The Rang De Basanti Album

When it released in January-2006, Rang De Basanti (RDB) became a cult movie almost overnight. Everybody, including me, was simply blown away by it. It had a very unique storyline, brought alive on screen amazingly well by all the leading and supporting actors. In my opinion, the music of the movie composed by A. R. Rahman had a huge role to play in its success. I am fascinated and love each of the songs for different reasons elaborated below.

The title song – Rang De Basanti – is a typical Punjabi song sung by Daler Mehndi & K. S. Chithra. I bet nobody can avoid tapping their feet while listening to this song. Both the lyrics and the music have a very North Indian feel to it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-taiSiE4wnI

The song Paathshaala turned out to be a total rebellious college song. Prasoon Joshi's youthful lyrics only added to its charm. Sample this: “Yaaron Ki Equation Hain Love Multiplication Hain”. It is very easy to time travel back to your college days while humming this song. It was shot at Nahargarh Fort in Jaipur.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4s8D3ASKMg

When Madhavan proposes to Soha Ali Khan, Naresh Iyer chooses to croon the romantic and slow number Tu Bin Bataayein. It was shot in a spectacular location called Mughal Sarai, located about 20 kilometres from NH-1 [http://www.wherewasitshot.com/2010/05/26/mughal-sarai-doraha/]. I hope to visit it someday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObJ3vfAhchA

A. R. Rahman considers Luka Chuppi to be a very special song for him because it was the first time he had an opportunity to sing with Lata Mangeshkar. It comes at a very poignant moment in the movie; when a mother has to bear with the loss of her young son in a plane accident. Listen to it and you will find it difficult to hold your tears.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5qhBM3KJY8

Khoon Chala sung by Mohit Chauhan is his first song with A. R. Rahman. It portrayed the angst of a civil society rising against the injustice faced by it quite well. Of course, I could be biased since I am such a huge fan of Mohit Chauhan!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91XUMgLkub4

And last, but definitely not the least, is Rubaroo sung by Naresh Iyer and A. R. Rahman. This song won the National Award for Best Male Playback for Naresh Iyer. The song comes at the fag end of the movie when the protagonists have confessed what they have done and heave a big sigh of relief. The song captures their friendship and their commitment to the cause quite beautifully.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CO7zAHgeL4

Happy Mother's Day: Famous Mothers in Bollywood

As most of the world celebrates Mother's Day tomorrow, it is perhaps opportune that I pen down some of my favourite mothers from Bollywood :) When I think of Bollywood mothers, I think of 'aloo ke paranthe' & 'gajar ka halwa'. And the most famous line ever to have been uttered mentioning a mother - 'Mere paas maa hain'.

Reema Lagoo:
Reema Lagoo for our generation is probably what Nirupa Roy was for the previous generation :) I mean, she has been playing mother since forever; she probably played mother for the first time to Juhi Chawla in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) and has never looked back since then. From Aashiqui to Vaastav and from Hum Saath Saath Hain to Kal Ho Naa Ho. She has played Salman Khan's mother the maximum number of times. The only thing probably remaining for her now is to play Aamir Khan's mother as well :) My favourite role of hers is in Maine Pyaar Kiya & Hum Aapke Hain Kaun.

Farida Jalal:
Farida Jalal is to Shah Rukh Khan what Reema Lagoo is to Salman Khan; it's as if she has to play a mother in SRK's movies be it Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Dil Toh Pagal Hain or Kuch Kuch Hota Hain (in which she played SRK's mother while Reema played Kajol's who is engaged to Salman - gotta love Bollywood :)) My favourite role of hers is, of course, in KKHH where she laments that since she doesn't have a daughter-in-law, she cannot exchange gossip with her other friends and accompanies her grand-daughter on a summer camp to ensure her son gets married a second time.

Jaya Bachchan:
True, Jaya Bachchan has not played a mother in as many movies as the first two but I especially enjoyed her role in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham where she played mother to SRK & Hrithik. She also played mother to Preity Zinta in Kal Ho Naa Ho (in which Reema played SRK's mother - told you Reema is the omnipotent mother :))

Dina Pathak, Ratna Pathak Shah & Supriya Pathak:

This mother-daughters trio may not have played mothers in many movies but they appear in my list solely based on that one movie which has struck a chord with me:

Dina - Golmaal (1979) - As Mrs. Srivastava who played Amol Palekar's fake mother & her twin sister as well, she was hilarious in the movie. The way she matched Utpal Dutt's acting prowess in the movie is worth appreciating. Her contribution to Golmaal's popularity cannot be under-estimated.

Ratna - Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na (2008) - As the mother who wanted to protect her only son from his fate as determined by her in-laws' family, Ratna Pathak Shah really stood out in this movie. She was as mad as the role demanded her to be and friendly with her son at the same time.

Supriya - Wake Up Sid (2009) - As the mother of a spoiled brat who didn't respect his parents or want to spend any time with them, I felt Supriya Pathak did a fabulous role. She wanted to learn English so that she could be friends with her only son & was willing to let her son remain with a strange woman so that he could remain happy.

