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!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
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?
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Jaane Kahaan ... gaye ... woh din ...
Just finished watching Kaagaz Ke Phool a short while back. Such a brilliant masterpiece! Finally - a film that has made me really really sad inside. Getting this feeling after a long time. And there is no point in hiding the fact that I might even have shed a tear or two had I been alone at home.
Well, this film got me into thinking quite a bit. Well, actually, a lot about the film and the way the film industry works, but besides that a few other things as well.
Just look at our country and the kind of craze the Indians develop over this current generation of mortals working in the film industry (and I'll strictly stick to Bollywood as that's my area of expertise).
They go mad over some really untalented actors just because they have good bodies. The actresses today are really awful, but even they are projected as being extremely talented and beautiful.
They go mad over some really horrible music directors and singers. And there are no such things as lyricists, directors and scipt-writers remaining in today's era.
Yet, this country completely adores this current batch of stars (both super and not-so-super).
There are a few people who are making outstanding cinema these days, but that's a very small percentage; and they are the sort of film-makers or actors who have a cult following.
Feels so sad when we think of Bollywood's past. To think that once upon a time, it was ruled by stars like Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Guru Dutt, Dharmendra, Shammi Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, Sanjeev Kumar, Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan(of the 70s, not later). There were other famous actors who unfortunately were not HUGE names - Rajendra 'Jubilee' Kumar, Manoj Kumar, Joy Mukherjee, Rajkumar, Sunil Dutt, V.Shantaram, Jeetendra, Vinod Khanna, Sachin, Mithun Chakraborthy, Shatrughan Sinha, Raj Babbar, Navin Nischal, Biswajeet, Farooque Shaikh, Naseerudinn Shah, Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff. We had some of the finest actors ever to embrace the screen - Ashok Kumar and Balraj Sahni.
Let's have a look at the actresses - Madhubala, Meena Kumari, Nargis, Nutan, Vyjanthimala, Waheeda Rehman, Asha Parekh, Sadhana, Suchitra Sen, Geeta Bali, Mumtaz, Hema Malini, Raakhee, Jaya Bhaduri, Sharmila Tagore, Juhi Chawla, Madhuri Dixit, Sridevi, Rekha, Zeenat Aman, Parveen Babi, Dipti Naval, Smita Patil, Shabana Azmi, Ranjeeta, Padmini Kolhapuri, Poonam Dhillon, Meenakshi Sheshadri, Reena Roy. We had probably the best ever (and best there ever will be) 'item girl' - Helen.
And the comedians - ah, now there were people who could make us laugh at any situation and most of the times, with their mere presence itself - Johny Walker, Mehmood, Mukhri, I.S.Johar, Dhumal, Mohan Choti, Ram Avtaar, Deven Verma, Tun Tun, Rajendranath, Kishore Kumar, Keshto Mukherjee, Asit Sen, Utpal Dutt, Jagdeep, Amol Palekar, Asrani, Bhagwan Dada, Om Prakash, Rakesh Bedi, Satish Shah, Ravi Baswani.
And last but not the least - one can never forget the immortal character actors in their stereotypical roles - Iftekhar, Pran, Prem Nath, Prem Chopra, Ranjeet, Ajit, Nazir Hussain, Abhi Bhattacharya, K.N.Singh, O.P.Ralhan (and he was a very good director too!), Nirupa Roy, Sulochna, Duga Khote, Shobha Khote, Lalita Powar, Kamini Kaushal, Shree Ram Lagoo, Madan Puri, Rehman, A.K.Hangal, Jagadish Raj, Shetty, D.K.Sapru, Manmohan, Pichhu Kapoor, Motilal, Kishore Sahu, Shivraj, Jalal Agha, Tarun Bose, Ramesh Deo, Danny Denzongpa, Harindranath Chattopadhyay, Dulaari, Bindu, Manmohan Krishna, Satyen Kappu, Dina Pathak, Pearl Padamsee, Leela Chitnis, Leela Mishra, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Rajan Haksar, Nana Palsikar, Macmohan, Sujit Kumar, Aroona Irani, Kader Khan, David, Jeevan, Paintal, Sunder, Birbal, Ambreesh Puri, Satish Kaushik, Annu Kapoor, Pankaj Kapoor, Om Puri, Rakesh Bedi, K.K.Raina, Alok Nath, Shakti Kapoor, Asha Sachdev and scores of others who I just can't seem to remember while typing this post now.
