Happy birthday to style queen Zeenat Amanji

Happy Birthday to style –queen Zeenat Aman. The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to style – queen Zeenat Aman on 19th November, 2021

. She had dominated bollywood films in the 70s. She created attention with her successful performance in Dev Anand’s film Hare Rama Hare Krishna. Hare Rama Hare Krishna was released in the year 1971. She played the role of a girl who became addicted to drugs. She became a style icon during the period when European Hippies and other communities influenced fashion all over the world. She had acted opposite all the leading stars of bollywood films in the mid-70s. Her successful films opposite Big B included Don, Dostana, Lawaarish, etc. In Don, she had shown martial art and the ability to adapt herself in action films. She was extremely successful in Raj Kapoor’s film Satyam Shivam Sundaram. She played the role of a village girl whose face got burned and disfigured. The film was related to the romantic relationship of Zeenat with Shashi Kapoor, who was an urbanized youth. Lata’s songs in the film including “satyam shivam sundaram” composed by Laxmikant Pyarellal require special mention. Zeenat gave able lips in the songs. In the early 80s Feroz Khan gave a stylish image to Zeenat in the film Qurbani. She played the role of a hotel singer and stormed bollywood with her performance. Her lips in the songs “aap jaisa koi mere zindagi me aye”, “laila ho laila”, etc., in the film Qurbani created sensation. Feroz Khan and Vinod Khanna also gave memorable performances in the film. The film ended up being blockbuster. She also acted in serious films like Insaaf Ki Taraazu. In the 80s she acted opposite other stars as well. Her film Abdullah opposite Sanjay Khan did great business. The songs of Abdullah composed by RD Burman like “maine pucha chaand se” sung by Mohammad Rafi also became super hit. Zeenat was also known for contributing in action films like Shalimaar opposite Dharmender, Don opposite Big B, Ram Balram opposite Dharmender. In all those films the roles required action stunts. Zeenat did show her martial art stunts in the film Don. Her roles are idolized and reworked by Priyanka Chopra in Don – the Chase Begins. Zeenat gave good lips in qawallis as well. One example was in the film Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahi. It was released in 1977. She gave lips in Asha Bhosle’s song “hai agar dushman zamana” opposite Rishi Kapoor. Rishi Kapoor gave lips in Rafi’s portion with his own brilliance. Zeenat Aman left films in the mid -80s when she was at the summit of her career. Her films should be preserved.

Happy birthday to serious actress Tabuji.

Happy birthday to Tabu on 4th November. All the viewers of bollywood films had wished happy birthday to Tabu on the 4th of November, 2022

. Although these days Tabu is not in the news to the extent she used to be few years back, she still enjoys popularity from bollywood audience. In 2022 her film Bhool Bhulaiya opposite Kartik Aryan and in a double role in the character of ghost has stunned everyone. The film did business of 190 crores. In 2015 her performance in Ajay Devgan’s film Drishyam was awesome. In 2014 her performance in the role of elder sister of Salman Khan in the film Jai Ho was well appreciated by the audience. When she entered films, within very short period of time she was recognized by the directors of parallel films and realistic films and experimented with her in dynamic roles. Gulzar gave her a challenging role in the film Machis. It was related to the story on terrorism existing in Punjab in the 90s. Tabu represented a member of a family who was affected by such terrorism. Her performance stand out among other notable performances of Om Puri and Chandrachud Singh in the same film. She played a challenging role in the film Tarqeeb. The film was related to suspense of her death. She was killed and Nana Patekar did an impressive investigation to unearth the truth as to her killing. The first part of the film showed Tabu’s struggle in maintaining her family and her fight against poverty. The early part her relevance in respect of finding the motive of killing her in the film. She played the role of a strict police officer in the film Kohram with Nana Patekar. Nana Patekar took the disguise of a journalist to unearth the identity of Big B in the film who was alleged to have been involved with criminal activities. At the end of the film both Big B and Nana Patekar co-operated with each other in their fight against Danny and his men who were really involved with anti-national activities. Tabu was very impressive in her respective role in the film Hu Tu Tu. She also changed her image by performing in serio-comic performance in the film Bibi No.1, where she played the role of the wife of Anil Kapoor who helped Karishma Kapoor to bring peace in her family after her husband Salman Khan got involved in extra-marital affair with Sushmita Sen. Tabu had acted in off-beat films like Chandni Bar and received critics acclamation for her performance in those types of films. She also acted in Mira Nair’s Hollywood film Namesake. Last year she played a notable role in the film Cheeni Kum with Big B where she depicted the character of a middle-aged lady who entered into an affair with an old man. She is probably one of the Hyderabadi actresses, who had done well both in bollywood films as well as South Indian films. Even more than that her performance in the comedy film Hera Pheri, where she acted opposite Sunil Shetty had no similarity with the role of village girl in Virasat where she acted opposite Anil Kapoor. She had showed her range of acting over the last 15 years and other than Dimple Kapadia there are no actresses of contemporary period who has equal potential as that of Tabu. Although she had acted in Telegu films in 2008 like Pandurangadu, she had not played any important role in any bollywood film in 2009. In 2010, she acted in the film Toh Baat Pakki, but that film did mediocre business. In 2012 Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai opposite Salman Khan and Govinda was supposed to be released. But it is supposed to be released in 2014. The other film Life of Pi was released and she got critical acclamation. In 2014, she was seen in Salman Khan’s film Jai Ho, which was previously name as Mental. Jai Ho did business of 115 crores. Her admirers expect her to make a strong comeback in bollywood films and contribute in both commercial and off-beat films.

