Movie Recommendation - Ankur

Cast: Shabana Azmi, Anant Nag, Sadhu Meher, Priya Tendulkar.

Release Year: 1974.

Director: Shyam Benegal.

Ankur is a movie that can be credited for starting the ‘Parallel Cinema’ movement in India. Shyam Benegal’s critically acclaimed debut was a box office success as well and went on to win three National Awards.

Surya (Anant Nag) is a college student who wants to pursue further studies but is sent away to manage his share of the family land far away from the village. Married to a young bride Saru (Priya Tendulkar) who will stay at her parents’ house till she attains puberty, Surya finds himself attracted to his servant Lakshmi (Shabana Azmi). Lakshmi is married to an unemployed deaf-mute potter, Kishtayya (Sadhu Meher) who also does a few odd jobs for Surya. Lakshmi spurns Surya’s advances at first. But when Kishtayya is caught stealing toddy and disappears without a trace, she submits to him. However, it isn’t very clear whether she chooses to have an affair because she is attracted to Surya, or because she does not want to lose her job.

The affair is passionate at the outset, but the fire soon diminishes as Saru comes to live with Surya. Having heard the rumours of her husband affair, she does not waste any time in sending Lakshmi away from the house. Meanwhile, Lakshmi’s pregnancy adds to Surya’s troubles; and gives him the opportunity to treat her with disdain. Lakshmi is caught in a sticky situation when Kishtayya returns and assumes himself to be the father of the child.

Ankur is shot gorgeously, in bright blues, yellows and reds. Shabana Azmi’s performance is luminous and quite remarkable for a debut. The film won her the first of her five National Awards. Anant Nag is also very impressive as the rich, spoilt brat. The film’s background score mostly consists of natural sounds and is beautifully used throughout the film. The film also laid down certain topics that Benegal used in many of his later films.

PanchamMagic!

I had the privilege of attending one of PanchanMagic’s shows last night. This was the second one I attended and must say, was completely blown away! Whats so different about the show you ask? Well, for starters, its not one of those shows where novice singers try to sing Pancham’s compositions. Coz anything other than the original rendition is quite lifeless. In this show, people who have worked closely with Pancham share their experiences, memories, anecdotes about him. His music is scrutinized and discussed upon. Each guest on the show provides an insight into the legend’s love for life, and music.

The show delved into Pancham’s love for food, his style of mixing western and classical music, his bizarre music-making techniques, and even his last days, when the industry chose to walk out on him. What always fascinated me about Pancham’s music was his use of different instruments, or even everyday objects. Whether it is a comb used in Padosan, or tinkling of glasses in Chura Liya, or even an empty bottle! He could produce music out of anything. Why, on one occasion he’d stood in his balcony the entire night to record the sound of raindrops! And yesterday’s show only added to my RD knowledge!

An interesting trivia that Mr. Pravesh Sippy shared; during the recording of any Pancham song, Kishore Kumar was always called in at the last moment.  He explained that maybe it was because Kishore Kumar would always take over the song in such a way even without rehearsing, that they feared he would steal the thunder if he was rehearsed beforehand!

Its amazing how a man can live on so many years in the hearts of his fans by the sheer power of his music. Music so pure and eternal that it grows into you. Music so enjoyable that you can listen to it ceaselessly!

The World's Worst Dog

I was watching Marley & Me today. Such a wonderful movie. I must have seen it around ten times before this; and have always cried at the last scene. Today, it was different. I found myself sobbing and then wailing through the entire last thirty minutes. Almost made me wonder if something is wrong with me!

And Marley is so adorable. They call him the world’s worst dog. That is unfair. Even my dog is a strong contender for the title. Like Marley, he chews on anything and everything. Including the furniture. Even he doesn’t walk; he sprints. He’ll bark if anybody’s at the door. He’ll howl if I walk out of the door. Not to mention, two trainers have given up on him.

Yes, he drives me nuts. But know what? I’m nuts about him! It’s a great feeling when you come home tired and somebody just runs up to you, jumps on you, or licks your face! Yes, it is. And nothing in the world can match that.

