If Hollywood can be punctual, why can't Bollywood

Bollywood is always been known as the most undisciplined and mismanaged Industry. A handful of actors like Amitabh Bachchan do come on time for every event, but we can count professionals like him on our fingers.On the other hand the Hollywood actors, with fan followings across the globe and with tons of commitments reach the venue bang on time. 
In Hollywood, not just interviews, even red carpet events with thousands of fans go as per schedule. If the premiere is at 7 pm, the talent will start coming one by one at 7 pm. The event will end at 8 pm.
In Bollywood even during the Golden Era the indiscipline was there.We have heard horror stories of stars making even filmmakers wait. Isn't it funny that the production crew is on time, the dancers are always waiting in their costumes, the entire set crew is ready, but the lead star is always stuck in traffic? 

Kishore Kumar  was infamous for being always late,Raj Kumar was also infamous for his tantrums. Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar were known for their discipline and professionalism.In the 70s Rajesh Khanna and Shatrughan Sinha were infamous for their late comings while the most discipline star remains Amitabh Bachchan. There are many stories about his punctuality.Many time he reported at the studio well before production team or the gatekeeper arrives.Due to his punctuality, he occasionally opens the gate of Filmistan studio all by himself.

Of the present lot Akshay Kumar and John Abraham are very punctual.Out of three Khans Aamir Khan is always on time. Salman Khan is infamous for coming late.Before him it was Govinda who was infamous for coming late on the sets.

Among the heroines Kajol and Karina Kapoor are  late comers. During an interview with Aamir Khan, he mentioned he is not too fond of working with Kajol because she is one of the most non-punctual actresses to work with. Is that why we haven't seen them together after Fanaa  while Anushka Sharma and Priyanka Chopra are very disciplined.

Shakeel Badayuni - The Creator of Immortal Love,Romance and Dejection Songs

Shakeel was Naushad’s discovery; it was the composer who got the struggling poet a break in Kardar’s Dard, ending days of poverty for young Shakeel’s large family.He used his experiences of deprivation with painful intensity in his early lyrics.
He confined all his creativity to love, romance and dejection, resisting all temptation to write about social causes. 
Shakeel reached his zenith as lyricist in Mughal e Azam, with each song a lyrical cosmos in itself, the line ‘pyar kiya toh darna kya’ easily the most popular. Another great creation was penning a bhajan as authentic as ‘Man tarpat Hari darshan ko aaj’ from Baiju Bawra.
As the name suggest Shakeel Badayuni was born at Badayun U P on 3rd August 1916.When he joined Aligarh Muslim University in 1936, he started participating in inter-college, inter-university mushairas and won frequently. After completing his BA, he moved to Delhi as a supply officer, but continued participating in mushairas, earning fame nationwide. He was interested in to write songs for films so he moved to Bombay in 1944 where he was introduced in films as lyricist from the film Dard in 1947.
 The songs of Dard proved to be very successful, especially Uma Devi (Tun Tun)'s Afsana Likh Rahi Hoon. Only a few are so lucky that they attain success in their first film, but Shakeel deserved success which started with Dard and continued on over the years. He formed a lasting partnership with Naushad. Together, they would give many hits over the next 25-odd years.
 Among the scores they churned out together, are those of Deedar (1951), Baiju Bawra (1952), Mother India (1957), and Mughal-e-Azam (1960), that stand out. Other films they scored together include Dulari (1949), Shabab (1954), Ganga Jamuna (1961), and Mere Mehboob (1963). Although Shakeel Badayuni worked most extensively with Naushad, he also collaborated with Ravi and Hemant Kumar as well. His lyrics for the song Husnwale Tera Jawab Nahin and Ravi's music score both won Filmfare Awards for the hit film Gharana. His other notable film with Ravi is Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960), while Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962) is his biggest hit with Hemant Kumar. The title song from Chaudhvin Ka Chand, rendered by Mohammed Rafi, won Badayuni the Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist in 1961.He received 3 Filmfare Awards in 1962 for the song husnwale tera jawab nahin in the film Gharana and in 1963 for the song kahin deep jale kahin dil in the film Bees Saal Baad
Shakeel also wrote a substantial chunk of his songs for music director Ravi Sharma. Prominent amongst those were Gharana (1961), Ghunghat,Grahasti (1963), Nartaki (1963), as well as Phool Aur Patthar and Do Badan.
Shakeel Badayuni succumbed to diabetes complications at the age of fifty-three, died on 20 April 1970, at Bombay Hospital.

