Jhuk Gaya Aasman (1968 - Hindi)

Synopsis of
Jhuk Gaya Aasman (1968 - Hindi)

Sanjay (Rajendra Kumar) is a simple tourist guide, who lives in Darjeeling with his childhood friend Hanuman (Rajendra Nath)। When Sanjay meets Priya (Saira Bano), who has come on a tour with her friends, he falls madly in love with her. She also reciprocates his love. She is suddenly called back to Calcutta as her father is put in prison on falls charges, by his Boss T.K. (Ranjendra Kumar) & his brother Prem (Prem Chopra ). When Sanjay is returning after leaving Priya at the airport his jeep meets with an accident & he dies. When he is taken to heaven he requests the God there to send him back to earth as his lady love Priya would be heart broken. Chitragupt who maintains the death record of human beings finds that Sanjay has died by mistake in place of someone else. By the time they come to put back life into his body the body is cremated. So the Gods tell him that he can go back to Earth by entering the body of T.K. whom Priya hates. Meanwhile Priya is accused of killing T.K. and to save her Sanjay enter T.K.'s body . He later finds that T.K. had many vices like women, gambling, drinking etc. He feels very miserable & out of place in T.K.'s body. He contacts his friend Hanuman & explains the situation to him. Priya misunderstands Sanjay to be T.K. & hates him. He is very hurt. Sanjay meets T.K.'s grandmother who helps him find peace in life by donating his wealth to the poor & needy. She approaches Priya's father for Sanjay's marriage & Priya accpets the proposal but T.K.'s secretary Rita who he had married secretly blackmails Sanjay. Priya come to Rita's house where Rita is murdered by T.K.'s brother, Prem but Priya is wrongly framed. T.K. i.e. Sanjay finds that Prem is the culprit & hands him over to the police & marries Priya.
Director:
Lekh Tandon
Producer:
R. D. Bansal
Music:
Shankar-Jaikishan
Main Cast:
Rajendra Kumar, Saira Banu, Durga Khote, Prem Chopra... more
Genre:
Fantasy
Banner:
R.D.Bansal And Co.
Release:

Cast & crew details
(Jhuk Gaya Aasman director, actors, writer, music director, editor & more)
Cast
Rajendra Kumar
Saira Banu
Durga Khote
Prem Chopra
David
Jagdish Raj
Jagirdar
Rajinder Nath
Randhir
Sulochana
Hari Shivdasani
Brahm Bharadwaj
Dubey
Bhagwan
Kirti Kumar
Krishnan Dawan
Latif
Madhumati
Mansaram
Paul Sharma
Praveen
Ram Avtar
Ratan Gaurang
Tiger Kapoor
Crew
Director Lekh Tandon
Producer R. D. Bansal
Music Director Shankar-Jaikishan
Lyrics Shailendra
Hasrat Jaipuri
S. H. Bihari
Shailendra
Story Omkar Saheb
Screenplay Omkar Saheb
Dialogue Prayag Raj
Cinematographer Dwarka Divecha
Editor Pran Mehra
Art Director Shanti Das
Costumes Designer Bhanu Athaiya
Audiographer S. C. Bhambri
Choreographer Harman Benjamin
Suresh Bhatt
Action Director Shetty
Playback Singer Asha Bhosle
Lata Mangeshkar
Mohammad Rafi
Visual Effects V. Madan Mohan
Assistant Art Director Dilip Singh
Gurdayal Singh
Assistant Cinematographer P. R. L Raman
W. Suryavanshi
Assistant Director Anand Kaushal
Narendra Nath
Prakash Kapoor
Subhash Kanwal
Assistant Editor T. R. Mangeshkar
Assistant Make Up Person Karekar
Assistant Music Director Dattaram
Sebastian
Banner R.D.Bansal And Co.
Dressman Vasant Pednekar
Make Up Dinnu
Tipnis
Operative Camerman K. Ramanlal
Production Assistant Kadam
Kadar
Vasant
Production Manager Dev Tandon
Titles अन्सारी

म्यूजिक

Kahan Chal Diye Idhar To Aao, ...

