Showing posts with label film review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label film review. Show all posts

Sunday 12 January 2020

Milap (1955) - Not a Typical Dev Anand Film




Could you imagine a film in which Dev Anand not singing a song? He once rejected the film Zanzeer (which later Amitabh Bachchan did) because there was no song for him in the script.  Hard to comprehend how Raj Khosla could pass a script where the hero does not sing a song. In fact, there is a very beautiful solo song by Hemant Kumar which was also sung by lata Mangeshkar as solo but Hemant Kumar version was not included in the film.
The film was released in 1955, the year that saw Dev Anand in great form. “Insaniyat” featured him with Dilip Kumar and he enjoyed hits like “House No 44”, “Munimji” and “CID”. A year earlier, “Taxi Driver” had showcased his acting talents.
 Dev Anand had hits like “Ziddi”, “Baazi” and “Jaal” before “Milap” graced the screen and this was his sixth movie with the hugely talented Geeta Bali.

 Dev Anand playing a dreamy-eyed villager, dressed in shirt-pajama, unthinkable and unacceptable, we miss his mannerism. Lovely and talented Geeta Bali is the heart and soul of this movie.KN Singh makes for a great, slimy, sophisticated villain as always but the Johnny Walker comedy act is a big, big weakness in the film. In particular, the tacky endless sequence with Johnny behind the wheel of the car just seems to go on and on and gets on one’s nerves after a while.
This film was the first film by Raj Khosla as a director, before that he was an assistant to Guru Dutt. The music was composed by Datta Naik, while Sahir Ludhianvi wrote the lyrics for the songs
Song of Milap 1955


Song of Milap 1955



Song of Milap 1955



Song of Milap 1955



Song of Milap 1955

Friday 3 January 2020

Chetan Anand – The man behind Neecha Nagar


Long before the Art Cinema or Parallel cinema’s existence, Chetan Anand’s passion for filmmaking gave birth to the Art Cinema in 1946 by making Neecha Nagar. This was his debut film as a Director.
This film was a social drama and also the debut film for Pandit Ravi Shankar who scored the music, the debut film of Kamini Kaushal. It also starred his wife Uma Anand as a heroine, Rafiq Ahmed, and Zohra Sehgal. 


Neecha Nagar was awarded the Grand Prix Prize (Now Golden Palm) at the first-ever Cannes Film Festival in 1946.It had to compete with many amazing films that year like Roberto Rossellini’s Rome, Open City (Italy), David Lean’s Brief Encounter (UK), and Billy Wilder’s The Lost Weekend (USA). It is indeed a proud thing to say that it won the hearts of critics and viewers alike and emerged as a winner for the category.
You would be surprised to note that this film was not released in India even it won the prestigious award. Neecha Nagar was an expressionistic take on a social problem where a town is divided into an upper Ooncha Nagar and a lowly Neecha Nagar. 
The villagers of 'Neecha Nagar' harbor hate for Sarkar and their hatred is fueled even more by the fact that Sarkar plans to direct all the sewage into the village in order to make way for his housing project. The villagers protest this move with their head, Balraj (Rafiq Anwar) leading a movement against Sarkar's plan. Sarkar's daughter Maya (Uma Anand) joins the movement against her father and falls in love with Balraj.
 It is a poetic portrayal of destitution and deprivation of rural India and highlights the exploitation of the poor peasants by the aristocracy. The music of the film is noteworthy for its lyrics as much as for the fact that it happens to be the first film of Pandit Ravi Shankar as a Music Director. Two of the songs are revolutionary battle cries and it is surprising how the British authorities allowed them uncut.
Song of Neecha Nagar 1946



Song of Neecha Nagar


Song of Neecha Nagar 1946


Song of Neecha Nagar 1946


Wednesday 1 January 2020

Patita (1953) - A Heroine Orined Film


Released on 1st January 1953, Patta was a musical hit film of Dev Anand. After the success of Jaal and Rahi, it was Dev Anand's rare film being heroine oriented. Usha Kiran was the heroine of this film.

