Mumtaz and Her Films

 Her early films were probably forgettable, though she started pretty early. Acted as a heroine opposite Dara Singh in a few films too, but really came into her own when she starred opposite Shammi Kapoor in Bramhachari, where she had a great song- Aaj kal tere mere pyar ke charche kar zabaan par. It was om everybody's zabaan, for a long time. Also, another song in that period, Zindagi ittefaq hai, opposite Dharmendra and Feroz Khan was very popular.

Ater she teamed up with Rajesh Khanna, the pair had quite a few successful outings. Like Aap ki Kasam, Roti and Do Raaste. The song Bindiya chamkegi was a huge hit. Dushman also. 

And with Dev Anand, she starred in hare Rama Hare Krishna, the film in which Zeenat Aman made her debut as the hero's sister. 

Khilona opposite Sanjeev Kumar was another great role. 

I also liked her in Apradh, made by Feroz Khan, where she had two good duets, Tum mile pyar se, and Hamaare siwa, tumhaare aur kitne deewane hain? 

From Roti, her duet Gore rang pe na itna gumaan kar, ..main shama hoon tu hai parwaana, was memorable.

Jeetendra was another hero she teamed up with successfully, in a couple of hit films. Himmat was one of them. 

The link below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPAUcrwAO6o&list=PLKDYJsLRnRIP2ZTxjvbWW9FfYtsA5ZjWy&index=4 has some info about her life and times, for those interested in more.

Mahendra Kapoor- the Unsung Hero of Singing

In the era that was dominated by Rafi, Kishore Kumar and Lata and Asha (still termed the Golden Era of Hindi film music by many), there were a few other singers who were pretty good. One such was Mahendra Kapoor. Though he may not have had the range of Kishore and Rafi, he had a few great songs, which I am a fan of.

I think one of his best was from Gumraah- Chalo ek baar phir se ajnabi ban jaayen hum..beautiful lyrics by Sahir Ludhianvi and great music by Ravi added to the overall effect. Check it out here- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzbO1mjFPOM

Another song from Hamraaz had the same effect, and was a big hit- Neele gagan ke tale, dharti ka pyar pale- it has a tranquil quality that is rare in love songs. It was well-picturised too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoityCJ22hs

Lakhon hain yahaan dilwale, aur pyaar nahin milta, from Kismet, filmed on Biswajeet, is another favourite of mine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrqMT9rbyUI

Some of his duets with Asha Bhosle were big hits too. One was this Mumtaz-Dharmendra song from Aadmi aur Insaan- Zindagi ittefaq hai, kal bhi ittefaq thi, aaj bhi ittefaq hai.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wsl8QOj2tHA

Best Female Dancers in Hindi Films

Helen takes the cake there. She is just too good, in a variety of dancing situations, mostly on the stage, and the highlight of a song. But among the other ladies (leading or otherwise), here are a few favourites-

Mumtaz was on song in many a dance, but my favourite one will remain the Shammi Kapoor duet, Aaj kal tere mere pyar ke charche har zubaan par,..from Bramhachari.

Vyjayantimala had numerous great dances to her credit, and just one highlight was Hothon mein aisi baat main dabake chali aayi from Jewel Thief. I also liked the Main ka karoon Ram mujhe buddha mil gaya from Sangam, and her duet with Uttam Kumar - Chhoti si mulaqaat pyar ban gayi, pyar banke gale ka haar ban gayi, ya ya hippi hippi ya ya ya..

Asha Parekh did full justice to her dances when given a chance, as in Aaja aaja, main hoon pyar tera in Teesri Manzil, or Parde mein rehne do, parda na uthao, or Sayonara, sayonara, my first intro to the Japanese language in Love in Tokyo.

Hema Malini was also a trained dancer, and she sometimes got to show her mettle, but she was as good in pure commercial stuff like Naseeb (Mere naseeb mein tu hai ke nahin), and Sholay (Jab tak hai jaan jane jahaan mai nachungi).

Leena Chandavarkar had a few good outings in the times of Jeetendra, with Haye re haye, neend nahin aaye being my favourite.

Madhuri Dixit was a graceful dancer too, and my favourite of hers is from the film Raja- Ankhiyan milaun kabhi ankhiyan churaun kya tune kiya jadu..

Pakeezah had some great dances, but it is rumoured that someone else did the dance steps, as Meena Kumari was too ill.

My Name is Anthony Gonsalves

No, of course, it isn't. I am simple trying to recall some songs which made an impact when I first saw them on screen. Some like this one, were fun, with Amitabh emerging out of an Egg..egdum jhakaas. Some others-

O manchali, kahaan chali..the music, and the masti in the picturisation caught my attention.

Aaj kal tere mere pyar ke charche har zabaan par and from another movie, Badan pe sitare lapete hue..Shammi Kappor's unique dance style.

