This BLOG is about the Past of Hindi Films Specially Black and White Cinema We will refresh your memories by bringing out forgotten or unseen songs and clippings of film scenes We will try to give you as much information as we gather from our research.
This Blog was started as a one-man’s passion for film history but has now become an addiction for many music lovers who are equally passionate about Hindi films
NARGIS(1 June 1929 – 3 May 1981), one of the greatest actresses in the history of Hindi cinema. She starred in many popular Hindi films of the late 1940s and 1950s. Many of the iconic and immortal songs were picturized on her including Pyat Hua Ikrar Hua or Aaja Re Ab Mera Dil Pukara and many more. She appeared as a heroine opposite Motilal in the 1943 film Taqdeer. She was only 14 years of age at that time. The song ".O Jaanewale Aaja" sung by Shamshad Begum was her first song as a heroine, Many such unheard songs are collected by me in this blog.
An unusual pairing was made by the producer and director M L Anand for the Neelkamal Films in 1958. It was signing Kishore Kumar opposite Nargis for the film Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani. The film, written by Inder Raj Anand, had them both in double roles, in a tale of mistaken identities. The supporting cast included Johnny Walker, Pran, Ulhas, Mukri, Anwar Hussain (Nargis’ brother), Ram Mohan and Minoo Mumtaz with Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri writing the songs, which were composed by Shankar-Jaikishan.
M L Anand had already directed Nargis earlier in Lahore (1949), one of the first films to address the trauma of Partition of the sub-continent, and in Bewafa (1952), where Raj Kapoor played a rare negative role in a love triangle that also co-starred Ashok Kumar. It is said that 8 songs of the film were recorded in the voices of Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar, Mohammed Rafi, and Geeta Dutt. The film also made quite some headway in its filming following a major schedule in Shimla. One of the songs, recorded on September 9, 1958, Kaisi Khoob Raat Hai, a light-hearted ditty sung by Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar and Mohammed Rafi was all set to be filmed later in Kashmir. But then Nargis got pregnant with her first child, actor Sanjay Dutt. She opted out of the film, leading it to be shelved for good.
The pairing of Nargis and Kishore Kumar never happened. Today, just the film advertisement (the picture accompanying this piece) and a couple of surviving stills with Osianama give us a hint of what might have been…
When you think of Raj Kapoor-Nargis, the first thought that comes to your mind is their evergreen songs that spoke of love in the rain (Pyar hua ikraar hua hai), of romance in the moonlit nights (Aaja sanam madhur chandni mein hum), of dreams and aspirations (Ghar aaya mera pardesi), of ecstasy (Dum bhar jo udhar moonh phere), of agony (Raja ki aayegi baraat) Nargis and Raj Kapoor together gave a new dimension to mainstream cinema, capturing the imagination of audiences not just in India but across the globe. Nargis was the star, a bigger star than RK in terms of box-office popularity. Raj Kapoor wanted to sign Nargis for Aag. Heknew Nargis was the bigger star attraction. She would pull in the crowds but Jaddan Bai( Nargis's mother) was not keen for her daughter to work in a three-heroine subject with Kamini Kaushal and Nigar Sultana sharing screen space with her. Raj Kapoor told Jaddan Bai that he would give the top billing to Nargis. Her brothers convinced their mother to let ‘Baby’ do the film (Nargis was fondly called ‘Baby’ by her friends and family). Ultimately she did get top billing in Aag, Raj Kapoor worked a lot on Nargis’ appearance in Aag. She got her hair shortened and got special makeup done on her face, Aag signalled the beginning of what would become one of the most impactful screen pairings of all time for Hindi cinema. Barsaat followed a year later, rewriting the way romance would be portrayed on screen from now on. The runaway success of Barsaat at the box-office, their on-screen chemistry had such an impact that Raj Kapoor used the famous still to modernize the R K Films logo.
