Well, I've spoken about Vijay Anand as a great director, writer and actor in my last post; however the one talent about Goldie Sir which is always talked about by critics and his fans today is definitely his song picturization skills. There's no doubt he put in a lot of effort to make his songs look extra-special; something that took creativity to another level altogether!
Here, I am not going to list some of his songs in my ranking in terms of picturization; they are all brilliant in their own rights and cannot be compared. So I'm just going to go about writing about some excellent song picturizations of his chronologically.
1957: Film - Nau Do Gyarah.I had already spoken the song Hum Hai Rahi Pyar Ke in the previous post. Not going to speak much about it; but you can't help admire the picturisation when you see it. All it has is Dev Anand driving a truck, with a cigarette in his mouth, whistling and singing. As I had mentioned in an earlier post, simple is beautiful!
And who can forget his other gem from the movie (mind you, they're all one better than the other!) - Aankhon Mein Kya Ji - nobody can guess this is Vijay Anand's first ever film! Such wonderful romance depicted between Dev Anand and Kalpana Karthik (Dev's real life wife)besides a well, and then on a haystack ... what a concept ... and what amazing chemistry ... the song just about a right mixture of naughtiness, freshness of first love and of course very VERY romantic! So realistic that you can totally imagine yourself to be one of the actors and fall in love with the other instantly! Songs like these and Kali Ke Roop Mein, Kya Hai Phir Jo Din and O Soja Nindiya Ki Bela Hai from this fresh, debut film of his showed signs that this was a director who is a genius in the making.
1960: Film - Kala Bazaar. Vijay Anand was just about getting into the genius level when it comes to shooting songs from this film. Henceforth, almost all the songs in all the films from his prime period (until 1973) are worthy of talking about, but I'm only going to talk of a few of them. Well, back to Kala Bazaar, the style in which Upar Wala Jaan Kar Anjaan Hai was shot was simply extraordinary. This was a case of very intelligent song-writing and film-making, where Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman are sitting in the lower and upper berths in a train, and Dev is obviously flirting with Waheeda, but Waheeda's mother, who's sitting right opposite Dev, thinks Dev is singing songs for 'Uperwala' (God) and appears to be very happy with him for doing so. One of the songs you just HAVE to check out!
With great difficulty, I'm only choosing one more song from this film to write about. Khoya Khoya Chand, simply because this is the song that gave Dev his unique walking and running style. Shot very beautifully, amidst a foggy hill, this song just has Dev trying to impress Waheeda through his song. Of course, the walking and running was only because he was so much in love, and couldn't help but 'break free'!
1963: Film - Tere Ghar Ke Saamne. What else but the much talked about title song. Very ahead for it's times technically, this song has Dev Anand drinking and imagining Nutan in the bottom of his glass. A must-watch song again; and watch out for the scene where he puts a few ice cubes in the glass and imagines Nutan shivering in cold with the ice falling on her.
The other great picturized song from this film is obviously Dil Ka Bhanwar. First of all, this is THE only song ever picturized inside the Qutub Minar. No one is actually to shoot inside the Qutub Minar (now I hear we're not even allowed to go inside, but I'm not too sure), but the Government could easily make an exception for Dev saab! This song just has Dev romancing Nutan while climbing down the stairs of the Qutub Minar. Keep a look-out for a 'Hitchcock-ly' appearance from the great director himself in this song!
1965: Film - Guide. What do I talk about the songs of this film? Whether it's the evergreen Gaata Rahe Mera Dil, with Dev and Waheeda romancing with some excellently shot scenes of landscapes in the background, or the two of them in Tere Mere Sapne Ab Ek Rang Hai, with Dev promising Waheeda how much he loves her and will continue to do so. Or do I talk about Din Dhal Jaye, which has Dev Anand pouring his heart out in sorrow at night after a few drinks, when their relationship begins to turn sour, and he has only his servant for company; until of course Waheeda wakes up when she listens to Dev singing this song and watches him from the top of the stairs with both of them being so near yet so far, physically. There is of course the extraordinary two-song part in the film, with Saiyaan Be-imaan immediately being followed by Kya Se Kya Ho Gaya, which takes you into the mind of Dev Anand's character, with utmost care taken to ensure the lyrics match the situation perfectly! Who can also forget the song which appears along with the credits, Wahaan Kaun Hai Tera, the lyrics of which determine the state of Dev's character's thoughts, as he wonders whether to go home or make a new way for himself. A song which will definitely leave goosebumps on every audience member!
It's real tough to talk about those two songs without revealing the twists in the story, so I won't.
The two songs I will talk about are Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai and Piya Tose Naina Laga Re. Aaj Phir which depicts Waheeda's character shedding her inhibitions, freeing herself from her husband and breaking free, and the breaking of the pot was so metaphorical! Hats off to Goldie Sir's creativity yet again. Piya Tose is brilliant because it is used to carry the story forward several months in fast forward instead of subjecting the audience to an extra half-an-hour of movie time. In that very song of approximately 6 minutes duration, Waheeda starts dancing in front of audiences for the first time, they start converting small amounts into large sums thereby becoming rich and she becomes a nation-wide sensation towards the middle and end. Terrific thought process by Vijay Anand!
Okay, I realize this post is running long, so I'll try to cut it short here on.
