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 l...

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...

July 7, 2018 I cannot remember watching a movie recently, where the story is centered around the female protagonist, who does not make an appearance until 45 minutes into the movie. Despite not being there in almost a third of the film’s runtime, it is commendable how Meena Kumari gave her career defining performance in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam. Based on a Bengali novel of the same name by Bimal Mitra and directed by Abrar Alvi, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam is a poignant tale of a woman’s longing for her aristocratic husband’s attention. Produced by Guru Dutt, the movie is about Chhoti Bahu (played by Meena Kumari), an unlucky young woman married to the younger son of a Zamindaar, Chhote Babu (played by Rehman). The movie is an agonizing tale of a woman’s craving for her husband’s time, who spends his time away from home at ‘ Kothis ’ – drinking and making merry. Chhoti Bahu’s husband and his family see her demands for his time as unreasonable and deem it to be her move to control h...

July 3, 2018 Any discussion on ‘Parallel Cinema’ in India is incomplete without the reference of director, Govind Nihalani’s 1983 socio-drama, ‘Ardh Satya’. Co-produced by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), Ardh Satya became a landmark in Indian Cinema, for its gritty performances, sensitive handling of social issues and high-quality cinematic craft. When I began watching this movie, the only thing I knew was that it had Om Puri and Smita Patil in the lead. Not even the slightest inkling of the premise or the plot. And, to be honest, I had huge expectations from the movie, owing to the hype surrounding it. But, I must admit, I was left a bit disappointed. The movie is set in Mumbai, on the backdrop of Police and their high handedness. Sub Inspector Anant Velankar (played by Om Puri) is an upright and honest cop. Due to his honesty, righteousness and not conforming to the ugly police-mafia nexus, Velankar is always reprimanded by his seniors and holds a medio...

Movie no 19/100 June 27, 2018 Mumbai has played the muse for a lot of filmmakers over the years. From ‘Life in a Metro’ to ‘Wake Up Sid’, directors have romanced Mumbai, showing its vivid lives and myriad moods. Making her debut as a director, Kiran Rao, also dramatizes the endearing shabbiness of this city and shows it to us through the lives of four starkly different characters, joined by an unexpected connection. Munna (played by Prateik Babbar) is a slum-dwelling Dhobi (a washerman), who aspires of becoming an actor. To make his dream come true, he works hard, dabbles at odd jobs and works out with his limited resources in his tiny shanty. Among the people that he works for, he is drawn close to a rich NRI Banker, Shai (played by Monica Dogra), who returns to India on a sabbatical, to take up her passion for photography. Shai meets a noted painter, Arun (played by Aamir Khan), at one of his exhibitions. She gets instantly attracted to him, but the recluse that Arun i...

June 18, 2018 Movie no 18/100 When I began writing this post, all I could feel was pain – gut-wrenching, blood-boiling and excruciating pain! That is the most prominent emotion that director Vikramaditya Motwane evokes through his 2010 dark drama, ‘Udaan’. A close-to-reality flick, Udaan is an agonizing story of a father and his relationship with his children, devoid of any love or compassion. Rohan (played by debutante Rajat Barmecha) is a class twelve student, studying in a boarding school in Shimla. Owing to a misadventure with his friends, he is expelled from the school, forcing him to return home after eight long years. 8 years in which he had neither seen or spoken to his father – who considered paying his fees and sending a token letter every year as his sole responsibility. Upon his return, he discovers that he has a 6-year-old brother, Arjun (played by Aayan Boradia), from his father’s second marriage after his mother’s death. The gloom has just begun to seep in...

June 15, 2018 Movie no. 17/100 The movie that I am attempting to decode in this post, featured on the list of Best Indian Classics, compiled by Time. Director Vijay Anand’s 1965 drama, ‘Guide’, with Waheeda Rehman and Dev Anand in the lead, was a poignant tale about human emotions and ambitions. The movie traces the journey of a tourist guide, and how he metaphorically turns into a beacon of light, that ‘guides’ others reach their destiny. Set in a fictional city, Raju (played by Dev Anand) is a sought-after tourist guide with great equation with all and sundry. Rosie (played by Waheeda Rehman) is an aspiring dancer born to a ‘ Khandani Devdasi ’ – a courtesan. To keep her daughter away from the despised profession, her mother gets her married to a much older and wealthy archeologist, Marco (played by Kishore Sahu). The marriage is in shambles from the word go – incompatibility, lack of compassion and bitterness made them a quarrelsome couple. Marco arrives with his wife...

June 10, 2018 Movie no -16/100 Having grown up on Filmfares and Stardusts, I was always fascinated by the legends of Madhubala. Much before Madhuri Dixit became a rage for her devastating smile, it was Madhubala who was known for her infectious smile, breathtaking beauty and immense talent. And I got to see a glimpse of it, along with her impeccable comic timing, in actor-director Guru Dutt’s 1955 romcom, Mr and Mrs ’55. Starring Guru Dutt alongside Madhubala, the movie was a satirical comedy on the issues prevailing in a newly independent India, especially the passing of Talaaq Bill (Divorce Bill). Anita (played by Madhubala) is the 20-year old heir to her father’s riches, who is raised by her feminist paternal aunt, Seeta Devi (played by Lalita Pawar). Her aunt advocates for emancipation of women and considers marriage to be a tool used by men to curb the independence of women. On the other hand, Anita romanticizes the whole idea of love and companionship. Much to Seet...

Movie no – 15/100 June 8, 2018 After watching a movie with two superstars, Aamir and Salman, the next movie that I picked for my project stars Bollywood’s first superstar, Rajesh Khanna. Directed and produced by Shakti Samanta, ‘Kati Patang’ is a 1971 family drama and thriller, based on a novel by the same name written by Gulshan Nanda. The movie with Asha Parekh and Rajesh Khanna in the lead, was a musical drama, with dollops of melodrama and a generous pinch of suspense. Madhuri (played by Asha Parekh) runs away from the wedding her rich maternal uncle arranges for her. She meets her boyfriend, Kailash (played by Prem Chopra), and realizes that his motive to marry her was purely for her uncle’s wealth. Dejected, she returns to a desolate house to find her uncle dead, presumably out of shock and the shame that his niece inflicts on him. Cursing her fate, she bumps into her childhood friend, Poonam – a young widow with a baby, who is on her way to meet her in-laws for th...

Movie no. 14/100 June 6, 2018 Rarely does it happen that a mindless comedy, which almost went unnoticed upon its release, gains a cult status over the years. One such mad caper was the 1994 comedy, ‘Andaz Apna Apna’, starring Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Karishma Kapoor and Raveena Tandon. Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi after a gritty and serious ‘ Damini ’, Andaz Apna Apna was a laugh-riot, that had over-the-top characters and hilarious dialogues, which have become a part of every millennial’s vocabulary. The movie took three years to make and release, grossing an average collection at the Box office. But, it remains one of the best comedies that starred two unabashed and unapologetic actors – Aamir and Salman, much before the stardom struck them. Amar (played by Aamir Khan) and Prem (played by Salman Khan) are two lazy unemployed men, with the sole aim of becoming rich and famous, without working hard for it. While Amar tries to use his street-smart ways to devise ponzi sch...