Doc Bollywood

Nishant (1975) & farewell to Akbar Ali Khan

2009-07-12T17:20:00.002-05:00

Based on a true story, Nishant was avant garde filmmaker Shyam Benegal's sophomore effort (after Ankur) and with it he brought back what would be his favorite muse for her second movie as well, Shabana Azmi. If you are looking for the prototypical Bollywood naach-gaana fest then this is not your type of film. It is (at times) difficult to watch, has no songs, contains very little music and has a feel as bleak as the dusty village where it was shot. But as I have said before, I appreciate it when a film challenges the viewer and though you may not like what you see on screen, 'Nishant' delivers an emotional wallop like few films do.

A virtual 'Who's Who' of Indian cinema star in this movie including the aforementioned Shabana Azmi, Nasureedin Shah (in his debut), Kulbushan Kharbanda, Amrish Puri, Girish Karnad and a smoldering 19 year old Smita Patil appearing in just her second movie. Nishant went on to win the prestigious National Award for Hindi Cinema in 1975 and was officially selected as a nominee for the Palm D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. The story is unsettling and at times infuriating but the film itself is compelling if only for the fact that it shows something different and gives the movie fan a chance to see so many living legends of Indian cinema in their early days.

We are introduced to the character of the Zamindar (a surprisingly buff Amrish Puri) early on in the film as someone who is not to be taken lightly. He takes whatever he wants from whomever he wants without any disregard to how his actions affect others. Ironically he is shown to be a highly religious man and the very villagers who loathe his presence are forced to seek his blessings on all auspicious occasions.

The underrated Girish Karnad plays the new schoolmaster of the village who arrives with his beautiful wife and young son but soon comes to see the ugly truth of his new surroundings. The Zamindar has 3 younger brothers who all share his sense of entitlement and in this scene are explaining how the schoolmaster can make extra money by letting them 'borrow' his wife for the evening.

Shaken by the brazen disregard for societal norms, he spends that evening sitting with his family in their modest surroundings. Having told the brothers that he is not interested in their offer he does not suspect (nor does the audience) that his wife would soon be kidnapped in full view of the entire village from his home. Unable to stop them on his own he begs the villagers to help him and then goes to register a complaint at the local police station.

Patel (Kulbushan Kharbanda) is the policeman who feels for this man but knows he is powerless to do anything about the abduction. It would have been easy to make the cop a caricature and dismissive of any complaints against the powerful family. But Kharbanda's take on the role is to make an almost sympathetic character who at the end of the day is a coward but one who the audience understands is just a cog in the powerful machine that is the Zamindar's world.

Rape scenes in any movie are difficult to watch but few of them convey the feeling of bleakness so subtly as this movie does. The morning after Sushila (Shabana Azmi) is abducted and brutally raped by the brothers of the Zamindaar begins with the aerial shot above. No words nor any music accompany the scene and the silence is what makes digesting what has just happened even more horrific.

Shushila is kept as a prisoner in the house for most of the movie while her husband tries in vain to get her out. Watching his attempts to help her by talking to the police all the way up to the government officials fall on deaf ears all while she is getting brutalized night after night is numbing. I almost wanted the schoolteacher to bust down the door of the house Amitabh-style and teach them all a lesson with a good thrashing but unfortunately Bollywood doesn't always work like that. Much of the story takes place during this part of the movie - the schoolteacher finally taking his story to the priest who, as a man of god, decides there is a limit to evil, Sushila's resentment towards the husband that is letting her languish in this house of horrors every day, the youngest brother's Vishwam (Nasureedin Shah) growing infatuation with Sushila and his wife Rukhmani's (Smita Patil) disgust with everything that she is witness to.

Nasureedin Shah's first film role introduces us to a spineless character (Vishwam) that we are not used to seeing him play. Not entirely comfortable with the way his brothers treat women as objects he nonetheless joins in the fray the first time he sees Sushila. As his feelings for her grow stronger it puts an enormous strain on the relationship with his wife Rukhmani and it is through this deft ability to hold his own ground around these two powerful actresses that a star is born.

And last but not least we have Smita Patil in the role of the long suffering wife Rukhmani. Her presence in the film elevates it into art every time she appears onscreen. Her transformation from a passive wife who tolerates what goes on around her to one that eventually becomes disgusted with what she is witness to is powerfull and proves as another reminder that she was taken from us entirely too early at the age of 31. Watching the movie hurtle towards it's powerful and controversial ending is not easy but then again, real life never is.

Ali Akbar Khan, the foremost virtuoso of the lutelike sarod, whose dazzling technique and gift for melodic invention, often on display in concert with his brother-in-law Ravi Shankar, helped popularize North Indian classical music in the West, died on Thursday at his home in San Anselmo, Calif at the age of 87. His father was a stern, sometimes brutal taskmaster, rousing his young son at dawn for several hours of practice before breakfast and continuing well into the evening of what were often 18-hour days. Allauddin Khan had elevated the status of instrumental music, previously regarded as inferior to vocal performance, by synthesizing various regional styles into a modern concert style. His son absorbed his encyclopedic knowledge of North Indian music and eventually outstripped him as an instrumentalist. The song for today is Lady (Panihari) from the album 'Garden of Dreams'. Ustad (honorary title meaning master) Khan and a thirteen-piece East/West orchestra perform classical ragas and Rajasthani folk songs. Combining sarod with Western classical instruments such as the cello, violin, bassoon and oboe, Khansaab brilliantly merges Eastern and Western musical traditions to produce an album of astounding beauty.

Smile Pinki (2008) - Oscar Winner for Best Documentary Short

2009-06-09T01:00:00.000-05:00

'Slumdog Millionaire' was not the only movie based in India that took home an Oscar in 2008, just the biggest one - 'Smile Pinki' on the other hand is the littlest one but thanks to HBO it's getting some major airplay this month. I simply love when movies drop me into the story without any inkling of what I am getting myself into. Set in India, 'Smile Pinki' tells the tale of a girl named Pinki who lives in the village of Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh. Pinki was born with a cleft lip that led to her being ostracized by her community and eventually to her dropping out of school due to constant ridicule by her classmates. The film begins with a social worker from The Smile Train who literally walks from person to person with leaflets detailing how free operations are being offered to any child born with a cleft lip or palate. The camera then follows the trail of one of the leaflets to Pinki as well as one to a boy named Ghutaru. The story just unfolds organically from there scene by scene as we learn more about the children and their daily lives. I usually keep my posts as spoiler free as possible but from the first time we meet Pinki we instantly form a bond with her and her father. We hope that this fairy tale of a story will end happily as the heartache of how deeply these children are affected by their deformity comes fully into view. The makers of the film never bombard the viewer with the why or how this charity came to be - just that it is and that it's changing lives one child at a time without any great fanfare.

As HBO's president of documentary and family programming Sheila Nevins explained, a good doc can uniquely provoke "feeling for someone who was a stranger to you five minutes ago. You didn't know that person, you didn't know that issue and suddenly that person becomes a part of your human family." There are many lessons to be learned from this magical little movie and some of them are quite obvious - to appreciate the things we have in life when others have so little, the unflinching love of a father who wants nothing more than what's best for his child and that children never cease to surprise us despite what life throws at them. But it was the subtle idea that you don't necessarily have to save someone's life in order to save them that stayed with me long after the credits rolled. Yes, children in developing countries are in need of basic necessities to just stay alive but what about after that? In a place where deformities are still blamed on the supernatural and black magic, looks are not just skin deep - they go much much deeper. And seeing what this one operation that takes just 45 minutes and costs all of $250 made me want to go to India and spread the good word about The Smile Train myself. Not that one actually needs an excuse to ever go there but now you have one.

The music in the movie is composed of some lovely sitar & tabla pieces and I was all set to put one of them up as today's song. But as fate would have it, a favorite tune of mine popped up in the movie in one of the most unlikeliest places - as a cell phone ringtone. The song is Gayatri Mantra by Anuradha & Kavita Paudwal and at 55 minutes it clocks in at 15 minutes longer than the movie itself. To call it a mere song would not be doing it justice though. The Gayatri is considered the holiest verse of all the Vedas (ancient Hindu religious texts) and Mantra simply means chant. I have long thought that Anuradhaji's voice was incredibly melodic and although she had some success in Bollywood, it's in the realm of bhajans (religious songs) that she has truly found her forte. The same verse repeats itself but while listening to the song it never grew tired or repetitive - just soothing (and that's coming from someone who doesn't consider himself all that religious). But it's the meaning behind the words that really brought it all together for me in regards to the greater message behind the movie...

ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः तत् सवितुर्वरेण्यं भर्गो देवस्य धीमहिधियो यो नः प्रचोदयात्
(O God, Thou art the giver of life, the remover of pain and sorrow, the bestower of happiness; O Creator of the Universe, may we receive Thy supreme light and may Thou guide our intellect in the right direction)

Anmol Ghadi (1946)

2009-05-18T21:59:00.002-05:00

The songs and history surrounding Mehboob Khan's classic 'Anmol Ghadi' have captivated me for as long as I can remember. The movie marks the oldest Bollywood film I have ever seen and while the actual plot is not particularly interesting, it's the story behind the story that made watching this movie an absolutely captivating endeavor. Today's post is a joint one with our friend Richard over at Dances on the Footpath who writes about classic Indian cinema and has posted some amazing songs from youtube up on his site as well. This tale from the maker of 'Andaz' (the only film that starred Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor & Nargis) and 'Mother India' (the first Indian film to be nominated for an Oscar) revolves around a pair of childhood sweethearts - Lata (Noorjehan) and Chander (Surendra) who reunite years after a tragic separation. A melodramatic love triangle ensues when Basanti (Suraiya) falls for Chander and he can't bear to tell her the truth of who he actually pines for. Lata & Basanti both fall for Chander and the only real question I had while watching was how and why these two enchanting women would fall for such a bore such as Chander. But like I previously alluded to, the real reason to watch this movie is for the historical importance of this movie and to see the picturization of the classic songs that are still hummed today more than sixty years after the movie's release...

Noorjehan (above) was the top box office draw in India at the time of this movie's release and was known for her acting ability as well as her incredible voice. Not considered particularly 'beautiful' in the classic sense, she nonetheless had a radiance that transcended any preconceived notions about beauty. However historical events were conspiring to take this rare talent out of Bollywood for good when the Partition of India occurred the following year and Madame Noor chose to leave her fame and fortune behind and move to Pakistan. Had she chosen to remain there is no doubt that she would have commanded the silver screen for years to come as she was beloved by both the movie going public as well as the film industry itself. It's quite ironic that her character's name in the movie (Lata) was also the real name of the person who benefited most from her departure. Lata Mangeshkar was not well known at the time of Partition but emulated Noorjehan's voice early in her career and the two remained close throughout the years with Lata referring to Noorjehan lovingly as 'Didi' (sister). This movie is Noorjehan's swan song and her performance as well as her renderings of it's signature songs help make this movie a must see for any true Bollywood fan.

Suraiya (above) was also an established star when Mehboob Khan approached her to complete his coup of bringing together three of the biggest stars of the day for the film. She, along with Noorjehan and Surendra, were among the last of a dying breed in Bollywood - that of the actor who also provided his/her own playback singing. It is difficult enough to be skilled at one much less do both so well and the fact that she was just seventeen when this movie was made makes her performance even more incredible. Her songs are well known to true film aficionados and her place in Bollywood history was cemented with this star making turn. Like Noorjehan, her voice was not as high as Lata and her compatriots but was resonant and uniquely hers instead of being indistinguishable from the masses. She had the unenviable task of being the 'other woman' in the movie but succeeded in making her character likable and injected much needed cheer into the often gloomy story.

The film was a massive hit when it was released and represented one of the final hits in the Bollywood of undivided India. The city scenes provide a rare look at Bombay from a simpler age and one can just imagine how Marine Drive must have been without all the smog & traffic from modern times. Yes, the acting is a bit dated and the use of the static camera shot on song sequences can feel a little odd. But if you just tune out the story and concentrate on the two leading ladies as the songs tumble onto each other in the narrative - you will be rewarded with a rare look into the beginnings of modern day Bollywood. The sense of history behind this film becomes even more apparent with the knowledge that all Indian movies were banned in Pakistan after Partition. The image above is of the first poster printed in Pakistan for an Indian movie (note the lack of Hindi script present on the original poster) due to the immense popularity of 'The Nightingale of Pakistan' - Noorjehan. She returned to Bombay in 1982 to receive a special award for her contribution to Indian Cinema and Lata's speech welcoming her back to the land of her birth was said to have all of Bollywood's elite on their feet.

The songs from today are both by Noorjehan, one solo song and one being a duet by her and Surendra. Jawan Hai Mohabbat remains one of those evergreen songs I could hear over and over yet never tire from. Her voice, it's lyrics of eternal optimism and musical score (done by my favorite composer Naushad) all combine to make this a song that always puts me in a better mood when I hear it. The other song, Aawaz De Kahan Hai is the polar opposite of the first one and highlights Noorjehan's ability to evoke an emotion in a song even if you don't understand a single word of Hindi/Urdu. It's by far Surendra's best work in the movie and allows the audience to feel their longing for one another throughout the years through it's timeless melody (video below).

Celebrating 40 years of Amitabh Bachchan

2009-05-01T15:49:00.002-05:00

A nice three part retrospective of the Big B....

Mr India (1987)

2009-04-20T13:07:00.008-05:00

The late 80's were a time of great flux in Bollywood. Amitabh Bachchan's reign at the top was slowly grinding to a halt due to a spate of questionable film choices, an injury during the filming of 'Coolie' and his foray into politics. A chance meeting between Bollywood newcomer Anil Kapoor and art film director Shekhar Kapur (who between them had exactly 2 hits to their name) led to the creation of one of the most beloved films of Indian cinema - 'Mr India'. The hyper-success of 'Sholay' in 1975 had inspired every producer of that time to try and recreate the winning formula of that film with varying results. During this time period the art film market had just started to find it's own audience with Kapur's own 'Masoom' as one of it's earliest hits. But along came this little film (one of my wife's favorite movies) with absolutely no budget, an unconventional love story, a bunch of adorable little kids, starring Anil Kapoor and a very evil villain - all helmed by a director who knew next to nothing about making a traditional Bollywood movie. The film went on to become the biggest hit of the year and remains a cult classic to this day and yes, I do realize that the previous sentence could describe 'Slumdog Millionaire' just as easily as it does 'Mr India'.

Anil Kapoor was not the most logical choice to star in this story of a fellow with a heart of gold who took care of a bunch of orphans while living in a dilapidated house on the beach who proceeds to fall in love with Sridevi and eventually would go on to defeat a villain named Mogambo bent on world domination by accidentally stumbling upon a cape of invisibility (really). The actor had only few films under his vest but was not a big star by any sense of the word. But the success of this film combined with the Filmfare Award he won for his previous one 'Mashaal' had every magazine anointing him the heir apparent to Amitabh Bachchan. Now I am one of the biggest Amitabh fans to walk the planet but I don't even think Amitabh could have been the heir apparent to himself after the mega success of his storied career. Sridevi was an already established star but cemented her reputation as one of the most bankable actresses of her time with her role in the film. Shekar Kapur inexplicably left world of Bollywood after this movie to direct the Academy Award winning 'Elizabeth' but left a nice little legacy in Indian cinema with this movie, the above mentioned 'Masoom' and 'Bandit Queen'.

And of course one can't forget Amrish Puri's unforgettable performance as Mogambo, the villain whose quest for world domination and penchant for referring to himself in the third person with the unforgettable tagline of "Mogambo Khush Hai" (Mogambo is pleased). Yes, he may have achieved wider recognition with his roles as the good yet stern father in 'DDLJ', 'Pardes' and 'Viraasat' but he created one of the most memorable villains ala Heath Ledger's Joker with this nefarious evildoer. Shekar Kapur was reportedly interested in making a sequel (with his uncle Dev Anand as producer) but talks stalled and his name was withdrawn from the project. But as things somehow do in the magical world of Bollywood there will be a fairy tale ending to this story after all. Anil Kapoor & Sridevi have signed on to reprise their original roles and none other than SRK himself is in talks to tackle the role of Mogambo! The song for today is Zindagi Ki Yehi by Kishore Kumar and was one of the last songs he recorded before his untimely death that year. It's a toe tapping tune with a great message that basically states that life just is and that every bad thing is inevitably followed by something good. The video below is from The Parody Song and you can play a rousing game of "guess the movie" from all the songs contained in it.

Shashi Kapoor - overlooked but never overshadowed

2009-03-16T14:53:00.000-05:00

Note - This post was originally written last year and although I don't normally recycle posts, Shashiji's upcoming birthday this week on Wednesday is enough of a reason to break a rule here or there...

Shashi Kapoor (ne Balbir Raj Kapoor) turned 70 in March of this year but sadly, yours truly neglected to write a birthday post in his honor. 2008 also marks the 60th anniversary of his debut on the silver screen in his brother Raj Kapoor's movie 'Aag'. And finally, this year would have been the 50th wedding anniversary to his beloved wife Jennifer (who passed away from cancer in 1984) with whom he had three children. To make up for overlooking one of my favorite stars I decided to do a tribute to Shashiji, long considered one of Bollywood's favorite sons but also one of it's most underrated. His flame never shone quite as bright as his elder brother Raj or as his contemporary (and close friend) Amitabh - but he holds a special place in my heart and countless other fans of Hindi films. Indeed, click on most any Bollylink on the side of this post and you will find a plethora of Shashi fans. Like me they just adore him and wax poetic about his acting, sense of style, how 'Shashilicious' he is and so on and so forth.

I missed much of his early career in the 60's & 70's but after seeing him in 'Chor Sipahee' during my first trip back to India I instantly became a fan. I remember having lengthy discourses with Indian friends about who was better, Amitabh or Shashi? Even at the videostore I would ask my parents to only get the movies starring either of them and when they started doing their 'buddy movies' together - well that was one heck of an era for this Bollywood fan. To this day they both remain my two favorite heroes and asking me to pick between them simply cannot be done. Amitabh was larger than life - an impossibly tall superman of an actor, with movie star good looks, sporting perfectly coiffed hair and whose baritone voice shook the goondas to their core.

