Shabana Azmi said she is great admirer of Dilip Kumar.

Shabana Azmi said she is great admirer of Dilip Kumar.

Versatile actress Shabana Azmi celebrated her 60th birthday on 18th September, 2010. She gave an interview in Times of India on her birthday.

She commented on many things. She said that in theatre acting there is scope of underacting, as the viewers at the backseat may not recognize lack of expression, but in films that is not possible. For her film acting was a greater challenge.

She also said that acted in both commercial and parallel films. She acted during the transition of the 70s, when the actresses got roles opposite the angry young man played by Big B, Vinod Khanna and others. Female actresses started getting roles which were transformations from the ones of the 60s in films like Mai Choop Rahungi to films in the 80s like Khoon Bhari Maang. But her range was exposed in parallel cinema. She could express the complexity of female mind successfully in the art films directed by Shyam Benegal, Satyajit Ray and others.

When asked about her choice, she said that she would have accepted the role of a sweeper if director Bergman had offered her a role. He was her favourite director. In respect of actors, she commented that Tragedy King Dilip Kumar was her favourite actor. She grew up seeing his acting.

It is very significant that the actress of the callibre of Shabana Azmi who had won 5 national awards also used the name of Tragedy King, who had not learned acting from acting school, but the characters immortal with his sensitive performances over 70 years. The interview was very knowledgeable.

Happy birthday to Shabana Azmi.

Happy birthday to Shabana Azmi.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Shabana Azmi on 18th September, 2010. She had remained an institution by herself. She had been considered to be the greatest performer in bollywood films along with Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri.

She started her journey with Shyam Benegal’s film Ankur in 1974. With her debut, the trend of parallel cinema began in bollywood. There existed a clear difference between glamour girls in bollywood and the serious actresses who graced parallel cinema. Shabana Azmi featured in both forms of films but became unparallel in parallel films. She concentrated on the inner emotions of the characters that were played. She was unparallel in the role of a step mother in Shekhar Kapoor’s film Masoom. Her performance was as brilliant as the performance of Naseer in the film. She was the step mother who initially was attached to her own blood-related daughters but later was moved by the sensitiveness of Naseer’s son Jugal Hunsraj whom she accepted at the end of the film.

In Goutam Ghosh’s film Paar, she showed the life of daily wage earner in Kolkata along with Naseeruddin Shah. The scene where Shabana Azmi swam across the Ganges near Bandha Ghat along with a pack of animals which were supposed to be reached the respective destination, body language, physical effort, expressions all get mixed into one. Goutam Ghosh himself accepted that it was the best film he had made till date.

She was as powerful as Smita Patil in the film Arth. Her husband Kulbhushan Kharbanda led an extra-marital relationship with Smita Patil and Shabana Azmi wanted to leave him for those reasons. She also played an important role in Oscar Winning Director Satyajit Ray’s film Shatranj Ki Khiladi. The other notable films which ended up being masterpieces include Khandahaar, Dharavi, Sparsh, etc.

Shabana Axmi was equally successful in commercial films. She played a prominent part in hit film Parvarish along with Vinod Khanna and Big B. Her performance in the film Amar Akbar Anthony opposite Vinod Khanna was appreciated by the commercial crowds. She gave able lips in the song “o humko tumse ho gaya hai pyar kya Karen” opposite Vinod Khanna. She even did a great job in a negative role in the film Godmother.

Her performance opposite Big B in the film Mai Azaad Hoon, in the role of a journalist requires special mention. She received national award a number of times and won it consecutively for three years from 1983 to 1985 for Arth, Khandahar and Paar. She was even unparallel in the film Godmother and won the national award once more. She had created a benchmark which had been followed by actresses of the present era including Dimple Kapadia and Tabu. The viewers expect her to continue the high standard of work in the years to come.

Happy birthday to Naseeruddin Shah.

Happy birthday to Naseeruddin Shah.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Naseeruddin Shah on 20th July, 2010. Along with Om Puri, Smita Patil and Shabana Azmi, Nasir was the leading actor who had shaped parallel cinema in India. He became the leading actor of art films directed by Shyam Benegal, Govind Nihalini, Sudhir Mishra, Mrinal Sen and others. He was sublime in films like Aakrosh, Sparsh, Khandahaar, etc.

