#Top Bollywood Songs of 1955

[masterband443]

Band Baja Trends for Indian Weddings in 2024

Indian weddings are known for their grandeur, extravagance, and vibrant traditions. One of the most essential elements of these celebrations is the Indian Wedding Band Baja, a timeless feature that adds rhythm, energy, and emotion to the wedding procession, or baraat. As we enter 2024, the trends in Indian Wedding Band Baja have evolved, blending traditional elements with contemporary innovations, making weddings even more memorable. Established in 1955, Master Band has been at the forefront of these changing trends, offering a range of services that not only capture the essence of Indian weddings but also reflect the latest trends in music, decoration, and performance.

In this guide, we’ll explore the top trends in Indian Wedding Band Baja for 2024, including emerging musical styles, performance elements, and event decor ideas, along with insights into how Master Band remains the Top Band in Delhi and the Best Band for Wedding in India.

1. Fusion of Traditional and Modern Music

2024 marks a year where the fusion of traditional and modern music continues to dominate the Indian wedding scene. While classics like the dhol, shehnai, and traditional brass instruments remain central to wedding music, there is a growing demand for adding modern beats and genres such as EDM (Electronic Dance Music) or Bollywood remixes. The use of live DJs, alongside the traditional Indian Wedding Band Baja, allows couples to cater to the musical tastes of all generations in the family.

Master Band, with its team of expert musicians and access to the latest instruments, offers couples the perfect blend of traditional and modern music. Whether it’s the soulful tunes of shehnai combined with upbeat pop tracks or the rhythmic dhol alongside bass-heavy modern beats, couples can enjoy a unique musical experience.

2. Curated Baraat Playlists

Gone are the days when baraat music was left to chance. In 2024, couples are increasingly curating their baraat playlists to ensure every moment is perfectly timed and meaningful. Popular choices include songs that hold sentimental value, mixed with high-energy beats for an electrifying baraat. Songs like "Gallan Goodiyan" and "London Thumakda" are still trending, but newer Bollywood hits and even international chart-toppers are making their way into the baraat soundtracks.

With Master Band’s expertise, couples can work closely with the band to create a seamless, customized playlist that reflects their personalities and ensures every family member joins in the celebration. As the Top Band in Delhi, they provide a diverse range of options, from Bollywood tunes to regional folk music, ensuring a mix of styles that will appeal to all guests.

3. Themed Baraat and Processions

In 2024, themed baraats are more popular than ever. Many couples are opting for themed processions, whether it’s a royal wedding theme with elaborate costumes and traditional decorations or a more contemporary, fusion theme with modern dance performances and chic decor. The Indian Wedding Band Baja plays a crucial role in setting the tone for these themes.

Master Band offers a wide range of services that support themed baraats. For example, their creatively decorated wedding buggis (carriages), folk dance performers, and tasha party (drummers) create a cohesive and immersive experience that ties the theme together. Whether it’s a royal procession with traditional Indian music or a fusion of cultural elements from around the world, the team ensures that every detail aligns with the wedding's overall vision.

4. Royal Groom Entrance with Ghori and Baggi

The groom’s entrance remains a highlight of every Indian wedding. In 2024, grooms are continuing the trend of making grand, royal-style entrances. The use of a wedding ghori (horse) or wedding baggi (chariot) remains popular, but there is a growing trend towards customizing these vehicles for a more personalized touch. From adding floral decorations that match the wedding theme to using LED lighting for a modern look, couples are looking for unique ways to make the groom’s entrance stand out.

Master Band offers a wide range of ghoris and buggis, each beautifully decorated to give the groom a regal appearance. With their focus on customization, Master Band allows couples to design their own royal carriage, enhancing the baraat's visual appeal while keeping it cost-effective.

5. Interactive Performances with Folk Dances and Dhol

Indian weddings in 2024 are moving towards more interactive performances, with guests being encouraged to actively participate in the music and dance. Master Band offers a variety of folk dance performances such as bhangra, ghoomar, and garba that are not only entertaining but also encourage guest interaction. The vibrant energy of these dances, accompanied by the powerful beats of the dhol, ensures that everyone gets involved in the celebration.

The Indian Wedding Band Baja now often includes these folk performances, blending seamlessly with the music to create a lively atmosphere. Master Band’s team of expert folk dancers ensures that every performance is engaging, making it an unforgettable experience for the couple and their guests.

6. Spectacular Fireworks Displays

As weddings become more experiential, the use of fireworks is taking center stage during baraats. The idea of a grand fireworks display to signal the start or end of the baraat is trending for 2024, adding a touch of sparkle to the celebration. Couples are opting for fireworks that are synchronized with the music for a more immersive experience.

Master Band, with its team of licensed experts, offers legally certified fireworks displays that are carefully choreographed to match the wedding music. Whether it’s a dazzling display during the groom’s entrance or a grand finale at the end of the baraat, Master Band ensures that the fireworks add a spectacular touch to the celebration.

7. Eco-friendly Band Baja Options

With sustainability becoming a global concern, Indian weddings in 2024 are seeing a rise in eco-friendly alternatives. Couples are more conscious of their environmental impact and are looking for ways to reduce waste, even in their celebrations. This trend extends to the Indian Wedding Band Baja, where couples are opting for eco-friendly instruments, biodegradable decor, and sustainable fireworks options.

Master Band is committed to adapting to these sustainable trends by offering eco-friendly alternatives in their services. From the use of sustainable materials in decorations to fireworks with reduced environmental impact, they ensure that couples can celebrate in style while being mindful of the planet.

Conclusion

As we move into 2024, Indian Wedding Band Baja trends are all about blending tradition with innovation. From the fusion of musical styles to themed baraats and eco-friendly celebrations, Indian weddings continue to evolve in exciting ways. Master Band, established in 1955, remains at the forefront of these trends, offering a wide range of services that cater to every couple’s vision. With their expert musicians, dancers, and event planners, Master Band continues to lead the industry, making them the Best Band for Wedding in India and the Top Band in Delhi.

[artcultureretailers]

Rhapsody of Melodies

by Team ACF 0 comment

Way before pigeons became messengers for loved ones, rain used to unite lovers. From the time immemorial we have seen monsoons being the best season to romance, dance, rejoice and spend best of time with yourself and others.

Taking you to the time when songs created history. Raj Kapoor’s performances worked as a magic spell on the audience and PYAAR HUA IQRAAR HUA (1955) tops the list because of its evergreen romance . This song is so beautiful and popular that you can find it in every kind of list like most romantic songs, best Hindi songs, Best Rain Songs in Bollywood etc. From  the movie Shree 420, sung by Mukesh, composed by Shankar-Jaikishen and lyrics penned by Shailendra.  EK LADKI BHEEGI BHAAGI SI (1958) is unavoidable as Kishore Kumar and Madhubala looked beautiful in this funny and quirky songs. Sung by Kishore Da himself from movie Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi. Music was composed by Sachin Dev Burman and Lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri. DUM DUM DIGA DIGA got its name engraved in gold with Raj kapoor’s breathless performance in chhaliya (1960)

[dweemeister]

2020 Movie Odyssey Award for Best Original Song (final results)

TAGGING for the last time for 2020′s MOABOS: @addaellis​​; @birdsongvelvet​​; @cokwong; @emilylime5; @halfwaythruthedark; @idontknowmuchaboutmovies​​; @introspectivemeltdown; @maximiliani; @memetoilet; @monkeysmadeofcheese; @myluckyerror; @shootingstarvenator; @plus-low-overthrow​; @themusicmoviesportsguy; @theybecomestories; @umgeschrieben​; @underblackwings; @voicetalentbrendan​; and @yellanimal! I know some of you did not complete the final round, but you have been tagged in appreciation anyways.

I post this in full realization of how dark this day has been. It’s been a painful several hours in a deeply wounded country - a country that, for the first time in in a long time, has failed to secure a peaceful transfer of power. May this day not be an indication of what this new year may bring.

And now to the subject of this post.

I expected this final round to be a complete blowout for a certain song, based on my own personal predictions before MOABOS began and from eyeballing the point totals (which no longer decide the winner and placements for the final). That song did win, but with a razor-thin margin, preventing what might have been the biggest upset in the Movie Odyssey for Best Original Song’s history. I would’ve preferred the upset to the actual winner, but I am nevertheless very happy with the result.

31 respondents chimed in, slightly down by two from last year (my fault... but what a turnout!). The first set of standings you see are based on the points-based system that the preliminary round is based on. The final was formerly decided this way until too many one choice-one vote respondents skewed the process.

STANDINGS ON POINTS (USED ONLY AS A SECONDARY TIEBREAKER... the actual final result is the list below this one). Using the old method, the count would’ve looked like this (“Song”, Film title (points) / #1 votes).:

"Can’t Help Falling in Love”, Blue Hawaii (163) / 8

“Theme from New York, New York”, New York, New York (149) / 2

“(Do You Know What It Means to Miss) New Orleans”, New Orleans (134) / 3

“Farewell to Storyville”, New Orleans (124.5) / 3

“Is There Still Anything That Love Can Do?”, Weathering with You (116) / 3

“Dekhi Zamaane Ki Yaari / Bichhde Sabhi Baari Baari”, Kaagaz Ke Phool (111.5) / 1

“Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam”, Kaagaz Ke Phool (114.5) / 3

“Happy Endings”, New York, New York (104.5) / 1

“Blue Shadows on the Trail”, Melody Time (103.5)

“You Make Me Feel So Young”, Three Little Girls in Blue (103) / 1

“Angela”, Aaron Loves Angela (92) / 2

"Please Don’t Stop Loving Me”, Frankie and Johnny (92)

“Here They Come (From All Over the World)”, The T.A.M.I. Show (74) / 2

“Moonlight Swim”, Blue Hawaii (64) / 1

“Personality”, Road to Utopia (60.5)

"Exsultate Justi”, Empire of the Sun (49) / 1

That’s a sizeable lead on points AND in #1 votes for “Can’t Help Falling in Love”. What did the actual results yield?

