Rajshree is the daughter of acclaimed Indian filmmaker V. Shantaram and actress Jayshree, second wife of V. Shantaram. Her brother Kiran Shantaram was a former Sheriff of Mumbai.
While shooting with Raj Kapoor in America for the film Around the World in 8 Dollars, she met American student Greg Chapman. The two married three years later, in an Indian ceremony that lasted five days. She went with her husband to permanently live in America.They have one daughter. They live in Los Angeles.
She has been living in America for the last 30 years running a very successful custom clothing business with her husband, while still maintaining her interest in films. She was an assistant director on Hack-O-Lantern, Tainted Love and Monsoon and has done narration on a children’s video titled “Ashok By Any Other Name”.
Rajshree made her debut in films as a child star V. Shantaram's Subah Ka Tara (1954).Her career as an adult actress was launched by her father with Jeetendra in the film Geet Gaya Patharon Ne. She starred in popular hits such as Grahasthi, Ghar Basake Dekho, Jee Chahta hai, Sagai, Brahmachari, Janwar (1965) and Shehnai.
Eeshwar is an Indian film directed by K. Vishwanath and Rajesh Malik and released in 1989. The movie stars Anil Kapoor, Vijayshanti, Saeed Jaffrey and Sadashiv Amrapurkar. The film is a remake of the Telugu film Swathi Muthyam which starred Kamal Haasan and Raadhika.
Ishwar is a simple-minded and honest young man, devout and religious, he cares for everybody he comes in contact with. But alas nobody really likes him and think him as mentally retarded. Living an unconventional life, he takes pity on a widow named Lalita, with a young son, and marries her, much to the shock of the community. Ishwar now has a monumental task, to look after his new bride, and ensure his step-son gets the required education and skills to fend for himself. Will the community let Ishwar succeed?
Directed byK. Vishwanath Rajesh Malik
Music byLaxmikant-Pyarelal
Release dates 24 February 1989
Language Hindi
Staring
Anil Kapoor as Ishwar a.k.a. Ishwarchand Vishnuchand Brahmanand Verma
Vijayshanti as Lalita
Shammi as Ishwar's grandmother
Saeed Jaffrey as Masterji (Guest Appearance)
Asha Sachdev as the village washerwoman
Sadashiv Amrapurkar as Ishwar's scheming relative
Vinod Mehra as Lalita's brother
Bharti Achrekar as Lalita's sister-in-law
Sukanya Kulkarni
Vikram Gokhale as Lalita's father-in-law (father of her first husband)
Gulshan Grover as Neighbour of Eeshwar in negative role
Rasik Dave as son of eeshwar
Reviews
There are very few movies which inspire oneself. Eeshwar is one of them. Anil Kapoor has given one of his career best performances. You can see how an actor grows to the fullest maturity by seeing the performance of Mr. Kapoor in this movie. The character Eeshwar is played by Anil Kapoor. The story is of a person who has grown of age but has not grown as of his intellectuality. Eeshwar has his own family and he narrates his story in the movie.
It is not that everyday you get to see such kinds of movies. Eeshwar is a perfect example of classic. His wife is a widow. Eeshwar re-marries her. She plays an important role in carving the lifestyle of Eeshwar. It is a tragic film very well casted and framed. It is a must watch for everyone.
One of the many 'career' defining roles from Anil Kapoor and one of the best in hindi cinema in general... The movie was supposed to be directed by Raj Kapoor to start with, but the moment never came as the Raj Kapoorji passed away... But the great K Viswanath(the one who directed the original Swathi Muthayam) took over and recreated the magic and delivered a classic! The character of EEshwar was right out of Raj Kapoor's books and as originally perceived by him.Those who have seen the movie would notice the way K Viswanath pays his tribute to Raj Kapoor at the start of the movie just as the R K Films have it. Anil Kapoor once again reminds of Raj Kapoor in this character portrayal, just as he did it with Woh Saat Din...At the same time, the displayed the part of a mentally challenged person as good as anybody has done it before and something which was associated with Sanjeev Kumar(Khilona). The movie is full of classic moments, the best one being the climax where the "tulsi" is what Anil wants to take with him! Great performance by Vijayashanti and she deserves an applause too. good support by Saeed Jaffrey, Gulshan Grover and others.
The Matrix Revolutions is a 2003 American science fiction action film and the third installment of The Matrix trilogy. The film was released six months following The Matrix Reloaded. The film was written and directed by The Wachowski Brothers and released simultaneously in 60 countries on November 5, 2003. While it is the final film in the series, the Matrix storyline is continued in The Matrix Online.
The film was the second live-action film to be released in both regular and IMAX theaters at the same time.
Plot
Neo and Bane lie unconscious in the medical bay of the ship Hammer. Meanwhile, Neo finds his digital self trapped in a virtual subway station—a transition zone between the Matrix and the Machine City. In that subway station, he meets a "family" of programs, including a girl named Sati, whose father tells Neo the subway is controlled by the Trainman, an exiled program loyal to the Merovingian. When Neo tries to board a train with the family, the Trainman refuses and overpowers him.
Seraph contacts Morpheus and Trinity on behalf of the Oracle, who informs them of Neo's confinement. Seraph, Morpheus and Trinity enter Club Hel, where they confront the Merovingian and force him to release Neo. Troubled by visions of the Machine City, Neo visits the Oracle, who reveals that Smith intends to destroy both the Matrix and the real world. She states that "everything that has a beginning has an end", and that the war will conclude. After Neo leaves, a large group of Smiths assimilates Sati, Seraph and the unresisting Oracle, gaining her powers of precognition.
In the real world, the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar and the Hammer find and reactivate Niobe's ship, the Logos. They interrogate Bane, who says that he has no recollection of the earlier massacre. As the captains plan their defense of Zion, Neo requests a ship to travel to the Machine City. Motivated by her encounter with the Oracle, Niobe offers him the Logos. Neo departs, accompanied by Trinity. Bane, who has stowed away on the Logos, takes Trinity hostage. Neo realizes that Bane has been assimilated by Smith. Bane cauterizes Neo's eyes with a power cable, blinding him; however, Neo discovers an ability to perceive the world as golden light. Neo kills Bane, and Trinity pilots them to the Machine City.
