Happy birthday to Sonali Bendre.

Happy birthday to Sonali Bendre.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Sonali Bendre on 1st January, 2010. Sonali Bendre showed a lot of promise in the 90s when she joined bollywood films. She had spontaneity in her performance and did not imitate any star. She was sublime in Aamir Khan’s film Sarfarosh.

Sarfarosh was the film based on the story of an honest police officer who addressed the corruption existing in the police department itself and the other wings of the Govt. Sonali Bendre ably assisted Aamir Khan in his noble mission. Jagjit Singh’s song “husnwale” became very successful.

Her performance in Sunil Shetty’s film Bhai requires special mention. Although she loved Sunil Shetty like Pooja Batra but when she knew that Pooja Batra was also attached to him, she sacrificed her love. She died at the end of the film while fighting for the cause of Sunil Shetty. In fact she helped Sunil Shetty to learn urbanized style of living as he came from the hills and was uneducated.

She acted in completely different role opposite Shahrukh Khan in the film Duplicate. Shahrukh Khan played a double role in the film, one having an affair with Juhi Chawla while the other having an affair with Sonali Bendre. She acted opposite Shahrukh Khan who played the role of the smuggler. From the time the two characters interchanged Sonali Bendre expressed the astonishment in style. Her lips in the song “mere mehboob mere sanam” require special mention. Although the film had mainly comedy element in it, the powerful performance of Sonali Bendre and Juhi Chawla helped the film to be successful.

Her other hit films include Hum Saath Saath Hai, opposite Salman Khan, Zakhm with Ajay Devgan, to name a few. She received the star-screen best supporting actress award for her brilliant performance in the film Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai. Her performance in the film was as outstanding as Anil Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai.

After success in films like Jis Desh Me Ganga Rehta Hai with Govinda, Major Sahab, etc., she left films in 2002. The viewers expect her to make a comeback in character roles in future.

Happy birthday to Nana Patekar.

Happy birthday to Nana Patekar.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to actor Nana Patekar on 1st January, 2010. He created a different style of acting which had no similarity with the commercial actors like Shahrukh Khan or art film actors like Naseeruddin Shah. After Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri, he was probably the other actor who allowed the directors to do any experiment with him. He drew the attention of viewers all across the country with his strong performance in the film Prahar in the late 80s.

He not only acted in the film but also directed the film. The film was related to the story of a young boy whose mother was dragged into unlawful activities. He learned took military training and provided guidance to new students who joined the armed forces in India. The training schedule was very hectic and the strictness of Nana Patekar appealed to the masses.

After the training was over, one of his students who lost his legs while facing terrorists was killed by the underworld group. Nana Patekar came to Bombay, and took revenge against all of them. He was given shelter by Dimple Kapadia, who was the sister of Madhuri Dixit, the wife of Nana’s student.

The civilians in the area did not like the intervention of military personnel in the area. After Nana killed all the underworld members, he was tried in a court. The court ordered him to be sent to a mental asylum as he started taking the responsibilities of all the other civilians. The film had a strong social message and was admired by the intellectual viewers.

Nana Patekar stormed bollywood films with strong performance in the film Krantiveer. The film showed the use of common people by political leaders for creating riots and clashes between different communities. Nana Patekar killed most of them and supported the effort of Dimple Kapadia who played the role of a daring journalist. If his reserve personality in the film Prahar was appreciated, his aggressive acting in the film Krantiveer amused the viewers.

He also acted in comedy roles in films like Raju Ban Gaye Gentleman with Shahrukh Khan and Juhi Chawla. He was also sublime in the film Yashwant with Madhu. His uprightness caused trouble for his wife and friends.

He was also sublime in a muslim role in the film Ghulam-i-mustafa. He played the role of an underworld person who worked for the cause of a political leader played by Paresh Rawal. His wife Ravina Tandon was killed in the process. He then helped a South Indian family led by Aruna Irani, and stayed in her house to prevent the rival groups from creating any trouble against the family. The film had a strong message of national integration.

Nana Patekar also did a fantastic job in the film Hum Dono with Rishi Kapoor. He balanced the romantic acting of Rishi Kapoor opposite Pooja Bhatt with his witty performance and strong action. He did well opposite Big B and Tabu in the film Kohram.

Whenever people saw films like Ab Taak Chappan or Vadh, they had appreciated his strong personality which has always raised voice against the evil practices in the country. His negative acting in films like Parinda opposite Anil Kapoor and Jackie Shroff was also appreciated.

Nana Patekar was brilliant with Akshay Kumar and Anil Kapoor in the film Welcome. His role of mafia don amazed the viewers whose sister Katrina Kaif, who wanted to marry Akshay Kumar. But Akshay Kumar’s uncle Paresh Rawal never wanted Akshay to marry Katrina, due to Nana Patekar’s involvement in underworld activities.

The viewers expect him to continue the good work and show more dynamism in commercial and art films in future.

Happy birthday to Govinda.

Happy birthday to Govinda.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Govinda on 21st December, 2009. For the last 20 years he had entertained bollywood viewers with his remote style of comedy performance and dancing.

Govinda came to limelight with his impressive performance in the film Ankhen along with Chunkey Pandey. Both Govinda and Chunkey were thrown out of their homes by their father Kader Khan, due to their mischievous acts. They witnessed the kidnapping of the CM played by Raj Babbar. In his place another person was brought who had similarity in looks. Govinda and Chunkey saved the CM and killed the imposter.