Seriously, is there anyone today who can match up with any of these names mentioned. I wish Bollywood just stops making new films and starts releasing all these old movies. That way atleast the current generation will get a feel as to who the real stars are and how stupid they have all been to encourage the current directors, music directors and actors/actresses in whatever they are doing.
Well, this film got me into thinking quite a bit. Well, actually, a lot about the film and the way the film industry works, but besides that a few other things as well.
Just look at our country and the kind of craze the Indians develop over this current generation of mortals working in the film industry (and I'll strictly stick to Bollywood as that's my area of expertise).
They go mad over some really untalented actors just because they have good bodies. The actresses today are really awful, but even they are projected as being extremely talented and beautiful.
They go mad over some really horrible music directors and singers. And there are no such things as lyricists, directors and scipt-writers remaining in today's era.
Yet, this country completely adores this current batch of stars (both super and not-so-super).
There are a few people who are making outstanding cinema these days, but that's a very small percentage; and they are the sort of film-makers or actors who have a cult following.
Feels so sad when we think of Bollywood's past. To think that once upon a time, it was ruled by stars like Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Guru Dutt, Dharmendra, Shammi Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, Sanjeev Kumar, Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan(of the 70s, not later). There were other famous actors who unfortunately were not HUGE names - Rajendra 'Jubilee' Kumar, Manoj Kumar, Joy Mukherjee, Rajkumar, Sunil Dutt, V.Shantaram, Jeetendra, Vinod Khanna, Sachin, Mithun Chakraborthy, Shatrughan Sinha, Raj Babbar, Navin Nischal, Biswajeet, Farooque Shaikh, Naseerudinn Shah, Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff. We had some of the finest actors ever to embrace the screen - Ashok Kumar and Balraj Sahni.
Let's have a look at the actresses - Madhubala, Meena Kumari, Nargis, Nutan, Vyjanthimala, Waheeda Rehman, Asha Parekh, Sadhana, Suchitra Sen, Geeta Bali, Mumtaz, Hema Malini, Raakhee, Jaya Bhaduri, Sharmila Tagore, Juhi Chawla, Madhuri Dixit, Sridevi, Rekha, Zeenat Aman, Parveen Babi, Dipti Naval, Smita Patil, Shabana Azmi, Ranjeeta, Padmini Kolhapuri, Poonam Dhillon, Meenakshi Sheshadri, Reena Roy. We had probably the best ever (and best there ever will be) 'item girl' - Helen.
And the comedians - ah, now there were people who could make us laugh at any situation and most of the times, with their mere presence itself - Johny Walker, Mehmood, Mukhri, I.S.Johar, Dhumal, Mohan Choti, Ram Avtaar, Deven Verma, Tun Tun, Rajendranath, Kishore Kumar, Keshto Mukherjee, Asit Sen, Utpal Dutt, Jagdeep, Amol Palekar, Asrani, Bhagwan Dada, Om Prakash, Rakesh Bedi, Satish Shah, Ravi Baswani.
