Greetings my well wishers

I’ve blogged after a long long time, hell I can say its almost been eternity since I last blogged. Anyways I won’t make any excuses for not being active for so long.

Lets begin with the issue I’m addressing with this blog.

There have many many of those so called PATRIOTIC Indians who have always come up with the world’s most pathetic generalisation, i.e. by  stressing on the fact that, “You are not a true Indian if you are not obsessed with Cricket & Bollywood“.

Now as you all know that I’m by no means a Cricket lover (& Sachin or for that matter Sir Bradman are not my Gods), but I do believe that Cricket runs in the blood of a large majority of Indians, as it truly unifies us and our Cricket team now represents almost every colour of the diverse multicultural rainbow our great nation is.

So yes, we can say that a large majority of Indians are Cricket maniacs.

But when the talk of Bollywood comes in, I beg to differ (In a major way).

Often Indian Cinema, is presented to western audiences as Bollywood. And Bollywood doesn’t mean simply Hindi Movies.

It means all those Hindi Movies of post 90’s era that are Loud, Cheesy, Over The Top, Logicless, Melodramatic, NAACH GAANA RONA DHONA infused kind of Nautankis whose plots are mostly plagiarized from South Indian & Bengali as well as Hollywood, European & even Persian and Korean movies now.

Theres much more to Indian Entertainment than Yash Raj, Dharma Productions, Balaji, Rajshree Productions, Red Chillies Entertainemnt and the movies of Sanjay Leela Bhansali, David Dhawan, Ram Gopal Verma & Mahesh Bhatt.

For me, good Indian Hindi Cinema (not Bollywood) is the Cinema that didn’t believe in extremes. Extremes being either Poverty & Misery (The Sudhir Mishra, Deepa Mehta, Madhur Bhandarkar & now Danny Boyle school of movies) or Extravagance & Aristocracy (The Chopra, Johar, Ghai & Bhansali school of movies).

Indian Hindi Cinema for me are the movies I can relate to, the movies that make me feel, “Fuck Man, this can really happen“. Its that cinema that had pioneers like Guru Dutt, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Vijay ‘Goldie’ Anand and now today Anurag Kashyap, Nagesh Kuknoor, Rajat Kapoor & Dibakar Banerjee  are the torchbearers of that cinema. And yes that cinema is by no means Shyam Benegal, Muzzafar Ali or Govind Nihalani’s largely unwatchable parallel arthouse cinema.

I was just going through an old issue of Society magazine  (September 2008) and I read the following comments from some Shuchi Pandya, a jewelry merchandiser in Mumbai. I simply puked, yes puked after reading her comments. I was so disgusted by reading them. Luckily there was some Heineken Beer available to drink to calm myself down. Heres what she says -

“If you take all the pieces of Bollywood out of our lives – the celebrities on the billboards, the item songs in the nightclubs, the stars on Page 3, the brand endorsements by the hearthrobs – Indians would find their lives to be completely empty,” said Shuchi Pandya, a jewelry merchandiser in Mumbai. “It’s subconscious. Even if you don’t enjoy Bollywood movies, it becomes a part of your life.”

Well, I don’t have a very high opinion of the current generation of both Resident & Non-Resident Indian masses when it comes to their choices in entertainment (the success of shitty films like Om Shanti Om, Dhoom 2, Partner, Hey Baby, Welcome, Race, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi & Ghajini etc as well as the growing popularity of sensationalised & voyeuristic Hindi news channels, Ekta Kapoor’s Melodramtic Over The Top Saas-Bahu Serials & Himesh Reshammiya’s ear piercing Nasal Music, all together prove my point) but this generalization is simply untrue.

Ms. Shuchi Pandya should speak for herself/himself and the Bollywood fans she is friends with and not generalize that all Indians lead lives of such pathetic and unrelieved shallowness that the only matter animating them is Bollywood movies. The editorial team at Society magazine are idiot sensationalists willing to convey the impression to their ‘Vilaayti‘ readers that all Indians are empty-headed morons.

Apart from me, there are many Indians I know, for whom Bollywood movies occupy limited or no space at all in their minds.
Down with this Pathetic Generalization.

Even Bengalis are not so much into Bollywood (Mithudna & Prosenjit are equal to the Khans there) and the rural population of UP & Bihar has now started connecting better with the Bhojpuri movies as Bollywood mostly glorifies Punjabi culture – all Yash Chopra, Subhash Ghai & Karan Johar movies prove the point. No wonder, in the UP-Bihar belt, Ravi Kissan & Manoj Tiwari have come in the same league of mass popularity as the Khans while Nagma is also in the same league as Aishwaria Rai or Katrina Kaif.

So this proves that a large percentage of the Indian population, almost 35 to 40% of it doesn’t have Bollywood stuck in their heads. And why should they? After all, Bollywood has always been Stereotyping most of them.

So, Ms. Shuchi Pandya and your ilk, think 1000 times & do some research the next time you Generalize Indians.  Yours Ms. Pandya is a classic case of the frog in the well thinking the whole world is in the well. The stupidity which passes for intellectualism in our culture, shows the intellectual degradation of the elites.

Cast: – Josh Hartnett, Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Lucy Liu, Sir Ben Kingsley, Stanley Tucci & Sam Jaeger

Director: – Paul McGuigan

Screenplay: – Jason Smilovic

Year Released: – 2006

Run Time: – 1hr & 52 Minutes

We all know almost every story moves like a tidal wave with a linear format. First comes the Exposition, then the Rising Action, then the Climax, then the falling Action and finally the resolution, or should we say the end. And then there are guys like Quentin Tarantino, who make it more exciting and sometimes mind numbing by narrating all those elements of the story in a non-linear format. However, on some rare occasions, a highly creative juggernaut comes up with a piece of fiction, that has all the elements of a story and everything going in a linear format, but just when you thought the resolution has come and the story has concluded, the creator breaks the conventional rules and comes up with a hard hitting anti- climax. An Anti-Climax is not just another twist or turn or a case of Double or Tripple Cross, it is an event or a sequence (in case of a movie) that completely changes the track of the story (a sort of a U-Turn) and you get to know that all the loopholes that were earlier in the story had actually some connection or the other with the event that’s gonna happen next. In fact, after the establishment of the anti-climax, the genre of the narrative becomes totally different than what you thought it was all along. Not every writer, even the best ones can come up with an efficient anti-climax, and not every anti-climax is hard to digest. In the world of cinema, the perfect examples of Anti-Climaxes have been in Cult Movies like Bryan Singer’s “The Usual Suspects” and Chan wook-Park’s Divinely Korean Epic Film “Oldboy”. In both the movies, just when the viewer thought the end credits were about to roll, suddenly the viewer got the surprise of his/her life, that bowled him/her over.

Today I watched a very underrated & under-appreciated movie featuring an A-List Ensemble Cast and one of the perfect doses of Anti-Climax. The movie is called “Lucky Number Slevin” (and not seven). And I was indeed bowled over by the flick.
 
