21.Ram aur Shyam
* Dilip Kumar, Waheeda Rahman, Mumtaz, Pran and Nirupa Roy.

(1967)Rabi Chanakya's

There had been 'double roles' before.
But mostly B-grade or tackily done subjects with not very well-known stars. And then came 'Ram Aur Shyam' with Dilip Kumar and it went on to became the benchmark of all double role films ever.
It was a germ of an idea. But the germination soon became the gigantic beanstalk on which Jack climbed. With a cast that was mammoth in the very fact that the great actor himself was to do a double role, the star status of Waheeda Rehman only added on more value. The choice for the other heroine was also her big break and shot her to instant star status. Mumtaz, till then used to doing not very big projects and confining her talents to a song and a dance in mythologicals with Dara Singh, became a hot star overnight. With the supreme villainy of Pran added to the many shades of this classic film.

Released in the 1967, the film only reinforced the versatility of the Thespian. And his prowess at the till then uncharted-by-a-hero territory of comedy.

Yusufsaab's earliest films had not exactly shot him to superstar status. In fact his early attempts at tragedy had suffered 'tragic' consequences at the box-office. Not to deny his performances in his earlier 'devdas' stuff, but it took an Azaad' to smash home the awesome talent and his versatility. It was in that film that his timing and undeniable prowess for the comic had the critics in raptures. The most vaunted and the most feared critic of the time, Baburao Patil, known for his poison pen, was the first to say in print that Dilip should stick to comedy and reinforce that aspect more.

It probably encouraged the actor to experiment with the 'double role'. The director of the film was the currently unheard of Tapi Chanakya for all practical purposes, but those in the know insist that it was Yusufsaab's baton that did all the direction for this pathbreaking film. The actor was actively involved in the project from day one, and the result was one of the most entertaining films ever made -- to be emulated and enjoyed to this day.

The two characters Ram and Shyam don't actually meet till post interval, and the happenings till then were hilarious to say the least.

The scared, intimidated rich lad on one hand. Bearing all humiliation and even violent beatings at the hands of his brother-in-law, Pran, only so that his sister and niece (Nirupa Roy and Baby Farida) do not suffer at his hands. The evil saala tries to usurp the wealth of the young man by forcing him to sign over his jaydaat and has plans to bump him off. Overhearing his nefarious plans, Ram flees the house.

Cut to Shyam. The rogue of the village. The bane of the women. The tough guy. His pranks and cracks drive the villagers up the wall. Even the village belle, Mumtaz, is exasperated by the goon and is constantly complaining to his guardian, Leela Misra. Until one fine day he flees to the big city to make his fortune.

The scene in the restaurant, where the rogue orders two dishes of everything in the house and then slinks away; only to be replaced at the same table by the simpleton who has one cup of tea and ends up paying for the entire 'banquet' is hilarious.
Even the scene where the rogue surprises Waheeda with his Bam! Pow! Smash-up of the baddies (she, of the modern disposition, had earlier turned down a marriage proposal from the wimp and now mistakes the superman as the earlier man transformed) is fun-tastic. The developing love relationship between the two and Dilip's encounters with his forever-laughing a-in-law-to-be, Nasir Husain, are extremely funny. But funniest of all are the rogue's encounters with Pran, who suddenly realizes that he can intimidate 'Ram' no more. The scenes where Dilip Kumar eats a leg of tandoori chicken and then pops entire boiled eggs in his mouth, all the while making faces at Pran; is a classic. Then he goes to Ram's house and on discovering the anarchy there, vows to set the wrongs and the injustices right. The scenes where he stands up to the villainous team of Pran and his mother and their coterie can only get applause from a strongly identifying audience.

On the other hand the simpleton lands up at Shyam's village and his newfound 'godly' ways are mistaken for yet another nautanki of the charlatan. But eventually, Mumtaz falls for this simple soul. However, the evil gang discovers the 'double role' and holds everyone to ransom in a crazy climax where, encouraged by his reunited, long-lost brother, Ram too unearths his hidden strength and courage to beat up the baddies.The strong point of the movie is the riveting script, the superlative music and songs and above all, the mind-boggling performance of one of India's greatest actors -- coming TWICE as good. The novelty factor of two heroes rolled into one also contributed to the film's super success. It was a trendsetter alright. And many followed its novel path. 'Seeta aur Geeta' and 'Chaalbaaz' being among the most memorable clones.

What makes 'Ram aur Shyam' a so great is its pathbreaking approach to 'double' comedy. It was the first to understand the tussle between the Ego and the Alter Ego within the confines of the self. The conflict between what we are and what we strive to be. It was a conflict captured most recently in the Jim Carrey starrer 'The Mask'. Where the dreams and aspirations and desires of the strait-jacketed-by-society citizen are lived out by donning the 'mask'. In a double role, the other fella simply becomes the mask. The Alter ego lives out the fantasies of the sober. Reminiscent of the truth that we are all schizophrenics, dying to live out separate, dual lives, without being responsible for our actions. The basic thing that gives us the thrill is the absolution from responsibility of our actions. The basic germination of schizophrenia.

Dilip Kumar was up there on screen, living out our fantasies and we clapped at everything he did that we could identify with.
It made a cult figure out of an intelligent actor and a cult film out of 'Ram Aur Shyam'. That is why the movie shall be forever young. Forever evergreen. Because the idea is young, even if the film itself is twenty-two years old.

See it again and you will know what i mean, if you can stop laughing and clapping that is.
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22.Mera Naam Joker

(1970)Raj Kapoor's

SIX YEARS IN THE MAKING,4 hours long in its
final cut,and taxing the resources of the Kapoor family and R.K Studios to their limits, this was the film Raj Kapoor intended to br his epic,the film by which he would be remembered forever.

"Mera Naam Joker" had all the ingredients
that a movie needs to classified as a good
entertainer.Wonderful songs by a galaxy of
lyricists -shailendra,hasrat jaipuri,neeraj,prem dhawan,shailey shalendra.
A great scor by Shankar-Jaikishan.
A script by K.A. Abbas.An all-star line-up that included Simi,Manoj Kumar,Dharmendra,
Dara singh,Rajendra kumar,Padmini,Om prakash,
the entire Soviet state circus and the
Gemini circus, and of coarse Raj Kapoor
himself.
It even had a chubby young Rishi Kapoor
playing the young raju in the first part,
making his screen debut just as his father
made his own debut at the tender age of 11.

But like most films that set out self-consciously to be epics or masterpieces,
"Mera Naam Joker" bombed at the box-office
and is remembered today as a magnificent
failure.

Inspired by Chaplin's "Limelight",
"Mera Naam Joker" is actually three seperate
films rolled into one.
Even today,you can see the three distinct
parts.

