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From the archives: animals and children

I fret a lot about the welfare of animals and children I see onscreen (not just in Indian movies either), and it turns out that I should! But I will say that between the two articles from vintage Stardust magazines that I’ve attached here, the animals sound a lot better off than poor child star Kumari (Baby) Naaz. I’ve often wondered why such a good actress—who grew up into a truly beautiful woman—didn’t become a heroine, and she pretty much explains why in this interview (I love the writer’s purple prose: I doubt very much that Naaz even once “screamed”). You can also read more about her here.

The second article is a fascinating look “behind the scenes” into the world of the men and women who train our Motis and Badals and Rajas. Enjoy!

Baby Naaz
Anipals

Posted in Hindi film history, Hindi movies | 36 Comments »
Tags: anipals, Baby Naaz, Kumari Naaz, vintage Stardust magazines
December 8, 2011
Guest post: Bhudo Advani

I first met reader Arunkumar Deshmukh over at Atul’s Song A Day blog, where he continually bowls us all over with his crystal-clear memory of pretty much every Hindi film ever made, it seems. No matter how obscure the movie, Arunkumarji can give you the plot and many other details of its making. He has also been instrumental in helping me identify character actors, so you can imagine how glad I was when he emailed to say that he had written a piece on comedian and character actor Bhudo Advani after interviewing Mr. Advani’s son, a neighbor and friend. There is so much “misinformation” about people and events in cinema history out there that it is nice to get the inside scoop from a family member.

Mr. Advani worked in cinema from 1933 until 1977—a whopping 44 years—and I thank Arunkumarji for bringing him some much deserved attention!

Enjoy this look into his life and career.
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Posted in Hindi film history, Hindi movies | 79 Comments »
Tags: Anuradha, Arunkumar Deshmukh, Bhudo Advani, guest post, Hindi film comedians, Madhumati, Mehboob, Ramesh Advani, Sanjit Narwekar, Shatranj Ke Khilari, Shree 420
October 21, 2011
From the archives: second edition

I guess my bias towards people behind the scenes is showing, since this is the second article of two (so far) that is all about a star’s wife’s point of view! Dharmendra’s wife Prakash, whom he married in 1954 at the age of 19 and with whom he has four children, Ajay (Sunny), Bobby, and two daughters, has mostly shunned the spotlight; but a persistent Stardust reporter cornered her in her home in 1981 and this was the result. Of course verifying its accuracy is impossible, but I think it is an interesting read and a glimpse into how Prakash has managed to retain her dignity and (hopefully) peace of mind in the face of Dharmendra’s well-publicized affairs and eventual second marriage to Hema Malini.

Prakash Kaur Deol interview

Posted in Hindi film history, Hindi movies | 76 Comments »
Tags: Bobby Deol, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Prakash Kaur Deol, Sonny Deol, vintage Stardust magazines
October 17, 2011
From the archives

I am very busy these days with my new Indian Maa Edwina, who is visiting me for a month and bossing me around and cooking for me and making me laugh and laugh and laugh. (For lots more about her go here!) Also I have a new computer so am still in the process of getting everything transferred and software up-to-date and all that not-so-fun stuff. So in lieu of longer posts about films (although I’ll get to reviews when I can) I thought I’d entertain you with some of my favorite articles from my stacks of vintage magazines. They will be in pdf format and if you have trouble viewing them in your browser window, simply right- (or control-) click to save them to your hard drive and use Adobe Reader (free download) to open them.

This particular installment is an interview with the lovely Jennifer Kapoor, wife of The Shash and mother of aspiring actors Kunal, Karan and Sanjana, from the December 1983 edition of Stardust. Enjoy!

Jennifer Kapoor article

Posted in Hindi film history, Hindi movies | 41 Comments »
Tags: archives, Jennifer Kapoor, Karan Kapoor, Kunal Kapoor, Sanjana Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, vintage Stardust magazines
September 15, 2011
Karma (1933)

Finally I get to see Himansu Rai and Devika Rani paired together (although they aren’t very happy for much of it) in this early English-language talkie, a collaboration between Rai and an English movie studio. Unfortunately the audio and video in my copy is completely out of synch, but I persevered because the visuals are so great and at least I could understand what was being said, even if it was coming out of the wrong mouth. The ending is also very abrupt; I am not sure if it was due to damage or what, but you can’t have everything.