This film took me by surprise. It is an excellent movie with a compelling story, wonderful acting, and brilliant direction. I have not seen a gangster movie as intense since Infernal Affairs. It is the most complete and multi-dimensional Crime Thriller movie ever made after Al Pacino’s 1993 masterpiece “Carlito’s Way”. The movie is so damn intelligent that it is scary. It is a maze of really complex and it demands our complete attention for the whole running time. I got to admit that I watched this movie two more times, just to find a loophole. And I haven’t succeeded.

Without any spoilers, here is the plot. In Manhattan (New York), when the unlucky newcomer Slevin (Josh Hartnett) arrives in the apartment of his friend Nick Fisher (Sam Jaeger) for some leisure time, he is mistakenly taken as being Nick, who debts money to two powerful bosses of the criminal world. He is pressed by The Boss (Morgan Freeman) to kill the Homosexual son of The Rabbi (Sir Ben Kingsley, yup the same man who portrayed the iconic role of Gandhi in Richard Attenborough’s classic), as a payback for the death of The Boss’s son and pay off $33,000 to The Rabbi. Nick’s next door neighbor, Lindsay (a fast talking, incredibly seductive Lucy Liu), who works in the morgue, tries to help Slevin. Meanwhile, a mysterious man called Mr. Goodkat (Bruce Willis) is secretly plotting to kill Slevin and Slevin is under constant surveillance by the relentless Detective Brikowski (Stanley Tucci). As the movie’s Tagline goes, Slevin is at the “Wrong Place” at the “Wrong Time”.

From the first five minutes of the film, about five people die but you’re not so sure. Mainly, you’re not so sure of anything because this film is trying to be clever, trying to run you into false conclusions. On top of that, the film goes in a fast pace, so you will have to keep up and be on the edge of your seat. This film will keep your attention from top to bottom, provided you can stomach the bloody violence and sexual content.

The performances by the A-List Ensemble Cast are all First rate. Morgan Freeman is brilliant with his usual suave charm. Ben Kingsley is terrific as a Palestinian Crime Boss. Stanley Tucci’s character transforms perfectly from good to evil. Bruce Willis shows us again why he is a brilliant action star and why he is a natural born on-screen killer, something Sanjay Dutt & Akshay Kumar in Bollywood and Colin Farell in Hollywood can never ever achieve (And I mean it). But the movie belongs to the protagonist, i.e. Josh Hartnett in an author backed role he does full justice to.

This movie is a prime example of how a movie can be infinitely involving, thought provoking and artistic. This is the stuff great movies and masterpieces are made of. If you’re one of those people trying to look for a thriller that tries to keep you guessing until the end, you will love this movie. Lucky Number Slevin should be on the top of your list of intelligent and ingenious thrillers.

Greetings My Well Wishers

Most of you know that I’m not in love with Bollywood movies. I don’t like most of them, especially the post 1980s movies. With predictable story lines, irrelevant songs & dances, larger than life characters, unnecessary melodrama and bad acting by most cast members, 90% of Bollywood Movies are Extremely Crappy & Totally Ridiculous (in my opinion).

However, once in a few years, Hindi Cinema comes up with a movie that captures my attention and keeps me thinking about it. In the 21^st Century, there have been only 3 movies that have registered an impact on my mind and these are the movies that are genuinely a treat to watch no matter how many times you see them. The 3 movies are – Dil Chahta Hai, Munna Bhai MBBS and last year’s Johnny Gaddaar. And Johnny Gaddaar is really one hell of a Cinematic Masterpiece.

Johnny Gaddaar is a rare thriller in Indian Hindi Cinema with more than a dash of panache, and the slightest of chuckle. One of the greatest films and a very original one in this age of Plagiarism, to come out of Indian cinema. And that it has been underappreciated to the point of sin in favor of more substandard fare (like Om Shanti Om, Saawariya, Partner, Hey Baby, Welcome, Race and other crap) is more tragic than the ending at hand. This lad, Neil Nitin Mukesh is a dynamite and I just cannot get enough of that Sanjeev Kumar imitation. Dead on. And the supporting cast is equally good. Dharmendra proves why he’s one of the most dependable veterants in Hindi Cinema today with his classy act. Vinay Pathak delivers another brilliant performance and proves why he today is one of the most versatile actors in the country. Both Zakir Hussain & Govind Namdeo are perfect at spitting venom at the protagonist.

I sincerely believe Sriram Raghavan’s Johnny Gaddaar will attain the highly influential status in years to come as a film that will be run unendingly in cinema schools all over the country to carefully peel over the brilliant clarity of its narrative and its almost uncanny knack of pulling off the Hitchcock-ian trick. Its film that will probably be remade 30 years down the line and a film that could act as a wonderful export to International Film Festivals.

The story is simple nut and bolt stuff about a huge chunk of money and a member’s, in this case Vikram (Neil Nitin Mukesh), plan to lighten his partners of that sum. Of course, the nuts and bolts assemble into a wonderful whodunit-why dunit-how dunit but that is not the lone specialty here. But it is the clarity of the narrative and the ability of the filmmaker to play with audiences that makes Johnny Gaddaar a supreme film.

And this is a brilliant film, probably the one Indian film that will grow a cult following down the years.

Johnny Gaddaar isn’t mere thrilling escapist fare, there is that moral struggle of a mole that doesn’t beat its chest and shout but remains where it belongs, internally. And I can’t remember even a single sequence out of place. Quentin Tarantino once said that he wants to make movies for Friday nights, for audiences to have an absolute blast. This is one such film, a film that besides its central strength of the thrills and chills has plenty much to offer for the cinema lover, a hell of a lot of garnish.

I wish I had thousands of DVDs of this Cinematic Masterpiece so that I could distribute it among all my friends (including readers of the blog). However right now, you can’t eat the whole cake, but can definitely sample a slice of it, which is why I’m sharing with you a good quality video of this masterpiece movie. Enjoy the first 10 minutes of the movie and be thrilled.

Greetings my well wishers

In my opinion, The Joker (not any circus clown or court jester but the psychotic criminal from “Batman” series) is the Greatest Fictional Supervillain of all time, and even the Batman comics never give a reason to his nature.

He is an absolute, there is no origin story to him. Even his entry into the comics was out of nowhere; he just enters their world and commits gruesome murders.

Joker is ultra evil personified. He’s not just evil, he’s menacing, diabolical, tripple crossing, merciless psycopath. He has ZERO compassion or sympathy for anyone, not even himself.

While other villians like Hannibal Lector, Norman Bates, Darth Vader and the Green Goblin were not evil, they became evil as a result of hostile circumstances. The Joker on the other hand has always been evil from the beginning to the end.

Whats the best thing about the Joker is that without any special superpowers (in case of Darth Vader) or without any armoured bodysuit (Dr. Doom and Green Goblin) or without any special weapon (Kryptonite in case of Luthor), The Joker succeeds big time in unleashing maximum fear and chaos among the people of Gotham City. In fact Batman has never been able to eliminate The Joker in any of the comic books or cartoons.

The Joker is not just psychotic and insane. He’s funny, crazy, weird, whacky, wild and at the same time equally creepy, wicked, menacing, diabolical and revengeful. Bollywood villains like Gabbar Singh from Sholay, Mogambo from Mr. India and Shakaal from Shaan can anyday be easily eliminated by The Joker. (Now please don’t call me an unpatriotic Indian)

Its not a piece of cake to portray a character as multi dimensional as The Joker and on planet earth, not more than Half a Dozen actors are capable of doing so.