Viewers cannot forget his realistic acting in Goutam Ghosh’s film Paar. He was unparallel in the scene where he along with Shabana Azmi, took the herd of animals across river Ganges for their livelihood. Their standard of acting was extraordinary. He was equally brilliant in a sensitive role in Shekhar Kapoor’ s film Masoom. His son Jugal Hansraj was not accepted by Shabana Azmi, as he was her step son, but at the end of the film Nasir convinced Shabana about accepting the child. The songs in the film like “huzoor is kadar bhi na itra ke chaliye” sung by Bhupinder Singh and Suresh Watkar and composed by RD Burman became extremely popular in the early 80s.

In the late 80s, Nasir got influenced by veteran actor Amrish Puri and joined mainstream cinema. There also he became a grand winner. He gave fabulous performance in the film Tridev along with Sunny Deol, Jackie Shroff, and also Vishwaatma wit Sunny Deol and Chunkey Pandey. His action skills, comedy skills all were utilized by the commercial directors and became an indispensable figure in the early 90s.

Even as villain he astonished the viewers in films like Mohra. He did outcast the heroes in the film like Sunil Shetty and Akshay Kumar and ended up being the main actor in the feeling. Nasir could play any type of role and in the long run no other actor other than Om Puri could match Nasiruddin Shah’s versatility. In China Gate, both of them faced each other and the viewers enjoyed the dynamic performances of the two legends. Even in films like Monsoon Wedding, Nasir showed that his skill in realistic acting just had got enhanced day after day.

In 2008, he performed perhaps the best film of the year, A Wednesday. He killed the terrorists as an ordinary citizen, to end the threat they had created over a period of time.

In 2010, his performance in the film Ishqiya opposite Vidya Balan and Arshad Warsi had been highly appreciated by the critics. The film did good business as well. Even his performance in Prakash Jha’s film Rajneeti impressed the masses. Rajneeti ended up being a blockbuster. The viewers expect the legendary actor to continue his dynamic performance as he is still irreplaceable in bollywood films.

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 Shabana Azmi.

Happy birthday to Shabana Azmi.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Shabana Azmi on 18th September, 2009. She had remained an institution by herself. She had been considered to be the greatest performer in bollywood films along with Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri.

She started her journey with Shyam Benegal’s film Ankur in 1974. With her debut, the trend of parallel cinema began in bollywood. She concentrated on the inner emotions of the characters that were played. She was unparallel in the role of a step mother in Shekhar Kapoor’s film Masoom. Her performance was as brilliant as the performance of Naseer in the film.

In Goutam Ghosh’s film Paar, she showed the life of daily wage earner in Kolkata along with Naseeruddin Shah. The scene where Shabana Azmi swam across the Ganges near Bandha Ghat along with a pack of animals which were supposed to be reached the respective destination, body language, physical effort, expressions all get mixed into one.

She was as powerful as Smita Patil in the film Arth. She also played an important role in Oscar Winning Director Satyajit Ray’s film Shatranj Ki Khiladi. The other notable films which ended up being masterpieces include Khandahaar, Dharavi, Sparsh, etc.

Shabana Axmi was equally successful in commercial films. She played a prominent part in hit film Parvarish along with Vinod Khanna and Big B. Her performance in the film Amar Akbar Anthony opposite Vinod Khanna was appreciated by the commercial crowds. She even did a great job in a negative role in the film Godmother.

Her performance opposite Big B in the film Mai Azaad Hoon, in the role of a journalist requires special mention. She had created a benchmark which had been followed by actresses of the present era including Dimple Kapadia and Tabu. The viewers expect her to continue the high standard of work in the years to come.

Happy birthday to Nasiruddin Shah.

Happy birthday to Nasiruddin Shah.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Nasiruddin Shah on 20th July, 2009. Along with Om Puri, Smita Patil and Shabana Azmi, Nasir was the leading actor who had shaped parallel cinema in India. He became the leading actor of art films directed by Shyam Benegal, Govind Nihalini, Sudhir Mishra, Mrinal Sen and others. He was sublime in films like Aakrosh, Sparsh, Khandahaar, etc.

Viewers cannot forget his realistic acting in Goutam Ghosh’s film Paar. He was unparallel in the scene where he along with Shabana Azmi, took the herd of animals across river Ganges for their livelihood. Their standard of acting was extraordinary. He was equally brilliant in a sensitive role in Shekhar Kapoor’ s film Masoom. His son Jugal Hansraj was not accepted by Shabana Azmi, as he was her step son, but at the end of the film Nasir convinced Shabana about accepting the child. The songs in the film like “huzoor is kadar bhi na itra ke chaliye” sung by Bhupinder Singh and Suresh Watkar and composed by RD Burman became extremely popular in the early 80s.