  The film is especially well known for some very melodious and popular songs  Shankar Jaikishan has used Talat Mahmood for Dev Anand’s playback voice in this film. He sang three songs in this film – Andhe Jahan Ke Andhe RaasteTujhe Apne Paas Bulati Hai Teri Duniya and  Hai Sabse Madhur Woh Geet – all these three got etched into the All-Time Best of Talat Mahmood songs. The lyrics were written by Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri. Hasrat Jaipuri wrote the only song, a Hemant Kumar- Lata Mangeshkar duet – Yaad Kiya Dil Ne Kaha Ho Tum – for the film, which also has been an all-time hit. The other two Lata Mangeshkar songs were thus destined to remain in the shadow of the brightly shining glory of these four songs, even though each of them remains a very special  Lata Mangeshkar songs.
Song of Patita 1953



Song of Patita 1953



Song of Patita 1953



Song of Patita 1953



Song of Patita 1953



Song of Patita 1953



Wednesday 23 October 2019

Dev Anand starrer Mahal completes 50 years


This Dev Anand film was released in 1969 on the first day of that year. It is a fast-paced thriller with very good music. Almost all the songs were very popular 50 years ago and still liked by Dev's fans.
The music by Kalyanji Anandji had some brilliant and soulful compositions like – “Ankhon Ankhon Mein Hum Tum”, “Yeh Duniyawala Poochenge” and  “ Aiyee, Aap Ka Tha Hamein Intezaar”(This was one of the earliest films of Farida Jalal and she has performed a sexy dance number along with Dev Anand. )

Dev Anand who plays a simple and poor driver cum assistant to a rich boss (Abhi Bhattacharya) in Kolkata. He needed money for his sister's wedding, when out of the blue a stranger offers him money in return for playing an imposter of a brother in law for a dying old man in Darjeeling who owns a palace and of course millions worth of property.

He falls in love with a rich girl (Asha Parekh) In the middle of the film he falls into a vicious trap where he is caught red-handed in front of a dead man, who is actually the owner of the palace but not the one Dev had been meeting there till now. Farida Jalal as the seductive nurse complicates the matters.

 Dev Anand now on the run from the law to prove his innocence. The identity of the real villain remains a mystery and the climax comes as a surprise.
The first half of this film is solid entertainment, pretty songs, beautiful Darjeeling, and plenty of sparks between Dev Anand and Asha Parekh.  Mahal is a lot of fun and I’d recommend to watch it again.
Songs of Mahal
Song of Mahal 1969


Song of Mahal 1969


Song of Mahal 1969


Song of Mahal 1969


Song of Mahal 1969


Song of Mahal 1969


Tuesday 29 January 2019

Second Look - Cha Cha Cha 1964


There are films which are Popular, commercially successful, some are critically acclaimed but not successful at the Box office. Many of such films are forgotten.; In this Blog, I wish to refresh your memory by bringing back these films. This would also help the new generation who are not familiar with these films
This film was written, produced, directed and acted by Chandrashekhar. The film was a Box office success. The film has Helen as its Heroine for the first time and the last time. The highlight of the film is its music by Iqbal Qureshi. This was also the first film of the Poet, lyricist Neeraj.

Two memorable songs are written by Neeraj. Sung by Rafi "Woh Hum Na The, Woh Tum Na The"and "Subah Na Aayi, Sham Na Aayi". Another outstanding song is "Ek Chameli Ke Mandve Tale"

This is a story of a girl Lali played by Helen who returns from abroad. She adjusts to life in India along with her devout Hindu mother, Laxmi; an easy-going father, Dinanath; two sisters, Kalpana and Geeta, and spends most of her time dancing along with her sisters and friends. On her way to the Mandir, she assumes a singer, Puranchand, is teasing her and she slaps him but ends up apologizing when she is told that he is blind. Guilt-ridden, she makes arrangements for him to be taken to Bombay, has his vision restored, and both fall in love with each other. Dinanath takes a liking to Puranchand and not only gets him a job but also wants him to wed Lali. About to inform his parents, Puranchand does not know that Dinanath has actually instructed Lali not to see him anymore as he is a Harijan (Lower-Caste).

The unique thing in this film a twenty minute non-stop songless sequences of dance like Twist, waltz, foxtrot and Cha Cha Cha 
Song of Cha Cha Cha 1964



Song of Cha Cha Cha 1964


Song of Cha Cha Cha 1964


Dance Competition of Cha Cha Cha 1964


Song of Cha Cha Cha 1964


Thursday 24 January 2019

Teen Deviyan - A Film way ahead of its time.


