50 Years of Gopi

 

Recall the song 'Gentleman Gentleman Gentleman' sung by Mahendra Kapoor. Yes, this was a very popular song of 1970, picturized on Dilip Kumar in the film Gopi. This film was released on 28th Aug 1970. It stars Dilip Kumar, Saira Banu, Pran, Om Prakash, Durga Khote, Farida Jalal, Johnny Walker, Lalita Pawar, and Aruna Irani. The film was a Jubilee Hit with hit music by Kalyanji Anandji. The film had 5 songs, all the songs were very popular. "Ramchandra Keh Gaye Siya Se" and  "Ek Padosan Peechhe Pad Gayi" were very popular. 

According to film expert Rajesh Subramanian, Rajendra Kumar was first signed for the film. The producers felt Saira Banu and Dilip Kumar would make a perfect pair and requested Rajendra Kumar to return the signing amount and quit the film.

Dilip Kumar plays Gopi, who is a simpleton of a village. He lives with his elder stepbrother played by Om Prakash, bhabhi played by Nirupa Roy and younger sister played by Farida Jalal. Om Prakash works for a local Lala played by Pran. Om Prakash keeps all his savings with Pran so that in future he needs for the marriage for Farida Jalal.

 Saira Banu along with her aunt comes to their home for a few days, Saira Banu fell in love with Dilip Kumar. There are a few songs picturized on them'

Farida Jalal's marriage got fixed so Om Prakash goes to the landlord Lala (Pran) to take back money, which he had saved for Nandini's wedding but gets thrown out of the house. Gopi forcibly gets the money but is accused by the landlord of stealing. Sent out of the house by Girdhari, Gopi leaves for the city and vows to come back only after making enough money for Nandini's wedding.

The highlight of the film was the acting of Dilip Kumar and Om Prakash. It is said that when Dilip Kumar heard the script of gopi he felt only Om Prakash could play his older brother. When Om Prakash was offered this movie as Dilip Kumar wanted only him to play this role Om Ji agreed on one condition that he would be paid 1 rupee more than Dilip Kumar. Dilip Kumar gladly accepted his condition. And what a performance by both actors.

The film's music is by Kalyanji Anandji and the lyrics were penned by Rajinder Krishan.

Song	Singer
"Akele Hi Akele Chala Hai Kahan"	Lata Mangeshkar
"Ramchandra Keh Gaye Siya Se"	Mahendra Kapoor
"Gentlemen Gentlemen"	Lata Mangeshkar, Mahendra Kapoor
"Ek Padosan Peechhe Pad Gayi"	Lata Mangeshkar, Mahendra Kapoor
"Sukh Ke Sab Saathi, Dukh Mein Na Koi"	Mohammed Rafi