THE OFFICIAL TABULATION FOLLOWS.

We used a single transferable vote (which is explained visually here). With 31 votes, a song needed 50% + 1 vote of all #1 and transferred votes to be declared a winner. Thus, a song needed 16 votes to win. One ballot was discarded midway through the count due to that person only voting for one song, but the magic number remained 16. The top ten songs became nominees; the bottom six are considered honorable mentions:

2020 Movie Odyssey Award for Best Original Song (FINAL STANDINGS)

"Can’t Help Falling in Love”, Blue Hawaii (1961)

“Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam”, Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959, India)

“(Do You Know What It Means to Miss) New Orleans”, New Orleans (1947)

“Dekhi Zamaane Ki Yaari / Bichhde Sabhi Baari Baari”, Kaagaz Ke Phool

“Is There Still Anything That Love Can Do?”, Weathering with You (2019, Japan)

“Farewell to Storyville”, New Orleans

“Theme from New York, New York”, New York, New York (1977)

“Angela”, Aaron Loves Angela (1975)

“Here They Come (From All Over the World)”, The T.A.M.I. Show (1964)

“Happy Endings”, New York, New York

“You Make Me Feel So Young”, Three Little Girls in Blue (1946)

“Moonlight Swim”, Blue Hawaii

“Exsultate Justi”, Empire of the Sun (1987)

“Blue Shadows on the Trail”, Melody Time (1948)

“Please Don’t Stop Loving Me”, Frankie and Johnny (1966)

“Personality”, Road to Utopia (1945)

Composed by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, and George David Weiss, your winner is “Can’t Help Falling in Love”. Ever since its debut in the film, it has been covered often by artists in various genres of music. And because of its ubiquity, it was also the song that perhaps came into this year’s MOABOS with the highest expectations of taking it all (aside from “Theme from New York, New York”). But spare a thought for “Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam” (along with Dekhi Zamaane Ki Yaari”, they jointly become the . It is one of the most spellbinding moments in all of Hindi cinema, a lovelorn anthem of classic Bollywood that has transcended its origins.

I also wanted to give a final shout-out to both songs from New Orleans (1947). Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday - two giants of American jazz - should have been the stars in that movie, but, because of the limited opportunities for black actors at that time, they are not. Armstrong has been part of MOABOS before, and I imagine we haven’t see the last of him. But for Billie Holiday, New Orleans was her only credited appearance in a feature film. This year’s MOABOS richly benefitted from her unique voice and musicality.

“Can’t Help Falling in Love” joins these past winners:

2019: “I WIsh I Didn’t Love You So” from The Perils of Pauline (1947)

2018: “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing” from Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955)

2017: “Remember Me (Recuérdame)” from Coco (2017)

2016: “Stayin’ Alive” from Saturday Night Fever (1977)

2015: “Amhrán Na Farraige” from Song of the Sea (2014)

2014: “Rainbow Connection” from The Muppet Movie (1979)

2013: “The Gold Diggers’ Song (We’re In the Money)” from Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)

I thank all of you for participating in 2020′s Movie Odyssey Award for Best Original Song. In a year defined by disruption and disease, I was happy to continue this small (and yes, time-consuming for everyone) end-of-year tradition with all of you. It is a privilege to share my love of classic films and musical tastes here on tumblr and elsewhere, and I hope all of you found some new films or music that caught your attention. With the end of this pandemic closer than ever before, I hope all of you stay safe as we navigate this year together.

The 2021 Movie Odyssey began several days ago. Another year of cinematic discovery beckons, and perhaps many of you might share some of that joy of discovery with me. Hope to see you here for a 2021 edition of MOABOS. Tabulation details are beneath.

31 ballots were submitted; sixteen #1 votes and transferred votes needed to win

2ND COUNT: One vote for “Exsultate Justi” is transferred to “New Orleans”:

3RD COUNT: One vote for “Moonlight Swim” to “Can’t Help Falling in Love”:

4TH COUNT: One vote for “You Make Me Feel So Young” to “Dekhi Zamaane Ki Yaari”:

5TH COUNT: One vote for “Happy Endings” to “Dekhi Zamaane Ki Yaari”:

6TH COUNT: Two votes for “Here They Come (From All Over the World)” to “Dekhi Zamaane Ki Yaari”:

7TH COUNT: One ballot was discarded. One vote for “Angela” to “Is There Still Anything That Love Can Do?” 30 ballots remain; 16 to win.

8TH COUNT: One for for “New York, New York” to “Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam”. The other went to “Can’t Help Falling in Love”:

9TH COUNT: Three votes for “Farewell to Storyville” were transferred. One went to “Can’t Help Falling in Love”, another to “Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam”, and the last one to “New Orleans”:

10th COUNT: Four votes for “Is There Still Anything That Love Can Do?” were transferred. Three went to “Can’t Help Falling in Love. The fourth vote went to “Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam”.

11TH COUNT: Five votes for “Dekhi Zamaane Ki Yaari” were transferred. Four of those went to “Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam”; the other went to “New Orleans”:

12TH COUNT: Six votes for “New Orleans” were transferred. Four went to “Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam”. Two went to “Can’t Help Falling in Love”.

“Can’t Help Falling in Love” clinched victory on the 13th and final count by a margin of 16 votes to 14 for “Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam”.

[bollywoodirect]

Remembering Tun Tun on her 95th birth anniversary. Tun Tun (11 July 1923 – 24 November 2003) was the screen name of playback singer and actress-comedian, Uma Devi Khatri, who was called "Hindi cinema's first-ever comedienne". She arrived in Bombay (Mumbai) at the age of 23, having run away from home, and knocked on composer Naushad Ali's door. She told him that she could sing and that she would throw herself in the ocean if he didn't give her a chance. He auditioned her, and hired her on the spot. She made her debut as a solo playback singer, in Nazir's Wamiq Azra (1946). Soon she signed a contract with the producer-director A.R. Kardar, who used Naushad as music director, and went on make a place for herself amidst music stalwarts like Noor Jehan, Rajkumari, Khursheed and Zohrabai Ambalewali. In 1947, she had huge hits with "Afsana Likh Rahi Hoon Dil-e-beqarar ka", "Yeh Kaun Chala Meri Aankhon Mein Sama Kar", and "Aaj Machi Hai Dhoom Jhoom Khushi Se Jhoom", which she sang for actress Munawar Sultana in A.R. Kardar's Dard (1947), again under the music direction of Naushad; she also sang a duet, "Betaab Hai Dil Dard-e-Mohabat Ke Asar Se", with Suraiya In fact, a gentleman from Delhi was so enamoured by her song, "Afsana Likh Rahi Hoon", that he stayed with her in Bombay. They got married, and the couple had two daughters and two sons; her husband, whom she called Mohan, died in 1992. Success of Dard meant that she next received Mehboob Khan's Anokhi Ada (1948), which again had two hit numbers, "Kahe jiya dole" and "Dil ko lagake humne kuch bhi na paya". This brought her into the league of highly rated playback singers. She reached her peak as a vocalist in director S.S. Vasan's "Chandralekha" (1948) made by Gemini Studios, Chennai. Her seven songs, which include hits like, "Saanjh ki bela", remain her most accomplished work in her singing career; though signing the film also meant a breach of contract with producer-director Kardar, which led to her dwindling fortunes in the industry. Moreover, in following years, owing to her older style of singing and limited vocal range, she found it difficult to compete with the rising singing stars, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle. Eventually Naushad suggested that she take up acting, because she had a very bubbly personality and wonderful comic timing. He asked his friend Dilip Kumar to cast her in one of his films, and she appeared in Babul (1950) with him, which had Nargis as the lead actress; it is he who renamed her as 'Tun Tun' to suit her comic persona, the name stayed with her, and a comedic legend was born. She went on to act in Guru Dutt's classics like Aar Paar (1954), Mr. & Mrs. '55 (1955) and Pyaasa (1957). In the 1960s and 1970s, she was a permanent comic relief in numerous Bollywood films, a few years down the line, she most notably starred in Amitabh Bachchan starrer, Namak Halaal (1982), a Prakash Mehra's blockbuster. In her career spanning five decades, she acted in around 198 films in Hindi/Urdu and other languages like Punjabi etc, pairing with top comedy actors of her times like Bhagwan Dada, Agha, Sunder, Mukri, Dhumal, Johnny Walker and Keshto Mukherjee. She was last seen in Hindi film in 'Kasam Dhande Ki' (1990).

[importantlovecolor]

Chandramukhi Serial Full Story

Chandramukhi Serial Full Story Episode

Chandramukhi Serial Full Story Zee Tv

Watch FIR tv serial full episodes videos online! FIR, a Tv show aired on SAB Tv is a comedy show with amusing & entertaining comedy and is being broadcast Monday to Friday – Hindishows.com. The plot of 'Chandramukhi' revolves around a woman who suffers from a mental disorder affecting a family and a psychiatrist who risks his life to save hers. Readmore 03 /6 'Santosh Subramaniam' - 2008.