The firstpart depicts the young hero,Raju, the son of a trapeze artiste who becomes infatuated with his schoolteacher and dreams
of becoming a famous clown.

The second part shows grown-up Raju joining
a Russian circus, falling in love with the trapeze star Marina and ends with him forced to continue performing even after his mother collapses.

The third part is about his romance with a young poster artiste who is actually a woman masquerading as a man who wants to become a
filmstar.

...The climax links all three films together
as well as the three different women in Raju's life,coming together to witness his final performance as a clown.

With the movie crashing at the boxoffice
it put rest to any plans of Raj Kapoor making
a sequel,where he was to die in the end.

But today As Rishi Kapoor and R.K Productions
are having great problems in finding which
script and story to use as their next film.
The script happens to be there right in front
of them.......
Yes the sequel to "Mera Naam Joker" with
Rishi Kapoor in the role of the ageing Joker!
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23.Hum Dil DE Chuke Sanam

*Salman Khan,Ajay Devgan,Aishwaria Rai,Helen.

(1999)Sanjay Leela Bhansali's

"In this world... where desire rules the heart, you will discover... love is the flame that lights up the soul"

SANJAY LEELA BHANSALI conceives his films in
unique fashion."I design my soundtrack first,
because i love music.Thats how i worked on my first film, "khamoshi".
I conceived the idea of making a film based on Gujrat's music,folk culture and rituals.
Similarly after "Hum dil de chuke sanam",
i looked towards the music of Bengal, and thus was born "Devdas".

In the original story, the husband comes to
know that his wife loves someone else and
sends her to look for him.
Bhansali then remembered another story by
Zaverchand Meghani,a big-name writer,in which
the husband himself takes the wife back to her lover.

Bhansali's next step was the casting.
He was strongly advised not to take Aishwaria Rai as Nandini,the headstrong gujrati girl.he was told that she was a flop
star, a bad actress and looked anything, but
the character in the story.
But Sanjay promptly took it up as a challenge
to prove that she was Nandini incarnate!

Ajay Devgan as Vanraj,who marries Nandini,
and Salman as the Italy based Sameer,who loves her like crazy even as he learns Indian music under her father were obvious choices and also won accolades for their performances,Salman outclassing himself in
the climatic breakdown scene.
The supporting cast in word, was perfect.

Conceptually and commercially, the film
would have been lost minus a meticulous music
score.
Enchewing the big names who could not of given him the time and complete involvement
he needed for his film,Bhansli signed
Ismail Darbar, a promising musician who was
recommended by a friend.

Bhansali and Darbar spent a full two years on
the music of the film!

The mad passion and interaction paid off in
the fabulous results,with Darbar incorporating mukhdas from Gujrati and
Rajasthani folk("Nimbuda"),adapting a
traditional bandish ("Albela sajan aayo ri")
and even composing a garba song ("Dholi taaro") set to the 2-4 rather than the
conventional 6-8 beat.

For lyrics,Bhansali wanted majrooh, but Ismail convinced him to take on his close friend, Mehboob.
Bhansali was initially reluctant,because he
had heard only his lyrics for films like
"Bombay" and "rangeela".
But Mehboob's superb poetry like "Aankhon ki
gustakhiyaan maaf ho",Tadap tadap ke iss dil se",Man mohini", (the song that introduces the heroine and in which Mehboob's brief was to inculate all the four elements-Fire,Water,
Air and Earth-in one song), the title-track and "jhonka hawaa ka aaj bhi" was the soul of
the outstanding music score.

As Bhansali says, "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam"
was all about everything falling into place
and going just right.
The passion and pain that went into its
making by a man out to excel in cinema and
yet 'connect' with the audience oozed out of every frame and word that went into this beautiful painting on celluloid.
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24.Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron

(1983)Kundun Shah's

(Path-Breaking Comedy Of Errors)

In the middle of the night on a deserted road in Mumbai if you were to see a coffin with a dead man in it holding a wreath and you, drunk as you were, thought of it as a man in a car with the wreath for a steering wheel, I'd know where you got the inspiration.
Bizarre, na? Of course not, for this and more such pranks were played on us by debutante director Kundan Shah, in what is now considered to be a path-breaking film in Indian cinema,
'Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron.'

Nearly two decades later, the film finds acclaim amongst audiences and critics alike as one of the most inspiring comedies in recent times. And we couldn't agree more. With its wry humour and wit, it proved to be an uproariously hilarious experience (as exaggerated as it might sound).

Apart from its dark humour, the film was also a farce on the bureaucratic system of which the common man ultimately was the victim, not that we needed to mention it. So, with characters like the 'commissioner' (note the pun on the word) D'Mello played by the rotund Satish Shah and the ubiquitous builders, Tarneja and Ahuja played by Pankaj Kapoor and Om Puri respectively, the film became a cult classic in its portrayal of the failing system three decades after independence. (It released in 1982) Remember this one telling scene? Tarneja is trying to woo D'Mello in granting him permission to construct two additional floors on his building illegally, (not without a little 'womanly' help from Neena Gupta) and D'Mello denies it, asking them, "Kya BMC mere baap ka hai?" in an American twang. To which, Tarneja's assistant, Namboodiripad, played by Satish Kaushik, scriptwriter of the film, promptly replies, "Nahi, Sir, aapka hai." They then go on to celebrate a phoney birthday for D'Mello as an excuse to bribe him. And there you have it. Two additional floors ready! (BTW, may we mention, that the names of the builders add up to the name of a well-known builder, Raheja.) Sound familiar even today na? Yeah, well, we know. FSI is not just about some letters thrown in. That's exactly what makes this film a cult film. It's universal appeal. And the fact that it also lives up to the standards of what make a cult film. Tell me the truth, you would go back and watch the film for the 40th time and still go into peals of laughter, wouldn't you? I rest my case!

With its fabulous cast, most of them fresh from NFDC and FTII, including director Kundan Shah himself, the film still proved to be a dampener at the BO, at a time when parallel cinema was just about beginning to lose its hold over audiences in India after the peak it had seen in the seventies. Naseeruddin Shah was not a star then and Ravi Baswani was just another geeky looking youngster wanting to make it big as an actor. Look at Neena Gupta, now popular for her weepy soaps and you wouldn't believe she ever started out as a girlfriend to a diabolical boss. Then, of course there was Satish Kaushik who, happy with the script-writing never dreamed of playing the foolish doormat Namboodiripad who exchanged telephone receivers with his "secret caller" who is in the same room as him.

Ask Kundan Shah about this and he will say," It took seven years for my film to be acknowledged as a cult film. But by that time, I was crucified. If the film were to release today, it still wouldn't do well. The thing with my subjects is that they are so fresh." Hmmn! Makes you wonder, na? Hey, this is the man who gave us the refreshing 'Kabhi Haan, Kabhi Naa' which found no distributors until Shah Rukh Khan released it himself and also the its'-high-time-we-acknowledged-teenage-pregnancy-runaway hit in 'Kya Kehna.'

