August 2012 Edition

Old is Gold ~ The Aura of Hrishikesh Mukherjee 

- Rajesh Subramanian

"It is so simple to be happy but so difficult to be simple”, says Rajesh Khanna in Bawarchi. This sentence suits none better than Hrishikesh Mukherjee. His brand of cinema imbued amiability, compassion and an old worldly ideology in the innate benevolence of the human being. It was infact a sense of reassurance for the generations of cine-goers who preferred to get away from the mindless pot boilers encompassing savagery and sleaze within the dark confines of a theatre. Hrishida was indubitably a master storyteller and a filmmaker nonpareil. 

Beginning

Starting off as a laboratory assistant in New Theatres, Hrishikesh Mukherjee moved to the editing department under the tutelage of ace director Bimal Roy before donning the directorial hat with the critically acclaimed 'Musafir'. The Dilip Kumar starrer flopped but his directorial skill was noticed. “It was Raj Kapoor who strongly recommended my name to  producer L B Lachman during the making of Anari. I am eternally indebted to Raj, who became a dear friend of mine”, Hrishida told the writer of this article during a long chat at his Bandra apartment in 1996. Thereafter his rise was meteoric with an ensemble of evergreen classics like Anuradha, Chayya, Asli Naqli, Aashirwad, Anupama, Satyakam, Guddi, Anand, Buddha Mil Gaya, Bawarchi, Abhimaan, Namak Haram, Chupke Chupke, Mili, Golmaal, Naram Garam, Khubsoorat, Bemisaal, Jurmana and Rang Birangi.

Simple Yet Profound

Hrishida had the gift of tackling intricate issues in the simplest manner. In doing so he managed to convey deep philosophy of life, often decimating closed beliefs and values and charting out a fresh order which was humane and sensitive. He left filmgoers perplexed as to how they could miss out situations which were commonplace but went unnoticed till Hrishida portrayed them in his films.

His doctrine of love and altruism ran like a thread through much of his oeuvre. Whether manifested by the warm hearted Bawarchi, the adorable Rekha in Khoobsurat or the protagonist spreading happiness in Anand his characters connected with the audience right from the first reel. His work came straight from the heart and reflected his ethos, concerns, joy and sorrows. “When I was disgruntled about corruption I made Satyakam. When I wanted to share my joy and laughter I made Chupke Chupke and Golmaal. The selflessness you see in my films is also a personal philosophy which I believe in strongly. We should eliminate ego completely and live for others. Believe me this is the shortest route to contentment,” revealed the genius.

Master Craftsman

“I don't believe in wasting raw stock or spending on expensive costumes or glamorous sets. Movie making is about conveying the story to the audience with the right kind of emotions and feel. If your intention is sincere it touches their heart”, said Hrishida “I always insisted for rehearsals with the actors before going in for the takes. Being an editor I knew clearly what footage I wanted. On very few occasions we must have done more than two retakes. My producers like me a lot I saves a lot of money”, chuckles the old man.

Amitabh Bachchan remembers, “Hrishida was very economical, an incredible editor and a master technician. He edited the entire film in his mind. Many a times we would not understand why he was asking us to walk in a certain way or can a particular shot. We just followed his instructions blindly. The result would be phenomenal on screen”. He also reveals that when Jaya and he decided to get married, Hrishida was the first person they confided in. He was like a father who loved them but also disciplined them.

Melodious Moments

Music played a significant role in most of Hrishikesh Mukherjee films. Whether Kisi ki muskurahaton pe, Tera mera pyar amar, Kahin door jab din, Tere mere milan ki yeh raina or Aanewala pal there was a strong element of melody that connected with the audience and gave a smooth progression to the story. “I never added songs which disturbed the pace of my film”, maintains Hrishida, who was a trained musician himself and understood the finer aspects of music.

Winds of Change

The filmmaker, who directed 42 films during his career spanning over four decades, found the overall scenario changing by the mid 80's. The convictions and solicitude of his cinema which had stood him in a good stead for more than two decades were gradually being treaded underfoot in the wake of crass commercialization. There was very less scope for a cultured and civilized mainstream cinema. “People got fascinated by glamour, fast track living, disco music, sex and mindless action. It was a clear indication that our time was over”, was his honest confession.

End of an Era

His last film Jhoot Bole Kauwa Kaate with Anil Kapoor in 1998 failed to ignite the same magic which was once his trump card. It was around this time that he was appointed the chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification and the National Film Development Corporation. In 1999, Hrishida was awarded the Dada Saheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in Cinema for Lifetime achievement. Hrishikesh Mukherjee, who was suffering from chronic renal failure died on 27 August 2006. With his passing away an era had come to an end. Hrishikesh Mukherjee will continue to live in the hearts of film buffs till time immemorial and his films will cherish and enthrall millions for ages because nobody else mastered the art of simplicity in Hindi filmdom as he did.

Dear Readers,

When Dadasaheb Phalke, the father of Indian Cinema, had his feature film “Raja Harishchandra” released no one knew that he had started with a journey which would captivate the hearts of the audiences over 100 years down the line. 

Indian Cinema today has created its own identity which is very unique and unmatched in today’s emerging and competitive world coupled with International reach. We have seen this transition taking place right from the black and white silent films to 3D.

While on one side we are busy in celebrating the centenary year of Indian Cinema and remembering the legends who contributed extensively in this past 100 years. On the other side we have also seen passing away of some of the well known film personalities from the Indian Film Industry like The Grand Old Man of Indian Cinema A K Hangal, yesteryear superstar Rajesh Khanna, Dara Singh, B.R. Ishara and Ashok Mehta. Our heartfelt condolences to the departed souls.