Quoting Owen Wilson’s lines from the film –

A dog has no use for fancy cars or big homes or designer clothes

A waterlogged stick will do just fine.

A dog didn’t care if you’re rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb

Give him your heart and he’ll give you his

How many people can you say that about?

How many people can make you feel rare, and pure, and special?

How many people can make you feel extraordinary?

Song Of The Week

A song I can think of that has beautiful written all over it – Lag Jaa Gale from Woh Kaun Thi. One of my favourite Madan Mohan compositions, rendered so emotively by Lata Mangeshkar. The melody haunts you for a long long time even after you’ve finished listening to it.

To think of it, the song was never recorded in the first place. Madan Mohan had composed the tune for a romantic situation in the film, but the director, Raj Khosla rejected it. Madan Mohan was confident about the song and he requested Manoj Kumar to listen to it. Manoj Kumar loved the tune so much, that he came to the next sitting and convinced Raj Khosla to include it in the film. The song thus got recorded, and even features in Lata Mangeshkar’s collection of her own favourites.

* Humko mili hai aaj yeh ghadiyaan naseeb se

Jee bahr ke dekh lijiye humko kareeb se

Phir aapke naseeb mein yeh baat ho na ho

Shayad phir iss janam mein mulakaat ho na ho..*

Song: Lag Jaa Gale

Film: Woh Kaun Thi

Music: Madan Mohan

Lyrics: Raja Mehdi Ali Khan

Vocals: Lata Mangeshkar

Let it be.

I wish I could say ‘I don’t care’ atleast once and really mean it. I have abused the term many a times.

How difficult can it be? And You, yes You. How much time has it been? Three? Or four years? I sometimes wonder what a nutcase of a heart mine is that I still cannot get over you. You have a world of your own. A world where you look happy to me. You choose to say otherwise. I am unsure what to believe. I let the silence speak.

And you have to run into me on a rainy evening. Right when I have a coffee craving. Its surprising you still recall how I like my coffee. I’m surprised why you have started putting three sachets of sugar into yours.

You complain about the traffic. And the potholes. I can’t help but remember how you used to love the monsoons. How you used to roam around without any rainy-gear. Today, I noticed you were carrying an umbrella.

You seem like you were in a place somewhere else.

I wonder when I’ll be set into motion.

Kiss Them Goodbye

8 seasons, 180 episodes. This is it.

I remember surfing through hundreds of channels before I came to Star World. The moment I saw James Denton, I was hooked! (My heart broke when they killed him in the eighth season). Then came the ladies…Susan, Gaby, Lynette, Bree – and I never missed an episode after that!

They made me go ‘Aww’ at an emo scene.

And made me go ‘Hawwwww!’ at their secrets!

They taught me bitching was fun, after all.

I laughed my ass off at the physical comedy.

I laughed at their racist jokes. The sexist ones too!

As the finale nears, I realize, gosh I’m so gonna miss this! *Sigh*. Goodbye ladies. How I wish the dirty laundry never ended.

Awkward Moment #1

That awkward moment when you drink a Chocolate milkshake after ages, make that 'mmm-mmmm' sound on drinking it and realize ten people around are staring at you. 

Movie Recommendation - Andaz Apna Apna

Cast: Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Raveena Tandon, Karishma Kapur, Paresh Rawal, Shakti Kapoor.

Release Year: 1994.

Director: Rajkumar Santoshi.

Epic is perhaps the only word that can describe this movie. Though it was a box office dud upon its release, Andaz Apna Apna has achieved cult status over the years among its fans.

Amar (Aamir Khan) and Prem (Salman Khan) are two losers who dream of getting rich by marrying Raveena Bajaj (Raveena Tandon), daughter of a wealthy businessman, Ram Gopal Bajaj (Paresh Rawal). Amar and Prem make a lot of efforts to win over Raveena, but what they don’t know is that the asli Raveena Bajaj is actually the assistant, Karishma (Karishma Kapur). They also don’t know that Ram Gopal Bajaj has an evil twin, Shyam Gopal Bajaj (or Teja!). Teja hatches a plan to kidnap Ram and make away with the money, which has been converted into diamonds. For this, he sets up Robert…err..Raaaabert (Viju Khote) and Bhalla (Shehzad Khan) in Raveena’s house. Teja succeeds in his plan and what follows is utter confusion!