Kaun Hain Jo Sapnon Mein Aaya, ...

Kisi Par Jaan Dete Hain, Kisi ...

Mere Tumhare Beech Mein Ab ...

Meri Aankhon Ki Nindiya Chura ...

Sacha Hain Pyaar Mera Agar, ...

Unse Mili Nazar Ki Mere Hosh ...

Dil Hi To Hai (1964)

Dil Hi To Hai is what in Bollywood masala classification, one would call a "Muslim social musical", made probably in 1964. It was directed by P.L. Santoshi (father of today's well known director, Raj Kumar Santoshi) along with D. Rawal. The film had two well-known stars and actors of Hindi cinema - Raj Kapoor and Nutan, that made for an unusual pair. The film boasted of beautiful music by Roshan, including one of most popular classical and sufi songs ever of Hindi songs by Manna Dey, Laga chunneri mein daag chuppaon kaise.

Synopsis

The film starts with Nawab saheb (Hari Shivdasani, yesteryears' actress Sadhana's father) and his wife, Begum (Dulari) discussing the imminent return to home of their son Yusuf. Since all their children died shortly after birth, to save guard his life, Yusuf had been sent to Begum's brother's (Shiv Raj) house for 3 years. Thus, they had not seen their son for the last three years. They were sending 300 rupees per month to Begum's brother for Yusuf's up keep.

After the theatrical opening scene that explains the background, the scene shifts to a railway station where Begum's brother and his wife (Manorama) are waiting for their train with two 3 year old children. Their own son Sheiku and Nawab's son Yusuf. While Sheikhu receives love from his mother, Yusuf is treated badly. For them Yusuf is just a source of money.

There is another widow waiting for the train at the station (Leela Chitnis) whose young son has died. Once again, in a theatrical setting, dialogues between Begum's brother and his wife explain all the situation so that the widow can hear the whole story. Widow and Yusuf fall asleep on the railway station. When train comes, the others leave, having decided that they will propose their own son Sheikhu as Yusuf, so that he can grow in a rich house!

Shiekhu grows up as Yusuf in Nawab's house and becomes a man (Pran) who likes his women and drinks. The real Yusuf grows with the widow as Chand (Raj Kapoor) an aspiring singer. Yusuf who is actually Sheikhu wants to marry Jameela (Nutan), beautiful and rich daughter of Nawab's friend (Nazeer Hussein) but Jameela is mad after the singer Chand and asks her father that she would like to learn singing from Chand.

Yusuf understanding the danger of losing Jameela to handsome Chand, is determined to find an old singing teacher for her. In the city their is a music concert and the famous singer Bade Ghulam Ali Khan does not arrive. Chand is asked to step in dressed as an old man and he sings in Khan saheb's place. Yusuf asks Chand, dressed as Khan saheb to be the singing teacher for Jameela.

Now as Khan saheb, Chand can regularly meet Jameela and they fall in love. After many songs and dances, with dramatic dialogues of Nazir Hussein asking his daughter to save his khandaan ki izzat, marriage between Jameela and Yusuf is fixed. However, Bahar (Sabita Chatterjee), the kind hearted prostitute who is expecting a child from Yusuf, tells the truth about philandering ways of Yusuk/Sheikhu. The widow, who has taken care of Chand/Yusuf, finally seeing Begum with her brother and sister-in-law, tells the whole story about the abandoned child at the railway station. Yusuf, trying to run away, fires from his revolver and by accident kills his real mother, who before dying confesses every thing to Nawab. Sheikhu-Yusuf (Pran) is taken away by the police and Chand-Yusuf (Raj Kapoor) gets the hand of lovely Jameela (Nutan).

