✱ FEATURE brained young man and you have a super entertainer. Bhola (Sunil Dutt) falls in love with a lovely girl, Bindu (Saira Banu), his ‘padosan’ whom he admires from his window every day. Bindu flirts with her THEMovies that BES inspired T music teacher, Master Pillai (Mehmood). Bhola, with the help of his friends Vidyap- A top ten compilation athi (Kishore Kumar) and his cronies plans like Gol Maal, Chupke Chupke, Mili, Abhi- to win her over. Vidyapathi runs an acting maan and Bawarchi —is a true masterpiece. school and is a singer as well. He turns into Many dialogues and scenes from the film a ‘Dr. Love’ persona for Bhola and Bindu became popular specially the way Rajesh ultimately falls for Bhola. It has some hi- Khanna said ‘ Babumoshai ’. Add to all this larious numbers like ‘ Ik chatur naar karke some beautiful songs and you have a film singaar’ and ‘Mere saamne waali khidki that stays with you forever. ‘Anand’ won the mein’ . Kishore Kumar with paan dripping Filmfare Award in 1972. from the side of his mouth, his hair parted at the center with the edge of his dhoti in love and even living together. Rosie played PADOSAN (1968) one hand and a paan box in the other is an by Waheeda is a dancer who is forced to get rguably the best Hindi comedy enduring image from the film. His impecca- married to a middle aged man. She meets of all times, the mere mention ble comic timing and the ability to generate an interesting man, Raju who is a guide by of ‘Padosan’ makes you guffaw. fun even from a simple gesture and a word, profession. The two fall in love and Raju The two uncrowned ‘Kings of is remarkable. One simple ‘Bhole’ uttered gives Rosie the life that she always craved ANAND (1970) AComedy’, Kishore Kumar and Mehmood by him sends you rolling with laughter. If for. Things don’t work out between them ajesh Khanna was the first of- are at their best. Add to this an excellent this wasn’t enough there is Mehmood too and in a cheating case Raju lands up in jail. ficial superstar of Hindi cinema. performance by Sunil Dutt as a hare- as a south Indian music teacher with a choti When years later he is released he is mis- He gave a slew of hits in the hanging on his clean-shaven head. The taken as a holy man. He tells the villagers a late 60s and 70s, ’Anand’ being scenes where the two suitors of Bindu are story of a holy man who had kept a fast for Rthe most important one of them. It was a competing against each other are riotous. A twelve days to bring rain to a drought-hit lighthearted melodramatic tale with deeply true masterpiece! village. Unfortunately, a drought hits the tragic undertones. Rajesh Khanna plays village soon after. He keeps the fast and Anand, a man suffering from cancer, yet GUIDE (1965) slowly grows week and listless. The rains never seen unhappy or crying. Ironically true classic based on R.K. come on the last day of his fast and while the character is shown to be full of life and Narayan’s novel ‘The Guide’, the villagers rejoice he dies quietly. ’Guide’ laughter. Amitabh Bachchan played his Vijay Anand’s ‘Guide’ starred is a landmark films of Indian cinema, doctor in the film with whom he spends Dev Anand and Waheeda Reh- way ahead of its time. Dev Anand gives a his last days. The film made by Hrishikesh Aman. The film was pretty bold for its time as remarkable performance, perhaps his best Mukherjee — who gave us delightful films it showed a guide and a married woman in winning the Filmfare Award for Best Actor 76 Issue 6 ✱ February 2010 Bollywood Lifestyle Magazine FEATURE ✱ that year. But, its Waheeda who brings life backdrop. Meena Kumari has never looked miere held simultaneously in 150 theatres to the film, specially in the first half, as a as sensuous as the Chhoti Bahu in ‘Sahib, all over the country. The filmmaker K. Asif free-spirited young woman who doesn’t Biwi aur Ghulam’ with a stray lovelock left no stone unturned to make sure that mind a live-in relationship. She also won peeping out of her head covered with a his film becomes a part of the cinematic the Filmfare Award for Best Actress that silk saree pallu and falling on her forehead folklore. Its a classic tale of rebellious love year. Another plus-point of ‘Guide’ was S.D adorned by a big bindi. She plays the re- between Prince Salim and the courtesan Burman’s music with songs like, “Piya Tose spectable bahu from an upper class Bengali Anarkali. Their love is opposed by the pow- Naina Lage Re”, “Aaj Phir Jeene ki Tamanna household, yet when she starts a slurred “ erful king Akbar