Lata turns 80:
No single artist in Hindi cinema has arguably a sweep as encompassing as Lata Mangeshkar. Her amazing stay in reckoning has almost defied time and age and surely been an exception to the Friday syndrome. When she said :Mujhe dar lagta hai, for Dimple in Bobby, for someone approximately 30 years her junior, she had made her musical statement (note?) of being eternal . Her magic continued further. She then went on to sing for the likes of Kajol, Priety Zinta and the like. Strictly speaking when she sang for Karishma Kapoor it was for third generation since she started. Lataji has been the voice of four generations and arguably the most melodious one at that.
To pick 20 gems from a crowded crown is near impossible. We all have our own favourites and our own reasons for picking them. Given here is mine.
Intaqam: “Aa jaane jaa”. To those who believe that Lata did not add enough oomph to her repotire, this is the final answer. LP chose Lata for this Helen number and Lata silenced her critics once and for all.
Mujhe Jeene Do: “Raat bhi hai kuch bheegi bheegi”. This Jaidev number was framed on Waheeda and a classic example of how Lata can start on a high note even a classic mujra and lets her voice match the dance with the grace that Waheeda brought to it.
Bees Saal Baad: Kahin deep jale kahin dil ” haunts you not just bees saal baad, but continues to haunt even after four decades. The song must be seen in the context of a time when even eco recording was not easy and still Lata gives it the eerie feel through the magic of her rendition.
Parakh : “O sajna”. Try singing this Salil Da number and you will realise how Lata can make simple a complex tune. She often had something special for Salil Chowdary as he held out the most complex tunes for her . This combination has added a whole genre of melodies to the archive.
1942-A Love Story: “Kuch naa kaho”. R.D. Burman’s swan song. The great master of melody could not have picked a more soul stirring tune to bid adieu and even less surprising his choice of Lata to add soul to the tune. She in turn gave it her all. Brilliance par excellence.
Taj Mahal: “Zulm-e Ulfat pe”. For the Marathi girl to sing songs in Urdu was a great challenge but beyond diction was a feel that was Lata which was stamped in this aching melody. Still early days in the career, she disproved the cynicism of Dilip Kumar and reiterated the confidence of Naushad.
Aakhri Khat: “Baharon mera jeevan bhi.” This Khayam-Lata combination places both artists in perspective. The music director has a great sense of melody and out classed himself in this experimental film for Chetan Anand. Lata seems to be taking advantage of her rare talent and talking to even Nature with this number.
Bahu Begum: Duniya kare sawal”. You can well do a list of greats of Lata for Senior Roshan. Lata was truly the melancholic voice of the tragedy queen Meena Kumari. The defiance in love, was then, an emotional revolt and who but Lata could have placed it in the precincts of sheer melody !! This song gets its place at the cost of kabhi to Milenge (Aarti), nagma o sher (ghazal) etc.
Hamrahi: “Man re tu hi bata”. Lata’s voice was a match to Shankar Jaikishan’s orchestra. The rich orchestra added value to the voice and vice versa. Rafi Saab handled the orchestra with his melody, Lata her versatility and the timbre in her voice. The combination added a rich texture to the credibility of commercial music. Shankar Jaikishen and Pancham thereafter were truly the trailblazers of great orchestra. Those who followed sure may have had more international success, but notice how the orchestra silences the singer and even the lyrics and places rhythm over everything else.
Manzil: “Rim Jhim gire sawan”. For sheer effervescence, this song has no match. Lata’s range in the Antara of this song is in perfect tandem with the monsoon and the music of the waves on a sea coast!! Don’t even attempt to compare this vibrant version with Kishore’s male sober version. They speak different energies, different takes . A true tandem
Bhabhi ki Choodiyan: “Jyoti kalash chalke”. This must go down as one of Lata’s most difficult renditions. Strong in its classic connectivity, Lata displays hidden places into which a song can move in, navigate and return to base.
9. Kohra: “Jhoom jhoom dhalti raat”. The Hemant-Lata combine gave us some haunting melodies. Look above (number 18). In the pre RGV era melody monopolised even thrillers. Whether it was Hemant’s music or Lata’s delivery, at this point in time is a mute question. This melody as a combination is a product to savour.
8. Baiju Bawra: “Mohe bhool gaye sawariya”. Even by the standards of such high quality combination (Lata-Naushad) it is difficult to get an encore of this level. This film with classical music had great numbers, great musicians and above all- Mohe bhool gaye sawariya. Unforgettable for any self respecting music lover.
Haqeeqat: “Zara si aahat”. Lata has confessedly reserved something special for her Madan bhai. The ghazal king touched words as if they were made of velvet. Notice how Lata leaves a quasi question: “Kahin yeh who to nahin” and you will understand Lata’s mastery over her art.
