Wednesday, January 31, 2018

SURAIYA - SINGING SENSATION

She enthralled thousands by her honey-voice. Millions swooned over her beauty. She was anointed by fans as  'Malika-e-Husn' (queen of beauty), and 'Malika-e-Tarannum' (queen of melody). She was Suraiya. The sovereign actress-singer of yesteryears.

Suraiya was born at Gujranwala ( Pakistan) on 15 June 1929. She came to Bombay along with her mother, maternal uncles and grandparents. Here she studied and entered the filmdom as child artiste in 1937 film Usne Kya Socha.

Thereafter in 1941 she bagged a role as a heroine in filmTaj Mahal. At the tender age of 13 Suraiya made foray into playback singing. Her first song was for film Sharda. She didn’t had any formal training in singing.



 Her untrained voice had a peculiar charisma which caught the fancy of music director Naushad. Bollywood legend has it that Nuashad saw her in Kardar Studio where she had gone to watch film shooting and recommended her for playback. As Baby Suraiya her first song was for Kardar's Nai Duniya ( 1942). She ostensibily used to stand on a stool in order to reach the mike for singing.

After her initial phase Suraiya made her debut as a leading lady in Nanubhai Vakil’s 'Taj Mahal' .
In the early part of her career Suraiya got the support of Naushad. Under his tutelage she blossomed as a singer. Under the baton of Naushad Suraiya delivered some of her biggest hits in the early part of her career.

In Mehboob Khan's Anmol Ghadi Naushad gave Suraiya three solo songs to sing. In the movie Suraiya was pitted against the colossal of her times, Noorjehan. During the making of the film Noorjehan gave a hard time to Suraiya. But Suraiya proved her mettle by her voice, and Naushad stood by her strongly. The film completed silver jubilee in Mumbai. Anmol Ghadi paved the way for Suraiya to become a singing superstar.

Hoever, Suraiya came to her own after Noorjehan married and migrated to Pakistan during Partition.
Suraiya was at the height of her popularity between 1947 and 1950.

This was the phase when Suraiya co-starred with Dev Anand in several block busters. Their proximity brought them emotionally close and they became romantically involved. However, their affair wasn't destined to see the light of the day. Suraiya's grandmother opposed the match and that was the end of the story. Suraiya was heartbroken and she never married. Dev kept Suraiya's love aflame in his heart till his last days. Thus tragically ended  Bollywood's one of the most popular love stories.


In the 1950s, Suraiya faced competition from Lata Mangeshkar. However, sadly, her career was on the decline.  The phase of actor-singer was on the wane. Geeta Dutt and Shamshad Begum had also joined the bandwagon. Suraiya sang her last song “Yeh kaesii ajab daastaan” in the  Rustom-e-Sohrab ( 1953)  At the age of 34 she said adieu to the film industry. She breathed her last on  31 January 2004 after a long battle with cancer.

Saturday, January 27, 2018

THE 'LOIN'OF BOLLYWOOD

His tone was soft, tenor sweet but undercurrent was undecidedly menancing. He spoke with  firm persuasiveness, and the threatening message was not lost to whom it was intended. 
In the firmament of thundering,threatening and terrorizing villains of Bollywood there will always be a safe and special niche for the Ajit. The quintessential villain of Hindi films. 

Ajit, born Hamid Ali Khan, celebrates his birthday on 27 January. His dialogue delivery was his raison d'ĂȘtre. Long before Prem Chopra made the genteel dialogue delivery his trademark, Ajit spewed menace on silver screen by his studied nonchalance and pseudo sweetness. 

When he spoke it was always with a deadpan face. His double meaning quips made him all the more famous. 
Remember the Loin of Kalicharan, where he famously quipped
'Saara Saher Mujhe Loin ke Naam Se Jaanta Hai'
( 'Whole town knows me as Loin')

Mona Darling was his ever loyal sidekick to whom he purred his lines aside. Years after his passing Ajit jokes are still a favourite. People love to emulate his speaking style and his ribaldness. His character is a font of double meaning jokes. 

Ajit's den was set designer's dream. Menacing hoodlums hanged around , secret doors slid open and closed and multi coloured lights blinked to create an aura of the underworld. 

In a career spanning nearly four decades Ajit acted in over 200 films
Ajit was born in 1922  near Golconda in Andhra Pradesh. Attraction of films drew him to Mumbai. He started his film career in 1946 with Shahe Misr. 
1946 to 1956 was a period of struggle for Ajit where he tried to make his place in the industry. Around this time he acted in Patanga, Zidd, Sarkar, Taranag , Mahal and some other films. But none of these fared well at the box office. 

To break the jinx he was advised to shorten his name. So he changed his name from Hamid Ali to Ajit. The move proved auspicious and he bagged the film Bekasur as a hero. 
 In K Asif's 1960 magnum opus Mughal-e-Azam Ajit played a supporting role, sharing screen with thespian Dilip Kumar. 