I gather that the film is mostly famous for having a very long kissing scene although no one ever mentions that Himansu Rai’s character is completely unconscious through it.

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Posted in Hindi film history, Hindi movies | 30 Comments »
Tags: Abraham Sofaer, Amal Banerji, Devika Rani, Dewan Sharar, Himansu Rai, JL Freer-Hunt, Partabghar, Ranabir Sen, Roy Douglas, Sudha Rani
July 11, 2011
Shiraz (1929)

Like the other two of this silent-era triad which I’ve written about here, this Indian-German collaboration produced by Himansu Rai and directed by Franz Osten is a visual feast. Filmed outdoors on location and beautifully photographed, it’s the story of Empress Mumtaz and the Taj Mahal (based on a play by Niranjan Pal) with some creative twists and turns. As with A Throw Of Dice, Himansu Rai loses the girl to Charu Roy; but sweet-faced Seeta Devi plays villainess here instead of heroine with a relish that steals the show.

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Posted in Hindi film history, Hindi movies | 78 Comments »
Tags: Charu Roy, Enakshi Rama Rau, Franz Osten, Himansu Rai, Indian silent movie, Seeta Devi
March 31, 2011
Lux beauty secrets!

Beauty product endorsements and actresses go back a long way…Do you think Lux can be credited with keeping Leela Chitnis beautiful into old age?

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Posted in Hindi film history, Hindi movies | 44 Comments »
Tags: 1940's, Filmindia magazine, Leela Chitnis, Lux Toilet Soap ads, Manorama
February 14, 2011
The Room

Help me, 1970s Hindi cinema fans!

I have seen the same ballroom or restaurant or something which I believe was not a set but an actual place—quite possibly in a hotel—in Bombay in the mid-1970s. It was used in a gazillion movies made between 1973 and 1978 or so. I call it simply “The Room” because it really defies any other kind of description; and I LOVE IT.

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Posted in Hindi film history, Hindi movies | 46 Comments »
Tags: 1970s Hindi cinema, 36 Ghante, Aaj Ki Taaza Khabar, Chhaila Babu, Hawas, Jalan, Kachcha Chor, Kashmakash, Laxmi Chhaya, Madhosh, Manmohan, Mehmood, Padma Khanna, Parveen Babi, Rajesh Khanna, Sharafat Chhod Di Maine, The Pool, The Room
February 8, 2011
The Light of Asia (Prem Sanyas) (1925)

Oh, what a treasure this film is! It brought the light and beauty of 1920s India into my cold snowy winter, and cheered me considerably. I can only hope that it will someday soon be available in gorgeous professionally embellished dvd form like its sibling A Throw of Dice. The movie itself is more a series of staged vignettes than what we now consider a motion picture, although there is plenty of pageantry: shambling elephants, prancing horses, trotting camels, and crowds of people. And if the story is a bit over-simplified (adapted from Edwin Arnold’s 1897 epic poem by the same name about the life of Prince Gautama, the Buddha) it doesn’t really matter to me. This is a rare glimpse of history indeed, and a visual and creative feast.

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Posted in Hindi film history, Hindi movies | 43 Comments »
Tags: Charu Roy, Devika Rani, Franz Osten, Himansu Rai, Indian silent movie, Josef Wirsching, Profulla Roy, Rani Bala, Sarada Ukil, Seeta Devi
February 6, 2011
Feel the love! Edwina

My little obsession with—and posts about—the fantastic filmi band Ted Lyons & His Cubs has reaped some nice rewards I never expected, the best of which is that in the past year I have become friends with Ted personally. Through him, I have discovered the amazing extent to which he and his circle of friends and family contributed to films of the 50s and 60s. His wife Lorna’s father was a bandleader in the early days (his band was called Fats Benny), and Ted, his siblings, in-laws and close friends populate the bands and dance floors in so many songs beloved from that era.

Today I want to introduce you to his sister Edwina, who specialized in the fantastic western swing-ballroom-twist types of dance numbers that I so love, and who epitomizes that most expressive Hindi word bindaas. Edwina has become very dear to me over the past year as well, and she is an utter hoot, the kind of girl who even back in those days would (and did) bum a beedi from a group of hijiras on a late night commuter train and smoke it with them.

Hindi Movies