“Zindagi Ek Juaa” Madhuri as drug fiend!

In honor of Maduri Dixit’s birthday, first I’d like to wish her one:Ardent Madhuri Dixit fan, Gaja Gamini, from Bollywood-ish Blog, declared it Magic of Madhuri Week.  My little contributions are some shocking images of Maduri from Zindagi Ek Juaa  (1992) (Life is a Gamble)

The first image of the film is of  ye olde Central Jail, so right off you know there’s trouble. Maybe one day I’ll make it Film City or whatever movie studio houses Central Jail.

Now a bit about the film:

After saving the life of his employer, Jagjit Singh alias JJ (Anupam Kher), Harikishan (Anil Kapoor) is promoted with a wage increase that he had only dreamt of.  Anxious to please his employer Harikishan agrees to have his name changed to Harry, and does anything that he is instructed to do.  Soon Harry realises that he has been aiding his employer in illegal activities.  When he tries to break away, he is told that his mom (Asha Sharma) is and will be held captive to guarantee his cooperation.  Harry must now come up with a scheme that will guarantee his safety as well as the freedom of his mom, and at the same time save himself from being arrested by the police. (source)

But there’s so much more, and that’s the part about Madhuri’s character Juhi, called Baby by family and friends. Anil Kapoor’s  Harikishan ends up falling for the boss’s daughter when she comes back from Europe and dazzles him with her carefree performance at her birthday party.

 

Very soon after her first meeting with Harikishan, Baby/Juhi becomes the aggressor and makes her lustful feelings very clear:Harikishan is puzzled by her romantic overtures, so the Bollywood cure of the tight slap to the face is used to bring him to understanding:Enjoy Maduhuri’s dance of seduction in  Dil To Dil Hai  featuring the music by Bappi Lahiri and playback singer Ahsa Bhosle:

One thing leads to another, Juhi ends up pregnant, they get married against her father’s wishes, but Harikishan has to handle some of the illegal drug business in Hong Kong, see  you can tell he’s in Hong Kong by the room itself, all oriental in its styling, with the bonus of the awesome cordless phone:Hari’s best friend (Shakti Kapoor) tries his best to watch over Juhi while Hari’s away, but please take special note of the Whitney Houston poster on the wall, as it serves as an ominous warning to what could happen to Juhi. In case you haven’t heard, Houston has fallen on the path of drug abuse, which is the same fate that awaits Madhuri’s Juhi. Eventually she finds out about Hari’s business dealings in illegal drugs, and sends him packing right after she gives birth to their son.  Of course after telling him off she has a huge headache and at that moment, she’ s offered some medicine by an evil friend, Mr. Lal:And just like THAT she’s hooked!

So Juhi has sent her husband packing and quickly becomes addicted to her nose candy.  A police inspector  played by Suresh Oberoi goes to Juhi to find out more about what she knows about Harikishan and  notices Juhi’s addiction, meanwhile, I ignored most of that scene and just noticed this great subtitle ripe for a screen capture:

Harikishan realizes his estranged biwi has pushed him out of her life, and decides to soothe his anguish with music, but he’s shocked even more when a drugged up Juhi makes an appearance.  Staggering and stoned Juhi plays the trumpet stopping only to smoke. What an entrance!  Watch Kabhi Kuchh Khoya with playback singer Kumar Sanu,who incidently I saw in concert with Akla Yagnick  a few yers back when I was too new of a Hindi cinema fan to fully appreciate.

Watch here and at about 1:40 the drug fiend Madhuri enters.  Pay special attention for her crazy drugged trumpet playing while smoking at 2:09. When Anil’s Harikishan sees that it’s a COMPLETE buzz kill and he realizes, “I married a drug whore! My dealing of drugs brought this all about! The mother of my son uses coke!”

I’d like to bring up Whitney Houston again, who just this week was banned from Prince concerts due to her drug using antics and trying to get on stage with Prince in her altered state. Houston  has since gone into rehab.  This makes me wonder if that’s how Harikishan felt when Juhi trid to play trumptet while he was jamming with his friend in  Kabhi Kuchh Khoya. Poor Juhi did not make it into rehab. She realized her problem, made arrangements to have her son cared for: Then she goes down the self-destructive path of drug abuse.But then there’s a knock at the door!Harikishan pleads with Juhi to stop her drug use.

He leaves, only to return another time…

to find an overdosing Juhi.

