Entertainment
The only Hindi film singer the Mahatma heard, Manna Dey never got his due
New Delhi, May 1 (IANS) In his over half-a-century-long Hindi film career, he sang more than a thousand songs, but just three serve to demonstrate his position in the industry’s scheme of things – the madcap “Ek Chatur Naar” where Kishore Kumar beats him; the enchanting qawwali “Na to karvaan ki talash hai” where Mohammed Rafi emerges triumphant eventually; and the classical contest “Ketaki gulab juhi”, where he beats Pandit Bhimsen Joshi.
This was part of the misfortune of Prabodh Chandra ‘Manna’ Dey, born on this day (May 1) in 1919 in Calcutta. His classical training, innate talent, and “masculine” voice made him perfect for all shades of songs – romantic (including those for the vintage-aged), folk ballads, philosophical musings, and more, but he was never deemed a top-notch singer.
A nephew of gifted blind singer-composer Krishna Chandra Dey, who paved his way into music and films, Manna Dey’s forte was challenging, classical-based songs, especially those that his contemporaries considered difficult, but, unfortunately, this talent led him to be typecast as a niche singer.
The trio of Rafi, Mukesh and Kishore Kumar were used to sing for heroes and went on to be identified with particular stars, or even multiple ones, but Manna Dey was rarely — and grudgingly — used, despite veteran Anil Biswas noting that he could sing any song of the three, but they could not sing any of his.
Take the three songs listed above: In the first from “Padosan” (1968), he sang for Mehmood, a south Indian music guru, while Kishore Kumar gave playback singing a new dimension by appearing onscreen to sing for Sunil Dutt.
In the second from “Barsaat ki Raat” (1960), as the voice of bemedalled Ustad Chand Khan (played by character actor Balam), he owns the entire stately qawwali and its seamless segueing into energetic “Yeh ishq ishq”, before Bharat Bhushan, voiced by Rafi, joins in its last part and goes on to win.
In the third from “Basant Bahar” (1956), as the young classical singer played by Bharat Bhushan, he prevailed over the reigning champion, despite developing cold feet at having to face the music virtuoso.
Manna Dey was similarly placed in most of his signature songs. Consider “Lapak jhapak tu aa te” (“Boot Polish”, 1954), “Tu pyar ka sagar hai” (“Seema”, 1955), “Kaun aya mere man ke dware” (“Dekh Kabira Roya”, 1957), “Ae mere pyare watan” (“Kabuliwala”, 1961), “Laga chunri mein daag” (“Dil Hi To Hai”, 1963), “Chalat musafir” (“Teesri Kasam”, 1967), “Chunri sambhal gori” (“Baharon Ke Sapne”, 1967), “Kasme vaade pyar wafa” (“Upkar”, 1967), “Bade miya diwane” (“Shagird”, 1967), and “Na mangu sona chandi” (“Bobby”, 1973),
Can you recall who they were picturised on?
In the same order, it was character actor David Abraham, Balraj Sahni, Anoop Kumar (the middle Ganguly brother), Balraj Sahni again, Raj Kapoor (as a bearded old ustaad), character actor Krishan Dhawan, frequent villain Anwar Hussain, Pran (turning over a new leaf onscreen), comedian I.S, Johar, and veteran actor Premnath.
This was far from optimum use for a singer who sang for the only movie that Mahatma Gandhi watched — “Ram Rajya” (1943); for whom Rafi said that while the world listened to his songs, he listened to Manna Dey’s songs; and made Lata Mangeshkar break into tears at the depth he had put into “Kasme vaade”.
Yet, he did have his supporters in the film industry — many composers such as Shankar-Jaikishan chose him frequently — once even risking the wrath of a big-time South Indian film producer who flayed them for choosing him instead of Mukesh and insulted him publicly, telling him the recording was cancelled and he should go home.
Raj Kapoor, however, stood his ground, saying he wanted him only. The results were “Aaja sanam” and “Yeh raat bheegi-bheegi” (“Chori Chori”, 1956). The producer eventually acknowledged he was wrong!
Raj Kapoor understood Manna Dey’s talent perfectly well — having used him best in “Dil ka haal sune dilwala” and “Mudh mudh ke na dekh” (“Shree 420”) and “Ae bhai zara dekh ke chalo” in his magnum opus “Mera Naam Joker” (1970), among others.
The then emerging superstar Rajesh Khanna was so taken in with his “Zindagi kaisi pai paheli” (“Anand”, 1971), that he insisted it be shot on him, rather than remaining a background melody, as intended. Manna Dey would go on to do “Bhor baayi” (“Bawarchi”, 1973) and “Gori tori paijaniya” (“Mehbooba”, 1976) for Khanna.
Manna Dey also sang “Zindagi hai khel” for Dharmendra (“Seeta aur Geeta”, 1972) and “Yeh dosti ham nahi chhodenge” for Amitabh Bachchan (“Sholay”, 1975).
