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Evergreen hero Dev Anand had planned two versions of Guide (1965) — English for international audiences and Hindi for India. The English version was written by Pearl S Buck and directed and produced by Tad Danielewski. Dev wanted his elder brother Chetan Anand to direct the Hindi version. Unfortunately, he was busy with his own movie Haqeeqat. So Dev’s next choice was his close friend — the celebrated director Raj Khosla. But the heroine Waheeda Rehman categorically told Dev that she will not work with Khosla. Reportedly, Khosla while making Solva Saal (1957) with Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman insisted Waheeda wear a particular dress which she refused. Post that movie Waheeda vowed never to work with Khosla ever again. As a result, the choice fell on his younger brother Goldie-Vijay Anand. Vijay Anand totally discarded the idea of making a film on RK Narayan’s novel. He said this is ‘no good’ for a film. Dev had to cajole Goldie. Finally, he agreed on the condition that he will write the screenplay. Dev gladly agreed. Goldie went to Khandala, locked himself up for 20 days and wrote the script. The rest is history. Incidentally, the Hindi version was a runaway hit and later achieved a cult following; it has since been deemed one of the best Bollywood films produced of all time. The English version flopped. This version was then screened again at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, 42 years after its release. Powered by: IDFC First Bank
There are any number of behind-the-scenes stories when the great historical epic Mughal-e-Azam was being shot in the late fifties. The film, starring greats like Prithviraj Kapoor, Madhubala, Durga Khote and Dilip Kumar, broke all box office records in 1960 and is considered a milestone in Indian cinema. Well known director K Asif was shooting a scene for the movie somewhere in the deserts of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. The scene required hundreds of horses and scores of elephants. Hearing this requirement, a local animal supplier (for films) approached Asif and said he could supply any number of horses and elephants for the shoot. It would cost around Rs 20,000 but he needed an advance of Rs 10,000. The advance money was a big amount in the fifties. But, without batting an eyelid, Asif turned to his production manager and said, “Give him 10,000 rupees.” When the man left, a worried production manager said, “Asif sab, suppose this man is a cheat and he does not come back, your money is gone!” Asif laughed and said, “Arrey…woh dus hazaar rupaiah ley gaya hai, kismat to nahi le gaya!” He told him, don’t worry he will come; and the man did turn dutifully as promised with horses and elephants.
BR Chopra’s younger brother Dharam Chopra (elder to Yash Chopra) was learning cinematography. So as to give him a chance to become a full-fledged cameraman (now called director of photography), BR launched Dhool Ka Phool in 1960. Since it was Dharam’s first film as a cameraman, no star readily agreed to sign on for the film. Even Rajendra Kumar, popularly known as Jubilee Kumar, did not respond when approached. Those days Dharam used to stay in a building called Parchhaiyan in Juhu, which was built by lyricist Sahir Ludhiyanvi. One night around 11 pm, Dharam heard somebody shouting out his name. When he looked out, the person was none other than Rajendra Kumar. He shouted “Dharam me kar riyan teri picture! Don’t worry!” And that one yes from Rajendra Kumar changed Dharam’s life forever. Dhool Ka Phool was a runaway hit and thereafter Dharam was on a roll. It was Dharamputra (1961), T Prakash Rao’s College Girl (1962), PL Santoshi’s Dil Hi to Hai (1964), BR Chopra’s Waqt (1965) and many more. For Waqt he bagged Filmfare’s best cinematographer award. Dharam, who was ranked among top five cinematographers in the country, predominantly worked for his brother BR Chopra. He passed away in 2002.