Gayatri Bose had great contribution in bengali modern songs

Romantic Singer Gayatri Bose sang many romantic songs during 1950s and 1960s. Some of the songs were for children also. Her song “amar sondhya pradip jolbe angina” composed by Robin Chatterjee was one of the successful songs. Her song “shuktara akashero konete” was one of the other songs. One of her other songs was “ei phalgun hok obosan” which was composed by Shyamal Mitra. There was another song “amar jibone pradeep jalate” which became very popular in the 1950s. Gayatri Bose showed her immense romantic andaz in the song “poddokoli sakal khoje” which was very melodious. Some of her other notable songs included “oi baaje kini rini rini”, “gun gun gun bhramara”, “aakash kandey baatash kaande”, “e mon kemon kore jeneche”, “dure pahar jeno koto”, to mention a few. Gayatri Bose sang many melodious songs in the 1950s. They included “aaj malonche moushami howa”, “andhare prodip mor”, “swapnabhara ei banatal”, “prothom mukul tumi jhorona”, “dekho dekho krishnachura”, “o meghe meghe”, etc. There was strong competition between a number of female singers during the golden age including Sandhya Mukherjee, Geeta Dutt, Alpona Banerjee, Pratima Banerjee, Ila Bose, Shipra Bose, Nirmala Mishra and others. That was one of the reason Gayatri Bose could not dominate the music arena but she had her own identity and singing style which was appreciated by the audience. She had also sang in Uttam Kumar’s films like Bidhilipi where Sandharani acted opposite Uttam Kumar. The music of the film was composed by Kalipada Sen. There were four songs in the film which were sung by Gayatri Bose, Mrinal Chakravarty and Alpona Banerjee. All the songs were very successful. Sandhya Mukherjee and Geeta Dutt sang majority of songs of actress Suchitra Sen. So in the film arena Gayatri Bose’s talent was not exploited to that extent. But she sang brilliant songs in the modern song arena and for those reasons the songs should be preserved.

Happy birthday to beauty-queen Aishwarya Rai.

Happy birthday to Beauty –Queen Aishwarya Rai. The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to bollywood beauty-queen Aishwarya Rai on 1st November, 2021. She had been the first woman in India whose wax Statue had been made in Madam Tussadd’s Museum in London , UK. After winning Miss World Crown she stormed Bollywood films with Jeans. Her film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam opposite Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan, released in late 1990s became super hit. Her screen presence in traditional Rajasthani dress flabbergasted the viewers. She gave elegant lips in the songs “nimura nimura” and “dhol baaje”. She gave the best performance of her life in the film Taal. Her softness in the film opposite Ashay Khanna and Anil Kapoor charmed the viewers. AR Rehman’s music in the film was sensational. All the songs in the film became super hit including “ishq bina kya jina”, “rabba jogi”, etc. Ash in that period was at the top of her career. She also did well opposite Anil Kapoor in the film Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai. In that film she was raped by Puru Raj Kumar and was given shelter by Anil Kapoor. After that her docile image balanced the strong performance of Anil Kapoor in the film. The film got huge box-office. Ash created spark in item numbers as well. The best example can be “kajra re kajra re” in the film Bunty Aur Babli. Gulzar wrote the lyrics which was sung by Alisha Chinoi. The music was composed by Shankar Ehsaan Loy. In fact the best dance performance of the film was related to the song which pulled the crowds. Aishwarya’s other hit films include Josh, Kuch Na Kaho, Sarkar Raaj, etc. 2008 was a great year for Ash. After success in the film Dhoom 2 opposite Hrithik Roshan, she amazed the viewers with her powerful performance in the film Jodha Akbar, again opposite Hrithik Roshan. If Dhoom 2 showed her westernized dimensions, Jodha Akbar proved her royal andaz. That was the best film of the year and of her career till now. Aishwarya Rai played a very notable role in the films Bride and Prejudice and other Hollywood films. Articles after articles can be devoted on Aishwarya Rai’s Hollywood performances. In 2010 the viewers appreciated her performance in the role Sita in Mani Ratnam’s film Ravan. Her film Action Replay opposite Akshay Kumar did not do great business. Viewers appreciated her performance in the film Guzarish where she had acted opposite superstar Hrithik Roshan and it was critically acclaimed film. She discontinued acting for 2 years after giving birth to a daughter. She did well in her comeback film Jazbaa which had been released in 2015. The viewers expect Ash to continue th

Happy birthday to Raveena Tandonji.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Raveena Tandon on 26th October, 2021

. She was a versatile actress of the 90s. Initially when she joined films her performance opposite Akshay Kumar and Govinda attracted the attention of many viewers. Her films Mohra opposite Akshay Kumar and Sunil Shetty, Aatish and Vijeta opposite Sanjay Dutt, Vinashak opposite Sunil Shetty got great box-office success. In Vijeta she played the role of an honest police officer who loved a lawyer Sanjay Dutt. Sanjay Dutt took law in his own hands to punish the killers of his senior lawyer played by Aloknath. Raveena realized that her superior police officer Amrish Puri was a criminal himself and sided with Paresh Rawal. The performance of Raveena in a daring role in Vijeta amazed the viewers. She also showed her comedy skills in the film Andaz Apna Apna opposite Ami Khan and Salman Khan. She was the mate of rich girl Karishma Kapoor. But instead she pretended to be the rich girl and Karishma Kapoor pretended to be the maid. The film directed by Raj Kumar Santoshi did brilliant business in the early 1990s. But later on in her career she got challenging roles. She got the national award for the best actress for her brilliant performance in the film Daman. It was related to ill-treatment of women. She was sublime in the film Shool opposite Manoj Vajpayee, where the corruption in politics was at issue. Shool showed the high level of corruption in Bihar to such extent that some of the politicians wanted to ban the film. She gave landmark performance in the film Jago opposite Sanjay Kapoor. Her daughter was raped by miscreants in local train in Mumbai and she prayed for justice in court of law. Manoj Vajpayee, the police officer in the film faced the resistance from different members of the society in proving the case. Her performance in the court scene amazed the viewers and she got critical acclamation for the performance in the film. Raveena Tandon was brilliant in the film Daava opposite Akshay Kumar. She acted in other hit films like Officer opposite Sunil Shetty, Ladlaa opposite Anil Kapoor, Zid opposite Sunny Deol, to name a few.She always had kept her mark in action films where Sunil Shetty or Akshay Kumar or Sanjay Dutt had the major role. It is a pity that when she was at the peak of her career that she left films after getting married and begetting children. In 2011 she had acted in the film Buddha Hoga Tera Baap. She had also acted in the film Aap Ke Liye Hum. The viewers want her to make a complete return to bollywood films in character roles as she still has a lot of acting left in her.

