Dilip Kumar Sahab's Mughal I Azam remained the greatest blockbuster of 1960 followed by Barsaat Ki Raat, Kohinoor, Chaudavi Ka Chand, Jis Desh Me Ganga Behti Hai.

Dilip Kumar, Madhubala Mughal-i-azam. Biggest bollywood hit films of 1960. Bollywood films had done business all over India over the last 60 years. In 1960 different types of films were released. In that year the biggest blockbuster was Mughal-i-Azam. Dilip Kumar and Madhubala were the leading artists of the film Mughal-i-Azam. It was a historical film depicting the history of Akbar, Jehangir and Anarkali. Very significantly Dilip Kumar, popularly known as Tragedy King ruled the team of bollywood actors with his realistic acting. Naushad Ali’s excellent music and Rafi, Lata’s melodious songs in the film was a treat for the years of the audience. The second biggest hit film of 1960 was Barsaat Ki Raat. Bharat Bhusan and Madhubala were the leading artists of the film. Excellent music composed by Roshanlal Nagrath was added attraction for the viewers. Rafi’s song “zindagi bhar nahi bhulegi wo barsaat ki raat” and Manna Deys song “na to karwanki talash hai” had become immortal over the years. Bharat Bhusan and Madhubala’s excellent performance require special mention. 1960 was a year of musical blockbusters like Kohinoor and Chaudavi Ka Chand. Kohinoor was the third biggest grosser and Chaudavi Ka Chand was the fourth biggest grosser. Dilip Kumar and Meena Kumari were the main artists in Kohinoor, and Guru Dutt and Wahida Rehman were leading artists of Chaudavi Ka Chand. Again the excellent music composed by Naushad Ali in Kohinoor with Rafi’s excellent songs like “madhuban me radhika nachere” and “do sitaron ka zameen par hai milan aaj ki raat” stands out even today. In Chaudavi Ka Chand, the excellent ghazals sung by Rafi and composed by Ravi Shankar Sharma including “chaudavi ka chand ho” made the viewers spellbound. In the same year, Raj Kapoor’s Jis Desh Me Ganga Behti Hai was the fifth largest grosser. The film had been directed by Radhu Karmakar and music composed by Shankar Jaikishan. Raj Kapoor, Padmini and Pran were the main artists in the film. Mukesh and Lata Mangeshar’s songs like “o maine pyar kiya”, “mera naam hai raju”, “aa aab laut chale” became everlasting musical masterpieces. The other hit films in the list of bollywood grosser included Dil Apna Aur Preet Parayi, (6th), Love In Simla (7th), Ghunghat, (8th), Kanoon (9th) and Kala Bazaar (10th). The artists who were prominent in those films included Raj Kumar, Meena Kumari, Joy Mukherjee, Sadhna, Rajender Kumar, Dev Anand, Wahida Rehman and others. The inference that can be made in respect of bollywood films included that Dilip Kumar dominated the bollywood scenario with his brilliant performance, at the same time the other actors who were very close competitors of him included Guru Dutt, Raj Kapoor, Bharat Bhushan, Raj Kumar, Rajender Kumar, and others. As far as actresses were concerned Madhubala, Wahida Rehman, Meena Kumari were the dominating figures in bollywood. Music played a very significant role during 1960. The composers who dominated the world of music included Naushad Ali, Shankar Jaikishan, Roshanlal Nagrath, Ravi Shankar Sharma, and others. Mohammad Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar, Manna Dey, Mukesh and others gave their best in that year to make the films super hit. Lastly the directors who dominated the scenario included K. Asif, P. L. Santoshi, Mohammad Sadiq, Raj Kapoor, Kishore Sahu, Guru Dutt and others. The high standard of performances of the actors and actresses created huge competition, and the directors utilized their potentiality to the maximum.

Happy birthday to Mahima Choudhury

Happy birthday to Mahima Choudhury. The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Mahima Choudhury on 13th September, 2023. She had been a big asset of bollywood films in the 90s. She had been given a great break by Subhash Ghai in the film Pardesh opposite Shahrukh Khan. All the songs in the film became super hit like “do dil mil rahe hai”, sung by Kumar Shanu or “yeh dil diwana” sung by Sonu Nigam, etc. Her traditional role in the film was well appreciated by every section of the viewers. Subhash Ghai had given breaks to new comers all across his career, and just like Madhuri Dixit, Manisha Koirala, Mahima Choudhury also proved her merit in the first film. After that Mahima Choudhury acted in every type of roles. She was sublime opposite Chandrachud Singh in the film Daag the fire. Although it was an out and out action film she kept her mark in the film. She had a double role in the film and did very well in the role of an accomplished girl and the role of a prostitude. The two characters were absolutely contrasting in nature. Due to domination of Sanjay Dutt in the film Mahima’s performance did not get the limelight which she deserved. She did extremely well in Raj Kumar Santoshi’s film Lajja. She was one of the five ladies who faced oppression from the patriarchal society and her way of expressing discontent was very impressive. She was sublime opposite Sanjay Dutt in the film Kurukshetra. Sanjay Dutt was a fearless police officer and faced the hurdles created by the corrupted ministers and the corrupted police officers in his department. Mahima Choudhury, who played the role of his wife in the film expressed her discontent after being the victim of vengeance of the criminals who were arrested by Sanjay Dutt. Mahima Choudhury did well in smaller roles as well. The one which is most remembered is her performance in the film Dhadkan where Shilpa Shetty, Sunil Shetty and Akshay Kumar had the more prominent roles. She had featured in less number of films in the recent past. The viewers expect her to act in bollywood films in future as she still has a lot of acting left in her.

Still Bahubali 2 remains the greatest blockbuster of the decade.

Bahubali 2 broke all box office records, the photography and effects were sensational. Bahubali 2 released at the end of April, 2017, broke all the box records in India. The film had been named Bahubali 2: The Conclusion. SS Rajamouli directed the film. It is the sequel of the film Bahubali: The beginning. After being released in Telegu and Tamil the film had been translated in all the Indian languages. With a budget of Rs 250 crores, the film already had done business of more than 550 crores. The film is even running strong in the theatres and has all possibility of crossing 600 crores. After Prabhash (Amarendra Bahubali) was declared king of Mahismati, his mother Ramya Krishnan (Rajmata Sivagami) looked for a bride for Bahubali. Bahubali and Katappa (Satyaraj) went to tour the entire Kingdom. Bahubali fell in love with Anushka Shetty (Devasena), the princess of Kuntala Kingdom. Rana Daggubati (Bhallala Deva), the brother conspired due to advise of his father Nasser (Bijjaladeva) and got the promise of Ramya Krishnan to marry Anushka Shetty. Ramya Krishnan promised him the bride without knowing Bahubali was in love with Anushka Shetty. When the marriage proposal was send by Ramya Krishnan to Kuntala Kingdom, Anushka Shetty rejected the proposal. Ramya Krishnan ordered Bahubali and Katappa to capture her and bring her to Mahismati. In the meantime Kuntala was attacked by Pindaris (a dacoit community). Amarendra Bahubali saved kingdom of Kuntala with his bravery. He convinced Anuskha Shetty and brought her to Mahismati. When the misunderstanding was unfolded, Bahubali was given the choice either be the king of Mahismati or marry Anushka Shetty. He married Anushka Shetty. Rana Daggubati became the king. On killing one of the generals who molested the women, Bahubali was banished and asked to leave the kingdom. Anushka Shetty gave birth to Bahubali’s son Mahendra Bahubali. Rana Daggubati with Bijjaladeva hatched a plan and convinced Ramya Krishnan that Bahubali wanted to kill the king. So Katappa was ordered to Kill Bahubali. Under compulsion Katappa stapped Bahubali from the back. But Katappa unfolded the truth before Ramya Krishnan, that Bahubali never wanted to kill Rana Daggubati. Ramya Krishnan, with the baby Mahendra Bahubali declared before the people that his father Amarendra had died, but Mahendra is the future king of Mahismati. Ramya Krishnan, saved the little baby, Mahendra Bahubali, but died from sword of Rana Duggabati. Kuntala was destroyed and Devasena (Anushka Shetty) was kept as prisoner. Mahendra Bahubali grew up, learned guerilla warfare and with the men of king of Kuntala (Meka Ramakrishna) who was ousted from Kingdom of Kuntala made his force and faced Rana Duggabati. Rana Duggabati, by treachery again captured Anushka Shetty, the mother of Mahendra Bahubali. A furious war took place in the palace of Mahismati. Mahendra Bahubali smashed Rana Duggabati and burned him alive in the pyre prepared by Anushka Shetty (Devasena). Mahendra Bahubali became the king and Tamanna (Avantika) the queen of Mahismati. The performances of Prabhash, Anushka Shetty, Ramya Krishnan, Satyaraj were outstanding by every yardstick. Anushka Shetty looked very beautiful in the film. Prabhash with his muscular body and kingly looks stole the hearts of millions of Indians. The technical excellence took the film to Hollywood standard. Credit goes to KV Vijayendra Prasad, the screen writer, RC Kamalakanan, (visual effects), Kotagiri Venkateswara Prasad (Editing), PM Satheesh (Sound Designer), King Solomon, Lee Whittaker, Kecha, and Peter Hein, (stunt sequences). Those who saw the film in big theatres, realize that they have not seen an Indian film of such a technical brilliance like Bahubali 2 before. The film created sensation. It should be a torch bearer for more period films and films related to royal kingdoms in future. Those who did not get scope to see the film should see it in multiplexes or single-screen theatres.