But Shashi? He was of average height at best, had curly hair that had a mind of it's own, who had a distinctive voice indeed but nothing earth-shaking and while unmistakably handsome - his smile betrayed some crooked choppers that made him look, well accessible. Because you see, yours truly was of average height, had curly hair that would expand exponentially in the Texas humidity, had teeth so crooked I needed braces for years and had a voice that would never be picked to narrate any documentaries. I loved Shashi because he wore all his imperfections on his sleeve and never tried to be more than what he was - he showed me that to be truly successful one just had to have 'it' and boy, did he ever. Amitabh represented the superhero whom I could admire from afar and could never be - while Shashi was the everyman whose films I watched and realized that he was actually someone who I could be or at least try to. And that is what makes Shashi so special indeed, for he had charisma & charm - an unlimited supply of it at that.

Below watch a short tribute to Shashi that AVS did last week that was the inspiration for today's post. Today's selection is Sar Se Sarke, a song that I consider to be the forgotten song of Silsila. In my opinion it is one of the best Kishore/Lata duets ever done and is picturised quite beautifully with Shashi & Jaya Bachchan. It is sometimes overlooked (go figure) because of the other two Kishore/Lata songs that were picturised with Amitabh & Rekha. Those songs are great indeed but the producers felt Shashi's so good that they decided to open the movie with it. The video for the song is directly below the AVS tribute...

Slumdog Slam!

2009-03-04T22:26:00.001-06:00

Slumdog did it - and did it on the grandest, biggest and most prestigious stage on the planet. It built a head of steam and barreled through the awards circuit like a runaway locomotive, albeit a very colorful one like in 'The Darjeeling Limited'. It's now even receiving the inevitable backlash that all successful entities get: it portrayed India in a bad light, won only because it was directed by a non-Indian, the kids never got paid, etc. Was it the best movie of the year? I leave that up to history and your personal taste to decide. I don't think it was as egregious of a choice as in 1999 when 'Shakespeare in Love' beat out the now classic 'Saving Private Ryan'. Rather I feel it was more akin to the previous year when the crowd pleaser 'Titanic' won over the technically superior 'LA Confidential'. For that matter I don't even think that it was the best Bollywood/Indian movie to be nominated for the prize and believe that 'Mother India' and 'Lagaan' were better films overall. Some Academy members have argued that we should hold Oscars ten years after the movie has been released because it's only then that the we can see how it will be remembered by history. It's all a moot point of course and I for one am overjoyed that this "little movie that was going straight to DVD' won. Why?

Because the stamp of approval it received by Hollywood's elite made Bollywood hip, cool and accessible to the general public. I cannot tell you how many people I know who did not even know the word Bollywood before this movie come out are now suddenly very interested in everything about it. I am lending out DVD's to people almost daily and they keep coming back for more. All things Desi had been becoming popular steadily over the last few years with pop music and henna on celebrities - this win has taken everything to that proverbial next level and there seems to be an insatiable appetite for it. With the ease of availability of movies on the internet I hope that people will dig deeper and see that there is a whole new world of discovery for them and it's my promise that the good Doc Bollywood will be there to help in any way he can. The song for today is sung by M.I.A. with music by A.R. Rahman and is from the original soundtrack. Hearty congrats for his Oscar win although I do prefer some of his other soundtracks much more. Judd Apatow (director of 'Pineapple Express') loved the song so much he put it on the "red band" trailer for the movie - some of the language makes it not safe for work so watch with caution. FYI - if you like the trailer, you will probably like the movie too ;)

Pineapple Express - Red Band Trailer from Judd Apatow

Shakti (1982)

2009-02-06T20:44:00.003-06:00

The recipient of the Filmfare Award for Best Picture of 1982 marked the first time that Bollywood fans got to see two living legends together for the first time. Amitabh Bachchan was said to have wanted to work with Dilip Kumar for many years but kept waiting for the right script. The team of Salim-Javed were commissioned to write one with instructions to give both stars equal roles and were rewarded with the Filmfare Award for Best Screenplay for their efforts. The story revolves around the relationship between the two stars (playing a policeman/father and his son) and the fateful decision made by Dilip Kumar's character early on in the movie. When confronted by gangsters who are holding his son ransom, the wafaadar cop refuses to negotiate with their demands, forever scarring his only child delicate psyche and thrusting him into a life of crime. This leads to an inevitable climax between the two much like what happened to a family separated by crime in 'Deewaar' (also written by Salim-Javed). Made by the same writing/directing team who brought us 'Sholay', this movie is a gritty and solid drama that is made even more complete with all the star power behind it.

The star power doesn't just extend to the two stars which brings us to the character of Roma Devi, played by Smita Patil. A star of parallel cinema who was also an activist for the advancement of women and children in India, Smita Patil transitioned seamlessly into mainstream Bollywood and brought grace and dignity into any role she played. She died due to complications from childbirth at the age of 31 and her passing (like Madhubala before her) left behind an incredible void that was filled in time with the likes of Shabana Azmi, Nandita Das and Tabu. Her role as Amitabh's love interest could have been easily overlooked amongst the two leads but she remains one of the most memorable things about the movie. So who came out ahead in the old guard versus the new between Dilipsaab and Amitji? The Filmfare Award went to Dilip Kumar even though Amitabh was nominated in three out of the available five nominations (the other two movies he was nominated for were 'Bemisaal' and 'Namak Halal'). As a fan of both, it came out to a draw for me as they both have such different styles and showcased them brilliantly for this movie.

'Shakti' broke new ground not only for the pairing of the two aforementioned stars in their first and only movie. It also did so for having only three songs in the entire film during a time when big Bollywood movies mandated at least six to fill up the soundtrack. Today's selection is Humne Sanam Koby Lata, a beautiful number that is just enchanting in both it's music and delivery. R.D. Burman provided the music and usually reserved his best work for wife Asha Bhonsle but Lata just takes this song (about writing a letter to her lover) and makes it something special. Indeed, she insisted on singing it during a tribute concert to R.D. shortly after he passed away. Much like the movie 'Heat' in which Al Pacino & Robert Deniro shared the screen for only a few key scenes, 'Shakti' does the same with Amitabh & Dilip Kumar and the end result for both movies is the same - an instant classic that holds up years down the line.

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

2009-01-19T15:01:00.018-06:00

Just tell me a good story Mr. Moviemaker, it's really not too much to ask. While you're at it go ahead and challenge me by making that story just a little different than the other ones out there, teach me something I didn't know before and make me feel an emotion - any emotion. You don't need to blow up a bunch of stuff (although sometimes it does make the story more fun) or spend a billion dollars making your point - just spend some time telling me a good story and that will make all the difference. The tale of Jamaal (Dev Patel) aka the Slumdog and how he just might become a Millionaire is a good example of how to by make a very special Bollywood movie by someone who has no experience in how to do so - but who does know how to tell one heck of a story. Danny Boyle has directed two of the most original and exhilarating movies of the past few years with 'Trainspotting' and '28 Days'. And if you can make movies about drug abuse and zombies (respectively) a movie experience, by all means then, go ahead and try your hand at a movie about - street children, orphans, religous riots, lost (and found) love, crooked cops & even crookeder criminals and last but not least - game shows.

If you don't know how in the world anyone could have possibly made a movie about all this and have it ALL MAKE SENSE then watch this little independent movie that is the current darling of the awards circuit. Winning the Golden Globe for best drama, best director, best screenplay and (drum roll please) - best original score for the maestro A.R. Rahman - who became the first Indian to win the prestigous prize. The awards will most likely continue to pile up as it has been nominated for 11 awards at the BAFTA's - the British equivalent of the Academy Awards - and is all but a shoo in for the Oscars themselves. Danny Boyle did his homework and watched a slew of Bollywood gangster movies to get a feel for the genre. Indeed, he called out 'Deewaar' (1975),one of my all time favorite movies, as being 'absolutely key to Indian cinema'.

With all the accolades being heaped on this movie the only thing I was worried about was the possible backlash about how India is portrayed in the movie like this rant from the Big B himself. Considering he is so prominently figured in one of the movie's key scenes I am somewhat taken aback by his reaction to it. Bombay is one of the greatest cities in the world and this movie portrays it in one of the most honest ways I have ever seen it done so. We get enough of celluloid eye candy from the glorious musicals that Bollywood pumps out year after year - a movie or two that shows us the seedy underbelly of the city is refreshing (if somewhat unsettling) as well. A friend of mine called me after watching an advance screening and asked me 'What would you do for an autograph of Amitabh Bachchan?' and then told me I had to go see this movie. Indeed, when I saw what our protagonist Jamaal is willing to do for the autograph I instantly knew that the makers of this movie 'got it' when it came to Desi culture.

