Hrishikesh Mukherjee- 'Anand 'was one of his Masterpieces

 Hrishikesh Mukherjee was a brilliant director. The films he directed could make you cry, they could make you laugh, and they could make you laugh even while you cried. Some of his most notable films include Anari(1959), Anuradha (1960), Asli Naqli(1962, Anupama(1966), Aashirwad(1968), Satyakam(1969))., Guddi (1971), Bawarchi (1972), Abhimaan (1973), Namak Haraam (1973), Mili (1975), Chupke Chupke (1975), Gol Maal (1979), Khubsoorat(1980) and Anand(1971)

This film Anand was in his mind for many years, he wanted to cast Raj Kapoor as Anand but it couldn't be materialized. He then thought of Kishore Kumar as Anand and Mehmood as Babu Moshai. The term "Babu Moshai" means "a great gentleman." Raj Kapoor often affectionately addressed Hrishikesh Mukherjee with this term, just as Anand addresses Banerjee in the film. There is also a story about how Kishore Kumar couldn't become Anand.

Hrishikesh Mukherjee went to sign Kishore Kumar for the film after discussing the project with him. On reaching Kishore Kumar's house his watchman did not allow Hrishi Da to enter the bungalow. As Kishore Kumar had instructed him not to allow a Bengali man inside the bungalow who would come to meet him. Kishore Kumar had done a musical concert for a Bengali organizer who did not pay him and they both had a fight. His watchman mistook Hrishikesh Mukherjee of being that Bengali man. When the shooting for the film started Kishore Kumar came to know about it and went to meet Hrishikesh Mukherjee and asked him why didn't he come to sign him when Hrishikesh Mukherjee told him the reason. Kishore Kumar went and blasted his watchman. The incident hurt Mukherjee and he decided not to work with Kishore Kumar. Consequently, Mehmood had to leave the film as well.  Rajesh Khanna.was offered the role, by that time he became a superstar. This film was shot in 28 days. Rajesh Kanna was a very busy actor by that time, even then he gave Hrishi Da the uninterrupted dates to him. Rajesh Khanna had great regards for him, he wanted to work with him. He worked with him in his subsequent films Bawarchi(1972) and Namak Haram(1973).

The film was successful and got the National Award as Best Film and also many Filmfare awards such as Best Film, Best Actor,(Rajesh Khanna), Best Supporting Actor(Amitabh Bachchan), Best Dialogue(Gulzar), Best Editor(Hrishikesh Mukharjee), and Best Story(Hrishikesh Da) Seldom do we come across films that get it all right and that is what makes Anand immortal, as Dr. Bhaskar says in the end after writing his book on his inspiration—Anand mara nahi, Anand marte nahi (Anand hasn’t died, people like Anand don’t die)

Song of Anand 1971

Song of Anand 1971

Song of Anand 1971

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Mehmood- His Name was Sufficient to Sell a Film

 

He was a star of the Golden Era Of Bollywood. He was one of the few comedians who managed to deliver box-office hits with some films riding solely on his shoulders. His specialty was that he cracked a lot of impromptu jokes and that brought the audiences closer to him.

He was the only actor for whom the audience came to the theatre before the movie started. His huge fan following spoke of his dedication and talent. He was a superstar, his name helped producers sell their film in advance and his picture on the poster ensured that the crowd turned up at the theatres. Many heroes of his time were insecure about sharing screen space with him. 

A time came when he was so much “in demand” that producers approached him, offering him full-length comedy films. He teamed up with  Shubha Khote, I S Johar, and Kishore Kumar gave us some great comedy films.

