Movie Reviews - Filmy Town

KARZ (1980)

This 1980 movie about reincarnation was one of the best reincarnation movies made in the Hindi film industry and Karz is also one of Subhash Ghai's better made films. Fantastic song picturisation like the 'Ek Hasina Thi' and the eponymous 'Om Shanti Om' which had Rishi Kapoor dancing on a revolving LP on stage. Karz was a trend-setter in film song picturisation in future Hindi films, it was in the category of musical thriller a genre specific only to our Bollywood industry. Though inspired by the 1975 Hollywood film The Reincarnation of Peter Proud but perfectly blended for Indian sensibilities. It spawned many other remakes in various Indian languages and also a latter-day adaptation in the 2008 movie Karzzz by Himesh Reshammiya proving it's popularity and subject durability. Karz was well received by the youngsters in India but not so with the older population. Though proclaimed a h ....
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Dharmatma (1975)

Dharmatma was released on 25 July 1975 in the same year as Sholay and Deewar the two most successful movies of the year but this movie held its own against the two giants and was hugely successful. It was produced and directed by Feroz Khan. It was inspired by the Hollywood movie the Godfather and Premnath who plays Dharamdas in this movie his character was modelled on the real life character of the Matka King of India Ratan Khatri. Dharmatma was one of the first movies to be shot in Afghanistan and it also contains some scenes about Buzkashi which is a sport played in Afghanistan on horsebacks, apart from beautifully capturing scenic locales of Afghanistan for which the movie received the best cinematography award in that year's Filmfare. Dharmatma movie established Feroz Khan as a successful actor and a stylish director. Who subsequently gave many hits like Jaanbaaz and Dayavaan. ....
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SANGAM (1964)

The first thing that strikes you about the movie SANGAM is its run length. It is the fourth longest Hindi movie ever produced in India, just shy of 4 hours. Sangam was Raj Kapoor's labour of love and friendship adorned with excellent music. It ran to packed houses and won many awards including the best director award for Raj Kapoor and also the best actress award for Vyjayanthimala besides other technical awards for that year's Filmfare awards. Initially, Sangam the movie was planned much before it was actually made. It was planned in the 1940s and it was planned with Raj Kapoor, Nargis and Dilip Kumar triangle in mind but as the things did not work out Raj Kapoor approached Dev Anand there too it was a no go. Thus the film fell in the lap of Rajendra Kumar and was made much later and released on 18th June 1964. It was not just a story it was a saga of love and friendship thus the ....
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Padosan (1968)

Padosan literally takes cue from the commandment ‘Love thy neighbor’. One of the most hilarious movies of all times in Bollywood. Packed with the most sort after comedians, like Mehmood, Kishore Kumar, Keshto Mukerjee, Mukri, Agha etc., of the time who went beyond their craft to produce magic on the silver screen. Their comedy was a few notches higher than the usual slapstick comedy which the Indian audiences were so used to see, more of situational and oral comedy interspersed with high quality dramatics. Padosan is easily the cult comedy with no other probably even coming close to it. Though there were some racial stereotypes in the movie which by today’s standards would have caused a furor, but I am sure that when these saviors of humanity the racial crusaders see the movie in private they would also not be able to resist a laugh or two. It is to be taken in the spirit of com ....
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PURAB AUR PASCHIM – (1970)

Most of the hit movies of sixties and seventies also had the best of music in them and were also recognized for that by the audience. India is a country of folklore and folk dance and music, songs was the way the news and messages were conveyed in olden times. Songs contained the philosophy, contemporary messaging and the ethos of the population. Purab aur Paschim was also such a film with one of the best songs and music which also told the story of the film. It juxtaposed the Indian culture Vis the Western sensibilities. It was the time when Young India was trying make a mark for itself in the world as also a sense of nationality and pride within its people. Released in 1970. Manoj Kumar reprised his role of Bharat a metaphor for our country and its people and for patriotism. Major part of the movie was shot in London when the hippie culture was in full swing. Bharat (Manoj Kumar) is ....
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TEESRI MANZIL (1966)