Govinda had a brilliant relationship with director David Dhawan. David Dhawan had used Govinda in most of his comedy films, and the dance performance and comedy performance of Govinda charmed the audience. His film Hero No. 1 with Karishma Kapoor became super hit. All the songs of the film including “sona kitna sona hai”, “mai to raste se jaa raha tha”, became very popular. The other films of Govinda like Aunty No.1, Cooli No. 1, also showed his charishma in comedy acting.

Govinda also acted in serious films like Andolan with Sanjay Dutt. He played the role of an engineer who had to compromise with the corrupt builders while building bridges. His revolt against the system was the subject matter of the film. He acted in a number of films with Sanjay Dutt and most of the films did good business. Some of those films included Ek Aur Ek Gyarah.

Govinda’s film Bare Miya Chote Miya with Big B and Raveena Tandon, and Deewane Mastane with Anil Kapoor and Juhi Chawla, did fantastic business as well. In the recent past Govinda’s performance in David Dhawan’s film Partner with Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif stormed bollywood. He required the guidance of a love guru played by Salman Khan to impress Katrina Kaif. The songs of the film like “do you want a partner”, “you are my love” became super hit, and Govinda’s dance performances in those songs were excellent.

In 2009, Govinda’s films Life Partner, and Do Not Disturb with Sushmita Sen and Lara Dutta, did mediocre business. But he has the potentiality to make a comeback in 2010, and the viewers expect another cameo in the sequel of Partner. Viewers expect that with his busy work as a politician, as he was an MP elected with a Congress Ticket, he can still devote time for films and continue the work of entertainment in the years to come.

Happy birthday to Shekhar Kapoor.

Happy birthday to Shekhar Kapoor.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Shekhar Kapoor on 6th December, 2009. He was one of the thoughtful directors of bollywood films and still his films are cherished by a big section of the viewers today.

He directed a meaningful film Masoom in the early 80s. He used the most dynamic actors and actresses of the contemporary period that was Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddun Shah. Naseeruddin had a previous wife who died leaving his small child played by Jugal Hansraj. He married Shabana Azmi who already had her own daughters including Urmila Matondkar. It was difficult for Shabana Azmi to accept the step son when her own daughters’ interests were related. Naseeruddin Shah decided to send the young child to boarding, but Shabana Azmi’s conscious spoke and she brought him back at the end of the film. RD Burman’s composition titled “huzur is kadar bhi” sung by Bhupinder Singh and Suresh Watkar, and “tushse naraz nahi zindagi” sung by Lata appealed to the masses.

Shekhar Kapoor astonished the viewers with a masala film Mr. India in the mid-80s. Anil Kapoor found a device which could make people invisible. He used the device to encounter a big smuggler played by Amrish Puri with the title Mogambo. Anil Kapoor ran an orphanage full of children and after becoming Mr. India used the children in his fight against Mogambo. Anil Kapoor’s compassionate performance, Amrish Puri’s fiery acting, Sri Devi’s dance numbers, everything appealed to the masses and the film ended up being the greatest hit of the year. Laxmikant Pyarellal’s music in the film became super hit including songs like “hawa hawai”, “karte hai hum pyar Mr. India se”, etc.

Shekhar Kapoor was criticized the most for his film Bandit Queen based on the life of dacoit Phoolan Devi. Shekhar Kapoor tried to show the torture faced by Phoolan Debi who was a malwa, by the Thakurs of the area, which compelled her to become dacoit. But the film gathered controversy due to the details shown by Shekhar Kapoor in respect of humiliation faced by Phoolan Debi. The Censure Board came in the way. Shekhar Kapoor got criticized all the way. His other film Elizabeth was also a noble venture. Shekhar Kapoor is also known for his acting in TV serials like Khandan.

The viewers expect Shekhar Kapoor to continue his innovative film making in the years to come.

Happy birthday to Anil Kapoor.

Happy birthday to Anil Kapoor.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to superstar Anil Kapoor on 24th December, 2009. Critics argue that other than Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Amitabh Bacchan, no other actor in India had the same amount of individual talent as that of Anil Kapoor. He had sustained the heat and storm of bollywood films for more than 25 years and even at an age of 50, still remains an indispensable figure in bollywood industry. Although Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan took the industry by storm from the mid-90s, but Anil Kapoor had given one hit or the other in all those years.

Furthermore those actors who had come with Anil Kapoor like Jackie Shroff, Sunny Deol and others shifted to character acting, but Anil Kapoor still remained hero in the recent period. That describes his talent in totality. In 2008, he had played different types of roles.

In Race, the first super hit film of 2008, Anil Kapoor played the role of detective who had solved the mystery relating to the death of Saif Ali Khan. He disclosed the fact that Saif Ali Khan had not died but his death was planted. He also witnessed the death of Akshay Khanna when he competed with Saif Ali Khan in a car race. The film was related to the devolvement of family property between the two brothers. Anil Kapoor balanced the suspense –drama with action stunts of Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Khanna and dance sequences of Katrina Kaif, Bipasha Basu and Sameera Reddy. The songs composed by Pritam like “pehli nazar”, “allah duhayi hai” became landmark hits in the early part of the year.

He acted in a negative role in the big banner film Tashan with Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar. He sent Akshay Kumar to collect the debts of Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor. Akshay Kumar discovered his childhood relationship with Kareena Kapoor and took revenge against Anil Kapoor at the end of the film in a power-pact action sequence. Although the film could not do justice to the star-cast and high expectations of the audience of the country, the funny performance of Anil Kapoor could not be ignored.