6. Baharon ke Sapne: “Kya jaano sajan”: Pancham decides to experiment the technology, decades later the salutation comes in Dil Vil Pyaar Waar. The one constant feature is the brilliance of RD Burman’s soul caressing melody and the perfect execution by Lata. There is as much perfection there as there is in a Ganguly cover drive. Grace all over!!
5. Rudali: “Dil hoom hoom kare”. No one could have played the musical hook better. Bhupen Hazarika surely threw at Lata a song that only she could have rendered with such vigour in the context of tragedy. This is not contradiction; this is art at its sublime; In short it is: Lata.
4. Amrapali: Tujhe yaad karte karte. This Shankar-Jaikishen album had four gems-each vying for a place in eternity. Eternity does not brook repetition. The sole ticket in the tough competing category is this high pitched melody. At the highest level of the song, Lata journeys with characteristic felicity of a colourful kite on a breezy morning transcending the costume beauty and height of Vyjantimala.
3. Annadata: Raton ke saye. This grossly underrated Salil Chowdary number points yet again to how Lata can pitch without scream. Also the complicated tune and beat leave you gasping as to how she makes it effortless. In case you hear this some day, even by accident, it is one song that will remain in the labyrinths of your psyche for days on end till another from another genre displaces the inertia of its being.
Anupama: “Kuch dil ne kaha”. Its four decades since I saw this black and white movie. Even as I recall with clarity, the dainty La-Tagore picking flowers on a mist filled morning, all coy and dimpled, Lata’s whiff of fresh air voice comes with photographic exactitude. What more can a song do than hum itself involuntarily on your lips, four decades after you first saw it on screen!
Lehkin: “Yara sili”: Is this Lata’s best? Can there be ‘a Lata’s best’?. In a tapestry so rich in texture, so vast in sweep, so timeless in creation can there be a singular precipice ? If there be one, is it one by popular choice or is there a science that can matrix the nuance of the art and place one piece at the top? We may debate thess issues, but in my dying moment, I would crave for a couple of minutes to listen to this melody in my last mortal moments. Like MS’s “Kurai Onrum Illai”, this is Lata’s signature. Only an avtaar of Saraswati can execute the complexity of such a piece with such clarity, poise, command and reach. Truly to be placed in the archive of all time great art.
LRC
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Dil Bole Hadippa: Starring :Rani Mukherjee, Shahid Kapoor, Raakhi Sawant, Anupam Kher, Dalip Tahil, Sherlyn Chopra. Direction: Anuraag Singh.
Debutant Anuraag Singh delivers like an enthusiastic school kid focused on impressing his school teacher by repeating to a fault montages of the Yashraj library and worse seems to bite the Punjabi flavour without the backing of a script that can make the debut worth talking about. It is just not the loud pitch of the film but also the total lack of purpose that makes the goings on a trifle too chaotic and wild.
Take the script and story (Jaya-Aparijita) and you realise that not too much thought has gone into it. In case you think that the protagonist is a strong willed lady looking for and fighting for her place in the male world , you need to wait a little longer and pinch your self at this ridiculous bra burning facet of gender equality.
With Rani Mukherjee at the centre of the script you expect the script or at least the camera to give her some lingering moments. Here too you are disappointed. The actress, any way over rated, hams heavily and does more mimicry than acting. She is so loud that you wonder if she was reaching out to you directly unmindful of the media she has chosen.
Must spend a couple of lines on what the story is about: Two friends Vicky (Anupam Kher) and Lucky ( Dalip Tahil) have lived in their respective countries post partition but have let an annual cricket tournament keep the bondage alive. Unfortunately, for Vicky the Indian team keeps loosing with shocking regularity. IN this small loud town, is loud mouthed Veera Kaur who is a real spectacle wanting to make cricket her profession. She promises to be Anjum Chopra and Mithali Raaj in one and put to shame the Sandeep Patils and Yuvraj Singhs. Since she cannot be part of the team she is threatening every bowler with over the boundary hits. Into this contrived scenario, walks Rohan (Shahid Kapoor) who returns home to Papa Vicky leaving behind in U.K. his Mom (Poonam Dhillon) . He coaches the entire town and avenges the habitual defeat with a last ball six in a theatric climax that mocks at your intelligence.
Forget the film, the script, the acting is as loud. While veterans like Anupam Kher just pass off with reputation, Rani is so so over the hills that you feel like walking up and telling her to tone down. The success of her over kill performance in Black has obviously gifted the audience this encore. The one saving grace in the film is Shahid Kapoor who is blossoming into a very quiet but sure performer. This dark horse is making it to the Derby and could sure be the winner. Watch the film for him and if you are noise fan.
LRC
Debutant Anuraag Singh delivers like an enthusiastic school kid focused on impressing his school teacher by repeating to a fault montages of the Yashraj library and worse seems to bite the Punjabi flavour without the backing of a script that can make the debut worth talking about. It is just not the loud pitch of the film but also the total lack of purpose that makes the goings on a trifle too chaotic and wild.
