tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post7917794328324306009..comments2024-03-09T15:11:29.350-08:00Comments on Exotic and irrational entertainment: Favorites of 2013: Classic BollywoodPessimisissimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04223566131580795337noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-219406070493551272014-01-05T08:55:40.649-08:002014-01-05T08:55:40.649-08:00Why, I'm so much less of a Hindi expert that I...Why, I'm so much less of a Hindi expert that I can't tell you. From the context, though, I think "pluck" may be the meaning intended. I was going by the subtitles in the version of the film I watched, which you can see here (the song begins at 4:00 if the direct link doesn't work):<br /><br /><a href="http://youtu.be/hym7WCGxAcc?t=4m" rel="nofollow">http://youtu.be/hym7WCGxAcc?t=4m</a><br /><br />Rose petals are tossed during the marriage ceremony, which may be one intended association. But the rest of the lyrics speak of roses as being delicate and growing among thorns, which would seem to relate more to plucking them than tossing them. Is there any Hindi speaker out there who knows?Pessimisissimohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04223566131580795337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-9090486533593819052014-01-05T07:36:47.790-08:002014-01-05T07:36:47.790-08:00phool ahista pheko... While I'm not an expert,...phool ahista pheko... While I'm not an expert,doesn't it mean, "gently toss/throw the rose" not pluck?<br />whyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01564304393701476738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-36315483469153260182013-12-03T22:17:22.326-08:002013-12-03T22:17:22.326-08:00Miranda, I liked your "innocence vs. experien...Miranda, I liked your "innocence vs. experience" comparison, and I think it's heroine-driven. Mumtaz so often radiates vivacity and joy in her films with Rajesh. The Mumtaz-Rajesh <i>jodi</i> makes the first two-thirds of <i>Aap Ki Kasam</i>, where she and Rajesh meet, fall in love, and become besotted newlyweds, one of my favorite films. (The final third, where Mumtaz is largely absent and Rajesh spirals downward, is one of my least favorite). <br /><br />Sharmila frequently portrays women who must undergo wrenching trials: in <i>Amar Prem</i> she is trapped in a violent marriage, contemplates suicide, is sold into a brothel, is treated as an outcast by her neighbors, and is brutally separated from a child she loves as though he were her own. When she and Rajesh meet, it's the coming together of two wounded souls. "Chingari Koi Bhadke," hauntingly sung by Kishore Kumar, and with the striking visuals of the couple drifting on the river at night, expresses this sense of doomed love with a paradoxical beauty. <br /><br />Sacha Jhutha and Apna Desh are now on my "must watch" list—a list which keeps growing longer and longer... <br /><br />Definitely watch <i>Teesri Kasam</i> when you have a chance; Waheeda gives an unforgettable performance.<br /><br />Many thanks for your comment!<br /><br />Best,<br /><br />P.Pessimisissimohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04223566131580795337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9186118329509553435.post-48313835460635476482013-12-02T17:52:46.025-08:002013-12-02T17:52:46.025-08:00I think I definitely need to see Teesri Kasam, it ...I think I definitely need to see Teesri Kasam, it looks fascinating. <br /><br />Overall, I approve of the "Year of Rajesh." Not that you need my approval, of course ;) I find his films are great at fitting my diverse spectrum of moods. Perhaps that's why I've seen so many in the last few months. Also, it doesn't hurt that he is frequently re-paired with certain co-stars, which makes you feel as if you get to see further exploration of relationships that you weren't ready to let go of yet.<br /><br /> As for the Rajesh/Mumtaz pairing, I like it as well. In Aap Ki Kasam it really sizzles (even if the film is rather difficult to watch march to its doom), but I loved them in Prem Kahani (which was a much stronger film than I expected to see). They really have a good working ability to create humor with one another . . . especially in Sacha Jhutha and Apna Desh. The similarity in their child-like, almost silent-film-esque antics make me feel as if I am watching two innocents find one another (a la Chaplin and Goddard in Modern Times) and decide to be social misfits together.<br /><br />Rajesh and Sharmila are always more worldly, I think. No matter who their characters are supposed to be (young lovers in Aradhana, an odd family unit in Amar Prem, or social outcasts in Raja Rani), I always feel that they are together because of their unique mental connection and shared perspective. If the world is sort of beyond the ken of Rajesh/Mumtaz . . . Rajesh/Sharmila are themselves beyond the world :) <br /><br />P.S. The song you posted from Amar Prem was my favorite of the film . . . so haunting. <br /><br />~MirandaFilmi~Contrasthttp://filmi-contrast.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com