Great Soundtracks… Terrible Movies

The most common allegation about the Hindi film industry that people make is that its worst phase was from mid 1980s till the mid 1990s. Movies released during the late 1980s are in most “Torture Series” blogs. However, there are a lot of movies which had really exceptional music even though the movies were terrible.

Being born in 1981, the late 80s are almost a blurred memory. The only thing I remember is we used have a monthly movie time when dad used to hire a VCR and we were let to watch movies. That was the good part. The bad part was that out of 10 movies shown, 8 were Bengali movies of Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen. Not that they weren’t great. They were and still are. But, we had seen them so many times that we got bored of them. Also, I don’t think anyone below 10 would really be interested watch those movies. What we (we being my cousin brother and I) waited eagerly was when were shown the non-Bengali stuff. It used to be mainly Chaplin/Laurel-Hardy/Tom and Jerry or the live action comic book movies like Superman/Batman etc… Once in while we were let to watch Hindi movies.

Even then I was too young to understand most Hindi movies. But, what I used to like about them is their soundtrack. Later in my late teens, I revisited most movies by getting their VHS tapes or VCDs. And most movies were indeed shocking.

Jeeva – 1986 – Raj Sippy – RD Burman – Sanjay Dutt/Mandakini

My most favorite song from the 1980s is ‘Roz Roz Aankhon Tale’.

I don’t remember anything about the movie from childhood other than loving the song. Later, when I watched it again, I almost felt like throwing up when that song played. Why? No offense, but when I saw Mandakini lip syncing it, it was way too much for me to digest. Add to that the horrible movie. Did all the movies made that time had to be ‘Gaon ka chora’ returning as a dacait to take revenge? Well, what more can we expect from the famous Raj Sippy – creator of such wonderful movies as Loha (1987), Shehzaade (1989), Saugandh (1991), Mr. Bond (1992), Ikke Pe Ikka (1994), Paandav (1995) among others. The only film I remember liking is ‘Satte Pe Satta’. But, to his credit most his films did pretty well at the box office.

Jaanbaaz – 1986 – Feroz Khan – Kalyanji Anandji – Anil Kapoor/Feroz Khan/Dimple/Rekha

A film which had songs like “Pyaar Do Pyaar Lo”…“Har Kisi Ko Nahi Milta”…“Jaane Jana” among others.

I don’t even want to comment on the film as I had no idea what was going on. For me watching Rekha performing to ‘Pyaar Do Pyaar Lo’ with a group of dancers who seemed to be doing some kind of S&M on stage was painful enough.

I, however, loved watching Sridevi wearing chiffon sarees and dancing to ‘Har Kisi Ko’.

Vijay – 1988 – Yash Chopra – Shiv Hari – Rishi Kapoor/Anil Kapoor/Meenakshi/Kimi

One of the poorer works of Yash Chopra (but infinitely better than ‘Faasle’). But the movie had a pretty decent soundtrack. Songs like “Badal Pe Chalke Aa”…“Zindagi Har Janam”…“Meri Aankhen Hai” were moderate hits then.

The movie was like the song picturization itself. Watching Kimi Katkar in a Yash Chopra movie itself is a shock. Add to that Kimi’s dress and suddenly around 1:14 into the song Anil and Meenakshi pops out from nowhere. Damn scary!

Goonj – 1989 – Jalal Agha – Biddu – Kumar Gaurav/Juhi Chawla

I remember watching this movie when I was really young. The only thing I remember is the song “Saama Yeh Suhana”. It is one of my favorite songs. The movie however definitely isn’t.

Everytime I watch the song, I cringe at the expression of the actor from 0.40 – 0.42. It’s worth treasuring.

It is surprising whenever I talk about this song, most people think of the song ‘Saama Hai Suhana Suhana’ sung by Kishore Kumar from the movie ‘Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani’. The co-incidence is that Jalal Agha featured in the song ‘Saama Hai Suhana Suhana’ while he was the director of ‘Goonj’. I wonder if he paid tribute to the song by keeping the same lyrics in his own movie.

