Bhagwan Dada- A Most Unlikely Hero

 Not sure I know his full name. He was simply known as Bhagwan Dada. The only film of his that I remember is Albela. More so, the music in this film, by C. Ramchandra. There is a string of great songs, with Shola jo bhadke, dil mera dhadke being an example.

But this is more about him. In an era where heroes were fair, tall, and well built, he was none of these. Portly would describe him as well as a few other adjectives. But he carried himself with such confidence, that you forgot about your expectations of what a 'her' ought to look like. His dance steps were iconic, and copied later by big actors. His chemistry with Geeta Bali, his heroine in Albela, added another dimension to the enjoyment. 

Remembering Sanjeev Kumar

This hero was unlike any other. He acted much beyond his age, and also played heroes who were older, like in Aandhi (with Suchitra Sen, with some great songs penned by Gulzar and tuned by R.D. Burman), and in younger roles, romanced Hema Malini (Seeta aur Geeta) and Leena Chandavarkar (Manchali was a delight).

Comedy? Angoor was a classic, with two Sanjeevs and two Deven Vermas. Tragedy? Khilona, where he played a tragically ill man. Nine roles? No problem- Naya Din Nayi Raat was the film.

Father of the hero? Trishul... of the Heroine? Parichay. College kid? Devata (this film had the song Chal baithen church ke peechey). Dashing inspector and then the village thakur who is the centrepiece of the blockbuster Sholay.

Manoranjan was another delightful film where he played a cop who tries to rescue a prostitute because he is in love with her- a remake of Irma La Douce.

Another memorable film of his was Koshish, where he and Jaya Bhaduri played a deaf and dumb couple.

Vinod Khanna is No More

I remember (and will continue to remember) Vinod Khanna for many things.

His good looks and easy, effortless acting.

He played bad guys and good guys and grey ones with equal aplomb.

His movies were usually watchable, and sometimes excellent. Mere Apne, Achanak, Amar Akbar Anthony, Inkaar, Kudrat are some that I can remember readily. Lahu ke Do Rang too.

His Imtihan (which had the inspirational song Ruk Jaana nahin tu kahin haar ke) was a remake of To Sir With Love, a film about the beautiful teacher-student relationship, and how a single teacher can transform the attitude of students. Later, a Robin Williams film called Dead Poets' Society would turn out to be on a similar theme (that's also my favourite).

He is also remembered for going away to live with Osho in his Oregon ranch when he was a successful actor. His role in Qurbani with Feroz Khan was also quite memorable.

Quick Ways of Becoming a Hero

Some ways of becoming a hero, then, now and in between.

Pre-independence India: Sacrifice all you have. Sometimes your life.

Post-independence India: Work hard, build the nation, without looking for rewards.

Post 1991: Work hard, set up your own company. No license needed.

Post I.T. : Study, Become a coder, regardless of your qualification. Work hard.

Now: Kill somebody on the road, speak about intolerance, give speeches without any regard for what you are saying, be born into a privileged family that thinks they own the country, lead an agitation for anything that will get media attention- a new state, or a reservation for a caste, or better still, be a media man who shouts everyone down in debates.

These are just a few ways to become a hero,  faster than you can say Maggi.

Avatars- They are all Right Here

We in India have heard stories of the avatars of Vishnu- ten of them. So what's the equivalent for us?

Maybe the roles we end up playing in life. Though not as spotless as those played by the Gods, we do play them in our own way. Sometimes (to use filmy analogies) we are the nanha munna mischief-maker who is every grownup's pet, sometimes the Rajesh-Khannaesque lover boy (Sharmilaesque lover girl), or the Bachchan-like angry young man out to avenge a thousand wrongs done to self or society. Sometimes the jester, a la Asrani or Deven Verma or Mehmood (or Tuntun aka Uma Devi). And sometimes the extra on the sidelines.

Sometimes the Soorma Bhopali who boasts about his (mythical) conquests, the all-protective Bhaiyya (big brother), the cudgel-picking daughter-in-law, or the gyan-spouting philosopher father. I remember one dialogue of that kind from Saira Banu's dad in 'Padosan' in particular. When his wife (Saira's mother) pesters him about how their daughter is of marriageable age and he is not concerned about it, he replies philosophically, "Jab jab jo jo hona hai, tab tab so so hota hai" (what has to happen will happen when it has to).

Coming to the self, the boring academic, the bored student, the leader of an enthusiastic bunch, author, the 'virtual friend' of many in the ether (you might call this an ethereal role), and that of a blogger with some readers (a wonder, in this age of distractions), are some others that come to mind.

Kitnay Admi Thay- Book Review

Yes, this is the title of a book. About Bollywood's follies. Celebrating them. The author, Diptakirti Chaudhuri, is apparently a fellow-blogger too. Another reason to like his book.

There are chapters about the mother-son cliches. And brother-sister cliches. The mothers (Nargis, Nirupa Roy especially), the mothers-in-law (Lalita Pawar et al).

The hero's sidekick. The heroine's confidant, the daughter-father arguments, the rich-poor divide, the running around trees and how it is environment-friendly ( I just made that up).

And of course, the villains, the dialogues that made them famous (Mogambo khush hua?)- the book's title being one case in point.

And lots of trivia- completely useless, as the book's cover proclaims-that will leave you wondering why you haven't read this book so far! There are also some futuristic cliches that we might see in the future.

A must-read if you love Bollywood in spite of all its foibles. If we can love people with all their flaws (ourselves included), why not Bollywood? After all, all of the TV serials can't hold a candle to its larger-than-life entertainment.

Rajesh Khanna- My First Love

I think even before I fell in love with the heroines, I fell in love with this guy. He was probably the ultimate romantic, though Dev Anand came close. What I liked about him was an innocence he projected in his early films, and the brilliant acting in some films like Anand, Aap Ki Kasam, Namak Haram, Hathi Mere Sathi, The Train, Ittefaq, Kati Patang, Aan Milo Sajna, Roti, Andaz, Aradhana, Safar, and Amar Prem.

His other unique achievement was to become a non-violent superstar. Most superstars are fairly violent, both here in India and outside. He was the only one (again, with Dev Anand as a possible exception) who charmed his way through his roles. And I really liked that, like it in retrospect too.

His songs on screen were a rage, and some all time greats of SD and RD Burman, and Kishore Kumar were  embellished by his screen persona. I cannot for moment imagine anybody else doing his Chingari koi bhadke, or Mere Sapnon ki rani, or  Maine tere liye hi saat rang ke chune, or Zindagi ke safar mein guzar jaate  hain jo makaam, woh phir nahin aate. How true the last sounds now!