The janam-janmaantaro ki pyaas ( closest English translation: The thirst of ages ) is going to be quenched with this Baap of all sequel posts. This was demanded since the first snake charmer from the gang of Samri was killed in the dark realms of the Purani Haveli. And before all of this mish-mash of lovely sounding words start dismantling into meaningless pieces of guano, let me cordially welcome you to the Return of the Top 20 Villains of Bollywood aka Top 20 Villains of Bollywood – Part 2 (Nope, we are no SrBachchan to yell out Dwitiya). Jaani, if the first list [ read here , if you haven't ] left you high and dry, this one should definitely leave you stoned and soaked in awesomeness. We @ OKS are so committed to bringing you all the desi-awesomeness, that we have gone back and dug out these jurm ke pujari, brashtachari, durachari and those who never say sorry (obligatory Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro reference). Bollywood owes a million and one titles to these villains, coz they are the ones inspiring titles like - Zaalim, Kutte, Kaminey and the like. So, show some respect for ..

*The Next Top 20 Villains of Bollywood*

20. Captain Andrew Russel (Paul Blackthorne) – Film: Lagaan

Achievements and Activities: Daft prick with a “khujlee” for cricket. He’s your stereotypical British Raj dude who oppresses the ‘praja’, torments the ‘Raja‘  and even tries to play daddy with his own sister.  Totally underestimates Indian cricket skills and gets answered well..in the face.

Why is he on the list? One of the main purposes of a villain in a Bollywood movie is to torment the good ones, the hero of the movie, and finally make us feel good when the hero defeats him in a ‘up-yours’ kinda climax. Capt. Russel ticks all those boxes and then some more. It’s the best kind of feel-good scene when we see villains lose. And c’mon admit it, you jumped on the couch/chair when you saw him catch the ball, but it was outside the line. Ok, maybe it was just me then!

19. Ghajini Dharmatma (Pradeep Singh Rawat) – Film: Ghajini

Achievements and Activities: He is a cross between Lotiya Pathan and Rama Shetty. Complete nutcase in terms of what he can do in the name of violence. Wears a pathani suit like Lotiya and is a cunning bastard.

Why is he on the list? Remember the scene when he kills Kalpana(Asin) with that sledgehammer. Is that good enough for you? Ok, I’ve got some more reasons. As a North Indian dude, Ghajini Dharmatma has some really bizzare dialogues to keep us entertaining. e.g. Thaari Yaaddaas to Badee Kamjor hai

18. Ajay Sharma (Shahrukh Khan) – Film: Baazigar

Achievements and Activities: College romancer with nerdish charm, Contact lens manipulator, Car racing expert with a twist, Voice vibrator perfectionist. Can make girls – both sisters, fall in love with him. Can swallow whole photographs. And can playback to Kumar Sanu, Anu Malik in the same song, and Vinod Rathod in another.

Why is he on the list? I know people who consider Ajay Sharma as a grey character, rather than completely evil black. But, even if there has been a lot of injustice and atyachaar on him and his Babujee, there is no way to justify his killing of Seema (Shilpa Shetty, before her nose job and eyebrow trimming job). Revenge should always be one-on-one, and should not involve anyone else. C’mon. Villains ke bhi Usool hote hai – Section 26 of the Bollywood Villains Act. Ajay Sharma totally disobeys this law.

17. Jayshree T, Kunika, Kalpana Iyer, Reema Lagoo – Hum Saath Saath Hai

Achievement and Activities: They are the Barjatya- Rajshri films version of Balaji’s Komolika. So they have nothing better to do with their lives than bitch around, poke their dirty noses into other people’s family matters and create unnecessary chaos. And poor Mumta (Reema Lagoo); she is just a dumb ass who is an easy victim to these modern day ‘Mantharas’.

Why are they on the list? Don’t you see it? This is a modern-day Ramayana. Manthara instigates Kaikeyi. Similarly, this trio instigate Mumta, and hence, resulting in the Banvaas of Prabhu Rama – Vivek (Mohnish Behl). It is very easy to fall into the trap of announcing the villain of Ramayana to be Raavan, but don’t you think Manthara, and hence, Kaikeyi are to a large extent, villains of the tale too. Okay, I am clearly offsetting into a different direction altogether. But yeah, this trio make it to the list because of the Manthara parallelism. Also, what a perfect casting – look at their hideous make up to see how awful they look and how their awfulness just multiplies when they are together. And sorry, I couldn’t fit in Reema Lagoo into a single frame alongside the three witches.

16. Rajkumari Suryalekha (Amrita Singh) – Suryavanshi

Achievement and Activities: Pretty much what Maharanis do. She’s like this desi-Cleopatra and she gets what she wants – by hook or by crook. Mostly by crook. Pyar ki pyaasi, Vikram Singh ki daasi.

Why is she on the list? The Mahal, harems and all that! Man, to be a princess meant easy access to everything and a lifetime membership to everything and an unlimited card of Walmart. Imagine a BC (not the desi gaali, but the original abbreviation) version of Paris Hilton meets Lindsay Lohan meets Britney Spears minus the good looks of all of them. Add some shimmery walls and ceilings and reflective golden jewellery. And some spitting lines – you know the kind which can only be heard with an umbrella in front of your face [think Satish Shah in Main Hoon Naa]. e.g. Thhhuuuum mujhe chhhhoddhh ke naahiii jaa saktheeee..And most importantly, her badassery is kinda immortal – it spans across two reincarnations, and continues to haunt Sallu bhai. Anything that does that better than Aishwarya needs to be on this list.

• No.15 -11 Here.

• No.10 – 6 Here

• Top 5 Here

Need I write any intro to this one. The title is pretty self explanatory. In the 20 years or so of Indipop [ that's a fair assumption right? ], we’ve had some really massive hits. But once in a while, there comes a hit to sweep all of us off our feet. And then, we don’t get to hear of that artiste ever again. Until they appear in regional channels judging (and in some cases – hosting and even participating ) reality TV shows, or appear in the left corner of some Page 3 party. So either they get busy in the scripted reality, or get seriously involved becoming social. Doesn’t matter where they eventually ended up, this list explores ..

The 10 ‘One Hit Wonders’ of Indipop.

10. Paisa – Agosh

Such a shame that this band churned out just a single hit when it showed so much promise with this single. The video is a very clever parody of the many flavours of brands consuming our lives. A very smart take on consumerism, Paisa, or as you would remember – Mujhe Mil Jo Jaaye Thoda Paisa – is narrated by an unsuccessful Kavi, sitting in a tea-stall, and speaks of what he’d do if he had money. His desires range from celebrating Sunday from Friday night, decorating his car with Disco light, having a beautiful Biwi, and even his Kids would have their own TV (noble thought). But the most simple, yet beautiful line here is – Hum bhi honge unke jaise ( We’d also be like THEM ) – Kind of shows the frustration of the struggling lower middle class, which looks at the ridiculous affluence of the high society and its glam sham. Musically, this is a brilliant fusion of rock and Carnatic – listen to the sweet Guitar solo. Very very awesome!! [ Video Link ]

The list continues after the jump.