Chandra Mukhi is a 1993 Hindi-language Indian feature film directed by Debaloy Dey starring Sridevi, Salman Khan, Mohnish Behl and Pran in lead roles. Chandra Mukhi Film poster Directed byDebaloy Dey Produced byBubby Kent Written byAnwar Khan Story bySalman Khan StarringSridevi Salman Khan Pran Gulshan Grover Mohnish Behl Puneet Issar Music byAnand-Milind Edited byMukhtar Ahmed Release date 22 October 1993 Running time 152 minutes CountryIndia LanguageHindi.

Chandramukhi is one of the pivotal characters in the 1917 Bengali novel Devdas by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. Her character was inspired by the Hindu mystical singer Meera, who devoted her life to Lord Krishna; similarly Chandramukhi devoted her life to Devdas.

ChandramukhiDevdas characterCreated bySarat Chandra ChattopadhyayPortrayed byChandrabati Devi Vyjayanthimala Madhuri Dixit Kalki Koechlin Anwara For more 'Performers'In-universe informationAliasChandrikaNicknameLeniRaceIndian peopleGenderFemaleOccupationTawaif CourtesanSpouseDevdas MukherjeeReligionHindu

Chandramukhi is one of the pivotal characters in the 1917 Bengali novelDevdas by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. Her character was inspired by the Hindumystical singer Meera, who devoted her life to Lord Krishna; similarly Chandramukhi devoted her life to Devdas.[1] Chandramukhi is portrayed as a hooker with a heart of gold in the novel and its film adaptations.[2] Chandramukhi means 'moon faced' or 'as beautiful as the moon' in Sanskrit.[3]

In the novel[edit]

Chandramukhi is a courtesan who lives in Calcutta also known as Kolkata. She is considered the most beautiful and richest prostitute in the area of Chitpur.[4] She is first introduced to Devdas by Chunnilal, who returns to Calcutta heartbroken after the marriage of Parvathi 'Paro'. Devdas, disgusted over Chandramukhi's profession insults her and leaves her kotha. Chandramukhi, impressed by Devdas's attitude, later falls in love with him after realizing his steadfast love for Paro. She leaves her profession for Devdas and convinces him to marry her; he, however, has to reluctantly reject her offer as he has devoted his life to Paro. In return, Chandramukhi does not force him to be with her but waits patiently for him. Subsequently, she also moves to Ashthajhari village, where she lives in a muddy house located at the bank of a river and helps the needy. After some struggle, she meets with Devdas again, who now accepts her love.

In the film[edit]

Chandrabati Devi as Chandramukhi and Pramathesh Barua as Devdas in the 1935 Bengali filmDevdas

In most of the film adaptations of Devdas, the story of Chandramukhi is similar to the novel. Ibm lotus notes mac. However, in most of the films her humanitarian work in helping the needy is not depicted. Unlike in the novel, a scene in which Chandramukhi and Parvathi meet was added in Bimal Roy's 1955 version when Paro, played by Suchitra Sen riding in a human rickshaw, comes across Chandramukhi, played by Vyjayanthimala, who just stares at Paro without a single word being exchanged between them.[5] The meeting scene of Paro and Chandramukhi in the 1955 version was still regarded as one of the memorable scene in Bollywood with the background music adding the impact to the scene.[6] In the 2002 version, the director, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, extended the interaction between Paro and Chandramukhi, also showing them dancing together to the hit song 'Dola Re Dola'.[7]

Performers[edit]

YearTitleEssayed byLanguageOther castNotesDevdasParo1928DevdasNiharbala / Miss ParulSilentPhani SharmaTarakbala1935DevdasChandrabati DeviBengaliP.C. BaruaJamuna Baruah1936DevdasT. R. RajakumariHindiK.L. SaigalJamuna Baruah1937DevdasMohiniAssamesePhani SharmaZubeida1953DevadasuLalithaTelugu, TamilAkkineni Nageswara RaoSavitri–1955DevdasVyjayanthimalaHindiDilip KumarSuchitra Sen1955Good Bye My LoverMolly LimMalayS. Roomai NoorChang Lai LaiMalaysian film; also known as Selamat Tinggal, Kekasihku[8]1965DevdasNayyar SultanaUrduHabib TaalishShamim AraPakistani film1974DevadasuJayanthiTeluguGhattamaneni KrishnaVijaya Nirmala1979DevdasSupriya ChoudhuryBengaliSoumitra ChatterjeeSumitra Mukherjeealso known as Debdas1982DevdasAnwaraBengaliBulbul AhmedKabori SarwarBangladeshi film1989DevadasRamya KrishnanMalayalamVenu NagavallyParvathy2002DevdasIndrani HalderBengaliPrasenjit ChatterjeeArpita Pal2002DevdasMadhuri DixitHindiShah Rukh KhanAishwarya Rai2009Dev.DKalki KoechlinHindiAbhay DeolMahi GillA modern-day take on Devdas2010DevdasMeeraUrduNadeem ShahZara ShaikhPakistani film2013DevdasMoushumiBengaliShakib KhanApu BiswasBangladeshi film2017DeviShataf FigarBengaliPaoli DamShubh Mukherjeemodern-day take on Devdas genderbent versions of characters2017 – presentDev DDSanjay SuriHindiAsheema VardaanAkhil Kapoorweb series modern-day take on Devdas genderbent versions of characters2018Daas DevAditi Rao HydariHindiRahul BhattRicha Chaddamodern-day take on Devdas

Social impact[edit]

Chandramukhi is one of the first characters in an Indian novel to deal with prostitution.[9] She was often depicted as a prostitute with a heart of gold.[10] The character of Chandramukhi had paved the way for other portrayals of prostitutes in films like Sadhna, Pyaasa and Pakeezah.[11] Actresses such as Nargis, Suraiya and Bina Rai refused to enact the role of a prostitute in the 1955 film of Devdas, which later went to Vyjayanthimala.[12]

Legacy[edit]

Chandramukhi was well-received in India by critics. In 2006, Rediff listed Chandramukhi in their list of 'Bollywood's Best Tawaif'.[13]Nikhat Kazmi of The Times of India also ranked Chandramukhi at #5 in his list 'Tart with a heart', saying that 'The egotistical Paro may have given her boy friend the goby, but self-sacricficing Chandramukhi was willing to put everything on hold — her livelihood too — for her lover'.[14]

Chandramukhi Serial Full Story Episode

Awards[edit]

Riverbed nightmare pathfinder. There are many actresses who have portrayed Chandramukhi in film adaptations of Devdas. The first notable award was won by Vyjayanthimala in 1956 when she won the Filmfare Awards, known as Bollywood's Oscar,[15] in the Supporting Actress category. However, she was also the first person to decline the award, as she thought that her role was not a supporting one but was of equal importance and parallel to that of Parvathy in the 1955 version.[16] Other actresses who played Chandramukhi in Hindi versions of the novel have also won this award.[13]

The following are awards and nominations received by actresses who have played the role of Chandramukhi in film:

YearFilmNomineeAwardResultNoteRef.1957DevdasVyjayanthimalaFilmfare Award for Best Supporting ActressWonShe refused to accept the award as she thought that Chandramukhi and Parvathi were parallel roles and not a main and a supporting role[17] [18] [19] [20] [21]2002DevdasMadhuri DixitFilmfare Award for Best Supporting ActressScreen Award for Best Supporting ActressZee Cine Award for Best Actor – FemaleNominatedIIFA Award for Best Actress2010Dev.DKalki KoechlinFilmfare Award for Best Supporting ActressWonStardust Award for Breakthrough Performance – FemaleNominated2013DevdasMoushumiBangladesh National Film Award for Best ActressWonMeril-Prothom Alo Award for Best Film Actress (people’s choice)Nom[22]

See also[edit]

Chandramukhi (2005) Tamil film

References[edit]

^Guha, Srejara (2002). Devdas: a novel. Penguin Books. p. 9. ISBN978-0-14-302926-7. Retrieved 17 February 2012.

^Vidya Pradhan (21 Jan 2008). 'Heart of gold, speckled with sin'. The Hindu. Retrieved 16 Feb 2012.

^Ghose, Anindita (August 2006). 'Of Names of Women in Hindi Cinema: An Exploration in Semantics'(PDF). e-Social Sciences. p. 11. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2011-04-10. Retrieved 16 Feb 2012. Madhuri Dixit in ‘Devdas’ (2002) is Chandramukhi which means ‘moon faced’.

^Shubha Tiwari (2005). Indian fiction in English translation. New Delhi Atlantic Publication. p. 151. ISBN978-81-269-0450-1. Retrieved 2012-02-16.

^Corey K. Creekmur (13 December 2001). 'The Devdas Phenomenon'. University of Iowa. Archived from the original on 13 January 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2012.

^Vijay Lokapally (20 February 2009). 'Devdas (1955)'. The Hindu. Retrieved 7 March 2012.

^'Fighting Queens'. Outlook (magazine). 13 December 2001. Retrieved 18 February 2012.

^Allan Koay (2 Apr 2007). 'A new era'. The Star (Malaysia). Archived from the original on 2012-07-11. Retrieved 22 Feb 2012.

^Lindsay J. Proudfoot, M. M. Roche (2005). (Dis)placing empire: renegotiating British colonial geographies. Ashgate Publishing Limited. p. 160. ISBN0-7546-4213-5. Retrieved 18 February 2012.

^Sumita S. Chakravarty (1993). National identity in Indian popular cinema, 1947-1987. Harward Academic Publication. p. 271. ISBN978-0-292-71156-3. Retrieved 18 February 2012.

^Meghnad Desai (2004). Nehru's hero Dilip Kumar in the life of India. Lotus Collection, Roli Books. p. 95. ISBN978-81-7436-311-4. Retrieved 18 February 2012.

^Lata Khubchandani (5 Jul 2002). ''I did not approve of Vyjayanthimala as Chandramukhi''. Rediff. Retrieved 18 Feb 2012.

