Pannalal Bhattacharya and Dhananjay Bhattacharya were the greatest shyamasangeet singers ever

Pannalal Bhattacharya and Dhananjay Bhattacharya sang the best Shyamasangeet. Shyamasangeet is one form of devotional song devoted to Goddess Kali, the Goddess of empowerment. It is called Bhaktigeeti in Bengali. Pannalal Bhattacharya and Dhananjay Bhattacharya were probably the best singers of Shyamasangeet. Dhananjay Bhattacharya was the medjda, the middle brother of Bhattacharya family. He used to be called Samrat, meaning the king of music. He was very handsome and got chance in Bengali films like Pasher Bari, Ladies Seat, Nababidhan to name a few. His basic discs created havoc in 1950s like “shilpi moner”, “jhanana jhanana baje”, “kobir kheyale premomoy tumi samrat shajahan”, etc. Even his songs “e maya proponchomoy” made the viewers spellbound. In recent interview given by his son Dipankar Bhattacharya in Anandabazar Patrika it was said that Lataji requested Dhananjay Bhattacharya to come to Mumbai for hindi songs, which he refused. Composer Salil Choudhury told Dhananjoy that his voice was at par with Rafisahab and Talat Sahab. But beyond modern songs his inclination was towards devotional songs, especially that of Goddess Kali. Pannalal Bhattacharya learned music from Dhananjay Bhattacharya. He also had classical control and sang very well. When he came to that his friends Manabendra Mukherjee, Shyamal Mitra and Sanat Singha acted in the film Sare Chuattor, he wanted to act in the film also. But Dhananjay Bhattacharya stopped him. Sare Chuattor was the first superhit film of Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen released in 1953. But Dhananajay Bhattacharya understood that Pannalal had excellent control in Shyamsangeet. So he allowed his brother to concentrate in those songs. Some of her brilliant songs included “amar sadhna mitilo ashana phurilo”, “chai na mago raja hote”, “opar sangsar nahi parabar, ma o ma, ma”. His other hit songs included “de ma pagol kore bhramamaye”, “amar mayer payer jobe hoye”, to name a few. All were devoted to Goddess Kali. Both Dhananjoy Bhattacharya and Pannalal Bhattacharya had the hobby of catching fishes. Whoever had ponds in West Bengal, used to call both the brothers, first for fishing and then in the evening ask them to sing songs. Dhananjoy Bhattacharya’s son Dipankar Bhattacharya had said in Anandabazar Patrika that once Pannalal was travelling in train with friends Manabendra Mukherjee, Nirmala Mishra, Tarun Banerjee. He visualized that in Dakshineshwar Kalibari, the idol of Kali was dressed in Tunte sari. All his friends were shocked. He took them to Dhakineshwar. Everyone saw the truth that yes, Idol of Kali was dressed in tunte saree. Once Pannalal was recording in HMV the song “chai na ami raja hote”. Manobendra Mukherjee waited outside the room. He allowed Pannalal to finish his song and then said he was going to sing the song “ami eto je tomae bhalobesechi” in 1958. Pannalal gave Manabendra Jaba flower which he brought from Kali Temple in Dhakineshwar. He gave the flower to Manabendra saying it was going to give him good luck. Manobendra sang the song and it became a bumper hit. In the later years, Pannalal lost interest in life and only sang devotional songs for Goddess Kali. He committed suicide at the age of 36 years. Music experts feel that Pannalal Bhattacharya and Dhananjay Bhattacharya sang the best shyamasangeet ever in Bengal’s history.

Happy birthday to you Hema Maliniji the dream girl of India

Happy birthday to dream-girl Hema Malini. The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to dream girl Hema Malini on 16th October, 2024. She was the uncrowned queen of bollywood films of the 70s. Her strong dancing skills gave her a separate place in bollywood films. Her performance in the film Sapno Ka Saudagar opposite Raj Kapoor was extremely successful in the late 60s. From there she never looked back. Her film Abhinetri opposite Shashi Kapoor became super hit. Her successful films opposite other stars included Gora Aur Kala opposite Rajender Kumar, Burning Train opposite Dharmender, Johnny Mera Naam opposite Dev Anand, to name a few. Gora Aur Kala became super hit with the successful songs composed by Laxmikant Pyarellal like “tu meri sapno ka rani banegi”, “dheere dheere bol”, etc. Within short time she formed a brilliant combination with Dharmender and their films started rocking bollywood in the 70s. The pair started off with films like Naya Zamana, Raja Jani and went on to give all time hits like Seeta Aur Geeta, Jugnu, Charas, Sholay, etc. If Sholay is remembered for superlative camerawork of Ramesh Sippy, villainish andaz of Amzad Khan, angry image of Big B, then it is also remembered for tremendous dance performance of Hema Malini. She danced on top of glasses in the song “jab tak hai jaan”. Besides she showed her bravery also in the film by riding on the horse-cart against the gang of dacoits of Gabbar Singh. Hema Malini did extremely well in off-beat films as well. One of her landmark films included Kinara opposite Jeetender and Dharmender. Gulzar’s films was based on dancing and Hema Malini’s classical dance balanced the story line where Jeetender’s car struck Dharmender and killed him on the spot. Dharmender was the husband of Hema Malini in the film and she lived with his memory in the film. Hema Malini’s films opposite Big B also did great business. Some of their hit films included Desh Premi, Satte Pe Satta, etc. In the last few years Hema Malini had been seen contributing in character roles in bollywood films like Baghban. She must be proud about the success of her daughter Esha Deol, but is respect of glamour and beauty and dancing skills still Hema Malini is remembered for her dominance during the 70s. In the recent years Hema Malini acted in many matured roles. She had acted very well in the film Aarakshan in 2011, opposite Amitabh Bacchan. She was the trustee of an organization catered to give higher education in India and reinstated Amitabh Bacchan as the Principal of that institution. Hema Malini also came in the Indian Idol 6 Show with Dharmender as guest judge in 2012. She shared her experiences of acting dancing and the history relating to playback singing involving her. The viewers still believe that a lot of dancing skills are still left in Hema Malini and she should still act in bollywood films in future.

Happy birthday to Shekhar Kapoorji the thoughtful actor

Happy birthday to Shekhar Kapoor. The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Shekhar Kapoor on 6th December, 2024. He was one of the thoughtful directors of bollywood films and still his films are cherished by a big section of the viewers today. He directed a meaningful film Masoom in the early 80s. He used the most dynamic actors and actresses of the contemporary period that was Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddun Shah. Naseeruddin had a previous wife who died leaving his small child played by Jugal Hansraj. He married Shabana Azmi who already had her own daughters including Urmila Matondkar. It was difficult for Shabana Azmi to accept the step son when her own daughters’ interests were related. Naseeruddin Shah decided to send the young child to boarding, but Shabana Azmi’s conscious spoke and she brought him back at the end of the film. RD Burman’s composition titled “huzur is kadar bhi” sung by Bhupinder Singh and Suresh Watkar, and “tushse naraz nahi zindagi” sung by Lata appealed to the masses. Shekhar Kapoor astonished the viewers with a masala film Mr. India in the mid-80s. Anil Kapoor found a device which could make people invisible. He used the device to encounter a big smuggler played by Amrish Puri with the title Mogambo. Anil Kapoor ran an orphanage full of children and after becoming Mr. India used the children in his fight against Mogambo. Anil Kapoor’s compassionate performance, Amrish Puri’s fiery acting, Sri Devi’s dance numbers, everything appealed to the masses and the film ended up being the greatest hit of the year. Laxmikant Pyarellal’s music in the film became super hit including songs like “hawa hawai”, “karte hai hum pyar Mr. India se”, etc. Shekhar Kapoor was criticized the most for his film Bandit Queen based on the life of dacoit Phoolan Devi. Shekhar Kapoor tried to show the torture faced by Phoolan Debi who was a malwa, by the Thakurs of the area, which compelled her to become dacoit. But the film gathered controversy due to the details shown by Shekhar Kapoor in respect of humiliation faced by Phoolan Debi. The Censure Board came in the way. Shekhar Kapoor got criticized all the way. His other film Elizabeth was also a noble venture. Shekhar Kapoor is also known for his acting in TV serials like Khandan which became super hit in the mid-80s. His future projects include Paani, Long Walk To Freedom and The Last Full Measure. The viewers expect Shekhar Kapoor to continue his innovative film making in the years to come.

