Book/Film Reviews

Book Review: “Majrooh Sultanpuri: The Poet For All Reasons”

Majrooh Sultanpuri January 25, 2022

Majrooh Sultanpuri: The Poet For All Reasons By Manek Premchand Pages: 534 First Edition: 2021 Blue Pencil, New Delhi Among the four markers of a film song – the film in which it appeared, the singer, the music director and the lyricist – the last generally gets a raw deal. The music lovers identify a […]

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Book review: ‘Yesterday’s Melodies Today’s Memories’

Yesterday's Melodies Today's Memories December 12, 2021

Yesterday’s Melodies Today’s Memories by Manek Premchand 1st Edition 2003 2nd Edition 2004 3rd Updated Edition: 2018 Notion Press, Chennai A book review is generally meaningful when the book has come fresh out of the mint. But there are a number of reasons why it is never too late to review ‘Yesterday’s Melodies Today’s Memories’ […]

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‘Hindi Cine Raag Encyclopaedia’ by KL Pandey: Book Review

Hindi Cine Raag Encyclopaedia June 16, 2021

Hindi Cine Raag Encyclopaedia (Reference Edition: Vol. I and Vol. II) Author: KL Pandey Sangeet Shilp Prakashan, Lucknow Second edition (Revised and Enlarged): December 2020 Hardcover ₹3200 on Amazon (Note: ‘Sur Samvadini’, a glossary of Hindustani Classical Music and a list of 174 raags appearing in Hindi film songs with their basic grammar, available complimentary […]

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“Guide, The Film: Perspectives”

Guide April 14, 2020

Book Review Guide, The Film: Perspectives Lata Jagtiani & Other Writers Blue Pencil, New Delhi, 2019 ISBN: 978-81-939555-2-9 An unintended blessing of Corona-enforced lockdown, I thought, was that I would be able to finish some half-read books and watch and rewatch some of my favourite films. With this thought I resumed ‘Guide, The Film: Perspectives’ which […]

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Book Review: “Incomparable Sachin Dev Burman”

Incomparable SD Burman August 10, 2019

Incomparable Sachin Dev Burman By HQ Chowdhury Published by Blue Pencil, New Delhi, 2018 ₹599 (Available for less on Amazon); pp 437 Among all the biographies of SD Burman – I am aware of at least four, all well known – the ‘Incomparable Sachin Dev Burman’ by HQ Chowdhury of Bangladesh, first published in Bangladesh […]

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‘Forgotten Artists of Early Cinema and The Same Name Confusion’

Forgotten Artists of Early Cinema August 18, 2018

Welcoming the ‘writer’ Arunkumar Deshmukh and his first book ‘Forgotten Artists of Early Cinema and The Same Name Confusion’ By Arunkumar Deshmukh & Prof Surjit Singh Published by Professor Toofaanii Publishers I want some information about Master Vitthal and Zubeida, the lead actors of the first talkie, ‘Alam Ara’, for writing my dissertation for my […]

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One hundred years of Sarat Chandra’s ‘Devdas’

Devdas June 30, 2017

Some time back,  there was an interesting discussion between Ashok Kumar Tyagi and Hans about the story of Devdas and as to why Sanjay Leela Bhansali took so much liberties with it. I doubt if they realised that it was the centenary year of the publication of Sarat Chandra’s eponymous novel. Such coincidences have often happened […]

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Naushad’s Priceless Moment: ‘Anmol Ghadi’

Anmol Ghadi December 25, 2015

Wishing Merry Christmas to all with a tribute to Naushad, Rafi and Noorjehan I heralded 2015 with Naushad’s Crown Jewel, Rattan (1944), and decided to celebrate the year as The Year of Naushad. I cannot think of a better way to conclude the year than to remember his next Priceless Moment in his career, Anmol […]

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Raju Bharatan’s ‘Naushadnama’

Naushadnama May 5, 2015

Book Review as a tribute to Naushad on his 9th death anniversary (25 December 1919-5 May 2006)   Naushadnama By Raju Bharatan Hay House India (2013) pp. 341 The most important thing about Raju Bharatan’s Naushadnama is that it is Raju Bharatan’s Naushadnama. Which means, if you are familiar with his writings, that there is a […]

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The Master of Musical Comedies C Ramchandra and his ‘Patanga’ (1949)

Patanga (1949) January 12, 2015

A tribute on C Ramchandra’s birth anniversary January 12 (12 Jan 1918-5 Jan 1982) In my simplified history of Hindi film music, when I move from RC Boral-Pankaj Mullick to Anil Biswas to Naushad, it would be quite unfair if I miss C Ramchandra. The Great Maratha (in the sense of one belonging to Maharashtra) […]

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