He began acting as a (reluctant) child actor. After he grew up, he pursued several odd jobs -- including that of a car driver.  For a short while, he was a chauffeur for director P.L. Santoshi. As an adult actor, he first appeared in Guru Dutt’s suspense thriller – CID. After that, Guru Dutt gave him a small part in Pyaasa. After that, he got his first noticeable “break” in Parvarish (1958), in which he landed a role as the brother of the hero, Raj Kapoor. His first breakthrough film as a comedian was Sasural, a melodramatic mega-success. The movie also created one of the most successful comedy pairings of the sixties – Mehmood and Shubha Khote. Both did more than 15 films together and gave many hit songs. The most famous films are Saural 1961,Dil Tera Diwana (1962),Hamrahi (1963) ,Grihasti (1963) ,Ziddi (1964),Love In Tokyo (1966), and Pockit Maar (1974). Mehmood and Shubha Khote gave fans endless hours of a laugh riot,

He also produced and directed films. He gave RD Burman his first break with Chhote Nawab (1961)and worked with him regularly down the years until a misunderstanding with Burman in the 70s saw him introduce Rajesh Roshan with Kunwara Baap (1974). He is also responsible in a way for Amitabh Bachchan’s rise to fame as it is after seeing him in Mehmood’s Bombay to Goa (1972), Salim-Javed found in him the perfect angry young man for their stories!

In the late 1970s, Mehmood's popularity began to decline as other comedy actors like Jagdeep, Asrani, Paintal, Deven Verma and Kader Khan shot to prominence. Between 1989 and 1999, he made a handful of movies, but most of them were either shelved or made no impression. He acted as Johnny in Rajkumar Santoshi's Andaz Apna Apna (1994)– his last known film as an actor.

In the 90s his health did not allow him to work. He died in his sleep on 23 July 2004 in the American state of Pennsylvania, where he had gone for treatment of cardiovascular heart disease after suffering from poor health over several years.  

Great songs of Mehmood and Shubha Khote

Song of Hamrahi 1963

Song of Grahsthi 1963

Song of Chhoti Bahen 1959

Song of Beti Beta 1964

Song of Sasural 1961

Song of Sasural 1961

Song of Ziddi 1964

Lata Mangeshkar- Sang for Every Generation of Heroines

 

Lata Mangeshkar represented every generation of Hindi cinema from Nargis and Waheeda Rehman to Madhuri Dixit and Kajol. Her first song as a playback singer in Hindi films was in 1947 - Aapki Sewa Mein (paa laagu kar jori...)but this song did not give lata recognition as a singer, Her first major break was in 1948-Majboor (Dil Mera Toda) given by Music Composer Ghulam Haider. After she recorded the hit “Uthaye ja unke sitam” in Andaz (1949), her destiny was sealed, the year 1949 was the turning point of a great career. The year saw the rise of Lata Mangeshkar The song Aayega Aane Wala from Mahal and the songs of Barsat came the same year. After that, she never looked back. She became the voice of all the Major Heroines. In an interview when asked who according to you enacted your songs really well onscreen?. She said that Actresses like Sadhana, Meena Kumari, Nargis, Madhubala, and Kajol, took the effort to understand the song and act accordingly. Jaya Bachchan observed me well and got my mannerisms right - starting with how I stand, how I sing, and how I drape my sari. In Abhimaan (1973), she even chose to wear white saris like me. It was commendable.

From the 1940s to the 1970s, Mangeshkar sang duets with Asha Bhosle, Suraiya, Usha Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Mukesh, Manna Dey, Hemant Kumar, and Mahendra Kapoor. In 1964, she sang "Chanda Re Hoga" with P.B. Sreenivas from Main Bhi Ladki Hoon. she continued to sing with Shabbir Kumar, Shailendra Singh, Nitin Mukesh (Mukesh's son), Manhar Udhas, Amit Kumar (Kishore Kumar's son), Mohammed Aziz, Vinod Rathod, and S.P. Balasubrahmanyam. Udit Narayan, Kumar Sanu, and Sonu Nigam
In the 2000s, Mangeshkar's duets were mainly with Udit Narayan and Sonu Nigam. 2005-06 were the years of her last well-known songs: "Kaise Piya Se" from Bewafa and "Shayad Yehi To Pyaar Hai" from Lucky: No Time For Love, with Adnan Sami and " Lukka Chhupi" in Rang De Basanti (2006 film) with A.R.Rahman. She sang "Ek Tu Hi Bharosa" from Pukar. Other notable songs of this decade were from Veer-Zaara, sung with Udit Narayan, Sonu Nigam, Jagjit Singh, Roop Kumar Rathod, and Gurdas Mann. One of her latest songs was "Jeena Hai Kya" from Dunno Y2 (2014).
Lata Mangeshkar has won several awards and honors, including Bharat Ratna (India's Highest Civilian Award), Padma Bhushan (1969), Padma Vibhushan (1999), Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1989)
SONGS VIDEOS  FOR SADHANA