The film boasts of brilliant performances by the entire cast, and even the supporting cast, however miniscule the role may be. A standout among them is Paresh Rawal, who has you in splits with every single line. Music by Tushar Bhatia is very reminiscent of the 50’s and 80’s and Majrooh Sultanpuri’s words blend well with the compositions. The highlight of this film, however are the dialogues. Just downright hilarious.

For all those who haven’t watched the film, hell you’re missing out! Go buy a DVD today! And for those who have seen it a billion times, here are some memorable lines:

- Teja: “Yeh thailii mein pachaas lakh laye hai?”

   Robert: “Sir, lakh lakh ke pachaas cheque hoenge sir!”

- Bhalla: “Veh Vasco De Gama ki gun hai”

   Teja: “Kiske mama ki gun hai?”

- Gogo: “Yeh Teja Teja kya hai? Yeh Teja Teja..”

- Ram Gopal Bajaj: “Teja main hoon, mark idhar hai!”

- Teja: “Hamara Bajaj!”

- Ram Gopal Bajaj: “Nonsense!”

- Gogo: “Kya namaste namaste? Daawat pea aye ho kya?”

- Prem: “Uui Ma!”

- Amar: “Zhakaas!”   :P

Song Of The Week

In the film Bawarchi, Rajesh Khanna has a dialogue which goes somewhat like this –

‘Khushi ke geet phuljhadi ki tarah hote hai…jalkar bujh jaate hai. Lekin dukhbhare geet toh agarbatti ki tarah hote hai…jal jaane ke baad bhi unki khushboo zindagi mein mehekti rehti hai’.

How true!

Song for this week is an aromatic agarbatti – Chingaari Koi Bhadke from Amar Prem. If I were to describe it one word, I would call it a masterpiece. Such profound lyrics by Anand Bakshi. I go all gaga over the words every single time I listen to it. Pancham’s composition gives you time to let the words sink in. And the way it has been shot only adds to the beauty.

When the song was being composed, the guitar was being played and an incorrect chord was plucked. This produced a completely different sound. Pancham used this chord to create the opening strums! Come to think of it, the song would have not been the same if it were not for the strumming.

* Manaa toofaan ke aage, nahiin chalataa jor kisika

Maujon kaa dosh nahiin hai, ye dosh hain aur kisi kaa

Majdhaar mein naiyyaa dole, toh maanjhi paar lagaaye

Maanjhi jo naav duboye, usee kaun bachaaye*

Song: Chingaari Koi Bhadke

Film: Amar Prem

Lyrics: Anand Bakshi

Music: R.D.Burman

Vocals: Kishore Kumar

Movie Recommendation - Angoor

Cast: Sanjeev Kumar, Deven Verma, Moushmi Chatterjee, Aruna Irani, Deepti Naval, Utpal Dutt.

Release Year: 1972.

Director: Gulzar.

If I had to name some evergreen comedy films, the list would definitely contain Angoor. Gulzar’s tale based on Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors, Angoor is a laugh riot that does full justice to the original story.

Raj Tilak (Utpal Dutt) and his wife (Shammi) are on a trip with their twin sons. The boys are so alike that even their mother is unable to differentiate between them. Both of them are called Ashok since Mr. Tilak feels that if they look the same, their names should also be the same! The couple adopts another set of twins that are found abandoned near the temple, and name both the boys Bahadur. The couple is travelling on a ship when the ship meets with a mishap. The husband and wife end up separated with one kid from the two pairs each, and assume the other spouse to be dead.

Many years later, Ashok (Sanjeev Kumar) is married to Sudha (Moushmi Chatterjee) and Bahadur (Deven Verma) is married to Prema (Aruna Irani). They all stay in the same house along with Ashok’s sister-in-law, Tanu (Deepti Naval). Troubles begin when the other pair of Ashok and Bahadur also comes to the same city. The events that follow thereafter are uproarious.

