Dus Saal Pehele - Chapter 2

2002

2002 was a lackluster year in comparison to 2001. This year would be remembered for the debut of a wonderful actress who would eventually carve a place for herself by the end of the decade (so much so that writers would write roles with her in mind) – Konkona Sen Sharma. A young girl, with unusual looks who really got her break only because of her celebrated mother – Aparna Sen. It is ironical that Konkona would play a role of a struggling actress in a 2009 film who is unable to find success in Hindi movies as a result of her not being “heroine material”. More on that in 2009. Her debut film Mr and Mrs Iyer was directed by Aparna Sen and touched upon the subject of communal riots. As soon as you saw Konkona appear on the screen with those burning dark saucer eyes, you knew she was here for a long run.

Other notable movies of the year:

Devdas - Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s rendition of this classic tragedy had an excess of everything: color, opulence and melodrama. To its credit the movie is all that it claimed it would be. SRK goes ballistic (complete with quivering lips and intensely arched eyebrows), Aishwarya Rai as Paro looked sufficiently coy and demure and Madhuri Dixit illuminated the screen with her portrayal of Chandramukhi . If you walked in expecting all this, you got your money’s worth. The movie was a colossal hit locally and worldwide. Personally, I am not a fan of this version of Devdas, but that’s my taste. But I do get the point Bhansali makes with his movies and for his vision alone I admire him - the man is true to HIS convictions. This would also be the last time we would see Madhuri Dixit for a long time. 2009 would see another director do his own version of the Devdas saga by giving it a here-and-now twist. (This is exactly why I love movies, you cannot get tired of the same plot given there is honesty and novelty in the presentation).

Makdee – Vishal Bharadwaj’s debut feature film was targeted for the younger audience. Shabana Aazmi goes to town in her portrayal of a witch while the young actress, Shweta Prasad, who plays the twin role was a rare treat to watch. She would eventually prove to that she is not a one film wonder in another movie about a deaf and dumb cricketer. Vishal showed a lot of promise with his first film and would prove to be an important filmmaker in the coming years. So much talent in one guy: Director, Music Composer, Singer, Producer, Dialogue writer, Scriptwriter.(It’s over-achievers like him that makes me look like a Neanderthal.)

Company – Ram Gopal Verma does Bombay underworld like no one else (Satya in my opinion is the best in this genre). Company was a fictional narration of the gangwar between Dawood Ibrahim and Chotaa Rajan. The movie had all the stylized elements of a mafia caper with slick camerawork, intense chase sequences through immensely cramped spaces and lot of unexpected violence. Ajay Devgan turned in a spirited performance as Malik the leader of one of the underworld companies.

The Legend of Bhagat Singh – In my honest opinion this is the best biopic of the decade. Raj Kumar Santoshi does a fine job in the direction department and Ajay Devgan as the ultimate martyr of the Indian freedom struggle gives a spirited performance. A soaring score by A R Rehman only assists in stirring the patriot inside you.

Bend it Like Beckham – Not exactly a bollywood movie, but this Gurinder Chadha movie from the UK about a second generation Indian girl’s struggles to balance between her ambitions in football and her Indian family values became a sleeper hit around the world.

Movie of the year: Devdas

Actor of the year: Ajay Devgan (Company, The Legend of Bhagat Singh)

Actress of the year: Konkona Sen Sharma (Mr. and Mrs. Iyer)

Director of the year: Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Devdas)

Music director of the year: Ismail Darbar (Devdas)

2003

After a disappointing 2002, 2003 saw three big movies score big at the at the Box Office. Dharma Productions' Kal Ho Naa Ho, Rakesh Roshan’s Koi Mil Gaya and Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Munna Bhai MBBS. While Kal ho naa ho in my opinion was an intensely manipulative movie (in the sense that you are forced into sympathizing and pitying the deified SRK character), Koi Mil Gaya was a formulaic entertainer loosely inspired by E.T. and adapted to the Indian palate (complete with a typical filmy Maa – a hammy Rekha). Kal Ho Naa Ho can be credited with the first open display of homosexuality by mainstream actors in Hindi cinema (albeit, used in a comedic perspective). Munnabhai MBBS was a largely original idea and Vidhu Vinod Chopra must be lauded for trusting his fortunes with this novel material in the hands of a first time director – Rajkumar Hirani. Munna and Circuit became the poster boys of the new millenium’s idea of bromance and Jadu Ki Jhappi became a phrase heard in Nanded and Nagaland. Sanjay Dutt’s portrayal of the lovable don is one of the iconic characterizations in Hindi Cinema. It becomes even more fascinating to watch him play Munna knowing his own personal ups and downs and trysts with the law. (Is it me or does everyone see that flawed heroes are more loved than the perfect god-like characters: i.e. most Aamir Khan characters?) Having Sunil Dutt play his father in the movie was a cause of much "warm-fuzzy" in the audiences.

Other highlights of the year:

3 Deewarein: Nagesh Kukunoor’s small yet powerful movie based on the life of three prisoners on death row and documentary filmmaker was a wonderful experiment with some fine performances by Naseeruddin Shah, Juhi Chawla, Jackie Shroff and Gulshan Grover. (Did anyone else see a mild Rashomon inspiration here?)

Ek Hasina Thi: Sriram Raghavan’s stylish revenge drama of a girl wronged in love was an under-rated debut. Urmila and Saif pitched in decent performances to this taut psychological thriller and has one of the most riveting climax sequences in recent years. (The poster art of the movie in itself stands out as piece of art in itself)

Pinjar: Chandra Prakash Dwivedi (he of the classic Chanakya) directed this tale of a girl trapped in a wrong relationship on the wrong side of the border during the partition years of India. Based on a novel written by Amrita Pritam the film had fine performances by Urmila Matondkar and Manoj Bajpai. Awaiting Dwivedi's next movie supposed to be based on the life of Emperor Ashoka's son, Kunal.

Baghban: Ravi Chopra’s social (melo)drama about sons and daughters neglecting their older parents became a rage in the senior citizen circles. Every 50 something was apparently throwing venomous judgmental looks at the younger generation for months to come after this movie was released, so I am told.

Other newsmakers included:

- the many kissing scenes of a certain Ms Sherawat in Khwahish,

- a fairly passable romantic comedy Rules: Pyaar Ka Superhit Formula by newcomer Parvati Balagopalan (wonder why hasn’t she made anything after this movie)

- a completely forgettable movie by the name “Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon” - just noted here to further underscore the popularity of this last female superstar – they made a movie with her name in the title (no other movie actor can claim that).

- Following the Ameesha Patel footsteps, Gracy Singh who featured in the two box office smash hits of recent years – Lagaan and Munna Bhai MBBS will be forgotten in the coming years.

Movie of the year: Munnabhai MBBS

Actor of the year: Sanjay Dutt (Munnabhai MBBS)

Actress of the year: Urmila Matondkar (Ek Hasina Thi, Pinjar)

Director of the year: Rajkumar Hirani (Munnabhai MBBS)

Music director of the year: Shankar Ehsaan Loy (Kal Ho Naa Ho)

Dus Saal Pehele - Chapter 1

In the last 10 years, Hindi cinema (and in general Indian cinema) has undergone some significant changes so much so that this decade can be termed as both evolutionary and revolutionary- new subjects were tackled, new technology was used, collaboration between studios and the corporate world took place, Hollywood studios entered the Indian market, digital film distribution was introduced, full length animation feature films were produced, overseas markets became an influential factor, independent movies saw a wider acceptance, mainstream actors and producers took leaps of faith in the kind of movies they associated themselves with etc. All healthy signs of growth and progress. However, all was not well (no matter how much Hirani and Co would like us to believe) - quality films targeted for the younger audiences were conspicuous with their absence (although sporadic juvenile attempts were made, but nearly not enough for such a huge and demanding audience), women were still largely treated as disposable objects of desire in a majority of the scripts and the low rung workers in the industry still remain an unorganized bunch with no formal forum to voice their needs and concerns.