9. Kahin Karta Hoga – Anamika

Almost 4 feet something Anamika, splashed on our TV screens, and every channel beamed this song. What I didn’t realise then was that this is a remix of a very old Biswajeet song from the movie Phir Kab Milogi (1974), originally sung by Mukesh. The new version features a high heeled Anamika trying to do a sort of a Swayamvar and trying to select from Red Indians, to Kung Fu masters, to futurustic Robots? And finally settling for a Desi dude – kyunki – Jaanii, Dil Hai Hindustani !! Unfortunately, we did not hear back from Anamika after that – perhaps, she lived happily ever after with some desi dude. Oh, she did make some appearances as guest judge on Boogie Woogie, and a minor hit remix of - Se Hooooo Tumko Piya, Dil Diya Kitne Naaz Se, but that video disappeared like Tushaar Kapoor’s PR manager. [Video Link]

8. Ae Sanam – Abbey

This video created a rage of jerking heads throughout the nation. If you have seen the video, followed it back then, and the parody created by the Jaffreys n Behl trio, you’d certainly know what I mean by the jerking head. If you haven’t, try watching the video, and I think it is pretty obvious. The track is a very groovy techno mix and Abbey’s vocals are crunchy, rough and crisp. The non-stop unedited feel in the video, shot in a steel manufacturing factory was a trendsetter back then. And this was also the launch vehicle for Abbey, who went on to sing the male vocals on RGV’s Company hit item number – Khallas. But what happened of Abbey after this? [Video Link]

7. Ek Rahen Eeer – Big B

Not even Big B could escape the curse of the One Hit Wonder. The album Aby-Baby remixed by Bally Sagoo was a big hit. And its two highly promoted singles were the talk of the nation then. One of them - Kabhi Kabhi - a remix of the Sahir Ludhianvi/ Khayyam / Lata Mangeshkar original mixed with Big B’s narration of the poem featured in the movie. The second hit single – Ek Rahen Beer, is a poem written by Mr.Bachchan’s father – Harivansh Rai Bachchan. It basically featured Big B rapping in the video about these three kids – Eer, Beer, and Phatte and their many exciting adventures. Choreographed by Prabhudeva’s brother Raju Sundaram, and directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, the video’s stylish presentation and interesting special effects were nothing less than brilliant. It was also the time when Big B’s BPL ads were doing the rounds on telly (remember, him walking out Piccadilly Circus, and then on the roof, speaking of Believing in the Best? ). But after the success of Aby Baby, Big B has not done another album, or even a single. [ Well, he sorta did a collaboration with Adnan Sami on Kabhi Naee.. but meh! ] [Video Link]

6. Chandu Ke Chacha – Aasma

Channel V’s second popstars with the Kudi aur Mundo ka funda fizzed for a while. At least with the initial release of first album. Imagine, months long audition process to select the nation’s best popstar group, and then you end up singing – Chandu Ke Chacha Ne , Chandu ki Chacha Ko… how lame! No wonder, this was a big hit. The only thing that was memorable about the whole Aasma episode of Channel V popstars was Simpoo Sir’s ads of the Popstar – with the awesome aping of Kumar Sanu’s nasal notes (see video here), and the Kudi aur Munda, Popstars ka Naya Funda. Everything else was meh! Aasma did try to follow up with a single for the OST of White Noise – Mere Saiya Mere Balma. Does anyone remember that?
[P.S. I haven't included Viva here, because they at least had a respectable second album with that awesome techno track - Ye Pyar Nahi to Kya Hai Jaana ] [Video Link]

5. Mohabbatein Lutaunga – Abhijit Sawant

Speaking of reality talent hunt shows, why forget the most popular one – Indian Idol. I know there have been a lot of products from these shows who are forgotten faster than Rakhi Sawant’s last national breaking news headline comment. Be it Debojit Saha, Onek Dhar, Toshi, Rahul Vaidya, Qazi Touqeer, Ruprekha, Prajakta Shukre – the list is endless. But of course, the crown in this genre has to go to the one to begin it all – Abhijit Sawant. As the first Indian Idol, he arrived with a bang with that ‘oh-I-am-so-obliged-to-be-here’ song ‘Mohabbatein Lutaunga’. The nation certainly took notice. He toured and toured cities, towns, villages, in India and abroad. And round 1 was completed. Nothing cool came up for Round 2 unfortunately. Abhijit Sawant since then, was seen in Reality TV shows – competing, hosting and singing in between – onstage, and even in drag. [Video Link]

4. O O Jaane Jana – Kamaal Khan

This one was a rage of national proportions. London return, Kamaal Khan’s catchy guitar melody caught the ears of the nation and he was a national phenomenon after that. His track was also given the Bollywood treatment, now famous as that shirtless song. A second single from the same album followed – Kya Yehi Pyar Hai. And then Kamaal Khan was never to be seen in the Indipop circle. His second single – Suno To Deewana Dil featured Riya Sen , but never managed to climb the heights of Indipop charts. He can be heard these days playbacking in certain Salman Khan movies such as – Maine Pyar Kyu Kiya (Laga Laga Laga Re). Just for fun, check this out – Sonu Nigam mocking Kamaal Khan [Video Link]

3. Breathless – Shankar Mahadevan

Ok, this is here just because of technicality. Of course we are surrounded by the music and melody of Shankar and the trio – Shankar/ Ehsaan / Loy. But for Shankar as a solo pop artist – this was it. His single attempt at being a solo artist was accompanied by Javed Akhtar’s lyrics. The song speaks of the ‘one’ which brings colourful changes to one’s life – Koi Jo Mila To Mujhe Aisa Lagta Tha, Jaise Meri Sari Duniya Mein Geeto ki Rut, Aur Rango ki Barkha hai, Khushboo ki Aandhi hai

(Attempt at translation: When I met that ‘one’, I felt as if my whole world was in a climate of music, there is a rain of colours and a storm of fragrance) – - awesome foreplay with words don’t you think?