And last but not the least - one can never forget the immortal character actors in their stereotypical roles - Iftekhar, Pran, Prem Nath, Prem Chopra, Ranjeet, Ajit, Nazir Hussain, Abhi Bhattacharya, K.N.Singh, O.P.Ralhan (and he was a very good director too!), Nirupa Roy, Sulochna, Duga Khote, Shobha Khote, Lalita Powar, Kamini Kaushal, Shree Ram Lagoo, Madan Puri, Rehman, A.K.Hangal, Jagadish Raj, Shetty, D.K.Sapru, Manmohan, Pichhu Kapoor, Motilal, Kishore Sahu, Shivraj, Jalal Agha, Tarun Bose, Ramesh Deo, Danny Denzongpa, Harindranath Chattopadhyay, Dulaari, Bindu, Manmohan Krishna, Satyen Kappu, Dina Pathak, Pearl Padamsee, Leela Chitnis, Leela Mishra, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Rajan Haksar, Nana Palsikar, Macmohan, Sujit Kumar, Aroona Irani, Kader Khan, David, Jeevan, Paintal, Sunder, Birbal, Ambreesh Puri, Satish Kaushik, Annu Kapoor, Pankaj Kapoor, Om Puri, Rakesh Bedi, K.K.Raina, Alok Nath, Shakti Kapoor, Asha Sachdev and scores of others who I just can't seem to remember while typing this post now.
Seriously, is there anyone today who can match up with any of these names mentioned. I wish Bollywood just stops making new films and starts releasing all these old movies. That way atleast the current generation will get a feel as to who the real stars are and how stupid they have all been to encourage the current directors, music directors and actors/actresses in whatever they are doing.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
The Pakeezah Effect
There has been a lot of talk about The Dark Knight and how great a movie it is; so much so that it even occupied #1 position in IMDB's Top 250 List for a pretty long time and Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker began to be considered one of the finest ever in the history of cinema.
Well now let me put it straight. The Dark Knight is no way one of the greatest films of all-time. It does not even deserve to be in the Top 250 List, let alone Top 10. And yeah, Heath Ledger was good ... no, he was very good, but honestly, one of the best ever? Get real.
I guess people should watch films from all decades to actually gauge what a great film really is. It is only when you've seen cinema emerge that you will be able to accurately distinguish a good film from a great one.
In my honest opinion, The Dark Knight comes nowhere close to Superman (1978), which as all critics too might admit, is probably still the best superhero film ever made.
Now, all this hype about the movie and one particular actor is not something that was unexpected. Nor is it something unseen before.
Indian movie buffs might remember a similar situation which took place in 1972. The year Pakeezah was released. The year it was declared a huge box-office success. The year fans fell in love with the film as well as lead character. The year a classic was born. Also the year Meena Kumari passed away. Just a few weeks before the release of the film.
Now, anybody who has seen Pakeezah will say that it was a very well-made film - beautifully shot, some amazing performances, soulful music, eye-pleasing dances and some of the best dialogues ever written and heard-of. But calling Pakeezah one of the best films of all time, so much so that it features on almost any worldwide list of Best Films of All Time? I mean, I know it is a FANTASTIC movie, but surely there must be atleast 300 films from across the world that must be better than it!
So what, you may ask, is the reason for films like Pakeezah and The Dark Knight creating such a rage with audiences? Sympathy.
I think whenever audiences across the world have watched these films, they've always had it in the back of their minds that the lead actors in these films are no more and that this was their last movie ever. I tend to think of it as The Pakeezah Effect (The Meena Kumari Effect should be a more appropriate term though, but I'm just used to saying it the other way). I'm sure if people had watched these films unknowingly, they would come out of the theatres saying - "Hey, you know what, I just saw a very nice film. Would recommend you to watch it", instead of "Hey, you know what, I just saw the best film ever made! You must be mad for not having seen it yet!!!???"
Well now let me put it straight. The Dark Knight is no way one of the greatest films of all-time. It does not even deserve to be in the Top 250 List, let alone Top 10. And yeah, Heath Ledger was good ... no, he was very good, but honestly, one of the best ever? Get real.
I guess people should watch films from all decades to actually gauge what a great film really is. It is only when you've seen cinema emerge that you will be able to accurately distinguish a good film from a great one.
In my honest opinion, The Dark Knight comes nowhere close to Superman (1978), which as all critics too might admit, is probably still the best superhero film ever made.
Now, all this hype about the movie and one particular actor is not something that was unexpected. Nor is it something unseen before.
Indian movie buffs might remember a similar situation which took place in 1972. The year Pakeezah was released. The year it was declared a huge box-office success. The year fans fell in love with the film as well as lead character. The year a classic was born. Also the year Meena Kumari passed away. Just a few weeks before the release of the film.
