Actors and Roles

 Some actors made some roles/characters they played famous. Just like some professors- Kotler, Parasuraman, CK Prahalad- made the universities they worked in famous.

Good to recall a few-

Sean Connery, Roger Moore- James Bond

Peter Sellers- The Pink Panther's Inspector Clouseau.

Charlie Chaplin- Hitler, in The Great Dictator. A tramp, common man in many films. 

Amol Palekar- Man next door, in Rajnigandha, Chitchor and Chhoti si Baat

Amjad Khan- Gabbar Singh in Sholay

Rekha- Loveable rebel in Khoobsurat.

Rajesh Khanna- a positive thinking cancer patient in Anand

Rishi Kapoor- a young romantic, often paired with Neetu Singh

Sanjeev Kumar- Khilona, a 'mad' person

Amitabh Bachchan- Angry Young Man

Mithun Chakraborty- Disco Dancer

Dev Anand- the romantic, in many films

Helen- Club dancer, in multiple films

Julie Delpy- Before Sunrise, first of a trilogy - of two people meeting in a train, spending a night talking..

Hollywood - An Objective Look

 A lot of Hollywood films are masala of a different kind. A few are good, in various genres. But overuse of technology and special effects/VFX have spoilt the kind of good films we got to saw earlier in decades gone by. This also seems to be happening in India to an extent, with tech playing a larger role than before.

When I started watching Hollywood films in the 70s and 80s, I did not understand the accent, always. But some movies made a mark with good action, comedy and so on. Slapstick was also a part of some. Laurel and Hardy were early favourites in childhood. Until we came tp appreciate Charlie Chaplin and his social commentary/satire, in Modern Times and The Great Dictator.

In humour of a different kind, fell Mel Brooks and Woody Allen. I liked both. Some action films like Guns of Navarone, Mackenna's Gold, or Where Eagles Dare were awe-inspiring. I did not dig the ovies that relied on special effects all that much. Star Wars  or Close Encounters or disaster films like The Towering Inferno, I mean. Lawrence of Arabia seemed like a meaningful film, about the history of the Arabs.

Lately, I have liked the trilogy starting with Before Midnight which was really made well. Before that, some capers like Romancing the Stone, or A Fish Called Wanda were also fun watches. 

A really good suspense film- apart from Hitchcock films- was The Reincarnation of Peter Proud, remade badly as Karz. The original was deadly!

Masala Films

 Masala adds zest, if used well and in right proportions, to food-and to films. Some people in the 60s-70s who made good masala films, and their work that I enjoyed. In Hindi films, music is also a big part of the masala..

B.R. Chopra- Humraaz, Gumraah, 

Yash Chopra- Kabhi Kabhi, Trishul

Don- Chandra Barot.

Teesri Manzil, Jewel Thief, Johny Mera Naam, Hare Rama Hare Krishna, ..Vijay Anand, and Dev Anand.

Prakash Mehra- Zanjeer, Muqaddar ka Sikandar.

Khel Khel Mein, and a couple of other Rishi-Neetu romcoms..

Manmohan Desai- Roti, Amar Akbar Anthony.

Nasir Husain- Yaadon ki Baraat and Hum Kisise Kam Nahin. 

Brahmachari, Jungle Mein Mangal, Zakhmee, Paheli (Rajshri film, with Namita Chandra), Dushman, 

Disaster films were a thing in Hollywood- Poseidon Adventure, The Towering Inferno, ..

Also Star Wars and Close Encounters of a Third Kind.. Spielberg.

The Omen..a sober horror film.

Comedies by Mel Brooks and Woody Allen- different as chalk and cheese.

Circumnavigating the U.S.

Actually it was a road trip, that we first undertook in 1986 as students, and went across the U.S. from the East Coast to the West and back. On the way, we stayed with friends in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and San Antonio, Texas.

Some places on the way that were significant, were the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. This (Petrified Forest) has logs of wood that have turned into multicoloured stone logs due to embedded minerals. Later, I discovered similar petrified logs in India in Mandu, near Indore (in a badly maintained park). Here is a pic from Mandu.

There was also a meteorite crater in Arizona that we went to. After a visit to the Lonar crater lake in Buldana district many years later., I realised this (Lonar) was more impressive. In Los Angeles, we went to Disneyland, Universal Studios, and NBC studios where The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson was shot every day of the week. Also saw Hollywood (nothing much to see), Beverly Hills where the stars live, and the Star Walk (they have their names carved in the walkway). It was a great experience, with Kiran, a friend, as our local guide.

