Kaagaz ke Phool (1959)

Directed by: Guru Dutt
Music: SD Burman
Lyrics: Kaifi Azmi, Shailendra
Starring: Guru Dutt, Waheeda Rehman,
Baby Naaz, Johnny Walker,
Veena, Minoo Mumtaz,
Pramila, Mahesh Kaul

Earlier this year, I missed Raj Khosla’s birth centenary. Today is the birth centenary of his mentor and friend, Guru Dutt, a luminary in his own right, and someone who has contributed his mite to the golden age of Hindi cinema. It seemed only fitting that I acknowledge and celebrate this milestone.

The question was, how? Do I write about him under ‘The Masters’? Do I curate a list of songs, given that he was an accomplished song director? Or do I review one of his films? (I have reviewed my favourite Guru Dutt films before – Aar Paar, Mr & Mrs 55, which is a guilty pleasure, and Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam, which, though not directed by him, had his fingerprints all over it.)

My Favourites: Manoj Kumar Songs

24.07.1937-04.04.2025

As long-time readers of my blog know, I’m not a fan of Manoj Kumar. His pop-nationalism scarred my senses; the regressive roles of women in his films annoyed me, and his films never resonated. As an actor, while he initially was earnest and could be quite charming, his mannerisms soon took over to a point where he was a caricature of himself. Yet, as a scriptwriter, filmmaker, editor, and yes, even as an actor, Manoj Kumar left a legacy behind that’s worthy of being commemorated.

Dekh Kabira Roya (1957)

Directed by: Amiya Chakraborty
Music: Madan Mohan
Lyrics: Rajinder Krishan
Starring: Anoop Kumar, Daljeet,
Jawahar Kaul, Ameeta,
Anita Guha, Shubha Khote,
Sundar, Shivraj, Praveen Paul

January was a stressful month for many reasons. I was mostly watching scenes or shorts on YouTube but one day, it recommended Dekh Kabira Roya. Being in the mood for a light, frothy entertainer and not having watched this film for ages, I decided to watch. After all, it was directed by Amiya Chakraborty. If not the film, I knew I would appreciate Madan Mohan’s music.

Madcap. Mystic. Magician.

Writing a biography of any eminent personality is an enormous task. To do so without turning it into hagiography is a task that defeats most who attempt the task. When faced with a 554-page volume that purports to be ‘The Ultimate Biography’, one is left to wonder at the audacity of any biographer to claim that theirs is, in fact, the ‘ultimate’ anything. However, authors Anirudha Bhattacharjee and Parthiv Dhar, explain why they chose that title, and the explanation is disarming.

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by Anirudha Bhattacharjee, a long-time online friend, two years ago. For various reasons, I didn’t read the book until very recently. That too, after Anirudha messaged me to find out if I’d even read it!

Meiyazhagan (2024)

Directed by: C Prem Kumar
Music: Govind Vasantha
Lyrics: Uma Devi, Karthik Netha
Starring: Arvind Swamy, Karthi,
Devadarshini, Sri Divya,
Swati Konde, Rajkiran,
Jayaprakash, Sriranjini,
Indumathy Manikandan

I haven’t really been watching films or reading many books lately; hence, the surfeit of song posts. But recently, my husband, flipping through the movies on Netflix, chanced upon Meiyazhagan (loosely translated to ‘Truly Handsome’ [Edited]). I had heard positive reports of the film, so,curled up on the couch next to him, I decided to stay and watch.

My Favourites: Flower Songs

Kerala, where I am at present, is sweltering in unseasonal heat with temperatures soaring up to 38^o C with a real feel of 40^oC. While, my hometown in Northeast US is shivering at -3^oC with a real feel of  -9^oC; wind chill not counting. Mother Nature has a crazy sense of humour. 

My Favourites: Romantic Duets

Once I got on to the romantic bandwagon, I decided to plunge headlong into romance during the month of February. I have already posted two lists of romantic songs, both solos and duets, featuring Shammi Kapoor who, for a generation, personified romance on screen. But he was scarcely the only one. The history of Hindi films is replete with love stories; but, even if the films were not particularly focused on love, romance was still an integral part of their narratives. So, indeed, was music. And thank heavens for that!

Shammi Kapoor - Romantic Duets

Romance and Shammi Kapoor go hand in hand. Once he broke through to the big league with Tumsa Nahin Dekha, Shammi didn’t look back. It helped that the era was ripe for change; the privations of the decade following independence were a thing of the past. The nation-building exercise that a fledgling country just free of the yoke of its colonial masters demanded was replaced by the dreams and ambitions of a youthful demographic that wanted a little less reality and a little more romance and escapism. Enter a new breed of filmmakers who were excited about the changing landscape of the motion picture industry.

It was the moment Shammi had been waiting for, for many years. Grabbing the opportunity, he burst onto the scene with unbridled enthusiasm. He positioned himself as the youthful rebel, whose trademark bonhomie and loose-limbed grace became his calling card. He romanced his heroines through hills and valleys, fought villains who would try to claim his beloveds and/or his inheritance, and became the aspirational hero for the new generation.

Shammi Kapoor - Romantic Moods

When listing songs for my post on Rafi’s love songs, I found that my initial list had so many songs picturised on Shammi Kapoor. I had to diligently weed them out to get songs featuring other heroes on the list. But they were too good to not post, so I decided to myself that I would eventually write a post on Shammi Kapoor in various romantic moods. Friend and long-time blog reader, Madhulika of Dustedoff, gave me the impetus by enthusiastically seconding the idea.

Years ago, I’d posted a list of Dev Anand’s romantic moods. Though he did not play a pure romantic hero in most of his films, Dev could – and did – charm many a heroine on screen. Shammi Kapoor, however, was the quintessential romantic hero. He chased, wooed, and charmed his heroines across the hills and valleys of different hill stations. And in his prime, there was an animal grace and magnetism about the man that had women swooning over him, both onscreen and off.

My Favourites: Radio Songs

Source: Hindustan Times

Does anyone listen to the radio any more? Or am I dating myself when I talk of radios and transistors and cassette recorders to a generation growing up on MP3 and MP4 (and various other acronyms that make no sense to me at all)? I have lovely memories of growing up to songs on the radio. It was always on when my father was home – either for the various Hindi film music song programmes on Vividh Bharati and Radio Ceylon or for the news. [I wrote about the radio and its connection to my father here.]

It was these programmes – Manoranjan, Aap ki Farmaaish (Fauji bhaaiyon ke liye), Bhoole Bisre Geet and Jayamala (with Sunday afternoons bringing Vishesh Jayamala) and their ilk – that introduced me to Hindi film music, and to Ameen Sayani, the late host of the long-running (nearly 51 years – with a hiatus in between – and over 2200 programmes) Binaca Geetmala. These programmes also introduced me to ‘Jhumri Thalaiyaa’ – a place whose residents seemed obsessed with Hindi film songs. At least, it appeared so. Every song I listened to seemed to have been requested by a resident of that place. (For those interested, Jhumri Thalaiyya is in present-day Jharkhand.)  

Perhaps it’s nostalgia, but I’ve been thinking of writing a post on ‘radio songs’ for some time now. Typically, the context for such songs in films is that either the hero or the heroine is a singer. If it is a joyous song, it is usually to introduce the character. When the lovers separate, as lovers do in Hindi cinema, the radio becomes the means for them to get back together. Since the person listening to the song cannot see the singer on a radio, such radio songs were almost always ‘studio’ songs – the picturisation would inevitably show the singer in the studio and the listener with a radio prominently displayed. It always intrigued me how the separated lover puts the radio on at just the right moment and manages to get a clear reception with no static whatsoever.