^ abDinesh Raheja (30 Oct 2006). 'Bollywood's top tawaifs'. Rediff. Retrieved 18 Feb 2012.

^Nikhat Kazmi (16 January 2006). 'Tart with a heart'. The Times of India. Retrieved 20 March 2011.

^Mishra, Vijay, Bollywood Cinema: A Critical Genealogy(PDF), Victoria University of Wellington, p. 9, archived from the original(PDF) on 2012-09-24, retrieved 2012-02-18

^Sheela Bhatt (22 Jun 2012). 'A star spangled evening'. Mumbai, Maharashtra: Rediff. Retrieved 18 Feb 2012.

^'Vyjayanthimala'. Upperstall. Retrieved 16 Feb 2012.

^'The Winners – 1956'. Indiatimes. Archived from the original on 2012-07-14. Retrieved 2012-02-16.

^Subhash K. Jha (2003-02-22). 'Shah Rukh, Ash, Ajay Devgan's rich haul'. Rediff. Retrieved 2012-02-16.

^Raymond Ronamai. 'The winners of the 55th Filmfare Awards are..'Oneindia.in. Retrieved 2012-02-16.

^Bollywood Hungama News Network (2010-01-16). 'Nominations for Max Stardust Awards 2010'. Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 2012-02-16.[permanent dead link]

^'মেরিল—প্রথম আলো পুরস্কার ২০১৩' [Meril Prothom Alo Award, 2013]. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). April 17, 2014.

External links[edit]

Chandramukhi on IMDb

Chandramukhi Serial Full Story Zee Tv

Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chandramukhi_(character)&oldid=992321596'

Chandra MukhiDirected byDebaloy DeyProduced byBubby KentWritten byAnwar KhanStory bySalman KhanStarringSridevi Salman Khan Pran Gulshan Grover Mohnish Behl Puneet IssarMusic byAnand-MilindEdited byMukhtar Ahmed

Release date

Running time

152 minutesCountryIndiaLanguageHindi

Chandra Mukhi is a 1993Hindi-languageIndianfeature filmdirected by Debaloy Dey starring Sridevi, Salman Khan, Mohnish Behl and Pran in lead roles.[1][2][3][4][5]

Summary[edit]

Chandra Mukhi tells the story of Chandra Mukhi (Sridevi), a princess of a heavenly kingdom, who comes down to earth in search of her lost magical leaf. A boy named Raja (Salman Khan) gets the same magical leaf and the adventure starts.

Cast[edit]

Sri Devi as Chandra Mukhi

Salman Khan as Raja Rai

Pran as Rai (Raja's grandfather)

Gulshan Grover as Madan (Raja's Uncle)

Mohnish Behl as Tony

Puneet Issar as Zhola

Tinnu Anand as Santala

Kunika as Lily

Maya Alagh as Chandra Mukhi's mom

Asha Sachdev as Kamini Rai

Tej Sapru as Ghunga

Shiva Rindani as Bob

Avtaar Gill as Yakeemo

Rana Jung Bahadur as Ved

Kim Yashpal as special appearance in song (deleted song)

Soundtrack[edit]

No.TitleSinger(s)Length1.'Aa Paas Aa To Zara'S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Kavita Krishnamurthy05:022.'Tune Pakdi Kalai'Renu Mukherjee04:033.'Chha Raha Hai Pyaar Ka Nasha'Kumar Sanu, Alisha Chinai06:554.'Maine Pilayee Ke Tune Pilayee'S. P. Balasubrahmanyam04:175.'Mere Honthon Pe Ek Kahani'Anand (Anand-Milind, Kavita Krishnamurthy08:396.'Tere Dil Ki Baat Main Janoo'Kumar Sanu, Alka Yagnik05:207.'Teri Hi Aarzoo Hai'S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Kavita Krishnamurthy05:548.'Ding dong bell Ding dong bell Apna hai Main' (Deleted song)

References[edit]

^'Salman Khan's films you might have missed watching'. The Times of India. Retrieved 9 July 2020.

^'rediff.com: Sridevi-Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan'. Rediff.com. Retrieved 9 July 2020.

^Poonacha, Sahitya P (15 April 2020). 'What made Salman Khan fear Sridevi alone [Throwback]'. International Business Times, India Edition. Retrieved 9 July 2020.

^'Watch: When Salman Khan Introduced Sridevi as 'The Ultimate Superstar''. News18. 28 February 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2020.

^Bhatnagar, Rohit (2 December 2016). 'Salman Khan to cast Sridevi?'. The Asian Age. Retrieved 9 July 2020.

External links[edit]

Chandra Mukhi on IMDb

Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chandra_Mukhi&oldid=990186770'

[esytes69]

He would have been 100 today: Satyajit Ray

The doors of the airy top floor flat at Bishop Lefroy Road is unlikely to be kept ajar – like every year on May 2 – for people to still come in just for a visit or a floral tribute in front of his photo frame. This had been the practice at the Ray household since Satyajit Ray, the ultimate maestro of Indian cinema passed away nearly 30 years ago, but it’s’different this year. The world has changed…and it’s in a state of paranoia now. As Indian cinema is mourning the loss of two of it’s favourite sons in Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor, the never-ending lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic would deter the cinephiles of Kolkata to visit their annual pilgrimage on what would have been Ray’s 100th birthday. The thought of Ray completing a century already may sound a little incredulous – and suddenly makes him all that more remote an icon like say, Rabindranath Tagore, the Nobel laureate bard whose birthday is celebrated as a social event around the state of West Bengal. Ray, who was a Brahmo (a Hindu reformist faith introduced by Maharshi Debendra Nath Tagore, the iconic poet’s father) and a quintessential Renaissance man, was never really known to like the fuss about his birthdays – while he often used to check in at a central Kolkata hotel to work in solitude on his upcoming film scripts. It was almost a privilege to grow up in Kolkata in the mid-Eighties – as it was unanimously hailed then as the cerebral film capital of India. Bollywood was always the hub of Indian cinema and shaped it’s history, but the City of Joy boasted of the holy trinity of Ray, Mrinal Sen and Ritwik Ghatak – who pursued their excellence in realistic films from the usually derelict studios and with shoestring budgets. It’s not for nothing that ‘Manik da,’ as he was popular as in the Indian film industry, is hailed as the director of directors in the Indian film ministry even after 30 years of his death. His versatility in various creative aspects of filmmaking – right from writing own screenplays, music direction, design of costumes and posters are part of folklore – not to speak of the fact that his work in children’s literature enjoy the bestsellers’ tag even to this day. https://youtu.be/AgXPStRWmsY

The Ray Filmography Pather Panchali (Song of the Road) 1955 Aparajito (The Unvanquished) 1956 Paras Pathar (The Philosopher’s Stone) 1958 Jalshaghar (The Music Room) 1958 Apur Sansar (The World of Apu) 1959 Devi (The Goddess) 1960 Teen Kanya (Three Daughters) 1961 Kanchenjungha 1962 Abhijan (The Expedition) 1962 Mahanagar (The Big City) 1963 Charulata (The Lonely Wife) 1964 Kapurush-O-Mahapurush (The Coward and the Holy Man) 1965 Nayak (The Hero) 1966 Chiriakhana (The Zoo) 1967 Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (The Adventures of Goopy and Bagha) 1968 Aranyer Dinratri (Days and Nights in the Forest) 1969 Pratidwandi (The Adversary) 1970 Seemabaddha (The Company Limited) 1971 Ashani Sanket (Distant Thunder) 1973 Sonar Kella (The Golden Fortress) 1974 Jana Aranya (The Middle Man) 1975 Shatranj Ke Khiladi (The Chess Players) 1977 Joy Baba Felunath (The Elephant God) 1978 Hirak Rajar Deshe (The Kingdom of Diamonds) 1980 Ghare Baire (The Home and the World) 1984 Ganashatru (An Enemy of the People) 1987 Shakha Prasakha (Branches of a Tree) 1990 Agantuk (The Stranger) 1991 Documentary Rabindranath (1961) Sikkim (1971) The Inner Eye (1972) Bala (1975) Sukumar Roy (1987) Short film Two (1964) Pikoo (1980) Sadgati (Deliverance) 1981 Major awards won by Ray 1958: Padmashree, India 1965: Padmabhushan, India 1967: Magsaysay Award, Philippines 1971: Star of Yugoslavia 1973: Doctor of Letters, Delhi University 1974: D.Litt, Royal College of Arts, London 1976: Padma Vibhushan, India 1978: D.Litt, Oxford University, Special Award, Berlin Film Festival; Deshikottam, Visva Bharati University, India 1979: Special Award, Moscow Film Festival 1980: D.Litt, Burdwan University; D.Litt, Jadavpur University 1981: Doctorate, Benaras Hindu University, India; D.Litt, North Bengal University, India 1982: Hommage a’ Satyajit Ray, Cannes Film Festival; Viyasagar Award, Government of West Bengal 1983: Fellowship, British Film Institute 1985: D.Litt, Calcutta University; Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India; Soviet Land Nehru Award, Soviet Union 1986: Fellowship, Sangeet Natak Academy, India 1987: Legion d’ Honneur, France; D.Litt, Rabindra Bharati University, India 1992: Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement, USA Akira Kurosawa Award for Lifetime Achievement Award, San Francisco International Film Festival Bharat Ratna, India Read the full article

[bollywood24x7worldwide-blog]

Best Bollywood Songs of 50s | Epic Songs of Bollywood

50s Bollywood is not something that easily forgettable. This decade is one of the decade comes within the golden era of Bollywood. This decade consider as the most important decade in Hindi Cinema. This decade is the witness of a fresh new wave of parallel cinema. Old songs evoke a special feeling.

