Today we will be doing another link in the series - Happy 50th. Happy 50th is where celebrate, deliberate and at times investigate the classic and the blockbuster films which were released 50 years ago.

The film that we sat down to discuss today is a Hindi film - 'Rajnigandha'

It was released on 13 September 1974.

A synopsis of the film goes like this : Deepa played by Vidya Sinha lives with her brother and his family in Delhi. She is in a relationship with Sanjay played Amol Palekar. Deepa goes to Bombay for a job interview where she runs into her old flame Navin played by Dinesh Thakur. This meeting reignites her feelings for Navin,. What ensues lays bare the emotional dilemma that Deepa goes through.

Directed by: Basu Chatterjee

Based on story by : Mannu Bhandari

Adapted for screenplay by: Basu Chatterjee

This is Rajnigandha.

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The film that we sat down to discuss today is a Hollywood film - 'Born on the Fourth of July'

It was released on 20 December 1989. We also discussed the release and reception of the film later in the show.

The story of the film in short is as follows: In the mid-1960s, suburban New York teenager Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise) enlists in the Marines, fulfilling what he sees as his patriotic duty. During his second tour in Vietnam, he accidentally kills a fellow soldier during a retreat and later becomes permanently paralyzed in battle. Returning home to an uncaring Veterans Administration bureaucracy and to people on both sides of the political divide who don't understand fully what he went through, Kovic becomes an impassioned critic of the war.

Directed by: Oliver Stone

Based on the book by same name by : Ron Kovic

Screenplay by: Oliver Stone and Ron Kovic

Nominated for 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Writing and Best Actor in Leading Role. And the film won awards in the categories of Direction and Editing. How can a film NOT be best film despite having the best direction and editing is an infamous award show conundrum.

This is Born on the Fourth of July.

#OliverStone, #TomCruise, #RonKovic

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Welcome to our podcast. Mangala Talkies!

Today we shall attempt and shine a 'Spotlight' on a film that we loved. This film lacked deeper pockets to run marketing campaign. This film was glossed over at the awards shows. The mysterious algorithm of the streaming giant also does not suggest readily.  I am referring to the Marathi film ''The Disciple''

It was released in April 2021. These days you can watch it on Netflix.

The Disciple is story of Sharad. Sharad is a vocalist who has devoted his life to the study of classical Indian music. There comes a point in his life where he starts to question whether he will ever achieve his aspirations of excellence. And how he deals with the question - that's the film.

Written and Directed: Chaitanya Tamhane

This is 'The Disciple'.

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#nanapatekar #abtakchhappan #nanapatekarbestdialogue

Nana Patekar has been doing long form interviews for the last several years now. In these interviews, Nana is and has always been very open and candid about his life, his film roles and professional relationships. These days we also find him talking about his writing contribution to the film roles. However there has not been any interview where he has talked about Ab Tak Chhappan. How is it possible?

We cannot blame just Nana Patekar for this snub. None of the journalists or film critics talk about Ab Tak Chhappan too. It is one of the best performances by Nana Patekar and it has one of the best writings in Indian films.

So why o why?  

Please like, share and subscribe to Mangala Talkies for more updates, insights, observations. 

If you have suggestions for us you can also write to us on prodtppwork@gmail.com

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#benaam #majboor #amitabhbachchan #bachchan #salimjaved #NarendraBedi #ravitandon #bollywoodpodcast

Two films in today podcast - Benaam and Majboor! It's a double bill. Two films in a single ticket. The common thread between both the films is - both are Big B - Amitabh Bachchan films and both were released fifty years ago. These were significant films for Amitabh and they came in the same year 1974. Also, these are noteworthy films in the folklore of Hindi films.

Benaam

A high level story line is this: Benaam is a story of Amit and Sheela (played by Amitabh Bachchan and Mausami Chatterjee). Amit witnesses an attempted murder as they are driving to a party one night. Their arrival scares off the assailant, whose face they do not see, and they take the wounded man to the hospital. Here begins their nightmare, as they start to receive threatening phone calls. What happens next - that's Benaam.

Benaam was released on 18 October 1974.