What happened to Juhi?  Watch the movie if you dare to see, or ask me in the comments and I’ll tell you.  Let this be a warning to you, don’t do drugs!  Thank you for reading this post, but now, with all due respect, all I have to say is…

 Report to  Bollywood-ish blog  for Magic of Madhuri Week‘s  FULL LIST BLOG POSTS.

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Awaargi (1990)

Awaargi (1990) is a little tale about a prostitute with a heart of gold who is rescued from the brothel while she’s still chaste, by a goonda who also possesses  a heart of gold under his rough exterior.   This picture rolled at the film’s start and aren’t we all grateful to Hema for something?  Allow a moment to reflect…

The lead Meena (Meenakshi Shishandri) never actually becomes a full-fledged prostitute, but I like to write prostitute with a heart of gold, so let’s just leave it like that, instead of the more clumsy nearly became a prostitute with a heart of gold.  That sounds too awkward, doesn’t it?  Here’s a nice little collection of screen captures of Meenakshi/Meena as a nautch girl before the lovable scoundrel Azaad,  played by a well-mulletted Anil Kapoor, saves her from that fate.

I just loved Meenakshi and can’t believe I hadn’t seen her in more films.  I now would love to see her entire filmography and was able to find a mutual love for her at Nicki’s Hmong Chick Who Loves Indian Cinema’s blog and also at Bollywooddeewana.  Meena’s innocent past included singing at the mandir and studying music under the guidance of her music teacher father.  After a near miss at a prostitution career, Meena is catapulted toward super stardom and is half of the singing and dancing duo.  How does that happen you may wonder?  Well as it so happens, pop star Dhiren  (Govinda!) sees Meena performing in a hotel lounge singing gig that Azaad secured for her and is immediately enthralled by her.  Govinda is very luscious in this film.  How would YOU like to be the focus of Govinda’s gaze here?

Doesn’t that make your heart skip a beat? He invites her to become his song and dance partner and to go on tour with him.  She’s so nervous!  But look how he helps encourage her to go!I didn’t realize that Bollywood invented flamenco dancing until I saw this film and the song Ae Mere Saathiya featuring playback singers Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Aziz, with music by Anu Malik, and lyrics by Anand Bakshi.  This is proof:

This wonderful flamenco inspired number includes an impressive backdrop of chandeliers that Apni East India would covet.  It’s so hard to capture the fluid and graceful Govinda in the dance, but despite the blurred focus, these are still something to behold. Govinda and chandelier:

Meena stays with Azaad, and he begins to fall in love with her and dream of a life away from the one he’s lived as a goonda.

Ever since Azaad  has lost his drive for the goonda lifestyle,  his don, played by Anupam Kher, notices this change and tries to encourage Azaad to not lose his focus on crime.

And if this isn’t enough trouble for Azaad, now Meena realizes that she’s falling in love with Dhiren, and the Bollywood love triangle begins!Meena is aware that Azaad is the one who saved her from the fate of being a nautch girl/prostitute, so she is indebted to him and thus rejects Dhiren’s love to fulfill her perceived obligation to Azaad.   Eventually she lets Azaad know her feelings are conflicted.

Azaad finds out about the feelings Meena and Dhiren have for each other and to stop their love from blooming rushes ahead with a marriage proposal.  Dhiren falls into a sea of despair, thinking he’s lost his chance with  Meena.  Normally I see Govinda as a jolly good time guy, dancing and prancing about, but  behold the deliciously rare emo-Govinda!

At a party to announce his engagement to Meena, Azaad becomes drunk and decides to deal with his jealousy over Dhiren and Meena’s love by telling everyone that he bought Meena from a brothel.  Now that  somehow did not help smooth things over.

Dhiren is at the party, and witnesses Azaad humiliate Meena and can’t understand how she could agreed to marry Azaad.

So *spoiler alert* Dhiren goes to comfort Meena after her public humiliation and ends up (as we say in the USA) going all the way with her during the time that Azaad is sleeping off his drunkness.  When Azaad wakes up, his friends tell him about what an idiot he was at the party and he goes to look for Meena to apologize.  Remember, Azaad is a goonda, savvy to the ways of the world, so when he sees a clue like this…

Now you are most likely not a goonda, and perhaps a bit more naive than Azaad, so I’ll help you out with a clue.  Look beyond that bottle of Johnnie Walker on the table, and take a closer look at what Azaad sees…

That’s right! Lipstick on the glass, a glass that is emptied of its Johnnie Walker red liable whiskey! Which can only mean *spoiler alert* that Meena and Dhiren went all the way! Meena tells a Azaad something like, yeah I slept with Dhiren, and!  Then of course the fight begins over her love and a love triangle Bollywood brawl begins.