From this film, both came closer, the romance of reel life had shifted to real life. Raj Kapoor was married and was already a father made things more complicated. The Kapoor family, including the patriarch Prithviraj Kapoor, did not take kindly to his relationship with Nargis. By this time they became theheartthrob of the nation. Coincidentally, 1949 also saw Mehboob Khan’s Andaaz, mounted on a grand scale stage a casting coup with the Dilip Kumar-Nargis-Raj Kapoor combine. Mehboob Khan had handled the triangle very deftly. Raj Kapoor played the role of a lover had a far-reaching impact on the audience. Their romance was at its peak during the making of Awara. The film was released in 1951 which was a super hit.Raj Kapoor and Nargis had caught the fascination of the youth in a way no other screen couple had done before. Young men and women imitated their style, attitude and dress sense and hummed their songs. Raj Kapoor and Nargis did 16 films together, etching out an indelible saga of love and romance on screen. Jagte Raho (1956) remains their last film together. The spectacular impact that Nargis makes with her appearance in the final part with ‘Jaago, Mohan Pyare Jaago’, is unparalleled.
Nargis and Sunil Dutt came from very different backgrounds when they first met each other. Nargis was the daughter of Mohan Babu and Jaddanbai, and Sunil was the son of a Punjabi land-owning family. The two actors met on the sets of Do Bigha Zameen. At that time, Sunil Dutt was an aspiring actor and student while Nargis was already an established star. Sunil and Nargis Dutt crossed each other’s paths at many film gatherings but were officially introduced to each other on the sets of their film Mother India by filmmaker Mehboob Khan. Khan thought it was important for Nargis, who played the title role in the film, to befriend the other actors, particularly Sunil Dutt, who played her errant son Birju.
Everyone is aware of their dramatic love story that was triggered by a fatal fire on the sets of Mother India in 1957, where Sunil Dutt sensing danger, jumped into raging flames without a thought for his own life to save Nargis and won her heart. She visited him every day at the hospital after shooting. She nursed Dutt back to health for two weeks. In that time, the two got very close, and she even opened up about her past to him. and a few weeks later, when Sunil Dutt proposed marriage to her, she agreed immediately. The two started dating, and wanted to get married, but they played mother and son on screen in Mother India, and the news of their relationship would be disastrous for the film, so they maintained a low profile. In 1958, they got married in a secret ceremony and didn't make the news public for nearly a year. Even after getting married, they stayed with their respective families. They'd meet late into the nights and communicate through letters and telegrams. In 1959, after making the news of their marriage public, they held a reception, and moved in together. Sunil Dutt was once asked about Raj Kapoor and Nargis' equation, to which he had said, "I never knew there was a romance. The only thing I knew was that she came into my life. I was not concerned about her past. I know these questions arise. But I am concerned about the person who comes in my life; what matters from that day on is how true the person is to me. The past is nothing to me." Nargis left films to look after Dutt saheb.The mother of 3 – Priya, Namrata and Sanjay Dutt, Nargis took up the full time job of being a mom and gave up stardom while she was at the peak of her career. She was the one with a modern approach and yet juggled her life amidst the work part, where she was involved in her husband’s production venture and also formed Ajanta Arts Cultural Troupe.
Despite the threshold of responsibilities, she was very much active in her individual self which included swimming, watching movies, shopping, getting a massage and constantly being on the phone. She also ditched the burqa and would enjoy paani puri from the street vendors. Yes, she was very much like the young girl inside every woman.Nargis never followed the bandwagon of her contemporaries and was always in sync with global fashion trends. She sported a short haircut when others would go for their long tresses. She ditched jewellery and wore only cotton saris for which she was dubbed as the Lady in White.
Sunil Dutt was not the first love of Nargis, but their years of marriage never once fell in doubt about Dutt being her second love. Nargis and Sunil Dutt loved each other and supported each other during their marriage.Their lovewas pure and forever.
Years later, Nargis was detected with cancer, and went through a lot of treatments for many years. Sunil was always by her side during her struggle. He even took her to America for the treatment. However, she could not win her battle against cancer and died on May 3, 1981.