As we continue our journey with the 3rd edition of our magazine “Nosstalgiaaa” our cover story captures the journey of the first superstar Rajesh Khanna (The Phenomenon). Haribhai Jariwala whom the world fondly remembers as Sanjeev Kumar or the thakur from Sholay is covered in the current edition under the Flashback section Sanjeev Kumar ~ A Class Apart. Lyricist Gulzar who turned 78 years of age this month in August we are sharing the experiences and episodes of Gulzar’s life (Gulzar ~ The Wizard of Words) when he came to Mumbai at a young age of 14. Book Review column covers the comedy brand Mehmood – The Man of Many Moods.

The movie “Amar Akbar Anthony” celebrates 35 years this year. In our tete-e-tete with late Manmohan Desai’s son Ketan Desai we bring out some interesting facts and anecdotes that went behind in making of this film which is still enjoying 35 years down the line.

In the article “Remebering Smita Patil” we have covered the finest stage and film actresses of her times Smita Patil. She died at young age of 31 years but achieved big success even at this young age. She won many awards and recognition including the Padma Shri Award.  

Regards,

Rajesh Subramanian and Niilesh A Raje

Editors; Nosstalgiaaa

Nosstalgiaaa@gmail.com

 

 

Gulzar - Wizard of Words

~ Niilesh A Raje

The melodious strains of ‘Dil dhoondta hai, Phir wohi fursat ke raat din’ fills the air and the name that automatically comes to mind is Gulzar. Apart from being a prolific writer and a voracious reader the first thing that registers in my mind about Gulzar is his trademark crisp white kurta and golden mojris. In due course of time i discovered that the celebrated poet cum filmmaker has been stitching the Kurtas, for the last three decades, from Ashok Tailor's at Santacruz. Gulzar was barely 14 when he came to Mumbai to experience an entirely new episode of his life which later turned out to be a voyage of discovery. 

Early Life 

Sampooran Singh Kalra better known by his pen name Gulzar was born on 18th August 1936 in a Sikh family to Sardar Makhan Singh Kalra and Sujaan Kaur in Dina (now in Pakistan). The family had to undergo lot of mental turmoil during partition and eventually moved to Amristar. Gulzar, an avid reader of poetry and literature always loved meeting authors whose books he had read and this gave him immense motivation. He was absolutely clear and determined to become a poet or an author. He was so much inclined that he made a rubber stamp of his name and stamped it on a book just to get a feel how the book would look with his name as the author. His family was of the opinion that he should become a Chartered Accountant. When his father realised about his son’s ambition he discouraged him from becoming a writer saying "As a writer you will have to depend on your brothers all your life". Such caustic comments made hardly any difference to his burning passion to take up writing as a full time career. One day while travelling from Delhi to Mumbai by Frontier Mail he got off at Mumbai Central Railway Station. While in Mumbai Gulzar joined Khalsa College but spend only a year there because the college did not offer Urdu and Persian literature. Next year he shifted his base to National College in Bandra, which offered both these subjects much to his liking and interest. His initial few years in Mumbai was tough and he had to face lot of hardships. He worked with Vichare Motors as a spray painter to make ends meet. Though some his friends were connected with the film industry, writing for films was the last thing on Gulzar’s mind.

At home Gulzar was considered the black sheep of the family. They regarded writing as utter waste of time which gave no financial stability. He was often given the example of a distant relative, a poet who was popular within his circle but never made money and always ended up borrowing from others. The relatives had labelled him "Nikamma" and "Anpadh". One day, when his elder brother broached the same topic Gulzar, in sheer annoyance, retaliated, “A day will come when your own children will read my books”. He walked out of his brother's house and settled down in Four Bungalows sharing the room with Debu Sen, a renowned Bengali language journalist who was working with leading filmmaker Bimal Roy.

Man of Many Identities

Gulzar holds the reputation for being a man of many identities. An extraordinary poet, accomplished filmmaker, screenplay and dialogue writer, eminent author and an award winning lyricist. His collaboration with Sachin Dev Burman in Bandini kick started his career as a song writer which continues till date. The song Mora gora ang layee le, more shaam rang dayee de was highly appreciated and he went on to pen songs for films like Kabuliwala, Sannaata, Do Dooni Chaar, Biwi Aur Makaan, Khamoshi, Guddi, Anand. If he won awards and critical acclaim for writing dialogues for films like Anand and Namak Haram he also directed movies like Mere Apne, Koshish, Parichay, Mausam, Kinara, Khushboo, Angoor, Namkeen and Ijaazat that won rave reviews. 

His association with composer R D Burman proved to be most fruitful. Together they created a melodious ocean and unleashed numerous scores that are cherished till date. Whether it is “Musafir hoon yaaron”, "Tere Bina Zindagi se", "Tum Aa Gaye Ho", "Is Mod Se Jate Hain", “Aanewala pal”, “Tere bina jiya jaye na”, “O majhi re”, ”Bechara dil kya kare”, “Roz roz aakhon tale”, “Mera kuch samaan” or “Tujhse naraaz nahin zindagi”, each one is a timeless classic that has the remarkable Gulzarish feel. Another hallmark of the genius of Gulzar is that he has adapted so effortlessly with the composers and music of recent times. In today's age of social media one has seen the pattern of music change rapidly and also the grammar of song writing. But Gulzar has embraced this change and penned toe tapping chartbusters like “Chaiyya chaiyya”, “Beedi jalaile”, “Kajra re”, “Jai ho” or “Dhan te nan”. 