No wonder when the two Batman movies were made featuring Joker as the villain, the studio bosses had chosen the most competent actors of their times to play such a role, or should I say live the character.

In 1989, when Warner Brothers released the first Batman movie titled “Batman” with maestro director Tim Burton calling the shots, the role of the Joker went to the only actor at that time who had the balls and the acting chops to be Joker, i.e. Jack Nicholson.

Left – Jack Nicholson as Joker in Batman (1989). Right – Heath Ledger as Joker in The Dark Knight

Jack Nicholson is one of the greatest and one of the most profound influences on me, first as a movie-goer and more importantly as a person. Though he’s no Al Pacino or Daniel Day-Lewis or Robert De Niro or Johnny Depp, Jack has consistently been a fantastic performer from One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest to Anger Management to the recent Bucket List. Jack can do wonderful things, he is a trickster who is fantastic to look at, like in The Departed or in The Shining, and he is someone who could affect you at a personal level. You’ll laugh with him, you’ll see how wonderfully he delivers a line, and you would have him create a character that is going to influence you forever.

As the 1989 Batman was made at a time when the Batman comics creator and perhaps the greatest legend in comic book history “Bob Kane” was alive, that movie was not as spine chilling edge of the seat thriller like this year’s Blockbuster “Dark Knight“, rather it was more of a comic book adaptation of a movie.

Jack Nicholson’s Joker was of the Slapstick kind, a goofy maniac. However Jack Nicholson never let his Joker become a buffoon or a stereotyped caricature like Jim Carrey and Tommy-Lee Jones beacme as The Riddler and Two Face respectively in the disappointing 1994 sequel Batman Forever.

Here’s an extraodianry scene from the Batman (1989) where Jack Nicholson as The Joker crashes a meeting of Mafia King Pins. Watch out for the Joker’s brilliant and witty one liners – “You are my Number one Guy” and “I’m Glad You’r Dead“.

Fast Forward to the year 2008. Warner Brothers had a successfull collaboration with the revival of the Batman series with another Maestro Director Christopher Nolan calling the shots. Their 2005 venture “Batman Begins” was a blockbuster and a critics favourite as well and hence the 2008 sequel “The Dark Knight” had to be obviously better in all departments and hence much darker.

When Jack Nicholson heard that Christopher Nolan is bringing back the Joker in this movie, Jack requested Nolan to cast him so that Jack could reprise his iconic act that he had perfected. But Jack is 77 now, plus as this version was not slapstick comic book stuff, but a dark gruesome death defying one, like all characters, The Joker deserved a younger and a highly competent actor to pull it off.

Jim Carrey cannot do it (He can be either funny or evil, but not both at the same time, remember the hammy Riddler in Batman Forever). Vince Vaughn also can never pull it off. (Remember his third rate performance as Norman Bates in the remake of Psycho). Sacha Baron Cohen, oh forget it. (Borat is a saint infront of Joker). Will Farell (He’s only funny, he will look funnier if he acts evil). Adam Sandler (No, not much acting potential). Edward Norton could do it. (But after what Jack Nicholson did in 1989, the standards were too high)

I thought maybe the studio bosses & Nolan would settle for Daniel Day-Lewis or Kevin Spacey. When it was announced that the now Late Heath Ledger is playing the new Joker, I doubted his acting abilities. I’d not seen much of him except in the action comedy “A Knight’s Tale” and the awful Gay Cowboy Drama “Brokeback Mountain“. At that time I’d thought of Heath as a Good actor, but in my wildest of  dreams had I ever imagined that Heath could do justice to the character of Joker. After all Jack Nicholson had played immortal characters in films like Chinatown and The Shining before Batman was released in 1989, but Heath hadn’t done anything of such high magnitude.

But when I saw The Dark Knight, I was spellbound and Heath’s performance left me speechless in all the viewings of the movie. For not only Heath became The Joker, he raised the bar so high that no matter how many legendary and competent actors come and go, no one and I believe no one can ever play The Joker even half as SUPERB as Heath Ledger did in The Dark Knight.

Unlike Darth Vader or Hannibal Lector, Heath Ledger’s Joker is something else. Those monsters succeeded in merely eroding the belief for men in the world surrounding them. This one here destroys the very moral foundation upon which the same men base that belief. Pay attention to every line of his. There’s great meaning and a great method to all of them. It is one of the greatest written characters of our times since Michael Corleone (The Godfather), Edward Scissorhands, Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver), Raju Guide (Guide) and Tyler Durden (Fight Club).

The Late Heath Ledger has created something of a flawless masterpiece of mannerisms and chewy larger-than-life supervillain. It is a colossal performance, and it is built with great precision upon what seems like a million parts. You have to watch the film at least three times to even get a complete hold of that performance alone. So yes, IT IS THAT GOOD. Consider a moment where one of the crime bosses interrupts his sentence and calls him a freak. Ledger’s Joker is visibly distracted but still completes what he’s saying. And then he looks at the boss and hits them back with a statement that is much more verbally insulting than any usage of an insult like ‘freak’ can be. Ledger’s Joker is not insane; he’s so brilliant he looks insane.  This here is the definitive version of the greatest villain of all time. It makes me immensely sad because there’s great tragedy when an artist isn’t there when his achievement receives such universal praise. I wish to God he was here to see all of this. May his soul rest in peace.

Heath Ledger made the Joker exude such immense class and virtue and made him the coolest villian ever shown on screen. It was for the first time that while watching a movie, me and all my friends were rooting for a villian throughout the movie (that too an ultra evil one) rather than the hero, or in this case, The Superhero.

Below is a scene from the Dark Knight which contains the best catchphrases of the movie, “Why So Serious” and “Lets Put a Smile on that Face“.

So now that you have read my analysis on both the Jokers (Jack Nicholson & Heath Ledger) and most of you must have watched both the thespians perform their act in the videos above, it must not have been easy for anyone of you to compare the two and come with a conclusion that which is the better Joker. As both actors belong to different generations and different schools of acting, its unfair to say which one is better.

I’ll end this up by saying that as far as movie villians are concerned, “The Joker” has been a treat for all cinema lovers in both the Batman movies. I wonder which other actor in the future can be more competent than Heath Ledger to elevate The Joker to the next level as its already at the highest level.

In the past 60 years, as Indian Hindi Cinema evolved, there were some movies that were gems & masterpieces in their own right, some were seriously overwhelming gems, but were unfortunately commercially unsuccessful. The simple reasons for the box office failures for those movies were the fact that most of the movies either had no big stars and good music to bank upon, or the stories, characters and settings were very simple and realistic or the themes of many of those movies were way ahead of their times, hence the regressive audience couldn’t figure out what these movies wanted to convey, which was intelligent entertainment (Entertainment for the brain).

Like I’ve said about Hindi Cinema’s greatest films Haasil & Kagaz Ke Phool, which are perfect examples of Path Breaking Brilliant Cinema hardly seen by people.

