Bipasha Basu and style statement.

Bipasha Basu and style statement.

Bipasha Basu in the last few years had been considered as the style icon of bollywood films. Initially she started her career with bold performances in films like Ajnabee. She acted in negative character opposite Akshay Kumar, which other actresses would have declined to do in the early part of their career.

She took up the challenge of playing the role of call girls which hardly any actress would have liked to take up. Her performance in the film No Entry involves one of such a kind of role where the character was central one. She had lured Anil Kapoor and Fardeen Khan and that had led to misunderstanding with their wives Lara Dutta and Celina Jaitley, respectively. It was solved at the end of the film by Salman Khan. Bipasha’s stylish lips in the song “no entry” created a different dimension in the film.

She even agreed to sign the film Bacchna Aye Haseeno, opposite Ranbir Kapoor who was much younger than her in age. Upcoming stars like Minisha Lamba and Deepika Padukone also acted in the film, but viewers do agree that Bipasha perhaps had provided the most stylish performance in the film. The song “bachna aye haseeno” became super hit.

Even in 2009 Bipasha acted in the film Aa Dekhen Zara opposite Neil Nitin Mukesh, who was quite junior to her. The film had a lot of action sequences. Although Bipasha’s stylish performance was appreciated but the film did not do reasonable business till now.

With huge success in commercial films Bipasha Basu never hesitated to do refined off-beat films like Madhur Bhandarkar’s Corporate. The stress and strain of the corporate world was shown in the film. Also the stories behind the successful careers of CEOs and entrepreneurs were also presented in the film. Critics agree that perhaps Bipasha gave her best performance in the film Corporate.

She even acted in comedy films like Chor Machaye Shor opposite Bobby Deol. Although the film had similar story like that of Amol Palekar’s Golmaal, Bipasha Basu maintained her style in the serio-comic film. Bobby Deol played two characters together in the film.

Even in crime-thrillers like Race, she maintained her style. She was almost killed by the men of Akshay Khanna and her fear, anxiety and other emotions were expressed with style. Her combination with Saif Ali Khan was as powerful as Akshay Khanna’s performance opposite Katrina Kaif in the film.

Bipasha Basu should maintain her stylish andaz in the following films as that is a type of performance which is inherent in her and suits her dialogue delivery and other mannerisms. Viewers expect her to continue the good work in the years to come.

Reema Sen in Golmaal and Phir Hera Pheri.

Reema Sen in Golmaal and Phir Hera Pheri.

Comedy films in the last few years have allowed the unsuccessful actresses to get recognition through the group effort. Golmaal was one of the hit films where Reema Sen got a scope of performing opposite Ajay Devgan, Tushar Kapoor, Arshad Warsi and others.

Tushar Kapoor played the role of a dumb character who could not express himself. All the four friends took shelter in Paresh Rawal’s house as he was blind and thought them to be their grandson. Reema Sen was their neighbor and was liked by the all the four friends. She initially showed irritation about the actors but later one got impressed with their skills.

Each of the friends including Ajay Devgan, Arshad Warsi, hatched up plans to impress Riya Sen in one way or the other sometimes by winning racing car competition or dancing competition, etc. At the end of the film Reema Sen married Tushar Kapoor to everyone’s surprise. The songs “golmaal” became successful.

Reema Sen got a witty role in the film Phir Hera Pheri. She had an affair with Akshay Kumar and got involved in the hera pheri to return the money to be given to the underworld gang. Sunil Shetty got involved with Bipasha Basu, who played the role of a fraud character who promised to get the money of private persons being doubled, and ran away with the money to pay the debts of few wrongdoers.

Reema Sen and Bipasha Basu played a key role when all the characters in the film assembled in a circus to get the diamonds hidden in the place. All the actors including Milind Gunaji, Paresh Rawal, Johnny Lever, etc., did a great job in the circus scene. The acrobatic acts in the circus done by Akshay Kumar and Sunil Shetty entertained the viewers and the film ended up being successful.

Both the films Golmaal and Phir Hera Pheri had impressed the viewers to such an extent that the sequels of the films are under production at the moment. Reema Sen probably got the greatest success in those films (which were related to group effort), but her actual test lies in the films where she can act independently.

The viewers expect Reema Sen to show her unique style in new films to create her separate identity and contribute well in bollywood films.

Hilary Duff - Hilary Erhard Duff

Hilary Duff with birth name Hilary Erhard Duff was born on September 28, 1987, Houston, Texas, U.S..

Hilary Duff is an American actress singer-songwriter, fashion designer, film producer, and spokesperson. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in Hilary Duff's childhood, she gained fame for playing the title role in the television series Lizzie McGuire.

