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Tilak Rishi, born in India, has been working as a career corporate executive, after doing his MBA. Passionately pursuing his hobby for writing, he also remained a regular contributor to newspapers in India and the U.S. Many true happenings and characters he came across in life, including interaction with former president Bill Clinton, inspired Paradise Lost and Found, his first novel. A family saga, it starts from Kashmir, when this paradise on earth is lost for the tourists who thronged in thousands every year to enjoy its scenic splendor. Terrorists have turned it into one of the most dangerous places in the world. The family is not only a witness to the loss of this paradise, but also to another tragedy of much bigger magnitude. In the aftermath of the partition of India, along with millions uprooted from their homes in Pakistan, the family leaves behind all that it has in Lahore. Starting from a scratch on the difficult path to progress, it still has many joyful moments when along the way it makes a difference in many a life. The survival-to-success story climaxes in California where the family finds the paradise that was lost in Kashmir.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The Blessed Bio-data!

I was born in Lahore as the youngest sibling in a large well off family of Punjab, where father, the sole provider, worked as the Chief Representative of Oxford University Press, London. I had just finished high school, winning merit scholarship from Punjab University scoring very high marks, when the family was forced to leave Lahore which became part of Pakistan after India's partition in 1947. The family moved to New Delhi to start from scratch, where after graduating with very high grades in Law and MBA from Delhi University, I started my career as a corporate executive with Godrej, one of the most reputed companies in India, then the biggest manufacturers of bank lockers, steel cupboards and furniture. After working there for the first 20 years of my corporate career, I moved on to avail better opportunities in other big companies, taking retirement after a well rewarded service of over 40 years in the corporate sector of India. In the post retirement period I worked for a while as Dy. Director (Publications) with Institute of Marketing and Management, New Delhi. Side by side, I passionately pursued my hobby for writing and remained a regular contributor to newspapers in India. My 'Letters to the Editor' in the Hindustan Times received great respect, as these were invariably published under 3-4 column headlines or placed prominently in a box. I also started a Sunday paper, the Priceless, in West Delhi, which revolutionized the way small neighborhood business community advertised their businesses. Instead of printing and distributing individual handbills in their area, they were now able to put in their advertisements at a much less cost in the Priceless, which was distributed free with the mainstream newspapers every Sunday. The concept was applauded by the advertisers and the reading public alike, but before I could plan expanding the idea to other parts of Delhi, I moved to the U.S. along with my wife Inderjeet, former Principal of senior secondary govt. girls' school in Delhi, to be with our only son Alok, settled there as a prominent software engineer in Silicon Valley.

In the U.S. I took to what I wanted to do all my life, writing a book. Many true happenings and characters I came across in life, including interaction with former U.S. president, Bill Clinton, inspired my first book, Paradise Lost and Found, published in the U.S.. A family saga, it starts from Kashmir, when this paradise on earth is lost for the tourists who thronged in thousands every year to enjoy its scenic splendor. Terrorists turned it into one of the most dangerous places on the planet. The family is not only a witness to the loss of this paradise, but also to another tragedy of much bigger magnitude. In the aftermath of the partition of India, along with millions uprooted from their homes in Pakistan, the family is forced to leave behind all that it had in Lahore. Starting from a scratch on the difficult path to progress, it still has many joyful moments when along the way it tries to make a difference in many a life. The survival to success story climaxes in California where the family finds a substitute for the paradise that was lost in Kashmir.

As a big movie buff, who grew up with Hindi cinema, I have combined my personal knowledge and research on the subject, to complete work on my second book, Bollywood Celebrates Centenary - a tribute to the 100 years of excellence in Hindi cinema, now known as Bollywood. I cherish great memories of the bygone era of 30s and 40s, the golden age of 50s and 60s, the period of the parallel cinema in 70s and 80s, and Bollywood's grand entry into the new millennium with movies popular worldwide. Spanning a wide range of decades, genres and style, the Bollywood film culture in all its glory is a wonderful thing. Of the hundreds of great hits it has given, some have attained an aura of unparalleled respectability because, overtime, they continue to draw viewers in multitudes for weeks, months and even years. My book on Bollywood is only an endeavor to express my gratitude for the great joy Bollywood gave me all my life and to pay my tributes to the tallest amongst movie makers, artistes, composers, lyricists, singers and script writers down the decades, for contributing their extraordinary caliber to Hindi Cinema's 100 years of excellence in entertainment.

Next, I have started work on my second novel, “Doaba to Yuba”, based on the true experiences of a group of farmers from Doaba region in Punjab, who migrated to the U.S. in early 20th century for greener pastures, to eventually settle in Yuba City, as some of the most flourishing and influential families of California, having helped the State become the food bowl of U.S.A. While I'm on my computer working on the new novel, my wife keeps herself engrossed in watercolor painting, the hobby she has passionately taken to since arriving in the U.S.. Taking time from our respective hobbies, we go for our daily walks to enjoy the awesome weather and lovely landscapes of Bay Area in California, called the Golden State of USA. Our years of retirement are truly rewarding, made more so by our son Alok and daughter-in-law Ranjan, with their loving care that tempted me to title this piece of personal particulars as The Blessed Bio-data!

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Dedicated To Bollywood Buffs!

Many of my regular readers must be wondering why I often prefer to bring up Bollywood, with whatever title, in my blogs. Well, it is because I'm a big Bollywood buff. Bollywood is as much a part of my identity as birthmark on my nose. It may not have been in my blood because my father had never watched movies in his entire life, may be with the only exception of Mughal-E-Azam, which the family forced on him as the concluding part of my brother's wedding festivities. It must have been my mother then. She was quite the opposite of my father as far as watching movies was concerned. Going to movies every Wednesday was a must for her, when it was a “Ladies Only” matinee in every theater at half the normal rates in Lahore. She enjoyed all movies, musical or mythological, slapstick comedy or tear-jerker tragedy, without exceptions. All her friends had open invitation to accompany her to watch the latest movie, where she would not only buy their tickets but also treat them to sodas and snacks, which the hawkers sold inside the hall during interval. This was perhaps the package deal her friends deserved to find time for my mother's weekly movie addiction. Her companion for the week could change generally depending on her friends' likes and dislikes of a particular genre, except for the one whom she never liked to leave behind. My mother always took me along to the 'Ladies Only' matinees till I was 12-year old; the permissible age limit of boys’ admission provided ladies accompanied them. And thus turned me into a movie buff, even if inadvertently, right from the time I was a toddler.

