Matinee Masala

Continuing with Deewaar, it was the Filmfare awards in 1975 that made the competition so tough that everyone thought that Sholay which also happen to release the same year, would grab all the popular awards but it was not to be. The Best Actor Award went to Sanjeev Kumar for Aandhi and the Best Actress went to Lakshmi for Julie. The Best Music Director Award went to Rajesh Roshan for his score in Julie.

Deewaar went down in history as the film bagging the most Filmfare Awards till Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge was released.

1. Best Film - Gulshan Rai (Producer)
2. Best Director - Yash Chopra
3. Best Actor in a Parallel Role - Shashi Kapoor
4. Best Story Writer - Salim-Javed
5. Best Sound Recordist - M. A. Shaikh
6. Best Dialogue Writer - Salim-Javed
7. Best Screenplay Writer - Salim-Javed

Siblings’ coming together is common in Hindi films. Three brothers coming together in a film has however been rare. It was in 1982 when Feroz Khan launched Janbaaz with himself and his brothers Sanjay Khan and Akbar Khan. However due to delay the script underwent many changes and ultimately Feroz Khan signed on Anil Kapoor and released it under the same title in 1986.

In Raj Kapoor’s Shree 420 (1955) during the song Pyaar Hua Ikraar Hua…, there’s a shot which had all three children of Raj Kapoor walking in the rain wearing raincoats.

The three instances where all three brothers came together on screen were-

1. Ashok, Anup, Kishore Kumar- Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958)
2. Chetan, Dev and Vijay Anand- Kala Bazaar (1960)
3. Salman, Arbaaz, Sohail Khan- Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya (2005)

Know of a similar film which I’ve missed out on, let me know.

Ardeshir Irani could easily be showcased as the first showman of Indian Cinema in the 1920’s, when it was in its nascent stages. He was a writer, director, producer, actor and cinematographer in the silent and sound eras of vintage Bollywood.

Ardeshir Irani was born into an immigrant Iranian Zoroastrian family as Khan Bahadur Ardeshir Irani on December 5, 1886 in Pune, Maharashtra. In 1905, Irani became the Indian representative of Universal Studios who ran Alexander Cinema, which showed Indian and foreign films, in Bombay. In 1917, Irani entered the field of film production and produced his first silent feature film, Nala Dayamanti which released in 1920.

In 1925, Irani founded Imperial Films Co., where he made more than sixty films. By the age of 40 he became one of the renowned names in Bollywood. He became the father of talkie films with the release of his sound feature film, Alam Ara in 1931. Many of the films he produced, were later made into talkie films, with the same cast and crew. He is also accredited with making the first Indian English feature film, Noor Jahan 1934. He completed his hat-trick of earning fame when he made the first color feature film of India, Kisan Kanya (1937), although the trend of color films began very late. His contribution does not end only with giving voice to the silent cinema and color to black-and-white films; he gave a new courageous outlook to filmmaking in India.

Irani’s Imperial Films Co. gave doyens like Billimoria, Bibbo, Prithviraj Kapoor, Mehboob Khan, Yakub, Mubarak etc. He produced Kalidas in Tamil on the sets of Alam Ara, with songs in Telugu. Irani created a whole new trend by shootings outdoors in sunlight with the help of reflectors. However, the outdoor undesirable sounds were disturbing him so greatly that he shot the entire sequence in the studio, under heavy lights. Thus, he began the trend of shooting under artificial light.

Irani made 158 films in a long and illustrious career of 25 years, between the First and Second World Wars. He made his last film Pujari in 1945. Irani was not compelled to live like Dadasaheb Phalke for he realized the war was a time not suitable for film business and therefore he suspended his film business during that time. He passed away on October 14, 1969 at the age of 82 in Bombay, Maharashtra.

The demise of O.P. Nayyar yesterday came as a shock to all of us. Although I wasn’t born in his era but all his songs are immortal. As a kid I always wondered why all his songs had the same ‘ghoda’ rhythm and yet sounded so refreshingly different from one another. May be that’s why he was called a genius who had his own distinct style of composing songs.

Omkar Prasad Nayyar was born on January 16, 1926 at Lahore, Pakistan. His family shifted from Lahore to Amritsar after partition in 1947. In 1949, Nayyar came to Bombay and met producer-director Krishan Kewal who was making Kaneez. Thus his career started with scoring the background music for this film. He got his first break as a composer in Aasmaan 1952 which was followed by Guru Dutt’s Baaz and Aar Paar which took him to instant stardom.