Niobe and Morpheus set out for Zion with the Hammer to aid the human defenses against the Sentinels. In Zion, the fatally wounded Captain Mifune instructs Kid to open the gate for the Hammer. When it arrives, it discharges its EMP, disabling the Sentinels but also the remaining defenses. The humans are forced to retreat and wait for the next attack, thinking that it will be their last stand. Near the Machine City, Neo and Trinity are greeted by thousands of missiles which Neo attempts to destroy, but is overwhelmed by their numbers. The Logos is attacked by the Sentinels forcing them to fly above the missiles for a few seconds. They breach the cloud layer and see Earth's real sky, to which Trinity whispers the word "Beautiful". Upon descent, they lose control causing them to crash the Logos into the Machine City. The crash kills Trinity. Neo enters the Machine City and encounters "Deus Ex Machina", the machine leader. Neo, warning that Smith plans to conquer both the Matrix and the real world, offers to stop Smith in exchange for peace with Zion. The machine leader agrees, and the Sentinels stop attacking Zion.
The Machines provide a connection for Neo to enter the Matrix. Inside, Neo finds that Smith has assimilated all its inhabitants. The Smith with the Oracle's powers steps forth, saying that he has foreseen his victory against Neo. After a protracted battle, Neo—finding himself unable to defeat Smith—allows himself to be assimilated. The machine leader sends a surge of energy into Neo's body in the real world. Because Neo is connected to the Source, the energy surge causes the Neo-Smith clone and all other Smith clones in the Matrix to be destroyed, though Neo dies in the process. The Sentinels withdraw from Zion, Morpheus and Niobe embrace, and Neo's body is carried away by the machines. The Matrix reboots, and the Architect encounters the Oracle in a park. They agree that the peace will last "as long as it can", and that all humans will be offered the opportunity to leave the Matrix. The Oracle tells Sati that she thinks they will see Neo again. Seraph asks the Oracle if she knew this would happen; she replies that she did not know, but she believed.
The Matrix Reloaded is a 2003 American science fiction action film, the first sequel to The Matrix, and the second installment in The Matrix trilogy, written and directed by The Wachowski Brothers. It premiered on May 7, 2003, in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, and went on general release by Warner Bros. in North American theaters on May 15, 2003, and around the world during the latter half of that month. It was also screened out of competition at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival.[5] The video game Enter the Matrix, which was released on May 15, and a collection of nine animated shorts, The Animatrix, which was released on June 3, supported and expanded the storyline of the film. The Matrix Revolutions, which completes the story, was released six months after Reloaded, in November 2003.
Six months after the events of the first film, Neo and Trinity are now lovers. Morpheus receives a message from Captain Niobe of the Logos calling an emergency meeting of all of Zion's ships. Zion has confirmed the last transmission of the Osiris: an army of Sentinels is tunneling towards Zion and will reach it within 72 hours. Commander Lock orders all ships to return to Zion to prepare for the onslaught, but Morpheus asks one ship to remain in order to contact the Oracle. The Caduceus receives a message from the Oracle, and the Nebuchadnezzar ventures out so Neo can contact her. One of the Caduceus crew, Bane, encounters Agent Smith, who takes over Bane's avatar. Smith then uses this avatar to leave the Matrix, gaining control of Bane's real body.
In Zion, Morpheus announces the news of the advancing machines to the people. Neo receives a message from the Oracle and returns to the Matrix to meet her bodyguard Seraph, who then leads him to her. After realizing that the Oracle is part of the Matrix, Neo asks how he can trust her; she replies that it is his decision. The Oracle instructs Neo to reach the Source of the Matrix by finding the Keymaker, a prisoner of the Merovingian. As the Oracle departs, Smith appears, telling Neo that after being defeated, he refused to be deleted, and is now a rogue program. He demonstrates his ability to clone himself using other inhabitants of the Matrix, including other Agents, as hosts. He then tries to absorb Neo as a host, but fails, prompting a battle between Smith's clones and Neo. Neo manages to defend himself, but is forced to retreat from the increasingly overwhelming numbers.
Neo, Morpheus and Trinity visit the Merovingian and ask for the Keymaker, but the Merovingian refuses. His wife Persephone, seeking revenge on her husband for his infidelity, betrays him and leads the trio to the Keymaker. The Merovingian soon arrives with his men. Morpheus, Trinity and the Keymaker escape, while Neo holds off the Merovingian's servants. Morpheus and Trinity try to escape with the Keymaker on the freeway, facing several Agents and the Twins, the Merovingian's chief henchmen. Morpheus defeats the Twins, Trinity escapes, and Neo flies in to save Morpheus and the Keymaker from Agent Johnson. In the real world, Zion's remaining ships prepare to battle the machines. Within the Matrix, the crews of the Nebuchadnezzar, Vigilant and Logos help the Keymaker and Neo reach the door to the Source.
The crew of the Logos must destroy a power plant to prevent a security system from being triggered, and the crew of the Vigilant must destroy a back-up power station. The Logos succeeds, while the Vigilant is bombed by a Sentinel in the real world, killing everyone on board. Although Neo asked Trinity to remain on the Nebuchadnezzar, she enters the Matrix to replace the Vigilant crew and complete their mission. However, her escape is compromised by an Agent, and they fight. As Neo, Morpheus and the Keymaker try to reach the Source, the Smiths appear and try to kill them. The Keymaker unlocks the door to the Source, allowing Neo and Morpheus to enter and escape from the Smiths, but the Smiths kill the Keymaker while he tries to close the door to the Source. Neo enters a door and meets a program called the Architect, the Matrix's creator.
