Author: Songsstoriesbooksandmore

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

August 31, 2015

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)

August 28, 2015

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

August 13, 2015

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)

August 1, 2015

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)

Gaata Rahe Mera Dil – 50 Classic Film Songs – Anirudha Bhattacharjee and Balaji Vittal

July 11, 2015

A couple of weeks back, I saw a tweet announcing an upcoming book that piqued my curiosity. I wanted to get my hands on it right then. The book was titled Gaata Rahe Mera Dil, a compilation of 50 classic Hindi film songs from the period 1935 to 1993. And it had a still of Nutan and Dev Anand on … More Gaata Rahe Mera Dil – 50 Classic Film Songs – Anirudha Bhattacharjee and Balaji Vittal

The Upstairs Wife – An Intimate History of Pakistan by Rafia Zakaria

June 29, 2015

December 27, 2007 is still fresh in my memories. Just after Christmas, and a day off from work, my husband and I had finished watching a Dutch movie after a sumptuous meal, and were looking out at the canal outside our apartment in Amsterdam. It was then his smartphone beeped – one of those news alerts. This … More The Upstairs Wife – An Intimate History of Pakistan by Rafia Zakaria

My favourite songs with the word ‘Badal/ Badra’

June 27, 2015

A couple of mornings back, the skies of Delhi were overcast with dark, grey clouds. Coupled with cool winds, a light drizzle and very pleasant weather, the monsoons were here, a day earlier than expected. Now that was then! Since then all is well with the world. Delhi is back the way it is meant to be – swelteringly and … More My favourite songs with the word ‘Badal/ Badra’