With CID O.P. Nayyar gained particular distinction for his efforts as music director. He worked extensively with Geeta Dutt, Asha Bhosle and Mohammed Rafi and helped to advance their careers. He is renowned for the fact that he never worked with Lata Mangeshkar.

Most of his compositions have a distinct Punjabi influence. The legend created unforgettable songs as Ello main hari piya (Aar Paar), Kahin pe nigahen kahin pe nishana (C.I.D.), Maang Ke Saath Tumhara (Naya Daur), Aaiye meherban baithiye jaanejaan (Howrah Bridge), Zara holle holle challo more sajna (Sawan Ki Ghata), Chain se humko kabhi (Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye).

In the late 50s, his films include Aar Paar, CID, Tumsa Nahin Dekha and Howrah Bridge with the most famous song, Mera naam Chin Chin Choo. He also scored the Dilip Kumar hit film, Naya Daur for which he bagged his only Best Music Director filmfare award in 1957.

In the 1960s he did one film a year and crafted exquisite scores for Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1963), Kashmir Ki Kali (1964) and Mere Sanam (1965). His limited musical education did not come in the way of embellishing his melodies with well-chosen instruments like the sarangi which he popularized or the piano which ripples through Aapke haseen rukh pe from Baharein Phir Bhi Aayegi.

Nayyar was so involved with Asha Bhosle that he neglected other great singers like Geeta Dutt and Lata Mangeshkar. Together they created magic in more than 70 films. He molded Asha’s voice and gave her style and respectability. The Nayyar-Asha team lifted to an unprecedented high in 1957- 1958 with around nine releases in both years and a string of successful scores in Naya Daur, Tumsa Nahin Dekha, Sone Ki Chidiya, Phagun, Howrah Bridge and Ragini.

In the early 1990s, Nayyar made a surprise comeback with Zid and the Salman Khan-Karisma Kapoor starrer Nischay, with his unmistakable tunes. The last appearance of the maestro was on the television show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa.

O.P. Nayyar was a true legend in every sense whose music will be cherished till mankind lives. May this great musician’s sole rest in peace.

Many may not know that the late O.P. Nayyar dropped out of college to compose music. He belonged to a family who knew nothing about music. His father never encouraged him but at the age of 11, he became an AIR artiste. At the age of 17, HMV, the recording company, released his compositions’ Pritam aan milo and Kaun nagar tera door thikana.

The lyricists that he worked most with were SH Bihari, Majrooh Sultanpuri and Sahir. In the late 1960s, Nayyar fell out with his favorite Mohammad Rafi but managed to conjure memorable songs even with Mukesh, Mahendra Kapoor and Kishore Kumar.

My Top 10 O.P. Nayyar films-

Aar Paar (1954), Mr. & Mrs. 55 (1955), CID (1956), Naya Daur (1957), Tumsa Nahin Dekha (1957), Howrah Bridge (1958), Ek Musafir Ek Haseena (1962), Kashmir Ki Kali (1964), Mere Sanam (1965), HumSaya/ Kismat (1968)

My Top 20 O.P. Nayyar songs-

1. Babuji dheere chalna- Aar Paar
2. Aye dil hai mushkil- CID
3. Aankhon hi aankhon mein- CID
4. Jaane kahaan mera jigar- Mr. & Mrs. 55
5. Aaiye meherbaan- Howrah Bridge
6. Yeh desh hai- Naya Daur
7. Ude Jab Jab Zulfein Teri- Naya Daur
8. Yun to humne laakh- Tumsa Nahin Dekha
9. Jawaaniyaan yeh mast-mast- Tumsa Nahin Dekha
10.Dekho kasam se- Tumsa Nahin Dekha
11.Baar Baar Dekho- China Town
12.Deewana hua baadal - Kashmir Ki Kali
13.Pukarta chala hoon main- Mere Sanam
14.Jaaiye aap kahaan- Mere Sanam
15.Yeh reshmi zulfon – Mere Sanam
16.Aapke haseen rukh pe- Baharein Phir Bhi Aayegi
17.Laakhon hain yahaan – Kismat
18.Chal akela chal akela - Sambandh
19.Tu auron ki kyon ho gayee- Ek Baar Muskura Do
20.Chain se humko kabhi- Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye

Kamleshwar Prasad Saxena died of a cardiac arrest on January 27 while returning home at Faridabad, Haryana. Born on January 6, 1932 in Mainpuri district of Uttar Pradesh, Kamleshwar was a prominent Hindi writer of the 20th century, who left a lasting impression on television as well.