He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2004 for his contribution to the arts and the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2002. Gulzar has won several National Film Awards and Filmfare Awards. In 2009, he won the Academy Award for "Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire, which later went on to win him a Grammy Award. Encapsulating his passion for music and writing songs the veteran says, "Music has a natural place in our lives. Right from the shlokas you recite in your morning puja and the milkman who comes whistling on his cycle, to the fakir singing as he begs for alms and your mother humming while doing the kitchen chores. Music fills our spaces naturally. It will always be dear to us." 

Don’t Tamper With My Words

For this septuagenarian be it his home or office the place that remains very dear to him is his desk and armchair surrounding him with piles of books and papers. He loves to have an early start in the morning followed by yoga and is off to play tennis at Bandra Gymkhana. Reading the morning daily is mandatory for him as much as his cup of tea. By 10:30am he starts his day in his office. Gulzar is know to read multiple books at a time and is disciplined to keep them back in the shelves only after he's finished reading them.

 

He admits he could not complete his intermediate level (class 12th) due to various factors and had to finally come to Mumbai to search for a job. Today, things have changed so also the expectations of parents. Parents should devote more time to their kids and help them understand that academic failure is not the end of the world. He is very possessive and careful of the words he uses and does not allow even a single word of his lyrics to be tampered with. There have been number of occasions when he has opted out of the project when he is not comfortable with the words he is being asked to replace or write. He firmly admits “that's not the way I work. I never will”. To sum it up it is his deep thinking that brings out the best from this Wizard of Words called Gulzar.

 

Sahir Ludhianvi  (A Magician of Words)

- Niilesh A Raje

The Eighth Day of March reminds me of the day when women across the world are busy and occupied celebrating the International Women's Day. An occasion to honor the women for their hard work and achievements coupled with benchmark of success. The Women’s Day celebration also reminds me about the birthday of an eminent personality, popular Hindi lyricist and songwriter Sahir Ludhianvi (original name Abdul Hayee) who was also born on 08^th March 1921 into a wealthy family.

Early Days

Sahir’s father had named him as Abdul Hayee not out of love but out of hatred for his neighbour whose name was also the same (Abdul Hayee). Sahir’s father (an illiterate) always believed that he was the only son of a wealthy landlord. So why should his son take up good education or job that did not add any value at all. On the contrary his mother firmly believed that Sahir should go in for higher education so that he would be able to earn his own livelihood. When Sahir was in his early teens his parents separated. He opted to leave behind the aristocratic life that he was enjoying when his parents were together and the struggle for finances slowly started to begin now post his parent’s separation. Sahir stayed with his mother till the end.

Matters Of The Heart

Sahir (meaning magician) as the name suggests he was truly a magician of words who spent over 30 years of his life associated with Bollywood, wrote over 680 songs for over 100 movies. He had captivated the heart of several women during his life time through the power of written words but always failed in the matters of the heart not once but couple of times. He was lucky to fall in love but couldn't be happier and remained bachelor all his life.  His intense love affair was with Amrita Pritam who became his most ardent fan.

There was a time when Sahir's economic position was weak and owning a house was next to impossible. When Sahir was courting Amrita Pritam, he built a taller house in front of Amrita's residence in Ludhiana to prove to her father that today even he could afford to have his own house. Statement is a fallacy derived from the Hindi film Tere Ghar Ke Samne.

Shayar of All Times 

While in college Sahir had established his reputation for being a good writer, wrote fiery speeches and was equally popular for his ghazals and nazms. Sahir was a restless person and could not sit in one place for long. It was evident he had the literary talent but that could not give him stability so he decided to contribute his work for Bollywood in a way to give him financial stability. 

The initial days of struggle still continued in Bollywood for Sahir for a couple of years but later he created some of the most popular songs ever. Some of his everlasting songs included, Yeh raat yeh chandni phir kahan, Jayen to Jayen Kahan, Jaane who kaise log the jinke pyaar ko pyar mila.

His thoughts seen in Kabhi Kabhie: "Main pal do pal ka shayar hoon . . . Pal do pal meri kahani hai. Masaruf zamana mere liye kyon waqt apna barbad kare" (I'm a poet for a second or two . . . why would the busy world waste its time on me). These words pretty much gives the audience his approach to life.

Sahir’s work gave him fame, money, rewards and recognition but that did not help him find a life partner with whom he could settle down in life. He encountered several beautiful women on his roads to achievements but most of them backed out when it came to giving marriage commitment. Sahir fell in love several times but those relationships never culminated into marriage. In fact he enjoyed his failures in love. He wrote poems as a tribute to his lost loves. 

Even today, he is well remembered for his poems than for his loves. ‘Chalo ek baar phir se ajnabee ban jaaye hum dono’ were Sahir’s feelings into words when he spotted his estranged lady love Sudha Malhotra at a party. The same was immortalized by B R Chopra in his film, Gumraah. Today’s generation of songs may bore listeners after a week of their production whereas some have been soothing the ears of people for several decades. Lyrics of Sahir Ludhianvi have been no exception.

No one can go through life without their share of knocks. I am no different from any other.
- Amitabh Bachchan  ( Actor )

I take the smallest and most casual appointments very seriously, and I expect and practice punctuality. 

- Salim Khan  ( Script Writer )

A.    Who penned the song Ankhon hi ankhon mein ishara ho gaya from the film CID?

B.   Who won the first Dada Saheb Phalke Award?

C.   Who composed music for the Oscar winning film Gandhi?

D.   Who was the original choice for Gabbar Singh’s role in Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay?     

A) Jan Nisar Akhtar

B) Devika Rani

C) Pandit Ravi Shankar

D) Danny Denzongpa

Voice of the readers is their very own platform for giving feedback or suggestions. 


