Decoding Bollywood!

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...