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Tag Archives: Muslim social

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Palki (1967)

Posted on December 28, 2021 by dustedoff

27

I have watched so many Hindi films from the 50s and 60s that now I am always on the lookout for ‘new’ old films that I haven’t watched. And if someone tells me a film isn’t half bad, I’m more than willing to give it a try. So, when blog reader Manuela mentioned Palki, and wrote this about it: “It’s 100% melodrama, and viewers who regard melodrama as sentimental candy floss for the uneducated will probably hate it. But if you consider melodrama as a legit form of storytelling, it’s very enjoyable.”… I bookmarked the film for watching there and then.

The film is set in Lucknow, to which we are introduced by way of a song. Poor but brilliant shaayar Naseem (Rajendra Kumar) serenades the city by singing Ae shahr-e-Lucknow tujhe mera salaam hai at a mushaira. Naseem is the toast of the town, and is soon to be feted at a mushaira hosted by a Nawab (Rehman). That will be a fine recognition of Naseem’s talent, says a friend, When he hears of this, Naseem’s neighbour and friend Sultan (Johnny Walker) agrees.

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Posted in Dusted Off Tagged Bollywood, film review, Hindi cinema, Johnny Walker, Manmohan Krishna, Master Shahid, Minoo Mumtaz, Muslim social, Nasir Hussain, Naushad, Pratima Devi, Rajendra Kumar, Rehman, Waheeda Rehman

Bahu Begum (1967)

Posted on September 8, 2014 by dustedoff

58

…which could probably have been more appropriately titled How to Jump to Conclusions and Mess up Lives. Or Never Trust a Sinister Mamu. This is one Muslim social – a genre I have long admitted to being very fond of – which has been recommended to me so often, I’ve lost track of the recommendations. On the one hand, I wanted to see it because it has some lovely songs; on the other, the thought of watching Meena Kumari in one of her last few films – well, that wasn’t something I was really looking forward to with anticipation. But all those recommendations tilted the balance.

Meena Kumari as Zeenat Jahaan Begum in Bahu Begum Continue reading →

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Posted in Dusted Off Tagged Ashok Kumar, Bahu Begum, Balam, Bollywood, DK Sapru, film review, Hindi cinema, Indira Bansal, Jan Nisar Akhtar, Johnny Walker, Lalita Pawar, Leela Misra, Meena Kumari, Muslim social, Naaz, Pradeep Kumar, Roshan, Sahir Ludhianvi, Zeb Rehman

Pakeezah (1972)

Posted on May 13, 2014 by dustedoff

94

Whenever people ask me what my movie blog is about, I say pre-70s cinema. Pre-70s, yes, but with a few (very few) exceptions, and those are films released in the very early 70s, but with a distinctly 60s feel to them. Pakeezah is the example I invariably give: a film released in 1972, but with an aura that’s recognisably of an earlier period about it, whether it’s in the fashions, the actors, or the overall look of the film.

Since I generally steer clear of reviewing very well-known films, the format of this review is going to be slightly different from my usual film review. I’ll begin with a much briefer synopsis than usual, then go on to discussing—in far greater detail than I normally do—what I liked about the film, what I didn’t like, and sundry other musings regarding Pakeezah.

Meena Kumari as Sahibjaan in Pakeezah Continue reading →

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Posted in Dusted Off Tagged Ashok Kumar, DK Sapru, film review, Ghulam Mohammad, Hindi film, Josef Wirsching, Kaif Bhopali, Kaifi Azmi, Kamal Amrohi, Kamal Kapoor, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Meena Kumari, Muslim social, Nadira, Naushad, Pakeezah, Raj Kumar, Veena, Vijaylaxmi

Benazir (1964)

Posted on August 7, 2012 by dustedoff

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‘Bimal Roy’s Benazir’ is what it says on the DVD cover. Enough to conjure up, for me, memories of some of the greatest Bimal Roy films I’ve seen: tender, thought-provoking, real films about real people. Benazir, perhaps because it wasn’t directed by Bimal Roy himself but by S Khalil (who also scripted the film) falls short of the standard of Parakh, Prem Patra, Sujata, Do Bigha Zameen, or Bandini.  A top-notch cast, a very well-respected production company, a master music director—but why does this film rarely get mentioned in the same breath as those?

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Posted in Dusted Off Tagged Ashok Kumar, Asit Sen, Benazir, Bimal Roy, Bollywood, Durga Khote, film review, Hindi cinema, Meena Kumari, Muslim social, Nirupa Roy, S D Burman, S Khalil, Shashi Kapoor, Tanuja, Tarun Bose

Mere Huzoor (1968)

Posted on November 11, 2008 by dustedoff

58

I’ve always had a soft corner for Muslim socials—I find the tehzeeb quite beguiling. It also probably has a lot to do with the fact that Urdu has a mellifluousness that few languages possess. And most actors look great in achkans!

So, having recently re-seen some old favourites (including Mere Mehboob, Pakeezah, Chaudhvin ka Chand and Nakli Nawab), I decided it was time to watch some I hadn’t seen before. This was the first of the lot, and not bad, really.

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Posted in Dusted Off Tagged David, Jeetendra, Johnny Walker, K N Singh, Laxmi Chhaya, Madhumati, Mala Sinha, Manorama, Mere Huzoor, Muslim social, Raj Kumar, Zeb Rehman

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