The Architect explains that Neo is part of the design of the sixth iteration of Matrix, designed to stop the fatal system crash that naturally occurs due to the concept of human choice. As with the five previous Ones, Neo can choose either to return to the Source with his unique code to reboot the Matrix and pick survivors to begin to repopulate the soon-to-be-destroyed Zion, or cause the Matrix to crash and kill everyone connected to it; combined with Zion's destruction, this would mean mankind's extinction. Neo learns of Trinity's situation and chooses to save her instead. As she falls off a building, he flies in and catches her, then removes a bullet from her body and restarts her heart. Back in the real world, Sentinels destroy the Nebuchadnezzar. Neo displays a new ability to disable the machines with his thoughts, but falls into a coma from the effort. The crew are picked up by another ship, the Hammer. Its captain, Roland, reveals the other ships were wiped out by the machines after someone activated an EMP too early, and that they found only one survivor afterwards - revealed to be Bane.
The Matrix is a 1999 American science fiction action film written and directed by The Wachowskis, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantoliano. It depicts a dystopian future in which reality as perceived by most humans is actually a simulated reality called "the Matrix", created by sentient machines to subdue the human population, while their bodies' heat and electrical activity are used as an energy source. Computer programmer "Neo" learns this truth and is drawn into a rebellion against the machines, which involves other people who have been freed from the "dream world".
The Matrix is known for popularizing a visual effect known as "bullet time", in which the heightened perception of certain characters is represented by allowing the action within a shot to progress in slow-motion while the camera's viewpoint appears to move through the scene at normal speed. The film is an example of the cyberpunk science fiction genre.It contains numerous references to philosophical and religious ideas, and prominently pays homage to works such as Plato's Allegory of the Cave,Jean Baudrillard's Simulacra and Simulation and Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.The Wachowskis' approach to action scenes drew upon their admiration for Japanese animation[9] and martial arts films, and the film's use of fight choreographers and wire fu techniques from Hong Kong action cinema was influential upon subsequent Hollywood action film productions.
The Matrix was first released in the United States on March 31, 1999, and grossed over $460 million worldwide. It was generally well-received by critics,and won four Academy Awards as well as other accolades including BAFTA Awards and Saturn Awards. Reviewers praised The Matrix for its innovative visual effects, cinematography and its entertainment. The film's premise was both criticized for being derivative of earlier science fiction works, and praised for being intriguing. The action also polarized critics, some describing it as impressive, but others dismissing it as a trite distraction from an interesting premise.
Over the years, numerous critics have pointed out the many similarities between the highly successful Matrix series and the box office bomb but cult classic Dark City, some going on to cite plagiarism.
The film has since appeared in lists of the greatest science fiction films, and in 201 n2, was added to the National Film Registry for preservation.The success of the film led to the release of two feature film sequels, both written and directed by the Wachowskis, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. The Matrix franchise was further expanded through the production of comic books, video games, and animated short films in which the Wachowskis were heavily involved.
Kashmir Ki Kali is a 1964 Indian film directed by Shakti Samanta. It stars Shammi Kapoor, Sharmila Tagore in her debut role, Pran, Dhumal, Nazir Hussain and Anoop Kumar. The music was composed by O.P. Nayyar and the lyrics penned by S.H. Bihari. It became the sixth-highest grossing film of the year and was declared a hit at the box office. The film was remade in Telugu as Shrungara Ramudu.
Wealthy and pampered Rajiv Lal (Shammi Kapoor) is the only son of widowed Rani Maa. At the silver jubilee anniversary of the mill that his father, the late Sanjiv Lal opened, he announces a bonus of 5 lakh rupees for all the workers, annoying his mother. A servant at the house, Karuna (Mridula Rani), suggests marrying him off to stop his immature antics, to which Rani Maa agrees. Her manager, Shyamlal, arranges for her to meet some girls, as she insists that Rajiv will marry a girl of her choice. Rajiv returns home and sees all the girls - he correctly surmises that his mother is getting him married, and he pretends to be a mute who walks with a limp in order to chase all the prospective suitors off. His plan succeeds, although he is in a dilemma as his mother is furious at him. One of his friends suggests that he should go away to their bungalow in Kashmir - after all, Rani Maa never goes there.
Upon arrival in Kashmir, he finds that his estate manager, Bholaram (Dhumal), has made a hotel out of their bungalow and has rented out some rooms for the season. He tells the tenants that he is Rajiv Lal, although when he meets Bholaram, the latter informs him that Rani Maa had called him, and told him not to let Rajiv stay at the bungalow, should he come. Rajiv manages to convince Bholaram to tell Rani Maa that he is not there. Bholaram tells the tenants in the house that Rajiv is mad, and in his madness, thinks that he is the real owner of the estate.
The next day, Rajiv meets Champa (Sharmila Tagore), a girl who sells flowers for a living. He buys her flowers for 20 rupees when they are priced at 5, and tells her that he is not the owner, but the driver. Soon enough, after a few misadventures, they fall in love and decide to marry, but there are a few obstacles. First of all, Mohan (Pran), the forest manager, has loaned out some money to Champa's father, Dinu (Nazir Hussain), and he insists on marrying Champa if Dinu cannot repay the debt.
Things become complicated when Mohan finds out that Dinu is not Champa's real father, and he blackmails Dinu into getting Champa married to him, or else he will let out the secret to Champa. Champa still continues to meet Rajiv on the sly, but all of that comes to an end when three girls, who are tenants in his house, reveal in her presence that he is not the driver, but the owner of the estate. Feeling betrayed, Champa runs off. Before Rajiv can go after her, he receives a trunk call from his mother, and he is informed that Karuna is seriously ill.
After telling Bholaram to explain everything to Champa, he leaves for Bombay, and finds Karuna on her deathbed, with Rani Maa at her side. Karuna tells Rajiv that he is not the real son of Rani Maa, and that his biological father is none other than her brother, Dinu. Many years ago, Dinu had sold him off to Karuna for alcohol, and Rani Maa had taken him in. Soon after, Rani Maa gave birth to a baby girl, but Dinu abducted her, intending to kill her so that Rajiv will be the sole heir to Rani Maa's wealth.
However, on the way, Dinu tripped and fell, and loses his eyesight, so he does not kill the girl. Rajiv is shocked at the revelation, but more so is Rani Maa, who had assumed that her baby girl was still-born. Before Karuna can say who the girl is, she dies. Shyamlal informs the two that the day Karuna fell ill, a man from Kashmir had come to see her and asked about Rani Maa's girl, but Karuna hadn't told him anything. The man turns out to be Mohan. Rajiv and Rani Maa head back to Kashmir to find out who the girl is, and Rajiv, acting on a tip from Bholaram, goes to confront Mohan.
