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The seventies belonged to great writing and dramatic dialogues, some of which we even repeat today…

1970:  “Zindagi aur maut upar wale ke haath hai jahanpana, jisse na aap badal sakte hain na main. Hum sab toh rangmanch ki katputlia hain, jiski dorr uparwaale ke haath bandhi hain.  Kaun, kab, kaise uthega, yeh koi nahi jaanta” Rajesh Khanna/ Anand

1971“Pushpa, yeh aansoo pochh dalo…I hate tears” Rajesh Khanna/ Amar Prem

1972: “Aapke paon dekhe, bahut haseen hai. Inhe zameen par mat utariyega, maile ho jayenge”/ Raaj Kumar/Pakeezah

1973: “Jab tak baithne ko na kaha jayen, khade raho, yeh police station hain tumhare baap ka ghar nahi”Amitabh Bachchan / Zanjeer

1974: “Maine revolver pehli baar uthaya hai … lekin itna jaanta hoon ki trigger dabane se goli chalti hai” Amitabh Bachchan/ Majboor

1975: “Mere paasmaa hai” Shashi Kapoor/ Deewar

1976: “Sara shehar mujhe Loin ke naam se jaanta hai” Ajit/ Kalicharan

1977: “Anthony tere ko kitni baar bola, daru mat pee, daru mat pee, magar suntan iich nahi ab dekh apni halat dekh” Amitabh/ Amar Akbar Anthony

1978:“Don ka intezar toh baara mulko ki police kar rahi hain lekin Don ko pakadna muskhil hi nahi, namumkin bhi hain”Amitabh Bachchan/ Don

1979: “Mere pitaji kehte the ki kurta toh sharer ke uprardhkilajj anivaran ke liye hota hai”Amol Palekar/ Golmaal

*No excerpt from the book can be used without prior permission. The book is also available on other online portals such as snapdeal, infibeam and on bookstores websites such as Crossword, Landmark and Sapna. Apart from this the book is available at all bookstores.

@bhawanasomaaya

My previous posts can be visited on the following link:

http://bhawanasomaaya.blogspot.in

Producer: Aamir Khan, Siddharth Roy Kapur

Director: Nitesh Tiwari

Writers: Nitesh Tiwari, Piyush Gupta, Shreyas Jain Nikhil Mehrotra

Cast: Aamir Khan, Sakshi Tanwar, Fatima Saina Shaikh, Sanya Malhotra

Rating: 4.5 stars

Aamir khan produced and Nitesh Tiwari directed Dangal grips you from the very first scene and before you know it you are involved with the protagonist and his family, be it his unsteady reception of TV set, his office colleagues, his yearning for a son or his dream of winning a gold medal for the country.

Inspired by the national wrestler Mahavir Phogat the story travels many decades, regions and emotions. What works about the film is the detailed screenplay combined with fascinating characters and their complex relationships. Add to it Pritam’s music, inspiring lyrics and path breaking message. It addresses family concerns, social preconditioning and national dreams.

There are magical montages in the film  featuring the early training…Geeta’s first dangal at Rohtak and the changing scenario…There are moments that wound you like the father-daughter fight in the akhadda and moments that choke you like the telephone scene!

It is very rare that a film addresses multiple issues and retains the plot. Dangal champions for small town aspirations, revisits male gaze and confronts gender discrimination. It exposes egoistic coaches and calamities caused by power play in sports.  The film is as much about a teacher and his protégée as about a father-daughter relationship.

There’s not a false chord in either the narrative or the performances. The supporting cast is marvelous and the film excels in every department: casting, costume, cinematography particularly the stunts choreographed to perfection by wrestling co-ordinator Bishnoi and aided by action master Shyam Kaushal.

Four outstanding actors make debut: Suhani Bhatnagar as young Babita, Sanya Malhotra as the grown up Babita Kumari, Zaira Wasim as young Geeta and Fatima Sana Shaikh as grown up Geeta travel you from district to state, sub junior to national and finally Patiala to Common Wealth absorbing you in their anxieties and victories that you are laughing and crying at the same time.