Take the script and story (Jaya-Aparijita) and you realise that not too much thought has gone into it. In case you think that the protagonist is a strong willed lady looking for and fighting for her place in the male world , you need to wait a little longer and pinch your self at this ridiculous bra burning facet of gender equality.
With Rani Mukherjee at the centre of the script you expect the script or at least the camera to give her some lingering moments. Here too you are disappointed. The actress, any way over rated, hams heavily and does more mimicry than acting. She is so loud that you wonder if she was reaching out to you directly unmindful of the media she has chosen.
Must spend a couple of lines on what the story is about: Two friends Vicky (Anupam Kher) and Lucky ( Dalip Tahil) have lived in their respective countries post partition but have let an annual cricket tournament keep the bondage alive. Unfortunately, for Vicky the Indian team keeps loosing with shocking regularity. IN this small loud town, is loud mouthed Veera Kaur who is a real spectacle wanting to make cricket her profession. She promises to be Anjum Chopra and Mithali Raaj in one and put to shame the Sandeep Patils and Yuvraj Singhs. Since she cannot be part of the team she is threatening every bowler with over the boundary hits. Into this contrived scenario, walks Rohan (Shahid Kapoor) who returns home to Papa Vicky leaving behind in U.K. his Mom (Poonam Dhillon) . He coaches the entire town and avenges the habitual defeat with a last ball six in a theatric climax that mocks at your intelligence.
Forget the film, the script, the acting is as loud. While veterans like Anupam Kher just pass off with reputation, Rani is so so over the hills that you feel like walking up and telling her to tone down. The success of her over kill performance in Black has obviously gifted the audience this encore. The one saving grace in the film is Shahid Kapoor who is blossoming into a very quiet but sure performer. This dark horse is making it to the Derby and could sure be the winner. Watch the film for him and if you are noise fan.
LRC
Jagan Bhajan: Vox -Populi
Minutes after the chopper tragedy was known the whisper to bring back MP Jagan to the state turned into a roar. There are surely many ways at looking at it. While his detractors believe that he is a political green-horn, his supporters and admirers see him as the natural heir to the job his father had undertaken, performed and left behind. Political legacy is not new. Not to India. Not in many places across the world. John Adams the second American President had his son becoming an occupant of the White House very early in the history of democratic governance. India is replete with examples of children, grand children, spouses and the rest make it to politics. Some times you wonder whether the family picture was a well thought of idea for the future!!
It is now over twenty days that the enigmatic leader breathed his last. It has also been twenty odd days of demands made by various sections seeking to have Jagan as the Chief Minister.
The city bred intellectual may ask: What are his credentials? The most honest response to which would be: what need be? After all the greatest power in a democracy is the will of the people. There is obvious that large sections of people ( organised or not) are asking for him. It is unhealthy for the state to leave it to a “High Command” The people in the state have the right to choose a person of their choice as the Chief Minister. Young, novice-not withstanding. After all he is not filling up the office of a Governor to be chronologically challenged.
To those who believe that the present incumbent is a good choice, it may be suggested that a look at his skill sets as a vote catcher needs to be examined. It must not be forgotten that politics is not about good governance. It is about popular governance. We do not except Nobel Laureates to lead the country. Even on that count we could not have enough. We do not expect MBA grads to lead this country. The lesson we learn from the French Revolution must stand us in good stead. Chuckles not withstanding, if the roar of the popular voice is for Jagan, then Jagan it should be. It is not my stance that he would make a great administrator or that he is the answer to the challenges of the day. It is simply my stance that the only hygienic aspect of our democracy is that it reflects the voice of the majority. Let us not stifle the last straw. Vox Populi.
For the Jagan camp it must echo the words of Charles Dickens:
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way.
LRC.
Minutes after the chopper tragedy was known the whisper to bring back MP Jagan to the state turned into a roar. There are surely many ways at looking at it. While his detractors believe that he is a political green-horn, his supporters and admirers see him as the natural heir to the job his father had undertaken, performed and left behind. Political legacy is not new. Not to India. Not in many places across the world. John Adams the second American President had his son becoming an occupant of the White House very early in the history of democratic governance. India is replete with examples of children, grand children, spouses and the rest make it to politics. Some times you wonder whether the family picture was a well thought of idea for the future!!
It is now over twenty days that the enigmatic leader breathed his last. It has also been twenty odd days of demands made by various sections seeking to have Jagan as the Chief Minister.
The city bred intellectual may ask: What are his credentials? The most honest response to which would be: what need be? After all the greatest power in a democracy is the will of the people. There is obvious that large sections of people ( organised or not) are asking for him. It is unhealthy for the state to leave it to a “High Command” The people in the state have the right to choose a person of their choice as the Chief Minister. Young, novice-not withstanding. After all he is not filling up the office of a Governor to be chronologically challenged.
