Entertainment
Roshan: Maestro of the filmi qawwali and the literary classical song
New Delhi, July 14 (IANS) He may have ended up as a mere footnote in the annals of Hindi cinema with music for just one flop film to his account, had his indulgent mentor been a more money-minded man. In the process, connoisseurs would have been deprived of scores of exquisite qawwalis, elegant love songs, and aesthetic compositions showcasing the immortal words of Tulsidas and Meera.
And for 21st-century Bollywood fans, would Hrithik Roshan have emerged, had his grandfather, drawn to films after hearing a K.L. Saigal bhajan, abandoned his ambitions?
Roshan (1917-67), born Roshan Lal Nagrath on this day (July 14) in Gujranwala (undivided Punjab), spent just a third of his tragically short life in the film industry, but, in this span, he spun pure gold with his trademark classical music-based melodies. A leading music director, who also played a key role in his life, likened his music to honey dripping from a honeycomb.
Roshan deservedly was deemed to be the foremost exponent of the filmi qawwali, but his oeuvre was not limited to this form – it appears in just half-a-dozen of his 67 films.
On the other hand, there is “Khayalon mein kisi ke” (“Bawre Nain”, 1951), “Bade armanon se” (“Malhar”, 1951), “Main dil hoon ek armaan bhara” (“Anhonee”, 1952), “Salaam-e-hasrat qabool kar lo” (“Babar”, 1960), “Zindagi bhar nahi bhoolegi woh barsaat ki raat” (“Barsaat Ki Raat”, 1960). “Ab kya misaal doon main tumhare shabaab ki” (“Aarti”, 1962), “Laga chunri mein daag” (“Dil Hi To Hai”, 1963), “Jo vada kiya vo nibhana padega” (“Taj Mahal”, 1963), “Dil jo na keh saka” (“Bheegi Raat”, 1965), “Rahen na rahen ham” (“Mamta”, 1966) and “Hum intezar karenge” (“Bahu Begum”, 1967).
Above all, there is the Meera bhajan “Ae ri main to prem diwani” (“Naubahar”, 1952) and “Man re tu kaahe na dheer dhare” (“Chitralekha”, 1964), skillfully adapted by Sahir Ludhianvi from Tulsidas’ “Mana tu kahe na dheer dharat ab…” and rendered sublimely by Mohammad Rafi.
Then, gauge how Roshan imbued a spiritual feel to “Chhupa lo yun dil mein” from “Mamta”, aided by the dulcet tones of Hemant Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar, and Majrooh Sultanpuri’s poetry, while recalling his AIR days with the studio-based “Saari saari raat” (“Aji Bas Shukriya”, 1957).
But, as mentioned, all this would have never come to pass without the trust shown by legendary director, producer, lyricist and screenwriter KIdar Nath Sharma, who had spotted Roshan, then working with AIR Delhi as an esraj player, way back in 1945 and offered him a career in the film industry.
Roshan had refused then, but approached Sharma in 1949 when he moved to Bombay. Sharma offered him a chance to compose for his “Neki Aur Badi” (1949), convincing his own regular composer Snehal Bhatkar to sit it out and the latter obliged.
The film flopped and a distraught and disheartened Roshan told Sharma that he was no good and wanted to commit suicide. The filmmaker heard him patiently and asked him which Bombay beach he would prefer to do away with himself.
Then, on a serious note, he went on to say that if Roshan would defer his plans, he would offer him another chance in his forthcoming film.
This was not the end of the story.
During the film’s making, an influential distributor came to meet Sharma and in Roshan’s presence, promised him a large amount if only he would drop the music composer. Roshan went to another room and began sobbing, telling Sharma, who followed him, to accept the offer. Sharma, however, went back to his office and said no.
“Bawre Nain” (1951), with songs like “Teri duniya mein dil lagta nahi” and “Khayalon mein”, was a hit and started Roshan on his sparkling musical journey.
Sharma was more patient than Anil Biswas, who took direct action when Roshan began crying at his song recording, saying he would never be able to create such music. Biswas sought to calm him down, but when Roshan would not stop sobbing, he gave him a slap, wondering how he would succeed this way. It was Biswas only who likened his music to dripping honey.
Roshan, whose music reflected his classical training, also had a penchant for knowing when to let his tune yield to the lyrics or the singer. His — and Hindi cinema’s most famous qawwali — “Na to karvan ki talash hai” (“Barsaat ki Raat”) is a prime example and so is the same film’s “Maine shayad tumhe pehle bhi” where it just fills the gaps.
On the other hand, “Tum agar mujh ko na chaho” (“Dil Hi To Hai”) has a steady beat accompanying the singer.