1966: Film - Teesri Manzil. This film had amazing songs, with Vijay Anand doing full justice to each and every one of them. While it Main Inpe Marta Hoon picturized on a giantwheel (!!!) and O Mere Sona Re shot in the hills with Asha Parekh trying to lighten up a sulking Shammi Kapoor (delightful picturization), a lovely romantic song Tumne Mujhe Dekha (shot after Geeta Bali, Shammi's real-life wife's death), a mischevious Deewana Mujhse Nahin, a pep and extremely energetic Aaja Aaja Main Hoon Pyar Tera, the one song that really stands out is O Haseena Zulfonwali. The use of the 'eye set' works wonders, and also the slide that Helen makes her appearance in. The dance was perfectly in accordance with not only the lyrics, but also the interlude music! Watch for Shammi's antics in all the interludes to realize that.
1967: Film - Jewel Thief. I think this film had the most real picturizations, yet we can imagine these to be the toughest songs to have shot. A song only showing Vyanjthimala rowing a boat and Dev Anand following her on another, Rula Ke Gaya Sapna Mera, can surely not be easy. Nor can Ye Dil Na Hota Bechara which has Dev Anand trying to 'play a bit' with Tanuja and her friends or Aasman Ke Neeche, which starts off with Dev Anand and Vyjanthimala lazing on a garden and Dev teasing the heroine. Same goes for Dil Pukare in which Dev and Vyjanthimala are only walking around the hills of Gangtok, which has never looked more beautiful ever! Raat Akeli Hai is perhaps the best seductive song ever seen on cinema, and yet the picturization is so naughty, yet real and clean. But where Vijay Anand goes an extra step is Hothon Pe Aisi Baat, a lovely song with a fantastic dance, but it's the way the lyrics and scenes carry the story forward that is extremely remarkable!
1970: Film - Johny Mera Naam. Vijay Anand made another double-meaning song, O Mere Raja (where Dev is confronting Hema about a diamond heist she did, while the police surrounding them think they are two lovers arguing), and another classic seduction song, Husn Ke Laakhon Rang, but somehow we got the feeling that Vijay Anand might not surpass his previous work in this film. Well, we only had to wait a little longer. No one apart from Vijay Anand could have converted a bhajan to a thriller, and Govind Bolo Hari Gopal Bolo is exactly that. But the song that is most remembered is, without a shadow of a doubt, Pal Bhar Ke Liye. This song is shot inside a house with Hema Malini inside and Dev Anand just mischeviously trying to get inside through all the doors and (numerous) windows that the house had and Hema's trying her best not to let Dev in. This song is something that just needs to be watched to be believed!
1971: Film - Tere Mere Sapne. Vijay Anand made simple look sweet yet again, with Hai Maine Kasam Li, where Dev Anand just takes Mumtaz around village fields on his cycle. Beautiful!
1973: Film - Chuppa Rustam. Not exactly a song, but you know you're in for a treat right from the credits appear, with a very engaging background score, along a rail-track! Can't really say much about this, except for PLEASE WATCH IT!
1973: Film - Blackmail. Raakhee reading Dharmendra's love-letters, and a breeze carries one of them outside to a plant, where it sticks on in perfect reading condition; Raakhee dreaming of Dharmendra throughout; Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas is a classic admired by even today's generation. And this is all actually happening in Dharmendra's dreams!
But I'll tell you what was the stand-out song from this film, in terms of picturization in my opinion - Mile Mile Do Badan. While the married Dharmendra and Raakhee had reached an agreement wherein they would never indulge in uh, marital acts, at the climax, while in hiding from Shatrughan and his henchmen and sniffer dogs in a jungle, covered by a few logs, the couple is clinging on to each other and gradually, they realize their love for each other and finally do it. This is simply Vijay Anand at his best!
No wonder then, that Vijay Anand is till-date remembered as a very intelligent film-maker, who always knew exactly what he wanted. And of course, someone who is always looked upon as the greatest director when it came to picturizing songs! The Hitchcock of Indian Cinema went beyond creating great thrills and suspense in scenes, and how!
Friday, November 27, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Remembering a legend: Vijay Anand (Part I)
The year was 1957. Dev Anand was shown driving a truck, whistling a melodious tune, which when words started flowing, went something like, 'Hum hai rahi pyaar ke, humse kuch na boliye'. The movie, a very engaging thriller for it's time, was a smash hit. Nau Do Gyarah marked the arrival of the latest member of the Anand family, a young, ambitious, well-educated dreamer (just like any of the other Anand brothers) - Vijay Anand. While this movie is no best-of-all-time, it certainly stands the test of time. Vijay Anand's work was no less than brilliant and Navketan Films had a new brain to steer it to a different level altogether.
That happened very soon. In 1960, his next venture, Kala Bazaar became a box-office and critical success. Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman recreated the magic they had two years back in Solva Saal, and this movie is as wonderful and charming today as it was back then. The tale of a con-man mending his ways to woo a 'khaandani' girl may have been repeated later by others, but none were able to reach the benchmark set by this movie. Vijay Anand is excellent in a supporting role. By now, Navketan and S.D.Burman were in a symbiosis relationship, and the work produced in combination can easily stand as some of the greatest in Indian film music.
1963 saw Dev Anand romancing Nutan in Tere Ghar Ke Saamne, what is now regarded as one of the best romantic comedies ever in Hindi cinema, and why not you may ask. This had all the elements right, from the music to the screenplay and acting.
Three films and three super-hits in six years. However, the best was yet to come. And that's exactly what the next ten years witnessed, with 'Goldie' producing one masterpiece after another.
1965 was the year of Guide. This film swept all the major awards that year (except music, which disappoints Dev Anand to this very date) and was India's selection to the Oscars. It probably failed to impress the West because it was also released there earlier in English, directed by Tad Danielewski. However, the Hindi version remains timeless and much better than the English one.