Sanjeev Kumar is tremendous as usual. He portrays both the Ashoks in a way that you can tell them apart. The native Ashok is angry and mad while the other Ashok is always shocked and suspicious by nature. His reactions to Tanu holding his hand, or the other Bahadur acting strange are priceless.  Deven Verma excels as the sidekick and his confused expressions will have you in splits. A scene to watch out is the one where he asks the shopkeeper to give him a sturdy rope for committing suicide. Moushmi Chatterjee, Deepti Naval and Aruna Irani are the perfect supporting cast.

This is one film where I feel songs could have been avoided. Nonetheless, the two-three tracks by R.D.Burman are memorable. The dialogues are witty and typical Gulzar (read: brilliant!). I wonder why such films aren’t made anymore, where the situations are simple and the script is the real hero. No dancing around trees, no phoren locations, no NRI stuff, and where a star’s image cannot overshadow his character. The golden 70’s and 80’s. Sigh.  

A movie not to be missed. Don’t wait for its remake to come out. I’m sure it’ll be crappy as all the other remakes!

Good News & Bad News

The Bad One:

Ok I know I am supposed to write a review today, but the only film that I’ve seen this week is Yaadon Ki Baraat. Not that I haven’t seen other movies before, but I usually watch a film again before I make a recommendation. I was hoping Yaadon Ki Baraat turns out good enough for me to write a review. Sadly, it’s a dud of a film. I wonder why it was such a hit. All and I mean, ALL the actors are so hammy and the story is vaguely similar to Amar Akbar Anthony. So there is no point in wasting an entire post over it.

The Good One:

I have a DVD of Gulzar’s Koshish, which is a brilliant film. And there are more films that I’ll be surfing through at the video library. I intend to watch one tonight and post a review tomorrow.

Satya(?)mev Jayate

Mr. Khan,

Just when I was about to change my opinion on you, you screwed it again. After two well-researched episodes of Satyamev Jayate, you messed up big time with the fourth one. Though I agree with some of the things that you’ve said on the show, there are plenty that you got wrong.

You said a patient on dialysis can live upto 15-20 years. Looks like you believe in miracles. Fact is, life expectancy of a person on dialysis depends on the severity of the disorder. Someone suffering from acute kidney failure can recover and live a long life. But someone with chronic kidney failure cannot live for more than 5 years, unless he opts for a transplant. There have been a few cases where the patient has lived upto 20 years, but lets not ignore the fact that the quality of life is also reduced. Now after watching your show, many patients would not go for kidney transplants and die within 5 years. I hope you take responsibility for that. Also, somebody from the audience (btw, do you pay them for sitting there and reacting? In that case, I’d love to come too) said that her father was forced to undergo a liver transplant 7 years ago. Now, there are only a handful of hospitals in India today that offer liver transplant. So for that to happen about 6-7 years ago in some remote part of the country is almost impossible.

 When you compared the doctors here with the ones in U.K, I wish you’d also compared their working conditions, doctor-to-patient ratio and salaries. You should’ve probably spent a day in a government hospital as a part of your ‘research’. I do not say that the ‘bad doctors’ shouldn’t be punished. Their licenses should be suspended for life. But it looks like you prefer calling all of them as ‘Maut Ke Saudagar’.  It is this generalization you’re doing that I have a problem with. And what the hell did you mean when you said people with ambitions of earning good money should not become doctors? This, coming from a person who earns 3 crore per episode is ironic.

And about that generic medicine thing, you can’t force it down people’s throat, you see. Access to these medicines is essential when people cannot afford branded medicines. But do not forget that the companies who charge more for the same medicine spend millions on research and development of new drugs. Generic drugs, more often than not, are produced by local companies and may produce side-effects and cause aberrant deaths due to their inferior quality. And if you’d done so much of ‘research’, you should’ve atleast bothered to suggest some solutions at the end of the episode, rather than your continual lambasting on doctors.