Time and again, we hear about the love affairs among Bollywood stars. While some go on to tie the knot, many end up with broken hearts.We have seen our favorite stars fall in love (sometimes outside their marriage), Unfortunately they did not end up marrying each other.Starting from the famous Trio of Golden Era of Bollywood to the recent Hritik and Kangana Breakup.These Love affairs and gossips rarely die, especially in Bollywood at least. Here are 10 such Tragic Love Stories of our Bollywood stars, witnessed over the years, that ended on a sad note. .
Dev Anand and Suraiya- The First & Great love story of Bollywood was Dev Suraiya;s Love story .Suraiya was already a superstar when Dev entered the industry. Suraiya traveled in American sedans. Her entourage reflected a regal aura. It included several servants and members of her family. Dev was fascinated by Suraiya. He would keep complimenting her. Later, the admiration grew mutual. Suraiya, too, showered praises on Dev. The two did seven films together — Vidya (1948), Jeet (1949), Shair (1949), Afsar(1950), Nili (1950), Do Sitare (1951) and Sanam (1951). Till their first three films no one suspected a romance between them. However, after 1951, Suraiya’s orthodox family members started dictating her life. It was during the shooting of Afsar that their romance became public and the opposition to their relationship became much more intense.According to Dev, their romance was at its zenith when they were paired in lead role for Afsar (1950). The music for this film was composed by S.D. Burman. The soulful "Man-mor hua matwala, yeh kisne jadoo dala, re yeh kisne jadoo dala" is among Suraiya’s best. While shooting for the movie, their affair became a hot topic for the Bombay tabloids.The villain of their Love Story was Suraiya's Grandmother.She used to visit studio during the shooting, once she disrupted the shooting of a love sequence.She went to the extent of not allowing them to shoot even innocent love scenes like kissing on the eyelashes.
Song from Vidya 1948
Whenever Dev came to visit Suraiya at her apartment, he found his detractors already sitting in the drawing room. For Dev, this torture was becoming unbearable.Suraiya was so much hurt by her family’s uncalled for interference and stubbornness that her acting and singing career started taking a nosedive from 1951 onward. It was the religion that was coming in between their story. Suraiya’s grandmother Badshah Begum threatened to end her life if Suraiya tied the knot with Dev Anand, who belonged to a different faith. Many people say the old lady had a covert reason for opposing Suraiya and Dev Anand’s marriage, the fact that Suraiya was the highest earning member of the large family. The relationship could not culminate into a wedlock, and Suraiya and Anand worked for one last time with the film Do Sitare in 1951. It is said after the completion of the film, the two met at Suriaya’s apartment, in presence of Anand’s elder brother Chetan Anand one last time. The doleful lovers sobbed throughout their last conversation, and later Suraiya threw Anand’s proposal ring into the sea. It was a sad end of a sweet love story, and needless to say the pair was shattered. The sweet dream of Suraiya and Dev Anand’s marriage was sent to it’s end.Dev Anand moved on after this but Suraiya remained Unmarried till death.
Madhubala And Dilip Kumar-Dilip Kumar and Madhubala worked in 4 films,the first movie they did together was Tarana in 1951.Madhubala, who was to appear in Jwar Bhata, in which Dilip Kumar was playing the lead role. She was unable to work in the movie but this was the moment the youngster first set eyes on Dilip Kumar.
Madhubala and Dilip Kumar met seven years later on the sets of Tarana when she was eighteen years old. During the shooting she sent her hairdresser with a note written in Urdu together with a red rose asking him to accept it if he loved her, which intrigued and amused Dilip Kumar and naturally he accepted the rose.Their next film was Sangdil(1952) During this time Madhubala had an intimate relationship with Dilip. In fact it was widely believed that the stunning pair would eventually get married by this time the two were involved in an intimate relationship. The early fifties were Madhubala's best years. She was rapturously and ecstatically in love and exuded happiness..Dilip Kumar in his Biography said "She, as I said earlier, was very sprightly and vivacious and, as such, she could draw me out of my shyness and reticence effortlessly. She filled a void that was crying out to be filled - not by an intellectually sharp woman but a spirited woman whose liveliness and charm were the ideal panacea for the wound that was taking its own time to heal".