To those who believe that the present incumbent is a good choice, it may be suggested that a look at his skill sets as a vote catcher needs to be examined. It must not be forgotten that politics is not about good governance. It is about popular governance. We do not except Nobel Laureates to lead the country. Even on that count we could not have enough. We do not expect MBA grads to lead this country. The lesson we learn from the French Revolution must stand us in good stead. Chuckles not withstanding, if the roar of the popular voice is for Jagan, then Jagan it should be. It is not my stance that he would make a great administrator or that he is the answer to the challenges of the day. It is simply my stance that the only hygienic aspect of our democracy is that it reflects the voice of the majority. Let us not stifle the last straw. Vox Populi.
For the Jagan camp it must echo the words of Charles Dickens:
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way.
LRC.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Safety crashes at Nallamalla.
YSR rests in Idupulapaya. Ironically this is where he went when he wanted to rest. This is where he will eternally rest. Buried in a place which was close to his heart and hearth, his death was a picture of how the high flying some times bite the dust.
In a week two major accidents in a city should have the citizens scurrying for safety measures. In case the past is any indication, it would not be too long before we forget it all and get back to our old careless ways.
Death has its myriad traps and this time it chose the hills of Nallamalla to get at its recent popular victim. The blame game will soon make the rounds. Technicians at some level will be blamed and soon the normalcy of life will dictate terms. We already hear stories of how the mood of the pilot was not at its best. ( We all go our offices with our moods, don’t we? ) .
The accident may take us by surprise, but the possibility? That is the question. The quicker we address safety issues, the greater the chances we return to our nests by the evening. Civic life in Indian cities has any way gone amuck. One needs to at least take a look at its disastrous consequences in a time like this. The common man may take consolation from the fact that he is not likely to have a chopper ride. Yet, the indifference to accountability is what makes the processes suspect.
Helicopter deaths are not new. Many blamed the dare devilry of Sanjay Gandhi but the death of then Lok Sabha Speaker G.M.C. Balayogi and later film actress Soundarya would well have led to enquiries. Little is made known of what such enquiries have achieved. It is strictly in the domain of hope that lessons were learnt and precautionary processes were placed in perspective.
This is not the first time that helicopters of the state chief minister or of lesser mortals have touched danger before touching base.
· Days after Chandra Babu Naidu became the Chief Minister in1995 his chopper force landed in Yellamgutta forests. Travelling with him were his colleagues Devender Goud and Mandava Venkateswara Rao.
· Again the chopper in which the then CM Babu was travelling landed in Ramayampet in Medak district after loosing radio contact.
· On a visit to the flood affected areas in Prakasam and Guntur districts Babu’s chopper ride was cut short at Nadargul in the city outskirts.
· TDP leader Srihari and BJP leader Vidyasagar have also had close calls.
· Even for the YSR this was the not the first time, though tragically it proved to be his last.
In one rare mood the chief minister had introspected of retirement at 60. He kept his promise. He took with him to his final destination two officials, two pilots and the confidence of the laity. That is the issue.
Dangers of varied varieties lurk in every street corner. From pot holes to psychopaths, crumbling walls to crackling fire, death drivers and road dividers, hidden maniacs attack civic life. As a system we are crumbling. Accountability is an old fashioned concept. We are all drunk in our flights, only some times with alcohol. Most often the killer is the heady dosage of power or stupid adventurism and ever so often a logic defying irreverence to law and safety. The death of the Chief Minister and the way he leads his life is perhaps a personal call. This time it was not. The magnetism of the persona, the scale of his achievement, the swing of his politico economic agenda made him the true darling of millions. The way he died is not just a sombre remainder of the fatality of life and futility of dreams, it is also a pointer towards a region in the crumbling system.
Is there a record of the weather conditions when the chopper took off? Is there a certification by the ground staff when a chopper takes off? Are they akin to safety measures of commercial flights? Are our chief ministers and such high placed dignitaries required to sign a safety document when they fly high or is it a given for those who choose politics for a career? To revert, the question is one of placing safety measures in place. It is also about implementing them. Civic society is safe when all – the powerful and the others follow the laws scrupulously. The stakes are high: Law and Life.
LRC.
YSR rests in Idupulapaya. Ironically this is where he went when he wanted to rest. This is where he will eternally rest. Buried in a place which was close to his heart and hearth, his death was a picture of how the high flying some times bite the dust.
In a week two major accidents in a city should have the citizens scurrying for safety measures. In case the past is any indication, it would not be too long before we forget it all and get back to our old careless ways.
Death has its myriad traps and this time it chose the hills of Nallamalla to get at its recent popular victim. The blame game will soon make the rounds. Technicians at some level will be blamed and soon the normalcy of life will dictate terms. We already hear stories of how the mood of the pilot was not at its best. ( We all go our offices with our moods, don’t we? ) .