Besides that, the film is like a virtual who's who of Bollywood today, repeat, today. Then, they were just filmmakers, who believed in the art of filmmaking. (Pardon the sarcasm!) Here's some dope on the characters. The names of the principal characters are based on two of Kundan Shah's filmmaking colleagues. Production Controller of the film, Vinod Chopra (Naseer) is aaj ke mashoor film-maker of 'Parinda' fame, ironically now facing threats from the underworld, and Sudhir Mishra (Baswani) who helped write the screenplay with Shah and later made films like, 'Yeh Who Manzil To Nahin' and more recently 'Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin.' Then, there was Binod Pradhan who shot the film. Incidentally, Pradhan had teamed up with Vidhu Vinod Chopra and worked on 'Mission Kashmir' with Chopra. Some more trivia. Vidhu Vinod Chopra had a small appearance in the film too. He played a press photographer at the conference hosted by Tarneja to defend himself after the collapse of the flyover.

Oh, the flyover! Incidentally, the crash of the flyover in the film was inspired by the crash of the Byculla flyover which collapsed just before the film took shape, or so we are told. And how could we forget the fact that the character of the spunky editor of 'Khabardaar, Shobha Sen, played by the late Bhakti Barve who made goofy photographer Vinod Chopra undertake the most risky assignments by placing his head on her breast was inspired by that of the former editor of film gossip magazine, 'Stardust,' Shobha De. (She is all over the place, isn't she?) Hmmn! Whatever happened to all characters and places in this film are fictional and all resemblance is co-incidental. Some co-incidence, huh?

With all the kali kartoot happening right under the noses of the goofy photographers, Vinod and Sudhir who hope to make a decent buck out of model portfolios, little do they know that they are to be framed for the collapse of the flyover when the builder bribes the other commissioner, the policewala this time and get away with it, with of course, the editor getting her share for gathering all the evidence against Tarneja, who has bumped off D'Mello. And what was the theme song of the film? Right! 'Hum Honge Kaamyaab' or 'We Shall Overcome.'! What can we say, except, brilliant? And how can you even forget that fabulous 'Mahabharata-cum-Anarkali' drama sequence that had many a viewer rolling on the floor, with Om Puri playing a very Punjabi Bhishma, knocking all and sundry out to take charge of the corpse of D'Mello with a very dead Satish Shah all dressed up as Draupadi, even as Prince Salim enters to claim what is his, his very own Anarkali.

Ask Om Puri, who played the perpetually drunk Ahuja, about the film and he will say, "It was shot at such a low budget, it's not funny. I mean, the atmosphere on the sets was like that of the shaadi of the daughter of a lower-middle class man who is desperately cutting down on the expenses. Hey, nine Lakhs at that time. That's not funny, if you think of it from the point of view of a budget these days that runs into crores." NFDC was being generous, huh? Anyways, see what we mean about this being a cult film. I don't need to justify that, do I now? 'Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron' was certainly an extraordinary film shot under extraordinary circumstances with some extraordinary people.
********************************************

25.Anand

Rajesh Khanna,Amitabh Bachchan,Sumita Sanyal,
Dara Singh,Ramesh Deo,Seema Dev and Johnny Walker.

(1971): Hrishikesh Mukherjee's

Ask watchers of Hindi films to name their favourite film, and a fair number will name this early 1970s Hrihikesh Mukherjee-social, which popularised words like babumoshai and jahanpanah as perhaps never before.

Anand starred the then present and future superstars of Hindi cinema, Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan respectively - as the jolly cancer patient and his ultra serious doctor. The film became a kind of homily on staying happy in spite of the clouds that darken our lives. Anand, the title role, played by Khanna, is a very bouyant character, whose cheerfulness is very infectious and leaves none affected apart from his taciturn doctor, Bhaskar Banerjee, who just cannot fathom how somebady whose remaining lifespan can be measured in weeks can be so cheerful.

Anand went on to become one of the most widely appreciated film ever and even cameo roles in the film like those by Walker and Deo are fondly remembered to this day. Its dialogues, eg - hum sab to rangmanch ki kathputlian hai...' are still oft repeated and its songs kahin duur jab din dhal jaaye, maine tere liye hii saat rang ke sapane chune, jiyaa laage naa, zindagii, kaisii hai paheli, haay - were all very popular when the film released and helped consolidate lyricist Gulzar's reputation considerably.
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26.Abhimaan
*Amitabh Bachchan,Jaya Bhaduri,Asrani,Bindu,
A K Hangal,David.

(1973)Hrishikesh Mukharjee

Hrishikesh Mukharjee once said."Its more more difficult to portray simple emotions on screen than complex ones.And that's why i try to delve more into such themes.

After films like 'Anupama', 'Ashirwad', 'Satyakam','Anand' and 'Guddi', Hrishikesh tackled a subject that revolved around the most basic human emotion-jealousy.

'Abhimaan' is all about a famous singer Subeer Kumar (Amitabh Bachchan in great form) who fall in love with Uma, a simple, village girl (Jaya Bhaduri) and gets married to her.
The one facter that has drawn Subeer to Uma is her melodic voice.Uma comes to the city with her husband and things are great between them.Soon after, at a party, Subeer persuades her to sing along with him.
There many important guests around and they all take note of her vocal talents.
Sometime later,Uma gets an offer to do some professional singing.She refuses outright but Subeer convinces her to go ahead with it.
And thats when it all begins.
She makes a name for herself and starts getting loads of work.Reputed companies and music direactors want to sign her on.
In the meanwhile, Subeer stops getting his regular quota of work.Slowly, the cracks develop and the husband starts feeling threatened by his own wife's success.

Subeer stops communicating with Uma and begins to treat her with disrespect.A time comes when he stops spending any time at home.His frustration is tearing their relationship apart.
Not being able to take the pressure, Uma suffers a nervous breakdown.That's when Subeer realises his folly and they finally come together in a rather tearful, emotional reunion.

Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bhaduri excelled themselves as the couple in distress.
The film was so well-balanced that at no point did one character feel overburdened by the other.
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27.Aan

*Dilip Kumar,Nimmi,Premnath and Nadira.

(1951)Mehboob Khan's

Costume dramas have always maintained a special place in Indian movie history.
The adventure, the spectacle and the grandeur that's usually seen in this genre of movies is quite unparalleled.
Hindi cinema has witnessed many such breathtaking blockbusters.
But one film that stands out is obviously Mehboob Khan's 'Aan'.

The film attains significance for many reasons.
To begin with,it was Mehboob Khan's first attempt in colour.Also, it was also one of the first films to have been shot on 16 mm format and then successfully transferred to 35 mm.
The impact was so colossal that overawed critics from the west termed it as India's answer to Hollywood magnificents like 'Ben Hur' and Quo Vadis'. The canvas of the film was so enormous and that's what made this film look so extravagant.