Directed by: Narendra Bedi

Written by: Narendra Bedi , Jayant Dharmadhikari and Kader Khan

The second film is Majboor:

It was released on 13 September 1974.

A synopsis of the film goes like this : Ravi Khanna played by Amitabh Bachchan lives happily with his widowed mother, wheelchair-bound sister and younger brother. He suffers from a terminal brain tumour, and has only 6 months to live. In an effort to provide for his family, he takes the responsibility of a murder that he has not committed to collect the ransom money. The story goes through various twists and tuns and becomes a full blown thriller by the climax.

Directed by: Ravi Tandon

Written by : Salim Javed

It was released on 6 December 1973.

Its a Double Bill - Amitabh Bachchan's Benaam & Majboor.

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Best film made on the partition. One of the best films made in India. One of the best films made in India in 1970s. In case of the film under discussion today, these are not some vacuous headlines on its DVD cover. But these are legitimate claims that this film can made. We are of course talking about 'Garm Hava'

Garm Hava was released in May 1974.

Directed by M.S. Sathyu

Story and Screenplay by Kaifi Azmi and Shama Zaidi

Dialogues by Kaifi Azmi, and Story by Ismat Chughtai

The film has stellar cast which includes Balraj Sahni, A.K. Hangal, Geeta Kak, Yunus Parvez and many more very talented actors.

The film deals with the plight of a North Indian Muslim family - Mirza family, in post-partition India in 1947-48. As the protagonist - mainly Balraj Sahni, deals with his dilemma of whether to move to Pakistan or stay behind, the film details the slow disintegration of his family and the plight of Muslims in post-partition India.

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We know Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar were direct contemporaries. They had a friendship and but they also had a well-guarded rivalry. Which is to be expected from the contemporaries. 

There is that famous story when Raj Kapoor moved heaven and earth to cast Dilip Kumar in Sangam. Sagam made in 1963 was an ambitious project. To be produced and directed by Rak Kapoor. It had a dram like planning. Evergreen story of that classic love triangle. Great music. Shooting all over the world. No expense spared. 

Despite all this, Dilip Kumar still rejected the film. But he was particularly heartbroken because of the reason Dilip Kumar cited.: He rejected the film because of Raj Kapoor was also directing it. He thought he wouldn’t get a fair treatment in the film which was going to be produced, directed and co-starred by Raj Kapoor.

This story of rejection became an open secret. Everyone knew about it but no one dared to talk about it. I did not find any record of Raj Kapoor approaching Dilip Kumar again for any role. 

Many many years later. Year 1981. Raj Kapoor was on the set of his film ‘Prem Rog’. Directing it. It was a particularly emotional scene. Rishi Kapoor his son and the lead in the film was trying his best but Raj Kapoor was not having any of it. He gave few suggestions. Assistants read the back story again to bring Rishi Kapoor in the desired state of mind. Production staff got ready. ‘Action’ was called. Rishi Kapoor did the scene again. Aaaaaaand ‘CUT’. Scene ended. 

Raj Kapoor had turned red by this time. He was a seething with anger. He screamed at Rishi Kapoor: 'क्या कर रहा है? मुझे यूसुफ़ चाहिए यूसुफ़, ये सीन मैं!

Glances were exchanged. Everyone on the set, including Rishi Kapoor noticed – who by the way is the source of this story. 

We all know – who Yusuf is. Yusuf of course is Dilip Kumar. Despite the rivalry and professional fall out – Yusuf aka Dilip Kumar was not only his favourite actor but he was also his high-water mark that he wanted his son to hit. 

Also, so committed was Raj Kapoor to his craft of film making he did not care for single moment that in the process of giving action instructions, he was giving big compliment to his rival. 

'मुझे यूसुफ़ चाहिए, यूसुफ़!' 

I just love this story. 

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Here’s a question for you. Pull out a paper. And write down your answer to this question: which is the movie – Arnold made the most money on? I bet your answer starts with letter T or C.

By the end of 1987, he had killed 283 people. More than anyone else in Hollywood during that time, by far. It took him eight films, but he did it. And that meant something. It meant that he was an action movie star. His name was above the title of most of his films. In big block letters just as he had dreamt.