Kamleshwar’s voice was a common feature on Doordarshan programs in the 70’s and 80’s. As a child I remember seeing him often on television programs and hearing his ever so crisp and clear voice.

He was an eminent personality in the world of Journalism who won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2003 and penned about 30 books and several short stories. He was a recipient of the Padma Bhushan in 2005. He became famous for his short stories, and some other works, which depicted the contemporary life in a vivid style of presentation.

Kamleshwar also did a lot of voice over’s and wrote for Bollywood films but his heart was in Delhi and preferred to voice his opinions thru AIR and DD. The prominent films that he wrote were Gulzar’s Aandhi in 1975 which was based on the then prime minister Indira Gandhi and released during emergency. Besides this he wrote Saara Aakash, Mausam and a volley of tele-films and serials like Darpan, Ek Kahani , Chandrakanta and Yug.

The world of literature and films will surely miss Kamleshwar and his inspiring voice.

Kamleshwar’s Filmography

Souten Ki Beti (1989) (dialogue)
Laila (1984) (dialogue & screenplay)
Yeh Desh (1984) (dialogue)
Rang Birangi (1983) (story)
Souten (1983) (dialogue)
Saajan Ki Saheli (1981) (dialogue & screenplay)
Ram Balram (1980) (dialogue & screenplay)
Mausam (1975) (story)
Aandhi (1975) (story)

One of Amitabh Bachchan’s most awaited and hyped film Inquilaab was released on the 27th January 1984. I remember seeing the movie the next day on a cold chilli morning. I and my friends had no choice but to buy tickets in black to see the film and go back to school to tell our class mates about our achievement of seeing an Amitabh film.

Inquilaab was released just a month after Manmohan Desai’s Coolie where Amitabh enjoyed audience sympathy. Another reason to watch Inquilaab was that it was pitted against Rajesh Khanna’s Aaj Ka MLA Ram Avtaar. As both films had the same storyline with a political set-up, Aaj Ka MLA Ram Avtaar’s release was postponed by a week. But the verdict was clear as Inquilaab over powered Aaj Ka MLA Ram Avtaar at the box-office.

Inquilaab was produced by N. Veeraswamy and directed by T. Ramarao with a star cast that included Sreedevi, Utpal Dutt, Kader Khan, Ranjeet and Shakti Kapoor.

Dharmendra in his youth was such a big fan to actress Suraiya and Dilip Kumar that he walked miles to watch their films. He saw Suraiya’s Dillagi (1949) directed by Abdul Rashid Kardar over 40 times.

As a matter of fact till date their have been six films made under the same title of which Dharmendra himself along with Hema Malini acted in Basu Chatterji’s Dillagi (1978) and both his sons acted in the same title yet again in his home production in 1999.

This day, the 25th of January 1980 saw the release of another typical light hearted family comedy from Hrishikesh Mukherjee, the film was Khubsoorat.

Khubsoorat was a film which started as a slow starter as action films ruled roost in the late 70’s and early 80’s. But thru word of mouth, Khubsoorat went on to hit the bulls-eye and added another feather in the over crowded cap of Hrishida. This clean entertainer produced by NC Sippy and Hrishida was written by Gulzar.

Khubsoorat was a story of two sisters where the elder gets married into a big family where rules and regulations are strictly followed. Rekha comes to stay with her sister and unknowingly disturbs the laws of the house and in the bargain falls in love with Rakesh Roshan. The film ends on a happy note.

The one-liners of Gulzar, great melodies by RD Burman and top performances from Ashok Kumar, Dina Pathak and Rekha (who bagged the Filmfare Trophy for the Best Actress that year) made the film a memorable one.

25th January, 1991 also saw the release of Raj N. Sippy’s Saugandh. A film that marked the entry of Rajiv Bhatia aka Akshay Kumar into films. Saugandh was a revenge drama that gave ample scope to Akshay to showcase his talent and histrionics. Supporting him in the starcast was Rakhee, Shantipriya and Mukesh Khanna. The film had a mixed response at the cash counters but audiences knew that a star has arrived.

Many don’t know that it was Pramod Chakravarty’s Deedar that Akshay signed first but Saugandh was his first release. In the film Akshay’s childhood character was played by Aryeman who later went on to play his brother in Rajkumar Santoshi’s Family (2006).