Remembering the master of western and eastern blended music creator Salil Choudhuriji

Remembering Salil Choudhury. Salil Choudhury, noted scholar, poet, composer and literary giant was remembered on his death anniversary on 5th September, 2024. He was also remembered on his birthday on 19th November, 2024. As he was a versatile scholar, his scholarly attributes were reflected in his creations. He was both the lyricist and the composer and numerous songs sung by legendary singers over 50 years. His creation “ami parini bujhite parini” and “tumi jaante” for Manobendra Mukherjee were created with two different andaz, one having classical orientation while the other having westernized treatment. His creation “jhanana jhanana baje” and “antabihin oi andharater shesh” for Dhanonjoy Bhattacharya showed his class in handling classical singers. On the other hand his strength in folk songs were evident in his song “sunayoni sunayoni” sung by Nirmalendu Choudhury and Sabita Choudhury. Nirmalendu became famous all across the world with his folk numbers. Salil Choudhury hugely experimented with Shymal Mitra in songs like “jadi kichu amare shudhao”, “aha oi ankabanka poth jai shudure”, “dur nai beshi dur oi”, “ja jare ja ja pakhi”, to name a few. In “jadi kichu amare shudhao”, Salil Choudhury’s orchestration was unique, half of the song was blank verse while the other half had musical treatment. Salil Choudhury used the different playback singers in Bengal and explored their talents to the brim. Some of the great compositions include “eso kache boso” sung by Tarun Banerjee, “pallabini go sancharini” sung by Dwijen Mukherjee, “Jodi jante go tumi jante” sung by Manobendra Mukherjee, “jai jai din” sung by Biswajeet Chatterjee, to name a few. The list can go on. Salil Choudhury created a gem with the song “nil nil pakhi” for Sandhya Mukherjee. Besides, bengal’s literary community were astonished with Salil Choudhury conversion of famous poetry “ujjal ek jhak paira” sung by Sandhya Mukherjee into song. The poet’s feelings were translated into musical tune by sheer brilliance of Salil Choudhury. Other examples of converting legendary poems into songs include “runner” written by Shukanto Bhattacharya and “palki chole” written by Satyendranath Dutta which were sung by Hemanta Mukherjee which both became history. In “runner” the march of the postman on foot from remote corners of village was given adequate expression by Salil Choudhury. Salil Choudhury’s national fame allowed him to do numerous experiments with bollywood singers like Mukesh and Lata. Articles after articles can be devoted to Lata Salil Choudhury creations in Bengali. Mukesh also sung hit song “jhum jhum pakshi nachona” composed by Salil Choudhury. Salil Choudury created his masterpieces in Bengali films as well like Shyamal Mitra’s song “onek ghuriya sheshe” in Hrithik Ghatak’s film Bari Theke Paliye, Nirmalendu Choudhury’s song “sojoni o sojoni” and Manna Dey’s “uthali pathali amar buuk” in Rajen Tarafdar’s film Ganga. Besides his song “he bhai re bhai” and “baje go beena” sung by Manna Dey in the film Marjina Abdulla made the listeners speechless. Even Lata’s song “bujhbe na keu bujhbena” was equally popular. Bimal Roy’s film Do Bigha Zameen was based on Salil Choudhury’s literature. His music in the films Do Bigha Zameen, Madhumati, Musafir, Parakh, Jagte Raho, Anand, Maya, Rajnigandha, etc., stand out as landmarks in Indian film history. He received filmfare award for brilliant performance in the film Madhumati. All the songs in the film including Lata’s “aja re”, “ghari ghari”, Rafi’s “tute hue khwabonme”, “jangal me mor nacha”, Mukesh’s “dil tarap tarap ke”, “suhana safar aur mausam hasin” touched the souls of numerous Indians in the late 50s. Other notable songs of Salil Choudhury in bollywood films include “tasveer teri dil me” from Maya, “zindagi kaisi hai paheli hai”, “kahin dur jab din dhal jaye” from Anand, “rajnigandha” from Rajnigandha, “jago mohan pyare” from Jagte Raho, “dil tadpe tadpaye” from Poonam Ki Raat, to name a few. Bengal and India was as a whole was indebted to a maestro like Salil Choudhury and several researches can be undertaken for finding out the history behind his creations. One article is not enough to reiterate the immortal works of the giant creator. The creations should be preserved and restored.

Happy birthday to legendary singer Usha Utthupji

The listeners wish happy birthday to singer Usha Utthup who now had become a cult figure. Her birthday is on 7th November, 2023. In the recent past she had come in a number of TV shows and rocked the shows. Padmashree winner Usha Uthup glorified Zee Saregamapa Little Champs Program by being the Mahaguru on 5th and 6th August, 2011. Alka Yagnik had gone for a holiday and Usha Uthup came to judge the performances of the participants in the program. Very significantly the day was dedicated to the golden music of 1960s. Adnan Sami dressed up like Shammi Kapoor, Javed Ali dressed up like Dev Anand, Kailash Kher dressed up like Guru Dutt. The participants dressed up like the actors and actresses of the golden period and sang their songs. Very significantly the participants mainly sang the songs of Mohammad Rafi. Niladri Chatterjee sang the song “yahoo chahe koi mujhe jungle kahen” from the film Junglee, sung by Mohammad Rafi and composed by Shankar Jaikishan. Azmat Hussain sang the song “mere pairon me ghungruu bandhade” from the film Insaniyat sung by Mohammad Rafi and composed by Naushad Ali. Usha Uthup mentioned that God was there in the heart of Azmat Hussain and that was the reason he sang so well. Anmol Khatri sang the song “nain lad jai he wo manwama kasak oi bekari” sung by Mohammad Rafi in the film Ganga Jumna, composed by Naushad Ali. Usha Uthup said he was looking like junior Dilip Kumar. The child participants were excellent in the rendition of the songs. Rimsha sang the song “yeh dil tum bin kahin lagta nahi ab kya Karen” sung by Lata and Rafi in the film Izzat, composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal. Sanjana sang the song “kajra muhabbat wala” sung by Asha Bhosle and Shamshad Begum in the film Kismat composed by OP Nayyar. Barnali Hota sang the song “parde me rehne do” from the film Shikar, sung by Asha Bhosle composed by Shankar Jaikishan. Salman Ali sang the song “akele hai chale awo” sung by Mohammad Rafi and composed by Kalyanji Anandji in the film Raaz. Javed Ali praised Kalyanji Anandji for their unique composition and said that they had encouraged new talents. It was Kalyanji Anandji who had brought them in the industry. Nitin Kumar sang the song “na ja kahin ab na ja” sung by Mohammad Rafi and composed by LP in the film Mere Humdum Mere Dost. Usha Uthup sang the song “haal kaisa hai janaab ka” herself. She had given her musical instrument khanjari to Nitin Kumar as a token of love. In other episodes, Alka Yagnik used to make her valuable comments along with Javed Ali, Adnan Sami and Kailash Kher. On 5th and 6th August, Usha Uthup did the same, she had literally ignited and glorified the atmosphere of Zee Saregamapa Little Champs program telecast in Zee TV. Her English was as brilliant as her hindi as brilliant as her Bengali. She should be invited frequently in this program.