My brother Raghu, better known as R. R. Rishi, also played a big role in making me a movie buff. He actually took over from where my mother left, when she could no longer take me to 'Ladies Only' shows. He was the editor of ‘Film Critic’, the only English language film magazines published in Lahore then. I was still in school when I became addicted to reading all the then prominent publications related to cinema, brought home by him, including Baburao Patel's Film India, the most famous film magazine published from Mumbai(then Bombay) and B.R. Chopra's Cine Herald, besides his own Film Critic . Once in a while he would even give me a chance to write review of the latest release or films related write-up, to be published in his magazine. My compensation for the contribution used to be free gate pass for admission to four persons for the film I was to review, which he received from film distributors as a matter of routine. Truly a big treat for me and my buddies. The addiction to reading film magazines as also watching movies, which went on to become more expensive by the day, continued through my adult life and so did my hobby to write articles or blogs on Bollywood topics.

Last but not the least, I owe being a Bollywood buff to my brother-in-law Surendra, the singing star of bygone era, who helped me have the intimate feel and firsthand knowledge of happenings in Bollywood from the 40s when he married my sister Satya, till the 80s when he breathed his last. I fondly remember the film parties and shootings to which he would take me whenever I visited Mumbai. Memories of the time spent with him in Mumbai, especially meeting his personal friends from the film fraternity like Prithviraj Kapoor, Ashok Kumar, Motilal, Chandramohan, Talat Mehmood and many more, later became my source for the stories on these artistes in my blogs and articles.

A movie buff who grew up along Hindi cinema, I cherish great memories of the bygone era of 30s and 40s, the golden age of 50s and 60s, the period of the parallel cinema in 70s and 80s, and Bollywood's grand entry into the new millennium with worldwide popular movies. Spanning a wide range of decades, genres and style, the Bollywood film culture in all its glory is a wonderful thing. Of the hundreds of great hits it has given, some have attained an aura of unparalleled respectability because, overtime, they continue to draw viewers in multitudes for weeks, months and even years. My blogs on Bollywood are only an endeavor to express my gratitude for the great joy Bollywood gave me all my life and to pay my tributes to the tallest amongst movie makers, artistes, composers, lyricists and script writers down the decades, for contributing their extraordinary caliber to Bollywood's around 100 years of excellence in entertainment.

When Lady Gaga descended on Delhi to perform at an F1 gala recently, she tweeted a pic of herself partying with who's who of Bollywood, “Screw Hollywood,” she declared. “It’s all about Bollywood.” As I was still reacting to Lady Gaga’s Bollywood proclamation, my son showed me on TV a Heineken ad that also went viral on the internet. The logic- and gravity-defying “The Date” spot shows a couple dodging faux-dragons, performing magic tricks, and dancing with gusto—all to the beats of a frenzied 1960′s Mohammed Rafi classic, “Jaan Pehchaan Ho.” Well done, Bollywood. It’s about time you got the world dancing to your tune. It makes the multitude like me, who’ve grown up with Bollywood, singing and dancing with joy. The fact remains that with more than a billion Indians, Bollywood boasts a built-in audience far more vast than anything Hollywood could ever dream of, and hundreds of millions of others are also caught under the influence. Think of Bollywood what you will, but if you’re Indian, there’s no escaping it—whether you’re growing up in England, America or Australia. But being a true Bollywood fan has always required a certain kind of undying devotion, a willingness to celebrate the insignificant and overlook the illogical; it’s about loving the culture. To billions of people, it’s a way of life. Any religion requires a degree of blind faith; Bollywood is no different a creed. So regardless of whether the latest flick is hit or a flop, your heart will flutter with pride when you see its name light up the marquee at the most prestigious theater in London, Paris or New York alongside considerably more substantive flicks from Hollywood. To all the true Bollywood fans, overtime many of whom have turned Bollywood buffs, I owe a big 'Thank You'. It is because your feedback through thoughtful comments complimenting my blogs or your views and reviews on movies making a way to internet that I always enjoy reading, have been the most rewarding source material for all my writings on Bollywood. I feel honored and happy to declare with true sense of gratitude that all my writings and blogs on Bollywood are, along with my mother, my brother R. R. Rishi and my brother-in-law Surendra, are dedicated to Bollywood buffs.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Bollywood Celebrates Centenary!

Birth Of Hindi Cinema

Dadasaheb Phalke -- a man of versatile talent, who had a varied career as a painter, photographer, playwright and magician before he took to film -- was responsible for the production of India's first fully indigenous silent feature film, Raja Harishchandra, adapted from the Mahabharata. The film had titles in Hindi and English, and was released on May 3, 1913 at the Coronation Cinema in Mumbai. This laid the foundation of what, in time, would grow to become the largest film producing industry in the world. Phalke followed with other feature films like Mohini Bhasmasur (1913), Satyavan Savitri (1914) and Lanka Dahan (1917), the last one being India's first big box-office hit. Two new film companies, the Kohinoor Film Co. and Phalke's Hindustan Cinema Films Co. were established in 1918.

By 1920 film-making transformed into a regular industry and the number of films produced increased to 207 in 1931 from a mere 27 when the silent films were started in India. The first Indian love story, Dhiren Ganguly's Bilat Ferat (England Returned) was released in 1921. In the same year Kohinoor studios of Bombay produced Bhakt Vidur, a chapter from Mahabharata. The new decade saw the arrival of many new companies and film-makers. Baburao Painter (Savkari Pash), Suchet Singh (Sakuntala), Chandulal Shah (Guna Sundari), Ardershir Irani and V. Shantaram were the prominent film-makers of the twenties. Some of the noteworthy silent films of the period were Madan's Nala Damayanti (1921), Pati Bhakti (1922) and Noor Jehan (1923); Baburao Painter's Maya Bazaar (1923), Kala Naag (1924) and Cinema Queen (1926); Chandulal Shah's Bhaneli Bhamini (1927); Ardeshir Irani's Anarkali (1928); V.Shantaram's Gopal Krishna (1929); Jagdish Co's Chandramukhi (1929); Seth Manecklal Patel's Hatim Tai (1929); SS Agarwal's Diler Jigar (1931) and Gulaminu Patan (1931).

During the early twentieth century cinema as a medium gained popularity across India's population and its many economic sections. Tickets were made affordable to the common man at a low price and for the financially capable additional comforts meant additional admission ticket price. Audiences thronged to cinema halls as this affordable medium of entertainment was available for as low as an anna (4 paisa) in Bombay. The content of Indian commercial cinema was increasingly tailored to appeal to these masses. Young Indian producers began to incorporate elements of India's social life and culture into cinema. Others brought with them ideas from across the world. This was also the time when global audiences and markets became aware of India's film industry.