Epic Songs of Bollywood

Here I list down the epic Bollywood songs of 50s

Ae Dil Mujhe Aisi Jagha Le Chal- Talat Mahmood (Arzoo- 1950)

Gore Gore O Banke Chhore- Amirbai Karnataki and Lata Mangeshkar (Samadhi- 1950)

Khayalon Mein Kisi Ke- Mukesh and Geeta Dutt (1950)

Ae Shama Tu Bata Tere Parwane Kaun Hai- Naushad (Dastan- 1950)

Mera Jeevan Saathi Bichad Gaya- Talat Mahmood (Babul- 1951)

Awara Hoon- Mukesh (Awara- 1951)

Dum Todte Hai Aarman- Mohammed Rafi (Shagun- 1951)

Suno Gajar Kya Gaaye- Geeta Dutt (Baazi- 1951)

Dil Yeh Kya Cheez Hai- Kishore Kumar (Baazi- 1951)

Shola Jo Bhadke- C. Ramchandra and Lata Mangeshkar (Albela- 1951)

Yeh Raat Yeh Chandni- Hemant Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar(Jaal-1952)

Vande Mataram - Lata Mangeshkar, Hemant Kumar (Anand Math -1952)

Yaad Kiya Dil Ne Kahan- Hemant Kumar (Patita- 1953)

Yeh Zindagi Usi Ki Hai- Lata Mangeshkar (Anarkali- 1953)

Mera Dil Ye Pukare Aaja- Lata Mangeshkar (Nagin- 1954)

Babuji Dheere Chalna- Geeta Dutt (Aar Paar- 1954)

Jayen To Jayen Kahan- Lata Mangeshkar (Taxi Driver- 1954)

Na Yeh Chand Hoga- Hemant Kumar and Geeta Dutt (Shart- 1954)

Oh Door Ke Musafir- Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar (Uran Khatola- 1955)

Mera Joota Hai Japani- Mukesh (Shree 420- 1955)

Jeevan Ke Safar Mein Raahi- Kishore Kumar (Munimji- 1955)

Aye Dil Mujhe Bata De- Geeta Dutt (Bhai Bhai- 1955)

Thandi Hawa Kali Ghata- Geeta Dutt (Mr & Mrs’ 55- 1955)

Piya Piya Piya Mora Jiya- Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle (Baap-Re-Baap- 1955)

Dukhi Mann Mere- Kishore Kumar (Funtoosh- 1956)

Nakhrewali- Kishore Kumar (New Delhi- 1956)

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil Jeena Yaha- Mohammed Rafi and Geeta Dutt (CID- 1956)

Jata Kahan Hai Diwane- Geeta Dutt (CID- 1956)

Chhod Aanchal Zamana Kya Kahega- Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle (Paying Guest- 1957)

Aankhon Mein Ky Ji- Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle (Nau Do Gyarah- 1957)

Mana Janab Ne Pukara Nahi- Kishore Kumar (Paying Guest- 1957)

Zara Saamne To Aao Chhaliya- Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar (Janam Janam Ke Phere- 1957)

Eena Meena Deeka- Kishore Kumar (Aasha- 1957)

Tumsa Nahin Dekha- Mohammed Rafi (Tumsa Nahin Dekha- 1957)

Kaun Aaya Mere Mann Ke Dware- Manna Dey (Dekh Kabira Roya- 1957)

Ude Jab Jab Zulfen Teri- Mohammed Rafi and Asha Bhosle (Naya Daur- 1957)

Yeh Raaten Yeh Mausam- Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle (Dilli Ka Thug- 1958)

Haal Kaisa Hai Janab Ka- Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle (Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi- 1958)

Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi Si- Kishore Kumar (Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi- 1958)

Hai Apna Dil To Awara- Hemant Kumar (Solva Saal- 1958)

Toote Huye Khwabon Ne- Mohammed Rafi (Madhumati- 1958)

Hum Bekhudi Mein Tumko Pukare- Mohammed Rafi (Kala Pani- 1958)

Suhana Safar Aur Ye- Mukesh (Madhumati- 1958)

Ghadi Ghadi Mora Dil Dhadke- Lata Mangeshkar (Madhumati- 1958)

Ek Pardesi Mera Dil Le Gaya- Mohammed Rafi and Asha Bhosle (Phagun- 1958)

Yun Hasraton Ke Daag- Lata Mangeshkar (Adalat- 1958)

Dheere Dheere Chal Chand Gagan Mein- Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar (Love Marriage- 1959)

Adha Hai Chandrama- Asha Bhosle and Mahendra Kapoor (Navrang- 1959)

Who Chand Khila- Mukesh and Lata Manageshkar (Anari- 1959)

Sab Kuchh Seekha- Mukesh (Anari- 1959)

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[myakiz-blog]

An Ethnographic Investigation of Hybird Bollywood Song and Dance Nunbers

Introduction

Bollywood has been making movies since the 1930s. Although the numbers are debated, today Bollywood is either the second or third most prolific film industry in the world. The term Bollywood refers to the Hindi language film industry based in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India. This media across cultures project will focus on the song and dance numbers of Bollywood films with a methodological lens informed by ethnography. Ethnography is the scientific investigation of people and their cultures. Ethnography tries to understand how people live their lives and how they construct shared cultural meaning. In addition, ethnography locates spaces where shared cultural understandings are negotiated and formulated. This media studies project will utilize ethnographic concepts to analyze the song and dance numbers of Bollywood films. One of these concepts is the concept of hybridity, which can be defined as the commingling of cultural elements from different cultures—the colonizer and the colonized— resulting in the construction of new cultural objects derived from the integration of these elements (Yazdiah, 31). Hybridity manifests in a number of different ways when the song and dance number of Bollywood films are considered. When film theory is considered, Bollywood films emerge as a hybrid between first world and third word cinema, as they often contain both Western and uniquely Indian cinematic elements on all levels. As Tyrell argues, “Bollywood films are not solely politically motivated, nor are they entirely devoid of nationalist/anti-colonialist content. They are once ‘escapist’ and ideologically loaded” (261). As a result, Bollywood films can paradoxically be seen as both defending Indian values against Western intrusion, and “as a dangerous courier of Western values to the Indian audience” (261). It is a hybridity that is characterized by constant negotiation between India and the West. An important component of this hybridity is the merging of the West and East in unique third spaces. The ethnographic concept of the third space was developed by Homi K. Bhabha. Third spaces are where mutually dependent colonizers and the colonized construct new cultural objects making us increasingly “aware of the construction of culture and the invention of tradition” (247). When the song and dance numbers of many Bollywood masala films are viewed through an analytical lens that is informed by ethnography, it can be seen that they not only act as third spaces for power dynamic negotiations between India and the West, but also function as third spaces where the ‘imagined communities’ of the Indian diaspora define themselves vis a vis both their adopted homelands and their national center, India. The idea of the imagined community, first developed by Benedict Anderson, is another important ethnographic concept that will be utilized in this study. This will be emphasized in this media analysis by only considering the song and dance numbers from Bollywood Masala films that are set both in India and the West. This paper will begin with a brief consideration of third cinema in India and look at the emergence of masala Bollywood films within this context. The remainder of the paper will analyze a number of song and dance numbers in Bollywood masala films in order to illustrate that Bollywood films not only act as third spaces for power dynamic negotiations between India and the West, but also function as third spaces where the ‘imagined communities’ of the Indian diaspora define themselves vis a vis both their adopted homelands and their national center, India.

Chapter 1

Third cinema is world cinema generally coming from so-called third world countries. Third cinema is seen as standing in opposition to imperialism and colonialism, which means that it contrasts significantly with the commercialized film industry of America. One of the main characteristics of third cinema is that it is politically driven. This can be seen in the definitions of first and third cinemas developed by Fernando Solanas and Octavio Gettino, the inventors of the term third cinema. They defined first cinema, as “big spectacle cinema”, whereas they defines third cinema as “democratic, national, popular cinema” (p. 261) Third cinema has strong roots in India. The pioneer of third cinema or ‘new wave’ cinema in India was Bengali filmmaker, Satyajit Ray. His film 1955 film Pather Panchal, which is about the life of the child Apu, as he grows up in poverty. The film is praised for its social realism and authenticity, and the manner in which it depicts the small joys of life. This film is also political and social, as it addresses the issue of poverty in India.

New wave cinema reached its height in India in the 1970s. Georgekutty comments on the societal focus of these films, “‘For example in Ankur and Nishant directed by Shyam Benegal, the theme is the feudal oppression of a people and the germination of resistance. In Party, directed by Govind Nihalani, the theme is the crisis of values in the middle class environment; in Ardh Staya it is the cry for honesty and integrity in contemporary public life; in Aaghat the question is the means and ends in trade union practices; in Rao Saheb it is the plight of women in the context of tradition and colonial experience of modernity; in Paar the tyranny of the landlords”(). New wave cinema went into decline for a number of reasons. However, the largest factor was deregulation, which opened up India, including its film industry, to international competition.