In the late 80s, Nasir got influenced by veteran actor Amrish Puri and joined mainstream cinema. There also he became a grand winner. He gave fabulous performance in the film Tridev along with Sunny Deol, Jackie Shroff, and also Vishwaatma wit Sunny Deol and Chunkey Pandey. His action skills, comedy skills all were utilized by the commercial directors and became an indispensable figure in the early 90s.

Even as villain he astonished the viewers in films like Mohra. He did outcast the heroes in the film like Sunil Shetty and Akshay Kumar and ended up being the main actor in the feeling. Nasir could play any type of role and in the long run no other actor other than Om Puri could match Nasiruddin Shah’s versatility. In China Gate, both of them faced each other and the viewers enjoyed the dynamic performances of the two legends. Even in films like Monsoon Wedding, Nasir showed that his skill in realistic acting just had got enhanced day after day.

In 2008, he performed perhaps the best film of the year, A Wednesday. He killed the terrorists as an ordinary citizen, to end the threat they had created over a period of time. The viewers expect the legendary actor to continue his dynamic performance as he is still irreplaceable in bollywood films.

Urmila Matondkar had always remained underrated actress.

Urmila Matondkar had always remained underrated actress.

Urmila Matondkar had always remained underrated actress inspite of providing landmark performances in her illustrious career. She started her career as child artist in Shekhar’s Kapoor’s off-beat film Masoom in the early 80s.

Although Shekhar Kapoor made the film with intellectual performers like Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi, the commercial audience had enjoyed the film to the fullest extent. Bhupinder Singh’s song “huzur is kadar bhi na itrake chaliye”, Anup Ghoshal’s song “tujhse naraz nahi zindagi” composed by RD Burman still remains a landmark in Indian film music.

In the same film Urmila Matondkar’s lips in the song “lakri ki kaathi” is still remembered by cinematic crowd in India. Urmila was sublime in Ram Gopal Verma’s ghostly venture “bhoot”. She played the role of the unsatisfied soul who got into the body of another individual to take revenge against the ghastly murder committed some time back.

Her performance in off-beat films had compelled producers and directors to cast her in complex roles in serious films like Pinjar, Tehzeeb, etc. In Tehzeeb she complimented the powerful performance of Shabana Azmi, who was considered the greatest Indian actress of all times by eminent director Tapan Sinha.

If those performances show the depth of acting of Urmila Matondkar, their performance in commercial films show her adaptability in any form of situations. She was brilliant in the film Rangeela opposite Amir Khan and Jackie Shroff. The film was commercially successful and Urmila adjusted her stylish image to perfection in the film.

She was successful in many commercial films including Daud, opposite Sanjay Dutt, Judaai opposite Anil Kapoor and Sri Devi, to name a few. Even her dance numbers in films like China Gate had amazed the viewers.

But she had remained underrated all along her career. Neither she was considered the competitor of Juhi Chawla or Kajol in the mid 90s, nor Rani Mukherjee or Preeti Zinta in the late 90s, nor Katrina Kaif or Priyanka Chopra in the present period. Whenever complex roles are created, producers and directors think about Urmila Matondkar, but when the films end up in success, her name is forgotten.

Urmila Matondkar should ignore the publicity and reaction of media towards her and continue the good work that she had done till date.

Happy birthday to Urmila Matondkar

Happy birthday to Urmila Matondkar.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy to Urmila Matondkar, one of the style icons of bollywood industry on 4^th February, 2009. She had entertained the viewers over the last 15 years with her variety of performances.

She has been one of the main contributors of Ram Gopal Verma’s films. Most of his films had been related to supernatural power and horror subject matters. Urmila Matondkar had given spirited performances in those films and amused the viewers. Her performance in the film Bhoot meaning ghost requires special mention. She was tortured and ill-treated by a person and after the death of the soul, the unsatisfied spirits entered Urmila’s body and disclosed the truth relating to the sad event to the people at large. The horror, fear, anxiety, etc., were expressed by Urmila in style.