Happy birth anniversary to Johny Walker Sahab

Happy birth anniversary to Johnny Walker. The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to comedy star Johnny Walker on 11th November, 2021

. His popularity in bollywood films was immense during the 50s and 60s. He used to be considered the second hero opposite legendary stars like Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt and others. Rafi had a huge contribution in the success of Johnny Walker, the elegant comedian of the 50s and 60s. Most of the songs sung by Rafi for Johnny Walker were hits and caught public attention. Rafi even imitated the style of dialogue delivery of Johnny Walker. Johnny Walker acted both in lead roles in notable films as well as supporting roles in hit films of stars like Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt, Dev Anand, and others and the different composers who composed music in those films including OP Nayyar, Shankar Jaikishan, SD Burman, Salil Choudhury, Ravi, Naushad, Dattaram, Laxmikant Pyarellal and others composed catchy songs of Rafi which were picturised on the legendary comedian. The songs in the film CID, composed by OP Nayyar, including “ai dil mushkil jeena yahan”, picturised on Johnny Walker were melodious. OP Nayyar’s composition for Johnny Walker in the film Aar Paar titled “are na na na na nana touba touba” was also equally hilarious and melodious. Rafi imitated the dialogue throwing style of Johnny Walker in the film in style. The song in the film Mr. and Mrs. 55, composed by OP Nayyar and picturised on Johnny Walker, including “jane kahan mera jigar gaya ji” became extremely popular. The song was as popular as some other of the songs of Rafi like “dil par hua aisa jaadoo”. The other songs were picturised on the hero of the film Guru Dutt. Rafi’s song in Raj Kapoor’s film Chori Chori composed by Shankar Jaikishan was also hit titled “all line clear”. Johnny Walker became an indispensable part of the films of Guru Dutt and used to get important roles in the films of Guru Dutt. In the film Pyaasa, Rafi’s song “tel malish” picturised on Johnny Walker became landmark hit. SD Burman, the composer of the song modified his style of composition to suit the song of Rafi in the film. In the film Ustadon Ke Ustad, Rafi sang a very peppy number for Johnny Walker titled “maine kaha tha aana Sunday ko”, composed by music director Ravi. In Dilip Kumar’s Madhumati, Rafi’s song for Johnny Walker titled “jangal me mor nacha kisi ne na dekha” became super hit. Salil Choudhury, the brilliant composer composed the songs of the film and received the filmfare award for the best composer in the year 1959. The song “mai bombai ka babu” from the film Naya Daur was also successful. OP Nayyar’s composition for Rafi suited the style of acting of Johnny Walker and impressed the viewers. The other songs of Rafi which became successful include “gareeb janke”, from the film Chu Mantar, where Johnny Walker played the leading role. Even the songs in the film Chaudavi Ka Chaand, composed by Ravi became extremely successful. Johnny Walker’s songs in the same film “mera yaar bana hai dulha” and “yeh duniya gol hai” became extremely successful. Rafi’s song “nashe me hum nashe me tum” in Johnny Walker’s film Black Cat also became extremely popular. In the film Johnny Walker, there were few hit numbers composed by OP Nayyar for Rafi including “bekithiyaar hoke pyaar”, “bachke balam chal”, “mooh se mat”. Some of these songs were duets and Geeta Dutt and Asha Bhosle also sung well. In the film Baharen Phir Bhi Ayegi, Rafi’s song for Johnny Walker titled “suno suno Miss Chatterjee” became extremely popular. OP Nayyar’s background beat was very melodious. Laxmikant Pyarellal composed very melodious songs for Johnny Walker and Biswajeet in the film Night in London. Most of the songs became super hit. Johnny Walker was probably the only comedian who had given lips in so many hit songs of Rafi, even considering Manna Dey’s songs for Mehmood. The list of films where Rafi had sung for Johny Walker can go on and cannot be covered in one article. The songs and the films should be restored and preserved.

Happy birthday to Sunny Deol

Happy birthday to Sunny Deol. The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to action star Sunny Deol on 19th October, 2021. He had been a sensation in bollywood films. Being the son of successful actor Dharmender, he had the pressure of proving his capability the early part of his career. Although he started with romantic films like Betaab in the early 80s, within short period of time he built a macho body and acted in action films one after the other. He became the lead actor in most of the films of Raj Kumar Santoshi. Most of those films were anti-establishment films where his anti-establishment- image amazed the viewers. After Amitabh Bacchan and Dharmender, probably Sunny Deol was the only star whose action image was accepted by audience of different tastes. He received the filmfare best actor award for his brilliant performance in the film Ghayal. He took revenge against smuggling don Balwant Rai played by Amrish Puri. He got awarded for his brilliant performance in the film Damini opposite Meenakshi Sheshadri. He played the role of an upright lawyer who helped a lady like Meenakshi who was threatened by her inlaws against giving testimony in a rape case. The film became the greatest hit of the year. Sunny had to very high standard of acting from his rival Amrish Puri in both these films who maintained the standard of acting he displayed in art films directed by Shyam Benegal, Govind Nihalini and others. Sunny’s film Gadar Ek Premkatha, based on hindu-muslim vengeance during partition broke the record of hit films in India. He went to Pakistan to bring his wife Amisha Patel and small son, and faced the resistance of orthodox muslims under the leadership of Amrish Puri. He fought his way out and brought his family to India. He displayed the passion of being a true Indian in style. His other hit films included Ghatak, Samandar, Darr, Joshilay, Tridev, Vishwaatma, to name a few. He was considered to be one of the best body-builders of the country in the 90s. He also produced few films and did well in them as well. Other than Sanjay Dutt, no other actor was as successful as Sunny Deol in action films. He is presently busy with his sequel film Ghayal returns. 2011 had been a successful year for him. His film Yaamla Pagla Dewaana did excellent business at the beginning of the year. For the first time, Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol and Dharmender were seen in the same film together. He was a great crowd puller in the 90s, viewers want the same magic back. His film Yaamla Pagla Dewaana 2 was released in 2012. It did not do that amount of business. The viewers expect him to continue the strong performance and contribute in bollywood films in future.

Saira Banuji and Rajender Kumarji films in the 1960s ended up being hit films.

Rajender Kumar and Saira Banu. Rajender Kumar, better known as Jubilee Kumar, had acted in memorable films in the 60s, ranging from Mere Mehboob, to Sangam, Aarzoo to Suraj, etc. During that span he had acted with all the leading actresses of bollywood films including Vaijayantimala, Sadhna, Meena Kumari, Wahida Rehman, etc. His combination with Saira Banu was well accepted by the viewers. Most of their films became successful and did very good business during the 60s. Their film Ayee Milan Ki Bela was a romantic film with melodious songs composed by Shankar Jaikishan. The memorable songs sung by Rafi and Lata include “to bura man gaye”, “o sanam tere ho gaye hum”, “aha aye Milan ki bela dekho aye”, “tum khamseen ho”, “mai pyar ka diwana”, to name a few. Dharmender got a supporting role in the form of brother of Rajender Kumar. He also did well in the film. Their film Jhuk Gaya Aasman was based on reincarnation. Rajender Kumar met with an accident and took the place another person who had huge property. The other Rajender Kumar was subject to conspiracy Prem Chopra and others who were interested to take his property. Music again played a notable role with Shankar Jaikishan providing westernized tunes for Rafi and Lata. The hit songs sung by Rafi and Lata included “o priya, kaun hai jo sapno me aya”, “saccha hai ghar”, “kahan chal diye”, to mention a few. The popularity of Rajender Kumar and Saira Banu contributed a lot for the success of the film. Rajender Nath, the brother of Prem Nath did well as a relief character. The film which was less known involving Rajender Kumar and Saira Banu, included Aman. The film was based on the victims of Second World War. Rajender Kumar was a doctor and went to Hiroshima and Nagasaki to treat the victims who got infected due to hurling of Atom Bomb during the Second World War. Rajender Kumar went there against the wishes of his father played by Balraj Sahani. There he met Saira Banu and got involved with her. The film depicted the damage that caused in most parts of Japan including the population and their property. It was not a romantic film in that sense. But the music of Shankar Jaikishan again appreciated by the audience. The notable songs included “surahidar garden, koel si hi awaaz”, “aaj ki raat”, etc. Rajender Kumar died at the end of the film.