Yaara Dildara – 1991 – Mirza Brothers – Jatin Lalit – Aasif Sheikh/Ruchika Pandey

The horrible movie had couple of huge hits, “Bin Tere Sanam” and “Tum Hi Humari Manzil”.

“Bin Tere Sanam” was a big hit then, but even a bigger hit now thanks to the remix version. The other song that was really popular is “Tum Hi Humari Manzil”. I do not recall much of the movie other than that I couldn’t finish watching it as it was so bad.

I know Aasif Sheikh did lots of movies after that as a character actor. But I have no idea about the actress. Probably her first and last movie.

Drohi – 1992 – Ram Gopal Varma – RD Burman – Nagarjuna/Urmila

One of the most under-rated soundtracks of RD Burman and also of the 90s. The best song obviously is the beautiful “Tum Jo Mile To” sung by Suresh Wadkar.

Not only this song, “Dooba Dooba Nashe Mein” sung by Asha Bhonsle is also a very interesting composition. This movie forms the base for the now cult classic “Satya”. Drohi is almost frame to frame similar to Satya. Yet this doesn’t even come near to Satya.

Mashooq – 1992 – Mirza Brothers – Shyam Surender – Ayub Khan/Ayesha Julka

The Mirza Brothers were back after the disaster of Yaara Dildara to create another disaster, Mashooq. But like in Yaara Dildara, this movie also had a great soundtrack.

Couple of songs were huge hits. “Deewana Dil Dhoonde” and “Kaun Ho Tum”.

The other songs, “Yeh Dhadkan Mere Dil Ki”…“Tum Dil To” were also decent enough. Wish the movie was half as decent as the soundtrack.

Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayi – 1993 – Mahesh Bhatt – Annu Malik – Rahul Roy/Pooja Bhatt

Probably Annu Malik’s best compositions ever! I don’t recall a single song that was even average – forget bad. From “Tere Dar Par Sanam”…“Baadlon Mein Chuup”… “Aane Wala Kal”…“Dil Deta Hai”…Dil Mein Sanam” to my personal favorite “Shairana Si Hai” – every single song is a gem.

Sadly, the movie didn’t even get a theatrical release. It was probably the first movie ever to premiere on TV (Zee TV if I recall correctly). Even then, the movie was horrible to say the least.

Imtihaan – 1994 – Harry Baweja – Annu Malik – Sunny Deol/Raveena/Saif

Two movies released around the same time. One was Deewana starring Rishi Kapoor and Shah Rukh, while the other was Imtihaan. Both had literally the same plot. One was a smash hit, the other flop. Imtihaan was the later and deservingly so. However, the soundtrack of the movie was actually great. It had some of the best songs of 1994.

The soundtrack consists of great songs such as “Is Tarah Aashiqui Ka”…“Chaha To Bahut”…“Do Baate Ho Sakti” among others.

The Gentleman – 1994 – Mahesh Bhatt – AR Rahman/Annu Malik – Chiranjeevi/Juhi Chawla

How can there be any list about soundtracks without the mention of Rahman. So here it is, Mahesh Bhatt’s disaster ‘The Gentleman’. The funny thing with this movie is although the music of three of the biggest hits of the soundtrack is given by AR Rahman, he only gets a ‘thank you’ note at the beginning and Annu Malik’s name is mentioned in the credits.

“Roop Suhana Lagta Hai” and “Chika Bika” were huge hits. The picturization of ‘Chika Bika’ wasn’t even close to that of the original by Prabhu Deva. The movie was again the same modern day Robin Hood story. I don’t recall a single good movie Mahesh Bhatt made from 1994 to 1999 with the exception of Zakhm.

Wish the directors worked half as hard on the screenplays as the music composers did towards their music.