Hilary Duff went on to have a film career; Hilary Duff's most commercially successful movies include Cheaper by the Dozen (2003), The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003), and A Cinderella Story (2004).

Hilary Duff's Genre(s) Pop, teen pop, pop rock, dance-pop, bubblegum pop, electronic rock, electropop, synthpop; Instrument(s) Vocals; Label(s) Walt Disney (2001—2003), Buena Vista (2001—2004), Hollywood (2002—2008).

Edited May 11, 2011, additional information

Hilary Duff subsequently ventured into motion pictures and has many successful films to her credit including The Lizzie McGuire Movie, Cheaper by the Dozen, A Cinderella Story and Cheaper by the Dozen 2. Hilary Duff has most recently appeared in According to Greta and Stay Cool.

As of December 2010, Hilary Duff's upcoming films include, Bloodworth, The Story of Bonnie and Clyde, and She Wants Me.Hilary Duff has since expanded her repertoire into pop music with the release of three RIAA-certified platinum albums: Metamorphosis, her debut studio album, was certified triple platinum and was supplemented by a further two platinum albums, Hilary Duff and Most Wanted.

In 2007, Hilary Duff released her third studio album, Dignity, which was certified gold later than year and spawned singles "With Love" – her highest charting US single to date – and "Stranger". Best of Hilary Duff, a compilation of her greatest hits, was released in the last quarter of 2008 producing her a third #1 on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs with the single "Reach Out". Duff has sold over thirteen million records worldwide; her contributions to the music industry have gained her commercial and critical success worldwide while Billboard ranked her the 69th Artist of the 2000s decade.

Branching into the fashion industry, Hilary Duff has also launched her own clothing lines, Stuff by Hilary Duff and Femme for DKNY Jeans, and two exclusive perfume collections with Elizabeth Arden as well as having been signed on to modelling agency IMG Models.

Other business ventures include writing a young adult novel Elixir and being accredited as an executive producer for According to Greta and a producer for the films Material Girls and Beauty & the Briefcase.

Chabi Biswas was considered the greatest actor by Satyajit Ray.

Chabi Biswas was considered the greatest actor by Satyajit Ray.

Satyajit Ray, the Oscar winning director of Indian films considered Chabi Biswas as the greatest actor ever to have been born in Asian soil. Ray brought the neo-realistic movement in Indian films and whenever he made a statement about an actor that statement used to be considered the verdict of Supreme Court judge. In that perspective Ray’s comments about Chabi Biswas in Shamik Banerjee’s interview had justified the fact that Chabi Biswas was the only actor in Indian cinema whose improvisation in a Satyajit Ray film had flabbergasted international audience of US, Canada, France, Germany, etc.

Satyajit Ray was known as the greatest perfectionist of his age. His script had each and every dimension relating to the work of the actors and actresses and there was hardly any scope of improvisation. But Chabi Biswas was such a great actor who could hardly be directed, nor guided, as his own innovation relating to the respective role that he played was brilliant by every acting standard. Ray had cast Chabi Biswas in three films Jalsaghar, Debi and Kanchenjungha, and due to his tragic death in 1962, Ray never got the scope of experimenting with the legendary actor in his following films.

In Jalsaghar, the character Biswambhar Roy could not have been portrayed by any other actor better than Chabi Biswas. It was based on the epic literature of Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, where Ray showed his brilliance in the depiction of Feudal System during Colonial period in Bengal. For Chabi Biswas, aristocracy got predominance in his life as a zamindar, and that dignity, personality, honour could not be sacrificed during his lifetime. As long as Chabi Biswas’s wealth matched with his aristocracy, the zamindar compromised with other aspects of life, but when the upcoming wealthy people in the village like Gangapodo Basu, by becoming rich through business, tried to equate themselves with the dignified landlord, they faced the tassles.

Ray admitted, the scene where Chabi Biswas brought baijee (classical singer) from Benaras to perform in his house and Gangapodo Basu tried to give her reward and Chabi Biswas prevented him, the diction, the aristocracy and dignity could only be portrayed by Chabi Biswas. He said a performer can be first rewarded by the host who called her, not the invitee. The scene where Chabi Biswas was told that due to lack of duty paid by the farmers, there was no money to light the jharlonthon, Chabi Biswas went upstairs and showed the photographs of his ancestors whose sacred legacy he carried forward, and that was the scene which shook international audience. Ray once said, had Chabi Biswas been born in US, he would have received Oscar award for his performance in Jalsaghar.

