'SATYAKAM' - Dharmendra's Best Performance?

I’ve wanted to watch ‘Satyakam’ for ages… about 2 years now actually, ever since I first read a review that described Dharmendra’s performance in it as his career best. It wasn’t easy, but I finally got my hands on it. My next post was supposed to be about something light-hearted and frivolous…‘Satyakam’ is anything but. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not exactly a depressing, dark film – but it definitely made me pause and reflect, which I think was what Hrishikesh Mukherjee and his team intended.

Speaking of the late Hrishikesh Mukherjee, I am a huge fan of his work – he’s my favourite Hindi film director and I’ve loved all the films he directed (that I’ve seen so far). But ‘Satyakam’ was totally different from the others I’ve seen, which is interesting as it’s also the earliest one (1969) that I’ve seen. It’s not fun and light-hearted (like ‘Chupke Chupke’ or ‘Gol Maal’), and it doesn’t quite have the sweetness of a ‘Guddi’ or ‘Bawarchi’ or the heart-tugging (but nicely done) melodrama of a ‘Mili’ or ‘Abhimaan’. ‘Satyakam’ is measured and restrained. It unwinds slowly (perhaps a little too slowly at the beginning, actually) and its tone is reflective. I love the fact that it raises more questions that it answers, leaving its audience to ponder on the issues for itself.

Where is the balance (if there is one) between being ‘yourself’ and adapting to the harsh realities of your environment? How much of your true self is dictated by your genes and the circumstances of your birth, and how much is dictated by life experience and the pressures of everyday living? Are values important enough to live or die for? Does dogmatism always either devour itself or collapse into hypocrisy? Can one man really take on the system? Must there be a sacrifice of values for the sake of ‘greater good’ (however defined)? Where is the balance between personal honour and emotional truth? Is there even such a thing as truth, or is it really all about shades of grey and personal judgment?

Speaking of judgment, is it really possible to ‘temper justice with mercy’? What dictates the true value of a life? Where is the line between the protection and preservation of self and family interests on the one hand and the service of higher interests on the other? These are just some of the questions that ‘Satyakam’ raises. It doesn’t answer them all, but in raising them, it tells a compelling story of one man’s devotion to truth, the people he meets along his path, and how ‘successful’ he is at being the man he aspires to be. There is also an interesting subtext that I feel was a bit under-developed (or maybe I was just rather inadequate at unpacking it) – the relationship between Satyakam’s story and the story of a young and newly independent India, finding its feet, making its choices, navigating the constant socio-moral seesaw between concession and right, and arriving at its own destiny.

Satyapriya (played by Dharmendra) comes from a long line of honest, upright, truth-tellers. He has been raised in the long-held family traditions of honour, truth and respectability by his beloved and noble grandfather (played by the brilliant Ashok Kumar). While at college, he meets and becomes firm friends with Naren (played by Sanjeev Kumar in one of his first film roles).

After college, the friends separate and Satyapriya (‘Sat’) takes his first job as a project engineer. He quickly comes face-to-face with corrupt, self-serving, dishonest men. From Day 1, he firmly and boldly takes a stand against every practice that goes against his values, and of course, there are consequences. While dealing with this, he also meets the beautiful but sad Ranjana, a young woman cast out of honourable society due to the circumstances of her birth and destined (it seems) to become the plaything of wealthy men. Even her own guardian has no quibble with subjecting her to this future – as far as he’s concerned, she can hope for nothing better with her history, and life in ‘service’ to a rich, lecherous will at least fetch a handsome income.

When Satya becomes familiar with her circumstances, he wants to help but is torn between the demands of heritage and reputation, and the need to protect a helpless woman who cares for him (and who he comes to care for). In many ways, this proves to be a watershed moment in his life. What does Sat choose to do? How does his decision affect his relationships and his future? How does he come to terms with the fact that he will always walk alone? How does his fierce, black-or-white brand of personal integrity hold up against the challenges of his future? Does he find peace and personal fulfillment in the life he has chosen? Well, you'll have to watch this film and find out for yourself.

Although I said earlier that ‘Satyakam’ isn’t like any of the other Mukherjee films I’ve seen, it does have some of his hallmarks. As always, he is masterful at setting up moments and scenes that are so poignant and real that they stay with you long after the film is over. The film has the grace of his other films (but is less formulaic and more multi-dimensional than the others I’ve seen). I always love how Hrishikesh Mukherjee could capture something special and intimate in the most seemingly mundane, simple things. Another thing I love about ‘Satyakam’ is the fact that, with its subject matter, it could very easily have degenerated into an over-simplified preach-fest, with Satya hitting us over the head with melodramatic railings on the value of honour; but instead it’s restrained, dignified, and rich with subtext. I love that.