See, now that ‘Perfectionist’ tag of yours has started to bother me again. Uh, and also those recurring expressions. They call you a good actor. Try some new reactions/expressions if you can. And for God’s sake, please do not wipe tears when you don’t have any. That goes for your audience too. (Ah yes about that, seriously, you pay them?!) It worked for the first two episodes, now its kinda irritating. But let me tell you, the saving grace for your show is the song at the end of each episode. I love the lyrics. Swanand Kirkire is a genius.

I sincerely hope you come up with a better episode the next time. Please don’t ruin my Sunday.

Yours faithfully,

A Concerned Viewer.

Song Of The Week

Its been a quite few days here…but you don’t have much of an option when your PC conks off all of a sudden. How I missed you my dear blog! Aaj Monday hai…chalo koi gaana bajaate hai J So the song for this week is Mera Kuch Samaan from Ijaazat. Yet again, the wonderful trio of Pancham, Gulzar and Asha Bhosle do what they do best – create magic!

If you’ve not seen the movie, let me tell you that the words of the song are actually from a letter that Anuradha Patel writes to her former lover. So the song is a poetry-meets-prose kind of a thing. Accordingly, the composition is very soft and focuses on the words and vocals and at places, is used to draw attention to the atypical lyrics. Lyrics that only Gulzar can write. He uses metaphors so deep, but in such a subtle manner, yet so powerfully. And the santoor playing at interludes is sheer bliss! The song is one of Asha Bhosle’s personal favourites (and mine as well!), and also won her a second National Award, the first one being for Dil Cheez Kya Hain from Umrao Jaan.

The story behind this song is very interesting. Gulzar finished reciting the lyrics, and Pancham replied, ‘Nice situation’. Gulzar told him, ‘Situation nahin, gaana hai. Isko tune lagao’. Pancham retorted, ‘Yaar kal Times of India laooge aur bologe isko tune laga!’ The clash continued till Asha Bhosle suggested a tune for ‘lauta do’. Pancham then went on to create the tune in reverse direction! He used to refer to it as the ‘luggage song’!

Enjoy listening! I can guarantee you’ll rewind it over and over!

* Ek akeli chhatri mein jab aadhe aadhe bheeg rahe the

Aadhe sukhe aadhe geele sukha toh main le aayi thii

Geela mann shayad bistar ke paas padaa ho

Woh bhijva do mera woh samaan lauta do *

Song: Mera Kuch Samaan

Film: Ijaazat

Music: R.D.Burman

Lyrics: Gulzar

Vocals: Asha Bhosle

The Free Bird Feeling!

I’m done, done and done with exams. Phew. That feels good. Now there’s quite a list, of things to be done.

- Clean the house.

- Take that much-needed trip.

- Watch tons of movies.

- Cook. And cook some more!

- Take that camera out of the closet and shoot every damn thing I set my eyes on!

Anger Venting

Starting an Animal Home was one of a thing on my Things-to-do-before-I-die list. After today, it has become a priority on that list. I never knew finding a home for a li’l pup could be so difficult. Numerous mails, innumerable messages yielded no result. And people want to know what breed it is. What difference would it make? So your love depends on the breed, eh? Wow.

And there's hardly anything Animal Shelters can do. They're doing their best. But they only provide for sick or injured animals. Besides, high population. Low funds. No space. That is sad. And disturbing.

To top it, some ridiculous movie on bull racing was aired on Zee Marathi. Seeing the animals beaten up for stupid pleasure made me cringe even more.

To all those who asked me the puppy’s breed – FUCK YOU.

To all those who promised, but never reverted back – FUCK YOU.

To all those who made that shameful movie – FUCK YOU.

To all those who spoilt my day – FUCK YOU.

Asocial? Not Really.

Its been a long time since this show started, but I still remember this scene. Just so beautiful. Ila Bhate has done a brilliant job. Its what my mother keeps telling me and I can understand what she means. I’d once told her that if I meet ten people in a day, I don’t like nine of them! She’d given me this very lecture that day…so when I heard it again here, I was pleasantly surprised.

