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Ram Gopal Verma's RAAT (1992)
A good horror movie is a rarity in our country that churns out the largest number of films every year (you will see very few in our list too). Almost none of them measure upto the quality which come out of Hollywood, barring a few, specially those made before the turn of the century. Raat - revisited... In the previous century horror movies were a forte of the Ramsay brothers, but none of their movies except for maybe a Darwaza or a Hotel were somewhat out there but most of the films only evoked laughter rather than any sense of terror, specially in current times with an improvement in filmmaking, because of the superficial makeup and the movement of the so-called ghost or the beast or whatever you my call them. Better horror movies have been made by other directors right from the 1949 movie Mahal with Ashok Kumar and Madhubala to Raaz 3, Ragini MMS and Bhool Bhuliya as they differ ....
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Editorial
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai turns 22

Dharma Production’s blockbuster – Kuch Kuch Hota Hai turns 22 today and the film’s soulful songs that won many hearts and still remain our favourites. The fun-loving tomboy’s graceful performance by Kajol along with Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukherjee’s film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai is over two decades old. FilmyTown takes a look at the songs which are still…

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Upkar - 1967
It is said that Upkar. the movie was inspired by no less than the Prime Minister of India at that time Shri Laal Bahadur Shastri, in a meeting with the film fraternity being impressed by film Shahid's special screening, a story of Bhagat Singh's exploits in the Indian freedom struggle. He had given the slogan of Jai Jawaan Jai Kisaan due to the prevailing circumstances in India which had just come out of the 1965 war with Pakistan on one side and dearth of food grains on the other. This underlying motto within the slogan was picked up by Manoj Kumar and he wrote the storyline on the train while returning from Delhi to Bombay. This was the advent of Manoj Kumar as Bharat on the silver screen. Upkar was his first film as director and also this led the way for him to go on to direct and act in many movies with patriotism as it's central theme. Manoj Kumar was the person ....
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Dosti 1964 Rajshri Productions
Dosti the film was a surprise packet of the year 1964. It was a small budget movie without any great star cast, just two total new comers, yet it was the theme that drew the crowds. The movie describes the bond of deep friendship between two destitute physically challenged souls who turn out to be each others' brothers in arms. The 2nd movie produced by Tarachand Barjatya under his banner Rajshri productions - Dosti, while the first being Aarti. Rajshri productions has been known for socially relevant themes in their movies. They are the same people who have provided us with neat and clean entertainment, social dramas and box-office blockbusters like - Hum Aapke Hain Kaun and also introduced us to the elaborate festivities of a North Indian wedding. This movie was directed by Satyen Bose and also had Sanjay Khan (one of his early movies) in a supporting role which was appreciated f ....
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CID 1956
The biggest grosser of 1956 - Dev Anand's CID had many a firsts to its credit. It was the first movie directed by Raj Khosla under Guru Dutt banner and was also his debut direction. Khosla always acknowledged Dutt as his true Guru. It was the first time that Dev Anand acted in a movie produced by Guru Dutt. As legend has it both Guru Dutt and Dev Anand were friends from their struggling days and had a pact that Dev will give a chance to Dutt to direct his home production and Guru will give a chance to Dev to act under him, though Dutt did not exactly direct the movie but the quid pro quo was carried out as Dutt had directed Dev in his home production Baazi. This was also Waheeda Rehman's debut Bollywood movie, prior to being spotted by Dutt in a Telugu movie she had done a few movies down south. Though he gave a supporting actress role to her in the movie, it was for honing her skills ....
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Jewel Thief 1967
Intrigue is the first word that comes to mind after watching the movie. This was the sixth straight hit of the Vijay Anand (Goldie)-Dev Anand duo under their home production Navketan and it came two years after the magnificent 'Guide'. The movie making techniques of the time had limitations unlike today. Still Jewel thief was picturised in a way that was ahead of its time. The screenplay was great, with the music fantastic, the dances super and Goldie wielding the baton it was a recipe for the sureshot success of the movie. Jewel Thief is a perfect crime thriller. There are many stories attached to this movie like Saira Banu was approached for the role of Shalu Dev's love interest in the movie but it did not work out and the role went to Vyjaytimala. That there were cold vibes between Goldie and Vyjaytimala professionally and it was not lost on anyone, later he himself acknowledged t ....
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Sadhna - 1958
Though Madhumati was a bigger hit of the year 1958 than this movie, we preferred to review this movie - Sadhna which had a controversial topic at the time. It also had a social message and was very well received by the audience and was also declared a hit as it made twice the money. Though there were no takers for the story because of its content, B.R. Chopra took it upon himself to make it as like most of his movies this also had a message and posed a question for the society to answer . Sadhna took up the cause of rehabilitation of prostitutes and though Vyjanthimala was nominated for the Filmfare best actress award for both Madhumati and Sadhna she ultimately received the award for this movie and not Madhumita thus confirming critical acclaim of the movie and the depth of the social message which reached the masses. Vyjantimala was a comparative new comer to Bollywood and only 2 ....
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Do Bigha Zamin 1953 Bollywood retro movies
Do Bigha Zamin was a ground-breaking movie which reflected the true ground realities of rural India of the time and features in many an all-time great movies list of India. Though India was free but young India was still grappling with the colonial and zamindari mindset which made the zamindars the absolute owners of the rural India and even controlled the lives of the small and distressed farmers. Though instruments of justice were in place but they were heavily loaded in the favor of the rich and the powerful as they could bend things as they liked, even playing with the lives of the peasants and farmers who were dependent on their compassion and help for even small occasions in their lives as they were totally unprepared for any incidental or expenses as they had no fallback income of their own and were self-sufficient to the extent of producing and consuming their own food but loo ....
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Aan - 1952
A critically acclaimed movie in India as well as abroad, and Aan had many firsts to its credit. The first Hindi movie to be shot in Technicolor, the first Indian movie to be released world over in more than 25 countries not just the Soviet Union but in US, UK as well and first ever to release in Japan with subtitles in over 15 languages by the name of ‘The Savage Princess’. Aan also launched the career of Nadira. It was praised by the foreign press as well as personalities, in fact the Hollywood great Cecil B. DeMille personally wrote to Mehboob Khan the producer and director of the movie; praising it. It was the most expensive movie made at that time in true Mehboob Khan Tradition, no expenses were spared but collected 10 times over on the Indian and worldwide Box Office. It was the first movie to be dubbed and released under the same name in the south. This costume drama abou ....
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Bees Saal Baad 1962
The first genuine murder mystery bordering horror made in Bollywood by a debutante director Biren Nag, Bees Saal Baad was basically of the suspense or psychological thriller genre. It was produced by the famous singer and music director Hemant Kumar, who has also sung some fantastic songs in the movie. Bees Saal Baad had launched the career of actor Biswajeet in Hindi movies. The male cast is shown well dressed to the extent that the normally obese looking Asit Sen too looks dapper as the detective. It was adapted and reinterpreted in the Indian context from the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle novel of Sherlock Holmes “Hounds of Baskervilles”. It tried and recreated similar settings as in the novel, a family palatial mansion, an eerie setting, a background story, a misty swamp and a story of revenge and of course love. All the characters are shown suspicious looking, right from the Doctor, ....
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