The Golden Era Fan: Romance of the Jeep - 1

I am a hardcore fan of compositions from the Golden Era of music in the Hindi film industry. One song is my particular favourite – “Tumhare pyaar mein hum bekaraar ho ke chale …” from the film “Shikar” released in 1968. The song is a lovely number, with the lyrics by Hasrat Jaipuri oozing romance, lilting music by Shankar-Jaikishen, and, of course, the absolutely divine voice of Mohammed Rafi. These, together with the dashing Dharmendra serenading the lovely Asha Parekh make for a heady mix.

However, what tugs at my heart is the effortless way in which Asha Parekh drives the Jeep used in the shooting for this song. When I was a teenager (around 15 or 16 years old), we had a Mahindra Jeep at home. The Mahindra Jeep model is an exact copy of the original Willys Jeep, except that it is a right-hand drive. I got my first lessons in driving on this very vehicle under my father (on an empty playground). It is a powerful vehicle with a three-speed gearbox and four-wheel drive. It’s tough to master – even a light tap on the accelerator sends it lunging forwards – but once you master it, the vehicle is a sheer pleasure.

Now it’s obviously difficult to act when driving a vehicle, especially as demanding as the Jeep. Doing so while driving a left-hand drive vehicle clad in a saree and all decked up would have posed a tough challenge, but Asha Parekh carries it off with élan.

The grace, poise and ease with which she negotiates the curves in the hills is a sight to behold. Therefore, watching the song gives me a different high every time, and I’m sure it will do so also for people like me who have relished driving the iconic Jeep.

#GoldenEra #Shikar #MohammedRafi #Dharmendra #Asha Parekh #Jeep

Films not a priority for me right now: Rahul Sharma

Santoor exponent Rahul Sharma has said composing music for Hindi films was not a priority for him right now and was likely to think about it in another two years.
Rahul composed the music for one Hindi film, ‘Mujhse Dosti Karoge,’ but is not taking up similar projects as of now.
Read full article

BBC plans TV serial on Mahatma Gandhi

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) plans to produce a television serial on Mahatma Gandhi, with an Indian director and cast.

Read full article

How time flies: Government funds documentary on RSS!

It is indeed surprising how times change. Once strictly taboo in the corridors of power, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and things connected with it now have official sanction. Well, practically so, with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) of the Government of India actually funding a 30 minute documentary on Dr Keshav Balirampant Hedgewar, the founder of the RSS.
The change in the government's attitude can probably be attributed to the presence of Atal Behari Vajpayee at the helm of affairs in New Delhi. Yet, the RSS, ostracized for its alleged involvement in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi and the demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya, has come a long, long way. (The RSS has been banned thrice in the past - in 1948 shortly after the Mahatma's assassination, in 1975, during the emergency, and in 1992 after 'Black Sunday' at Ayodhya).
Read full article

‘BHARAT’ DARSHAN

HITAVADA CAPTURES A GLIMPSE OF SANJAY JOG
Free, frank and fearless, that’s Sanjay Jog, ‘Bharat’ of Ramayana serial, for you in a nutshell.
Handsome, suave, cat-eyed and fluent in five languages, Sanjay has not allowed fame and popularity to go to his head.
Born and brought up in Nagpur, except for some part of his childhood spent in Pune, Sanjay migrated to Bombay to pursue a career in films. He obtained his diploma in acting from the Filmalaya Academy of Cine-arts and TV, and followed it up with a Diploma in Direction from the same institute.
Read full interview