You can reach us (Rajesh Subramanian and Niilesh A Raje) @

Nosstalgiaaa@gmail.com

June '12 - July '12 Edition

Flashback with Ranjeet 

                                                       ~ Rajesh Subramanian

As Indian cinema enters its 100th year certain names automatically conjure up your mind. These are personalities who have left an indelible impact on the minds of cine-goers with their work. Actor Ranjeet belongs to this exclusive club. Ever since he hit the silver screen enacting the vicious Kundan in Sharmilee he captured the attention of the audience and filmmakers alike. In a freewheeling chat with Rajesh Subramanian the evergreen baddie reminiscences the gold old days.

Hailing from an orthodox family in Amritsar, Gopal Bedi cleared the National Defence Academy entrance exam. “I had no intention of joining NDA. I didn’t tell my family and went along with my friends for a lark”, reveals the actor sitting near the poolside of his swanky bungalow at Juhu. Within months young Gopal, who was passionate about sports, returned home. A self confessed Dev Anand fan he saw Guide twenty times and can mimic the evergreen star. Though films were the last thing on Gopal’s mind destiny had other plans for him. It was at a party that he met the UK based Ranbir Singh (known as Ronny) who was close to many Indian film stars. This encounter changed the course of Gopal's life. Ronny offered Gopal the lead role in his film Zindagi Ki Rahen in which he was to play a cleaner boy. The film got shelved but Gopal landed in the showbiz capital in 1968. “I told my parents I am going to Mumbai for sightseeing”, he smiles before adding, “Since I moved about with Ronny I had the privilege of interacting with stars. I was extremely fortunate to spend my first night in Mumbai at Chetan Anand's abode, second with Sunil Dutt and Nargis and third with the great showman Raj Kapoor”.

Since Gopal lived in Ronny’s office at Juhu he got to interact with actors like Sunil Dutt with whom he rode horses at Juhu beach and became close friends. “I used to regularly play badminton with Feroz Khan and Sanjay Khan”, he beams. It was around this time that Ronny had a disagreement with his financiers and bid goodbye. Gopal, who was left alone, found no work coming his way and decided to return home. A relative had assured him a job in Germany. The same day he got a call from Mohan Sehgal’s office for a role in Sawan Bhadon. “I was in the elevator of Ajanta Arts when I took the decision of rejecting the Germany offer and doing Sawan Bhadon. My instinct said I can go to Germany anytime but this chance may never come again”, narrates Ranjeet. Next Sunil Dutt offered him Reshma Aur Shera. “It was Duttsaab who suggested that I change my name. I asked him which alphabet and he said R. Instantly I said Ranjeet and he agreed saying it was good. That’s how Gopal Bedi became Ranjeet”, he discloses. During the shooting of Reshma Aur Shera at Rajasthan he got to interact with Rakhee, who recommended his name to Subodh Mukherjee for the role of a molester in Sharmilee. Sharmilee clicked at the box-office and Ranjeet never looked back. His performance had a chilling effect on screen and won rave reviews. “I proudly invited my parents for the premiere. They were so scandalized seeing their son trying to rape the heroine that they left the cinema hall mid way”, he guffaws. In filmdom nothing succeeds like success and filmmakers love to repeat a success formula. Thus Ranjeet ended up playing a molester in several films and it became a must ingredient. “Producers used to insist for a rape sequence in the plot because it worked”, he chuckles. Playing baddie of various shades in Hulchul, Dost Aur Dushman, Raampur Ka Lakshman, Bhai Ho To Aisa, Victoria No. 203, Jheel Ke Us Paar, Khote Sikkay, Aap Ki Kasam, Haath Ki Safai, Dharmatma, Laila Majnu, Amar Akbar Anthony, Vishwanath, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Lahu Ke Do Rang, Kartavya, Aap Ke Deewane and Suhaag he firmly established himself as one of Hindi cinemas prominent baddie.

Interestingly, Ranjeet was also offered Gabbar Singh’s role in Sholay after Danny Denzongpa refused it but it didn’t worked out. “I have no regrets. I have never approached any producer for work. God has been very kind towards me”, he admits. “I have been a part of several blockbusters of the 70’s and 80’s. There was a time I had nearly eighty films on hand. I was the first actor to work on shift basis. I used to shuttle from one set to another and work round the clock. I have been very professional and never harassed any of my producers. I have maintained a very cordially relation with my co actors”. Ranjeet, who is addressed as Goli by his friends, was known for his geniality in filmdom and his plush bungalow was a favourite party hub in the halcyon days. “There was a lot of camaraderie among actors those days. Amitabh Bachchan, Parveen Babi, Zeenat Aman, Dharmendra, Moushumi Chaterjee, Sanjeev Kumar, Vinod Khanna, Rishi Kapoor, Jeetendra, Rekha would regularly drop in to party”, he recounts. In the same breath he mentions about producer - director and friend Prakash Mehra with whom he shared a special rapport. “I was part of all his films since Haath Ki Safai. It was like family with Prakashji. We used to discuss everything under the sun. He was a wonderful human being and a cool headed director”. He reveals that his first scene in Namak Halaal was the famous interview scene with Amitabh Bachchan. “I remember reaching the studio directly from an outdoor shoot. Amitabh had difficulty memorizing the line so the shoot was cancelled. The very next day he was all set. And what a scene it turned to be”. He further expounds that the production fellow had arranged an ill fitting wig for him. “On the second day of shoot when i expressed my discontent to Prakashji he instantly said lets do without it. If you notice closely in the entire film only in the interview scene I sport a wig“, he grins.