Song of Gopi 1970

Song of Gopi 1970

Song of Gopi 1970

Song of Gopi 1970

Song of Gopi 1970

Rajendra Kumar- The Jubilee Kumar

It was between 1959 and 1966 that he reached the peak of his career and acquired the name of Jubilee Kumar which will be his for the times to come. There were times when he had six or seven films that had run for more than 25 weeks.
 He made his film debut with a small role in Kidar Sharma's 1950 film Jogan, opposite Dilip Kumar and Nargis.that was a Jubilee hit. His first film as a hero was 'Vachan'released after 5 years of his debut was also a Jubilee hit. 
He got further success with his supporting role in Mehboob Khan's blockbuster epic film Mother India in 1957 in which he played Nargis's character's son. His first major success as a romantic leading man was in Amit Saxena's musical Goonj Uthi Shehnai (1959), co-starring Ameeta.
He came at a time when Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, and Raj Kapoor were ruling the Bollywood, he established himself and gave one hit film by another hit. In 1961, he had 8 films released out of these 5 films were Jubilee hit. The first film released that year was Pyaar Ka Saagar, then Aas Ka Panchhi, which was also the first film of filmmaker J Omprakash,, Gharana was the next followed by Sasural and Dharamputra, all were hit.
Some of his hit films of 60s are  Dil Ek Mandir (1963), Mere Mehboob (1963), Sangam (1964), Ayee Milan Ki Bela (1964), Arzoo (1965), Suraj (1966), Talash (1969) and Ganwaar (1970). He received the Filmfare Nomination for Best Actor for Dil Ek Mandir (1963), Ayee Milan Ki Bela (1964), Arzoo (1965), and as Best Supporting Actor for Sangam (1964)
But just when he was at his zenith after Suraj, the sun began to slowly set on Rajendra's career. Whether it was Aman and Palki [1967], Jhuk Gaya Aasmaan, and Saathi [1968] or Shatranj [1969], his films were disappointments. By that time Rajesh Khanna emerged as Super Star, he started giving hits after hits.
Rajendra Kumar was born on 20th July 1929 and died on July 12, 1999, Rajendra Kumar, an ace at playing a doctor grappling with life-threatening diseases (Dil Ek Mandir, Saathi), finally succumbed to cancer.

Song of Vachan 1955

Song of Goonj Uthi Shehnai (1959)

Song of Dhool Ka Phool 1959

Song of Gharana  1961

Song of Aas Ka Panchhi 1961

Song of Dil Ek Mandir  1963

Song of Hamrahi  1963

Song of Mere Mehboob  1963

Song of Sangam 1964

Song of Aarzoo 1965

Happy Birthday JAVED AKHTAR-The Dialogue-Weaver and Lyrical Maestro

Javed Akhtar was born on 17th Jan 1945 in Gwalior. His father Jan Nisar Akhtar was a Bollywood film songwriter and Urdu poet, and his mother Safia Akhtar was a singer, teacher and writer. He spent most of his childhood and was schooled in Lucknow. He graduated from Saifiya College in Bhopal
When Javed Akhtar arrived in Mumbai in 1964, he was a homeless man without any food or shelter. He struggled to find work in the Hindi film industry. He used to sleep under trees, or in corridors, until he took shelter in Kamal Amrohi Studio in Jogeshwari.
Initially he started working as a Clapper Boy in films,he met Salim Khan for the first time while filming ‘Sarhadi Lootera’, where Salim was an actor and Javed was a clapper boy. Javed was later made the dialogue-writer of the film as director SM Sagar was unable to find one.
He was offered to write a screenplay by Mr Devar of south for his south remake in hindi,he went to Salim Khan to join him for this film as a script writer.Later both were hired by G. P. Sippy's Sippy Films as resident screenwriters and produced the screenplays for successful films like Andaz, Seeta Aur Geeta, Sholay and Don.
Their first big success was the script for Andaz, followed by Adhikar (1971), Haathi Mere Saathi andSeeta Aur Geeta (1972). They also had hits in Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973), Zanjeer (1973), Haath Ki Safai (1974), Deewaar (1975), Sholay (1975), Chacha Bhatija (1977), Don (1978), Trishul (1978), Dostana (1980), Kranti (1981), Zamana (1985) and Mr. India (1987). They have worked together in 24 films including two Kannada films – Premada Kanike and Raja Nanna Raja. Of the 24 films they wrote 20 were hits.They  described as "the most successful scriptwriters of all-time", are also noted to be the first scriptwriters in Indian cinema to achieve star status. Javed and Salim split in 1982 due to ego issues.
He was aproached by Yash Chopra in 1981 to write Lyrics for his film Silsila,that was the first film when he emerged as a  successful Lyricist.It was in 1997 film Saaz where he recieved his National Award for the Best Lyricist and first Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist in 1995 for "Ek Ladki Ko Dekha" from 1942: A Love Story.
Javed and his first wife Honey Irani, whom he met on the sets of ‘Seeta Aur Geeta’, share the same birth date, January 17,with whom he had two children, Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar, both film directors and actors.Javed divorced Irani and later married Shabana Azmi, the daughter of another Urdu poet, Kaifi Azmi.