He beats Mohan unconscious, and Mohan's friend tells Rajiv who the girl is - Champa. He goes to find her, and finds out that she is getting married to Mohan in a few days. Dinu returns home and Champa questions him. He lies to her at first, but when Rajiv drops a hint that he is the son that Dinu had sold all those years ago, the latter hugs him and admits that Champa is not his daughter. Rani Maa comes in and finds Champa, and the two embrace. Mohan arrives with his goons and decides to forcibly marry Champa.
Dinu tries to stop him, but Mohan beats him badly. The goons tie Rajiv up, and then take Rani Maa and Champa to the wedding venue forcibly. Back at Rajiv's bungalow, Chander (Anoop Kumar), Rajiv's friend, and Shyamlal decide to go after them and see why they are taking so long. Rajiv manages to escape from his captors, but Dinu is still unconscious. He meets with Chander and Shyamlal on the way, and tells them to get the police while he goes after Mohan.
He breaks into Mohan's hideout and stops the wedding ceremony. A fight ensues, and Mohan runs off, Rajiv hot on his tail. The police arrives soon after, and arrests all of Mohan's goons. Meanwhile, Rajiv and Mohan get into a fight, and the police come to take the latter away. The film ends with a shot of Rajiv and Champa, happily married, driving away in his car.
Directed byShakti Samanta
Produced byShakti Samanta
Written byRanjan Bose and Ramesh Pant
Starring
Shammi Kapoor
Sharmila Tagore
Pran
Nazir Hussain
Music byO. P. Nayyar
S.H. Bihari (lyrics)
CinematographyV. N. Reddy
Release dates 1964
Running time 168 minutes
Country India
LanguageHindi
songs are far and away the best thing about Kashmir ki kali, the delightful songs come fast and thick in the O.P. Nayyar soundtrack, and each picturization is more colorful and energetic than the last. Even if I never watch this film straight through a second time, I know I I'll be watching the songs again and again. Many of them, like Rajeev's anthem "Kisi na kisi se" and his manic declaration of impatient love "Tarif karun kya uski," in addition to the appeal of the Shammi and Sharmila, also showcase the unparalleled beauty of the film's uncredited star - the gorgeous Kashmiri landscape itself. It is the songs and their picturizations, more than anything else, that makes Kashmir ki kali a sparkling gem. (See Sanket's concurrent post at Bollywood Music Club for more.)
Teesri Kasam , The Third Vow (1966) is a Hindi language drama film directed by Basu Bhattacharya. It is based on the short story Mare Gaye Gulfam by the Hindi novelist Phanishwarnath Renu. The film stars Raj Kapoor and Waheeda Rehman. The duo Shankar-Jaikishan composed the film's score. The film's cinematography is by Subrata Mitra. Dialogue is by Phanishwarnath Renu and the screenplay by Nabendu Ghosh. Teesri Kasam is an unconventional film that portrays rural Indian society. It is the story of a naive bullock cart driver who falls in love with a dancer at nautanki, the popular folk theatre of the Bihar region. The film also deals with the issue of exploitation of women in the performing arts, especially in travelling folk theatre.
Albela is a 1951 Bollywood musical comedy film directed by and starring Bhagwan Dada and Geeta Bali.A Hindi classic, it was the third highest grossing film at the Indian Box Office in 1951 and its soundtrack by C. Ramchandra was acclaimed.
Cast
Geeta Bali ... as Asha
Bhagwan as Pyarelal
Badri Prasad as Pyarelal's Father
Sunder as Theatre Owner (as Sundar)
Pratima Devi as Pyarelal's Mother
Dulari as Malti
Release Year 1951
Music
The music director of the film was C. Ramchandra and the soundtrack was acclaimed, cited as a "classic". The film features several westerinized songs such as Sholajo badhke and Ye deewana, ye parwana which are said to have "employed cabaret type dance/choruses featuring bongo drums, oboes,, clarinets, trumpets, saxophones, etc." Famous playback singer Lata Mangeshkar sang the song Balama bada nadan re.
Plot
Day-dreamer and Artist, Pyarelal, lives a poor lifestyle in Bombay with his retired dad; housewife mom; married brother, Mohan and his wife, Malti; and unmarried sister, Vimla. It is now time for Vimla to get married, her dad has saved a thousand Rupees, while Mohan has made arrangements for six hundred more, and Pyarelal is asked to arrange for four hundred. Instead Pyarelal brings home one hundred rupees, informing his family that he has been fired from his job, and will be unable to raise any more money. An argument ensues, and Pyarelal is asked to leave. He leaves, swearing only to return when he is a famous and wealthy man. He meets with pretty actress, Asha, both fall in love with each other, and he starts acting in the theater, and achieves quick success. He starts sending money and gifts home to his parents, and hopes that they will be pleased with his success. Then one day when he feels that he has achieved his success, he returns home - only to find out that the money and gifts he has been sending home are missing; his mom has passed away; his dad and sister are missing, believed to be begging in the streets; his sister's marriage has been canceled; his brother cannot support himself; and his sister-in-law, has a dark deep secret that she cannot tell anyone.
Umrao Jaan is a 1981 Bollywood film, directed by Muzaffar Ali. It is based on the Urdu novel Umrao Jaan Ada (1905), written by Mirza Hadi Ruswa based on the famous Lucknow courtesan. The film starred Bollywood actress Rekha and Farooq Shaikh as leads.
In essence Muzaffar Ali’s 1981 classic ‘Umrao Jaan’ can be called the story of a prostitute, or to be more precise, the story of a prostitute with a heart of gold and the soul of a poet. Not getting into the morality of the lead character’s profession, one could say she is simply a little girl lost, confined within the walls of a brothel whose only escape is her heartfelt poetry and the undependable lovers who share her bed.
The longing for love, is a theme which many film deals with and is probably the most cliché foundation to use when dealing with the life of a prostitute. However, in the context of Umrao Jaan’s story, it is the most applicable base to start from.
