Tribute to Nutan

Tribute to Manna Dey and making of "Meri Bhains Ko Danda Kyon Mara" song from "Pagla Kahin Ka"

Cathedral on Christmas eve & Christmas in Lucknow (2011)

First time I went on 24 Th on Christmas eve to Cathedral Church in Hazratganj,when I lit a candle and prayed I felt very peaceful with all the negative thoughts leaving me in an instant and could feel my spirit internally glowing.

Don 2 (2011)

Don 2 is certainly much better than the previous one which was artificial and life-less.Shahrukh looks great in starting half hour where he is dressed like a pirate.And action too is rollicking especially the gun-battle.Later on in his clean-shaven avatar he looks a little old especially because of his mouth or Jaw area which seems just hanging their.But anyway he is just OK, though we audience expect some magic from him which infuse life in characters he play.

Priyanka Chopra seems very thin on zero figure it seems hope she is not starving.Boman Irani is here someone who is butt of all pranks and be-fooled every time.Kunal Kapoor does a finejob here.Hrithik Roshan mesmerizes in a short role where Shahrukh is wearing Hrithik's mask its so unexpected and awesome,he creates some magic here dancing with Lara Dutta,a fine ball-room dancing.Om Puri and Parmeet Sethi are just OK here. Film is written very well here,lot of fun and wit in dialogues.Priyanka and Shahrukh's romantic foreplay in the movie's tension filled climax and their competitive action in the beginning is exciting and thrilling.Shahrukh does good in his action scenes.Its a well crafted movie deftly directed by Farhan Akhtar.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)

This movie is as good as its predecessors.Tom Cruise is at his best and some of his scenes are awesome.Theme of the movie is similar to two "24" seasons I recently saw,saving earth from nuclear threats.
The Russian part is done well with scenes of exotic Moscow city and intrusion of Kremlin and later somebody blowing it all up.His scenes on Burj Khalifa the tallest building are awesome too especially his stunt of climbing it during an approaching dust-storm.Use of technology here is quite innovative like a device that copies the scenery behind and displays it into a screen that allows you to deceive other people who are looking at the screen.

Paula Patton is great here looks strikingly attractive
especially while seducing Anil Kapoor who plays a media baron here.Jeremy Renner and Simon Pegg too are wonderful.

Stage Door (1937)

Andrea Leeds as Kay Hamilton is the heart of the film.She has no work no money and wants to act in a play but the part goes to Katharine Hepburn.In deep despair she jumps off to her tragic death which really saddens Katharine and inspires her to perform well in the play its like Kay's spirit guiding her through.This film is my favourite film of all times its full of charm and goodness and a unique plot about "The Footlights Club " where more than a dozen of aspiring actresses live trying to find work and fame and fortune.Its still a breath of fresh air with girls chatting continuously teasing and passing witty remarks helping out each other in times of need and celebrating joys of each other together.Its absolutely lovely and reminds me of  my school or college days where as you enter class-room our school premises you could here exciting chit chat of students relating interesting goings on or telling the most incredulous tales.

Katharine Hepburn is just great here as the daughter of a rich father who wants to make her own mark.Lucille Ball and Ginger Rogers are here too giving good support.Adolphe Menjou is quite good too.The film is so well written filled with quotable quotes.Its also my most cherished movie DVD.

Scream 4 (2011)

Scream4 is quite entertaining with lots of twist and turn and poking fun at horror genre of films.Courtney Cox and David Arquette again turn in good performances,especially Courtney provides lots of excitement in the movie.Neve Campbell and Emma Roberts too are good.Background Music is good too hidhlighting the excitement of this tension filled movie.A relative of Sidney is jealous of her fame so she goes on a killing rampage and later turns herself up as the victim to hog limelight as the only survivor.

Ladies vs. Ricky Bahl (2011)

Ladies vs. Ricky Bahl (2011) is quite engrossing never boring film starring four different kinds of woman from different backgrounds.Parineeta Chopra is a Delhi Girl and is quite outspoken and funny.Dipannita Sharma is corporate CEO and is quite calm and composed and decision making woman.Aditi Sharma is the traditional Muslim girl from Lucknow simple and pretty.Anushka Sharma works in Home Town and is a brilliant sales Personnel who is hired by the other three to con Ricky who has duped all three of them any many more.Film is quite well written and well directed and Anushka again gives in a nice performance.She is quite natual and effortless it never seems she is acting.Ranveer too is ok.Its a good movie to see this weekend.