The cast of ‘Satyakam’ features some of Mukherjee’s ‘favourites’: David, Asrani, Ashok Kumar. Then of course, there’s the core cast: Dharam, Sharmila and Sanjeev. The choice of Dharmendra for this role, to my mind, must have gone across the grain – the role of Satya is no simplistic, hackneyed ‘handsome hero’ part – it requires real acting to capture the complex situation and emotions of this character – but Dharam does a bang-up job of it. He really is ‘Sat’ – he reflects the inner resolve and grapplings of his character beautifully and with great restraint, while also balancing this out with Sat’s charm, humanity, simplicity and honesty. It’s a lovely performance.

The rest of the cast is excellent as well – Ashok Kumar is fantastic as usual in his small (but pivotal) role, especially in the film’s final scenes, a young Sanjeev Kumar is simply brilliant as the sweet Naren – he perfectly embodies the ‘everyman’ that his character is – I loved how wonderfully he brought to life the love, and most importantly, the respect, that has for Sat.

Sharmila Tagore is also excellent as Ranjana – although I felt that her character wasn’t given sufficient dimension until much later in the film, she uses her acting chops effectively to keep the character from becoming a boring caricature, and when she does gets some ‘meat’ later in the film, she goes for it and really makes her character memorable.

Memorable... that’s the word I would use to describe ‘Satyakam’. When I had finished watching it, I felt like I had been put through the wringer. I felt like I had felt what each of the main characters had felt… I was saddened, but also uplifted. And most of all, watching this film was more than just a pleasant way to spend two evenings. That doesn’t happen very often.

And finally, you may be wondering, do I agree with the pundits who consider this to be my dear Dharam’s best performance? Well, it’s certainly the best I’ve seen so far. It doesn’t have any of the stylish, ultra-cool, Dharam-trademarks that I’ve liked so much in other films of his I’ve seen, but what it does have is deeper and more powerful, and makes me respect him more than I ever have (you gotta excuse a fangirl her schmaltz!)

Up next… a Director’s Round-up (been ages since I did one) on the undisputed king of ‘traditional family values’: Sooraj Barjatya.

OF SARKAR, SARKAR RAJ... AND BABA IBADAN

After writing this, I realised that it's a bit of a downer... not very auspicious considering that I haven't posted anything in months... but it's what's on my mind so I guess it has to be said.... Hopefully the next post will be all nice and light and cheerful....

Interesting how one can find parallels in the strangest places... when I heard that 'Sarkar Raj' was coming to a cinema near me, I knew I wanted to see it. I've been a bit starved of good Bollywood fare lately, and the prospect of three Bachchans doing some 'serious' acting in a Ram Gopal Verma thriller sounded pretty good to me. Because I am slightly anal about doing things 'sequentially', I of course had to watch 'Sarkar' (Ram Gopal Verma's 2005 film) first... and I really enjoyed it. I have talked about the fact that I like Ram Gopal Verma's work before on this blog, and for me 'Sarkar' was a really striking and stylish (typical RGV) piece of storytelling, with really solid performances.

Seeing 'Sarkar Raj' at the cinema was a lot of fun - I went with a bunch of colleagues from work, some of whom are not Bollywood fans and therefore came a bit reluctantly... everyone enjoyed the movie (phew!), and Abhishek Bachchan even gained a new fan! We got all wrapped up in the suspense and drama and generally had a good time together. I thought that the performances were very strong and the story was compelling and moved at a good pace.

The 3 Bachchans all did extremely well, I thought (I loved Amit-ji's scenes with Abhishek, they were really poignant and beautifully-acted in my opinion, and I thought Ash held her own as well), and the rest of the cast supported them well also. I liked how the film dealt with the complexities of family relationships and the emotions that govern them, picking up pretty well from where the first film left off. I also liked how the film delved even deeper into the motivations of the characters in their seemingly endless quest for power - I thought it was really well done.

My quibble (and it was a small one) was with the cardboard-cutout-ness of the villains - I found them a bit too caricatured, and that took away something from the rawness of the film, I thought. Caricature villains are alright in an OTT masala flick, but in a dark, edgy RGV film, I think they could've done with just a little toning down. Also, as is quite typical with RGV, I think that a couple of times he went a lil' overboard with the 'stylisation' of some scenes (but then, that very adventurousness, even when it goes overboard, is really one of things I quite like about RGV). Anyway, I thought 'Sarkar Raj' was a great watch and I'm actually quite looking forward to watching it again when it's released on DVD.