On a personal front, I can say that I rediscovered my love for Indian cinema. As a child growing up in the 80s I grew up on the Amitabh “angry young man” movies and the NFDC movies showed on Doordarshan. Although I did not quite comprehend most of the movies (let alone the art of making movies), I did feel a deep connection with them. My love affair with the movies experienced some rough weather in the early 90s and towards the last few years of the millennium I had given up on the relationship –we were officially on a break. The new millennium reinstated my love for these movies all over again and I can now say that I understand these movies and their purpose a lot better. I have a new affection towards all those who work in this dream-factory - the title sequence of Luck By Chance gets me a little emotional , for this reason.

Having said that, I felt compelled to write about the highlights of the last 10 years and got to task. This is not a “best of the decade” list, but a cinematic journey into the last 10 years to highlight some key movies and the people behind them. So in the next five chapters I have tried to highlight the important moments in the Hindi film world – two years at a time.

(The title of this series is a homage to an oft used way of narrating past incidents in many Hindi movies of the 50s through the 90s)

2000

The new millennium dawned and the world had survived the Y2K devil. Although, Mumbai was still surprised by the shocking success of the low budget independent Hyderabad Blues in the closing years of the millennium, not many people showed interest in producing independent movies just yet (the seeds were sown though ). 2000 will primarily be remembered for the launch of a new superstar - Hrithik Roshan with the smash hit Kaho Naa Pyar Hain. Papa Roshan’s production and direction was a perfect launch vehicle for this star. The entire nation was enamored by his physique, his dancing skills and his light eyes - he was a complete package (apparently, many newborns were named Hrithik that year).

Other notable movies of the year :

- Kamal Hassan’s under-appreciated Hey Ram which had some fine performances by Kamal, Rani Mukherjee, Shahrukh Khan and Atul Kulkarni

- Mahesh Manjrekar’s Astitva which portrayed Tabu as an adulterous woman defending her actions

- Aditya Chopra’s Mohabbatein saw him return to direction after a 5 years break. The movie offered nothing new and was a huge letdown (creativity wise) in comparison to Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge

- Another star son-daughter Jodi that debuted this year who would make

a big name for themselves in the coming years was Abhishek Bachchan and Kareena Kapoor in the JP Dutta opus “Refugee”.

Movie of the year: Hey Ram

Actor of the year: Hrithik Roshan (Kaho Naa Pyaar Hain)

Actress of the year: Kareena Kapoor (Refugee)

Director of the year: Kamal Hassan (Hey Ram)

Music director of the year: Anu Malik (Josh, Refugee)

2001

2001 was a defining year for the rest of the decade and was also a stellar year at the cash

registers. People flocked to the cinemas in hordes to watch Aamir Khan's Bhuvan and his underdog team beat the crap out of the Angrez on the cricket pitch and Sunny Deol's Sardar Tara Singh beat a Pakistani army single-handedly to get his wife and child back into India . With the massive success of Lagaan and Gadar the industry found confidence

in big budget cinema and a lot to cheer about. Lagaan also brought “Bollywood” (I still hate this term, but will have to make my peace with it eventually) to the red carpet at the Kodak theater in Hollywood, however it was Dil Chahta Hain which would set the tone for the rest of the decade. More on that later.

Other significant movies from 2001:

- Mira Nair’s “Monsoon Wedding” displayed a slice of the various social strata of Indian urban society effectively, also Delhi looked sumptuous through Declan Quinn's camera

- Karan Johar’s Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham preached the “love thy parents” mantra and Dharma Productions got richer by millions.

- Another director who would eventually make some important films in the decade debuted in 2001 - Rakeysh OmPrakash Mehra. His psychological thriller “Aks” was an inspired attempt but failed to grab the attention of the audience.

- Madhur Bhandarkar of the pseudo-socially-relevant-expose` genre, hit the limelight with a movie about the life of a bar girl (portrayed by a phenomenal Tabu) in Chandni Bar.

2001 will be remembered for Dil Chahta Hain, a turning point in Hindi Cinema. Farhan Akhtar’s style, his characters and their on screen interactions were something to which the person on the other side of the screen could relate to. The urban Indian youth found a new voice in Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s music and the trio will continue to dominate the rest of the decade along with A R Rehman. Aamir Khan was a key in both Lagaan and Dil Chahta Hain, and the end of the decade will only prove this star’s consistency and staying power. He will emerge as the star of the decade. On the flip side, Ameesha Patel who was the leading lady of two of the biggest movies of 2000 and 2001, would be a forgotten name by the end of the decade. Another proof that the hit movies don’t stars make.

2001 also permanently altered the civilized world after the tragic events of 9/11. These events and the aftermath would become plot points for a number of movies towards the end of the decade.

Movie of the year: Dil Chahta Hain
Actor of the year: Aamir Khan (Lagaan, Dil Chahta Hain)
Actress of the year: Tabu (Chandni Bar)
Director of the year: Farhan Akhtar (Dil Chahta Hain)
Music director of the year: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy (Dil Chahta Hain)

Anu Malik

Before the five of you who read my blog decide to judge me over this post or abandon me and my blog completely hear me out. I am no fan of Anu Malik and this post is not any attempt to change your personal opinion about the person. This post is about those songs composed by Anu Malik that I personally enjoyed and liked at some point of my life. Some of these, I still do. Anu with all his plagiarism or "inspired" compositions aside, did manage to give some memorable music. There is no denying that Anu ruled most of the 90s when it came to Hindi film music. His minor detour of dabbling in pop music is the kind of stuff SNL writers sink their teeth in :

Exhibit A -

"Dekho baarish ho rahee hain, its raining, its raining

Mera dil ro raha hain, my heart is crying, crying"

Eeeegaawwddd!!

His musical career is mostly marred with such self-adulatory compositions or blatant plagiarism. Somewhere in between however, this son of Sardar Malik managed to churn out some decent melodies. This list is a quick collection of my personal Anu favorites (not in an order of liking). Do you have yours, if you care and dare to admit, i.e.?

Badalon mein chup raha hain - Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee

Many of the Bhatt factory movies had Anu's music.The entire soundtrack of this movie is pretty awesome - Kaifi Aazmi's shayari is also noteworthy. On another note - remember Rahul Roy??

Churaake dil mera - Main Khiladi Tu Anari

This is an immensely hummable tune, although it falters in the antaras. Shilpa Shetty still can carry that leopard print outfit.

Aankhon mein base ho tum - Takkar

Aah, Sonali Bendre.....Ugh, Sunil Shetty. Beauty and the ugliest beast.

Sambhala hain maine - Naraaz

Another from the Bhatt factory. On another note, remember Atul Agnihotri?? What can be worse than a movie with Atul Agnihotri in it? A movie with both Atul Agnihotri and Rahul Roy in it!!

Panchee nadiyaan - Refugee

A beautiful tune and equally beautiful picturization. J P Dutta knew how to shoot Indian locales, especially Rajasthan.

Raah mein unse mulaqaat - Vijaypath

A fairly traditional track, but wins with its simplicity. Do you remember Ruk Ruk Ruk from this movie? Tabu shaking her Thunder Thighs like it's nobody's business.