Guide was a film way ahead of it's times; in fact it's ahead for today's times as well! Hats off to everyone involved with the film (and R.K.Narayan of course), for this is now rated as one of the best movies India has ever produced. A drama that will keep you glued to your seats; it charms everyone with it's evergreen music, dialogues, dances and acting performances. Vijay Anand's direction had never been better. It had now reached perfection. This perfection was exactly what was required when he had to shoot his next three movies, if they had to remain timeless as well.
For exactly one year later, in 1966, he came back with yet another bang on the box-office. Critics too loved this movie. We sing it's songs very often. When you have Shammi Kapoor, Helen and Asha Parekh swinging to R.D.Burman's evergreen numbers, amidst a murder which has made Shammi Kapoor the prime suspect with his lady-love Asha Parekh vowing for revenge, there was absolutely no chance a director of Vijay Anand could go wrong! Teesri Manzil is till date, considered one of the pioneers when it comes to thrillers, and it has certainly set a benchmark which no other thriller/suspense film could achieve.
Oops, did I just say no other film could match Teesri Manzil in suspense? If at all there's any movie that has surpassed the brilliance of Teesri Manzil, it had to Vijay Anand's next, released in 1967 - Jewel Thief. This extremely fast-paced suspense thriller had Dev Anand romancing Vyjanthimala and Tanuja with witty dialogues and some fantastic music, again evergreen, by S.D.Burman. While there was a storyline which had us thinking as to who the jewel thief could be, there was another angle in the film masterfully created by Vijay Anand, where we were kept in suspense until the final twenty minutes as to whether Dev Anand is playing a double role or whether the 'good' Dev Anand is masquerading as the 'bad' one for stealing the jewels; and believe me, no other director could have pulled off this feat. Be prepared for major shocks along the way! Also, you have to watch out for a scene where Dev Anand is asked to remove his shoe to prove who he really is. Removing shoes had never been so nail-biting! No wonder then, that Jewel Thief, along with Teesri Manzil, is considered as the finest suspense thriller ever made!
1970 had Dev Anand paired with a relatively new actress; a gorgeous Hema Malini in her first few movies. This was another thriller marked with excellent music (Kalyanji-Anandji this time) and dialogues, with a twist happening every now and then. Johny Mera Naam had the audiences flocking to the theatres in large numbers, and people watching the movie even today will understand why.
A year later, in 1971, Vijay Anand came back with yet another masterpiece called Tere Mere Sapne; only this time it was not a thriller, but a beautiful drama with a love story entwined within, that of Dev Anand and Mumtaz, with Vijay Anand in a brilliant supporting role and Hema Malini in a well-written special role. Never before had the profession of medicine been demonstrated so realistically, especially with the use of two different idealogies of practising it, and by the looks of it, no movie ever will. This movie, I would consider as one of Vijay Anand's best, even though it is not much remembered now among the general crowd. People will definitely love this movie if they can come across a DVD/VCD of it and watch it. This is easily one of his best written and directed movies. Kudos to the art direction and music too!
Vijay Anand came out with quite a few films later as well, none with the magic of his early films; but extremely good movies nonetheless.
1973 had Dharmendra singing Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas having Raakhee in his thoughts, a song which even now, is considered one of the most romantic songs ever. Shatrughan Sinha was terrific as the blackmailer in this latest Vijay Anand flick, a fast-paced thriller called Blackmail. The story was certainly well ahead of it's times, and the film was yet another feather in the cap of our genius director.
1973 was the year another typical Vijay Anand thriller was released, Chuppa Rustam. While it's not much remembered now, it's no less in quality than any of his earlier films. Dev Anand and Hema Malini were superb and the result was yet another edge-of-the-seat thriller. Vijay Anand makes a magnificient appearance in a supporting role, easily one of the best characters he's ever created on cinema. People of today should definitely give this movie a chance. They won't be disappointed.
The other talent that Vijay Anand had, and that was demonstrated in all these films, was the knack for excellent background music. The background scores in films like Teesri Manzil, Jewel Thief and Johny Mera Naam have especially helped in making them unforgettable. Never again has any suspense film witnessed such a chilling and engaging score as Jewel Thief.
You only have to watch the films a second time to realize what a genius Vijay Anand really was, in terms of the way everything was created while making the film. The screenplays, and this is most true in case of his suspense-thrillers, was SIMPLY FLAWLESS! There was not a single scene or a single dialogue that was not for a purpose. Truly, he was the master of suspense in Indian cinema, and given good marketing, can make his name known across the world.
Films following these didn't quite have the same Vijay Anand effect. Perhaps he missed the creative help he received at Navketan including his brother, Dev, and his usual crew. He did make a mark with films like Rajput and Ram-Balram, which were very good and entertaining no doubt, but by now even he was finding it hard to match up to the 'skyscraperly' high standard he had set for himself.
Vijay Anand had written a fantastic screenplay, which was made into a film, now almost forgotten, in 1972, with him and Rekha in the lead. While the film, Double Cross, was good to be honest (provided you wait until the second half), it could have been much better. The direction by Gogi Anand was a bit amateurish at times, and if only Vijay Anand was behind the camera calling the shots, this film had the potential to be a classic. (No offence to Gogi Anand though, he will always remain well-respected!)
