ईश्वर की दी हुई सौगात है ज़िंदगी, है स्वस्थ शरीर तो साथ है ज़िंदगी । है स्वच्छ मन और हृदय में अनुराग, तो खुशियों की है बहार ज़िंदगी ।
हर दिन एक नया जन्म, एक नई कोशिश, एक नई उम्मीद है ज़िंदगी, गिर कर, उठ कर, कठिनाइयों से लड़खड़ाते हुए ऊंचाइयों पर पहुंचने का है नाम ज़िंदगी । छोटे छोटे पलों से गुजरते हुए सुख दुख के साथी समय की है भेंट ज़िंदगी, व्यथाओं से जूझ कर, संघर्षों से उभरकर दुनिया रूपी इंद्रधनुष के रंगों में रंग जाने का है नाम ज़िंदगी। हैं अगर विनम्रता की मूरत हम और बने करुणा का सागर हम तो जीवंत है ज़िंदगी, प्रकृति के चित्रण से दार्शिक चित्रों और सुंदर चरित्रों की है प्रभात ज़िंदगी।
है स्वच्छ मन और हृदय में अनुराग, तो खुशियों की है बहार ज़िंदगी। है स्वस्थ शरीर तो साथ है ज़िंदगी, ईश्वर की दी हुई सौगात है ज़िंदगी।
नमन खरे
I wrote this poem during the pandemic time, with an optimistic and positive approach, given the situation at that time…
It happens with all of us, thoughts come and go through our minds, we see things, observe them, and immediately there is a thought in our mind. Something similar happened to me a little while ago, so, I was going through the old photo albums that also had pictures of my maternal grandparents, and suddenly after looking at them, I became very nostalgic and started thinking about them and realized how much I miss them. I want to acknowledge that I didn’t spend much time with my maternal grandfather in his last few years. And after having this realization, I started observing the condition of older people around me in a very general sense, the time they get from their children, the general treatment they get from them, the helplessness in their eyes, the silent pain in their voices, the ignorance with which they pass each day in front of a television, finally to be scolded by someone to lower the volume, etc. In this era of fast-moving life and a technology-laden world, nobody has enough time or inclination to talk to old, boring, obsolete people (according to some) and this is how, not deliberately or suddenly but eventually, we have started to ignore our parents/grandparents without even realizing it.
ये जीर्ण शीर्ण वृद्ध शरीर अस्त व्यस्त लड़खड़ाता कभी, थरथराता कभी, ज़िंदगी की अब बची कुछ पगडंडियों पर कठिनाइयों से चलते हुए मुस्कुराता कभी।
खुद सहारा देने वाला अब न सहारा मिलने पर भड़भड़ाता कभी, न आशा की किरण, न निराशा की कमी, पर फिर भी जिंदगी की कम होती साँसों में जीने की उम्मीद लिए खिलखिलाता कभी।
ये अंत ही है क्या, ऐसा पूछ पूछ कर अपने आप से, हर बीतते पल के निवाले को चबाता कभी, ऐसे पलछिन, जो समय रूपी समंदर की मोती हैं, उन्हें याद कर कर आज भी तड़प जाता कभी।
अंत में, मृत्यु के आगोश में धीमे धीमे जाते हुए जिंदगी के कड़वे सच को समझता कभी, और फिर एक दिन सारे बंधनो को चीर चला जाता ये जीर्ण शीर्ण वृद्ध शरीर।
नमन खरे
We just want to talk about numbers, figures, materials, growth, and progress, no one wants to talk about feelings, emotions, love, or warmth but trust me, we have become a part of a race, an oblivious race towards nothingness. No gadgets, devices, resources, or any other alternative can replace human warmth and these are not the things they crave, they just want some quality time from their children, grandchildren, and family. And not just this aspect but also the amount of experience, laad-pyar we receive from them is invaluable. I didn’t intend to write but all these thoughts, when I jotted them down, got structured into a poem. Through this, I want to send out a message to everyone, that its high time we acknowledge this important issue which has gained momentum in the recent past, and start spending some time with our parents/grandparents, sit with them, talk to them, who knows, they could be our best friends.