Comments

The story has all the usual twists and convenient "by chance" happenings common to masala films but it is done in a theatrical manner, showing the bad script and direction. The whole set-up is made Muslim just for giving some space to Urdu dialogues, which are not really good. Hari Shivdasani as Nawab, does not fit the role, he sounds like a Sindhi. Nazir Hussein, who fits his role much better, repeats the same expression and dialogues that would later become his trademark in many similar films for his whole acting life.

Nutan, just fresh from a powerhouse performance in Bimal Roy's "Bandini", looks beautiful in light comedy role but at times seems contrived and repetitive. She is shown going around in sarees without any burqa except for one scene near the end, where she goes to see the sick Chand at his home.

When the film was made, Raj Kapoor, already had a series of impressive works like Jagte Raho, Awara, Shree 420, etc. and is made to impersonate the Awara/Shree 420 persona once again. His impersonation of the old Khan saheb, that lasts for a major portion of the film is done with great gusto and is the one major pleasure of the film. His Khan persona was copied later by Rajendra Kumar in "Arzoo" and his masquerade as a singer near the end of the film was copied in some Manmohan Desai films in the seventies and early eighties.

Other actors like Pran, Agha, etc. are just adequate. Manorama was already busy making faces even in this film. Over all the film seems like a missed opportunity, in spite of the two wonderful actors, Raj Kapoor and Nutan and their unusual pairing. It could have been much better film with a more imaginative direction and tighter script. Probably the producer and director wanted to save money and time, so many shots are repeated, especially during the songs. For example, there are 2-3 songs shot in Brindavan gardens. During the song, Tumhari mast nazar gar idhar nahin hoti, shots of water coming up and rising up from the fountain are repeated so many times that they become irritating.

The best thing about the film is its music by Roshan. The songs are wonderful with simple lyrics by Sahir Ludhyanvi - Tum agar mujhko na chaho to koi baat nahin, Gusse mein jo nikla hai us husn ka kya kehna, Bhule se mohabbat kar betha nadaan hai bechara dil hi to hai, Tumhari mast nazar gar idhar nahin hoti,Paarda uthe salaaam ho jaye, Dil jo bhi kahega maan hi lenghe, Nigahein milane ko ji chaata hai and of course the famous Manadey gem of a song, Laaga chunri mein daag chupaon kaise. When the film finishes, the film is easily forgotten but the songs remain in your heart and your lips for a long time.

Chutney Popcorn (USA 1999)

Presented at Berlin Film Festival 2000 and Gay & lesbian cinema festival San Francisco, 1999; Winner of public award at Gay and lesbian film festival, Milan, 2000.

Main Cast: Nisha Ganatra (Reena), Jill Hennessy (Lisa), Sakina Jaffery (Sarita), Nick Chinlund (Mitch) and Madhur Jaffery (Mom); Story & Direction by Nisha Ganatra

Synopsis: Sarita and Reena are sisters living in New York with their mother. Sarita is married to Mitch while Reena does mehndi designs for a living but her passion is photography. Reena is also lesbian and is in love with Lisa. Reena’s mother knows that her younger daughter is a lesbian but would like to hide it from all her Indian friends and relatives and hopes that one day her daughter can be ‘cured’.

Sarita and Mitch would like a baby but can't. They find out that Sarita has a problem and can’t have children. Sarita is shattered at this news and Reena offers to be a surrogate mother. Mitch is happy at the idea. (Picture left: Madhur & Sakina Jaffrey as mother and Sarita).

They go to a clinic for artificial insemination where Mitch’s sperm is used for impregnating Reena. However, Reena fails to conceive. Reena decides to try artificial insemination at home with the help of her girl friend, Lisa. Mitch is happy to collaborate, providing regular supply of his sperm. However, this process has a negative effect on married life of Sarita and Mitch. Sarita also starts to have second thoughts about a baby born to her sister and decides that she doesn’t want the baby after all. So Sarita tells Reena to stop trying.