Remembering stylish dancer Helenji on birthday

Happy birthday to Helen. The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Helen on 19th Nov., 2024. She had remained an exceptional dancer and featured in majority of bollywood fllms in the 60s and 70s. She was probably one of the most indispensable figures in bollywood during 60s and 70s. Without her films like Gumnaam, Teesri Manzil, Jewel Thief, Inteqam, Carwan, Night in London, etc. would have been incomplete. She had acted opposite leading stars of the 60s and 70s, for example, in Gumnaam she acted opposite Pran, In Teesri Manzil she acted opposite Shammi Kapoor, in Jewel Thief she acted opposite Dev Anand, in Night in London opposite Johnny Walker to name a few. She in fact filled in the empty space created by prominent dancer Cuckoo in the 50s. One of her most memorable films included Gumnaam, which was released in 1965, where she played the role of one of the few persons who were taken to an isolated island. She was killed along with a number her friends by Tarun Bose in the film who was identified by Manoj Kumar at the end of the film. Her dance number in the songs “hum kale hai to kya hua dilwale hai” and “is duniya me jeena ho to” composed by Shankar Jaikishan were brilliant by every judging standards. She was put to test in her dance no. in the song “muqabla hum se na karo” in the film Prince along with Shammi Kapoor and Vaijayantimala. She did the western part while Vaijayantimala did the eastern part. Whenever she got a scope of performing opposite Shammi Kapoor her performance used to get a different dimension as he was the only male star in the 60s to dominate bollywood films with rock and roll dance performances. Both of them did well in the film Teesri Manzil. The song “o haseena zulfonwali” is remembered for the dance of both Helen and Shammi Kapoor. Helen got a villainish role in the film and trapped Shammi Kapoor in a murder case where the actual murderer was Prem Nath. Helen even got few roles of heroines in the 60s including the role in the film Pyar Hi Pyar where she acted opposite Mehmood, where the main roles were played by Dharmender and Vaiyantimala. Her prominent roles continued in the 70s, including her cameo in the song “piya tu ab tu aja” composed by RD Burman in the film Carwan, her role in the film Sholay, where her dance number in the song “mehbooba mehbooba” amazed the viewers. The villainish roles continued like the one in Big B’s film Don, where her song “yeh mera dil” became a runaway hit. Kareena Kapoor danced in the same item number as that of Helen when the film was remade by Farhan Akhtar, with Shahrukh Khan. Her other notable films include Mere Jeevan Saathi, Hindustani, Half Ticket, etc. She even acted in character roles in the 90s in films like Akela and Khamoshi. Her performance in the film Khamoshi had been appreciated by all section of viewers. In one article it is not possible to cover the contribution of Helen, who had dominated bollywood films of 60s and 70s. The admirers of Helen expect her to make more contribution in bollywood films in character roles as she has a lot acting still left in her.

Happy birthday to style icon 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, 2024

. 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 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, 2024. 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.

Shabana Azmiji gave new meaning to parallel cinema

Happy birthday to Shabana Azmi. Versatile actress Shabana Azmi was remembered on her birthday on 18th September, 2024. Many actresses spoke about her. Nandita Das had said that she had started her career with Fire opposite Shabana Azmi. She had great experience of working with the great actress. She acted with Shabana Azmi in a play named Diary of Anne Frank which was hosted in Kolkata, Bangalore and New Delhi. Director Mahesh Bhatt also said that his career also took a turn after Shabana Azmi acted in his film Arth. Shabana Azmi gave an interview in Times of India on her birthday in 18th September, 2010, four years back. She commented on many things. She said that in theatre acting there is scope of underacting, as the viewers at the backseat may not recognize lack of expression, but in films that is not possible. For her film acting was a greater challenge. She also said that acted in both commercial and parallel films. She acted during the transition of the 70s, when the actresses got roles opposite the angry young man played by Big B, Vinod Khanna, Shatrughun Sinha and others. Female actresses started getting roles which were transformations from the ones of the 60s in films like Mai Choop Rahungi to films in the 80s like Khoon Bhari Maang. But her range was exposed in parallel cinema. She could express the complexity of female mind successfully in the art films directed by Shyam Benegal, Satyajit Ray and others. When asked about her choice, she said that she would have accepted the role of a sweeper if director Bergman had offered her a role. He was her favourite director. In respect of actors, she commented that Tragedy King Dilip Kumar was her favourite actor. She grew up seeing his acting. It is very significant that the actress of the callibre of Shabana Azmi who had won 5 national awards also used the name of Tragedy King, who had not learned acting from acting school, but the characters immortal with his sensitive performances over 70 years. The interview was very knowledgeable. Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil were the two leading actresses with whom the renowned directors of India including Satyajit Ray, Shyam Benegal, Govind Nihalini, and others experimented the most in the late 70s and early 80s. Some of the best films of Shabana Azmi include Khandahar, Paar, Masoom, Sati, Aarth, Mandi, etc. In Shyam Benegal’s Ankur she played the role of the wife of Sadhu Meher, a rural villager. The film showed oppression of the feudal lords in Indian villages. In Shekhar Kapoor’s Masoom she played the role of the husband of Naseeruddin Shah. She had her two daughters and had to reconcile the son of Naseeruddin Shah who was born out of the first wedlock in the film. In Mahesh Bhatt’s film Arth she played the role of the wife of Kulbhushan Kharwanda who was having extra-marital affair with another woman played by Smita Patil. She had played very diverse roles and did justice to the complicated characters of women over the last 35 years. Shabana Azmi should continue her great work in bollywood films in future.

Happy birthday to Gadar 2 star Sunny Deolsahab

Happy birthday to Sunny Deol. The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to action star Sunny Deol on 19th October, 2024. 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.

On birth anniversary of Johnny Walkersahab his great combination with Rafisahab is remembered.

Happy birth anniversary to Johnny Walker. The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to comedy star Johnny Walker on 11th November, 2024

. 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.

In 7 day Bhoolbhulaiya 3 did business above 150 crores in India and 205 crores worldwide

