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Merry Christmas (2024)
Love, Longing & Murder in Bombay
Dubai returned architect, the taciturn Albert (Vijay) meets the bewitching but unhappy housewife Maria (Katrina) in a restaurant on a lonely Christmas eve. As they walk to her house, we get some melancholy-tinged witty conversations on unfulfilled love and unmitigated heartache. Maria's alluring smile & mysterious gaze attracts Albert. Sparks fly between both, they drink & have an impromptu dance. She then goes to his house, reads something naughty from his amateur novel, flirts outrageously, kisses him in her building lift & invites him home. Then the familiar Sriram Raghavan trope appears - a corpse.
Albert blurts out a secret, then comes the rakish Ronnie (Sanjay Kapoor), yet again a corpse and an inquisitive Inspector and his suspicious assistant. Set in Bombay in the late 80's, Director of photography M Neelakandan envelopes the residential interiors and the cityscapes with a hint of magic. South Bombay look dreamy and full of delicious possibilities. Wallpapered living rooms, opulent upholstery, vintage bars, a family bakery, LP records, stacks of books - the palette is warm and vivid
The film's soundtrack, by Pritam, seamlessly integrates with the narrative, enhancing the suspense inherent in a mystery thriller . Jazzy tracks that compliments the screenplay, puts sense and fills voids in empty silences and dramatises tension where performance is bare minimum, the music is in fact one of the best parts of the film. "Raat Akeli hai" by Arjit & Antara is superb; it perfectly coveys the budding love story. Daniel B George's background score is exquisite. He relies heavily on Western classical influences and gives us unique pieces of music that gel so well with dramatic scenes.
Katrina, with her mystique and Vijay with his lazy charm, mount a spectacular dance of passion which paints the city red, a colour of love, lust, Christmas and blood. Katrina looks angelic; her luminous face conveying vulnerability & shows flashes of fleeting determination. There is a dreamlike scene in which Katrina is danc¬ing with Vijay, with their arms and legs flailing. As he does an improvised twist, she twirls around him, laughing and her hair flying. Awkward at first, it's so full of heart that it's heartbreaking. Vijay & and Katrina have a throbbing chemistry; both of them burning origami swans & jointly making a wish shows their growing affection
Vijay is understated throughout. He relies more on his eyes and facial expressions than on mere words to capture the storm that is raging in his heart His performance warms and wrenches the heart in equal measure
Director Sriram Raghavan is associated with the delicious world of plot twists and wily characters. Is Maria as innocent as she conveys to Albert? While she flirts with Albert in his house was she acting cunningly so as to attract the gullible stranger for execution of her plans? Wasn't she who crushed the tablets (drugs?) in the mixer? Was she in an unhappy marriage or was her husband Jerome in one, married to a philandering wife?
Raghavan's films contain cryptic clues randomly placed in the screenplay. The lift of Maria's old fashioned apartment plays an important part of the thriller. Why did Maria kiss Albert in the lift and NOT in any other place? Because she wanted to distract him so that her plans would not unravel!!
In the climax, Albert silently conveys his love for Maria. His sacrifice & Maria's grateful tears make our heart ache for this doomed love story. A must watch thriller but the Q still lingers.....in the end, did Maria really fall in love with Albert?
Ahista Ahista (2006)
Bitter Sweet
Abhay Deol meets the attractive Soha Ali Khan and greets her "Hello Sister"!!!. This sets the tone for a remarkable debut film by Shivam Nair. Soha, a middle class girl has run away from her home in Nainital and come to Delhi to marry her lover, Shayan Munshi. But Shyan doesn't turn up leaving Soha heartbroken & alone in the big bad world. . Abhay, the lower class next door guy turns protective towards the vulnerable Soha and helps her get a job & shelter in an old age home. Slowly romance blooms and Soha agrees to marry Abhay. Then Shyan re-enters into Soha's life.
A sensitively made film with a very unusual story, lovingly shot in Delhi, revolves around the delicate Soha. This well crafted film has moments which will forever remain etched in one's memory the awkward first kiss & Abhay's swift apology; Abhay describing Soha as "class wali ladki" & hastily adding "that he doesn't love her"; his gifting a churidar to Soha & asking her out for a date.
The music is good & the background music excellent. In a scene where Soha rushes & embraces Abhay the sound track disappears. The stillness conveys both the awkwardness & tenderness of the relationship.