Such a shame that the duo – Javed saab and Shankar did not attempt at going independent and non-Bollywood soundtrack again. The occasional collaboration of Shankar with other artistes such as Alka Yagnik or Taufiq Qureshi (Rhydhun , oh man! I need to get back to listening Rhydhun again ) have given us some really memorable melodies, but c’mon, don’t you think a solo album again by Shankar would be so awesome? [Video Link]

2. Ho Gayi Hai Mohabbat – Aslam , no Shibani

This is again one of those lucky tracks to have enjoyed maximum airplay in its prime. Featuring Shibani Kashyap and a very muscular Nakul Kapoor ( then famous as the bungee jumping Thums up dude ), the video to this song was shot in the picturesque backwaters of Kerala (Alleppey?). And then, the cheesy storyline to accompany the lyrics – Girl taking dips in the sea, boy sees girl (gets turned on), but to avoid being termed a pervy, wears a black glass and poses to be blind. Girl accidentally bumps into boy later to find out boy is not blind and argues. Later, girl sees boy helping small girl, and gets so impressed that she falls for him. Wait wait…whaaaa????  And then, they pose in extreme hues of blue, much like a Kamasutra condom ad. Ok, no time for arguments here; the video is only 5 mins long. And oh, there are some angrezi lyrics to end the song too.
But yaar, what happened to Aslam after this? Shibani had him with Ketchup  [Video Link ]

1. Chui Mui Si – Milind Ingle

The father of all One-Hit-Wonders. This one comes from the house of Rajshri Productions – yes, the one who gave us Maine Pyar Kiya and Hum Aapke Hai Kaun (and everything after that never happened , NEVER HAPPENED !!!). In true Rajshri productions style, this musical movie was revealed with each song serving as a 5 minute episode of the big wedding video. Featuring Abbas and Preeti Jhangiani and the clip teddy bear ( awarded the 1st runner up merchandise of all time, second to – the Friends cap in Maine Pyar Kiya ), this video is usual Bollywood fare. Oh, I completely forgot to mention – Milind Ingle. He sort of made an appearance after Ye Hai Prem ( the album where Chui Mui Si features ), singing a track called – Main to hu ek rasiyaa (which sank like 15 Rakhi Sawants tied to one Ravi Kishan and a massive stone). But none of us can deny the amount of cultural uproar and impact that Ye Hai Prem (as an album) and Chui Mui Si ( as a pop video) had on us. It catapulted the career of Preeti Jhangiani until she decided to throw it all away by doing movies such as Chaahat: Ek Nasha and Aan: Men At Work. We still are quite optimistic of yet another musical episodic saga from the house of Rajshri to invade our screen space. [Video Link]

So there you go, those were the 10 one hit wonders of the Indipop world. I am sure I have missed some. Shout it out in the comments, and for a change, please show some love – Retweet, share on Facebook, Digg, stumble. Come on!! Don’t be shy my honey! Oh Rouge – dammit. Maybe next time.

Prior to the year 2001, Indian cinema screen space was primarily occupied by the run-of-the-mill popcorn entertainers, mildly interrupted by the multiplex movie – an attempt to cater to the urban audiences who were fed on MTV, Star World and international sitcoms. The Bollywood blockbuster had turned into a potion of ingredients best known to the ones who incorporated the star sons and daughters, copied scripts from Hollywood blockbusters, diamond merchant producers and South Indian technicians into the perfect recipe. Most often than not, these recipes failed, with only those suceeding at the Box Office which genuinely appealed to both classes as well as masses. The top list from the entire decade of the ’90′s-produced’ blockbusters consisted of DDLJ, DTPH, K2H2, KNPH, HDDCS and other multi-worded titles, delving deep into the world of romance and romantic storylines spicened up with sub-plots of obstacles to romance such as a father who is never pleased with a love marriage. The time was nigh for the recycled storylines to be discarded and to embrace new ideas and challenging scales of storytelling.

The year 2001 marked the rising of a new sun in the horizon of Indian cinema. June 26 2001, things were about to change dramatically. LAGAAN was released and in every sense of the term, it was a game-changer.

In this post, I will be  discussing about LAGAAN and how its influence can be seen in today’s Indian cinema. The magical glow of this cinematically brilliant masterpiece still shines bright even today, 10 years after its release, and here’s why.

THE SCALE:

Let’s first focus on the sheer scale of this project. Now, I am not at all saying that grandiose elements have been absent from Bollywood. Right from K.Asif’s palatial sets in Mughal-E-Azam to the very 90′s Nitin Desai and Sanjay Bhansali Rajasthan recreation Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Bollywood has always been renowned for its ‘larger than life’ image. Even in family dramas of Karan Johar, the main hall staircase would beat the British Museum staircase hands down. But that is not quite exactly the same kind of scale that I am talking about here.

Lagaan’s scale is depicted in terms of its magnitude of imagination. The canvas for this painting spanned from the Victorian palaces in the British Raj period, to the rural huts made of clay in Champaner. The villages and their daily lives, the law and order system managed by their Sarpanch and Panchayat, and also their loyal service to the Maharaj of Champaner is depicted effortlessly in the background without any dialogues. The oppression and tyranny by the Raj is narrated to minute scenes that weave in seamlessly. And the beauty of rivalry shines through the arrogance of Capt.Russell and the heroically challenging nature of Bhuvan.

And there is the ensemble cast laid out as smartly as a masterstroke. A brief description of the wonderful cast can be read in my other Lagaan post : The LAGAAN ensemble – LAGAAN XI and more.

The second big scale that I am talking about is obviously the extras that were brought from various villages to be featured on the climactic showdown moment of the movie. It is now famously known as – The day of the 10,000. The logistics involved with handling 10,000 villagers, their food, their clothes, their exact placement and of course the desired execution of the scene – that in itself deserves a big round of applause. It indeed is awe inspiring for future generation of directors to attempt something similar or on this scale.

It probably even enabled Ashutosh Gowariker to be able to dream of bigger projects such as Jodhaa Akbar.

OSCAR HUNGRY KYA!

LAGAAN made it into the final 5 nominations for the Foreign Film category after a very long absence from the list. The last Indian movie to feature on the final 5 list was Mira Nair’s Salaam Bombay in 1988. With this ‘victory’, it certainly opened up Bollywood to the international market more than before. People became more and more curious about the Indian film industry which apparently churned out more movies than the better known Hollywood. Back home, things were changing. Over the next coming years, contending for the Indian entry for the Oscars became more than just a movie competition. Things even took a political turn.

Just have a look at the list of Indian entries for the foreign film category in the 90s – It includes one Malayalam movie (Guru), 5 Tamil movies (Anjali, Thevar Magan, Kuruthipunal, Indian and Jeans- jeez! what were the selection committee smoking? ), 4 Hindi art-house movies ( Bandit Queen, Rudaali, Earth and Hey Ram) and just one Bollywood mainstream movie – RK Films’ Henna.