Starts Speaking

March 14, 1931 was a historic day for Indian cinema. Ardeshir Irani of Imperial Movietone released Alam Ara, the first full-length Indian talkie film at the Majestic cinema in Bombay. This film very effectively broke the golden silent era and laid a milestone that marked the steeping into the new talkie era as well as rang the death knell to silent films. The most remarkable thing about the birth of the sound film in India is it came with a bang and quickly displaced silent movies. The first Indian talkie, Alam Ara (1931) was a 124-minute feature produced by the Imperial Film Company in Mumbai and directed by Ardershir Irani. Advertised as an all talking, all singing, all dancing film, Alam Ara was a period fantasy starring Prithviraj Kapoor, Master Vithal and Zubeda. Although Mehboob, who later turned a legendary director, was scheduled to play the lead in Alam Ara, Master Vithal; from Sharda Studios got the part. When Sharda sued Vithal for breach of contract, he was defended by M A Jinnah.

On the day of its release, surging crowds started gathering near the Majestic cinema in Bombay right from early morning. The booking office was literally stormed by jostling mobs to secure tickets and all traffic was jammed on the roads leading to the theatre. For weeks together the tickets were sold out and the mad rush to watch the first talking film continued till more movies came in. The Bombay Chronicle (April 2, 1931) noted that the film has shown that with due restraint and thoughtful direction, the players could by their significant acting and speech evolve dramatic values to which the silent cinema cannot possibly aspire. Inspired by Universal's Melody Of Love, the whole plot is a string to tie together the numerous songs and dances which became a mandatory feature of Hindi cinema. Alam Ara will always be remembered as the film that ushered in the era of sound films in India. The era of the talkies brought about social awareness as they focused on themes like practice of human sacrifices, women's liberation and arranged marriages.

The film took months to make following the hazardous recording conditions, the distressing laboratory processing methods of that time and the secrecy surrounding the project. Says Irani , "There were no sound-proof stages , we preferred to shoot indoors and at night. Since our studio is located near a railway track most of our shooting was done between the hours that the trains ceased operation. We worked with a single system Tamar recording equipment. There were also no booms. Microphones had to be hidden in incredible places to keep out of camera range."
As a film, Alam Ara had few technical and artistic qualities but it was pioneering effort. In a letter to the Times of India (March 23, 1931), a viewer who signed as Filmster wrote about the quality of sound, "Principal interest naturally attaches to the voice production and synchronizations. The latter is syllable perfect; the former is somewhat patchy, due to inexperience of the players in facing the microphone and a consequent tendency to talk too loudly."

Alam Ara's rather predictable story line managed to string together the numerous song and dance numbers. And much to the filmmaker's surprise, the Majestic cinema in Bombay where the film was released was mobbed by surging crowds. Recalls Irani's partner Abdulally Esoofally in the Indian Talkie Silver Jubilee Souvenir, " In those days, the queue system was not known to filmgoers and the booking office was literally stormed by jostling, riotous mobs, hankering to secure somehow, anyhow a ticket to see a talking picture in the language they understood. All traffic was jammed and police aid had to be sought to control the crowds. For weeks together tickets were sold out and black-market vendors had a field day."

Teething Troubles

The talkie had brought revolutionary changes in the whole set up of the industry and completely over-shadowed the silent movies at a time when they were at a peak. However, it also brought into focus many peculiar problems which needed to be tackled -- there were no dialogue writers or lyricists and songs had to be sung during the filming as pre-recording facilities were not known. Minimum instruments were used, as the instrumentalists had to be camouflaged behind the singer.The arrival of sound in spite of being welcome in several quarters had serious implications for the whole industry and its appendages. The talkies era silenced a whole generation of artists, film-makers and technicians. Many studios unable to switch over to sound closed down; Anglo-Indians who did not speak fluent Hindi or Urdu were the worst hit. Those who could not sing were also hit as there was no playback and direct recording meant artistes had to sing their own songs. "Problems? Of course we had problems--thousands of them--no one knew how to handle the sound equipment. We did not know how to deal with echoes inside the studios. The cameras had no blimps and their noise drowned out the dialogues. We tried all we could to muffle the camera noise. We wrapped the camera in blankets, put insulating shields around it. Nothing seemed to work. We couldn't hear a word the actors spoke inside the studio." When the shoot was moved outdoors, the quality of sound improved "but one cannot shoot an entire film outdoors. Even in a historical, the characters have to go home sometimes." - Krishna Gopal, veteran film technician.
Long takes from a single point became a necessity because of the many unsolved problems of combining photography with sound. Actors had to huddle around a hidden, low-fidelity microphone, often resulting in self-conscious performances. Picturisation of songs too were done in a single shot. Trial and error resulted in mush wastage of raw stock and many films had to be abandoned.
However, there was the other side to it too. The box-office returns were so fabulous that they came to be known as mortgage-lifters, enabling those cinema houses that had shut down during the Depression to reopen. The public respect for the film producers and their cast and crew was beyond their imagination. Whenever and wherever they camped, they were given a princely ovation and a hero's send-off. The Railways gave them travel concessions and the guards delayed trains for the latecomers. Most coffeehouse they visited refused payment for food and drink. The tumultuous welcome by the film fans overshadowed the initial problems and the talking film had come to stay.

Comes Of Age

In the 20th century, Indian cinema, along with the Hollywood and Chinese film industries, became a global enterprise. At the end of 2010 it was reported that in terms of annual film output, India ranks first, followed by Hollywood and China. Enhanced technology paved the way for upgrading from established cinematic norms of delivering product, altering the manner in which content reached the target audience, as per regional tastes. Indian cinema found markets in over 90 countries where films from India are screened.

India is the world's largest producer of films. In 2009, India produced a total of 2961 films on celluloid, that include a staggering figure of 1288 feature films. The provision of 100% foreign direct investment has made the Indian film market attractive for foreign enterprises such as 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures and Warner Bros. Indian enterprises such as Zee, UTV, Adlabs and Sun Network's Sun Pictures also participated in producing and distributing films. Tax incentives to multiplexes have aided the multiplex boom in India. By 2003 as many as 30 film production companies had been listed in the National Stock Exchange of India, making the commercial presence of the medium felt.

The Indian diaspora consists of millions of Indians overseas for which films are made available both through mediums such as DVDs and by screening of films in their country of residence wherever commercially feasible. These earnings, accounting for some 12% of the revenue generated by a mainstream film, contribute substantially to the overall revenue of Indian cinema, the net worth of which was found to be US$1.3 billion in 2000. Music in Indian cinema is another substantial revenue generator, with the music rights alone accounting for 4–5% of the net revenues generated by a film in India.