Sunny Deolji starrer Gadar 2 with 710 crores business worldwide and 450 crores business in India has only Pathan and Bahubali 2 records ahead.

Sunny Deolji starrer Gadar 2 did 450 crores business in 16 days in India and internationally 260 crores taking the tally to 710 crores worldwide. Sunny Deolji starrer Gadar did 340 crores business in 9 days in India and internationally 225 crores taking the tally to 565 crores worldwide. Sunny Deolji starrer Gadar 2 did 301 crore business in 8 days. Internationally the film did 200 crores and so worldwide it has done 501 crores business. Sunnyji is the oldest star to give a blockbuster at this age. During the backdrop of "Crush India" campaign in 1971, Tara Singh goes missing during a skirmish on the border and is believed to be imprisoned in Pakistan. Learning this, Tara's son Charanjeet "Jeete" Singh goes to save him, but gets imprisoned and tortured by the Pakistan soldiers under Major General Hamid Iqbal, whose 40 subordinates were killed by Tara during his escape with his wife Sakeena and Jeete from Pakistan in 1954.[a] Hamid got Sakeena's father executed in 1954, and now wants to exact revenge on Tara himself. Tara, having survived the skirmish on the border uncaptured, learns about this after reuniting with Sakeena, and sets out to rescue Jeete. With the help of his friends in Pakistan, Tara confronts Hamid and helps Jeete escape a public execution, but they are parted shortly afterwards. After reuniting, Tara and Jeete are helped by the family of Muskaan, a Pakistani Muslim girl with whom Jeete has fallen in love. Hamid captures Muskaan's family and some Indian soldiers. Killing Muskaan's brother, he forces Tara, Jeete and Muskaan to surrender. Tara, along with others, is able to escape after a brutal fight. Hamid gives chase, but Tara and others are able to take the fight to Indian territory, allowing Indian army to hold Hamid and his men at gunpoint. Tara spares Hamid, who tries to kill Tara anyway and is gunned down by Indian soldiers. Tara and Jeete triumphantly return to India with Muskaan, and reunite with Sakeena. Sunny Deol reprises his role of Tara Singh, but was initially hesitant about revisiting the role, believing that films like Gadar: Ek Prem Katha can be made only once in history. He states, "We had made Gadar but the audience made it a Blockbuster. Initially, I was a bit apprehensive about whether we would do justice and continue the legacy of the first part." The film's director Anil Sharma revealed how he convinced Deol to return, stating, "When I narrated Gadar 2, Sunny was a little hesitant because he felt Gadar was a blockbuster and didn't want to meddle with it. But I requested him that the entire nation has been requesting a sequel and we should respect their emotions. After many calls, he finally agreed to hear the story. When we sat down for narration and finished it, he had tears in his eyes. That's how the journey of Gadar 2 started."[9] Ameesha Patel and Utkarsh Sharma also reprise their roles of Sakeena and Charanjeet "Jeete" Singh from the first film.[10] Simrat Kaur was also cast for the film.[10] Manish Wadhwa was offered the role of a Pakistani army general in the film. Rohit Choudhary, was also cast in the role of a Pakistani army general in the film. Luv Sinha and Gaurav Chopra have also been cast in important role. The shoot of the film was wrapped up by May 2023.[11] The late Amrish Puri face used as Ashraf Ali, Sakeena's father from the first film. Puri passed away in 2005 and used his role through archive footage from Gadar: Ek Prem Katha and computer-generated imagery. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Gadar 2 has an approval rating of 9% from 11 reviews, with an average score of 3.3/10.[23] Taran Adarsh from Bollywood Hungama rated the film 4.5 stars out of 5 and wrote “Gadar 2 is old-school desi entertainment at its best. Sunny Deol returns to the big screen with a vengeance… He is as ferocious as ever. The patriotic flavour coupled with tremendous recall value will make it a huge money-spinner. Gadar 2 lives up to massive expectations… Has it all: drama, emotions, action, two beautiful songs [from the first part] and the hand pump sequence, of course. Anil Sharma makes sure he packs every ingredient on the shelf to create a big-screen entertainer.” [24] Anuj Kumar from The Hindu wrote "It is not as provocative as the original as driver Anil Sharma seeks to take a middle path. Perhaps, it feels like that because the socio-political atmosphere outside the theatre has become much more dramatic and shrill than what it was when the original released in 2001. Still, it is good that Sharma has toned down the jingoistic tone."[25] Monika Rawal Kukreja of Hindustan Times wrote "Gadar 2 does falter in terms of story and its pace, though it brings back the mass entertainment and that can surely make it a paisa vasool watch."[26] Anindita Mukherjee from India Today gave three and half stars out of five and wrote "Gadar 2 supersedes expectations, as it successfully tugs at your heartstrings. And there’s Sunny Paaji to do all the heavy-lifting (pun intended).[27] Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express rates one and half stars out of 5 stars said: What we can confirm is that Sunny paaji can still snarl effectively, and that dhai-kilo-ka-haath has residual potency. We can also confirm the reappearance of a hand-pump.[28] Umesh Punwani of Koimoi gave one star and reviewed as: this is a blatant misuse of fans’ emotions taking it for granted to deliver such a horrendous product hoping it’ll work only based on nostalgic factors

Vaijayantimalaji Rajender Kumarji combination films stormed bollywood box office with Zindagi Suraj Sangam Saathi and other films of 1960s.