The accident may take us by surprise, but the possibility? That is the question. The quicker we address safety issues, the greater the chances we return to our nests by the evening. Civic life in Indian cities has any way gone amuck. One needs to at least take a look at its disastrous consequences in a time like this. The common man may take consolation from the fact that he is not likely to have a chopper ride. Yet, the indifference to accountability is what makes the processes suspect.
Helicopter deaths are not new. Many blamed the dare devilry of Sanjay Gandhi but the death of then Lok Sabha Speaker G.M.C. Balayogi and later film actress Soundarya would well have led to enquiries. Little is made known of what such enquiries have achieved. It is strictly in the domain of hope that lessons were learnt and precautionary processes were placed in perspective.
This is not the first time that helicopters of the state chief minister or of lesser mortals have touched danger before touching base.
· Days after Chandra Babu Naidu became the Chief Minister in1995 his chopper force landed in Yellamgutta forests. Travelling with him were his colleagues Devender Goud and Mandava Venkateswara Rao.
· Again the chopper in which the then CM Babu was travelling landed in Ramayampet in Medak district after loosing radio contact.
· On a visit to the flood affected areas in Prakasam and Guntur districts Babu’s chopper ride was cut short at Nadargul in the city outskirts.
· TDP leader Srihari and BJP leader Vidyasagar have also had close calls.
· Even for the YSR this was the not the first time, though tragically it proved to be his last.
In one rare mood the chief minister had introspected of retirement at 60. He kept his promise. He took with him to his final destination two officials, two pilots and the confidence of the laity. That is the issue.
Dangers of varied varieties lurk in every street corner. From pot holes to psychopaths, crumbling walls to crackling fire, death drivers and road dividers, hidden maniacs attack civic life. As a system we are crumbling. Accountability is an old fashioned concept. We are all drunk in our flights, only some times with alcohol. Most often the killer is the heady dosage of power or stupid adventurism and ever so often a logic defying irreverence to law and safety. The death of the Chief Minister and the way he leads his life is perhaps a personal call. This time it was not. The magnetism of the persona, the scale of his achievement, the swing of his politico economic agenda made him the true darling of millions. The way he died is not just a sombre remainder of the fatality of life and futility of dreams, it is also a pointer towards a region in the crumbling system.
Is there a record of the weather conditions when the chopper took off? Is there a certification by the ground staff when a chopper takes off? Are they akin to safety measures of commercial flights? Are our chief ministers and such high placed dignitaries required to sign a safety document when they fly high or is it a given for those who choose politics for a career? To revert, the question is one of placing safety measures in place. It is also about implementing them. Civic society is safe when all – the powerful and the others follow the laws scrupulously. The stakes are high: Law and Life.
LRC.
Our cinema has made a virtue of the glam dolls. While on the one hand it boasted of great acting skills in the likes of Meena Kumari and Madhuri Dixit, it presented them as either designer doormats or as seasonal Christmas trees , This is an attempt to take a look at ten of the greatest actresses of cinema. Broad is the divide between the actor and the star but in the context of our film makers thin is the line dividing the beautiful actresses from the great performer. This effort however is to look for the actress who has talent , not just the killer looks.
The count could well begin with this diva who had tremendous screen presence. Electrifying smile, she had everything the director wanted, not to mention the producers!! Her presence lifted the script and thus at the beginning :Maduri Dixit. From the effervescent giggly lass wooing her Prem in HAHK to the : Aap mere Pati ho, Parameshwar banner ki khoshish mat karo in Mrityu
At number nine I am compelled to get two actresses as different as chalk is from cheese: Dimple and Jaya Bahaduri. If the later was the one you can take home to Mama, Dimple is the one you would love to take home when Mamma isn’t there!! . Incidentally both shared a filmfare moment with their spouses in a single year. Jaya did some great mid stream cinema. Directors like Basu Chaterjee, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Gulzar cast her repeatedly in their films. Dimple was gorgeous reiterating sensuality. Her matrimonial hiatus did not in any manner discourage Ramesh Sippy to present her as the sensuous heroine in her come back vehicle Sagar, Dimple added to her repertoire some brilliant serious films. Rudali, Drishti are just samples. Our Guddi started with a brilliance that continued till she changed gears with time and age.
Nargis Dutt Her role as Mother India remains the singularly most coveted role. Her swan song Raat Aur Din won her the Urvashi though it was not the sweetest song. Her Mother India is enough to get her a special place in the gallery.
Waheeda Rehman: Want to know the virtues of this grace filled actress ask Guru Dutt, and if immediately Amitabh Bachchan. Grace truly was her middle name. She stood out in the black and white era as the chiselled face that told it all. She could have gone up a couple of notches if only her dialogue delivery in the earlier days was less flat. Special mention of how she holds her own in Sahib Biwi aur Ghulam and her strong role in
For sheer vibrancy and screen energy she was matchless. At a time when actresses ran to the parlour, she studied the script. Kajol achieved everything that Mama could have but did not. Her magical pairing with Shahrukh added the icing to a short but eventful career. Even her post marriage career saw her deliver performances like Fanah and U Me and Hum.
