Cinema: The Magic Lantern!!

Eminent litterateur and a ‘poetic’ filmmaker Sagar Sarhadi, was unarguably one of the finest storytellers in the Hindi film industry. His writings were mellow, mordant and modern. His plays brimmed with the angst he felt and convictions that were born out of his beliefs. He wrote films rich in lyricism with their literary flair . His perception of love was unique and yet so inured in tradition. Romance that he wove in his stories had a relatable feel. He breathed life into the emotional roller coasters of Bollywood like Kabhie Kabhie, Silsila and Chandni etc. He had a talent for plumbing the depths of the human heart to create indelible characters. He scripted complex women characters, brought alive by protagonists Rakhi, Smita Patil, Rekha and Shabana Azmi. He yearned for respect to women and disliked their “grotesque presentation” on screen. The iconic dialogues, he wrote for Bazaar, give goose bumps even today. Sarhadi was not swayed by the trappings of showbiz and remained unspo...

  Think of Goddess Durga and one of her ostensibly favourite sons comes to mind: Narendra Chanchal, the iconic singer who carved a unique place in devotional singing and the genre remains synonymous with him. He specialized himself in rendering devotional songs/hymns in praise of the Maa Bhagwati. His voice was widely believed to be a hotline to the Mother Goddess and he had the power of intercession. Chanchal was the flamboyant face of the Bhagwati Jaagran, a nightlong session of songs in praise of Maa Vaishno. Though Jaagrans have thousand years of history, but the credit to convert these into outdoor grand music shows goes to Chanchal, earning him the titles ‘Jaagran Samrat’, ‘Dhyanu Ke Avtaar’, ‘Maa Bhagwati Ke Lal’, ‘Aalokik Kanth Ke Swami’ and many more. His mellifluous voice had the ability to pierce straight into the listener’s heart, making every listening an emotional and spiritual experience.   Chanchal, came to be identified with high-pitched Bhents/bhajans. He wou...

Sharmila Tagore is one of the most glamorous divas of Indian cinema. With her trademark dimpled cheek, amazing bone structure, and wonderful figure, she created sensation in Bollywood. Her career spans the art films of Satyajit Ray, Bollywood extravaganzas, classic social dramas and parallel cinema. Sharmila’s supreme achievement lies in her triumphantly criss-crossing image boundaries. She is a versatile actress who consistently explored roles beyond the stereotypical to get out of the straitjacket of being just a pretty appendage to the hero. The characters she portrayed came alive on screen through her sparkling eyes and with modulation of her voice. So, for every ‘Kashmir Ki Kali’ and ‘An Evening in Paris’; there is ‘Apur Sansar’,  ‘Devi’, ‘Anupama’, ‘Satyakam’, ‘Safar’, ‘Mausam, ‘Aavishkar’, ‘Dooriyan’ and many more. Her sizzling acts on-screen created ripples in the filmdom. With her heavily made-up eyes, dimples and thick plaited hair, she fits into the typic...

  Special Feature on 551 st Birth Anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Cinema was introduced to India on 7 July 1896 , when the Lumiere brothers' show-cased six short silent films in Watson Hotel, Bombay. Dada Saheb Phalke got inspiration from an English movie ‘The Christ’ to produce a film on the life and work of Indian Gods. He made the first Indian movie “Raja Harish Chandra in 1913 and it was followed by a series of mythological silent movies like Kalia Mardan, Mohini Bhasmasur , Lanka Dahan , Shri Krishna Janma , Satyavan Savitri etc. Even after advent of talkie era, the trend of making religious/mythological films continued to attract most of the film makers. The notable films were: Ayodhaya Ka Raja, Radhey Shyam, Bhakt Surdas, Puran Bhakt, Vaman Avtar, Ram Rajya Sri Krishna Leela , Mahabharat, Sampooran Ramayan and Bharat Milap etc. The inaugural films in many regional languages were also religious offerings like Bhakta Prahlada, Ramayna etc. were produced in telugu and tami...

Bollywood's classic Ice Queen Rekha, a timeless beauty has been the ultimate symbol of sensuality. She has a handsome face, perfect nose, pretty eyes and the husky smouldering voice to match her looks. A ‘divaesque’ fashionable Rekha mesmerized millions of fans with her unique seductive mysteriousness. For five decades, she has been setting the screen on fire, blazing a glorious trail in her wake. She has the distinction of holding an unbeatable record of portraying heroines in over 100 films. Her "transformation" from "a round ball of flesh" in the 70s into a toned and manicured ultimate fashion & beauty icon and screen 'star' in the 80s owing to her sheer talent and hard work. Every reinvention of gorgeous ‘Madam Re’ has been a voyage of discovery for this ultimate glam-goddess. She is reclusive like Garbo and will disappear like an apparition.   She blossomed overnight with “Do Anjaane” and the 'real' Rekha was born on screen in ‘Ghar’....