Review: Kya Dilli Kya Lahore

Let me admit at the outset. This is not a movie I would have normally watched. Surfing the channels the other day I came across the trailer of the movie. As the name suggests, I instantly knew it would be a movie on the India-Pakistan partition. But what really got my attention was when the trailer said 'Gulzar presents'. Surely, I thought to myself, this must be a different kind of movie for Gulzar to have been associated with it.

Well, I am glad I didn't skip the movie. Sure, it is a movie about the India-Pakistan partition but narrated in a very different & hard-hitting way. The movie has only four characters and is centred, almost entirely, around only two - Vijay Raaz (Rehmat Ali - a Pakistani soldier of Indian origin) and Manu Rishi (Samarth Pratap Shastri - an Indian soldier of Pakistani origin). The movie looks at the Partition from the eyes of these two soldiers - people who have reluctantly shifted their nations but are not entirely happy about it; people who reminisce about their time back home even in front of an enemy soldier; people who question the very idea of Partition.

Their conversations with each other reveal some interesting facets: Essentially, politicians take decisions and the soldiers need to execute these on the ground. The politicians take these decisions based on their hunger for power ('Siyasat ka khel hain saara'). Most times, as in the case of Partition, it may not be a right or humane decision. It seems as if in the greed for power, people forget that there are human beings posted at the borders. The human cost is sadly sacrificed at the altar of politics.

The film is quite topical considering even after 67 years, we are still not able to reconcile with Pakistan and our soldiers die almost daily on the borders. Such loss of life in times of peace is quite cruel. It's easy to empathize with both the soldiers in the movie when they exchange notes on their family and their childhood. Vijay Raaz grows almost misty-eyed describing his home in Chandni Chowk; Manu Rishi becomes nostalgic talking about his Lahore residence.

To say that Vijay Raaz & Manu Rishi have acted brilliantly would be doing injustice to both of them - because they are known to be such wonderful actors. Also, this is Vijay Raaz's directorial debut. Both carry off the film quite well with equal parts light-heartedness & seriousness.

It is a slow film yes and may appear a little bit long to some. But it is well worth it. When we spend hours each weekend on watching mindless movies, surely we can spend ~ 100 minutes to watch this movie. The movie will make you think about the uselessness of war & conflict; it will make you realize the insanity of asking people to change their nations overnight leaving almost everything behind; it will bring home the point that even lonely enemy soldiers need a friendly soul to talk to at the borders.

Go watch the movie. And come back home and say a silent prayer for the thousands of soldiers bravely guarding our borders. They lie awake so that we may sleep peacefully. In some small way, I believe this movie is a dedication to all of them.

Kya Dilli Kya Lahore

While surfing channels the other day, I came across the trailer of Kya Dilli Kya Lahore. [You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oy96lq-Nhx4].

My first reaction was that it will be another movie on the India-Pakistan partition saga. The partition which took place in 1947 left behind a lot of unpleasant memories on both sides of the border. Till date, families of those affected by the partition are said to be suffering. Almost overnight, people had to leave their homes & their entire belongings and escape so that they could continue living. Needless to say, any movie based on this event will evoke either sadness or strong feelings of nationalism and patriotism.

Kya Dilli Kya Lahore, however, promises to be a different movie. Caught in a border cross-fire in 1948, only two soldiers remain alive. As luck would have it, one is an Indian soldier of Pakistani origin while the other is a Pakistani soldier of Indian origin. The film is about their interactions and their attempt at trying to remain alive. It also seeks to emphasize how a single day suddenly made sworn enemies of people who were, till then, leaving peacefully with each other. It stars Vijay Raaz, Manu Rishi & Raj Zutshi.

What specifically caught my eye was the fact that Gulzar had composed lyrics for the movie and was also presenting it. Readers of this blog are well acquainted with my admiration & adoration for Gulzar Saab. Go read my posts http://pallosworld.blogspot.in/2013/08/happy-birthday-gulzar-saab.html & http://pallosworld.blogspot.in/2013/08/book-review-in-company-of-poet-gulzar.html.

Bollywood fans are well aware of how often Gulzar writes about partition and how passionate he is about it. One of the shayaris from the film heard in the trailer is:
Lakeerein hain to rehne do, kisi ne rooth kar gusse main shayad kheech di thi.
Unhi ko ab banao paala aur aao kabaddi khelte hain, lakeerein hain to rehne do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtcHuGezr5Y - Sung by Papon (one of my favourite singers) & composed by Sandesh Shandilya

I am looking forward to catch this movie as it releases this weekend. Await my review of it soon.

5 Off-Beat Hindi Films that are a must watch

Having been born and brought up in Mumbai, the home of Bollywood, I am a huge movie buff. Bollywood is one of the largest centres of film production in the world; it churns out almost 1,000 movies per year on an average. It’s no surprise then that along with the ‘popular’ cinema, ‘off-beat’ or ‘parallel’ cinema has also grown in leaps and bounds. With the growth of the Internet and technological marvels, the audience too is demanding more from the movie industry in terms of scripts and performances.

My Top 5 Off-beat Hindi films, in no particular order, are detailed below. Watch them and you will not regret it. You might only feel sorry you did not catch them sooner!