How does it end?  I’ll let you guess!  The entire movie has been uploaded to YouTube with English subtitles HERE so if you need to know who ends up with who, give it a watch.  Have you already seen this film?  If so, tell me what you remember.  Now before I leave, I have to share with you that Awaargi had so many instances of Johnnie Walker bottles, that felt obliged to make a visual record of it.  Some bottles are red label, others are black label, but they all show up in scenes here that warn of trouble brewing. Let this be a lesson to you: When you see a Johnnie Walker bottle in a Bollywood film, trouble is not far behind.

Now just LOOK and how lucky this shot is!  It includes BOTH the Johnny Walker bottle and a threat of the tight slap in the same shot!  These of course are two of the things I track in all Bollywood films, so for this reason, I say Awaargi is a classic, because I really don’t take a Bollywood film seriously until I see a tight slap, or at least the threat of one, and a bottle of Johnnie Walker.

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On what Bollywood star would you tie a rakhi?

It’s Raksha Bandham time dosto.  Since I’m a full throttle cultural pirate of all things Indian due to my Bollywood addiction, I thought of this question for us all:  On what Bollywood star would you tie a rakhi?

Raksha Bandhan (the bond of protection in Hindi and Panjabi) is a Hindu festival, which celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters. It is celebrated on the full moon of the month of Shraavana. The festival is marked by the tying of a rakhi, or holy thread by the sister on the wrist of her brother. The elder brother in return offers a gift to his sister and vows to look after her same while an elder sister returns offers to her younger brother. The brother and sister traditionally feed each other sweets. It is not necessary that the rakhi can be given only to a brother by birth; any male can be “adopted” as a brother by tying a rakhi on the person, that is “blood brothers and sisters”, whether they are cousins or a good friend. Indian history is replete with women asking for protection, through rakhi, from men who were neither their brothers, nor Hindus themselves. (source-ji)

I recall the first time I saw this done in a movie and someone tied a super big fancy one on  Amitabh in some film.  Fancy like this:

It was Angry young man Amitabh, so perhaps it was in Zanjeer?  I can’t recall.  Tell me if you can.  Anyway, this got me thinking about what star could offer me imaginary brotherly protection.  It was a toss up between Anupam Kher and Amrish Puri, with Paresh Rawal as third runner up for next year.  So this year I have a tie (get it, a tie? ) and tie my imaginary rakhi on Anupam Kher AND Amrish Puri.

I choose the sacred bond with Anupam for his intelligence and ability to work in a wide range of films. He offers wisdom and humor which are qualities I’d like in a brother, plus I love his bibi, Kirron Kher, so it’s like a 2 for one. Then, I’d tie the other rakhi on Amrish Puri.  I figure since he’s dead that would be some supernatural rakhi power and protection from the other side. Who wouldn’t like Amrish Puri on their good side? Imagine if someone dared to cross you and Amrish stepping on to the scene and starting one of his outrageous villain rants on your behalf. Now that would be the limit! Yeah do you know who my brother is? I’d mention his name, and there would be no trouble.

Now tell me the Bollywood star on whom you would you tie the sacred knot and why? You can think about your answer while you watch this rakhi scene from  Hum Saath-Saath Hain  (1999) which I haven’t seen but must:

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Video of the Day: “Main To Hoon Sab Ka” from Hatya (1988)

To honor Nandini’s commitment to more Govinda in 2008, today’s video is “Main To Hoon Sab Ka,” from Hatya (1988).

Hatya is a 1988 Bollywood thriller film directed by Kirti Kumar and starring Govinda, Neelam, and Anupam Kher. Govinda stars as Sagar, a wealthy but idle young man. Following a night of consuming much alcohol he finds a homeless and parentless young boy. He takes the boy home and learns that he is deaf and attempts to nurture him and names him Raja. Durin this time he meets neelam and they fall in love. However soon enough it appears that the mother of the boy now in his occupation was brutally murdered and Sagar is the suspect. It is now up to Sagar and his new love to prove his innocence.(wikipedia)

“Main To Hoon Sab Ka,” and thanks to commenter jay, I now can tell you that the playback singer is the film’s producer and Govinda’s brother, Kirti Kumar, and the music is by Bappi Lahiri.