Anil Kapoor was sublime in Subhash Ghai’s musical venture Yuvvraaj that was released in the last part of the year. It was the first time that Subhash Ghai, AR Rehman and Gulzar had united together to compose the music of the film, and the music had already become hit. The hit songs of the film included “tu muskura”, “shanno shanno”, “to mera dost hai”, etc. Although Subhash Ghai concentrated more on the romantic presentation of the relationship between Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif in the film, the performance of Anil Kapoor as the elder brother and an innocent character appealed to the viewers the most. The audience has so much weakness for Anil Kapoor that the scene where Zaid Khan had slapped Anil Kapoor had created negative impact on the crowds and there were requests of editing of the scene. Although the film did not get box-office Anil Kapoor’s splendid performance was appreciated.

In 2009, the film directed by Anil Kapoor titled Short Cut, got critical acclamation. He had cast Akshay Khanna in the lead role who played the role of a devoted director. He was cheated by the actor Arshad Warsi who got success in films by short cut. Akshay Khanna used him in his own film and took revenge against the cheating committed by Arshad Warsi. Sonu Nigam’s song “kal nau baje” appealed to the viewers. The film he had produced in 2009, titled Slumdog Millionaire, won numerous number of Oscar awards, including the best composer award won by AR Rehman. Anil Kapoor is continuing with his directoral projects ahead.

In his long career, Anil Kapoor had acted with giants like Dilip Kumar and Big B in Sholay; Dilip Kumar, Nasiruddin Shah, Jackie Shroff in Karma, Nutan in Meri Jung, etc. He had performed in every type of film including romantic films, comedy films, action dramas, serious films, etc. He had acted different actresses ranging from Padmini Kolhapuri, Sri Devi, Madhuri Dixit to Tabu, Aishwarya Rai, Lara Dutta, to name a few.

Articles after articles can be devoted to the versatile actor. His notable films include Mr. India, Meri Jung, Tezaab, Pukar, Nayak, Virasat, No Entry, to name a few. He received filmfare awards, national awards for best actor and other awards dedicated for the excellence in bollywood cinema. Critics say that he never received the recognition that he deserved in life.

Even then the viewers expect him to continue the good work and entertain the viewers in the same way both as actor and also producer, director, as he did in the last 25 years.

Happy birthday to Shilpa Shirodkar.

Happy birthday to Shilpa Shirodkar.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Shilpa Shirodkar on 20th November, 2009. She was a prominent actress of bollywood films during the 90s.

She had been remembered the most for her performance in the film Gopi Kishen. Sunil Shetty played a double role in the film. Shilpa Shetty played the role of a simple city girl who was married to a funny constable. She delivered her dialogues with broken English and reality created sensation. Karishma Kapoor played the role of the smart girl who was cast opposite the smart Sunil Shetty. Shilpa Shetty in fact balanced the callousness of the character Gopi in the film.

Shilpa Shetty did extremely well in the film Hum opposite Govinda. In that film she played the role of daughter of military major played by Kader Khan. Although she loved Govinda, her father never allowed her to get married to Big B’s family as they were involved with India’s military, air force or naval service. Shilpa Shetty married Govinda against the wishes of her father Kader Khan.

She did a great job in the film Kishen Kanhaiya. Anil Kapoor played a double role in that film. The film was based on the same story line as that of Dilip Kumar’s film Ram Aur Shyam. The twin brothers played by Anil Kapoor had contrasting characters like Dilip Kumar’s characters in Ram Aur Shyam. Shilpa Shetty acted opposite the docile Anil Kapoor who was beaten up by Amrish Puri. Shilpa Shetty had suffered due to the oppression of Amrish Puri in the film.

Shilpa Shirodkar also acted in serious fllms like Prakash Jha’s Mrityudand. She kept her mark opposite Shabana Azmi, Madhuri Dixit and other actresses in the film. Shilpa Shirodkar added weight and stopped acting after 10 years.

The viewers expect her to make a comeback in character roles in future.

Happy birthday to Meenakshi Sheshadri.

Happy birthday to Meenakhi Sheshadri.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Meenakshi Sheshadri on 16th November, 2009. She had been one of the leading actresses of bollywood films of the 80s.

She started her career in Subhash Ghai’s film Hero. Meenakshi acted opposite Jackie Shroff in the film who also started his career with the film Hero. After that Meenakshi acted opposite all the leading actors of bollywood films. She was very successful in the film Meri Jung opposite Anil Kapoor. In that film Anil Kapoor contested against Amrish Puri in a keenly contested case.

Meenakshi was successful opposite Big B in the film Shahenshah. Big B played the role of a police officer who did his duty during the day and attached criminals at night with the name of Shahenshah. Meenakshi acted in successful of Raj Kumar Santoshi one after the other.

She was at her best in the film Damini. In that film she had seen a girl being raped. When she went and testified before the court about the happening she was considered to be an insane person. But she did not care about the allegation and testified before the court about the happening. Sunny Deol and Rishi Kapoor also did extremely well in the film opposite her.

Sunny Deol and Meenakshi formed a deadly combination especially in the films of Raj Kumar Santoshi. Their other hit films included Ghayal and Ghatak which did fantastic business. In Ghayal Meenakshi played the role of a dare devil character, the journalist who did not fear to write the truth related to a corrupted businessman played by Amrish Puri. Sunny Deol was falsely implicated in a case and fled from the jail to kill Amrish Puri. Meenakshi also acted opposite other actors like Vinod Khanna.

Meenakshi also acted in South Indian films. She left films at a time when she was very matured. The viewers expect her to make a comeback in character roles in future.

