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Reviews
Gazal (1964)
Standard fare, but well-made and shairi thrown in
A very typical Hindi film story, which works not because of the story but because how it is told and performed. Powerful performances by all. Sunil Dutt, Prithviraj Kapur, Meena Kumari, Rajinder Nath, the lady who plays the hero's sister, and the the guy who played Sahib in Sahib, Biwi aur Ghulam. All do well. Tight. No wastage. Good songs. Good transition to the sombre as well.
Muslim families in Agra. Juvenile-ish Sunil Dutt discovers what is love, god and life in the course of the film. Meena Kumari is hot and stylish, and gets a chance to recite poetry. Healthy dose of comedy, romance, tragedy. Lots of shairi and mushairas. I think all the songs are different parts of the same ghazal by Sahir Ludhianvi. It is to the credit of Madan Mohan that the same ghazal or parts of it have been performed in such different moods.
An age that has gone.
Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
those who like Borat, should watch this also
This is a much better film about immigrants than Borat is. As a foreigner from India in the US for some years, I found Borat offensive and disgusting, and yet had to hear from all sorts of idiots as to how that was a good film. Borat was the film that made me puke. Really! I sincerely desire that all who watch Borat should compulsorily be made to watch this film as well.
Of course, this film has 'West vs Non-West', but in fact it is true about any inequality in power relations. Anywhere.
I saw this as a film with a universal message. Not simply indicting the West. Its another matter that in the last 200 years or so the West has played the role of the grand aggressor much better than others.
And yes, you might not be able to sit through it.
Finally, those who are talking about useless animal cruelty must be idiots. Why so? Thats a completely different issue, but I think that 98% environmentalists are elitists. How come that all environmentalists are either from the West or from well-to-do Third World families? That is kind-a strange.
Anwar (2007)
a good mirror of India
there has been a slew of 'political' films that have come out of bombay of late. this is better than most of those, perhaps not a part of that league either. although all of them essentialise the girl.
too many balls are hanging in the air, and none of them falls down. manish jha juggles all.
lovely music.
a satire on all and sundry, though it empathises with the characters also. perhaps bleak. but very true. what is the 'indian Muslim'? what is the 'hindu'?
a long, hard look at a billion people masturbating together and screaming. what will happen after they ejaculate? will they stay together?
Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2003)
pretense without pretensions
this is by far one of the most pretentious films i have ever seen. it is a tight slap on the face of some Indians who speak in English and were looking at the mirror. disgusting. the bubble gum version of the 1970s politics of the north Indian plains. the message - the educated English-speaking Indian tried to save the poor beggars of India in all earnestness. it ignores the fact that the poor beggars are also capable of and are saving themselves on their own.
as a love story its okay. the problem is that the love story and character development is based upon a completely fraudulent version of politics.