Similarly here are some movies, these movies were not so great that they could make it into the top  10 List of my all time greatest Hindi Movies, but nonetheless these movies were all masterpieces and I’m sure 9 out of 10 people haven’t seen it and 5 out of 10 people must have forgotten these movies or are not even aware that such movies were ever made.

Ever since I resigned from my job, I’ve watched lots of Cinema, including Hindi Cinema and after experiencing the Good, Bad & Ugly of Bombay Movies, I present to you 4 Underrated and Under-appreciated movies of Hindi Cinema.

1. Karam -

Starring -John Abrahm, Priyanka Chopra, Bharat Dabholkar, Vishwajeet Pradhan, Murli Sharma, Rajesh Khera & Shiney Ahuja.

Directed By – Sanjay F. Gupta. Year Released – 2005

This movie was so emotionally & psychologically thrilling, the whole movie was charged with pulse pounding suspense and made so dark & sinister that gives you the tensive mood for the film. Directed by popular cinematographer Sanjay F. Gupta (not Kaante & Musfair director Sanjay Gupta), this movie was Hindi cinema’s tribute to Robert Rodriguez style of Bloodshed.

This is a well constructed film. All the sequences, violence, thrills, drama are all given the kind of treatments they deserve. Almost all the attempts, technical, are pulled off with success.

Although women and children will be turned off with too much blood flowing here and there and everywhere in this movie, Karam is a spectacle, a rousing spectacle, a roaring entertaining spectacle that invests its all in it. And Bharat Dabholkar is perfectly wicked as the villain Captain Sahab and Shiney Ahuja too delivers a competent performance as ACP Wagh.

2. Anthony Kaun Hai? -

Starring – Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi, Minissha Lamba, Anusha Dhandekar, Gulshan Grover, Raghuvir Yadav, Chetan Hansraj & Ravi Baswani.

Directed By – Raj Kaushal. Year Released – 2006

Sanjay & Arshad are very popular for their partnership in Munna Bhai movies, but Anthony Kaun Hai can be counted as another Milestone in their careers where they simply got into the skin of their characters or should I say became the characters and performed their parts with utmost sincerity, there was not even a slight dose of over acting by any of them.

Unlike the Munna Bhai movies, Arshad Warsi is the protagonist over here while Sanjay Dutt is in a supporting role. And Arshad doesn’t disappoint at all, in fact he’s a delight as the Con Man Champ (Champak Chaudhary).

The major part of the movie is in Flashback mode, and Arshad Warsi narrates in perfectly. In fact if some part of the flashback is not liked by Sanjay Dutt, he slaps Arshad and tells him to come with a better scene. (Its Hilarious Indeed).

Its a slick Crime thriller (Seen rarely in Hindi Cinema) coupled with the case of Mistaken identity. The movie isn’t realistic; it is trying to give the impression that it is possible.

Sanjay Dutt gets less screen time and die hard Sanju fans may be disappointed, but whenever Sanjay is on the screen, he pulls off witty & hilarious one-liners with consummate ease, and they don’t feel like them, they feel wholly natural. In the process he has created one of the most likeable characters of modern Hindi cinema – Master Madan. After all, in how many movies have we actually liked and rooted for a Hitman (Contract Killer).

Unlike most Indian movies Bangkok (where this movie is set) is shown as an exotic destination, here Bangkok is shown as a chaotic world, where the characters struggle for their survival and they thrive. Those who fail to think quick, in those shrunken timelines, are executed within no time. And Arshad’s character survives coz the character of Champ is actually intelligent but made to appear dumb.

Like Munna Bhai & Circuit, you simply cannot imagine any other actors in the roles Sanjay & Arshad portrayed here.

3. Parwana -

Starring – Amitabh Bachchan, Navin Nischol, Om Prakash, Yogeeta Bali, Helen, Lalita Pawar, Asit Sen, Laxmi Chhaya & Shatrughan Sinha.

Directed By – Jyoti Swaroop. Year Released – 1971

There have been few thrillers that so effortlessly thrill you, keep you right on the edge of your seat, get you acquainted with such rich characters yet manage to knock you with killer twists and pull a fast one on you. Endlessly inventive, this is not one of those films that are just that. It explores the psychology of being a rejected lover hell bent on vengeance like no other Hindi film.

Can you believe it, Jyoti Swaroop who directed India’s finest comedy Padosan (a Total laugh riot) directed this movie as well, and this movie was as different from Padosan as chalk is from cheese, coz this movie is a Thriller and Jyoti Swaroop’s direction proved that he was as efficient at handling thrillers as he was with comedies. No wonder director Shriram Raghvan drew inspiration for this movie for his cult thriller Johnny Gaddaar.

This was one of Big B (Amitabh Bachchan’s) early movies (Pre Zanjeer & Pre Sholay). As he couldn’t continue to play second fiddle supporting roles all the time, here he was the lead star, but in a Negative Role, kind of roles which most big actors of that time stayed away from.

The movie is based on a real life incident that happened in the late 1960’s that forced Indian Railways to change their train’s time table.

Whatever is put on screen when you catch the movie, is riveting, aesthetically tasteful and to my surprise comes across as rather intelligent. Reason? Two of them-fantastic direction and wonderful performances, especially the scene when Om Prakash rejects Amitabh Bachchan’s proposal to marry his niece. You just see the expression on Big B’s face, his eyes depict his blood’s boiling. Another special mention is made for the courtroom sequences and the confrontations between Amitabh & Shatrughan Sinha ( who plays the Prosecutor) in the courtroom.

4. Lakhon Mein Ek -

Starring – Mehmood, Radha, Aruna Irani, Nasir Hussain, Mukri, Lalita Pawar, Madan Puri, Keshto Mukherjee, Ramesh Deo, Jalal Agha, Viju Khote & Pran.

Directed By – S.S. Balan. Year Released – 1971

This is one of the finest Comedy Dramas in Hindi Cinema. Here characters drive the plot, where each character signifying different shades of integrity, moral and otherwise, with respect to their greed for money change their attitude and behavior towards the protagonist – Bhola, played BRILLIANTLY by the legendary Mehmood. Needless to say, this again is a performance right out of the top drawer. (Yeah Mehmood was not just a comedian, he did do lead roles in many movies, and this was one his best performances in a lead role)

The movie takes us to the world of early 1970’s Bombay, when a large part of the middle class and lower income groups were living in what now seems to be getting extinct now – CHAALS. Mehmood plays an orphan who has grown up in this Chaal, and unlike other Chaal inhabitants, he doesn’t have his own home or for that matter a room. He sleeps below the staircase and has made that his makeshift home.

Bhola is bullied by most of the residents of the CHAAL and the only form of support and compassion comes from Pehelwan Shersingh (played effotlessly by the veteran ‘Pran’).