The soundtrack boasts many great tracks that represent the first collaboration between A.R. Rahman and the Sri Lankan born singer M.I.A. They were both mutual fans of the other when the director of the movie introduced the two and challenged them to provide a soundtrack that was as frenetic as the city itself. The result is a product that helps move the story along at a breakneck pace but slows down the action when needed. Today's selection is Ringa Ringa which is played when Jamaal and his brother Salim go looking for Latika (Freida Pinto) in the city's notorious red light district. If the song reminds you of Choli Ki Peeche it's because it was sung by the same two singers as that classic Bollywood tune, Alka Yagnik & Ila Arun.

*Evdience that 'Slumdog Millionaire' has already achieved success in the US that is usually reserved for Hollywood productions - the yellow scarf that Freida Pinto is wearing in the movie has been on the 'must have' lists in many a gossip rag. Adding to the mystery of the movie, the wardrobe designer says it was a one of a kind piece that would "bookend the journey--to tie her childhood yellow dress to her final look".

Madhumati (1958) - 50 years on...

2009-01-01T21:58:00.005-06:00

"On a dark and stormy night" is how Madhumati begins and director Bimal Roy sets a dreamy yet uneasy mood so well that the audience follows with a feeling of nervous excitement through the rest of the movie. Indeed the movie holds up well nearly half a century later because of the concerted efforts of it's makers, stars as well as it's unforgettable soundtrack. Madhumati was well rewarded for it's efforts with nine Filmfare Awards, commercial success and was a darling of critics as well. It was Roy's second win in the short life of the Filmfares as he had also won best director in the inaugural Filmfare Awards in 1953. Technically speaking it is not as polished as the films of today for obvious reasons but watching legends such as Dilip Kumar & Vyjayantimala on the screen together are worth the time invested viewing on their own. Add to that the breathtaking scenery (even in black & white), the original story with a Sixth Sense like twist at the end and the pitch perfect soundtrack and this movie becomes a must watch for Bollywood fans both new and old alike.

The jewel of this movie however is the soundtrack. Salil Choudhury triumphs as the music composer in what is considered his finest and most commercially successful movie. He grew up in the tea growing state of Assam and spent many a day in his youth trekking with his forest ranger father. Madhumati is said to have been an ode to that time in his life and the songs match the story of the forest maiden and her Prince Charming rather well. In fact the entire movie's mood and ambiance is framed brilliantly by it's editor (Hrishikesh Mukherjee) who not only won a Filmfare Award for his efforts but also became a celebrated director in his own right.

Lata counts Aaja Re Pardesi as among her ten best recordings ever and earned her first statuette with her rendition of the song . "I love all the songs of Madhumati but this one was special and I still remember how happy everyone was on the day it was recorded. Lyricist Shailendra gave me flowers and then Bimal Roy himself came forward to congratulate me! The song was beautiful and it was such a big hit too." The three songs for today include the aforementioned Aaja Re Pardesi, Bichua and my personal favorite - Zulmi Sang Ankh Ladi. Below are the videos of the songs and following them are screencaps from the movie with commentary.

Aaja Re Pardesi

Bichua

Zulmi Sang Ankh Ladi

On a dark & stormy night Devendra (Dilip Kumar), an engineer, is traveling with a friend on a lonely highway to pick up his wife and child from the railway station. A landslide blocks their path and the two take shelter in an old mansion nearby. Devendra finds the house uncannily familiar and in the large front room he finds an old portrait which he recognizes. His friend and the old caretaker join him, and Devendra, amidst flashes of memory from another life, sits down to tell his story while the storm rages outside. Like his Hollywood counterpart Cary Grant, Dilipsaab was class personified and was devastatingly handsome to boot.

Comedian Johnny Walker (who took upon the name of the scotch favored by the British Raj during their time in India) provides the comic relief as the assistant to Devendra. Most roles he undertook required that he be intoxicated at least some of the time, I don't recall him ever being sober through a whole movie.

I love the way the audience is introduced to Madhumati (Vyjantimala) - as Anand (Dilip Kumar's character in the flashback) is looking for the woman behind the enchanting voice he keeps hearing during his time in the forest. The mountain mist parts to show her to us and him for the very first time. This film rocketed her to the top tier of Bollywood's stars and earned her the Filmfare Award for best actress not only for her acting but for her formidable dance skills as well.

We come to find out that the young forest maiden lives alone in a log cabin with her Paul Bunyan-like father and he is an imposing figure indeed. Anand not only proves his mettle by sneaking into her house to meet her during the evenings but also wins over dear old dad who has a centuries old feud with Anand's employer.

Ugranarayan (Pran) is the zamindaar (landowner) who is Anand's boss and in addition to having a very intense name is also a ruthless and arrogant man. Anand refuses to bow down to him and has a showdown with him that unfolds in the film's climax. Is is it me or does Pran look an awful like actor Jon Lovitz? And why do zamindaars in Bollywood always have to be so evil?

Jon Lovitz

The foreshadowing in the bichua (scorpion) song that takes the movie into it's second act. As stated earlier, the director's deft hand gives the movie an eerie mood right from the beginning scene and never really lets the audience feel comfortable with what is happening on screen even during the romantic scenes. We know that something terrible is coming but the way the plot finds it's way to a satisfying end makes it all well worth it - even 50 years later.

Lamhe (1991)

2008-12-03T20:21:00.004-06:00

One of the all time best soundtracks to come out of the vaunted Yash Raj Films production house, Lamhe was also one of the biggest box office flops in Bollywood as well. Whether you enjoyed the story of Viren (Anil Kapoor) who falls in love with Pallavi (Sridevi) while on a trip to Rajasthan or found it quite strange like our friends over at The Post Punk Cinema Club most will agree that the songs from the movie are now considered classics. Although it was a commercial disappointment in India, 'Lamhe' became the first movie to make more money in the overseas market rather than at home and is considered a landmark in that regard. It showed distributors in India that there was a huge demand for Bollywood movies with NRI's in the UK and US. Critically speaking it was the most decorated film of the year and swept the Filmfare Awards winning best film, best story, best dialogue, best comedian and best actress.

The film was primarily filmed in Rajasthan which is one of my favorite parts of India and quite the tourist mecca for desis and non-desis alike. Indeed, the scenery and music of that region provide much of the unique flavor of the movie and provided many people not raised in India (myself included) our first glimpse into the enchanting state that translates into 'Land of the Kings'. The movie also introduced me to the dusky and haunting voice of Ila Arun who hails from Rajasthan and whose voice provides a striking contrast to that of Lata in both songs for today. While Lata and her progeny ruled Bollywood for good reason, singers like Ila Arun (and for you old schoolers the late great Noorjehan) are what gives Bollywood it's unique tapestry. The songs for today are sung by Lata & Ila Arun - the videos are below and are necessary viewing not just for the glimpse into Rajasthan but also because they showcase Sridevi at her prime. Incidentally, Yash Chopra cites this film and 'Silsila' as his personal favorites - they were both commercial duds but have actually increased in popularity over the years and are now remembered quite fondly.

Morni Bagaan Maan (with subtitles)

Megha Re Megha

Suhaag (1979) - whoa...

2008-11-21T12:13:00.013-06:00

First things first, 'Suhaag' is madness, sheer madness. In fact there is so much insanity crammed into this movie that one review on it just wouldn't be enough. Today's review is another joint project between me and Beth from Beth Loves Bollywood & I encourage you to visit her site for lots of great insight as well as a plethora of dazzling screen shots. Manmohan Desai arguably directed three of the greatest masala films of the 70's ('Amar Akbar Anthony' and 'Naseeb' being the other two) and with this one quite possibly broke the glorious mold that made them up. This film squarely falls into what my friends & I refer to as Bollyweed movies meaning that either the filmmakers were smoking something during production or that you needed to be smoking something while watching. Bollyweed movies have several requirements to be considered as such so let's take a few minutes to review what those would be...

~ stars, stars and more stars. In fact you need a minimum of 2 heroes and thus a minimum of 2 heroines & goondas with plenty of henchman. Just watching your favorite actor or actors act their way through these delicious messes of movies is worth the price of admission.

~ a generous dash of masala but beware, Bollyweed movies are not just your standard masala fare. Yes, you do get the drama, comedy, fight scenes and tragedy - just on a whole other level.

~ a plot line that borders on ridiculous yet manages to remain coherent by being connected with the most implausible coincidences.

~ fantastic seventies fashion, lots of color in every scene and insane camera angles galore. In fact the visual overload in these movies actually can make the movie enjoyable to someone even if there aren't any subtitles.

~ last but not least it's the tunes. The songs in any Bollyweed movie are the glue that holds them together and the reason the movies are remembered with such affection even after all these years. Yes, you could say that about most Bollywood movies but the music composers of the seventies were experimenting with so many styles borrowed from the West while remaining true to Hindustani filmi music and thus created an altogether new sound.

Which bring us to 'Suhaag', a movie that not only meets all the above requirements but exceeds them to a delicious new level. I won't even try to do a blow by blow of the plot but instead will go through some of my favorite parts in chronological order - trust me, not knowing the plot may actually enhance the fun factor of this movie. We recently saw this with a bunch of our Desi friends and while we did have to fast forward all the non Amitabh/Shashi parts due to time constraints, we did have an amazing time and yes, everyone knew all the tunes and sang along to all of them :)

The opening few scenes are just dizzying and as my friend Gurmanjit said - more happens in the first twenty minutes of this movie than happens in the entirety of most other ones. Suffice it to say that 2 twin brothers (fraternal) get separated and one of them ends up with a very bad man. In this scene what appears to be a crippled zombie is trying to get the stolen baby...