Happy birthday to Juhi Chawla.

Happy birthday to Juhi Chawla.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Juhi Chawla on 13th November, 2009. Juhi Chawla stormed bollywood films in the 90s.

Her first film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak became super hit in the late 80s. Her pair with Amir Khan was well accepted by the audience. The songs in the film became very successful. The landmark songs included “aye mere humsafar”, “papa kehte hai” sung by Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik and others. From that time many producers and directors did cast her opposite Amir Khan in many films. Her comedy andaz in the film Ishq opposite Amir Khan was well appreciated. The film did great business.

Juhi Chawla acted in romantic films opposite all the leading actors of bollywood, including Rishi Kapoor in Bol Radha Bol and Eena Meena Dika, Anil Kapoor in Deewana Mastana, Jhoot Bole Kowa Kate, Amir Khan in Hum Hai Rahi Pyar Ke, to name a few. In the mid-90s she acted in a number of films opposite superstar Shahrukh Khan.

Her major films opposite Shahrukh Khan included Duplicate, Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, etc. She started her production house Dreams Unlimited along with Shahrukh Khan and produced many films. One of the hit films included Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani. Both Shahrukh Khan and Juhi Chawla acted in the film.

Juhi Chawla also acted in films opposite other actors. Her performance in character roles in the recent times had also impressed the crowds. Some of her recent films included Salaam-E-Ishq opposite Anil Kapoor. She played the role of a middle-aged woman whose husband got attached with another woman.

Juhi Chawla acted in action films like Darr as well. She performed opposite Sunny Deol and Shahrukh Khan. Shahrukh Khan acted in a negative role in the film who was killed at the end by Sunny Deol. Juhi Chawla’s dance performance in the film in songs like “tu meri saamne” still haunts the viewers.

The viewers expect Juhi Chawla to continue the quality work in future.

The nation remembers Feroz Khan on his birthday.

The nation remembers Feroz Khan on his birthday.

The nation remembers Feroz Khan on his birthday on 25th September, 2009. He had died this year and the nation had missed the style icon very badly. Feroz Khan started his career with romantic films.

His performance in the film Aarzoo, in the mid-60s with Rajender Kumar and Sadhna is well remembered even today. While Feroz Khan’s performance in romantic films like Ek Sapera Aur Ek Lutera was well appreciated, his skills in action films like Aadmi Aur Insaan, Mela, etc., created a separate identity for himself.

From the 70s, Feroz Khan got involved in production and direction of his own films and created gold in the next 20 years. His film Apradh with Mumtaz became super hit. His film Dharmatma with Hema Malini and Rekha created history in the mid-70s. It was modeled in the lines of Hollywood film Godfather where Marlon Brando played the lead role.

Feroz Khan’s action style mesmerized the viewers. He gave a stylish performance in the film Khote Sikke and Kala Sona. His Robinhood like image haunted the viewers. His style of riding cars, riding horses and jugglery with the guns showed touch of Hollywood actors. With the advent of action films in the mid-70s with the emerging of Amitabh Bacchan in the bollywood scenario, Feroz Khan’s demand in action film increased and increased.

His film Qurbani with Vinod Khanna and Zeenat Aman created storms in the early 80s. He gave a new defintition to action films with the film Jaanbaaz, where he protested against the trade of LSD and other Narcotic drugs. Villains like Raza Murad and Shakti Kapoor gained prominence from Feroz Khan’s films. Feroz Khan used Anil Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia and Sri Devi in Jaanbaaz in his unique style.

His film Yaalgaar with Sanjay Dutt, Manisha Koirala and Kabir Bedi also became super hit in the early 90s. One of the other shade of character of Feroz Khan was to promote the newcomers. He acknowledged the brilliant skills of Vinod Khanna, Anil Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt, who were much younger than him and formed the next generation of actors.

In the late 90s he promoted his own son Fardeen Khan. Even in recent films like Welcome he showed his comedy skills opposite Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Paresh Rawal, Anil Kapoor and Nana Patekar. His death brought a great loss to the film industry. He is remembered on his birthday and will always be remembered in the years to come.

Happy birthday to Sri Devi

Happy birthday to Sri Devi

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to evergreen actress Sri Devi on 13th August, 2009. She was the most dominating figure in bollywood films in the 80s. Her excellent dancing skills gave her an edge over other actresses of that period.

She was brilliant in the film Himmatwala opposite Jeetender. The film was a South Indian production and the dancing skills of both Sri Devi and Jeetender mesmerized the viewers. The music of the film was also very popular. Sri Devi got a landmark role in Feroz Khan’s film Jaanbaaz. She played the role of the wife of Jeetender who was given drugs forcefully by Shakti Kapoor, Raza Murad and their men. She died due to consumption of the drugs. Feroz Khan along with Anil Kapoor took revenge against her brutal killing.

Sri Devi’s combination with Anil Kapoor was appreciated by the viewers of the 80s. Their film Mr. India, directed by Shekhar Kapoor became everlasting hit. Sri Devi displayed her comedy skills as against the innocent performance of Anil Kapoor in the film. Anil Kapoor’s device for becoming invisible amazed the viewers. Amrish Puri was matchless in his performance in the role of Mogambo.

Big B acted in many films opposite Sri Devi including Inquilab, Akhree Rasta and others. Most of those films ended up being blockbusters. Sri Devi gave many hits opposite Rishi Kapoor including Yash Rash film Chandni. Even then viewers considered Anil Kapoor the best combination opposite Sri Devi. Their superhit films included Laadla, Lamhe, Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja, and others.