Vijay Anand was much more than a master director; he was a wonderful actor as well. His performances in films like Kora Kaagaz and Tere Mere Sapne probably stand out from among the rest, and were definitely award-worthy. The sensitiveness and gentlemanliness displayed in Kora Kaagaz will be talked about for years to come, while the transition in character from a lost drunkard to a heroic doctor in Tere Mere Sapne was a role portrayed outstandingly.
In a way, things were not too bad when he quit making films in the late 80s, for in 1994, he came back with a bang; in a role on a TV show that has made him very famous with the young crowd who did not know too much about his movies. Tahqiqat was a smash success in the early years of television; a show which like his films, will always remain timeless.
But the truth is we don't really care what kind of movies he ended up with in the final years of his career. The masterpieces he gave us during his first fifteen years are enough for us to fall back on whenever we want. They are movies that will stand out till eternity. Vijay Anand will remain in the hearts of movie-buffs till eternity.
That happened very soon. In 1960, his next venture, Kala Bazaar became a box-office and critical success. Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman recreated the magic they had two years back in Solva Saal, and this movie is as wonderful and charming today as it was back then. The tale of a con-man mending his ways to woo a 'khaandani' girl may have been repeated later by others, but none were able to reach the benchmark set by this movie. Vijay Anand is excellent in a supporting role. By now, Navketan and S.D.Burman were in a symbiosis relationship, and the work produced in combination can easily stand as some of the greatest in Indian film music.
1963 saw Dev Anand romancing Nutan in Tere Ghar Ke Saamne, what is now regarded as one of the best romantic comedies ever in Hindi cinema, and why not you may ask. This had all the elements right, from the music to the screenplay and acting.
Three films and three super-hits in six years. However, the best was yet to come. And that's exactly what the next ten years witnessed, with 'Goldie' producing one masterpiece after another.
1965 was the year of Guide. This film swept all the major awards that year (except music, which disappoints Dev Anand to this very date) and was India's selection to the Oscars. It probably failed to impress the West because it was also released there earlier in English, directed by Tad Danielewski. However, the Hindi version remains timeless and much better than the English one.
Guide was a film way ahead of it's times; in fact it's ahead for today's times as well! Hats off to everyone involved with the film (and R.K.Narayan of course), for this is now rated as one of the best movies India has ever produced. A drama that will keep you glued to your seats; it charms everyone with it's evergreen music, dialogues, dances and acting performances. Vijay Anand's direction had never been better. It had now reached perfection. This perfection was exactly what was required when he had to shoot his next three movies, if they had to remain timeless as well.
For exactly one year later, in 1966, he came back with yet another bang on the box-office. Critics too loved this movie. We sing it's songs very often. When you have Shammi Kapoor, Helen and Asha Parekh swinging to R.D.Burman's evergreen numbers, amidst a murder which has made Shammi Kapoor the prime suspect with his lady-love Asha Parekh vowing for revenge, there was absolutely no chance a director of Vijay Anand could go wrong! Teesri Manzil is till date, considered one of the pioneers when it comes to thrillers, and it has certainly set a benchmark which no other thriller/suspense film could achieve.
Oops, did I just say no other film could match Teesri Manzil in suspense? If at all there's any movie that has surpassed the brilliance of Teesri Manzil, it had to Vijay Anand's next, released in 1967 - Jewel Thief. This extremely fast-paced suspense thriller had Dev Anand romancing Vyjanthimala and Tanuja with witty dialogues and some fantastic music, again evergreen, by S.D.Burman. While there was a storyline which had us thinking as to who the jewel thief could be, there was another angle in the film masterfully created by Vijay Anand, where we were kept in suspense until the final twenty minutes as to whether Dev Anand is playing a double role or whether the 'good' Dev Anand is masquerading as the 'bad' one for stealing the jewels; and believe me, no other director could have pulled off this feat. Be prepared for major shocks along the way! Also, you have to watch out for a scene where Dev Anand is asked to remove his shoe to prove who he really is. Removing shoes had never been so nail-biting! No wonder then, that Jewel Thief, along with Teesri Manzil, is considered as the finest suspense thriller ever made!
1970 had Dev Anand paired with a relatively new actress; a gorgeous Hema Malini in her first few movies. This was another thriller marked with excellent music (Kalyanji-Anandji this time) and dialogues, with a twist happening every now and then. Johny Mera Naam had the audiences flocking to the theatres in large numbers, and people watching the movie even today will understand why.
A year later, in 1971, Vijay Anand came back with yet another masterpiece called Tere Mere Sapne; only this time it was not a thriller, but a beautiful drama with a love story entwined within, that of Dev Anand and Mumtaz, with Vijay Anand in a brilliant supporting role and Hema Malini in a well-written special role. Never before had the profession of medicine been demonstrated so realistically, especially with the use of two different idealogies of practising it, and by the looks of it, no movie ever will. This movie, I would consider as one of Vijay Anand's best, even though it is not much remembered now among the general crowd. People will definitely love this movie if they can come across a DVD/VCD of it and watch it. This is easily one of his best written and directed movies. Kudos to the art direction and music too!
Vijay Anand came out with quite a few films later as well, none with the magic of his early films; but extremely good movies nonetheless.
1973 had Dharmendra singing Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas having Raakhee in his thoughts, a song which even now, is considered one of the most romantic songs ever. Shatrughan Sinha was terrific as the blackmailer in this latest Vijay Anand flick, a fast-paced thriller called Blackmail. The story was certainly well ahead of it's times, and the film was yet another feather in the cap of our genius director.