Dekho Dekho Jaanam hum - Ishq

Another simple melody, from Kajol's unibrow days.

Aane wala kal ek sapna hain - Phir Teri Kahaani Yaad aayee

I am still trying to understand the lyrics of this song, Kumar Sanu surely ruled the 90s and featured in many of Anu's songs.

Jiske aane se - Diljale

Ignore the nasal "heenhh heennh heenhh" of Kumar Sanu, and this one is a decent melody, and of course Sonali again.

Koi Jaaye to le aaye - Ghatak

Mamta of the Kulkarnis gyrating to this catchy number from this Sunny-Raj Santoshi movie.

Taare hain baraati - Virasat

This was when Priyadarshan knew how to make decent movies. This song is one of his best picturised songs ever. It creates the atmosphere of a traditional Indian wedding wonderfully and the lighting in each frame is near perfect....fantastic. Jaspinder Narula's strong vocals elevate the tune even more.

Hume jabse mohabbat ho gayee hain - Border

A soft melody and J P Dutta captures the rustic Indian countryside beautifully once again.

Chunari Chunari - Biwi No. 1

Most of us know this from Monsoon Wedding, but this was it's original avatar. A terrific dance number.

Dil kehta hain - Akele hum akele tum

The Indian Kramer Vs Kramer had some plagiarized songs, but this one I think was an original.

Ajnabi shehar hain - Jaan-e-mann

Ok, the following two are not from the 90s, but neverthless beautiful tunes and yes Gulzar's words.

Sau Dard - Jaan-e-mann

Best Movies of 2009

Hindi cinema saw breaking some more boundaries this year. From a dark crime dramedy to an insider look into the big bad and fantastic world of the Bombay film industry (sorry Raj "the" Thackeray - Mumbai film industry does not have the same zing to it). It is refreshing to see actors and producers taking their chances on risky subjects and the risks being paid off: Examples: Karan Johar producing Wake Up Sid with a debutante director and an unusual lead pair, Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra working for Vishal, Amitabh not being Amitabh in Paa, Dev D breaking all known boundaries of textbook romance and tragedy, Hrithik Roshan not afraid of displaying the vulnerability of a superstar (himself) in Luck By Chance etc. It's a wonderful time for Hindi cinema. That's not to say all was well - big money is still spent on tripe such as Blue, London Dreams, Aladin, Main Aur Mrs Khanna, Jail, Chandni Chowk to China, Wanted, De Dana Dan (Priyadarshan should be tried along with Ajmal Kasab), Dil Bole Hadippa and many more. However, along with the dimwitted stuff like the ones listed above, we were served with cinema that was entertaining and respectful of the fact that most of the moviegoers are completely sane and balanced individuals with reasonable intellect. It's also a welcome change that not only were these good movies, but made reasonable money for their producers.

Here's a quick rundown on this years favorites:

Luck By Chance

Director: Zoya Akhtar

Never before has a movie displayed the inner workings and the struggles of the people of the Hindi film world with such finesse, sensitivity and humor. Luck by Chance to me is the movie of the year. I am so thankful that Zoya got to this before Madhur Bhandarkar who would have positively made a pedestrian and a juvenile movie out of this subject. LBC is littered with many moments of true beauty and lyricism. It treats all its characters with real dimensions and shades of real people - each of them has his/her own axe to grind and the ensemble star-cast gives justice to even the smallest of the characters. Well played Zoya. This one, my friends will certainly age well.

Kaminey

Director: Vishal Bhardwaj

Twin brothers: check. One good the other not so: check. Mistaken identities: check. Bad guys and badder guys on the trail of the hero and heroine: check. Drugs and violence: check. Do not be fooled, this is not as you think an 80s masala flick, it is a bloody and a raucous dark comedy which runs faster than you can think. Vishal has created a pulp masterpiece (never mind the naysayers, in my books it is). Ohh, and did I mention it has one of the best climaxes of Hindi cinema.

Paa

Director: R Balki

A father who plays son to his real life son and the project involves the self-absorbed Bachchans. I had passed my judgment on the movie even before I saw it. Boy, was I proven wrong!! Crisp dialogs, straight from the heart performances and the right dose of emotions made this the feel good movie of the year. The central story delivers the goods so much so that I am willing to let go of the minor irritants (Paresh Rawal and the shtick about media's social responsibility). This is the only movie, yes, the only movie where Amitabh is not being Amitabh.

Wake Up Sid

Director: Ayan Mukherjee

Boy meets girl, girl likes boy, boy doesn't know what he wants, boy leaves girl, boy realizes he loves the girl and all is well - pretty pedestrian stuff. Ayan Mukherjee's debut film takes this plot , avoids most of the cliches of the rom-com genre and creates new ones but how adorably. The lead pair is so wrong on paper - Ranbeer Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma - yikes! Yet, on the screen they light up an entire neighborhood. Also watch out for the supporting actors, finally Hindi cinema is making more of them than just woodwork and frame fillers. Special mention to Supriya Pathak - we need more of her and her delightful sister Ratna Pathak who also by the way gave a memorable Maa in Jaane tu ya jaane na last year.

Delhi-6

Director: Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra

Yes, sue me, but this movie worked for me, if not in its entirety, in more places than it didn't. Agreed Mehra tried to cram as many issues about urban India as possible in a slightly confused screenplay, but the sincerity of his intentions were evident in every single frame. What further elevates the movie is its wonderful cast - Om Puri, Waheeda Rehman, Supriya Pathak, Pawan Malhotra, Divya Dutta (someone give this lady a decent role - she is a rockstar), Sonam Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, Prem Chopra, Rishi Kapoor (is it me or this man is a revelation in his older avatar), Deepak Dobriyal, Atul Kulkarni - all glorious. There was much joy in watching all of them perform. Mehra displayed tremendous eye for detail in numerous scenes in the movie and I am willing to forgive him for a hot-mess of a climax. This one will also age well. Talk to me after 15 years.

3 Idiots

Director: Raju Hirani

Raju Hirani knows how to infuse social messages into a completely formulaic yet enjoyable screenplay, he proved it with the Munnabhai franchise and with "3 idiots" he does it again. So what if there are some scenes which stay longer than their welcome, some of the character caricatures and names are juvenile (Examples: Viru Sahastrabuddhe : since when did a 50 something Konkanastha Brahmin had an official first name "Viru" but only to come up with the nickname VIRUS), sure the casting of 40 somethings as college kids proves that the director does not quite trust the material with the younger generation of actors, yet you leave the theater exhilarated and satisfied - why, I am still trying to figure it out. Although this one will not stand the test of time, but as a raucous entertainer it works. All is well!

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Other notable mention goes to Anurag Kashyap's Dev D and Raj Kumar Santoshi's Ajab Prem ki Ghajab Kahani. Also, I have not seen Kashyap's Gulaal and Shimit Amin's Rocket Singh, but I am sure Rocket Singh would have made the list had I seen it.

2010 seems to be another promising year, notably: Ishqiya (Vishal produces and his assitant Abhishek Chaubey directs) and Rann (RGV directs and seems like he is back to his senses).

Paa - A Review

I must admit upfront that I was very skeptical before watching this Bachchan family movie. I was on a short trip to India and the Indian television was replete with promos of this father-son-son-father gimmick of a movie on every channel, every FM radio station and on billboards all over town. I will be honest and admit that I have developed a new "allergy" towards the Bachchan clan. To me the Amitabh of the 70s or 80s is a different person (the kind of demi-God for which kids like Jamal Malik will jump into human excrement to catch a glimpse of) than the one who hosts inane TV shows, endorses everything from fine wool fabrics to cement and whose choice of cinema is that of "Ram Gopal Verma Ki Aag" - enough said.