Sri Devi had a fantastic career in South Indian films as well. Her performance in films opposite Rajnikant and Kamal Hassan became super hit in the 8os. She acted in hit bollywood films opposite Rajnikant like Chaalbaaz where she played a double role.


With the domination of Madhuri Dixit in bollywood films in the 90s, Sri Devi faded away from the film arena. Besides she added weight after marrying Boney Kapoor. The viewers expect her to make a comeback soon in character roles.

Review of Hamara Dil Aapke Pass Hai.

Review of Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai.

Anil Kapoor had acted in different types of films in his illustrious career. In Hamara Dil Aapke Pass Hai, he did majestic work opposite Aishwarya Rai. It was Boney Kapoor’s venture which was given shape and direction by Anil Kapoor.

Anil Kapoor was a wealthy industrialist in the film. He nurtured a daughter and a son who were given birth by Anil Kapoor’s father but the paternity of the children were denied.

Aishwarya Rai saw a murder being committed by Mukesh Rishi in the open street. After the murder Ash went to the police station and lodged an FIR. After that Mukesh Rishi was arrested and kept in custody. His relative Puru Raj Kumar raped Ash after the incident and she was thrown out of her house for those reasons.

Anil Kapoor gave shelter to Ash in his house. He also gave job to her. She fulfilled the vacuum of the mother to the children he considered Ash as her mother. The song “its my family” showed the unity in the house.

But again Anil Kapoor’s father lodged a complaint against Ash in terms of dong illegal business. Anil Kapoor blasted his father that and brought Ash back.

At the end of the film when he came to know that Puru Raj Kumar raped Ash, he assaulted him and took him to the PS once more. There was a social message in the film which said that when a girl is raped in Indian society instead of pointing the finger at the rapist the society points the finger at the victim.

Many victims even fail to express what happened due to the mockery being made by the members of the society. The performance of Anil Kapoor and Ash were excellent. Even the character artists like Anupam Kher, Johnny Lever, Satish Kaushik, etc., complimented the hero and heroin in the film. The songs in the film were decent with Udit Narayan doing a great job.

In totality it was a very decent film made by Boney Kapoor having a social message.

Short cut had shown crude realities of bollywood industry.

Short cut had shown crude realities of bollywood film industry.

Anil Kapoor’s project Short cut had shown the crude realties of bollywood film industry. Those actors who hardly can even play a proper character had become superstars over the years. Arshad Warsi’s character was used to show the success of less-callibered performers in bollywood. Once they had been made stars, whatever they had done had become myths.

Akshay Khanna’s character had also shown that directors who had been innovative over the years and did original work could not get breaks. Stories were stolen, ideas were robbed, scripts were copied. This has been the story of bollywood industry for the last 25 years.

There was a time, during the 50s and 60s, when genuine creative work was appreciated. Audience were educated, learned, cultured and able to appreciate rich creations. Directors like Bimal Roy could make risky films like Devdas, Do Beegha Zamin, Madhumati, Kabuliwala, etc., which were appreciated and got box-office success as well. Actors like Dilip Kumar who were tragedians ruled the industry. Even Raj Kapoor could experiment with serious subjects in films like Boot Polish, Jaagte Raho, etc.

Music in bollywood films reached their level of excellence with composers like Naushad, Shankar Jaikishan, Roshan, Salil Choudhury,etc., lyricists like Sahir Ludhianvi, Shailendra, Kaifi Azmi, singers like Rafi, Lata, Manna Dey, and others sang even pure classical numbers which were digested and liked by the audience. The concept of commercial films and art films did not develop at that stage.

In the recent past it had been seen, that the industry had been run by influential people, who had contacts, good distribution capability and were engaged in politics who did shine. Akshay Khanna and Arshad Warsi were characters who tried to depict the reality of modern bollywood industry. Purely talented characters in all the fields of the film industry, had struggled to get producers to finance their work in recent past, and sometimes their work had been copied or stolen and reproduced by others. Anil Kapoor had been daring enough to deal with a subject which could have brought lot of controversy. Viewers should see the film.

Review of Anil Kapoor's Shortcut.

Review of Anil Kapoor’s Shortcut.

Anil Kapoor had come up with another production venture titled Shortcut. The full name of the film is Shortcut –the con is on. Akshay Khanna had been a struggling assistant director in the film. He met a struggling actor Arshad Warsi and both dreamt about getting good start to their career. Although Akshay Khanna had merit and deserved a good project, Arshad Warsi was nothing better than a joker. He himself thought that he had a lot of potentials and deserved good role.

Arshad Warsi stole Akshay Khanna’s script and used it for his own purpose. Akshay Khanna got dejected. Even her wife Amrita Rao left her after she came to know about the entire incident. The rest of the film was related to the manner in which Akshay Khanna tried to reconcile with Arshad Warsi and manage with him for his own cause.

The film had been shot in the romantic locations of Thailand. Along with the comedy elements in the films there were romantic sequences as well. Anil Kapoor was ably supported by director Neeraj Bhora. Neeraj Bhora previously had experience in making comedy films like Hera Pheri, where his work was appreciated.

Shankar Ehsaan Loy composed music in the film. They had done a great job once again. Most of the songs were innovative, especially “kal nau baje” had a great romantic appeal. The song already had become hit even before the release of the film. The performance of Akshay Khanna and Arshad Warsi were brilliant. Akshay Khanna is probably the only actor in bollywood who had lost his hair, yet had maintained his steady stardom. Amrita Rao did well in the film.