Bhoolbhulaiya 3 with Kartik Aryanji, Madhuri Dixitji, Vidya Balanji did business of more than 110 crores in India and 40 crores abroad. All 3 of them gave landmark performances. Aneez Bazmi directed the film with comedy and suspense.Ruhan "Rooh Baba" Randhawa is having a great time looting people, claiming to be a Ghostbuster. He is called by Meera's uncle to talk to Meera who is a ghost. When she arrives, Ruhan is petrified into thinking it's a real ghost and this is captured by her uncle on Meera's phone. They blackmail Ruhan threatening to post it online if he refuses to come to Rakht Ghat with them. With no other choice, Ruhan agrees. When he arrives there, everybody is shocked to see him because he looked exactly likely a doppelganger of the prince, Rajkumar Debendranath of that estate from 200 years ago. The royal family lived in the horse barn, due to Manjulika's existence in the palace. Rajpurohit warns everyone not to go near Manjulika's room and also suggests that it should be opened only on Durgashtami, and only by a person of the royal family, who has been reborn to get rid of the ghost. Everyone moves to the palace as they believe Ruhan, their savior has arrived. According to a local myth, 200 years ago, Manjulika was a princess, and the king had a son from his servant, who was named Debendranath. When the King decided to announce Debendranath as his heir, it infuriates Manjulika. She kills Debendranath, and the king decides to burn her alive. It was her spirit that roamed in the palace, and responsible for the many killings. Meera calls in the restoration department to work on the palace so it can be sold. Mallika leads the department and also shows signs of being possessed. Ruhan gets to know about the real ghost and plans to leave, but realizes that his video needs to be erased before he leaves. While looking for the video, he finds out that his photos were secretly taken by Meera, suggesting her romantic feelings for him, and when confronted she confirms to it. Ruhan decides to stay but soon finds that Pandit, Panditaayan and Chhote Pandit are already living in Manjulika's room. It is revealed that all three of them were deliberately trying to shoo everyone away so they could peacefully live there. The restoration department takes over the room and while working there, they end up breaking a wall which leads them to a secret passage. The passage leads to a room which has a door with Bhairava Kavach all over it. The Rajpurohit is also confused and to know more he decides to read more about the palace rooms and Manjulika, so they can work around the situation. Desperate to sell the property, Rajaji decides to break the Bhairava Kavach with Roooh baba's help and see what's inside. Just when they open the door, the Rajpurohit arrives with the news that the room belonged to Anjulika who was the elder sister of Manjulika and Debendranath. It is revealed that the king 200 years ago had two daughters who despised each other. Despite knowing about the palace, Mandira arrives at the palace as a prospective buyer and decides to stay there to learn more about the estate and surroundings. After Mandira and Mallika meet, strange things start to happen in the palace. The Rajpurohit warns everyone to be careful until Durgashtmi, as that's the day when Manjulika would take her revenge. Ruhan and Meera have their fair share of encounters with both Mallika and Mandira, but they are confused about which one is the real Manjulika. Rajpurohit comes back with pure oil from havan to kill the spirit of Manjulika, and the night before Durgashtmi they all gather where the body was burned 200 years ago. Ruhan cleverly gets rid of the spirit that was inside Mallika and Mandira, and then they get to know that the ghost was actually of Debendranath who was burned to death 200 years ago for her love of dance and not liking her male body. It is revealed that Anjulika and Manjulika had planned to get Debendranath killed for the throne of Rakht Ghat and he was burned to death as soon as both sisters exposed him to the king and his ministers. The king then decided to throw both sisters out of his kingdom. Debendranath's ghost then kills the king and his guards. The Rajpurohit at that time had him sealed in that secret room locking it with the Bhairava Kavach which Ruhan broke and it is revealed it was Debendranath who had been the one who had planned everything by entering Mallika and Mandira's body as they were his sisters' reincarnations. In the end, all three of them have a heartfelt moment and Debendranath gets the peace he was yearning for, for two centuries. Cast Kartik Aaryan as Ruhaan "Rooh Baba" Randhawa / Debendranath Vidya Balan as Mallika / Manjulika Madhuri Dixit as Mandira / Anjulika / ACP Rathore Triptii Dimri as Meera / Madulikadevi Vijay Raaz as Raja Saab, The King of Rakht Ghat Rajpal Yadav as Natwar / Chhota Pandit Sanjay Mishra as Jagannath Shastri / Bade Pandit Ashwini Kalsekar as Panditayeen / Bade Pandit's wife Rajesh Sharma as Meera's uncle Arun Kushwah as Tillu Shataf Figar as Vicky Khanna Manish Wadhwa as Rajpurohit Saurabh Dubey as Rajpurohit in 1824 Denzil Smith as Maharaj in 1824 Suresh Menon as Pillai Moumita Pal as Pillai's wife Shivam Dubey as Pillai's son Surendra Thakur as Jallad Kanchan Mullick as Faulad Singh, King's bodyguard Prantika Das[8] as Noor Agrim Mittal as Modak Ajay Tiwari as Daas Yogesh Jadhav as Senapati Swagatam Halder as Mr. Chopra Averi Singharoy as Mrs. Chopra Badri Chavan as Arjun / Pintu Rose Sardana as Meera's sister Arvind Prakash as Arjun's father Parineeta Borthakur as Arjun's mother Mustaqeem as Bijnori Production Casting Kartik Aaryan was cast to reprise his role from Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. On 12 February 2024, it was announced that Vidya Balan, who played Manjulika in the original Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007), would reprise her character, by sharing a video of Instagram.[9] On 21 February 2024, it was announced that Madhuri Dixit and Triptii Dimri would be joining the project. Rajpal Yadav, known for his role as Chhota Pandit in the previous films, will also return to reprise his role. The cast also features Vijay Raaz, Rajesh Sharma, Manish Wadhwa, Sanjay Mishra, and Ashwini Kalsekar.[10][11] Filming On 9 March 2024, in Mumbai, the cast and crew of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 gathered for an inaugural muhurat puja ceremony to mark the beginning of principal photography. Producer Bhushan Kumar clapped the muhurat shot for Kartik Aaryan. Vidya Balan, Triptii Dimri, Rajesh Sharma, and co-producer Shiv Chanana were also present at the ceremony.[12][13] A glimpse video of this ceremony was shared by T-Series on 11 March 2024, titled "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 Begins", The video also featured Aaryan shooting the first shot of the movie, which was a train sequence, filmed by DOP Manu Anand.[14] During shooting, director Anees Bazmee faced significant challenges as he fractured his leg on the last day of the film recce. Against doctor's suggestions to get a steel plate and rest for 3 months, he opted for minor surgery that allowed him to honor his commitment to the film. He came to the film set in a wheelchair and continued with his work.[15][16] The film's production involved extensive planning and coordination, with key members Bhushan Kumar, Bazmee, and Aaryan actively engaged in discussions and preparations.[17] Filming began in Mumbai, with the first schedule wrapping up on 27 March 2024.[18] During this schedule, the entry sequence of Aaryan was also shot. A massive set was erected in Film City, Mumbai, specifically for the song, which involved over a thousand background dancers with choreography done by Ganesh Acharya.[19][20] After a short break, Bazmee, still recovering from his injury, scouted for locations in Kolkata for the next schedule.[21] The cast and crew landed in Kolkata on 8 April 2024, to commence the second schedule.[22] In this schedule, Aaryan rode a bullet on Howrah Bridge,[23] with Prantika Das and with Arun Kushwah at Victoria Memorial.[24][25] The shooting then progressed to Mallick Ghat flower market, where a small set with skeletons was put up.[26] Following this, Bazmee filmed scenes at the Park Street Graveyard and Nonapukur Tram Depot, and finally concluded the shoot at Laha Bari in Central Kolkata.[27] Prior to this, key shots were filmed at an elaborate Bengali village set setup by the production team in Mumbai.[28][29] The song 'Mere Dholna' has been filmed as jugalbandi between Madhuri and Vidya and has been choreographed by Chinni Prakash.[30] After completing the Kolkata schedule, the team resumed filming on the same Bengali set in Mumbai, with a segment involving Kartik Aaryan, Sanjay Mishra, Vijay Raaz, Rajpal Yadav, and Ashwini Kalsekar, wrapping up the week-long schedule on 13 May 2024. A significant dance sequence featuring lead actors was also filmed on 21 May 2024.[31] On 29 May 2024; Balan, Dixit, Manish Wadhwa, Sharma, Raaz, Rose Sardana and others shot a sequence on the film's set in Mumbai, with Balan and Dixit twinning in black sarees.[32] Bazmee had shot Aaryan's scenes in advance, in May 2024, and continued filming without him for some days in early June. In early June 2024, the team took a break from shooting, allowing Aaryan to focus on promotional commitments for his film Chandu Champion, which was released on 14 June 2024. The next schedule was kicked off on 1 July 2024, in Orchha, Madhya Pradesh[33][34] with Kartik Aaryan, Vidya Balan, Madhuri Dixit, Triptii Dimri, Rajpal Yadav, and others.[35] Key scenes were shot at various historic landmarks such as Orchha Fort, Ram Raja Mandir, where some dramatic scenes were filmed, and Jahangir Mahal, where Aaryan filmed a romantic song and some romantic scenes with Dimri. The schedule included filming intense sequences at Kanchana Ghat on the Betwa River.[36] A part of the climax sequence with all the principal actors together, was also shot there, with Aaryan and other leads performing some action sequences.[37] After shooting a portion of the climax in Orchha, the team returned to Mumbai to shoot the remaining scenes of the climax sequence with the entire cast.[38] Principal photography was seemingly wrapped with final scenes being shot on 31 July and 1 August 2024.[39][40] Additionally in September 2024, a romantic track featuring Aaryan and Dimri was shot in Leh, Ladakh.[41] It was revealed that 2 different climax scene were filmed to keep the suspense around the ending of the film,[42] after Kartik Aryan let slip details of filming scenes with Kiara Advani.[43] Music Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 Soundtrack album by Tanishk Bagchi, Sachet–Parampara, Amaal Mallik, Aditya Rikhari and Lijo George–DJ Chetas Released 23 October 2024 Recorded 2023–2024 Genre Feature film soundtrack Length 20:10 Language Hindi Label T-Series Producer Bhushan Kumar Official audio Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 (Audio Jukebox) on YouTube The background score of the film is composed by Sandeep Shirodkar, whereas the soundtrack is composed by Pritam, Tanishk Bagchi, Sachet–Parampara, Amaal Mallik, Aditya Rikhari and Lijo George–DJ Chetas. The lyrics are written by Sameer Anjaan, Rashmi Virag, Aditya Rikhari, Dhrruv Yogi and Som. The "Title Track" and "Ami Je Tomar" song originally composed by Pritam will be recreated once again after Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2.[44][45] The first single titled "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 (Title Track)" was released on 16 October 2024.[46] The second single titled "Jaana Samjho Na" was released on 22 October 2024, a reprised version of singer Aditya Rikhari’s 2022 single "Samjho Na". The album was released on 23 October 2024 across all music streaming platforms.[47][48] Track listingNo. Title Lyrics Music Singer(s) Length 1. "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 - Title Track" Dhruv Yogi, Sameer, Pitbull Tanishk Bagchi, Pritam Pitbull, Diljit Dosanjh, Neeraj Shridhar 3:50 2. "Jaana Samjho Na" Aditya Rikhari Lijo George-Dj Chetas, Aditya Rikhari Aditya Rikhari, Tulsi Kumar 3:32 3. "Ami Je Tomar 3.0" Sameer Amaal Mallik, Pritam Shreya Ghoshal 5:15 4. "Beiraada" Rashmi Virag Sachet–Parampara Sachet Tandon, Parampara Thakur 3:19 5. "Hukkush Phukkush" Som Tanishk Bagchi Sonu Nigam 3:44 6. "Ami Je Tomar (Sad Version)" Sameer Amaal Mallik, Pritam Sonu Nigam 0:30 Total length: 20:10 Release Theatrical Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 was theatrically released on 1 November 2024, on the occasion of Diwali. The worldwide theatrical distribution rights were acquired by AA Films. Distributor Anil Thadani had secured single screens for the film.[49] The film has been banned in Saudi Arabia due to mentions of homosexuality which is banned in the country.[50] Home media Netflix acquired the digital streaming rights of the film.[2]