I am not going to say much more about either 'Sarkar' or 'Sarkar Raj'... I think that RGV's films tend to be the love-it-or-hate-it kind - if you have a big problem with onscreen violence or you find films about political intrigues, dhokhas and divided loyalties boring, then you probably won't enjoy either film - but if you fancy grappling with the difficult issues that these gritty, dark films tackle, then you'll probably enjoy them (well, perhaps 'enjoy' is the wrong word - let's say you'll probably find them interesting).

What I actually want to talk about is the parallels between certain aspects of the Sarkar films, and the life and times of a recently deceased national figure here in Nigeria. Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu recently passed away at the age of 80. Adedibu, known as 'the strongman of Ibadan politics' was a very controversial figure in Nigerian politics.

To some people (particularly the members of his party), Adedibu was a statesman, a philanthropist and a man of the people who helped to unify the Yoruba-speaking Western part of the country. Much is made by these advocates of the fact that Adedibu fed many inhabitants of the city of Ibadan daily meals for a number of years, completely free of charge. To many others, however, he was a troublemaker who actually worked to divide the region, by using an army of weapon-wielding goons to wreak violence, terror and havoc upon any members of the community who dared to disagree with his political views. Those free daily meals at Adedibu's mansion, some say, were not an act of charity - rather they were just a part of the 'incentives' used by Adedibu to 'mobilise' his band of thugs.

One thing is for sure, though, Adedibu was a political 'godfather', and he himself admitted boldly that he used his considerable political might to place his anointed godsons in positions of power. There is no doubt that Adedibu exercised a huge amount of influence in Oyo State, where he lived and (some say) reigned. For a man with no governmental position or constitutional power, it boggles the mind that he was (in my opinion) able to basically hound a state governor out of power and then replace him with his very own puppet....

At the beginning of 'Sarkar', there's a quote that says something about a power rising when things fall apart. I think that speaks just as eloquently to the real-life Adedibu situation in Oyo State as it does to the movie-world Maharashtra of RGV's movies, where the fictional Sarkar, the gunda-leader with no respect for the rule of law, holds sway. And I think it's sad... very sad.

DHARAM & SHARMILA

Yay, I'm stoked to be doing another Dharmendra post (it's been ages)... and this one is also my first 'Faces' post, so... double-yay!

Being the die-hard Dharam fan that I am, I am always interested in his onscreen pairings. The romantic kind, I mean. So far, I've seen him opposite his beautiful wife Hema ('Sholay', 'Jugnu', 'Dillagi', 'The Burning Train', 'Seeta aur Geeta'), the lovely Mala Sinha ('Anpadh'), the sexy Zeenat Aman ('Ram Balram'), the graceful Nafisa Ali ('Life in a... Metro'), the intense Rekha ('Ghazab'), the charming Jaya Bhaduri ('Guddi'), the elegant Kirron Kher ('Apne')....

All of the above couples (bar none) I have loved (ok, so Dharam/Zeenat was unexpectedly a little bit weird, but still not bad). Dharam/Hema, in particular, is always cute, energetic and very charming, and is probably my all-round favourite. I have to say though, that for sheer hotness, my No. 1 'Dharam + 1' couple so far is probably Dharam/Sharmila. There's something about Dharmendra and Ms. Tagore together - they are both so gorgeous and stylish, they complement each other so well, you always believe in their mutual attraction, and they are both so sexy and good-looking. Really.

She has those fabulous dimples and that supreme mastery of the mischievous-sexy-and-yet-guileless look; he has those eyes, and that hair, and those... you know I could go on and on forever on what Dharmendra's got, so I won't.

My first taste of the Dharam/Sharmila hotness was with 'Chupke Chupke' (1975), a cute comedy about a newlywed couple playing an intricate practical joke on the dulhan's 'genius jijaji'. In 'Chupke Chupke', Dharmendra is the playful Professor Parimal Tripathi, an academic with a mischievous sense of humour, and Sharmila is his fun-loving college-student biwi, Sulekha. They are a cool, smart, middle-class couple - the kind you'd expect to find in this low-key, charming Hrishikesh Mukherjee film. And I think they're utterly adorable.