Khosla Ka Ghosla [2006 – Director Dibakar Banerjee]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc3XQLrHOuc

This movie was Dibakar Banerjee’s directorial debut and, other than Anupam Kher and Boman Irani, boasted of no other known stars. The movie was shot almost entirely in Delhi and made on a small budget. But the kind of impact it created blew everyone away, including me. The story was quite simple – a real estate agent usurps a plot of land belonging to a middle-class man and demands money in exchange of the plot. But the treatment Banerjee gave it made it an outstanding movie. The nuances of each of the characters in Kamal Khosla’s family, the marvellous portrayal by Boman Irani and the scheme hatched by the theatre guys to get the plot back – all these made the movie stand out.

In addition, there are the dialogues that have stayed with me long after the movie, including one of the most famous questions in the Hindi film industry ‘Tum broker ho ya party?’ Not surprisingly, the movie won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi for 2006. Khosla Ka Ghosla is an education in itself in the real estate industry. And it is also an education in how the most creative ideas can fool even the most ‘intelligent’ person!

Joggers’ Park [2003 – Director Anant Balani]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RHQHG2M7dU

This movie, released more than 10 years back, probably had a storyline which was a bit ahead of its times. A retired judge, played brilliantly by Victor Bannerjee, is attracted to and eventually falls in love with a young model who reciprocates his feelings. I loved the movie because one of its main characters was the lovely Joggers’ Park in Mumbai. And for the way the director handled the delicate relationship between the two protagonists. Nowhere did it come across as vulgar or insensitive. You empathised with the characters and wanted them to stay together happily ever after. The movie also had one of the finest ghazals by Jagjit Singh [Badi Nazuk Hai Ye Manzil’].

If Victor Bannerjee looked so handsome in this movie at his age, I can only imagine how handsome he must have been in his heydays! Joggers’ Park makes you think; it makes you question society’s norms of family needs vis-a-vis individual desires. Is sacrificing for the family always a good thing?

Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. [2007 – Director Reema Kagti]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lRBmxsdmHM

This movie had one of the most stellar star casts of recent times including Abhay Deol, Shabaza Azmi, Ameesha Patel, Boman Irani, Arjun Rampal, Ranvir Shorey and one of my favourite actors Kay Kay Menon. It is one of those movies which you go watch without any expectations whatsoever but come out pleasantly surprised. Six couples are on their honeymoon and take a four-day bus journey to Goa. The movie tracks their experiences and lets us in on each of their stories. Despite there being so many characters, each of them has been nicely fleshed out. For instance, Kay Kay Menon stands out for his traditional views while Ameesha for her vivacious and extroverted nature.

There is also a bit of suspense at the end for the viewers. I enjoyed most of the songs in the movie especially Sajnaji where almost all the characters seem to have gone berserk while dancing. Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. portrays the fears and dreams of couples on a honeymoon quite accurately.

Main Meri Patni Aur Woh [2005 – Director Chandan Arora]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE8oX9mBNDk

This has to be one of the most underrated off-beat films. I loved and enjoyed watching the movie for several reasons. Firstly, Rajpal Yadav plays his role of a short, middle-aged man who has insecurities about his height splendidly. Rituparna Sengupta as his tall, devoted wife is quite brilliant. And then the movie has Kay Kay Menon! Add to that, Mohit Chauhan’s superb rendition of ‘Guncha Koi’ and it was a sure-fire formula for me to like the movie.

It is shot in Lucknow, and we get a glimpse of daily life there – people riding the horse carriages on their way to work, the stately Lucknow University where Yadav works and the terraces where people gather to have a good time. Main Meri Patni Aur Woh is a feel-good movie which will make you believe in love. And the goodness of people.

Dor [2006 – Director Nagesh Kukunoor]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBWfqPnNS24

After the triple success of Hyderabad Blues, Rockford and Iqbal, I though Nagesh Kukunoor could not come out with a better movie. But he did. And how! The lead actors Gul Panag and Ayesha Takia carried this movie entirely on their shoulders. A stray incident in a foreign country links the two ladies living in Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan respectively. How they meet and resolve the issue forms the crux of the movie. In addition to the mind-blowing performances, Kukunoor has also captured the landscapes quite well – contrasting the snow and the hills of the north with the barren flat lands of the desert.

Dor reinforces your belief in the power of good overcoming evil. And it does that without appearing preachy. It also informs you that sometimes, unfortunately, a woman is another woman’s worst enemy. I loved the movie for the acting and the sheer strength of the script. And for the motivational song ‘Yeh Honsla’.

What I loved about all the 5 movies is the fact that all of them have been shot locally, with small budgets and mostly 'non-stars'. They are no-frills, no-nonsense kind of movies which make you identify with its characters. Who, amongst us, does not fear the real estate mafia? Or question societal norms? We all do. We all have some idiosyncracies in us like the couples on a honeymoon. We all share Yadav's insecurities because we have some of our own.

In addition, all the movies have wonderful performances by the actors which has done justice to an amazing script. And each of the movies has a nice soundtrack which keeps playing in the background as you enjoy the movie.

This post is a part of the Miss Lovely Activity in association with BlogAdda.