Manna Dey did feel bad about missing out on awards for “Ae meri zohra jabeen” (“Waqt”, 1965), or “Yaari hai imaan mera” (“Zanjeer”, 1973), but he had the last laugh, singing long beyond his contemporaries and ending up with a Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and the Dadasahab Phalke Award, before passing away in 2013.
(Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in)
–IANS
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Mumbai, July 6 (IANS) The lead actors of the upcoming thriller series ‘Gyaarah Gyaarah’– Kritika Kamra, Raghav Juyal and Dhairya Karwa were snapped shooting for their show at the Mehboob Studios, in Bandra West, Mumbai on Saturday.
The visuals show the trio dressed in the police uniform. The video shows Raghav asking the paparazzi: “How is my costume?”, to which the pap replied, “bahut badhiya”.
We can further see Raghav taking out the gun from his cop uniform, and saying to the paps: “Where is your helmet?” leaving everyone in splits.
The video also shows Kritika flaunting the gun, and candidly posing for the lenses.
‘Gyaarah Gyaarah’ is an adaptation of the Korean drama ‘Signal’. The show is set across a timeline of three decades –1990, 2001 and 2016 blending mystery and science with a degree of mysticism.
It also stars Aakash Dixit. Produced by Karan Johar and Guneet Monga, the series is directed by Umesh Bist. It will premiere soon on Zee5.
Kritika made her acting debut in 2007, with the teen drama show ‘Yahan Ke Hum Sikandar’. She made her film debut in 2018, with ‘Mitron’, starring alongside Jackky Bhagnani.
She has been a part of TV shows like ‘Kitani Mohabbat Hai’, ‘Pyaar Ka Bandhan’, ‘Kuch Toh Log Kahenge’, ‘Reporters’, and participated in the dance reality show ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 7’.
Kamra was most recently seen in the social drama ‘Bheed’ starring Rajkummar Rao, Bhumi Pednekar, Dia Mirza, Ashutosh Rana, Pankaj Kapur in the lead roles.
She has also featured in web series like ‘Bambai Meri Jaan’, and ‘Hush Hush’.
Raghav, who started his journey as a contestant on the show ‘Dance India Dance 3’, has featured in movies like ‘ABCD 2’, ‘Street Dancer 3D’, ‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan’, and the most recent release ‘Kill’.
Dhairya made his acting debut with ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’. He also essayed the role of Ravi Shastri in ’83’, and an aspiring writer in ‘Gehraiyaan’.
–IANS
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New Delhi, July 6 (IANS) Actor Varun Sharma, who plays a heartbroken ‘Rajesh Khanna’ in the upcoming movie ‘Wild Wild Punjab’, has opened up about his character and its traits, sharing that there’s a very thin line between going caricaturish and doing it right when portraying a character in a drunk state.
The movie, which stars Varun, Sunny Singh, Manjot Singh, and Jassie Gill in key roles, revolves around the story of four best friends on a wild breakup trip.
Talking about his character, Varun told IANS: “The character of Khanna is very volatile. He is standing on a very fertile ground. He is like water, with a lot of alcohol in it. So, he flows but is tipsy. He is on a different rant altogether. He is the most persistent ranter I have read, seen, or got a chance to play.”
On the challenges he faced portraying Khanna, the ‘Fukrey’ actor said: “The toughest part about playing Khanna was that he was drunk throughout. So, I think to perform in a drunk state, there is a very thin line between going caricaturish and overboard and doing it right.”
“So, I am keeping my fingers crossed and hope it connects with the audience, and they feel for Khanna. I hope I have done justice to the most beautiful writing,” said Varun.
Speaking about the movie, Varun said it is very close to his heart.
“When I heard the storyline for the first time, I found it relatable and felt it was a story of every group. Every group has a ‘Khanna’, a ‘Maan Arora’, a ‘Jainu’, and a ‘Honey Singh’. There is madness in how the characters come together on different paths; it’s a very beautiful journey,” Varun said.
He added, “The way Patralekhaa’s character joins the group, and the adventures she brings, along with Ishita Raj, create a beautiful blend of so many journeys coming together for one basic line: ‘I am over you’.”
“I think there are many people who have said ‘I am over you’, or want to say this line, so this concept is very relatable. This is a different take on what happens if somebody wants to say ‘I am over you’, or someone who hasn’t got closure.
“How a set of friends go on a wild trip is beautifully portrayed. This is a film about a bunch of friends, made by a bunch of friends, for all the bunch of friends. So that’s ‘Wild Wild Punjab’,” said Varun, who was last seen in the movie ‘Tera Kya Hoga Lovely’.
Presented by Gulshan Kumar and Bhushan Kumar, ‘Wild Wild Punjab’ is a Luv Films production directed by Simarpreet Singh and produced by Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg.
The film is set to premiere on Netflix on July 10.
–IANS
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Entertainment
‘Understanding law of anti-gravity’, actress Deepti Sadhwani drops pics of aerial yoga
Mumbai, July 6 (IANS) The ‘Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah’ (TMKOC) fame actress Deepti Sadhwani on Saturday gave fitness goals to her fans, by dropping pictures of doing aerial yoga.
