Prarambh – The Beginning by Gangadhar Gadgil (translated by Arvind Dixit)

The National Book Trust brings out an interesting series called Aadaan- Pradaan (interchange/ give and take). As the name suggests, the objective of the series is to introduce well-known works (mainly novels or collection of short stories) of a particular region/ language to people from other regions to foster national integration. This is a valuable … More Prarambh – The Beginning by Gangadhar Gadgil (translated by Arvind Dixit)

Basant (1960)

A couple of days back, while browsing through a DVD store, I saw the DVD of An Affair to Remember (1957) and immediately Basant (1960) came to my mind. Basant (1960) was a movie I desperately wanted to see at one point in time – because I loved Chori Chori Ik Ishaara ho gaya hai – (a song … More Basant (1960)

Happy Birthday, Vyjayantimala ji

An accomplished actress, a Bharatanatyam danseuse par excellence, a Carnatic classical singer and a parliamentarian, Vyjayantimala has several feathers to her cap. Her influence on Hindi cinema has been far-reaching. It is because of her, primarily, that training in classical/ semi-classical dance has become a necessary part of a heroine’s resume in Hindi cinema. The … More Happy Birthday, Vyjayantimala ji

Duniya (1968)

This movie landed up in my to-watch list rather by accident. I was looking for a previously unwatched Vyjayantimala movie to watch and review for the blog. And the three shortlisted films were Aas ka panchhi (1961), Dr Vidya (1962) and Duniya (1968). I do not like Rajendra kumar, so within ten minutes (even before the heroine makes … More Duniya (1968)