Cast
Rekha as Amiran
Seema Sathyu as Young Amiran
Farooq Shaikh as Nawab Sultan
Naseeruddin Shah as Gohar Mirza
Raj Babbar as Faiz Ali
Gajanan Jagirdar as Maulvi
Shaukat Kaifi as Khanum Jaan
Umme Farwa as Young Amiran
Dina Pathak as Husseini
Prema Narayan as Bismillah
Bharat Bhushan as Khan Saheb
Mukri as Parnan Aziz
Satish Shah as Daroga Dilawar
Directed byMuzaffar Ali
Produced byMuzaffar Ali
Written byMuzaffar Ali,Javed Siddiqui
Release dates 1981
The film is based on the 1899 novel ‘Umrao Jan Ada’, written by Mirza Hadi Ruswa; it has also been called the first novel in the Urdu language. Ruswa claimed that it was based on the true story of a courtesan named Umrao. How much truth there is to that claim, we will probably never know, but if there was a real person named Umrao Jaan and if this story is anything to go by, then she truly must have been a tragic figure.
Umrao Jaan was not born a harlot, as no prostitute ever is, but by a cruel hand that life deals her, she becomes one. Her life started as a young innocent girl named Amiran, who is kidnapped by an enemy of her fathers in Faizabad and then sold to a brothel in Lucknow. In such an unenviable position, she is reborn and schooled into a courtesan. Dancing, singing and generally being submissive to would-be customers are the ways of the trade, but it is poetry that is her passion. This passion initially is kept secret and only revealed to those close to her, but gradually it becomes a trademark and in the end, as it turns out, a means of livelihood for her.
At the heart of this movie is obviously Rekha, who was probably never been more beautiful or more powerful as she is in the title role. Bringing just about the right amount of naiveté, disillusionment and composed defiance, her performance makes this movie click and like the shining sun, has the other characters revolving around her. Her seductive eyes and exquisite features project all the elements needed to bring Umrao Jaan to life. Add to this her acting chops and Urdu dialogue delivery, and you have a class act that is truly timeless. Rekha, apparently had to work hard at her Urdu to make it believable and it shows.
Silsila, a cinematic examination of an extra-marital affair, was made more remarkable by director Yash Chopra's casting coup - he signed Amitabh Bachchan, his wife Jaya and actress Rekha in the roles that formed the three angles of the film's love triangle, one which appeared to mirror a rumoured real life triangle involving the three actors.
Silsila is a 1981 Hindi romantic drama film directed by Yash Chopra. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Sanjeev Kumar, Rekha and Kulbhushan Kharbanda, with Shashi Kapoor in a special appearance. The movie is said to be loosely inspired by the alleged real-life love triangle of its three stars, Amitabh-Jaya-Rekha, the most talked about love affair back then.On his last birthday, Yash Chopra revealed that he originally wanted to cast Parveen Babi and Smita Patil opposite Bachchan, but after consulting him, he chose to cast Jaya Bhaduri and Rekha in their respective roles.
Cast
Amitabh Bachchan as Amit Malhotra
Jaya Bachchan as Shobha Malhotra
Rekha as Chandni
Shashi Kapoor as Sqdr. Leader Shekhar Malhotra (Special Appreance)
Sanjeev Kumar as Dr. V.K. Anand
Kulbhushan Kharbanda as Inspector Kulbhushan
Sudha Chopra as Shobha's mother
Sushma Seth as Actress
Directed byYash Chopra
Produced byYash Chopra
Written byMrs. Preeti Bedi,Yash Chopra,Sagar Sarhadi,Romesh Sharma
Release Date 29 July 1981
Interesting Facts
Silsila was the last film that Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha made together. The actress had a cameo in R Balki's Shamitabh this year, which starred Mr Bachchan, but the former co-stars had no scenes together.
This was also the last film to feature Rekha with Amitabh Bachchan, putting an end to this popular on-screen pair and their rumored off-screen affair. The film did only average business at the box office, faring much below expectations. Since its release, however, the film has gained a strong cult following and is today considered a classic in its treatment of the themes of abandonment and familial responsibility. Producer Yash Chopra considered this film and Lamhe his favourites. The movie's music became a "superhit" upon the release of the film and continues to be as popular.
Sanjeev Kumar had earlier refused to be a part of the film as that would mean that he would have to play second fiddle to Amitabh Bachchan for the third time after Sholay and Trishul. However, Yash Chopra insisted on narrating him the story of the film. Halfway through the narration of the story when they reached the scene where Sanjeev Kumar, Amitabh , Rekha and Jaya are sitting in a restaurant and Amitabh hits the dance floor with Rekha and not Jaya, Sanjeev asked Yash to stop. He called his office and directed them to allot dates for the film. Reportedly, he had always enjoyed working with Jaya as he felt that she helped in enhancing his acting ability and matched his performance.
The original star cast was Amitabh Bachchan, Padmini Kolhapure and Parveen Babi. But then there were several cast changes for this movie. Later on Smita Patil replaced Padmini Kolhapure. But at the end by the recommendation by Amitji, Jaya Bhaduri and Rekha were finalized.
The Holi song "Rang Barse" was sung by Amitabh Bachchan and was composed by his father Harivansh Rai Bachchan.
Musicians 'Shiv Kumar Sharma' and 'Hari Prasad Chaurasia''s debut as the composer. The duo is formerly known as Shiv-Hari.
This is the only movie in which Amitabh Bachchan is the younger brother of Shashi Kapoor. All their other movies in which they are brothers, Amitabh Bachchan is the elder one.
Mughal-e-Azam (The Emperor of the Mughals) is a 1960 Indian film directed by K. Asif and produced by Shapoorji Pallonji. Starring Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Madhubala, and Durga Khote, the historical epic follows the love affair between Mughal Prince Salim (who went on to become Emperor Jahangir) and Anarkali, a court dancer. Salim's father, Emperor Akbar, disapproves of the relationship, which leads to a war between father and son.