The Black & White Classic Based upon Ashutosh Mukherjee’s acclaimed short story, “Nurse Mitra”, Khamoshi stands apart in all aspects of filmmaking and storytelling. The way the narrative picks up the pace was something unique in the 70’s mainstream. With Asit Sen’s vision, an acclaimed story, Hemantda’s music, and Gulzar Sahab’s lyrics, the movie became a Black & White masterpiece featuring some of the finest, most poignant performances of the 70s decade. Along with Guide (1965) and Reshma Aur Shera (1971), Waheeda Rehman delivered her finest in Khamoshi, especially the last part.
Waheeda Rehman in “Khamoshi (1970)”
A MasterpieceKhamoshi is unusually extraordinary in various aspects, the story, the narrative, the deliberate choice of Black & White cinematography, the cast, and the music. Before “Khamoshi” Asit Sen had already made a film based on the same story, “Deep Jwele Jaai (1959)” with Suchitra Sen in the lead in fact, Khamoshi is the remake of his Bengali language film. In Khamoshi, I think Waheeda Rehman was the most appropriate choice for the nurse’s role. Rajesh Khanna delivered a fabulous performance as a rejected lover, his intense bearded look suited the character. If I were to list the top five performances by Rajesh Khanna from the 70s, it would have Khamoshi as one of them. Dharmendra’s special appearance makes the flashback more impactful.
Rajesh Khanna in “Khamoshi (1970)”
The StoryKhamoshi’s story is one of the most poignant and ground-breaking stories featured in the 70’s mainstream, revolving around an extraordinary nurse (played by Waheeda Rehman) who puts her heart and soul into serving the two patients and helps them recover from their mental illness (first Dev, played by Dharmendra then Arun, played by RajeshKhanna; patient no. 24). In both the cases, what needed more was love, warmth, and care, which Radha provides like no one in the world but what about Radha’s feelings for Arun (earlier Dev), after all, she is a human being too. And after her job is done, she is asked to cut all ties with the patient, and this very question forms the basis of the story.
Rajesh Khanna with Waheeda Rehman in “Khamoshi (1970)”
The Divine Music Irresistible music and songs, a divine collaboration, Hemantda’s music with Gulzar Sahab’s lyrics. I can literally listen to every song from Khamoshi on loop for infinity, be it, Tum Pukar lo (by Hemantda), Wo Shaam Kuch Ajeeb thi (by Kishoreda), Humne DekhiHai Un Aakhon Ki (by Lata ji) and all three are my favorites.
Released in 1957 10/10 Genre- Anthology, Drama Main Cast- Ch 1: Suchitra Sen, Shekhar Ch 2: Nirupa Roy, Kishore Kumar Ch 3: Dilip Kumar, Usha Kiran Supporting Cast: David, Bipin Gupta, Durga Khote, Nazir Hussain, Paul Mahindra, Daisy Irani, Mohan Choti, and Keshto Mukherjee Music- Salil Chowdhury Story- Hrishida Screenplay: Hrishida and Ritwik Ghatak Dialogues- Rajinder Singh Bedi Direction- Hrishida (Hrishikesh Mukherjee)
a scene from “Musafir (1957)”
BRIEF INTRODUCTION The film is divided into three chapters… Overall, the story tells about some specific events from different people’s lives that take place in a house rented by them at different times. Mr. Mahadev Chaudhury (played by David) is the original landlord of the house.
David in a scene from “Musafir (1957)”
LONG INTRODUCTION Ch 1: Marriage Chapter one of the story revolves around an almost married couple, Shakuntala & Ajay (played by Suchitra Sen, Shekhar) and Shakuntala is not yet approved by Ajay’s family. Ajay’s parents approve of the alliance or not concludes the first chapter.
Shekhar and Suchitra Sen in a scene from “Musafir (1957)”
Ch 2: Birth Chapter two is about old Mr. Madhav (played by NazirHussain), his recently widowed elder daughter-in-law (played by Nirupa Roy) who is also pregnant, and his younger son Bhanu (played by Kishore Kumar). With Madhav’s elder son gone, he takes care of the finances of the family but for how long after all he is a retired old man and this situation makes it very important for Bhanu to start earning as soon as possible. Whether Bhanu gets an earning job or not concludes the second chapter.