Teen Deviyan was released in 1965. That was the era when ideal Hindi film heroes were largely variants of epic heroes Ram and Yudhishtir but here Dev Anand romancing with three heroines. The movie panders to the male ego as the three attractive women throwing themselves at Dev while he gently keeps stepping aside. The women want him but they were also willing to move on if it doesn't work.
Teen Devian starts off to a commentary by Ameen Sayani, as the camera moves through Calcutta's streets, the pretty Nanda (Nanda) finds herself, as she sees it, being followed. She even sees this man following her to the house where she visits. At this point, Nanda loses her temper and yells at Dev, threatening to call the police. The house owner clears the misunderstanding. After some time they fell in love.

Dev  Anand plays Dev Dutt who is a salesman in a music store in Calcutta. He also writes poems. One day he comes across a celebrated actress Kalpana (Kalpana) to whom he proves in their first confrontation that he is not overwhelmed by glamorous women and does not allow them to dominate him. In the course of a series of meetings, Kalpana also starts liking Dev.

The third Devi(heroine) comes to his life in the form of Radha Rani (Simmi), a socialite who is intelligent and an ardent music lover. Torn between his three beloveds, Dev has a tormented life which is a mixture of uncertainties, pathos and restlessness. He ultimately opts for the simple middle-class Nanda in whom he finds his real love and life partner.
Dev Anand as Dev Dutt is confident, smart and looks divine in his urban costumes many of which became trendsetters of that period. 

The highlight of the film is its music. The lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri tuned to immortality by S.D. Burman. All the six songs, “Aise To Na Dekho”, “Likha Hai Teri”, “Are Yaar Meri”, “Khwab Ho Ya”, “Kaye Be Khayal Hoke” and “Kitni Sardi” rendered by Mohammad Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle are super hits, well conceived and picturised. All the songs are listened and watched even now and create the same euphoria as at the time of its release. 

Teen Deviyan despite of great music and Dev Anand is at his peak was an average earner in Box Office. The reason being, it was given A certificate and was in Black & White, that time colour films were attraction The film was released on 1st Jan 1965

Song of Teen Deviyan 1965


Song of Teen Deviyan 1965


Song of Teen Deviyan 1965


Song of Teen Deviyan 1965


Song of Teen Deviyan 1965



Saturday 19 January 2019

Footpath 1953 Film Review


This film was released in 1953. The film was a flop but the film earned critical acclaims for Dilip Kumar's Performance. Dilip Kumar in an interview said "My scene of breaking down after my elder brother Bani passes away remains my all type favourite scenes"
The film stars Dilip KumarMeena Kumari, and Anwar Hussain. The music of the film is by Timir Baran and Khayyam. The highlight of the film is One of the finest Ghazals "Sham e Gham Ki Kasam by Talat Mahmood.


Tired of being poor, Noshu(Dilip Kumar), a newspaperman, abandons his scruples and starts to make money as a black marketeer. He gains his fortune but ruins his brother's life causing him to lose his job, his home and his wife whilst simultaneously losing his own self-respect and that of his former neighbours and his girl. Tormented by his conscience, he writes an expose′ of the illegal trade, but cannot prevent his own brother becoming a victim when an epidemic rages unchecked because criminals have stockpiled all the medicine.
Meena Kumari performs very convincingly matching Dilip Kumar’s intensity in every scene. She never appears vulgar during her bathing scene. Romesh Thapar is restrained and Achla Sachdev tries hard to appear heartless. Anwar Hussain does not impress too much. The other actors are just adequate.

A taut screenplay and meaningful dialogues penned by Zia Sarhadi make “Footpath” a truly memorable film. Sarhadi showed a lot of promise and eye for detail. The sequences shot indoors as well as in the black-marketing den shot in natural light sans cinematic jugglery by N. Raiaram is really convincing. 
Songs of Footpath













Thursday 10 January 2019

Shayar 1949 film Review


Shayar is a 1949 film. It is a triangle love story between Dev Anand, Suriya and Kamini Kaushal. In the same year, another triangle love story film Andaz was released but the difference was the triangle was between two heroes and a heroine.
The film was written & directed by M S Chawla and produced under the banner of Jagat Pictures. Dev Anand plays a poet who is caught between his childhood sweetheart and a girl from the city who sings his poems on the radio. spends an inordinate amount of time with light comedy in-between by Agha, contrived even by the standards of missed identity farce. would probably rate this higher, just in light of the charming cast and very good music. There are 10 songs in this film, all composed by Ghulam Mohammad and written by Shakeel Badyuni.