Song from Dard 1947

Song from Dulari (1949)

Song from Babul (1950)

Song from Deedar (1951)

Song from Baiju Bawra (1952)

Song from Dil - E - Nadan (1953)

Song from Shabab (1954)

Song from Mother India (1957)

Song from Mughal-e-Azam (1960)

Song from Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960)

Song from Ganga Jamuna (1961)

Song from Sahib  Gharana 1961

Song from Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962) 

Song from Bees Saal Baad 1962

Song from Mere Mehboob (1963).

Song from Leader (1964)

Song from Ram Aur Shyam (1967)

CHANDULAL SHAH-The Founder of Ranjit Studio,From Silent Cinema to Talking Cinema

Chandulal Shah was born in 1898 in Jamnagar, Gujarat,he entered the film industry purely by chance.It was in 1925,  he was called by the Laxmi Film Company to direct a film Vimla (1925), as its director Manilal Joshi was bedridden.Before that while waiting to get a job he helped his brother, J. D. Shah, who was a writer for mythological films.
Shah not only directed the film but also went on to do two more pictures for the company, Panch Danda (1925) and Madhav Kam Kundala (1926) The first film independently directed by him at Kohinoor was Typist Girl (1926) starring Sulochana and Gohar which was made in 17 days. The film did extremely well at the box-office leading Shah to direct another five films for the studio all featuring Gohar. Of these, the most famous was Gunsundari (1927).

In 1929 Chandulal Shah founded Ranjit Studios at Bombay, Maharashtra. It produced films between 1929 and mid-1970s. The company began production of silent films in 1929 under the banner Ranjit Film Company and by 1932 had made 39 pictures, most of them social dramas. The company changed its name to Ranjit Movietone in 1932 and during the 1930s produced numerous successful talkies at the rate of about six a year. At this time, the studio employed around 300 actors, technicians and other employees.
Along with Bombay Talkies, New Theatres and The Prabhat Film Company, Chandulal Shah’s Shree Ranjit Movitone Company was one of the great institutions of the studio era. With stars like Gohar, E Billimoria, Madhuri, Motilal, Khurshid and KL Saigal on its payroll, the studio’s boast like MGM in Hollywood was, “There are more stars in Ranjit than in the heavens!”

Chandulal Shah with his son

Besides filmmaking, Chandulal Shah also devoted a lot of time to the organizational work of the Indian Film Industry. Both the silver jubilee (1939) and the golden jubilee of the Indian film Industry (1963) were celebrated under his guidance. He was, in addition, the first president of The Film Federation of India, formed in 1951, and even led an Indian delegation to Hollywood the following year.
Shah's approach of producing films was a factory approach.This  enabled him to be the biggest producer in India in those times. During the 1930s he produced numerous successful talkies at the rate of about six a year. 
The company brought an assembly line approach to their film-making. Mid-budget socials, satires and the stunt film were their cup of tea. Their films suggest the solid entrenchment of genres associated with the post World War II Hindi Cinema, ranging from films around Nirupa Roy’s mythological mother figure to those with Motilal and Saigal. Important films of the company include Sati Savitri (1932), Barrister’s Wife (1935), Achhut (1940), Tansen (1943), Moorti (1943) and Jogan (1950).
The last film of Ranjit Movietone was Meena Kumari-Rajendra Kumar starrer, Akeli Mat Jaiyo (1963), the last co-directed with Nandlal Jaswantlal,

Unfortunately by the end of 50s the company was facing financial crisis.Their films were not doing well,in fact he tried unsuccessfully to achieve a comeback as a director with the Raj Kapoor-Nargis starrer, Papi (1953) after a gap of 13 years.