I believe that I am not wrong to say that ever since Lagaan made it into the final 5, the perception of Oscar being the ‘unattainable’ awards has faded. More and more movies invested in making themselves visible, not only to the NRI audiences but also to anyone and everyone who loved cinema. The global image of Bollywood had dawned. No, I am not saying it all started with Lagaan, but Lagaan surely was a huge step forward ( at least from sending Jeans to the Oscars).

TECH-NICHE:

In one of the interviews, Aamir Khan commented about how Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar (both accomplished directors in their own rights) warned him to keep away from two things in Bollywood whilst making movies – single schedules and sync-sound. Aamir now looks back at that comment and replied that these directors now implement the same techniques in their movies.

For the uninitiated, single schedule means shooting the entire movie – from start to finish – in a single schedule. Typically, that would mean every single cast and crew member to be completely committed to that single project at that time.

Sync sound means recording the sound as and when the performances are been recorded. In other words – no dubbing.

Both of these techniques were infamous for the various challenges they posed in terms of managing teams, crews, cast members, and delays etc. LAGAAN’s single schedule shooting was located in the remote village of Bhuj in Gujarat. The challenges with the windy weather, the heat, and all crew members being together at one single place meant that the assisting team had a massive project management task in their hands. And it almost is a lesson for aspiring filmmakers. I vividly remember Asst.Dir Apoorva Lakhia saying it in the making documentary – This is going in my resume

KAHANI THODI HATKE:

Let me try to give this a shot – A story of British ruled India where villagers of Champaner are taxed. It hasn’t rained for the last two years and hence farming hasn’t been very fruitful. A group of villagers led by Bhuvan visit the palace to appeal for tax relaxation. Arrogant British Captain Andrew Russell challenges Bhuvan and his villagers to a cricket match –  the stakes are – tax free if they win, or else three times the original tax. Bhuvan accepts the challenge, and with help from Capt. Russell’s younger sister Elizabeth (who is secretly in love with Bhuvan) overcome all odds to win.

But LAGAAN is so much more than just that. Under the main storyline of the victory of underdogs over obstacles, the many layers of complex human interactions in Indian society is also one noteworthy aspect of LAGAAN. Bhuvan’s strong opposition against caste division or the terming of a human as ‘achhoots’ is as heroic as the big victory itself. Gauri’s undying love for Bhuvan, even when the entire village is against him is what love stories are made of. And Elizabeth’s unrequited love is a tragedy on its own.

When Aamir heard it the first time from writer Ashutosh Gowariker, he said that Ashutosh had gone bonkers and such a movie couldn’t be made.

Compare this story with those of the 90s blockbusters.

DIL, Saudagar, Sanam Bewafa, Raja Babu, DDLJ, Raja, Raja Hindustani, Ishq, – Boy and Girl first fight, then fall in love. Parents are total bitches who won’t give in. But then badass Romeo and kickass Juliet triumph eventually.

Aaj Ka Arjun – Gori Hai Kalaiyan, Oppressor Thakur and rapist brother get Hero’s sister pregnant, Baby Guddu plays the Hero’s nephew, and Hero takes his Badlaa. <insert Maa Kasam> The above elements can be re-arranged in various combinations to reproduce as Koyla, Narsimha, Ghayal etc.

Get the point?

Of course, there were the Abbas Mustan suspense movies as well as the Mani Ratnam gems once in a while. But the traditional Bollywood plotline no longer existed. It was time for love stories to explore more than just revolting parents, and movies to explore the world beyond Karwa Chauths and Sangeet ceremonies.

AAMIR KHAN PRODUCTIONS:

One of the most important outcomes from the success of LAGAAN was the formation of one of the strongest movie production company of Bollywood – Aamir Khan Production. With the success of Lagaan, the movie company emerged as a powerhouse of movie making, equipped to make cinema with its heart in the right place and its eyes set on the target of creating brilliant cinema. The track record for the company has so much to say for itself – movies that succeeded LAGAAN’s mantle – whether as regularly Bollywood romantic as Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, or the poles apart documentarish – Dhobi Ghat, or even Aamir débutante directorial feature – Taare Zameen Par – with every movie the company has just got stronger and stronger. Although this can be termed as a passive impact of Lagaan, it should be noted that hadn’t LAGAAN succeeded the way it did, the future of Aamir Khan productions would have been questionable.

But above all these points, the biggest impact of LAGAAN was its sincerity towards its art. It was a collection of zealous individuals from all over the world coming together to create cinematic magic. Here’s just a taste of what the magic ingredients consisted of:

Bhanu Athaiya: Oscar winner costume designer, who designed costumes for the villagers as well as the Royals, and the British Captain Russell, and his sister Elizabeth Russell.

Anil Mehta: Cinematographer, who found the ‘diamond imagery’ in the desert. There’s heat and the heat-waves, but there’s also the unforgettable golden sunset view.

A K Hangal: Probably one of the most famous character actors of Bollywood. As Shambhu Kaka, his two lines in the entire script, speaks volumes.

A.R.Rahman and Javed Akhtar: Music and Lyrics – for more of this magic, go here [ The Soundtrack of Lagaan ]

There is still so much to be said and so much to be discussed about this movie.

But I would conclude by quoting what Suhasini Mulay ( who plays Yashodamai, Bhuvan’s mother) said in the making of Lagaan documentary – We ( the caste and crew members) are all misfits. In a society which works in the 9 to 5 work shifts, we are definitely misfits because we cannot work in that routine. We are lunatics who love this – making art.

God bless such lunacy exists for it made us witnesses to the magnificence of epic storytelling. If lunacy can indeed produce such gems, who needs sanity anymore?

[ This post is a part of the 10th anniversary celebration of LAGAAN , initiated by TheBollywoodFan, this is my contribution towards it.

Please check out my previous posts on Lagaan here:

• Soundtrack of LAGAAN
• The LAGAAN Ensemble - LAGAAN XI and more ]

There are not many movies in Indian cinema where you can name each and every character of the ensemble. It has been 10 years since the release of LAGAAN, and even so, the excitement and enthusiasm as well as the anguish and misery of the many characters of LAGAAN is as fresh and graphically vivid in my memory  as it was when I finished watching it the first time. The only other movie that can claim to have attained such a feat is (no points for guessing) the immortal blockbuster – SHOLAY. So why not reflect upon these colourful members who complete this massive painting of LAGAAN with their various shades.

Outside the LAGAAN XI:

Aakshvaani – Sutradhaar (Amitabh Bachchan)

The voice which introduces us to the world of Champaner, and also concludes the tale with the words – “Itihaas ke Panno mein kahin kho gayi hai” [ Lost somewhere in the pages of history ]

‘Maa’ – Yashodamai (Suhasini Mulay)

“Hey Ram! Bakhat se pehle hi khushiyaan!” [ Hey Ram, premature celebrations ]

The quintessential mother, but not Bollywood-ish. She sees the reflection of her lost husband in the courage and daring nature of her son.