Harvey Weinstein

There has been a lot of positive spinoff from the Weinstein scandal, and we are at least more aware of the extent to which females are routinely harassed by male colleagues, friends or relatives. This could be step one. If we were under the illusion that it was an emerging market phenomenon, it now stands corrected. Some of Hollywood's most known were targeted. And in the Clinton era, the vulnerable interns who worked for him.

The reasons why women who are harassed don't complain are also generally similar. They are afraid that they will not be taken seriously in a  male-dominated society. The fight usually gets ugly if it gets to a court, with lawyers raking up unrelated issues. In a country like ours, unfortunately, the woman if single, may not be able to find a husband-again, the same patriarchal problems.

Hopefully, the opening up of near and dear ones will at least give courage to more women to oppose unwanted attention (or worse), and stop many attempts in their tracks (and men to support them when they speak up). In a Utopian world, molestation should not happen. But then, we don't live in one.

Theatres in Hyderabad

I saw a lot of movies while growing up in Hyderabad. This is a tribute to the theatres I saw them in.

Sangeet was an upmarket theatre in Secunderabad, that mostly screened English films. Lawrence of Arabia, The Poseidon Adventure, Patton, are some films that I saw there.

Ramakrishna 70 mm was a grand theatre near Abids in Hyderabad. Guns of Navarone was one film I vividly rember seeing there. And Sholay in 70 mm, a visual treat. Sanjeev Kumar's voice sounded fantastic on their sound system. The 35 mm cousin is where I saw Rajnigandha, and Chitchor. I think Shareef Badmash too.

Ashok, Navrang and Vikranti were all on the same road, in Jambagh. Saw many movies there, including Anand, Agent Vinod, and Patthar ke Sanam. Damaad too, an Amol Palekar comedy.

Farheen was a 70 mm theatre, where I saw Where Eagles Dare with Richard Burton and Clint eastwood-magnificient. Zamarrud nearby, is where I saw Ijaazat, and Phandebaaz, a Dharmendra comedy.

Venkatesa is one near Kacheguda that I saw Mohra in- the Raveena-Akshay movie of the Tu cheez badi hai mast mast fame. Another theatre in that area was Maheswari, with an escalator as its claim to fame, where I saw Namak Halaal. I saw Don in Tarakarama, next to Maheswari.

Palace was another old theatre, and Lighthouse, housed in a  dilapidated building. Plaza in Secuunderabad was also an old style building, where I saw a few Western films, with Cowboys and blazing guns.

Manju in Secunderabad was where I remember seeing Darr. Tu mere samne, main tere samne..

Favourite Films- Hollywood

Though I have seen a few Iranian and French (and Japanese) films that are very good, I will list out some favourite Hollywood films here.

1. My Fair Lady based on Shaw's Pygmalion, about making a lady out of a flower-girl. Classic.
2. The Sound of Music. One of the best in all departments-conceptualisation and execution. Immortal.
3. Psycho. A classic in its genre from the master, Alfred Hitchcock.
4. Zorba the Greek. To me, a major philosophical book and film. Top ten for the book too.
5. The Omen. I generally dislike horror, but Gregory Peck warrants an exception.
6. Mackenna's Gold. Brilliant outdoor film. Omar Sharif in a great role.
7. Where Eagles Dare. Spectacular war-time film of a daring rescue. Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood, and the scenery were amazing.
8. Silent Movie. Mel Brooks' spoof on Hollywood studios.
9. The Reincarnation of Peter Proud. I liked it for the way the mystery was handled. Unlike Karz, which was inspired by it.
10. Come September. Rock Hudson in a romantic comedy with Gina Lollobrigida. A fun film, that probably was the inspiration for Jungle Mein Mangal.
11. Dances With Wolves. A convincing film about America's native (Red) Indians. I think it starred Kevin Costner.

Comedies
As a genre, I like comedies best. I will include most movies made by Mel Brooks (Blazing Saddles, To Be Or Not To Be, History of the World Part 1, Spaceballs) for their goofy humour, Woody Allen (for the sardonic humour), and a few other independent films like The Loves and Times of Scaramouche in which there is a funny Napoleon,  A Fish Called Wanda, and The Naked Gun.

The Comedians

I mean the directors, not the actors, though some of them were both.