1973 was the year another typical Vijay Anand thriller was released, Chuppa Rustam. While it's not much remembered now, it's no less in quality than any of his earlier films. Dev Anand and Hema Malini were superb and the result was yet another edge-of-the-seat thriller. Vijay Anand makes a magnificient appearance in a supporting role, easily one of the best characters he's ever created on cinema. People of today should definitely give this movie a chance. They won't be disappointed.
The other talent that Vijay Anand had, and that was demonstrated in all these films, was the knack for excellent background music. The background scores in films like Teesri Manzil, Jewel Thief and Johny Mera Naam have especially helped in making them unforgettable. Never again has any suspense film witnessed such a chilling and engaging score as Jewel Thief.
You only have to watch the films a second time to realize what a genius Vijay Anand really was, in terms of the way everything was created while making the film. The screenplays, and this is most true in case of his suspense-thrillers, was SIMPLY FLAWLESS! There was not a single scene or a single dialogue that was not for a purpose. Truly, he was the master of suspense in Indian cinema, and given good marketing, can make his name known across the world.
Films following these didn't quite have the same Vijay Anand effect. Perhaps he missed the creative help he received at Navketan including his brother, Dev, and his usual crew. He did make a mark with films like Rajput and Ram-Balram, which were very good and entertaining no doubt, but by now even he was finding it hard to match up to the 'skyscraperly' high standard he had set for himself.
Vijay Anand had written a fantastic screenplay, which was made into a film, now almost forgotten, in 1972, with him and Rekha in the lead. While the film, Double Cross, was good to be honest (provided you wait until the second half), it could have been much better. The direction by Gogi Anand was a bit amateurish at times, and if only Vijay Anand was behind the camera calling the shots, this film had the potential to be a classic. (No offence to Gogi Anand though, he will always remain well-respected!)
Vijay Anand was much more than a master director; he was a wonderful actor as well. His performances in films like Kora Kaagaz and Tere Mere Sapne probably stand out from among the rest, and were definitely award-worthy. The sensitiveness and gentlemanliness displayed in Kora Kaagaz will be talked about for years to come, while the transition in character from a lost drunkard to a heroic doctor in Tere Mere Sapne was a role portrayed outstandingly.
In a way, things were not too bad when he quit making films in the late 80s, for in 1994, he came back with a bang; in a role on a TV show that has made him very famous with the young crowd who did not know too much about his movies. Tahqiqat was a smash success in the early years of television; a show which like his films, will always remain timeless.
But the truth is we don't really care what kind of movies he ended up with in the final years of his career. The masterpieces he gave us during his first fifteen years are enough for us to fall back on whenever we want. They are movies that will stand out till eternity. Vijay Anand will remain in the hearts of movie-buffs till eternity.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
A plead to TV channels
All The Best opened to theatres a few weeks and received fairly good reviews from critics and entertained the general masses. I happened to see the review given by Rajeev Masand on TV before I actually saw the movie, something which I usually tend to avoid. He made a mention about some interesting characters the film had - but he also mentioned about a don who is mute but speaks to his henchmen by means of tapping a spoon on glass. It doesn't take any time for a Hindi film-buff to figure out the character is either copied from, or is a tribute to Prem Nath's character in Karz.
However, Rajeev Masand failed to realize that and praised the makers of the film for creating such wonderful characters.
I should have known he wouldn't know a thing about Rohit Shetty's remakes; after all he lavished heavy praises on Golmaal Returns but for any of us, it was a blatant rip-off of a Hindi classic (now forgotten among the youth) - Aaj Ki Taaza Khabar.
Similar instances where both people and critics failed to identify the original would be the love story in Ghajini. Everyone spoke about how the film was copied from Memento and people here spoke about how the Tamil version was better than the Hindi one, and that it was yet another case of Hindi films being remade from Tamil films, but no one ever realized that the Tamil version itself was copied, half from Memento (but let's not get into that) and the other half - the love story, from another now-forgotten-classic Pasand Apni Apni.
I've already spoken about how shameless writers/producers/directors/musicians must be for directly lifting themes without acknowledging the original source in the first article on this blog.
The other thing on my mind is of course who made ignorant people critics and what can one do to become a film critic/analyser, but let's leave that for some other day.
I think it's very sad that people no longer know enough about the classics being produced in our country. There are plenty of films which have made India proud in the global circuit, which people today know nothing about. Well, those films can be found by any researcher on DVD and will probably be watched.
But what the other gems, like the ones I mentioned about earlier in this post? How will people even come across their names, let alone finding them on DVD?
Looking back, I think I was lucky to have grown up at a time when TV channels used to show good and quality films, irrespective of the year they were released and whether they were black-and-white or colour. However, the last few years have seen a very bad change in the attitude of TV channels.
Today, all the movie channels are just interested in beating their competitors over the rights to a new movie being released, however crappy that film might be, and showing that movie very frequently. If the channel had to show only good movies, these would not even be considered.
I wonder when Star Gold decided to change it's mind, thus forgetting the sole intention for which it was started. In fact, I've just lost all hopes on this channel. Even the new films they show on this channel are usually the terrible ones.
Zee Cinema is no more the same as it was several years back. For a brief while, they had a festival for Raj Kapoor (only the colour ones though) and Subhash Ghai. Post-that, they went back to their boring ways.
Staying with Zee, I think Zee Classic is one terrific channel. Sure, they show a few terrible movies in that as well, but for the most time, we are exposed to good cinema from as early as possible till the early 90s. However, why can't they choose to be available on regular cable or other DTH providers other than Dish TV? I think film-buffs will be extremely grateful to them if they do.