He also divulges that in Sharaabi the scene where he is forced to dance on stage was his idea. Prakashji requested me to come for an hour to the shoot. On hearing the scene I suggested it will have more impact if Natwar (my character) is threatened by Vicky (Amitabh) to dress up in a ghagra choli, made to drink alcohol and dance. It clicked and the audience cheered every time this scene appeared.

One day in the late 80s realization dawned on him that he was trapped in the dreariness of work. ''I became so busy that I couldn't even attend my brother's wedding. Even on the day when my father died I didn’t cancel my shoot. I went to Hyderabad and flew back after fishing my scenes. I used cry in the makeup room between shots. I didn’t want anyone to say that the shoot got cancelled because of my dad,'' he relates. Around this phase he wrote the script of Kiske Liye, which was later changed to Kaarnaama. He also produced Gajab Tamasha with Rahul Roy and Anu Aggarwal in the lead in 1992. The film failed at the box-office and he blames himself for the debacle. On one hand if Ranjeet dabbled with television with Baat Ban Jaye and Jugni Chali Jallandhar then on the other he did theatre with the hilarious plays Papa Don’t Preach and Hanky Panky.

On the home front Ranjeet is a happily married man. His son Chiranjeev is an accomplished formula one race driver while his daughter Divyanka is an award winning fashion designer. In a sharp contrast to his mean screen image Ranjeet in real life is an adorable person. He is a strict vegetarian, doesn’t smoke, drinks only socially, loves plants, a very good painter and surprisingly never watches any films. “I do my work sincerely. It is for my audience to decide whether I have done justice”, he justifies. But there is one aspect about the man that you simply can’t ignore. His signature style - shirt unbuttoned till the waist, impish smile and the roving eyes. No one can pull that off as Ranjeet does. As we wind up our chat and bid him goodbye he offers a warm hand shake. And as always he manages to loom charismatically large.

Editorial

Dear Readers,

As we continue our journey with the second edition of Nosstalgiaaa celebrating 100 years of Indian Cinema we would like to thank our readers for their good wishes and words of appreciation. We are overwhelmed with the feedback.

We take this opportunity to thank Pankaj Athawale and RJ Mearl Colaco from MUST Radio 107.8 FM and Madhav Dalvi of Marathi Newspaper Saamna for their support.

Our sincere acknowledgement to legendary actors A K Hangal, Prem Chopra, Ranjeet and Ramesh Deo for sharing valuable time and information with us. 

Thank you to Publishers Jaico Books and Penguin Books India for their vote of confidence and good wishes. 

Warm Regards,
 

Rajesh Subramanian and Niilesh A Raje

Editors ; Nosstalgiaaa

Nosstalgiaaa@gmail.com

A K HANGAL ~ Grand Old Man of Hindi Cinema

~ Rajesh Subramanian and Niilesh A Raje
 

A K Hangal’s endearing performances always struck a chord with the audience

A communist who spent three years in prison during freedom struggle and started his film career at the age of 40 there is one common feature that bonds union leader Bipinlal Pandey in Namak Haraam, the flirtatious boss Inder Sen in Shaukeen or the Rahim Chacha in Sholay, then it is the sincere and straight from the heart performances of A K Hangal. “I took every character that I played very seriously and gave my best shot”, reveals the veteran actor, when we meet him at his modest abode at Santacruz. Hangal saheb, whose roles often demanded a careworn fragility and a gentle but unwavering righteousness, was the very embodiment of senescent charm. “I must admit that I got many fantastic roles. The length of the role never mattered to me what mattered was the character”, adds the 97 year old veteran, who once advised Sanjeev Kumar, "If you start with a hero's role, that's all you'll remain. You'll never become an actor".

 Flashback

Hailing from Sailkot, Pakistan Avtar Krishna Hangal, born in a Kashmiri pandit family, discontinued studies after matriculation and joined a tailoring firm. “I opted to be a tailor primarily because I didn’t want to serve the British and also because I was fond of good dressing“, he divulges enthusiastically and elaborates, “I stitched suits for the maharaja of Patiala, The nawab of Pataudi and C F Andrews. I earned a princely salary of Rs 400 per month”. Hangal Saheb discloses that as a youngster he would accompany his father to watch mythological plays. Later he joined a troupe and essayed pivotal roles of Krishna and Chandragupta. “I won a lot appreciation and this gave me great confidence. I also started enjoying acting”, he smiles. 

Stage to Silver Screen

Once in Mumbai he enrolled himself with IPTA (Indian People’s Theatre Academy) and acted and directed several plays including many of Vijay Tendulkar’s works. Though he loved acting he confesses that he never wanted to act in films. However, it was filmmaker Hrishikesh Mukherjee who spotted the spark in him. “Hrishida had seen one of my plays and was impressed with my natural style of acting. He cast me in Guddi as Jaya Badhuri’s father. But it was for Basu Bhattacharya’s Teesri Kasam that I faced the camera for first time”, he brief’s. In an illustrious career spanning more than 200 films he has appeared in films like Abhimaan, Anubhav, Deewar, Sholay, Aandhi, Namak Haraam, Aap Ki Kasam, Shagirdh, Mere Apne, Parichay, Daag, Joshila, Heera Panna, Jawani Diwani, Garam Hawa, Bawarchi, Kora Kagaz, Chit Chor, Satyam shivam Sundaram, Swarg Narak, Avtaar, Arjun, Lagaan and Paheli which made him a household name and gave recognition.