[WARNING: Image heavy post ]

The King – Raja Puran Singh  (Kulbhusan Kharbanda)

“THAT’S called Kicking The Horse!”

The vegetarian King of Champaner, he is reduced to being a mere diplomat by the bullying forces of the Raj. The only thing he can do is comply to ever taxing demands of the Raj and deal with the arrogant Capt.Russell. The King’s jubilance in the villager’s victory is brilliantly depicted in his gesture, when he impulsively attempts to take off his pearl necklace to gift it to the villagers. Such a Royal!

The Old Man of the village – Shambhu Kaka (A.K.Hangal)

“Ye Tu Ne Kya Kar Diya Bhuvan” [ What have you done Bhuvan! ]

As the old man of the village, Shambhu Kaka has seen the ups and downs of life. He is very sceptical of the decisions made by Bhuvan, and hence questions him to reason his impulsive decision.

The commentator – Ram Singh (Javed Khan)

“Hum Jeet Gaye” [ We have WON! ]

He is the translator of Coach Elizabeth’s cricket lessons in English to Hindi. And when he is thrown out by Capt.Russell, he has a change in career to the loudspeaker holding first Indian commentator. His moment of jubilance gleams in his eyes and that mixed expression of happiness, celebration, disbelief and euphoria is one of the ‘moments’.

DESI-GIRL: Gauri ( Gracy Singh )

“ Bharosa hai mohe… tujh pe… tohri himmat pe. ” [ I trust .. you.. and your courage ]

She’s not the damsel in distress. She can very well take care of herself. She steers clear of the letches (Lakha) and knows how to go for her hero (Bhuvan). Although she does show lady-like characteristics ( as in being jealous when Bhuvan spends more time with memsaab Elizabeth ), but when it comes to love, she’s damn serious about it. She won’t let the memsaab hit the bell before she does, and can effortlessly make everyone jealous with her Raas Leela dance as Radha. Her undying love for Bhuvan is her strength as well as her weakness.

The coach – Elizabeth Russell (Rachel Shelley)

“Tum khel ke baare mein kya jaante ho” [ What do you know about the game? ]

The lady with the golden heart – she is what angels must be like. Even if it meant betraying her brother, her decisions are solely based on morality. She supports the right, and this meant that she’d give cricket coaching to the villagers, sometimes in a very secret service kinda way. But she remains unlucky in love. What a tragedy!

THE LAGAAN XI

Sardar Sodhi aka Deva (Pradeep Singh Rawat, aka Ghajini) – here’s something which sums him up:

“Agar gend phenkoon toh teeno lakdiyan di dhajjiyan udha doon. Aur jo agar kheloon toh gend nu cheer ke rakh doon” [ If its balling, then all three wickets should be destroyed. If its batting, then tear through the ball ]

~ On second thoughts, do you think that Deva is a bit violent. All he can talk about is tearing and destroying.

The jealous Lakha (Yashpal Sharma), who’d go to even betraying his own village to put down Bhuvan, but then he has a change of heart and eventually becomes a convert to Bhuvan’s goodness.

The angst driven Arjan (Akhilendra Mishra) whose only medium to vent out his frustration is to hit the ball as hard as possible.

The naggy neighbour in Ismail (Raj Zutshi) who is troubled by Bhura’s (Raghubir Yadav) poultry. Bhura is the guy you wanna consult about fielding – LAGAAN XI’s Jonty Rhodes. [Thanks to Darshit for the heads up]

Ismail, Bhuvan’s bachpan-ka-dost, who is as competent in Gulli-Danda as Bhuvan himself.

Goli (Daya Shankar Pandey) – Weird bowling action, but gives away the surprise with a grunt.

The ever-colorful Baba Guran (Rajesh Vivek) with his signature full toss deliveries and prophecies.

Bagha (Amin Hajee) – The mute drummer; catching is not his forte’ but he eventually overcomes his own fear. Has a thing for prematurely declaring rain as well as air-drumming. He’s as angst-driven and impulsive as Arjan. Calm down boys! Shaant Gadadhari Bheem…Shaant!

Sasurjee – Ishwar Kaka ( Vallabh Vyas) – lacks in stamina but he’s also the health specialist of the team.

Spin baller Kachra (Aditya Lakhia) – Bhuvan predicts that the team will win because of his ‘phirkee’.

Mukhiya (Rajendra Gupta) who is always sceptical of Bhuvan’s decision, but also secretly believes in his vision.

And finally, the young and restless no.12 runner, Tipu (Amin Gazi) who gets run-out.

And the captains of the two teams: -

Captain / Apna HERO – BHUVAN (Aamir Khan)

“ Toh phir saari alag-alag ungliyan ki muthi ban jaaye Mukhiya ji” .

He is the dude. He’s the leader with a vision and in whom the village of Champaner rely upon. He is a bit impulsive when it comes to making decisions, but at the same time, he is level headed and knows how to achieve the goals. A charmer by nature ( C’mon he swooned both the Desi-Girl and Videsi-Laundee!), he is got exceptional leadership skills. He knows how to influence people and manage them. Not to forget his ‘Udit Narayan’ vocals and excellent choice in Dhotis. He knows his Hindu mythology very well (remember he explained how Lord Krishna and Radha weren’t married to each other). He is also progressive in mindset and hence, opposes irrational and orthodox cultures such as caste-division and stands by his decisions. Even the Mukhiya knows that Bhuvan is his successor.

Mr. BAD MAN – Captain Andrew Russell ( Paul Blackthorne )

” Dugna lagaan doge ki shart manzoor hai ? “

He is the arrogant British oppressor. The intoxication of power resides in his head, and he sees everybody as his slaves. He takes his cricket seriously, and would go to any length to winning it – especially when the stakes are high. So be it hitting opponents with bodyline deliveries to make batsmen out with hit-wicket, or employing moles to participate in the opponent’s team, Capt.Russell would do it all to win. A protective brother, and an even more proud person, it was indeed his excessive pride in his own talent which saw his downfall.

[ This is a post celebrating 10 years of LAGAAN. There is yet another post in this series to come, so watch this space . Special Thanks to TheBollywoodFan for his imense enthusiasm over the years for organising this annual blogathon event.  Re bhaiya.... Chhoote Lagaan! ]

The very awesome and Doctor Who lover Louella has featured me on her monthly web mag – BLOGUE. For the uninitiated, BLOGUE is a monthly feature on Bollywood Bloggers, and has featured the likes of the great FilmiGirl, Bindaas Nikki and DunkDaft Darshit. And now, its my turn this month.