A filmography which had four outing with Ray and as many with Shakti Samanta and Hrishikesh tells how seriously every one took our Censors Chief. The queen of Nakhras, made as straight a statement in Mausam as she kept quiet in Anupama. Too much glamour at the end of the day. I hope even now she gets some good scripts. Talent in abundance : Sharmila Tagore
Tabu: True royal talent. One Astitva is enough. Then there is Hu Tu Tu. Talk of her greatness and you have abundance of proof without even talking of Maachis and Chandini Baar. Unfortunately, this career is Cheeni Kum for lack of focus.
Nutan: Not for nothing did this actress get her shelf full of awards. Bimal Da made some of the best films with her centre stage. From the negative Bandini to ever weeping southie films with Sunil Dutt, her presence in the gallery at the near top is a true salute to great talent.
Shabana Azmi: No actress has so much to show in the name of brilliant performances as she. Give her any brand of cinema and she delivered with a signature that spelled class. From Ankur to the latest every script was a reiteration of brilliance and commitment. International standard- Oscar or no Oscar in the shelf.
Meena Kumari: Given the definition and limitation of the part heroines played in her times, she stands out in the galaxy for not just being the perfect door mat ever but also for giving us the rebellious Biwi in the Guru Dutt classic. Watch her nuances in the final movie ( or nearly) Mere Apne and you cannot but wonder what she could have done with the Directors who came after she left early and in tragedy.
LRC.
The count could well begin with this diva who had tremendous screen presence. Electrifying smile, she had everything the director wanted, not to mention the producers!! Her presence lifted the script and thus at the beginning :Maduri Dixit. From the effervescent giggly lass wooing her Prem in HAHK to the : Aap mere Pati ho, Parameshwar banner ki khoshish mat karo in Mrityu
At number nine I am compelled to get two actresses as different as chalk is from cheese: Dimple and Jaya Bahaduri. If the later was the one you can take home to Mama, Dimple is the one you would love to take home when Mamma isn’t there!! . Incidentally both shared a filmfare moment with their spouses in a single year. Jaya did some great mid stream cinema. Directors like Basu Chaterjee, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Gulzar cast her repeatedly in their films. Dimple was gorgeous reiterating sensuality. Her matrimonial hiatus did not in any manner discourage Ramesh Sippy to present her as the sensuous heroine in her come back vehicle Sagar, Dimple added to her repertoire some brilliant serious films. Rudali, Drishti are just samples. Our Guddi started with a brilliance that continued till she changed gears with time and age.
Nargis Dutt Her role as Mother India remains the singularly most coveted role. Her swan song Raat Aur Din won her the Urvashi though it was not the sweetest song. Her Mother India is enough to get her a special place in the gallery.
Waheeda Rehman: Want to know the virtues of this grace filled actress ask Guru Dutt, and if immediately Amitabh Bachchan. Grace truly was her middle name. She stood out in the black and white era as the chiselled face that told it all. She could have gone up a couple of notches if only her dialogue delivery in the earlier days was less flat. Special mention of how she holds her own in Sahib Biwi aur Ghulam and her strong role in
For sheer vibrancy and screen energy she was matchless. At a time when actresses ran to the parlour, she studied the script. Kajol achieved everything that Mama could have but did not. Her magical pairing with Shahrukh added the icing to a short but eventful career. Even her post marriage career saw her deliver performances like Fanah and U Me and Hum.
A filmography which had four outing with Ray and as many with Shakti Samanta and Hrishikesh tells how seriously every one took our Censors Chief. The queen of Nakhras, made as straight a statement in Mausam as she kept quiet in Anupama. Too much glamour at the end of the day. I hope even now she gets some good scripts. Talent in abundance : Sharmila Tagore
Tabu: True royal talent. One Astitva is enough. Then there is Hu Tu Tu. Talk of her greatness and you have abundance of proof without even talking of Maachis and Chandini Baar. Unfortunately, this career is Cheeni Kum for lack of focus.
Nutan: Not for nothing did this actress get her shelf full of awards. Bimal Da made some of the best films with her centre stage. From the negative Bandini to ever weeping southie films with Sunil Dutt, her presence in the gallery at the near top is a true salute to great talent.
Shabana Azmi: No actress has so much to show in the name of brilliant performances as she. Give her any brand of cinema and she delivered with a signature that spelled class. From Ankur to the latest every script was a reiteration of brilliance and commitment. International standard- Oscar or no Oscar in the shelf.
Meena Kumari: Given the definition and limitation of the part heroines played in her times, she stands out in the galaxy for not just being the perfect door mat ever but also for giving us the rebellious Biwi in the Guru Dutt classic. Watch her nuances in the final movie ( or nearly) Mere Apne and you cannot but wonder what she could have done with the Directors who came after she left early and in tragedy.