Nirupa Roy's character (aka the eternal mother in virtually every Hindi movie ever made) goes to the mandir with her one remaining child and her sari is grabbed by the missing one. Oh the humanity! The sheer number of coincidences in this movie is just staggering.

Stay with me here - the 'good' twin is trying to raise money to buy his mother medicine and has been challenged to a very evil game of quarters to get it. He passes out from the ridiculous amount of straight whiskey he consumes and is brought home by - yes you guessed it - his 'bad' twin brother.

After getting the 'good' brother home safely, the 'bad' one is given a book as a reward for his good deed. Unbeknownst to the involved parties they are all related to eachother! My friend Nehal described this as the smallest and most ironic village in all of India.

Fast forward a few dozen years and this is where the movie gets really good. Amitabh with a killer outfit does the old 'beat em with a sandal trick because they can never tell a Size 6 from a Size 9' and does this throughout the movie with whistles and cheers each time he does so.

And nothing, I mean nothing will prepare you for the fantastic fight scene between Amitabh and Shashi that is depicted below. Not only are the two brothers but Shashi enters the movie wearing an all black leather outfit complete with a cane AND a cape. The great cowboy western score in the background elevates this meeting of our two heroes to something that modern movies can never hope to replicate.

Enter Rekha who looks radiant in every scene she appears in and playing a prostitute yet one more time. The song that follows the below exchange between the two is as memorable as the one they did together in 'Muqaddar Ka Sikander' but with far less pathos.

We all agreed that night that if we were to ever go to Bombay together to party - it would be at this club where Shashi dons the most excellent undercover outfit EVER to bust Ranjeet's illegal opium den. Mind you, the movie is not even a third over yet the audience has already gotten more than their money's worth.

Great tune/great scene/introduction of Parveen Babi (anointed Parveen Barbie by Beth for her dazzling good looks and perfect figure) but I ask you to notice the background in the below scene. They are clearly not in Bombay but these are mere details when you are dealing with a movie of this caliber. Continuity? We don't need no stinking continuity!

Through a series of even MORE coincidences we find out that Rekha and Parveen are actually sisters but Parveen doesn't know Rekha is Amitabh's girlfriend. Of course given the fact that Amitabh and Shashi don't know that they are brothers kind of cancels everything out but at least another great bhangra song follows the scene below.

This song may be the first time that garba raas (a style of dance unique to Gujarat) was picturized in a Bollywood movie. Oh yeah, the scene below is one in which Amitabh is to kill Shashi but instead accidentally blinds him. Really.

To make amends for his botched assassination attempt (it was actually a set up to catch another bad guy and he didn't mean to... oh never mind) Amitabh is asked to join the police force in Shashi's place but to do so he must stop drinking. He asks Rekha's help in doing so and what follows is not just ANOTHER amazing tune but the first (and last) appearance of mini-Amitabh in a Bollywood film.

After Amitabh jumps on the wagon of sobriety he teaches the now blind Shashi how to drive a motorcycle (yes really, you really gotta suspend a heck of alot of reality in this movie - a whole heck of alot) and to shoot a pistol (use the force Shashi!). After which they proceed to bust Amitabh's old drinking/gambling dens but not before Amitabh shows just why he is just one of the coolest cats around and does a little dance with the go go girls while the place is being raided.

That does it for the screenshots and I didn't even get to the ones where the two brothers hang on to a helicopter for what seems an eternity in order to catch the bad guys or the ones which show how Shashi gets his vision back. Get 'Suhaag', call over some friends, open some bottles of wine and have some of the most fun you can legally have with this gem of a movie.

Originally I was very resistant to the soundtrack of this movie as regular readers to this blog know that I am very partial to having Kishore Kumar songs be a regular part of my Bollywood experience. Kishore was THE voice of Amitabh during this time period so it's still puzzling to me to this day as to why Rafi was chosen to sing. Over the years I have warmed up to the tunes and now count them among my all time faves. The songs for today are Athara Baras Ki by Mohd Rafi and Lata (the one where we are introduced to Rekha) & Teri Rab Ne by Mohd Rafi, Shailendra Singh & Lata (the bhangra song). But I would be remiss if I didn't put my other favorites up as well so click below for the song where we are introduced to Parveen Babi and also the song where 'mini-Amitabh' makes his first and only appearance.

Baiju Bawra (1952)

2008-11-03T16:01:00.009-06:00

Long before a single frame of this movie flickered on the screen, there was no doubt I would absolutely adore this classic from Bollywood's b/w era. A period piece dating from the Mughal era coupled with the music and songs of Naushad were enough to know that this movie would be something special and indeed it was. Starring Bharat Bhushan (who often got the nod as the lead only after the script was turned down by the Big Three of Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar & Dev Anand) and Meena Kumari, 'Baiju Bawra' was a landmark film in the era of post-partition India. The story is a grand one and based on the true legend of Baiju, the son of a musician during the reign of King Akbar. Set in a time when emperors and their courts carried great weight across the land, Baiju challenges the king's singer Tansen (often considered the greatest musician insofar as Indian classical music is concerned) to avenge a promise he made to his dying father. Along the way he meets and then falls in love with a lovely village girl played by THE tragedy queen of her day, Meena Kumari.

'Baiju Bawra' went on to become a huge commercial as well as critical success. Meena Kumari won the inaugral Filmfare Award for best actress, the first of four statuettes during her illustrious career. Naushad also won the inaugral Filmfare Award for best musical director, his first and only win. His greatest contribution to Bollywood was to bring Indian classical music into the medium of film. Many of his compositions were inspired by Ragas and he used many distinguished classical artists in an industry that up to that point had largely ignored them. To quote Lata Mangeshkar (who sang for him in the film):
"The music he composed for Baiju Bawra surprised even me as it was entirely different from what he had done before. Different ragas were used for different situations and the purity of the ragas were maintained to the greatest possible extent."

The songs for today are wonderfully original and visually paint an India in my mind that evokes a romantic vision of my ancestral homeland. Since the plot of the movie revolved around music it was essential that the songs be special and blend both classical as well as the music of the day - Naushad did so with incredible deft and grace. The first one, Door Koi Gaye showcases the talents of two very different singers, Shamshad Begum with her classical nasally delivery as well as Lata who was in the infancy of her career with her trademark high but sweet voice. The sound of 'matlas' (earthen pots used to carry water on the heads of the fair maidens) mixed in with the sound of the sitar and flute that lead into a full fledged orchestra was just something not heard in filmi songs back then or even now. The video provides a great contrast between the (sometimes) overblown production values of today's films and the simple yet elegant ones of yesteryear.

The second one, Tu Ganga Ki Mauj is the song that won Naushad his version of India's Oscar and cemented Mohammed Rafi's status as one of Bollywood's leading playback singers until his death in 1980. Again it's the music that provides the foundation for the Rafi's amazing vocals. This romantic tune's video culminates with a very 'Wizard of Oz' type ending in which all the villagers tell Meena Kumari's character to essentially, follow the yellow brick road to her true love.

Diwali Mubarak

2008-10-29T13:31:00.003-05:00

Diwali is popularly known as the 'festival of lights' although it's true meaning is closer to 'the awareness of the inner light'. Central to Hindu philosophy is the assertion that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure and infinite - one's soul or atma. Diwali is the celebration of this inner light. Deeps (candles) symbolizing this represent the victory of light over darkness, truth over falsehood and knowledge over ignorance. It is this light that is said to remove all obstacles and dispel ignorance. It awakens the individual to one's true nature, not in the physical sense but the spiritual one. With this knowledge comes the awareness of the oneness of all things which leads to ananda or inner peace.

The song for today is not exactly a Bollywood classic, instead it's a song about Diwali from one of my favorite television shows - 'The Office'. Enjoy!

The worldwide debut of Rajan Vyas (2008)

2008-10-15T16:08:00.008-05:00

In case you've been wondering where good ol' Doc Bollywood has been, well he has taken a brief respite to welcome the newest member of his family - Rajan Vyas :) Been waiting a long time to do this particular post and it's been well worth it. Rajan was born on 10/1/08 and came out at a very healthy 9 lbs 13 ozs. He has already been well indoctrinated into the world of Bollywood as filmi music has been playing non stop since he has come home. Lullabies? Who needs them when you have Indian classical music soothing him to sleep every night. He already does have a predilection to Kishore Kumar (go figure) and the below picture is what happened when we turned the melodies off.

I hope to do my best and 'pay it forward' in regards to passing on my love of Indian music on to him just like my parents did for me. It's been a lot like a Bollywood movie in these first few days - alot of laughter, tears, drama, music and much love all the way through. If you want to keep up with his going ons or see more pictures I invite you to check out Rajan's website. The song for today is 'Chanda Hai Tu' about a parent's love for their new son and is just as meaningful today as it was when it was picturized with Sharmila Tagore back 40 years ago - when the good Doc Bollywood himself was debuted (see pic below).