Though 'Aan' was not as big a success as Mehboob's forthcoming classic 'Mother India' was, it still remains one of his landmark movies.
The film was like a virtual showcase of screen histrionics. The sets were lavish, the look of the film was grand, there were horse-chases, sword-fights and battle scenes galore in this extraordinary screen adventure.
Just a movie maniac's absolute delight.

Everything about 'Aan' was imposing, including the outstanding music score by Naushad.
Incidentally, for the first time ever, Naushad used a 100-piece orchestra; something that was unheard-of
in those days. In fact, while recording the songs of 'Aan', Naushad put special rugs covering the walls of the
studio so that the sound had better bass.
The mixing for all the songs was done in London, which was again a novel feat.

'Aan' won accolades all over the globe. It was one film that made the world take note of the fact that India could come up with some equally striking extravaganzas.

The biggest compliment of all came from none other than the legendary filmmaker Cecil B. Demille (of 'Ten
Commandments'), who wrote to Mehboob Khan after seeing the film,
"I found it an important piece of work, not only because i enjoyed it but also because it shows the tremendous potential of Indian motion pictures for securing world markets.
I believe it is quite possible to make pictures in your great country which will be understood and enjoyed by all nations and without sacrificing the culture and customs of India.
We look forward to the day when you will be regular contributors to our screen fare with many fine stories
bringing the romance and the magic of India". Need one say more?
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28.Prem Rog

Shammi Kapoor,Rishi Kapoor,Padmini Kolhapure,
Nanda,Kulbhushan Karbanda,Raza Murad,Tanuja
and Sushma Seth.

(1982)Raj Kapoor's

Padmini Kohapure had worked in Kapoor's
'Satyam Shivam Sundaram' as the young
Zeenat Aman, and he had been bowled over by
her talent.
He is supposed to have said that he made
'Prem Rog' to give her a role worthy of her.
Even though he screen tested her with three scenes costumes-that of a carefree young girl, a bride and a widow-before he saw the
results,he had chosen his Manorama.
There was no doubt about Rishi Kapoor being
the perfect Deodhar-sensitive and strong.

As could be expected from Raj Kapoor with his
showman reputation, he added grandeur, colour
(the song among the tulips) as set pieces to
a simple story.

Shammi Kapoor acted in an R.K film for the first time, and Nanda made a rare appearence
after retiring from films - both lending their roles tremendous dignity and intensity.

An R.K film could not but have great music,
and Laxmikant Pyarelal excelled with numbers like: "Bhanvare ne khilaya phool",
"Mohabbat hai kya cheez" and "Main hoon prem rogi.

'Prem Rog' may not have been in the same league as Raj Kapoor's earlier films, but it
had its heart in the right place,and even now
it succeeds in reducing audiences to tears.
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29.Pakeezah

*Ashok Kumar,Meena Kumari,Raaj Kumar,Nadira.

(1972)Kamal Amrohi's

Without question, this film has to be one of the greatest ........ in cinematic history.

'PAKEEZAH' remains the last word among films
revolving around the nautch-girl,right from
its symbolic title, which means"the pure one"

Meena Kumari's central performance is undoubtedly one of the finest of her career, followed closely by Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam and Phool aur Pathar. Each movement and nuance of her performance, makes any other Bollywood heroine pale into significance. Her masterly interpretation of Kathak coupled with her grace, tragic vulnerability and poetic delivery of Urdu,is like nothing ever seen on the bollywood screen.

Pakeezah is perhaps the most stylised interpretation of the human condition; the photography, sumptuous cinematography and mise en scene, are so charged with symbolism and meaning, that the viewer is left breathless.

Naushads music, is unsurpassed, his knowledge of the music of the courtesan gharanas is incredible, and the way in which he punctuates the narrative with dark atmospheric motifs and overwhelming romantic melodies is indeed remarkable.
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30.Do Bigha Zamin

*Balraj Sahni, Nirupa Roy, Master Ratan, Nana Palsikar.

(1953)Bimal Roy's

This unforgettable masterpiece by Bimal Roy is known for its stark imagery and the legendary portrayal of a Calcutta rickshaw puller, Shambhu by Balraj Sahni. It is said that Balraj Sahni who is known as a method actor actually rehearsed on the roads of Calcutta pulling a rickshaw with his son, Parikshit sitting in it.
Do Bigha Zameen is a story of a poor farmer, Shambhu, living in a small village of Bengal who owns two acres of land and leads a tough yet happy life with his family. The twist in the story comes when the zamindar (landowner) decides to sell the land of the villagers to the outsiders who want to make a factory in the village. His two acres are coming in the way of the landlord who wants to make profits in this deal.
Shambhu doesn’t want to sell his land but the zamindar warns him that if he doesn’t sell the land he’ll have to pay the already mounting debt. He comes to the city to earn quick money to pay off the debt. Thus begins the cruel tale of desperation to earn as he becomes a rickshaw puller and his son a shoeshine boy.
The film won critical acclaim internationally at Cannes and Karlovy Vary and won two Filmfare awards for best film and director at the first awards function. Made almost five decades back, Do Bigha Zameen still has the power to hit you with its realism and pathos when you watch Shambhu pull a rich fat man in the rickshaw, running faster and faster as if trying to leave his poverty behind.
Truly one of the best films in the history of Hindi cinema and maybe the best of Balraj Sahni, Nirupa Roy and Bimal Roy.
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Great work Raj. Keep it up.

Ali, I think this thread, even if it is incomplete as yet, deserves to be on the main page.

I definately will keep a copy of this thread for myself. It definately is BOOK MATERIAL (i.e. worth publishing).

Thanks.

Rana

Nice one raj, carry on the good work.

-WG

Excellent work

Thanks people*

31.Zanjeer

*Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bhaduri, Pran, Ajit, Bindu.

(1973)Prakash Mehra's

In 1973, in search of a "different" script, Prakash Mehra found an unusual revenge melodrama written by two talented but relatively unknown writers named Salim and Javed.

The film was 'Zanjeer'. Mehra cast the talented but unstarry Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role, and the rest is history.

'Zanjeer starts out with Vijay as a cop tormented by nightmarish recollections of his parents' murder by an unknown killer.

In the first half of the film, he teams up with friend Sher Khan - played by Pran who had completely turned his villain image around into a superb player of character parts - to root out crime and evil in the big city.

But once he identifies the man who murdered his parents, by recognizing the horse on the chain he wears around his neck, he gos berserk and both the script and the director throw all the conventions out the window.
Vijay takes the law into his own hand becomes obsessed with revenge.