Happy birthday to Neha Dhupia.

Happy birthday to Neha Dhupia. The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Neha Dhupia on 27th August, 2021. 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 in 2008. The role required comedy timing and she did extremely well. In 2009, her performance in the film Raat Gayi Baat Gayi bagged her the nomination for Star Screen Award for the best actress in a supporting role. She had two releases in 2010 where her two films, Action Replay and With Love to Obama had different roles. Although her performances in the films were appreciated the films did not do good business. In 2012 she had acted in the film Rush where Imraan Hashmi, Sagarika Ghadke and Aditya Pancholi had played important characters. In 2013, she acted in the film Ungly with Sanjay Dutt, Imran Hashmi and others. 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, Sonakshi Sinha is very keen.

Evergreen romantic actor Dev Anand sahab was remembered on birth anniversary.

Dev Anand will be remembered by the nation for generations. Dev Anand was remembered on his birth anniversary on 26th September, 2021. Romantic star Dev Anand died in London on 4th December, 2011, at the age of 88 years. Everyone in India mourned his death right from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to superstar Shahrukh Khan, actress Hema Malini to actor Rishi Kapoor. He was staying in London and died out of cardiac arrest as had been said by his son. Most of his fans all across the world had said that they Dev Anand never looked back at life, but looked forward and for that reason became the inspiration for every optimistic film personality. It was the end of an era, as Dev Anand represented Indian films for more than 60 years, right from 1946, when he started his career. His hit films included CID, Kala Pani, Hum Dono, Guide, Jewel Thief, to mention a few. He received filmfare award for best actor for his performance in the films Kala Pani and Guide. He received Dadasaheb Phalke award for immense contribution to bollywood films. He had also being remembered for his brilliant songs of Mohammad Rafi, Geeta Dutt and Lata Mangeshkar like “din dhal jaye”, “kabhi khud pe kabhi halat pe rona hoga”, “piya tose naina lage re”and brilliant compositions of Shankar Jaikishan, Sachin Dev Burman, and others. Evergreen star Dev Anand had this year gave an interview to journalist Gautam Bhattacharya which had been published in Anandabazar Patrika on 25th June, 2011. He had said that he had been busy working with his new film Charge Sheet. He had crossed 88 years and still showed the enthusiasm to work on the sequel of the film Hare Rama Hare Krishna, which he made in 1971. When he was asked about Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar, he said, if Raj Kapoor would have taken care of his health he would have survived for more time and made more films. Dilip Kumar was happy to be an actor and never showed the interest of directing films. Dev Anand missed his team of performers like Vijay Anand, Kishore Kumar, Sachin Dev Burman, but he said that death was also a reality which people should face.

Happy birthday to megastar of the millenium Amitabh Bacchanji.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to the megastar of bollywood films Amitabh Bacchan on 11th October, 2021. Born in 1942, he had been the most popular actor of the entire millennium. In the 70s his films like Zanjeer, Sholay, Deewar created a new age of action films. His angry young man image created a revolution during an age when corruption became rampant in India. If Zanjeer was related to the obstacles faced by an honest police officer to safely perform his duties, Deewar was based on the contradiction of two brothers of whom one was a police officer, while the other was compelled to be a smuggler due to social compulsions. Sholay was based on the story of domination of the Chambal region of India by dacoits. The Thakur (played by Sanjeev Kumar) of the village employed two brave criminals namely Big B and Dharmender to face the dacoits. Big B was a very powerful actor and became the choice of all the leading directors of the 70s and 80s. His films included Abhimaan directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Sholay directed by Ramesh Sippy, Zanjeer directed by Prakash Mehra, Deewar directed by Yash Chopra, Barsaat Ki Ek Raat directed by Shakti Samanta, Amar Akbar Anthony directed by Manmohan Desai, to name a few. The other factor which singled out Big B with the other actors in terms of his versatility was his baritone voice which he modulated to perfection. His comedy films like Namakhalal, Chupke Chupke, Amar Akbar Anthony, created new dimensions in Indian film history. His notable films during the 80s included Shakti, Akhree Rasta, Inquilab, etc. Even in the 90s his films like Akela and Indrajeet carried his strong personality forward. Big B had played a huge innings as a character actor and his films like Black, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, etc., showed the viewers, that after Dilip Kumar and Sanjeev Kumar, Big B was an actor with whom the directors could do any experiment. His performance in his son Abhishek Bacchan’s films like Bunty Aur Babli had also been notable. In 2010, he received the national award for the best actor for the third time for his excellent performance in the film Paa. In 2011, he was absolutely brilliant in the role of an academician in Prakash Jha’s film Aarakshan. In 2013, his performance in Prakash Jha’s film Satyagraha was brilliant. Day by day his acting skills are just getting better and better and he is experimenting in different types of roles. Even in Kaun Banega Crorepati he is the anchor and his profound educational background and pure hindi accent amazes the viewers. Sony TV cannot think about any other anchor other than Amitabh Bacchan. In 2018 he is acting in the film Thugs of Hindustan. The viewers expect him to continue the great work that he started 40 years back.

Ayesha Takia left film otherwise she had a bright future.

Actress Ayesha Takia left films after few successful ones otherwise she had 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 make a comeback.

Nandaji's films are still relevant today.