It is brave of Aamir Khan to play an out of shape old man. Khan lives Mahavir Phogat every scene, every moment.

In 2001 Aamir Khan introduced cricket to his audience in Lagaan. In 2007 he introduced Dyslexia in Taare Zameen Par and in Dangal he popularizes wrestling.

There are some films you want to pause and ponder over, some you want to debate and some, you want to experience!

 Dangal is an experience of change, strong, powerful and inspirational.

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya

My previous posts can be visited on the following link:

http://bhawanasomaaya.blogspot.in

* Check my Dangal review on YouTube : https://youtu.be/cylFS-f3HTs

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1960: “Anarkali, Salim ki mohabbat tumhe marne nahin degi aur hum tumhe jeene nahin denge” Prithviraj Kapoor/ Mughal-E-Azam

1961: “Munna arre o munna hum gharaay hi gayein… munna hum gharaayi gaye” Dilip Kumar/ Ganga Jamuna

1962: “Wohi karo jo ghar ki doosri bahuen karti hain, gehne tudvao, gehne banvao, aur kodiyaan khelon… soo aaram se” Rehman/ Sahib Biwi aur Ghulam

1963: “Ye hai Sujata humari beti jaisi” Sulochana/ Sujata

1964: “Shatale, shatale, mera bhi samay aayega” Pran/ Kashmir ki Kali

1965:“Cheenoy Seth, chhuri bacchhon ke khelne ki cheez nahi, haath kat jaaye toh khoon nikal aata hai” Raaj Kumar/Waqt

1966: “Duniya mein bahut si aaisi baatein hoti hain joh namumkin nazar aati hai, lekin agar insaan hi maat se kaam karen, aur who sachchahain, toh jeet ussi ki hoti hai” Premnath / Teesri Manzil

1967: “Zameen toh maa hoti hai aur maaketukdenahikiyejaate” Manoj Kumar /Upkaar

1968: “Hum itna din se apply apply, aap no reply … Aaj hum apply nahin, toh aap reply” Mehmood /Padosan

1969: “Marco mein jeena chahti hoon” Waheeda Rehman/ Guide

*No excerpt from the book can be used without prior permission. The book is also available on other online portals such as snapdeal, infibeam and on bookstores websites such as Crossword, Landmark and Sapna. Apart from this the book is available at all bookstores.

@bhawanasomaaya

My previous posts can be visited on the following link:

http://bhawanasomaaya.blogspot.in

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1951: “Kalakar ko sabse pehle apni mooche mundwani padti hai” Bhagwan Dada/ Albela

1952: “Mujhe parwana bana do, main iss Deepak mein jalna chahta hoon” Bharat Bhushan/ Baiju Bawra

1953: “Mohabbat karne wale khoon ki baate nahi kiya karte” Bina Rai/ Anarkali

1954: “Aye sunn, agar gaadi theek karni naa aati ho toh driving nahi kiya karte samjhe kya…?”  Dev Anand/ Taxi Driver

1955: “Kaun kambakht bardaasht karne ko peeta hai? Main toh peeta hoon ke bas saans le sakun” Dilip Kumar/Devdas

1956: “Do ghoot paani pee liya yahi mera kasoor hain aajo aap log chor chor bolkar mere peeche pad gaye” Raj Kapoor/ Jagte Raho

1957: “Tu mujhe nahin maar sakti, tu meri maa hai” “Main pehle ek aurat hoon, main beta de sakti hoon, laaj nahi de sakti” Sunil Dutt and Nargis / Mother India

1958: “Wah bhai wah gaadi bhi memsaab ki tarah bheegi billi bani hui hain” Kishore Kumar/ Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi

1959: “Beimaani nahi Mrs D’sa, imaandaari kiya, beimaani karta toh naukri bhi mil jaata tumhara bhaada bhi de deta” Raj Kapoor/ Anari

No excerpt from the book can be used without prior permission. The book is also available on other online portals such as snapdeal, infibeam and on bookstores websites such as crossword, landmark and Sapna.