Salim Javed's team-up was traditionally believed to consist of Salim as screenplay writer and Javed as a dialogue writer. Whatever their arrangement, their pairing was unique in Hindi films.

As for Bachchan himself, his portrayal of Vijay and his mesmerizing performance gave birth to the most famous persona in Hindi film history.

As Mehra and Bachchan proved in their next megahit 'Mukaddar Ka Sikandar', a hero could be a hero even when he wasn't a hero.
'Zanjeer' was the missing link that changed the chain of film history.
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32.Sarfarosh

(1999)John Matthew Matthan's

'Sarfarosh' emerged as a tour de force that worked at several levels - a patriotic thriller, a gripping entertainer
and as a message film that pushed aside the cobwebs, and through terse sequences (the Ajay-Salim clash and reunion).
The film had eloquent punch lines and evocative visual means, looked at a real problem that endangered India's integrity with crystal clear vision, and made valid points or suggestions with direct candour.
It even seemed to uncannily prophesize a contretemp like the Kargil fiasco, which happened coincidentally within days of its release.

Finally, 'Sarfarosh' was a textbook on how a mainstream commercial film should be crafted to win adulation from the masses, the classes, the critics/connoisseurs, and finally, those who are themselves part of the creative departments of filmmaking.

The background score was composed jointly by Dheeraj Dhanak (a veteran musician with Shankar Jaikishan who passed away in 2000) and Sanjoy Choudhary, the son of the legendary Salil Choudhary.

In a culture where nostalgia is the biggest opiate of the masses, 'Sarfarosh' will get its complete share of
acknowledgement as a celluloid classic only after a decade or two has passed.
But with a Silver Jubilee run and some prestigious awards in its bag, it has already proved that bollywood can make a world-class film that speaks the language of cinema with conviction and commitment.
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33.Mr. India

*Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, Amrish Puri, Satish Kaushik and Ashok Kumar.

(1987)Shekhar Kapoor's

Shekhar Kapoor's 'Mr. India' must be one of the very few films which is immediately associated with the name of its villain - Mogambo and his cute catchline "Mogambo Khush Hua".

To battle such a cartoon villain, a film needs a cartoon hero, and he is Arun, permanently dressed in a tweed jacket and funny hat, and running a household full of too-cute orphans and an even more cute cook Calendar (Satish Kaushik).

Into his house steps a journalist called Seema (Sridevi) who hates the brats and loves Arun's alter ego Mr. India.
Mogambo plans to evict these rent-owing orphans and turn their house into an arms warehouse.
But as things look hopeless, Arun discovers an invisibility wristband, left to him by his scientist father.
Enter Mr .India, "an ordinary Indian" who promises to destroy all exploiters of the Indian people.
Eventually, Mr. India, Seema and the kids destroy Mogambo's empire - as Arun says,
"All it takes is one ordinary Indian to stop you".
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34.Jewel Thief

*Ashok Kumar, Dev Anand, Vyjayathimala and Tanuja.

(1967)Vijay Anand's

Rarely has a director-star team consisted of two brothers as talented as the Anands.

Two years after the immense critical and commercial success of 'Guide' and a year after their hugely entertaining 'Teesri Manzil', director Vijay Anand and star, Dev Anand teamed up for the jewel in the Navketan crown.

Even today, 'Jewel Thief' remains a cult film for its use of song picturizations, stylish direction and production design, and for its use of gadgets and gizmos galore that set a techno-trend that lasted well in to the 80s and was spoofed as recently as 1999's 'Badshah'.

The novelty of this superb crime thriller starts with a script by Vijay Anand himself. A gifted writer,"Goldie" as he was affectionately known in the industry, wrote virtually all his own films as well as scripts for a variety of other directors, including such memorable films such as 'Hindustan Ki Kasam', 'Kora Kagaz',
'Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki' and 'Hum Rahe Na Rahe'.

In 'Jewel Thief, he excelled himself .
The wildly imaginative plot centers around a police commissioner's son who finds himself mistaken for a
famous jewel thief named Amar.
A woman accuses him of having promised to marry her and her brother supports her claim.
To clear his name, the hero masquerades as Amar, while the notorious Amar seems to be masquerading as the commissioner's son!

Just when you think that the answer lies in that old staple of Hindi films - duplicate lookalikes - the script does a u-turn. The famous jewel thief dosn't exist at all!
It was all a plot by the hero to try to nab the gang of thieves. Amazingly, the film manages to resolve this ingenious plot twist neatly enough to satisfy any Agatha Christie fan, something that you rarely find in a
Hindi film.
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35.Hum Aapke Hain Koun

*Madhuri Dixit, Salman Khan, Mohnish Behl, Renuka Shahane, Anupam Kher, Alok Nath, Reema Lagu, Bindu, Satish Shah, Laxmikant Bherde, Ajit Vachchani.

(1994)Sooraj Barjatya's

This film serves as a fad with a permanent shelf life, a benchmark for the future progeny to refer to. The title of ‘CULT’ is bestowed upon only the very fortunate few. In cinema especially, where groundbreaking ideas are many, but the lot climbing to ‘pinnacle point’ are few and far between.

It is that one idea that clicks, that one thing different from the rest of the ‘feign gang’ that makes a cult out of a movie or a figure. A personality out of a persona non grata. Except that the now idolized ‘Hum Aapke Hain Koun’ was never non grata ever.

The young director of the much established ‘Rajshri Films’ clan, Sooraj Barjatya, had already proved his mettle with his very first swipe of the directorial baton. ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’ had Indian movie lovers worldwide wanting to fall in love. The music was a rage. And in the floppy-haired young and sinewy Salman Khan, a superstar was born. In the melee of excitement the industry didn’t fail to register the arrival of the quiet, soft-spoken genius of a director, Sooraj.

That was in the year 1989. But his best was yet to come.

Sooraj began shooting for his next film with the long-winded title, ‘Hum Aapke Hain Koun’, with his very first star, Salman Khan, along with a few others from the earlier cast; like Mohnish Behl, Alok Nath, Reema Lagu, Laxmikant Bherde, Ajit Vachchani, and some. The biggest star of the film was of course, the baton-wielder, Sooraj himself. Besides the gorgeous Madhuri Dixit going through her best period yet. The other addition to the film was the lady with the terrific smile, Renuka Shahane. And the famous kabutar of the earlier was replaced by a dog, a white Pomeranian called ‘Fluffy’!

Huge sets were put up at Filmistan Studios, resembling the innards of lavish havelis. There was a flurry of activity with the huge starcast matching dates for the extensive combination shots. It was obvious that a magnum opus was in the making; but no one knew, at that point, how huge it would really turn out to be.

For the release of the film, Bombay’s Liberty theatre was renovated and multi track stereophonic sound was put in. The huge distribution network of the Rajshris swung into action to ensure that there was no piracy or copying of their product. Every theatre across the length and breadth of the country had a Rajshri Films staffer incognito, to oversee that there was no piracy. The video rights were withheld for over a year and in the summer of 1994, the movie was released amidst much fanfare.

