Hindi Movie - Kati Patang (Rajesh Khanna, Asha Parekh) - Released in 1971

In the space of a few years, the late Rajesh Khanna became a superstar, enjoying a level of adulation that is difficult to achieve for anybody after him (even the level of success of Amitabh Bachchan soon after him did not reach the amount of crazed fandom that Rajesh Khanna achieved), giving a consecutive series of 15 hit films, something that nobody has managed to do since. This stardom lasted a few years, but made Rajesh Khanna a name that would forever be remembered. One of the movies released during this duration was 'Kati Patang', which also became a huge hit. The movie was produced and directed by Shakti Samanta, and was the second in a series of 9 films they made together. The movie earned a number of Filmfare nominations, but the only award won by the movie was for Asha Parekh as the Best Actress, and the movie did seem to have a focus on Asha Parekh as the person on whom the movie revolved around. The music of the film, by RD Burman was very well liked and appreciated, and Kishore Kumar sang most of the songs for the movie (Kishore was the usual singer for Rajesh Khanna). The movie was actually based on a novel by the name of "I Married a Dead Man," by William Irish (real name of the author being Cornell Woolrich, with William Irish being the name under which the novel was published) and was made into English and French language movies as well.

The movie was an emotional movie, based on the struggle of a woman who took a decision in her life that impacted her again, in an amazing coincidence. Like many people of the current age, the heroine of the movie Madhavi (Asha Parekh) took a decision that you would consider right. She was an orphan and when her uncle arranged her marriage to somebody whom she did not know, she ran away from there to her lover rather than get married to somebody she did not know. Unfortunately, she found that she had been deceived, since her lover Kailash (Prem Chopra) was only playing with her, and she found him with another woman Shabnam (Bindu). Hurt and betrayed, she returned home to find that her uncle had died. With this distressing situation, she ran away and ran into her friend Poonam who was with her small child. Poonam had married her husband against the wishes of his family and they had never met her. However, she was now returning to his family after the death of her husband, and yet, in another tragedy, Poonam dies although her child and Madhavi both survive, with Madhavi now having to take care of the child.
Madhavi decides to travel to Poonam's inlaws, and since they have never seen Poonam, Madhavi takes on the guise of Poonam, living as their widowed daughter-in-law. And then she runs into the person who has suffered an emotional turmoil, Kamal (Rajesh Khanna). Kamal's would be wife ran away before the marriage, something that affected him terribly emotionally. Madhavi is very distressed to hear about this, since she was the one who had caused such pain to Kamal. However, when Kamal starts to get closer to her, she resists since she does not want her truth to come out. And then the complication happens, with Kailash and Shabnam re-entering the scene and twisting things around so that she is liable to get blamed. How does she handle this and who supports her ? Watch the movie.

Music from the movie: Video from Youtube, Lyrics, MP3 on Amazon: Na Koi Umang Hai (link) Yeh Jo Mohabbat Hai (link) Mera Naam Hai Shabnam (link) Yeh Shaam Mastani (link) Pyar Deewana Hota Hai (link) Jis Gali Mein Tera Ghar (link)

Great Gambler (1979) - A double role of Amitabh Bachchan and also starring Neetu Singh and Zeenat Aman

The Great Gamber released in the year 1979 and was directed by the super hit director Shakti Samanta and had in a double role, Amitabh Bachchan. Essentially a film about look-alikes and mistaken identities, it was a departure for the director in terms of the genre of the film and the hero. Samanta was known for his romantic films and for his close association with Rajesh Khanna. The film did not do too well but is known for its foot tapping songs.

Jai (Amitabh Bachchan) is an expert gambler and has been one for as long as he can never. He has the reputation of never having lost a game. His skills bring him to the attention of the underworld don Saxena (Utpal Dutta). Saxena is keen on hiring Jai as he wants the latter to win large amounts of money from rich people and then to influence them into doing whatever he (Saxena) wants. Jai agrees to play for Saxena without knowing of the bigger plan. One of Jai’s first victim is Nath(Jagdish Raj) a government employee who loses amount of money to Jai and is then blackmailed by Saxena into revealing the blueprints of a top-secret military laser weapon that can hit any target within 50 miles.

The Indian police come to know of this plan and assign the case to Inspector Vijay (Amitabh Bachhcan agajn) who is asked to apprehend Jai at any cost. The only hitch to this plan is that Inspector Vijay is Jai’s look alike but unlike his doppelganger he cannot gamble. There is a confusion of identities and Jai and Vijay both coincidentally are sent to Rome. In Rome Vijay is sent to recover proof against underworld don Saxena by his past henchman. On the other hand Jai is onto a money-making scheme that has him marrying rich girl Mala (Neetu Singh) in order to inherit her money. Mala however mistakes Vijay for Jai at the Rome airport and Vijay decides to go along with this to find out more about his look alike. Jai meanwhile meets Shabnam (Zeenat Aman), a club dancer who has been sent by Saxena to sidetrack Vijay and sabotage his mission to retrieve evidence against Saxena. However Shabnam mistakes Jai for Vijay and Jai gets involved into killing Saxena's former henchman to retrieve the blueprints of the laser weapon. The climax sees Jai and Vijay joining hands to finish off the bad guys.

Despite the heavy duty presence of big stars, the film refuses to take off primarily due to its many twists and turns that at times becomes a tad confusing. However Amitabh Bachchan’s suave portrayal of Jai and his dynamic characterisation of Vijay makes this film worth a watch.