It is a shocking news for the lovers of Indian films that Nandaji

had died today, on 25th March, 2014, at the age of 75 years. She suffered a massive heart attack. Her friend Mala Sinha shared her experiences with the press and media about acting with Nanda. Both of them acted in the film Dhool Ka Phool. Nanda having huge amount of acting potentials never received her dues. Born in a Maharashtrian family she learned acting from childhood. Eminent director V Shantaram gave her a prominent role in the film Toofan Aur Diya in 1956. She was brilliant in the film Bhabhi in 1957. She played the role of the younger sister of Pandari Bai, the wife of Balraj Sahani in the film. She became widow at a very early age and the information was not given to her by Pandari Bai. She played a very juvenile role in the first part of the film and in the second part became serious. She received the nomination for best supporting actress in 1957 for her role in Bhabhi but did not win it. She was sublime in the role of the wife of Rajender Kumar in the film Dhool Ka Phool in 1959. She followed it up by a brilliant performance in the film Choti Behen. Again she had the challenge of acting with Balraj Sahani. She did a great job. In 1960s, Nanda became a stylish heroine and acted in glamour oriented roles. With Manoj Kumar she had a fantastic combination. She did a great job in the film Bedaag. Gumnaam was the blockbuster film of Nanda which did fabulous business. Shankar Jaikishan’s music stormed Bollywood in 1965 with Gumnaam. Nanda gave soft lips in the song “jaane chaman sholabadan” which was sung by Sharda and Mohammad Rafi. The she was paired opposite Shashi Kapoor in more than 7 films. The romantic pair started their journey in the film Jab Jab Phool Khilen. It was a music oriented film which created magic. Kalyanji Anandji’s music was appreciated by the audience. Rafi and Suman Kalyanpur’s duet song “nanakarte pyar humhi to kar baite” became bumper hit. The combination just gave hits after hits. The other notable films included Neend Hamari Khwab Tumhari, Muhobbat Is Ko Kehte Hai, to name a few. The movies were shot in romantic locations of Jammu Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. The music created magic and the audiences admired the films. In the 1970s and 1980s, Nanda shifted to character roles. There also she showed excellence. In Manoj Kumar’s film Shor she played a compassionate character. In Dilip Kumar’s film Mazdoor she played the role of his wife. She also gave a landmark performance in Raj Kapoor’s film Prem Rog in 1982. Her character role of the mother of Padmini Kolhapuri caught the attention of the viewers. In her career around 40 years, she had acted in diverse roles. But neither was she honoured, nor recognized for the great callibre shown over the years. Her films should be preserved.

Talat Mehmoodji's velvetty voice suited Dilip Kumar sahab Raj Kapoor sahab Bharat Bhushanji

The owner of velvette voice Talat Mehmood was remembered on his death anniversary on 9th May, 2020

. The listeners of bollywood music wish happy birthday to legendary singer Talat Mehmood on 24th February, 2015

. He was a leading performer in bollywood films during the 40s, 50s and 60s. Along with Rafi, Mukesh and other leading singers of bollywood Talat Mehmood sang notable songs in the films of leading stars of bollywood. He rendered his voice for most of the actors of the bollywood during the 40s and 50s including Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Bharat Bhushan, and others. His landmark songs included “dil-e-nadan tujhe hua kya hai” composed by Ghulam Mohammad and picturised on Bharat Bhushan, in the film Mirza Ghalib in 1954, “koi nahi mera” composed by Shankar Jaikishan and picturised on Dilip Kumar in the film Daag in 1952, “mai dil hoon ek armaan bhara” picturised on Raj Kapoor in the film Anhonee in 1952, etc. He sang landmark songs for Dilip Kumar also in the films Footpath, Devdas, etc. All the leading composers of bollywood films of that age namely Naushad Ali, Shankar Jaikishan, Roshan Lal Nagrath, Madanmohan Kohli , OP Nayyar, Salil Choudhury, SD Burman and others used him in different films. His other landmark songs included “phir wohi sham” composed by Madanmohan and picturised on Bharat Bhushan in the film Jahan-ara released in 1964. Talat Mehmood acted in a number of films including Dil-e-Nadan opposite Shyama, Raftaar opposite Nadira, Waris opposite Suraiya, Ek Gaon Ki Kahani opposite Mala Sinha and also showed his acting talent in those films. He had been mainly associated with ghazals and soft romantic songs. His vibrating technique in rendition had charmed many listeners of the golden age. He also sang light songs for many composers. His other songs included “jalte hai jiske liye” composed by SD Burman in the film Sujata, “humse aya na gaya” composed by Madanmohan in the film Dekh Kabira Roya, “itna na mujhse tu pyar bara” composed by Salil Choudhury in the film Chaya, “aye mere dil kahin aur chal” composed by Shankar Jaikishan in the film Daag, to name a few.. Talat Mehmood had a number of basic discs in Bengali as well. His landmark songs included “chander eto alo” and “alote chayate” composed by Robin Chatterjee, “duti paakhi duti teere” composed by Kamal Dasgupta, etc. The sweetness of his voice was well appreciated by the Bengali listeners as well. His songs and films should be preserved and restored.