Rajender Kumar acted in many landmark films in the 60s and successfully performed opposite leading actresses of that age including Meena Kumari, Sadhna, Wahida Rehman, etc. But his performance opposite Vaijayantimala created a distinct impact on the viewers. Vaijayantimala previously formed a legendary combination with Dilip Kumar. In the film Sangam, she was attached with Rajender Kumar, but Rajender Kumar due to his soft corner for Raj Kapoor he could not express it.Raj Kapoor the airforce and the news relating to his death surprised Rajender Kumar and Vaijayantimala. At the time when they made up their mind of marrying each other Raj Kapoor again returned back and Vaijayantimala married him. Rajender Kumar sacrificed his life for his friends. The viewers were in their tears when Rafi’s song “ki tum naraz na hona” was played when his ashes were immersed by Raj Kapoor and Vaijayantimala in the holy prayag sangam in Allahabad. Sangam was plainum jubilee hit in 1964. Both of them acted together in the film Suraj where Rajender Kumar was a prince and Vaijayantimala was a princess. It was an action-pact film where the melodious songs composed by Shankar Jaikishan created a great impact on the audience. Songs of Rafi, Lata and Asha including “chehre pe giri zulfen”, “kaise samjhayun”, “itna hai tujhse pyar mujhe”, “baharon phool barsao”, etc, mesmerized the viewers. Both of them did well in the film Saathi also, where Rajender Kumar became blind. The music was composed by Naushad, and Mukesh and Lata sung very well songs like “mera pyar bhi tu hai” and others. Vaijayantimala gave a spirited performance in the film Zindagi opposite Rajender Kumar. She was not accepted by her father-in-law played by Prithviraj Kapoor, and she struggled hard with her mother to stay separately, without the support of Rajender Kumar. He accepted her at the end of the film and repented for the misunderstanding. Their other hit films include Aas Ka Panchi, Ganwar, etc., and in all these films the romantic pair got the appreciation of the mass audience. Their films had strong storyline and music and for those reasons should be restored.

Rajashreeji with romantic pair with Raj Kapoorji had brilliant box office.

Rajashree – the classical dancer of the 60s. Rajashree, daughter of famous director V. Shantaram and classical dancer Sandhya, made a notable contribution in bollywood films in the 60s. She faced very strong competition from Vaijayantimala, Sadhna, Asha Parekh, Saira Banu, and yet maintained her stardom in hit films opposite leading stars of bollywood films. She was extremely successful opposite Shammi Kapoor, in the film Janwar. Shammi Kapoor brought westernized mannerisms in bollywood films in the 60s, and his style was enhanced by fantastic music composed by Shankar Jaikishan, and colourful locations where the films were picturised. The same thing happened in the film Janwar. Most part of the film was picturised in Jammu & Kashmir, and the songs of Rafi like “lal chadi”, “tumse accha kaun hai”, etc., became super hit. Rajashree had adequate classical training for exhibiting her dancing skills which she showed in the song “mere sang ga gunguna”. The second part of the film dealt with the conspiracy committed against Shammi Kapoor, and her marriage with Shammi Kapoor got stuck due to those reasons. Over all her performance was very impressive and the film became super hit. The same combination was again successful in the film Brahmchari. Shammi Kapoor ran an orphan house where the children were brought by him and he did not marry to help out the orphan children in the film. Rajashree intereacted with Shammi Kapoor in the film and for different reasons, Shammi Kapoor taught her to be modern and arranged her marriage with Pran. After knowing that Pran had a very bad reputation in society and was also involved with Mumtaz, the marriage was cancelled and Rajashree was saved at the end of the film. Again the scintillating music of Shankar Jaikishan amused the viewers. All the songs of Rafi including “aajkal tere mere pyar ke charche”, “chakke pe chakka”, “dil ke jharoke me tujhko bithakar”, “mai gayun tum so jayo”, became landmark hits in the late 60s. Rajashree was extremely successful opposite Raj Kapoor in the film Around the World. Raj Kapoor played the role of an innocent person who had to travel all across the world, first as a worker in a ship and then after joining different forms of employments. He was attached with Rajashree during his travel to different places. The fantastic location of West Indies, United States, etc., was balanced by classic music of Shankar Jaikishan once again. Mukesh’s songs “kitna akela hoon mai”, “duniya ka sair kar lo”, “chale jana” became landmark hits in the late 60s. Rajashree acted in successful films opposite the other leading stars of bollywood films in the 60s, including Biswajeet, Joy Mukherjee, Jeetender, to name a few. Most of those films including Sehnai, became successful. Rajashree faded out from the industry in the 70s. Her films should be restored for the next generations.

Earthshattering records Sunny Deolji starrer Gadar 2 did business of 565 crores worldwide in a mood to break Pathan's record.

Sunny Deolji starrer Gadar did 340 crores business in 9 days in India and internationally 225 crores taking the tally to 565 crores worldwide. Sunny Deolji starrer Gadar 2 did 301 crore business in 8 days. Internationally the film did 200 crores and so worldwide it has done 501 crores business. Sunnyji is the oldest star to give a blockbuster at this age. During the backdrop of "Crush India" campaign in 1971, Tara Singh goes missing during a skirmish on the border and is believed to be imprisoned in Pakistan. Learning this, Tara's son Charanjeet "Jeete" Singh goes to save him, but gets imprisoned and tortured by the Pakistan soldiers under Major General Hamid Iqbal, whose 40 subordinates were killed by Tara during his escape with his wife Sakeena and Jeete from Pakistan in 1954.[a] Hamid got Sakeena's father executed in 1954, and now wants to exact revenge on Tara himself. Tara, having survived the skirmish on the border uncaptured, learns about this after reuniting with Sakeena, and sets out to rescue Jeete. With the help of his friends in Pakistan, Tara confronts Hamid and helps Jeete escape a public execution, but they are parted shortly afterwards. After reuniting, Tara and Jeete are helped by the family of Muskaan, a Pakistani Muslim girl with whom Jeete has fallen in love. Hamid captures Muskaan's family and some Indian soldiers. Killing Muskaan's brother, he forces Tara, Jeete and Muskaan to surrender. Tara, along with others, is able to escape after a brutal fight. Hamid gives chase, but Tara and others are able to take the fight to Indian territory, allowing Indian army to hold Hamid and his men at gunpoint. Tara spares Hamid, who tries to kill Tara anyway and is gunned down by Indian soldiers. Tara and Jeete triumphantly return to India with Muskaan, and reunite with Sakeena. Sunny Deol reprises his role of Tara Singh, but was initially hesitant about revisiting the role, believing that films like Gadar: Ek Prem Katha can be made only once in history. He states, "We had made Gadar but the audience made it a Blockbuster. Initially, I was a bit apprehensive about whether we would do justice and continue the legacy of the first part." The film's director Anil Sharma revealed how he convinced Deol to return, stating, "When I narrated Gadar 2, Sunny was a little hesitant because he felt Gadar was a blockbuster and didn't want to meddle with it. But I requested him that the entire nation has been requesting a sequel and we should respect their emotions. After many calls, he finally agreed to hear the story. When we sat down for narration and finished it, he had tears in his eyes. That's how the journey of Gadar 2 started."[9] Ameesha Patel and Utkarsh Sharma also reprise their roles of Sakeena and Charanjeet "Jeete" Singh from the first film.[10] Simrat Kaur was also cast for the film.[10] Manish Wadhwa was offered the role of a Pakistani army general in the film. Rohit Choudhary, was also cast in the role of a Pakistani army general in the film. Luv Sinha and Gaurav Chopra have also been cast in important role. The shoot of the film was wrapped up by May 2023.[11] The late Amrish Puri face used as Ashraf Ali, Sakeena's father from the first film. Puri passed away in 2005 and used his role through archive footage from Gadar: Ek Prem Katha and computer-generated imagery. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Gadar 2 has an approval rating of 9% from 11 reviews, with an average score of 3.3/10.[23] Taran Adarsh from Bollywood Hungama rated the film 4.5 stars out of 5 and wrote “Gadar 2 is old-school desi entertainment at its best. Sunny Deol returns to the big screen with a vengeance… He is as ferocious as ever. The patriotic flavour coupled with tremendous recall value will make it a huge money-spinner. Gadar 2 lives up to massive expectations… Has it all: drama, emotions, action, two beautiful songs [from the first part] and the hand pump sequence, of course. Anil Sharma makes sure he packs every ingredient on the shelf to create a big-screen entertainer.” [24] Anuj Kumar from The Hindu wrote "It is not as provocative as the original as driver Anil Sharma seeks to take a middle path. Perhaps, it feels like that because the socio-political atmosphere outside the theatre has become much more dramatic and shrill than what it was when the original released in 2001. Still, it is good that Sharma has toned down the jingoistic tone."[25] Monika Rawal Kukreja of Hindustan Times wrote "Gadar 2 does falter in terms of story and its pace, though it brings back the mass entertainment and that can surely make it a paisa vasool watch."[26] Anindita Mukherjee from India Today gave three and half stars out of five and wrote "Gadar 2 supersedes expectations, as it successfully tugs at your heartstrings. And there’s Sunny Paaji to do all the heavy-lifting (pun intended).[27] Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express rates one and half stars out of 5 stars said: What we can confirm is that Sunny paaji can still snarl effectively, and that dhai-kilo-ka-haath has residual potency. We can also confirm the reappearance of a hand-pump.[28] Umesh Punwani of Koimoi gave one star and reviewed as: this is a blatant misuse of fans’ emotions taking it for granted to deliver such a horrendous product hoping it’ll work only based on nostalgic factors

