Suhaagan(1986)

It's been a few years since I last watched this movie. It used to make frequent appearances in my DVD player on lazy Sunday afternoons. This post will serve as the write-up I meant to do a while ago, but without the aid of Wikipedia, imdb, or the currently misplaced DVD itself. What follows is totally off-the-cuff and based on my faulty memory:

Sridevi and Padmini Kolhapure are sisters. (I forget their characters' names, and I'm not going to look.) Sridevi is the oldest, and spends most of the day reading(and daydreaming?). Their father is a...landlord? He loans money to a lot people and as a result, the family isn't as well-off as it could/would/should be. One day, Sridevi runs into a guy I'll call Dreamboat because again, I don't want to "cheat" and actually get everyone's names straight. Anyway...Dreamboat is a former flame, I think, and he reads a lot, or his father does. I recall Sridevi purusing his bookshelves and selecting a book(or did he choose it for her?). I can't remember the title but I believe it was a paperback.

Sridevi wants to marry Dreamboat(or vice versa) but her father is worried about the dowry. He wants her to marry a farmboy?, played by Jeetendra. Jeetendra is one of those reliable, good-hearted, hard-working guys who most families love. Anyhow, Jeetendra loves Sridevi but she doesn't give him the time of day. However, they end up getting married because her father doesn't have to worry about paying dowry, and maybe also because he likes Jeetendra and thinks he's a better marriage choice than Dreamboat. Dreamboat's father comes to the house to give his consent for Dreamboat and Sridevi's marriage, but he's too late, he overhears Sridevi's dad making marriage plans with Jeetendra.

Let's see...oh! Jeetendra and Sridevi's first night. It's actually similiar to the first night Sridevi has with Anil Kapoor in Judaai. She complains about the heat, and the hard mattress, I think, and Jeetendra takes her over to the window and points out the people who are sleeping on the ground because they don't have homes. "Be thankful for what you have" and all that. Um...they have a baby, a girl. Sridevi is frustrated with married life. Jeetendra walks in on her one day while she's yelling at her daughter in the crib. He scolds her(Sridevi). She's miserable. Somehow, Shakti Kapoor, the local nuisance/pervert, comes into all this, convincing her one night in the woods to run away with Dreamboat. Not out of the kindness of his heart, but because he wants to shame her dad. Sridevi falls for the ploy and sneaks off into the night with Dreamboat. But it's not exactly happy times. She has the stigma of walking out on her husband and daughter, and living with a man she's not married to. One of her teachers comes by the house and, in a long-winded, roundabout way, calls her a dirty hoor. (I can't recall if he gave Dreamboat the same scarlet letter treatment, but I'm inclined to say no, just because, double-standard and all.) After he leaves, Sridevi, feeling lower than low, tries to light herself on fire, but Dreamboat stops her. The next day? Sridevi finds Dreamboat dead from self-poisoning. He may or may not have a left a note.

Sridevi returns home, but of course, being a shamed woman and all, she's not allowed back in the house. I believe she was living in the barn, or somewhere far from her parents home. In the meantime, Padmini and Jeetendra got married, and were raising Sridevi's daughter, who she meets one day, but her daughter doesn't know that the woman she's talking to is her mother since she was still a baby when Sridevi abandonned her. I don't remember what happened afterwards, so I'll jump ahead with this SPOILER ALERT:

Sridevi dies at the end. I want to say it was from heartbreak, but I don't think so. However, I vividly recall thinking, "She makes a good-looking corpse." Seriously. She looked so peaceful and childlike. She was very good at playing a dead person.

Yeah, that was a jumbled mess. Perhaps one day I'll come back and clean it up, but for now I'll leave it as is. Feel free to correct and/or fill-in-the-blanks. In the meantime, I'll continue trying to remove the writer's block I'm currently experiencing with my Boss post.

Short takes, pt.15.

Or, "Look what I received from Induna today!"

I'm addicted to ordering from Induna. If my blog attracted several hundred unique visitors per week, I'd sign up for their affliate program. Anyway...

Dekha Pyar Tumhara(1985) - I thought, "What the hell?" Even though I'm not really a fan of Kamal's Hindi movies, I find myself wanting to collect as many of them as I can find, just because.

Gateway of India(1957) - I have no idea what this is about. I got it because of Madhubala, even though I wasn't really feeling her looks in this song.

Kal Hamara Hai(1959) - I did a half-assed post here. Madhubala in a double role, that's all I know.

Masterji(1985) - Rajesh Khanna kinda annoys me, but Sridevi AND Anita Raj in the same movie? Okay. I thought I would try to watch the Telugu original first but again, "What the hell?"

Naata(1955) - No clue, but Madhubala, y'know, so...

