Happy birthday to Rakhee

Happy birthday to Rakhee.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Rakhee on 15th August, 2009. She had contributed in bollywood films for more than 30 years. She had contributed both as a leading actress and also as a character actress.

Rakhee came to limelight with her successful film Sharmilee opposite Shashi Kapoor in the early 70s. The songs of the film composed by SD Burman became very successful, including the songs “khilte hai dil yahan”, “megha chaye aadhi raat”, etc. Rakhee played a double role and created attention.

In the mid-70s Rakhee acted in landmark roles including the one in the film Kabhi Kabhi opposite Big B and Shashi Kapoor. She loved a poet played by Big B, but had to marry Shashi Kapoor. The poetry of Big B created a great impact in the life of Rakhee. The songs of Mukesh and Lata composed by Khayyam in the film including “mai pal do pal ka shayar hoon” and “kabhi kabhi mere dil me” made the viewers spellbound.

Rakhee acted in many landmark films opposite Big B including Shakti Shamanta’s Bengali film Anusandhan, hindi film Barsaat Ki Ek Raat, Kala Patthar, Kasme Wade, etc. In the early 80s Rakhee played the role of her lifetime opposite Dilip Kumar in the film Shakti. She played the role of the mother of Big B, who faced the hostility between Dilip Kumar and Big B, one being the protector of law, while the other being the lawbreaker. The film became super hit. Rakhee was equally sublime in the film Shaan opposite Sunil Dutt. She beared the killing of her husband by the enemies and fought the battle against evil with Big B, Shashi Kapoor and Shatrughun Sinha.

In the 90s, Rakhee played many character roles in films like Anil Kapoor’s Ram Lakhan, Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan’s Karan Arjun, Bobby Deol’s Soldier, to name a few. She had acted in more than 100 films and continues to act in many contemporary films.

The viewers expect her to continue the good work in the years to come.

Death of Prakash Mehra.

Death of Prakash Mehra.

The viewers of bollywood films pay homage to the departed soul of Prakash Mehra, who died today in 2009. He was considered as one of the leading directors who had shown the path of making action films in India.

His film Zanjeer, made Amitabh Bacchan, who was also called Big B, the megastar of Indian cinema. He gave him the role of a brave policer who never feared any law-breaker. He fought his way out against Ajit and his men with the help a pathan played by Pran. The film released in 1973, changed the shape and colour of bollywood films.

After the success of Zanjeer, Yash Chopra made Deewar, Ramesh Sippy made Sholay, Subhash Ghai made Kalicharan, which stand out as the landmarks of action films in Indian cinema. Those actors who were known for their romantic performances in the 60s, became famous as action heroes in the mid-70s. Sunil Dutt was sublime in Zakhmee, Feroz Khan evergreen in Dharmatma, Dharmender brilliant in Charas and Jugnu, Vinod Khanna successful in Burning Train.

Prakash Mehra’s other film Muqaddar ka Sikander, created Big B and Vinod Khanna as the greatest superstar of the 70s. Big B lived as an orphan in the film but became a big don who cared for the poor people. He loved Rakhee, who had soft corner for Vinod Khanna. At the end of the film to save Rakhee and others, Big B fought against Amzad Khan’s men and died. The song “rote hue jaate hai sab” sung by Kishore Kumar and Rafi and composed by Kalyanji Anandji, became super hit.

Lawaarish was one of the other super hit films of Prakash Mehra and Big B. Big B lived the life of an orphan. Big B made the song “mere angneme” equally famous by lending his own voice. Prakash Mehra’s other hit films include Namak Halal, Sharabi with Big B, Mela with Feroz Khan and Haseena Maan Jayegi with Shashi Kapoor.

Prakash Mehra was known in the last few years as the maker of the films Munna Bhai and Lage Raho Munna Bhai.

Munna Bhai MBBS and Lage Raho Munnabhai was the story of a local don Munna Bhai played by Sanjay Dutt. He came a doctor in Munna Bhai MBBS, while he did gandhigiri in Lage Raho Munnabhai. Both the films became super hit and created a successful beginning and created a path for making sequels.

Prakash Mehra’s films should be restored and preserved to remember him as the trendsetter of action films in India.

Happy birthday to Moushumi Chatterji

Happy birthday to Moushumi Chatterji.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to actress Moushumi Chatterji on 26th April, 2009. She started her career in films by playing an important character in Bengali film Parineeta. With her she attracted the attention of leading producers and directors of Bengali films including Ajoy Kar and Tarun Majumdar. She acted in a number of Bengali films and then went to Bombay.

