PICK OF THE MONTH

SASURAAL GENDA PHOOL with its crisp direction, intelligent scripting, simple dialogues and great performances. Perfect casting, except that suhana could do with a bit of better styling. Her garish sarees and loud make-up does nothing to enhance her looks. Her smile and great acting skills is what saves the day for her each time.
The cleverly done story telling is indeed a lesson in writing and telling a story. Each character has tremendous otential to be worked upon and can form a track of its own.
Supriya Pilgaonkar, however, easily stands out possessing an intensity that is a rare virtue found in an artiste on television today.... with each expression seeming a virtual sketch. Simply priceless!

GEET is another soap that began with an interesting storyline that went the usual filmy way.
The chemistry between the two lead actors, Drashti and Gurmeet however is well brought out. After ages, there seems to be one director who is doing his bit in bringing romance to television
Slow, languorous, lazy music set to passionate,, sly glances and teasing mannerisms that had become extinct with the regular dose of dramatics is now back.

INDEPENDENCE DAY

We talk of changes... of values, of tradition, of morals. Of fighting the growing corruption, of restoring a method to the madness around. And strangely when the onus is on the media, it acts irresponsibly. I refer to the television channels airing their usual programms on 15TH AUGUST.

From stupid, banal films like SANDWICH and WANTED to the disgusting reality shows like MEETHI CHURI etc, could they not have put aside their greed for raking in more ads and moolah and aired something sensible like say an UPKAAR, or SHAHEED or a talk show involving a discussion on the plusses of India. What the little kids watch on Independence Day today is a horror film or a daily soap, something that robs them of their innocence.

They know nothing of patriotism. They do know of suicides, of principals and teachers victimising students. They know of electronic gadgets and porn films. Its the adults around them- their families, who should choose the schools wisely, who need to understand the huge responsibility of providing to the society, a parasite or a joyous, proud and peaceful individual.

Lets do our bit and actually understand the term 'independence'.

ANGRY YOUNG MAN

Gurmeet Chowdhary is doing a great job as Maan Singh khurana in 'Geet- huyi sabse paraayi'...

His soft guy- next door looks have been done away with and in its place is the stern, tough, arrogant boss.... way to go, gurmeet!

Perfect casting and great work.

SARA KHAN

A little something that is worth applauding.

Sara Khan of Bidaai fame is definitely putting in that extra bit for her performance... her appearance. Sara makes great efforts to style herself. Her clothes, jewellery and accesories are carefully thought out.

Notice her look before marriage- simple salwar kameezes- an indication of the small town look.

Post marriage her sarees had a distinct look. Then when she seperated from her husband, her churidar kurtas had the simple yet stylish feel which lent that quiet dignity. Her jewellery is just right, complimenting her look, never outlandish.- right down to her make-up and nail piant

Now her simple cotton sarees as she sets up her own home is again commendable.
Good to see the interest and zest the young actors show in their work.
We will miss you Sara.

REALITY SHOWS

When the first ever music talent show was aired on television, it brought about a revolution in the world of music. Classical music was given a fresh lease of a and mparlife with more and more contestants understanding, accepting and following the form. The average viewer was subtly introduced to the intricacies of the Guru-shishya parampara and with the maestros of Classical music taking centerstage, judging a show brought to the fore, the humility and dedication of these legendary masters which was a huge influence on both the viewers and contestants.
Folk music bound together various communities and languages, dialects were appreciated and music lovers of all ages enrolled in institutions teaching serious music.
Today, however, just a few years down the line, its all about reality shows with judges being paid huge amounts to simply put down the contestant, bully him and create mock fights.
No one cares about how all this drama and power play affects young minds.
In fact the judges chosen are very often placed there more for their glamour quotient or simply because they happen to be in the news. What other justification is there for Vindoo dara Singh to judge a dance show for children alongwith the renowned choreographer Saroj Khan?
Can someone explain the need for disgusting expressions of the judges ? The way they humiliate, mock and tease the contestant who has stood for hours in the sweltering heat just to audition?
Do these artistes actually understand their art? do they respect it? Yet, its a vicious circle. The channels pay big money and in return expect more dramatics and a rise in the trps. The artistes realize this and are more than willing to oblige. The pressure is now on the contestants.
Often the pressure to perform well is so severe that he very charm and joy of the act is lost.
Sample this. A dance contest meant to simply have fun, display rhythm and grace is transformed into a battlefield with complicated dance styles and dangerous props like the fire is used making the viewer tense and feel its something he cannot ever connect with. Dance and music shows ought to make the viewer feel the connect immediately, something he would love to adopt.
The contestant is made to go through the entire drama and they emerge complicated, confused and connect stardom with loads of attitude and being difficult.
The big question here is-- what are we producing? and at what cost?
The generation today is more troubled and plagued with insecurities, fears and complexes. Hence the number of suicides and decaying minds seem to be steadily growing in number.
Responsibility, accountability and dignity is what the channel, the judges and the contestant needs to be aquainted with.

BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA

Vivian Ashe leaves her pet chihuahua Chloe with her irresponsible niece Rachel to watch the dog. However, when Rachel decides to go to Mexico with her friends, Chloe gets lost and bonds with Delgado, a lonely German Shepard who used to be a police dog, and goes on the run from a ruthless Doberman called El Diablo. Meanwhile, Papi, a hyperactive chihuahua who falls in love with Chloe, attempts to find his love in Mexico while El Diablo attempts to capture Chloe and get her collar to his owner, a dognapper.

Beverly Hills Chihuahua is a must-see for all dog lovers. An adorable comedy, the film manages to engage one completely.

The film combines the themes of dignity and empowerment - "We are tiny, but we are mighty", says the leader of a vast Chihuahua pack - with a story of a spoiled rich canine who learns not to be so high and mighty.

It was a huge commercial sucess.

And what was most endearing were the written words by the producers in the end - that they wished for a loving home for all pets and all pet owners need to be aware of the commitment and love that comes with adopting pets.

So true and so very endearing.

UNDERSTANDING SOUND

I'm almost impelled to reinvent the term 'choreography'....Apalling is the way songs are choregraphed in cinema. Barring a few dancers who have developed the rare art of understanding and mastering the slick 'shiamak davar' style of dance, the rest need to understand what choreography really is...First, its never really about dancing. Sure, dance is one part of it but yes, certainly not the gyrating and pelvic thrusting kind of dance that is passed off as belly dancing. These are art forms that need to be respected independently... but why must we almost always have the usual attrocious mix of acrobatics and a distorted form of Indian dance which interprets no form? Dance is actually about being rhythmic... about truly relating to the sound and responding stylishly....its about being in sync with that sound and rhythm.... its about adding something to the song...beautifying it.. moving your body -letting it understand the sound and feel and allowing it to react.... then simply fine tuning that movement into something artistic and graceful. The body while dancing, should give the feel of a fluidity, a sense of liberation, a dignity and poise that can never be trained. When we dance, we surrender to the soul responding to the sound - a love for the sound... unspoken, untouched, raw and divine...Which is perhaps why Hrithik is always a delight to watch... he takes you to heights unexplored with his grace. No matter how complicated the movements maybe, yet his natural ease and dignity make it graceful and lyrical. However, choreography is not about dancing always.Its about depicting an emotion with subtlety. Using different things to interpret the emotion, the mood, about capturing the moment using music and sometimes simply the sounds of nature like the rains, rippling of the water in the river.... the gushing and whistling of the breeze....things need not be theatrical...they can be sensitive and quiet as well. Sometimes simply the echoing of distant birds in the silence. Music and choreography is to be used to capture a moment- enhancing it. 'Ek ladki ko dekha to aisa laga...' from '1942, a love story' is one such piece of choreography or the recent hrithik number 'dhoom again' in Dhoom 2 that is brilliant and artistically done...
Can we have more of such kind please?

MUSIC TRIVIA

MUSIC TRIVIA

THE YEAR 1965

Laxmikant-Pyarelal’s Lootera has the hits, ‘Raat se kaho ruke zara...’, and ‘Neend nigahon se kho jaati hai...’ The numero uno composers, Shanker-Jaikishan have split and S-J are composing separately under the famous baton. Jaikishan charges exhorbitantly for composing Ramanand Sagar’s ARZOO. ARZOO has hits ‘Bedardi baalma tujhko...’, ‘Aji rooth kar...’, and ‘Chhalke teri ankhon se...’ that largel contribute to the films' successs. Ramanand Sagar then calls Shankar to compose the mujra, ‘Jab ishq kahin ho jaata hai...’ and reveals that he has to pay the same amount for just one song! S-J’s GUMNAAM features the cult Mehmood hit by Rafi, ‘Hum kaale hain to kya hua dilwale hain...’. Lata’s haunting title-track, Rafi’s ‘Jaan pehchaan ho...’ and Lata’s ‘Is duniya mein jeena hai to...’ are the other hits of this thriller. JAANWAR finds another S-J-Shammi Kapoor winner with perennials like ‘Lal chhadi maidaan khadi...’, ‘Meri mohabbat jawaan rahegi...’, ‘tumse accha kaun hai...’ and ‘Mere sang aaa gungunaa...’. Anil Biswas composes his swan song (‘Chhoti chhoti baatein...’) with Shailendra as his lyricist, and quits films to move to Delhi and join All India Radio. Maestro SD Burman gives one of his career-greatest scores in GUIDE and sings the memorable ‘Wahaan kaun hai tera...’. His ‘Aaj phir jeene ki tamanna hai...’ begins with the antara, and is created, recorded and sent by Dada to the Anand brothers with the assurance “I will send you a song that the world will remember”. ‘Din dhal jaaye...’, ‘Kya se kya ho gaya...’ and ‘Tere mere sapne...’ are three uniquely different Rafi numbers while ‘Gaata rahe mera dil...’, ‘Mose chhal kiye jaaye...’, ‘Piya tose naina laage re...’ and ‘Allah megh de...’ create history clearly displaying his expertise in both classical music and folk music and expertly blending the two.