Another off-beat film, Miss Lovely, directed by Ashim Ahluwalia is scheduled for commercial release on 17 January 2014. It is set in the lower depths of Bombay’s “C” grade film industry. It follows the devastating story of two brothers who produce sex horror films in the mid – 1980s. A sordid tale of betrayal and doomed love, the film dives into the lower depths of the Bollywood underground, an audacious cinema with baroque cinemascope compositions, lurid art direction, wild background soundtracks, and gut-wrenching melodrama.

You can check the trailer of the film here: http://vimeo.com/82285130#at=17

Happy Birthday Gulzar Saab

As Gulzar Saab turns 79 on 18th August, I list down five of my favourite songs composed by him. The beauty of his writing is how evocatively he is able to present things across to us - be it love, separation, celebration or mourning. His astute observational skills and his command over Urdu have enabled him to pen down amazing masterpieces over the years.

Considering his body of work and the fact that he has been writing forever, it is a difficult task to select only five songs. Nonetheless, here goes:

1. Tujhse Naraaz Nahin Zindagi from Masoom released in 1983. It portrays the angst between the relationship of a son and a father beautifully - the son cannot understand why his father won't take him home and the father cannot understand how to make his son understand. For a long time, I didn't know the real meaning of the first line of this song. Recently, I read a book titled In the Company of a Poet - Gulzar in conversation with Nasreen Munni Kabir where the meaning was elucidated. It was a revelation to know what it actually meant. But that, I guess, is the case with most of Gulzar's songs. They need to be deeply and thoroughly understood to be better appreciated; it's not enough if one listens to them in the background. And, as they say, adversity tells you who your real friends are - "zindagi tere gam ne hame rishte naye samjhaye".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-iyNg4IhW4

2. Mera Kuchh Samaan from Ijaazat released in 1987. This movie was directed by Gulzar. In addition, he was also its screenplay writer and dialogues writer besides being the lyricist. Talk about donning multiple hats. This song sounds almost like a conversation between two lovers where one is asking the other to return all her memories as the relationship has ended. My favourite line in the song - "Ek sau solah chaand ki raatein; ek tumhare kaandhe ka til". What a beautiful way to show their intimacy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mjFCidDpcY

3. Kajra Re from Bunty Aur Babli released in 2005. It is the wonderful capacity of Gulzar to adjust to the changing times that he was able to come up with this beautiful and foot-stomping number. And the poetry and the romance is not amiss, especially the ode to Delhi towards the end of the song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DovUEruZ2q4

4. Tere Bina Zindagi from Aandhi released in 1975. This is another movie where Gulzar in addition to being the lyricist was also the director, co-producer and screenplay writer. This song particularly strikes a chord because it says, "I don't have any complaints against life without you; without you life itself will not be life for me."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DovUEruZ2q4

5. Aanewala Pal from Golmaal released in 1975. I have already written in detail in my previous Kishore Kumar post about why I love this song so much. The song tells you to "carpe diem" - "seize the day" in a no-nonsense and almost romantic way. When I have had a tough day at work, I retire to my room at night and listen to this song - "thodasa hasake, thodasa rulaake, pal yeh bhi jaanewala hain"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFRAFHtU-PE

Kishore Kumar: Chalte Chalte Mere Ye Geet Yaad Rakhna

As we celebrate Kishore Kumar’s 84th birth anniversary tomorrow (4th August), I would like to list down five of my favourite Kishore Kumar songs.

Kishore Kumar was one of the well-loved singers of Bollywood; one who was as famous as the hero he sang songs for, which is usually not the case. My only regret: I wish he were alive so that I could have heard him perform live.

So, here goes:

1. Aanewala Pal – Golmaal (1979): This song had all the characteristics of becoming a super-hit song. Gulzar penned down the lyrics, R. D. Burman composed the music, Kishore Kumar sang it; it was picturized on Amol Palekar. Why do I like the song? It tells you the importance of carpe diem – seize the day – so beautifully and so poetically. And Kishore’s voice exhorts us all to enjoy the present moment, if possible, because it will soon get over.

2. Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas – Blackmail (1973): In my honest opinion, this has got to be the best ever romantic song. Dharmendra woos Raakhee with a hand-written letter ably aided by Kishore Kumar’s lilting melody. The perfect voice to tell the person you love that they are close to your heart every single moment. Any other singer and the song would not have sounded half as good or as romantic.

3. Yeh Naina Yeh Kajal – Dil Se Mile Dil (1978): This is not a very popular song of Kishore Kumar since the movie, apparently, did not do so well. I became fascinated with the song after I heard a colleague of mine sing it. Since then, it has become one of my favourite Kishore songs. “Zindagi tum meri, meri tum zindagi” croons Kishore and it is very easy not to get mesmerized by his words.

4. Ruk Jaana Nahi – Imtihaan (1974): I love this song for its inspirational message. Kishore’s voice brings forth the message quite clearly that one should not stop in his journey just because one has failed. Who else, but Kishore, could sing the song such that, each time one listens to it, one gets goosebumps? It is as good as, if not better than, any motivational self-help book.

