Decoding Bollywood!

The late eighties saw a paradigm shift in the template that Bollywood used in the 70s and 80s – from the stories of angry-young-men to passionate love stories marred by violence. Director N Chandra’s Tezaab, released in 1988, was a movie which blended the two themes with a simpleton-turned-messiah, Munna (Anil Kapoor), at the centre of the story. Tezaab, which means acid in Hindi, also gave us one of the brightest stars of all times, Madhuri Dixit. Tezaab does not boast of anything path-breaking in terms of filmmaking, but gets a mention in the list of movies that define Bollywood for its perfect blend of commercial elements with romance and action. It also marked the beginning of the association of Madhuri Dixit and Saroj Khan, who went on to give us numerous impeccably choreographed chartbusters! And Tezaab gave Madhuri Dixit her first moniker – Mohini and the song she is still revered for – Ek do teen! But Tezaab is much more than just the songs and dance – it is a true-blood

All through our lives, we have been conditioned to believe what has been commonly accepted as the norm. Be it the axiom we read in school, ‘two parallel lines intersect at infinity’ or something as trivial as ‘the lion roars and does not mew’. Seldom have we questioned these, since these were universally accepted facts. None of us ever questioned if a mathematician went to the imaginary space called ‘infinity’ and saw two parallel lines intersect. Director Rajat Kapoor’s 2014 drama, ‘Ankhon Dekhi’ is a simpleton middle-aged man’s take on being rational and only believing what he sees with his own eyes – Ankhon Dekhi. The movie opens with an introduction to a modest household in old Delhi, where the patriarch, Rajesh/Bauji (Sanjay Mishra) narrates his dream to his family over their daily chores. In his dream, he sees himself flying like a free bird. But in reality, he is not free from responsibilities and has a family to feed – a supportive wife, a daughter of marriageable age, a

Behind the glitz and glamour, the glittery world of movies is often surrounded by the stories of insecurities and failing relationships. The glimpses of the manipulative and often patriarchal Hindi film industry have been seen in various movies – from Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s coming-of-age drama, Guddi (1971) to Zoya Akhtar’s poignant, Luck by Chance (2009) to the underwhelming Madhur Bhadarkar directorial, Heroine (2012). Shyam Benegal’s 1977 drama, Bhumika uses the same theme to depict the life inspired from yesteryear Marathi actress, Hansa Wadkar. Bhumika traces the tempestuous life of a leading actress, Usha (Smitha Patil), who grows from a spirited young girl into a woman shattered beyond repair, even if her life as a film-star may appear to be perfect from the outside.   I also could not help but draw parallels to the tragic life of southern actress, Silk Smitha, who was brought to life for celluloid by the spectacular Vidya Balan in The Dirty Picture (2011). Much like

As I watched Guru Dutt’s 1959 cult classic, ‘Kaagaz Ke Phool’, I wondered how beautifully filmmakers and cinematographers of the day used the limitations of lack of colours, to their advantage. Before colours entered our cinemas, black & white films with primitive technology and an expensive film-reel, required tactful mastery. ‘Kaagaz Ke Phool’, first Indian movie to use the wide-screen Cinemascope technology, also explored a few untouched and unfamiliar shooting techniques which enhanced the viewing experience. Directed by Guru Dutt with V.K Murthy at the helm of the camera, ‘Kaagaz Ke Phool’ was a brave attempt in Indian cinema – both in terms of the camerawork and the story. One of the most captivating features of the cinematography is the brilliant use of lights and shadows. Any reference to the stunningly shot Kaagaz Ke Phool is incomplete without a reference to the iconic song, ‘ Waqt ne kiya kya Haseen Sitam ’. Shanti (Waheeda Rehman) and Suresh Sinha (Guru Dutt)

Teens and early-twenties is a phase where most of us have been confused about our life and future. This is the time when most of us go through a gamut of emotions, where our minds and hearts are always at loggerheads. One is neither an adult nor a child anymore. Ayan Mukerji’s brilliant directorial debut in 2009, ‘Wake up Sid’ is a coming-of-age drama, beautifully depicting the dilemma that a carefree, college dropout, Siddharth AKA Sid (Ranbir Kapoor), faces and how he wakes out of it. The movie opens with a spoilt rich-kid, sitting on a desk in a messy room, preparing for an exam. Dressed in graphic tees, cartoon boxers and doodling Simpsons – we are introduced to Sid. As is evident from his routine before an important exam, he is a ‘devil-may-care’ child in the body of an adult. Ayan Mukerji, who has also written the movie, gives us a peek into his nonchalance, which may seem annoying but stems from his confused state of mind. Born to a self-made businessman (Anupam Kher) a