What I didn't know, until recently, is that years before 'Chupke Chupke', Dharam/Sharmila made a very different type of film together. 'Mere Humdum Mere Dost' (or 'Mere Hamdam Mere Dost' or MHMD, released in 1968) is more "conventional" Bollywood. In MHMD, Dharam is Sunil, a sweet, naïve young man from a humble background, and Sharmila is Anita, a shallow, spoiled rich kid who starts out teasing Sunil, but eventually falls for him (he falls first, but when he realises he's rich, he has second thoughts - because he has a weird phobia of wealth).

Rounding out the cast of major characters are the lushly gorgeous siren Mumtaz as Anita's faithful companion Meena, and Om Prakash as Dhand, a rather annoying busybody who plays a pivotal role in the prem kahani of our two leads (interestingly, Om Prakash is also in 'Chupke Chupke', as the well-fooled genius jijaji. And interestingly, both films end with his character speaking into the camera, saying something cute to the audience).

MHMD, as I said before, is conventional Bollywood - there is the familiar jodi-separated-by-wealth device, the familiar horrible and lecherous villain device, soaring romantic songs performed while running across the hills and meadows in lovely clothes, etc etc. The plot of MHMD is a bit ridiculous and has a lot of silly, random and pointless twists. But as the viewer, I somehow found myself forgiving it these flaws and just enjoying the ride for the most part... and I'll tell you why in a minute.

The major difference between the Dharam/Sharmila of MHMD and the Dharam/Sharmila of 'Chupke Chupke' is that in MHMD, they're really not very cool, not particularly smart, and... just not very bright. I mean really, the things Sunil and Anita do in the name of love just get progressively stupider and stupider. And even when Meena tries to help, even her ideas are hare-brained (Sunil and Anita are at least fools in love,but Meena has no excuse whatsoever).

Again, watching MHMD, I found myself forgiving all this foolishness. Kyun? Because they're hot. I mean, sure they're rather daft, but they're also young, amazingly gorgeous, sexy, uber-stylish, fun and utterly harmless. What's a little daftness compared to a ton of hotness? Eye candy to the power of a hundred. Nay, a thousand. They're so hot that they can afford to act any which way they want to - and do they? At some point in the film, Mumtaz performs a very memorable qawwali in honour of the lead couple - 'Allah Yeh Ada Kaisi Hai Haseenon Mein' (from what I understood, it means something like - 'Oh wow, the ways of these beautiful people!'). Indeed.

Not only do they look tres hot, the leads in MHMD also get to wear really cute sixties fashion - check out the back of one of Sharmila's cute cholis below - I love it.

(Sharmila does repeat one outfit in the film, which is of course anathema for a real Bollywood 'young heiress', but again, she's so cute that it's easy to forgive her). And our hero Dharmendra is in gorgeous, well-cut suits (as in the picture above), and a cute kaftan or turtle-neck here and there. Ultra fab. Dharam's clothes are all so gorgeous. Except for this silly smoking-jacket-and-lazy-cat look he tries on at a very memorable dinner - one of the very, very silly things he does for love and a marvellous example of Dharmendra's wonderful aptitude for comedy.

Something else that's really great about MHMD - the songs, by Laxmikant-Pyarelal. From soaring, romantic ones to slow, passionate ones to cheeky, sassy ones... there are great songs here, performed beautifully by Mohammed Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar and a few others. The soaring song from which the film's title is taken ('Naa Jaa, Kahin Ab Naa Jaa') is a brilliant example of Rafi's vocal virtuosity, and is beautifully picturised. I love all the picturisations in this film, actually - 'Chhalkain Jaam' has to be one of the best sharaab sequences I've seen so far, and in 'Huyi Sham Unka Khayal Aa Gaya' the camera focuses on Dharam sitting alone in a very bare room - and somehow it's enough. So even though I can't really recommend MDMH in the true sense of the word, what I can do is recommend the songs - watching the picturisations (almost all are available on YouTube) will allow you to enjoy the beauty of the actors and the music, without having to endure the film's flaws.

I say this because, as I mentioned earlier, MHMD certainly does have its negatives... the characters are really just caricatures, and the weakness and fragility of the female characters (as with many films from this era), as well as the unquestioning manner in which their feelings are ridden roughshod over by the male characters, can be really quite grating and appalling. Also, the storyline really is quite ridiculous.