Nirupa Roy and Kishore Kumar in a scene from “Musafir (1957)”
Ch 3: Death Chapter three starts with Advocate Mr. Suresh Chandra, his widowed sister Uma (played by Usha Kiran), and Uma’s small handicapped son Raja. Despite all the efforts the mother could afford with her brother’s help, doctors declare there is no hope for Raja to recover from his handicapped leg. Meanwhile, somehow Raja hears the sound of a violin from somewhere outside, and he enquires Mohan (the tea boy) (played by MohanChoti) about the violin player. And this is how the audience is finally introduced to the much-in-question violin player, “Pagla Babu” (played byDilip Kumar). It is revealed in the next scene that Uma and Pagla Babu know each other from before in fact, also had a relationship in the past. The two obvious questions, first, what is Uma & Pagla Babu’s past, and second, will Raja ever be able to walk or not conclude the third/final chapter.
Dilip Kumar as Pagla Babu in “Musafir (1957)”
Structure I feel very proud while writing this, and I want to appreciate that such an organized and precisely structured anthology belongs to the great Indian Cinema of the 50s. In a very understandable way, the narrative consisting of three different stories is woven around a common rented house. And every time, someone shifts in or out of the house, the landlord changes the “TO LET” signboard on the front.
The Dream CrewFrom the writing part to the direction, everything is special about Musafir. Ritwik Ghatak, Hrishida, and Rajinder Singh Bedi served as dialogue and screenplay writers. The camera work was done by the ace cinematographer Kamal Bose, the master of Black & White cinematography and a long-time collaborator of Bimalda (Bimal Roy) in some of his biggest classics. Shailendra penned the lyrics, and the music was composed by SalilChowdhury. And this is how the first film to be directed by Hirshida was put together.
My Journey with Musafir Although I got introduced to the Anthology genre through 21 Grams belonging to the Trilogy of Death by Inarritu consisting of Amores perros (2000), 21 Grams (2003), and Babel (2006), I feel sad that I missed the first Anthology from Indian cinema, yes you heard it right, “Musafir (1957)” is probably the first anthology film of IndianCinema and also the simplest, most understandable anthology that I have seen so far. Musafir is special for a lot of reasons, the primary reason being, Musafir was Hrishida’s directorial debut, secondly, it was way ahead of its time, an anthology that too released in the late 50s. The third reason is the casting, it’s almost an ensemble, a dream cast, the biggest stalwarts of Indian and Bengali Cinema featured in this film, including my favorite and one of the most beautiful actresses of all times, Suchitra Sen, the greatest Dilip sahab (Dilip Kumar) and Kishoreda(Kishore Kumar) in an important role. Other than Suchitra Sen, the actresses included Nirupa Roy and Usha Kiran in pivotal roles. The supporting cast had David, Bipin Gupta, Nazir Hussain, Mohan Chhoti, and Keshto Mukherjee.
P.S.“Musafir (1957)” won the 1957 National Award for the Third BestFeature Film in Hindi.
Released in 1986 8/10 Genre: Drama Main Cast: Mithun Chakraborty, Moon Sen, Vijayendra Ghatge, Mallika Sarabhai Screenplay/Story: Mani Shankar Mukherjee Direction- Basu Chatterjee
BRIEF INTRODUCTION An intriguing office/courtroom drama about an alleged incident of harassment at the workplace.
Mithun Chakraborty and Mallika Sarabhai in “Sheesha 1986”
Based on Shankar’s novel, “Man Samman“, probably the first film from Indian Cinema to talk about harassment of women in workplaces. Way ahead of its time, released at a time, when not even remotely, the mainstream was interested or ready for a thought-provoking film like this. As the name suggests, this story is a reflection of the kind of work culture and a lot of things associated with it that encourages such incidents and the position of women in a male-dominated society, especially, twenty-thirty years back.
The Movie Directed by Basuda (Basu Chatterjee), with a straightforward/clear narrative and a strong plot, the film managed to excel in its motive with brilliant performances from the leads.
P.S.“Sheesha 1986” also inspired a recent film on the same subject.