Anil Kapoor as producer, can expect a good response. The viewers will also enjoy the guest appearance of Sanjay Dutt in a song sequence in the film. The film has all the elements of success and is going to be hit.

Will Anil Kapoor be successful as producer?

Will Anil Kapoor be successful as producer?

Anil Kapoor, the legendary superstar of bollywood films is inclined to concentrate on his career as producer along with acting. The viewers had seen his capability as actor over the last 25 years. He had acted in every type of role including romantic hero in films like 1942 – a love story opposite Manisha Koirala, angry young man in films like Tezaab and Ram Lakhan opposite Madhuri Dixit, patriotic roles in films like Nayak opposite Rani Mukherjee, comedy roles in films like No Entry opposite Lara Dutta, Mr. India opposite Sri Devi, to name a few. He got filmfare awards for best actor and national awards and proved his versatility in every type of film.

But in respect of production, bollywood history had shown that not many actor turned producer were successful. Probably Raj Kapoor and Guru Dutt were the most successful producers and directors who were equally famous as producers in comparison with their acting stardom. Guru Dutt created such a team, that whenever even other directors directed his films, there was a stamp of Guru Dutt embedded in them. For example Raj Khoshla directed CID under Guru Dutt production. But the film had the team of Johnny Walker, OP Nayyar, Rafi, Wahida Rehman who were some of the best contributors in Guru Dutt. Some section of the viewers felt that Guru Dutt could have acted in the film instead of Dev Anand.

Raj Kapoor had the expertise in every field of a film including costume designing, music direction, picturisation of song sequences, casting, editing, etc. He produced the film Anari directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, also produced the film Jis Desh Me Ganga Behti Hai, directed by Radhu Karmakar. In Anari, Raj Kapoor’s team including Shankar Jaikishan, Hasrat Jaipuri, Shailendra, Mukesh, Lata, Manna Dey contributed the most. It hardly appeared before the viewers that it was a Hrishikesh Mukherjee film. In fact, Raj Kapoor won the film fare award for the best actor in both the above mentioned films. The big factor was that Raj Kapoor could create a separate benchmark for himself as a producer and whenever saw his name, they had a separate expectation from the film.

In the past Sohail Khan and Boney Kapoor created their identity as producers. Anil Kapoor had done few experiments with Akshay Khanna in the recent past. He has to produce few quality films to also keep his mark in the world of production. The viewers wish him the best of luck.

Happy birthday to Dimple Kapadia.

Happy birthday to Dimple Kapadia.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Dimple Kapadia on 8th June, 2009. She had been considered as one of the most dynamic actresses of bollywood films after Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil.

She started her career with a bold, sizzling demeanor in Raj Kapoor’s Bobby in 1973 opposite Rishi Kapoor. Raj Kapoor introduced the concept of teenage romance in the 70s and his effort got justice due to brilliant performance of both Dimple and Rishi Kapoor. Dimple’s smart, dashing lips in the songs “hum tum ek kamre me bandh ho”, “jhoot bole kowa kate”, “mujhe kuch kehna hai” sung by Lata and composed by LP just flabbergasted the audience of the 70s. Viewers thought both Dimple and Rishi Kapoor were made for each other.

But after Rajesh Khanna married Dimple Kapadia, he stopped her acting, and bollywood films lost one of the most promising actresses for 13 years. Again she made a classic comeback in Ramesh Sippy’s Saagar. The film showed a triangular love story with Kamal Hassan and Rishi Kapoor. The brilliant locations, powerful music composed by RD Burman, all contributed for the success of the super hit film. Rishi Kapoor was always considered to be the most romantic actors produced by Indian films. He proved it again in Saagar. Dimple balanced the sacrificing performance of Kamal Hassan who died at the end of the film to save Rishi Kapoor and allow Dimple marry her. All the three performers were brilliant in the lips given in the songs “o maria”, “saagar kinare”, “yeh to bata tera naam kya”, etc., sung by Lata, Bal Subhramanium, Kishore Kumar, etc.

In the mid -80s, Dimple acted in most of the successful commercial films opposite leading stars like Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Sunny Deol, etc. She was brilliant in Feroz Khan’s Jaanbaaz. In fact her smart performance balanced the cowboy image of Anil Kapoor in the film. She was sublime opposite Jackie Shroff in the film Kaash.

In the late 80s, producers and directors experimented with her in challenging roles. She was exceptional in Gulzar’s film Lekin. Lata’s songs “yara silli silli”, Suresh Watkar’s “surmai sham” composed by Hridaynath Mangeshkar were landmarks of classical music in Indian films. Dimple Kapadia portrayed the character of rajasthani folk community who were used for crying in funerals in the film Rudaali. She played the role of her lifetime and got national and international awards. Her lips in Lata’s song “dil hum hum kare” composed by Bhupen Hazarika, still haunts the listeners 20 years after its creation.

Her other successful films include Ram Lakhan, opposite Jackie Shroff, Krantiveer and Prahar opposite Nana Patekar. Her performance in the off-beat films gave her a special place just like Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil. Even in her middle-age she amazed viewers with brilliant performance in the film Dil Chahta Hai opposite Akshay Khanna who was at least 15 years younger than her. She again amazed the viewers in character roles opposite Rishi Kapoor in the films Pyar Me Twist and Farhan Akhtar’s Luck By Chance.

The viewers expect her to continue the brilliant work and go on astonishing the viewers with dynamic performances like before.

Mallika Sherawat had transformed herself.

Mallika Sherawat had transformed herself.