But back to Dharam/Sharmila. It's quite fitting, I think, that MHMD came quite a few years before 'Chupke Chupke'... in the latter they are still extremely gorgeous (for me Dharam is crazy handsome in 'Chupke Chupke'and I don't think I've seen him looking cuter in any film so far; whereas I adore Sharmila's stunningly (over-)styled MHMD look - but I digress) but they are also older and wiser, more mature, more sophisticated. Less pretty, less doll-like, less 'whitewashed' (in 'Chupke Chupke' you can see their real skin, thank God!), more relatable, more human. But still ultra-fab. It's a great transition. And best of all, in 'Chupke Chupke', Dharmendra and Sharmila are playing partners (Parimal clearly respects Sulekha and they are presented as equals) in a plot that, while frivolous in terms of subject matter, actually makes sense.

Here are some pictures from both films... note the change in Sharmila's look, from the big hair and dramatic eye make-up with a full, nearly nude-toned lip in the late sixties, to sleeker hair, thinned-out eyebrows and darker, more defined lips in the mid-seventies. You can see the maturing of her face - it's slimmer, more defined and less 'soft' in 'Chupke Chupke' than in MHMD; and I say she looks totally gorgeous and fab in both films...

And here's my Dharam; at the time of MHMD he is stunningly handsome but almost 'too much' so; it's a little too 'perfect' - by 'Chupke Chupke' his face has matured really beautifully....

To conclude, one more picture... Sharmila and Mumtaz in MHMD....

PS I'm on the lookout for any other Dharam/Sharmila pairings (apart from 'Satyakam', which I'm already looking for), so any reccies would be welcome. Thank you!

ON KAREENA KAPOOR... AND 'JAB WE MET'

Hmmm... I think I may have just jinxed myself with the very optimistic 'more regular updates' prediction at the end of my last post... which I put up two whole months ago! Hilarious. Oh well, the best laid plans... but I really do plan to post more often from now on...

So anyway, here's the subject of my post looking stunning at the recent Filmfare Awards, at which she took home the statuette for Best Actress...

My first Bebo experience was with 'Poo' in 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham'(K3G) and I COULD NOT STAND her! I thought I would be scarred for life by that performance and in some ways I think I might be - sometimes, when I start to think positive things about Kareena Kapoor, a mental image of Poo (complete with sound effects - the horrible way she spoke in that film) flits into my head and I shudder and try to think of something or someone else!

Such was the repugnance of 'Poo' to my very soul that I convinced myself that not only was Bebo really, really, cringeworthily, ANNOYING, she wasn't even cute, or pretty, or attractive! But I was prejudiced, andI've long since revised my views and admitted to myself that, especially on her 'good days', Kareena is actually quite lovely in a striking, 'different' sort of way - and seeing her stunning image on billboards in Mumbai convinced me of that 110%. The eyes are set quite close together (not a sign of 'classic' beauty), the jaw is strong, the lips are remarkable (can't think of another description for them), the regal nose, the sassy chin - altogether the features make up a lovely, interesting face. And I also have to acknowledge that 'Poo' is not solely Kareena's 'fault'. Poo is simply a very annoying character, and I guess Bebo was only doing her job...

I've seen Kareena Kapoor in quite a few films, but until recently, I've only really liked her (as opposed to thinking 'not too bad' or 'good in some parts, bad in others') in two: 'Asoka' and 'Omkara'. And I once wondered if there wasn't something a little mean-spirited and perverse on my part for liking Bebo in only those movies - Dolly and Kaurwaki are both very tragic characters who meet with very sad ends... could it be that I just like watching Bebo suffer?

Happily for my conscience, the answer is a resounding 'no' - in 'Jab We Met' (JWM'), Bebo's character, Geet, is a happy-go-lucky, fun-loving, carefree young lady, who, although she does suffer alittle, ultimately gets her very happy ending. But unlike some of Bebo's other 'less tragic' turns (think 'Bewafaa', 'Aitraaz', 'Dosti' (oh wait, that was tragic but I still hated it), 'Mujhse Dosti Karogi' and of course the Poo-tastic K3G), I found her portrayal of Geet really fresh, lovely and perfectly charming. Considering that the character is a little over-the-top (and that's putting it mildly), I thought Kareena's portrayal was pretty much perfect. She did a great job of creating a distinctive, but also very relatable and 'real' character.

Also spot-on was the lovely liplock at the end of JWM... like big sis Lolo (the star of my 'Bollywood Kisses' post, which was one of my all-time funnest posts to do), Kareena has proven that she can do areally good onscreen kiss... I love how Shahid's fingers go through her hoop earring by the way, there's that sweetness and pleasure but also the intensity and abandon of the moment... love it.

