Nutan- She Made 'Kalyani' of Bandini an Immortal

 

Nutan's portrayal as Kalyani, which is regarded as one of the finest performances in the history of Indian cinema. The film won the Filmfare Award for Best Movie and she received her third Best Actress Award for this film. This film was the last directorial film of Bimal Roy. 

Nutan was pregnant with Mohnish Bahl when Bimal Roy (who had worked with her in Sujata) offered her Bandini. She wanted to have a break from the films during that time but this role tempted her to work during pregnancy. She gave an ultimate performance and made Kalyani an immortal. Bandini revolves around Kalyani and was also the only film to have depicted the sacrifice made by ordinary rural women during the Indian independence struggle.

The film begins with Kalyani (Nutan), a thin cotton-sari-clad bandini in jail. She's outwardly subdued but there is passion obviously raging within her.  She volunteers herself to care for a severely ill and contagious TB patient, with evidently little concern for her own life. The acting by Nutan was nuanced in a way that is rare for today barring certain screams, she sticks to an internal rhythm, letting her eyes, her slightly downturned lips, and her listless expression convey all the grief as she goes about her work. 

 Kalyani, the all suffering, selfless, sacrificing, and strong, yet weak Indian woman. She must make a choice between two very different men, Devendra (Dharmendra), the loving prison doctor, and Bikash (Ashok Kumar), a man from her past.

Surprisingly, Nutan is given no songs in the first half; “O panncchi pyaare and Ab ke baras bhej bhaiyya ko babul” were reserved for the second half.

She was an actress who could change gears with well-oiled efficiency: She was the very essence of featherweight froth in films like Paying Guest and Anadi and made a splash by posing in a swimsuit for Delhi Ka Thug. Nutan also gave cry-from-the-soul performances in Sone Ki Chidiya (as an exploited actress) She acted in Shammi Kapoor extavaganzas like Laat Sahab clad in skirts and pants, sari-clad, self-sacrificing Saraswatichandra mould, secretly wiping away a tear and singing Main toh bhool chali babul ka desh. This hit garba song was one of Nutan's few, full-fledged dance numbers.
 Nutan continued to get interesting roles even after she crossed 40. She could portray strength of character --- as seen in her award-winning role in Raj Khosla's Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki and others like Saajan Bina Suhagan, Saajan Ki Saheli, Teri Maang Sitaron Se Bhar Doon, Rishta Kagaz Ka.

Nutan was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer in 1990.^] In February 1991, she was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai after she fell ill. At the time, she was filming Garajna and Insaniyat. She died at 12:07 p.m. (IST) on 21 February.

Aaja Nachle with Madhuri Dixit

 

Madhuri Dixit is one of those few actresses who is aging so gracefully that with every passing year, she only ends up looking even more beautiful. She has given us some iconic songs like, Ek Do Teen, Tamma Tamma Loge, Kay Sera Sera that are definitely going to stay with us forever. she is blessed by the Gods of dance and in the industry that heavily relies on its culture of song and dance, she became a goddess.

Madhuri Dixit gave Bollywood some of its biggest hits in the 90s. From Choli Ke Piche Kya Hai To Dhak Dhak to Dola Re Dola, Bollywood's dancing diva had many hits to her name. Today, we take a look at some of her dance hit songs in a career spanning over three decades.

In this blog, I have selected 15 dance songs by Madhuri Dixit.

Song of Tezab (1988)

Song of  Kishen Kanhaiya (1990)

Song of  Sailaab (1990)

Song of  Thanedar (1990)

Song of  Beta (1992)

Song of  Khalnayak (1993)

Song of  Anjam (1994)

Song of Hum Apke hain Kaun (1994)

Song of Raja(1995)

Song of Yarana (1995)

Song of Dil Toh Pagal hai (1997)

Song of Pukar (2000)

Song of Lazza (2001)

Song of Devdas (2002)

Song of Aaja Nachle (2007)

Pakeezah was Meena Kumari's Swan Song

 

Pakeezah took 16 years to reach the celluloid. The film started on July 16, 1956, and released on February 4, 1972. It was a dream project of Kamal Amrohi, he wanted his wife Meena Kumari to be Sahibjaan of Pakeezah.

Pakeezah was conceptualised in 1954 as a Black & White venture. The mujra 'Inhin logon ne' was shot on July 16, 1956 , interestingly at that time the script was not ready, nor the star cast was decided, even the hero was not decided,the next several years went in scouting for locations, deciding on a leading man, writing and rewriting various bits of the film. 

By 1964, the film had still not been completed, while Meena Kumari had become a superstar, with films like Kohinoor (1960), Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962) and many others. That was also the year she and Kamal Amrohi separated, causing another blow to their already much-delayed dream production.