There was much more music left in Roshan when he succumbed to a heart attack in 1967.
(Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in)
–IANS
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Allu Arjun is poised to dominate the box office with his highly anticipated film, Pushpa 2: The Rule, set to release on December 6, 2024. The excitement surrounding this film is phenomenal, already making headlines with an impressive pre-release collection of RS 1,085 crores! This achievement is particularly notable, given that it reached this milestone well before the movie even debuts in theaters.
Fans are eagerly looking forward to Allu Arjun’s return as Pushparaj, the character that earned him a National Award for Best Actor in the first installment, Pushpa: The Rise. The buzz surrounding Pushpa 2 is unparalleled, and the film is expected to break even more records upon its release. The pre-release collection includes a record-setting deal for theatrical rights, sold for ₹640 crores, making it one of the most lucrative film deals in Indian cinema.
Additionally, Pushpa 2 has secured a significant digital distribution agreement with Netflix, which acquired the rights for ₹275 crores, highlighting the high demand for the film. The overall pre-release earnings have been impressive across various regions, with ₹220 crores collected in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, ₹200 crores in the North, ₹50 crores in Tamil Nadu, ₹30 crores in Karnataka, ₹20 crores in Kerala, and ₹40 crores from overseas markets. The music rights were sold for ₹65 crores, while the satellite rights fetched ₹85 crores, contributing a total of ₹425 crores from non-theatrical rights.
Directed by Sukumar and produced by Mythri Movie Makers, Pushpa 2: The Rule features a talented cast, including Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil alongside Allu Arjun. The film’s music will be released by T Series, further adding to the anticipation.
With Allu Arjun’s National Award win and the remarkable pre-release collections, it’s clear that Pushpa 2 is set to be a blockbuster. As the release date approaches, fans are excited to see how this film will perform at the box office. If the pre-release collections are any indication, Pushpa 2 is bound to shatter records and become a massive success!
Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS) Actress Anu Aggarwal, who rose to fame with “Aashiqui”, and “King Uncle”, recalled the time when filmmakers would come to her with money for signing a film and would not have a script ready.
In a conversation with Lehren shared on Instagram, the actress could be seen talking about it.
“I was shocked to see that people who don’t have their scripts are not ready when they would come to sign me up for a film. They would have the money ready and I would say I don’t want to sign with the money. I would like to hear the script.”
“They would say the script will be made so you can sign,” she added.
“This was the way and because I am an actor I would like to see what my role, story is. Everything is important. Nobody would have a script… 98 per cent of people would not have the script,” she said.
Anu Aggarwal gained immense popularity in the 1990s after featuring in the musical romantic drama “Aashiqui” directed by Mahesh Bhatt.
She starred alongside Rahul Roy and Deepak Tijori.
The film was known for its music, by composer duo Nadeem–Shravan establishing their careers.
The soundtrack album has been rated fourth by Planet Bollywood on their “100 Greatest Bollywood Soundtracks”.
It was the best-selling Bollywood album at the time of its release.
The film was remade in Kannada as “Roja” in 2002.
A sequel to the film, “Aashiqui 2”, with a completely new theme, directed by Mohit Suri, with Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor, was released in 2013.
–IANS
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Entertainment
Ram Charan's daughter Klin achieves this milestone on grandfather Chiranjeevi's birthday
Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS) On the 69th birthday of actor and politician Chiranjeevi, his son Ram Charan has shared a peek into their family vacation to Paris, France, which is also the first trip of his daughter Klin Kaara with her grandparents.
Ram took to his Instagram account, where he has 23.9 million followers, and shared a family picture from Paris.
The snap shows his parents– father Chiranjeevi, mother Surekha, his wife Upasana Kamineni, and their furry friend–pet dog. We can see Chiranjeevi holding his granddaughter Klin adorably in his arms.
Ram looked dapper in a black shirt, matching trousers and an olive green jacket.
They are posing against the backdrop of Eiffel Tower.
The post is captioned as: “Klin Kaara’s first trip with her grandparents!!! Memorable”.
In another post, Ram dropped a photograph with his father, wearing matching South Indian ethnic outfits.
He wrote in caption: “Happpiest birthday, Appa!!”
Meanwhile, on the occasion of Chiranjeevi’s birthday, UV Creations and director Vashistaa Mallidi have unveiled the highly anticipated first look poster for ‘Vishwambhara’, a fantasy adventure film.