There are tons of places where you can read about JWM in more detail and more compelling language, so I won't lay my thoughts on you. All I will say is that its message is pleasantly and refreshingly positive about life in general; that it's about self-discovery, freedom, forgiveness,and living an authentic life (messages I love); that there's: lovely chemistry between the leads, very cute and witty dialogues, and fun songs with fun picturisations; that Shahid is very, very cute (have to say I am loving him these days) and Bebo is very lovely, and... must leave it there or else I'll go on about it forever. Definitely worth checking out of you're a fan of good romantic comedy. Finally Bebo and Shahid got it right even if it was at the end of their real-life romance... a befitting 'au revoir', I think. And now I'm off to find another good Kareena performance to keep her glowing in my heart alittle longer - I'm thinking 'Yuva', 'Chameli' or 'Refugee'... what say ye?

(Actually, since writing this post, I've seen Kareena in '36 China Town' in which I think she did well... so (sigh), it looks like I'll be eating my words once again and starting to like someone I declared I never would!)

Up next... my first 'Faces' post...

2007: MY BOLLYWOOD YEAR

At the end of 2006, borrowing an idea from Maja, I did a post on what that year had been like for me as far as my enduring love for all things filmi was concerned - the highs, the lows and all that good stuff. Although it's kinda overdue (seeing as the new year has commenced), I still thought it'd be fun to do a Bollywood-related recap of 2007...

I saw a LOT of Hindi movies in '07 - I think that I manage to squeeze in more and more viewings every year, as my interest grows and I become more certain of what I like. Some of these movies allowed me to expand my Bollywood 'horizons', while others were just a continuation of the things and people I've always loved...

I'll start with the new discoveries - here are my top 5...

Sridevi: As a child, I think saw one of her movies but my memories of it are extremely vague - so I think 'Lamhe' may safely be called my first Sridevi movie. I've seen her dance on TV, but watching her act was a revelation - I didn't love the storyline of 'Lamhe' but I loved her in the film. I'm definitely up for more... up next is 'Chandni'...

Ayesha Takia: I am currently fascinated by this young woman's face, and she will probably the first subject in my 'Faces' series (the series will really just be an attempt to share some of the many, many screencaps I've accumulated over the past couple of years). I also think she's a very good actress - this year I caught her in 'Dor' and 'Salaam-e-Ishq', and loved her in both (especially in the former).

Shreyas Talpade: Loved him in 'Dor' and 'Om Shanti Om' - he has a great flair for comedy coupled with an emotional depth as an actor that makes him a joy to watch. And he has this twinkle in his eye that I just love. I think he was perfectly cast in both of these films and look forward to seeing him in more films that play to his strengths. Up next for me is 'Iqbal'.


Irrfan Khan: In 2007, I saw him in 'The Namesake' and 'Life in a Metro'. In 'The Namesake', I could've sat and watched him for hours although he truly broke my heart by reminding me of someone special that (like Ashima in the film) I loved dearly and lost. In 'Metro', he brought such life to a character that was absolutely wonderful but could have so easily been ruined - Irrfan did him perfect justice and I love him for that.

Shabana Azmi: It's very very strange to look back and realise that at the start of 2007, I hadn't seen any of Ms. Azmi's movies. A lot's changed in one year - I've caught 'Amar Akbar Anthony', 'Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd', 'Masoom', 'Arth' and 'Fire' (the last couple of links are to reviews at Carla's brilliant Filmi Geek blog) - and loved Shabana in every single one. I can't get enough of this woman's acting - and I totally blame Carla for making me a convert! Up next is 'Fakira' (co-starring Shashi Kapoor), which I recently acquired along with 'Jab Jab Phool Khile', which very neatly leads to the next item in my review...

... turnarounds of 2007 - Sometimes you've just gotta admit that you were wrong - either that the thing you've praised to high heavens actually kinda sucks, or that the thing you've never liked at all is actually kinda neat. I don't have many volte-face moments where Hindi cinema is concerned - I am very constant that way - I pretty much love everyone and everything I've always loved and dislike everyone and everything I've always disliked... but I did have 3 big turnaround moments in 2007...



Shashi Kapoor: Before 2007, I'd caught Shashi in 'Do Aur Do Paanch', 'Trishul' and 'Satyam Shivam Sundaram', and I was not a fan. I didn't dislike him exactly, but I just didn't get what all the fuss was about, really. One film changed all that in '07 - 'Deewaar', in which his performance is spellbinding. Now I'm definitely ready for more Shashi...