The movie industry, who had managed to see a sneak preview of ‘HAHK’, swore by the superb story-telling style of the young Barjatya. They were quick to proclaim him the new Tinsel Emperor of moviemaking. It was not an epithet bestowed without justification. The movie went on to smash every record set previously, by any motion picture made in India, ever. The first movie to smash the Rs.1,000,000,000/- (Hundred Crores) mark in a straight run. The figures are still not exact due to the mind-boggling number of zeroes at the end, the likes of which had never been seen by the movie industry in India. It set Sooraj apart not only as a director par excellence, it also established him as a marketing genius. It was a trendsetting bit of movie marketing all right.

So what was it that made a cult film out of a seemingly light, frothy, well-knit story of a joint family and all their sorrows, joys and events? Replete with songs, vibrant colours, the mandatory love-story, the comic touches, the tragic moments, the emotions? Why did we want to laugh at the ‘umpiring decisions’ of Fluffy in the family cricket match? Why did we cry with Laxmikant Bherde on the tragedy in his family? Why did we wait with bated breath to see the love story between Salman and Madhuri develop? Why did we want to sing along with Mohnish Behl and Renuka Shahane, not to add the rest of the huge family, in their fun-filled moments? Or cry at the demise of the lovely Renuka and the sacrifice of the doting Salman?

Why did we leave the theaters with moistened eyes and blink away unabashed tears of a movie experience as we left the theaters? WHY? Simple. Because the movie reminded us of our very own real life experiences. It brings alive those same experiences on celluloid, lighting up the dark recesses of our memory with its projection lights. Making us relive them as though they were fresh moments. That’s what makes ‘HAHK’ so special. Its simplicity and its imitation of real life as the purest art form.

There is drama in real life too. With all its various hued emotions and sentiments. We laugh, we cry, we fear, we suffer, we thrill, we enjoy... every possible nuance of life. And the more real an onscreen drama is, the more it touches our core. The more we cherish a movie experience. Sooraj was intelligent enough to understand that and capture life on film.

It was the same delightful experience of watching a wedding video, over and over and over. Spotting a new character in the background each time. Reliving the moment. Sooraj’s use of lights running around the screen added to the wedding, festive feel of the film, sweeping the family-oriented Indian public along in a tidal wave of shaadi celebrations. It was a landmark all right in the annals of Indian Cinema.

Some say that it were the real life instances (some of them at least) of Sooraj’s large joint family that inspired a lot of the screen moments of the film. Something that the reclusive director has denied. But true art is often an amalgamation of the thoughts and experiences of the artist. And Sooraj as artist, painted every Indian’s dream on the large canvas of a Cinemascopic screen. Every little touch a delightful stroke of his celluloid brush.

The purple sari worn by the heroine. The red bandanna, the suspenders, the slingshot used by the heroes are still used in large Indian weddings to the day. The ritual of teasing the ladkiwale, the song’n’dance in the antakshri, the nok-jhok between the lead pair are all that happens in large Indian weddings to the day. The bride’s side hiding the shoes and demanding a large sum of money is a regular point of mock warfare, now considered a lucky ritual, in our extravagant culture. The series of exotic ceremonies, spanning a week or more are as much an event in the lives of us emotional Indians as the feature film on screen. Sooraj realized that, and delicately captured all the moments on film. Like a grand drama of Bhartiya sanskruti or Indian Culture. The result was electric.

Every Indian, or anyone with India in his or her blood, went to see the film. Not once or twice, but several times over. Does one see a wedding video just once? No way! It broke several records. And by now it is history about how painter famous artist M.F. Hussain saw the movie 64 times or more and made Madhuri Dixit his muse. It was the reason for his foray into film direction as well with his favourite Ms Dixit.

Salman only established his position as a leading star of the Indian movie marquee. And Sooraj began to be referred to as the man with the golden touch. The best part is that even the character artists of this film went down in the memory of a fond audience. Most famous of all being the ‘potent’ slap on Bindu’s face given by a henpecked husband (Ajit Vachchani) in a ‘last straw’ reaction to her nagging. She is pregnant in her next scene itself. And this drew a round of applause from all the ‘persecuted’ and the ‘chauvinistic’ among the males in the audience.

What worked with the film in a big way was the sense of identification among the viewers with the events on screen. It clicked.

Today ‘HAHK’ is a cult films by all means. It tells an everyday story through song and music and drama and a wedding, Indian style. An everday story told with the panache of a great moviemaker. It had to work. And in the years to come, it will always be referred to as a bookmark in entertainment.
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absolutely fascinating read! some of my all time classics in there, keep them coming raj!

This is fabulous. Insightful and fun. Thanks for doing this raj. I shall have to print these. :alien:

36.Lamhe

*Waheeda Rehman, Anil Kapoor, Sridevi and Anupam Kher.

(1991)Yash Chopra's

IN SPITE OF 'Waqt', 'Daag', 'Chandni' an 'Darr'.
In spite of 'Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge' and 'Mohhabbatein', Yash Chopra still thinks this is the best film he ever made.And he has apoint.'Lamhe' is like a long and satisfying swig of cognac. 'Lamhe' is that moment in time which defines our commercial cinema's spasmodic derringdo.

Written by Honey Irani, 'Lamhe' is certainly Yash Chopra's most daring film.

'Lamhe' was a story of a man caught between two women, though one of the women is dead. However, her
lookalike daughter (Sridevi in a double role) whom the man brings up like his own daughter, nurses a crush
for the man who loved her mother.

"Incestuous!" screamed the purists and moralists.
Yash Chopra had been advised to change the ending whereby the daughter convinces her mother's lover to stop sleeping with a ghost, in a matter of speaking. But the visionary-filmmaker was adament.
"If i had changed the ending, 'Lamhe' wouldn't have been the film i had set out to make."

Released on the same Friday as Kuku Kohli's 'Phool Aur Kaante', everyone expected 'Lamhe to break records. Its failure demoralized Yash Chopra.
To this day, he laments its initial rejection by the audience. But wait. Don't go away.
There's a footnote to the box-office fortunes of 'Lamhe'. The film went on to become one of the biggest hits
ever in the overseas market.

Contradictory? Yes. But therein lies the tragedy of audiences in India. They cannot look into the man-woman relationship as anything but a telescoped formula.

Yash Chopra has always been a master craftsman whose visuals are tonic to the eye.
'Lamhe' dosn't have a single ugly frame. Whether it's Sridevi bursting into a folk dance among the sand dunes, to the sound of Lata Mangeshkar's "Morni bagha ma boley", or Anil Kapoor's look of hurt and rejection when the love of his life runs into another man's arm's, 'Lamhe' makes you fall in love...with love!
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37.Bandit Queen

(1994)Shekhar Kapur's

IF SHEKHAR KAPOOR NEVER made another film and if Seema Biswas never acted in another one, they would still be remembered for all times to come for their collaboration over 'Bandit Queen'.

