( Today is the 77th birthday of one of Hindi cinema’s finest actresses, Waheeda Rehman. Born on 3rd February, 1938 in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu and blessed in abundance with immense talent and beauty, Waheeda Rehman is synonymous today with grace and charm. Active in Indian cinema since the 50s, she made her debut in a Telugu film, Jayasimha (1955). […]
It is an irony that one of the finest music composers in Hindi cinema is known today more for the one thing he did not do, rather than what he did! Omkar Prasad Nayyar is the only composer from the golden age of Hindi film music who did not record a song with Lata Mangeshkar. […]
Mahendra Kapoor is one of Hindi cinema’s most underrated singers. Known to be a poor man’s Rafi, Mahendra Kapoor drew varied critical reaction despite singing approximately 25,000 songs (in languages as varied as Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati and even English) in his career. While growing up, I did not like him much, simply because I am a […]
As I was surfing looking for pictures of Mohd Rafi, I was struck by the fact that he is smiling in all the pictures. Not one, where that kind smile has not lit his face and sparkled through his eyes. There is something gentle and loveable about the man. Thirty four years after his death, […]
Today (24th December 2014) will mark the 90th birth anniversary of one of Hindi cinema’s finest singers and my personal favourite, Mohd Rafi. When I planned to make a list of my favourite Rafi numbers as a tribute, it struck me that I would just not be able to come up with a list of 10 […]
8th December, 2014 marks the 70th birthday of the lovely Sharmila Tagore and the 79th birthday of the hunky Dharmendra: both artistes I am fond of (especially in their earlier roles). So here is wishing them both many happy returns of the day – with a song list. Instead of making two separate posts, this is […]
I felt rather incomplete after my earlier post in the day. Yes, one list of 10 songs does not do her any justice. So another list it shall be – of ten of my favourite duets. 1) Kya Ho Jo Phir Din Rangeela Ho (1957, Nau Do Gyarah, SDB, Co-singer: Asha Bhosle) : Geeta Dutt sang […]
Geeta Dutt would have been 84 years old today. This post is a tribute to one of the most versatile singers in the Hindi film music scene. Born in Faridpur, now in Bangladesh, as one among ten children, Geeta Dutt (nee Roy) moved to Bombay with her family in 1942. There is a well-known story […]
“I think most memoirs, though they purport to be about this particular time or this person you met, are really about the effect that person or time had on you.” This quote by the American writer, Rosemary Mahoney is apt in the case of the book – Mohd Rafi – My Abba by Yasmin […]
Two posts in a day? Not intended at all… but cannot help this one. A particular tweet on my Twitter timeline this evening is responsible for this. @BhopalHouse tweeted about a song on Coke Studio (Pakistan – Season 7) that reminded her of O.P.Nayyar’s music. Intrigued by the tweet, I heard the song. And yes, she was […]
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From the Author of Abhaya
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A Brief History of the saree blouse and Indian fashion before 1960 with an occasional excursion after. All images are credited but if they are here by accident please do let me know and I will take it down. All posts also on vintageindianclothing.tumblr.com
by arunava sinha [arunava@gmail.com]
swalpa sihi, swalpa spicy
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