The development of Mughal-e-Azam began in 1944, when Asif read a play set in the reign of Emperor Akbar (1556–1605). Production was plagued by delays and financial uncertainty. Before its principal photography began in the early 1950s the project had lost a financier and undergone a complete change of cast. Mughal-e-Azam cost more to produce than any previous Indian motion picture; the budget for a single song sequence exceeded that typical for an entire film of the period. The soundtrack, inspired by Indian classical and folk music, comprises 12 songs voiced by playback singers including Lata Mangeshkar and classical singer Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. It is often cited as one of the finest soundtracks in Bollywood cinematic history.
Mughal-e-Azam had the widest release of any Indian film up to that time and patrons often queued all day for tickets. Released on 5 August 1960 it broke box office records in India, and became the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time, a distinction it held for 15 years. The accolades awarded to the film include one National Film Award and three Filmfare Awards. Mughal-e-Azam was the first black-and-white Hindi film to be digitally coloured, and the first in any language to be given a theatrical re-release. The colour version, released in November 2004, was a commercial success.
The film is widely considered a milestone of its genre, earning praise from critics for its grandeur and attention to detail. Film scholars have welcomed its portrayal of enduring themes, but question its historical accuracy.
Cast
Prithviraj Kapoor as Emperor Akbar
Dilip Kumar as Salim
Madhubala as Nadira (Anarkali)
Durga Khote as Jodhabai, Salim's mother
Nigar Sultana as Bahar, a court dancer
Ajit as Durjan Singh
Murad as Raja Man Singh
M. Kumar as Sangtarash, the royal sculptor
Sheila Dalaya as Suraiyya, Anarkali's sister
Jillo Bai as Anarkali's mother
Directed byK. Asif
Produced byShapoorji Pallonji
Year of release 5 August 1960
Intresting facts about MUGHAL-E-AZAM
The movie was premiered in Mumbai's Maratha Mandir and released simultaneously in 150 theatres across the country.
Before every shot, Prithviraj Kapoor (who played Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar) would look into a full-length mirror. When director K Asif asked the reason for the odd behaviour, Kapoor said he did it to 'get under the skin of the character'.
K Asif took nine years to make Mughal-e-Azam. In 1952, Jhansi Ki Rani became India's first movie to be shot in technicolour. Asif wanted to remake his film entirely in colour too, but it is said the distributors lost patience and settled for shooting two songs and the climax of the film in technicolour. Some 85 per cent of the movie was filmed in black-and-white. In November 2004, the Indian Academy of Arts and Animation restored, colourised and re-released the film in 100 per cent colour. This is the first full feature-length movie to be coloured and re-released in theatres in the history of cinema. Some English films have been coloured but only released in the home video format.
Pyar Kiya Toh Darna Kya was shot in Sheesh Mahal at a cost of Rs 10 lakh at a time when entire movies were made on that budget. Most thought financier Shapoorji Pallonji would go bankrupt filming this one song itself. The song was written and re-written more than a hundred times by lyricist Shakeel Badayuni before music director Naushad approved of it. To provide the reverbration effect in the song, Lata Mangeshkar recorded it in a bathroom.
The director had initially thought he would release Mughal-e-Azamin three languages - Hindi, Tamil and English. The Tamil version did so badly, Asif dropped the idea of dubbing it in English. Madhubala's heart condition did not allow her to sign any films after this one.
To ensure a life-like performance, the chains Madhubala wore in the movie were real. The actress nursed the bruises caused by the chains for days 2, 000 camels, 4, 000 horses and 8, 000 troops were used in the battle sequence, many of them were sought from the Indian Army through special permission from the Defence Ministry. The soldiers were from the Jaipur regiment.
When the first shooting schedule began in 1946, K. Asif cast Chandra Mohan, D.K. Sapru, and Nargis for the roles of Akbar, Salim and Anarkali, respectively.
Tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain says, "I was considered for the role of the young Dilip Kumar. But the role was eventually played by Jalal Agha."
The song "Ae Mohabbat Zindabad" had Mohammad Rafi sing with a backup chorus of 100 singers.
During Making Of the Film K.Asif was in huge debt so he even bought paan and cigarettes on credit.
The statue of Lord Krishna used in the film was made of pure gold.
For the battle sequence, 2,000 camels, 4,000 horses and 8,000 troops were used
Inside Out is a 2015 American 3D computer-animated comedy-drama adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed and co-written by Pete Docter, the film is set in the mind of a young girl, Riley Andersen (Kaitlyn Dias), where five personified emotions—Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black) and Disgust (Mindy Kaling)—try to lead her through life as she moves with her parents (Diane Lane and Kyle MacLachlan) to a new city. The film was co-directed and co-written by Ronnie del Carmen and produced by Jonas Rivera, with music composed by Michael Giacchino.
Docter first began developing Inside Out in 2009 after noticing changes in his daughter's personality as she grew older. The film's producers consulted numerous psychologists, including Dacher Keltner from the University of California, Berkeley, who helped revise the story emphasizing the neuropsychological findings that human emotions are mirrored in interpersonal relationships and can be significantly moderated by them.
After premiering at the 68th Cannes Film Festival in May, Inside Out was released on June 19, 2015, accompanied in theaters by a short film, Lava, directed by James Ford Murphy. Critics praised the vocal performances (particularly for Poehler, Smith, and Richard Kind), its concept, and poignant subject matter. The film grossed $90.4 million in its first weekend—the highest opening for an original title, beating the previous record held by Avatar (2009). It has grossed over $690 million worldwide against a budget of $175 million.
Inside Out is a 2015 American 3D computer-animated comedy-drama adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed and co-written by Pete Docter, the film is set in the mind of a young girl, Riley Andersen (Kaitlyn Dias), where five personified emotions—Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black) and Disgust (Mindy Kaling)—try to lead her through life as she moves with her parents (Diane Lane and Kyle MacLachlan) to a new city. The film was co-directed and co-written by Ronnie del Carmen and produced by Jonas Rivera, with music composed by Michael Giacchino.
Docter first began developing Inside Out in 2009 after noticing changes in his daughter's personality as she grew older. The film's producers consulted numerous psychologists, including Dacher Keltner from the University of California, Berkeley, who helped revise the story emphasizing the neuropsychological findings that human emotions are mirrored in interpersonal relationships and can be significantly moderated by them.