So when the promos of "Paa" showed an almost unrecognizable Amitabh and a Rahul Gandhi'esque Abhishek I wanted to duck and hide. Memories of that Bhansali inflicted pain called "Black" came rushing back and I found myself shaking my head involuntarily trying to discard any remnants of that experience. However, my cousins wanted a movie date with me and so with as much reluctance as a dead man walking towards his execution, I gave in - 'tis my fate, I said.

As the screen came alive with adman R Balki's second directorial venture (Cheeni Kum was his first) and P.C. Sreeram's camerawork, I found myself getting involved with the proceedings. By the time the end credits rolled I realized that I just had a satisfying movie-going experience. The plot is essentially a gimmicky version of "The Parent Trap". Sr B plays a thirteen year old child - Auro -who is suffering from an extremely rare genetic condition called progeria - which causes rapid aging of the body and leads to eventual death of the patient at an early age (being fifteen years old is like being ninety years old).

Vidya Balan plays Vidya, a single mother to Auro who was a result of an accidental moment of passion from her student past at Cambridge. The "bloody sperm donor" (in Vidya's own words) is Amol Arte, played by a Jr B who seems to be channeling Rahul Gandhi as a daring outspoken and a cool young MP. Amol wants to pursue a political career and hence they separate with much bitterness. As predictable as such plot lines go, Auro and Amol cross paths and sparks fly. They like each other, spend much time together and eventually realize the blood relation and you know what happens.

Sounds mundane and been-there-seen-that, right? Wrong. Although the plot is trite and the progeria aspect of the main character is a plot trick (how else can you get a real life father to play the son to his real life son), the characters are very well-defined, the script deftly avoids mushy melodrama and manages to tug at your heart just enough. Amitabh's Auro is a delight, (the man is barely recognizable behind all the prosthetics ), never for once does the star take over the character. It's a major feat that you forget who is playing Auro (the make-up artist takes a lion's share in that) and begin to identify him for what he is and understand his motivations. The scenes with his grandmother and his school friends sparkle with humor and have a genuine quality to them.

Vidya Balan and Abhishek play the estranged couple with required efficiency (mercifully the production house did not make this an all family affair and cast Aishwarya Rai in place of Vidya- however Jaya Bachchan makes a cameo appearance). Vidya Balan looks like a doctor who can take care of a son with a rare disease without the support of a man. She does a good job when she has to emote silently with her eyes but comes off a little awkward when the script demands of her to display some histrionics in the form of sudden outbursts of angst and despair. Arundhati Naag as Auro's grandmother is a picture of grace. Ilaiya Raja returns to Hindi cinema after a long gap and the music lends well to the tone of the movie - the "Mudi Mudi" track is already a hit.

While the movie stays true and focused to the central theme of the plot for most of the time, two minor subplots about slum development and media bashing don't go too well (and when Abhishek's character quotes the line from Spiderman - with great power comes great responsibility - I found myself cringing uncomfortably).The character of Paresh Rawal as Amol Arte's politician father, comes off as too black or white and leaves a sour taste in an otherwise economical script.

Even with the above mentioned minor hichakis (sly me!) you leave feeling satisfied and smiling and there lies the success of Paa. Big B, you managed to restore some faith in this once-upon-a-fan of yours.

Amu - A Review

There are some stories that must be told. Shonali Bose's Amu is one such story. A story set in the backdrop of one of the many gruesome (politically instigated) communal riots that took place in modern India.

New Delhi - November 1-3 1984: Thousands of Sikhs were massacred in a methodical fashion at the behest of the then ruling Congress party leaders and their operatives. To this date, the people behind this pogrom have not been brought to justice. The so called protectors of the people had become the hunters. The riots started abruptly and ended suddenly making it quite evident that they were a part of a controlled massacre backed by the State. If the people were really motivated in conducting these massacres, then there would probably be no Sikh left in New Delhi after those 3 days. Many Hindu and Muslim families provided refuge to their Sikh friends in their houses to protect them from the State operated terrorism.

Amu tells the story of Kajori Roy (played with tremendous grace by Konkona Sensharma) who returns from Los Angeles to New Delhi to find out about her roots. Now we all know that this premise can easily fall in the "third world viewed from the first world lens" category. Instead, Bose's screenplay cleverly avoids these traps and succeeds in taking the viewers on Kajori's self-discovery of her past. This is Shonali Bose's first feature film and that inexperience is evident when she tries to deal with multiple themes in 98 minutes and the narrative falters in certain places. But it's very easy to avoid these shortfalls because her sincerity and earnesty is evident in the entire film. Watching the making of the film, I understand that she had to overcome many obstacles to get this film made. There were political threats, censorship objections and ultimately her producer backed out leaving the film without the backing of any major names. The censor board asked her to edit about 10 minutes of the film to remove any political undercurrents that they thought were objectionable. They even went so far as to give the movie the dreaded "A" certificate on the basis of "exposing the youth to events and themes which should be best forgotten". Such shame!

The events of 1984 have been carefully and meticulously covered up by the Indian Government and it continues to strive to erase them from the memories of its newer generations. They say history needs to be taught so that the newer generation learns from its mistakes and tries not to repeat them. For India's future generations it is very important that these horrific events from the recent history become a part of the curriculum : I say every history book should have a chapter on every single episode of communal violence that has occurred in contemporary India (lofty dreams). For now, I will do with movies like "Amu".

Kaminey - A Review

"Life badi kutti cheez hain", says a character early on in the new Vishal Bharadwaj movie, Kaminey. This theme is the center of many events and sub-plots in this roller coaster ride of a movie. It twists and turns the fates of its characters inside out and upside down and downside up when you least expect them. It screams out loud that good actions and bad actions don't necessarily result in good karma and bad karma...it's more complicated and random than that. We are treated to many vignettes of the swine theme throughout the movie (random mongrels walking into the frame, characters bow-wowing etc.). As if to further prove the point of "Life's a bitch", the movie itself is suffering from collections due to the hit it took with the current swine flu situation in Western Maharashtra, which has caused the theatres to remain closed. Life is indeed a Bitch.

In the olden days when Dharam-paaji was the do-all superhero of Hindi movies, he masticated and spat out two words with tremendous regularity - "Kutte Kaminey"...this movie takes those words along with a generous serving of some saliva and blood and makes a pulpous concoction out of them and presents in a blood soaked, rain soaked, mud soaked fashion to it's audience. Having said that, Kaminey is not an easy to digest dish, it does not believe in spoon feeding it's audience with the characters and their intentions. This might cause much confusion and "yeh kya bakwaas hain" remarks from the casual movie-goer. Note: I am not saying that there is anything wrong with the usual movie-goer, it's just that they are not used to movies which demand active participation (and attention) from the audience to enjoy the proceedings. It demands you to join in the proceedings and experience it as "first-hand" as the medium will allow for it. If you let yourself do that, it promises to leave you all bloody and rain soaked at the end of it (and this I mean in a good way).