Lakhon Main Ek is the amazing journey of Bhola’s life where he falls in love with a schizophrenic Radha (brilliant performance by Kannadiga actress Gauri), is beaten up by the CHAAL bully Sujit Kumar, is seduced by the femmale fatale Aruna Irani, is bribed by the Bengali Dada of the CHAAL, Mr. Chatterjee (Keshto Mukherjee in complete form) and gets a long lost millionaire uncle from Singapore landed up (Madan Puri). Bhola’s reactions to these unpredictable & never thought of situations and circumstances make you fall in love with his character. And Mehmood as always, overshadows all. The movie also features an unforgettable melody Chanda O Chanda (Vinatge Kishore Kumar & Lata Mangeshkar).

Overall its 10/10 and Strongly recommended as its a story every middle class urban guy can relate to. Mehmood’s character Bhola is one of us and totally unlike the larger than life Plastic Studs of Yash Raj, Karan Johar, Rakesh Roshan duds.

So folks, do go and watch these 4 underrated gems of Indian Hindi Cinema. Its better to rent these movies on DVD or catch them on TV rather than wasting your time on pathetic shitty films like Tashan & Race.

Greetings My Well Wishers

I had vowed to write more and more on diverse topics, making the Blog as intriguing as possible.

But a You Tube Video compelled me to write this piece on Cinema Appreciation, something I was trying to avoid for some time. Sorry Adit & Shankar, I’d promised you that I’ll take on more & more diverse topics, but don’t worry, all my upcoming topics will be NOT related to movies.

I was just watching a Video on one of my favourite TV shows – “The Green Hornet”, when I came across this video in the related videos section. The Video was titled, “The greatest Indian movies ever made”.

After watching the 3 minute long Video, I was left with mixed feelings. Feelings of Amusement, Absurdity & the feeling of being Pissed Off.

Well, the movies in the video were touted as the Greatest Indian Movies ever made. This was absurd. Because all the movies listed over there were Hindi Movies. And not surprisingly, all those Hindi Movies were post 1990 Releases.

It was clear that the Creator of that Video was some Dumb Ass Teenage Punjabi or Gujrati NRI brat for whom Indian cinema means only Bollywood. (Not to offend my Punjabi & Gujrati friends, but these two are the only communities along with Tamil & Malyaalis who constitute majority of the Indian Diaspora, and unlike the Tamil and Malyaali communities, the Punju & Gujju N.R.Is watch only Hindi films)

I’m sure that ignorant fool had no idea about the Regional Cinema of India. Its a well known fact that some of India’s best films have come from Bengali Cinema. Who can forget Satyajit Ray’s Apu Trilogy highlighted by the internationally acclaimed “Pather Panchali“. Or Mrinal Sen’s epic Bhuvan Shome. Or Rituparno Ghosh’s work of art. “Chokher Bali“.

Not just Benagli cinema, we’ve had Brilliant Films from other parts of the country. From Maharashtra we’ve had the Masterpiece “Shwaas“.

From Tamil Cinema we’ve had the heart & soul touching Kamal Hassan starrer , SR Singeetham directed Apporva Sahodarargal, which was later dubbed in Hindi as Appu Raja.

Another Kamal – Singeetham product was the Silent movie “Pushpak” (Perhaps the only movie made in the 80’s that had no Spoken Dialogues).

Kamal Hassan later gave a performance of the lifetime in “Indian” where he starred as a 70 year old former freedom fighter who fights corruption in Modern Day India, even if it means to Kill his son for a corruption free nation, he does it.

I’m not a fan of Rajnikanth’s movies. I find most of them way over the top. But I simply loved his “Thalpathi” (Dalpati in Hindi), that was Directed by Mani Ratnam and was arguably the best Gangster movie ever made in India (Not Ram Gopal Verma’s Staya, Company or Sarkar)

And the there was Malyaalam cinema’s finest, “Manichithrathazhu”. Bollywood ruined a great film by re-making it into Bhool Bhulaiya, which was complete Bullshit when compared to the original.

And Punjabi Cinema gave us “Jee Aayan Nu“, a tale of unconditional love across 2 continents.

I feel I’m deviating from the subject, let me stick to the topic.

The teenage NRI Dumb Ass who had uploaded that video about India’s Greatest Movies had not seen any regional movies. He/she also had not seen any Pre-1990s Hindi Movies. All I wanna say, such unqualified people should have no right to put Non-sense Videos like that on You Tube, as they don’t have any idea about Indian or for that matter Hindi Cinema.

And look at the movies he/she had put as top 10 movies of Indian cinema – Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Main Hoo Na, Veer Zaara, Devdas, Lagaan, Dil Chahta Hai, Hey Ram, Swades, Dil Se & Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayengae (DDLJ).

Agreed, Lagaan, Dil Se, Swades, Hey Ram (To some extent) and Dil Chahta Hai were great films. But films like Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Main Hoo Na, Veer Zaara, Devdas & DDLJ don’t qualify as Great Films or Best Films of Indian or Hindi Cinema.

DDLJ was ok, but Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Main Hoo Na, Veer Zaara & Devdas were all Pure Crap.

I’m sure like most NRIs, this dumbass was also a moronic Shah Rukh Khan fan, and when u are a Shah Rukh Khan fan, you either are Gay, or Blind, or a Retard or you have no idea of what Good Entertaining Cinema means.

As I’m on of the very rare viewers of Hindi Cinema who totally detests Melodrama and Lavish Musical Films, instead appreciates quality cinema. And I’ve seen enough of Western, Asian & Hindi Cinema (Both old school, 70s & the New Bollywood Crap) so my idea of quality cinema is better than most. I present to you my list of the Finest and the Greatest Films of Hindi Cinema (That after watching Hindi movies of every era)

And its been not an easy job, as I’d to shortlist 10 deserving Masterpieces from a long list of Cinematic Gems.

To prove that I’ve done extensive research, I’m mentioning the names of all the movies that were all Masterpieces but could not make the top 10 cut.

Honorable Mentions – Mother India (1957), Khosla Ka Ghosla (2006), Saaransh (1984), Andaaz Apna Apna (1994), Johnny Gaddaar (2007), Deewaar (1975), Gol Maal (1979), Buddha Mil Gaya (1971), Angoor (1982), Johnny Mera Naam (1970), Mission Kashmir (2000), Jewel Thief (1967), Kaante (2002), Sadhu Aur Shaitaan (1968), Kunwara Baap (1974), Pyar Kiye Jaa (1966), Kabul Express (2006), Hera Pheri (2000), Lagaan (2001), Raakh (1989), Naam (1986), Anthony Kaun Hai (2006), Gumnaam (1965), Muqaddar Ka Sikander (1978), Baazi (1951), Parwana (1971), Namak Haram (1973), 3 Deewarein – 3 Walls (2003), Black Friday (2007), Dil Dosti Etc (2007), Iqbal (2005), Lakhon Mein Ek (1971), C.I.D (1965), Company (2002), Abhimaan (1973), Do Bigha Zameen (1953), Satyakam (1969), Arjun (1985), Zanjeer (1973), Don (1978), Kaala Patthar (1979), Chupke Chupke (1975), No Smoking (2007), Baat Ban Jaye (1986).