Now, anybody who has seen Pakeezah will say that it was a very well-made film - beautifully shot, some amazing performances, soulful music, eye-pleasing dances and some of the best dialogues ever written and heard-of. But calling Pakeezah one of the best films of all time, so much so that it features on almost any worldwide list of Best Films of All Time? I mean, I know it is a FANTASTIC movie, but surely there must be atleast 300 films from across the world that must be better than it!
So what, you may ask, is the reason for films like Pakeezah and The Dark Knight creating such a rage with audiences? Sympathy.
I think whenever audiences across the world have watched these films, they've always had it in the back of their minds that the lead actors in these films are no more and that this was their last movie ever. I tend to think of it as The Pakeezah Effect (The Meena Kumari Effect should be a more appropriate term though, but I'm just used to saying it the other way). I'm sure if people had watched these films unknowingly, they would come out of the theatres saying - "Hey, you know what, I just saw a very nice film. Would recommend you to watch it", instead of "Hey, you know what, I just saw the best film ever made! You must be mad for not having seen it yet!!!???"
Thursday, May 15, 2008
What a wonderful film!*sigh*
Last week I had a wonderful 2 hours odd when I got to see It’s A Wonderful Life for the first time. I’ve seen it twice after that, and am going to watch it for the fourth time again tomorrow.
I’ve spoken about the old MGM Musicals and about some ‘perfect’ movies (Casablanca and The Apartment). Well, they are marvelous indeed, but I’m still going to place It’s A Wonderful Life on a different league altogether.
My IMDB account shows 1022 titles I’ve voted for (as of May 15th 2008), and I can confidently say It’s A Wonderful Life is all my all-time favourite movie, and I don’t really see any other movie taking it’s spot.
A perfect movie, just like scores of others, It’s A Wonderful Life has just about everything right – the acting, the music, the story and screenplay, the make-up, the cinematography and Frank Capra’s subtle touches and attention to detail is well, simply put, quite wonderful.
Now I’m not going to give the plot away and this is the first review I’m ever writing, so please forgive me if you find this post boring (just as you would find my other ones).
Released in 1946, this film very well stands the test of time. Often you come across magnificent movies, but movies that carry a message and touch your soul are the ones that really deserve a mention. Seeing some tough guys mellow down and not afraid to shed a tear or two in front of others, I think this movie has the potential to connect with just about everybody in this planet.
Now don’t get me wrong, this movie is not depressing, nor does it end as a tragedy. And that makes the ending more special, because when you actually get emotional, get goose bumps all over and get teary all over on a joyous moment, you know you’ve honestly enjoyed the movie.
If I were to speak about the various departments of this movie, I really wouldn’t know where to begin. Just about everything in this movie is flawless.
The dialogues and the screenplay is just so perfect, you’ll definitely realize it later in the movie. Just about every line spoken or every action in this movie is there for a purpose. Nothing is just fitted in to add a few minutes into the movie.
Donna Reed is so fantastic you’ll find it hard to believe it’s her first film. And James Stewart! Well, James Stewart, as usual, proves why he’s such an iconic figure, as he once again carries the entire film on his shoulders. Seriously, even if everything in this movie were to go wrong, you would still love it as you would find good ol’ Jimmy in almost every frame. Thankfully, nothing goes wrong though.
There are several characters in this film, but each character is so well written, you can imagine how hard Frank Capra and the other writers have worked for this film. Even the four children, who hardly have a minute individually, stand out.
The costumes for Stewart (even though they are the usual costumes of the 40s – the hat, the coat, the formals) and the make-up are so incredible you’ll actually believe you have seen Jimmy grow 8 years in the film, from a young guy to a working man and finally as a married man with four children.
Even the way in Capra narrates the film in flashback deserves mention, demonstrating in what unique a manner the flashback technique can be used; a style none of us could have imagined. The ‘alternate world’ makes you wonder as to how essential detailing really is to a film.