Hum kaale hain to kya hua dilwale hain..unique lyrics, and Mehmood. Aa ri aaja, nindiya tu lekar kahin udankhatole mein..is a moving lullaby also sung on screen by Mehmood.

Ek chatur naar karke singaar,..by Mehmood and Sunil Dutt on screen.

Zindagi ittefaq hai, kal bhi ittefaq thi, aaj bhi ittefaq hai..Mumtaz does a great job of bringing Asha Bhosle's singing to life on screen.

Mehbooba, mehbooba,..Helen sets the screen on fire. This was popular even before the film released.

Chalo ek baar phir se ajnabi ban jaayein hum dono- the power of lyrics (by Sahir Ludhianvi) to mesmerise..Mahendra Kapoor's silken voice..

My favourite heroines

This I will begin by describing some heroines from earlier years-my major movie-going ones.

I liked Mumtaz for her vivaciousness. She came across as a regular girl, unlike the heavenly Madhubala (who is also a favourite, like 100 percent of the male population who has ever watched her films), and had quite a few roles where she acted well. Khilona, for instance, where she takes care of a mad Sanjeev Kumar, and Apradh, where she has a vampish role with Feroz Khan. Rajesh Khanna and Dev Anand are two others with whom she did well on screen. Tere Mere Sapne and Roti (Gore rang pe na itna gumaan kar was a favourite song of mine, from Roti) were two with these guys I remember well.

Hema Malini was and is the most beautiful of the heroines for the last 40 years. She actually got the correct label of Dream Girl in her first film, and it stuck. Her romance with Dharmendra was of course one aspect, but she was fantastic teaming up with Dev Anand (Johny Mera Naam is my favourite here, particularly the duet O mere Raja). Sholay's Basanti was a classic too.

I liked Saira Banu for her exotic looks and her good role in the film Padosan, which I think is a film that is hard to beat on many counts-humour being the foremost. Her solo songs, and the innocence she brought to her role was fantastic.

Rekha was another favourite, particularly her roles in the films Muqaddar ka Sikandar and Khubsoorat. Particularly the latter, where she espouses the cause of freedom and delight- nirmal anand.

Smita Patil was another gorgeous woman of substance. Any role she played got elevated a few notches by her presence. I saw quite a few of her films, and liked her in art and commercial films (Namak Halaal, Chakra).

Vidya Balan and Kajol will probably round up the list. Vidya was capable of much more than we saw of her in films like Kahani. Kajol was like a breath of fresh air-completely original. Gupt and Dilwale Dulhaniya are two of my favourite films of hers, apart from Baazigar.

Some others who might make it to the list are Tanuja, and Chitrangada Singh. The former in Hathi Mere Sathi, Jewel Thief, and the latter in Hazaaron Khwahishen Aisi were great.

Shriya Saran and Tapsee Pannu are two recent heroines I liked in one film each that I saw of theirs. And Deepika Padukone, in most films. Queen's heroine Kangana also gets an honourable mention. She was good in Tanu Weds Manu also.

Hindi Film Dance Numbers

Choreography in Hindi films is very different from that in Western films, where different dance forms are used. We have dances steeped in our tradition, including classical, but also other forms adapted for Bollywood. Western forms have also been used by many music composers, with good results. Here is a list of some of my favourite dance numbers from Bollywood, starting with one of the latest.

1. From Bajirao Mastani, the high-energy dance by Ranveer playing Bajirao..Malhari.
2. Muqabla, muqabla,..Laila..from Humse Hai Muqabla, which I saw in its Telugu version titled Premikudu. AR Rehman's music is awesome, so is the dancing by Prabhu Deva.
3. O haseena zulfonwali..from Teesri Manzil. Shammi Kapoor, Helen and RD Burman.
4. Aaj kal tere mere pyar ke charche har zabaan par..again, Shammi, with Mumtaz this time. Bramhachari was the film.
5. Rishi Kapoor in Bachna aye haseeno lo main aagaya..in Hum Kisise Kam Nahin.
6. Lekar hum deewana dil, from Yadon ki Baraat..Tariq and Neetu Singh.
7. She is very pretty, from the film Priya. Tanuja with Jalal Agha.
8. Main sitaron ka tarana , from Chalti ka Naam Gaadi. Madhubala and Kishore Kumar
9. Hum the woh thi aur samaa rangeen samajh gaye na..from Chalti ka Naam gaadi..Kishore Kumar with Mohan Choti and Anoop Kumar.
10. Jaane-jaan, ..nisha from sanam Teri Kasam, with Kamalahasan and Reena Roy.
11. Mauja hi Mauja from Jab We Met..Shahid and Kareena Kapoor.
12. Jaan pehchaan ho, jeena  aasaan ho..from Gumnaam.
13. Hum kale hain to kya hua dilwale hain.. Mehmood and Helen, again in Gumnaam.
14. Mera naam chin-chin choo..from Howrah Bridge.
15. Ek pal ka jeena from Kaho na Pya Hai..Hrithik Roshan, Lucky Ali's voice.
16. Duniya haseenon ka mela..from Gupt, with Bobby Deol.
17. Jeena bhi kya hai jeena..Mithun with Salma Agha, one of his best dance numbers..in Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki.
18. Tu mujhe jaan se bhi pyara hai..from Wardaat, Mithun and Kalpana Iyer.
19. Mast baharon ka main aashiq main jo chahe yaar karoon..Jeetendra in Farz.,,and 
20. One of my all time favourites, Shola jo bhadke dil mera dhadke with an endearing pair- Geeta Bali and Bhagwan dada...here is the link if you haven't seen this cute number. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkXVfGi7QVg