So, Here are, in my opinion, the 10 Greatest Movies of Hindi Cinema -

10. Munna Bhai MBBS -

Starring - Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi, Sunil Dutt, Gracy Singh, Booman Irani, Kurush Deboo and Jimmy Shergill

Directed By - Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Year Released – 2003

Slightly inspired by the Robin Williams starer Patch Adams, Munna Bhai MBBS was truly one of the most Unadulterated comedies of Hindi Cinema. Instead of being set in the UK, USA or Switzerland, the movie was set in a Medical College in India. The Cast members wore simple clothes rather than flashy designer outfits. There was hardly any Cheap Vulgar joke in the movie, unlike comedy films such as No Entry, Masti & Kya Cool Hain Hum that followed this movie.

The best thing about the movie was that it was purely entertaining and not Preachy like its sequel Lage Raho Munnabhai (which I didn’t like much). The chemistry between the GUNDA turned Medical student Sanjay Dutt and his right hand man Circuit – Arshad Warsi was absolutely perfect. We also got to discover a gifted natural actor in the form of Booman Irani as the eccentric Dr. Asthana. Kurish Deboo was hilarious as Dr. Rustum. And this was also Veteran Thespian, Late Sunil Dutt’s last film.

However I’m still annoyed with the movies Director Mr. Rajkumar Hirani, coz after the movie had ended and even after the sequel Lage Raho Munnabhai had ended, there were 2 very difficult questions from this movie that still remain unanswered. Those question are: -

Q-1. Agar Casualty ward ke baahar koi marr raha ho, to usse form bharna zaroori hai? - Asked by Munnabhai.

Q-2. What is the Procedure to change the room? - Asked by Swami.

Hope Mr. Rajkumar Hirani answers these questions in the 3rd Film, Munnabhai Chale America.

9. Naya Daur -

Starring – Dilip Kumar, Vyjayanthimala, Ajit, Leela Chitnis & Jeevan

Directed By – B.R. Chopra. Year Released – 1957

Naya Daur is a story of a young village man who wants to challenge the onslaught of machines in his daily life by building a new road in his village. B.R. Chopra has beautifully portrayed this story of the triumph of the human spirit when pitted against seemingly insurmountable odds.

The films had Unforgettable songs – Saathi Haath Badhaana (The Anthem for Teamwork), Maang Ke Saath Tumhaara Maine Maang Liya Sansaar and the Patriotic Band favourite song – Yeh Desh Hai Veer Javaano Ka Albelo Ka Mastano Ka.

The lead stars – Dilip Kumar, Ajit & Vyjayanthimala gave terrific performances.

The Movies theme -no matter how much technology advances, Manpower always wins – was Simply AMAZING.

8. Padosan -

Starring – Sunil Dutt, Saira Banu, Kishore Kumar, Om Prakash, Agha, Mohd. Mukri, Keshto Mukherjee & above all Mehmood

Directed By – Jyoti Swaroop. Year Released – 1968

In the heart of this simplest and gentlest and the most hilarious of tales, lays comedy in its purest form. Never has there been any Comedy in the history of Indian Cinema, and there never will be a comedy, which makes you Laugh no matter how many times you watch it, and whenever you watch this film, you watch this with the same amount of excitement as you watched it the last time.

The Movie had an ensemble cast with Sunil Dutt as a naive and stupid Bhola, a former Brahmachari turned lover boy, obsessed with his sexy neighbor Bindu (Saira Banu). To woo her, he uses the help of his Singer friend, Kishore Kumar (Brilliant). He also has fellow comical genuises Mohammed Mukri and Keshto Mukherjee for company. There are also other comedians, Om Prakash & Agha who provide quiet many laughs.

But its with the entry of Mehmood, as the South Indian Music instructor (Masterji) who steals the show from everyone. Watch his crazy antics in the song “Ek Chatur Naar Kare Singhaar“. And also the sequence when in the song “Kehna Hai Kehna Hai”, where Saira Banu discovers that its not Sunil Dutt whose singing, but only lip syncing while Kishore Kumar was actually singing all the time. And who can forget the Kishore Kumar created Slang – Bangru.

This is perhaps the only Hindi film that has not even a Single Dull moment in it, and its a comedy that will make you laugh like a Hyena no matter how many times you watch it.

7. Sholay -

Starring – Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Jaya Bhaduri, Amjad Khan, Satyan Kappu, A.K. Hangal, Mac Mohan, Jagdeep & Asrani

Directed By – Ramesh Sippy. Year Released – 1975

Many of you must be wondering, why have I ranked Sholay not so high in the list. Most lovers of Hindi Cinema consider Sholay as the greatest Indian/Hindi Film ever made.

Agreed, Sholay was a cult masterpiece, but not Path Breaking Cinema by any means.

For the length of the film was too long testing the viewers patience, it went into flashbacks time and again, the story moved at a lethargic & sluggish pace, there were just too many characters in the film and Dharmendra overacted in most parts of the film.

On top of that, this Film was Billed as a Curry Western, or what we call a Desi Cowboy Flick. The script was not at all original. It was a KHICHADI made of ingredients from “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly”, “The Seven Samurai”, “How the West was won” & “The Last Race”.

But hold on, in spite of its share of flaws, SHOLAY was a cult film that has had a cult following for the past 3 decades and will continue to be loved by future generations.

Reason – Well the Primary reason for Sholay’s success were its Dialogues, its biggest Asset. In the Seven Decade history of Indian Cinema, there has been no other Hindi Film whose Dialogues became extremely popular catchphrases. Even today, all the street kids mouth Dialogues like “Arre Oh Sambha Kitne Aadmi the”, “Yeh Haath Humko Deede Thakur, “Tumhaara Naam Kya hai Basanti”, “Jab Tak Tere Per Chalenge Iski Saanse Chalenge”, “Itna Sannata Kyun Hai Bhai” , “Tumne Ek Maara Tha, Hum Chaar Maarenge” & “Main Ek Ek Ko Chun Chun Ke Maaronga”.

And Sholay also gave Indian Cinema its funniest caricatures – From Asrani’s “Angrezon ke Zamaane Ke Jailer” to Jagdeep’s “Soorma Bhopali” and also Satyan Kappu’s “Ramlal“.

Sholay didn’t belong to Dharmender or Amitabh Bachchan, (the Former Hammed & the latter was underutilised). Sholay was a complete Sanjeev Kumar & Amjadh Khan show. In fact whenever we today talk about Sholay, its names like Thakur and Gabbar that come to our mind first and not Jai-Veeru.

The world would be a poorer place without films like Sholay, not only because of the almost arrogant instantaneous and total suspension of disbelief it demands from its audiences, but because of the honesty and sheer power of that demand. You go to a boxing match to see two boxers fight it out, not to see them playing chess in the middle of the ring!

Sholay will always be an incredible and shining example of purity, because it was the purest attempt made to entertain, with absolutely no quarters even considered for critical acclaim from the so called pundits of cinema.

Its no wonder why My Dad and people of his generation saw this Movie at least 7-8 times in the Theaters when it was released back in 1975.

6. Haasil -

Starring – Jimmy Shergill, Irfan Khan, Hrishitaa Bhat, Ashutosh Rana, Sudhir Pandey, Sharat Saxena, Tinu Anand & Rajpal Yadav.