When Mallika Sherawat initially joined bollywood films, she was considered as an actress who was only inclined to expose herself. Her films Murder and Khwawish were related to body exposure.

Although Murder became superhit and Reema Lamba, better known as Mallika Sherawat became a hot star in 2004, she still required films which could allow her to show her acting talents. She also received international recognition with her performance in a small role in the film Myth, opposite Jackie Chan.

From the film Pyar Ke Side Effects opposite Rahul Bose, viewers started recognizing her as a talented actress. She was sublime in the film Aap Ka Suroor, where she played a negative role. Also her dance number in the Abhishek Bacchan’s Guru titled “maiya maiya” brought her prominence.

She did a great job in the film Maan Gaye Mugha-i-Azam. She was the wife of stage actor Paresh Rawal. She got attached with Rahul Bose, a member of the audience. Rahul Bose used the entire acting crew of Paresh Rawal to address terrorists. In his operation Mallika Sherawat played the major role. Mallika’s lips in the song “maan gaye mughal-i-azam” entertained the crowds. The song was made in the form of -a satire, and the play Mughal-i-Azam also created with the idea of addressing political questions of the relevant period.

In Welcome, she pretended to be the wife of Akshay Kumar, on the request of Paresh Rawal. Paresh Rawal never wanted his relative Akshay Kumar to marry a girl from a criminal family. But he entered into an affair with Katrina Kaif, the sister of underworld dons Nana Patekar and Anil Kapoor. When Mallika Sherawat wept before Feroz Khan, the boss of both Anil Kapoor and Nana Patekar, the marriage was cancelled. Although the role was short, Mallika Sherawat did very well.

She was sublime in the film Ugly Aur Paagli, opposite Ranbir Shorey. The film was related to betting, and Mallika had given slaps after slaps to Ranbir with one kiss only in a comedy drama.

In 2009, Mallika Sherawat featured in Kamal Hassan’s action drama Dasavatharam along with Asin. The other film Dhakreys Bed had convinced the viewers that Mallika can act, and given a proper script, can do better than other actresses of the contemporary period.

She had transformed herself into a promising actress. The viewers expect her to continue the good work and not sign cheap roles where only exposure is required, not acting.

Review of Salaam-e-Ishq.

Review of Salaam –e –ishq.

The viewers of bollywood films had witnessed probably the biggest form of multi-starrer film in the form of Salaam-e –Ishq. Multi-starrer films generally used to be considered as films having two or more actors or actresses. Salaam –e-Ishq had much more number of performers than two or three.

Salman Khan was paired with Priyanka Chopra with the character Rahul. Priyanka Chopra was an aspiring actress. She required a scandal which could create her fame. After that she would have got the scope of acting in Karan Johar’s film. Salman Khan artificially created the love story between him and Priyanka Chopra and made the fans realize that he had an affair with the star and then left her. By the time the playacting was over, Priyanka Chopra fell in love with Salman Khan.

Vidya Balan lost her memory after meeting with an accident and never recognized her husband John Abraham. John’s parents never accepted Tehzeeb, the character of Vidya Balan as she was a muslim. At the end of the film both of them agreed to live with each other inspite of failing to retain her memory. Govinda, the tax-driver in the film fell in love with an American woman who travelled in his taxi. She came to marry her Indian boyfriend but realized that he had married an Indian woman.

Sohail Khan and Isha Kopikaar’s love story showed semi-rural form of romance. Every time they came close to each other they faced obstacle in form or the other. Akshay Khanna declined to marry Ayesha Takia at the beginning of the film, to avoid the responsibilities of married life. After he realized that it was his wrong conception he agreed to marry her. Anil Kapoor, a middle-aged person got attached with a young dance teacher. His closeness with the dance teacher created distance with his wife Juhi Chawla. At the end of the film the relation was revived after Anil Kapoor repented for his wrongdoing.

The biggest asset of the film included its music composed by Shankar Ehsaan Loy. The songs “yah rabba, de de koi pyar bhi agar” sung by Kailash Kher, “tenu le” and “teri ankho ki mastani kajal jo mera salaam” sung by Sonu Nigam stormed bollywood after the release of the film. In fact all the songs were extremely successful.

The other factor which was new was the acceptance of six romantic stories of six heroes and heroines together. The exotic locations used in the film also require special mention. Film makers should get inspired by films like Salaam-e-ishq to make similar types of entertaining films in future.

Review of Salaam-e-Ishq.

Review of Salaam –e –ishq.

The viewers of bollywood films had witnessed probably the biggest form of multi-starrer film in the form of Salaam-e –Ishq. Multi-starrer films generally used to be considered as films having two or more actors or actresses. Salaam –e-Ishq had much more number of performers than two or three.

Salman Khan was paired with Priyanka Chopra with the character Rahul. Priyanka Chopra was an aspiring actress. She required a scandal which could create her fame. After that she would have got the scope of acting in Karan Johar’s film. Salman Khan artificially created the love story between him and Priyanka Chopra and made the fans realize that he had an affair with the star and then left her. By the time the playacting was over, Priyanka Chopra fell in love with Salman Khan.

Vidya Balan lost her memory after meeting with an accident and never recognized her husband John Abraham. John’s parents never accepted Tehzeeb, the character of Vidya Balan as she was a muslim. At the end of the film both of them agreed to live with each other inspite of failing to retain her memory. Govinda, the tax-driver in the film fell in love with an American woman who travelled in his taxi. She came to marry her Indian boyfriend but realized that he had married an Indian woman.