The Sholay Saga

As our conversation veers towards one of his most celebrated act of Rahim Chacha or Imaam Saheb in Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay, Hangal Saheb’s eyes brighten up. “When we were filming Sholay we never thought the film would go on to become such a sensation”, the nonagenarian admits “People still remember the dialogue, "Itna sannata kyon hai, bhai". They address me as Rahim Chacha more than thirty five years after the films release“. He elucidates that his theatre experience came very handy in enacting the blind man and he employed the psycho-technique to get the feeling of blindness. He may be up in age but his memory is still sharp, ”I was simultaneously shooting for Dev Anand’s Ishq Ishq Ishq at Kathmandu. Dev Saheb had arranged a special helicopter for me. I used to finish my work for Sholay at Bangalore and fly back to Nepal”. According to his son, Vijay Hangal, while watching the death sequence of Sachin in Sholay all eyes automatically focus on Hangal Saheb. “All the stars are present in the scene but Hangal Saheb grabs the viewer’s attention”, he cites.

Memorable Moments

He is also equally ecstatic when he talks about Inder Mohan, the naughty old man in Shaukeen. Along with Ashok Kumar and Utpal Dutt he enthralled the audience in this flirtatious adventure. “Basu Chatterjee wanted to cast Madan Puri instead of me but the producer Debika Mitra was hell bent on casting me. It was a wonderful film and we all had a gala time”, he fondly recollects. He also recounts a funny incident after the release of Namak Haraam, when a police man stopped him one day and requested him to help them form a police union. “The cop thought I was a real union leader”, he chuckles,

Humility Personified

A highly disciplined and humble man who has utmost respect for his profession Hangal Saheb never approached anyone for work. “I have been honest to my profession and have never troubled any filmmaker. All my co actors respected me a lot and I feel proud about it”, says the actor who played Sardar Patel in the British television series Lord Mountbatten - The Last Viceroy. 

At 97, with failing health, he is confined to his apartment. However his optimism and zealous attitude are his biggest hallmark. He lives with his only son and the two lead a very simple and contended life. He was conferred the Padmabhushan in 2006. A K Hangal has also penned his autobiography titled ‘Life and Times of A K Hangal‘. His motto and advice to all is ‘in our lifetime let’s make the best of it’.

The World of Prem Chopra

- Niilesh A Raje

Prem Chopra holds the distinction of having acted in over 400 films in a career spanning 50 years and still continues working with the same benchmark of commitment. He came from Shimla after graduating from a vernacular medium. While pursuing his education he observed that students who graduated from English medium were far more confident and prepared to face the world. To eliminate the complex he decided to create his own identity by participating in college dramatics, debates and elocution competitions. Today, his one-liner dialogues have proved to be his weapon which many try to ape.

Passion for Acting

He was bitten by the acting bug during his college days when he got actively involved in theatre. No one from his family belonged to showbiz or were remotely connected to the film industry. His father Ranbirlal Chopra, a high ranking Government official on the contrary was of the opinion that his son should take up a government job and doing something with Indian Administrative Service. Prem Chopra, third amongst six siblings, was very clear what he wanted to achieve in his life. Finally towards the end of graduation while every one wanted him to take up a Government job he expressed his desire to go to Mumbai in the city of dream and dream merchants and chase his passion much against his father's wishes. In Mumbai he fortunately found employment in the circulation department of Times of India, where he worked for almost four years. Post office hours in the evening he would spend time in Gaylord Restaurant at Churchgate which was a favourite hub of the stars of those times. He craved for an opportunity to prove his talent as he realized that nothing can set you apart from the rest of the pack except talent because finally it's your ability that gets noticed. While he continued his daily trips to the studios in search of work a Punjabi producer Jagjit Sethi offered him a Punjabi film Chaudhary Karnail Singh. Chopra grabbed the opportunity and as luck would have it the film was a huge success and even won the national award. While Mehboob Khan, impressed with his good looks, wanted to launch him meanwhile Prem Chopra did a miniscule role with grey shades in Woh Kaun Thi. Next came Sikander E Azam, Shaheed, Teesri Manzil, Mera Saaya, Upkar, Latt Saheb, Around the World in Eighty Days, Jhuk Gaya Aasman, Kati Patang and Duniya which gave him a strong foothold.

Dream Comes True

He admits that he was never finicky about the roles. All that mattered was the scope it would offer him to exhibit his histrionics. He was open for both positive as well as negative roles. He admits that God has been very kind to him and that he still continues to remain in this industry even after 5 decades. Most of his contemporaries have either died or hung their boots. He feels proud that the audience appreciates his work and the characters he enacts. “Before coming to Mumbai my father had clearly told me if you want to become an actor set your benchmarks absolutely high or be like Dilip Kumar”, reveals the veteran actor. His dream came true when he got the opportunity to work with his idol Dilip Kumar in Dastaan. “Dilipsaab was so focussed. For him every shot was an obsession even if it demanded innumerable retakes. What mattered is the final product which impressed the audience”, he explains.

Prem Naam Hai Mera

When Raj Kapoor approached Prem Chopra for Bobby he was quite skeptical because the only dialogue given to him was ‘Prem Naam hai mera . . . Prem Chopra’. Actor Premnath, on spotting the confused actor, urged him to take it up. Bobby became a sensational hit and the dialogue clicked. Overnight Prem Chopra became a star. “Even today this line from Bobby is equally popular be it in India or abroad. Everywhere I am invited the audience want to hear it from me. I don’t have to even rehearse as it contains my own name”, he winks. Prem Chopra has been a part of several popular films like Purab Aur Paschim, Prem Pujari, Daag, Do Anjane, Trishul, Kala Pathar, The Great Gambler, Dostana, Aas Paas, Kranti, Naseeb and Khudaar among others.

Gentleman in Real Life

A septuagenarian Prem Chopra loves to start his day early. He is very particular about his morning yoga. He loves to swim which keeps him fit. A voracious reader his love for books is evident from his neatly arranged bookshelf. He keeps a tab on the new arrivals and updates his collection regularly. “I firmly believe that reading is essential for success and one's growth”, he suggests. He is equally good at writing poetry and shayari. He loves playing and watching cricket which keeps him interested and involved.