While new wave cinema was in its twilight, a new Bollywood genre of film emerged—the masala. The Hindi Bollywood film industry had been around for nearly the entire 20th century. However, it is the masala genre that has emerged as the most popular and recognizable Bollywood film type. According to the founder of the masala genre, Manmohan Desai, “I want people to forget their misery. I want to take them into a dream world where there is no poverty, where there are no beggars, where fate is kind and god is busy looking after his flock” (). While masala films have remained relatively true to Desai’s description, this does not mean that they are not concerned with ideology. As Tyrell argues, “Bollywood films are not solely politically motivated, nor are they entirely devoid of nationalist/anti-colonialist content. They are once ‘escapist’ and ideologically loaded” (p. 261). This illustrates that Bollywood films occupy a space that falls in between first world and third cinemas. According to Tyrell, “Bollywood can be read both as defending itself and Indian values against the West, and as a dangerous courier of Western values to the Indian audience . . . A constant process of negotiation between East and West takes place in Bollywood films, operating in both terms of style (narrative continuity, mise-en-scene, acting styles), and in terms of content (the values and ideas expressed in the films). Indian cinematic style negotiates the cinematic traditions of Classical Hollywood, while its content addresses the ideological heritage of colonisation” (p. 261). Therefore, Bollywood film falls between first world cinema and third cinema, as it is both profit driven and a democratic, nationalistic endeavour. Bollywood film can be viewed as a hybrid of these two very distinct film industries.

An analysis of the one the first song and dance numbers ever for a masala film reveals that these films reflect the complicated relationship between India and the West. Desai’s Amar Akbar Anthony is recognized as the first masala film.

In this clip, the negotiation between the West and India is clearly on display. One way that this can be seen is in the clothing that the actors are wearing. The main character, Anthony Gonsalves, is dressed like a British gentleman. He has a top hat, white gloves and a three piece suit. However, as he stumbles around making advances at the leading lady, his exaggerated mannerisms are meant to mock the idea of the British gentleman. The fact that most of the actors in this scene are dressed in Western clothing is another example of India meeting the West. Finally, another clearly hybrid element of this clip is the fact that Anthony Gonsalves sings in both English and Hindi.

Chapter 2

When investigating Bollywood films in relation to the Indian diaspora, the concept of the imagined community is important. The idea of the imagined community was developed by Benedict Anderson with a particular focus on the national community confined within the borders of the nation state. According to Anderson, the national community is a socially constructed entity that in reality is not a community at all. Anderson’s concept of the imagined community can be transposed to diasporic communities, which he also sees as unreal social constructs. For Anderson, the idea of a diasporic imagined community is problematic because it bounds people to the imagined national community in question. When this happens, it cements difference and assigns people a priori identities. For Anderson, the existence of an imagined diasporic community means that this community is separated from its host community with an identity that is detached from immediate social realities. However, when diasporic imagined communities are considered, the formation of diasporic identity needs to be removed from Anderson’s rather static perspective on nationalism. According to Stuart Hall, “The diaspora experience as I intend it here is defined not by essence of purity, but by the recognition of a necessary heterogeneity and diversity; by a conception of identity which lives with and through, not despite difference; by hybridity. Diaspora identities are those which are constantly producing and reproducing themselves anew, through transformation and difference” (p. 235). Hall’s prospective on the diaspora is informed by heterogeneity, diversity and hybridity. Therefore, the diaspora is not this static, pre-determined and insular entity. Instead, the diaspora is a fluid and dynamic. Although the diaspora is connected to its homeland, it is no way confined by it, as Anderson suggests. The imagined community of the diaspora is a hybrid that is created through the complex interactions that take place in the third space.

The size of the Indian diasporic community means that Hall’s understanding of the imagined community is immensely applicable to masala Bollywood films. Hall talks about diversity when it comes to how diasporic identities are formed. When considering the presentation of Indian diasporic identity in the context of Bollywood films, there is a real negotiation between Bollywood and the diasporic community. According to O’Neill, many diasporic films “export an image of Indianness that negotiates tensions between homeland and diaspora and underscores India’s cultural authority for its imagined community of viewers” (254). There are two points to consider here. The first point is that this quote overstates the power of India/Bollywood in this relationship. Bollywood films that are partially or fully set in the diaspora are successful if they have good diasporic box office results. Therefore, these films need to offer depictions of the imagined diasporic community that are relatable to that community. However, relatable does not equate to homogenous. Within the diaspora, there are multiple understandings of the diaspora’s characteristics, which will be seen throughout this investigation. In the 1995 film, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jeanie, the hybridity of the diasporic imagined community is on full display. In this film, although the lead characters are born and

raised abroad, have adopted Western youth culture as well as attire, their values, especially those connected to morality, are Indian. As Mishra (2002) argues, in this film, the imagined diasporic community is the site where values and morality are contested, but in the end “Indian values are triumphantly maintained” (259).

This clip clearly shows the two main characters wearing Western clothing, engaging in flirtation with there being no chaperon present. This particular clip fronts Western cultural practices, and it is the scene where the couple fall in love. However, the father of Simran, the female lead, has made an arranged marriage for her daughter. Even though Simran tries to convince Raj, the male lead, to elope with her, he declares that he will only marry her with her father’s permission. Raj’s desire to maintain traditional Indian practices within the diaspora is reflected in the following song and dance number.

In this scene, the actors and dancers are wearing traditional Indian clothes. Within the context of masala films, this scene represents a traditional courtship. The fact that Simran’s father agrees to the couples marriage shows the triumph of traditional Indian values in aesthetically Western diaspora.

Chapter 3

Hybrid cultural formations are negotiated, formed and reformed in what Homi K. Bhabha has referred to as the third space. The third space is where negotiations between the centre and the periphery takes place. The meeting of these cultural entities opens up the third space where these two forces interact and negotiate on relatively neutral ground resulting in the manifestation of a cultural product that is unique, while containing elements from all of the entities involved. According to Edward Soja, the third space is where “everything comes together . . .subjectivity and objectivity, the abstract and the concrete, the real and the imagined, the knowable and the unimaginable, the repetitive and the differential, structure and agency, mind and body, consciousness and the unconscious, the disciplined and the transdisciplinary, everyday life and unending history” (57). Therefore, the third space is the total and complete interaction between entities with this interaction creating new cultural objects. The idea of the third space is immensely important for giving agency to cultural groups that hegemonic theory sees as the subjugated. While the interactions that take place within the third space involve power imbalances, the third space accords the lesser parties real influence. Therefore, the hybrid cultural entities that emerge contain elements from all the involves parties.

When analyzing masala films in the context of the imagined community of the India diaspora, the concept of third space can be extended to include actual physical spaces where cultures meet and meanings are negotiated.

Chapter 4

An important concept mentioned by Hall in his explanation of the diaspora is hybridity. Hybridity is the cultural formation that is the result of negotiation and construction between two or more entities According to Shim, “globalization encourages local peoples to rediscover the ‘local’ that they have neglected or forgotten in their drive towards Western-imposed modernization during the past decades” (p. 27). This statement from Shim brings together third space and hybridity, and highlights the important role that globalization plays in the opening of the third space and the emergence of hybrid cultural formations. In the case of Bollywood films, this third space is the space of negotiation between between India, Western-driven forces of globalization, and the Indian diasporic imagined community. In particular, the song and dance sequences in the films under consideration greatly reflect a hybrid product of the third space negotiation. They bring together Indian and Western influences and create something uniquely new, which speaks to the identities of many within the Indian diaspora with these identities reflecting change, difference and fluidity, which coincides with Hall’s understanding of the diaspora. This bringing together of Indian and Western cultural elements is recognized by many commentators. Tyrrell states that “the ‘picturisation’ of a single film song” is hybrid in nature as “hero and heroine oscillate between Eastern and Western dress in a rapid series of costume swaps as they dance and mime to music which is itself a hybrid of Eastern and Western style” (p. 261). Moreover, Kao and Rozario argue that Bollywood, “draws upon Indian performance practices, many of which find a natural accord with the styles of Hollywood. Furthermore, Priya Jaikumar points out such components as “‘the inalienable relationship between drama, music and dance’ and preponderance of burlesque routines integrated with dramatic, tragic, and action-oriented episodes’ can be found in more ancient theatrical and epic Indian forms, as indeed they are in Hollywood. Consequently, the formation of Bollywood is a process at once entirely Indian and cross-cultural” (p. 313). Therefore, as these commentators confirm, the song and dance numbers in Indian film are natural sites to analyze hybridity.

Conclusion

Works Cited

Anderson, Benedict. (1983). Imagined Communities. New York: Verso.

Bhabha, H. (1994). The Location of Culture. London: Routledge.

Hall, Stuart. (1990). “Cultural Identity and Diaspora.” In J. Rutherford (ed.), Identity: Community, Culture, Difference. London: Lawrence & Wishort.

Kao, K., & Rozario, R. (2008). “Imagined Spaces: The implications of song and dance for Bollywood’s diasporic communities.” Continuum, 22(3), 313-326.

Shim, D. (2006). “Hybridity and the rise of Korean popular culture in Asia.” Media

Culture Society 28(1), 25-44.

Soja, Edward. (1996). Thirdspace. New York: Blackwell.

Tyrrell, H. (1999). “Hollywood versus Bollywood: Battle of the Dream Factories.” In Tracy Skelton and Tim Allen (eds.), Culture and Global Change. New York: Routledge, 260-66, 272-273.

[folomojo]

10 Greatest Regional Indian Film Directors Of All Time

There are good directors and then there are legends. In India, we have got plenty of languages with the number of states that we have. This versatility reflects in the Indian film industry as well. Bollywood movies are known and appreciated worldwide for their scripts, songs and grandeur. But there are much better movies and movie makers in regional cinemas who were way ahead of their time in terms of techniques, philosophy and making. 

This list is all about the 10 Greatest Regional Indian Film Directors who have set a whole new paradigm in film making. 

1) Satyajit Ray (Bengali)

Satyajit Ray proved himself as a director with his very first film Pather Panjali which narrated the story of two kids, Durga and Apu. The film won National Film Award for the Best Feature Film in 1955 and from then on Ray bagged 25 National Awards in various categories. His films also marked the beginning of the neo-realistic era of films in Indian cinema.