leading to a father-son rift. Hai”, “Din Dhal Jaaye”, “Gaata Rahe Mera Na jao saiyaan ”, the contrast is striking. The Naushad’s music is spell binding specially “ Dil”, “Tere Mere Sapne Ab Ek Rang Hai”, unshed tears in Meena’s eyes make her wor- Prem Joga”, ”Pyaar Kiya to darna kya ” and “ “Kya se Kya Ho Gaya” and “Wahaan Kaun thy of her ‘Tragedy Queen’ title. Undoubt- Mohe panghat . Hai Tera”. edly, Chhoti Bahu is the most spectacular character in tragedienne Meena Kumari’s he recreation of the Sheesh SaHIB BIWI AUR career; a role that was uncannily similar to mahal and the shots where the GHULAM (1962) her own life. Chhoti Bahu dares to question reflection of Madhubala in a ccording to some, ‘Sahib Biwi the system and tries to reclaim her errant giddy twirl is captured in loads Aur Ghulam’ was ghost directed husband. Tof glittering glass pieces is fascinating. The by Guru Dutt. The film was set in humungous set for this legendary song late 19th century against a feudal nlike the other women in the took all the lights available (even 500 truck A house, she is not submissive beams) and about 100 reflectors to bounce instead she wants his adoration off the light. An intoxicated Madhubala de- and time. When in her despera- claring her love with bold lyrics like ‘ Parda Ution she turns to alcohol, one is stunned nahin jab koi khuda se, bandon se parda by her passion and desire to win over her MUGHAL-E-AZAM (1960) karna kya ’ in front of the whole world and husband. Her most forceful dialogue from ughal-e-Azam, a histori- the powerful King himself is awe-inspiring. the film is when she dares to argue with cal, had the grandeur of a ‘Mughal-e-Azam’, has one of the most her husband who equates her to the wives Mughal court and a heady talked about erotic scenes in Hindi cinema. of other landowners, “ Hindu ghar ki bahu defiant note. Each and every Dilip Kumar teasingly caresses an impas- hokar, kya sharab pee hai kissine ?” Meena Mscene in the film is a masterpiece moving sioned Madhubala’s radiant face with a long Kumari, like the miraculous sindoor she in front of your eyes. The film took almost white feather. She shuts her eyes slowly yearns for in the film mesmerizes you with fifteen years in the making and cost Rs 1.5 with her lips turned towards her lover and her acting skills. The role of Jaba was played crores in those days. The cast had the su- there is a suggestion of a kiss when the two by Waheeda Rehman and of Bhootnath by perstars of that time including Dilip Kumar, go behind the veil of the feather. The clas- Guru Dutt himself. The film remains with Madhubala and Prithviraj Kapoor. People sical notes of ‘ Prem Jogan Banke’ sung by you forever simply because of the splendid from all over the country were brought to Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan add a time- performance of Meena Kumari. Bombay to work on the elaborate cos- less quality to the moment. It goes without tumes, props. and sets. It had a grand pre- saying that the film was a blockbuster. Bollywood Lifestyle Magazine Issue 6 ✱ February 2010 77 ✱ FEATURE She works like a beast to feed her children dra Chattopadhyay but this black-and- and pay off the moneylender. Her sons white version remains the best. It is tragic played by Rajendra Kumar and Sunil Dutt tale of lost love and a complex mish-mash help her in getting back their land from the of human relationships. Dilip Kumar as vile clutches of the local moneylender. Su- the self-destructive doomed lover, Devdas nil Dutt as the rebel son whom she shoots gives a remarkable performance. His drunk- in the end is brilliant. While shooting for en scenes are understated and that coupled the film Sunil Dutt had rescued Nargis with his inimitable style of dialogue deliv- from a fire that had broken out on the sets. ery is a deadly combo. Its dialogue “ Kaun The two later married spinning a romantic kambakht bardasht karne ke liye peeta folklore around the film. hai?” was oft repeated by Dilip Kumar fans. Vyjayanthimala as Chandramukhi and DO AANKHEN BArah Suchitra Sen as Paro give sensitive perfor- HaaTH (1957) mances. Motilal as Chunnibabu is a treat to he renowned filmmaker V watch. ‘Devdas’ won Dilip Kumar the Best Shantaram made a stirring ‘Do Actor award and a Best Supporting Actress Aankhen Barah Haath’; a film award for Vyjayanthimala. about social reform. It’s a stark Tblack-and-white film about a jailor who be- lieves that love and trust can turn even the most hardened criminals into God fearing MOTHER INDIA (1957) responsible citizens.