There are few channels, like SET Max, which choose to show old movies only late in the night, when the entire nation is asleep and a few fools like me are awake from 2 in the night to 6 in the morning just to watch a good flick.
Set Max still shows old movies at primetime (8 PM - 12PM), provided they are Amitabh Bachchan's, usually when they have the Ab Tak Bachchan fest going on. So far, they've held festivals for Amitabh, Shahrukh Khan and Mithun Chakrabarthy.
I just want to ask the creative heads behind Set Max that if they can hold fests for these three great actors, can't they hold similar fests for say, Dharmendra or Sanjeev Kumar? Heck, forget lead actors - they can even hold a fest on Mehmood for that matter! Surely their films are no less in quality or quantity!
Having said that, given the vast collection of timeless classics that SET Max has, they can show a good movie (old or new) following one another and still not feel the need to repeat a movie until a couple of months at least.
Well, atleast we should be thankful to SET for showing us good movies on SAB TV. SAB was much better until a year back, when they would show one old, good movie everyday in the morning and repeat it at midnight. The nights I've spent awake till 3 in the morning during college to watch these movies will remain etched in my memory forever ... now of course, they show 2 different movies on Saturday and Sunday, but none on the remaining days of the week :(
It's a very sad situation these days on TV ... they make it a point to show each and every new film that releases at the cost of older ones. The young generation of today will be totally cut-off from the classics made earlier. Imagine a whole generation and generations following them knowing people like Upen Patel and Koena Mitra (i.e. the generation of today - they will soon be forgotten in three years from now) and not knowing about Rajesh Khanna, Dev Anand or Raj Kapoor!!! Well, they were stars, so people might be familiar with their names, but what about the acting legends like Balraj Sahni, Ashok Kumar and certain character actors like Om Prakash and Pran, just to name a few?????
TV channels should realize that for every Blue, The Train (Emraan Hashmi's version), Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Tom Dick And Harry, Dhamaal, Dhol, Rakht, Aitbaar and Aksar, there's a Baawarchi, Dost, Jewel Thief, Guide, Awaara, Abhinetri, Victoria No. 203 (Navin Nischol version) Shagird or An Evening In Paris being sidelined.
Would the owners of these TV channels want their children growing up on movies like Blue rather than Guide?
Most of the people can't afford buying DVDs and VCDs of good movies (no matter how inexpensive they may be). They pay for cable / DTH and deserve their money's worth for it.
I think it's high time TV channels realize the responsibility they have in not only developing our taste in cinema, but also in the promotion of classics, our culture, innocence among kids and above all, clean and healthy family viewing!
However, Rajeev Masand failed to realize that and praised the makers of the film for creating such wonderful characters.
I should have known he wouldn't know a thing about Rohit Shetty's remakes; after all he lavished heavy praises on Golmaal Returns but for any of us, it was a blatant rip-off of a Hindi classic (now forgotten among the youth) - Aaj Ki Taaza Khabar.
Similar instances where both people and critics failed to identify the original would be the love story in Ghajini. Everyone spoke about how the film was copied from Memento and people here spoke about how the Tamil version was better than the Hindi one, and that it was yet another case of Hindi films being remade from Tamil films, but no one ever realized that the Tamil version itself was copied, half from Memento (but let's not get into that) and the other half - the love story, from another now-forgotten-classic Pasand Apni Apni.
I've already spoken about how shameless writers/producers/directors/musicians must be for directly lifting themes without acknowledging the original source in the first article on this blog.
The other thing on my mind is of course who made ignorant people critics and what can one do to become a film critic/analyser, but let's leave that for some other day.
I think it's very sad that people no longer know enough about the classics being produced in our country. There are plenty of films which have made India proud in the global circuit, which people today know nothing about. Well, those films can be found by any researcher on DVD and will probably be watched.
But what the other gems, like the ones I mentioned about earlier in this post? How will people even come across their names, let alone finding them on DVD?
Looking back, I think I was lucky to have grown up at a time when TV channels used to show good and quality films, irrespective of the year they were released and whether they were black-and-white or colour. However, the last few years have seen a very bad change in the attitude of TV channels.
Today, all the movie channels are just interested in beating their competitors over the rights to a new movie being released, however crappy that film might be, and showing that movie very frequently. If the channel had to show only good movies, these would not even be considered.
I wonder when Star Gold decided to change it's mind, thus forgetting the sole intention for which it was started. In fact, I've just lost all hopes on this channel. Even the new films they show on this channel are usually the terrible ones.
Zee Cinema is no more the same as it was several years back. For a brief while, they had a festival for Raj Kapoor (only the colour ones though) and Subhash Ghai. Post-that, they went back to their boring ways.
Staying with Zee, I think Zee Classic is one terrific channel. Sure, they show a few terrible movies in that as well, but for the most time, we are exposed to good cinema from as early as possible till the early 90s. However, why can't they choose to be available on regular cable or other DTH providers other than Dish TV? I think film-buffs will be extremely grateful to them if they do.
There are few channels, like SET Max, which choose to show old movies only late in the night, when the entire nation is asleep and a few fools like me are awake from 2 in the night to 6 in the morning just to watch a good flick.
Set Max still shows old movies at primetime (8 PM - 12PM), provided they are Amitabh Bachchan's, usually when they have the Ab Tak Bachchan fest going on. So far, they've held festivals for Amitabh, Shahrukh Khan and Mithun Chakrabarthy.