Released in 1982 10/10 Genre- Comedy, Dark Humour Main Cast: Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis Screenplay- Paul Zimmerman Direction- Martin Scorsese
BRIEF IINTRODUCTION Story about a highly ambitious standup comedian who struggles hard to find his breakthrough. The rest of the story deals with celebrity culture and ambition leading to an outrageous extremity.
Robert De Niro in “The King of Comedy 1982”
The Movie Unlike various famous collaborations between De Niro and Scorsese, this was a completely different subject they worked together on. Even though some part of the film deals with celebrity culture, the screenplay was well executed and presented in a very natural way.
Out of all Scorsese films, “The King of Comedy” along with “After Hours1985 (https://perfectmisenscene.com/?p=623)”, are two of the most unique projects directed by him. From the narrative, story, and art design to the style of direction and execution, everything is outstanding about these two films. And, I don’t think, any other artist, other than Robert De Niro could have done justice to the character of Rupert Pumpkin, and having said that his performance in this film is also one of my favorite performances on screen. Frequent collaborations of DeNiro with Scorsese from the times of 70s to the release of “The Irishman2019″ have resulted in some of the finest films ever made.
P.S.“The King of Comedy” won the BAFTA (1984) for Best Original Screenplay by Paul Zimmerman. This film inspired one recent classic as well.
One of my favorite Marvel Superhero films, Ang Lee’s 2003 Sci-fi classic “Hulk” I remember when I saw this film for the first time on my television back in 2013 almost ten years ago and I must admit it was a real Sci-fi treat for me. We see a lot of Sci-fi movies these days which are scientific in a way but on the other hand, if we talk about the technicalities or logical background, they fail to deliver or tend to cover it up with mindless drama. But Hulk 2003 is quite different from the lot, it is one of the most detailed technical films about a comic character, it is like Hulk-Origins. Belonging to a Biotechnology background I want to acknowledge that I heard the term “Biotechnology” for the first time in this film only.
Eric Bana as Bruce Banner in “Hulk 2003”
A substantial part of the film is all about the scientific technicalities and I think they have shown the most scientifically accurate approach to it. Be it the part when Bruce’s father is shown researching (in the flashback) or the other part of the film when Betty and Bruce are doing their research work in the lab. The kind of subject the film deals with could have been a very distracted film but on the contrary, the screenplay stays focused and true to its surroundings without any unnecessary clutter. And I also want to acknowledge that somewhere this film also became a reason why I chose Biotechnology for my Bachelor’s…, the scientist part was so fascinating that I had to.
Absorbing Man Vs. Hulk in “Hulk 2003”
The Visual Effects I don’t know much about VFX or visual effects as a technology but whatever I know, I think I liked the visual effects in Hulk2003. From the very first transformation of Bruce into Hulk to the last part of the film (father-son fight scene), it was pretty decent for an early 2000s film. The last part of the film, the fight between The Absorbing Man and Hulk is my favorite part of the film. There is a specific scene in the fight, where the Absorbing Man is taking Hulk with him through the clouds and the thunderstorm, this particular scene with the background music for me became one of the finest scenes in a Sci-fi movie in terms of visual effects, it almost felt like an electronic comic strip.
P.S.Hulk (2003) was nominated for Saturn Award in four categories, Best Sci-fi Film, Best Special Effects, Best Music, and Best Actress for Connelly.
Released in 1985 10/10 Genre- Thriller, Dark Humour Main Cast: Griffin Dunne Screenplay: Joseph Minion Direction- Martin Scorsese
BRIEF INTRODUCTION Story of one hell of a night (midnight), about a loner exploring the madness of life in the quiet hustle-bustle of a dead night. Starting as a straightforward story, the film takes you on a roller-coaster ride through several events of a mad night.
Griffin Dunne in “After Hours (1985)“
The MovieAfter Hours is one of the best films directed by Martin Scorsese among others. Other than his popular work and expertise in making crime dramas, there are a few movies so different and experimental that you feel you have never met this side of him. For all Scorsese fans, After Hours is a must-watch along with “The King of Comedy (1983), The Color of Money (1986), and Cape Fear (1991)”. The beauty of After Hours lies in the unpredictability of its story, every frame gives something new, something thrilling. If we talk about the setting of the film, along with the visual elements, the music also played a crucial role in creating an adventurous atmosphere for the film.