When Mughal e Azam started,they were in love but during the making their affair broke down,as we all know that the film took 10 years to complete.The reason of their break up was Madhubala's father.
Ataullah Khan who didn't want Madhubala to marry Dilip Kumar.In his Biography recently released Dilip Kumar wrote that the reason of their break up was Madhubala's father who actually wanted to make a film with him but Dilip refused.This hurt his ego so he made a point how Madhubala marry Dilip Kumar. Madhubala was very obedient daughter couldn't go against the wish of her father.The couple though did carry on their affair in this manner for a few years. The stress and inability to have a proper relationship took their toll and finally in 1957 they finally broke up. They never paired together after their break up, in fact both were in Naya Daur but due to her father Madhubala opted out from that film.Ataullah sued, and BR Chopra counter sued. Eventually the whole fiasco was dragged into court. At some point in the trial the personal relationship between Dilip Kumar and Madhubala was put down as evidence, and their whole affair was put under the spotlight.
Raj Kapoor and Nargis-Raj Kapoor was the original showman of Bollywood and Nargis Dutt was the beautiful talented actress who had carved a niche for herself in Bollywood. The romance between the two was meant to be. They were named as first couple of Bollywood.Raj Kapoor, with whom Nargis worked in as many as 16 films, six of which were RK banner productions, was undoubtedly the first love of her life. She was only 19 when Raj Kapoor came to her life.If it hadn't been Raj, it would have been someone else; he just happened to be her first boyfriend.
Song from Chori Chori
Raj Kapoor and Nargis met for the first time during the making of the film Andaz in the year 1949. It is said that Kapoor fell for Nargis the moment he saw her, and that marked the beginning of a partnership that spanned 16 films. Nargis became a common fixture in almost all of Kapoor’s films in the 1950s, since she was equally smitten by Kapoor and thus would give a nod right away to any of his films.Raj Kapoor was already married that time,she did not mind marrying him and playing second fiddle in his life. She even consulted several leading legal experts of that era to find some means to tie the knot to a married man. Raj Kapoor never wanted to marry her being already father of three children that time.By the mid-1950s, Kapoor had made this point to Nargis, and the film Chori Chori in 1956 was the last one they did together. Nargis is said to have slipped into depression after this revelation but soon got out when she fell in love with Sunil Dutt during the making of Mother India.with whom she tied the knot in 1958. It is said that Raj Kapoor was so dejected on hearing the news of Sunil and Nargis’ marriage that he locked himself in his room, and cried for hours together.
Guru Dutt and Waheeda Rehman-Guru Dutt was a successful director, producer and actor, he introduced Waheeda Rehman to bollywood through C.I.D released in 1956.Guru Dutt was already married to singer Geeta Roy when he fell in love for Waheeda Rehman.It was during the making of Pyaasa Guru Dutt and Waheeda Rehman came together.Different versions of the love affair suggest that it was Waheeda who initiated marriage proposals to Dutt, or that Geeta’s suspicious nature that made Dutt confide in Waheeda.Both of them worked together in 6 films.Some say that Kagaz Ke Phool (1959) was on the real life of both the actors.The last film they did together was Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam(1962).
Song from Chaudhavi Ka Chand 1960
There is a book"Memories Of Guru Dutt by Abrar Alvi which tells the inside story behind the Guru Dutt-Waheeda Rehman romance as it is. One really feels sorry for the legendary actress on realizing how callow she was in understanding the crooked ways of Bollywood. Guru was indeed torn between the love for his wife and the other woman. However, he couldn’t take a stand and ended up dropping Waheeda Rehman from his life. Abrar claims that Waheeda considered him her elder brother and describes the events that led to the ‘nikah’ of Guru Dutt and Waheeda that never happened. We come to know that Waheeda had a brother-in-law Rauf who announced that Guru Dutt was converting to Islam to marry her. Eventually, Guru Dutt chickened out at the last moment without realizing that his marriage with Geeta Dutt was long over. In the end, it seems that he caused Waheeda such a grievous hurt from which only work and more work could provide solace to the talented actress-cum-dancer. Clearly, ditching Waheeda.
