Movies ‘R’ Us: #1-2009

1. Shriman Shrimati (Hindi Film) (1982)

This is the kind of cinema that makes me retain faith in Hindi movies and their potential. An ordinary story simply told with excellent actors to boot.

An elderly husband and wife after a trying experience with their daughter, make it their mission to help others in distress. Of the 2 distressed mismatched couples they help over here, one is the rich daughter married of to a lower middle-class jobber, the other a girl from the village married of to a pubber who has slightly more modern expectations from his wife. But alls well that ends well. Finally the ghar ke buddhoo come home.

Fantastic actors here. Sanjeev Kumar and Rakhee Gulzar make a great elderly couple. The 2 sets of younger couples are
Rakesh Roshan/Deepti Naval and
Amol Palekar/Sarika

[Rakesh Roshan is of course the father of the teen sensation Hritik Roshan, Deepti Navan the ever-so-sweet girl next door, Amol Palekar the star of many hit comedies who turned to direction and directed the Shahrukh Khan starrer ‘Paheli’] and Sarika the ex-wife of Kamal Hassan]

The supporting cast includes AK Hangal, Lalita Pawar and Paintal

The only jarring note over here are the two SLAPS delivered to Sarika and Deepti Naval. Its as if to reinforce that nothing but a tight slap can make the woman come to their senses. That display the remnants of a male chauvinist culture. But other than that there is little else to complain.

Starring

Sanjeev Kumar
Rakhee Gulzar
Rakesh Roshan and Deepti Naval
Amol Palekar and Sarika
Lalita Pawar
AK Hangal
Paintal
Leela Misra
Dr.Shreeram Lagoo
Ramesh Deo

Playback: Lata, Kishore
Story: KS Rao
Dialogue: RajBaldev Raj
Lyrics: Majrooh
Music: Rajesh Roshan
Produced by B.Nagireddy
Directed by Vijaya Reddy


2. Deedar (Hindi movie) (1951)

A tale of unrequited childhood love, …that fails to inspire, fails to rise above the level of childishness, fails to grip and is aided in no small measure to its downfall by the simpering of its main characters…the legends Nargis, Ashok Kumar and Dilip Kumar

And …. Oh, the horrors of laying your eyes on Nimmi’s expressions. And she’s got a slight moustache to boot

The song ‘Bachpan Ke Din Bhula Na Dena’ though, is mellifluous and philosophical



Starring
Nimmi
Yakub
Tun Tun

Written by Azm Bazidpuri
Lyrics: Shakeel Badayuni
Edited by Bimal Roy
Music: Naushad
Direction and Photographic Treatment: Nitin Bose



3. Baaz (1953) (Hindi movie)

The alternate title should have been “Oh! the silliness of it all”

The pic is mostly boring, the uniquess being more in the fact that it deals with the Portugese occupation of Goa and that part of India.

It stars Gita Bali and Gurudutt. The former reminds me of Urmila Matondkar. Those same weird faces, that odd bony skewed stance. Her (Gita Bali’s) mock sword fighting is much better than her acting


Starring
KN Singh
Johny WalkerStory and Screenplay: GuruDutt
Dialogues: LC Bismil and Sarshar Sailani
Lyrics: Majrooh
Costumes designed by Miss Ludvilla Primakoff
Photography: V.K.Murthy
Editor: YG Chawhan
Music: OP Nayyar
Produced by Miss Haridarshan
Directed by GuruDutt