Brilliantly mounted murder mystery thriller with excellent music - Teesri Manzil that is directed by the capable Vijay Anand and released on 21st October 1966. The sixties were a very productive and important years for the growth of Indian cinema which gave up many magnum-opuses. Stars like Dev Anand, Rajendra Kumar and the Junglee Shammi Kapoor ruled the roost. Teesri Manzil was one such movie though a mystery thriller and though the secret of the murderer is now out it still draws crowds whenever it is released in theatres due to its superb numbers specially ‘O haseena zulfonwaali’ and ‘Aaaja aaja’ where the debutante music director R D Burman (yes this was RD’s breakthrough movie) experimented successfully with rock and roll style in Hindi lyrics. All male voice songs were sung by Rafi which became instant rage back then and are still considered foot tapping numbers till ....
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GUIDE (1965) – The Awakening of Conscience

Guide was a path breaking film released on 6th December 1965 almost 55 years ago but whenever it is shown on TV one can still be found glued to the Television to see this movie. The film is based on the novel by R.K. Narayan the novelist brother of the famous common man cartoonist R.K. Laxman. People say that the movie was much better than the novel itself, and importantly, also much ahead of its time in terms of the storyline and the treatment given to it. The screenplay did not have a single dull moment. Direction and screenplay of Guide are credited to Vijay Anand or Goldie the younger brother of Dev Anand (the hero of the movie) for their in-house banner Nav Ketan Films. Though he had done earlier movies but this movie discovered his craft and he went on to give us many super dupe hits like Teesri Manzil, Jewel Thief, Johnny Mera Naam, Tere Mere Sapne etc. A 120 minute English ver ....
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AANDHI (1975) – Creating a Political Storm

Movies are generally a source of entertainment, with some carrying a social or moral message while there are movies which used to be called art movies in late 70’s and early 80’s in INDAIN CINEMA which showed the stark realities of life. Aandhi is one such movie written by Kamleshwar and directed by Gulzar. Though India has changed a lot since then. Now those very art films are termed as contemporary and are not all depressing but also do have a funny take to them. The movies do show the ethos of the Nation at those times and can be instrumental in creating public opinion or at least validating a point of view. Aandhi was a movie of its own kind it was a political commentary on the state of affairs on the back of a very unlikely love story. It is said to have been loosely based on the life of the then Prime Minister of India Mrs. Indira Gandhi and though it was released on 13th Fe ....
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ANAND (1971)- Joyous Spirits Live On

Released on 12th March 1971, Anand is an endearing story of a terminally ill patient who brings joys in the life of complete strangers. It was both funny and tragic. It showed that despite the progress we have made thru science we still have no control on certain diseases where death is a foregone conclusion. Anand was produced and directed by the well-known maker of social and moralistic drama exploring the lighter side of life Hrishikesh Mukherjee or Hrishida as he was fondly called. It was one of the 17 consecutive hits of Rajesh Khanna and his first collaboration with Amitabh Bachchan. That Amitabh was able to hold his own and define his character in the movie laid down the path for him to succeed as superhero after Khanna. It was a runaway hit at the box-office. T This movie Anand, being evergreen is still viewed with rapt attention whenever it is played on TV. It is a movie o ....
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DEEWAR – THE WAR OF IDEOLOGY

Another iconic movie released on 24th January 1975, a few months before Sholay was Deewar - a tale of two brothers on opposite sides of the law. It explored the relations between siblings who grew up under the shadow of their father’s unfortunate disrepute and how each of them took that slander and grew in two opposite directions, one who cannot forget and forgive, becomes a street smart, law-breaker and the other who moves on with the times and is an educated person on the right side of the law. The title - Deewar thus suggesting the wall of ideology drawn between them. This movie was iconic as it was released before Sholay and after Zanzeer and firmly established Amitabh Bachchan as the new superstar of that era and confirmed his image of the ‘Angry Young Man’. With this movie he established an enduring partnership with Shashi Kapoor with this duo giving many subsequent hits t ....
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