Sharing the poster on social media, the makers wrote: “When darkness and evil take over the world, a Magnanimous Star shall shine bright to fight, Happy birthday, MEGASTAR @KChiruTweets, Let the world witness your aura with #Vishwambhara, Get ready for a MEGA MASS BEYOND UNIVERSE, In cinemas from January 10th, 2025.”
The movie promises to be a cinematic spectacle, featuring Chiranjeevi in a lead role. The film also stars Trisha Krishnan, Ashika Ranganath and Kunal Kapoor.
The film will be released on January 10, 2025.
Chiranjeevi was last seen in Telugu action drama ‘Bhola Shankar’ directed by Meher Ramesh. It also featured Tamannaah Bhatia, Keerthy Suresh and Sushanth.
Meanwhile, Ram Charan last appeared in action drama ‘Acharya’, directed by Koratala Siva. The film starred Chiranjeevi, alongside Pooja Hegde, Sonu Sood and Jisshu Sengupta.
He next has ‘Game Changer’, and ‘RC16’ in the pipeline.
–IANS
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Entertainment
Rani Mukerji: Shivani Shivaji Roy shows how a woman can lead from front in a male-dominated field
Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS) Actress Rani Mukerji has talked about why she loves her character Shivani Shivaji Roy from “Mardaani,” which has completed 10 years in Hindi cinema on Thursday.
She said: “Shivani Shivaji Roy is my most favourite on-screen character. She is a defiant, fierce force of nature who will stand up for what is right no matter what. She is someone who subverts gender norms in cinema and shows how a woman can also lead from the front in a male-dominated field.”
As the film celebrates its 10th anniversary, Rani is grateful for all the love and acclaim that she has received.
She said: “I’m truly proud of my ‘Mardaani’ franchise. It is a franchise that keeps on giving. The love, adulation, and the respect that I have received from Mardaani is truly humbling.”
On Thursday morning, the makers of the film teased fans about the next chapter of the franchise.
Production Yash Raj Films banner took to YouTube, where they dropped a teaser of sorts, which begins from the first installment, which first released in 2014.
The production company captioned it: “10 years of #Mardaani and the next chapter awaits… Celebrating the feisty, daredevil cop #ShivaniShivajiRoy and the spirit of #Mardaani today. Thank you for a decade of love and appreciation for our beloved franchise. We are inspired… again… thanks to you. #RaniMukerji #10YearsOfMardaani.”
Rani is too excited to reprise the role and don the cop uniform once again.
She said: “I’m looking forward to bringing back Shivani Shivaji Roy on the big screen soon. It’s been a while since I have donned the cop uniform and paid tribute to the women police force of our country.”
“Each (woman cop) one of them relentlessly works hard to keep our families safe and I have always loved to salute these fearless women. Shivani will be back and I hope you will give as much love to her as you have always showered for 10 years now!” added the actress.
–IANS
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Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS) Bollywood actress and fashionista Sonam Kapoor brought out her A-game in fashion, where she flaunted “minimal, bold and effortlessly on point” look.
The actress took to Instagram, where she shared a string of pictures. In the pictures, she is seen wearing a powder pink shirt, paired with a blazer and long skirt. She completed her look with sunglasses.
“Celebrating @perniaq season 2 podcast drop with that sleek @phoebephilo energy—minimal, bold, and effortlessly on point. Shoutout to the squad for keeping the vibe,” she wrote and also mentioned that she is styled by her sister Rhea Kapoor.
Recently, Sonam shared several glimpses from her son Vayu’s vintage car themed cake as he turned two on August 20.
Sonam took to Instagram, where she shared a reel of the two-tier toddler friendly, refined sugar free chocolate cake. It featured a vintage ice blue car atop of the cake with the number 2 written on it.
The actress had also penned a heart-felt note for her son Vayu.
“My baby turns two today!!! Happy 2nd Birthday to our sweet, precious Vayu! W Being your mom is the greatest gift I could ever receive. You’ve filled our lives with so much joy, laughter, and wonder,” Sonam said.
The actress shared that with her son, everyday is an adventure filled with “your boundless curiosity, your infectious laughter, and your sweet, loving nature.”
“You’ve brought so much light and happiness into our world, making every moment more beautiful and every relationship stronger. You’ve deepened the love between your dadaa and me in ways we never imagined, and you’ve brought pure, unfiltered joy to everyone who loves you-your nani and nana, dadi and baba, kaaa masa, Masi and chachu,” she said.
“Your sweet spirit and playful energy make our family complete, and we are so blessed to have you in our lives.”
She tagged Vayu as her sunshine, music, little genius, and their endless “source of happiness”.
“We love you more than words can say, and we can’t wait to see all the amazing things you will continue to bring into our lives,” Sonam said.
–IANS
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