Song from Parakh 1960

Song from Asli Naqli 1962

Song from Mere Mehboob 1963

Song from Woh Kaun Thi 1964

Song from Rajkumar  1964

Song from Mera Saaya 1966

Song from Inteqam 1969

Song from Ishq Par Zor Nahin 1970

Yash Chopra - How Switzerland Reciprocated Love To Him

 

Yash Chopra visited Switzerland for the first time on his honeymoon and was smitten by its beauty, his love affair with Switzerland continued till the very end Though he was not the first Bollywood filmmaker to shoot in Switzerland, decades before him Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, and Shakti Samant had shot their films here.

Yash Chopra loved this country and shot several films here to capture its beauty on the silver screen but only after 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' it became a hot destination of Indian tourists. For many Indians, that’s what sparked their wanderlust to see its mesmerizing beauty for real. Tour operators started tours of the DDLJ shooting location tours for the Indian Tourists.

The Swiss tourism industry recognized the potential of Indians tourists, the Government. has bestowed its love on Yash Chopra. The legendary director was honored with the title of Ambassador of Interlaken in 2011. There is also a train named after him by Jungfrau Railways and a five-star resort in Interlaken also has a suite named after Yash Chopra. 

A Bronze statue of Yash Chopra was installed at the heart of Interlaken, inside the Kursaal area, near the Congress Centre which is a prime, popular spot with tourists. The statue was inaugurated by Chopra's wife Pamela and daughter-in-law Rani Mukherjee​ in 2016, 

The shooting locations of DDLJ have now become an Indian tourist location. …The railway station where Kajol misses her train was shot at the Zweisimmen Railway Station, while When they finally make peace, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol wait at the railway station in Saanen for the next train to Zurich

.…The scene, in which SRK apologies to Kajol was shot in the town of Interlaken.

  “Jara Sa Jhoom Loo Main” song was shot in the town of Gstaad. You can also see the famous Candy store “Early Beck” in the song.

Song from Dil Wale Dulhania Le Jayenge 1995

…In the song “Mere Khwabon Me Jo Aaye”, Shah Rukh Khan is running behind a plane. That scene was shot at Sannen Airport

Song from Dil Wale Dulhania Le Jayenge 1995

This song featuring Ranbir Kapoor and Minissha Lamba screams Switzerland in every shot. From riding a Vespa on Swiss roads to having fun on its snow-capped mountains to dancing in its streets against the beautiful backdrop of Swiss houses and cafes. Watch it to relive these moments.

Song of Bachna Ae Haseeno

This song opens with a beautiful shot of Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai in an embrace atop a mountain in Switzerland. And from here onwards you see some of the most stunning locations of this country. We bet you’d want to go to Switzerland after watching this video.

Song of Mohabbaten

Call Me ‘Dev’, Just ‘Dev’