Renamed Bollywood

The term "Bollywood" itself has origins in the 1970s, when India overtook America as the world's largest film producer. The name "Bollywood" is derived from Bombay (the former name for Mumbai) and Hollywood, the center of the American film industry. However, unlike Hollywood, Bollywood does not exist as a physical place. Though some deplore the name, arguing that it makes the industry look like a poor cousin to Hollywood, it has its own entry in the Oxford English Dictionary.

The naming scheme for "Bollywood" was inspired by "Tollywood", the name that was used to refer to the cinema of West Bengal. Dating back to 1932, "Tollywood" was the earliest Hollywood-inspired name, referring to the Bengali film industry based in Tollygunge, whose name is reminiscent of "Hollywood" and was the center of the cinema of India at the time. It was this "chance juxtaposition of two pairs of rhyming syllables," Holly and Tolly, that led to the name "Tollywood" being coined. The name "Tollywood" went on to be used as a nickname for the Bengali film industry by the popular Kolkata-based Junior Statesman youth magazine, establishing a precedent for other film industries to use similar-sounding names, eventually leading to the term "Bollywood" being coined.

Bollywood today is by far the fastest growing film industry in the world. Wow, what an amazing success story. Definitely deserves a big applaud and the biggest show ever by the industry when very soon Bollywood celebrates centenary.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Once Famous Now Forgotten!

It’s sobering to realize how things that were once so popular can simply slip from the collective memory. Of course, all stardom is perishable, nowhere is this more poignant than in the case of ‘stars’. There are some actors who enjoyed successful careers and are now obscure even amongst those who call themselves film buffs. Take Surendra for instance. If you ask about him, most would confess ignorance of him. Yet he was a big star then, the highest paid at one time when he had back to back three super hits in the 40s – Lal Haveli, Bhartrihari and Anmol Ghadi. But what happened? Why has his fame simply … dissipated? How many more are there like him? There’s something desperately sad about all this. Stars who were once immensely famous have faded away. Here are just a few of them whose memory I cherish and wish to share with you, especially when we are celebrating centenary of the Indian cinema:

Surendra (1911 - 1987)

It was the era of singing stars. Surendra was brought by Mehboob in the 30s as Bombay's counter- strategy to Calcutta's reigning singer K.L. Saigal. Surendra became a part and parcel of Mehboob's Sagar Movietone, after his very first song, "Birha Ki Aag Lagi More Man Mein"(Deccan Queen) became an instant hit. Since the song was inspired by Saigal's hit song, "Balam Aye Baso More Man Mein", Surendra came to be known as Bombay's Saigal. However, when "Tumhi Ne Mujh Ko Prem Sikhaya"(Manmohan), from his second movie with Mehboob, became hugely popular with the masses, Surendra made his place for himself as a very talented singer-actor, independent of the Saigal tag. Then followed Surendra's hit musicals, Jagirdar, Gramophone Singer, Jiwan Sathi, Alibaba, Aurat, Gharib, Jawani etc. and movies made in Bombay were on top of the Box Office charts, the place they had been missing for want of a singing talent. Surendra's peak time as a popular singing star continued into the 40s when two of his movies became the greatest musicals of that time. "Bhartrihari", a mythological with music by Khemchandra Prakash, and Mehboob's alltime musical hit, "Anmol Ghadi", with music by the maestro Naushad. "Bhiksha De De Maiya Pingla' from film "Bharthari" is still played, after 60 years of its rendering, wherever the classic play on the life of the king-turned-saint is staged every year during the festival season. The duet from "Anmol Ghadi", "Aawaz De Kahan Hei" has immortalized both Surendra and Noorjehan as the most popular singing pair in movies.

After the Partition when Noorjehan moved to Pakistan, the popular pair of Lal Haveli and Anmol Ghadi never got another chance to sing and act together. Surendra did sing some solos in movies thereafter, including the haunting melody, "Teri Yad Ka Dipak Jalta Hei"(Paigam). The era of playback singing had ushered in and Surendra eventually switched over to character-actor roles. Some of his movies became greatest hits of 50s and 60s, such as Baiju Bawra, Waqt, Mughal-E-Azam, Milan, Johar Mehmood in Goa, Dil Deke Dekho, Evening in Paris, Sarswati Chandra, Haryali Aur Raasta etc.. A few years before his death in 1987, Surendra, then better known as Surendranath, started an advertising company and devoted much of his time to making TV commercials for some of the big brands like Colgate and Lyril. The TV commercials are continued to be made till date by his sons Jeet Surendranath and Kailash Surendranath who have also made some highly acclaimed short films including Mile Sur Mera Tumhara.

Chandra Mohan (1905–1949)

Chandra Mohan was famous for his work in Hindi cinema in the 1930s and 1940s. He was known for his large grey eyes, voice modulation and dialog delivery. His eyes form the opening sequence in V. Shantaram's 1934 film Amrit Manthan. He later appeared in lead or important roles in some of the most famous movies of 1930s and 40s made by icon moviemakers of the era: V. Shantaram's Dharmatma (1935), Amar Jyoti (1936) and Shakuntala (1947), Sohrab Modi's Pukar (1939) and Bharosa (1940), Mehboob Khan's Roti (1942), Taqdeer (1943) and Humayun (1945). His other notable movies include Jwala (1938), Apna Ghar (1942), Naukar (1943), Mumtaz Mahal (1944), Draupadi (1944) and Panna Dai (1945). His last appearance was in Ramesh Saigal's 1948 film Shaheed. As Rai Bahadur Dwarka Nath, he played father to Ram, who was portrayed by Dilip Kumar. Mohan's character in this film initially supports the British Government but later favors the Freedom Struggle.
Chndra Mohan took to heavy gambling and drinking and died penniless in 1949 at the age of 44.