Shah had an addiction of Share Market and also of Races which  led to massive financial losses. Things came to a head when he was left with no option but to allow the takeover of his famous studio. In later years, he was reduced to traveling by Bombay’s public transport and finally died in Mumbai on November 25th, 1975 in poverty, a sad end to a truly great film pioneer of yesteryear.

Song from Achhut (1940) Audio only

Papi (1953)

Song from Zameen Ke Taare (1960)

Song from Akeli Mat Jaiyo (1963)

G S Nepali-The Forgotten Lyricist

Born in 1913 at Bettiah Bihar, Gopal Singh Nepali was one of the most renowned Hindi poets of all time. His poems evoke patriotism, love for nature and humane values. He also wrote lyrics of a few Hindi films.  His association with Bollywood spanned around two decades, beginning in 1944 and ended with his death in 1963.During the 1962 Indo-China war, Nepali lifted the spirits of Indian citizens and Indian soldiers via his Patriotic Poems and Songs and he went to the border in order to recite them. The patriotic songs and poems include Savan, Kalpana, Neelima, Naveen Kalpana Karo,etc.
In 1944 he was hired by Filmistan for 4 years at the salary of Rs 200 per month.The first film he wrote lyrics was Majdoor. He wrote nearly 400 songs in 60 films.He also gave music for few of his songs.He also made few films Nazrana(1949),Sansani(1951)and Khushbu(1955).

Nakul Singh Nepali, son of Gopal Singh Nepali, has filed a suit at the Bombay High Court against the makers of Slumdog Millionaire, saying that Danny Boyle they wrongly credited poet Surdas for writing the song Darshan Do Ghanashyam. According to the suit, Nepali says his father, a poet, wrote the song.He died on 17 th April 1963 after attending a Kavi Sammelan.

Some Of the Songs written by G S Nepali

Song from Safar 1946

Song from Gajre 1948

Song from Anokha Pyaar 1948

Song from Narsi Bhagat 1957

Hasrat Jaipuri- The Poet who Defined Romance in Bollywood

Hasrat Jaipuri the great Lyricist started his Film career with the immortal song Jiya Beqaraar Hai for the film Barsaat in 1949.It was also the first film of Shankar Jaikishan, That was the beginning of a lifelong association." Yet, there was an unstated agreement that Jaikishan would often prefer Jaipuri to pen lyrics for his tunes, while Shankar would turn to Shailendra. 
He wrote  a whole range of songs like "Sayonara sayonara" (Love In Tokyo)," Aao twist karen" (Bhoot Bungla)." Ajhoon na aaye baalma" (Sanjh AurSavera), "Duniya bananewale"(Teesri Kasam) to Romantic songs like Yeh Mera Prem Patra (Sangam).In this Blog I have selected some of my favourite Romantic Songs of Hasrat Jaipuri Ji.

Song from Barsaat 1949

Song from Saiyan 1951

Song from Aah 1953

Song from Patita 1953

Song from Chori Chori 1956

Song from Parvarish 1958

Song from Love Marriage 1959

Song from Jab Pyaar Kisi Se Hota Hai 1961

Song from Junglee1961

Song from Sasural 1961

Song from Asli Naqli 1961

Song from Professor 1962

Song from Hamrahi 1963

Song from Tere Ghar Ke Samne 1963

Song from Rajkumar 1964

Song from Aarzoo 1965

Song from Suraj 1966

Song from Andaz 1971

Celebrating Baisaakhi Bollywood Style

Baisaakhi  is one of the most colorful, and full of fun and music and dancing festival of Punjab.This day is reserved for ‘Bhangra’ and ‘Gidda’, the traditional dances of Punjab. Bollywood would never leave any opportunity to use this situation with a dance number.In my memory Kedar Sharma used this situation  for the first time in 1946 film Duniya Ek Sarai. Later in many films this situation is used with dance and songs.Here are few such songs picturised for Baisaakhi Celebration.