Sunny Deolji starrer Gadar 2 did 301 crores business in India and Rs 501 crores business worldwide in 8 days.

Sunny Deolji starrer Gadar 2 did 301 crore business in 8 days. Internationally the film did 200 crores and so worldwide it has done 501 crores business. Sunnyji is the oldest star to give a blockbuster at this age. During the backdrop of "Crush India" campaign in 1971, Tara Singh goes missing during a skirmish on the border and is believed to be imprisoned in Pakistan. Learning this, Tara's son Charanjeet "Jeete" Singh goes to save him, but gets imprisoned and tortured by the Pakistan soldiers under Major General Hamid Iqbal, whose 40 subordinates were killed by Tara during his escape with his wife Sakeena and Jeete from Pakistan in 1954.[a] Hamid got Sakeena's father executed in 1954, and now wants to exact revenge on Tara himself. Tara, having survived the skirmish on the border uncaptured, learns about this after reuniting with Sakeena, and sets out to rescue Jeete. With the help of his friends in Pakistan, Tara confronts Hamid and helps Jeete escape a public execution, but they are parted shortly afterwards. After reuniting, Tara and Jeete are helped by the family of Muskaan, a Pakistani Muslim girl with whom Jeete has fallen in love. Hamid captures Muskaan's family and some Indian soldiers. Killing Muskaan's brother, he forces Tara, Jeete and Muskaan to surrender. Tara, along with others, is able to escape after a brutal fight. Hamid gives chase, but Tara and others are able to take the fight to Indian territory, allowing Indian army to hold Hamid and his men at gunpoint. Tara spares Hamid, who tries to kill Tara anyway and is gunned down by Indian soldiers. Tara and Jeete triumphantly return to India with Muskaan, and reunite with Sakeena. Sunny Deol reprises his role of Tara Singh, but was initially hesitant about revisiting the role, believing that films like Gadar: Ek Prem Katha can be made only once in history. He states, "We had made Gadar but the audience made it a Blockbuster. Initially, I was a bit apprehensive about whether we would do justice and continue the legacy of the first part." The film's director Anil Sharma revealed how he convinced Deol to return, stating, "When I narrated Gadar 2, Sunny was a little hesitant because he felt Gadar was a blockbuster and didn't want to meddle with it. But I requested him that the entire nation has been requesting a sequel and we should respect their emotions. After many calls, he finally agreed to hear the story. When we sat down for narration and finished it, he had tears in his eyes. That's how the journey of Gadar 2 started."[9] Ameesha Patel and Utkarsh Sharma also reprise their roles of Sakeena and Charanjeet "Jeete" Singh from the first film.[10] Simrat Kaur was also cast for the film.[10] Manish Wadhwa was offered the role of a Pakistani army general in the film. Rohit Choudhary, was also cast in the role of a Pakistani army general in the film. Luv Sinha and Gaurav Chopra have also been cast in important role. The shoot of the film was wrapped up by May 2023.[11] The late Amrish Puri face used as Ashraf Ali, Sakeena's father from the first film. Puri passed away in 2005 and used his role through archive footage from Gadar: Ek Prem Katha and computer-generated imagery. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Gadar 2 has an approval rating of 9% from 11 reviews, with an average score of 3.3/10.[23] Taran Adarsh from Bollywood Hungama rated the film 4.5 stars out of 5 and wrote “Gadar 2 is old-school desi entertainment at its best. Sunny Deol returns to the big screen with a vengeance… He is as ferocious as ever. The patriotic flavour coupled with tremendous recall value will make it a huge money-spinner. Gadar 2 lives up to massive expectations… Has it all: drama, emotions, action, two beautiful songs [from the first part] and the hand pump sequence, of course. Anil Sharma makes sure he packs every ingredient on the shelf to create a big-screen entertainer.” [24] Anuj Kumar from The Hindu wrote "It is not as provocative as the original as driver Anil Sharma seeks to take a middle path. Perhaps, it feels like that because the socio-political atmosphere outside the theatre has become much more dramatic and shrill than what it was when the original released in 2001. Still, it is good that Sharma has toned down the jingoistic tone."[25] Monika Rawal Kukreja of Hindustan Times wrote "Gadar 2 does falter in terms of story and its pace, though it brings back the mass entertainment and that can surely make it a paisa vasool watch."[26] Anindita Mukherjee from India Today gave three and half stars out of five and wrote "Gadar 2 supersedes expectations, as it successfully tugs at your heartstrings. And there’s Sunny Paaji to do all the heavy-lifting (pun intended).[27] Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express rates one and half stars out of 5 stars said: What we can confirm is that Sunny paaji can still snarl effectively, and that dhai-kilo-ka-haath has residual potency. We can also confirm the reappearance of a hand-pump.[28] Umesh Punwani of Koimoi gave one star and reviewed as: this is a blatant misuse of fans’ emotions taking it for granted to deliver such a horrendous product hoping it’ll work only based on nostalgic factors

Beauty queen Saira Banuji and Jubilee Star Rajender Kumarji gave landmark blockbusters in 1960s.

Rajender Kumarji and Saira Banuji 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. The films of Jubilee Kumar and Saira Banu should be restored for the next generation as their romantic pair provided entertaining performances in the 60s.

The filmfare award for the best male playback singer should be renamed as Mohammad Rafi award.

