Alaknanda2007/Nivedita has posted NINETEEN SONGS from this Hindi version of the classic Ellis R. Dungan-directed film Meera, which originally came out in Tamil in 1945. This film became a famous showcase for its carnatic singing star M.S. Subbulakshmi. I’ll be getting to some of her songs soon, but first I wanted to show this sweet scene, which includes another great artist from vintage Indian movies, Kumari Kamala (or Kamala Kumari or Baby Kamala – she was about 13 here, so it would be a while before she became Lakshman), playing Krishna. Once again, Nivedita has dug up some real vintage treasures for us. I’m wondering if there will be a post about this film on her blog too…
Archives
All posts for the month November, 2009
Considering the usual subject matter of this blog, some people might say, “Huh?” But this won’t the first time I’ve mentioned Arundhati Roy in this blog, and I’ve continued to say (as in my ever-changing “About” page) that I reserve the right to stray from the more precise present focus of the blog now and then). Besides, I started to think of Arundhati Roy again thanks to a recent post at Memsaab’s blog on a film that Arundhati made in the ’80s, and I’ve been watching a few clips of her since I read that post, coincidentally on Arundhati’s birthday. (And by the way, when I double-checked on that birthday, I was also reminded that she was born the same year as I was, so she is very close to me in age – just six weeks younger.) Now, I’ve started to realize that I don’t like her to the same degree that I used to in the old days (back when I was actually more politically active, in “anti-globalization” protests, etc.) – I like her MORE! In interviews such as the one below, I love just about everything she says. (I also have to admit that I think she looks quite stunning now – much better than she looked before, possibly because of the grey hairs, which add some great character to her appearance.)
Pertinent to the subject of films, I particularly like something that she says while discussing Slumdog Millionaire, i.e., where she mentions that this movie “made poverty in India look like a natural phenomenon, as though it had been created by a thunderstorm, for which no one was responsible.” This connects to my own criticism of the film – especially when people try to praise it for its social consciousness… I decided not to go into the matter too much here, but I have commented extensively on some other blogs, where I pointed out that it does not explore a social/collective solution to the horrors that it shows (never mind a social cause); instead, it indulges in an individualist and escapist fantasy. One thing that draws me to many of the old Golden Age and pre-Golden Age Bollywood movies is that they do explore social/collective solutions (connected, of course, to the socialism that was very much in the public discourse at that time and place). Keeping this in mind, when some critics talked about how Slumdog Millionaire was willing to engage social criticism that Bollywood would not get into, I had to laugh (in addition to getting annoyed).
So, now that I have shown some relevance to the basic subject of this blog, here is one of many excellent interview excerpts that I’ve found during the past day or so…
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P.S. Unfortunately, in order to publish this date-relevant post in a timely manner, I had to put aside thoughts about changing the image header for now. But the way this blog’s template is designed, the image headers can make things a bit confusing sometimes. So, just to clarify, I would like to note that the woman in the image header is NOT Arundhati Roy!
I just learned tonight that Abrar Alvi died last Wednesday. He was involved as a writer or director in some very fine films. Abrar Alvi RIP.
Since posting this last spring, I found a better copy of it, as well as a not-bad new version. I must add this song to the (longer) list of songs played the most times consecutively – I could just play this one over and over…
(Photos, written info, etc., from YouTube poster Mansoom.)
(Another, live version of the famous song that I posted about last February.)
Hum Dekhain Gay
We shall see
Lazim Hai ke hum Bhi Dekhain Gay
It is necessary that we shall also see
Woh Din ke Jis ka Wadah Hai
That day which has been promised
Jo Loh-e-Azl pe Likha hai
Which is written with God’s ink
Hum Dekhain Gay
We shall see
Jab Zulm-o-Sitam ke Koh-e-garaan
When the mountains of cruelty and torture
Ruii ki Tarah Urd Jain Gay
Will fly like pieces of cotton
Hum Mehkumoon ke Paun Talay
Under the feet of the governed
Yeh Dharti Dhard Dhard Dhardkay gi
This earth will quake
Aur Ehl-e-Hukum ke Sar Uper
And over the head of the ruler
Jab Bijli kard Kard Kardke gi
When lightning will thunder
Hum Dekhain Gay
We shall see
Jab Arz-e-Khuda ke kabay se
When from God’s Mecca
Sab but Uthwaaiy Jain gay
All the idols will be shattered
Hum Ehl-e-Safa Mardood-e-Haram
Us people standing in the mosque
Masnad pe Bithaaiy jain gay
Will be elevated to a higher platform
Sab Taaj Uchalay jain gay
All the crowns will be tossed
Sab Takht Giraaiy Jain gay
All the thrones will be toppled
Bas Naam rahay Ga Allah ka
Then only God’s name will remain
Jo Ghayab Bhi hai Hazir Bhi
Who is both absent and present
Jo nazir bhi hai manzar bhi
Who is both the observer and the view itself
Uthay ga Analhaq ka Naara
When the anthem of truth will be raised
Jo Main bhi Hun aur Tumbhi ho
Who I am and you are as well
Aur Raaj karay gi khalq-e-Khuda
And the people of God will reign
Jo main bhi hun aur tum bhi ho
Who I am and you are as well
Hum Dekhain Gay
We shall see
Lazim Hai ke hum Bhi Dekhain Gay
It is necessary that we shall also see
Hum Dekhain Gay
We shall see
(Translation from EGO.)
(There is also a nice article at CHUP-Changing Up Pakistan. And plenty of info at Wikipedia, of course.)
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P.S. 11/22: I have found out that there is another good post honoring Faiz – and also linking to this post – at Dawn.com Forum. I also discovered a fine “Remembering Faiz” YouTube clip with a sweet-sounding Noor/Faiz song from Sukh Ka Sapna, a 1962 film that Faiz was “deeply involved in” (according to info from YouTube poster Inaam Nadeem)…
I posted this song once before, but now I’m beginning to realize and learn how unique it is. This song is being sung on two different women and in two different languages! Being an ignorant westerner who doesn’t always pay attention to these things when there are subtitles, I didn’t even realize it at first. But now I know… I am not sure, either, that I would have recognized the second language right away (that is, the language that isn’t Urdu), but I am pretty sure some of you will.
Also worth noting is that the song is being sung in two completely different moods, fitting the situation of the two different characters. The first part, sung for Mussarat Nazir, is the euphoric love part; the second/middle part, with Noor singing for herself, is the sad part, fitting the character of the abandoned lover.
Altogether, it is a wonderful song (with a great beat too). And it could very well get onto my list of songs that I’ve played the most consecutive times.
…By which I mean, the individual song sequences that I’ve watched more times in a row than any others…probably, especially, in the past six months. Of course, I’ve posted some of these quite a few times already, but if I’m watching them over and over again, you should too!
5. (Mainly for the music, but the scene is nice too.)
4. (Mainly for the music, but the scene is nice too)
3. (Mainly for the scene, but the music is very nice too.)
2. (Mainly for the music, but the scene is pleasant enough.)
1. (For the music and the scene!).
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P.S. I thought of adding the following one to the list and making the list six songs, but playing a Dailymotion video at the top kind of screws up the videos below it (at least on my browser). So, let’s give this “honorable mention” (for the music and the scene!):