He lives in his 14^th floor massive duplex apartment in Pali Hill, Bandra with wife Uma. He has three beautiful daughters Rakita, Punita and Prerana. All of them are married to people connected to the Film Industry (Rahul Nanda, Vikas Bhalla and Sharman Joshi). He adores spending time with his grand children. He may carry the reputation of a wicked person because of his convincing portrayal of the evil guy but in real life Prem Chopra is a gentleman honoured with the Mother Teresa Award for his humanitarian work and professional achievements. Film goers worldwide would continue to recognize him with the one-liner, "Prem Naam hai mera ...Prem Chopra."

Book Review : Everybody Wants A Hit

~ Niilesh A Raje

Author Derek Bose

Publisher Jaico Books

Price Rs 195/-

Pages 200

ISBN 9798179925583

There was a time when movies used to be running in cinema halls to packed capacity followed by Golden Jubilee or Silver Jubilee celebrations. But, in today’s age of social media where attention span is very less one hardly gets to hear of movies running for several weeks followed by any jubilee celebrations. So, “Is there a secret recipe for a Bollywood hit?” or it’s just a mix and match one does that projects these thespians in a light that appeals the masses.

In the book titled, “Everybody Wants A Hit” published by Jaico Books the author Derek Bose shares with the readers 10 Mantras of Success in Bollywood Cinema. The ten mantras covered in this book touch on all aspects including, “Content is King”, “Honesty is the Best Policy”, "Nothing Sells Like Sex”, “What’s in a Name” and much more.

Author, Derek Bose is a senior well-known author and journalist who specializes in Bollywood and other aspects of Indian Film Industry. An alumnus of St Columba's, New Delhi, he has held senior editorial positions with India's premier news organizations, the Press Trust of India and the Indian Express.

In one of the chapter titled “What’s in a Name?” the author shares his observation citing examples that names do make a lot of difference in show business regardless of the fact what Shakespeare had to say about roses. Heroines known with their better names include Sulochana (Ruby Mayers), Meena Kumari (Mehzabeen Begum), Rekha (Bhanurekha Ganesan) to name a few. The author’s observation also suggests that the use of the letter “K” is supposed to be “spiritually most potent” whereas “V” spells not for victory but doom unless it vibrates well. However, there have been people like V. Shantaram, Vinod Khanna, Vivek Oberoi and Vyjanthimala Bali amongst the exception. A name means a lot in Hindi Cinema. What might appear to be a casual allusion could actually serve to be the identity of an actor or could mark a new beginning for the director.

Where the chapter “Honesty Is The Best Policy” is concerned the author has given the example of Amitabh Bachchan. Even after he was voted as the Star of the Millennium and had a wax image to his name at Madame Tussauds in London he continued being his humble self, never questioned the judgment of his directors. Whatever role he played Bachchan did it with supreme confidence and complete conviction.

The readers get profited with relevant examples the author has supplemented against each of the 10 mantras covered in his book. To make one’s journey in Bollywood a rewarding experience the author says that success in Bollywood is not a matter of chance or luck but involves methodical approach coupled with analytical reasoning. If one adheres to this the journey would indeed prove to benchmark of success.

K L Saigal, The Man The Melody

~ Rajesh Subramanian

Endowed with a sonorous and eloquent voice Kundan Lal Saigal entranced music lovers with his inimitable style of singing in the 30’s and 40’s. He attained a cult status after singing in films like Street Singer, Bhakt Surdas, Zindagi, Chandidas, Tansen, Devdas, President, Dhusman, Meri Bahen and Shahjehan. KL Saigal - The Definitive Biography by Pran Neville throws lights on the illustrious and intriguing life of the iconic artist. The book also features a comprehensive compilation of Saigal’s songs, complete filmography, translations of his Urdu couplets, information about his mentors and associates at the New Theatres in Calcutta, his heroines, and even the reviews published in Filmindia.

Saigal was a simple man with average features. But the dark eroticism of his brooding looks and his resonant voice were his greatest hallmark. It was Nitin Bose’s Chandidas released in 1934 with music by R C Boral that set him on the road to superstardom. Thereafter there was no stopping him till his demise. The biography draws the reader’s attention to the early history of the Hindi cinema as it chronicles the rise and fall of the film studio system of Calcutta. A chapter entitled ‘Saigal’s Mentors and Associates’ forms the core of Neville’s book. Accompanied by rare photographs of stalwarts like B N Sircar, Debaki Bose and P. C. Barua it documents their passionate commitment to cinema.

Saigal was born in Jammu where his father Amar Chand was a tehsildar and his mother Kesar Bai was a religious lady. Young Saigal used to accompany his mother to religious functions where bhajan, kirtan and shabad were sung in traditional styles. This formed an informal training ground to the budding singer. A school dropout, Saigal started earning money as a railway timekeeper. Later, he worked as a typewriter salesman for the Remington Typewriter Company, which allowed him to tour several parts of India. His sourjoun brought him to Lahore where he befriended Meharchand Jain, who started the Assam Soap Factory in Shillong. Meharchand and Kundan moved to Calcutta and the former encouraged him to pursue his talent. Saigal belted out immortal melodies like Balam aayo baso, Main kya janu kya jadoo hai, Sapta suran, Ek bangle bane nyara, Soja rajkumari, Do naina matware, Jab dil hi toota gaya, Ae qatib-e-taqdeer and Babul mora that cast a spell on the listeners and made him a singing superstar. Saigal has been the most emulated but never equaled crooner who has been a great source of inspiration for all the other eminent singers who graced hindi films from Lata Mangeshkar to Kishore Kumar. He was a true phenomenon whose work has left an indelible mark in the minds of listeners. Composer Naushad aptly penned a poetic tribute to the icon – “Mere dil ko yakin hai ye mukammal, Naghmon ki kasam aaj bhi zinda hai wo Saigal, Saigal ko faramosh koi kar nahi sakta, Wo aisa amar hai ke kabhi mar nahi sakta”.