"Kaminey" is a director's movie, with the camera merely serving as the eyes through which Vishal conceived the concept - brilliant Tasadduq Hussain - check out the difference in the frames from his work in Omkara and here. The large ensemble cast of mostly unknown actors (save for the lead actors - Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra) helps in giving the required anonymity to the characters and how they react to the events that unfold. For example: Amole Gupte's Shekhar Bhope could have been played by Nana Patekar (and would have made a great Bhope too), but the audience would have immediately formed a bond with the character and painted Bhope in their own shades. Same with the Tashi character - Danny Denzogpa comes to mind immediately. Aside from the ensemble cast, the real surprises are Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra. Both these actors are in a completely unfamiliar territory and they successfully deliver the goods under Vishal's guidance. Shahid creates two very distinct characters of Charlie and Guddu, through his mannerisms and his eyes - Guddu has kindness in his eyes and Charlie has angry eyes. Priyanka Chopra goes to town with her Marathi Mulagi portrayal of Sweety Bhope. She is spot on in her Marathi dialogues and has managed to leave the glamorous starry aura about her at the coat-check. (I can only imagine what a young Madhuri Dixit would have done with this role - Thanks to A for pointing it out - Madhuri would have been a blast).

About the music, I have already written about in an earlier post. Vishal has a tremendous knack of filming songs in a huge crowd. They do not seem choreographed in a 1-2-3-4 fashion, and have a quality which makes the audience a part of the on-screen rollicking crowd: Just like Beedi from Omkara, Fatak and Raat ke Dhaai Baje here are brilliantly picturised.

The movie is littered with many nods to old Hindi movies and Hollywood movies: some are very obvious, some not so obvious. Sampling:

- The guitar case as an object of everyone's desire: Robert Rodriguez's El Mariachi and Desperado

- The finale is reminiscent of True Romance's climax or even Desperado

- The judwaa brothers is an old tried Hindi movie formula

- The dead father is IMO just short of "Mera baap chor hain" (BTW, this is the only bit of the flashback that did not work for me, it was a misfit)

- The use of RD's music : The Great Gambler's "Do lafzon kee hain" and Apna Desh's "Duniya mein logon ko" at strategic places

- Life's a bitch and the overarching dog theme: Alejandro González Iñárritu's Amores Perros (Love is a bitch)

There are other subtle nods, which I won't get into here, it's for an avid movie lover to figure them out. Will post them once the movie is out of the cinemas so as not to ruin it for those three people who read this. (For all you know, they might not be intentional on Vishal's part, but then that's what good cinema is all about: you inspire from others and still keep it original, and become a source of inspiration for the next wave.)

Having said that, Kaminey is not all perfect, here are a few things that did not work for me (mentioned about the dead father flashback above):

- The Dhan te nan song was completely unnecessary (but is a knock out composition) and did not do a bit in moving the story forward

- Charlie's end result was very cliche`

- The Charlie and Mikhail relationship was left questionably ambiguous, I think Vishal shied away from portraying them as true "partners" (and yes, the Dhan Te nan song might make more sense if they were "partners")

Without giving the movie away, the climax is the major high point of the movie: it's hard not to compare it with a grand finale of a symphony played by an ensemble orchestra, when all the instruments and musicians come together to a crescendo. One of the most memorable climax sequences in Hindi cinema. Go, get soaked.

Raj and Rashmi

There are movies that shape or define a generation. They have a large scale impact on an entire demographic and help create trends, slangs, dictate fashion, attitudes and the overall outlook of a generation. There are some that have made a mark during the formative years (late 1980s to late 1990s) of the generation that I belong to. Note that this post is not about the quality of these movies and is not about reviewing them, or categorizing them as good or bad. It's purely from a perspective about the impact they had during that era. One such movie was released in March 1988 : Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak

This was the quintessential love story that defined every teenage boy and girl who were in love and should not have been for a multitude of reasons - different cast, different socio-economic status, family feuds, reiligion, etc. Outwardly, it told a story of an innocent, careless and impractical love amongst two naive youths blinded by their love and passion. Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla played the lead roles of Raj and Rashmi. They were mostly unknown before the release of this movie and exuded freshness, innocence and the audacity required for their characters. These are characters who know from the outset that their love is doomed and yet continue on a path which they know will eventually lead to destruction. They keep convincing each other that it will be otherwise - a song much later in the movie "Akele hain toh kya gham hain, chaahe toh humaare bass mein kya nahi" defines their blind conviction that they can lead a life of their own without the need of any other worldly possesions but their love for each other.

It was the late 1980s and the 15-20 year olds were slowly coming out of the clutches of the Socialist Indian State of the late 70s and early 80s. There was a growing restlessness of spreading their wings and curiosity of finding out what else is out there. India's youth was stirring. The middle-class youth wanted to define themselves as more than just doctors and engineers but did not know how to, as there weren't many avenues for them to explore as they exist today. They looked at their father's generation and wanted to desperately break out of the mould of working for governments or banks. When Aamir Khan sang (in Udit Narayan's voice) "Papa Kehte Hain", it instantly became the clarion call for this confused generation. Many a Papas at that time deplored the bravado of the song secretly and openly and hoped that their sons do not venture onto the path like Raj.

The story is about Raj and Rashmi who belong to two families who have a bloody history which leads them to being at a feud that last generations. Of course, Raj and Rashmi fall in love and both the families go at each other's throats over it. After some scenes of good on-screen chemistry between Aamir and Juhi, a few melodious songs (composed by Anand-Milind who never could deliver another score as refreshing as this one) and much melodrama the movie ends in the tragic death of the lead characters. This is where lies the irony, despite the brutal death of Raj and Rashmi which is not a typical end to a movie and is certainly not what an Indian moviegoer expects, this movie became a phenomenon. Conventional wisdom would say that such a tragic ending will serve as a moral lesson to the youth to not venture on such foolish missions as to conquer the love of your life against all odds (the "love" could be a girl or a not so conventional career-path or a life in a distant country or a business venture -anything that was supposed to be beyond their reach).

But the effect was exactly the opposite: This very generation became one of the first to break the norm and ventured to distant lands in hordes, started new businesses which were unthinkable in the India of the 70s, created massive wealth (and employment), helped shape some of the public policies and became the foundation of the "India Shining" generation. It was as if the entire generation was united to ensure that the Rajs and Rashmis in them do not meet a tragic end and in some fashion wanted to avenge their on-screen failure. (All this, of course could be a stretch of my imagination and might not carry much credibility. For some concrete proof, you will have to wait until my research paper titled " The Effect of Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak on the Indian Youth of 1980s and how it shaped the India of the 21st Century" gets published).

Besides this, the superficial impact of the movie was observed in -

- Girls tried to address themselves in plural, like Juhi does - "Tum Dilli Mein Hum Se Milo Ge Naa! Agar Na Milna Ho To Milne Ka Vaada Hi Kar Do, Kam Se Kam Hamein Tumhaara Intezar To Rahega"

- Girls yearned for the puppy faced Aamir Khan and searched for him in their boy-friends or prospective suitors

- Lover boys wanted a loyal confidante friend/cousin like Shyam (played by Raj Zutshi, a good actor in his own regard but got branded as the Hero's friend) and the girl wished for a friend like Kavita (played by Shehnaz - who was sparkling and continued to sparkle in Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar with her liberal use of the word "dear", a few years down the line)

The movie's impact on Hindi cinema was evident in -

- It opened the possibilities of casting largely unknown actors.

- Love stories came back in vogue after many years of an onslaught of multi-starrer social and violent dramas. Maine Pyar Kiya which was released in 1989, further cemented that young love means box office magic. This led to a flood of many mediocre movies starring newcomers and were lost in the pile, none could repeat the magic of this one.

- The trend of acronymizing (is this a word?) movies took firm hold from QSQT.

