Happy Birthday, Jaya Bachchan (09/04)
Jaya Bhaduri Bachchan is recognized as one of the finest Hindi film actresses of her time, particularly known for reinforcing a naturalistic style of acting in both mainstream and “middle-of-the-road” cinema. The actress, a student of the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, made her debut as a teenager in Satyajit Ray’s Mahanagar in 1963. She later made an impressive leading role debut in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s movie Guddi (1971). With films like Abhimaan and Mili, the actress became synonymous with roles that exuded innocence. In films like Anamika, Kora Kagaz, Silsila…
Happy Birthday, Sai Paranjpye. A rare photo of young Sai Paranjpye.
Birthday Greetings to acclaimed film director, scriptwriter & theatre personality Sai Paranjpye (19/03). Saeed Jaffrey, the cigarette shop owner Lallan Miyan had a customer Siddharth aka Farooq Sheikh, who unluckily couldn’t smoke.
And thus, on the sets of ‘Chashme Buddoor’, director Sai Paranjpye had to take it on herself to teach her hero how to puff his way into the scene. This picture shows how Sai Paranjpe was a hands-on filmmaker.
What are your favorite Sai Paranjpye films?
Remembering the thespian of Indian cinema ShashiKapoor on his birth anniversary (18/03).
His career spanned three decades, beginning in the early 60s & dwindling down in the late 80s.
“If you have to describe Shashi Kapoor with one adjective, what it would be?”
Remembering Jagdish Raj, the quintessential police officer for generations in Hindi cinema, on his birth anniversary. (17/03) Every Hindi film buff knows Jagdish Raj by sight, even if she may not know his name. He became a policeman for the first time in Raj Khosla’s C.I.D.
Happy Birthday, Alia Bhatt
What are your favorite Alia Bhatt movies?
50 Years of Anand.
Director Hrishikesh Mukherjee once thought about making ‘Anand’ in Bengali as ‘Ananda Sangbad’ with Raj Kapoor and Uttam Kumar.
“I wrote Anand in 1954 with Raj Kapoor in mind. The film is based on my friendship with Raj Kapoor. The sheer thought or rather the fear of what would happen to me if Raj Kapoor were to die, was what made me write the story. The film has many personal moments borrowed from our lives. Most of the events are based on real incidents. My only regret is that took too long to make the film…
50 Years of Anand (12/03/1971)
“Babumushoi, zindagi aur maut upar waale ke haath hai. Usse na toh aap badal sakte hai na main. Hum sab to rangmanch ki kathputliyan hai jinki dor upar waale ki ungliyon mein bandhi hai.”
What are your favorite Anand dialogues/songs?
An inspiration to some of India’s greatest actors, #DilipKumar is unmatched in the craft.
The Dilip Kumar characters that occupy every fan’s mind are from the films he did from the late 1940s to 1960. Dilip in Andaz, Ashok in Babul, Vijay in Jogan, Shamu in Deedar, the eponymous Devdas, Devendra/Anand in Madhumati, Ganga in Gunga Jumna — they are self-conscious, egotistic, and rebellious characters.
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