Rootha Na Karo (1970) - unearthing a Shashi gem

2008-09-16T21:57:00.005-05:00

I discovered today's song Mera Dil Hai Chulbala
while perusing tunes over on emusic, a great treasure trove of Indian music both filmi and classical. The voice is unmistakeably recognizable as Asha Bhonsle's and a quick search of the movie showed up exactly one hit on IMDB. This much I know about the movie - it stars Shashi Kapoor & Nanda. No one I know can tell me about it although some of my family said they remember it being a nice little 'time pass'. The ONLY synopsis that I have found (on three different websites) gives the story as Naina loves Sudhir on the sly, and is jealous of Sudhir's love for Neeta. When Sudhir does not reciprocate her love, she decides to create all kinds of misunderstandings for the two. Light-hearted romance with two popular numbers that still play on the radio and are also good to watch on TV. A little um, lacking, na?

But then again with fun songs such as the one above (title song sung by Kishore Kumar) and below (duet sung by Rafi & Asha) who cares what the movie was about? Shashi is doing his naach gaana thing like only Shashi can while gorgeous shots of India grace the background scenery - it's got everything a 70's Bollywood flick needs that I can see. So if anyone has seen this movie or even knows anything about it please share because I am now a bit curious about it. Until then enjoy the tunes and share in the impromptu Shashibration :)

A love song for Bobby Long (2004)

2008-08-30T01:02:00.005-05:00

As I write this entry on the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina (before entering self-imposed exile outside the boundaries of the fair city of New Orleans) I realize that it doesn't make much sense to write about this movie on a Bollywood blog. But in an odd way maybe it does. Most Indian people that choose to live in this very unique American city do indeed feel oddly at home. Residing in New Orleans is more like living in India than people realize - omnipresent heat/humidity, flood prone streets, corrupt politicians, mosquitoes that have been adopted as the unofficial state bird and heart breaking poverty. On the flip side many of the things they love about India are here as well - great music, fantastic food, a laid back attitude about life and a certain joie de vivre found nowhere else in these United States. Where else can you look out the window in the afternoon and see a full blown jazz parade break out for no apparent reason? And then look out that window the same evening and see people on horses ride up to the neighborhood bar for a drink? Yes I saw both of those things happen last month and it put a smile on my face as I thought 'only in New Orleans'.

Whether you are planning to visit or have been here enough times to call it home away from home I encourage you to watch 'A love song for Bobby Long'. It's a love letter to the New Orleans of old and was released a year before Hurricane Katrina made landfall. The movie captures the mood and attitude of the city perfectly and will make you miss the city - even if you have never been here before. The broken but lovable characters gather in the evening on couches and recliners in the garden who sip drinks as the sun sets behind are the reason this movie works so well. And like so many of us they are made whole and heal only through their relationships with each other. For it's the people who live here that make this city so special and who, as a local Pulitzer Prize winning writer put it, are continually 'dancing at the center of the universe'. It implies to me the disappearance of all outside influences, distractions and disturbances -- and lends credence to the notion that where you are and what you are doing is the most important thing at that time, in that moment, in the world. So say a little prayer for New Orleans and let's hope this city makes it - again. For we all need this kooky and quaint (but never boring) place alot more than we realize. The song for today is Lorraine's Song by Theresa Anderson.

As we make plans today to evacuate from the path of Gustavo I am reminded that there was a time before Katrina that no one ever left town due to a hurricane. In fact everyone - and I mean EVERYONE - participated in something that is very unique to this city that when you think about it is quite mad. The Hurricane Party. For the uninitiated, a hurricane is the name of a powerful drink that is native to New Orleans and to my knowledge the only one named after a powerful force of nature. Anyway, we would all get together and have drinks/music/camaraderie at whoever's house had the best porch and just dare the storm to take away our good time. When the lights would inevitably go out, we would light candles and keep the music and drinks going till the thing passed. After Katrina, hurricane parties became a sweet yet haunting reminder of days gone by. On the first Jazzfest after Katrina a local band, The Meters, decided to open their set with one of their signature hits named appropriately enough, 'Hurricane Party'. As soon as the opening chords were played all the power to the stage blew out - for the first time in Jazzfest history. When the power was restored a few minutes later the band decided to go with another tune and 'Hurricane Party' has not been played at Jazzfest since then. Above photo taken by our friend Eric Olson.

The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002) - Independence Day

2008-08-15T00:33:00.003-05:00

Greetings on this 61st Independence Day of India and a tribute to one of her most endearing freedom fighters - Shaheed Bhagat Singh. The movie starring Ajay Devgan was a critical success but a commercial failure that is definitely worth a viewing. It won the critics choice at the Filmfare Awards and Devgan nabbed the prestigious National Award for his portrayal of the legendary freedom fighter. 'The Legend of Bhagat Singh' is one of those rare movies that manages to simultaneously entertain as well as inform and does so with a minimal amount of rewriting history in doing so. I really enjoyed this movie as the attention to detail is amazing and being a huge fan of period pieces, it was especially a treat for me. The majority of the movie takes place in Lahore, Punjab (now in Pakistan) which is fondly remembered throughout the movie in both name and image. It was a sobering reminder that although independence was a joyous event it also resulted in the partition of India, the aftermath of which is still felt to this day.

The true story of Bhagat Singh is even more amazing than the one on celluloid - not an easy feat in the glamorous make believe world of Bollywood. He was 13 when he began to follow the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and began to take part in protest marches as well as the burning of British schoolbooks. However he grew disillusioned with Gandhi's non-violent movement and became involved with a group who was linked with bombings of government buildings and the murders of some prominent pro-British politicians. His legendary fast for 63 days while in Lahore Central Jail for inhumane treatment of Indian political prisoners endeared him to the public and drew the praise of both Gandhi and Mohammed Jinnah (the founder of Pakistan). He was finally sentenced to death for his role in the bombing of the legislative assembly and his execution was set for March 24, 1931. However due to the overwhelming public opposition to the ruling, an emergency decision was made to hang him one day earlier to avoid a public spectacle. The bodies of Bhagat Singh and two other freedom fighters were cremated unceremoniously before his relatives (who were not allowed to visit him in jail) could perform the last rites. By all accounts he was fearless even on the day of his death and kissed the noose before the rope dropped - Shaheed Bhagat Singh was just 23.

The soundtrack's music was composed by A.R. Rahman and the songs as well as the background score have the signature Rahman stamp to them. He does temper his trademark sound to match the era of the movie and the result is a nice if not memorable
mix of songs. However there is one that stood out for me long after the movie ended and I am not sure if it was because it was such an amazing song or whether it's picturisation made it so memorable. It is the grand and sweeping Mujhe Rang De Basanti by Sonu Nigam and Manmohan Waris that plays while the three men are led to the gallows. It literally means 'color me saffron' with saffron (yellow) symbolizing joy, happiness, intellect and ultimately - sacrifice.

Ajooba (1991)

2008-08-03T22:11:00.006-05:00

Today's review of 'Ajooba' is a curious choice for a post over here at Doc Bollywood. When a viewing of it was suggested my initial impulse was to say no and sit in the corner just rocking back & forth from the bad memories. But wait I said to myself, just because there are moments in history that one dislikes, that is no reason to gloss over them like they never happened. 'Ajooba' is one such moment and too much time has passed since my initial viewing to submit a proper review of it. Instead I will attempt to provide an idea of the historical significance of this movie as it relates to the beginning of the end of the Amitabh era - an event that profoundly changed this Bollywood fan for years to come...

For all practical purposes, Amitabh Bachchan was THE biggest star in Bollywood from the early 70's (beginning with 'Zanjeer') right up until the early 80's. I remember going to movies in the theater in India as well as renting them in the US on that antiquated medium VHS and the general rule was that if it was an Amitabh movie - you just rented it, no questions asked. And for a good while the Big B delivered and did so with an amazing run of blockbuster after blockbuster. The runaway hit train careened off the tracks when he got hurt on the set of 'Coolie' - the news of which not only brought India to a halt but was covered on '60 Minutes'. His career lurched forward while he recovered with some movies that were sitting in production for awhile but then came 'Gangaa Jamunaa Saraswathi' and with it the Amitabh Bachchan party finally shut down for good. And although it would start up a few years later with 'Major Saab', it would never quite be the same. The unthinkable happened in the Indian community with 'GJS' - a general feeling that Amitabh was done, that his movies were bekaar and for a true old-school Amitabh fan it was (with apologies to Don McClean) - the day the music died.

'Ajooba' came along during that dark time and although some bad Bollywood movies are so bad that they are actually good, this one I just remember as being bad. I am sure that if I saw it again today it might be different but the memories of seeing my favorite actor reduced to playing a mythical hero donning an aluminum foil Mardi Gras mask were just too painful. Amitabh was rumoured to have done it gratis for his buddy Shashi Kapoor's debut as a director and the movie turned out to be his only directorial venture (thank goodness). The movie was apparently co-directed by a Russian film director and according to IMDB it was released in Russia a full three years prior to it's release in India. Shashi produced the entire thing and his son Kunal as well as the actor Feroz Khan served as executive producers. Alas, even an all star cast consisting of Dimple Kapadia, Rishi Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor and Amrish Puri could not save this movie from being one of the costliest train wrecks in Bollywood history. But maybe I have too much emotional baggage attached to this movie and thus encourage you to check it out for yourself. Our friend Beth from Beth Loves Bollywood did and from the looks of it had a grand old time.