SCHWARZENEGGER

He had made it. That's what everybody said. Journalists. Studio executives. Agents. His friends. They talked to him like the work was over. Like there was nothing left for him to prove. ''So, what's next for Arnold?'' they would ask, sounding amazed at how far he had come, and as if they couldn’t possibly imagine there was anything more to do.

They were thinking too small. Arnold's goals had evolved. They were always growing. Another, bigger picture had snapped into focus for him. He didn't just want to be an action star who got the top billing. He wanted to be a leading man. He wanted to be the highest-paid actor in business.

#arnoldschwarzenegger #schwarzenegger #dannydevito #ivanreitman #twins

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Emergency podcast on 'Emergency'.

This is our first experiment with audio only podcast.

All feedbacks are gratefully received.

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Ep 7: IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack – Half-baked Treatment and Lopsided Reactions

Misguided plane (and the film) which lands nowhere.

In this episode Jateen and Sachin spar over their respective review of the Netflix series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. Sachin was not too enthused and Jateen was sufficiently amused. WHY? Give it a listen. If you have any views write to us at our social media accounts OR email ID which is mangalatalkies@gmail.com.

IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack

Created by

Anubhav Sinha

Trishant Srivastava

Now showing on Netflix

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The film that we shall talk about is argued as Francis Ford Coppola best work. Even Coppola thinks that this is his best work. One half of Mangala Talkies - Jateen - the one who does not wear bow tie also thinks this is Coppola's best work.

The film is: The Conversation. 

The Conversation was released between 2 Godfather films. The Godfather and The Godfather Part II. It was a the part of purple patch that Coppola enjoyed in seventies for which I would given him a purple heart - if we could.

It is story of Harry Caul played by Gene Hackman. Harry Caul is electronic surveillance expert and runs a his own small surveillance business. He is an intensely private in both his personal and professional life. People around him are not particularly tolerant about it. 

He undertakes an assignment to record a private discussion of a young couple meeting in crowded and noisy City Square. The arrangement with his client is to provide the audio recording and the photographs of the couple in return for payment. Harry believes that the lives of the young couple are in danger. Harry not only has to decide if he will turn the recording , but also if he will try and save the couple's lives using information from the recording. As Harry goes on a quest to find out what exactly is happening on this case, he finds himself in the middle of his worst nightmare.

I warn you at this point more plot points would be revealed in the discussion to follow. 

The Conversation is written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. 

Acting department is led by Gene Hackman and he is supported by John Cazale, Allen Garfield, Harrison Ford, Terri Garr and and Robert Duvall. 

It was nominated for 3 Academy Awards and managed to win none of them. Best Picture. Best Writing of Original Screenplay and Best Sound.

It was released on 7 April 1974.  

This is The Conversation. 

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As is our wont, we shall attempt and shine a 'Spotlight' on a film that we loved. The film under spotlight today is Joyland. Joyland might not have had deeper pockets to start with, but that part changed later. Joyland was a winner of Un Certain Regard Jury prize at Cannes Film Festival in 2022. It was in the final 15 films in the race for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. It was and still is the first Pakistani film to go this far. Did I mention that it is a Pakistani film before? Well now I have.

Here's' a high-level storyline: JOYLAND explores the many sides of love and desire in a patriarchal society. This is a story of Haider - gentle and rather timid by nature, lives with his wife Mumtaz, his father, and his elder brother’s family in Lahore, Pakistan. A Typical joint family set up. Following a long spell of unemployment, Haider finally lands a job at a Bollywood-style burlesque. He tells his his family he is a theatre manager, when in actuality, he is a backup dancer. As he is adjusting to the new job, Haider becomes infatuated with the strong-willed trans woman Biba who runs the show. Unforeseen turn of events opens his eyes in ways both unexpected and intimate.

Written by : Saim Sadiq and Maggie Briggs 

Directed by Saim Sadiq 

Produced by, we usually don’t talk about the producers – but there are too many to mention and there some big names in the list of the producers like Riz Ahmed and Malala.  

At the time of recording this show the film was available on BFI player and Amazon Prime. 

This is Joyland. 

Hope you enjoy the show. 

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