Even today, I sometimes pop the DVD of QSQT and spend my time with Raj and Rashmi to try and relive those years. I see them take the foolish step of running away from their feuding families only to die to the background of a sad version of "papa kehte hain". Each time, I wish that a miracle would happen and they somehow cheat death and succeed in getting whatever they desire. But then again I remind myself that their cruel and abrupt end is what made them the icons of my generation. A generation which sang along with them hoping for a dreamy, foolish world of young and frothy love:

ab ye naheen sapanaa, ye sab hain apanaa

ye jahaan pyaar kaa, chhotaan saa ye aashiyaan bahaar kaa

bas yek jaraa, saath ho teraa..

akele hai, to kyaa gam hai

chaahe to humaare bas mein kyaa nahee

Loosely translated:

all this is not a dream, all this is ours

this little home full of happiness..if our world of love..

all I need is your companionship..

you are me we are alone..but there are no qualms of being alone..

there is nothing that we cannot achieve ( if you are with me...)

Ek Do Teen...

It was 1988 and one particular song was blaring from every corner of the country and every man (straight or gay, 10 years old or 60 years old) in the country was screaming "Mohini, Mohini". Mother's of young boys were disgusted by the utter shamelessness and brashness of the song (at least kids were learning to count, they consoled each other secretly). The song was "Ek Do Teen" from Tezaab. A loud, cacophonous composition by Laxmikant-Pyarelal with their trademark style of cramming as many musical instruments in a composition and straining the wind pipes and other organs of the musicians. Alka Yagnik sings in a nasal tone, Javed Akhtar's lyrics are kitschy, the set is tacky, the entire backdrop screams everything that was wrong with the 80s. But as soon as Madhuri Dixit walked on that stage and yelled "Namaskaar"....we all knew a "star" was born. Her outfits in the song are what nightmares are made of, the screen is filled with a hundred extras on and off stage, the editor goes mental with many intermittent cuts of the crowds, Anupam Kher in the backstage, Kiran Kumar and his gang and yet what stays with you after the song is over is - Madhuri. She changed the game, she had arrived with this silly counting song and made a million hearts flutter with her signature step of "aaja piya aayee bahaar" (due credit goes to Saroj Khan's choreography too). Madhuri brings a perfect mix of grace, innocence and just the required dose of coquettishness in this extremely garish song. 21 years after the song was first seen --- YES, TWENTY ONE YEARS -- I still find myself mesmerized by Mohini.

100,99,98,97,.................5,4,3,2,1

What a monumental effort!! Here goes the ones I could identify:

3/12/2009: Updated: Thanks to Aravind and Paul.

3/14/2009: Updates: Thanks to Gina

100:

99:

98: Cadillac man

97: Blade Runner

96:

95: Ocean's Eleven

94: Star Wars

93: Midnight Run

92: The Stranger

91: The Right Stuff

90: The Fugitive

89: The French Connection

88: Back to the Future

87:Castaway

86: Quiz Show

85: Silence of the Lambs

84: Titanic

83:

82:Rainman

81: Galaxy Quest

80: Harold and Maude

79: Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead

78:

77: The Apartment

76:

75: The Hustler

74: Ed Wood

73: The Jerk

72: Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

71: When Harry Met Sally

70: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
69: Cape Fear

68: The Breakfast Club

67: The King and I

66: Gentlemen’s agreement

65: The princess bride

64:Yellow Submarine?

63: Network

62:

61:Singles

60: Gone with the wind

59: Philadelphia story

58: Gold finger

57: Manchurian candidate

56:Its a wonderful life

55: The Blues Brothers

54: Remains of the day

53: Midnight Express

52:Waking Ned Devine

51:Roman Holiday

50: Cool Hand Luke

49:The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

48:

47: The Big Sleep

46:

45: The Hudsucker Proxy

44: Dirty Harry

43: Monty Python and the Holy Grail

42: Finding Nemo

41: Ben Hur

40:Superman

39: The 39 Steps

38:

37: Men in Black?

36: Clerks

35: Harvey

34: Marty

33:

32:All About Eve

31:Ferris Bueller's Day Off

30: 3:10 to Yuma (old one)

29: Young Frankenstein

28: The Bridge on River Kwai

27: The Usual Suspects

26: North by Northwest

25: Sunset Blvd.

24: Escape from New York

23: The Wizard of Oz

22: Casablanca

21: Lion in winter

20:Boogie Nights

19:Shawshank Redemption

18:Almost Famous?

17: The Maltese Falcon

16: The Natural

15:Being John Malkovich

14:

13:Lawrence of Arabia

12:Ghostbusters

11: This Is Spinal Tap

10: Citizen Kane

9: 12 Angry Men

8: Office Space

7:

6:Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels

5: Godfather

4:Fargo

3: The Big Kahuna

2:C'era una volta il West

1: Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring?

--------------------------------------------------

Movies is LIFE. Can you all help me identify the rest?

Movies for a lifetime - 3

The Sandlot (1993)

All of us have memories of the summers from our growing up years - from that carefree age of about 7 to 8 through mid-teens. It does not matter what city or country you are from: we all have done utterly stupid, ridiculous things in these years, have had friendships that you thought would last forever and days and nights that you thought would never end. If you have forgotten those years, go watch "The Sandlot"....those years will come back to you in vivid details.

It's a simple movie about a summer in the life of the narrator Scotty Smalls. It's about the friendships he forms playing baseball with the neighborhood kids and a particular incident about a much dreaded dog. The script is the standard protagonist narrating his past life to the audience and thus it is always his perspective that we get to see and is a bit exagerrated where required (just like a 10 year old would remember it). The rest of kids of the sandlot are a motley bunch with character traits that will remind you of the bunch you hung out with at the soccer field, cricket field or just spending late nights talking about absolutely nothing in particular.

The movie's success lies in the way it evokes just the right nostalgic feelings of what it was like being a child. If I come across this movie while channel surfing, this is where my search ends and the 101 minutes of this movie transport me right into the hot summer days spent on the cricket field and the warm nights spent with friends on each other's terraces. I sleep with a smile on my face and wake up having lived through those magical summers yet another time.

Luck By Chance - A Review

With Luck By Chance, the Akhtar’s have proven it that it’s not Luck when it comes to their family – the genes are replete with talent. Zoya Akhtar’s directorial debut is a confident film from a confident filmmaker. Luck By Chance is a more mature debut than her brother, Farhan’s debut film, Dil Chahta Hain. (Note that the comparison is not between the two movies and it’s not saying that DCH was a lesser movie).
Luck By Chance is the story of Hindi cinema, of the inner workings of the industry where thousands of people come to realize their dreams and only a few amongst them make it big – by luck or by chance or by talent!! Farhan plays Vikram who is a confident struggling actor who knows that he has to seize the opportunity (or even create one) to succeed. He believes in his abilities, is aware of his charms and is ready to leave his moral self at the doorstep if required. Konkona Sen plays Sona Mishra, another struggling actress who believes in other people giving her the opportunity to succeed. She is willing to go to that extra length should a need arise but relies on the outside for an opportunity.

I cannot recollect the last time I was able to write about well rounded characters in a Hindi movie (based on an original screenplay). All the other characters – big or small have been well etched: Rishi Kapoor as the King-maker producer Romy Rolly, Juhi Chawla as Minty Rolly- his trophy wife, Dimple Kapadia as Neena Walia, a queen bee of the yester era now pushing her daughter to be the next star (Rishi Kapoor’s character defines her in one memorable line in the movie), Hrithik Roshan as superstar Zaffar Khan, Anuj Mathur as Abhi - another struggling actor and a friend of Farhan and many more. The friends, sisters, brother-in-laws are not mere props to fill up the frame; they have personalities and character traits of their own.