Happy birth anniversary to Rebel star Shammi Kapoorji

Viewers remembered Shammi Kapoor on his birth anniversary on 21st October, 2021. Rebel Star Shammi Kapoor is remembered on 14th August, 2021, his death anniversary, for his immense contribution to Bollywood films. On 14th August, 2011, veteran actor Shammi Kapoor, passed away. He was 79 years old. The country had become sad due to his demise. He brought a new wave in Indian films with powerful performances in films like Tumsa Nahi Dekha, Dil Deke Dekho, Junglee, Janwar and other films. He used to be called Rebel Star and the Indian Elvis Priestley. One thing for which viewers used to be mad to see his films during 60s used to be the everlasting music in the films and brilliance of Mohammad Rafi in those songs. Rafi had sung 341 songs composed by Shankar Jaikishan during his illustrious career with 216 solos. Very significantly 3 of the filmfare awards that Rafi received during 60s had been composed by Shankar Jaikishan. They included “teri pyari pyari surat ko kiski nazar na lage” from the film Sasural, “baharon phool barsao” from the film Suraj and “dilke jharoke me mujhko bithaker” from the film Brahmchari. But in the list of songs sung by Rafi and composed by Shankar Jaikishan, at least half of the total sungs were composed for Shammi Kapoor. Shammi Kapoor and Shankar Jaikishan worked together for around 22 films, most of which did great business in the 60s. If Rafi’s songs sung for Shammi Kapoor are remembered for the loud music and melo-dramatic dance numbers, there were lot of songs which were ever romantic and touched the hearts of the viewers. In the film Junglee, Rafi’s songs “ehsaan tera hoga mujhpar” and “meri yaar shabba khair” had very melodious appeal and the sweetness of Rafi haunted the listeners for years. In Shammi Kapoor’s Professor, the songs “awaz deke hume tum bulayo”, “mai chali mai chali”, probably had set the mood of the film. From that time Rafi, Shammi Kapoor and Shankar Jaikishan created magic in one film after the other. In Raj Kumar, Rafi’s soft numbers for Shammi Kapoor like “yeh rang badalti duniya me”, “tumne kisiki jaan ko jate hue dekha hai” made the viewers speechless. Even the western numbers of Shankar Jaikishan for Rafi stole the hearts in the 60s. In the film Janwar, Rafi’s number “meri muhabbat jawan rahegi” and “humko hai tumse pyar” had been the most romantic songs in the film, where the landscape of Kashmir and Rafi’s melodious voice complimented each other. In the film An Evening in Paris, Rafi’s songs “akele akele kahan ja rahe ho” and “raat ke humsafar” were the most romantic numbers which were more melodious than the loud numbers which equally became hits. In Shammi Kapoor’s Brahmachari, probably the best songs included “mai gayun tum so jayo” and “dil ke jharoke mai”. “mai gayun tum so jayo” was sung twice by Rafi in the film, one with a even slower rhythm. Shankar Jaikishan’s background music was as brilliant as Rafi’s singing style for Shammi Kapoor. In the film Tumse Accha Kaun Hai, Rafi’s soft number “janam janam ka saath hai” had remained evergreen and melodious for years. In Latt Sahab, Rafi’s romantic number with Asha Bhosle titled “aye chaand zara ruk ja” haunted the listeners for years after years. Rafi and Shankar Jaikishan combined together in other films of Shammi Kapoor like Prince, Buttameez, Laat Sahab, Ujala, Chote Sarkar, Hong Kong, etc. There were many more romantic numbers of Rafi sung for Shammi Kapoor, which cannot be covered in a small article. In Shammi Kapoor’s Jawan Muhabbat, the song “jawan muhabbat jahan jahan hai” was very romantic. The last film where Shankar and Jaikishan worked together for Shammi Kapoor included Andaz. The songs “dil use do jo jaan de de” and “re mamma re mamma re” were brilliant both in form and orchestration. It was very unfortunate that Jaikishan died in 1971,and after that Shammi Kapoor also added weight and switched to character roles in films like Zameer, Parvarish, etc. The magical combination of Shankar Jaikishan, Shammi Kapoor and Rafi ended and the era of romantic songs also suffered a set back. Some section of listeners argue that Rajender Kumar probably received the more romantic numbers sung by Rafi and composed by Shankar Jaikishan, but Shammi Kapoor’s combination with Rafi and Shankar Jaikishan was phenomenal which swept the youth and took them to a different inspite of Shammi Kapoor being called a rebel star and Shankar Jaikishan providing the most loud bomblastic numbers for Rafi. The songs and the films of the legendary combination of Shammi Kapoor, Rafi and Shankar Jaikishan should be preserved.

Raj Khosla films depicted crime thrillers.

Raj Khosla and bollywood films. Born in 1925 and died in 1991, Raj Khosla was considered by critics to be the path-breaker in crime-thriller films. His film CID in 1955, created a trend in respect of crime thrillers. He introduced Wahida Rehman and Shakila in the film. The music of the film composed by OP Nayyar was also impressive with hit songs of Rafi like “ankhon hi ankho me ishara ho gaya”, “leke pehla pehla pyar”, etc. His film Solwa Sal, involved Wahida Rehman being eloped by her boyfriend but later on brought back home by a journalist. In Bombai Ka Babu, there was a killer who entered into the family of the person he killed and then had an affair with the sister of the deceased. Dev Anand and Suchitra Sen played the lead roles in the film. The 60s saw Raj Khosla’s musical blockbusters. His film Ek Musafir Ek Haseena with Joy Mukherjee and Sadhna stormed bollywood. The songs composed by OP Nayyar for Rafi and Asha were super hit including “bahut shukriya bari meherbani”, “aap yuhi agar”, “hume dekhakar aapka muskurana”, etc. The shooting in Kashmir also raised interest in the minds of the viewers. In 1964, Raj Khosla came up with probably one of the greatest spooky films in bollywood, with the title “Woh Kaun Thi”. Sadhna played the roles of the two sisters who were exploited by Prem Chopra to terrorize Manoj Kumar and get his property. At the end of the film the secret was revealed. The music composed by Madan Mohan was brilliant with landmark songs like “naina barse”, “lagja gale”, etc. Raj Khosla continued with horror films with Mera Saya and Anita where Sadhna played the role of the ghosts. Sunil Dutt acted opposite Sadhna in Mera Saya while Manoj Kumar acted opposite her in Anita. The music was impressive again. In the mid-60s Raj Khosla again returned back to romantic dramas like Do Badan with Manoj Kumar and Asha Parekh. The music of Ravi with impressive songs like “jab chali thandi hawa”, require special mention. He also made films related to stories of dacoits like Mera Gaon Mera Desh with Dharmender. His last successful film included Mai Tulsi Tere Angan Ki. Both Nutan and Asha Parekh did well in their respective roles in the films. His other films like Do Badan and Dostana were impressive, but whenever the viewers remember the name of Raj Khosla, the first impressive comes in respect of horror stories and crime thrillers like Mera Saya and Who Kaun Thi. The films should be preserved and restored

Shakilaji's films are still relevant today.

Renowned actress Shakila died at the age of 82 years. It is sad that renowned Bollywood actress Shakila died at the age of 82 years on 21st September, 2017 due to heart problems. She was very successful actress of the 1950s and 1960s. In 1950, she played the younger role of Suraiya opposite Raj Kapoor in the film Dastan. As a child artist only she created attention. She became a star in Guru Dutt’s film Aar Paar in 1954. Geeta Dutt’s song “babuji dheere chalna” composed by OP Nayyar is remembered by the audience even today due to brilliant lipsing and dance steps of Shakila. Although she played a negative role she became as popular as the other heroine of the film that was Shyama. Aar Paar was one of the biggest hits of Guru Dutt in the early 1950s. In the mid-1950s Shakila starred in hit films one after the other. Guru Dutt produced and Raj Khosla directed the film CID in 1956. Shakila played a lead role opposite Dev Anand. Rafi sahab and Geeta Dutt’s song “ankho hi ankho me ishara ho gaya” and Rafi Sahab, Shamshad Begum’s song “leke pehla pehla pyar bharke ankho me khumar jadu nagri se aya hai kaun jadugar” was picturized on Shakila. Shakila acted opposite Raj Kapoor in the film Shreeman Satyawadi. Again the film had good story and she proved her acting talents in the film. The song “kyun ura jata hai anchal” sung by Suman Kalyanpur and composed by Dattaram was picturized on her. The other hit songs “ek baat kahoon walla” sung by Mahendra Kapoor, Mukesh and Suman Kalyanpur was also picturized on her. She was ranked among the top heroines of Bollywood at that time. In the early 1960s, her film China Town opposite Shammi Kapoor was also a big hit. Rafisahab’s song “baar baar dekho hazar baar dekho” composed by Ravi Shankar Sharma was picturized on her. She acted opposite Pradeep Kumar, Premnath, Mahipal and many other actors of that age. In the mid-60s she left films, got married and went to Britain. Later she came back to India. She was a great friend of Nandaji, Wahida Rehmanji, Asha Parekhji, Saira Banuji. Her demise brought huge loss to the film industry. Her films and songs should be restored.

