Bollywood Films - Classic Revisited
Bollywood Films - Classic Revisited
All Articles (
37)
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Amrapali - 1966
The first word that comes to mind after watching Amrapali is ‘Impressive’. It is a mythological costume drama set in the 6th century and made in 1966.... |
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1947 - Earth (1998)
Director Deepa Mehta’s Earth was the second film in her Elements-trilogy (1996- film Fire and 2005-film Water being the other two!) and arguably the best of the three. This trilogy brought to the fore Mehta’s bold and yet sensitive cine... |
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Ek Doctor Ki Maut - 1990
Writer-director Tapan Sinha’s 1990-film Ek Doctor Ki Maut ranks amongst the finest in Hindi cinema. But thanks to its non-commercial ‘parallel film’ nature, it has remained amongst the hidden gems for most film-lovers.... |
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Yeh Raaste Hain Pyar Ke - 1964
B.R. Chopra’s 1963-film Gumrah, which was based on the theme of adultery, proved a major success at the box-office and 1964-film Yeh Raaste Hain Pyar Ke almost seems like a follow-up with a similar cast (Sunil Dutt, Ashok Kumar and Shashikala)... |
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Suraj (1966)
Watching Suraj is like entering a time warp. It is a typical over-the-top costume drama from the South which practically defines what the masses lapped up in the 1960s.... |
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Tarang - 1984
If you want to know why the so-called Parallel Cinema movement in Hindi cinema died down in the 1980s, then go and watch this movie- at your peril of course! The only reason I saw it was to listen to Lata Mangeshkar’s superb rendition of â€... |
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Amar Akbar Anthony - 1977
Three men belonging to three different religions are lying down on adjacent hospital- beds, the IV line inserted in each man’s arm is seeping blood and lo, behold the receiving bottle is the same! The blood in the bottle is being given to a bl... |
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Chashme Baddoor - 1981
In the 1980s, the mainstream Hindi cinema was rapidly going downhill. Amitabh’s best years were gone and his career was largely going through the rut of ‘Angry Young Vijay meets Funny Guy Anthony’ repetition. His only real conten... |
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Pushpak - 1988
When it comes to appreciating milestone- films from other regions, not understanding the language of dialogues has often proved to be a primary irritant and deterrent for many a movie-buff. Thankfully that problem doesn’t arise in case of Tami... |
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Gumrah - 1963
To openly discuss the issue of extramarital affair way back in 1963 was indeed courageous and definitely B.R. Chopra’s Gumrah must have been perceived then as a bold and forward film of the times. But seeing it almost fifty years later makes i... |
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Achanak- 1973
Gulzar’s uniquely mellow and mature cinematic sensitivity as a writer-director comes across through this excellent film, which must rank as one of the best works of this much- celebrated artiste. For this film, Gulzar adapted Khwaja Ahmed Abba... |
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Kalyug - 1981
Watching Kalyug almost a quarter century later is a mixed experience. This film which was described by Ram Gopal Verma as ‘Shyam Bengegal’s best ever film’ doesn’t carry enough punch, despite its still very much relevant co... |
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Kabuliwala- 1961
Bimal Roy’s films- those that he himself directed and even those that he just produced- were all notable for strong story-lines, a feel for humanity, a realistic portrayal of emotions and an unmistakable empathy towards the underprivileged. Th... |
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Sujata - 1959
Director Bimal Roy had a unique knack of presenting socially conscious themes through eminently watchable, artistically stimulating and emotionally satisfying films. His 1959- film Sujata is perhaps best example of this quality. Sujata highlighted th... |
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Jagte Raho - 1957
Viewing Jagte Raho more than fifty years after its theatrical release evokes mixed reactions. Inspired by Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali, Raj Kapoor decided to try something different and chose an off-beat social satire with a totally deglamou... |
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Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam
For most cinephiles Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam might rank after Pyaasa and Kaagaz Ke Phool in Guru Dutt’s eternal classics-list but many critics regard it as his best ever work as a film-maker and I tend to side with them. It’s not just anot... |
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Mera Naam Joker
1970- RK- film Mera Naam Joker’s colossal commercial failure had once pushed Raj Kapoor to the brink of bankruptcy and driven him to depression-filled drinking binges; but still he always claimed it to be his most favourite film! Even three de... |
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Hazaar Chourasi Ki Maa - 1998
As the years rolled on after Indian independence, the country’s young generation grew progressively restless seeing their lofty dreams of justice and equality slowly fading away. Borne out of this frustration and disenchantment was Naxalism â... |
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Ardh Satya - 1983
In the 1980s, just when Indian national media were busy hounding the police force for its use of excessive force and brutality, came Govind Nihlani’s National Award-winning film Ardh Satya (1983). What made it different was its unbiased realis... |
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Anupama - 1966
Noted film-maker Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s early film-making reflected a lot of influence of his mentor- Bimal Roy. Portraying strong central female protagonists and complexities of their emotional worlds was Bimalda’s forte and in Anupama... |