Top 10 under-rated Hindi films of the decade

After writing the 10 most under-rated English movies of the decade, it was quite obvious for me to write an article about the under-rated Hindi movies. More so since I felt it will be much easier to write. How wrong I was! Everytime I finished my list, another movie came in my mind out of nowhere and I had to insert it to the list. At a time I had some 35 movies and boy it was confusing. So after two days of pulling my hair out, the list below was formed. Just hope I didn’t miss any serious contender. 

All the films mentioned are selected on the basis that they did poorly at the Box Office.

Chronologically:

1. Haasil (2003)

• Irrfan Khan alone makes this movie a must watch. What a performance!
• A completely different landscape compared to regular Hindi films. Allahabad has not been used much as a Hindi cinema backdrop. Also the college politics in UP is not shown much on Hindi cinema. A very novel idea.
• A talent called Tigmanshu Dhulia. What a debut for him! Such assured scripting and direction.
• Although there isn’t much scope of music, still ‘Aankhen Bhi Hoti Hain Dil Ki Zuban’ is an awesome track.
• The poignant moments captured between Tinnu Anand and Jimmy Shergill. Natural to the core.
• Lastly, but most importantly, the hero is called Aniruddha. How can I not LOVE the movie?

2. Raincoat (2004)

• Simplicity. Simple can be lyrical and beautiful. This movie proves it.
• Career best performance of Aishwarya Rai. Superb performances by Ajay Devgan and Annu Kapoor.
• Debojyoti Mishra’s brilliant soundtrack and background score elevates the movie.
• Abhik Mukhopadhyay’s cinematography and how he plays with the light and shadow.
• Lastly, the sensitivity and maturity with which Rituparno Ghosh directs the movie.

3. Naach (2004)

• Ram Gopal Varma.
• His most personal film till date. It is dark, moody and abstract.
• Add to that brilliant performances by Antara Mali and Abhishek Bachchan.
• Outstanding cinematography by Kiran Reddy.
• Enough said. Move on.

4. Matribhoomi (2005)

• Manish Jha. Just for the balls to make this film.
• Venu Gopal’s cinematography. The bleak and dark look shows how the society is loveless and depraved.
• The cast. Tulip Joshi, Sudhir Pandey, Sushant Singh and Piyush Mishra gives splendid performances.

5. Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2005)

• The sheer innovation of the story, script. The locales.
• Bavra Mann, one of the finest songs of the decade.
• A genius called Sudhir Mishra. To create one of the finest love stories of Hindi cinema.
• To bring the drop dead gorgeous Chitrangada Singh on celluloid. Add to that Kay Kay and Shiny’s performance.
• A special thanks to Pritish Nandy for giving me my favorite movie of the decade.

6. Main, Meri Patni Aur Woh (2005)

• For probably the best and most natural climax of the decade.
• To showcase the talent that Rajpal Yadav has.
• Add to that great performances by Rituparna Sengupta, Kay Kay, Varun Badola and Vinod Nagpal.
• Chandan Arora. For bringing back the Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterji style of romance and humor.

7. My Brother Nikhil (2005)

• The best and most sensitive Hindi film on gay relationships and HIV+ patients in India till date.
• Le Chale, one of the best songs I have heard.
• Sanjay Suri. For producing a movie like this and giving the best performance of his life.
• For Juhi Chawla, Victor Banerjee, Lilette Dubey and PurabKohli, each giving heartbreaking performances.
• Lastly, Onir for making this film with so much sensitivity.

8. Sehar (2005)

• Arshad Warsi’s best performance till date.
• For once, the characters speak with proper dialect (UP-ite Hindi here).
• The supporting cast comprising of Pankaj Kapoor, Suhashini Mulay and Sushant Singh.
• The train-borne climax and its treatment.
• Kabeer Kaushik’s superb direction.

9. Socha Na Tha (2005)

• For giving us Abhay Deol.
• The best film of Imtiyaz Ali (which he keeps on remaking).
• Great soundtrack.
• Original, energetic and vibrant Ayesha Takia, before she tried to be the next Pam Anderson.