Sohail Khan and Isha Kopikaar’s love story showed semi-rural form of romance. Every time they came close to each other they faced obstacle in form or the other. Akshay Khanna declined to marry Ayesha Takia at the beginning of the film, to avoid the responsibilities of married life. After he realized that it was his wrong conception he agreed to marry her. Anil Kapoor, a middle-aged person got attached with a young dance teacher. His closeness with the dance teacher created distance with his wife Juhi Chawla. At the end of the film the relation was revived after Anil Kapoor repented for his wrongdoing.

The biggest asset of the film included its music composed by Shankar Ehsaan Loy. The songs “yah rabba, de de koi pyar bhi agar” sung by Kailash Kher, “tenu le” and “teri ankho ki mastani kajal jo mera salaam” sung by Sonu Nigam stormed bollywood after the release of the film. In fact all the songs were extremely successful.

The other factor which was new was the acceptance of six romantic stories of six heroes and heroines together. The exotic locations used in the film also require special mention. Film makers should get inspired by films like Salaam-e-ishq to make similar types of entertaining films in future.

Happy birthday to Madhuri Dixit.

Happy birthday to Madhuri Dixit.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to beauty queen Madhuri Dixit on 15th May, 2009. She ruled bollywood films in the late 80s and 90s. In fact after her retirement of films no single actress of bollywood films could be associated with the number one position.

From Tezaab, she dethroned Sri Devi from the number one position and created sensation in bollywood. Her dance performance in the song “ek do teen” in Tezaab, surprised the viewers. Her pair with Anil Kapoor was well accepted by the viewers. The hit films of the immortal pair include Ram Lakhan, Khel, Jeevan Ek Sunghursh, Zindagi Ek Jua, Parinda, etc. In the late 90s, she proved herself in every type of film and was cast by different directors and producers.

Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit stormed bollywood with romantic performance in the film Saajan. It was the musical blockbusters of early 90s which shook the industry. All the songs of the film were hit including “jiye to jiye kaise”, “mera dil bhi kitna paagal hai”, “mai shayar hoon”, etc. Madhuri Dixit was considered the best dancer of the country at that time. Even her performances in the other films opposite Sanjay Dutt were also impressive including Khalnayak and Mahanta.

In off-beat films like Nana Patekar’s Prahar and Parinda, Prakash Jha’s Mrityudand, her performance impressed the intellectual audience. She acted in those films with hardly any make up and still created her impression. She received the filmfare award for the best actress a number of times. Viewers remember her notable performance in the film Beta opposite Anil Kapoor. She fought against her mother-in –law to get justice for her husband.

Her other hit films include Dil opposite Amir Khan, Hum Aapke Hai Kaun opposite Salman Khan, Aarzoo opposite Akshay Kumar, Koyla and Dil To Paagal Hai opposite Shahrukh Khan, to name a few. She became such a phenomenon in the mid-90s, that the producers associated the success of the film with her more than the heroes of those films.

In Raj Kumar Santoshi’s Lajja, in a multi-starrer film Madhuri Dixit was not cast opposite the leading actors like Jackie Shroff, or Anil Kapoor, yet her performance stands out as one of the best performance of the film. Her womanhood in the film attracted every type of audience.

Also her performance in crime-thrillers like 100 days attracted viewers. It was a murder mystery, where Jackie Shroff, the boyfriend of Madhuri killed her sister Moonmoon Sen. Madhuri Dixit expressed the anxiety and horror in the film to perfection.

Even her performance opposite Anil Kapoor in the film Pukar requires special mention. Anil Kapoor got national award for the best actor for the performance in the film. It was a film related to patriotism and Madhuri Dixit was probably the only actress in bollywood who could match Anil Kapoor in his struggle against terrorists.

Viewers consider her as the best actress of the last 30 years and want her to make a comeback in character roles in future.

Sonali Bendre in the 90s.

Sonali Bendre in the 90s.

Sonali Bendre showed a lot of promise in the 90s when she joined bollywood films. She had spontaneity in her performance and did not imitate any star. She was sublime in Aamir Khan’s film Sarfarosh.

Sarfarosh was the film based on the story of an honest police officer who addressed the corruption existing in the police department itself and the other wings of the Govt. Sonali Bendre ably assisted Aamir Khan in his noble mission. Jagjit Singh’s song “husnwale” became very successful.

Her performance in Sunil Shetty’s film Bhai requires special mention. Although she loved Sunil Shetty like Pooja Batra but when she knew that Pooja Batra was also attached to him, she sacrificed her love. She died at the end of the film while fighting for the cause of Sunil Shetty. In fact she helped Sunil Shetty to learn urbanized style of living as he came from the hills and was uneducated.

She acted in completely different role opposite Shahrukh Khan in the film Duplicate. Shahrukh Khan played a double role in the film, one having an affair with Juhi Chawla while the other having an affair with Sonali Bendre. She acted opposite Shahrukh Khan who played the role of the smuggler. From the time the two characters interchanged Sonali Bendre expressed the astonishment in style. Her lips in the song “mere mehboob mere sanam” require special mention. Although the film had mainly comedy element in it, the powerful performance of Sonali Bendre and Juhi Chawla helped the film to be successful.

Her other hit films include Hum Saath Saath Hai, opposite Salman Khan, Zakhm with Ajay Devgan, to name a few. She received the star-screen best supporting actress award for her brilliant performance in the film Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai. Her performance in the film was as outstanding as Anil Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai.

After success in films like Jis Desh Me Ganga Rehta Hai with Govinda, Major Sahab, etc., she left films in 2002. The viewers expect her to make a comeback in character roles.