A part of me agrees with her when she says that people are your real wealth, your support. Except that, there is a part of me that feels you don’t need dozens of them. Like I said, I may not like nine out ten people I meet. But if I can hold on to that one person, I would consider myself fortunate. This comes from my somewhat introvert nature. I do take time to open up, but once I’m there, the other person will have a hard time keeping me shut! I haven’t kept in touch with a lot many people from school or college, but the ones I have, I know I can depend on them and that they’re just a call away when I need them.

I'm holding on my treasure. Are you? :)

Movie Recommendation - Bawarchi

Cast: Rajesh Khanna, Jaya Bachchan, A.K.Hangal, Durga Khote, Asrani, Harindranath Chattopadhyay.

Release Year: 1972.

Director: Hrishikesh Mukherjee.

I never really understood why Rajesh Khanna was such a huge star, why he had such a huge fan following. Until I saw Bawarchi, Anand, Amar Prem and Aradhana(in that order). It was not about him. It was his onscreen persona, the characters he played. Characters so full of life (yes, even Amar Prem), they were almost unreal.

Coming to Bawarchi, it narrates the tale of Shivnath Sharma (Harindranath Chattopadhyay) and his family – his three sons, their wives, their children, and Krishna (Jaya Bachchan), his deceased son’s daughter. The family lives together in a house, ironically called Shanti Niwas. The environment at the house is anything but peaceful, as the narrator (Amitabh Bachchan) tells us. There are constant squabbles between the brothers over trivial matters. The family also has a reputation for not letting any servant hang about for over a month. So when the family servant runs away, the workload falls upon Krishna, who does all of it without complaining.

One fine morning, an unknown man, Raghu (Rajesh Khanna) turns up stating that he is a bawarchi. A wave of happiness flies over the Sharma family. Raghu is a smooth talker and claims to have worked for a lot of renowned personalities in diverse fields, and also charges a lot less than the earlier servant. The family is initially reluctant in trusting him, but Raghu soon wins over their confidence with his talks and cooking skills. However, there is a mysterious element to him since he always has his eye on a wooden trunk kept below the patriarch’s bed that contains the family jewels.

In a matter of time, Raghu is able to restore peace and happiness in Shanti Niwas. He resolves issues between the brothers, the sisters-in-law, and even helps the coy Krishna in winning a dance competition against her cousin. Just when things seem to be going well, the family is robbed of the jewel chest. Since Raghu is absconding, the family believes him to be the thief.

The role of bawarchi was tailor made for Rajesh Khanna. Its almost an extension of the character he played in Anand. Jaya Bachchan as Krishna is the apogee of cuteness. For anyone who wants to watch Jaya Bachchan at her best, watching a Hrishida movie is a must. Whether it is Guddi, Mili, or Chupke Chupke, she delivers performances that tug strings at your heart. The rest of the cast is equally fantastic. Dialogues by Gulzar are mesmerizing, as usual. One of my favourites being – ‘It is so simple to be happy, but it is so difficult to be simple’. The soundtrack of Bawarchi is a jewel in itself, with gems like Tum Bin Jeevan, Bhor Aayi Gaya Andhiyara, and more. Music by Madan Mohan is delightful, and is harmonized by Kaifi Azmi’s words.

Kaaksparsh

I have my doubts over Mahesh Manjrekar’s storytelling abilities. But my love for Sachin Khedekar compelled me to watch Kaaksparsh. And I am glad I did so. The movie would certainly qualify as one of the best Marathi films in recent times. Set against the backdrop of the pre-independence era, Kaaksparsh tells the story of Haridada (Sachin Khedekar) and Durga/Uma (Ketaki Mategaonkar/Priya Bapat). When Uma’s husband (Haridada’s brother) passes away, Haridada takes it upon him to protect the girl from the brutal customs that a widow must go through such as shaving her head, giving up on certain foods. The love between the two is evident, but Haridada chooses to hold off his feelings, the reason for which is a promise that he makes to his deceased brother during his last rites.