If you’re intrigued enough, you can download the PDF here.

Please follow the very awesome LOUELLA’s equally awesome Tumblr, and her eccentrically regular MasalaWBigOsie

There is only one dancing queen in Bollywood. And we all have no doubt about who it is. The one, the only – Madhuri Dixit. No puns, no jokes, no comments attempting any sort of cheap humour. This post is just about the 15 history defining, earth shattering, and screen scorching epic moves of Madhuri, spanning across her epic career. These are not just any moves. When it comes to recognising someone like Mrs.Nene, these moves define not only her, but also the 90s – a time when the Madhuri empire was thriving. Ok, no more bakwaas, straight to business. Rated in the ascending order of awesomeness and ishtyle.

15: Aaja Nachle – Aaja Nachle

This awesome list continues after the jump. P.S. This post is image heavy of the GIF kind.
Please allow some time to load them up. Read on..

The returning launch pad of Mrs.Nene made her dance (a lot). And whilst there’s a bunch to be chosen from, this one is sort of the obvious choice. Its a shame that this movie didn’t really set the box office on fire, and unluckily managed to create a controversy with its racial references in the title track. Nevertheless, Madhuri set the dance floor on fire. Choreographed by Vaibhavi Merchant.

14: Kahe Chedh Chedh Mohe – Devdas

With the grandpop of grandeur in the director’s chair, everything in the frame had to be opulent to the brim. And Neeta Lulla’s ghagra which Madhuri wears in this track was reportedly so heavy that it had a life of its own. But the magical thumri sung by Pt.Birju Maharaj and also choreograped by him, gave this song a life beyond the silly melodrama of the movie.

13: Kay Sera Sera – Pukar

Choreographed by Prabhu Deva, and even featuring the man himself, this was one of the USP of the movie when the promos were released. Even when the movie is all about terrorism and stuff, who wouldn’t want to see a dance-off between Madhuri and Prabhu Deva in front of a red background eh?

12: O Ramji – Ram Lakhan

First of the many epic collaborations of Madhuri and Saroj Khan, O Ramji, is probably one of the easily forgotten Madhuri dance songs. Featured in a movie which is more about Lakhan than Ram or any other character, and also deafened by the voice of Mohd.Aziz singing 1-2 ka 4, O Ramji is a treat to watch how Madhuri was easily the best dancer in Hindi cinema then, and even now. In a TV interview, Subhash Ghai revealed how Saroj Khan was instructed not to let Madhuri dance a lot throughout a song, but only dance in a section, and within that section itself, she had to prove that she’s the best dancer there ever was. That she did

11: Maya’s dance – Dil To Pagal Hai

This is by far, one of my most favourite Yashraj film ( third to DDLJ and Silsila ). I don’t care if its filled to the brim with fluff and stuff that makes no sense at all. There is so much yuppiedom about this. And to watch Madhuri dance in this movie is just a treat. My favourite bit is her Kathak fusion to Rahul’s drum beats (just before the intermission). I bought the DVD just because of this particular scene.

10:Dum Duma Dum – Dil

Every child of my generation, who grew up watching VHS tapes of 90s movies will agree that DIL was a big trendsetter. The whole Indra Kumar legacy begins with DIL and both Aamir and Madhuri owe a lot to this college romance movie which has Anupam Kher and Saeed Jaffrey at their hormonal explosivo best. And the huge surge of national uprising created by the song Dum Duma Dum is almost incomparable. It swept the nation and beyond, and the movie was re-released with the song added into it. Needless to mention – choreographed by Saroj Khan.

9: Tu Shayar Hai – Saajan

Sanjay Dutt and Salmaan Khan having mullets, and loving the same gal. Directed by Lawrence D’Souza, this one was choreographed by Chinni Prakash. The highlight of this song was the now-famous finger curling move. Girls and boys have broken their index fingers attempting to copy this move, including me.

8:Didi Tera Dewar Deewana – Hum Aapke Hai Kaun

Need I say anything about this? This was Rajshri films biggest hit ever. And to a certain extent, a milestone in Bollywood cinema. Choreography by Jay Borade.

7: Mera Piya Ghar Aaya – Yaarana

Yet another Saroj Khan vehicle. Although the song is a direct Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V from Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s similar titled track, this one has Madhuri dancing to it with Shakti Kapoor playbacking Shankar Mahadevan. Madhuri switches between dancing desi freestyle to even air guitaring. Result – pure awesomeness.

6: Chane Ke Khet Mein – Anjaam

Ok, this list is evolving as a Saroj Khan compilation. But it’s quite inevitable. The trademark stretched hands jerky movements spread like a virus throughout the nation, and whenever someone speaks of Anjaam, this is one of the first things that come into our minds. This and Madhuri being insane, coz she’s married to Deepak Tijori (What? SRK is the insane one?)

5: Tumma Tumma Loge – Thanedaar

Choreographed by Saroj Khan (Deal with it). This one was Bollywood’s answer to the Michael Jackson/Janet Jackson dance revolution of the 90′s. And although Sanjay Dutt tried hard to shake his shoulders, it does seem like a dislocated shoulder trying too hard to release itself from the body. As for Madhuri, she nails it.

We are now down to the last 4.. things are getting really awesome right now. And for the Madhuri devotees, the remaining four will be quite predictable as well. P.S. All four are choreographed by Saroj Khan. Jai ho Masterjee!

4: Humko Aaj Kal Hai – Sailaab

There’s an angst ridden Aditya Pancholi somewhere lost in this movie. But all I care about is Madhuri shaking her kamariya and giving the latka jhatka that will casue an earthquake of 7.2 on the Richter scale. Even today, when Madhuri does a performance (on one of those silly reality TV shows), this is her weapon of choice for mass destruction.

3:Choli Ke Peeche – Khalnaayak

There’s an annoying and hypersexed up Neena Gupta having Ila Arun’s voice. But apart from that, this whole video is perfect to the last detail – right from the Kuk Kuk Kuk Kuk… to the Lehenga Hai Mehenga Mera.
Ashik Purane Tere… Ashik Purane So true.

2: Dhak Dhak – Beta

One word – OUCH! Two words – Anuradha Paudwal. Three words – Saiyya Bayya Chodhna!

1: Ek Do Teen – Tezaab

I have already written a mile and a half about Mohini and her insane awesomeness. If I could, I’d vote Mohini for the President of NASA. Coz she taught me counting. Coz she taught me the time series – Din hue Hafte, Hafte Mahine, Mahine ban gaye Saal…

That’s all for this list. But hang on, Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost. Like a full featured pack DVD, we’ve got some bonus material.