After premiering at the 68th Cannes Film Festival in May, Inside Out was released on June 19, 2015, accompanied in theaters by a short film, Lava, directed by James Ford Murphy. Critics praised the vocal performances (particularly for Poehler, Smith, and Richard Kind), its concept, and poignant subject matter. The film grossed $90.4 million in its first weekend—the highest opening for an original title, beating the previous record held by Avatar (2009). It has grossed over $690 million worldwide against a budget of $175 million.
Plot
A girl named Riley is born in Minnesota, and within her mind, five manifestations of her emotions—Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Fear and Anger—come to life. The emotions live in Headquarters, Riley's conscious mind, where they influence Riley's actions and memories via a control console. Her new memories are housed in colored orbs, which are sent into storage at the end of every waking period. The most important or "core" memories are housed in a hub in Headquarters and power five "islands", each of which reflects a different aspect of Riley's personality. Joy acts as the dominant emotion to keep Riley in a happy state, but she and the others do not understand Sadness's purpose.
When Riley is 11 years old, her family relocates to San Francisco after her father gets a new job. Joy becomes concerned when Sadness begins touching happy memories, causing them to turn sad, so she tries to keep Sadness isolated. However, on Riley's first day at her new school, Sadness accidentally causes Riley to cry in front of her class, creating a sad core memory. Joy attempts to dispose of the new core memory before it reaches the central hub, but she accidentally knocks the other core memories loose in her struggle with Sadness, shutting down the personality islands and making them unstable. Before Joy can put them back, she, Sadness, and the core memories are sucked out of Headquarters through the memory tube leading to the rest of Riley's mind. They end up in the labyrinthine storage area of Riley's long-term memories and set out to return to Headquarters.
Anger, Disgust and Fear attempt to maintain Riley's emotional state in Joy's absence, but inadvertently distance Riley from her parents, friends and hobbies, resulting in her personality islands slowly crumbling and falling into the Memory Dump, an abyss where faded memories are disposed and forgotten. Anger inserts an idea to run away to Minnesota into the control console, believing they can produce new happy core memories there. Meanwhile, Joy and Sadness find Bing Bong, Riley's childhood imaginary friend, who is desperate to reconnect with her. He tells them they can get to Headquarters by riding the Train of thought. After exploring different areas of Riley's mind, the three eventually catch the train, but it derails when another personality island falls.
As Riley prepares to board a bus bound for Minnesota, Joy attempts to use a "recall tube" to return to Headquarters, but the last personality island falls and breaks the tube, sending Joy into the Memory Dump along with Bing Bong. While despairingly looking through old memories, Joy discovers a sad memory in Riley's life that becomes happy when her parents and friends come to comfort her over losing a hockey game, causing her to realize Sadness's true importance: alerting others when Riley needs help.
Joy and Bing Bong try to use Bing Bong's discarded wagon rocket to get out of the Memory Dump, but after several failed attempts, Bing Bong realizes their combined weight is too much and jumps out and fades away, allowing Joy to escape. Joy uses various tools from Imagination Land to propel herself and Sadness to Headquarters, where they find that Anger's idea has disabled the control console, rendering Riley depressed and apathetic. At Joy's urging, Sadness takes control and successfully removes the idea, reactivating the console and prompting Riley to return home.
As Sadness reinstalls the core memories, Riley arrives home and breaks down in tears, confessing to her parents that she misses her old life. As her parents comfort and reassure her, Joy and Sadness work together to create a new, amalgamated core memory that creates a new personality island. A year later, Riley has adapted to her new home, and all her emotions now work together to help her lead a content, more emotionally complex life as she ages, with an expanded control console and additional personality islands produced by new core memories comprising multiple emotions.
CAST: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Rajat Kapoor, Shriya Saran, Ishita Dutta
DIRECTION: Nishikant Kamat
GENRE: Thriller
DURATION: 2 hours 43 minutes
DRISHYAM HAS WHAT IT TAKES TO `HOOK' THE AUDIENCE
STORY: Inspired by Japanese crime-writer, Keigo Higashino's novel The Devotion of Suspect X, Drishyam(translates as illusion) was originally adapted in Malayalam. That version went on to become a blockbuster, paving the way for copies. The latest is, Nishikant Kamat's Bollywood adaptation that has adequate promise.
REVIEW: The story revolves around the fourth-standard school drop-out Vijay Salgaonkar (Ajay) who lives in Goa with his wife Nandini(Shriya) and their two daughters. He is a movie buff who runs a cable-video business. Crazy about cinema; he laughs, cries, plots and plans or for that matter even allows films to dictate his sexual desire. All in all, Vijay has a blissed-out existence. Till his teenage daughter Anju(Ishita) goes for a inter-school nature camp. There she encounters Sameer Deshmukh (Risabh Chaddha)the son of IG, Meera Deshmukh(Tabu). The brat shoots a video-clip of the naive girl in the shower. On their return home, crafty Sam seeks to trade `favours' from Anju. The teenagers are negotiating when an untoward incident occurs, leaving Anju stumped and her family in a fix.
Ajay Devgn), a cable operator, is a film buff (goes teary-eyed watching sappy dramas and does a shot break-down of action scenes starring Tom Cruise). His family comprises his wife Nandini (Shriya Saran) and daughters, Anju (Ishita Dutta) and Anu (Mrinal Jadhav). The Salgaonkars, as shown in trailers, are accused of being responsible for the disappearance of a certain teenager, who happens to be the son of Goa IG Meera Deshmukh (Tabu). Now, you'd expect the police to torture the Salgaonkars till they break down. But very little screen time is expended on this. In fact, more scenes are dedicated to Vijay training his family to brave the possible torment and interrogation, with obvious dialogues like, "woh hume todne ki koshish karenge" and "ab yeh ek khel ban gaya hai".
A distraction in the film is that it spells out situations and character traits. Meera's opening shot shows her ordering a set of witnesses to be battered. But that's not enough, she quickly adds, "Inhe maarte raho. I don't care." She then turns around and walks away in slow motion with a steely expression. Tough cop in the house!
