Book/Film Reviews

“Guide, The Film: Perspectives”

Guide April 14, 2020

Book Review Guide, The Film: Perspectives Lata Jagtiani & Other Writers Blue Pencil, New Delhi, 2019 ISBN: 978-81-939555-2-9 An unintended blessing of Corona-enforced lockdown, I thought, was that I would be able to finish some half-read books and watch and rewatch some of my favourite films. With this thought I resumed ‘Guide, The Film: Perspectives’ which […]

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Book Review: “Incomparable Sachin Dev Burman”

Incomparable SD Burman August 10, 2019

Incomparable Sachin Dev Burman By HQ Chowdhury Published by Blue Pencil, New Delhi, 2018 ₹599 (Available for less on Amazon); pp 437 Among all the biographies of SD Burman – I am aware of at least four, all well known – the ‘Incomparable Sachin Dev Burman’ by HQ Chowdhury of Bangladesh, first published in Bangladesh […]

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‘Forgotten Artists of Early Cinema and The Same Name Confusion’

Forgotten Artists of Early Cinema August 18, 2018

Welcoming the ‘writer’ Arunkumar Deshmukh and his first book ‘Forgotten Artists of Early Cinema and The Same Name Confusion’ By Arunkumar Deshmukh & Prof Surjit Singh Published by Professor Toofaanii Publishers I want some information about Master Vitthal and Zubeida, the lead actors of the first talkie, ‘Alam Ara’, for writing my dissertation for my […]

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One hundred years of Sarat Chandra’s ‘Devdas’

Devdas June 30, 2017

Some time back,  there was an interesting discussion between Ashok Kumar Tyagi and Hans about the story of Devdas and as to why Sanjay Leela Bhansali took so much liberties with it. I doubt if they realised that it was the centenary year of the publication of Sarat Chandra’s eponymous novel. Such coincidences have often happened […]

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Naushad’s Priceless Moment: ‘Anmol Ghadi’

Anmol Ghadi December 25, 2015

Wishing Merry Christmas to all with a tribute to Naushad, Rafi and Noorjehan I heralded 2015 with Naushad’s Crown Jewel, Rattan (1944), and decided to celebrate the year as The Year of Naushad. I cannot think of a better way to conclude the year than to remember his next Priceless Moment in his career, Anmol […]

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Raju Bharatan’s ‘Naushadnama’

Naushadnama May 5, 2015

Book Review as a tribute to Naushad on his 9th death anniversary (25 December 1919-5 May 2006)     Naushadnama By Raju Bharatan Hay House India (2013) pp. 341       The most important thing about Raju Bharatan’s Naushadnama is that it is Raju Bharatan’s Naushadnama.     Which means, if you are familiar with his […]

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The Master of Musical Comedies C Ramchandra and his ‘Patanga’ (1949)

Patanga (1949) January 12, 2015

A tribute on C Ramchandra’s birth anniversary January 12 (12 Jan 1918-5 Jan 1982) In my simplified history of Hindi film music, when I move from RC Boral-Pankaj Mullick to Anil Biswas to Naushad, it would be quite unfair if I miss C Ramchandra. The Great Maratha (in the sense of one belonging to Maharashtra) […]

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The Jewel in the Crown of Naushad: ‘Rattan’ (1944)

Rattan January 1, 2015

SoY celebrates 2015 as the Year of Naushad in the 75th Anniversary Year of his debut If I were to write the history of Hindi film music, it would go as follows. Once upon a time there were RC Boral and Pankaj Mullick. Then came Anil Biswas. He was followed by Naushad, who in a […]

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A ‘serious’ review of Sangam (1964) in its Golden Jubilee Year

Sangam March 17, 2014

Raj Kapoor overturns Bollywood triangle to convey profound social messages Reviewing a film is not a joke unless you are Madhu, Anu or Memsaab Greta. Then, why am I venturing into a field in which I have no expertise, and why Sangam? Review of a Bollywood blockbuster like Sangam suffers from both the ends. At […]

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Well Done Abba: Mainstreaming of the ‘Muslim’ in Hindi films

Thumbnail image for Well Done Abba: Mainstreaming of the ‘Muslim’ in Hindi films June 7, 2010

You would be hard put to recall a mainstream film whose hero bore the name Salim, Javed or Asghar – unless it was a ‘Muslim’ film.  You might think of the student-poet Anwar (Rajendra Kumar in Mere Mehboob, 1963) plaintively singing Mere mehboob tujhe meri mohabbat ki kasam in the college farewell function, which was […]

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