Puss in Boots (2011)

Its a engrossing movie taking inspiration from many stories we have read in our childhood like "Jack and the Bean Stalk" and "Humpty Dumpty".Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek give their voice here.Puss in Boots and Humpty Dumpty are childhood friend.Humpty Dumpty dupes Pussin Boots to rob the Bank.They are caught Humpty Dumpty is jailed while Puss in Boots runs away.

Later on Humpty Dumty hires Kitty Softpaws to again lure in Puss in Boots to get the Goose who lays Golden Eggs.Its full of fun and rollicking adventure plus it was in Glorious 3D.Animation was quite brilliant with childhood Puss looking angelic and cart chase with Jack and Jill just breathtaking.Jack and Jill have these magic beans which Puss has to steal.They grow into giant beanstalk that takes them to the Golden Goose in the Castle in the clouds.

The Dirty Picture (2011)

Its a woman centric film where they are not shown as weaklings but as equals.Vidya Balan is in her career best role as an aspiring actress who gets into B-grade Adult cinema.Music is quite good especially "Ooh La La " song by Bhappi Lahiri.Dialogues are full of wit and adult humour and are saucy to the hilt.Naseeruddin Shah surprises us here again in his role of a womanizing actor who had slept with hundreds of woman.Tsshar Kapoor has a nice role of Naseer's younger brother.Anju Mahaendru too has a good role here as a film magazine editor.Last 15 minutes of the movie are depressing and reminded me of "Fashion".

Desi Boyz (2011)

Desi Boyz is well and cohesively directed by debutante director Rohit Dhawan.It has cool cinematography,fine script and some good acting as its positives.Akshaya Kumar surprises here with a heart-felt performance as the single father of a kid and a devoted simple minded friend.Film in its subject matter resembles "Oops" 2003 by Deepak Tijori.Anupam Kher is funny and good support here and so is Sanjay Dutt.Deepika and John are just OK so and so.You can watch it once or just to kill time.

Kalpana karthik (Mona Singh) on her Husband Dev Anand

Dev Anand

Star News Tribute To Dev Anand

                                     

                                                    

                                                                     

Article from The Hindu.I opened TV in the morning,it was so cold and I was just preparing breakfast when I saw this News,it seemed unbelievable.Recently his "Hum Dono" and "Chargesheet" have released in colour and he was on all News Channels discussing his movies and life.Their was not even a hint of sickness.And now he is just gone.I just feel an emptiness.

The first song that endeared me to him was "Dil Ka Bhanwar Kare Pukar" from "Tere Ghar Ke Saamne".I saw it first in 1990 on DoorDarshan.It always brings Nostalgia back to me reminding me of those nice Rainy Days when after the rain stops a faint cool breeze starts blowing making the weather cool and pleasant.Faint wind brushing against the cheeks,tiny droplets of water falling randomly from trees and bushes around our Old House.This song is the only song conceived inside Qutub Minar.Nutan looks delightful her persona a mixture of fun and romance,Dev Anand and Nutan have such great chemistry here.The Nights of such a day reminds me of another song from the same movie "Tu Kahan Ye Bata Is Nashili Raat Mein".Its a lovely song where hero searches in desolate night in the city for his love.It has beautiful romantic lyrics.

I bought his Autobiography "Romancing with Life" few years back.My brother really loved it and kept relating anecdotes from it.Another song of his that has always been with me since I started listening music is "Khoya Khoya Chand" from "Kaala Bazaar".Its so ethereally romantic song filmed in Ooty with its vast fields spotted by tall trees filmed at night in mystique Black and White sung gloriously by Mohd.Rafi.Waheeda Rehman looks magically beautiful draped in a lovely saree and her hairs are done so well.Dev Anand in his trademark gait walks around the plain and running too sometimes singing this romance filled song.

During those days of Cable TV in the early 1990s when the Cable Guy used to show 3 movies and half an hour of songs in the morning every day "Awwal Number" released.It was a story based on Cricket,Aditya Pancholi played jealous younger brother of Dev Anand who wants to jeopardize career of rising star of cricket played by Aamir Khan in his Pre-Lagaan days when he was young and naive.It was a unique different sort of a landmark movie especially if you take into account that this was the first movie where Aamir plays cricket before Oscar Nominee Lagaan.

In "Love at Times Square" he worked with two Composers,Adnan Sami and Lucky Ali.Under his guidance they gave fabulous music for this film.It was the best soundtrack his movies had in several years.I really love "Aisa Ho Koi Le Jaye Uda Ke Jo Neele Gagan Pe","Wo Ladka Aisa Hoga" and "Sote Sote Sapna Aaya".