Also, that Vijay is a 'chauthi fail' is only mentioned about 20 times (or more). Is it because it'd make his supposedly impossible plan seem even less possible? This continuous narration allows your brain to sink into a recliner as you know every twist will be explained, dumbed-down and underlined. The film's promotions have also taken the fizz out of the proceedings: they reveal the prime witness, the prime accused, the missing person and the cop for whom this case is more personal than professional. When you enter the screen, you can't wait for the storm to gush in. Instead, the calm drags on for too long (the happy family build-up is cringeworthy).
Ajay single-handedly carries this film. His affinity for playing an everyman who does the right thing even if the way is wrong, continues in this film. Shriya's and Ishita's eyes well up in every alternate scene and their presence is unobjectionable. Tabu's performance is tight, perhaps even tighter than her body-hugging police uniform. But delivering lazily-written lines like, "Par main ek maa bhi hoon," takes away from her strong screen presence.
The songs in the film don't establish a mood or complement a situation; they only convey passage of time. The locations portrayed as rural Goa are picturesque and cinematographer Avinash Arun deserves credit for making them seem cinematically surreal. Straight out of directing Lai Bhaari, last year's record-breaking Marathi blockbuster, director Nishikant Kamat seems too obsessed with formula and doesn't manage to retell this story with the passion and subtlety that it deserves.
Drishyam could've been crisper (runtime: 163:33 minutes) and woven in a few more tricks and surprises. But it is only a lazy remake and a lot is lost in translation.
Guide is a 1965 Romantic Drama film starring Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman. It was directed by Vijay Anand, who contributed to the screenplay. The film is based on the novel, The Guide, by R. K. Narayan.The film was a box office hit upon release. The movie proved memorable for its award-winning performances by the lead actors and memorable music by S. D. Burman. Time Magazine listed it at Number Four on its list of Best Bollywood Classics.A 120-minute U.S. version was written by Pearl S. Buck, and directed and produced by Tad Danielewski, The film was screened at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, 42 years after its release.
STORY
The movie starts with Raju (Dev Anand) being released from jail. Raju was a freelance guide, who earned his living by taking tourists to historic sites. One day, a wealthy and aging archaeologist, Marco (Kishore Sahu) comes to the city with his young wife Rosie (Waheeda Rehman), the daughter of a courtesan. Marco wants to do some research on the caves outside the city and hires Raju as his guide.
While Marco devotes himself to the discovery of the cave, Raju takes Rosie on a tour and appreciates her dancing ability and innocence. He learns about Rosie's background as a daughter of a prostitute and how Rosie has achieved respectability as the wife of Marco but at a terrible cost. She had to give up her passion of dancing since it was unacceptable to Marco. Meanwhile, Rosie tries to commit suicide by consuming poison. Marco, upon learning of the incident, returns from the caves to see Rosie and is furious with Rosie after seeing her alive. He tells her that her act of committing suicide was a drama, otherwise she would have consumed more sleeping pills so that she could really have died. Upon returning to the caves which were discovered, Rosie learns that Marco is spending time and enjoying the company of a native tribal girl. She is enraged at Marco and both indulge in a serious heated discussion, which concludes with Rosie leaving the caves, and she once again wants to end her life.
Raju calms her down by saying that committing suicide is a sin, and that she should live to pursue her dream. She finally says good-bye to the relation of being the wife of Marco. Now she needs support and a home. Raju gives her shelter. Rosie is considered a prostitute by Raju's community (as classical dancing traditionally was prostitutes' work at royal courts), which leads to many problems, including his mother and her brother insisting that Rosie be kicked out. Raju refuses and his mother leaves him. His friend and driver also falls out with him over Rosie. Raju loses his business and the entire town turns against him. Undeterred by these setbacks, Raju helps Rosie embark on a singing and dancing career and Rosie becomes a star. As she rises as a star, Raju becomes dissolute — gambling and drinking. Marco comes back on the scene. Trying to win Rosie back, he brings flowers and has his agent ask Rosie to release some jewelry which is in a safe deposit box. Raju, a bit jealous, does not want Marco to have any contact with Rosie and forges Rosie's name on the release of the jewels. Meanwhile, Rosie and Raju drift apart due to Rosie's incomprehensible behaviour when she tortures Raju by not obliging him a caring hug even and asks him to leave her room else she says she will have to go out. Before this, they also had a discussion about how a man should live when Rosie remembers Marco and tells Raju that Marco was probably correct when he used to say that a man should not live on a woman's earnings.
Raju retorts by saying that she is under a misunderstanding that she has become a star on her own and it was only because of Raju's efforts that she became famous. Later, Rosie learns of the forgery release. Raju is convicted of forgery, resulting in a two-year sentence. Rosie does not understand why Raju indulged in forgery, when he could have easily asked her for money. It was not money, it was the loving fascination for Rosie which urged Raju not to reveal Marco's visit to Rosie so that she doesn't remember him again and to eliminate the probability of Rosie and Marco's togetherness, if at all, there was any little chance. On the day of his release, his mother and Rosie come to pick him up but they are told that he was released six months ago because of his good behaviour.
Meanwhile, upon his release Raju wanders alone. Despair, poverty, rags, hunger, loneliness engulf him until he finds a wandering group of sadhus (holy men) with whom he spends a night at a derelict temple in a small town.Raju impresses the woman with the logic in taking a husband and she submits, which convinces Bhola that Raju is a swami (holy man). Impressed by this, Bhola spreads the news through the village. Raju is taken as a holy man by the village. Raju assumes the role of village holy man (Swami Ji) and engages in skirmishes with the local pandits.And drama started here. Due to drought Raju was forced to fast for 12 days so that it rains. Meanwhile, his mother, friend and Rosie unite with him and patch things up. In the end it rains but Raju dies.
Directed by
Vijay AnandWriting Credits (in alphabetical order)
She has been living in America for the last 30 years running a very successful custom clothing business with her husband, while still maintaining her interest in films. She was an assistant director on Hack-O-Lantern, Tainted Love and Monsoon and has done narration on a children’s video titled “Ashok By Any Other Name”.