Qaid(1975) - I saw some screencaps posted in the Leena Chandavarkar thread on Indomania and thought she looked good, so I tried to hunt it down, but Nehaflix didn't carry the DVD at the time, and I hadn't yet discovered Induna, so I forgot about it until last Friday, when I was searching for films to buy. According to Nehaflix, "A girl's evil uncle plots against her in order to steal her inheiritance". Sounds good to me. I hope it's entertaining, even if it's in a unintentionally hilarious way.

What should I get during my next visit to Induna? I would like to check out more Bengali flicks, but I don't know where to start. I guess I could get Sab Choritra Kalponik, and/or maybe Neel Nirjane. Aainaate, Swapner Din, Amanush, Nirjan Saikate, Antaheen, and Kaalpurush are other possibilities. I'll have to keep those titles in mind.

Short takes, pt. 14.

Or, "What did I order from Induna today?"

Jiban Maran(1939) - Hit "add to cart" on a whim since it was from the 30s, and the plot sounds like the kind of melodramatic pap I usually enjoy.

Kaun? Kaisey?(1983) - I sort of blogged about it here.

Bahu Ki Awaaz(1985) - A film about dowry deaths. IIRC, the movie poster for this was shown briefly during a documentary about bride burning that I watched in college.

Zulm Ka Badla(1985) - The plot sounds female-oriented, and Anita Raj looks very pretty in this song so I thought, "What the hell?"

Anokha Andaaz(1995) - This used to be aired pretty frequently on what was then known as the International Channel. (The name was later changed to AZN. Don't know what it's called now since I no longer get that channel.) Manisha Koirala is absolutely gorgeous in this flick. I've wanted a copy of this film for ages.

I passed on: Sab Choritra Kalponik(I was curious to see Bipasha Basu in a Bengali movie, but decided to hold off for now); Clerk(from what I've read, it's a hot mess, and not in a good way); Prem Qaidi(I decided I didn't want to see Lolo's debut that badly); Dil Ka Sathi Dil(dubbed Hindi version of Madanolsavam. I'd rather have the original); Dekha Pyar Tumhara(maybe later); Masterji(I'd rather watch the original Telugu version--I forget the title--first); Dulari(it sounded like something I might want to watch, but I was afraid it would just end up collecting dust. Maybe next time).

ETA 01/05/10: Thanks to my sudden renewed interest in Madhubala, I ordered three more movies, including Dulari. The other two are Rail Ka Dibba and Singaar. I wanted Tarana as well, but it's out of stock.

Now that I think about it, I should've checked for Neel Kamal--well, I just did, and it's not listed. I found three songs on YouTube, though: "Kal Jamuna Tat Par", "Bhool Jathe Hain", and "Jawani Agar Haae".

ETA 01/21/10: I found Shammi Kapoor so appealing(in spite of the pencil-thin moustache) in Rail Ka Dibba that I ordered An Evening in Paris. As an added bonus, Sharmila Tagore dons a bikini--yay!

I also got Police, starring Madhubala. I thought she looked great in the YouTube vids on this site(scroll down to the "Chale Hum Kahan..." video), so I "had" to get it, just as I "had" to get Ek Saal after skimming this review. I've changed my stance on Madhubala. Before, I thought she was "pretty, but not all that", but now I think she was damn gorgeous. Maybe I should've gotten Badal as well. Perhaps I'll order it when/if Tarana becomes available.

Last, but not least, Teesra Kinara, "a drama packed romantic story that revolves around the love triangle of three persons", according to this site. Raj Babbar gives me the creeps, but Anita Raj is in it, as well as Smita Patil, so I figure it won't be that bad.

I wish Induna carried Tamil films so that I would have a (hopefully) cheaper alternative to Bhavani and Anytamil.

ETA 01/27/10: Got my stuff yesterday. I'm so glad I finally ordered from Induna. Again, if they carried Tamil DVDs and/or VCDs, a miniscule part of my life would be complete.

Watched Zulm Ki Badla this past Saturday. Not bad, and Anita was featured rather prominently. She and Sridevi look great in black. In fact, I was reminded of Sri in Sherni as soon as I spotted Anita in her black get-up.

Bahu Ki Awaaz is very heavy. Watching Swaroop Sampat getting tortured was not fun. I realize it's a "social drama" and all, but still...the older I get, the more lightweight I prefer my viewing and reading material to be.

Jiban Maran was a not-bad viewing experience. I felt ridiculously thrilled to be viewing a film from 1939.

Kaun? Kaisey? was pretty awesome in a "sourced-from-VHS-god-I-love-the-80s" sort of way. Didn't really pay attention to the plot, just enjoyed looking at Anita Raj and watching Mithun(not a fan, but I think he has a larger-than-life screen presence that's interesting to watch). Will have to give it another viewing soon.

ETA 01/28/10: After one viewing of Police I've decided that I'm in love with Madhubala and that I "have" to order ALL of her movies. I probably won't do that, but I certainly feel like it, just so I can see MOAR of her.