 

Thanks to Genelia01 for the video.

And for a great collection of Govinda and more, check out texanqueen at YouTube.

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Video of the Day: Parody of Bollywood Classics – Sridevi, Anil Kapoor, Anupam Kher, from Lamhe, 1991

After seeing Om Shanti Om this week, I was reminded of the parody of Bollywood classics found in Lamhe (1991). I was aware of the a lot of the films parodied in OSO, but missed many. This only eggs me on to watch more and more of what Bollywood has to offer! I must add that after watching Lamhe, I considered Anil Kapoor attractive, pre-moustache era, which shocked me. Also, this movie has some AWESOME tight slaps to the face!

The film is about Viren (Anil Kapoor) who travels to Rajasthan with his governess, affectionately called Dai Jaa (Waheeda Rehman). He meets the beautiful Pallavi (Sridevi) and he instantly falls in love with her. However, she also happens to be older then him, though this does not bother Viren. During a property dispute and a court case, Paalavi’s father suddenly dies of a heart-attack. She is shattered and goes into isolation. At the wake, Viren goes to console her, when she sees him she runs towards him but runs straight past Viren and goes towards Sidhharth – the man she loves. Viren is heartbroken but to fulfill Pallavi’s father’s dying wish, he arranges the wedding between Sidhharth and Pallavi. Allowing Pallavi to live her life happily, Viren leaves for London. However one year into the marriage Sidhharth and Pallavi are both killed in an accident. It was also revealed that she was pregnant at the time and gave birth to a daughter. The girl is named Pooja and is kept in the care of Dai Jaa. A few years later Viren returns from London and meets Pooja for the first time. When he meets her he is shocked to see that she looks exactly like her mother. Eventually Viren brings them both to London and it is slowly revealed that Pooja has fallen in love with Viren, but he has not forgotten about Pallavi…. (wikipedia)

This great parody number within Lamhe, was posted by youtube user reflectionsonlife:

This is my fav part of the film. Anil Kapoor has been depressed and heartbroken for a long time, but he likes b&w classic Hindi films, so Sridevi and Anupam Kher enact old classic bollywood songs in order to cheer him up. Waheeda Rehman joins the fun in this second half. Such a natural dancer, even at this age! And she performs her OWN number from one of her movies!

Part I :

Part II:

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Video of the Day: Happy Halloween with “Koi Pataye” from CHAALBAAZ, 1989

Sridevi and Rajnikanth wish you Happy Halloween with the song “Koi Pataye” from the movie Chaalbaaz. The movie stars Sridevi, Sunny Deol, Rajnikanth, and Anupam Kher. This spooky song is fit for Halloween. Enjoy!

Anju and Manju are twins separated when babies thanks to their mentally retarded nanny. An evil uncle Tribhuvan gets their parents killed in a car accident. He brings up Anju as a coy and easily frightened girl. Manju grows up in a basti as a happy-go-lucky club dancer. After a lot of terrifying days in Anju’s life, one day she runs away from home. On that very day, Manju has a fight with her childhood companion and neighbor Jaggu, a friendly beer drinking taxi driver. With twist of fate, their paths cross but they never meet. They somehow end up at each others place. Sooraj is the love interest in Anju’s life who is actually Manju and Jaggu is… There is the usual confusion of identities. (wikipedia)

 

 

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Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, showing in Maple Grove, MN

Some dedicated BFC members made the trek to the Grove Sunday night to see:

Laaga Chunari Mein Daag

There are still times to see the movie this week:

Maple Grove Cinema, 13644 80 Circle, Maple Grove, MN 55369

Fri Oct 12: 6:30 & 9:30 pm
Sat Oct 13: 12:30, 3:30, 6:30 & 9:30 pm
Sun Oct 14: 12:30, 3:30 & 6:30 pm
M-Th Oct 15-18: 7 pm

Laaga Chunari Mein Daag – Journey Of A Woman (English: My Veil is Stained) is a Bollywood film to be released on October 12, 2007. The film is directed by Pradeep Sarkar who earlier directed the critically acclaimed film Parineeta (2005) and will be produced by Aditya Chopra. This is Sarkar’s first film with the Yash Raj Films banner. The film stars Jaya Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, Abhishek Bachchan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Kunal Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Farida Jalal and Hema Malini in a special appearance.

Here’s a great blog review of the movie:

http://nitawriter.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/laaga-chunari-mein-daag-movie-review/

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