Bollywood Hungama rated the film 4.5 stars out of 5 and wrote, "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 is a well-made horror comedy which works due to its performances, taut script, creative execution and above all, an unpredictable climax."[51] Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com rated the film 3/5 stars and opined "A gleefully hammy Madhuri and Vidya's volley of death stares and evil laughs engage in a ruthless glamorous tug of war in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3".[52]

Happy birthday to legendary actress Mala Sinhaji

Happy birthday to Mala Sinha. The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Mala Singh on 11th November, 2024. She had been a legendary actress of bollywood films and contributed in both bollywood films and Bengali films for more than 40 years. In the 50s, Mala Sinha had acted in classic films like Parvarish, Phir Subah Hogi opposite Raj Kapoor. The music composer of Parvarish was Dattaram, while it was Khayyam for Phir Subah Hogi. These films became immortal for their unforgettable songs like “anshu bhari hai”, “woh subah kabhi to ayegi”, etc. Mala Sinha was sublime opposite Dev Anand in the film Love Marriage. The music of the film composed by Shankar Jaikishan was equally grand. The hit songs included “dheere dheere chal”, “kahan ja rahete”, etc. Mala Sinha contributed well in Guru Dutt’s classic film Pyaasa. The romantic andaz displayed by Mala Sinha was very significant in the film in the songs “hum aapke aankho me”, sung by Rafi and Geeta Dutt. Guru Dutt loved Mala Sinha during college life, but failed to marry her. The realistic film received a lot of public appreciation. Mala Sinha continued her dream run in the 60s by performing in historical films like Jahanara opposite Bharat Bhushan. The film was a musical block buster. The songs “baad muddat key eh ghari aye”, “kisi ki yaad me”, etc., composed by Madan Mohan created history. The biggest achievement of Mala Sinha lies in sustaining in bollywood industry amidst high competition from other leading actresses like Nargis, Meena Kumari, Madhubala, Vaijayantimala, etc. Mala Sinha was brilliant in the film Gumrah opposite Ashok Kumar and Sunil Dutt. She displayed her personality very well in a triangular love story. The songs of the film composed by Ravi was brilliant including “chalo ek baar phir se” and :in hawawon mai” sung by Mahendra Kapoor. Mala Sinha also acted with the next generation of actors like Rajender Kumar and Dharmender. Her successful films opposite Rajender Kumar included Dhool Ka Phool, Lalkar and Geet. Her successful films opposite Dharmender included Ankhen, Neela Akash, Jab Yaad Kisi Ki Aati Hai, etc. which did great business. She was sublime in her performance opposite Dharmender in the film Baharen Phir Bhi Ayegi. She did very well in films opposite Biswajeet like Night in London and Shammi Kapoor in Dil Tera Diwana. Mala Sinha played a very long innings in Bengali films as well. Her successful films opposite Uttam Kumar included Khelaghar, Shaharer Itikatha, Bandhu, Putrabadhu, Saathihara, to name a few. She gave able lips in Geeta Dutt’s songs namely “nishi raat banka chaad”, “baashi bujhi ei sure aar dakbe na”, etc. Her other notable films include Dhuli opposite Prashanto Kumar, Abhaya Srikanto opposite Basanto Choudhury, etc. She even featured in modern films in the 90s like Khel where she had played character roles opposite Madhuri Dixit. The viewers expect her to continue in character roles in films in future.