Mughal-e-Azam is considered a masterpiece in Indian cinema. This all-time hit epic historical drama directed by the renowned K Asif starring Prithviraj Kapoor, Madhubala, Durga Khote and Dilip Kumar was released in 1960. The character of Prince Salim played by Dilip Kumar has been immortalized. But not many know this great masterpiece was made in fits and starts. It took 10 years to complete it. And there were several reasons for it. One was director Asif fell in love with Dilip Kumar’s sister Akhtar and this incensed Dilip Kumar who refused to shoot till the matter was finally resolved. Besides, Dilip Kumar and Madhubala had an affair that ended around the making of this film and this took a toll on the shoots as their on-screen chemistry went awry. Finally, the pearls that were used in the shoot would break every time it fell on the floor, and the shooting had to be cancelled. It was then decided to import unbreakable pearls from Belgium and getting those in the sixties took months. It was finally released with all the fanfare at Maratha Mandir. By evening it was declared flop. This news depressed the cast which met at Asif’s house near Opera House after the premiere. Looking at all of them Asif said, “Kyon, Chehre Latak Gaye! Dekhna Ye Film Zabardast Hit Hogi.“ And it did.
Sashadhar Mukerji became a legend in his own lifetime. Popularly known as S Mukherji, his contribution to the Indian film industry remains unparalleled. Mukerji, who initially joined Bombay Talkies and went on to create Filmistan and Filmalaya Studios was known as the man with Midas touch. Everything was a hit – his movies, stars, songs. In fact, people who worked closely with Mukerji say that he had an ear for music. They say he had the knack of picking the right ones when a music director gave him a choice of 10 tunes for a song. Naturally this success created a lot of enemies within the industry, and they would spread rumours about his movie. A similar thing happened in 1954 when he released Nagin, famous for its song Man Dole Mera, Tan Dole Mera sung by Lata Mangeshkar to the accompaniment of Been music. His rivals said snakes were entering the cinema halls the moment Been music played. This rumour kept the audience away from the theatres for a few days. But, not for long. Not only was the movie a super hit but the Been music became synonymous with snakes and snake charmers. And of course, the movie established Vyjayanthimala’s career as a star.
Dilip Kumar was not just a legendary actor but was also a writer and producer who made the blockbuster movie Ganga Jamuna in 1961 and played the title role of Ganga in that film. The heroine was Vyayanthimala. It was a tale of two brothers one — an uneducated, simple human being who is forced by the circumstances to take the law in his own hands and the other Jamuna who is educated, urbanized and who tilts on the side of the law of the land. The movie Ganga Jamuna was inspiration for the famous duo Salim-Javed while scripting for Deewar. So too it was for Amitabh Bachchan. Well, when Ganga Jamuna was to be released it went to the Censor Board for clearance. They recommended a cut of the scene where Ganga is shot and utters Hey Ram! When asked why should it be cut? The Sarkari Babu said it was Gandhi who uttered Hey Ram…so how can you utter the same words? Dilip Kumar was shocked by his logic and said every Hindu when he dies might utter Hey Ram! Come to think of it one must admire the creative guys from Bollywood who have had to put up with idiosyncrasies of babus and politicians for decades now.
The 1957 romance-drama Pyaasa starring Guru Dutt and Waheeda Rehman is widely considered one of the best Indian films. Produced and directed by Guru Dutt, it was a box office hit too. And of course who can forget the melodious songs like Jaane woh kaise log they jinake pyaar ko pyaar milaa or ye mahalo, ye takto, ye taajo ki duniyaa… Guru Dutt not only perfectly fitted the role of a sensitive poet, he immortalized the character! But Guru played the role not because he wanted to but because he was left with no option. How? Actually for the main role of the poet, the actor finalized was Dilip Kumar. Guru Dutt briefed him about the story and finalized the deal. But strangely as promised, Dilip Kumar never reported to the set for shooting. The entire crew was kept waiting and a totally exasperated Guru Dutt decided he will put on the make-up and do the role. And what a momentous decision he took. It turned out the best thing that could have ever happened to him, the movie and also the Indian audience. Even today Pyaasa is regarded as one of the greatest films ever made. It frequently features on world cinema’s greatest films lists. It was one of the earliest films to have achieved a healthy blend of artistic as well as commercial mainstream traits. One may ask, was it destiny or luck that played the role here!