In 1996 "Return of Jewel Thief" came it was the sequel to "Jewel Thief".He did only one movie with Yash Chopra "Joshila" in 1973."Kiska Rasta Dekhe Ae Dil Ae Saudai" a song full of melancholy and longings is from this Film.It comes several times in this film at various turning points of the movie and fills your heart with feelings of hopelessness and despair mixed with deep romanticism.In past few years when I have been very sad this song has been like a companion to me.

"Tere Mere Sapne" is my Favourite movie of Dev Anand.Its lush cinematography,heart tugging dialogues,brilliant performances and lovely tunes makes it a Classic Gem.Hema Malini's most memorable scene is from this movie where she is a esteemed actress who falls in love with a married doctor and when she founds out he is married,she hides her tears goes to the Fridge to bring him water and ccries her heart out behind Fridge Door before wiping her tears and going in again with a cheerful face.This film is Mumtaz's best film too and it amply showcases her acting talent.She plays the doctor's wife who goes through numerous difficulties in life making her way through them with her Husband or without him when he gets engrossed in minting money."Mere Antar ek Mandir Hai Tera" is a heart-touching tender love song from this movie filmed on Dev and Mumtaz expressing her desire to be a mother after she looses the child in her womb in an accident.Vijay Anand has an important role here,his speech in the scene where he instills sense into Dev Anand's character and makes him see his follies is just plain brilliance.Agha is full of fun and mischief here and full of common sense too,most lovable character."Hey Maine Kasam Li",
"Jaise Radha Ne Mala Japi Shyam Ki" and  " Jeevak Ki Bagia Mahkegi" are other three lovely songs from this Film.

"Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai" is one of my most favourite movie of all times.Besides Dev Anand it has my favourite actress Asha Parekh in it and the songs are all super hits.My most early memory of Dev Anand is from this movie.When I was a student in St. Thomas in late 1980's and I would return from school and "Dophar Ki Sabha" (A Entertainment slot from 2:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m.) would be coming on Doordarshan.Its here that I first saw or heard the evergreen romantic song filmed on Train "Jiyo O Jiya O Jiya Kuch Bol Do" the title song from this movie.It was so exciting and refreshing and so romantic too plus a little drop of laughter when they bring in a Donkey and compare it with Rajendra Nath's character who is so uproariously funny here wearing something like a frock or a ladies gown.Asha Parekh's expressions are impeccable here especially at the party where she encounters Dev's character after he had hoodwinked her.Her lines here are really well written that is a shayari before Dev Anand's song.The piece of Shayari is titled "Is Hirso Hawas KI Duniya Mein".Just play it in front of dihonest chaps and they certainly wince and get uncomfortable.The "Uff Umma" song too stands out where two thugs try to drug them and loot them but somehow they escape.In this song they are still in intoxicated state.Nasir Hussain specifically asked Hasrat Jaipuri to use "Uff Umma" in this song.Nasir Hussain had the Midas touch and changed everybody he came in contact with.He uplifted Shammi Kapoor to stardom by taking away his mustache and giving him a westernized modern look.Here also we see a highly stylized smartly dressed handsome and mesmerizing Dev Anand full of charming attitude and winsome ways very different from any of his previous movies.Frankly I never liked him in "Jaal" and "Funtoosh" he seemed a bit crazy in them."Sau Saal Pehle","Tum Jaise Bigde Babu Se"and "Teri Zulfon Se" are other lovely songs from this movie.

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My favourite film of all times is "Jaal" because of its intriguing story,haunting songs and it stars my favourite actress Geeta Bali,who lights up every frame she is in by her simple good humour,her naturalness and her exuberant energy.Though I never liked Dev Anand in this movie still its remarkable to see a hero play a villain's part.He is a smuggler in this movie who uses his girlfriend to smuggle goods.She runs away and hides in Geeta Bali's boat.Geeta plays a fisherman's (K N Singh) sister here.Dev Anand later tries to lure Geeta Bali but she somehow reforms him in the end.First song of the movie is a devotional song "Pighla hai sona" its filled with old world charm and nostalgia and takes you to another world."Ye Raat Ye Chandni Phir Kahan" the best loved song of Dev Anand is from this movie it shows clearly the genius of Guru Dutt and his deft handling of filming a song.Its a real Black and White Classic with a rare appearance of Guru Dutt in a song as a fisherman.

Rajya Sabha TV Tribute to Dev Anand

Obituary cum Tribute to Dev Anand By Rajya Sabha TV

 

Dev Anand : In News & Rememberances