Zoya’s attention to detail is remarkable in the locations, costumes, art design, a few examples: the slightly torn sofa in Sona’s kholi, a wicker basket covering a light bulb to give a romantic lighting effect. Romy Rolly’s garishly decorated bungalow and, Juhi Chawla’s costumes are in tune with their character which scream - money cannot buy class.

Jaaved Akhtar’s dialogues are witty, funny, sharp, satirical and have that edge which is required in a self-referential script such as this. Here’s a writer who is in complete sync with the current times and the generation. The dialogues simply sparkle!

There are many cameos by leading personalities from the Hindi film industry – AB Jr, Aamir Khan, SRK, Rani Mukerjee, Diya Mirza, Akhsaye Khanna etc. They are not obtrusive to the narrative and flow in and out quite seamlessly. Watch out for a line that Ranbeer Kapoor says – you will know what I mean. Also watch out for the senior Akhtars in a scene where they show up in the background. These cameos further help the script in showing the industry a metaphorical mirror.

The music of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy to Jaaved Akhtar’s lyrics is weaved in at the right places in the movie. The opening credits are beautifully done with the song ‘Yeh zindagi bhi’ and the real workers of the hindi film world: the carpenters, the poster painters, the tailors, the accountants, the box office cashiers, the extras, the make-up men, the hair dressers, the drivers, the trolley operators – these are the people on the ground. Who knows they too might have come to Mumbai to become an SRK or a Kareena Kapoor. Their dreams never really materialized, yet they keep dreaming on and toiling in this unforgiving fickle world of cinema:
“Samjhane se kab mana hai

Dekho karta zid hai yeh dil

Choone hai Taare ise

Chahiye Saaare ise”

The film ends with the song “Raahi re” with the camera on Konkona’s face. Her expression is that of contentment, loss, confidence and resolve. It’s not a text book happy ending as many would like it to be, but an ending which is immensely satisfying to me personally.

All the performances are spot on - Farhan Akhtar and Konkona Sen are superlative, Isha Sharwani as Nikki (the daughter of Dimple’s character who lives in a cake) is well cast. Rishi and Dimple the lovey-dovey couple of Bobby are fantastic as Romy Rolly and Neena Walia. Rishi is hilarious in a scene where he uses an airplane taking off as a metaphor for a stars career taking off. Also watch out for his reaction when the director (played with the required annoyance by Sanjay Kapoor) of his movie announces that the movie they made is a huge hit and adds “Jabalpur mein chakoo chal gaye ticket ki line mein, suna hain ek aadmi mar gaya” and Rishi raises his glass of beer and glees “Oye cheers to that yaar”!! Dimple Kapadia lives the role of Neena Walia, check her out when she blasts an editor of a glossy over yellow journalism! Then there are the fringe characters – Konkona’s friend, Juhi Chawla’s sister and her husband (they portray the parasites who cling to their more successful family members), Farhan’s friends, Nikki’s entourage, Farhan’s mausi, all small bits but well defined characters. Watch out for Anurag Kashyap’s cameo : he is hilarious.

There are numerous scenes which stay with you after the movie, such as (without giving them away): Hrithik Roshan's scene with the little kids, the one with the Godrej refirgerator, the one with Sona in the producer's van, Farhan's fight and then making up with his friend, Konkona's response to Farhan's attempt at redemption - and many more.

Zoya has said that it took her seven years to make this film; I must say the wait was well worth it. With Luck By Chance, a much needed sensibility has arrived in Hindi cinema. Hopefully, this movie will pave the way for many more movies which deal with its characters and its audience like real human beings. Just as DCH was a path-breaking movie, so is LBC. Regardless of how it does at the box-office, 20 years from now, this movie will be discussed, analyzed and studied.

A Rocking start to 2009...musically speaking

It's incredible how I was equally thrilled and ecstatic after listening to two compositions which are polar opposites of each other - and we are only in January. The compositions I am talking about are - "Bhor Bhayee" from Delhi-6 and "Emosanal atyachaar" from DevD. The former a classical Hindustani composition by AR Rehman and sung with tremendous aplomb by Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and Shreya Ghoshal, while the latter a goofy-brass band-street-lingo song composed by Amit Trivedi.

Both the albums are winners all the way. Delhi-6 sets new standards for ARR and DevD proves that Amit is not a one film wonder (previously composed music for the much under-rated Aamir). Short reviews of the music:

Delhi-6
Masakkalli sung by Mohit Chauhan is an instant hit, the lyrics by Prasoon Joshi and Mohit's rendition give this one a distinct flair.
Genda Phool starts as a ladies sangeet type song and then a hypnotic loopy beat totally catches you off guard. Rekha Bharadwaj's voice is a mix of naughtiness and sadness. After listening to it a couple of times, it's one of those tunes that stay in your head and you wonder what's that humming in your brain when you are in the shower.
Rehana Tu is a classic Rehman piece which he saves for his unusual vocal chords. This one is a masterpiece.
Tumhare Bhavan mein and Arziyaan : Now here's one composer who has me humming bhajans and islamic devotional songs. Tumhare bhavan mein is rendered by three singers in PERFECT harmony (remember Ishwar Allah from Earth?) and Arziyaan is yet another triumph in a long repertoire of Islamic devotional songs composed by ARR. Do not listen to it in your car while driving alone on a dark highway - the trance this composition induces will make you loose your way - first hand experience.
Bhor Bhayee: The recording has a feel of a girl practicing the song with a tape recorder playing the original in the background. Shreya Ghoshal take a bow.
DevD
This Amit Trivedi shot to spotlight with Aamir and was very impressive with his rustic earthy and very INDIAN compositions: "Chakkar Ghumiyo", "Haa Reham", "Haara" and "Ek lau". With DevD he has outdone himself, it's a crazy loopy album dripping with unabashed North Indian-ness. The album has eighteen tracks - yes EIGHTEEN. It remains to be seen how they are used in the movie, which by the way I am eagerly waiting for.
Emotional Atyachaar - This one gets under your skin, the brass band version is, how do I say it - cheap and boisterous!! The lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya are decadent, modern and yet make all the sense, sample these lines:
"Bol Bol why did you ditch me,
Zindagi bhi lele yaar kill me,
Bol Bol why did you ditch me whore."
Now imagine Devdas singing them for Paro. BRILLIANT, innit?
The rock version of this song is a viral mix of frustration and angst.
Payaliya : Haunting and lyrical, the "by god" loop is endearing and notice the use of Shehnai. I am sold.
Dhol Yaara Dhol: This one has a hangover of 'Mitwa' from Lagaan for the first few seconds, but then emerges to create its own world.
Ek Hulchul Si and Saali Khushi : A heavy guitar, drums number with throaty singing
Duniya: Is in the Chakkar Ghumiyo mould, about the mysteries of this crazy world we inhabit.

I am still swaying to Emotional Atyachaar, will get to the rest of the tracks soon. Looking forward to more from Amit Trivedi.