LRC.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
AP High Court suffer short circuit of power
High Court victim of short circuit .
When institutions crumble they do not leave ashes behind. This is one major consolation to those sensitively connected to the fire affected High Court in Hyderabad. The majestic stone structure bathed in Moghul Architecture will now carry scars. Scars of fire. Scars of carelessness. Fortunately for now it is only symbolic.
First a salute is in place to Justice L. Narasimha Reddy who handled the fire accident in the early hours of August 31, with the skill of a trained fire fighter. Thanks to his promptitude and courage a part of history was saved of this ravaging fire. The hallowed structure has been a part of the city’s glamour wedded to history. Housed near the historic Charminar and on the banks of the ‘rarely furious Musi’ it was truly a picture of dignity and grandeur. It stood tall and with characteristic aloofness till a ‘short circuit’ caught every one unawares. The historian with a tongue-in-cheek may record this as the ‘second short circuit’ after the one that effected the judicial institution in 1975.
This time it was truly physical. This time it is an accident and all in the system were shocked by the effect of the short circuit. Engineering experts reveal that the system could not take the load. There were a few signs of the system incapacity, but the same were obviously not visibly alarming. It operated in the illusion that all is fine or that safety is automation, fine tuned to changing demands, styles, patterns etc. A good portion of history lies there in ashes. The paste of ashes and tears are a poor, very poor alternative to the fund of knowledge, packed with historic relevance. Reports reveal that the epicentre of the accident had knowledge packed in over 35000 books. To quote a judge- they are not known for exaggeration- “The books we lost here are the rarest of books, the pride of Hyderabad”
The loss is the sudden disconnect with the past and “age old wisdom”. Perhaps there is in the ashen debris the instruments of clinical examination of jurisprudential histology Instrumentalities now deprived of some instruments due to a short circuit!! Reports from a leading daily point out that a panel of judges would probe “whether the over drawing of the power capacity could have caused the short circuit” One lawyer reacted “Res Ipsa Loquiter”
In two days the system is back in place. Amazing how well tuned the system is and how concerned we are to get back to normalcy. We only have to tell ourselves that “we have to move on” The dramatic statement: The Show must go on finds utterance in the feel and commitment of the higher judiciary to get back to work. Kudos to the commitment!! Another report in a popular daily reads: Lawyers say that judges would feel handicapped in the months to come before some of the books could be brought from other old courts. Incorrect. So vast is the collective wisdom, that the challenge, would be, I guess one more of logistics than logic. Fortunately our judges are judicious, the wisdom profound, the commitment impregnable. The accident, if at all, will only energise their commitment.
Fault finders, historians, chroniclers, critics, bloggers, twitters, will all pour their wisdom (individual and collective). The system and its regal executants will not be effectuated. The “constitutional karma charis” (to borrow the expression from Justice Raghuram) will not only carry out their task with single minded devotion but will be re-energised to their constitutional commitment. They will, yet again, be inspired by the lady of justice with her eyes tied and holding the balance symbolising the loftiness of law.
The short circuit has brought a few lessons in safety that we will do well to learn from. A few sparks can energise. A few sparks too many can burn up. Those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it. Lords learn. I am sure that once they come to a final conclusion (by discussion, debate or vote of majority) about the short circuit and also about the over drawl and the use of power beyond capacity, they will audit its use and ensure that power is balanced with capacity.
When the judges step in ( sorry – drive in, in their majesty: sleek automobiles with sirens clearing the urgent path) they will step into a building where history and human wisdom, stored for decades was destroyed by energy that was seemingly over used. Judges are not physicists or electrical engineers. They are unaware about the nuances of power. They do not know the disadvantages of the improper application of kinetic energy or its administration through clogged arteries and wires. They obviously went by the operations of day-to-day needs to administer justice for the common man. They were over burdened by the demands and needs of the citizen. Like martyrs they walked into a unknown simmering death trap. It was Providential that the short circuit happened when the Lords were not administering justice. It is Divine Mercy in recognition of the temporal variety.
In a commemorative volume of the Golden Jubilee, the court produced a recording document where it is said :Robed in its dignity, the institution designed for the citizen must so device its Physics that it is user friendly within the overarching architecture of the organic document. Now many a document is truly reduced to its organic form.
Lawyers, intellectuals and the like will surely submit with modesty that they had been indifferent to some alarming signals in the corridors they walked so often. The place that once had one too many heated arguments witnessed the effect of too much heat. Engrossed in the word of the statute, the logic of the researched citation, propelled by the fee or cause of the client or citizen as the case may be, many lost sight of what was ticking away. The Collective forgot the dictum: Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.
To those who see this not as a mishap but as a tragedy and a personal loss I can only lead on to the wisdom of Paulo Coelho with whose words I sign off: But then, how many of us will be saved the pain of seeing the most important things in our lives disappearing from one moment to the next?
