Long remembered Movies, TV Shows

A movie I saw in my childhood and laughed out loud at was 'The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob'. Can't remember too much, but I think it was slapstick of the kind that appeals to a child or a teen. One more starring Michael Sarrazin was 'The Loves and Times of Scaramouche', about a swashbuckling hero with a lot of spoofing of Napolean, one of the characters in the film. I think the same Michael Sarrazin starred in the 'original Karz', which was called 'The Reincarnation of Peter Proud'- an engrossing suspense film unlike its khichdi counterpart. The Carry on Series also impressed me when I first saw it, with its comedy which was sometimes bawdy, but funny nevertheless. A comedian who does funny things called Benny Hill, may be missing on Indian TV screens, but did a mix of music, stand-up acts and a lot more on Western TV a few decades ago. Herbie Goes Bananas was another fun movie, and so were the Bud Spencer-Terrence Hill combination films, a precursor to the Jackie Chan masala movies.

Bruce Lee was awesome when he entered like a dragon, and spawned the whole karate training industry in India. Back to the Future starring Michael J Fox, of the famous TV show called Family Ties, was another memorable film. Remington Steele was my favourite TV show in the mystery-comedy genre, and starred Pierce Brosnan and Stephanie Zimbalist, both excellent in their roles. Perry Mason series on TV was also great, recreating the characters admirably (in Black and White). I think Raymond Burr played Perry Mason. Murder on the Orient Express is one of the most startling plots made into an equally impressive movie. Death on the Nile was another movie based on Agatha Christie novel that I liked. The Naked Gun, A Fish Called Wanda, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels were three very good comedies I enjoyed watching sometime in the late eighties, or early nineties.

One other movie that has stayed with me was Paheli by Rajshri films in the seventies, about a village girl who 'grows up' between two meetings with a city boy visiting his grandmother in the village. Beautiful locales, some great music- 'Sona, kare jhilmil jhillmil', 'Tan Bheege, man bheege' being the best two, and a lovely Namita Chandra playing the girl (where is she?) completed the experience.