10. Manorama Six Feet Under (2007)

• The best homage ever to Chinatown.
• For bringing back Noir to Hindi cinema.
• The dry humor throughout the film.
• Powerhouse performances from Abhay Deol, Gul Panag, Raima Sen and Vinay Pathak.
• For stunning cinematography which creates the claustrophobic atmosphere apt for the film.
• Lastly, Navdeep Singh’s deft direction.

There are lots of films for the number 11 spot, which I mention as an additional recommendation. Got confused! So am just listing the films which are all tied up for the 11th spot.

1. Yahaan
2. Phir Milenge
3. Chhal
4. Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon
5. Dhoop

10 most under-rated English films of the decade

The article on Film.com kind of inspired me to write my own list. The reason being that I really disagreed with the article. To me, Film.com made pathetic choices. That disagreement kind of acted like a catalyst making me write my own list for the most under-rated English movies of this decade.

Now I followed certain parameters (which is followed by Film.com) while selecting the movies.

1. The film can’t have surpassed $30 million, either domestically or worldwide.
2. The film can’t have been nominated for/won an Oscar.

Which basically means that the movie didn’t get acclaim either from revenue or awards.

So here they are, my Top 10 most under-rated English films of the decade, chronologically.

1. High Fidelity (2000)

It is useless to review the movie as most of us have seen it. For those who haven’t, go watch it! Now let’s discuss why it is under-rated. 

What a soundtrack! One of the best soundtracks of the decade, if not more. Then there is John Cusack in his prime form. Jack Black with this movie made his arrival into the big league of comedians. Moments that we remember: Top 5 break-ups of all time, Evil-dead bit, the Annie Hall type dissection of a failed romance.

Because of its quirky characters, smart dialogue, and occasional bursts of penetrating humor,High Fidelity stands tall. The movie is just like the DVD back cover says, ‘a bullet’.

2. Waking Life (2001)

Richard Linklater is a genius and this film once again proves it. The film deals with the idea of lucid dreams and the nature of our existence and many other philosophical questions. What struck me about the film was the way in which the superb animation was layered over the film. What this achieves is indeed a sense of a dreamlike viewing experience. The film highlights the idea of how intertwined our dream lives and our waking lives are. Memories that we once thought to be real often turn out to dreams and vice versa.

Waking Life is a unique, cerebral experience.

3. 25th Hour (2002)

‘I tattooed ‘survive’ on my hand the night before I went away to prison. And I did. We do what we have to do to survive.’

 

The film deals with 24 hours of Monty’s (Edward Norton) life before he heads for the maximum security prison for the next seven years being convicted for drug possession. Knowing that he has limited time, Monty tries to spend most of his time with two of his best friends Frank (Barry Pepper) and Jacob (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and with Naturelle (Rosario Dawson), his girlfriend.

It is also one of the first movies to show the New York post 9/11. There is a sequence where we see workers cleaning away the debris from Ground Zero while Frank and Jacob argue about the future of their friendship with Monty. It acts as a terrific metaphor, that Monty’s future is as bleak as the ground below. Such moments stay on with you.

The movie has a terrific ensemble cast comprising of Edward Norton, Phil Hoffman, Barry Pepper, Rosario Dawson, Anna Paquin, and Brian Cox. To Spike Lee’s credit he extracts brilliant performances from every single person.

25th Hour lingers on your mind long after other movies have evaporated.

4. Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

In my wildest dream, I never imagined to see Adam Sandler in a role like this and performing like this. But then this is a Paul Thomas Anderson movie. The person who made Boogie Nights and Magnolia. 

Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch Drunk Love opens with his signature move: juxtaposition. Adam Sandler, handling a nice Nissan coffee mug in the early morning light on a backstreet in LA, watches as a speeding car comes carooming towards him, flips, flips again, and skids offscreen. And then in place of what ought to follow (continuity with the car accident), a cab appears, stops, and deposits an electric organ. It’s the instrument with which he will learn the harmonies of love, and it arrives on the heels of trauma.

