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 I still remember being 5 years old, sitting beside my mother while she fed me, while she watched Aradhana. A huge fan of Rajesh Khanna, her face was lit, and she looked every bit as GORGEOUS as Sharmila Tagore in her blue saree, dimples peeking, large, luminous eyes and all, as she watched him serenade her. I saw her crying as Sharmila cried, saw her look at me with boundless love to the song "Chanda hai tu mera suraj hai tu...o meri aankhon ka taara hai tu". I was puzzled I admit, at this emotion...but 21 years later, I am but the same...
Hindi movies taught me to love music.
They taught me to sing, to breathe, to feel, to love...they taught me
about relationships, about laughter, about sorrow. They are so much
more than just an escape.
I can't say I've ever laughed as hard as I did when I saw Kishore Kumar
leaping up and down singing "Cheel cheel chillake kajri sunaye" in Half
Ticket, or Dharmendra making fun of "Pujjya Jijjjjaji" in Chupke
Chupke, Amol Palekar's crazy antics and Utpal Dutt's "ISSSSSSSSHHHH"
and "Daant kelaner bancharam!" in Golmaal, Mehmood and Kishore Kumar in
Padosan "Aiyaiyo...khujli wala jhadu! Aiyo...Binduuuuu!"...
Words couldn't ever explain what I've felt watching movies like
Anand..."Jina bhule the kahan yaad nahin, tujhko paya hai jahan, saans
phir aayi wahin", Abhimaan- the moment that Amitabh's voice breaks, and
Jaya continues the song...."Naya koi gul khilayegi tabhi to chanchal
hain tere naina...dekhona", watching Guide, Waheeda Rehman's beautiful
countenance singing in pathos, Ijaazat- the desperation and melancholy
intimacy in the words "Ek sau solah chaand ki raatein, ek tumhare
kaandhe ka til, geeli mehndi ki khushbu, jhoot moot ke shikwe kuch,
jhoot moot ke waade bhi sab yaad kara doon...sab bhijwa do, mera wo
saman lauta do", Mera Saaya- Sunil Dutt crying in front of a picture of
Sadhna..."Aapke pehlu mein aakar ro diye", Mughal-e-Azam- Madhubala in
chains, Madhubala dancing and singing, radiant, Tere Ghar ke Samne-
Nutan pouting at a smiling Dev Anand "Dekho rootha na karo", Rajesh
Khanna and Sharmila in a canoe in Amar Prem, Shabana Azmi's smouldering
gaze, Naseeruddin Shah's helplessness in Masoom, Waheeda Rehman elated,
Amitabh angry..."Mere ghar aayi ek nanhi pari" and Rakhi trembling
"Suhaag raat hai....", Mumtaz and Rajesh Khanna in Aap Ki Kasam
"Karvatein badalte rahe saari raat hum aapki kasam!", Nargis in Mother
India, Nutan in Bandini. I could keep going on forever.
Suffice to say....hindi movies may not be the most realistic, may be
melodramatic, may veer towards the ridiculous at times. But they
inspire me. In that lies their beauty to me.
I'll be posting more on this topic again soon ;-)
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