Item Numbers

These are the hot numbers in a Hindi movie, which at one time used to be called cabaret songs. The come-hither types performed by suitably clad female actors (sometimes with male accompaniment)- Jayashree T., Mumtaz, Helen, Padma Khanna were some who became the face of the 'items.' Helen, in particular, became known for these, and she was one of the best. Her number in Don appears a classic when you see Kareena's pathetic imitation in the remake. Here is a list of a few good ones I remember. Of course, along the way, the vamp has disappeared, and the heroine now fills in when needed.

1. Husn ke lakho rang, kaunsa rang dekhoge..Johny Mera Naam
2. Zindagi ittefaq hai- Aadmi aur insaan (Mumtaz)
3. Mehbooba, mehbooba- Sholay
4. O haseena zulfon wali jane jahan- Teesri Manzil
5. Piya tuuu, ab to aaja- Caravan
6. Aa jaane jaan- Inteqam
7. Raat akeli hai- Jewel Thief (Tanuja is the actor)
8. Main kya karoon ram mujhe buddha mil gaya-Sangam (Vyjayantimala!)
9. Jab chhaye mera Jadu- Lootmaar (Simple Kapadia did this)
10. Maar diya jaye, ke chhod diya jaye - Mera Gaon Mera Desh (Laxmi Chhaya, I think)
11. Aaiye meherbaan- Howrah Bridge (it's Madhubala playing a club dancer with a dapper Ashok Kumar and K.N. Singh of the evil eyes in the audience)

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.

Dancing Dudes and Divas

Bollywood has produced many great lyricists and music composers. But it has also given us a number of good dances, in movies across decades. Some actors, actresses and dance numbers stay with you years after the movie. Here is an attempt to list some of my favourites. I am excluding Helen, because she was a legend, and would have to be in a whole post by herself.

Kalpana Iyer with Mithun, in Wardaat. And Koi yahaan naache naache in Disco Dancer.

Karisma with Govinda- What is mobile number, what is your style number? Techno-cool song.

Bindu- Mera naam hai shabnam..in Kati Patang..musicless, almost.

Simple Kapadia- Jab chhaye, mera Jaadu..in Lootmaar

Kamal Hasan and Reena Roy---ahaha..ahaha..nisha, in Sanam Teri Kasam

Disco Deewane..not a film song (originally), but swinging song, by Nazia Hasan.

Zeenat Aman in Laila main Laila, Qurbani

Rishi Kapoor- Hum Kisise Kam Nahin - the competition song, and Bachna ai haseeno

Tariq- Yaadon Ki baarat. He was fab. Lekar hum deewana dil..

Aruna Irani in Bobby- a, a, a, a, phasaa.

Raveena in Tu cheez badi hai mast mast, with Akshay and Paresh Rawal..Mohra

Raveena and Govinda in - Kisi Disco mein jaaye..was it Bade Miya Chhote Miya?

Mumtaz..Zindagi, ittefaq hai, in Admi aur Insaan

Mumtaz in Aaj kal tere mere pyaar ke charche, with Shammi Kapoor in Brahmachari

Shammi Kapoor- aaja aaja, main hoon pyaar tera, in Teesri Manzil, with Asha Parekh

Padma Khanna- the seduction song in Johny Mera Naam- Husn ke laakhon rang, kaunsa rang dekhoge

Shilpa Shetty- Chura ke dil mera, goriya chali, in Tu Anari Main Khiladi, with Akshay Kumar

Kishore Kumar- Meri pyaari Bindu in Padosan, with a gang of comedians (and Paanch rupaiya baara aana in Chalti ka naam gaadi, with Madhubala)

Saif - Jab bhi koi ladki dekhun mera dil diwana bole ole ole..

And my favourite..Prabhu Deva in Mukkala muqabla, with Naghma, (Hindi version of movie called Humse Hai Muqabla, Telugu version called Premikudu and Tamil original was Kaathalan)