 Javed Akhtar has won the Filmfare Award fourteen times - seven times for Best Script, and seven times for Best Lyrics. He has won the National Award five times. In 2013, he received the Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu, India's second highest literary honour, for his poetry collection ‘Lava’. He is also a recipient of the Padma Shri (1999), Padma Bhushan (2007).He was a Rajya sabha M P from 2009 to 2015.

Listen & Enjoy the Magical Lyrics of Javed Akhtar. On his 72nd Birthday, 

Song from Silsila 1981

Song from Saath Saath 1982

Song from Saagar 1985

Song from Tezaab 1988

Song from 1942 A love Story 1994

Song from  Papa Kehte Hai 1996

Song from Saaz 1996

Song from Border 1997

Song from Yes Boss 1997

Song from Duplicate 1998

Song from Refugee 2000

Song from Lagaan 2001

Song from Kal Ho Na Ho 2003

Song from Main Hoon Na (2004)

Song from Veer-Zaara (2004)

Song from Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna 2006

Song from Jodhaa Akbar

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MANOJ KUMAR

Manoj Kumar (born Harikrishna Giri Goswami on 24 July 1937) is an award-winning Indian actor and director in Bollywood.He was born in in Abbottabad, which was then a part of Pre-Independent India. After making a little-noticed début in Fashion in 1957.In 1958 he was seen in two films with a small roles in Panchayat and Sahara. He did his debut as a hero in 1960 with Kaanch Ki Gudia  with Sayeeda Khan as his heroine.later his 2 films Piya Milan Ki Aas and Reshmi Rooma released but these films didn't boosted his career.

In 1962  Hariyali Aur Raasta opposite Mala Sinha was released The film was the fourth highest grosser of the year and declared a 'Hit' at the Indian Box Office. The Music was given by Shankar Jaikishan, and with lyrics by Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri, together they created songs like "Ibteda-e-Ishk Mein Hum Saari Raat Jaage", Allah Jaane Kya Hoga Aage" song by Mukesh and Lata, plus a perennial Diwali hit, "Lakhon Taare Aasman Mein Ek Magar Dhunde Na Mila", "Dekh Ke Duniya Ki Diwali Dil Mera Chup Chap Jala" again by Lata and Mukesh

In 1963 two of his films Ghar Basake Dekho and Grahasti released.Both were family dramas,In fact Grahasti was the first film to "start the trend" of family dramas being made in South India.The film premiere was held at the Naaz Theatre in Bombay on 28 February 1963. The songs and story were appreciated by the critics. With the crowds "storming" the theatre,MotherIndia magazine commented that "Grahasti has pleased the masses.The film was a big office-office success.,Asha Bhosle's rendition of the song "Jeevan Jyot Jale" won her the "Mian Tansen Award". The song was cited as the best song of 1963 out of the 544 songs released that year from a total of 77 films. The other popular number from the film was Geeta Dutt's "Ding Dong Ding Dong Ding Lala". The music composer was Ravi and the lyrics were by Shakeel Badayuni. The playback singers were Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi, Asha Bhosle, Geeta Dutt and Usha Mangeshkar.

In 1964  "Woh Kaun Thi"  black-and-white psychological mystery film directed by Raj Khosla, starring Sadhana Shivdasani, Manoj Kumar and Prem Chopra.Music by Madan Mohan was the asset of this movie. The film became a hit at the box office. Its success had Khosla directing Sadhana in two more suspense thrillers: Mera Saaya (1966) andAnita (1967 film).

In the 1960s his successful films included romantic films like Honeymoon, Apna Banake Dekho, Naqli Nawab, Paththar Ke Sanam, Sajan, Sawan Ki Ghata and social films like Shaadi, Grihasti, Apne Huwe Paraye, Pehchaan, Aadmi and thrillers like Gumnaam, Anita, Woh Kaun Thi. made him a romantic hero but soon his image as a Patriotic Hero was to be made.