Happy birthday to Juhi Chawlaji

Happy birthday to sweet star Juhi Chawla. The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to sweet star Juhi Chawla on 13th November, 2024

. Juhi Chawla stormed bollywood films in the 90s. Her first film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak became super hit in the late 80s. Her pair with Amir Khan was well accepted by the audience. The songs in the film became very successful. The landmark songs included “aye mere humsafar”, “papa kehte hai” sung by Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik and others. From that time many producers and directors did cast her opposite Amir Khan in many films. The film also started a new trend of romantic films one after other after 15 years of domination of action films under success of Angry young man Amitabh Bacchan. Salman Khan’s film Maine Pyar Kiya followed very soon. Her comedy andaz in the film Ishq opposite Amir Khan was well appreciated. Her romance with Amir Khan started with quarrels as against the affair of Kajol and Ajay Devgan in the same film. The film did great business. Juhi Chawla acted in romantic films opposite all the leading actors of bollywood, including Rishi Kapoor in Bol Radha Bol and Eena Meena Dika, Anil Kapoor in Deewana Mastana, Jhoot Bole Kowa Kate, Amir Khan in Hum Hai Rahi Pyar Ke, to name a few. In the mid-90s she acted in a number of films opposite superstar Shahrukh Khan. Her major films opposite Shahrukh Khan included Duplicate, Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, etc. She started her production house Dreams Unlimited along with Shahrukh Khan and produced many films. One of the hit films included Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani. Both Shahrukh Khan and Juhi Chawla acted in the film. Juhi Chawla also acted in films opposite other actors. Her performance in character roles in the recent times had also impressed the crowds. Some of her recent films included Salaam-E-Ishq opposite Anil Kapoor. She played the role of a middle-aged woman whose husband got attached with another woman. She got dejected at the beginning, but keeping in mind the interest of her children, she compromised with Juhi Chawla. Juhi Chawla acted in action films like Darr as well. She performed opposite Sunny Deol and Shahrukh Khan. Shahrukh Khan acted in a negative role in the film who was killed at the end by Sunny Deol. Juhi Chawla’s dance performance in the film in songs like “tu meri saamne” still haunts the viewers. In 2012 she had acted in a number of films like Main Krishna Hoon, Son of Sardar. Son of Sardar was released in November, 2012, and there was lot of hope relating to the film where Juhi Chawla had a great role. The film did business of more than 100 crores and her performance opposite Sanjay Dutt created attention. In 2013, she had acted in the film Gulaab Gang. The film had been released. The viewers expect Juhi Chawla to continue the quality work in future.

In 3 days Bhoolbhulaiya 3 starring Kartik Vidya Balanji Madhuri Dixitji did business of more than 110 crores in India