CAST AND CREW

Directed by Shakti Samanta
Produced by C.V.K. Shastri
Written by Shakti Samanta, Ranjan Bose
Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Zeenat Aman, Neetu Singh
Music by Rahul Dev Burman

Ijaazat (1987) - a great musical emotional story

Ijaazat means permission, and the name of the movie is based on the concept of the heroine having taking a drastic step without consulting with her husband, something that she would regret later. The movie is a very well regarded movie, based on alternative cinema. The movie is also very well known for its songs (shown later in this post), and is also distinctive that the movie gave a chance for Asha Bhosle to showcase her quite tremendous singing talents, since she sang the 4 main songs of the movie. These songs are all incredibly famous, and regarded as excellent songs both in terms of music and lyrics. The music of the film won 2 national awards. The movie did give a boost to the reputations of both Naseeruddin Shah and Rekha, although the commercial success of such a movie is always debatable. The movie was directed by Gulzar (also the lyrics, screenplay and dialogues), with music by RD Burman.



1988 - National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer: Asha Bhosle - Mera Kuch Samaan
1988 - National Film Award for Best Lyrics: Gulzar - Mera Kuch Samaan
1989 - Filmfare Best Lyricist Award: Gulzar

The movie works in mostly flashback mode. Mahinder (Naseeruddin Shah), on a stormy night, gets into a train waiting room; a lady sitting in the waiting room tries to avoid being seen, but eventually they meet. The lady is Sudha (Rekha), and when they see each other, the flashback starts. They were married to each other earlier, but that relationship broke because of the presence of another girl in Mahinder's life.
Mahinder used to love a girl called Maya (Anuradha Patel), a free living feminist. However, it was impossible for Mahinder to marry her since his grandfather (Shammi Kapoor) would never have allowed this. His grandfather had found Sudha, a school teacher, for him, and even though the engagement has stretched to 5 years, it was pretty clear that the marriage could happen anytime. This was something that Mahinder told Sudha about as well, with the understanding that Maya would never come between them. However, it seemed to Sudha that Maya had such an important part in Mahinder's life that her presence was always there.
The situation escalates, till there is a time when Sudha feels that Mahinder has deserted her for Maya and she laves without telling Mahinder. In the meantime, when Mahinder gets to know, he suffers a heart attack, with Maya taking care of him. Soon after, Maya dies when her scarf gets entangled in the wheel of the motorcycle that she was driving. In the present time, when Sudha gets to know these events, she is shocked, since it would seem to be that she had left without ascertaining the complete facts, and this had changed her life. And then her husband, Shashi Kapoor comes in, and she leaves with him, this time taking the permission (Ijaazat) of Mahinder, unlike the previous time.




Videos of songs of Ijaazat on Youtube:

Ijaazat Video Song: Katra Katra



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HngdE4MiL2U

Ijaazat Song on Youtube: Mera Kuch Samaan



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mjFCidDpcY&feature=related

Ijaazat song: Chhoti si kahani se



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVg7aR64DBg&feature=related

Ijaazat Song on Youtube: Khali Haath Sham Ayee Hai




Lyrics:

katra katra milti hai
katra katra jeene do
zindgi hai, bahne do
pyaasi hoon main pyasi rahne do

Tumne to aakash bichhaya
mere nange pairo main zameen hai
dekhe to tumhaari aarzoo hai
shayad aisi zindagi haseen hai
aarzoo main bahne do
pyaasi hoon main pyaasi rahne do ...

----------

Mera kuch saamaan tumhare paas pada hai -2
o o o ! saavan ke kuch bheege bheege din rakhe hain
aur mere ik khat main lipti raat padi hai
vo raat bhulaa do, mera vo saamaan lauta do - 2
mera kuch saamaan tumhaare paas pada hai - 2

patjhad hai kcuh ... hai na ?
o ! patjhas main kuch patton ke girne kee aahat
kaanon main ek baar pahan ke laut aai thee
patajhad kee vo saakh abhi tak kaanp rahi hai
vo saakh gira do, mera vo saamaan lauta do - 2

ek akeli chhataree main jab aadhe aadhe bheeg rahe the - 2
aadhe sookhe aadhe geele, sukha to main le aaye thee
geela man shayad bistar ke paas pada ho
vo bhijwa do, mera vo saamaan lauta do

ek so sola chaand ki ratain ek tumhare kaandhe ka til - 2
geeli mahendi ki khushbu, jhoot mooth ke shikwe kuch
jhooth mooth ke wade sab yaad karaa do
sab bhijwa do, mera vo saamaan lauta do - 2

ek ijaazat de do bas, jab isako dafanaaungee
main bhi vaheen so jaungee
main bhi vaheen so jaungee

--------------

Chhotee see kahaanee se, baareeshon kee paanee se
saaree waadee bhar gayee,
naa jaane kyo, dil bhar gayaa,
naa jaane kyo, aankh bhar gayee

shaakho pe patte the,patton pe boonde thee
boondo mein paanee thaa,paanee mein aansoo the

dil mein geele bhee the,pahale mile bhee the
milake paraaye the,do humasaaye the

----------------

khaalee haath shaam aayee hai, khaalee haath jaayegee
aaj bhee naa aayaa koee, khaalee laut jaayegee

aaj bhee naa aaye aansoo, aaj bhee naa bheege nainaa
aaj bhee ye koree rainaa, koree laut jaayegee

raat kee siyaahee koee, aaye to mitaye naa
aaj naa mitaayee to ye, kal bhee laut aayegee