( Author Pran Nevile , Publisher Penguin Books India , Price Rs 299/- Pages 218 , ISBN 9780143414063 )

Ramesh Deo ~ His Journey from Kolhapur to Mumbai


~ Niilesh A Raje

- Niilesh A Raje

Even at the ripe age of 87 octogenarian Ramesh Deo keeps himself busy and occupied. He hates to sit idle. He leads us to his personal terrace garden and shows us a host of rare plants and bonsai then moves briskly to the kitchen to fetch some upma before we embark on our tete-a-tete. In a career spanning six decades the multifaceted Deo has acted in more than 285 Hindi Films, 190 Marathi Films, 30 Marathi dramas and over 200 stage shows. Apart from being an accomplished actor he has also emerged as a successful producer and director with a host of Feature films, Television Serials and over 250 Ad Films. The Deo family is one classic example where in the whole clan has been part of the Film Fraternity for several decades. Ramesh Deo Production (P) Ltd, established in 1971 is a company promoted by Ramesh Deo and wife Seema Deo along with sons Ajinkya and Abhinay Deo, who are actively involved in the production of Advertising Films, Feature Films, Television Serials, Music Videos, Documentaries and Short Films.

The Odyssey

Not even in his wildest dream he thought he would be a part of a theatre group or the film industry. On the contrary Ramesh Deo had made up his mind to join the Police force. He responded to an advertisement and cleared the aptitude test. For the next round of interview and physical examination he was to report to Mumbai on a Monday. Ramesh Deo started his journey from his hometown Kolhapur and on his way to Mumbai took halt at Pune to meet his brother. Being a Sunday and also the season of horse racing his brother invited him to the race course. It was here that his brother introduced him to veteran Marathi actor and director Rajabhau Paranjpe.

While at the race course on two occasions Rajabhau asked Ramesh Deo to pick the horse which accordingly to him was the best with probability of winning. Ramesh Deo was novice and was not even aware of the terms used in horse racing. He selected two horses at random and both these horses eventually emerged out to be winners and Rajabhau Paranjpe won almost twice the money he charged for direction then. He was very happy and felt Ramesh Deo bought him beginner’s luck in his life. Interestingly, Paranjpe, who was working on his new project, impressed with Ramesh Deo offered him the lead villain’s role. And surprisingly Ramesh Deo accepted it. This way the journey to Mumbai and a career as Sub Inspector was derailed in Pune. But it opened a new chapter in his life taking him to the studios.

Transition to Hindi Cinema

Ramesh Deo says his tryst with Hindi cinema began on an interesting note. “In the 60s myself and Seema had gone to a remote village called Radhanagri along with popular artists like Raja Gosavi, Raja Paranjpe, Padma Chavan, Sharad Talwalkar to stage a play. On the way we halted for a tea break. When tea was served in dirty aluminium glasses Sharad Talwalkar demanded angrily why it was not given in glass tumblers which were kept on a shelf. The boy who served tea replied those were for VIPs who came occasionally. When Sharad told him we were all big film stars. The boy gave a disgusting look and pointing at pictures of Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand, which were displayed in the shop, shot back ‘These are film stars”. That incident literally shook Deo, who realised making it in Hindi cinema was very essential. On reaching Bombay he approached Tarachand Barjatya and fortunately he bagged Rajshri Films Aarti in 1962. Next he did Mohabbat Isko Kehte Hain and close on the heels came Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Anand, Rajshri Films Jeevan Mrityu, Gulzar’s Mere Apne, Koshish, L V Prasad’s Khilona and N N Sippy’s Fakira.

The Voice of Experience

His advice to budding actors is that filmdom is not only about glamour and money. “For an outsider it may appear very alluring but in reality most actors go through a lot of mental turmoil and struggle. Actors should be focused and dedicated to their art. Though I was very popular name in Marathi films but when I decided to venture into the Hindi arena I had to face a lot of hardship to create my own identity”, he discloses. The time when he entered the industry it wasn't considered to be a respectable profession. The quantum of money one earned at that point of time was also very low. Today things have changed and the film industry has gained immense popularity. In the same breath he explains that in life when things don't happen as planned then we should start viewing them in a positive way. Life is a circle everything that goes up has to come down one day. Don't get hurt be happy and keep working success will follow.

Awards and Achievements

From 1965 till date Deo has portrayed a wide variety of roles be it hero, villain, father, son or servant. He is amongst the first directors from India to have won the Best Director’s trophy at Film Festivals held in Iran, Iraq and China. He also had the opportunity to work with the leading stars including the Raj Kapoor clan, Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Dilip Kumar, Sanjeev Kumar, Shatrugan Sinha, Jeetendra to name a few. He has been conferred with many State and National Awards for his contribution to Indian cinema.

Ramesh Deo believes in maintaining a cordial relationship with whomsoever he interacts. He warns, “Ego can ruin a person”. It is one thing that will only bring disaster in your life. Life is a learning process and its great fun to imbibe new things. As we take leave the phone rings, a visitor is already waiting and wife Seema wants him go through a letter but Ramesh Deo is unperturbed. ‘The show must go on whether at home or studio ‘, he reflects with wide grin.



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