It is a joy to see the way the camera weaves around beautifully – such fluid photography and visually so elegant. There is not a lazy moment in Punch-Drunk, every frame executed to perfection. 

Punch Drunk Love is a film that can easily overwhelm your senses and as the credits roll you may feel totally drained and bewildered – but wanting more.

5. Shattered Glass (2003)

Probably the most under-rated movie of this decade, this gem tells the story of Stephen Glass, one of the top reporters for The New Republic in the 1990′s, whose confession about fabricating his stories created a huge splash in the media world. The movie plays like a Greek tragedy showcasing the rise and fall of Glass.

 

Integrity is one of the cornerstones upon which journalism is based, and, when it is called into question, we begin to doubt everything we read in newspapers and magazines and see on television. Which makes it a very topical subject, since we in India do question the integrity of our media.

Hayden Christensen gives a superb performance and it does come as a surprise since we are used watching him in movies which only highlight his physicality. Peter Sarsgaard, Chloe Sevigny, Hank Azaria and Steve Zahn also adds perfect support.

6. Garden State (2004)

This is my personal favorite in this list. I never expected the ‘guy’ from Scrubs to deliver a movie which would be so touching, funny and poignant at the same time. This movie is just like a slice of life. 

Zach Braff plays Andrew Largeman, a struggling actor in Los Angeles who earns his living being a waiter. The movie is about his homecoming almost after a decade since his mother has passed away. The movie is about how he deals with his grief and how he deals with his father with whom he shares a very cold, distant relationship.

Back home he meets Sam (Natalie Portman) and re-unites with his school best friend Mark (Peter Sarsgaard). The movie is about the coming of age of Andrew while Sam and Mark act as catalysts. 

Natalie Portman nails the role. She is just phenomenal as Sam, the dream girl of Andrew. The movie also has a killer soundtrack which enhances the movie to another level.

The movie defines the current generation. Garden State is Indie cinema at its very best.

7. Serenity (2005)

Rarely does this happen that a show which is taken off TV (read canceled) becomes such a cult hit that the producers make a motion picture of it.

 

Being a huge fan of Firefly, I enjoyed Serenity even more. But that does not mean those who haven’t seen Firefly will be disappointed. Serenity stands tall with all its merits as an independent Sci Fi. The characterization and the circumstances reminds me of Blake’s 7. For a Sci Fi film, Serenity is pretty verbose. But of the fantastic script and its interlaced humor, it works big time.

Serenity is one of the best Sci Fi of the decade.

8. The Proposition (2005)

If we look carefully, this decade hardly saw the release of good Western movies. I only recall Open Range and 3:10 to Yuma. Even then there is a gap of 5 years between them. Western as a genre was almost non-existent. The Proposition revived it with its release.

 

Following the rape and murder of a colonial family, outlaw brothers Charlie (Guy Pearce) and Mike Burns (Richard Wilson) are captured by ruthless local lawman, Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone). Rather than imprisoning both fugitives, Stanley presents Charlie with a proposition (though it’s really a demand) that Charlie kill his older brother, and gang leader, Arthur (Danny Huston) or else Mikey will meet his demise at the end of a hangman’s noose. It is a proposition which will have karmic repercussions for all involved.

It has a stellar cast comprising Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, John Hurt and Emily Watson. Evryone performs brilliantly. The film has some of the most gorgeous photography of the Australian outback ever committed to film, showcasing it’s unique desolate beauty in it’s dust, flies and exquisite sunsets. 

The Proposition, to me is the best Western of the decade.

9. Inland Empire (2006)

David Lynch. Another mind bender of a movie. Surreal experience. Laura Dern in the performance of her life. Do I need to say anything more? I don’t think so. Experience it!

10. Rescue Dawn (2006)

Werner Herzog is one crazy genius! Rescue Dawn proves that.