The filmfare award for best male singer should be renamed as Mohammad Rafi award. Mohammad Rafi is beyond doubt the greatest singer India had ever produced. On his birth anniversary on 24th December, 2022, everyone remembered him and showed their respect and regard for the great soul. The nation remembers Mohammad Rafi on his death anniversary on 31st july every year. It was a very painful experience for most of the music lovers of India and abroad to recollect the experience of 31st July, 1980. 30 years had passed since his death and yet time could not heal the wound inflicted in the hearts of numerous music lovers of the country. He is still alive in the hearts of millions of Indians with his 26000 songs. He had given expression to almost all the leading stars of bollywood and also the poets and composers of the golden age. He had created such an invaluable treasure of songs most of which can be termed as masterpieces, that the listeners can cherish his work for ever. Rafi admirers all across the world feel that the filmfare award for the best playback singer can be renamed as Mohammad Rafi award. The reason is that he received the filmfare award for the best male playback singer 6 times, and also his songs helped the legendary composers to win the filmfare award many times. The awards ceremony looked incomplete without Rafi’s association in them during the 50s, 60s and 70s. Rafi’s awards and nominations are hereby listed as follows. Government Awards 1948 - Rafi received a silver medal from the Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, on the first anniversary of the Indian Independence Day. 1965 - Rafi was honoured with the Padmashri by the Government of India. National Film Awards Winner 1977 - National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for Kya Hua Tera Wada song in the film Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin), composed by RD Burman, lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri. Filmfare Awards Winner 1960 - Filmfare Best Male Playback Award for Chaudhvin Ka Chand Ho song in the film Chaudhvin Ka Chand 1961 - Filmfare Best Male Playback Award for Teri Pyaari Pyaari Surat Ko song in the film Sasural 1964 - Filmfare Best Male Playback Award for Chahunga Mein Tujhe song in the film Dosti 1966 - Filmfare Best Male Playback Award for Baharon Phool Barsao song in the film Suraj 1968 - Filmfare Best Male Playback Award for Dil Ke Jharoke Mein song in the film Brahmachari 1977 - Filmfare Best Male Playback Award for Kya Hua Tera Vaada song in the film Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin Nominated 1961 - Husnwale Tera Jawaab Nahin song in the film Gharana 1962 - Aye Gulbadan Aye Gulbadan song in the film Professor 1963 - Mere Mehboob Tujhe song in the film Mere Mehboob 1965 - Choo Lene Do Nazuk Hothon Ko song in the film Kaajal 1968 - Mein Gaaon Tum Sojaao song in the film Brahmachari 1968 - Babul Ki Duayein Leti Ja song in the film Neel Kamal 1969 - Badi Mastani Hai song in the film Jeene Ki Raah 1970 - Khilona Jaan Kar song in the film Khilona 1973 - Hum Ko To Jaan Se Pyaari song in the film Naina 1974 - Achha Hi Huva Dil Toot Gaya song in the film Maa Behen Aur Biwi 1977 - Pardah Hai Pardah song in the film Amar Akbar Anthony 1978 - Aadmi Musaafir Hai song in the film Apnapan 1979 - Chalo Re Doli Uthao Kahaar song in the film Jani Dushman 1980 - Mere Dost Kissa Yeh song in the film Dostana 1980 - Dard-e-dil Dard-e-jigar song in the film Karz 1980 - Maine Poocha Chand Se song in the film Abdullah Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards Winner 1965 - Best Male Playback Singer for Dosti 1966 - Best Male Playback Singer for Arzoo Very significantly, Rafi’s immortal presence contributed to the composers’ awards won in the respective years. In 1953, Naushad won the filmfare award for the best music director for his contribution in the film Baiju Bawra. Rafi’s songs “tu ganga ki mauj”, “wo duniyake rakhwale”, “man tarapat hari darshan” were the backbone of Naushad’s legendary creation. OP Nayyar won the filmfare award for the best music director for his contribution in the film Naya Daur in 1958. Rafi’s songs like “ure jab jab zulfen teri”, “saathi haath barana”, “mai bambai ka babu” glorified OP Nayyar’s melodious creations. Salil Choudhury won the filmfare award for the best music director for his contribution in the film Madhumati in 1959. Rafi sang two landmark songs in varying moods including “jangal me mor nacha kisi ne na dekha” and “tute hue khwabon ne”. Ravi won the filmfare award for the best music director for his contribution in the film Gharana in 1962. Rafi sang the landmark songs in the film including “husnwale tera jawab nahi” and “jab se tujhe dekha hai”. Shankar Jaikishan won the filmfare award for the best music director for his contribution in the film Professor in 1963. Rafi was instrumental in most of the westernized songs like “awaz deke hume tum bulayo”, “ay gulbadan, ay gulbadan”, etc. Roshan won the filmfare award for the best music director for his contribution in the film Taj Mahal in 1964. Rafi’s songs “payon chulene do phoolon ko inayat hogi”, “jo wada kiya hai”, “jo baat tujhme hai” had emerged as timeless classic and made Roshan immortal through Rafi’s brilliance. Shankar Jaikishan won the filmfare award for the best music director again in the years 1966, 1968. In 1966, SJ’s efforts in the film Suraj was given adequate expression by Rafi. All the songs were super hit including “baharon phool barsao”, “gustaqi maaf”, “itna hai tujhse pyar mujhe”, “kaise samjhayun bari na samajh ho”, to name a few. In 1968, SJ won it for Brahmachari, where Rafi’s songs “mai gayun tum so jayo” “chakke pe chakka”, “dil ke jharoke mai”, “aajkal tere mere pyar ke charche” had made the viewers and listeners spell bound. In the late 70s, when Laxmikant Pyarellal won filmfare award for best music director back to back in the 4 years, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, Rafi’s contribution was immense. In the film Amar Akbar Anthony, the film for which LP won the filmfare in 1978 Rafi sang landmark songs like “parda hai parda”, “shirdiwali saibaba”, “humko tumse ho gaya hai pyar kya Karen”. In the film Sargam, LP’s songs sung by Rafi including “dafliwale dafli baja”, “ramjiki nikli sawari”, “koel boli”, etc., stormed bollywood in the late 70s. LP won the filmfare once again in 1980, for Karz where Rafi’s song “darde dil darde jigar” created everlasting impact in the minds of youngstars for generations after generations. There are no words to pay homage to the noble soul Mohammad Rafi, whom Raj Kapoor used to call Sufisahab. Neither awards can judge Rafi’s worth, nor praises can describe the godliness, of the giant singer whose down to earth nature had swept the world of music with peace, romance, love and friendship. The listeners should revisit the songs of Rafi and restore the creations to pay homage to the noble soul who departed the music -lovers 34 years ago.

Happy birthday to superstar Vaijayantimalaji

Happy birthday to superstar Vaijayantimala. Happy birthday to Vaijayantimala. The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to dancing queen Vaijayantimala on 13th August, 2023. She had ruled bollywood films during the 50s and 60s, during an age when muslim actresses like Nargis, Madhubala, Meena Kumari rocked silver screen. She was the first South Indian actress to create a sensation in bollywood films and paved the way for other South Indian actresses to follow like Hema Malini, Sri Devi, Jaya Prada, Meenakshi Sheshadri, and others. There was no successful actor of the 1950s and 1960s, who did not act opposite Vaijayantimala. The list is very long ranging from Dilip Kumar to Raj Kapoor, Rajender Kumar to Shammi Kapoor, Dev Anand to Pradip Kumar, Joy Mukherjee to Uttam Kumar. In 2013, she received the lifetime achievement award too for her immense contribution in Bollywood films. Her online chemistry with Tragedy King Dilip Kumar created history in bollywood. Most of their films including Devdas, Naya Daur, Madhumati, Paigham, Ganga Jumna, Leader, Sunghursh ended up being blockbusters. Besides dancing, she was sublime in the role of a tawaif in Bimal Roy’s film Devdas, in the role of village girl in Bimal Roy’s Madhumati. Vaijayantimala used to do a lot of homework also in respect of her role. When she was awarded best supporting actress award in filmfare for her performance in the film Devdas, she did not receive the award. She said after reading the literature of Sarat Chandra Chatterjee, she found that Chandramukhi, the character she played, was equally a heroine as Parvati. Probably Madhumati, released in 1958, marks the best performance of Vaijayantimala in her entire career. Her innocence reflected in her acting and she made the audience spellbound with the lips given in songs composed by Salil Choudhury including “aa ja re pardesi”, “ghari ghari mera dil dharke”, “daiya re daiya re”, etc. She received the filmfare award for the best actress for the brilliant performance in the film. On one hand she was brilliant opposite Dilip Kumar, on the other hand she created sensation with Raj Kapoor as well. Their film Nazrana did mediocre business. But Sangam, released in 1964, was probably one of the biggest hits of Raj Kapoor in his entire life. Vaijayantimala’s stylish performance opposite both Raj Kapoor and Rajender Kumar created a benchmark which could hardly be reached. Sangam still remains one of the most landmark films based on triangular love story shot at exotic locations in London, Paris, and other European countries. Shankar Jaikishan was matchless in Sangam. The acting performance of Vaijayantimala was excellent and she received the filmfare award for the best actress once again. The last scene where Vaijayatimala questioned both Raj Kapoor and Rajender Kumar about deciding about her life, had become a trend-setter. She justified the fact that she had affair with Rajender Kumar, but from the time she married Raj Kapoor, she fulfilled all the responsibilities of a hindu wife. She had been followed by numerous actresses of the following period in similar roles. In the 60s, Vaijayantimala was matchless. Her name was enough to make any film hit. The list of her hit films include Nagin opposite Pradeep Kumar, Suraj opposite Rajender Kumar, Amrapali opposite Sunil Dutt, Prince opposite Shammi Kapoor, Choti Si Mulakat opposite Uttam Kumar, Jewel Thief opposite Dev Anand, Pyar Hi Pyar opposite Dharmender, to name a few. In fact her combination with Rajender Kumar and Shankar Jaikishan created sensation in the 60s. All their films ended up being silver jubilees including Aas Ka Panchi, Suraj, Sangam, Zindagi, etc. Her lips in landmark songs like “kaise samjhayun bai na samajh ho”, “itna hai tujhse pyar mujhe meri raazdaar”, “o mere sanam”, “titli uri” had become immortal over a period of time. Besides her standard of classical dancing in films like Katputli or Amrapali had created interest among viewers to appreciate aesthetic dance numbers which became an art in due period of time. Her films should be restored and preserved.

