthday to Sonali Bendre.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Sonali Bendre on 1st January, 2010. 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 in future.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Happy birthday to Reena Roy.




Happy birthday to Reena Roy.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Reena Roy on 7th January, 2010. She faced the strong competition of the performers of the 70s and yet could survive for more than 15 years in bollywood films. She came at a time when Hema Malini, Rekha, Parveen Babi, Zeenat Aman and other actresses were at their peak.

But she impressed the viewers with her natural performance in Subhash Ghai’s film Kalicharan, opposite Shatrughun Sinha. The film was based on the story of a prisoner who was reformed and given training to work in the police force and thereafter help the investigation agency in tracking down the culprits. Reena Roy’s dance performance in the song “jareja” sung by Lata, was well appreciated.

In the late 70s Reena Roy kept her mark with her performance in the film Nagin. It was a multistarrer film where Firoz Khan, Mumtaz, Jeetender, Sunil Dutt, all were sublime in their respective roles. The story was based on fantasy where the snakes changed their form and took revenge against human beings who had killed their fellow snakes at different periods of time. Although the story had no practical base, but the entertaining performance of most of the stars including Reena Roy, converted a normal film into a hit venture.

Reena Roy acted in multistarrer films of other directors like Manmohan Desai. In Naseeb, she played the role of a worker in a restaurant where Big B himself worked. The film became extremely successful with powerful performance of Shatrughun Sinha, Rishi Kapoor and Hema Malini. The music of the film was extremely successful. Pran and Amzad Khan played key roles in negative characters.

In the 80s, with the advent of action films new action stars adorned bollywood films. Actors like Rajnikant tried their luck in bollywood after playing successful innings in South Indian films. Even during that period Reena Roy was successful in her performance opposite Rajnikant in the film Andha Kanoon.

Andha Kanoon was related to the revenge that was taken by Rajnikant against Pran, Prem Chopra and Danny after they killed his family members. Reena Roy played the romantic character opposite Rajnikant and kept her mark opposite many stars in the film.

Later on she married Pakistani cricketer Mohsin Khan and left films. But even these days whenever she is seen in character roles like the one in Abhishek Bacchan’s film Refugee, the viewers enjoy her presence to a big extent.

The viewers expect her to continue her good work in character roles in the years to come.

Friday, January 1, 2010

Happy birthday to Hrithik Roshan.


Happy birthday to Hrithik Roshan.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to superstar Hrithik Roshan on 10th January, 2009. He has been considered as one of the greatest style icons of India and probably the most dynamic actor ever to grace Indian silver screen. Even in 2010, he won the award for the style icon in Lux Sabse Favourite Kaun award.

When he appeared in his father Rakesh Roshan’s project Kaho Na Pyar Hai in 2000, he broke all types of records that were set up in Indian cinema in respect of revenues derived from successful films. He played a double role with the title Rohit as an Indian and Raj as a Kiwi citizen. The smartness and elegance that he showed in the Kiwi character was unparallel considering the capability of all the leading superstars of the country. He acted opposite Amisha Patel who was also sublime in the film. Last but not the least his dancing capability was appreciated by every section of the crowd, especially in songs like “pyar ki kashti me”, “kaho na pyar hai”, “haseeno ki mehfil”, etc.

But after the success in Kaho Na Pyar Hai, his off-beat films like Fiza and Mission Kashmir did not get proper response from the crowd. He gave spirited performance opposite Karishma Kapoor in Fiza and Preeti Zinta in Mission Kashmir. In fact he dared to even act in a negative character in the film Mission Kashmir opposite Sanjay Dutt in the early part of his career, which other actors of his age would not have dared to do. He gave adequate lips in the song “bhumaro bhumaro” in Mission Kashmir.

After a series of medium budget films like Mai Pyar Ki Diwani Hoon, he again stormed box-office with the success of his film Koi Mil Gaya. He received the filmfare award for the best actor again with dynamic performance in the role of a mentally retarded person. The film was shot in Australia by director Rakesh Roshan and Preeti Zinta and Rekha did very well in their respective roles. The relationship with Aliens was well expressed by Hrithik Roshan.

He again received filmfare award for best actor in the film Dhoom 2. Again he acted in a negative character in the form of international thief. He became notorious for his planned stealing operations in partnership with Aishwarya Rai. His deeds or misdeeds were detected by the intelligent investigator played by Abhishek Bacchan. He left him without charges after Hrithik transferred the stolen property to Abhishek Bacchan. Hrithik Roshan showed some acrobatic stunts which only Hollywood actors could have taken in the film. The dance performance in the song “dhoom machale” was brilliant by international standards.

Hrithik Roshan made the viewers speechless with his dynamic performance in the film Krishh. He acted opposite Priyanka Chopra and exhibited the supernatural powers that he inherited from his father who received them from aliens. The scenic beauty of South East Asian countries amazed the viewers along with the performance of Hrithik Roshan.

In 2008, Hrithik Roshan’s brilliant performance in the role of Mughal Emperor Akbar astonished the viewers. He complimented the dynamic performance of Aishwarya Rai in the film Jodha Akbar which was first blockbuster of 2008. He won the filmfare award for the best actor in 2009 for best performance in Jodha Akbar. His other hit films included Laksh, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, etc.

Indian viewers are not that much fond of westernized performances, otherwise with the multitalented approach to films, Hrithik Roshan would have dethroned Shahrukh Khan from the Number One position long time back.

Viewers are waiting for the 2 grand releases of Hrithik Roshan, namely Kites and Guzarish in 2010. Even with limited success, the viewers expect Hrithik Roshan to continue his good work and do even better in the years to come.

Priyanka Chopra and Akshay Kumar won Lux Sabse Favourite Kaun award.




Priyanka Chopra and Akshay Kumar won Lux Sabse Favourite Kaun award.

Priyanka Chopra won the award for the best actress in Lux Sabse Favourite Kaun award. She had continued the dream run that she started in 2008. She received the award for her brilliant performance in the film Kaminey. She won the award against the other nominees like Kareena Kapoor in Kambakht Ishq, and Katrina Kaif in Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani.

Akshay Kumar won the award for the best actor in Lux Sabse Favourite Kaun award. He won the award against the other nominees like Salman Khan in Wanted, Amir Khan in Ghajini, Shahrukh Khan in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, etc. He won the award for his sheer hard work. The viewers liked him inspite of his films Chandi Chowk to China, Kambakht Ishq, Blue, not doing good business in 2009.

Sanjay Dutt won the award for the best comedian (male) for his hilarious performance in the film All the Best. Divya Dutta won the same award in the female category for her comedy performance in the film Saajan Chale Sajjanpur. The film Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani won the award for the best film. Raj Kumar Santoshi, Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and the entire team of the film should be proud about it.

Hrithik Roshan won the style icon (male) award. There is no doubt that he is probably the most stylish actor in the industry. Bipasha Basu won the most fit actress award while Shahid Kapoor won the most fit actor award.

Priyanka Chopra won the award for the most favourite ada, as against Lara Dutta, Katrina Kaif, Kareena Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai. She is really having a fabulous year.

But the filmfare awards in 2010 may show different winners as few hit films had just been released and are yet to be released like Amir Khan’s The 3 idiots, Salman Khan’s Veer and Shahrukh Khan’s My name is Khan. But there is no doubt that Priyanka Chopra is still dominating bollywood films in 2010.