Shanta Apte (1916–1964)

No film star created as much sensation by her behavior as did Shanta Apte, who was aptly described as “the stormy petrel of the Indian screen.” Shanta Apte had a very eventful career as both film and stage star. Shanta Apte learnt sing­ing in childhood and made a name for herself as a singer at Ganpati festivals in Poona. When the movies began to talk, there was a demand for artistes who could sing. The teenaged Shanta was cast as Radha in Saraswati Cinetone’s mythological “Shayam­sunder”, opposite Shahu Modak as Krishna. The Hindi version did not fare well, but the Marathi version was a phenomenal success. It was the first talkie to run for 25 weeks at one theatre, in Bombay. Her first film for Prabhat was “Amrit­manthan”, based on a story by N. H. Apte. Set in the Buddhist period, the picture was a plea against religious sacrifice. Her songs (especially Raat Ayi Hai Naya Rang Jamane Ke Liye) became a popular craze. “Amritmanthan” was the first Hindi film to celebrate a silver jubilee in Bombay. During her contract with Pra­bhat she appeared in “Amar­jyoti”, “Rajput Ramani”, “Duniya Na Mane”, “Wahan” and “Gopal Krishna”. “Amarjyoti” and “Du­niya Na Mane” were directed by V. Shantaram. In “Amarjyoti” she played the romantic lead and the ward of a woman who hated men. In “Duniya Na Mane” she was cast as Nirmala, a young girl marri­ed to a man old enough to be her father. Instead of accepting the marriage as a ‘failed accomplishment” she revolts, refusing to have conjugal relations with her hus­band and making him realize his mistake. Her performance in “Duniya Na Mane” proved beyond doubt that Shanta Apte was a very talented actress.

A singer of repute herself Shanta Apte was vehemently opposed to playback singing by ghost voices.
Shanta Apte went to Lahore to appear in Pancholi’s “Zamindar”. “Zamindar” was a success. And Shanta Apte’s song Chhotasa Sansar scored by Ghu­lam Haider became a memorable hit. Back in Bombay Shanta Apte appeared in Debaki Bose’s “Apna Ghar”. She played the role of Meera, a young girl married to a widowed forest officer who lives in the jungle. With Chandramohan cast as her overpowering husband, who represented the ruling class, Shanta Apte symbolized mother India trying to break the fetters. She was ideally cast as the girl re­belling against old concepts. She gave a sterling performance. Her other important role during that period was as Mahashweta in “Kadambari”, based on the Sanskrit classic of the same name. Shanta Apte looked glamorous in this film. Her performance in “Swayam­siddha” won her accolades. “Swayamsiddha” was Shanta Apte’s last great performance. Indeed, her three outstanding performances were as a rebel revolting against injustice in “Duniya Na Mane”, “Apna Ghar” and “Swayamsiddha”.

Shanta Apte was perhaps the first star to write a book. Entitled “Jaoo Mi Cinemat” (Should I join films) it was meant as a warning and guide to young aspirants. A Marathi play “Kachecha Chandra” (Glass Moon) was based on it. It has been a big success.

Shahu Modak (1918 - 1993)

Mostly famous for playing mythological characters, especially Lord Krishna, Shahu Modak was a well-known actor of Hindi and Marathi movies in the 30s and 40s. He acted in numerous films from 1932 to 1986, playing the role of Lord Krishna's character in around 30 movies. He also sang two songs for movie Bharat Milap. His most noted movies include: Shyam Sunder (1932), Nand Ke Lala (1934), Begunah (1937), Aadmi (1939), Manoos (1939), Sant Dyaneshwar (1940), Apna Paraya (1942), Bharat Milap (1942), Vasant Sena (1942), Dulhan (1943), Maharathi Karn (1944), Meghdoot (1945), Nar Narayan (1949), Veer Ghatotkach (1949), Bhagwan Shri Krishna (1950), Bhishma Pratigya (1950), Bhakta Puran (1952), Dashera (1956), Bhakta Dhruva (1957), Narsi Bhagat (1957), Ram Bhakta Vibhishan (1959), Sant Tukaram (1965), Hari Darshan (1972), Har Har Mahadev (1974), Meera (1979) and Razia Sultan (1983). Out of all these films V. Shantaram's Aadmi (1939) was Shahu Modak's most famous film ever. Not only this was Shantaram's masterpiece movie and a landmark in the annals of Hindi as well as Marathi (Manoos) cinema, it made Shahu Modak famous for his brilliant performance as an honest police official. Even an award, Shahu Modak Manoos Award, has been instituted in his memory. The Rangat Sangat Pratishthan gives this award since 2001 to a senior artist of Marathi cinema. This award is given at the hands of police commissioner since Shahu Modak played the role of a police in film Manoos.

Shahu Modak was a renowned astrologer as well, and it is said that he knew his day of judgment in advance. His wife was Pratibha Modak, who was earlier a Jain sadhvi. When Shahu Modak had met her, he had predicted with his palmistry skills that one day she will leave her sainthood. She has written a book on Shahu Modak. The book is unique for it is the first one to give an insight into the personal life and deep intellectual acumen of one of India’s best known lead actors.

Prem Adib (1917 - 1959)

Famous as cineworld's Ram, Prem Adib's first film as a hero opposite Shobhana Samarth was NIRALA HINDUSTAN(Industrial India). He appeared once again as a hero in GHUNGHATWAALI, BHOLBHOLE and SADHANA (1939). In SAUBHAGYA (1940), again as a hero with Shobhana Samarth, Prem Adib also sang the songs. From 1936 to 1940, there were 11 films released with acting by Prem Adib. In terms of popularity, the decade of the 1940s was his career's best phase. In the early 40s, Prem Adib joined the prestigious Prakash Pictures. Prakash Pictures films in which Prem Adib acted were: DARSHAN, BHARAT MILAP, CHUDIYAAN, STATION MASTER, RAM RAJYA, POLICE, VIKRAMADITYA and RAAM-BAAN.

Ram of Bharat Milap and Ram Rajya became the most memorable role of his career. Released at Super Cinema in Mumbai, Ram Rajya scaled the peaks of popularity. It ran continuously for 108 weeks. People started worshipping Prem Adib as Ram after BHARAT MILAAP and RAM RAJYA. He was showered with Ram roles. Tired of crazy fans Prem Adib used to explain to them that he was just an ordinary man like them and that they should not worship him and insult Lord Ram, but it had no effect on people. Believing that Ram's visit would get rid of their sorrows, many people would insist on inviting him to their homes. In a village near Udaipur, the idol of Ram for a newly built Ram Temple was made to look like the Ram of RAAM RAJYA. On seeing the publicity vehicles that had posters of RAM RAJYA, people would worship and offer gifts to the images of Ram(Prem Adib) and Sita(Shobhana Samarth).

After Ram Rajya, Prem Adib had 30 film releases. Most of them were religious films with the notable exception of Mehboob's musical Anokhi Ada (1948) in which he costarred with singing star Surendra and beauty queen Naseem Bano. On 25th December, 1959 Prem Adib had gone to a party with his wife Pratima. During the day he was healthy and fine, but after coming back he had an attack of brain hemorrhage due to high blood pressure. When his fans came to know they complained that if they had been informed they would have given him a farewell befitting Ram.