5. Yeh Jeevan Hain – Piya Ka Ghar (1972): The underlying meaning in Anand Bakshi’s lyrics was so evocatively brought out by Kishore Kumar in this song. This song essentially became the theme song of the movie. Though sung a little sadly, Kishore’s voice tells us everything we need to know about life. This is pretty much what you are going to get – a little bit of happiness, a little bit of sadness – he states quite matter-of-factly.

I now realize that, coincidentally, my favourite songs all belong to movies which were released in the 1970s. And, though Kishore Kumar sang quite a few songs that were picturized on Amitabh Bachchan which went on to become huge hits, none of them figure in my list. Also, none of the songs have the trademark Kishore Kumar yodelling style in them.

Mr. India - Evergreen Dialogues

 Mr. India, which released in 1987, was a movie quite ahead of its time; what with a scientist producing a gadget which makes one disappear on wearing it. How many of us wished we owned something like that :)

In addition to some fabulous songs which the movie had (my personal favourite has to be Hawa Hawaii :)), it also had some outstanding dialogues. Some which have stayed with me are:

• Yeh football ab court jayegi. Court kyun jayegi; wahan toh koi football khelta nahi.
• Tum yeh aise ho, aise kabse ho? Bachpan se.
• Tum yeh sab kar rahe ho, kisliye kar rahe ho? Paisa (Very profound statement! Aren't all of us doing what we are for money?)
• Toh kya tum kehna chahte ho ki paise ke liye har koi chor ban jaata hain?
• Ghar; ghar ke aage balcony; balcony ke aage garden; garden ke aage samundar.
• Yeh seediyan dekh rahi hain? Yeh seediyan neeche se upar jaati hain aur yehi seediyan upar se neeche aati hain. Kamaal hain!
• Do din ke bookhe bachhe kya shor machayenge memsaab.
• Arun bhaiyya, hum ek din khaana nahi khayenge toh mar nahi jayenge.
• Chalo isi bahaane salary toh mil jayegi; kaunse rang ki hoti hain?
• Gayi bhains paani main :)
• Chaliye Arun bhaiyya ghar chaliye; ghar jaakar in kankaron main se chawal nikalne hain.
• Sir, yeh bachhe hote hi kyun hain? Sab log agar bade hi paida hue toh?

Anand - Memorable Dialogues

Whenever one thinks of Anand (1971), one cannot help but feel a tinge of sadness. A dying young man teaches his friend a valuable lesson about life and living it to the fullest. In addition to the movie's songs and the characters of both Rajesh Khanna & Amitabh Bachchan, what stayed with me most about the movie were its wonderful dialogues. No surprise that these were written by Gulzar. Gulzar won the Filmfare Best Dialogue Award in 1972 for this movie; the movie also swept most of the other awards at Filmfare.

Following are some of the memorable dialogues which struck a chord with me:

• Anand mara nahin; Anand marte nahin.
• Kya har hasi ke peeche khushi hoti hain; kabhi kabhi gam bhi toh...
• I LOVED the way Rajesh Khanna calls Amitabh Babu Moshai throughout the movie. So much so that I started calling a Bong colleague of mine that :)
• Babu Moshai, zindagi lambi nahi badi honi chahiye
• Zindagi aur maut toh upar wale ke haath main hain jahapanah

In the climax when Rajesh Khanna dies and Amitabh is crying & pleading with him to start speaking again since he has got used to his constant chit-chat and Anand's voice plays in the background, I am sure not a single person could have avoided crying.

Deven Varma: The Unsung Hero of Bollywood

I happened to watch the following movies consecutively over a period of four days: Golmaal (1979), Angoor (1982), Andaz Apna Apna (1994) and Dil Toh Pagal Hai (1997). Other than the fact that these are all fabulous movies which I can watch over and over again, especially Golmaal, the other common factor which came through was the presence of Deven Varma in all the four movies.

And it’s then that I realized that he is one of the unsung heroes of Bollywood – he is like salt in cooking; you don’t appreciate its presence but you definitely miss its absence.

In Golmaal, he played himself and Ramprasad Dashrathprasad Sharma’s best friend who helps him out of the moustache crisis.

In Angoor, he played a double role along with Sanjeev Kumar. He was Bahadur who served as Sanjeev Kumar’s double roles’ servant/caretaker. Varma was hilarious in the movie and it came across as no surprise that he won the 1983 Filmfare Best Comedian Award for his role. The movie got a huge boost from Varma’s presence as Bahadur who is faced with two Sanjeev Kumars and does not know why his master is behaving so funny all the time.

In Andaz Apna Apna, Varma played Aamir Khan’s dad who runs a small saloon to help meet the family expenses. Though he had a small role in the movie, his character as a strict dad who is irritated with his son’s ways and wants him to improve stood out among the host of roles peppered throughout.

In Dil Toh Pagal Hai, Deven Varma was Akshay Kumar’s father and Madhuri Dixit’s guardian. Though a small role again, he played it with panache. His character was fond of music and if it were not for his wife’s discouragement, he would definitely have turned out to be a singer. He is shown to be a happy-go-lucky character who makes his driver and watchman his audience which hears him sing.

My favourite? Definitely Angoor. Go watch the movie if you have not already. Varma is a revelation and holds his own against Sanjeev Kumar (who was himself a fantastic actor).