These are the words of Dev Anand. In his autobiography 'Romancing With Life', he writes, "Those I am closest to, those who like and love me, I tell them, call me 'Dev', just 'Dev',"
Waheeda Rehman in an interview said  "My very first film in Hindi -- CID -- was with Dev Anand. I was a big fan of him. So you can imagine my excitement and nervousness at doing a film with him. On the very first day on the sets, when I called him 'Dev Saab' he turned around and said 'No no, call me Dev'.
"I couldn't bring myself to call him by his first name, that wasn't my upbringing. So I suggested I call him 'Anandji'. He glared at me and said, 'Do I look like a schoolteacher to you?' The next day when I called him 'Dev Saab' he looked around as though he didn't know whom I was addressing. I had to finally call him 'Dev' and 'Dev' he remained until the end."
Dev Anand was of the view that if any of his heroines call him Mr, Saab or Ji, it will be difficult for him to romance that heroine in that film. We all know how Dev Anand successfully worked as a romantic hero to the heroines much younger to him He is still called King of Romance.
Dev Anand in his biography wrote that his mother used to call him Dev so did his family members and the close circle of people around him. His father used to call him "Dev-aan. In Punjab "aan" being an additional pampered prolongation, very common calling somebody name.
When he was born "Dharam" was prefixed by their family purohit to Dev.to form his full name. This name continued all throughout his school and college days, in fact, many of his friends used to call him 'DD'. His full name was Dharam Dev Anand, Anand being his family Surname.
When he stepped out of that world and started to identify his identity, he decided to remove 'Dharam' thinking that the three-word name, 'Dharam Dev Anand' would be too heavy. He wanted to retain his surname so that if ever he attains any fame and glory his family should get its full credit for his achievements.
In his first film Hum Ek Hain released in 1946, he was introduced as Dev Anand. He continued to be Dev Anand in all future films. After a few years, people started to call him Dev Saab out of love and respect, maybe he started his company very early and became a boss.
In his biography he said that those I am close to, those who like and love me and I love them call me Dev, just 'Dev', short and sweet, just possessive

Song of Munimji 1955

Song of Paying Guest 1957

Song of Solva Saal 1958

Song of Love Marriage 1959

Song of Kala Bazar 1960

Song of Hum Dono 1961

Song of Asli Naqli 1962

Song of Tere Ghar Ke Samne 1963

Song of Sharabi 1964

Song of Guide 1965

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Tanuja- She Regrets Refusing Hare Rama Hare Krishna

 

Hamari Yaad Aayegi(1961) was Tanuja's debut heroine-centric film as an adult. The film gave her recognition as a "spontaneous actor". However, the film did not do well at the box-office She appeared in a few insignificant films after that. She was the heroine of Mehmood in the 1965 film 'Bhoot Bangla'.One of her early films noted for her acting was Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi (1966), It was Guru Dutt, who spotted a hidden talent on her and took her for this film. 

It was Jewel Thief (1967),that made her popular with the song 'Raat Akeli Hai' and 'Yeh Dil Na Hota Bechara' opposite Dev Anand. She got many offers of 2nd heroine in films after that. Her next big film was with Jeetendra; Jeene Ki Raah (1969), an immediate and surprise hit. In the same year, Tanuja won the Best Supporting Actress at Filmfare for Paisa Ya Pyar. After the success of Haathi Mere Saathi (1971), she acted in Door Ka Raahi, Mere Jeevan Saathi, Do Chor and Ek Baar Mooskura Do (1972), Kaam Chor, Yaarana, Khuddar, and Masoom. Some of the other films she has acted in are Pavitra Paapi,and Anubhav. 

In an interview Tanuha informed that when Dev Anand was starting Hare Rama Hare Krishna, he offered her the role if Jenice to her but I refused because it was a sister’s role. Of course, I regretted it later but I loved watching Zeenat do the role anyway..

Song of Mem Didi 1961

Song of Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi 1966

Song of Jewel Thief 1967

Song of Jeene Ki Rah 1969

Song of Haathi Mera Saathi 1971

Song of Anubhav 1971

Song of Do Chor 1972

Prem Naam Hai Mera - Prem Chopra

 

One of Bollywood’s most iconic actors, Prem Chopra(Born on 23rd Sept 1935) redefined the big-screen bad guy – a sneering, leering villain who commanded as much screen presence as the highly glorified heroes of his time. In this blog, I bring to you a list of a few of the most entertaining dialogues said by him. The most famous is "Prem Naam hai Mera… Prem Chopra" from Bobby and "Main Woh Balaa Hoon, Jo Sheeshey Se Patthar ko Todta Hoon." from Saturn released in 1983.