After getting shot down in Laos, Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale) is captured, tortured, and eventually transported to a remote POW camp where he is united with fellow American pilots with the same problem. The film tells the story of how Dieter along with Duane (Steve Zahn) escapes from the camp. Herzog makes no attempt to pump this story up into a thrilling adventure. There is nothing thrilling about dysentery, starvation, insect bites and despair. Rescue Dawn isn’t about heroism. It is about something deeper, more primitive: survival instinct.

This movie has the career best performances of Christian Bale and Steve Zahn. Rescue Dawn is one of the finest POW movies ever made in the history of cinema.

Although I have finished naming the 10 most under-rated English movies of decade, I cannot help but add one more film as recommendation.

11. The Fall (2008)

A lot of things are being told about Avatar. That James Cameron has created a new world which is breathtaking. It is rightly said so. Avatar is indeed breathtaking. But is it real? No. It is a virtual world.

 

How about looking at what we have and try to see if that is equally breathtaking or not? The Fall is the answer for that. This is the most gorgeous looking film in the history of cinema and that too devoid of a single frame of special effects. The Fall is what we call ‘passion’ – passion for cinema. Tarsem Singh shot the movie all over the world. The movie is only worth a look just for its cinematography. The colors, the framing, costumes, lighting, the backdrops, all are gorgeous; seems like a dream.

The story, screenplay could have been better. That is the reason I am keeping it at number 11 as a special mention.

2010 – Looking Through The Glass

While creating the list I was wondering what films I should add. Let’s face it; we did NOT have 10 Hindi films to write about. And why only Hindi films?  A good film is a good film irrespective of the language. So, thought of creating a list with films from all over India that matter. Films that need to recommended to one and all.

So here is the list, alphabetically.

Abohomaan (Bengali)

• Rituparno Ghosh’s best work till date.
• Best editing of 2010.
• Best performance by a female actor in 2010.

Arekti Premer Golpo (Bengali)

• The sheer courage to make a film like this needs to be applauded.
• Brilliant performances from the cast.
• Rituparno Ghosh deserves special mention.
• I don’t think anyone else would have dared to play that role.

Do Dooni Chaar (Hindi)

• The sheer simplicity of the movie which makes it very identifiable.
• Two of the most heartfelt, natural performances in 2010.
• For giving us Habib Faisal, the discovery of 2010.

Gandu (Bengali)

• Best soundtrack of the year! It is going to be a CULT movie.
• With Gandu, Indian cinema is not the same anymore.
• The most important film of the year.

Good Night | Good Morning (English)

• Indie film at its best.
• Superb script! Proved that a telephonic conversation can also be a film, and an entertaining one.
• Bravura filmmaking!

Ishqiya (Hindi)

• Best Hindi soundtrack of 2010.
• A role of a lifetime for any female actor. Vidya Balan nails it.
• Add to that Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi at their very best.
• The most natural kissing scene in Bollywood history.

Love Sex Aur Dhokha (Hindi)

• Dibakar Banerjee never fails to amuse.
• But the real shocker was Ekta Kapoor producing it.
• That last scene with all the characters in the hospital still gives me goosebumps.

Natrang (Marathi)

• Although the story is completely different, it feels very similar to Arekti Premer Golpo.
• Theater as backdrop, cross-dressing protagonist, homosexuality…
• Atul Kulkarni and his transformation. Hats off!

Road, Movie (Hindi)

• Proved a good film can be made without a story.
• Phenomenal cinematography and background score.
• And how can I forget Satish Kaushik? What a performance!

Shukno Lanka (Bengali)

• Best performance by a male actor in 2010.
• Mithun…Mithun…Mithun. Enough said!

Udaan (Hindi)

Like they say, we keep the best for the end.

• Best film of the year!
• Coming of age has never been this good.
• The only film that made me cry. And that too not while watching the film, but after coming back. A rare film that made me revisit my school days once again.
• Oh! I almost forgot.Also for Sapna in Kanti Shah Ke Angoor