Put simply, this is the film that put Hindi cinema on the world map.
Brutal,honest,searing and haunting, its upfront rawness makes Mahesh Bhatt's 'Arth' appear futile in comparison.

From the opening montage of the amazing little Sunita Bhatt being forcibly married to an unfeeling brute, to
her initiation into a life of subversion crime and outlawry, the remarkable and disturbing story of Phoolan Devi comes to life like no other biographical picture in cinematic history.

If by defination, High art is elevating, then 'Bandit Queen' dosn't qualify. It is too grim, too grave in its socio-political resonances to qualify as cinamatic entertainment. And yet, there's a redeeming streak of
genius, that spark in the dark, which is preserved within the dark and grim story.
The film's strong language and content evoked severs censorial recrimination.

But it isn't the gaalis that make Shekhar Kapur's world of caste and gender prejudice go around.
It's the unrelenting and disturbing honesty of the presentation.
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38.Trishul

*Waheeda Rehman,Sanjeev Kumar,Shash kapoor,Amitabh Bachchan,Hema Malini and Raackee Gulzar.

(1978)Prod:Gulshan Rai. Dir:Yash Chopra.

After the phenomenal success of 'Deewar', it was only natural for Yash Chopra to bring the same talented team together for another powerful drama.
In doing so, he raised obvious comparisons between the two films. And if one was to campare them, there's
no question that 'Deewar' emerges as superior on many counts.
But despite the comparison, 'Trishul' is no less a great film.

Screen writers Salim-Javed were at the peak of their talents, Amitabh Bachchan was at the height of his popularity, and Yash Chopra was finally finding his own groove as a producer and a director.
In fact, its hard to believe that the same man who made the memorable, gentle and romantic film
'Kabhi Kabhie' could also make a film like 'Trishul'.

Amitabh Bachchan's image as a brooding angry young action hero had been cemented with the success of
'Deewar' and 'Sholay' among other films. His Vijay persona had become a legendary character that had taken on a life of its own.
Embodying the angst and frustration of lower class and middle class youth in those repressive Emergency
and post-Emergency years, Vijay was already a symbol of rebellion and self-empowerment for millions of
struggling young men.

'Trishul' added a new chapter to the Vijay saga.
While repeating the mother-worship that had been the crux of 'Deewar' and which had become a crucial part
of the Hindi film formula since 'Mother India', 'Trishul' introduced an important new element.
Vijay's relationship with his father, played by Sanjeev Kumar.

Salim-Javed's powerful screenplay and dialogues unfolded scene after scene of dramatic conflict between father and son.
Sanjeev Kumar's impressive talents were more than a match for Amitabh's smouldering intensity.
The scenes between the two actors remain some of the greatest father-son scenes in Hindi cinema even
today and have rarely been equalled.

'Trishul' still ranks as one of the top ten AB films, and one of the greatest father-son screen dramas made in India.
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39.Ganga Jumna

*Dilip Kumar, Vyjanthimala, Nasir Khan,

(1961)Dilip Kumar's

'Ganga Jumna' is one of those classic films that combined hard-hitting realism and strong story telling within the popular format.

The film, produced and written by Dilip Kumar (some say also ghost directed by him), used the Bhojpori dialect to great affect - the character of the village bumpkin Ganga has been aped by actors down the ages.
And the story of two brothers on opposite sides of the law repeated over and over again but never with so
much power.
Only Salim-Javed managed to update and urbanise the story in 'Deewar' to match the success of the original trendsetter.

The strength of the film, apart from its script and skillful direction is Wajahat Mirza's dialogues (his lines keep popping up in films till today) and Naushad's brilliant folksy music.

The performances are also impeccable. Ganga is unarguably one of Dilip Kumar's finest and most detailed performances.
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40.Bobby

*Rishi Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia ,Pran, Premnath.

(1973)Raj Kapoor's

After incurring heavy losses with his semi-autobiographical and rather self-indulgent 'Mera Naam Joker',
Raj Kapoor had to make a small budget quickie to make up.

Who'd have expected that a cult youth film would emerge from the collective minds of three not-so-young men - writers K.A Abbas, V.P Sathe and director Raj Kapoor.

Half the battle was won with the correct casting - a cherubic Rishi Kapoor paired with the very young and very sexy Dimple Kapadia.

The story, well-defined characters (even the small parts were memorable - like the funny parsi women played
by Piloo Wadia and the amorous older woman played by Aruna Irani , even the villainess Prem Chopra),
the whiff of youthful rebellion and Laxmikant-Pyarelal's music score appealed tremendously to young audiences.

'Bobby' turned Rishi Kapoor into a teen idol, and millions of Dimple Kapadia fans were heartbroken when she married the then superstar Rajesh Khanna and gave up films (only to return a decade later).

Dimple had been screen-tested for 'Bobby' at R.K Studios in 1971 when she was just 14 years old and was
immediately selected. Her beauty and talent shining through in arole that was tailer-made for her.
In a way, her retirement preserved the image of 'Bobby' in the minds of audiences as the eternal disirable nymphet.
Incidentally, the first film that Dimple was ever offered was 'Guddi', which her father turned down.
And interstingly, one of the girls auditioned for the role of Bobby was Neetu Singh, who lost the role but
went on to become Mrs. Rishi Kapoor.
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Raj, hope you don't mind me asking, but are these your own words? I remember reading some similar lines on the net or in some mag that bears a striking resemblance

Hi Jazzy J....

Included are my personal choice's for the 100 greatest movies
with personal add ons to each choice of movie, as well as a variety of other sources involved in compiling this list.
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41.Teesri Manzil

*Shammi Kapoor, Asha Parekh, Prem Chopra and Helen.

(1966)Vijay Anand's

Near-perfect blend of mystery, humor, romance and music.

Always fond of the crime genre, Goldie made 'Teesri Manzil' a memorable murder thriller while retaining the successful Nasir Hussain elements of light musical romance.

'Teesri Manzil' is remembered for much more than its murder mystery.
It was the movie that gave R. D Burman his first major Breakthrough, and the music was truly outstanding.

Asha Bhosle's classic "o mere sona re" later became her signature tune and was the title track of her personal tribute to her beloved Panchamda, R.D Burman, who composed some of his best hits for her.
And glam-girl Helen was never as vivicious and sexy as in her "Aaja Aaja" number.

While the filmmakers may have been trying for a Hitchcock-like blend of suspense, humor and romance, the eye-popping pastels of the film's Eastmancolor cinematography and outlandish, energetic musical numbers blend to create a delightful Bollywood concoction.