The poignant ending makes for a bitter sweet film, the memories of which will linger for a long long time.
A must see I will rate it 8.5/10
Baat Ek Raat Ki (1962)
Enjoyable
In the dead of a rainy night a murder is committed. The murder suspect happens to be the bewitching Waheeda Rehman. Dev Anand the debonair lawyer who whiles away his time by singing soulful songs and pining for a lover, cannot believe that a beautiful nymphet can kill anyone. On the pleading of Waheeda's mother he takes up Waheeda's case enthusiastically. Dev manages to convinces the police commissioner to release Waheeda and tries to get closer to her by faking romance. She reveals her past life which included a lover, Chandrasekhar. This jolts Dev who by now has completely fallen in love with Waheeda. The jealous Dev has a tiff with Waheeda but soon makes up. In court Dev manages to prove that it was not Waheeda who had fired the fatal shot and exposes the real murderer. Dev wins the case & the lovely Waheeda.
As in any Dev-SD Burman-Majrooh partnership, there are very beautiful songs like Hemant's "Na tum hamein jaano", Rafi's "Akela hoon main is jahan mein" and a lovely comic duet by Rafi & Asha "Aaj ka din bhi pheeka pheeka" filmed on Johnny Walker & his girlfriend.
An enjoyable film even though the script had a few loopholes.
Kaun? (1999)
Simply Superb, mind blowing
"Kaun" is the classic "Who is the murderer?" Urmila is alone in her house on a rainy night. The TV news warns that a serial killer is on the prowl. Suddenly Manoj Bajpai knocks on the door . She is scared but he manages to convince her to let him in. After entering the house he behaves weirdly. He has a sinister look and she senses that Bajpai is the psychopath. Horrified she tries to escape but then Sushant appears. He too enters the house. The terrified Urmila with two strangers in her home does not know whom to trust while Sushant & Bajpai assumes the other as the serial killer. The shocked Urmila, now a prisoner in her own house waits for a brutal death,. It's the ending which truly astounds the viewer - the hallmark of a true classic. There are two corpses and one murderer (the serial killer).
"Kaun" is without doubt the best suspense film that has originated from Bollywood. Credit should be shared equally by the Director, Ram Gopal Verma and the script writer Anurag Kashyap. Urmila as the meek & terrified Ms Malhotra, and the menacing Manoj Bajpai are brilliant.
A must see, my rating is 9.5/10
Dhuan (1981)
Superb suspense film
Dhuaan is one of the best suspense movies ever made in Bollywood. I remember seeing it around 1987/88 in Doordarshan. Rakhee is a gold hearted rich widow living alone in a big haveli(bungalow). Her husband had expired in Philippines. One day Mithun, claiming to be her dead husband's younger brother barges into the haveli. He covets the wealth of Rakhee and starts to behave as the rightful owner of the dead man's property. Rakhee is terrified as her husband didn't have a younger brother. and takes the help of Inspector Sudhir Pandey (probably his debut film) The Inspector tries his best to trap the impostor but Mithun is always one step ahead of the Inspector. The frustrated Inspector one day succeeds in cornering Mithun, who in turn questions Rakhee about her dead husband. Confused & exasperated Rakhee blurts out the truth that she had killed her husband to inherit his wealth !
Truly a wonderful film, the excellent script & superb direction has one glued to seat wondering what will happen next. The climax is superb with Rakhee being exposed as a cold blooded murderer. Mithun turns out to be a police officer who had acted as the younger brother so as to expose Rakhee.
A suspense classic like Kaun & Dhund, this is a must see. I will rate it 8.5 out of 10. But the question remains - which Hollywood film was it copied from?!!
Charitra (1973)
Average film
"Charitra" Parveen Babi's debut film had the tag line "When wealth, is lost, nothing is lost ; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, everything is lost" Parveen Babi belongs to a lower middle class family. Her father Manmohan Krishna has mortgaged his house with a young man. The young man lusts after Parveen. He threatens Parveen that her family will be kicked out of their house. She is forced to sleep with him and gets pregnant. The guy refuses to bear responsibility and she attempts suicide. Saleem Durrani, the friend of the guy, is a rich playboy who lives alone in a big house. Most of his time is spend in drinking. He comes across Parveen and offers to marry her, and accept the love child, ensuing a happy ending.
An average film with average actors and average acting, the only bright spot is the beautiful Parveen Babi. She is confident & camera friendly.
