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JAWAAN (2023) : review

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And finally the much hyped, much awaited Jawaan saw light of the day ! Big stars, big budget( humongous budget actually), big music composer, everything super large. But does it meet the expectations of the average viewer? No it goes not. Read on.  A decorated jawan locks horns with a criminal called Kaali, this is in 1986 ( the year movies like Aakhri Raasta released, just for reference). Kaali gets him eliminated and send the pregnant wife to jail. The baby born in jail grows up to become the hero (look alike of the father) and decides to avenge the misdeeds done to his innocent patriotic parents. Well, isn’t it a masaaledaar full on Bollywood- Tollywood drama subject ?  And then the director Atlee also borrows ideas and references from various retro movies, some idea from Sholay (1975) as the hero assembled a gang of jailed Qaidis in order to form a team to nab the villain, then there’s an entire episode borrowed from Dhartiputra (1993), and the basic theme is copy pasted ...
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TAPSEE v/s KANGANA: Who is your curly favourite?

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Twitter explodes! Nowadays it’s all about having virtual online spat amongst celebrities. Whether you are an A lister or a wannabe starlet (or starlings whatever you call them) you are “in the news” if you announce your Twitter war arrival! So what about non entities like me who ain’t there on Twitter, just relax and enjoy the virtual war !  Kangana and Tapsee are two Bollywood celebrities who seem to have an opinion about almost everything, whether it’s their own field of acting or politics, science, current affairs, environment blah blah black sheep etc. And they make sure they’ve an difference of opinion between each other, always make sure they do.  So what’s common between these two curly haired talented Bollywood heroines? They are born in the same year, whoa! So they are the same age albeit different upbringing and background. Both are known for playing strong feminist roles in the movies, good good. And both are considered straightforward and outspoken. Very very good...
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BEECHAM HOUSE - Web Series Review

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BEECHAM HOUSE(2019) Netflix  Directed by: Gurinder Chadha  Cast: Tom Bateman, Dakota Richards, Pallavi Sharda, Gregory Fittousi, Leo Suter, Lesley Nicol, Vivek Kalra, Roshan Seth, Bessie Carter, Tisca Chopra, Arunoday Singh, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Advait Kottary, Marc Warren, Denzil Smith, Amer Patel, Trupti Khamker and Lara Dutta.  An original television series which was broadcasted on London television in 2019 and American broadcasting in 2020 has been streaming as web-series on Netflix. Set in the 19th century at the peak of British Raj in India the story unfolds in a mansion in Delhi owned by a former east India company soldier John Beecham.  Beecham is the protagonist here, there’s a streak of patriotism that generates in him when he witnesses mass destruction of Indian tribes by his company. There are personal issues as well, he falls in love with and gets married to a Rajasthani princess who gives birth to his child who in turn is the heir to a kingdom at Kalyan....
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ETERNAL BACHELOR SANJEEV KUMAR AND HIS TRUE LOVES

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For the millennials he’s the eternally popular Thakur from the blockbuster Sholay(1975) but true fans of SANJEEV Kumar remember him for far more superior performances and movies. Someone who died young, broke stereotypes in Bollywood, played a variety of complex roles and never got embroiled in a web of “image” he got rewarded for what he deserved, neither underrated nor overrated. In a twenty five year long acting career he reached the zenith of superlative acting but was he lucky in love? No.  He was linked to many starlets thanks to gossip columnists and glossy magazines but there are three costars who are supposed to be his true loves at different phases of his life. Revisiting Sanjeev’s incomplete love stories.  SANJEEV with Nutan in Devi(1970)  Beaming with super talent and progressing towards the top league the young and upcoming Sanjeev fell hopelessly in love with the screen goddess Nutan while shooting a movie called Devi(1970) phew !! Nutan was much married an...
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MUSIC MOGUL GULSHAN KUMAR REVISITED

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Gulshan Kumar with Nadeem Shrawan  Every 90s grown up would remember the moon faced ever smiling Gulshan Kumar who would appear in devotional videos on music channels. He had what one could term an meteoric rise and eventual tragic end. Revisiting a man who defied all Bollywood norms and emerged as an undisputed music mogul notwithstanding the politics and crab mentality prevailing in the industry.  Gulshan with daughter Tulsi  Would you believe Gulshan was a small time obscure fruit seller in the DaryaGanj area of Delhi in his struggling years? His unbeatable devotion to music and the divine prompted him to move to Bombay and plan a meticulous strategy to build an music empire. A smooth operator, Gulshan started his music label Super cassette industries aka Tseries focusing on aggressive marketing. In fact his rise can well be an eminent case study for management students.  With HMV monopolising the music market in the 80s it was unthinkable to breakthrough but Gul...
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DIRTY SEX, LIES & BOLLYWOOD: Much before MeToo

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Clean clean Bollywood? Or dirty dirty Bollywood? Nobody is squeaky clean as long as you are human, you wrestle with a pig and you get dirtier. Bollywood woke up to Tanushree Dutta’s MeToo allegations against Nana Patekar in 2018, she opened a Pandora’s box though it did raise awareness and many victims found a voice to expose their tormentors and speak up about their horror stories, rewind to times from 1970s to 1990s when women found very little support for MeToo allegations.  Sixteen year old Rekha who had just debuted with a sleeper hit Sawan Bhadon(1970) was flabbergasted when co star the much senior Biswajeet dragged and smooched her, an act that wasn’t part of Rekha’s screenplay. The kissing went on for five whole minutes with the studio audience playing mute spectators to an unsuspecting young Rekha. It was later alleged that Rekha had played along but she has always maintained that the act was not a part of her consent.  Bubbly Bindiya Goswami all of 15 accused her Je...
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ONE HIT WONDERS # 4

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In the fourth segment on artists in Bollywood who started their careers with ambitious goals but turned into one hit or one film wonders.  Deepak Parashar With the Mr India title earned in mid 70s tall yet lanky Parashar is best remembered for playing the adab arz hai Nawab in the blockbuster Nikaah(1982), he had some hits like Sharaabi(1984) where he was in a minor role, it was a joke that he had a better chemistry with Raj Babbar than the leading ladies as they starred in a spate of multiple movies in the 80s. Parasher wasn’t able to repeat his Nawaabi Andaaz ever again.  Suneil Anand  Son of debonair evergreen Dev Anand, Suneil was launched by daddy with the musical Anand Aur Anand(1984) or was it Anand hi Anand? Whatever the title, there was no Anand for the Anand’s considering beta Suneil failed to impress the viewers. Not a chip of the old block he appeared in disastrous relaunches like Car Thief(1987) and soon vanished into oblivion.  Harish   He debuted...
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Missed the Bus with BIG B ?

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Who’s the greatest superstar of them all? Though the answer is debatable there are a millions who swear by their loyal dedication to Amitabh Bachchan, a mega star of the millennium. Whatever his greatness maybe but one can’t deny he had his preferred camps be it directors, production houses, playback singers or his leading ladies. It was a dream for any female actor during Bachchan’s peak (1973-1992) to be cast opposite him, so here’s a wish-list of prominent leading ladies during that peak period who were never romantically paired with him, wonder why?  Shabana Azmi  I know I know they did a movie called Main Azaad Hoon(1989) but not too sure if there was a romantic angle between their roles in that movie. Basically the supremely talented Shabana wasn’t cast as Bachchan’s love interest though they worked in blockbusters like Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), wouldn’t it have been a really intellectual pair had they played a romantic couple in a movie?  Reena Roy  A big my...
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