It is no surprise that the Mahabharata has spawned numerous versions and retellings in different languages over the years. The world’s longest poem, this Sanskrit epic has a complex narrative structure that comprises of stories within stories within stories. It is indeed such a vast epic that no matter which version/ retelling one reads, one learns something … More Karna’s Wife – The Outcast Queen by Kavita Kane
I must have been around 12 years old when I got hooked to old Hindi songs. I had begun to recognise different voices and started forming distinct preferences during this discovery phase. Asha Bhosle was and is my favourite female playback singer. Among the male voices, while Rafi was and is my favourite, I was also fond of Manna Dey … More My favourite Hemant Kumar Songs
Some years back, the vibrant city of Amsterdam with winding canals and narrow houses and steep staircases was the place I used to call home. A singular aspect of life in Amsterdam is cycling. The entire city has a cycling path of nearly 400 kms. It is the preferred mode of travel for most residents. You aren’t … More My Favourite Cycle songs
Here is another song list, quick on the heels of the previous one. This one features a legendary actress who worked extensively with Mr. Sunil Dutt, mostly in the melodramatic Madras productions of the mid-late sixties; though this was not her only claim to fame! Nutan, of the speaking eyes and quiet, elegant dignity, would … More My favourite Nutan songs
I realised a few days ago, that of all the many song lists, I have not compiled a list of songs featuring one of my favourite actors – Sunil Dutt. Sure enough, many of his songs have regularly featured in other lists on my blog (also primarily because he has acted in so many songs penned … More Remembering Sunil Dutt ….. with a song list!
On my fifteenth birthday, a cousin while wishing me, added, “Did you know? You happen to share your birthday with the legendary American actress, Katharine Hepburn!” “Oh, any relation to the gorgeous Audrey?”, I quipped. It was the first time I had heard of Katharine Hepburn. Just a month before, much to my family’s amusement, I had been through a massive Audrey Hepburn (incidentally … More The Philadelphia Story (1940)
If you are looking for a logical, simple plot, this Nasir Hussain movie is not for you. Dil Deke Dekho probably has the most convoluted, complex plot of all Nasir Hussain movies, which is interesting considering that, Tumsa Nahin Dekha (1957), Jab Pyar kisi se Hota hai (1961), Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1964) and this movie have the same basic … More Dil Deke Dekho (1959)
Let me start with a confession: I share a love-hate relationship with this movie. I love the music and the songs; the two actresses in the movie (especially Mumtaz) are adorable and Kashmir looks breathtakingly gorgeous. So watching this movie should be an enjoyable viewing experience. But it is not. And the reason is subjective. Every time I see a song … More Mere Sanam (1965)
Had I seen the cover of this book in Hindi, I would never have picked it up. Typically reminiscent of the lurid, racy pocket books sold in book stalls at railway stations, this cover features an image of the sultry, sensuous Urmila Matondkar with her hand raised, transposed on to the jazzy blue background so that it conveys … More Give Me the Moon (Mujhe Chand Chahiye) by Surendra Verma (Transl. By Pramila Garg)
In the good old days when Doordarshan was the only channel we had, there was an art film called Suraj Ka Satvaan Ghoda that was aired. It remained etched in my memory mainly because it was made by the master film-maker, Shyam Benegal and it starred Rajit Kapoor, the underrated actor who immortalised Byomkesh Bakshi on TV. The movie … More The Sun’s Seventh Horse (Suraj Ka Satvaan Ghoda, by Dr Dharamvir Bharati transl. by Ajneya)
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