Happy birthday to dashing star Rekha. The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to dashing star Rekha on 10th October, 2021

. She had dominated bollywood films of the 80s. Being the daughter of Legendary South Indian actor Gemini Ganeshan on 10th October, 1954, Rekha created a separate place for herself in bollywood film industry. She was better known as Bhanurekha Ganeshan. In 1969 she acted opposite Biswajeet Chatterjee in the film Do Shikari. She got the her lead role as heroine opposite Navin Nischal in the film Sawan Bhado. In the early 70s, Rekha had to fight for her place in the bollywood industry, at a time when Hema Malini, Asha Parekh, Sharmila Tagore were dominating the industry. But she acted in many landmark films during that period including Gora Aur Kala opposite Rajender Kumar, Rampur Ka Laxman opposite Randhir Kapoor, etc. From the late 70s her films opposite megastar Big B changed her career. Most of the films ended up being super hit including Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Mr. Natwarlal, Suhaag, Silsila, etc. Rekha gradually developed her acting and became one of the most versatile actresses of the 80s. Rekha had acted opposite all the leading actors of the 80s namely Jeetender, Dharmender, Big B, Vinod Mehra, etc. She received national award for her memorable performance in the role of a mujrewali in the film Umrao Jaan. She received filmfare award for best actress in her dashing role in the film Khoon Bhari Maang in 1988. She acted in more than 180 films. Along with the commercial films like Silsila, Mr. Natwarlal, Suhaag, she had been remembered for the performances in off-beat films. She played landmark roles in off-beat films like Gulzar’s Ghar and Ijaazat, Shyam Benegal’s Kalyug, Govind Nihalini’s Vijeta, etc. Even her films in the 90s like Kamasutra and in 2000 onwards in films like Lajja and Koi Mil Gaya, she showed her metal as a very talented actress. She received lifetime achievement award for the immense contribution to bollywood films. The viewers expect her to do well in character roles in future.

On Mahalaya Bengalies all over the world listen to Mahishashur Mordini in All India Radio.

For Bengalies the greatest festival of the year include Durga Puja. The flavor of the festival is set up by Mahalaya which occurs seven days before the occasion. Mohishahshur Mordini had not lost its appeal even after 60 years of its creation. It is played in All India Radio on the morning of every Mahalaya each year. In 2013 it was also played and it enchanted numerous bengalies all across the world. The mantra in the entire play was uttered by Birendra Krishna Bhadra who became a living legend in the early 50s. He conducted all the important programs in All India Radio from Kolkata at a time when Television did not appear in India and Radio was the only medium of entertainment. From Mahalaya the Petripaksha ends and Devipaksha begins. Hindus all over the world worship Goddess Durga and the occasion lies for four days including Shashti, Saptami, Ashtami and Navami. On Dashami Goddess Durga is immersed in holy Ganges. Mahalay is the day when Hindus do tarpan in the Ganges to remember the ancestors who had died but were still attached with the next generation. When Birendra Bhadra directed Mohishashur Mordini, the tale relating to Goddess Durga defeating the devil powers under the name of Mohishahur, Singer Pankaj Mallick and Bani Kumar also made notable contribution to bring in all the legendary singers of Bengal and made them sing significant songs. For example Manobendra Mukherjee sang “tabo achinto”, Dijen Mukherjee sang “jago tumi jago”. The other singers included Supriti Ghosh, Suprava Sarkar, Sandhya Mukherjee, Shaymal Mitra, Utpala Sen and others. Supriti Ghosh sang the song “bajlo tomar alor benu”, Shipra Bose sang the song “ogo amar agomoni alo”, Tarun Banerjee sang the song “he chinmoyi”, Sandhya Mukherjee sang the song “bimane bimane”, Krishna Dasgupta sang the song “akhilo bimane taba jayogatha”, Pratima Banerjee sang the song “amala kirane tribhubane”, Shyamal Mitra, Arati Mukherjee and Ashima Bhattacharya sang the chorus song “shubhra shankha rabe”, Utpala Sen sang the song “shanti dile bhari”, Pankaj Mullick sang the song “rupang dehi jayang dehi”. Birendra Bhadra was unparallel in the manner in which he pronounced the Sanskrit sloks, which could not be replicated and when Uttam Kumar that greatest superstar of Bengal tried to do it, he was criticized and All India Radio again displayed the Mohishashur Mordini directed by Birendra Bhadra. Even Hindus across India celebrate Navratri and Dussehra based on the success of God in defeating evil powers. Even today Bengalies feel that it creates a Godly atmosphere and gives the feeling that Goddess Durga had really arrived on earth. These days a lot of programs are held in television to depict mohishashur mordini in television. For example in Zee Bangla channel on 15th October, 2012, Srabanti Chatterjee and Shubhashree played the role of Sati in Satir Ekanno Peeth in the play related to Mahishashur Mordini. In 2013 Zee Bangla came up with another musical program on Maa Durga where Arindam Mukherjee did the narration. But the importance of mohishashur mordini in All India Radio cannot be replaced. It is a historical piece of creation and should be restored.

O Suleman and Chalo Rina brings back memories of singer Tarun Banerjee.