One of those rare movies, which gets better on repeated viewings, It’s A Wonderful Life stands out in it’s ability to offer you something new each time you see it.
Well, to put it simply, along with To Kill A Mockingbird, this film is probably THE most important and influential films ever made. A film everyone deserves to see, and quite 'frankly', a film everyone SHOULD see!
Watch this movie and you’ll never love life the way you have loved it hitherto. Nobody’s life can be perfectly smooth and without any troubles, but what is the single most important thing you really have? What is the single most important thing you should never try to get rid off? What is the single most important thing you should be thankful for? What is the single most important thing never to be taken for granted in life? The answer is very evident once you’ve watched this movie.
A feel-good movie, It’s A Wonderful Life is just as wonderful as it gets. Watch the movie when you are in a good mood, watch the movie when there are festivities all around and I must say this – PLEASE watch this movie especially when you are depressed.
Watch this movie and you’ll realize you’ve led a more wonderful life than you think.
I’ve spoken about the old MGM Musicals and about some ‘perfect’ movies (Casablanca and The Apartment). Well, they are marvelous indeed, but I’m still going to place It’s A Wonderful Life on a different league altogether.
My IMDB account shows 1022 titles I’ve voted for (as of May 15th 2008), and I can confidently say It’s A Wonderful Life is all my all-time favourite movie, and I don’t really see any other movie taking it’s spot.
A perfect movie, just like scores of others, It’s A Wonderful Life has just about everything right – the acting, the music, the story and screenplay, the make-up, the cinematography and Frank Capra’s subtle touches and attention to detail is well, simply put, quite wonderful.
Now I’m not going to give the plot away and this is the first review I’m ever writing, so please forgive me if you find this post boring (just as you would find my other ones).
Released in 1946, this film very well stands the test of time. Often you come across magnificent movies, but movies that carry a message and touch your soul are the ones that really deserve a mention. Seeing some tough guys mellow down and not afraid to shed a tear or two in front of others, I think this movie has the potential to connect with just about everybody in this planet.
Now don’t get me wrong, this movie is not depressing, nor does it end as a tragedy. And that makes the ending more special, because when you actually get emotional, get goose bumps all over and get teary all over on a joyous moment, you know you’ve honestly enjoyed the movie.
If I were to speak about the various departments of this movie, I really wouldn’t know where to begin. Just about everything in this movie is flawless.
The dialogues and the screenplay is just so perfect, you’ll definitely realize it later in the movie. Just about every line spoken or every action in this movie is there for a purpose. Nothing is just fitted in to add a few minutes into the movie.
Donna Reed is so fantastic you’ll find it hard to believe it’s her first film. And James Stewart! Well, James Stewart, as usual, proves why he’s such an iconic figure, as he once again carries the entire film on his shoulders. Seriously, even if everything in this movie were to go wrong, you would still love it as you would find good ol’ Jimmy in almost every frame. Thankfully, nothing goes wrong though.
There are several characters in this film, but each character is so well written, you can imagine how hard Frank Capra and the other writers have worked for this film. Even the four children, who hardly have a minute individually, stand out.
The costumes for Stewart (even though they are the usual costumes of the 40s – the hat, the coat, the formals) and the make-up are so incredible you’ll actually believe you have seen Jimmy grow 8 years in the film, from a young guy to a working man and finally as a married man with four children.
Even the way in Capra narrates the film in flashback deserves mention, demonstrating in what unique a manner the flashback technique can be used; a style none of us could have imagined. The ‘alternate world’ makes you wonder as to how essential detailing really is to a film.
One of those rare movies, which gets better on repeated viewings, It’s A Wonderful Life stands out in it’s ability to offer you something new each time you see it.
Well, to put it simply, along with To Kill A Mockingbird, this film is probably THE most important and influential films ever made. A film everyone deserves to see, and quite 'frankly', a film everyone SHOULD see!
Watch this movie and you’ll never love life the way you have loved it hitherto. Nobody’s life can be perfectly smooth and without any troubles, but what is the single most important thing you really have? What is the single most important thing you should never try to get rid off? What is the single most important thing you should be thankful for? What is the single most important thing never to be taken for granted in life? The answer is very evident once you’ve watched this movie.