Chabi Biswas’s performance in the film Debi, based on the epic literature of Prabhat Mukhopadhay, was unparallel. He almost got the illusion of seeing Goddess Kali in Sharmila Tagore, who was his sister-in-law. The expression for the belief which was based on devotion to God, was very complex, which could be only played by Chabi Biswas. Ray admitted, that had Chabi Biswas not been there, he would not have made the film at all.

In respect of roles having dignified presence, Chabi Biswas could not be replaced. The best example was Kanchenjungha. There Chabi Biswas was a rich industrialist. He could not equate others with himself as he had money, power, recognition in society. But Ray experimented with the abstract subject of the greatness of Kanchenjungha creating an impact in the minds of all the passersby including an egoist of the stature of Chabi Biswas. That was the reason when Chabi Biswas called the name of his friend Banerjee, the film ended with the realizationof the greatness of the Himalayas.

All the films of Satyajit Ray where he exploited the majestic performance of all time great actor Chabi Biswas should be restored and preserved. Lessons of acting and film making cannot be learned in a better manner than observing the great works of the two giants together.

Remembering Satyajit Ray on 2nd May, 2009.

Remembering Satyajit Ray on 2nd May, 2009.

Viewers of international films all across the world remember Oscar Winning Director Satyajit Ray on 2nd May, 2009. Ray was born on 2nd May, 1921, and critics feel it was the birth of legend of legends and probably one of the greatest talents the world has ever produced after Rabindranath Tagore. Ray showed his excellence in every different of film making including script writing, costumes, music direction, costume designing, etc.

My father, Chitta Ranjan Chatterji, Ex-Chief Public Prosecutor, Bankshall Court, North, Calcutta, represented Sandip Ray, the son of Satyajit Ray, in a case relating to recovery of manuscripts from Uday Acharya, the brother of Nirmal Acharya, a renowned critic. When the manuscripts of Ray’s films were seized from Udai Acharya’s house and opened from sealed trunk it was seen that they were pictographic in nature. Script of the film Pather Panchali, Gonoshotru had illustrations at every part which showed the secret of Ray’s brilliant characterization in films.

Probably some of the actors and actresses in Ray’s films rose to stardom through the images portrayed by Ray. Chabi Biswas mesmerized the film lovers with his dignified performance in the role of Bishambhar Roy in the film Jalsaghar. Charu Prakash Ghosh was unparallel in the role of Birinchibaba in the film Kapurush Mahapurush. Anil Chatterji was unparallel in the role of Post Master in the film Teen Kanya. Utpal Dutt gave his performance for his life in the character Maganlal Meghraj in the film Joy Baba Felunath.

Similarly Om Puri and Smita Patil were sublime in their roles in the film Sadgati. Sanjeev Kumar entered the skin of the character played in the film Shatranj Ki Khiladi. Uttam Kumar could not have been replaced by any other actor in the film Nayak. Karuna Banerjee had made the role of mother of Apu immortal in the film Pather Panchali. Sharmila Tagore was outstanding in the film Debi. Tapen Chatterji and Robi Ghosh are still remembered by filmlovers through their character Goopi Bagha.

All the Indian directors like Shyam Benegal, Adoor Gopalakrishnan ,had agreed that they learnt the art of story-telling from Ray’ films. Even the theme music of the legendary director had moved the directors all across the world. Audrey Hepburn, the Oscar winning actress while awarding the Oscar award for lifetime contribution of Ray, said in her speech that Ray’s direction had the soul of Apu in the Apu Trilogy march out from the village of West Bengal and explored India and expressed the struggle for existence of every middle-class individual of the country.

Whenever classic literature of novelists and writers were used in films, Ray created his own dimension in those films, including the standard of excellence in the films Charulata and Ghare Baire which were based on the epic literature of Tagore. Films made by Ray from his own literature like Sonar Kella, Joy Baba Felunath, Agantuk, etc., were equally brilliant.

The films of Ray should be preserved to disseminate the art of script writing, costume designing, theme music, camera work, neat direction, etc.

Uttam Kumar and Arundhuti Debi.

Uttam Kumar and Arundhuti Debi.
Uttam Kumar in the 50s and 60s acted opposite different actresses, some who were beautiful, like Sumitra Debi, Suchitra Sen, Sharmila Tagore, etc., while others who had wide ranging acting conceptions like Manju Dey, Sabitri Chatterji and others. Arundhuti Debi was one of the highly educated characters whose qualifications were expressed in the characters she had played in a long career spanning over 25 years.