Oscar Nominations - Slumdog, ARR and Gulzar

As expected, Slumdog has been nominated in multiple categories for the 2008 Oscar nominations : 10 total. Gulzar has also been nominated along with AR Rehman in the best original song category for "Jai ho" - this is truly a well deserved nomination. It remains to be seen how well would the jury understand the layers of the meanings of lines such as:

Ratti Ratti Sachi Maine Jaan Gavayi Hai
Nach Nach Koylo Pe Raat Bitayi Hai
Akhiyon Ki Neend Maine Phoonko Se Uda Di
Neele Tare Se Maine Ungli Jalayi Hai

Get ready to watch the songs being performed on the stage at the Kodak Theatre on 2/22.
Another nomination that is truly well deserved was for cinematography for Anthony Dod Mantle. As said in an earlier post, the camera and the background score are truly the adrenaline of the narrative (clearly the dialogues are amateurish, esp for someone who understands Hindi).

The entire list is here:
http://www.imdb.com/features/rto/2009/oscars

P.S.: For those of you who have not seen the movie yet, note a scene early on in the movie when the little Jamal dances for Latika in the orphanage. Revisit that scene in your head when you watch the end credits. You will know that there is more to the end credits than just a homage to kitschy Bollywood group dance songs. Many Indian critics have slammed the end credits saying - enough already about the homage to Bollywood. They so missed the boat on that. But then, to each his own.

Slumdog sweep

This little movie with a huge heart swept most major awards at the Globes this year as predicted: Best Screenplay -Simon Beaufoy, Best Director - Danny Boyle (it was great to see Danny thank Loveleen Tandon - his co-director when he received the award), Best Score - AR Rehman and finally, Best Picture. It is a first for any Indian to win a globe - AR Rehman has officially arrived on the global music scene. Get ready to hear his pulsating music in many non-Indian movies in the coming years.
Jai Ho!

Best Hindi Songs of 2008

End of another year. Here's the list of songs (mostly Hindi films) that stood out for me (they are in no particular order of liking). Disclaimer: This in no way is an exhaustive, scientific list of all the music released this past year. It is purely based on my personal likes.

Song: Ek Lau
Movie: Aamir
Singers: Shilpa Rao, Amitabh Varma
Lyrics: Amitabh Varma
Music: Amit Trivedi
A soothing yet haunting composition by debutante music director Amit Trivedi in this independent small movie can definetely be called a theme song for a year marked by multiple incidents of terrorist induced violence in India. This one is to all those lives that ended abruptly for no particular fault of their's. Shilpa Rao's voice will be heard more and more in the coming years.

Song: Ha Raham
Movie: Aamir
Singers: Amit Trivedi, Amitabh Varma, Murtuza Qadir
Lyrics: Amitabh Varma
Music: Amit Trivedi
Another winner from Amit Trivedi. This time the lyricist and the music director contrinute towards the vocals. The use of instruments in the tune seems like a mix of Qawaali, street music, and cheap orchestras. The overall effect is spectacular.

Song: Kabhi Kabhi Aditi
Movie: Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na
Singers: Rashid Ali
Lyrics: Abbas Tyrewala
Music: A.R.Rehman
It was clearly another stellar year for ARR - JTYJN, Jodhaa Akbar, Yuvvraj, Ghajini and Slumdog Millionaire. All of the above have distinct sounds (have not heard Ghajini , hence does not feature in this list). I am not a sucker of the Gen Y genre of music but with 'Aditi', 'Pappu can't dance' and 'Nazare milaana' ARR has created anthems for this generation. Abbas Tyrewala's zany lyrics makes this one an instant hit, but not the kind which wears off after multiple listenings. This one has longevity written on it. Another reason to like this particular song is for Aditi. (uhm....yeah...mr. sappy...!)

Song: Kaahin To Hogee Woh
Movie: Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na
Singers: Rashid Ali, Vasundhara Das
Lyrics: Abbas Tyrewala
Music: A.R.Rehman
This one is one of those ARR melodies which grow on you on repeat hearings. The lyrics depict the angst and the confusion of adolescent love. It's sung soulfully by Rasheed Ali and Vasundhara Das (why do we not hear more of this girl's strong vocal chords? Remember - O Ri Chori?)

Song: Sindbad Sailor
Movie: Rock On
Singers: Farhan Akhtar, Raman Mahadevan
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Farhan Akhtar as the lead actor - Maybe!! As a lead singer - NO WAY!!!! But, boy did he prove everyone wrong!! "Rock On!" is a winner as a soundtrack all the way. A lyricist who is 65 years old (and has pretty much written songs centered around LOVE) and a lead singer who is no singer at all. Isn't this what Rock is all about? Defying the norm or as the respected professor of Rock music, Sir Dewey Finn says "Rock is about Sticking It To The Man". Sindbad Sailor takes the cake amongst other songs from this album for it's energy, gusto and inspired lyrics. The transition from Farhan's husky voice to Raman Mahadevan's silky smooth "Tum ho To" is like eating the cream under the cracked top layer of a perfect Crème brûlée.

Song: Yeh Tumhaari Meri Baatein
Movie: Rock On
Singers: Dominique
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Of the all the rock inspired songs from this album sung by male singers, this is one of the two songs with a female voice (the other being Phir Dekhiye by Caralisa). The guitar loop in the background in this song, has an "Indian Ocean"-esque feel to it.

Song: Jashn-e-bahaara
Movie: Jodhaa Akbar
Singer: Javed Ali
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Music: A R Rehman
Only ARR can deliver a Gen Y soundtrack like Jaane Tu and a soundtrack of a period film like Jodhaa Akbar. If I had to rank the songs in this list, Jashn-e-bahaara takes the crown for it's masterful composition, lilting and delicate poetry (Jaaved Akhtar) and silky smooth buttery rendition by Javed Ali. The instrumental version of this melody is to die for. Notable also is the instrumental version of Khwaja Mere Khwaja (how often do Indian composers make use of the Oboe?)

Song: Azeem-O-Shaan Shahenshah
Movie: Jodhaa Akbar
Singer: Mohammed Aslam, Bonnie Chakraborty and Chorus
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Music: A R Rehman
Two words to describe this: Grandeur and Opulence. This is probably one of those composition's where the movie director also is part of the creative process along with the music director. Too bad, the real Akbar never got to hear this - he would have had ARR amongst his Navratnas.

Song: Tu muskura
Movie: Yuvvraj
Singer: Alka Yagnik, Javed Ali
Lyrics: Gulzar
Music: A R Rehman
What a waste of brilliant music on this awful movie. The movie is worse than an overflowing gutter and the music is the polar opposite of that - a clear stream flowing through a valley amongst snowcapped mountains on a moonlit night. Alka Yagnik sounds like a completely different singer when she sings for ARR. Before Lagaan, her voice did not do a thing for me and then O ri chori and Mitwaa happened. She was outstanding in Taal se taal mila (Taal) and Ay Hairathe (Guru). With Tu Muskura she rightfully deserves her place as a master singer in the Hindi film music world.

Song: Jai Ho
Movie: Slumdog Millionaire
Singer: Sukhwinder Singh, Mahalaxmi Iyer
Lyrics: Gulzar
Music: A R Rehman
This is such a joyous song, you cannot help but smile and join the moves. A perfect composition for a movie that in my opinion is the Best of 2008. If you catch the movie in the cinemas (if you haven't yet....go NOW, it's the best use of your 10 dollars in this economy), the song bursts on the screen with the end credits and the entire audience sits their asses back in the seats or freeze wherever they were to get immersed in this ultimate rocker of a song. I had a gut feeling that the lyrics were Gulzar's - who else can write:
"Aaja aaja jind shaamiyaane ke tale aaja, zariwaale neele aasmaan ke tale aaja". Upon googling it, my gut feeling was confirmed. What a way to end the year!