Karan Dewan (1917-1979)

There was a time when Karan De­wan was known as a jubilee star; in fact over 20 of his starrers celebrated jubilees. In 1941 Karan Dewan made his debut as Puran in “Puran Bhagat” (Punjabi). He got his first big break in “Tamanna” in which he was cast opposite Leela Desai. His next big film “Rattan”, co-starring Swaranlata, cele­brated a golden jubilee and the song Jab Tum Hi Chale Pardes sung by Karan him­self for Naushad, set a new vogue for sad songs. In 1945 two pictures starring Karan Dewan cele­brated silver jubilees, Zeenat and Bhai Jaan (both with Noor Jehan). The spell of success continued with mo­vies like “Mehndi,” “Do Dil,” “Krishna Sudama,” his only mythological film, and “Shak­ti”. Karan Dewan proved po­pular in an era when the hero had to be meek and non-vio­lent and suffer defeat and frustration with equanimity. He was ideal for such roles.

His post partition success started with a Punjabi film “Chaman,” produced by his brother. It was followed by “Lahore” (1948) and “Chhoti Bha­bhi,” (1950) in which Nargis was his co-star, V. Shantaram’s “Dahej” (with Jayashree), “Duniya” (Suraiya), “Rakhi” (Kamini Kaushal) and “Pardes” (Madhubala). Karan played the lead opposite newcomer Meena Kumari in Ranjit’s “Piya Ghar Aaaja” in 1947 and opposite Vyjayanthimala, also a new­comer, in A.V.M.’s “Bahar” in 1951. Other hits to his credit included V. Shantaram’s “Teen Batti Char Rasta” (op­posite Sandhya) and M.Sadiq’s “Musafirkhana”. He co-starred with Meena in Shorey’s “Jalwa” and “Aag Ka Dariya.” He appeared opposite Geeta Bali in “Sau ka Note.”

After his days as the leading man were over, Karan Dewan made occasional appear­ances on the screen. He contributed excellent cameos in “Daadi Maa”, “Shahid Bhagatsingh”, “Jeene Ki Raah” and ”Maa Aur Mamta.”

All fame is ephemeral but there are still some who still sparkle and not completely gone into eclipse? I would welcome and appreciate comments from readers who can recollect and share their knowledge of any other names from Bollywood's once famous now forgotten.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Attracted To Pornography

Bangalore, Feb 8, 2012:
In a huge embarrassment to the BJP government in Karnataka, two ministers were allegedly caught on TV camera watching porn on mobile phone during assembly proceedings in the first such ugly incident in the state's legislative history. A regional TV channel aired the footage of Minister for Cooperation Laxman Savadi and Minister for Women and Child Development C C Patil allegedly watching the clippings. A close look and replay of the video footage showed the duo sitting together and watching pornographic material on a mobile handset which belonged to fellow minister J Krishna Palemar. All three have now resigned as ministers.

The Karnataka assembly's porn show is hardly the first instance of its kind. From USA to Australia and beyond, lawmakers tend to have "slipped fingers":

Indonesia, April 11, 2011
An Indonesian MP who helped pass a tough anti-pornography law has resigned after being caught watching sexually explicit videos on his computer during a parliamentary debate.

Australia
MP Paul McLeay was caught surfing porn sites on a parliamentary computer while in office. While the fact that he was busted while doing so may have seemed hilarious to most at first, the whole scenario became a lot less funny when his internet history showed up searches on child pornography.

USA
Former Florida Senator Mike Bennett of the Republican Party was caught accessing pornographic images, as his colleagues were discussing the bill on anti-abortion. A media reporter, who was in the room, managed to capture Bennett's reckless action. In the 28-second video, Bennett was seen looking at the pictures showing a number of topless women on his laptop. Bennett defended himself, saying that he accidentally accessed pornographic sites.

Italy
66-year-old MP Simeone di Cagno Abbrescia was caught checking out women on an escort website during a session. "I was looking at my messages when a window opened up and I couldn't help looking at the pictures of those lovely girls," he explained. He later added, "My finger slipped."

Croatia
An unnamed MP was caught watching an X-rated flick by fellow politicians... during a debate on road safety! It also emerged later that his MP pals had joined him in viewing the videos.

Per Asklund, Sweden
In November 2011, this high-ranking local politician from western Sweden was found to have made thousands of visits to numerous pornographic websites from his office computer. While Asklund, member of the Moderate Party, denied purchasing sex, an examination of his office computer by the municipality's IT department revealed that the politician spent a fair amount of his working day visiting pornographic websites and sites offering escort services.

To be fair to all such fallen heroes, we must remember that they have, in fact, fallen prey to that part of human psychology where boredom from over-indulgence in one's every day business creates a desire for diversion, a pleasure, more often a depraved pleasure, and so forth in a potentially unending downward spiral towards total degradation. In a nightmarish scenario, an upstanding politician could thus wake up to find himself on one of the web’s many sites explicitly dedicated to facilitating illicit activity. Like any metropolis, the web has neighborhoods, some safer and some horrific. Unlike any other metropolis, the web lacks a government, laws, or a police force. The only universally acknowledged cyber-crime is the intentional spreading of computer viruses—infectious software programs that could impair the experience of other cyber-tourists. Beyond this, there are no moral guidelines. A turn down the wrong cyber-street guarantees exposure to information or images at least as corrosive as anything available in the streets of New York, Paris, or Tokyo—and often even worse. For example, the web hosts thousands of pornographic sites—offering material that is as explicit and generally more violent than what is found in print publications—and these sites are heavily trafficked. A British survey reported that over half of all word searches on the Internet are aimed at locating pornography. The top eight word searches were all pornography related. Although much of the explicit material available online is free, through fee-per-view services and advertisements the online pornography industry currently generates about $1 billion annually. Researchers explain that it is the web’s “Triple-A Engine”—access, affordability, and anonymity—that drives the online pornography industry.

Politicians particularly are attracted to Internet pornography because it gives them a brief—albeit depraved—opportunity to leave their painful, lonesome reality in the legislative assembly, without having to manipulate a 'walk out' or a forced adjournment by the Speaker. Loneliness can be excruciating, and these statesmen are so desperate to escape their solitary lives in the House that they use the Internet like a sort of hallucinogenic drug. After the fantasy, return to reality is even more painful, and then these men often feel terribly guilty too; but until they find real pleasure in their political pursuits, they are likely to return to the net again and again. Legislatures are regarded as temples of democracy. Acts such as abusing, screaming, seeing dirty pictures and flinging slippers on one another by members denigrate parliamentary democracy. They lead to a loss of faith in Parliament and democracy. It is the primary responsibility of party leaders to work towards eliminating such acts, by inculcating parliamentary behavior among the members.