LRC.
When institutions crumble they do not leave ashes behind. This is one major consolation to those sensitively connected to the fire affected High Court in Hyderabad. The majestic stone structure bathed in Moghul Architecture will now carry scars. Scars of fire. Scars of carelessness. Fortunately for now it is only symbolic.
First a salute is in place to Justice L. Narasimha Reddy who handled the fire accident in the early hours of August 31, with the skill of a trained fire fighter. Thanks to his promptitude and courage a part of history was saved of this ravaging fire. The hallowed structure has been a part of the city’s glamour wedded to history. Housed near the historic Charminar and on the banks of the ‘rarely furious Musi’ it was truly a picture of dignity and grandeur. It stood tall and with characteristic aloofness till a ‘short circuit’ caught every one unawares. The historian with a tongue-in-cheek may record this as the ‘second short circuit’ after the one that effected the judicial institution in 1975.
This time it was truly physical. This time it is an accident and all in the system were shocked by the effect of the short circuit. Engineering experts reveal that the system could not take the load. There were a few signs of the system incapacity, but the same were obviously not visibly alarming. It operated in the illusion that all is fine or that safety is automation, fine tuned to changing demands, styles, patterns etc. A good portion of history lies there in ashes. The paste of ashes and tears are a poor, very poor alternative to the fund of knowledge, packed with historic relevance. Reports reveal that the epicentre of the accident had knowledge packed in over 35000 books. To quote a judge- they are not known for exaggeration- “The books we lost here are the rarest of books, the pride of Hyderabad”
The loss is the sudden disconnect with the past and “age old wisdom”. Perhaps there is in the ashen debris the instruments of clinical examination of jurisprudential histology Instrumentalities now deprived of some instruments due to a short circuit!! Reports from a leading daily point out that a panel of judges would probe “whether the over drawing of the power capacity could have caused the short circuit” One lawyer reacted “Res Ipsa Loquiter”
In two days the system is back in place. Amazing how well tuned the system is and how concerned we are to get back to normalcy. We only have to tell ourselves that “we have to move on” The dramatic statement: The Show must go on finds utterance in the feel and commitment of the higher judiciary to get back to work. Kudos to the commitment!! Another report in a popular daily reads: Lawyers say that judges would feel handicapped in the months to come before some of the books could be brought from other old courts. Incorrect. So vast is the collective wisdom, that the challenge, would be, I guess one more of logistics than logic. Fortunately our judges are judicious, the wisdom profound, the commitment impregnable. The accident, if at all, will only energise their commitment.
Fault finders, historians, chroniclers, critics, bloggers, twitters, will all pour their wisdom (individual and collective). The system and its regal executants will not be effectuated. The “constitutional karma charis” (to borrow the expression from Justice Raghuram) will not only carry out their task with single minded devotion but will be re-energised to their constitutional commitment. They will, yet again, be inspired by the lady of justice with her eyes tied and holding the balance symbolising the loftiness of law.
The short circuit has brought a few lessons in safety that we will do well to learn from. A few sparks can energise. A few sparks too many can burn up. Those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it. Lords learn. I am sure that once they come to a final conclusion (by discussion, debate or vote of majority) about the short circuit and also about the over drawl and the use of power beyond capacity, they will audit its use and ensure that power is balanced with capacity.
When the judges step in ( sorry – drive in, in their majesty: sleek automobiles with sirens clearing the urgent path) they will step into a building where history and human wisdom, stored for decades was destroyed by energy that was seemingly over used. Judges are not physicists or electrical engineers. They are unaware about the nuances of power. They do not know the disadvantages of the improper application of kinetic energy or its administration through clogged arteries and wires. They obviously went by the operations of day-to-day needs to administer justice for the common man. They were over burdened by the demands and needs of the citizen. Like martyrs they walked into a unknown simmering death trap. It was Providential that the short circuit happened when the Lords were not administering justice. It is Divine Mercy in recognition of the temporal variety.
In a commemorative volume of the Golden Jubilee, the court produced a recording document where it is said :Robed in its dignity, the institution designed for the citizen must so device its Physics that it is user friendly within the overarching architecture of the organic document. Now many a document is truly reduced to its organic form.
Lawyers, intellectuals and the like will surely submit with modesty that they had been indifferent to some alarming signals in the corridors they walked so often. The place that once had one too many heated arguments witnessed the effect of too much heat. Engrossed in the word of the statute, the logic of the researched citation, propelled by the fee or cause of the client or citizen as the case may be, many lost sight of what was ticking away. The Collective forgot the dictum: Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.
To those who see this not as a mishap but as a tragedy and a personal loss I can only lead on to the wisdom of Paulo Coelho with whose words I sign off: But then, how many of us will be saved the pain of seeing the most important things in our lives disappearing from one moment to the next?
LRC.
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