Directed By – Tigmanshu Dhulia. Year Released – 2003

Haasil continues to be the Most Underrated & Under-appreciated Movie, not just of Hindi Cinema, but entire Indian Cinema. I lament the fact that the careless youth of today doesn’t remember this Masterpiece. As I’ve said before, if we do a survey in any Metro or Mini-Metro of India, 9 out of 10 people would certainly NOT have seen it, and in fact 5 out of 10 people would not be even aware of the fact that such a film was ever made. And the reason for that is- simple No Khan (Discount Irrfan), Kapoor, Bachchan, Dutt or Deol in the Film and no Chamma Chamma, Chaiya Chaiya or Mahi Ve kind of song.

Haasil is a simple tale of the ugly world of Student Politics set in the Semi-Urban Allahabad. The Hero here doesn’t sport Six pack Abs, and the heroine doesn’t run around in a Bikini on Brazilian Beaches nor wears Chiffon Sarees in Switzerland. So we know why people gave it a miss.

The film shows us the reality. The film has done what it can do though, to stand up and be counted, and that is to achieve a level of brilliance in film making experienced only few times a decade, or sometimes in a lifetime.. A film where technique serves the film and not the other way round, where the film making isn’t rigid in its adherence to one style but a multitude of tricks to draw us into itself.

Irrfan Khan makes Rannvijay Singh the meanest villain in Hindi Cinema, even Gabbar dwarfs in front of him. The change in the protagonist Jimmy Shergill’s thought process, from the peace loving, to the extremist, to the Betrayed and finally as the Rebel is depicted wonderfully. Kudos to Mr. Dhulia for that.

I’ve seen great films vanish before my eyes, and I think a film can only do so much as far as writing its own fate is concerned. The rest is left to us, to recognize it, to grab its feet and place it on our shoulders and give it a ride of its life. If ever a film deserved that, it is this little overwhelming gem here, and I sure do hope to contribute my little bit in promoting it. Maybe even shout on rooftops. I hope my praise for the movie on My Blog will get it noticed.

5. Kagaz Ke Phool -

Starring - Guru Dutt, Waheeda Rehman, Veena Verma, Johnny Walker, Mehmood, Kumari Naaz & Mahesh Kaul

Directed By – Guru Dutt. Year Released – 1959

Guru Dutt as a Director was way ahead of his times. He talked about Issues like Divorce & children’s custody in the times of Joint Families. Thats why most of his Masterpieces went over the regressive audience’s heads.

There is a vast difference between being emotionally inert and being emotionally hollow. Kaagaz Ke Phool is hollow. An emotional hollowness that engulfs us, holding us captive along with these tragic characters. I say captive because I so desperately wanted them to make things up, but our nature and the choices it sometimes leads us to make often renders the tragedy inevitable. There is a great deal of silence in the film; most of these moments between the protagonist Suresh Sinha (Guru Dutt), his muse Shanti (Waheeda Rehman) and his wife Veena (Veena Verma).

Guru Dutt’s melancholic masterpiece, and India’s first cinemascope film, weds visionary and often breathtaking cinematography to an archetypal but anachronistic storyline. I recommend the film nonetheless, not in least because it is seemingly incomprehensible but because it is beyond that. It is an experience; the mood is low key, the atmosphere surreal. We might never be on the same page but it is always engrossing. And that is nothing short of an achievement. I would recommend it to people who aren’t seeking just entertainment but look forward to debate and discussion not only over the film’s theme but the filming process in general.

4. Dil Chahta Hai -

Starring - Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Dimple Kapadia, Priety Zinta, Sonali Kulkarni, Suchitra Pillai-Malik, Ayub Khan, Suhasini Mulay, Rakesh Pandey & Rajat Kapoor

Directed By – Farhan Akhtar. Year Released – 2001

Dil Chahta Hai till date has been the Coolest film made in Hindi Cinema. The Urban Youth greeted it with an almost messianic fervor when it was released.

Shouted The Indian Express, “Finally, a film that the youth of this country can unabashedly embrace!”

Aamir Khan proved with this film why he’s the Most versatile actor in India today, as he dabbles all kinds of emotions here. Saif Ali Khan finally silenced his critics by proving, he can act. And we all came to know what a Mind-Blowing and Intense cum minimalist actor Akshaye Khaana can be.

The plot, ah that is one thing of real marvel here. Male Bonding was a subject untouched in Hindi Cinema.

The first word that comes to my mind while I intend to describe this movie is Efficiency. There have been few movies that so effortlessly make you laugh & cry at the same time, get you acquainted with such rich characters and pull a fast one on you. Endlessly inventive, this is not one of those films that are just that. It explores the psychology of being a 21st Century Urban Upper-Middle Class Straight Guy.

And hardly has there been any Hindi Movie in the past Decade whose each and every song became a youth anthem.

3. Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro -

Starring - Naseer-ud-din Shah, Ravi Baswani, Satish Shah, Om Puri, Pankaj Kapoor, Neena Gupta, Satish Kaushik, Deepak Qazir and Bhakti Bharve

Directed By – Kundan Shah. Year Released – 1983

Truly a timeless cult classic. It is undoubtedly the most remarkable political satire ever made in Hindi Cinema.

This is what we call a “Black Comedy”. The movie exhibits a superb sense of comic timing and wit in each and every frame. To unmask the face of corruption, Director Kundan Shah has used the humour quite brilliantly. Especially the last scene where all the actors appear on stage in different characters of Mahabharatha is absolutely brilliant.

Also, a scene where drunken Om Puri (as Ahuja) comes across the dead body (Satish Shah) in a coffin and then tows it away is absolutely hilarious.

And who can forget the famous Catchphrase from the Movie – Thoda Khao, Thoda Pheeko.

Combining the entertaining elements with the philosophical undertones, this is as smart as movies can come. Consistently funny but brutally intense in that unique Kundan Shah sort of way.

The performances, ah, that is a no-brainer. You put talent as rich as , Naseer-ud-din Shah, Om Puri, Pankaj Kapoor, Om Puri, Satish Shah & Satish Kaushik in one room and you wonder about the performances. Of course this is one of the finest ensemble performances, right in the league of another ensemble masterpieces, like The Departed, Magnolia, Ocean’s Eleven, The Usual Suspects, The Untouchables and even Glengarry Glen Ross.

2. Anand -

Starring - Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Sumita Sanyal, Ramesh Deo, Asit Sen, Lalita Pawar, Durga Khote & Dara Singh

Directed By – Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Year Released – 1971

What a privilege to have been witness to such a wonderful motion picture. A cinematic triumph so tender, so gentle yet so powerful. This is the rarest of cinema; this is the reason why a motion picture is such an important medium of art, maybe the most important medium of art.

I’m at a loss of words to describe it. I cannot explain in simple words how such an economic work can be so breathtakingly beautiful and powerful at the same time. That was Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s magic. He was the Rebel filmmaker of his time. When all other Directors made mindless larger than life films where The Hero & the Heroin ran around tress and wept like babies, Hrishikesh Mukherjee made films that had simple themes, characters we could relate to and the whole movie had a Middle Class set up, something thats extinct in today’s movies.