 There is a duet sung by Mukesh for Dev Anand.and Lata for Kamini Kaushal















Tuesday 1 January 2019

50 Years of the film PRINCE


On the 1st Jan 1969 released Shammi Kapoor's hit film, Prince. It was produced by F. C. Mehra and directed by Lekh Tandon. The film stars Shammi Kapoor with Vyjayanthimala in the lead with RajendranathAjitHelen, etc. The film grossed around 4,00,00,000 with a net of 2,00,00,000, thus becoming the fourth highest grossing film of 1969 with a verdict of a hit at Box Office India.
The team of producer F. C. Mehra, director Lekh Tandon, actor Shammi Kapoor and musicians Shankar-Jaikishan had earlier worked together on the hit film Professor (1962). The songs of that film are some of the immortal songs of Mohammad Rafi.
This is a really fun film, and though Shammi is admittedly towards the end of his career as a hero, he is still the Shammi who made hearts go pitter-patter. The songs are classic Shanker-Jaikishan-Rafi-Shammi, with the dance-off between Helen and Vijayanthimala probably its most well-known feature. 

The film is about how wealth and privilege do not guarantee happiness, Shammi Kapoor plays Prince Shamsher Singh, the jaded, bored, arrogant son of the Maharajah of Ramnagar (Ulhas). He is an irresponsible, alcoholic, and womanizing adult, who wants everyone to bow down before him and his princely rank. One priest refuses to do so, and Shamsher pummels him mercilessly, though in vain. Frustrated, he asks the priest what he should do with his mundane life, and the priest tells him that he should repent, sacrifice all his palatial pleasures, and live the life of a simple and ordinary man, and hence learn the true meaning of life, for at least six months. Shamsher agrees to do so and arranges an accident with his car, which plummets down a mountain, explodes and is blown to smithereens. Everyone in the palace believes that Shamsher is dead. He goes to a nearby village, and a blind woman there mistakes him for her long-lost son and starts calling him Sajjan Singh. Shamsher decides to play along as Sajjan.
Once two corrupt officials meet him, they find him to be similar to Shamsher so they conspire with him to pose as Shamsher for a hefty sum of money, to which Sajjan agrees. When he accompanies the officials back to the palace, he is shocked to find that his father has remarried a much younger woman, Ratna, and shortly after marrying her, has died, leaving the palace and its management to her and her greedy brother. Shamsher decides to reveal his true identity, but the officials threaten to expose him to his new-found blind mother, and Shamsher knows that he is trapped in the body of Sajjan Singh, forced to pose as none other than himself.


It is a typically a masala film, Shammi Kapoor's fans will enjoy this film. When the movie was released Vyjayantimala was 39 and Shammi Kapoor just 5 years her senior and so and PRINCE doesn’t belong to their prime. The most famous aspect of Prince, for many Indians, is the song “Badan pe Sitaare”. Even today, it is considered one of Shammi’s most popular songs. The story behind it is that Hasrat Jaipuri and Jaikishen went out to a nightclub on a trip to Paris. In the club, with all the glittering costumes around him, Jaikishen began writing the first few lines of this song (Badan pe Sitaare hue, o Jaane Tamanna Kidhar Ja Rahii ho, zara paas aao, to chain aa jaaye = Decked up so in glittering stars, where are you headed, my beloved…here, come to me, that I may get some solace). Hasrat Jaipuri then took it from there and they recorded the song when they got back to Bombay.
Song of Prince 1969