Geeta Dutt left Guru Dutt in despair, which drove him towards complete isolation. Things worsened so much that both Guru and Geeta took to heavy drinking, and finally Guru Dutt died in 1964.
Rajesh Khanna and Anju Mahendru- This love story started well before Rajesh Khanna became super star.Anju Mahendru was the first love of India's first superstar Rajesh Khanna.Both were struggling to find a foothold in the industry when they met each other some time in the 60's. Anju was an aspiring model and actor while Rajesh Khanna was selected by the United Film Producer's Association as a hero. In the early days of their relationship, Anju supported his dreams like a devoted girlfriend. Rajesh too cared for her and reportedly lavished his affection and earnings upon her. Once the actor became super successful he charmed and convinced Anju into putting aside her career for him. The madly-in-love starlet obliged and soon became Rajesh Khanna's official girlfriend and the two of them shared a live-in relationship for close to seven years. Rajesh Khanna became the heart-throb of millions after the release of Aradhana in 1969.Even after that their relationship continued but cracks started appearing in their relationship.Their clashing values and opinions led to many altercations. In one of her interviews, Anju stated, "He is a very orthodox man, yet somehow, is always attracted to ultra-modern girls. Confusion was a part of our relationship. If I wore a skirt, he'd snap, why don't you wear a sari? If I wore a sari, he'd say, why are you trying to project a Bhartiya nari look?" And due to many such squabbles and arguments, the couple ended their relationship. It is said that to take revenge on Anju, Rajesh Khanna completely ruined her career. Reportedly, the whole film industry blamed the actor for the break up and supported Anju. This made the actor furious and he blamed Anju and her friends for all the negative publicity. There was a story that when Rajesh Khanna married Dimple Kapadia, he deliberately diverted his baraat's (marriage procession) route to pass in front of Anju's house, before heading to the marriage venue.Somewhere it was written that On screen, Rajesh Khanna was the perfect lover. In real life, he did not stand by the woman he committed to (Dimple Kapadia), and did not commit to the women who stood by him (Anju Mahendru)
Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha-Amitabh and Rekha's love story is one of the most talked about affairs of Bollywood even till date. Yet, this much-talked about love story always remained a mystery as both the actors never accepted their relationship in public.Their love story began on the sets of film Do Anjaane (1976), when Amitabh was a married man. During the initial days of their secret relationship, the couple used to meet in a bungalow that belonged to Rekha's friend. Nobody knew about this affair between already married Amitabh and Rekha. Everything was a smooth sail until an incident happenedTheir affair came in the limelight during the shooting of Ganga Ki Saugandh (1978) when Amitabh Bachchan reportedly lost his temper on a co-actor who was misbehaving with Rekha.Their relationship was at its peak before the shooting of Silsila.In fact during the shooting they were not talking to each other.
Song from Mukkadar Ka Sikandar
Rekha wanted to marry Amitabh and did not want to settle down with the tag of the 'other woman' in Amitabh's life. She realised she has no future in this relationship as Amitabh was not in any mood to leave his wife Jaya for Rekha. With this, their passionate love story came to an end, both on and off screen.Silsila’ was the last film in this couple starred together.
Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai-After becoming Miss World, Aishwarya entered Bollywood but didn't get success, this was the time when Salman was in love with Pakistani beauty Somi Ali after his break-up with Sangeeta Bijlani.The Aishwarya Rai and Salman Khan love story started in the year 1999, when Aishwarya Rai and Salman Khan were filming the movie Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.
Song from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
The couple had dated each other for a couple of years. During one of his earlier interviews, Salman revealed that it was Aishwarya's traditional approach towards life that made the beauty queen won a soft corner in Salman's heart.“I love [Aishwarya]. I am not hounding her. It's not a teenage obsession that I feel for her — it's pure love. She's such a traditional Hindustani girl at the bottom of her heart. The fact that she respects her parents so much makes me admire her more,” Salman was quoted saying. Aishwarya’s parents never approved of the relationship right from the beginning. However Ash called off the relationship because Salman used to cheat on her. Salman was unable to come to terms with the breakup initially; he went wild and created a ruckus during the shooting of Chalte Chalte. They broke up in 2002 and not have been able to burry hatchet till date.Aishwarya and Salman both moved forward in their lives.