Dada’s other winner that year is TEEN DEVIYAAN. Majrooh Sultanpuri reveals that assistant Jaidev composed the basic tune of ‘Kahin bekhayaal hokar...’, but Dada also creates history withl ‘Arey yaar mere tum bhi ho gazab...’, ‘Aise to na dekho...’, ‘Likha hai teri aankhon mein...’ and ‘Khwaab ho tum...’. Roshan’s BHEEGI RAAT , ‘Dil jo na keh sakaa...’ is in different Lata and Rafi versions, while Neeraj, the gentle poet makes a mark with ‘Kaarvaan guzar gaya...’ and ‘Dekhti hi raho aaj darpan na tum...’ in Nai Umar Ki Nai Fasal. Khayyam’s intoxicating Suman-Rafi duet, ‘Thehriye hosh mein aa loon...’in MOHABBAT ISKO KEHTE HAIN, Salil Choudhury’s ’spiritual Lata hit ‘Tujh bin jiya udaas re...’ and veteran Hansraj Behl’s last hit ‘Jahaan daal daal par sone ki chidiya...’ in SIKANDAR-E-AZAM are immortalized. Madan Mohan’s NEELA AKASH is remembered for ‘Aap ko pyar chhupane ki...’. In RISHTE NAATE, Lata Mangeshkar is the only singer— a feat he again achieves in PRABHAAT eight years later. Chitragupta delivers memorabilia like ‘Jaag dil-e-diwana...’, ‘Aaja re mere pyar ke raahi...’, ‘Haaye re tere chanchal nainwa...’ (OONCHE LOG), ‘Bahut haseen hai tumhari ankhen...’ (AADHI RAAT KE BAAD) and ‘Mujhe dard-e-dil ka pataa...’ (AKASH DEEP). In the last film, he composes the awesome Lata solo, ‘Dil ka diya jalaake gaya...’. Usha Khanna’s EK SAPERA EK LOOTERA has the immortal Rafi solo ‘Hum tum se juda hoke...’. which glorifies sad melodies.

SASURAAL GENDA PHOOL

SASURAAL GENDA PHOOL on Star Plus seems to strike an instant chord with the viewers. Possibly for the following reasons. The casting is just right. The dialogues are colloquial and something that all of us would relate to, with interesting camaderie between the actors being beautifully handled.
The family for one, actually 'feel' like a family and though a trifle too sweet at times, at least the dialogues ensure that it doesnt get diabetic.
Its a welcome change from the regular dose of dramatics most soaps are doling out. Its time the young, urban viewer connected with the values that the serial hopefully shall continue to highlight.

AMARDEEP JHA

Not many know that the immensely gifted actress Amardeep Jha or the hugely popular ‘shankari tai’ is a qualified teacher from the reputed National School of Drama.
Watching Amardeep teach is a revelation of sorts… as her student Hina Khan or the popular Akshara puts it, ‘she is the most amazing teacher. She teaches you how to simply ‘be’.
It’s a totally unique method that she uses.
She would tell you to imagine yourself in say, a fort and let you take a walk there. The walk itself would involve feeling the gravel and stones under your feet which would affect the walk. Then to imagine yourself as an animal and think and talk like one. These activities helped me open up tremendously, to experience emotions and feelings effortlessly,’ says she.
‘The body language is important. These are just simple ways of teaching you to open up- feel free and comfortable,’ says the teacher.
‘With young fresh artistes there is a huge plus that their rawness becomes their strength. They are open to experimenting and their eagerness allows them to enjoy the experience. The flip side however, is that it takes them a while to grow and understand the craft.’
‘The process is as important as the result of the experience is, ' explains the talented actor. 'When we play ourselves, we are inhibited but as we all have traits of some animal or the other, it somehow does reflect in our mannerisms. By playing the animal, we exhibit various mannerisms that are very basic and gradually transform into a human slowly. Finally other facets of one’s personality – aggression, passion and sorrow come to the fore as one eases into the character. These exercises are designed to help the actor grow.
Your character is your best friend so you imbibe his traits and flaws.’

The years 1976- 79 were spent studying the finer nuances of acting at the National School of Drama . Creative dramatics with tremendous focus on improvisations was the agenda while the following eight years were spent teaching and nurturing young talent at Welhams School.
The next few years saw Amardeep with the Theater In Education foundation run by Barry John in NSD , with the art form becoming more interactive as the group held workshops with teachers in various schools . ‘Childen are honest actors,’ says she. ‘Intellectualism doesn’t come in their way and their sharp observation helps them grow at each level.’
Amardeep has also had the unique experience of teaching special children though she admits it is one of her dreams to work with them in the near future.
Her passion for the art made her move to Mumbai where she has had the joy of working with talented filmmakers like Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Mahesh Bhatt and Rajkumar Hirani.

So what now, one questions.
‘ I would love to share my experiences and views with the younger generation. They are extremely hard working but a certain discipline, compassion and understanding towards the craft is always welcome. Interactive workshops would be a wonderful way of encouraging a healthy exchange between actors fronm different backgrounds.
‘Share the experience not just the process’ seems to be her mantra. One that she is more likely to advocate.