Salman Khan: Why do I feel so charitable towards this guy all of a sudden? I started 2007 really really REALLY disliking him... but watching 'Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya' and a number of other films changed all that, and while I don't really have serious affection for Sallu (the way I do for SRK, for example), I have loads of respect for him, and I actually like him (gasp).

'Koffee with Karan': I started out absolutely loving this show, but towards the end of its run I got sick of it. The formula started to wear thin and to grate on the nerves - it just wasn't as much fun - and it started to feel like the show was becoming a platform for stars to promote their films or successes, rather than just a fun 'chill', the way it used to be. Karan Johar is a smart guy - I think he put paid to things at just the right time, even though he didn't get the coveted Abhi-Ash interview at the end of the day. I still have loads of great memories of the show, though - it was a real treat in so many ways...

My top 5 KWK shows are the one with the Kapoor siblings, the one with Rishi/Neetu, the one with the Deol brothers, the one with SRK and Kajol (the premiere), and the one with Azmi/Akhtar - but there were other good ones as well - I loved Bips/John, for example, Zeenat/Hema, Gurinder/Farah, Mira/Tabu and Bips/Lara... KWK was a good show, and although it got really tired towards the end, I enjoyed it very much.

Unlike the above 3 moments, some things never ever change - my love for certain things/people in Bollywood remains truly constant and consistent - if anything it only waxes stronger and gets better - here are my top 5 I-love-you-mores...

Dharmendra: Obviously! In 2007, I had many more reasons to love this man - he made his big comeback to the movies in '07, and it was lovely to see him in 'Metro' and 'Apne', and making a special appearance in 'Om Shanti Om' (I'm still looking forward to 'Johnny Gaddaar'. I also enjoyed catching a number of his oldies - and the love is stronger than ever. It's funny, but I feel kinda protective towards Dharam ji, and I wish him a wonderful 2008.

Shahrukh Khan: If there's any Bollywood actor that could possibly begin to compete with Dharam ji for my affections, it would have to be this guy. I started 2007 loving SRK and ended it loving him even more - and not just because I got to see his gorgeous house. I loved SRK to bits in his 2 big movies of the year - 'Chak De! India' and 'Om Shanti Om' - these movies are very different but I think he totally rocked in both of them.

And in addition to his new work, in '07 I caught up with some of his older stuff: 'Deewana' (his first feature - his is raw and earthy and a lovely shade of brown, with a speaking voice that's TOTALLY different from what it is now), 'Duplicate' (absolutely LOVED it), 'Baazigar' (a very disturbing but memorable performance)... and here's a prediction: this love is certain to only grow stronger in 2008.

Jaya Bhaduri: I adore this woman's acting and I just cannot get enough of her. I also can't get over how many people do not seem to recognise the sheer and utter brilliance of Jaya ji. Anyways, in 2007 I fell deeper and deeper in love with this woman's masterful yet minimalist acting. I saw and loved her in films like 'Chupke Chupke' and the recent 'Laaga Chunari Mein Daag', but the real treat for a Jaya fan like myself is to watch her sink her teeth into a formidable leading role... and in 2007 I had that pleasure with films like 'Guddi' and 'Kora Kagaz'.

There is this unforgettable visceral moment in 'Kora Kagaz' (which is a poorly-edited and generally quite flawed film in terms of production value - strangely, it even borrows a frame from 'Abhimaan', but anyway) in which Jaya expresses frustration in a restrained way that just slammed me in the heart with its impact. Love this woman's acting to bits.

Abhishek Bachchan: The Baby B, Jaya's beloved son, is a guy everyone loves to love. He's cute, he can act, he's funny - what's not to love? This past year he broke a million female hearts by marrying the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai, and he also wangled his way deeper into my heart with 'Guru', a film many regard as morally ambiguous (although, as I stated here, I think they totally missed the point). One point remains crystal-clear though, Baby B is building his own identity as an actor and developing a fine set of chops. I also (yonks after the rest of world), finally saw 'Dhoom' and 'Dhoom II' this year and loved him in both... and he was yummy in 'Laaga Chunari Mein Daag' and fun in 'Jhoom Barabar Jhoom'.



Konkona Sen Sharma: I am most definitely a fan. In 2007, she blew me away with her performances in 'Metro', 'Laaga Chunari Mein Daag' (she was totally the best thing in the movie - even better than Jaya ji), and 'Omkara'. And I can't wait to see her (and Madhuri, whom I love) in 'Aaja Nachle' (Update: Done! I've seen it).