It was quite a popular song of the 1970s Do Bichaare Bina Sahaare, Dekho Puchh Puchhkar Haare sung on screen by Ashok Kumar and Pran in the 1972 comedy movie Victoria 203. The movie, produced and directed by Brij Sadanah, had Navin Nishchol and Saira Banu in the lead roles. Those days most of the films were shot with the original sound recorded simultaneously at the time of shooting. There was no post-production concept. The shooting of the movie was in full progress at a Mumbai studio with Ashok Kumar (Raja) and Pran (Rana) in full flow…delivering their dialogues. But there was a problem. Every time the camera rolled it would capture the cooing sound of pigeons. The sound recordist said that pigeon cooing noise was interfering with the dialogues. After three takes everybody was exasperated as to how to overcome the pigeon noise issue. Ashok Kumar said, “Okay, don’t worry, I will manage.” No one understood what he meant by ‘manage’. When the director said lights, camera, action, Dada Moni effortlessly added a line before his actual dialogue, ”Kya zamana aa gaya hai Rana, aajkal raat me bhi kabootar bolte hain!” This thinking on the feet or ad-libbing as it is popularly known saved the day and the director Brij could finally say cut and pack up.
After the death of Himanshu Roy in 1940, one of the pioneers of Indian cinema and husband of Devika Rani, the burden of running Bombay Talkies side fell on his partner Sashadhar Mukherji, who also became a legend in his own lifetime. The new found responsibility saw Mukherji hiring directors to complete the film under his creative supervision. Last film he produced in Bombay Talkies was Kismat directed by Gyan Mukherjee starring Ashok Kumar, his brother-in-law and Mumtaz Shanti. It was in Kismat that he gave the ‘lost and found formula’ to Bollywood. Kismat’s release was at the backdrop of Quit India movement 1942. The film was ready for release when Mukherji got a novel idea to include a song that captures the country’s political sentiments. Lyricist Kavi Pradeep wrote the song Door Hato Aye Duniya Walo Hindustan Hamara Hai which became popular. At Mumbai’s Roxy Theatre, Opera House where the film was released, the audience gave a standing ovation to the song. People’s patriotism was aroused. The British authorities got jittery and police were asked to investigate everyone connected with the film. The song was so cleverly written that they couldn’t find anything objectionable. Kismat was his swan song at Bombay Talkies, post that Mukherji formed a cooperative and created Filmistan Studio with 11 partners — including Ashok Kumar, Kavi Pradeep, Madan Mohan’s father and othe
Inderjeet Singh Johar, popularly known in Bollywood as IS Johar, was a versatile actor, writer, producer, and director. His talent took him to Hollywood where he acted in movies like Lawrence Of Arabia, Death On The Nile. But, for a man who made it big in Bollywood, he was deeply disturbed by the 1947 Partition as he was born in Talagang in Punjab in British India (which became a part of newly created Pakistan). The rape, murder of lakhs of Hindus shook him very badly. He felt such violence could be done by only those who have lost faith in God. So, he went to his mentor S Mukerji to make a film on a subject that could restore people’s faith in God. Mukerji read Johar’s script and told him, if you want to appeal to the masses then tweak the script; don’t take the problem head on but do it subtly. Heeding to his mentor’s advice, Johar rewrote the script and directed the film. Nastik, produced by S Mukerji (Filmistan) in 1954, is a film set against the backdrop of Partition with its ensuing riots and violence, and using actual footage of refugees. The movie was phenomenally successful at the box office and completed Golden Jubilee. Even today it is known for its “immortal” song Dekh Tere Sansar Ki Haalat Kya Ho Gayi Bhagwan, Kitna Badal Gaya Insaan. Married five times, Johar died in 1984 at the age of 64.
Generally speaking, no trip to Pune is complete without visiting one of the city’s oldest and best-known bakeries — Kayani Bakery — to buy Shrewsbury biscuits for families and friends. Set up in 1955 by two brothers Hormuzdiar and Khodayar Irani, the bakery has tickled the palate of millions of people from all walks of life. Not many know that one of the early fans and patrons of these unmistakable cookies was the tragedy king of Hindi screen, Dilip Kumar. He relished Shrewsbury biscuits. It was around 1970; Dilip Kumar was doing a BR Chopra movie Dastaan. Those days it was not easy for those passing out of the Film & Television Institute Of India (then Poona Film Institute) to get work in mainstream cinema. But sound recordist BK Chaturvedi was lucky to be picked by BR Films and given the assignment of Dastaan. During the course of shooting, when Dilip Kumar came to know that Chaturvedi had passed out of the FTII, he told him whenever you go to Pune get me Shrewsbury biscuits from Kayani Bakery. It was an honour for Chaturvedi that the legendary Dilip saab was making such a request. Since that day till the shooting of Dastaan was complete, Chaturvedi would religiously go to Pune to get biscuits for Dilip Kumar. On his part, the thespian actor would offer him tea in his lavish, impeccable style at his Pali Hill bungalow. So it was chai, biscuits and filmy charcha.