Bhoolbhulaiya 3 with Kartik Aryanji, Madhuri Dixitji, Vidya Balanji did business of more than 110 crores in India and 40 crores abroad. All 3 of them gave landmark performances. Aneez Bazmi directed the film with comedy and suspense.Ruhan "Rooh Baba" Randhawa is having a great time looting people, claiming to be a Ghostbuster. He is called by Meera's uncle to talk to Meera who is a ghost. When she arrives, Ruhan is petrified into thinking it's a real ghost and this is captured by her uncle on Meera's phone. They blackmail Ruhan threatening to post it online if he refuses to come to Rakht Ghat with them. With no other choice, Ruhan agrees. When he arrives there, everybody is shocked to see him because he looked exactly likely a doppelganger of the prince, Rajkumar Debendranath of that estate from 200 years ago. The royal family lived in the horse barn, due to Manjulika's existence in the palace. Rajpurohit warns everyone not to go near Manjulika's room and also suggests that it should be opened only on Durgashtami, and only by a person of the royal family, who has been reborn to get rid of the ghost. Everyone moves to the palace as they believe Ruhan, their savior has arrived. According to a local myth, 200 years ago, Manjulika was a princess, and the king had a son from his servant, who was named Debendranath. When the King decided to announce Debendranath as his heir, it infuriates Manjulika. She kills Debendranath, and the king decides to burn her alive. It was her spirit that roamed in the palace, and responsible for the many killings. Meera calls in the restoration department to work on the palace so it can be sold. Mallika leads the department and also shows signs of being possessed. Ruhan gets to know about the real ghost and plans to leave, but realizes that his video needs to be erased before he leaves. While looking for the video, he finds out that his photos were secretly taken by Meera, suggesting her romantic feelings for him, and when confronted she confirms to it. Ruhan decides to stay but soon finds that Pandit, Panditaayan and Chhote Pandit are already living in Manjulika's room. It is revealed that all three of them were deliberately trying to shoo everyone away so they could peacefully live there. The restoration department takes over the room and while working there, they end up breaking a wall which leads them to a secret passage. The passage leads to a room which has a door with Bhairava Kavach all over it. The Rajpurohit is also confused and to know more he decides to read more about the palace rooms and Manjulika, so they can work around the situation. Desperate to sell the property, Rajaji decides to break the Bhairava Kavach with Roooh baba's help and see what's inside. Just when they open the door, the Rajpurohit arrives with the news that the room belonged to Anjulika who was the elder sister of Manjulika and Debendranath. It is revealed that the king 200 years ago had two daughters who despised each other. Despite knowing about the palace, Mandira arrives at the palace as a prospective buyer and decides to stay there to learn more about the estate and surroundings. After Mandira and Mallika meet, strange things start to happen in the palace. The Rajpurohit warns everyone to be careful until Durgashtmi, as that's the day when Manjulika would take her revenge. Ruhan and Meera have their fair share of encounters with both Mallika and Mandira, but they are confused about which one is the real Manjulika. Rajpurohit comes back with pure oil from havan to kill the spirit of Manjulika, and the night before Durgashtmi they all gather where the body was burned 200 years ago. Ruhan cleverly gets rid of the spirit that was inside Mallika and Mandira, and then they get to know that the ghost was actually of Debendranath who was burned to death 200 years ago for her love of dance and not liking her male body. It is revealed that Anjulika and Manjulika had planned to get Debendranath killed for the throne of Rakht Ghat and he was burned to death as soon as both sisters exposed him to the king and his ministers. The king then decided to throw both sisters out of his kingdom. Debendranath's ghost then kills the king and his guards. The Rajpurohit at that time had him sealed in that secret room locking it with the Bhairava Kavach which Ruhan broke and it is revealed it was Debendranath who had been the one who had planned everything by entering Mallika and Mandira's body as they were his sisters' reincarnations. In the end, all three of them have a heartfelt moment and Debendranath gets the peace he was yearning for, for two centuries. Cast Kartik Aaryan as Ruhaan "Rooh Baba" Randhawa / Debendranath Vidya Balan as Mallika / Manjulika Madhuri Dixit as Mandira / Anjulika / ACP Rathore Triptii Dimri as Meera / Madulikadevi Vijay Raaz as Raja Saab, The King of Rakht Ghat Rajpal Yadav as Natwar / Chhota Pandit Sanjay Mishra as Jagannath Shastri / Bade Pandit Ashwini Kalsekar as Panditayeen / Bade Pandit's wife Rajesh Sharma as Meera's uncle Arun Kushwah as Tillu Shataf Figar as Vicky Khanna Manish Wadhwa as Rajpurohit Saurabh Dubey as Rajpurohit in 1824 Denzil Smith as Maharaj in 1824 Suresh Menon as Pillai Moumita Pal as Pillai's wife Shivam Dubey as Pillai's son Surendra Thakur as Jallad Kanchan Mullick as Faulad Singh, King's bodyguard Prantika Das[8] as Noor Agrim Mittal as Modak Ajay Tiwari as Daas Yogesh Jadhav as Senapati Swagatam Halder as Mr. Chopra Averi Singharoy as Mrs. Chopra Badri Chavan as Arjun / Pintu Rose Sardana as Meera's sister Arvind Prakash as Arjun's father Parineeta Borthakur as Arjun's mother Mustaqeem as Bijnori Production Casting Kartik Aaryan was cast to reprise his role from Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. On 12 February 2024, it was announced that Vidya Balan, who played Manjulika in the original Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007), would reprise her character, by sharing a video of Instagram.[9] On 21 February 2024, it was announced that Madhuri Dixit and Triptii Dimri would be joining the project. Rajpal Yadav, known for his role as Chhota Pandit in the previous films, will also return to reprise his role. The cast also features Vijay Raaz, Rajesh Sharma, Manish Wadhwa, Sanjay Mishra, and Ashwini Kalsekar.[10][11] Filming On 9 March 2024, in Mumbai, the cast and crew of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 gathered for an inaugural muhurat puja ceremony to mark the beginning of principal photography. Producer Bhushan Kumar clapped the muhurat shot for Kartik Aaryan. Vidya Balan, Triptii Dimri, Rajesh Sharma, and co-producer Shiv Chanana were also present at the ceremony.[12][13] A glimpse video of this ceremony was shared by T-Series on 11 March 2024, titled "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 Begins", The video also featured Aaryan shooting the first shot of the movie, which was a train sequence, filmed by DOP Manu Anand.[14] During shooting, director Anees Bazmee faced significant challenges as he fractured his leg on the last day of the film recce. Against doctor's suggestions to get a steel plate and rest for 3 months, he opted for minor surgery that allowed him to honor his commitment to the film. He came to the film set in a wheelchair and continued with his work.[15][16] The film's production involved extensive planning and coordination, with key members Bhushan Kumar, Bazmee, and Aaryan actively engaged in discussions and preparations.[17] Filming began in Mumbai, with the first schedule wrapping up on 27 March 2024.[18] During this schedule, the entry sequence of Aaryan was also shot. A massive set was erected in Film City, Mumbai, specifically for the song, which involved over a thousand background dancers with choreography done by Ganesh Acharya.[19][20] After a short break, Bazmee, still recovering from his injury, scouted for locations in Kolkata for the next schedule.[21] The cast and crew landed in Kolkata on 8 April 2024, to commence the second schedule.[22] In this schedule, Aaryan rode a bullet on Howrah Bridge,[23] with Prantika Das and with Arun Kushwah at Victoria Memorial.[24][25] The shooting then progressed to Mallick Ghat flower market, where a small set with skeletons was put up.[26] Following this, Bazmee filmed scenes at the Park Street Graveyard and Nonapukur Tram Depot, and finally concluded the shoot at Laha Bari in Central Kolkata.[27] Prior to this, key shots were filmed at an elaborate Bengali village set setup by the production team in Mumbai.[28][29] The song 'Mere Dholna' has been filmed as jugalbandi between Madhuri and Vidya and has been choreographed by Chinni Prakash.[30] After completing the Kolkata schedule, the team resumed filming on the same Bengali set in Mumbai, with a segment involving Kartik Aaryan, Sanjay Mishra, Vijay Raaz, Rajpal Yadav, and Ashwini Kalsekar, wrapping up the week-long schedule on 13 May 2024. A significant dance sequence featuring lead actors was also filmed on 21 May 2024.[31] On 29 May 2024; Balan, Dixit, Manish Wadhwa, Sharma, Raaz, Rose Sardana and others shot a sequence on the film's set in Mumbai, with Balan and Dixit twinning in black sarees.[32] Bazmee had shot Aaryan's scenes in advance, in May 2024, and continued filming without him for some days in early June. In early June 2024, the team took a break from shooting, allowing Aaryan to focus on promotional commitments for his film Chandu Champion, which was released on 14 June 2024. The next schedule was kicked off on 1 July 2024, in Orchha, Madhya Pradesh[33][34] with Kartik Aaryan, Vidya Balan, Madhuri Dixit, Triptii Dimri, Rajpal Yadav, and others.[35] Key scenes were shot at various historic landmarks such as Orchha Fort, Ram Raja Mandir, where some dramatic scenes were filmed, and Jahangir Mahal, where Aaryan filmed a romantic song and some romantic scenes with Dimri. The schedule included filming intense sequences at Kanchana Ghat on the Betwa River.[36] A part of the climax sequence with all the principal actors together, was also shot there, with Aaryan and other leads performing some action sequences.[37] After shooting a portion of the climax in Orchha, the team returned to Mumbai to shoot the remaining scenes of the climax sequence with the entire cast.[38] Principal photography was seemingly wrapped with final scenes being shot on 31 July and 1 August 2024.[39][40] Additionally in September 2024, a romantic track featuring Aaryan and Dimri was shot in Leh, Ladakh.[41] It was revealed that 2 different climax scene were filmed to keep the suspense around the ending of the film,[42] after Kartik Aryan let slip details of filming scenes with Kiara Advani.[43] Music Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 Soundtrack album by Tanishk Bagchi, Sachet–Parampara, Amaal Mallik, Aditya Rikhari and Lijo George–DJ Chetas Released 23 October 2024 Recorded 2023–2024 Genre Feature film soundtrack Length 20:10 Language Hindi Label T-Series Producer Bhushan Kumar Official audio Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 (Audio Jukebox) on YouTube The background score of the film is composed by Sandeep Shirodkar, whereas the soundtrack is composed by Pritam, Tanishk Bagchi, Sachet–Parampara, Amaal Mallik, Aditya Rikhari and Lijo George–DJ Chetas. The lyrics are written by Sameer Anjaan, Rashmi Virag, Aditya Rikhari, Dhrruv Yogi and Som. The "Title Track" and "Ami Je Tomar" song originally composed by Pritam will be recreated once again after Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2.[44][45] The first single titled "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 (Title Track)" was released on 16 October 2024.[46] The second single titled "Jaana Samjho Na" was released on 22 October 2024, a reprised version of singer Aditya Rikhari’s 2022 single "Samjho Na". The album was released on 23 October 2024 across all music streaming platforms.[47][48] Track listingNo. Title Lyrics Music Singer(s) Length 1. "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 - Title Track" Dhruv Yogi, Sameer, Pitbull Tanishk Bagchi, Pritam Pitbull, Diljit Dosanjh, Neeraj Shridhar 3:50 2. "Jaana Samjho Na" Aditya Rikhari Lijo George-Dj Chetas, Aditya Rikhari Aditya Rikhari, Tulsi Kumar 3:32 3. "Ami Je Tomar 3.0" Sameer Amaal Mallik, Pritam Shreya Ghoshal 5:15 4. "Beiraada" Rashmi Virag Sachet–Parampara Sachet Tandon, Parampara Thakur 3:19 5. "Hukkush Phukkush" Som Tanishk Bagchi Sonu Nigam 3:44 6. "Ami Je Tomar (Sad Version)" Sameer Amaal Mallik, Pritam Sonu Nigam 0:30 Total length: 20:10 Release Theatrical Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 was theatrically released on 1 November 2024, on the occasion of Diwali. The worldwide theatrical distribution rights were acquired by AA Films. Distributor Anil Thadani had secured single screens for the film.[49] The film has been banned in Saudi Arabia due to mentions of homosexuality which is banned in the country.[50] Home media Netflix acquired the digital streaming rights of the film.[2]

Bollywood Hungama rated the film 4.5 stars out of 5 and wrote, "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 is a well-made horror comedy which works due to its performances, taut script, creative execution and above all, an unpredictable climax."[51] Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com rated the film 3/5 stars and opined "A gleefully hammy Madhuri and Vidya's volley of death stares and evil laughs engage in a ruthless glamorous tug of war in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3".[52]