Deepti, who has 4.2 million followers on Instagram shared some pictures of herself performing aerial yoga. The snaps show Deepti wearing a yellow crop top and matching shorts.
The post is captioned as: “Just hanging out to understand the law of anti Gravity #aerialyoga practice. #deeptisadhwani #flexibility #motivation.”
A fan commented on the post saying, “wohhhhh”. While many users dropped fire and heart emojis in the comment section.
Deepti made her debut at the Cannes red carpet this year and attended the screening of the movie ‘Oh Canada’ in the 77th edition of the prestigious film festival.
She had won the title of ‘Miss North India’, and had participated in ‘Femina Miss India’ where she was a regional finalist.
Sadhwani also hosted a reality show named ‘Hasya Samrat’, which aired on Zee Marathi.
She has also appeared in movies like ‘Nazar Hati Durghatana Ghati’ and ‘Rock Band Party’, in which essayed the lead role.
The diva has also featured in music videos like ‘Harayana Roadway’, ‘Toot Jaayein’, ‘Lalla Lalla Lori’, ‘Butterfly Waale’, and ‘Tu Aag Ka Gola Chori’.
–IANS
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Mumbai, July 6 (IANS) Bollywood’s ‘Khiladi’ Akshay Kumar on Saturday shared a fun dancing video with Ranveer Singh on his 39th birthday, expressing his hope that the actor’s infectious energy will always keep him going places.
Taking to Instagram, Akshay shared a Reel video in which he and his ‘Singham Again’ co-star can be seen dancing to Karan Aujla and Ikky’s song ‘Softly’.
Ranveer is wearing a black sleeveless T-shirt and matching joggers, complemented by a black cap and sneakers.
The birthday boy holds his boombox on his shoulder while grooving with Akshay on the street at night.
Akshay, on the other hand, is dressed in a black half-sleeve T-shirt and lavender pajamas.
The duo candidly dances to the tunes of ‘Softly’.
The post is captioned: “Happy birthday Ranveer Singh, you powerhouse of a man! Hope your infectious energy always keeps you going places. Enjoy your day. Love and prayers.”
Actress Rakul Preet also took to Instagram Stories to pen a birthday note for Ranveer.
She wrote: “Cheers to the man who brings boundless energy and unparalleled passion to everything he does. Happy birthday Ranveer Singh.”
Filmmaker Aditya Dhar shared a monochrome selfie with Ranveer and posted: “Happy birthday to the man whose energy can light up an entire city! You’re a supernova of an actor. Keep dazzling the world with your awesomeness!! Love you, my brother!!”
On the work front, Ranveer made his Bollywood debut in 2010 with the romantic comedy ‘Band Baaja Baaraat’, alongside Anushka Sharma. The film was directed by Maneesh Sharma in his directorial debut and produced by Aditya Chopra for Yash Raj Films.
He has since featured in movies like ‘Ladies vs Ricky Bahl’, ‘Lootera’, ‘Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela’, ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’, ‘Bajirao Mastani’, ‘Gully Boy’, and the most recent film ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’.
Ranveer’s next project is ‘Singham Again’, which also stars his wife, actress Deepika Padukone.
The multi-starrer film features Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Tiger Shroff, Arjun Kapoor, and Jackie Shroff in lead roles.
It is directed by Rohit Shetty, who co-produced it under Rohit Shetty Picturez with Reliance Entertainment, Jio Studios, and Devgn Films.
The movie is set to be released this Diwali.
–IANS
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Los Angeles, July 6 (IANS) Hollywood star Eddie Murphy has said that he does not wish to have a funeral and would like to go “quietly”.
Murphy shared a video, where he revealed that he doesn’t want a funeral after joking that people should play the ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ theme music at the event to make people “smile.”
He re-enacted his own acapella version of the jingle, saying that it should be played as he is being buried, reports people.com.
“That’s just a joke, ’cause I’m never having a funeral,” he clarified in the video.
Murphy further explained his preference: “I mean, I’m gonna die like everyone else. But (my loved ones) know…no funeral. Just let me go quietly.”
The actor was promoting his latest film, ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’, the fourth instalment in the action-comedy franchise, which was released on July 3.
In the film, Murphy returns as Axel Foley, a cop who returns to Beverly Hills after his daughter’s life is threatened, marking a return to the role after a decade since the third film.
Murphy quipped that he’s been asked how he feels about playing “the Black James Bond” and tells whoever asks him: “I don’t have to be some Black James Bond. I have Axel Foley, and he has theme music and everything.”
After the success of ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ and its sequel, the Oscar-nominated star featured in the 1998 classic ‘Coming to America’. The sequel, ‘Coming 2 America’, was released in 2021.
In 1996, he was seen essaying the role of Professor Sherman Klump in ‘The Nutty Professor’.
Murphy was then seen in the ‘Dr. Dolittle’ franchise, playing the titular character, who can talk to animals. Most recently, Murphy voiced Shrek’s sidekick Donkey in four ‘Shrek’ films.
–IANS
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