Deewaar - Dialogues to use in daily life

A friend commented on how he liked my post on Jab We Met and how I should do more of such posts :) Thus, this post. It's from one of my all-time favourite movies of Amitabh Bachchan - Deewaar (1975).


The beauty of this movie is that almost every dialogue written by Salim-Javed is cult-like. And, most of them can be used in our daily interactions. Allow me to illustrate below:

• Jo 25 saalon main nahi hua, woh aaj hoga - Can be used when you propose a new idea at work and your boss says but this has never happened in the history of this organization!
• Main aaj bhi pheke hue paise nahi uthata - Can be used if someone throws money at you but also for other items such as books, pens, etc. - you get the drift :)
• Kya tumhe lagata hain tum yeh kaam akele kar sakte ho? Ji nahi, main jaanta hoon main yeh kaam akele kar sakta hoon - Can be used if someone questions your capability to do a particular work - be it at office or at home.
• Maa prasad samajh kar de rahi hain, tum mithai samajh kar kha lena - Can be used if you ever have to distribute prasad to an atheist who might be hesitant to eat it.
• Kya tum chahati ho main bhi wahan se bhaag aata? - Can be used when someone questions your stickiness to a project/task.
• Mere saath toh meri kismat hogi Dawaar saab - Can be used anytime, anywhere :)
• Doston ke naam bhi hua karte hain - Can be used when you meet someone who almost immediately tries to get friendly & chatty.
• Jao pehle us aadmi ka sign leke aao jisne mere haath par yeh likh diya; phir tum jahaan chaho, main wahan sign karunga - Can be used when someone asks you to sign a document at work :)
• Aaj khush toh bahut hoge tum - Can be used anytime, anywhere :)
• Aaj mere paas bangla hain, gaadi hain, paisa hain...tumhare paas kya hain? Mere paas maa hain - Can be used to defend your intangibles (family, good health, peace of mind) against somebody's tangibles (house, car, net worth, etc.)

These were just some of the dialogues which were easy to recall and apply :)

Kai Po Che: A Review

Having read all of Chetan Bhagat’s four fictional novels till date and enjoyed the movie based on Five Point Someone and not even watched the movie based on One Night at the Call Centre, I approached this movie (based on The Three Mistakes of My Life) with a little trepidation.


Firstly, the movie had mostly newcomers with no star names to boast of. Secondly, its director – Abhishek Kapoor – had only one success to his credit – Rock On. And, thirdly, the movie was to be set in Ahmedabad (or, as the locals call it, Amdavad) and not some foreign locales or some exotic places in India.

The trailers looked promising and Swanand Kirkire’s lyrics, along with Amit Trivedi’s music, were a treat to listen to. As the movie’s release came closer and closer, I was interested to watch the movie the first weekend itself. In preparation, I did not read any reviews of the movie as I wanted to go with an open mind free of bias and prejudices.

*** SPOILERS MAY FEATURE IN THE REVIEW ***

I must say I enjoyed the movie. And so much that I did not mind catching it a second time the next weekend with my mom. The movie sticks as close to the book as possible considering Chetan Bhagat was also one of the scriptwriters.

The movie starts off slowly and builds up quite a pace till the interval. After the interval, the events unfold with speed and you are caught up in it like a whirlpool.

Three friends, in their early twenties, start a business in Ahmedabad. They open a shop selling sports equipments and also provide cricket coaching along with it. Govind, the money-minded friend who loves maths; Omkar, the simpleton who likes nothing better than to spend time with his friends and Ishaan, the friend who loves cricket and is an ex district level cricket player. Ishaan’s sister, Vidya, who hates maths, is coached by Govind who ends up falling in love with her.

Their business picks pace nicely and just when they think of expanding they are hit by the circumstances which took place in Ahmedabad in 2001-2002; from the earthquake to the riots following Godhra. The movie does not judge any of the events or the characters but only presents them as a sideline to the main story – the friends and their relations affected by the happenings.

Other characters in the movie include Omkar’s mama (mother’s brother) Bittoo who is actively involved in politics and wants Omi to get involved as well, Govind’s mother who earns a living selling snacks and Ishaan’s father who expects his son to start earning a living soon.

A young nine-year-old Ali also joins the coaching academy and Ishaan is excited at his cricketing prowess and feels he has the potential to make it big.

There are only three songs in the movie and none of them feel out of place. My favourite has to be Maanjha sung by Amit Trivedi.

For me, the most interesting part of the movie was the inter-personal relationships. The camaraderie between the three friends is the most obvious one. Ishaan and Omi are game to take risks and explore life while Govind is the more calculating one wanting to plan everything. He is also fond of money and wanting to strike it rich. His friends make fun of him for this. References such as “baniya” are peppered throughout the movie.

Govind’ relation with Vidya, Ishaan’s sister, starts out only as a teacher-student; however, it soon progresses into love. When Vidya asks him why she can not be his friend, he, like a typical Maths student, says I can give you four reasons – you are my brother’s sister, you are younger to me, you are my student and you are a girl.

Vidya’s relation with her brother is like a typical brother-sister relationship. She hates him for hogging the remote and not having the time to speak to her but she is equally concerned about his well-being and is proud of him for having made a mark in cricket.