2) Guru Dutt (Hindi)

Guru Dutt was a creator of some of the best classics in the golden era of Bollywood. The director cum actor who portrayed his own life on the silver screen, had an existential undertone in most of his films. Some of his widely recognized films include Pyaasa, Kaagaz Ke Phool,Chaudvin Ka Chand and Saheb Bibi Aur Gulam for which he won the National Film Award in 1963. 

3) Padmarajan (Malayalam)

Padmarajan was a director from the golden era of Malayalam cinema, who dealt mostly with themes of individualism and libertinism. With profound scripting and perfect direction, his film making style is still a touchstone. He dealt with fantasies, and his heroines broke all the conventional norms at a period when almost everything was a taboo for women. 

4) Maniratnam (Tamil)

Maniratnam’s films are finely crafted with fresh and beautiful frames and shots. His fifth directorial Mouna Ragam which released in 1986, established him as one of the best film makers of his era. He is popular for the socio-political themes in his films and for combining both art and commercial aspects of films in his work.

5) Shyam Benegal (Bengali)

Shyam Benegal is a director who created a whole new genre of films in Indian cinema called the ‘middle cinema’, that reflected the changing middle class ethos. Some of his well recognized movies include Ankur, Bhumika, Manthan and Nishant.

6)  Adoor Gopalakrishnan (Malayalam)

Adoor Goaplakrishnan from Kerala was the pioneer of new wave cinema movement in Kerala. The director is popular for his realistic and neo-realistic film making techniques and for his profound scripts. Vidheyan, Elipathaayam, Mathilukal, Anantharam, Kodiyettam, Naalu pennungal etc are some of his outstanding films. The director was garnered several times with National Awards and has also won Padma Shri and Padma Vibhushan. 

7) Jahnu Barua (Assamese) 

Jahnu Barua is an Assamese director who has directed over a dozen films in Assamese language and around three films in Hindi. His Hindi film ‘Maine Gandhi Ko Nahi Mara’ released in 2005 gained immense popularity. The 64 year old director was garnered with Padma Awards and National Film Awards. 

8) V. Shantaram ( Marathi)

V Shantaram is the maker of ‘Manoos’, a film released in 1939 which is remembered even today for its bold theme and realism. The director had visited the brothels of red street in Mumbai to assure that his film gets a realistic look. His film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival (1951) and was also honored with Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Padma awards and National Film Awards.

9) Mrinal Sen ( Bengali )

Mrinal Sen’s movies were popular for its tragic or rather dark endings, but were acclaimed critically for in depth scripting, characterization, perfection and  philosophies. He mostly gave an existential, surrealistic or neo-realistic approach to his films. The several time National Award winning director was also honored with Padma Bhushan. 

10) Bala (Tamil)

The director who has worked with almost all the top level actors and actresses in Tamil cinema is popular for his offbeat films. The director who won National Film Award for Best Director in 2010 for Naan Kadavul has also directed classic films like Sethu, Nandha, Pithamagan and Paradesi. 

Article : Lakshmi.C

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New Post has been published on https://acqro.in/he-would-have-been-100-today-satyajit-ray/

He would have been 100 today: Satyajit Ray

The doors of the airy top floor flat at Bishop Lefroy Road is unlikely to be kept ajar – like every year on May 2 – for people to still come in just for a visit or a floral tribute in front of his photo frame. This had been the practice at the Ray household since Satyajit Ray, the ultimate maestro of Indian cinema passed away nearly 30 years ago, but it’s’different this year.

The world has changed…and it’s in a state of paranoia now. As Indian cinema is mourning the loss of two of it’s favourite sons in Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor, the never-ending lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic would deter the cinephiles of Kolkata to visit their annual pilgrimage on what would have been Ray’s 100th birthday.

The thought of Ray completing a century already may sound a little incredulous – and suddenly makes him all that more remote an icon like say, Rabindranath Tagore, the Nobel laureate bard whose birthday is celebrated as a social event around the state of West Bengal. Ray, who was a Brahmo (a Hindu reformist faith introduced by Maharshi Debendra Nath Tagore, the iconic poet’s father) and a quintessential Renaissance man, was never really known to like the fuss about his birthdays – while he often used to check in at a central Kolkata hotel to work in solitude on his upcoming film scripts.

It was almost a privilege to grow up in Kolkata in the mid-Eighties – as it was unanimously hailed then as the cerebral film capital of India. Bollywood was always the hub of Indian cinema and shaped it’s history, but the City of Joy boasted of the holy trinity of Ray, Mrinal Sen and Ritwik Ghatak – who pursued their excellence in realistic films from the usually derelict studios and with shoestring budgets.

It’s not for nothing that ‘Manik da,’ as he was popular as in the Indian film industry, is hailed as the director of directors in the Indian film ministry even after 30 years of his death. His versatility in various creative aspects of filmmaking – right from writing own screenplays, music direction, design of costumes and posters are part of folklore – not to speak of the fact that his work in children’s literature enjoy the bestsellers’ tag even to this day.

The Ray Filmography

Pather Panchali (Song of the Road) 1955

Aparajito (The Unvanquished) 1956

Paras Pathar (The Philosopher’s Stone) 1958

Jalshaghar (The Music Room) 1958

Apur Sansar (The World of Apu) 1959

Devi (The Goddess) 1960

Teen Kanya (Three Daughters) 1961

Kanchenjungha 1962

Abhijan (The Expedition) 1962

Mahanagar (The Big City) 1963

Charulata (The Lonely Wife) 1964

Kapurush-O-Mahapurush (The Coward and the Holy Man) 1965

Nayak (The Hero) 1966

Chiriakhana (The Zoo) 1967

Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (The Adventures of Goopy and Bagha) 1968

Aranyer Dinratri (Days and Nights in the Forest) 1969

Pratidwandi (The Adversary) 1970

Seemabaddha (The Company Limited) 1971

Ashani Sanket (Distant Thunder) 1973

Sonar Kella (The Golden Fortress) 1974

Jana Aranya (The Middle Man) 1975

Shatranj Ke Khiladi (The Chess Players) 1977

Joy Baba Felunath (The Elephant God) 1978

Hirak Rajar Deshe (The Kingdom of Diamonds) 1980

Ghare Baire (The Home and the World) 1984

Ganashatru (An Enemy of the People) 1987

Shakha Prasakha (Branches of a Tree) 1990

Agantuk (The Stranger) 1991

Documentary

Rabindranath (1961)

Sikkim (1971)

The Inner Eye (1972)

Bala (1975)

Sukumar Roy (1987)

Short film

Two (1964)

Pikoo (1980)

Sadgati (Deliverance) 1981

Major awards won by Ray

1958: Padmashree, India

1965: Padmabhushan, India

1967: Magsaysay Award, Philippines

1971: Star of Yugoslavia

1973: Doctor of Letters, Delhi University

1974: D.Litt, Royal College of Arts, London

1976: Padma Vibhushan, India

1978: D.Litt, Oxford University, Special Award, Berlin Film Festival; Deshikottam, Visva Bharati University, India

1979: Special Award, Moscow Film Festival

1980: D.Litt, Burdwan University; D.Litt, Jadavpur University

1981: Doctorate, Benaras Hindu University, India; D.Litt, North Bengal University, India

1982: Hommage a’ Satyajit Ray, Cannes Film Festival; Viyasagar Award, Government of West Bengal

1983: Fellowship, British Film Institute

1985: D.Litt, Calcutta University; Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India; Soviet Land Nehru Award, Soviet Union

1986: Fellowship, Sangeet Natak Academy, India

1987: Legion d’ Honneur, France; D.Litt, Rabindra Bharati University, India

1992: Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement, USA

Akira Kurosawa Award for Lifetime Achievement Award, San Francisco International Film Festival

Bharat Ratna, India

[bollywoodirect]

Remembering Tun Tun on her 14th death anniversary.

Tun Tun (11 July 1923 – 24 November 2003) was the screen name of playback singer and actress-comedian, Uma Devi Khatri, who was called "Hindi cinema's first-ever comedienne".

She arrived in Bombay (Mumbai) at the age of 23, having run away from home, and knocked on composer Naushad Ali's door. She told him that she could sing and that she would throw herself in the ocean if he didn't give her a chance. He auditioned her, and hired her on the spot. She made her debut as a solo playback singer, in Nazir's Wamiq Azra (1946). Soon she signed a contract with the producer-director A.R. Kardar, who used Naushad as music director, and went on make a place for herself amidst music stalwarts like Noor Jehan, Rajkumari, Khursheed and Zohrabai Ambalewali.

In 1947, she had huge hits with "Afsana Likh Rahi Hoon Dil-e-beqarar ka", "Yeh Kaun Chala Meri Aankhon Mein Sama Kar", and "Aaj Machi Hai Dhoom Jhoom Khushi Se Jhoom", which she sang for actress Munawar Sultana in A.R. Kardar's Dard (1947), again under the music direction of Naushad; she also sang a duet, "Betaab Hai Dil Dard-e-Mohabat Ke Asar Se", with Suraiya In fact, a gentleman from Delhi was so enamoured by her song, "Afsana Likh Rahi Hoon", that he stayed with her in Bombay. They got married, and the couple had two daughters and two sons; her husband, whom she called Mohan, died in 1992.