In 1965 his film Shaheed, based on the life of Bhagat Singh, the most influential Indian revolutionary.was released,it was not only commercially successful but also its songs became became very popular.In 13th National Awards Shaheed won the award for Best Feature Film in Hindi, the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration and the award for Best Screenplay for B. K. Dutt and Din Dayal Sharma.

After the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri asked him to create a film based on the popular slogan Jai Jawan Jai Kissan .Manoj Kumar then decided to Produce ,Direct and Act in such a Patriotic Movie.The result was Kumar's magnum opus and his directorial debut, Upkaar (1967). In it, he played both a soldier and a farmer. The film was also noted for the famous song Mere Desh Ki Dharti, written by Gulshan Bawra, composed by Kalyanji-Anandji and sung by Mahendra Kapoor. Upkaar was a hit and won Kumar his first Filmfare Best Director Award.

Manoj returned to patriotic themes in Purab Aur Paschim (1970), in which life in the East and West are exposed. In 1972, he starred in Be-Imaan (for which he won theFilmfare Best Actor Award) and directed and starred in Shor (1972). The latter, opposite Nanda, was not a huge box office success on its release but has gained cult status over the years. It featured the memorable song Ek Pyar Ka Nagma Hai, a duet by Lata Mangeshkar and Mukesh, which was composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal and written by Santosh Anand.

In the mid-1970s Kumar starred in three hit films: Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974) was a social commentary featuring an all-star cast including Zeenat Aman, Shashi Kapoor andAmitabh Bachchan that won him his second Filmfare Award for Best Director; Sanyasi (1975) had Kumar and Hema Malini in the lead roles of a religious-themed comedy; and Dus Numbri (1976) also gave Kumar and Hema top billing. In 1981, Kumar reached the peak of his career when he got the opportunity to direct his idol, Dilip Kumar, as well as star in Kranti, a story about the struggle for Indian independence in the 19th century. Kranti was the last notable successful film in his career. 

Kumar is married to Shashi Goswami . He has two sons, Vishal and Kunal. Vishal tried his luck as a singer and Kunal as an actor. His brother, Rajiv Goswami, also entered the film industry, but none were able to gain a footing in Bollywood.

He is awarded Dadasaheb Phalke Award lifetime contribution to Indian cinema in 2016 besides Padma Awards. 

Rare Songs from Unreleased Films

                                SUNNO AE DUNIYA WALLO EK NAYA   PAIGHAM LAAYA HOON UNRELEASED FILM             

                           Zara Dekh Sanam - Manoj Kumar, Rajshree,, Grahasti Song

SAATH HO TUM AUR RAAT JAWAN NEEND KISE - Mukesh & Asha - KANCH KI GUDIYA (1961)

                                                       tum aur ham bhul ke gam..fashion1957- geeta dutt -hemant 

Main Kal Phir Miloongi"'Dr. Vidya' (1962) 

Listen to the classic black & white hindi song "Main Kal Phir Miloongi" from the superhit classic bollywood hindi action romantic drama movie 'Dr. Vidya' (1962) starring Vyjayanthimala, Manoj Kumar, Leela Chitnis, Nasir Hussain, Helen, Sunder, Madan Puri, Prem Chopra & Mumtaz Begum. Directed by Rajendra Bhatia. Produced by Mohan Segal. Music by S.D.Burman. This song is sung by Mohammed Rafi & Lata Mangeshkar.

                                Tiki Riki Tiki Riki - Helen, Manoj Kumar, Woh Kaun Thi

                     Phoolon Se Rangeen Zameen Hai - Manoj Kumar - Nakli Nawab 

                                 Khuli Khuli zulfon - Manoj Kumar & Vijaya Choudhary - Banarasi Thug 

song from Reshmi Rumaal

Some of Manoj Kumar's Rare Pictures

Manoj Kumar in his first Film Fashion (1957)

With Lal Bahadur Shastri ji