And now, to round out the round-up, here are a few random 'awards' for '07. (There's no award for which film I liked the best in 2007, because that's just too hard!):

My most amazing filmi experience:
Nominees: Trip to India, Trip to India, Trip to India, Trip to India, Trip to India
Winner: Trip to India

My Bollywood tearjerker of the year:
Nominees: Mother India (oh Nargis!), Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (heart-wrenching), The Namesake (damn near broke my heart), Masoom (that child!), Deewaar (Shashi and Big B made me bawl!)
Winner: C'est tres difficile. I guess I have to say Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, just because I really wasn't expecting it to hurt so much. I thought it would just feel like typical formulaic romance fluff - and I knew how the film would end but it was still a surprising sucker-punch...

My favourite (Bollywood) experience of the year in an actual cinema (as opposed to watching at home - I have to say I had a lot of great cinema-seat experiences in 2007):
Nominees: Chak De! India (swoon), Just Married (made me feel all mushy inside), The Namesake (despite the best efforts of the mouthy teenage girls sitting beside me), Guru (made me want to go out and make someone else's life better), Apne (I just had so much fun!)
Winner: Chak De! India (SRK all lean and tortured and restrained and rangy! Girl power and lots of positive inspirational messages! Come on, what could really compete?)

My Bollywood 'aawww' moment of the year:
Nominees: Bobby Deol and Dharmendra at the IIFA Awards, SRK and his daughter in 'the picture' (love it so much),

the Kapoors on 'Koffee with Karan', 'Apne' (the entire thing), Nargis and Raj in 'Awaara'
Winner: There were SO many 'aawww' moments (it's Bollywood after all) in 2007, that even to pick out the above-mentioned 5 was tough, but I think I'll give it to Bobby and his father for the natural intensity of that emotional moment. Loved it!

My worst Bollywood movie of the year:
Nominees: Shakalaka Boom Boom (tripe!), Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage (rubbage!), Mere Jeevan Sathi (the Akshay one - really really bad!), Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya (Govinda + Tabu in a weird story about fatal attraction = a really rubbish film), Bol Radha Bol (David Dhawan, tell me just one thing: why??)
Winner: Tough one - they were all just so so so bad! But I guess Shakalaka Boom Boom wins it, just because it was the only one I couldn't force myself to finish...

So... now that 2008 has commenced, all that remains is for me to talk about a few of my goals for the year - here are my top 5:

More diverse Indian cinema: I am hungry for some Tamil and Telugu movies; I've been very neglectful of non-Hindi films and I feel totally ignorant about work from the south - I've got some great recommendations and will dedicate time and effort to hunting them down.

More Nargis: Yes, I am greedy for more of Nargis - loads and loads more... and can you blame me? She's simply magnificent.

More great movie dates: I definitely took advantage of all the screenings of Hindi films over the past year - and I plan to continue doing so... it's a great way to relax and de-stress. Over at Silverbird, 'Welcome' is currently showing, and I'm definitely NOT at all interested in seeing that. But 'Taare Zameen Par' is showing at Nu Metro and it's gotten really great reviews plus I'm a fan of Aamir, so I definitely want to see it - and 'Aaja Nachle' just might still be on at City Mall - must find out... (Update: It is, and I've seen it).

More of the Kapoor men: Nobody ever seems to say this, but I love me some Rishi. I saw quite a bit of him in 2007, from 'Namastey London' (loved him), to 'Kabhi Kabhie', to 'Khel Khel Mein', to 'Deewana' (let's just say it was WAY past time to stop with the young-singer/loverboy roles), to 'Naseeb' (loved him in it), to many, many more. I've just acquired 'Karz' and 'Doosra Aadmi' and am looking forward to both (especially, after seeing the opening scene of 'Om Shanti Om', the former). I've only seen one Shammi Kapoor film, 'Junglee', and I really want to see more of him - so I just picked up 'Teesri Manzil' and will watch it soon. I've already mentioned that I've got a couple more Shashi movies which I'm really looking forward to. And I'm desperately hunting for more stuff by Raj...

More blogging about Bollywood!: I definitely plan to do better with keeping this spot updated this year. I'm changing jobs soon - leaving behind my current 15/16-hour-a-day one and taking on one with saner hours, so hopefully I will have more free time... I think I can make it work.

Up next I'll be doing my first 'Faces' post; and also in the works is a results post on the latest poll - please vote if you haven't done so yet!