Her comedy performance in films like Daud opposite Sanjay Dutt was also appreciated. The film was related to stealing of property and the chase relating to them by Paresh Rawal and his men. Apparently there was hardly any action but serious comedy all along the film where Urmila Matondkar and Sanjay Dutt complimented each other.

Urmila Matondkar acted in different types films. Films like Pinjar were made for the interest of serious viewers. While films like Rangeela addressed the common crowd. Urmila Matondkar exhibited her stylish andaz in the film opposite stalwarts like Amir Khan and Jackie Shroff. It was a superhit film and made Urmila Matondkar a leading star of bollywood.

Even in films where Urmila Matondkar had acted with ordinary make up, the story and her performance impressed the viewers. Films like Jungle being made with the background of Verappan’s jungle expeditions were admired by different sections of the viewers. Even her performance in the film Tehzeeb along with Shabana Azmi attracted the attention of intellectual audience.

She received filmfare critics award for best actress in 2004 for her superlative performance in the film Bhoot. She also received starscreen award and Zee-cine awards for her powerful performance in Bhoot in 2004.

She also had done impressive item numbers in films like China Gate, Lajja, Ram Gopal Verma Ki Aag, etc. Last year she played the challenging role in the film Karz, opposite Himesh Reshammiya, the same role which was played by Simi Garewal in Rishi Kapoor’s Karz.

The viewers expect her to continue the good work that she started from her childhood in films like Masoom, and contribute in bollywood films in future.

Happy birthday to Shekhar Kapoor

Happy birthday to Shekhar Kapoor.

The viewers of bollywood films wish Shekhar Kapoor happy birthday on 6th December, 2008. The films he had directed over 20 years had not been forgotten by most of Indian and International audience and that is the reason they still have expectation from Shekhar Kapoor to make better films in future.

In the early part of his career he directed the film Masoom which was critically acclaimed and also got commercial success. The viewers appreciated the expression of helplessness of Jugal Hansraj, whose father played by Nasiruddin Shah married Shabana Azmi and in the early part of the film Shabana Azmi did not accept Jugal Hansraj as her daughter. She already had her own daughters which included Urmila Matondkar who acted as a child artist.

The film was related to the struggle of Nasirrudin Shah to convince Shabana Azmi about the acceptance of Jugal Hansraj. When he decided to admit Jugal Hansraj in a boarding at the end of the film Shabana Azmi got attached with the son and stopped him from going to boarding. The songs in the film were very catchy, including “huzur is kadar bhi na itrake chaliye” sung by Bhupinder Singh and Suresh Watkar and “tujhse naraz nahi zindagi hairan hun mai” sung by Anup Ghoshal.

The film of Shekhar Kapoor which had biggest commercial success included Mr. India. He dealt with fantasy where with a use of a formula human beings became invisible and Anil Kapoor used it to become invisible and came to be known as Mr. India in the film. Amrish Puri played the role of international don named Mogambo which created his brand image.

Amrish Puri tried to access the formula. Initially he sent his men all across the world for searching that formula and made a number of plans and ultimately lost his life in the process. Sri Devi was very impressive in her role as a journalist and showed her comedy conception in te film. The music of Laxmikant Pyarellal was super hit. The hit songs included “hawa hawai”, “karte hai hum pyar Mr. India se”, etc. Besides LP used a number of his own songs in parody style for the numerous number of children who were brought up by Anil Kapoor and the song was titled “bacche tere bacche”.

In the later part of his career Shekhar Kapoor experimented with challenging subjects like Bandit Queen. Already Phoolan Devi won the elections and became Member of the Parliament and she died later, so there was big controversy in respect of the actual story and the subject that was depicted by Shekhar Kapoor.

Secondly the film had the challenge of getting certification from the Censor Board. Cruelty at its highest level was shown in the film. Besides caste rivalry between thakurs and malwas in the states of UP and Bihar were shown. Even critics argued the fact that if cruelty is shown in details in films the aesthetic value of films can be prevented from getting turnished and that is the challenge of quality film directors like Shyam Benegal who had been masters of story telling, had shown challenging subject-matters in films yet edited the unnecessary details. In that respect Shekhar Kapoor’s Bandit Queen, just revealed cruelty and did not try to maintain the filmic value on the subject matter.

Besides direction, Shekhar Kapoor was also a promising actor and he acted in some successful TV Serials of DD India like Khandan in the late 80s. He is considered to be a thoughtful director and the viewers expect him to come up with better films in future again.