I just want to ask the creative heads behind Set Max that if they can hold fests for these three great actors, can't they hold similar fests for say, Dharmendra or Sanjeev Kumar? Heck, forget lead actors - they can even hold a fest on Mehmood for that matter! Surely their films are no less in quality or quantity!
Having said that, given the vast collection of timeless classics that SET Max has, they can show a good movie (old or new) following one another and still not feel the need to repeat a movie until a couple of months at least.
Well, atleast we should be thankful to SET for showing us good movies on SAB TV. SAB was much better until a year back, when they would show one old, good movie everyday in the morning and repeat it at midnight. The nights I've spent awake till 3 in the morning during college to watch these movies will remain etched in my memory forever ... now of course, they show 2 different movies on Saturday and Sunday, but none on the remaining days of the week :(
It's a very sad situation these days on TV ... they make it a point to show each and every new film that releases at the cost of older ones. The young generation of today will be totally cut-off from the classics made earlier. Imagine a whole generation and generations following them knowing people like Upen Patel and Koena Mitra (i.e. the generation of today - they will soon be forgotten in three years from now) and not knowing about Rajesh Khanna, Dev Anand or Raj Kapoor!!! Well, they were stars, so people might be familiar with their names, but what about the acting legends like Balraj Sahni, Ashok Kumar and certain character actors like Om Prakash and Pran, just to name a few?????
TV channels should realize that for every Blue, The Train (Emraan Hashmi's version), Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Tom Dick And Harry, Dhamaal, Dhol, Rakht, Aitbaar and Aksar, there's a Baawarchi, Dost, Jewel Thief, Guide, Awaara, Abhinetri, Victoria No. 203 (Navin Nischol version) Shagird or An Evening In Paris being sidelined.
Would the owners of these TV channels want their children growing up on movies like Blue rather than Guide?
Most of the people can't afford buying DVDs and VCDs of good movies (no matter how inexpensive they may be). They pay for cable / DTH and deserve their money's worth for it.
I think it's high time TV channels realize the responsibility they have in not only developing our taste in cinema, but also in the promotion of classics, our culture, innocence among kids and above all, clean and healthy family viewing!
Monday, November 23, 2009
The forgotten art of playback singing
Ever heard songs of recent flicks lately? Well I'm sure you would have coz they're all over TV until the film releases and a week after.
Remember any of them two weeks later?
IF AT ALL you do, can you differentiate between two or more songs?
Again, IF AT ALL you do, do you think you'll still remember which song belonged to which movie after, say 2 years (then again, this is if you remember the movie name by then too!)?
Nowadays, all songs sound similar, don't they? Watching the videos of these songs gives you a bigger headache than listening to them!
Gone are the good old days when songs would be refreshing, original, having an Indian feel, soothing, beautiful ... gone are the days where songs fitted the situation to a T in the film scenario ... gone are the days where a LOT of effort went into the lyrics and picturization of the songs once the music was composed - and those videos too would be different and original in each song, in each film. EXTREMELY creative at times, I must say!
While there are many aspects in a song, let's talk about playback singing, shall we?
Now, a playback singer is supposed to sing the song while the artiste lip-syncs to it. Correct? So what are the essential skills one would need to become a playback singer?
He/she should be a very good singer - obviously.
He/she should be able to get into the mood of the song, feel the situation and convey it through singing while the artiste has all the liberty to enact it - tough, but necessary.
Any other you can think of?
Since the playback singer represents the voice of the actor, how about the ability to modify your voice to suit the actor / actress you're going to be singing for? I would say a BIG YES!!!
So let me ask you something now - how long has it been since you heard a good PLAYBACK singer entering the Hindi film industry? You have probably heard a few singers here and there (pretty average ones too!) like Atif Aslam and Himesh Reshammiya who sing as if it's their private album and not a film!
This is where playback singing has taken a back seat. Why, you need to go back only so far as the 90s to find that transition happening. While Udit Narayan, Shaan, Sonu Nigam and Abhijeet could still sound like the actor they 'represented' (Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Shahrukh Khan twice, respectively), another very famous singer (and a pretty good one too!) - Kumar Sanu sounded like Kumar Sanu all the time. Point number 3 in our list was slowly dying, more so because people still believed good 'playback' singing existed then.
But go back from when music in Hindi cinema began, till say, the 80s and early 90s. Each playback singer of those times would totally devote themselves to the song, and the artiste they represented. There are of course various tales of how Kishore Kumar researched Rajesh Khanna's voice before singing for him in Aradhana. Lata Mangeshkar did the same for Padmini Kolhapuri in Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Mohd. Rafi and Shammi Kapoor practised all their songs and dances together; and I'm sure there must be several other cases as well. The results are out there for all to see.
Even now, we only have to listen to these old songs on radio, sure we can figure out who the singer of that song is; they all had distinct voices then; but also, almost instantly, we can imagine which artiste the song is picturized on. Isn't that speaking a lot about the talent the singers of those times' possessed?
While Mohammed Rafi could be Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor, Joy Mukherjee, Raj Kumar, Rajesh Khanna, Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Guru Dutt, Dilip Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Manoj Kumar, he could also be someone so different ... like Johny Walker!
Kishore Kumar was at once Dev Anand, Rajesh Khanna, Sanjeev Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor and not to forget, he was sometimes also Kishore Kumar :)
Note the similarities in the two lists - any one actor could be represented by different playback singers depending on the situation. Hats off to the brilliant music directors of those times who never stereotyped any artise with one particular singer!