And Sharmila Tagore? From the second she appeared onscreen in An Evening in Paris the following line from the song "Venus" popped into my head: "She's got it, yeah baby, she's got it!" Her daughter Soha, however, does NOT have it. Saif might have it, but I think I'm feeling kindly towards him just because he's with Kareena. Anyway...I must do a write-up on An Evening in Paris once I've watched it properly.

P.S. I ordered Vamsi and Desamuduru and hopefully, I'll do posts for those films as well. I've gotten so used to not blogging, but maybe I should get back into the habit, just to keep what's left of my brain active.

Short takes, pt.13.

AKA "I FINALLY ordered from Induna!"

This is what I bought:

Abodh(1984) - Madhuri's debut. I didn't quite blog about it here. I wish Gaja Gamini had also been in stock, but it seems to be permanently out of print.

Dev D(2009) - The DVD was out of stock, so I got the VCD. I hope I like it. If not, I can always stare at Kalki Koechlin's lips.

Dil Ki Rani(1947) - Madhubala's first movie. A blogger who watched this wasn't impressed, but that didn't deter me. I usually find something likeable about the films that most people hate.

Kidnap(2009) - I read about it on ajnabi1977's blog, and since it was only $1.67, I thought, "What the heck?"

Yeh To Kamal Ho Gaya(1982) - YAY!!!! FINALLY!!!! I hope the Eagle VCDs don't act up as badly as the DVDs. I posted about it here.

Zara Si Zindagi(1983) - Once again: YAY!!!! FINALLY!!!! Here is my original blog post.

The shipping and handling charge was $20.93 for $7.93 worth of movies BUT, at least I was able to get four movies I've been really, really wanting to see for the longest. And if the shipping is super fast, that's another bonus. Plus, I would like an alternative to Nehaflix and the occasional Amazon seller for Hindi movies, particularly ones that aren't yet available on DVD. So, I will keep my fingers crossed and hope that I will be pleased enough to make more purchases from Induna in the future.

ETA 11/23/09: My movies arrived today. Celebrate me! All of my discs were nicely packaged. I hope they play okay. I'm already thinking of other titles I'd like to order.

ETA2 11/23/09: I tried all but the Dev D and Abodh discs and they play fine, even the Eagle VCDs. Quick and/or shallow thoughts:

Zara Si Zindagi - It's not a bad viewing experience, as long as I remember to not compare it to the original, Varumaiyin Niram Sivappu.

Yeh To Kamal Ho Gaya - Hannah Mitchell is not quite as beautiful as I initially thought, and her acting sucked; still, I'll take her over that seemingly stoned French chick in Sattam En Kayil.

Kidnap - Minissha I'm-too-lazy-to-Google-her-last-name is bearable only when she's wearing skimpy clothes. I don't know how old she's supposed to be in real life, but playing a 17 year old? Ha! More like "17 going on 29 or 30". Her Britney Spears circa 1999 number was amusing for about a minute, then I had to hit the "skip chapter" button. Imraan Khan looked good. I want him to kidnap me. I bet we'd have all kinds of fun together. **shifts eyes**

Dil Ki Rani - I found it watchable enough, probably because I had zero expectations and didn't concentrate too hard. I have a feeling it will make frequent appearances in my DVD player. (Aside: It seems like the type of film my dad would enjoy.)

ETA 11/24/09: I looked up whatsherface on Wikipedia and she was allegedly born in 1985. Maybe she really is 24 but to me, she doesn't look a day under 30. From the neck down, she's fine, but her face makes me wish Hansika Motwani had been cast instead, simply because she's actually a teenager, even if she doesn't look it. Anyhoo...

Imran...mmmmmmm. I'm not a fan but I find him pretty hot in Kidnap. Isn't he in Luck with Shruti Haasan and FILF co-star Sanjay Dutt? Yeah, I think so. Not that I want to see that movie, but I just remembered.

From what I've seen so far, it seems like a decent Saturday night timepass, the kind of flick you watch when there's nothing else on the tube. And it was under $2 so it's not like I wasted a bunch of money on it.

I gave the 2nd disc of Dev D about twenty minutes of my time. I liked what I saw but the soundtrack gave me a headache, as did the commercials at the beginning of the disc(luckily, I was able to skip through them). I hope the DVD comes back in stock soon so that I won't have to always get up to change discs.

Naan Adimai Illai(1986)

Sridevi's last south film. I think it's a remake of Pyaar Jhukta Nahin since it was released the following year. It's the typical "poor boy/rich girl fall in love and marry in spite of her parents disapproval" blah blah blah. It drags in places, the mandatory fight sequences could've/should've been left out, and the father's actions were too over-the-top and unrealistic for even this type of flick. Still, it's so appealingly, unapologetically melodramatic that I can't help but love it. And Sridevi looks oh-so very alluring, especially in the begining when she's laughing and drinking her spiked drink before attempting to drive home while under the influence. (Predictably, Rajini shows up to rescue her from the would-be rapists who drugged her and takes her back to his place for the night.)