Do Raaste (1969)
Very Good Family drama
"Do Raaste" portrays the aspirations & disappointments of a middle class family. The head of the Gupta family, Balraj Sahni manages with great difficulty to educate Prem Chopra, his younger brother abroad for which he had to mortgage his ancestral home. Prem Chopra returns and marries Bindu a rich girl. Tensions arise due to Bindu's behaviour and Prem & wife shift to a new home. Prem, who has got a very good job refuses to share Balraj's burden. The tired old Balraj, who has lost his job, is not able to repay back the loan and is kicked out of his home along with his family. This devastates Balraj. In the end Prem realizes that he has stopped loving his family due to Bindu's machinations and reconciles with Balraj.
The film revolves around Balraj -his hopes, responsibilities, aspirations & misfortunes. The romance of Rajesh Khanna & Mumtaz is incidental to the script but provides lilting songs. The brilliant script & Raj Khosla's superb direction holds the viewer's interest.
Chitchor (1976)
Very good
"Chitchor" is a beautiful film with excellent music a typical Rajshri Productions movie. Amol Palekar visits Zareena Wahab's village in connection with the construction of a new bridge. Zarina's family thinks he is Vijayendra Ghatge, the engineer with whom they are planning to marry Zarina off. They are very pleased with the simple Amol. He becomes close to the family and Zarina. But when they come to know about the truth they avoid Amol and wants Zarina to forget Amol and marry Vijayendra. But a happy ending ensues with Vijayendra sacrificing his love in favor of Amol. A family drama which never loses its freshness despite repeated viewings. The script was well written with all the characters beautifully etched. Chitchor contains some of Ravindra Jain's best music compositions. And the songs made Yesudas famous.
Mai Baap (1957)
Hilarious
Mai Baap is a hilarious comedy, one of the best of Bollywood. It's probably the only film where Johnny Walker acts as the villain. Balraj Sahni is a blind man who wins a lottery. Johnny Walker makes himself the agent of Balraj Sahni and starts milking Balraj's wealth. This is the crux of the film and results in many comic scenes. Unknown to Johnny Walker, one day Balraj regains his eyesight. Now he sees & realizers how Johnny had been cheating him of his wealth. In the end Johnny himself loses his eyesight and becomes a beggar.
Johnny Walker is superb as a slimy character. A must see comedy, I will rate it 8.5 out of 10.
Pocket Maar (1956)
Average film
Pocketmaar is one of the genre of crime films Dev acted in. He is a small time pickpocket, but his mother (Lalita Pawar) is under the illusion that he works in a big firm which has odd working hours. Dev happens to meet the villain who makes him an offer but Dev refuses. The villain's mole (Nadira) is attracted towards Dev. One day Dev pickpockets a poor man (Mohan-probably Tiwary) who had stolen Rs.3000 from the villain to send it to his village where his mother & sister live in poverty. The money was to be given to the landlord who had mortgaged their ancestral property. Shocked by the loss of Rs.3000 Mohan commits suicide. Dev feels guilty and goes to the Mohan's village where he meets his sister, Geeta Bali and mother.. They think that Mohan has a good job in Bombay and Dev is his friend. Dev tries to tell the truth but can't. He gives the money to the landlord and rushes back to Bombay. Geeta Bali & her "mama" (Sunder) come to Bombay in search of Dev. Dev tells Geeta that Mohan has gone to a business tour and marries her. In order to trap the villain, Dev marries Nadira who has fallen in love with Dev. She tells Dev all about the villain and he is arrested. Nadira is shattered to learn the Dev has married and tells Dev's mother that he is a pickpocket. Shocked, Lalita Pawar commits suicide.
An average film.
Khamoshi (1969)
Haunting classic
"Khamoshi" tells the story of a nurse Waheeda Rehman who is used by her Doctor, Nasir Hussein to test his theory on the treatment of male mental patients by showering love on them by female nurses. He conveniently ignores the fact that the nurse herself might fall in love with the patient. After successfully treating Dharmendra, Nasir wants Waheeda to treat Rajesh Khanna . She refuses as she had fallen in love with Dharmendra - who considered Waheeda only as a good nurse and wed his girlfriend, shattering Waheeda. But Nasir pressurizes her to take up the case of Rajesh Khanna. She tries to remain aloof from Rajesh but finds herself being drawn towards him. She cannot express her feelings to him as she is forced to accept that she is performing just a job. The "khamosh" feelings play havoc and she herself turns mad. She shrieks at the Doctor and tells him that she had not acted but had really loved Rajesh Khanna. Tragically, only by becoming mad was Waheeda able to remove the veil of "Khamoshi" on her feelings. The climax deeply pains & touches the viewer's heart.