Happy birthday to Gulzarsahab

Happy birthday to Gulzar. Gulzar received Dadasahab Phalke award in 2014. It is great that Gulzar had been chose to be the recipient. He really deserved it. The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to legendary director and lyricist Gulzar on 18th August, 2023. He had been one of the greatest living legends at this moment. Bollywood is indebted to thoughtful director who had converted filmmaking into work of art. His film Mausam released in 1975, was based on reflections of mind. Sanjeev Kumar was attached with Sharmila Tagore living in Darjeeling when he came over there as a student. After he went abroad to pursue his post-graduate studies, Sharmila was exploited and her daughter how looked identical like her mother was compelled to join prostitution. Sanjeev Kumar returned as a foreign-return doctor and took his daughter away from the surroundings and gave her a new life. Bhupinder Singh’s ghazal “dil dhoonta hai phir wohi” composed by Madan Mohan and written by Gulzar remains as the greatest ghazal created in the 70s. The story-telling in the film was appreciated by critics. Gulzar created a different dimension by experimented with classic literature during the 70s and 80s. His films Aandhi released in 1975, with Suchitra Sen and Sanjeev Kumar and Kinara released in 1978, with Jeetender and Hema Malini can very well be classified as master pieces. He gave very meaningful sequences where songs were recorded. He created a separate fanclub for himself who could understand human relations at the same period when larger than life images were created in main stream cinema of Big B, Vinod Khanna, Shatrughun Sinha and other angry young men in films like Sholay, Kalicharan, Burning Train, etc. Gulzar’s films created for children like Parichay, released in 1972 and Kitaab, released in 1978 are still considered masterpieces. He was impressed by the thoughts of Hollywood film Sound of Music and Uttam Kumar’s Joyjoyanti to make a film related to five children who required a good teacher. Jeetender treated them with compassion and brought change in the children. In Kitaab, Uttam Kumar cared for his brother-in-law Master Raju who was a small child and had been send by her mother (Dina Pathak) to get educated in urbanized background. Vidya Sinha was the sister of Master Raju. Uttam Kumar played a huge part in transforming the character of Master Raju in the film. Gulzar experimented with so many diverse subjects that articles after articles can be devoted to his different themes, including the film Koshish, released in 1972, based on life of deaf and dumb, Lekin, based on folklore of Rajasthan. Koshish had a very strong social message. It showed that deaf and dumb persons could go to dead and dumb schools and learn sign language. Their life can have a new aspiration and direction. All his artists like Suchitra Sen, Jaya Bacchan, Sharmila Tagore, Uttam Kumar, Sanjeev Kumar, Jeetender portrayed the life of middle-class men who were found in everyday life. He even worked with subjects like terrorism in films like Machis. His composers, Jaidev, Madan Mohan, Khayyam, RD Burman all had given their best music for the thoughtful director. These days Gulzar concentrates more on writing lyrics. In that field too he had been master of masters. In the recent past Gulzar said that he wanted to devote time to write books. For those reasons he had reduced directing films in the last 10 years. It is a huge loss for thoughtful viewers. He continued to write lyrics of songs in bollywood films in regular intervals and his popular lyrics like “aisi nazar se” in the film Bunty Aur Babli had both class and also rhythm. He received the filmfare award for the best lyricist a number of times. His admirers expect him to continue to make rich films which make the audience think, feel and reflect on the happiness and sniffles of life.

Happy birthday to dignified actress Rakheeji

Happy birthday to Rakhee. The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Rakhee on 15th August, 2023. She had contributed in bollywood films for more than 30 years. She had contributed both as a leading actress and also as a character actress. Rakhee came to limelight with her successful film Sharmilee opposite Shashi Kapoor in the early 70s. The songs of the film composed by SD Burman became very successful, including the songs “khilte hai dil yahan”, “megha chaye aadhi raat”, etc. Rakhee played a double role, one being calm and quite named Kanchan and the other who was outspoken named Kamini and created attention. In the mid-70s Rakhee acted in landmark roles including the one in the film Kabhi Kabhi opposite Big B and Shashi Kapoor. She loved a poet played by Big B, but had to marry Shashi Kapoor. The poetry of Big B created a great impact in the life of Rakhee. The songs of Mukesh and Lata composed by Khayyam in the film including “mai pal do pal ka shayar hoon” and “kabhi kabhi mere dil me” made the viewers spellbound. Rakhee acted in many landmark films opposite Big B including Shakti Shamanta’s Bengali film Anusandhan, hindi film Barsaat Ki Ek Raat, Kala Patthar, Kasme Wade, etc. In the early 80s Rakhee played the role of her lifetime opposite Dilip Kumar in the film Shakti. She played the role of the mother of Big B, who faced the hostility between Dilip Kumar and Big B, one being the protector of law, while the other being the lawbreaker. The scenes where she praised her law-abiding husband her performance had outcast Big B, and viewers said that Rakhee’s performance was as brilliant as Dilip Kumar in Shakti. The film became super hit. She was brilliant in the film Shaan. She played the role of the wife of Sunil Dutt. After the death Sunil Dutt, her small interaction with Shashi Kapoor and Amitabh Bacchan, who were the brothers of Sunil Dutt in the film, had shown the class of acting of Rakhee. Rakhee by that period of time created her own class in character roles. She was outstanding opposite Suresh Oberoi in the film Shraddhanjali. In the 90s, Rakhee played many character roles in films like Anil Kapoor’s Ram Lakhan, Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan’s Karan Arjun, Bobby Deol’s Soldier, to name a few. She had acted in more than 100 films and continues to act in many contemporary films. Rakhee had also acted in many character roles and challenging roles. Her performance in Aparna Sen’s film Parama requires special mention. She had affair with a middle-aged neighbour. When the truth relating to her extra-marital affair was known to her husband, she lost her value in the family. She showed the helplessness in the respective story. She had performed in both commercial films and parallel cinema and in both forms of films she had kept a mark. She was sublime in the other Bengali film Shubha Maharat. The viewers expect her to continue the good work in the years to come.

