Changez Khan (1957)

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Of the many things that fascinate me about old Hindi cinema, this is one: the making of films set in a time and space wholly alien to India of the mid-1900’s. The 1950’s, especially, seem to favour these sort of films, set in exotic locales and needing costumes, makeup, and sets that were vastly different from what one saw in the more usual Bollywood drama, thriller or even mythological. There was Yahudi (with Dilip Kumar looking far from Roman in a light-haired wig and ankle-length gown); Aurat (based on the story of Samson and Delilah)—and this one, about the Mongol warrior king, Changez (better known to the West as Genghis) Khan.

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The Vikings (1958)

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As I mentioned in a previous post, watching this film gave me a sense of déjà vu. There’s a lot about it that’s very reminiscent of classic Hindi cinema. The lost heir who can be identified by an amulet he wears; the long-lost brothers who don’t know they’re related and are at daggers drawn, partly because both love the same woman… fortunately, though, The Vikings is more than just a precursor to so many Hindi films. It’s also a very watchable film, with superb cinematography and a general air of having been made much, much later than it actually was.

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Ek Musafir Ek Haseena (1962)

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My post on how similar classic Hollywood actually is to classic Bollywood omitted a popular cliché: amnesia. So, if Greer Garson’s character could fall in love with a soldier who’d lost his memory in Random Harvest, Sadhana can do so too, in Ek Musafir Ek Haseena.
Two years after they both debuted in the generally-enjoyable Love in Simla, Joy Mukherji and Sadhana acted together again in this film. It has lots to recommend it: a very beautiful lead actress (I personally think Sadhana looks her best in this film), a superb musical score by O P Nayyar, Raj Khosla’s direction—then why, at the end of two and a half hours, do I feel a sense of dissatisfaction?

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Now why does that sound familiar?

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In The Vikings (1958), a Northumbrian queen is widowed and raped by a Viking conqueror named Ragnar. She later gives birth to his child, a son whom she tries to protect from the hatred of the newly-crowned king of Northumbria by tying a distinctive amulet around his neck and sending him far, far away, to grow up in safety.

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Wait Until Dark (1967)

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On a flight from Montreal to New York, Lisa (Samantha Jones) smuggles a doll that plays a catchy little tune and holds in its stuffed cloth body a very valuable cache of heroin…

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Baiju Bawra (1952)

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At home, our tastes (when it comes to cinema) are very varied. My husband likes science fiction or fantasy, kung fu, conspiracy, superheroes, and (occasionally) comedy. And very little of it pre-90’s. I watch just about anything that’s pre-70’s. So, when we were deciding which DVDs we wanted to order next from our DVD rental service, I was taken aback when my husband said, “Baiju Bawra.”
“That’s black and white,” I said, wondering if the recent bout of long and stressful work hours had taken its toll. “Early 50’s. Hindi.”
“I know,” he said. “Good music.”

And yes, good music is the outstanding feature of this film. It had to be, since it’s about the legendary 16th century singer and musician Baijnath (‘Baiju’) Bawra.

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Salome (1953)

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Easter’s here once again, so a review of a film with a biblical theme seemed in order.

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Le Camée Anglais – The French edition of The Englishman’s Cameo

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For those of you out there who can read and understand French, a book I’d recommend: Le Camée Anglais. Or, in English, The Englishman’s Cameo. The French edition of the novel, published by Éditions Philippe Picquier, will be released on April 8, 2010. It’s been translated by Melanie Basnel, and has a handy glossary at the end too. This is what the blurb on the back cover reads: 1656, en Inde sous le règne Shah Jahan. Un ouvrier bijoutier est injustement accuse du meurtre de Murad Begh, notable de la ville. Heureusement pour lui, il compte parmi ses amis le jeune Muzaffar, un noble un peu excentrique qui a pour fâcheuse habitude de n’en faire qu’à sa tête. Pour sauver son ami, Muzaffar se lance à corps perdu dans la quête du veritable muertrier. A force de prendre au sérieux sa nouvelle vocation de detective, il se retrouve malgré lui au cœur d’une aventure qui l’emmènera bien loin de son quotidian sans surprises et lui fera découvrier ce qui se trame derrière les murs du fort de Dilli, dans les salons des courtisanes et sous les dorures du palais imperial. Corruption, trahison, meurtres et manigances sont monnaie courante dans l’empire mohol. Et Muzaffar va l’apprendre à ses dépens. The book’s available in bookstores across France. You can also buy it online at: Amazon Canada Mollat Frnac Alapage Happy reading!

Bronenosets Potyomkin (1925)

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Years ago, when I was a child, Bronenosets Potyomkin (The Battleship Potemkin) was shown on television. I must have been about 10, perhaps 11—but no more than that. Five minutes into the film and I got bored of the grainy, jerky picture (this was an unrestored version) and the lack of dialogue. A silent film? And that too about a mutiny? Um, no.
For some 25 odd years, that remained my only memory of Bronenosets Potyomkin, even long after I’d discovered that it’s regarded as a sort of cult classic.
An omission, I realised, that needed correction. It was time to dust off Sergei Eisenstein’s magnum opus and see what it was really about.

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Upcoming Event: Books, Travel, Reading

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For everybody who lives in Delhi and is fond of books, here’s an opportunity to indulge… on Sunday, March 28, 2010, Friends of Books is organising an event that promises to be enjoyable (and I’m not saying that simply because I happen to be one of the authors who’ll be reading at the event)!

In the words of Arti Jain, of Friends of Books:

Programme:

Ongoing : Book Swap (6:00-8:15 P.M).

6:00-6:30 Madhulika Liddle reads from her travel writing and novel followed by Q&A

6:30-:7:00 Puneetinder Kaur Sidhu reads from Adrift followed by Q & A

7:00- 7:30 Mridula Koshy reads from her forthcoming novel set in Kerala and in the US Midwest.

7:30-8:15 Open Mic

Entry Fee : Free!

The authors featuring at the event are women who at some point chose to take a slightly different path, as authors and as people.

Puneetinder Kaur Sidhu cut loose from the pressures to conform and decided to travel through Europe-alone and for the cost of a dozen beers. Madhulika Liddle, a one time corporate employee left it all behind to wear many hats. A blogger and an author, Madhulika Liddle writes both about her journeys to far off places and about an excursion back into history with her evocative thriller set in Mughal era Delhi. She also takes a jaunt down cinema’s memory lane with her popular blog https://dustedoff.wordpress.com. Mridula Koshy has been a cashier at a Kentucky Fried Chicken, swap-meet sales clerk, backstage dresser at fashion shows, waitress, polisher of silverware, writing adviser, a professional advocate of multiculturalism, a house painter, receptionist at a law firm, collator of tax forms, union organizer and community organizer. She has also made life-altering journeys between two continents and woven her experiences into stories.

At the ‘Open Mic’ session, share your own stories about places far and close or read from your favorite travelogue or memoir, take us to another era- past or future. Take us on a journey.

Join us for the Book Swap where you get to take back as many books as you bring to the table. Sharing is caring! (Note that any books you bring must be in good condition).