However, Reena misses her period and finds out that she is pregnant. Sarita is angry, she doesn't want the baby. Their mother is also angry, she didn’t know about this decision of Reena to be a surrogate mother. Reena wants to keep the baby but since Sarita doesn’t want the baby, this would mean that Reena and Lisa would have to raise up the baby. Lisa doesn’t like the idea of being a lesbian parent as she feels that this will change her relationship with her partner.

Tormented by conflicting expectations from different persons in her life, Reena decides to go ahead with her pregnancy. Lisa leaves Reena and goes back to stay with her mother. Reena is also depressed. Only, Mitch is happy with the idea of the coming baby.

As the baby grows in Reena’s body, Mitch comes to visit her but not Sarita. Slowly Reena's mother changes her opinion and becomes enthusiastic about the coming baby. Lisa also comes back, saying that she is willing to give a try to the idea of raising up a baby. Finally, Sarita too makes it up with her sister and is happy to be a maasi (aunt) to the coming baby.

Reena has her baby. Lisa is by her side, holding her hand. Mitch is there too. Sarita comes in and Reena introduces the baby to her maasi. Reena’s mother congratulates Lisa’s mother that now both of them are grandmothers and accepts that Reena and Lisa are a couple. The whole family, Reena, Lisa, Sarita, Mitch, mother and the baby pose for a family picture.

Comments: In some places, especially in the beginning the film looks like Megha Gulzaar’s film "Filhaal" but in the second half, it becomes a story of lesbian love and issues of a child in a lesbian couple. Since this film came out first, so did Meghna Gulzar get inspired by it?

The Film does enter into the nitty-gritty of semen, sperm, mechanics of getting pregnant, doing pregnancy tests, etc. with candour and humour. Some of the scenes are done are very well, like discussion between Lisa and her mother when Lisa leaves Reena, or the dialogues between Reena and her mother, talking about genes determining the gay personality and wondering if some one else in their family was lesbian, or when Reena wonders if she is lesbian because she didn’t have a father figure at home. The distaste of lesbian couple to any thing male, comes through strongly when they handle Mitch's semen in a hilarious scene.

Nisha Gantra is not the average Bollywood heroine - she is dark and plump, being the butch while Lisa is the feminine part of couple. Of course there have been other dark heroines in Indian films, like Smita Patil and now Bipasha Basu, but for the colour conscious Bollywood, it is not very common. On the other hand, probably Nisha is not aiming to be a typical bollywood heroine. However Nisha is kind of lovable and vulnerable looking, and the film has been directed well. By the time the film finishes, you can't help liking her. Other actors and actresses are all good, especially Jill Hennessy as Lisa and Madhur Jaffery as Reena and sarita's mother.

There is an explicit lesbian scene and plenty of passionate kissing between the girls, which may shock some. However, once you get over the novelty, it is interesting to have a peek at the lesbian culture. A kind of "Bend it like Beckham", with a lesbian theme.

It is good film, worth seeing at least once.

Namkeen (1982)

Namkeen A Film by Gulzar (1982)

Title: Namkeen (1982), Director: Gulzar, Actors: Sanjeev Kumar, Sharmila Tagore, Waheeda Rehman, Shabana Azmi, Kiran Vairale; Music: R. D. Burman.

Namkeen (literally, Salty) is one of the lesser-known films from the sensitive poet, writer and director Gulzar. For a long time, it didn’t find any distributors for commercial release and was finally released on Doordarshan (Indian state TV). The same fate awaited some other films of Gulzar like Libaas, even if these films could boast of the some of the best acting talents from Indian cinema. In those days there were no multiplexes that could show films for niche audiences.

Namkeen has four of the best actresses from Bombay cinema along with formidable Sanjeev Kumar. In this film Gulzar explores once again the theme of lonely young woman, living in a isolated falling-down house, her desperate wait for a man, slowly inching towards suicide. He had already touched on this theme in "Khushboo", in the cameo of Kamala, living with her old grandmother waiting for her husband to come home and the role of Kamala was played by Sharmila Tagore. Namkeen seems like an extension of this same theme, where Kamala is replaced by Nimki, played once again by Sharmila Tagore.