In Hollywood, the first guy that comes to mind is Woody Allen. He made several good films, one as recently as a couple of years ago. Most of these had wonderful humour, mostly about human relationships, but also a lot of other things. Sometimes dark humour, but very witty. And delivered with deadpan expressions. A genius.

A very different kind of humour (in your face, slaspstick) is to be found in Mel Brooks' films. Usually spoofs on something (Silent Movie was about Hollywood itself), I still remembers scenes from films of his I watched many years ago-Blazing Saddles (spoof on Western Cowboy movies), History of the World (about major events in history), To Be Or Not To Be (on Hitler), and a Star Wars spoof called Spaceballs. I remembered the last again while watching The Martian recently.

Closer home in India, directors of good comedy were Basu Chatterjee and Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Both masters of situational humour, they made between them, great films like Chupke Chupke, Chhoti Si Baat, Shaukeen, Gol Maal and Naram Garam. Angoor by Gulzar was another great comedy. Though not known for comedy, Satyen Bose's Chalti ka Naam Gaadi with Kishore Kumar was an excellent romantic comedy. So was Padosan, directed by Jyoti Swaroop. Mehmood's role in it was immortal, on of the best ever.

Film Review- Some Like it Hot

This is a black and white movie from Hollywood, starring three well-known actors: Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe. I had never seen it, and took a look at it on DVD.

The thing that strikes you the most about the film is that we have copied it in the seventies (with colour and songs added) under the title "Rafoo Chakkar" starring Rishi Kapoor, Paintal and Neetu Singh. The original, however, is a charming film, with a simple storyline, good dialogue, and great acting.

Eyewitnesses to a murder by the Chicago Mob, two small-time male musicians are forced to flee, and join a female troupe going to play in Florida, dressed up as females. They have an adventurous outing, with one of them falling for Monroe who's also on the train as a singer, and another getting a marriage proposal from a (male) millionaire in Florida.

The Mob gets there for a conference with other mobsters, and chase the two heroes, until all ends well. Enjoyable watch, and Marilyn Monroe is a delight, as are the two heroes.

Before Midnight- Film Review

This is the third one in the series of offbeat films, Before Sunrise and Before Sunset being the first two. My admiration grew for all the people associated with the movie. There are few films in which the hero and heroine are both involved in the script. This is one of those- along with director Richard Linklater, they are in good form. Like the two earlier films, this is centred around conversations between the hero and heroine.

In this one, one of the long conversations/fights starts during lovemaking. Surprising? Well, they are married in this one, and many interesting things happen when two people are married. The fights, as I always maintained, are some of those interesting things. And the film tries to prove me right.

The difference is that there is also a great conversation around a Greek dining table (they are visiting a Greek writer and his family), which is extremely stimulating, in which three generations discuss the man-woman romantic relationship and its possible future (or no future).

All in all, I loved the heroine (Julie Delpy), and the hero (Ethan Hawke), and the movie, in that order. A fitting finale.

Woody Allen's The Front

This is a movie about a dark chapter in American history- the persecution of anyone remotely linked to the left. I mean with communist leanings. American people have seen slavery, a civil war, and this mindless persecution which probably ended in the sixties, but not before taking a heavy toll of reputations and people with reputations.

Anyway, trust Woody to make a black comedy about this. Made in 1976, this is the story of an ordinary American who fronts as a writer for a "left-leaning' friend who is on the dreaded blacklist, and therefore does not get any work under his own name. This leads to naturally comic situations, such as Woody pretending to know a lot of authors, and his being asked to rewrite a scene on the sets of a hit TV show because the sponsor has a gas company and wants the reference to gas chambers deleted from a Nazi story episode. He also finds a girl who is in love with the 'writer' in him, and throws a fit when she discovers he is not.

A delightful film, recommended highly for fans of the Woody Allen brand of humour.

Her- A Surreal Yet Human Movie

Saw a film in-flight on the way back from Bali to Mumbai - a Hollywood film while coming back to Bollywood (nay, follywood, mostly). Good premise, somewhat like the robots in a sci-fi film running amok in many science-horror films. But here, it is an Operating System, custom-designed to one human, that provides the twist. And if the human is male, and the OS female, then love can bloom. And it does.

If we can't understand ourselves (and how many can claim to?), why not let the software do it for you? In any case, except changing diapers, it is already doing most things for us.

Though surreal in its premise, it manages to remain a warm, human film. Scary? Yes, because that may be  a glimpse of the future. gay marriages are passe. Marry the comp.