Omi’s relation with Bittoo mama is functional at first; he has the deposit needed for the shop which the three friends need. However, later, as Omi starts working for the party and getting involved, the relation slowly changes to a mentor-protégé.

Ishaan’s relationship with the young Ali has been shown in an exceptional manner. He is impressed with the young lad Ali and wants to coach him to do better. However, he gets angry with him for not paying attention and Ali runs away from the field. Instantly, Ishaan feels sorry for his behaviour and goes to Ali’s house to apologize. When Ali starts performing brilliantly on the field under Ishaan’s coaching, Ishaan cannot help but feel proud.

I found myself smiling at quite a few scenes in the movie. When Omi and Ishaan ask Govind to dance with them when they go away for a Sunday; when Vidya tells Govind that Govind should take her to see the new shop at the mall first; when Omi and Ishaan hug each other after India’s victory after they have had an altercation earlier; when Govind sees Ishaan getting serious about a school presentation.

My verdict: Go see the movie and discover the scenes which make you smile. It is a beautiful tale of following your dreams, come what may, with your friends and discovering love in the process.

Review: Premachi Goshta - Marathi movie

Here’s my very first review of a Marathi movie – Premachi Goshta – starring Atul Kulkarni (of Rang De Basanti fame), Sagarika Ghatge (of Chak De India fame), Sulekha Talwalkar and Satish Rajwade (the director of this movie). The trailer looked really promising (check it out for yourself below) and being a huge fan of Atul Kulkarni had to watch this movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWqjDGeCjTA

The movie didn’t disappoint at all. It is a mature and confident way of looking at one of the most basic emotions – love. The lead actors end up meeting accidentially at a family court and the story takes off from there. Ram (Atul Kulkarni) is a scriptwriter who wants someone to make a movie out of his original script but all he gets are producers who ask him to remake other movies. Sonal (Sagarika) is out of a personal crisis and is in search of a job. She joins Ram as an assistant and begins to work with him in writing scripts. Ram is going through a personal crisis of his own with Ragini (his wife played by Sulekha) who wants to divorce Ram because he is unable to fulfill her dreams. On the other hand, Samit (Ajay Purkar), Sonal’s husband whom Sonal has left, wants to get back with her. While working together, Sonal and Ram start getting attracted to each other due to their wavelengths matching and their views on life coinciding. How the director resolves this rectangular mess of a relationship forms the story.

All the actors have put in power packed performances with Atul Kulkarni obviously outshining the rest. This is Sagarika’s first foray into Marathi cinema and she has a long way to go in perfecting the Marathi pronounciation. However, she gives able company to Atul. The other actors all pitch in. Rohini Hattangadi plays Ram’s mother and she has a decent role to which she does enough justice.

The movie does not have too many songs, which is a good sign. “Olya Saanjweli Unhe Sawalis Bilgawi” is a romantic ballad sung by Bela Shende and Swapnil Bandodkar. The dialogues by Chinmay Kelkar have a nice feel to them and take the story ahead forward wonderfully.

For me what worked was the feel-good romance sprinkled all over the movie. From the innocent hug that Sagarika gives Atul to the fact that she starts having “khaari” biscuits dipped in tea just like Atul does, it is all super cute. Satish plays Atul’s best friend in the movie and adds a certain comic element to it. The film, however, belongs to Atul. Hope we get to see him in a romantic role in many more Marathi movies in the future. I am going with 4 out of 5 stars for this movie :)

It is good to see that there are directors and producers wanting to spend their time and effort in coming out with good Marathi cinema and not just mindless crass entertainment. I hope the success of this movie encourages other Marathi directors as well.

Hum Aapke Hain Kaun - Memorable Dialogues

Continuing with my series of being heavily inspired by Bollywood movies and specially the dialogues, here's presenting some from Hum Aapke Hain Kaun or as we popularly call it - HAHK :) When the movie was released, it touched a chord across the nation, specially its innumerable songs at various functions spread across engagement, wedding, childbirth, etc. Of course, Salman and Madhuri's chemistry only added to its charm.

• Tumhe bajaana vajaana bhi aata hain ya...(Can be used when someone is posing with a musical instrument which they may not know how to play or if you want to simply irritate them:))
• Inko discussion kar lene do. Hum toh annt main aayenge (Thought of this when, at work, I decided to let my juniors do the initial bit of the assignment and I would step in later!)
• Tumhari aur meri manzil ek hi hain (multiple uses :))
• Bhabhi sabse jyaada sneh apne devar se rakhti hain. Dyaan rahe uski aankhon main kabhi aansoon na aaye

Jab We Met - Dialogues to use in daily life!