There were plenty of other singers, like Manna Dey, Mahendra Kapoor , Talat Mahmood and Mukesh who were very adaptible to the actor the song would be shot on.
Female playback singers like Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle could sound exactly like Waheeda Rehman, Asha Parekh, Vyjanthimala, Saira Banu, Hema Malini, Sharmila Tagore, Jaya Bhaduri, Rekha, Mumtaz, Zeenat Aman, Helen, Nutan, Meena Kumari, Madhubala, Sadhana, Parveen Babi, Poonam Dhillon, Padmini Kolhapure and all the other leading ladies of their times. Geeta Dutt and Shamshad Begum very well represented the heroines of the early and mid 50s, like Madhubala, Meena Kumari (note the repetition of their names), Geeta Bali, Shakiela and Kalpana Karthik.
And mind you, they were no average singers. The pitches and variations they would handle (at a modified voice to suit the actor/actress) was something we can hardlly imagine.
That was REAL playback singing, wasn't it? The ability to at once identify the artiste on whom it is picturized while at the same time, identifying the singer of the song, created timeless gems.
Don't you think this art has somewhere got lost in today's times?
Don't you miss it?
Would you still call today's singers 'playback' singers?
Remember any of them two weeks later?
IF AT ALL you do, can you differentiate between two or more songs?
Again, IF AT ALL you do, do you think you'll still remember which song belonged to which movie after, say 2 years (then again, this is if you remember the movie name by then too!)?
Nowadays, all songs sound similar, don't they? Watching the videos of these songs gives you a bigger headache than listening to them!
Gone are the good old days when songs would be refreshing, original, having an Indian feel, soothing, beautiful ... gone are the days where songs fitted the situation to a T in the film scenario ... gone are the days where a LOT of effort went into the lyrics and picturization of the songs once the music was composed - and those videos too would be different and original in each song, in each film. EXTREMELY creative at times, I must say!
While there are many aspects in a song, let's talk about playback singing, shall we?
Now, a playback singer is supposed to sing the song while the artiste lip-syncs to it. Correct? So what are the essential skills one would need to become a playback singer?
He/she should be a very good singer - obviously.
He/she should be able to get into the mood of the song, feel the situation and convey it through singing while the artiste has all the liberty to enact it - tough, but necessary.
Any other you can think of?
Since the playback singer represents the voice of the actor, how about the ability to modify your voice to suit the actor / actress you're going to be singing for? I would say a BIG YES!!!
So let me ask you something now - how long has it been since you heard a good PLAYBACK singer entering the Hindi film industry? You have probably heard a few singers here and there (pretty average ones too!) like Atif Aslam and Himesh Reshammiya who sing as if it's their private album and not a film!
This is where playback singing has taken a back seat. Why, you need to go back only so far as the 90s to find that transition happening. While Udit Narayan, Shaan, Sonu Nigam and Abhijeet could still sound like the actor they 'represented' (Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Shahrukh Khan twice, respectively), another very famous singer (and a pretty good one too!) - Kumar Sanu sounded like Kumar Sanu all the time. Point number 3 in our list was slowly dying, more so because people still believed good 'playback' singing existed then.
But go back from when music in Hindi cinema began, till say, the 80s and early 90s. Each playback singer of those times would totally devote themselves to the song, and the artiste they represented. There are of course various tales of how Kishore Kumar researched Rajesh Khanna's voice before singing for him in Aradhana. Lata Mangeshkar did the same for Padmini Kolhapuri in Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Mohd. Rafi and Shammi Kapoor practised all their songs and dances together; and I'm sure there must be several other cases as well. The results are out there for all to see.
Even now, we only have to listen to these old songs on radio, sure we can figure out who the singer of that song is; they all had distinct voices then; but also, almost instantly, we can imagine which artiste the song is picturized on. Isn't that speaking a lot about the talent the singers of those times' possessed?
While Mohammed Rafi could be Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor, Joy Mukherjee, Raj Kumar, Rajesh Khanna, Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Guru Dutt, Dilip Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Manoj Kumar, he could also be someone so different ... like Johny Walker!
Kishore Kumar was at once Dev Anand, Rajesh Khanna, Sanjeev Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor and not to forget, he was sometimes also Kishore Kumar :)
Note the similarities in the two lists - any one actor could be represented by different playback singers depending on the situation. Hats off to the brilliant music directors of those times who never stereotyped any artise with one particular singer!
There were plenty of other singers, like Manna Dey, Mahendra Kapoor , Talat Mahmood and Mukesh who were very adaptible to the actor the song would be shot on.
Female playback singers like Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle could sound exactly like Waheeda Rehman, Asha Parekh, Vyjanthimala, Saira Banu, Hema Malini, Sharmila Tagore, Jaya Bhaduri, Rekha, Mumtaz, Zeenat Aman, Helen, Nutan, Meena Kumari, Madhubala, Sadhana, Parveen Babi, Poonam Dhillon, Padmini Kolhapure and all the other leading ladies of their times. Geeta Dutt and Shamshad Begum very well represented the heroines of the early and mid 50s, like Madhubala, Meena Kumari (note the repetition of their names), Geeta Bali, Shakiela and Kalpana Karthik.
And mind you, they were no average singers. The pitches and variations they would handle (at a modified voice to suit the actor/actress) was something we can hardlly imagine.
That was REAL playback singing, wasn't it? The ability to at once identify the artiste on whom it is picturized while at the same time, identifying the singer of the song, created timeless gems.
Don't you think this art has somewhere got lost in today's times?
Don't you miss it?
Would you still call today's singers 'playback' singers?
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