Success of Dard meant that she next received Mehboob Khan's Anokhi Ada (1948), which again had two hit numbers, "Kahe jiya dole" and "Dil ko lagake humne kuch bhi na paya". This brought her into the league of highly rated playback singers. She reached her peak as a vocalist in director S.S. Vasan's "Chandralekha" (1948) made by Gemini Studios, Chennai. Her seven songs, which include hits like, "Saanjh ki bela", remain her most accomplished work in her singing career; though signing the film also meant a breach of contract with producer-director Kardar, which led to her dwindling fortunes in the industry.

Moreover, in following years, owing to her older style of singing and limited vocal range, she found it difficult to compete with the rising singing stars, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle. Eventually Naushad suggested that she take up acting, because she had a very bubbly personality and wonderful comic timing. He asked his friend Dilip Kumar to cast her in one of his films, and she appeared in Babul (1950) with him, which had Nargis as the lead actress; it is he who renamed her as 'Tun Tun' to suit her comic persona, the name stayed with her, and a comedic legend was born. She went on to act in Guru Dutt's classics like Aar Paar (1954), Mr. & Mrs. '55 (1955) and Pyaasa (1957). In the 1960s and 1970s, she was a permanent comic relief in numerous Bollywood films, a few years down the line, she most notably starred in Amitabh Bachchan starrer, Namak Halaal (1982), a Prakash Mehra's blockbuster.

In her career spanning five decades, she acted in around 198 films in Hindi/Urdu and other languages like Punjabi etc, pairing with top comedy actors of her times like Bhagwan Dada, Agha, Sunder, Mukri, Dhumal, Johnny Walker and Keshto Mukherjee. She was last seen in Hindi film in 'Kasam Dhande Ki' (1990).

Like बॉलीवुड डायरेक्ट Bollywoodirect

[esytes69]

He would have been 100 today: Satyajit Ray

The doors of the airy top floor flat at Bishop Lefroy Road is unlikely to be kept ajar – like every year on May 2 – for people to still come in just for a visit or a floral tribute in front of his photo frame. This had been the practice at the Ray household since Satyajit Ray, the ultimate maestro of Indian cinema passed away nearly 30 years ago, but it’s’different this year. The world has changed…and it’s in a state of paranoia now. As Indian cinema is mourning the loss of two of it’s favourite sons in Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor, the never-ending lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic would deter the cinephiles of Kolkata to visit their annual pilgrimage on what would have been Ray’s 100th birthday. The thought of Ray completing a century already may sound a little incredulous – and suddenly makes him all that more remote an icon like say, Rabindranath Tagore, the Nobel laureate bard whose birthday is celebrated as a social event around the state of West Bengal. Ray, who was a Brahmo (a Hindu reformist faith introduced by Maharshi Debendra Nath Tagore, the iconic poet’s father) and a quintessential Renaissance man, was never really known to like the fuss about his birthdays – while he often used to check in at a central Kolkata hotel to work in solitude on his upcoming film scripts. It was almost a privilege to grow up in Kolkata in the mid-Eighties – as it was unanimously hailed then as the cerebral film capital of India. Bollywood was always the hub of Indian cinema and shaped it’s history, but the City of Joy boasted of the holy trinity of Ray, Mrinal Sen and Ritwik Ghatak – who pursued their excellence in realistic films from the usually derelict studios and with shoestring budgets. It’s not for nothing that ‘Manik da,’ as he was popular as in the Indian film industry, is hailed as the director of directors in the Indian film ministry even after 30 years of his death. His versatility in various creative aspects of filmmaking – right from writing own screenplays, music direction, design of costumes and posters are part of folklore – not to speak of the fact that his work in children’s literature enjoy the bestsellers’ tag even to this day. https://youtu.be/AgXPStRWmsY

The Ray Filmography Pather Panchali (Song of the Road) 1955 Aparajito (The Unvanquished) 1956 Paras Pathar (The Philosopher’s Stone) 1958 Jalshaghar (The Music Room) 1958 Apur Sansar (The World of Apu) 1959 Devi (The Goddess) 1960 Teen Kanya (Three Daughters) 1961 Kanchenjungha 1962 Abhijan (The Expedition) 1962 Mahanagar (The Big City) 1963 Charulata (The Lonely Wife) 1964 Kapurush-O-Mahapurush (The Coward and the Holy Man) 1965 Nayak (The Hero) 1966 Chiriakhana (The Zoo) 1967 Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (The Adventures of Goopy and Bagha) 1968 Aranyer Dinratri (Days and Nights in the Forest) 1969 Pratidwandi (The Adversary) 1970 Seemabaddha (The Company Limited) 1971 Ashani Sanket (Distant Thunder) 1973 Sonar Kella (The Golden Fortress) 1974 Jana Aranya (The Middle Man) 1975 Shatranj Ke Khiladi (The Chess Players) 1977 Joy Baba Felunath (The Elephant God) 1978 Hirak Rajar Deshe (The Kingdom of Diamonds) 1980 Ghare Baire (The Home and the World) 1984 Ganashatru (An Enemy of the People) 1987 Shakha Prasakha (Branches of a Tree) 1990 Agantuk (The Stranger) 1991 Documentary Rabindranath (1961) Sikkim (1971) The Inner Eye (1972) Bala (1975) Sukumar Roy (1987) Short film Two (1964) Pikoo (1980) Sadgati (Deliverance) 1981 Major awards won by Ray 1958: Padmashree, India 1965: Padmabhushan, India 1967: Magsaysay Award, Philippines 1971: Star of Yugoslavia 1973: Doctor of Letters, Delhi University 1974: D.Litt, Royal College of Arts, London 1976: Padma Vibhushan, India 1978: D.Litt, Oxford University, Special Award, Berlin Film Festival; Deshikottam, Visva Bharati University, India 1979: Special Award, Moscow Film Festival 1980: D.Litt, Burdwan University; D.Litt, Jadavpur University 1981: Doctorate, Benaras Hindu University, India; D.Litt, North Bengal University, India 1982: Hommage a’ Satyajit Ray, Cannes Film Festival; Viyasagar Award, Government of West Bengal 1983: Fellowship, British Film Institute 1985: D.Litt, Calcutta University; Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India; Soviet Land Nehru Award, Soviet Union 1986: Fellowship, Sangeet Natak Academy, India 1987: Legion d’ Honneur, France; D.Litt, Rabindra Bharati University, India 1992: Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement, USA Akira Kurosawa Award for Lifetime Achievement Award, San Francisco International Film Festival Bharat Ratna, India Read the full article

[bollywoodirect]

Remembering Tun Tun on her 94th birth anniversary.

Tun Tun (11 July 1923 – 24 November 2003) was the screen name of playback singer and actress-comedian, Uma Devi Khatri, who was called "Hindi cinema's first-ever comedienne".

She arrived in Bombay (Mumbai) at the age of 23, having run away from home, and knocked on composer Naushad Ali's door. She told him that she could sing and that she would throw herself in the ocean if he didn't give her a chance. He auditioned her, and hired her on the spot. She made her debut as a solo playback singer, in Nazir's Wamiq Azra (1946). Soon she signed a contract with the producer-director A.R. Kardar, who used Naushad as music director, and went on make a place for herself amidst music stalwarts like Noor Jehan, Rajkumari, Khursheed and Zohrabai Ambalewali.

In 1947, she had huge hits with "Afsana Likh Rahi Hoon Dil-e-beqarar ka", "Yeh Kaun Chala Meri Aankhon Mein Sama Kar", and "Aaj Machi Hai Dhoom Jhoom Khushi Se Jhoom", which she sang for actress Munawar Sultana in A.R. Kardar's Dard (1947), again under the music direction of Naushad; she also sang a duet, "Betaab Hai Dil Dard-e-Mohabat Ke Asar Se", with Suraiya In fact, a gentleman from Delhi was so enamoured by her song, "Afsana Likh Rahi Hoon", that he stayed with her in Bombay. They got married, and the couple had two daughters and two sons; her husband, whom she called Mohan, died in 1992.

Success of Dard meant that she next received Mehboob Khan's Anokhi Ada (1948), which again had two hit numbers, "Kahe jiya dole" and "Dil ko lagake humne kuch bhi na paya". This brought her into the league of highly rated playback singers. She reached her peak as a vocalist in director S.S. Vasan's "Chandralekha" (1948) made by Gemini Studios, Chennai. Her seven songs, which include hits like, "Saanjh ki bela", remain her most accomplished work in her singing career; though signing the film also meant a breach of contract with producer-director Kardar, which led to her dwindling fortunes in the industry.

Moreover, in following years, owing to her older style of singing and limited vocal range, she found it difficult to compete with the rising singing stars, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle. Eventually Naushad suggested that she take up acting, because she had a very bubbly personality and wonderful comic timing. He asked his friend Dilip Kumar to cast her in one of his films, and she appeared in Babul (1950) with him, which had Nargis as the lead actress; it is he who renamed her as 'Tun Tun' to suit her comic persona, the name stayed with her, and a comedic legend was born.

She went on to act in Guru Dutt's classics like Aar Paar (1954), Mr. & Mrs. '55 (1955) and Pyaasa (1957). In the 1960s and 1970s, she was a permanent comic relief in numerous Bollywood films, a few years down the line, she most notably starred in Amitabh Bachchan starrer, Namak Halaal (1982), a Prakash Mehra's blockbuster.

In her career spanning five decades, she acted in around 198 films in Hindi/Urdu and other languages like Punjabi etc, pairing with top comedy actors of her times like Bhagwan Dada, Agha, Sunder, Mukri, Dhumal, Johnny Walker and Keshto Mukherjee. She was last seen in Hindi film in 'Kasam Dhande Ki' (1990).

Owing to her popularity, the name Tun Tun has become synonymous with fat women in India.

Like बॉलीवुड डायरेक्ट Bollywoodirect