Healing, not condemnation, is at the heart of this problem. What is needed is healing the personality weaknesses that virtually guarantee some individuals will fall victim to Internet temptations. Exploring different aspects of how to help them give up these addictions and resist the pressure to resume this behavior, the immediate thoughts go to our revered spiritual Saints or Gurus who really are the best bet to bring sanity to all such statesmen. And as far as the three ministers of BJP government in Karnataka are concerned, there can be no better Guru to give them sense than Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the world famous spiritual leader, who himself belongs to Karnataka. Rather than inadvertently allowing parties like BJP to take advantage of his fame, in elections or otherwise, he could render real help in the healing process of the concerned BJP ministers in Karnataka, who, while attending the Assembly in session, were attracted to pornography.

Thursday, February 09, 2012

"Tera Kya Hoga Kalia?"

Thanks to the many celebrated screenwriters who have provided generations of movie-goers with memorable movie quotes, one-liners, quips, punch-lines, statements, and even insults. Their words are remembered through popular use, critical acclaim, shock value and quotability. Scores of memorable lines have captured our attention by the way the line was delivered, by the tone in the actor's voice. Here is a tribute to some of the top Bollywood actors who were most applauded for their powerful voices:

Sohrab Modi:

In 1950, when Sohrab Modi's Sheesh Mahal was being screened at Minerva Theatre in Bombay, the actor was present at the hall. Mr. Modi noticed a man sitting in the front row with closed eyes. Upset with such a reaction, he asked an attendant to let the viewer out and to return his money. The employee came back to say that the person was blind but had come just to hear Sohrab Modi's lines. Much earlier, Sohrab Modi had craved for a larger canvass, as a director, and as an actor, which propelled him to embark on an ambitious journey, wherein he did a trilogy based on the historical genre – “Pukar” (1939), “Sikandar” (1941) and “Prithvi Vallabh” (1943), wherein Modi made the most of his gift for wonderful dialogue delivery.

Perhaps Modi's greatest film was Sikander, the epic film set in 326 BC when Alexander the Great (Prithviraj Kapoor), having conquered Persia and the Kabul Valley, descends on the Indian border at Jhelum and encounters Porus (Modi), who stops the advance with his troops. Its dramatic, declamatory dialogue gave both Prithviraj Kapoor and Sohrab Modi free rein to their histrionic proclivities.

In all his early movies, Sohrab Modi re-created the look and sound of Parsee theatre by using frontal compositions and staging the narrative in spatial layers with copious use of Urdu dialogue, which was highly applauded by the audiences and attracted them again and again to the theaters for repeat watching of his films.

Prithviraj Kapoor:

The title role in Sohrab Modi's Sikandar (1941) immortalized Prithviraj Kapoor. Undoubtedly, Modi's dream of making Sikander would have remained unfulfilled had he not roped in another actor with equally powerful voice, Prithiviraj Kapoor, to play the lead role of Alexander The Great. Kapoor was par excellence in the role, probably one of the best in his illustrious career. He exuded the charisma and strength of character that is the hall mark of an Emperor. His body language, the modulation of his voice, the style of his dialogue delivery are truly remarkable bringing forth the determination that would have characterized Alexander as he embarked on his mission to conquer the world. The film heightened his enduring reputation for playing royalty, enhanced further by his role as Akbar in Mughal-e-Azam (1960). The film boasts a cache of riches: high drama exquisitely verbalized through dialogues that can be shimmeringly ornate yet have the edge of a medieval sword. The regal Prithviraj Kapoor uses his booming voice to great effect that is extremely impressive, and continues to haunt movie-lovers. Dialogue like “Hum apne bete ke dhadakte hue dil ke liye Hindustan ki taqdeer nahin badal sakte” and “Mohabbat jo darti hai wo mohabbat nahin ayyashi hai, gunaah hai” became so famous that the makers of the film used them as blurbs on the film’s posters when the movie was released again recently in color.

Durga Khote

Starting as one of the foremost leading ladies of her times, she remained active in Hindi and Marathi cinema, as well as theatre, for over 50 years, starring in around 200 films and numerous theatre productions. Durga played Ram’s fiercely resentful step-mother, Kaikeyi, in “Bharat Milap”, jealously coveting the throne for her own son. Durga Khote’s flashing verve and beauty, the fire-to-dulcet changes of voice and flame-like personification of the grasping queen made one understand, if not quite condone the old king’s doting weakness. She excelled in her craft leaving a lasting impression with her performance in V. Shantaram`s Amar Jyoti (1936) and Baburao Painter`s Pratibha (1937). The major highlights of Sohrab Modi's Prithvi Vallabh (1943) were the confrontations between Modi and Durga Khote, the haughty queen Mrinalvati, who tries to humiliate him publicly but then falls in love with him. She played royal characters and mythological roles to the hilt, thanks to her regal looks and wonderful dialog delivery. No one can forget her performance as Jodhabai, queen of Emperor Akbar, who was torn between her duty towards her husband and her love for her son, in K. Asif’s historical film Mughal-e-Azam (1960). She played this role with dignity and grace and no wonder, her role in this film was widely appreciated.

Rajkumar:

“Jaani… hum tumhein maarenge, aur zaroor maarenge, par bandook bhi hamari hogi, goli bhi hamari hogi, aur waqt bhi hamara hoga!” (Darling… I'll kill you, most definitely, but the gun will be mine, as will the bullet, and the time too will be decided by me) — Raj Kumar in the film Saudagar.

Jaani… a term of endearment, is synonymous with actor Raj Kumar, the King of dialogue delivery. Raaj Kumar’s unique style of dialogue delivery made him a darling of millions. So much so that filmmakers would instruct their dialogue writers to take extra pains to pack the dialogue meant for this actor with extraordinary punch. He made any number of dialogues famous with his effective delivery but the one that became most famous is “Sheeshe ke gharon mein rehne wale doosron par patthar nahin fenka karte, Chinoy Seth” in Waqt.

Having acted in Hindi films for over four decades, he can best be described as an unconventional hero, with a pencil-thin moustache, a deadpan face and stony eyes, but with an understated acting style that blended beautifully with one of the most forceful and iconic dialogue deliveries that Bollywood has seen. Who can forget that punchy dialogue from the hit film Tiranga, where Raj Kumar says, “Na talwaar ki dhaar se, na goliyon ki bauchaar se… banda darta hai to sirf parvardigaar se” (The sword doesn't scare me, neither does the shower of bullets… all that I fear is the Lord Almighty).