With Uttam Kumar Arundhuti Debi acted in approximately 8 films including Bokul, Shiulibari, Jhinder Bandi, Jotugriha, Nabajanma, Manmayi Girls School, Pushpodhonu and Bicharak. While in Bicharak, she expressed the feelings of a confused sister whose elder sister was married to Uttam Kumar. Uttam Kumar was attracted to Arundhuti Debi and when fire broke out in the house and his first wife Deepti Ray required his help, he declined to help her and allowed her to die. A similar type of case was adjudicated by Uttam Kumar when he was a judge, when Chabi Biswas, the Public Prosecutor talked about the liability of the accused who could have saved the life of his brother, but he did not do so. Uttam Kumar was asked by Arundhuti Debi to examine his own conscience about his liability towards Deepti Roy in Prabhat Mukherjee’s classic film.

Arundhuti Debi and Uttam Kumar showed their comedy conception in the film Manmayi Girl’s School, where they had to pretend to be spouses, because their landlord rented his house to them only on the condition of marriage. But their playacting resulted in an affair with one another. In Pushpadhanu, Arundhuti Debi brought up her husband’s child after he deserted her and got attached with Uttam Kumar who understood the feelings of an established dancer who got recognition but was a loner.

Jhinder Bandi was made with the historical touch of Prisoner of Zenda and Tapan Sinha astonished the viewers with his treatment in the Indian context. The royal style of living of Rajputs was well demonstrated by both Uttam Kumar and Arundhuti Debi. Shiulibari was directed by Pijus Bose, who utilized the talent of Uttam Kumar and Arundhuti in a story based on the life of villagers of West Bengal.

Jotugriha, directed by Tapan Sinha, was probably the most successful film of Uttam Kumar and Arundhuti Debi. In that film lack of begetting a child led to disharmony of the married couple. Both Uttam Kumar and Arundhuti Debi got separated and even after separation never lost the respect of each other. The story ends with both the spouses travelling in to trains which crossed each other. The level of performance of both Uttam Kumar and Arundhuti Debi, was such that there were no Indian actor or actress who could match the standard of performance.

Uttam Kumar was the greatest superstar of Bengali cinema and became one-man industry in the 70s. Critics argue that no Indian star other than Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor had the individual charishma which Uttam Kumar had and if his Hindi films clicked he could have created serious competition for the stars of 60s. But Arundhuti Debi’s films with Uttam Kumar were so rich in literature, script and performance that critics argue that the combination addressed the concerns of intellectual audience of the country more than any other combination. The films should be restored for their aesthetic value.

New actresses had not created impact in bollywood films.

New actresses had not created impact in bollywood films.

New actresses like Koena Mitra, Reema Sen, Riya Sen, Ayesha Takia, Payal Rohatgi and other actresses who had contributed in bollywood films in the last few years had not created any serious impact in the minds of viewers. They had got partial success in the some of the films but had not affected the popularity of frontline actresses like Katrina Kaif, Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta, etc.

Koena Mitra’s only successful film, include Apna Sapna Money Money, opposite Hritesh Deshmukh. The film was serio-comic in nature and the credit for the success goes to the effort of other actors like Anupam Kher, Chunkey Pandey and others. The song “dekha jo tujhe yaar” became super hit. Riya Sen’s successful film also includes Apna Sapna Money Money, Heroes, etc., where she got major roles. She cannot boast about any serious role which had created any long term impact in the minds of viewers.

Payal Rohatgi’s only successful film includes 36 China Town, opposite Paresh Rawal, where the credit for the success of the film goes to mainly Akshay Khanna, Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor. The song “aa ashiqi hai teri” became hit, but the film was a suspense thriller where Payal Rohatgi’s contribution was nothing better than a side actress. Both the Reema Sens are known for one or two films like Malamaal Weekly or Phir Hera Pheri. In Malamaal Weekly Reema Sen acted opposite Ritesh Deshmukh while in Phir Hera Pheri, the other Reema Sen acted opposite Akshay Kumar. Although these films were successful, the result was the combined effort of other stalwart actors.

The only actress in this list whose career went in some direction include Ayesha Takia. Although her successful films like Salaam-e-ishq were related to group effort, and this year’s film 8*10 Tasveer got critical acclamation, viewers accepted the fact that she had acting potentiality which if exploited could lead to success in future. The songs of Salaam-e-ishq were extremely successful including “teri ankhoki matwali kajal ko mera salaam”, “ya rabba de de koi jaan bhi agar”, became landmark hits, and the image of Ayesha Takia was transformed with the performance in the film.

All these actresses had miserably failed to fill up the vacuum created by the aging of successful actresses like Vidya Balan, Sushmita Sen, Aishwarya Rai, Preeti Zinta, etc. Bollywood directors and producers have to still rely on the older actresses as they themselves know that these new actresses had hardly created any impact in the minds of the viewers.