In the meantime, Meena Kumari got addicted to alcohol and her health got affected. She was not talking to Kamal Amrohi after her separation but she agreed to restart the shooting of this film after a gap of 5 years. It is said that Nargis and Sunil Dutt persuaded her to complete the film.

Kamal Amrohi, who was a poet also wrote 'Sochta hoon ek shahkaar banaoon/Ek insaan ko izraar banaoon', he initially naming it 'Daaman-e-Paak' (Pure entity), when Kamal Amrohi consulted a nujoomi (astrologer) at Unnao in UP, he suggested to give a name beginning with the PE letter of Urdu alphabet.

Pakeezah’s shooting commenced again in 1969. The first shot showed Meena Kumari in a shirt and a lungi walking along with a tent singing “Mausam Hai Ashiqana”. The shooting of the film kept getting delayed due to Meena Kumari’s painful illness. Her liver had bloated; she was unable to dance and found it difficult to even walk a few steps.

For the last song in the film –“Teer E Nazar Dekhenge”, Padma Khanna was appointed to act as her duplicate. Meena Kumari was not well those days but she wanted to complete the film. Padma Khanna in an interview that the fastidious Meena Kumari was fabulous in her attention to detail and that Meena Kumari had amazing directorial acumen. Meena Kumari had the final word on the sets even though the film was helmed by Kamal Amrohi. 

Meena Kumari gave her best performance in this film despite her worsening health condition. She attended the premiere of the film at Maratha Mandir. The film was received lukewarm at the Box Office but when the news of Meena Kumari admitting in the hospital spread, it gained momentum.

 it was Meena Kumari's untimely death on 31 March 1972 which acted as an ultimate push and made it one of the top grosser of that year. Pakeezah was house-full for 33 weeks and even celebrated its silver jubilee in many cinema halls all over the country.

Song of Pakeezah 1972

Nalini Jaywant - The Dimpled Beauty Heroine of the 40s & 50s

 

Nalini Jaywant  (18 February 1926 – 22 December 2010) was an Indian film actress who appeared in Hindi films in the 1940s and 1950s. She was the heroine of Ashok Kumar and also the heroine of  Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand 

She made her debut in the 1941 film Radhika she was only 14 at that time. . Her first big role as an actress, not a child artiste, came with Anokha Pyar (1948) where she starred with A-list co-stars in Dilip Kumar and Nargis.  She became a top star with her performances opposite Ashok Kumar in Samadhi and Sangram in 1950. She made a winning pair with Ashok Kumar; they acted together in 10 films during their careers. In fact, in 1950 her other film Aankhe opposite Bharat Bhushan was also a hit.

She was the heroine of Dev Anand in the 1952 film Rahi and later she was again the heroine of Dev Anand in Munimji(1955). She worked with Dev Anand in Kala Pani(1958, not as his heroine but played a courtesan Kishori who holds the key to free an innocent man falsely accused of murder, Nalini Jaywant picked up the Filmfare Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role

She was the heroine of Ajit, who later got fame as a villain in the 1954 hit film Nastik. Even though she and Ashok Kumar had great chemistry onscreen and starred in a number of hits and blockbusters, her biggest hit was opposite the actor Ajit with Nastik (1954). 

Nalini Jaywant was also a singer, in those days it was mandatory for hero or heroines to have a singing ability. She sang more than 40 songs in films. Here are a few rare songs sung by Nalini Jaywant 

Song of Behan 1941

Song of Nirdosh1941   Audio

Song of  Gunjan 1948  Audio

Song of  Hindustan Hamara 1950  Audio

Songs Picturized on Nalini Jaywant sung by other singer

Song of Samadhi (1950)

Song of Naujawan(1951)

Song of Shikast 1953

Song of Nastik 1954

Song of Munimji 1955

Song of Hum Sab Chor Hain (1956)

Song of Kala Pani (1958)

Nanda- The Journey of Baby Nanda to the Leading Actress

 

Nanda(8 January 1939 – 25 March 2014) started her career in films as a child artist. It was her father who took her in his film Mandir (1948). While making the film her father expired, the film was completed by Dinakar Patil. After her father's untimely death, she decided to do films besides attending the school. First, she did Jaggu (1952) as a child artist in which Shyama was playing the heroine. In 1954 she did Jagadguru Shankaracharya. In the same year, she did Angaray directed by K.B. Lal that starred Nargis and Nasir Khan 

V Shantaram was her uncle, who gave her break as a leading actress in the 1956 film 'Toofan Aur Diya'. She played the role of sister in this film. After that, she was offered roles of sister or side roles in many films. Kala Bazar was one such film in which she played the role of a sister of the hero Dev Anand.

Bhabhi(1957) was a significant film for her, she was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress for this film. In this film also she played the role of a sister. Again in 1958, she played the sister of the hero Raj Kumar in Dulhan. She once again plays sister in 1959 film 'Chhoti Behan', recall the immortal 'Rakhi' song "Bhaiya Mere Rakhi Ke Bandhan Ko Nibhana".