The untimely death of Sushant Singh Rajput last June kicked off a national debate about nepotism and outsider vs insider in Bollywood. The uncharitable lines one heard was: “Oh! Karan Johar is the son of a successful producer Yash Johar; Aditya Chopra is the son of an eminent director Yash Chopra; Sonakshi is daughter of a super star Shatrugan Sinha; Ranbir comes from the most celebrated Kapoor family so on and so forth. And this is why they made it big! Actually, all these so-called “insiders” had skills, which was a cut above the rest and proved their mettle to emerge successful in their own rights. Pedigree gave them entry, but it does not guarantee success. Or else how do you explain sons and daughters of successful stars not being able to make a mark. What about Feroz Khan’s son Fardeen; what about Abhishek Bachchan? What about BR Chopra’s son Ravi Chopra? What about the sons of Guru Dutt? What about the sons of Chetan Anand and Dev Anand? In the cricket world one can think of Sunil Gavaskar’s son Rohan and Kumar Mangalam Birla’s son Aryaman. The list is endless. People forget that in any creative field or even in sports it is the performance that finally speaks. Of course, luck too plays a major role. Rajendra Kumar may not have been considered a great actor but he was popularly known as Jubilee Kumar as all his movies ran for 25 weeks in theatres.
The Shammi Kapoor-Sharmila Tagore starrer Kashmir Ki Kali directed by Shakti Samanta was not only a box office hit but also renowned for its popular songs composed by OP Nayyar and sung by Mohammed Rafi. Remember the famous number, Yeh Chand Sa Roshan Chehra, shot on Dal Lake shikara which became an eternal boat ballet to remember with the song reaching a striking crescendo – Tareef Krun Kya Uski Jisne Tujhe Banaya What’s not known to many is an interesting story behind the song. At the recording studio, as is customary, the hero, Shammi Kapoor, was present. But he did not like the way music director OP Nayyar had composed the song – especially the end part of it. Being a popular star, Shammi Kapoor requested Nayyar if he could quicken the pace of the song at the end to a crescendo and sync the last line Tareef Karun Kya Uski with the music. Nayyar, it seems, turned down Shammi’s suggestion. Seeing a sulking Shammi, Rafi saab asked him what the matter was. Shammi told Rafi saab about his suggestion and how Nayyar saab refused to entertain him. Rafi was convinced; he told Nayyar saab, “Looks like Shammi has something in his mind as to how he will perform on this song. Why not listen to him and compose the ending as per his wish.” With Rafi also making a request, Nayyar relented. The picturisation is dramatic as you see Shammi serenading Sharmila in the middle of the Dal Lake, as she’s rowing her shikara, full of flowers. The performance has become immortal. What would have happened had Nayyar saab not given in?
Remember childlike, seductive and that infectious smile of Dev Anand with that small gap in his upper left denture that sent women swooning. What became a selling point was actually a bone of contention between Dev Saheb and his director. Well, it’s a ‘painful’ story. Dev Anand got the first break in the movie because of his smile. Baburao Pai, producer of Prabhat Films part of the Pune-based Prabhat Studio (founded by the likes of VG Damle and V Shantaram was), was mesmerized by Dev’s smile and signed him to play a hero’s role. But, when the shooting began director PL Santoshi (father of Rajkumar Santoshi) and the cameraman did not like the gap in Dev’s teeth. It ‘looked odd’, they both felt, in close-up shots. So, it was suggested Dev put cotton buds and fill the gap. After few days of shooting the gum got infected and Dev Saheb could not bear the pain and he complained. Giving to hero’s complaints, the cotton buds were removed and it was status quo ante. The smile took him more than a mile. No wonder he was called the Evergreen Hero till he passed away in 2011 at the age of 88 in London.