Nebraska-Film Review

Taking a U.S. state that is known for nothing in particular, and turn it into a minor classic-that is what the director has achieved. I liked it first for what it does not have- supermen, weird animated characters, horror, well-sculpted and manicured people of 'Hollywood-defined Americana'. In other words, all the stereotypes and weirdness, unnatural or supernatural.

The characters are so real, and believable, I can't remember the last time I saw similar ones in a Hollywood movie. There is not one slim female in the film. Not many young ones either-male or female. But the film is absolutely engrossing, and visually enthralling. Just the landscapes of Montana and South Dakota, and the small town of Nebraska, are worth a watch. The farms and the barns, the old houses, and so on are a treat. The gray photography adds to the charm. The acting is world-class- I am not kidding. The actors are mostly unknowns (to me), and Bruce Dern, who plays the old dad around whom the story revolves, is the only one I recognised from old times.

His wife is played by a rumbunctious lady, who remembers all her affairs, real or not, in the funniest situations. There is also a graceful ex-girlfriend of the old man, and an ex-partner who has stolen a compressor from him under false pretences. The humour is under-stated, and evolves from the situation- the old man thinks he has won a million dollars, after he gets a junk mailed letter saying so from a publisher.

The movie works at different levels, with a discussion on what one can do (mostly cannot do) with the American dream- a million dollars. Worth a million bucks. Do watch it.

Savings Everyday

We make a mistake in that we count our savings in Rupees, Dollars or Euros. If we rack up all the savings in kind, we would all be zillionaires many times over. Don't believe me? Save our souls, here is a sample worked out-

1. Number of cricket matches, particularly IPL, not watched since the TV was invented..a zillion hours saved.

2. Serials (TV shows) of various in-laws and outlaws made by the famed production houses of Indian television unwatched...two and a half zillion hours saved.

3. Bollywood rehashes of Hollywood, Tollywood, Mollywood, Kollywood and originals (fewer, admittedly than the earlier variety)- unwatched. Three zillion hours in the kitty, because these are usually longer than the TV shows.

4. Arnab Goswami delights (fist-fights with only his fists doing the talking) bypassed- Half a zillion hours.

5. Election speeches, debates, and other moronic material served up as serious fare- are you serious? Million hours, easily.

6. Arguments in life with the boss that remained on the lips, but were never uttered,..countless.

I am guessing, Manmohan Singh must be the biggest 'saviour' of all, by this count.

And what can be done with these 'multiple-zero' hours saved, do you think? I can list a few of my favourite things. I am sure you have yours too. These are multipliers of your savings, not deductions from them.

1. Listen to music.
2. Read a book. I read one about the elections, more on that soon.
3. Talk to a friend, or just forward a PJ on fb.
4. Play golf.
5. Have your favourite drink, in magnificient silence or over a sparkling conversation.
6. Take a beach vacation.
7. Blog...but of course!

Film Review of Non-stop

It has the thrills and suspense needed to keep you hooked for the 106 minutes, after a slow start. The post-9/11 idea of air marshals armed for a contingency is the base of the film.

But the way it is presented, as an attempted extortion through text messages, and a craftily planted bomb by a passenger, incriminating the marshal and provoking mistakes from him, is gripping. There are quick turns of events and red herrings (why are they red?) that maintain the pace. The killing of the pilot is ingenious.

Liam Neeson is good as the brooding, alcoholic air marshal who while accused of a hijacking, has to save a planeload of passengers.

May be a good idea to watch it on TV or DVD, because the dialogue would be easier to grasp fully.
Worth a watch if you like 'edge-of-the-seat' (quite literally here) thrillers.

Michael Caine- Autobiography

That was his screen name. He writes better than Bond- Roger Moore, that is. I read Moore's autobiography earlier, but found it mildly interesting or soporific depending on the time of the day.  This one is better-written; the humour is good. Sample this- he quotes a joke from a stand-up comedian- "I slept like a log. I woke up in the fireplace." And a couple of lines from an Austin Powers movie that he starred in-
1. explaining why he had a stiff neck- "I took a Viagra and it got stuck in my throat" (not Michael Caine's line, but the hero's), and
2. another line, his own-"There are only two things I hate in the world: people who are intolerant of other people's cultures, and the Dutch."

His own fondness for humour comes through in the book. Dirty, Rotten Scoundrels was a comedy he starred in and rates highly- it stars in my top ten Hollywood films too. Another favourite he and I share is the actor Humphrey Bogart, and two of his films- The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca.