Griffin Dunne in one of the scenes from “After Hours (1985)”
Paul Hackett A regular office guy with his usual boring life, accidentally gets involved in a series of unexpected events, all happening on the same night. After a while, he realizes that he needs to get home, and as much as he wants to get his home so very badly, the more he sinks into the night as if it is an inescapable trap of circumstances…Find out the rest of the development by watching the film…
P.S.After Hours won several awards and nominations including the CannesFilm Festival Award (1986) for Best Director for Scorsese, Independent Spirit Award (1986) for Best Film and Best Director.
“Safar” comes from an era of cinema where formulaic films were not in the mainstream scene, it was the era of meaningful and storyful dramas. The Amar Jodi of Rajesh-Sharmila created wonders in some of the greatest mainstream films of the Indian cinema in the 70s and Safar is one of them. Safar is an example of simple yet impactful cinema. The plainness of the characters and the depth in their eyes had the power to influence a countrywide audience to fall in love with this artistic masterpiece and make it a commercial success as well.
Rajesh Khanna in “Safar (1970)”
Avinash, Neela and Zindagi ka Safar… As much as Avinash wanted Neela to be happy, considering his life-threatening illness, he ends up making Neela’s life more painful and complicated. He pushes Neela to marry Shekhar which she finally agrees to, after an intense emotional conversation but it results in Neela becoming even more difficult and naturally not very inclined towards Shekhar. And when she finally does, Shekhar ends his life after knowing that Neela loves Avinash, which leaves Neela nowhere just nowhere. So, Safar is a story of simple characters trying to tune in with life. But sometimes things are so complicated that you don’t know, what to do, how to react, and where to lead. The line fits so perfectly, “Zindagi ka Safar hai ye kaisa Safar, koi samjha nahin, koi jaana nahin, hai ye kaisi dagar, chalte hain sab magar, koi samjha nahi, koi jaana nahin…”
Sharmila Tagore and Rajesh Khanna as Neela and Avinash in “Safar (1970)”
The Original True Blue Superstar One thing that always fascinates me about Rajesh Khanna’s stardom is the quality of the films and his choices in the prime of his career. It was some of the best mainstream masterpieces of the 70s which catapulted him to Superstardom. Apart from a few purely commercial projects (and that too, the good ones), films like Aradhana (1969), Safar (1970), Anand (1971), Amar Prem (1972), and Bawarchi (1972)…the list goes on, became the reason he was getting all crazy popularity in the 70s. He defined stardom in his own way, how it should be, and the quality of content a star should be known for. The balance between art and commerce was prominently visible in his choice of projects, especially before the 80s started.
Rajesh Khanna in “Safar (1970)”
P.S. I can listen to every song of Safar on a loop, irresistible music.
Released in 1971 9/10 Genre- Comedy, Thriller, Romance, Drama Main Cast: Om Prakash, Navin Nischol, Deven Varma and Archana Music- Panchamda (R.D. Burman) Story- Shyam Ramsay Screenplay: Bimal Dutt Direction- Hrishida (Hrishikesh Mukherjee)
Deven Varma and Navin Nischol in “Buddha Mil Gaya (1971)”
BRIEF INTRODUCTION Starting as a comedy, the film takes an interesting turn, when two unemployed youths come across an advertisement about a missing elderly fellow and the prize money associated with his hunt. The story further develops into a chilling thriller, after a never-ending murder spree starts with all the dead ones related to the elderly person in question.
The Movie“Buddha Mil Gaya” is not a simplistic thriller but a rather thoughtful and suspenseful film. The idea of putting a murder spree in a comic framework clicked well with the masses too. Om Prakash’s flawless performance and the perfect comic timing of Deven Varma and NavinNischol were the major USPs of the film. The repeated picturization of the soulful classical “Aayo Kahan Se Ghanshyam” with Om Prakash’s character was something excitingly unique. Overall, it was a good watch with something new in it and also it was a completely different experience for a Hrishida film, a thriller by him.
Om Prakash, Deven Varma and Navin Nischol in one of the scenes from “Buddha Mil Gaya (1971)”
P.S. The popular melody, “Raat Kali Ek Khwaab Mein Aayi” by Kishoreda belongs to this classic only…