Ankhiya Milaye – Raja

and Pehla Pehla Pyar – Hum Aapke Hai Kaun

For more Madhuri Moves GIFs, follow this tag on my Tumblr.

The year was 2001. Jhamu Sugandh and Aamir Khan Productions’ ambitious project – Lagaan, had just released its publicity material on TV. In an age of no-twitter and zero-presence of social networking sites, TV trailers and theatre publicities were the only way to go. The first trailer was indeed very intriguing. It only showed an incomplete political map of India, and a Rupee coin rolling over it. The heavy beats of the percussion filled the air, and as the short teaser concluded, the anticipation levels were soaring high. As I look back to that period of pre-Lagaan release, I feel an intense nostalgic rush filling me with smiles.

Lagaan was released and was widely loved and adored by audiences and critics alike, locally and globally. It has been 9 years since, and even then, the melody of Lagaan’s soundtrack, the drum beat and the passionate voices of the villagers of Champaner continue to linger in my head; all of them crying out – Re Bhaiyya Chhoote Lagaan!!

So, on this 9th anniversary of one of the most uplifting pieces of cinema ever, let’s celebrate the music of Lagaan – one which not just serves as a Bollywood routine element of the movie, but also a medium which translates a thousand emotions in a single line. The music of Lagaan transcends many levels and goes beyond the limits of boundaries, languages and cultural differences. A.R.Rahman scores, arguably, one of his career’s best soundtrack, and the translation to screen is equally breath-taking.

So hit the jump to experience with me, and celebrate the magic of the soundtrack of Lagaan – Once Upon A Time in India.

1. Ghanan Ghanan

The first song which was shown in the teasers, this was certainly a crowd-pleaser. Javed Akhtar’s playful lyrics speak about  villagers who haven’t seen the rain in a while. How these villagers of Champaner react to the appearance of the clouds and their jubilance at the onset of the rain makes ‘Ghanan Ghanan’ a very different song in its own right. Bollywood has seen a lot of songs being written on rain, monsoon, rainy season etc. But nothing about the happiness and even the curing of all troubles by rain. Rain is treated almost like a healer in this song.

The lyrics beautifully weave the sounds of the thundering clouds into words e.g.

Ghanan ghanan ghir ghir aaye badra
Ghane ghan ghor kaare chhaye badra
Dhamak dhamak goonje badra ke danke
Chamak chamak dekho bijuriya chamke

It was also one of the most difficult songs to lip sync as shown in the making video. This was due to the entire ensemble cast singing portions of the song in perfect unison and in the correct order. A brilliantly simplistic choreography by Raju Khan uplifts your mood every single time you see this video; not to forget when Shambukaka, the legendary AK Hangal, dances to Kaale Megha Kaale Megha ..Paani To Barsao.

I know you can’t resist anymore, so go hit the YouTube video link . Do check out Raghubir Yadav’s happy face when he spots the Badal

2. Mitwa

This song begins with a simple lesson of life in the voice of Sukhwinder Singh – Sach aur Saahas hai jiske mann mein, Anth mein jeet usee ki hoy [ One who has truth and courage in one's mind, emerges victorious in the end ]. This track oozes encouragement and positivity in every single word. And there is so much upbeat-ness in the percussions and the whole vibe of the song, that you can’t help feeling elated with joy, with happiness and feel motivated.

Iss Dharti Ka Hai Raja Tu, Ye Baat Maan Le Tu ,
Kathinaaee Se Takra Jaa Tu, Nahi Haar Maan Le Tu
O Mitwa Sun Mitwa, Tujhko Kya Darr Hai Re,
Dharti Apni Hai, Apna Ambar Hai Re

[ You are the King of this Earth, Agree to this
Face the obstacles, Don't give in to failure,
O my friend, listen to me. What are you afraid of?
This land is ours, and the skies too. ]

And when such beautiful lyrics are sung in the mountain-dew fresh voices of Alka and Udit jee, and when Aamir Khan in a dhoti does the kamariya matakna wala movie, you really can’t help fall in love with this.  YouTube video link.

3. Radha Kaise Na Jale

This is as brilliant as it gets. A recreation of a mythological event – Lord Krishna’s Raas Leela with HIS Gopis, and Radha feels jealous about it. All of these emotions set against the backdrop of Gauri’s feelings for Bhuvan, and how she feels left out as she feels needy – to be loved by Bhuvan. A beautiful parallel between the flirtatious Lord Krishna and HIS naughty ways to tease Radha, and Radha’s many complaints against HIM. Sung by Asha jee and Udit jee and exceptionally choreographed by Saroj Khan, Radha Kaise Na Jale is a brilliant folk track layered with various traditional instruments viz. Pakhawaj, Veena, and a lot of accompanying strings.

My favourite bit of the song – second verse when Asha jee goes – Kaanhaa Ke Ye Jo Naina Haii.. Chheene Gopiyo Ke Chaina Haii..just before the line – Mili Najariya, Hui Baawariya. I hope you get how it varies from the first verse. Listen to it all here – YouTube video link.

4. Lagaan

This is a collection of the background score which is used in different strategic points of the movie. But it is not just that. If you listen to it just by itself, as a piece of music, it has its own beautiful intricacies unveiling its different shades and colours as it grows on you. It begins with the blowing of the traditional royal trumpet. The piece has a lot of strings instruments besides the traditional Sitar. The initial humming is the tune of – Jo Suno To Kahe, Prabhuji Humri Hai Bintee … from O Paalanhaare. And then it is followed by a powerful Church Choir arrangement which cleverly switches to a Violin solo and then heavy beats as the chorus sings out – Re Bhaiyaa, Chhoote Lagaan in a loop. Get back to me if  the beat doesn’t stir you.

5. O Rey Chhori

My favourite of the entire soundtrack. I know it is so difficult to choose one, but I chose this for my Best of Rahman list. This one is my favourite because -
a) A.R. Rahman skilfully switches back n forth between  the village rural track and the Victorian Waltz sound and you don’t even notice because its all blended so perfectly; as if they were meant to co-exist.
b) Vaibhavi Merchant’s romantic choreography aided by an awesome special effects job.
c) Anil Mehta’s stellar cinematography. Have a look at this one.

d) Javed Saab’s wicked usage of rural lingo – e.g. Kaaran, Jabaan, Prem Nagar Ke Baasi

YouTube video link.