He grew up poor, acted on stage, and struggled long years. Sean Connery was a co-struggler. But he got some lucky breaks, and finally made it to Hollywood, his dream. The Ipcress File and Alfie were the films that got him into the limelight (why is it called that?), and Shirley Maclaine adopted him and introduced him to most Hollywood biggies.

His wife Shakira is of Indian origin. He saw her in a Maxwell House coffee ad on TV and was besotted. He found she lived in London, sought her out and dated her, and married her. And stayed married across
continents and decades.

There's also a section on how  the name"Hollywood" came to be. Many anecdotes are interesting, like the kneeling rehearsal for being knighted. Most stars known to me feature in these. His take on social issues like racism, class prejudice, is also well-thought out.

Worth a read. Warning- this is the second of his two autobiographies. Title- The Elephant (a locality in England) to Hollywood.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

This is a movie I am talking about, not ghosts of my girlfriends- though that might be an interesting thing to talk about as well. (Also, they are all alive, so I will leave THAT to a future date)

This guy is a cool fashion photographer, and has girls falling for him like nine-pins (when played well). He believes only in one night stands or less, and has been trained to be this way by an uncle of his, who also comes back as a ghost and tells him to mend his ways.

Anyway, as the title suggests, he meets a few ghosts of his old girlfriends, and they take him through a re-run of his early life, when he used to be a normal guy wanting commitment, but then he chokes on asking his girl for a dance, and then goes off his rocker, turning into a philanderer.

A very interesting premise, and a lot of funny scenes, but somehow, I got the feeling the screenplay could have been better. Some of the scenes and dialogue are pretty predictable, and why he should want to give up what works well for him, is not too clear.

Anyway, fun to watch when it's free (on TV). I may not have paid to watch this one. I saw 'Sweet November' again just after this one, and liked it better even though I had watched it before. A sort of a female 'Anand' with a twist.

Before Sunset- The Sequel

This of course, is the sequel to the film called Before Sunrise that is a saga of two young, lost souls who remain lost after a one-night interlude in Austria, reviewed earlier. The same two people meet ten years later, again for just a short while. The guy (American) has written a book based on his experience of that night disguised as fiction. The lady (French) happens to read it, and appears at his book reading in Paris.

What follows is a couple of hours of conversation, about their lives, the environment, and a few other things. They understand that they have possibly lost an opportunity to fall in love, but then, that could be the result of fate, at least according to her. They also discuss what is happiness, and marriage, and after an attempt at blaming each other, fall into a state of awareness of their own dissatisfaction at how things have turned out, and make peace with each other.

The concept is terrific, the acting original, and both characters are very believable. The film is endearing, and I would recommend it to anyone, lost souls included.

Before Sunrise- Film Review

A lovely film, after a very long time. No idea why I missed it, seems it was made in 1995.

A young man meets a young woman, on a train in Europe. He urges her to get off in Vienna, before her destination. She agrees. They spend a night roaming the streets of Vienna, and talking with each other about their lives, views about life, and such. That is the plot. They part, confused about whether to meet, and whether they are in love.

I loved the movie, and wouldn't mind watching it again sometime. It is simple, uncomplicated by too many characters except when referred to by these two. There are some cultural references to the French and American stereotypes. He is American, and she is French.

The dialogue, the script, the cinematography, and the music, all are top-class, and hold your attention. There is also an old-world romantic feel, and a longing that the two actors portray, that you start wishing them well. Great feel-good stuff, and I am going to watch the sequel soon. There is one.

The Great Gatsby- Film Review

An old classic by Scott Fitzgerald set in the 1920s America, comes to life, well portrayed by its lead characters. It is a tale of obsessive love that a poor guy has for a rich girl, and he decides to make himself worthy by somewhat dubious means. It is too late, by then, and she is married to a rich guy.

So Gatsby traces her, buys a house/castle across the bay from her (in New York) and starts throwing lavish parties to which the social who's who come uninvited. But his lady love does not make an appearance. How he attempts to win her back and how it all turns out - not so well- is the rest of the story.

Narrated by a cosuin of the heroine, the style is paramount in this tale of love. The substance is quite on the expected lines, but the way it all unravels is unique. Definitely worth a watch for the presentation, the acting, and some snappy dialogues in a couple of scenes. Leonardo does a good job. But Toby McGuire is equally good as the anchor of the story. The period is well-captured, in the context of the story.