Bollywood camp seems to be divided over some of the winners of the 67th National Film Awards for 2019. Kangana Ranaut, who bagged the National Award for Best Actor for Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, and Panga, is being compared to Priyanka Chopra’s performance in The Sky Is Pink. Similarly, some veteran critics are comparing Sushant Singh Rajput starrer Chhichhore that won the coveted award with their own choices: Section 375, Art 15, Batla House and Uri: The Surgical Strike. The Jury could have selected from one of these four films, the seasoned critics hold, suspecting that the awards are being given to score political brownie points. All awards, be it national or independent ones, attract such endless criticism. This brings to mind the story told to the undersigned by the Dadasaheb Phalke Award winner Manoj Kumar aka Mr Bharat. His movie Upkar (1967) was a runaway hit. Mr Bharat got a call from a babu in New Delhi to attend the National Films Awards function at Vigyan Bhavan as his film Upkar was the winner. When the announcement was made, he found much to his dismay that a south Indian film had bagged the award and his film got the Award for the Second-Best Feature Film. Seeing a visibly irritated Manoj Kumar, the babu, in question, quickly whispered into his ears: “Sir, please understand the politics of balancing!” After reluctantly collecting the medal, Manoj Kumar quietly walked out, went to the refugee camp in Delhi where he had grown up (after Partition 1947), and threw the medal into a nullah.
Born into an aristocratic family, Himanshu Roy is one of the leading pioneers of the Indian cinema. Bombay Talkies studio, which produced a number of hits and launched several stars, was his brainchild. It was set up in 1934 along with his actress wife Devika Rani. The other partner was Shashdhar Mukherji who roped in his brother-in-law Ashok Kumar Ganguly as a technician. According to a knowledgeable source, Roy in a fit of rage threw the leading hero out of the movie as he suspected him of having an affair with his wife Devika. Now, the whole studio was in a fix as the movie was going on the floor. A desperate hunt began for a new hero and everybody’s eyes fell on Ashok Kumar and he was cast as a hero opposite Devika Rani. Now rose another tricky situation. Since Mukherji was controlling the whole project there was an issue as to how he would address Ashok Kumar who was his wife’s elder brother. His nickname was Moni so Mukherji like a good Bengali added the prefix Dada to Moni and started calling him “Dada Moni”. The rest is history.
As you drive from SEEPZ to L&T complex in Mumbai’s Andheri east, you cannot miss on your left a huge film studio complex – Kamalistan — named after Pakeezah fame writer-director-producer Kamaal Amrohi. He was also the husband of Meena Kumari, the tragedy queen of Bollywood. Hailing from eastern UP’s Amroha, he landed in Mumbai to seek his fortune as a writer. As is known nobody entertained him. One day he managed to enter the office of the great film maker of Minerva Movietone fame Sohrab Modi. As he broke into conversation, Modi who was busy reading a script, did not even look at him and said “I am busy, I cannot meet anybody.” Then as he lifted his head he saw this lean thin man in Achkan, a topi with a walking-stick. Seeing his physical appearance, Modi broke into a loud laugh. Quick-thinking Kamaal cashed in on the situation and said, “I am not a person to be seen; I am to be heard.” Modi sat down, heard what he had to narrate. His command over Urdu writing skills landed him a job with Modi and he quickly became a famous writer and director.
The doyen of the Indian film industry, Sashadhar Mukerji, who initially joined Bombay Talkies and went on to create Filmistan and Filmalaya Studios, was considered the man with the Midas touch. He not only launched several new faces who have become a runaway success stories but his entire family right from his sons (Joy, Deb, and Shomu), grandson (Ayan), grand-daughter (Kajol), relatives (Ashok, Kishore, and Anup Kumar) are part of the film fraternity. It is a huge extended family. Actually, he was the brain behind the concept of formula films. A legend in his own lifetime, Mukherji was approached by Shammi Kapoor constantly for a big break. “Sir, you have made so many stars, when are you going to do something for me?” This persistence by Shammi went on for some time till one day Mukherji said: “Shave off your moustache and see me tomorrow.” Without wasting time, Shammi landed at his office the next day sans moustache and producer Mukherji signed him for Tum Sa Nahi Dekha which was directed by Nasir Hussain. Interestingly, this film became a launch pad for heroine Ameeta, director Hussain and catapulted a struggling Shammi Kapoor into the big league. Shammi told the undersigned: “I had a Hillman car those days. Even before the release of the film, I sold it and went on a holiday to the Far East. I knew when I return, I shall be a star!”