The musical score was provided by the legendary team of Laxmikant-Pyarelal and is one of their final efforts. While none of the songs was a bonafide hit (or even that memorable) they all had their signature sound attached to them. Are Tajub Hai is the one I remember the most for the sole reason that it brings back memories of one of my favorite Amitabh/Rishi Kapoor duets, Chal Mere Bhai from 'Naseeb'. The idea of seeing Shashi's nephew as well as one of his best friends on screen together knowing that Shashi is actually directing them in their scenes (along with the dolphin that I think Amitabh referred to as his mother) just might be enough to warrant a re-watch of this movie...

Banaras - A Mystic Love Story (2006)

2008-07-13T01:05:00.011-05:00

Banaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and is twice as wise as all of them put together.
~Mark Twain

The city of Banaras (or Varanasi) is an ancient city located on the banks of the Ganges River in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Religiously important to Hindus, Jains & Buddhists it is also revered culturally by classical musicians as Ravi Shankar, Hariprasad Chaurasia & Bismillah Khan all call it home. Indeed, none other than the Buddha himself gave his first sermon in a forest at Sarnath (located about 5 miles from Banaras). Varanasi has been called "the city of temples", "the city of lights", "the city of learning" and last but not least it is thought to be the birthplace of Ayurveda. A city this rich culturally would be reason enough to film a movie there but add in the fact that it is stunningly picturesque and there you have it - a perfect backdrop to a movie about, well, itself.

Banaras tells the tale of Shwetambari (Urmila Matondkar), the sole daughter of wealthy Brahmin parents (Raj Babbar & Dimple Kapadia) who falls in love with Soham (Ashmit Patel), a music teacher from a lower caste family. The story is a very different one than your standard Bollywood fare and makes frequent references to Eastern philosophies in the context of a hypocritical society that cannot look past the exterior of a person. The performances are all strong with Urmila giving a rich portrayal of a woman with all the luxuries of modern life but craving that inner peace that we all find so elusive. Why she does not work more in Indian cinema is a mystery to me as she looks just as stunning as she did in her breakout 'Rangeela' plus her acting has just gotten better over time. Raj Babbar & Dimple Kapadia also provide old school Bollywood star power as Urmila's (over) protective parents. I haven't seen Ashmit Patel (Soham) in a movie before or since but he handles his role with the maturity of an accomplished actor. Nasureedin Shah makes a guest appearance as well and his presence in ANY movie just makes it that much better. But my favorite thing about this movie?

More than anything else, the cinematography was simply a labor of love to the city of Banaras and in the first few minutes I was spellbound by what I was seeing. My wife often says that it's impossible to take a bad photograph in India because everything there is such a visual treat - this movie takes that idea to another level. The colors throughout the movie, from the sumptuous outfits to the buildings & temples lining the Ganges were so deep and rich that all I kept thinking while I was watching was - I couldn't wait to go there on my next trip. Of course that happens whenever I watch an Indian movie but such is life. I would go as far to say that you could watch this movie without subtitles and still enjoy it, the visual mural of it all mixed in with the musical score and Bhojpuri (dialect of Hindi) dialogue all work that well together.

The song for today is Purab Se, a rare bhajan (Hindu devotional hymn) in recent Bollywood movies sung by Shreya Goshel. I fell in love with the song when I first heard it and that was before I saw it picturised in the movie. The video is below and I encourage everyone to take a moment out of their hectic day, find a quiet place and be transported to a faraway place - the mystical city of Banaras.

Immaan Dharam (1977)

2008-06-21T00:41:00.011-05:00

Bollywood movies from the 70's represent some of the most fun you can have legally. The costumes & songs are over-the-top inspired madness but what makes these movies truly stand out are the plots. Any multi-starrer from that decade usually has an ample dose of plot-twists galore, coincidences that border on insanity and ask you to put logic to rest for those three hours and 'Immaan Dharam' is no exception. This movie is not as well known as some of the other movies released around the same time and was a huge box office disappointment. Thus, I wasn't expecting too much when I popped it in but thought at the very least I get to see three of my favorite actors (Amitabh, Shashi & Sanjeev Kumar). However I realized I was in for a treat when I saw that the script/screenplay were by the immortal team of Salim/Javed. Our friend Beth over at Beth Loves Bollywood also recently saw this movie, check out her thoughts here.

And what a treat it was - with Amitabh donning the rare mustache to play Ahmed Raza & Shashi playing his best friend, Mohan Saxena. The movie starts out like a normal 70's Bollywood potboiler (as if there were such a thing!) but soon veers into some pretty heady territory about faith/immaan, morality and duty/dharam. This movie was such fun visually that I am going to stray from my normal blog post and give you a brief plot synopsis - sans spoilers and avec some great screen shots. The song for today is Hum Jhoot Bolte Hain by Kishore Kumar & Mohammed Rafi.

The movie opens up with our two heroes hanging out outside the courthouse hustling for cases in which they can provide false witness testimony...

Sanjeev Kumar (a fellow Guju) enters the proceedings as Kabir Das, the sole son of a wealthy businessman. Kabir lives by his own moral code that is inspired by the teachings of India's three major religions - Hinduism, Islam & Christianity. His father does not understand his son's rather bizarre belief system as daddy dearest has only one murti in his life - the almighty rupee...

Amrish Puri is then introduced as the ironically named Dharam Dayal - the dad's unscrupulous business partner. Here he bears an uncanny resemblance to Sher Khan from Disney's 'The Jungle Book'...

We now get to meet our heroine Rekha, starring as Durga. She plays a Tamil construction worker who turns out to be Shashi's love interest. Now for the uninformed, Rekha actually is from South India but in real life is quite light skinned. The producers gave her some kind of freaky fake tan that only serves to turn her skin orange. And we still haven't figured out whether it was a plot point (to make her dark just because she is southside) or because she toils tirelessly in the sun all day...

Rekha then cooks an amazing South Indian meal for her sweet Shashi and starts daydreaming about how nice he would look as a typical South Indian beau :)

They end up doing an obligatory Bollywood song & dance number in the rain and afterwards poor Shashi nearly comes down with pneumonia. Amitabh then scolds him about it, um, I think...

Shashi then goes to beat up a goonda that just tried to rape his & Amitabh's blind sister who is not actually related to them (really really long story). But since he is sick with pneumonia he is the one who gets beaten. Amitabh steps in to save his best bud and explains that he wasn't there initially because he had gone to get the doctor for Shashi but now...

Finally we meet Helen (yes Helen!) who is introduced into this already wayyyy complicated story as Jenny Francis. Jenny is a tortured soul whose only wish in life is to provide her young daughter with the father that she never met & hires Amitabh to play the part...

What happens next? Well dear readers, I can't tell you that but rest assured that the lives of all interested parties get very intermingled and our heroes eventually learn that no bad deed goes unpunished. That in the end, one's Dharam & Immaan play a bigger part in your life than you ever imagined and if you follow your heart - then maybe, just maybe, everyone will live happily ever after.

P.S. The PPCC did a great write up on this movie as well and I quote from their blog for two of my favorite scenes which occur after some serious soul searching by our two heroes:

Nonetheless, there are gorgeous moments when, after Sanjeev has properly converted Ahmed and Mohan back to their respective religions of Islam and Hinduism, the two of them have moments wherein they are given the holy book not of their own religion and then they both respect and revere it as their own. We at the PPCC die for these types of scenes. It's just so touching. It's like Om's necklace in Om Shanti Om.

In Amitabh's scene, Ahmed the Muslim is asked by his blind Hindu friend, Shyamlee, to read from the Gita. He pauses before pulling the book from the shelf and then uses a handkerchief to cover his head. "In my religion," he says, "we are taught to cover our heads when touching holy books."

In Shashi's scene, Mohan the Hindu watches his Muslim friend die horribly in the street, baking in the hot sun on the pavement. The friend begs him to take the Qur'an, his only possession, from his home. Mohan does so, pausing to mourn his friend's passing, and then hugging the holy book to his chest as he walks home in the pouring rain.

The video for today's song below...

Bush says Indians are overeating at the buffet...

2008-05-21T20:21:00.015-05:00

As regular readers of this blog know, I really don't do political posts and hardly consider myself an expert in that field. I do my little filmi song thing and let the talking heads of the blogosphere write about Obama/Hillary/McCain. But the other day in Missouri, our soon to be ex-President mentioned India's growing middle class and said "when you start getting wealth, you start demanding better nutrition and better food, and so demand is high, and that causes the price to go up." Kya? Americans consume ~3770 calories a day which is roughly twice of what an average Indian does. They are also the largest per capita consumers in any major economy of beef, the most energy-intensive common food source, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. And finally the United States and Canada top the world in oil consumption per person, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. I am a proud citizen of these United States but my heart belongs here as well as the land of my birth, India. To see the people there enjoying the fruits of a booming economy is a cause of great pride for me. But it seems to others a fearsome thing that threatens their 'all you can eat' mentality...