Khamoshi, one of the great classics of Hindi cinema, revolves around Waheeda and its her best performance ever. With Dharmendra she is gay & chirpy, but with Rajesh she is sad & aloof, her eyes betraying the pain of unrequited love and foreseeing the impending doom. Gulzar's exquisite lyrics were beautifully composed by Hemant. The haunting music & beautifully etched performances linger on. It is a remake of a Bengali film "Deep Jale Jaaye" starring Suchitra Sen, directed by Asit Sen.
I will rate it 9 out of 10
'Ferry' (1954)
Children's film
Ferry tells about the story of a young child, the son of Dev Anand whose mother has died and about his longing for mother's love. Everyday, along with his pet Alsatian, he expectantly waits at the river side for a Ferry which will bring back his mother.
One night Geeta Bali is found unconscious near the river side. The villager's bring her to Dev Anand's house. The son thinks it is his mother and is overjoyed. She too loves him as her own son. Dev Anand is concerned about the "guest" who has started living in his house and who has been accepted by his son as his lost mother. Geeta Bali tells her story to Dev. She was raised by a dancing women as her own daughter. When Geeta grows up she is pressurized to become the mistress of a Nawab, She refuses, escapes from a boat and is swept ashore in Dev's village.
One day the friend of the Nawab sees Geeta and starts blackmailing Geeta & Dev. Dev gets nervous and decides to throw Geeta out of his house. She pleads with him not to, as she has fallen in love with Dev and his son. But he doesn't relent as he fears the villager's reaction.
In the climax when Dev accompanies Geeta on the ferry to take her away from his home & life, his son shouts from ashore to bring "mummy" back. Dev relents and the Alsation dog shoos away the blackmailer, ensuring a happy ending.
A simplistic story, the main role is that of Dev Anand' son and his pet Alsation. Only children may find Ferry worth seeing.
The music by Hemant Kumar is below average.
Asli-Naqli (1962)
Enjoyable
Asli Naqli is the story of Dev Anand a rich cynical aimless young man. His grand father, Nasir Hussain wants Dev to marry a young girl of a rich family so that Nasir can take over the wealth of the girl's father. Furious Dev has a showdown with his grandfather and leaves his lavish home. He roams around hungry & tired. Anwar Hussain takes him home and Dev lives in the small hut along with Anwar's chatter box sister Sandhya Roy. Dev meets Sadhana and after a short romance interspersed with beautiful songs they decide to marry. Nasir Hussain tries to wreck the marriage plans but it's a happy ending with Nasir accepting Sadhana as Dev's wife.
Asli Naqli has very beautiful songs composed by Shankar-Jaikishen, like "Cheda mere dil ne", "Tera mera pyaar amar", "Tujhe jeevan ki dore se" etc.
I will rate Asli Naqli 8 out of 10.
Teen Devian (1965)
Superb movie, a must see
I saw Teen Devian in 1993 telecasted in Doordarshan on a Friday night, and could scarcely believe that such a remarkable film was ever made in Bollywood. It was mind blowing a film with a "modern" storyline, superb music, three lovely ladies and my fave superstar Dev Anand.In this unusual storyline, Dev falls in love with three women the simple Nanda, the ravishing Kalpana and the sophisticated Simi. They too are enamored with him and want to marry him. This puts Dev in a dilemma (which is the crux of the storyline)- whom to marry?. He consults a hypnotist who asks Dev to gaze into a crystal ball. Dev finds the answer and marries Nanda. Beautifully directed (most probably by Dev saheb himself & not by Amarjeet the official director) the B&W classic has evergreen music some of SD Burman's (helped generously by RD Burman) best compositions. "Uff kitni thadni hai yeh ruth" is the probably the most sexiest song ever composed in Hindi films. Credit should also be given to Majrooh Sultanpuri for penning the memorable lyrics Teen Devian is a breezy musical which completely suited the style of Dev Anand and he did full justice to the role. Unfortunately Teen Devian has never received the recognition & popularity it richly deserves.
A must see for any Hindi film buff, I will rate the eternal favourite 9.5 out of 10.