In bollywood she played notable roles during the period when the directors like Basu Chatterji, Basu Bhattacharya were involved in making realistic films. Her film Manzil Manzil opposite Big B, became successful, as the film was based on the realistic story titled Akash Kusum which was the Bengali film directed by Mrinal Sen. Her performance in the film Benam, opposite Big B was also outstanding. It was a suspense thriller where Big B’s son was kidnapped and Moushumi expressed the anxiety very well in the film.

In the 70s, Moushumi’s performance in the film Anuraag, opposite Vinod Mehra was worth mentioning. She played the role of a blind girl and did very well in the role. The music in the film composed by SD Burman was also very successful including Rafi’s song “who kya hai”. Mushumi did well also in the action films of that period including the film Goutam Govinda, where Shashi Kapoor and Shatrughun Sinha were brothers and helped the villagers against the oppression of Premnath in the film.

In the early 80s, Moushumi’s performance in superstar Uttam Kumar’s film Ogo Bodhu Sundari gave a special place for her in Bengali films. The film was the last film of Uttam Kumar as he died on 24th July, 1980. The story was based on the epic literature of George Bernard Shaw titled Pygmalion. Uttam Kumat brought Moushumi in his house to teach her. She was totally uneducated and learned culture, education and living style in a modern society from Uttam Kumar. The music of Bappi Lahiri in the film was equally successful.

In the 90s, Moushumi did extremely well in character roles. She was sublime in Sunny Deol’s film Ghayal, where she played the role of the sister- in-law of Sunny. A scandal was publicized against her and she committed suicide in the film.

She also contested MP elections from Kolkata from the Congress (I) ticket in 2004. Viewers agree that there is lot of acting left in Moushumi and they want her to continue the brilliant work both in bollywood films and Bengali films.

Happy birthday to Shashi Kapoor

Happy birthday to Shashi Kapoor.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Shashi Kapoor on 18th March, 2009. Shashi Kapoor, the son of Prithviraj Kapoor, and younger brother of Raj Kapoor, had acting in his blood. He performed in Prithvi Theatres at an early age.

He even acted in Raj Kapoor’s films Awara and Aag, as a child artist. He in fact played the younger stage of Raj Kapoor in those films as he was 15 years younger than Raj Kapoor. In the early 60s he acted in a number of black and white films including Prem Patra with Sadhna.

He established himself in bollywood films with his performance in the film Jab Jab Phool Khilen with Nanda in the mid-60s. From that time a successful team was created and both Shashi Kapoor and Nanda acted in films like Needh Hamari Khwab Tumhari, Mohabbat Isi Ko Kehte Hai, etc. Shashi Kapoor was blessed with successful songs of Mohammad Rafi in those films including “pardesiwon se na akhiyan milana”, “yahan mai ajnabee hoon”, “theriye hosh me aloon”, etc.

Shashi Kapoor acted in multistarrer films like Waqt in the mid-60s with Raj Kumar and Sunil Dutt and kept his mark in the respective role. In the 70s, after the emergence of Amitabh Bacchan, bollywood films took a turn. Directors and producers instead of making romantic films, started concentrating on anti-establishment films.

In that era, Shashi Kapoor acted with Amitabh Bacchan in many films. The combination was sublime in the film Deewar, where Big B was smuggler and Shashi Kapoor was a police officer. Shashi Kapoor’s dialogue “mere pass ma hai” still is remembered by numerous film lovers even today. Where Big B concentrated on action sequences, Shashi Kapoor played the role of soft, romantic actor in those films.

Shashi Kapoor’s other successful films with Amitabh Bacchan include Shaan, Kabhi Kabhi, Trishul, Iman Dharam, Suhaag, to name a few. Most of these films ended up being blockbusters.

Although Shashi Kapoor was not a trend-setter like Raj Kapoor who was considered showman in the 50s, or Shammi Kapoor, who brought the rock-and-roll trend in the 60s, his presence was felt in the 60s and 70s. Shashi Kapoor’s film Pyar Kiye Ja, Sharmilee, Chor Machaye Shor, did moderate business at the box-office.

Besides Shashi Kapoor had produced films for Shyam Benegal and Govind Nihalini, and those films were appreciated by the intellectual audience. The films included Junoon and Vijeta, where Shashi Kapoor also himself acted.

In the mid-80s, Shashi Kapoor did put on a lot of weight and faded away from the film industry. But whenever viewers watch him in Ismail Merchant’s films and other films, his appearance reminds everyone about his association with the Kapoor family, the royal family which had contributed actors, producers and directors, for four generations.