In 'Dhool Ka Phool'(1959), she was the second lead actress to Mala Sinha, she didn't play the sister here but was not the leading actress. She won the Best Supporting Actress award for the 1960 film 'Aanchal'. In 1961 she was taken as one of the leading actresses for Dev Anand in Hum Dono, the success of this film made her a leading actress. She became the heroine of Shashi Kapoor in 'Char Diwari', Raj Kapoor in 'Aashiq'(1962), Sunil Dutt in 'Nartaki' and 'Aaj Aur Kal'.

Her most remarkable year was 1965 when 6 of her films as leading actress released. Teen Deviyan.Gumnam and Jab Jab Phool Khile were memorable.

In 'Jab Jab Phool Khile', Nanda played her career's first westernized role and paired up with Shashi Kapoor with whom she went on to do eight films. She worked with Rajesh Khanna in 'The Train' when he was just starting out as an actor. She also worked with him in 'Ittefaq' and 'Joru Ka Gulam'.
Manoj Kumar took her in Shor released in 1972. She made a brief return to acting in 1982 as a character actress where she played the onscreen mother of Padmini Kolhapure in 'Ahista Ahista', 'Mazdoor' R K Films Prem Rog 

'Mazdoor' (1983) was her last film, she played the wife of Dilip Kumar in this film. She died in Mumbai on 25 March 2014 at her Versova residence, aged 75, following a heart attack.

Song of Toofan aur Diya 1956

Song of Chhoti Bahen 1959

Song of Usne Kaha Tha 1960

Song of Hum Dono 1961

Song of  Aaj Aur Kal 1964

Song of  Jab Jab Phool Khile 1965

Song of Teen Deviyan 1965

Song of Gumnaam 1965

Song of The Train 1970

Song of Shor 1972

SIMI GAREWAL- Way Ahead Of Her Time, Excelled in Supportive Roles

 

 Simi has always been ahead of her times. In an era where actresses even refused to kiss, Simi never hesitated from flaunting her svelte figure if the role demanded that. Recall her nude scene in the film Sidhartha which caused some controversy in India.  Her immaculate dressing sense was an inspiration for many

She was excellent in supportive roles, she was one of the heroines of Dev Anand in Teen Deviyan. She played the third angle in Raj Khosla's love story Do Badan (1966) She played a spoilt rich girl in Saathi(1968) who sets her eyes on Rajendra Kumar and marries him -- though he remains faithful to his first love Vyjayanthimala. She was awarded as Best Supportive Actress for both the films.

She was born (17th Oct 1947)in Muktsar, Punjab, India, in a Jat Sikh family. Her father, J. S. Garewal served in the Indian Army rising to the rank of Brigadier. After spending much of her childhood in England, Garewal returned to India while a teenager. Her felicity with the English language induced the makers of the English-language film Tarzan Goes to India to offer her a role. A gangly 15-year-old, Garewal made her debut alongside Feroz Khan in Raaz Ki Baat in 1962

During the 1960s and '70s, she was in several notable Indian films, working with leading directors such as Mehboob Khan's Son of India,  Satyajit Ray cast her in his Bengali film Aranyer Din Ratri (1969), Raj Kapoor in Mera Naam Joker (1970)., She was in a supportive role in Ramesh Sippy's Andaz (1971), In Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Namak Haram (1973), she was the rich but eternally sympathetic voice of sanity who tries to curb Amitabh Bachchan's anger. In Prakash Mehra's Haath Ki Safai (1974), she just threw her long hair around in the hit number, Waada Kar le Saajna.   

By the mid-1970s, Simi's career seemed to have run out of steam. Films like Chalte Chalte, which cast her as an older woman opposite newcomer Vishal Anand did not make waves despite the melodious music; while a blockbuster like Kabhi Kabhie had her in a peripheral role (as Neetu Singh's foster mother). Another notable role she played was as a vamp in Karz (1980). 

 In the early 1980s, her attention turned to writing and direction. She formed her own production company, Siga Arts International. She hosted, produced and directed a TV series for Doordarshan called It's a Woman's World (1983). She also made a documentary for Channel 4 in the UK called Living Legend Raj Kapoor (1984). This was followed by a three-part documentary on Rajiv Gandhi titled India's Rajiv.

In the late 90s, she anchored a talk show in Television   Rendezvous with Simi Garewal which became very popular with the elite class.

Song of Teen Deviyan 1965

Song of Johar Mehmood in Goa 1966

Song of  Do Badan 1966

Song of  Saathi 1968

Song of Mera Naam Joker 1970

Song of Haath Ki Safai 1974

Song of Chalte Chalte 1976

Song of Karz 1980