Jab We Met is one of my favourite movies. It had one of Mohit Chauhan's earliest hits - Tum Se Hi - ably supported by Kareena and Shahid. Imtiaz Ali gave the film an overall feel-good feel. Since I have watched the movie innumerable times, some dialogues have stuck with me. And, some of them can be used in our day-to-day life. Sample the following:

• Tum convince ho gaye ya main aur bolu?
• Kaisi lagi? Ekdum kadak!
• Ratlam ki galiyaan (can be replaced by any other location :))
• Is raat ko ab thodasa boring bana do babajee!
• Main tumhe bataana chahata tha par tum toh tum ho
• Main apni favourite hoon
• Kitni gadhi thi main. Tabhi toh yeh sab ho raha hain mere saath
• Jab bhi koi situation main hota hoon toh sochta hoon ke Geet kya karti? Bas wohi karta hoon
• Kyunki mujhe pata hain mere saath jo bhi hoga woh meri wajah se hoga.
• Shaadi ke baad tumhara pehla affair tum mere saath karna. Toh main bhi khush ho jaunga

Kuch Kuch Hota Hain - Dialogues to use in daily life!

This blog post is the result of a conversation with my friends about going to a literary carnival. An innocuous question, followed by, "Tumhe toh pata hain mujhe reading aur writing ka kitna shauk hain" :) set in motion some dialogues from Karan Johar's Kuch Kuch Hota Hain (inspired by Archie Comics, no less!)

Here are some of the dialogues from the movie which can be used in our day-to-day life :) After all, Bollywood rules our life like nothing else!!!

• Pyaar dosti hain. Agar woh meri sabse acchi dost nahi ban sakti, toh main usse pyaar kar hi nahi sakta.
• Bechaari abhi abhi London se aayi hain, theek se unpack karne ka samay nahi mila (to be used when you see a girl in really short clothes :))
• Tumhara naam Anjali kyun hain? Shayad mere mummy-pappa ko aap pasand aa gayi ho isiliye
• I don't like your jokes. I don't like you.
• Tumhe phool jyaada pasand hain ya chocolate?
• Insaan ka sar teen auraton ke saamne jhukta hain - ek devi maa ke saamne, ek apni maa ke saamne, aur...
• The Neelam Show (when you want to know a person's innermost thoughts :))
• Meri Anjali tumhari Anjali se sundar hain.
• Rahul ladkiyon ke peeche nahi bhagata, ladkiyan Rahul ke peeche bhagati hain.

Talaash - The Answer Lies Within

I finally saw Talaash today morning and considering the delay had already read a lot of stuff about the movie - some truths and some untruths.

***SPOILERS MIGHT APPEAR IN THE REVIEW***

For me, the movie was a journey with a couple who have lost their only child in an accident and how they grow apart because of this tragedy. As often happens, they completely stop talking about the child as if he never existed. Also, and this is the part I identified with a lot, is the fact that the hero kept on retracing the event as it happened and wondered if he could have done anything to change it. Don't we all do that with certain tragic events of our life? Considering the hero is Aamir, his portrayal of the scenes was absolutely bang-on. He dealt with the situation by trying to erase it from his life.

The murder of an actor obviously forms the main storyline around which each of the characters are inter-linked including the inspector (Aamir), Rosie (Kareena), the actor's close friends and family and a host of people connected with the red-light district. The build-up to the suspense was great and a couple of times I was on the edge of my seat. The climax, though, a let-down was, I felt, an effort to do something different and unusual.

Several themes ran through the movie - Mumbai's red-light district, the uncertain lives of the brokers there, communicating with the supernatural, existence of ghosts (the fact that there are some things we can never explain), the effect a tragedy has on a husband-wife relationship, etc.

The music by Ram Sampath and the lyrics by Javed Akhtar add a certain je ne sais quoi to the entire movie and are interspersed quite well within the scenes. I loved the song that plays at the end when the credits start rolling; it's a surprise they aren't publicizing it at all.

I guess the audience went with a whole lot of expectations from an Aamir Khan movie and expected to be bedazzled. I went to enjoy a good thriller and got my money's worth!!!

Review: Oh My God!!!

I really didn't want to see Oh My God; the trailers didn't look particularly appealing and I am not a big fan of Akshay Kumar. However, it got some great reviews and some good word-of-mouth publicity which made me go and see the movie. And I am glad I did.

***Spoilers might feature in the review ***

At the start of the movie, we are introduced to Kanji Patel (Paresh Raval) who is an atheist and tries and makes money by capitalizing on the religious fervour in the country. His shop at Chor Bazaar (brilliant location!) sells various types of idols of different varieties of Gods. Kanji cannot understand why people believe so blindly in God but, at the same time, is happy that he is able to make money out of it.

An incident leads to a earthquake in Mumbai and, surprisingly, only Kanji's shop is destroyed. When he goes to the insurance company, they dismiss the claim saying it's an act of God. Angry and frustrated, Kanji decides to sue God and demand money from him. Thus, begins a hilarious and thought-provoking journey featuring god-men (Mithun in a superb cameo).

The movie makes us think about a lot of things through various instances. For example, why do we waste so much milk over an idol instead of donating it? Similar is the case with oil which is poured over the Hanuman idol each Saturday. Why are so many mantras a part of our religious ceremonies when none of us, including the priests, know the meaning of any of them? Why do we not believe in service to mankind and only spend our time worshiping the idols?

Akshay Kumar, as Lord Krishna, has a relatively smaller but powerful role. I hate to admit but he was looking very handsome as well :)

All in all, the movie exhorts us to question our religious beliefs and the mindless rituals we follow. It is a must watch for everyone, specially for people in India where religion plays such an important part in our life and virtually defines our identity.