Song from Duniya Ek Sarai 1947

                                        O Jatta Aae Besakhi... (Kode Shah 1953)

Song from Imaan Dharam 1977

Song from Soldier

                                       Song from Chori Chori Chupke Chupke (2001)

Song from  Rang De Basanti

                                              Gurdas Maan-baisakhi vala mela

                  Hit Song Of Mika Singh 'Baisakhi Di Raat

BALRAJ SAHNI -A Journey from Shanti Niketan To Bollywood

Balraj Sahni had a Master’s degree in English literature and a Bachelor's degree in Hindi literature from Punjab University. He also taught for a while, along with wife Damayanti, at Rabindranath Tagore's Santiniketan in West Bengal before he became an actor. He also worked with BBC's Hindi wing and covered World War II in Europe. This stint brought him in touch with personalities such as George Orwell, TS Eliot, Sir John Gielgud and Sir Laurence Olivier.
He redefined the grammar of acting in Indian cinema. His natural portrayal of characters is a lesson for students of the art even now. Yet, the man was much more than simply an actor.He was the first Method Actor of Bollywood.
Balraj Sahni was born on 1st May 1913 in Rawalpindi now in Pakistan. He studied at Government College University (Lahore), Punjab, British India. After completing his master's degree in English Literature from Lahore, he went back to Rawalpindi and joined his family business. He also held a Bachelor's degree in Hindi, followed by a Masters in English from Punjab University.In the late 1930s, Sahni and his wife left Rawalpindi to join Tagore's Visva-Bharati University in Shantiniketan in Bengal as an English and a Hindi teacher. It is here that their son, Parikshit Sahni was born.Here he met Gandhi ji .He shifted from there to work with Gandhi ji  at Sewagram Ashram Wardha.With Gandhi ji's blessings,he went to England to join the BBC-London's Hindi service as a radio announcer.
In London  he developed a love for Russian cinema and befriended the likes of Harold Laski, TS Eliot and John Gielgud.He then returned to India, an avowed Marxist, to become a leading member of the IPTA. He returned to India in 1943.He joined IPTA and started acting in Plays.Incidentally, his wife Damayanti became well known as an IPTA actress much before Sahni made a name for himself in films.
He started his film career in Mumbai with the film Insaaf (1946), followed by Dharti Ke Lal directed by KA Abbas in 1946, Damayanti's first film, Door Chalein in 1946, and other films. But it was in 1953, with Bimal Roy's classic Do Bigha Zameen, that his true strength as an actor was first recognised. 
The 1950s saw  Balraj portraying  varied roles. He was associated with some silver jubilee or important films, like Seema (1954), Aulad (1954) Pardesi (1957), Sone ki Chidiya, Kathputli (1958), Choti behan and Satta Bazaar (1959). Pardesi, an Indo-Soviet film production anchored by K.A. Abbas, despite being in  colour and cinemascope, failed to impress the Indian audiences but had a good commercial run in Soviet Russia.
The decade of the 1960s was most the fruitful for him and he played character roles. Big and small films like Waqt, Ek Phool Do Maali, Ghar Sansaar, Hindustan Ki Kasam, Pavitra Paapi, Aman, Naunihal, Aaye Din Bahaar Ke, and two Punjabi films — Satluj De Kande and Nanak Dhukhiya Sab Sansaar. Anuradha, Kabuliwala and Garam Hawa are Indian cinema’s top-of-the shelf classics. He acted in a total of 93 films, including two which were released after his untimely death. As work in cinema tapered off, Balraj also took a backseat in life.
Balraj Sahni died on 13 April 1973 of a massive cardiac arrest, less than a month before his 60th birthday. He had been depressed for some time by the untimely death of his young daughter, Shabnam.

Song from Do Bigha Zameen 1953

Song from Seema 1955

Song from Mai Baap1957

Song from Kaabuliwala1961

Song from Waqt 1965

Song from Neel Kamal 1968

KIDAR SHARMA- The Journey from Poster Painter To Film maker

Kedar Sharma the well known Film Maker was born on 12 th April 1910 in Narowal in what was then the Punjab region of India.He was interested in philosophy, poetry, painting and photography since his childhood. He ran away from home to pursue a career in cinema in Mumbai but was unsuccessful in gaining employment. He returned to Amritsar and attended the Hindu Sabha College where he founded a College Dramatic Society which would later give him his first break in film.
He is often most remembered for starting the acting careers of Bollywood greats Geeta Bali, Madhubala, Raj Kapoor, Mala Sinha, Bharat Bhushan and Tanuja.He was a multi talented man.He was a director, producer, screenwriter, and Lyricist of many Hindi films.He made many children films India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, offered Kidar the headship of the Children's Film Society. His 1956 children's film, Kidar's Jaldeep (The Lighthouse), won an award at the Venice Film Festival.
He made more than 50 films and even played a lead role in Neki Aur Badi (Goodness And Evil, 1949). His lyrics delved deep into India's cultural ethos and mixed earthy appeal with poignant romanticism.