 Then followed a spew of films like Shikari, Prince, Aadmi Aur Insaan where his villany got finally recognized. 
1973 was a watershed year for Ajit. With blockbusters like Zanjeer, Yadoon Ki Baraat, Kahanai Kismet Ki and Jugnu, Ajit tasted unprecedented success as a villain. 

In 1976 Subhash Ghai cast him in the role of the formidable Don Lion. They way he twisted his name to Loin in a sarcastic drawl became his hallmark. 

After Kaalicharan Ajit never really looked back and scaled new heights in villany. 

Ajit stopped acting in the early 1980s after heart surgery and moved back home to Hyderabad.
But Bollywood couldn't have enough of Ajit and again he was offered films. In 1985 he made a comeback with Police Officer. His last film was Ganster after that he returned to Hyderabad where he breathed his last on 22 October 1998

Friday, January 26, 2018

NATION BOILS OVER PADMAVAT

The storm over Padmavat has brought to the fore faultlines in the community. Unbridled rampage by hitherto unknown Karni Sena has again underlined the fragile times in which we live.
But more importantly, violent protests over the film despite the stern ruling of the apex court has omnious omen . The constitution itself has been challenged. Freedom of expression, as guaranteed by the constitution and ensured by the Supreme Court rulings have been encroached upon. The defiant stand of the four Indian states is also worrisome.
The violence on Padmavat began on 14th April in Jaipur when Karni Sena members rampaged the sets of Padmavat and slapped the director Sanjay Leela Bhansali.  As the film got ready for release spordiac violent protests became a permanent fixture and finally the effigy burning and hooligansim left a trail of unrestrained parochial frenzy over the film.
As Karni Sena made headlines by wanton violence and protest, and state after state writhed and broiled in the fires of violence, the central government maintained  a stoic silence. The government held that policing is a state subject and unless the violence striken states ask for help the Centre can do nothing.
As protestors indulged in mindless violence and broke law with impunity, people squirmed and suffered. Gurugram saw a brutish display of terror. Protestors jammed the streets and highway, and wrecked havoc. Even school bus carrying children were not spared. Other states  were also no stranger to hoodlumism.

Government of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana played shy of getting the film a safe release in their respective states. All this despite the fact that the Supreme Court has directed the state governments to ensure a safe and secure release of the film.
In Gujarat the multiplex owners out of sheer fear and retaliation have publicly announced that they wont screen the film. Still the vandals played havoc with multiplexes and tore into malls and smashed shops. The government was found wanting in preventing the lunacy.
The Supreme Court had cleared the release of Padmavat and overturned the decision of four states to ban its screening.

The film was given a screening certificate by the Central Board of Film Certification ( CBFC) but was oppeosed by Haryana, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

Madhya Pradesh’s law officer had argued that his government has the right to invoke Section 6 of the MP Cinemas (Regulation) Act, 1952, to suspend the exhibition of any film to maintain law and order.
Other three states have also, in their own way, cocked a snook at the apex court. This amounts to contempt of court. Petitions have already been filed at the court to take cognizance of the offence.

But the matter is serious. The way the Court's order has been publicy flouted by a show of unbridled  defiance can set dangerous precedent. More so because the state and its elected representatives have chosen to challenge the law of the land. This is a clear case of institutional anarchy and can cleave the nation.
 Moreover,  fringe groups can take the cue and confront and disregard the rule of law . This can lead to anarchy and breakdown of administrative machinery. 

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

YOGI IN A HARDSELL MODE


Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath is in a hardsell mode. The product is his state, and he is wooing investors and tourist with a vengeance. Treading the Modi path, Yogi in his marketing man avatar is organizing meetings and symposiums for investors and asking for their munificence. With proposal over 2.7 lakh crore Yogi government is all set to initiate a new timeline for development.

Yogi has met investors in five cities of India. Of these the Mumbai meet was most fruitful. It yielded proposals worth around 1.25 lakh crore.

Now government has changed its gears and is promoting Uttar Pradesh as a brand. In these days of marketing when everything is being passed off as a product, it is no wonder that to promote a state it is being positioned as a lucrative product.

Theme song has been crafted and launched and for the first time foundation day of Uttar Pradesh is being celebrated.



Districts are being identified with a traditional saleable commodity. Marketing strategies are being finetuned .
The industry on the other hand is placing its own demands on the table. It is demanding responsive administration, cheaper electricity and better sops.
Law and order is a major problem in the state. Rise of Hindu brigade is also being seen as a disruptive force. The ball, then, is in Yogi’s court. He has to set his house in order before investment starts rolling in .


POLITICS OVER SUSHANT SINGH'S DEATH

On June 14, the death of a promising actor sent shock­waves throughout India, especially in tinsel town. The media splashed headlines which ...