Remember Salma Agha the honey-eyed husky voiced lady who came here from Pakistan to make it big as a singer-actor-star in Bollywood — a la Noorjahan, Suraiyya! That was the time when the legendary film maker BR Chopra (who always made films on social issues – Ek Hi Raasta, Naya Daur, Mazoor) was planning to make a film on triple Talaq- based on a short story given to him by a Hindi freelance journalist Achala Nagar. She had forgotten about it. Chopra not only read the story but also asked to search for the writer. He decide to make this film with an entirely fresh cast and crew. Salma got a break with this film along with Hasan Kamaal as its lyricist. The film was made under the title Talaq Talaq Talaq and that precisely attracted the ire of muslim groups. They said even if we mention the title of the film in front of our wives we would be pronouncing “Talaq!” One important muslim poet/journalist told Chopra “Muslims make 70% of cinema going audiences, if we issue a Fatwa to not to see the film, the film would flop.” Heeding his advice the title of the film Talaq Talaq Talaq was changed to Nikaah.
It may sound clichéd but behind every successful man there is a woman. Baldev Raj Chopra after doing MA in Literature from the University of the Punjab, Lahore joined as a journalist with film magazine Cine Herald and eventually acquired it in 1947. With right contacts, he launched a movie the same year in Lahore but the Partition genocide saw him fleeing to India. Eventually, he moved to Mumbai and made a movie Karwat in 1948. It flopped. In 1951, he directed a movie starring Ashok Kumar and it was a hit. More hits followed. Soon he was flooded with offer by producers to direct their films. A well-known producer gave him Rs 5,000 (a big sum those days) to direct his movie. Chopra was elated and happily broke the news to his wife. But his wife’s response surprised him. She told him: “You should not direct for others, you should become your own producer and director.” Heeding his wife’s advice, Chopra returned the money and floated BR Films in 1955. His first movie Ek Hi Raasta was a runaway hit. After that there was no looking behind.
TRENDS & VIEWS
Editor’s Note: Big Punch In Small Pack
It is the Third Anniversary of Short Post and as a news media startup launched during the Covid-19 pandemic it certainly feels better than good to find ourselves where we are today. Here, I must cite the unstinted support of our seasoned contributors, all senior editors in the country, who brought a great degree of maturity and sagacity to the Short Post newsroom. But for them, our tagline “Authentic Gossip”, an Oxymoron, would not have matured viably. Our user numbers may be small but our stories have created the desired impact among people who matter — decision makers and influencers. We offer a big punch in a small pack and Short Post with its 225-word stories has been punching above its weight category. Having posted close to 3,000 stories in the last 36 months, Short Post, I feel, is an idea whose time has come.
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If you look at the media landscape – print, TV and digital — it is a mixed bag. There are job losses as some outfits have closed down while a lucky few were bailed out by large corporate houses. Yes, there is a lot of action in the digital space. However, the entry of corporate houses has raised the question of independence of news media outfits. Sadly, there are just a handful of independent media outfits in the country that are highly respected for their neutrality. At Short Post, our credo is not to take sides, prejudge issues or be biased but, informing readers of behind-the-scenes happenings. In essence, Short Post strives to be a neutral editorial platform — neither anti-establishment nor pro-establishment.
As I said last year, disruptions in the media world are moving at a fast and furious pace. Technology is playing a very big role in how content is generated and consumed. But, we are neither alarmed nor perturbed as it is all a part of the evolution process. What gives us comfort is that AI is unable to create original gossipy content. And that is the news arena where we have achieved a distinction.