It is a work of great intelligence and subtle intensity, every frame greatly observant of the varying moods. I’m at a loss of words at describing how affected I was by this movie at the moment, but all I can say is this is one of the finest motion pictures I have seen. ANAND represents cinema at its finest, at its peak- accessible to the lowest commonest denominator yet compromising nowhere on quality. I just cannot stress enough how wonderfully gentle and beautiful this movie was, and such a wonderful character study.

Rajesh Khanna so effectively captures the easy going personality of the protagonist Anand Saigal. Part of it owes to his previous effort at playing the same man in the film SAFAR but we would know him more from movies like Aradhana and Amar Prem. This film also marks the arrival of Amitabh Bachchan, and he’s fantastic as Dr. Bhaskar Banerjee. Dara Singh is also excellent in a sweet cameo as a Pahalwaan.

I strongly Pooh-Pooh Karan Johar & Nikhil Adavani for stealing Anand’s plot, and making a Trashy & Crappy Kal Ho Na Ho which was not even 0.0000000000000001% close to Anand.

And the Greatest Film of Indian Cinema is.

Think, think. Guess

1. Guide

Starring - Dev Anand (Performance of a Life Time), Waheeda Rehman, Leela Chitnis, Anwar Hussain, Gajanan Jagridar, Krishan Dhawan, Rashid Khan & Kishore Sahu

Directed By – Vijay “Goldie” Anand. Year Released – 1965

Movies will come and go in Indian Hindi Cinema. We will have Masterpieces like Sholay, Dil Chahta Hai, Haasil & Anand and Duds like Devdas, Om Shanti Om, Tashan and Dhoom 2.

There may have been movies like Lagaan, Mother India, Mughal -e-Azam, Pyaasa, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun or Dilwaale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge that won mass popularity.

But after watching all kinds of movies, I say without hesitation, there has Never Ever been a Movie made in Bollywood that leaves its image on your mind, the way Guide does. Period. Guide is the film, that on repeated viewings grows on you. And its perhaps the only Hindi Film that I’ve been obsessed with.

I’ve watched tons of Hollywood, European & Asian movies, but Guide scores over most of them.

Guide is an impeccable work of art, not simply a movie. I see it as an epic, a lifetime achievement for all those who were a part of it. The reason for that is because its based on visionary author R.K Narayan’s novel called THE GUIDE. The Novel itself was way ahead of it times, Written in the 1940’s, it talked about Extra Maritial Affair and Live-in Relationship and how the Media makes a Demi-God out of a Common Man.

GUIDE is the story of an average Joe called Raju. He’s a tour Guide and a big time extrovert. He is not rich, he’s not exactly a good human being, he’s not always successful,he’s loved by some and hated by many, he’s poor but soon becomes wealthy, he takes on gambling, smoking & drinking and he forges a signature and lands up in jail.

But its after his release from the Prison, the story goes to another level. Some innocent uneducated villagers mistake him for a saint and start treating him like a God. He takes advantage of it, but nonetheless works for the welfare of the village people. But suddenly theres a Drought, people are dying of Starvation and Raju gets trapped, he has to offer prayers and fast for 12 consecutive days so that it rains in the village. Raju tries to run away, but then is stuck with the Dilemma about Villagers will loose all the faith in him and his own survival.

Can there be a story as rich as this one.

The performance by the cast is brilliant. It is in fact a tribute to the genius of Vijay “Goldie” Anand. I have always maintained that it is up to the director to extract a performance from his actors and the latter are just set-pieces in his hands. Vijay Anand was always in control of his actors. Many great directors including Martin Scorsese & Tim Burton give a lot more freedom to their actors. But Vijay Anand’s actors are always his tools. He extracts the exact precise expressions from his actors to drive home his point.

And so, Dev Anand gives the Performance of a lifetime. And Waheeda Rehman matches Dev Anand in every scene with equal competence.

And the music of the film, I don’t think there has ever been any Hindi Film with Music as DIVINE and MEGA MELODIOUS as that of the Guide. Songs like Tere Mere Sapne, Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai, Gaate Rahe Mere Dil, Din Dhal Jaaye and above all Yahaan Kaun Hai Tere Musafir are the Finest musical compositions in the history of Indian cinema. No other Hindi Film has ever had each & every of its song to be a Pure Gem. This proves why S.D. Burman was India’s best Composer. Period.

And special mention is to be made of the camera work by Fali Mistry. The camera in the entire movie is one character moving among these individuals. It is always an instrument to convey as to what the character is feeling right from the intense Dev Anand’s debate between the Saint and the Devil inside him to the Shots of the Rajasthani palaces in the song “Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai”. Seldom have I seen camerawork so brilliant that you understand the heart and plight of the character.

I would bet that you are going to be seduced by this movie and will watch this movie again and again, just like most of my friends did.

So that was my List of Hindi Cinema’s 10 Greatest Films. Lets see how much you agree with it. It took me 7 hours to compose this Piece.

The following movies were no Box Office Success in their respective countries. Maybe because as they were a “Breath of Fresh Air” in today’s world of Over the top cinema, most people avoided these movies. As a result, 9 out of 10 people wouldn’t have seen them and 5 out of 10 people would not be even aware that such movies were ever made.

But these 2 precious Gems from Hollywood & India are Brilliant Cinema.

NOEL

(Cast – Robin Williams, Susan Sarandon, Paul Waker, Penelope Cruz, Marcus Thomas, Chazz Palminteri & Alan Arkin. Directed By – Chazz Palminteri)

Its a tale of Five New Yorkers coming together on Christmas Eve, seeking a miracle.

I closed my eyes for a fleeting moment to cherish this film. A film of the rarest beauty and elegance. A film so poignantly insightful of the strangeness of the bonds that flow between us.

Ok all critics of this film, let me make one thing very clear, this movie was not awful & certainly not boring.

Anyone who is a loner or who has ever been emotionally shattered & tormented or has helped a stranger can relate to this movie.

The entire cats delivers brilliant performances, especially Alan Arkin. And watch out for the Robin Williams cameo.

The perfect Christmas movie. And yes, it ends on positive note.

HAASIL

(Cast – Jimmy Shergill, Irfan Khan, Hrishitaa Bhat, Ashutosh Rana, Sudhir Pandey, Sharat Saxena, Tinu Anand & Rajpal Yadav. Directed By – Tigmanshu Dhulia)

The most Underrated Film in the history of Indian Cinema. Irrfan Khan gives a F******ly amazing performance for which he won all the popular awards. The depiction of the middle class society, family values, aspirations, class/caste barrier is very realistic. The crude behavior and aggressive lifestyle of the characters is deftly portrayed. Every aspect of the political functioning and the gang-rivalry is looked into, in detail.

The movie doesn’t feature any Expensive Sets, Designer Costumes or Exotic Foreign Location…(read more)s. Instead it takes us to the rustic world of student politics in Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh. The story & the characters are not larger than life, which makes it more intriguing.

The ending also takes us by surprise.

Any foreigner who hasn’t seen an Indian film, I recommend you start with Haasil.

So if you haven’t seen these masterpieces, go & rent them now. I wish the technology could be so advanced in today’s time that I could let you download the movie from my blogsite like I give you music, but it will take some more time.

So go & rent these movies.