6. Chale Chalo

Quite obviously so, this is one of the cricket anthems of India now. It infuses elements from Tagore’s ‘Ekla Cholo’ into the lines – Ekaa Badhta Hi Jaawe, Chale Chalo. There’s brilliant usage of cellos in the song which give a deeper and more serious vibe to the song, rather than a yuppy or a catchy tune. In the signature Rahman vocals, the verses explode into a powerhouse song as the words go – Dharti Hilaa Denge, Sabko Dikha Denge, Raja Kya..Parjaa Kya.. [ We'll shake the earth, We'll show everyone - The King and the public..]

And as the song itself shows the unity of the Lagaan XI whilst it trains and toils for the big day, the climax of the song picks up its tempo, as the villagers sit together to celebrate. And so do we, just like normal blokes from Champaner do.

YouTube video Link.

7. Waltz for a romance

This is another instrumental piece from the soundtrack and is a brilliant classical piece by itself. It showcases why Rahman is known as the ‘Mozart from Madras’. The track is played when the British dance ballroom scenes are shown, and it also serves as the interlude in O Re Chhori, when Elizabeth dreams of dancing with Bhuvan. Poor thing, she never gets to dance with him for real.

8. O Paalanhaare

And to end the soundtrack, this one is a killer. I don’t have any other words to describe it. It may have words which suggest a particular religion; words like Prabhuji, Jag ke Swami etc. And even though this song has been filmed in a temple, I have not a single trace of doubt when I say this, that this song transcends any sort of religion and names with which we call the Divine. I have always come back to this song – even though I am not a Bhajan kinda guy. Because it gives me strength, it gives me hope, and above all, it lets me release myself and just let things be – in the hands of the one who knows it all, who handles it all in his own way.

O Paalanhaare talks to me, and I am certain that it does the same to all of you who listen to this track. A brilliant Bhajan with minimal arrangement-in the voice of Lata Mangeshkar and Udit Narayan. The situation depicted is of Champaner’s villagers who are on the verge of losing, and they have nothing more to do than keep the faith and pray to the Almighty to help them, to give them the strength to emerge triumphant. And as the track progresses, when you see the crowd clapping along, you not only connect with the innate desire to win and the underlying emotion, but you also feel the labour of love of the director – Ashutosh Gowariker. All of it culminates in this one moment.

Youtube video Link.

And of course, since – Sach aur Saahas hai inke mann mein, Anth mein Jeet inhi ki howe…

Hum Jeet Gaye!!!!!

Special mention to : TheBollywoodFan who is IMHO the biggest Lagaan and Aamir Khan fan there ever is . This is my post for the Lagaan Week 2010. Go check out TBF’s brilliant cake for the Lagaan anniversary.
Also check out these awesome Lagaan Week posts by Darshit, Shell, Sitaji and Shweta. And of course, don’t forget to pour out your emotions in the comments section, on anything about Lagaan, especially the music. Cheerio!!

Once upon a time, long before television was invaded ( read:screwed over) by kanjeevaram sari clad women with jewellery as heavy as themselves, witchcrafty make-up, mean plans and super-repetitive close-up shots (or in other words Balaji Telefilms), was the era of Doordarshan’s Prime Entertainment. And that was when, long before becoming the Bhabhi of the Nation (singing Lo Chali Main  with Salman Khan in Hum Aapke Hai Kaun), Renuka Shahane entered our lives as the Lady with the Electrifying smile, greeting us “Namaskar” every Sunday Night with Siddharth Kak on SURABHI. CINEMA VISION INDIA’s production, Surabhi brought information packaged in an entertaining 30 minutes box like never before. It wowed us to the core. Children, adoloscents and adults across the nation were glued to the half hour of culture explosion that ranged from dizzying heights of Ladakh to Aleppey’s backwaters, from the fields of Paan cultivation to remembering the greatness of cinema legends like Raj Kapoor and K.L.Saigal. Surabhi was my Indian Wikipedia; even better, it was on Television and I competed with my Dad in answering the Sawaal Jawaab.

Surabhi’s entire decade of impeccable dedication to exploring the magic of India makes it truly one of the defining programs of Indian Television. When I am faced with the question from someone who wants to know about India (yeah, someone who just saw Slumdog Millionaire), I wish I could make him sit through each episode of Surabhi to get a glimpse of the variety and gigantic diversity of the magic that is India. Surabhi brought the dry Thar desert and the extremely wet Cherrapunji to the comfort of our homes. It taught us the cultivation of spices and the Hyderabadi Biriyani directly from the Nizaam. And it captured our history, our culture, tradition and also showed a glimpse of our future (Remember, Sushmita Sen’s first TV interview after winning Miss India, right before she was to compete Miss Universe. The rest as they say, is history). Renuka Shahane and Siddharth Kak’s popularity soared and Surabhi was a national success. 

Amul became the official sponsors of the show and till date is known as the Taste of India; all thanks to Surabhi. The advert featuring Manthan’s “Mero Gaam Katha Parey” first premiered in Surabhi and Surabhi also did a story on Verghese Kurien, the Milkman of India. Another phenomenon spawned by Surabhi was the Competition post card, which was sold at Rs.2 (previously, post cards were sold at 15 paise) per postcard. The popularity of Surabhi’s Sawaal Jawaab was never seen before in Indian Television, donno the exact figure of audiences replying on to the Competition Questions (but this was way before the age of email and SMS). As far as my memory goes, I remember Surabhi breaking the Limca Book of Records for Highest Measured Replies from Viewers – and the question that week was a visual of a factory where workers (all female) were kneading dough (and then some more), and the question was to identify the product. And the answer was – Sri Mahila Griha Udyog, the manufacturers of Lijjat papad. 

Surabhi’s essence comes alive in its title music- a video which travels through traditional Indian Pottery to the Murli, Tanpoora and a classical Indian dancer (now I am confused if that’s Kuchipudi or not) and then the famous shot of Jantar Mantar. I just feel short of words when I hear it even today, and the pakhawaj beats just mesmerize me. (Watch it below).

I watch the title track of Surabhi and I miss the “Namaskar” in chorus by Renuka and Siddharth that follows it . The second best thing I miss about Surabhi is the big list of prizes for Sawaal Jawaab, sponsored by the various State Tourism. I can vividly remember one of my teachers winning a holiday in Goa, and when her name was announced on TV, the next day, she was the school’s star of the day. The questions in Sawaal Jawaab were extremely educational and one of the questions that just flashed into my head was of this lock, which had no keyholes in it. But it had three keys. The question was to guess how to open the lock. I still don’t know the answer coz there was a load-shedding on the next Sunday when the answer was aired. 8-( And of course, the format was Renuka would ask the question and Siddharth would end the show with a slight hint which kept all of us guessing. Surabhi is etched in our memories , especially in guys n gals of my generation coz it gave us the sense of pride and showcased it, and how brilliantly so. Surabhi for us, is in the true sense of the term -IMMORTAL.