His first famous dialogue was from the 1970 film Kati Patang  "Main jo aag lagata hoon use boojhana bhi jaanta hoon" In 1973 Bobby released in which he did a guest appearance having the dialogue  " Prem naam hai mera, Prem Chopra" (My name is Prem, Prem Chopra) from the film Bobby became very popular. Another dialogue from Souten was - "Jinke Ghar Sheeshe Ke Hote Hain Woh Batti Bhujakar Kapde Badalte Hai"
 Some of his famous dialogues from the 1990s include - "Sharafat aur imaandaari ka certificate ye duniya sirf unhe deti hai jinke paas daulat hoti hai" from Aag Ka Gola (1990), "Bhains poonch uthayegi to gaana to nahi gayegi, gobar hi degi" from Aaj Ka Arjun (1990), "Tu Madhuri se thodi kum aur Mandakini se thodi zyada hai" from Aaj Ka Goonda Raj (1992), "Rajneeti ki bhains ke liye daulat ki lathi ki zaroorat hoti hai" from Khiladi (1992), "Kar bhala to ho bhala" from Raja Babu (1994) and "Nanga nahayega kya aur nichodega kya" from Dulhe Raja(1998).

Noorjahan- Inspiration for generations of singers

Noorjehan was the first female singing superstar of Indian cinema and helped laid the foundation for playback singing as we know it. She also inspired a generation of singers including Lata Mangeshkar before single-handedly kick-starting music in Pakistan. Her ability to enunciate with crystalline clarity and her skill in evoking the right emotion, especially in her sad songs, is what made her singing so popular.
She was India's most famous singer and actor before Independence. She had become a household name with such movies as Khandaan (1942), Naukar(1943), Dost (1944), Zeenat (1945), Village Girl (1945), Badi Ma(1945), Anmol Ghadi (1946) and Jugnu (1947).

In 1947, she decided to move to Pakistan along her husband Shaukat Hussain Rizvi. She left Bombay and settled in Karachi Pakistan. Three years after settling in Pakistan, she starred in her first Pakistani film Chan Wey (1951), opposite Santosh Kumar, which was also her first Pakistani film as a heroine and playback singer. Shaukat Hussain Rizvi and Noor Jehan directed this film together, making Jehan Pakistan's first female director. Jehan's second film in Pakistan was Dopatta (1952) which was Produced by Aslam Lodhi, Directed by Sibtain Fazli and assisted by A. H. Rana as Production Manager. Dopatta turned out to be an even bigger success than Chan Wey (1951).

She had problems in her marriage and got divorced due to personal differences. She kept custody of the three children from their marriage. In 1959, she married another film actor, Ejaz Durrani, nine years her junior.
After her second marriage, she didn't work in many films. Her husband pressured her to give up acting, and her last film as a lead role was Mirza Ghalib (1961). She last acted in Baaji in 1963, though not in a leading role. She continued singing after that. She sang a large number of duets with Ahmed Rushdi, Mehdi Hassan, Masood Rana, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Mujeeb Aalam.
She visited India in 1982 to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Indian talkie movies, where she met Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in New Delhi and was received by Dilip Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar in Bombay. She met all her erstwhile heroes and costars, including Surendra, Pran, Suraiya, composer Naushad and others. 
After 1986 she was not keeping well so she stopped singing assignments. In 2000, Jehan was hospitalised in Karachi and suffered a heart attack. On 23 December 2000. Jehan died as a result of heart failure. Her funeral took place at Jamia Masjid Sultan, Karachi and was attended by over 400,000 people. She was buried at the Gizri Graveyard in Karachi.
She received more than 15 Nigar Awards for Best Female Playback Singer, eight for best Urdu Singer Female and the rest for Punjabi playback. She has also been given the award for the Singer Of Millennium.

Song of Khandan 1942

Song of Anmol Ghadi (1946) 

Song of Anmol Ghadi (1946) 

Song of Anmol Ghadi (1946) 

Song of Jugnu (1947)