A feel-good movie, It’s A Wonderful Life is just as wonderful as it gets. Watch the movie when you are in a good mood, watch the movie when there are festivities all around and I must say this – PLEASE watch this movie especially when you are depressed.
Watch this movie and you’ll realize you’ve led a more wonderful life than you think.
Friday, April 18, 2008
That's Entertainment!!!
As I am posting on this blog, I am also watching the opening ceremony of IPL, something I was looking forward to right from the second I woke up today morning. However, I could never involve myself completely into IPL. My mind's still thinking about this special I saw on TCM today afternoon, That's Entertainment! III.
The film contained scenes from various MGM musicals, right from Hollywood Revue (1929) to Gigi (1958). Ah! The Golden Age of Hollywood.
These Musicals are just incomparable. I have never seen such lavish sets, such wonderful screenplays, such dazzling costumes, such memorable music, such fabolous dances and such perfect performances, all combined into one single package. This is what these musicals were all about. Every new film made just had to be better than the previous. That only means MGM improved perfection and set a new benchmark for the word each time.
One major feature these Musicals carried was they gave the viewers' a power of imagination which no film of today can. They didn't need major visual effects to place the audience in their fictional world, pretty much like Broadway (ooh, how I would love to watch musicals on Broadway too!).
And the colours!!! They immediately transport you into their universe. You watch the movie like a small child would watch a magician - not able to believe what has been happening, and very keen to know what magic appears in front of it's eyes in the next few minutes.
Infact, it is the musicals itself which contain the best moments of cinema. It is often agreed that Gene Kelly 'dancin' in the rain' is probably the single greatest moment in cinema. And who can forget Fred Astaire tap dancing and producing music only by his shoes and drums, Gene Kelly doing a similar act - providing music only by using a wooden floor and a newspaper, and one more moment of him dancing with Jerry the mouse.
By watching the documentary today, I also had a chance to truly appreciate the musicals as it contained the making of several songs, especially Lady Be Good, where Eleanor Powell's dance steps were captured quite innovatively for us, the audience.
There is no flaw in MGM's famous line; they really did have more stars in their studio than there are on the sky!
I consider myself a very lucky person as installing DishTV was one of the best things that could happen to my film-watching experience. I have now seen almost a hundred of such musicals and I think even if I don't watch any new film from now on, I'll die a content man.
I consider myself a very unlucky person as well. I wish I was there in the USA, during the Golden Age. I would give anything to watch those movies in the theatres back then when they were just released. Even now, if it all I had a time machine and I had just two places to go, one would be my childhood dreams of going back to the Jurassic era (just for a few hours though) and the other would ofcourse be America in the mid 20s. I would never want to come back till 1965 I think.
So far I have not written much about the movies and the music and the stars of the old MGM musicals. I don't think I will ever be able to write anything about them. They always leave me dazed, leaving me with no words to describe them.
Gene Kelly, in this documentary, rightfully said we'll never be able to see such wonderful cinema again, but thankfully we'll always memories and 'miles and miles of film'.
In the words of Irving Berlin, "The song has ended, but the melody lingers on."
The film contained scenes from various MGM musicals, right from Hollywood Revue (1929) to Gigi (1958). Ah! The Golden Age of Hollywood.
These Musicals are just incomparable. I have never seen such lavish sets, such wonderful screenplays, such dazzling costumes, such memorable music, such fabolous dances and such perfect performances, all combined into one single package. This is what these musicals were all about. Every new film made just had to be better than the previous. That only means MGM improved perfection and set a new benchmark for the word each time.
One major feature these Musicals carried was they gave the viewers' a power of imagination which no film of today can. They didn't need major visual effects to place the audience in their fictional world, pretty much like Broadway (ooh, how I would love to watch musicals on Broadway too!).
And the colours!!! They immediately transport you into their universe. You watch the movie like a small child would watch a magician - not able to believe what has been happening, and very keen to know what magic appears in front of it's eyes in the next few minutes.