What I found very fascinating about the film are the songs. Simple, yet profound lyrics and barely-there music. It almost starts to resonate inside you and stays there. The story is blessed with beautiful locales – the house, forest, temple, and even the well! And the cinematographer does a brilliant job in capturing the exquisiteness. The actors excel at their respective roles. Sachin Khedekar does a terrific job as Haridada, perhaps the most complex character in the film. Haridada sometimes seems like a reformist when he stands up for Uma, yet, at the next instant, he is a dictating husband. Priya Bapat as Uma is aptly cast. She has a very innocent face, but her eyes are so full of sorrow. I can’t think of anybody else who could’ve portrayed Uma’s anguish or her misery better. The surprise element however, is Ketaki Mategaonkar. The girl is adorable as the young Uma.

Kaaksparsh – playing at a cinema near you. Don’t miss it! (I bet you’ll come out of the cinema hall humming Are Sansar Sansar!)

P.S.: For all of you wondering why it is a ‘vilakshan’ prem kahaani, its because the film is adapted from a book called ‘Vilakshan’!

Satyamev Jayate

Sunday morning is the new prime time, thanks to Aamir Khan. I’d always been very fond of him as an actor, though the ‘Mr. Perfectionist’ tag annoyed me a bit. Not anymore. I also didn’t quite agree with his advertising strategies (still don’t). The promos for Satyamev Jayate were on air for over a month, but didn’t seem very exciting; to me, it looked like a collage story on India kind of a thing. Later when I learnt that it is a talk-based reality show, my interest declined even further. But what I finally saw on Sunday was unnerving to say the least. 

The thoroughly researched show presented some shocking statistics and three gut-wrenching stories. It also debunked some commonly held opinions. One of them being that the issue is more rampant in small towns and villages. (I remember reading some numbers in Times Of India a few years ago which stated that female foeticide is rampant in South Mumbai).  However there is one thing that I didn’t get. Why did the women choose to stay in the house despite repeated forced abortions and tormenting? When they knew that the husband and in-laws were callous, and that another female foetus would mean another abortion. The classic counter-argument to this is that things are easier said than done. Yes, I know many women do not have the option to walk out of a troubled marriage; but eventually, they did walk out. All that I’m trying to say is the more you withstand it, the more you’ll be harassed.

As I was watching the show, I was uncertain how much of a difference would it make. Till Khan mentioned the ‘jadoo ki chhadi’. He hit the audience with the blatant truth that the problem will stop if we want to, if we decide not to let this happen. And for people who think its too late, he gave an example of a village in Punjab that managed to do so.

In today’s television era, where entertainment is all being offered, even by news channels (!), Khan’s attempt is certainly laudable. Dil pe lagegi tabhi baat banegi. Perhaps that is why he makes us cry. I have sobbed my way through the entire show. And just when I thought it was over, Swanand Kirkire came in and managed to break me down with his powerful lyrics and his mystical voice. But will the audience return to watch a tear-jerker every Sunday morning? They better.

Will the show change something? Its certainly wrong on our part to expect quick results. Change is a fairly slow process. But I hope this is a beginning somewhere.

Song Of The Week

Started my day with this beautiful song and thought of sharing it here. Zindagi kaisi hai paheli from Anand. With lyrics by Yogesh, and music by Salil Choudhary, this is one of Hindi Cinema’s most beautiful songs ever. Soaring and uplifting. And the way the song is picturisied, adds to the beauty. Balloons soaring into the sky as Rajesh Khanna walks down the beach, jovial as ever.

The song was originally composed as a background score for the film. But when Rajesh Khanna heard it, he suggested the director, Hrishikesh Mukherjee to include it in the film. So a situation was specially created to incorporate this song. Though the film is adorned with gems like Kahin Door Jab Din Dhal Jaaye, Maine Tere Liye Hi, and Jiyaa Lage Na, Anand would have been incomplete without this classic from Manna Dey.

* Kabhi dekho mann nahi jaage

Pichhe pichhe sapnon ke bhaage

Ek din sapnon ka rahii

Chala jaaye sapnon se aage kahan...*

Song: Zindagi Kaisi Hai Paheli

Film: Anand

Music: Salil Choudhay

Lyrics: Yogesh

Vocals: Manna Dey