Lead actor Shammi Kapoor is wonderfully fruity in what is probably his best performance, and dancing queen Helen is in classic bad girl mode. Not to be missed by anyone interested in 1960's Indian pop cinema.
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42.Kaagaz Ke Phool

*Guru Dutt, Waheeda Rehman, Johnney Walker and Mehmood.

(1959)Guru Dutt's

The movie begins in the dying moments in the life of a famous film director, played by Guru Dutt. The movie then moves to the beginning of his career where he meets Shanti, only a debutante and unsure of everything she does. His growing fascination for her prompts him to cast her in his movies. Her growing independence and stature and his subsequent decay into mediocrity, the tension between their personal feelings and their professional goals sets the stage for the rest of the movie. The movie has several generally acclaimed songs by Geeta Dutt which are inextricable from the movie plot itself.

This Guru Dutt film had distinct autobiographical notes and the intensity with which the director bared his soul just may have discomfited audiences. But this film, along with 'Pyaasa', is now considered a masterpiece.

Technically, the film was brilliant. V.K Murthy's camerawork in black-and-white was magical in its luminosity - it was India's first cinemascope film and won Murthy a lot of acclaim and awards.

Like the doomed hero of 'Pyaasa', Guru Dutt's work was valued more after his death, as he was rediscovered by the West and given a place in the pantheon of cinema greats.
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43.Daag

*Rajesh Khanna, Sharmila Tagore, Raakhee and Prem Chopra.

(1973)Yash Chopra's

This is one more gem of a movie made under "Yash Chopra" banner. An unusual, partly forced love triangle which is a result of a series of tragic events in the life of three characters in this movie. The original story was written by Gulshan Nanda who pioneered writing Hindi romantic novels in the seventies and early eighties. Raakhee was the surprise package of this movie who looked far better than seasoned actress Sharmila Tagore. Rajesh Khanna was at his usual best.

The Fruits of severance were sweet. Yash Chopra's first independent production, 'Daag', was
'The Fire' that set the box-office afflame.It also brought Rajesh Khanna back into the race, putting to rest all the speculation regarding his shaky box-office standing after his marriage with Dimple Kapadia in 1973.

Based on Thomas Hardy's 'The Mayor Of Casterbridge' and Gulshan Nanda's novel 'Maili Chandni', 'Daag is the story of a man named Sunil (Rajesh Khanna0 who's seperated from his wife Sonia (Sharmila Tagore) on their honeymoon when he kills his villainess boss(Prem
Chopra).
Considering both the leading man and director had lately returned from their own honeymoons, such murderous thoughts regarding the romantic vacation seem rather strange.

In many ways, 'Daag' was the true and proud precursor to Yash Chopra's 'Kabhi Kabhie'.
Dreamy, poetic, snow-capped and serene, every pore of 'Daag' suggests love,romance and music.
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44.Phool Aur Patthar

*Meena Kumari, Dharmendra, Madan Puri and Jeevan.

(1966)O.P Ralhan's

The minute Dharmendra took off his shirt and stumbled towards Meena Kumari's bed in a drunken stupor, a blockbuster was born.

'Phool Aur Pathar' was the film that gave Dharmendra, the garam Dharam image.
He was tough yet vulnerable. Most of his subsequent hits cashed on those personality traits.

'Phool Aur Pathar' was the biggest success of Ralhan's career. After playing staid, sober, shy guys in women-oriented films like 'Bandini', 'Anpadh' and 'Anupama', Dharmendra suddenly acquired superstar status with the role of the toughie who enjoys his drinks and dames without feeling like the typical leery villain.

Dharmendra's antics with the vampish Shashikala as she tries desperately to seduce the He-man with Asha Bhosle's "Sheeshi se pee ya paimane se pee" and "Duniya mein pyar karna seekh le", brought the house down.

Ravi's music and songs were an asset. But it was Dharmendra's hunky heroism that made
'Phool Aur Pathar' one of the biggest hits of the year.
This was the first time that a top leading man undressed for the camera.
While Meena Kumari remained swathed in spotless white from head to toe, beefcake finally
came out of the closet.
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45.Reshma Aur Shera.

*Sunil Dutt,Waheeda Rehman, Amitabh Bachchan, Raakhee, Vinod Khanna, Sanjay Dutt.

(1971)Sunil Dutt's

As an Actor, Sunil Dutt did all kinds of films - commercial as well as artistic.
And as a filmmaker, he experimented with offbeat films. 'Yaadein', for instance, was a solo-actor film about a man whose wife has left him. 'Mujhe Jeene Do' was agrim story about a dacoit's life. 'Yeh Raaste Hain Pyar Ke' was inspired by the sensational Nanavat murder case in which a naval officer was tried for killing his unfaithful wife.

'Reshma Aur Shera' was a colourful and imaginative reworking of 'Romeo And Juliet' set amidst the sand dunes of Rajasthan.

The film also introduced three actors to Hindi cinema - Amrish Puri, Ranjeet and Amitabh Bachchan ( though K.A Abbas' 'Saat Hindustani' is believed to be his first). Bachchan,
in a role of a mute young man, gave ample proof of his talent right at the start.
There was no doubt that this actor would go far - just how far nobody could have predicted.

Though Sunil Dutt and Waheeda Rehman were a little overage playing young lovers, the film worked at every other level.
It had great visuals and gorgeous costumes.
The performances were excellent and Jaidev's music was brilliant with songs like "Tu chanda mein chandni", Ek meethi si chubhan" and Jab se lagan lagai hai re".
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Raj just few correction and additions from your Teesri Manzil, Jewel Thief,Zanzeer & Kagaz ke phool synopsis ( I hope you don't mind);

1) Teesri Manzil: The song "aaja aaja" was filmed on Asha Parekh & Shammi Kapoor not Helen, her big number in the movie was O Haseena with Shammi.

2) Kagaz Ke Phool: Failure of Kaagaz ke Phool upon it's inital release left Guru Dutt so distraught that he did not direct any movies after Kazag ke Phool, also while completing Kagaz ke Phool he kept on changing the storyline & the movie's ending was not what he had hoped for but had to give in due to pressure from financers who wanted movie completed & released without any further delay.

3) Vijayanand had nothing to do with Hindustan Ki kasam,this was directed by his older brother Chetanand. By the way movie was a boxoffice bomb when released.

4) Zanzeer was originally written for Devanand.

lakeshore



Edited By lakeshore on Jan. 09 2002 at 01:24

Truly awesome work!!!!!!!! I'm making note of all these titles to rent/buy.

Just one thing - you're copying a lot of these descriptions from the lists at Indiatimes, right?

http://movies.indiatimes.com/flashback/flashback.html

Do you agree with all their choices? I certainly don't for their English-language films!!!