Song of Prince 1969


Song of Prince 1969



Song of Prince 1969


Song of Prince 1969



Song of Prince 1969



Saturday 15 December 2018

50 years of the release of SUNGHARSH


Five decades ago, another superstar took on the part of a thug in director Harnam Singh Rawail’s rather successful venture, Sunghursh (1968). That was Dilip Kumar, he gives a stirring performance, the real delight is when he breaks into a folk dance “Mere Pairon Mein Ghungroo Bandh De Aur Phir Meri Chaal Dekh Le”.   
The movie was released on 01 July 1968. The movie is directed by Harnam Singh Rawail and featured Dilip Kumar, Vyjayanthimala and Balraj Sahni as lead characters. A most surprising find of the movie was Sanjeev Kumar. His performance of negative role shot to fame. He was commended for his role while a newcomer as compared with established actors like Dilip Kumar and Balraj Sahni 

Set in Varanasi, this fast-paced film talks of thugs, the expert killers who were a terror in Northern India in the 19th Century. They used to rob the pilgrims by hook or crook. Adapted from a Mahasweta Devi work, director H.S. Rawail addresses the loot that goes on at pilgrim centres in the name of faith. How the practice of sacrifice is misused for personal gains and how men compromise love for spiritual virtues – issues that are a relevant event today…issues that our films generally talk of only in hushed tones.
It is said H S Rawail the director of the film wanted Sadhna to be the heroine in this film but she was not available because of her illness. Eventually, Rawail signed Vyjayanthimala for the role. Dilip Kumar and Vyjayanthimala who had worked together for Naya Daur (1957) and Ganga Jamuna were then said to have a romantic affair. The actors parted after Vyjayanthimala worked with Raj Kapoor in the 1964 Hindi film Sangam. Thus, most of the scenes between the two actors for Sungharsh were shot separately.Sungharsh was the last film where Kumar and Vyjayanthimala worked together.

The music for all the songs is composed by Naushad and the lyrics are written by Shakeel BadayuniThe film's soundtrack has seven songs sung by Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar with one song sung by Asha Bhosle. All are solo songs where Naushad used the music from the regions of Awadh and eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Song of Sungharsh 1968


Song of Sungharsh 1968


Song of Sungharsh 1968


Song of Sungharsh 1968


Saturday 1 December 2018

Kashti (Ferry) Film Review


Ferry the film was released in 1954, produced and directed by Hemen Gupta starring Dev Anand and Geeta Bali
Ferry is very different from the usual (mainly romantic or noir) films of Dev Anand film. Dev Anand in a Dhoti Kurta and playing the Sarod is surprising to his fans. In this film, Dev Anand plays a widower and father of 8 years child named Raju, on an island off of Bombay's Gateway of India. Raju has not been told of his mother's demise and believes that she will return home by the next boat. He is looked after and abused by Vikas' aunt and manages to run away. 

 When Vikas goes to work one day, villagers find an unconscious female and bring her to his house. She is looked after, and Raju believes that his mother has returned. When Vikas returns, he decides to let this female, whose name is Juhi, live with them - little knowing that she is a runaway prostitute.

The most interesting in the film is an instrumental Jugalbandi by Geeta Bali and Dev Anand playing the Sitar and Sarod respectively (Originally played by Pt. Nikhil Banerjee and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan). Music by Hemant Da.

                            An instrumental jugalbandi in the movie 'Ferry' (1954)

Song of 'Ferry' (1954)


Song of 'Ferry' (1954)

Song of 'Ferry' (1954)

Song of 'Ferry' (1954)

Song of 'Ferry' (1954)




Tuesday 6 November 2018

Rahi (1952) - India's First Film to Venice and Moscow International Film Festivals in 1954


The film starred Dev Anand and Nalini Jaywant with Balraj Sahni produced and directed by K A Abbas. The film was based on Mulk Raj Anand's novel "Two Leaves and a Bud". It was produced as a bilingual in Hindi as Rahi and in English as The Wayfarer, under the Naya Sansar banner. It was also dubbed in Russian. The Russian version called Ganga was released in the USSR

The story revolved around an ex-army man played by Dev Anand, who takes up a job in a tea estate, only to get disillusioned with the management, and his situation. Nalini Jaywant played his love interest as a tea leave picker. Her acting was appreciated in the film getting "great critical acclaim".
Dev Anand sans mannerisms delivers a sincere and honest performance, Balraj Sahni shines as usual in his cameo, David proves his brilliance in villainy
The songs melodiously tuned by Anil Biswas are rendered by Hemant Kumar, Geeta Dutt.
Song of Rahi 1953



Song of Rahi 1953



Song of Rahi 1953



Song of Rahi 1953