@bhawanasomaaya

My previous posts can be visited on the following link:

http://bhawanasomaaya.blogspot.in

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1940: “Bhagwan, tune mujh par badi dayaki… maine sansaar mein sab kuch paaliya… ab mujhe kuch nahin chahiye… Raat din mehnat karke, ek ek paisa sabka adaa kar diya…Teri kripa se ghar, gehne, baail, zameen, sab mere paas hain… Ab main tujhse kuch nahin maangti” Sardar Akhtar/ Aurat

“So jaa raaj kumari so jaa” KL Saigal / Zindagi

1941: “Tum nahi aaogi toh ye dil doobte doobte bilkul doob jayega” / Laila Majnu

1943: “Door hato door hato ae duniya walo Hindustan humara hain” Kavi Pradeep / Kismet

1946:“Jab dil hi toot gaya hum jee ke kya karenge” K LSaigal / Shahjehaan

1947: “Yeh to Chini chai hai, waise hi meethi hogi. Hindi mein shakkar ko chini kehte hain. Shayad isiliye tumhari baten itni meethi hain” Rajaram Shantaram/ Dr Kotnis ki Amar Kahani

1948:“Kya kehta? Kehta tumhare geet mein aansoon they…muskurahat thi…Phoolon ke rang thhe, usmein raahon ki garmi thi…?” Raj Kapoor/ Aag

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No excerpt from the book can be used without prior permission.Two prominent online platforms for book availability are amazon and flipkart.

@bhawanasomaaya

My previous posts can be visited on the following link:

http://bhawanasomaaya.blogspot.in

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Indian cinema is recognized by its story telling and dialogues. Talkies came into India in thirties when our films began to express in words and songs. In the following days I will travel you to the changing sound in Hindi feature films over the decades.

1931: “De de khuda ke naam pe…” / singer WM Khan/ Alam Ara

1934: “Baba mann ki aankhein khol” KL Saigal / Dhoop Chaon

“Prem nagar mein banungi ghar main tajke sab sansar” KL Saigal /Chandidas

1935: “Aaj se main hunterwali hoon…aur log mujhe hunterwali bolein” Mary Evans /Hunterwali

1936: “Balamaayo basso mere mann mein” K L Saigal / Devdas

“Jab tak ye badle ka bhaav mann mein zinda hai, tabhi tak main issanyayi samaj ke majboot pattharo se takraati rahungi” Shanta Apte /Amar Jyoti

1937: “Jya bhakti nazorawar tushodhukadhli mala, tasa mala hi majha Panduranga la shodhukadhay cha mala” Vishnupant Pagnis /Sant Tukaram

1938: “Babul mora naihar chooto re jaye…” Wajid Ali Shah’s lyrics sung by KL Saigal/ Street  Singer

1939:  “Chalo jaldi karo, prem ka bazaar shuru hua hai” /Aadmi

No excerpt from the book can be used without prior permission. Copy can be ordered on Amazon – http://www.amazon.in/Once-Upon-Time-India-Century/dp/0143426028/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1481095973&sr=1-1

@bhawanasomaaya

My previous posts can be visited on the following link:

http://bhawanasomaaya.blogspot.in

Pictures by Gunjesh Desai / nayaface.com

They say number 13 is unlucky but it proved very lucky for me when Share & Care Foundation invited me to New Jersey to be a part of their annual gala celebrations and also launch my new book Once Upon A Time In India documenting a century of Indian cinema. The event was collaborated by three organizations namely the Share & Care Foundation, the Bhartiyavidya Bhavan and TV Asia. The launch was held at the TV Asia studio attended by cinema lovers and the following day was a music concert Sur Sangam a symphony of Indian and American maestros on a common platform. The show was arranged by Yogesh Pradhan and performed by renowned singer Parthiv Gohil accompanied by Janavi Shrimankar.

Despite the freezing cold the evenings were memorable because of the conversation in the studio and the music on the following evening. Because for those who love cinema every moment is a celebration of it.

Pictures by Gunjesh Desai / nayaface.com

@bhawanasomaaya 

My previous posts can be visited on the following link:

http://bhawanasomaaya.blogspot.in