Happy birthday to Shilpa Shettyji

Happy birthday to Shilpa Shetty. The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Shilpa Shetty on 8th June, 2023. She had maintained her romantic image and brilliant figure for over 15 years. She had remained indispensable for the last 15 years. Starting her journey with Shahrukh Khan in the film Baazigaar, in the early 90s, she had acted in different types of films. She acted in romantic films like Dhadkan opposite Akshay Kumar and Sunil Shetty. The film had successful songs like “tum dil ki dhadkan me”. She also acted in action thrillers like Prithvi, opposite Sunil Shetty. She was also sublime in off-beat films like Tarqueib. Nana Patekar played the role of the crime-investigator in the film. She was the friend of Tabu, the girl killed in the film. She also had speaking terms with Ashutosh Rana who was initially suspected to have murdered Tabu. Nana Patekar at the end of the film found out the murderer. But Shilpa Shetty showed her acting skills while relying to interrogation of Nana Patekar in the film. Her performance in the film Auzaar opposite Salman Khan and Sanjay Kapoor, also require special mention. Salman Khan was a CBI investigator in the film and was given the task of investigation the unlawful business affairs of Sanjay Kapoor. In fact the underworld involvement of Paresh Rawal, the father of Sanjay Kapoor was at issue. Shilpa Shetty bridged the gap between Salman Khan and Sanjay Kapoor, after Salman convinced her that he concealed his identity for the benefit of Sanjay Kapoor, his friend. Shilpa gave brilliant lips and danced well in the songs “oye oye oye oyeoye”, and other songs composed by Anu Malik. Shilpa Shetty had shown her comedy instincts in a number of films like Chor Machaye Shor. She played the role of the daughter of Paresh Rawal, and got attached with Bobby Deol, who was a subordinate of Paresh Rawal. He pretended to be twin brother, one having a moustache, the other without a moustache. In that comedy drama, Shilpa Shetty should her innocence and comedy instinct along with Bipasha Basu, who also played a significant role in the film. Even at her middle age she had shown dance numbers which could have made young actresses envious about her. For example, in Dostana, released in 2008, she performed in a dance number opposite John Abraham, which amazed the viewers. After marrying Raj Kundra she had reduced signing in as many number of films as she used to do earlier. She also had bought major share of Rajasthan Royals team which played IPL cricket in 2010. In 2011 her team Rajasthan Royals did not fare well in IPL, so she should concentrate in films. In 2013, she had been accused of being part of match-fixing scandal. Both her husband Mr. Kundra and herself faced charges of match fixing. She should act in more films. She should be followed by the new generation of actresses who want to stay fit and contribute in bollywood films for more than 20 years.

The biggest bollywood blockbusters of 1949.

The biggest Bollywood blockbusters of 1949. 1949 was a year in Bollywood films where a lot of transitions took place. Till that time majority of shooting of films used to take place in the studios. Directors started shooting the films outdoor. Barsaat was the biggest blockbuster in 1949. It was produced and directed by Raj Kapoor. This was the second film directed by Showman Raj Kapoor after Aag in 1947. Nargis, Raj Kapoor, Prem Nath and Nimmi played the lead roles. The pairs that were launched included Premnath and Nimmi together and Nargis and Raj Kapoor together. KN Singh played the role of a negative character in the film. It was the first time the composer duo Shankar Jaikishan was used by Raj Kapoor. Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri also contributed in the film. Raj Kapoor and Nargis fell in love with each other but due to resistance of Nargis’s father the marriage got obstructed. Nargis drowned in water and KN Singh, a fisherman found her. At the end of the film Nargis and Raj Kapoor were united. The music of the film rocked Bollywood. All the songs like “chod gaye balam” by Mukesh, “hawa mai udta jaye” and “jiya beqarar hai” by Lata stormed Bollywood. Andaz was the second biggest blockbuster of 1949. It was directed by Mehboob Khan. The music of the film was composed by Naushad Ali. Dilip Kumar loved Nargis in the film without knowing that he was already having affair with Raj Kapoor. Raj Kapoor came from abroad and married Nargis. When Dilip Kumar disclosed his love towards Nargis, she was shocked because she always considered Dilip Kumar as her friend and not a husband. Murad played the role of the father of Nargis. Cuckoo also played an important roles. The songs of the film were bumper hits like “tu kahe agar”, “toote na dil toote na” by Mukesh and “yun to aapas me bigadte hai” by Rafi and Lata. There were signs that Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor were going to rule Indian films for the next 30 years. Mahal was the third biggest blockbuster of 1949. Ashok Kumar played the lead role opposite Madhubala. It was directed by Kamal Amrohi. It was produced by Bombay Talkies. Khemchand Prakash composed the music of the film. The film was based on the story of reincarnation. Madhubala’s atma or soul was visualised by Ashok Kumar in the second birth. Lata’s song “ayega anewala” become a theme song for horror movies. The direction was excellent. Ashok Kumar came to a mahal or palace and the illusions made him horror –striken. It was one of the films which gave Lata her primary recognition with “ayega anewala”. Even Raj Kumari’s songs “ek teer chala dil ko laga” and “mai wo hansi hoon lab pe jo ane se reh gayi” became super hit. There were other successful films in 1949 like Dulari, Shabnam and other films. Naushad Ali, Shankar Jaikishan, Khemchand Prakash, Roshanlal Nagrath were the most dominating composers of that age. The world of singing was dominated by Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh, Talat Mehmood, Lata, Raj Kumari, Zohrabai Ambewali, Shamshad Begum, Noorjahan, Geeta Dutt and others. The most prominent directors included Raj Kapoor, Kamal Amrohi, Mehboob Khan, Bimal Roy, V Shantaram and others. While stars like Ashok Kumar continued their dream run, new stars like Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor showed promise. Actresses like Nargis, Madhubala, Suraiya became most prominent in the black and white age. The films require restoration.

Master all rounder Kishore Kumarsahab was remembered on his birth anniversary

Kishore Kumar had been remembered on his birth anniversary. Kishore Kumar had been remembered on his birth anniversary on 4th August, 2023. Kishore Kumar died on 13th October, 1987. Kishore Kumar, the master entertainer had been one of the most colourful personalities of bollywood who just became more and more and more popular over the years, now it is almost 26 years after his demise. In respect of his acting performances hardly any actor even dared to imitate him as his improvisations were spontaneous. The part that is followed by numerous singers all over the country is his singing style. When KK acted as hero in bollywood films he showed his acting capability even in playback singing like the song “c a t cat, cat mane billi” in the film Dilli Ka Thag. He brought out all the sounds of the animals that were named in the song. In the film Chalti Ka Naam Gari, in the song “paanch rupaiya bara ana” he imitated SD Burman and in every paragraph he had created a new style which justified the lyrics. In Half Ticket he showed the childishness in the song “chil chil chillake” composed by Salil Choudhury, which became very popular among children. He even sang the ladies version of the song “o sawariya” in the film Half Ticket, when he was teasing Pran during a song sequence. He had acted opposite many versatile actresses like Nutan in Dilli Ka Thug, Madhubala in Jhumru, Vaijayantimala in Aasha, to name a few. All his innovations created history when he concentrated in playback singing only in the 70s. He made the audience realize that he was singing for Dev Anand, or Rajesh Khanna or Big B, to name a few. His songs “gata rahe mera dil” from Guide, “roop tera mastana” from Aradhana, “kuch to log kahenge” from Amar Prem, “tere mere Milan ki” from Abhimaan have created history over the years. With Big B he had a tremendous combination and had sung in almost all the films of Big B till 1987, including Don, Shaan, Mr. Natwarlal, Do Aur Do Paanch, Amar Akbar Anthony, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Kaalia, Silsila, etc. The list can go on. In the 80s, it was KK all the way, when he had no competitors. All his songs in Big B’s film Namakhalal, Sharaabi, became record hits. Even in Rishi Kapoor’s Saagar, his song “saagar kinare” had romantic appeal. Composers like RD Burman, Bappi Lahiri, Rajesh Roshan could not think about any composition without KK. He provided playback for almost all the leading actors of bollywood in the 80s, namely Amitabh Bacchan, Rishi Kapoor, Vinod Khanna, Anil Kapoor, Mithun Chakravarty, Kamal Hassan, and others. He became the legend of legends and all the actors of the 70s and 80s are indebted for his colourful playback. After his death Kumar Shanu, Abhijeet, Vinod Rathod, Babul Supriyo and other singers had established themselves by following his style of singing. It has not happened with any other playback singer of bollywood. His styles were very entertaining, romantic and filmic. Articles after articles can be devoted to the master entertainer and it can be said that he had remained alive all over the years in his numerous films and thousands of songs. His films and songs should be preserved.