Contrast the above opinion with the brilliant musings of Shashi Tharoor - former UN Undersecretary General, author, journalist and fellow of the USC center on Public Diplomacy (something our Commander-In-Chief is sorely lacking in). He made some comments recently regarding Indians & food as well while delivering a speech at Emory University. He said that the Indian ideals of pluralism, ethnic, cultural and religious identities could all exist under the umbrella of the new India. "India can be thought of as a thali. A large stainless steel plate with a number of distinctive dishes served in different bowls. It won't spill over to the next. Each is distinct from the next but ultimately it's part of the same thing. They combine on your palate to make a satisfying meal". Bravo and Vaah Vaah to you sir!

And to wrap up these varied musings on Indians & food I leave you with some inspiring words from the first Indian-American governor of my home state of Louisiana, the honorable Bobby Jindal (nee Piyush but he claims to have picked the name Bobby after watching 'The Brady Bunch' as a child). Our local paper, The New Orleans Times-Picayune, did a write up of the dearth of Indian restaurants in a city that many tourists and locals consider one of the finest restaurant cities in the world. I was hoping that Jindal would show at least some of the Indian side of him that he has pretty much shunned since his college days (he has not visited India in years and supposedly asked Indians who came to a fund-raiser for him NOT to wear saris or kurtas). The good governor's answer when asked what his favorite Indian restaurant was in New Orleans? McDonald's. Really.

To me there is nothing better than a good Indian meal although I am probably a bit biased (above is a picture from Chokhi Dhani in Jaipur). So to that end the song for today is a request for anyone of Indian descent or even just Indian at heart to return to India for the first or hundreth time - because weary traveler, India misses you and you know you miss her as well. From Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Ghar Aaja Pardesi...

Chori Chori (1956)

2008-05-08T12:47:00.005-05:00

It's springtime here in New Orleans with the perfect combination of perfect weather, scent of fragrant flowers in the air and a plethora of outdoor music festivals. Indeed, if you are ever going to make a visit to this battered but still beautiful city, the months of March & April are your best choice to do so. So what does all this have to do with 'Chori Chori'? Only that this gem of a movie (the final swan song of the legendary Raj Kapoor/Nargis pairing) contains a song that I have always considered to be the penultimate ode to spring, Panchhi Banoon. Just the idea of being as free (azad) as a bird (panchhi) while flying around the fields of rural India conjures up an image that one feels in the song even without seeing the video (below). Nargis, displaying both a rare comedic touch as well as her usual impeccable dramatic flair, does not disappoint in her interpretation of it.

Nargis arguably saves her best for last in her final film as Kapoor's love interest as the dizzy heiress on the lam from her father who has refused to allow her marriage to a dashing pilot. On her bus ride to reunite with her lover in Bangalore she runs into a struggling journalist (Raj Kapoor) and in return for assistance on her journey she promises him exclusive rights to her story. In this retelling of the classic Hollywood movie 'It Happened One Night' what happens next is fairly obvious. But the true joy lies in watching Raj & Nargis, who had already made several hit movies and whose off-screen relationship seemed to only add to their on-screen chemistry. Nargis did make one more appearance in an RK Film (at the end of 'Jagte Raho') but 'Chori Chori' sadly marked the end of a truly glorious era in Bollywood.

Shankar-Jaikashen were responsible for the majority of RK Films' unforgettable soundtracks. 'Chori Chori' represented the first time they were awarded the Filmfare Award for their efforts. This soundtrack also had the rare distinction of having Manna Dey provide background vocals for Raj Kapoor. Mukesh was responsible for the majority of Raj Kapoor's hit songs but had decided to try his hand at acting at the time 'Chori Chori' was being produced. The two selections for today are the aforementioned Panchhi Banoon and one of the most originally crafted duets ever filmed in Bollywood, Jahan Main Jaati Hoon (video below). The original LP photographs as well as downloadable songs can be found on the blog Parties, Sarees & Melodies.

Dus Kahaniyaan (2007)

2008-04-19T10:57:00.003-05:00

The promo for this movie reads 'Six Visionary Directors, Ten Spectacular Stories, One Cinematic Journey' and for the most part is an accurate description. Producer Sanjay Gupta scored quite a coup getting together over 20 of Bollywood's best actors to star in this unconventional yet highly entertaining movie. The ten stories have no real thread connecting them but instead present themselves as mini-movies unto themselves. The very idea of making a ten minute movie when the routine in your industry is the three hour mark was just one of the many obstacles faced by the filmmakers. The resulting movie (clocking in at under two hours) is fresh and thoroughly enjoyable. Some of the stories are stronger than the others and are split pretty evenly with three quite outstanding, three being good and four just mediocre.

My personal favorites were 'The Rice Plate' starring Shabana Azmi & Naseeruddin Shah and 'Gubbare' starring Nana Patekar & Rohit Roy (the director of 'The Rice Plate'). 'The Rice Plate' has Shabanaji playing a South Indian Brahmin grandmother in Delhi who is trying to catch a train to visit her granddaughter. The fact that she is racist towards Muslims and forgets her wallet at home create the necessary pathos to create a clinic on acting with the equally comparable Shah. Shabana had a special Tamil language tutor on set to help her speak Hindi with the right accent. In 'Gubarre' we see Nanasaab playing a man going to visit his wife on a bus who on the way teaches a newlywed couple a poignant lesson about life. While he known for his dark roles, Patekar is just a joy to watch here as a man caught somewhere between sadness and joy.

The song above is from the story titled 'Pooranmasi' starring a Bollywood star of yesteryear Amrita Singh. It is also today's selection, Vichode Ne sung by Shafqat Ali Khan. You can find most of the films on youtube as the limit of 11 minutes on the site is enough to get most of the movies on there (alas, most are without subtitles).

Mughal-E-Azam (1960) - Part II

2008-03-31T16:20:00.000-05:00

As alluded to in my previous post on 'Mughal-E-Azam' - the backstory of how this movie was made adds yet another layer to the richness and texture of the film itself. Director K. Asif was in pre-production for it in the early 1940's with Nargis cast as Anarkali but due to the events of the Partition the producer relocated to Pakistan and filming never began. Nargis' exit was supposedly hastened by Raj Kapoor due to the fact that he was very possessive of her personally & professionally and did not want to take the risk that she would 'click' with Dilip Kumar. The movie was easily the costliest Indian film ever made and the actors knew they were involved in a very special project. Prithvi Raj Kapoor (who starred in India's first talkie 'Alam Ara') made the role of Akbar his own and took several hours every day to prepare himself for filming. Dilip Kumar's Salim was not given any songs to sing in keeping with his princely role, quite a gamble given his enormous star appeal at the time. But even as the second choice to star as the maiden of the court, Madhubala quite simply stole the show as Anarkali.

After Partition, Indian movies continued to be shown in Pakistan but were banned following a war over Kashmir in 1965. The Pakistan film industry (or Lollywood) in Lahore tried to fill the void but will be the first to tell you that pirated Bollywood movies are more popular than Pakistani films. My friends from Pakistan tell me that they have never seen a Pakistani film for the most part and those who have say they are no match for their Bollywood counterparts. When Mughal-E-Azam was first made there were only a few scenes done in color and K. Asif was so taken aback by what he saw that he attempted to re-shoot the whole movie but his financiers refused to let him. His dream to put a colorized 'Mughal-E-Azam' on the silver screen was realized in 2006 and the movie became the first Indian film to be shown in Pakistan (legally) in over forty years.

Finally, no discussion of this classic would be complete without mentioning the unforgettable soundtrack by the late Naushad. The tale is still told today about how Naushad had composed a song specifically for Ustad Bade Gulam Ali Khan, a renowned classical singer of the day who considered singing for films an insult to the art itself. K. Asif boldly told him to name his price and the Ustad responded with an unheard of sum of 25,000 rupees for one song. Unheard of because the going price at that time for even established artists such as Rafi & Lata was 500 rupees per song. He was the voice for the Tansen (considered the father of Indian classical music) and the Ustad never sang for a movie again.

The two selections for today are both my favorite songs from the film. The first is Mohe Panghat Pe which was sung to celebrate the festival of Krishna's birth at the palace - and whose filming was attended by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (former Prime Minister of Pakistan & father of Benazir). The second is Tere Mehfil Mein that is a duet sung by Lata & the very underrated Shamshad Begum for the affections of Prince Salim. The piece of dialogue that follows the song is one of the most oft repeated lines in a movie full of them. Anarkali receives the stem of a rose as a prize from the prince while her competition receives the rose itself. Not to be outdone she gives salaam for the prize and says "Jahe naseeb. Kaanton ko murjhane ka khauf nahin." (I am fortunate to receive thorns because thorns never wither)." The videos of both songs can be found below...

The album can be downloaded at Parties, Sarees & Melodies. A great blog that lets you download songs from many classic Bollywood LP's with insightful writing about the songs themselves. Credit to Stella for the picture above as well.