Karisma Kapoor and Abhishek Bachchan -Their love story started long before Abhishek entered in Film industry. Karishma was already a star when their love story started.It was apparently in 1997 during Shweta Bachchan’s wedding, that Karishma Kapoor and Abhishek Bachchan got serious about each other.Abhishek Bachchan made his debut in 2000 with Refugee while Karishma in 1991. On October 11, 2002, at Amitabh Bachchan’s birthday party, their engagement was announced.But their engagement was called off after a few months. This ended their relationship of a few years and no reason were given of the break-up.
Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor-Bebo was the one who was always crazy about Shahid Kapoor and is said to have initiated the first move. It was in 2004 when their roaring affair grabbed headlines and made it to all gossip columns. Back then, both of them were very open about their relationship.One of their MMS went viral which confirmed their relationship.
Song from Jab We Met 2007
Shahid who made debut with the movie Ishq Vishk (a sleeper hit at the box office) alongside Amrita Rao was in a very serious and committed relationship with Kareena Kapoor. Amid the shooting of Fida in 2004, he started dating Kareena Kapoor and they both openly talked about the relationship. The couple isolated in 2007 amid the shooting of Jab We Met. Kareena fell for Saif (in Ladakh) during the filming of Tashan. Shahid was also rumoured to be getting close to his Kismet Konnection co-star Vidya Balan. However, it was Bebo who was apparently blamed for infidelity. She moved on and got married to the Chote Nawab (Saif Ali Khan).
Hrithik Roshan and Kangana Ranaut-This love story broke before it bloom.It all started in 2011 and 2012 when Kangana was invited for the birthday party of Hritik's sister.After that both started dating together.Hritik was married then but some bitterness had come in the husband and wife by that time.Soon the couple’s divorce was publically announced. While there is no clarity whether the Krrish 3 co-stars’ romance led to Hrithik’s divorce,the Bang Bang star and Kangana were apparently back together after the announcement. Reports say that Hrithik even asked Kangana to marry him.They were together till the end of 2014 but something went wrong again. It is the sad end of the affair which is feeding a dirty legal mess.
Remembering NARGIS(1 June 1929 – 3 May 1981), on her 88th Birth Anniversary as one of the greatest actresses in the history of Hindi cinema.She starred in many popular Hindi films of the late 1940s and 1950s such as Barsaat (1949), Andaz (1949), Awaara (1951), Deedar (1951), Shree 420 (1955), and Chori Chori (1956). She appeared in Mehboob Khan's Oscar-nominated rural drama Mother India in 1957 for which she won the Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance. Between 1940-1960, she made a superhit pair with Raj Kapoor in films like Barsaat, Awara and Aag and has been immortalised in the RK emblem. Nargis married Sunil Dutt after mother India released,Post her marriage to Sunil Dutt, Nargis gave up films for good. While she was at the peak of her career, even receiving the Filmfare Award for her performance in Mother India
Nargis was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and underwent treatment for the disease at Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Upon her return to India, her condition deteriorated, and she was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai. She went into a coma on May 2, 1981 and died the next day.one day before the premier of her son Sanjay Dutts debute film Rocky.
Along with her husband, Nargis formed the Ajanta Arts Cultural Troupe, which roped in several leading actors and singers of the time and held stage shows at border areas. In early 1970s, she became the first patron of Spastics Society of India, and her subsequent work with the organisation brought her recognition as a social worker, and later a Rajya Sabha nomination in 1980. She got the inaugural National Film Award for Best Actress for Raat Aur Din in 1967 beside getting many national and international awards for Mother India. Govt. of India started one Award on her name called the Nargis Dutt Award in her honour for best feature film on national integration in the annual National Film Awards Here are some of her Best Known Songs