In the Hindi film industry's first multi-starrer, B.R. Chopra's Waqt, Raj Kumar towered among the stalwarts, his baritone spouting one of the most memorable dialogues in Hindi films: “Chinai Seth, chhuri bachchon ke khelne kee cheez nahin hoti, haath kat jaye to khoon nikal aata hai.” (Knives are no playthings for children; when cut, the hand bleeds.)

And, the Mother of all romantic filmi dialogues — Kamal Amrohi wrote some really flowery romantic lines for his 1972 epic, Pakeezah. In one scene, Raaj Kumar leaves a note near a sleeping Meena Kumari's feet. It says in his raspy voiceover: 'Aap ke paon dekhe, bahut haseen hai. Inhe zameen par mat utariyega maile ho jayenge." (I saw your feet, they are beautiful. Don't lower them on the ground they will get soiled.)

Amitabh Bachchan:

Living legend Amitabh Bachchan made several dialogues famous with his unique voice and style of delivery. Who can forget his rebuke to Pran in Zanjeer (Ye police station hai, tumhare baap ka ghar nahin) or his bid to put Sanjeev Kumar to shame in Trishul (Aur aap mere najayaz baap hain)? He has delivered Hindi cinema's most memorable dialogues that have stayed with us, becoming entrenched in our daily speech. In the era of action films, Amitabh Bachchan dominated the scene in his signature baritone voice. From the intense "Aaj bhi main phenke hue paise nahi utthata" (Deewaar) to comic "Munchche hon to Natthuram jaisi hon warna na hon" (Sharaabi), from romantic "Main aur meri tanhaai aksar yeh baate karte hain" (Silsila) to commanding "Rishtey mein to hum tumhare baap lagte hain, naam hai Shahenshah" (Shahenshah) and the all-encompassing "Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahin, namumkin hai" (Don) — he delivered his lines with such conviction that you not only believed what he said but also remembered his lines long after. Amitabh’s dialogues are still the USP of his films.
A superb scene from Deewaar. Amitabh: "Aaj mere paas buildinge hain, property hai, bank balance hai, bungla hai, gaadi hai. Kya hai tumhaare paas?" (I have buildings, properites, bank balance, bungalow and a car. What do you have?)
Shashi Kapoor: "Mere paas maa hai." (I have our mother.)
This scene and dialogue from Amitabh’s Zanjeer was fabulous. The scene where Pran comes to meet him at the police station and Amitabh says, “Yeh police station hai tumhare Baap Ka ghar nahi.”
"English is a phunny language," agrees Amitabh in Namak Halal before he launches on his famously breathless cricket commentary.
Big B was always famous for his screen name and no one has still forgotten this dialogue from Agneepath - Vijay Dinanath Chauhan.

Shatrughan Sinha:

Shatrughan Sinha had started making his presence felt in the film circuit within a year of his entry into the films. If the superhit Khilona brought him the much-needed recognition, Gulzar’s Mere Apne (1971) raised him to the pedestal of a star. He played the role of a street don who has bitter enmity with his rival Vinod Khanna. He was able to make that much-needed impact with his performance, particularly his powerful dialogue delivery. Shatrughan Sinha had a booming voice that instantly connected with 1970s audience. Meena Kumari, who worked with him in Mere Apne, had observed that Shatrughan punctuated his dialogue according to his whim; he placed a comma in place of a full stop, but held the audience in thrall, nonetheless. Watch this scene: Shatrughan Sinha (playing gang-leader Chhainu) to a ration shop owner: "Ghaslet, bachche ghaslet. Mitti ka tel. Agar phir bhi samajh na aaya ho toh dukaan ko aag lagakar samjhaun ..." (If you don't comprehend what kerosene is, I can set your shop afire so that you can understand.)

Shatrughan Sinha tasted major success with Subhash Ghai’s thriller Kalicharan (1976). The movie proved decisive in his career and he started doing more hero roles after this. The Ghai-Sinha-Roy trio delivered another hit right after Kalicharan in the form of Vishwanath (1976). Sinha then worked with the best directors of those times: Prakash Mehra (Jwalamukhi, 1980), Manmohan Desai (Naseeb, 1971), Ramesh Sippy (Shaan, 1980), Raj Khosla (Dostana, 1980) and Yash Chopra (Kaala Patthar, 1979). In Kaala Patthar, Dostana and Naseeb, Sinha and Amitabh Bachchan brought the best out of each other. The confrontation scene between him and Amitabh Bachchan in the movie Kala Patthar (1979) is often considered as one of the greatest confrontation scenes between two heroes in a Hindi movie.
“Khamosh!!” (meaning shut up!!!) is one of his most famous dialogues.

Nana Patekar:

Director N. Chandra cast him in his 1986 film – Ankush. This film did wonderfully well and suddenly Nana was on the road to stardom. Nana Patekar has been involved in some really nice movies that have touched the audiences in one or the other way in such a manner that he will be remembered for these roles for a long time to come. What is most note worthy of his acting is his dialogue delivery. Parinda depicted him as a villain running an underworld nexus involved in money laundering, kidnapping and such activities. He played the role to perfection along with Jackie Shroff and the movie was a country wide success. The role fetched him the National Award and also the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also played major role in the 1996 hit movie Khamoshi The Musician directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and co-starring with Salman Khan and Manisha Koirala At times during his career, it was noted that he was an epitome of the "angry young man" role and that he was well suited for such roles and would carry it on as a forerunner of Amitabh Bachchan and Mithun Chakraborty.

The other film worth mentioning is ‘Krantiveer’ made by Mehul Kumar. It had the typical fast dialogue delivery by Nana and he said it all with such authority that those who saw the movie at the cinema halls stood up and applauded every time he said something. So metamorphic was this movie that all the people from the Bollywood fraternity, all the critics, the press, the audiences took note of his acting. His acting was vindicated when he was honored with the National Award, the Star Screen Award and the Filmfare Award for Best Actor for this very movie.

When it comes to dialogue, one just cannot afford to conclude an article without mentioning Sholay. The makers of the film were so overwhelmed by the popularity of its dialogues (penned by Salim-Javed) that they took the unprecedented step of bringing out albums of that. Whether it was Veeru (Dharmendra) or Jai (Amitabh Bachchan), the angrezon ke zamaane ke jailor (Asrani) or Soorma Bhopali (Jagdeep), their dialogues simply mesmerized the cine-goers. But the dialogues that attained the maximum popularity were those delivered by Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan). And from among his lot, the ones that continue to top the popularity charts even today are the one-liners, “Kitne aadmi the?” and “Tera kya hoga Kalia?”