Happy birthday to dancing queen Mumtazji

Happy birthday to Mumtazji. The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to brilliant dancer and actress Mumtaz on 31st July, 2023. Mumtaz stormed the silver screen with her dancing capabilities in the bollywood films of 60s. Mumtaz initially acted in small budget films like Boxer, Tarzan, Kingkong, etc. She acted in many of the films opposite he-man Dara Singh. She impressed the viewers with her item number in the film Brahmchari, opposite Shammi Kapoor, titled “aaj kal tere mere pyar ke charche”, where SJs rock and roll composition was given adequate expression by Mumtaz. She acted very well opposite Dilip Kumar in Ram Aur Shyam. She acted as a village girl who did not recognise the difference when Ram came to the village, who had identical get up as Shyam the person she loved. Her role of vamp in Biswajeet’s film Mere Sanam impressed everyone. She gave able lips in Asha Bhoshle’s song “yeh hai reshmi zulfon ka andhera”. She did well opposite Manoj Kumar in the film Patthar Ke Sanam. Mumtaz matched Jeetender in the film Jeegri Dost. She was very polite and submissive in the film and gave good lips in the songs “raat suhani jag rahi hai” sung by Lata and Rafi and composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal. All her films opposite Jeetender became super hit including Ek Nari Ek Brahmchari, Khilouna, Katputli, Roop Tera Mastana, etc. She had been very successful in the films opposite Rajesh Khanna most of which everlasting hits like Do Raaste, Aap Ki Kasam, Roti, etc. Her excellent lips in successful songs opposite Rajesh Khanna namely “gore rang pehna itna gumah kar”, “jai jai shivshankar” attracted the attention of the viewers. In Aap Ki Kasam, she was thrown out of the house by Rajesh Khanna due to misunderstanding, who repented for the cruel act throughout his life. He returned back when Mumtaz had solemnized the marriage of her child at the end of the film. She also did well in Pyar Kiye Jaa, opposite Mehmood. It was a comedy film where Mehmood wanted to be a director but never got a producer who invested money in his film. He was duped by Shashi Kapoor and Kishore Kumar who posed to be rich men, and when he could not direct any film he ultimately married Mumtaz. Mumtaz showed her rock and roll dancing style in the song “o mere maina”, sung by Asha and Manna Dey and composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal. Mumtaz also acted in a number of films opposite Firoz Khan, including films like Apradh, Jadu Tona, etc. She received filmfare award for the best actress for her performance in the film Khilouna. She left films in the late 70s and did not appear even in character roles after that. Viewers still feel that she had acting talent in her and if she wanted she could have acted in modern films. She received filmfare lifetime achievement award too. Still she is remembered by the viewers and whenever her films like Loafer, opposite Dharmender, or Patthar ke sanam, opposite Manoj Kumar is shown in TV Channels, viewers refresh their old memories about her sweet performances in these films.

Happy birthday to Mahima Choudhury

Happy birthday to Mahima Choudhury. The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Mahima Choudhury on 13th September, 2023. She had been a big asset of bollywood films in the 90s. She had been given a great break by Subhash Ghai in the film Pardesh opposite Shahrukh Khan. All the songs in the film became super hit like “do dil mil rahe hai”, sung by Kumar Shanu or “yeh dil diwana” sung by Sonu Nigam, etc. Her traditional role in the film was well appreciated by every section of the viewers. Subhash Ghai had given breaks to new comers all across his career, and just like Madhuri Dixit, Manisha Koirala, Mahima Choudhury also proved her merit in the first film. After that Mahima Choudhury acted in every type of roles. She was sublime opposite Chandrachud Singh in the film Daag the fire. Although it was an out and out action film she kept her mark in the film. She had a double role in the film and did very well in the role of an accomplished girl and the role of a prostitude. The two characters were absolutely contrasting in nature. Due to domination of Sanjay Dutt in the film Mahima’s performance did not get the limelight which she deserved. She did extremely well in Raj Kumar Santoshi’s film Lajja. She was one of the five ladies who faced oppression from the patriarchal society and her way of expressing discontent was very impressive. She was sublime opposite Sanjay Dutt in the film Kurukshetra. Sanjay Dutt was a fearless police officer and faced the hurdles created by the corrupted ministers and the corrupted police officers in his department. Mahima Choudhury, who played the role of his wife in the film expressed her discontent after being the victim of vengeance of the criminals who were arrested by Sanjay Dutt. Mahima Choudhury did well in smaller roles as well. The one which is most remembered is her performance in the film Dhadkan where Shilpa Shetty, Sunil Shetty and Akshay Kumar had the more prominent roles. She had featured in less number of films in the recent past. The viewers expect her to act in bollywood films in future as she still has a lot of acting left in her.

Dr Bhupen Hazarikaji creations are still relevant with social messages

The listeners of music in India and Bengal admire the great creations of maestro Dr. Bhupen Hazarika. The great singer, lyricist, poet and composer was remembered on 8th September, 2019. He was born in Sadiya, in Assam in 1926. He had done MA from Benaras Hindu University. He did his PhD from Columbia University, New York, USA in 1954. While studying in Columbia University, New York, USA he came in close contact with eminent singer Paul Robson, who taught him landmark songs. Bhupen Hazarika’s song “we are in the same boat brother” was the creation of Paul Robson. He returned back and made a major contribution to Assamese film industry with his songs. He made the Bengali listeners flabbergasted with his brilliant songs. The songs were not only romantic, but more than that had provided social message. Some of his brilliant compositions included “manush manusheri jonyo”, “ami ek jajabor”, “bistirnodi pare ashonkho manusher hahakar shune nistaba nirabe o ganga tumi o ganga boicho keno”, “ganga amar ma”, etc. The song “bistirno duperer ashonkho manunsher” was translated in different languages in the country including the language hindi. He composed music in Uttam Kumar’s film Jibon Trishna, where his song “sagar sangame satar ketechi koto”, became extremely popular. He composed songs for other landmark singers like Lata Mangeshkar titled “rangila bhashite ke bajae”, Hemant Kumar titled “e dola e dola”, Subir Sen titled “ogo shakuntala”, Ruma Guha Thakurta titled “ek phalli megh bheshe elo akashe”, to name a few. He received national award for his music in the film Chameli Memsaab in 1977. He received Padmabhushan and also Dadasaheb Phalke award. His composition of music in the film Rudali, with Lata’s song “dil hum hum kare” had made the viewers spellbound. He composed the songs in the film Rudaali based on the Rajasthani folk songs that became famous through usage. His other brilliant songs included “saratbabu khola chithi”, “ek khana megh bheshe elo akashe”, “jibon khuje paabi”, etc. One article is too small to bring forward the achievements of the great singer, composer and creator Dr. Bhupen Hazarika. It can be said that he was one of the greatest genius that Assam had produced during the golden age. There are statues of the legend made in Guwahati, the capital of Assam. The musiclovers expect him to continue the great work that he start 60 years ago and pray for his long life. His works should be restored.