Infact, it is the musicals itself which contain the best moments of cinema. It is often agreed that Gene Kelly 'dancin' in the rain' is probably the single greatest moment in cinema. And who can forget Fred Astaire tap dancing and producing music only by his shoes and drums, Gene Kelly doing a similar act - providing music only by using a wooden floor and a newspaper, and one more moment of him dancing with Jerry the mouse.
By watching the documentary today, I also had a chance to truly appreciate the musicals as it contained the making of several songs, especially Lady Be Good, where Eleanor Powell's dance steps were captured quite innovatively for us, the audience.
There is no flaw in MGM's famous line; they really did have more stars in their studio than there are on the sky!
I consider myself a very lucky person as installing DishTV was one of the best things that could happen to my film-watching experience. I have now seen almost a hundred of such musicals and I think even if I don't watch any new film from now on, I'll die a content man.
I consider myself a very unlucky person as well. I wish I was there in the USA, during the Golden Age. I would give anything to watch those movies in the theatres back then when they were just released. Even now, if it all I had a time machine and I had just two places to go, one would be my childhood dreams of going back to the Jurassic era (just for a few hours though) and the other would ofcourse be America in the mid 20s. I would never want to come back till 1965 I think.
So far I have not written much about the movies and the music and the stars of the old MGM musicals. I don't think I will ever be able to write anything about them. They always leave me dazed, leaving me with no words to describe them.
Gene Kelly, in this documentary, rightfully said we'll never be able to see such wonderful cinema again, but thankfully we'll always memories and 'miles and miles of film'.
In the words of Irving Berlin, "The song has ended, but the melody lingers on."
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Simple is beautiful
Last holidays (between my 7th and 8th semesters), I had the time of my life watching all-time classics, be it Hindi or English. Two of the movies I saw which inspired me to write this post were Hum Dono and Asli Naqli.
Now I'm sure everyone in the world absolutely adore Sadhana, for her looks and her acting ability. Well, Sadhana had a very different look in these two films, as most might be aware of. She is well-known for her Sadhana cut, a hairstyle popularised by her in India. Every female I know who wants to look glamorous without shedding their clothes, tend to follow that particular styling. In fact in the 1960s, ladies used to send their tailors to the theatres to watch Sadhana's movies, just so that they could replicate the same designs on them! That is something unheard of today!
But there was no Sadhana cut in these two movies mentioned and you know what, I never knew how gorgeous Sadhana really could be until I saw them. The reason - she appears in a very simple avatar; clad in a sari, hair nicely oiled back and a voice so innocent you instantly fall in love with her. Sadhana, known for being glamarous, had a knack of stealing every male's heart, but this time you would actually want her to meet your parents and you meet her's.
I am really grateful to Sadhana for making me realise for the first time in my life that simplicity is perhaps the finest look any female can carry. Now I just hope the actresses and directors of today realise that. The world will be a more beautiful place then.
Now I'm sure everyone in the world absolutely adore Sadhana, for her looks and her acting ability. Well, Sadhana had a very different look in these two films, as most might be aware of. She is well-known for her Sadhana cut, a hairstyle popularised by her in India. Every female I know who wants to look glamorous without shedding their clothes, tend to follow that particular styling. In fact in the 1960s, ladies used to send their tailors to the theatres to watch Sadhana's movies, just so that they could replicate the same designs on them! That is something unheard of today!
But there was no Sadhana cut in these two movies mentioned and you know what, I never knew how gorgeous Sadhana really could be until I saw them. The reason - she appears in a very simple avatar; clad in a sari, hair nicely oiled back and a voice so innocent you instantly fall in love with her. Sadhana, known for being glamarous, had a knack of stealing every male's heart, but this time you would actually want her to meet your parents and you meet her's.
I am really grateful to Sadhana for making me realise for the first time in my life that simplicity is perhaps the finest look any female can carry. Now I just hope the actresses and directors of today realise that. The world will be a more beautiful place then.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