Born into a middle-class family in Narowal (now in Pakistan), Kidar was inspired by the films of Debaki Bose, and started work as a painter in New Theatres, a Calcutta-based film company. Realizing his potential, Debaki Bose asked him to write the lyrics for Inquilab (After The Earthquake, 1935) and Vidyapati (1937). Kidar became established as a dialogue writer and lyricist by PC Barua's Devdas (1935), which became a classic.

Song from Devdas 1935

Song from Baawre Nain 1950

An outstanding poet, Sharma wrote some of the most memorable songs including Balam aayo baso more man mein, Dukh kay ab din beetat nahi, Khayalon Mein Kisike (Bawre Nain), Kabhi Tanhaiyon Mein Bhi (Hamari Yaad Aayegi) and Teri duniya mein dil lagta nahi. Kidar would continue to contribute as a lyricist and to write and direct films through the 1990s. Ironically, many Indian film critics and historians argued that he deserved the highest cinema award from the government of India but he died a day before he was to receive the Raj Kapoor Award, named in honour of the actor he helped make a success.He died on 29 April 1999.

Song from Hamari Yaad Aayegi 1961

Filmography[

• Inquilab (1935), Set Painter, actor
• Dhoop Chhaon (1935), actor, Assistant Manager
• Pujarin (1936), actor
• Karodpati a.k.a. Millionaire (1936), actor, lyrics
• Devdas (1936), Dialog and lyrics
• Vidyapati (1937), actor
• Anath Ashram (1937), writer
• Jawani Ki Reet (1939), Dialog
• Badi Didi (1939), writer, actor
• Tumhai Jeet (1939), lyricist (film directed by Ranjit Sen).^[9]
• Dil Hi Toh Hai (1939) Director, lyricist^[10][11]
• Zindagi (1940), Writer
• Aulad (1940), director
• Chitralekha (1941), director
• Armaan (1942), director
• Gauri (1942), director
• Mumtaz Mahal (1944), director
• Dhanna Bhagat (1945), director
• Chand Chakori (1945), director
• Duniya Ek Sarai (1946), director
• Neel Kamal (1947), writer, director, producer
• Sohag Raat (1948), director
• Neki Aur Badi (1949), director, actor
• Bawre Nain (1950), writer, director, producer
• Jogan (1950), director
• Gunah (1953), director
• Chora-Chori (1954), director
• Rangeen Raaten (1956), producer, director, lyricist
• Hamari Yaad Aayegi (1961), director, lyricist
• Fariyad (1964), director
• Chitralekha (1964), director, writer
• Kaajal (1965), writer

• Children's Film Society of India Contributions

  • Jaldeep (Light House) (1956), writer, director
  • Ganga Ki Lahren (1957), writer, director
  • Bachchon Se Bate (Talking To Children) (1957), writer, director
  • Haria (1958), writer
  • Gulab Ka Phool (The Rose Among Flowers) (1958), writer, director
  • 26 January (India's Republic Day) (1959), writer, director
  • Ekta (In Unison) (1959), writer, director
  • Guru Bhakti (Devotion) (1959), writer
  • Panchtantra Ki Ek Kahani (A Story From The Panchantra) (1959), writer
  • Yatra (Journey) (1959), writer
  • Dilli Ki Kahani (The Story of Delhi City) (1960), writer
  • Chetak (1960), writer, director
  • Meera Ka Chitra (Portrait of Meera) (1960), writer, director
  • Nyaya ( Justice) (1960), Camera
  • Mahateerth (Great Pilgrimage) (1961), writer, director
  • Khuda Hafiz (Goodbye) (1983), writer, director, lyricist
  •