Story

The film starts with a truck-driver, Gerulal (Sanjeev Kumar) coming to live in a rented room in an isolated old house in the mountains of Kulu and his interactions with the four women of the house. Jugni, the mother, an ex-dancing girl from a nautanki (rural musical theater), forgetful, blunt and paranoid, played by a delightful Waheeda Rehman. Nimki, the eldest daughter, is the house-keeper, looking after everyone, making sure that the house runs, is played by Sharmila Tagore. Mithoo (Shabana Azmi), is the second daughter, a poet with swings of moods, full of laughter and depressions, she also has speech disability. Finally, Chutki, the youngest daughter, full of life, sensitive and pragmatic, is played by Kiran Vairale.

Slowly, presence of a man in the house changes all of them and he starts assuming the traditional patriarchal role of carer and protector, even if Nimki resists it in the beginning. He is attracted to Nimki and plans to marry her. Slowly the relationships between the different characters are built up and Jugni’s past comes out – her exploitation by her alcoholic husband, her fear of losing her daughters to nautanki (traditional Indian theater) and her hopes for a marriage of her daughters.

Then, suddenly the work for the truck-driver is over and he must leave for another place. He asks but Nimki to go with him, but she refuses to leave her sisters and her old mother.

Three years pass and one day, during his travels Gerulal meets Chutki, the youngest daughter, dancing in a nautanki. Remorseful, he comes back to the old house in the mountains and finds Nimki living alone, waiting for him. The old mother and Mithoo are dead and there is nothing to stop them from being together. “Let us leave the past here and think of our future” says Gerulal, as he walks away with Nimki to the truck.

Comments

All the main actors in the film are very good, especially Waheeda Rehman and Kiran Vairale. Sharmila tagore and Shabana Azmi are also ok, even if in some scenes they do look artificial and too sophisticated for the role. Sanjeev Kumar is competent as usual.

However, Waheeda Rehman looks too young to be the mother of the three, especially of Sharmila Tagore. In the close-ups, her face is too young and when Sanjeev Kumar, who must have been older to her, calls her as mother, it seems a bit strange. However, Waheeda is a wonderful actress and in scenes where she is not in close-up, she fits the role perfectly.

Now a bit of film gossip that I remember reading in some magazine while Gulzar was making this film. Originally Rekha was supposed to play the role of Nimki, however at that time, she was in a reclusive phase and didn’t want any interaction with the film press. It seems that a journalist came on the set and Rekha wanted him to be sent away, however Gulzar (director) didn’t accept it, and asked Rekha to leave the film. When Waheeda found out that Rekha has been replaced by Sharmila, she was not happy as she felt that she and Sharmila were in the same age group and she should not play mother to her. It is true that in the flash-back scene, showing Waheeda as a dancer in the nautanki, she does look as young/old as Sharmila. Perhaps, this scene and the song were included in the film by Gulzar to placate Waheeda?

The film has beautiful photography and the scenes shot in the dark, with light from the lantern are very good, especially the scene where the mother tells the truck-driver about her alcoholic husband, with Nimki sitting behind them. It has been lit from the back and creates wonderful ambience.

Some of the initial scenes with the truck-driver trying to switch on the light or the scene where all of them slip down on the floor freshly coated with cow-dung are very nicely done and Shabana Azmi is really wonderful in these scenes.

The film has music by R.D. Burman. However the music is just all right, nothing very special except for the haunting Phirse aayio badra videshi, sung beautifully by Asha Bhosle. But the picturization of this song on Shabana Azmi is not very imaginative. Even if the fog and the green mountains look beautiful, they do not convey the pathos of the music. Shabana looks contrived in this song.

At the end, the happy ending looks a bit forced. However, in spite of a few weaknesses, it is a delightful film, worth seeing for the wonderful acting of the five main actors and for its sensitive look at man-woman relationships in a family.