The greatest bollywood blockbusters of 1959 including Anari and Paigham

Greatest bollywood hit films of 1959. The year 1959 was very significant in the history of bollywood films. Both social films and historical films dominated bollywood. The biggest hit film of 1959 was Anari. Anari was directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Raj Kapoor, Motilal, Lalita Power and Nutan were the leading artists in the film. The film showed the story of an innocent person who got involved in a case relating to forged medicines. The film was known for its excellent music composed by Shankar Jaikishan. All the songs of Lata Mangeshkar and Mukesh, including “yeh chand khila”, “kisiki muskurahaton pe ho nisar”, “sab kuch sikha humne” became smash hits. The film also received the major filmfare awards of 1959. Raj Kapoor got the award for the best actor, Lalita Power got the award for the best supporting actress, Shankar Jaikishan got the award for the best music director, Mukesh got the award for the best singer. The second highest grosser of 1959 included Paigham. Dilip Kumar and Vaijayantimala were the leading artists of the film. The film was directed by S.S. Vassan. Dilip Kumar and Vaijayantimala had given blockbusters in the past like Madhumati, so their online chemistry was accepted by the audience. The third biggest hit film was Navrang. The fourth was Dhool Ka Phool. The fifth hit film was Goonj Uthi Shehnai. Very significantly Rajender Kumar featured in both Dhool Ka Phool opposite Mala Sinha, and Goonj Uthi Shehnai opposite Amita. Both the films were famous for the excellent music composed by Kalyanji Anandji and Vasant Desai. The sixth hit film was Dil Deke Dekho where Shammi Kapoor and Asha Parekh were the main artists. Music was composed by Usha Khanna. The seventh hit film was Sujata. It was directed by Bimal Roy. Nutan and Sunil Dutt were the main artists. The next three hit films of the year included Choti Behen, Rani Roopmati and Chirag Kahan Roshni Kahan. The film was directed by Devendra Goel and music composed by Ravi Shankar Sharma. In Choti Behen directed by L.V. Prasad, Balraj Sahani and Nanda were the main artists. Music was composed by Shankar Jaikishan. In Rani Roopmati, Bharat Bhushan and Nirupa Roy played the lead roles. SN Tripati composed the music of the film. In Chirag Kahan Roshni Kahan, Rajender Kumar and Meena Kumari played the lead roles. There were few inferences that can be drawn from the biggest hit films of 1959. While Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar dominated bollywood as main stars, Rajender Kumar emerged as another crowd puller by giving three hits together. As far as actresses were concerned there was brilliant competition between Vaijayantimala, Nutan, Meena Kumari and others. As far as directors were concerned in addition to established directors like Bimal Roy, Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt, upcoming directors like Hrishikesh Mukherjee, L.V. Prasad, B.R. Chopra, Nasir Hussain created a great impact in bollywood films. As far as music director were concerned there was stiff competition between Shankar Jaikishan, Naushad Ali, C. Ramchandran, Ravi Shankar Sharma, Vasant Desai and others.

Remembering Salil Choudhurysahab for east and west blend of music

Remembering Salil Choudhury. Salil Choudhury, noted scholar, poet, composer and literary giant was remembered on his death anniversary on 5th September, 2024. He was also remembered on his birthday on 19th November, 2013. As he was a versatile scholar, his scholarly attributes were reflected in his creations. He was both the lyricist and the composer and numerous songs sung by legendary singers over 50 years. His creation “ami parini bujhite parini” and “tumi jaante” for Manobendra Mukherjee were created with two different andaz, one having classical orientation while the other having westernized treatment. His creation “jhanana jhanana baje” and “antabihin oi andharater shesh” for Dhanonjoy Bhattacharya showed his class in handling classical singers. On the other hand his strength in folk songs were evident in his song “sunayoni sunayoni” sung by Nirmalendu Choudhury and Sabita Choudhury. Nirmalendu became famous all across the world with his folk numbers. Salil Choudhury hugely experimented with Shymal Mitra in songs like “jadi kichu amare shudhao”, “aha oi ankabanka poth jai shudure”, “dur nai beshi dur oi”, “ja jare ja ja pakhi”, to name a few. In “jadi kichu amare shudhao”, Salil Choudhury’s orchestration was unique, half of the song was blank verse while the other half had musical treatment. Salil Choudhury used the different playback singers in Bengal and explored their talents to the brim. Some of the great compositions include “eso kache boso” sung by Tarun Banerjee, “pallabini go sancharini” sung by Dwijen Mukherjee, “Jodi jante go tumi jante” sung by Manobendra Mukherjee, “jai jai din” sung by Biswajeet Chatterjee, to name a few. The list can go on. Salil Choudhury created a gem with the song “nil nil pakhi” for Sandhya Mukherjee. Besides, bengal’s literary community were astonished with Salil Choudhury conversion of famous poetry “ujjal ek jhak paira” sung by Sandhya Mukherjee into song. The poet’s feelings were translated into musical tune by sheer brilliance of Salil Choudhury. Other examples of converting legendary poems into songs include “runner” written by Shukanto Bhattacharya and “palki chole” written by Satyendranath Dutta which were sung by Hemanta Mukherjee which both became history. In “runner” the march of the postman on foot from remote corners of village was given adequate expression by Salil Choudhury. Salil Choudhury’s national fame allowed him to do numerous experiments with bollywood singers like Mukesh and Lata. Articles after articles can be devoted to Lata Salil Choudhury creations in Bengali. Mukesh also sung hit song “jhum jhum pakshi nachona” composed by Salil Choudhury. Salil Choudury created his masterpieces in Bengali films as well like Shyamal Mitra’s song “onek ghuriya sheshe” in Hrithik Ghatak’s film Bari Theke Paliye, Nirmalendu Choudhury’s song “sojoni o sojoni” and Manna Dey’s “uthali pathali amar buuk” in Rajen Tarafdar’s film Ganga. Besides his song “he bhai re bhai” and “baje go beena” sung by Manna Dey in the film Marjina Abdulla made the listeners speechless. Even Lata’s song “bujhbe na keu bujhbena” was equally popular. Bimal Roy’s film Do Bigha Zameen was based on Salil Choudhury’s literature. His music in the films Do Bigha Zameen, Madhumati, Musafir, Parakh, Jagte Raho, Anand, Maya, Rajnigandha, etc., stand out as landmarks in Indian film history. He received filmfare award for brilliant performance in the film Madhumati. All the songs in the film including Lata’s “aja re”, “ghari ghari”, Rafi’s “tute hue khwabonme”, “jangal me mor nacha”, Mukesh’s “dil tarap tarap ke”, “suhana safar aur mausam hasin” touched the souls of numerous Indians in the late 50s. Other notable songs of Salil Choudhury in bollywood films include “tasveer teri dil me” from Maya, “zindagi kaisi hai paheli hai”, “kahin dur jab din dhal jaye” from Anand, “rajnigandha” from Rajnigandha, “jago mohan pyare” from Jagte Raho, “dil tadpe tadpaye” from Poonam Ki Raat, to name a few. Bengal and India was as a whole was indebted to a maestro like Salil Choudhury and several researches can be undertaken for finding out the history behind his creations. One article is not enough to reiterate the immortal works of the giant creator. The creations should be preserved and restored.

All the films of Rajender Kumarji and Saira Banuji ended up being blockbusters

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. 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.

Shammi Kapoor sahab Rafisahab and Shankar Jaikishanji gave blockbusters for generations

Viewers remembered Shammi Kapoor on his birth anniversary on 21st October, 2023. Rebel Star Shammi Kapoor is remembered on 14th August, 2024, 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.