Jilabi- Marathi film review

Swapnil Joshi and the rest of the cast - Prasad Oak, Parna Pethe .. nails it, in this suspense film, with a super cop and a villain who is tough to figure out. Enjoyed every moment. Has a taut screenplay, with action as its watchword. 

A cop is tasked with solving a murder in a business family, and what he unravels is much more than he bargained for.

Rarely do Indian films do well in this genre. Also, no frills such as songs, so the story is king. A good decision, like in Ittefaq, many years ago.

The twists in the story keep you hooked. A good thing in themes of this type, with intrigue. Jilabi (jalebi) is an apt name too.

Ittefaq- Film Review

It's a nice word, ittefaq (coincidence). It's also used in a favourite song of mine, Zindagi ittefaq hai  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVxCAwqONcI  but this is about the film, a songless suspense film. It is a remake, with some changes, of a film by the same name starring Rajesh Khanna and Nanda. It is abot two murders, that seem linked to one suspect initially, and then a second. The theories and the suspects' stories are built around some coincidences.

An author is found with a dead man in circumstances that suggest he is the killer. His wife has also been found killed at home, on the evening of a book launch of his new book. The dead man's wife also becomes a suspect after she is found to have lied about some of her extra-curricular activities. S who is the real killer is what the inspector has to find out.

No spoilers, but the inspector Akshaye Khanna has acted well. So has Sonakshi, and others are adequate. Siddhath Malhotra I have always found wooden, and so he continues to be. Nothing great, but watchable for the twists in the tale. We have had live cases going this way and that recently, so it is contextually relevant as a plot, maybe.

Mumtaz- A Tribute

Shah Jahan built a Taj for his. I am no Shah Jahan, so I will simply write a blog. This one is for the yesteryear actress called Mumtaz. No relation to the wife of Mr. Jahan- at least not that I know.

She was one who came up the hard way, from bit roles and vampish roles (villain's moll etc.) to play some good roles in many films. A couple that I recall were in Roti with Rajesh Khanna, and Khilona with Sanjeev Kumar (he is a mentally ill man, and she tends to him). In the film Roti, there was a great chemistry between her and Rajesh Khanna, and the song, Gore Rang pe na itna gumaan kar was one of my favourites. Bindiya chamkegi choodi khankegi from Do Raaste also made her famous.

She was never considered a major or great actress, but she had a sizeable number of hit films. Many with Khanna (Aap ki Kasam), but some with Dharmendra (Loafer), Dev Anand (Tere Mere Sapne, Hare Rama Hare Krishna in which she was the 'kanchi' whose preet was sanchi.), Manoj Kumar (Patthar ke Sanam), Shammi Kapoor (Bramhachari-Aaj kal tere mere pyar ke charche har zabaan par), Biswajit (Mere Sanam), Jeetendra (Jigri Dost and I think Himmat), Dilip Kumar (Ram aur Shyam), Sanjay Khan (Mela), and so on.

She was lovely, bubbly and mostly positive in her roles. Owned some tea estates through her hubby in Ooty/Coonnoor. Brought a natural freshness to the screen. One song of hers from the film AAdmi aur Insaan was my all-time favourite- Zindagi ittefaq hai. Probably true.

Yash Chopra and His Films

Kabhi Kabhi was one of the most poetic films made in Hindi cinema-even more than Silsila. The protagonist was a poet, and sang a song which won the lady's heart at a college gathering. In an age where disco was rampant, this was indeed novel.

Deewar had an undercurrent of violence and revenge, but it was far less macabre than what we have witnessed in recent times. And less crude- much less.

Trishul was actually quite a well-made movie about corporate shenanigans like bidding intrigue. Sanjeev Kumar had a really good role, akin to his Sholay character in age. So did Shashi Kapoor and Hema Malini. Kitaabon mein chhapte hain chaahat ke kisse , haqiqat ki duniya mein chaahat nahin hain, were some good lyrics in the song Mohabbat bade kaam ki cheez hai.

Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge was an updated version of Sangam (he did not direct it, Aditya did, but his stamp was on it somehow), with a romp through Europe and some melodrama to close the narrative. Very beautifully filmed, and both Kajol and Shah Rukh were awesome.

Ittefaq, a murder mystery, Waqt, a lost and found tale with a zabardast song Ai Meri Zohra Jabeen, and Joshila with a mesmerising song- Kiska Rasta Dekhe, ae dil ae saudai, were some of his films I remember a lot.

Will miss his brand of movie-making. aesthetically pleasing, soft, and powerful.