The nation is still panting. Less than 5 months before I was born, in September 1973, one woman redefined and mainstreamed female sexuality for Hindi cinema. We still haven't recovered... This song, Hum Tum Ek Kamre Mein Band Ho Aur Chaabi Kho Jaaye, of course, played a huge part in that. Although the lyrics were… Continue reading Happy 60th, Dimple Kapadia
Category: Short Takes
Tidbits
Happy 50th, Madhuri Dixit
Happy 50th, Madhuri Dixit. The one who dazzles Hindi cinema with sheer joy and fire in her performances. Her smile has an infectious energy that could add a sparkle to the day and a spring in your step. She was the original Queen who not only worked with the three Khans but also gave them… Continue reading Happy 50th, Madhuri Dixit
The fight scene that convinced Prakash Mehra to cast Amitabh Bachchan in Zanjeer
“Destiny stands by sarcastic with our dramatis personae (characters) folded in her hand.” George Elliot's quote from Middlemarch perfectly fits Amitabh Bachchan's situation and his casting in Prakash Mehra's Zanjeer - written by Salim-Javed - the movie that created the angry young man phenomenon and gave Hindi cinema its most successful and lasting superstar to… Continue reading The fight scene that convinced Prakash Mehra to cast Amitabh Bachchan in Zanjeer
Why Aamir Khan was scared to play his age in Dangal
Tanne chaaro khaane chit kar degi Tere purje fit kar degi Dat kar degi tere daanv se badh ke Pench palat kar degi Chit kar degi, chit kar degi Aisi dhaakad hai dhaakad hai Aisi dhaakad hai Aisi dhaakad hai dhaakad hai Aisi dhaakad hai Once in a supermoon, does a big budget Hindi movie… Continue reading Why Aamir Khan was scared to play his age in Dangal
Raj & Nargis: A love that wasn’t
There was nothing subtle or silent about their romance. From the moment Raj Kapoor and Nargis met, in 1947, they were destined to create history. A first meeting that was cherished by Raj and immortalised many years later in his bubblegum love tale Bobby (1972). It was the scene in which Dimple Kapadia and Rishi Kapoor meet the first time and she accidentally smears… Continue reading Raj & Nargis: A love that wasn’t
Why Andaz was a watershed movie for Dilip Kumar, Nargis and Raj Kapoor
They were the original stylish trio of Hindi cinema. The talented players who made the love triangle an affair to remember and repeated forever. The year, 1949. The movie, Andaz. The creator of which was legendary director Mehboob Khan. There is no doubt it proved to be a watershed film in the careers of Dilip… Continue reading Why Andaz was a watershed movie for Dilip Kumar, Nargis and Raj Kapoor
QSQT: Love at first sight with Aamir Khan!
I take my cinematic love-at-first-sight moments very seriously. The year was 1988 when Doordarshan, Chitrahaar and Chayageet were still my gateways to an imagined heaven. Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak was about to enter my life. If my memory doesn't fail me, Gazab Ka Hai Din was the first song I happened to watch on Chayageet.… Continue reading QSQT: Love at first sight with Aamir Khan!
Geeta Bali & Shammi Kapoor Love Story
There is something heartening and hopeful about a timeless love story. So here is my favourite real-life one of Hindi cinema's golden couple Geeta Bali and Shammi Kapoor. They shared a love for nature and fell in love early 1955, around picturesque Ranikhet (close to Nainital) where they were shooting for a movie called Rangeen… Continue reading Geeta Bali & Shammi Kapoor Love Story
How Guru Dutt discovered Waheeda Rahman
Serendipity in the form of a buffalo helped Guru Dutt discover Waheeda Rehman. A driving accident with a buffalo cart badly damaged his car and Dutt was stranded in Hyderabad for three days with friend and working partner Abrar Alvi. Alvi narrates the story in Sathya Saran's book, Ten Years with Guru Dutt: Abrar Alvi's… Continue reading How Guru Dutt discovered Waheeda Rahman
Happy 51st, Shah Rukh Khan
Happy Birthday, Shah Rukh Khan. The king of romance has always been open about his lack of love for romantic movies. Yet here he is, dancing his heart out on the top of a train in Chaiyya Chaiyya. No doubt he owes his blockbuster career to those films. His puppy dog eyes, endless energy and… Continue reading Happy 51st, Shah Rukh Khan
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