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Showing posts from November, 2021

RUNA LAILA- Duma Dum Mast Kalandar

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  Her tryst with Indian films came about after a chance meeting with music director Jaidev in Delhi, at a party hosted by businessman and music connoisseur Ashok Khanna.  He gave her a chance to sing at the inauguration of Doordarshan. For a few years, she used to sing in Doordarshan. She became famous among viewers by her song Damadam Mast Kalandar. Her  name has been written on the  Guinness World Records  for recording 30 songs within 3 days.  In 1982, she won Golden Disk Award as her album Superuna composed by  Bappi Lahiri  was sold over 1 lakh copies on the first day of its release. She was born in East Pakistan, was educated in Pakistan, settled down in Bangladesh after the creation of the state in 1971, has worked in India and travels the world with her shows. Where does she really belong?    Her first recording was with Kalyanji-Anandji for the title song of Ek Se Badhkar Ek.   She gained popularity in India with the s...

269. Canadian film director Denis Côté’s tenth feature film “Hygiène sociale” (Social Hygiene) (2021) in French, based on his original script: An unusual film that serves to entertain verbally and visually as a dark comedy, without sex or violence

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T he title of the film Social Hygiene will remind viewers of the Covid pandemic’s cardinal rule to avoid infection—maintain social distancing to avoid infection. In fact, no two characters make physical contact in the entire film and maintain at least a 12 feet distance between each other. There is no mention of Covid or even wearing of masks in the film. Simply put, though the film was made during the pandemic, the film has nothing to do with it. Further, the film’s original script was written by the director Denis Côté in 2015, much before the onset of the pandemic.    Antonin (right) spars verbally with his love Cassiopée, while her new admirer silently watches  in the background T he film is built around the pivotal character, Antonin, married, but staying away from his wife, Eglantine. Where? In a friend’s Volkswagen! Antonin, we realize is prone to making up unreal stories, is well read, deft with language wordplay, and is a thief, vandalizing cars in the process. ...

268. Iranian film directors Maryam Moghadam’s and Behtash Sanaeeha’s feature film “Ghasideh Gave Sefid” (Ballad of a White Cow) (2020) (Iran) in Farsi/Persian language, based on their original script: Fallouts of the miscarriage of justice when an innocent person is executed for a murder he did not commit

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    And recall when Moses said to his people, “Allah commands you to slaughter a cow” They answered, “ Do you make a mockery of us?” ---“Surah of the Cow” in the Holy Quran (Opening quote in the film) I ran continues to make interesting feature films, year after year, bereft of sex, nudity, escapist car chases and on-screen violence. Ballad of a White Cow is a tale of the bread-winner of small nuclear family found guilty of the killing of a known friend by a court, condemned to death by a three judge bench according to Iranian law and consequently executed for the crime. Later, the real killer confesses to the crime. A miscarriage of justice has unintentionally taken place. While the wife of the hastily executed innocent man approaches the Iranian Supreme Court for justice for her and her mute daughter and retribution for the judges, one of the three judges is devastated by the revelations of the real killer and reaches out to help the wife and child of the executed prisone...

Sanjeev Kumar- The Actor of All Seasons

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  Sanjeev Kumar ( 9 July 1938 – 6 November 1985) started his acting career as a theatre actor He   made his film debut with a small role in  Hum Hindustani  in 1960, got his first break in hindi film as hero in  Nishan  which was directed by Aspi Irani.released in 1965  He did stunt films like  Husn Aur Ishq, Ali Baba  and  Forty Thieves,   Nishan, Smuggler  and  Gunehagar, Raja Aur Runk.He   made his presence felt by his natural and down-to-earth performance as a doctor and as Sumita Sanyal’s lover in  Ashirwaad . In 1968 he   left footprints of his talent in 'Sangharsh' opposite Dilip Kumar.  In 1969, Hrishikesh  Mukherjee cast him in a strong supporting role as hero Dharmendra’s friend  in Satyakam. .In 1970, the movie  Khilona  brought Samjeev Kumar recognition.     Gulzar  first spotted him; later he cast him in the roles of older men in...