Tarun Banerjee’s Chalo Rina and O Suleman haunted bengalies. Singer Tarun Banerjee had sung everlasting songs during the golden age of Bengali music; that is the 50s and 60s. He had a deep voice with good pitch. Two of his songs “chalo Rina” and “o suleman” haunted the bengalies. “chalo rina” was composed by Abhijeet Banerjee. The song spoke about the singer calling his girlfriend to travel with him along the red village road, and red flowers blossom and the rural life unfolds itself. “o suleman” was written by Pulak Banerjee and composed by Prasanta Bhattacharya. “o suleman” had Arabian tunes embedded in them. So it talks about a girl who was seen by a seller, who could not find her again. The romantic appeal of both the songs “chalo rina” and “o suleman” haunted the bengalies for generations. His song “mor malanche bosonto nai” was very popular during the 60s. He was sublime in the song “champakoli go koto name dekechi tomae” composed by classical singer Manobendra Mukherjee. The song “konokchapa dhan” composed by Prabir Mojumdar and sung by Tarun Banerjee was equally popular. He was excellent in the songs he had sung for poet and composer Salil Choudhury. One of his legendary songs included “eso kache eso, kono kotha bolo” which became immensely popular during the 60s. His song “ankhi cholocholiya keno gele choliya” composed by Nikhil Chatterji also became very popular during that period. His other hit songs during that period included “tolpar tolpar moner kotha”, “magnelia aar kamelia phool”, etc. He also sang songs which were compositions made out of rhymes. One of the examples included “ek ekdin megh kore mon bole hariye jai”. He also sang the song “champa amar ogo jago” which was written by Salil Choudhury and composed by Sudhin Dasgupta. Very rarely the two highly talented lyricist and composer Salil Chodhury and Sudhin Dasgupta came together to compose the legendary songs. “champa amar ogo” was one of them. He had sung songs which were in the form of ballads. Some of them included “modhumati jay boye jay”, “cholo Rina”, “kajol nodir jole”, “aar deri nei”, to mention a few. He equally sublime in other modern songs like “alta payer”, “elona se elona”, etc. He also made valuable contribution in Bengali film music. His song “haridasher bulbulbhaja tatka taja khete moja” in the film Shriman Prithviraj was very popular. The song was composed by Hemant Kumar and the film was directed by eminent director Tarun Majumdar. It is not possible to highlight the contribution of Tarun Banerjee in Bengali modern songs in a small article, who had contributed during the 50s, 60s and 70s. His songs and films should be preserved and restored.

With Mahalaya and Mahishashur Mordini Durga Puja begins.

Mahalaya marks the beginning of Durga Puja all over the world. Mahalaya held every year, marks the beginning of Durga Puja all over the world. For bengalies in Mahalaya pritripakha ends, debipakha begins. On the same day, people go to the holy ganges to do tarpan, that is pay respect to the departed souls of father and ancestors. Different types of tarpans are done on the day including pitri tarpan, matri tarpan, deb tarpan, etc. Durga Puja is the puja of Asurdalani Maa Durga, who had defeated the evil forces (mahashahura) and brought peace and solidarity in the earth. All India Radio had a played a very important role in depicting the story of Mahalaya every year in the early morning. Mahishashur Mordini had been eternal creation of Birendra Krishna Bhadra, Bani Kumar and Pankaj Mullick. The way Birendra Krishna Bhadra had uttered the slokas “ya devi sarbabhuteshu shaktirupenu samhastita, namasthaswai namasthaswai namasthaswai namoh namohah”, he created an enchanting atmosphere, and devotees started feeling that they were in heaven. The other great part of Mahishashur Mordini was the great songs sung by legendary Bengali singers of the golden age, namely “taba achinto “ sung by Manobendra Mukherjee, “jago tumi jago” sung by Dwijen Mukherjee, and many songs sung by Sandhya Mukherjee, Suprava Sarkar, Supriti Ghosh, Shyamal Mitra and other legends. These days a lot of programs are held in television to depict mohishashur mordini in television. For example in Zee Bangla channel on 15th October, 2012, Srabanti Chatterjee and Shubhashree are going to play the role of Sati in Satir Ekanno Peeth in the play related to Mahishashur Mordini. But the importance of mohishashur mordini in All India Radio cannot be replaced. It is a historical piece of creation and should be restored. In the new durga puja in 2012, it is expected that everyone in every part of the world should enjoy Durgapuja in their own way. Mahishashur Mordini is the best creation of All India Radio. For Bengalies the greatest festival of the year include Durga Puja. The flavor of the festival is set up by Mahalaya which occurs seven days before the occasion. Mohishahshur Mordini had not lost its appeal even after 60 years of its creation. It is played in All India Radio on the morning of every Mahalaya each year. In 2012 it was also played and it enchanted numerous bengalies all across the world. The mantra in the entire play was uttered by Birendra Krishna Bhadra who became a living legend in the early 50s. He conducted all the important programs in All India Radio from Kolkata at a time when Television did not appear in India and Radio was the only medium of entertainment. From Mahalaya the Petripaksha ends and Devipaksha begins. Hindus all over the world worship Goddess Durga and the occasion lies for four days including Shashti, Saptami, Ashtami and Navami. On Dashami Goddess Durga is immersed in holy Ganges. Mahalay is the day when Hindus do tarpan in the Ganges to remember the ancestors who had died but were still attached with the next generation. When Birendra Bhadra directed Mohishashur Mordini, the tale relating to Goddess Durga defeating the devil powers under the name of Mohishahur, Singer Pankaj Mallick and Bani Kumar also made notable contribution to bring in all the legendary singers of Bengal and made them sing significant songs. For example Manobendra Mukherjee sang “tabo achinto”, Dijen Mukherjee sang “jago tumi jago”, Supriti Ghosh’s “bajlo tomar alor benu”. The other singers included Sipra Bose, Suprava Sarkar, Sandhya Mukherjee, Shaymal Mitra, Utpala Sen, Pratima Banerjee, Pannalal Bhattacharya and others. Birendra Bhadra was unparallel in the manner in which he pronounced the Sanskrit sloks, which could not be replicated and when Uttam Kumar that greatest superstar of Bengal tried to do it, he was criticized and All India Radio again displayed the Mohishashur Mordini directed by Birendra Bhadra. Even Hindus across India celebrate Navratri and Dussehra based on the success of God in defeating evil powers. Even today Bengalies feel that it creates a Godly atmosphere and gives the feeling that Goddess Durga had really arrived on earth. These days a lot of programs are held in television to depict mohishashur mordini in television. For example in Zee Bangla channel on 15th October, 2012, Srabanti Chatterjee and Shubhashree are going to play the role of Sati in Satir Ekanno Peeth in the play related to Mahishashur Mordini. But the importance of mohishashur mordini in All India Radio cannot be replaced. It is a historical piece of creation and should be restored.