The songs are really good. All three versions of "Oru Jeevan Thaan" are on YouTube, as well as "Devi Devi" and "Vaa Vaa". "Ponaa Pohuthu" is the only one that isn't available. I had ripped and uploaded it over a year ago, but took it down after I kept getting copyright violation emails.

A few caps, just 'cause:

Short takes, pt.12.

AKA "The Madhuri Dixit edition, in 25 words or less."

100 Days(1991) - Her acne was at its worst, but she managed to look pretty in spite of it. Decent timepass.

Anjaam(1994) - I finally got the hype about her looks. Great hair and wonderful smile. Loved the ending.

Beta(1992) - The "Dhak Dhak Dil Karne Laga song was about the only thing I liked, aside from Madz herself.

Dayavan(1988) - I got this only for the smooch scene.

Deewana Mujh Sa Nahin(1990) - In this day and age, she would've filed a restraining order instead of marrying her stalker ardent fan. The first song is cute and bouncy.

Devdas(2002) - Pretty to behold, but too melodramatic for even overly melodramatic me. Watched it only for Madz.

Hum Aapke Hain Kaun!(1994) - I didn't make it past the first half-hour but IIRC, Madz made an entrance on roller skates.

Kanoon Apna Apna(1989) - I remember thinking how skinny her legs were in this song. I also remember **ahem** a couple of other things.

Khal Nayak(1993) - To be honest, I watched only the "Choli Ke Peeche" song. My Shemaroo disc refuses to let me cap it.

Koyla(1997) - SRK's mullet = love, Madhuri = gorgeous. Best of all, my Video Sound DVD didn't skip OR freeze. How often does that happen?

Phool(1993) - Flashes of certain scenes are dancing in my head but overall, I'm drawing a blank. Pic quality on Baba disc sucked.

Prem Pratigyaa(1989) - I remember thinking it was pretty good, but that's it.

Raja(1995) - Madhuri's presence made this very mediocre film watchable.

Sangeet(1992) - This number was an eye-opener. I recall thinking Madhuri was good in her dual role, but not much else.

Tezaab(1988) - The "Ek Do Teen" song is catchy. Too bad my (Video Sound) disc froze at chapter eight.

Mitti Aur Sona(1989)

I saw the movie poster in the Neelam thread on Indomania, Googled, and found the VCD, which may or may not be in stock, here, as well as a couple of songs on YouTube picturised on Sonam and Chunky Pandey: "Zindagi Mein Pehli Pehli Baar" and "Mara Jisko Mohabbat Ne Mara". I couldn't find any songs with Neelam, which leads me to believe that they were either yanked down, or she didn't have a very large role. Boo if it's the latter. The plot sounds right up my alley, though, and that could make up for the lack of Neelie-baby. I wish this movie were available on DVD.

Yuga Purusha(1989)

Kannada remake of Karz(1980). I found out about this version while reading the Wiki page for The Reincarnation of Peter Proud. (I was trying to find info on the novel's author, Max Ehrlich.) Ravichandran makes me uneasy, but I find Moon Moon Sen alluring enough to consider checking it out, even though I wasn't wild about the original. (I kinda liked the 2008 release, however.) Anytamil has the VCD listed, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's in stock.

Songs I uncovered on YouTube: "Ee Bombe Yaavudo", "Keli Premigale", "Sangeethave Nanna Devaru", "Shree Krishna Bandanu"

Kaun? Kaise?(1983)

I stumbled across this title while trying to figure out which movie this song is from(and if anyone reading this knows, please tell).

I want to see this solely for the awesome picturisations of the "Main Bhi Hoon Yahan", "Kyon Kaise Hua", and "Main Akela Aur Dilber" songs. I read here that it was a flop, but that doesn't deter me. While I'm not a Mithun fan, I figure watching him play a detective trying to solve a murder could be entertaining in a "so-bad-it's-good" kind of way. And Anita Raj looks so gorgeous in the first song that I seriously want to weep. Oh, how I long for the early eighties! Anyway...

The VCD is available from Induna. One day, I might have to actually place an order with them, seeing how they seem to have a decent selection of older Hindi films on VCD.

Hum Bhi Insaan Hain(1989)

I am in love with the "Yaar Tera" song. It is so beautiful. The picturisation makes me feel strangely sad and nostalgic. I also get a sense of déjà vu while watching it, like I've seen/heard a similar song in another movie, but I can't remember the name of either the song or the film.

I also like "Jab Ladka Sharmayega". Neelam is such a cutie. And she can look sensuous, too, as evidenced in the "Baadal Hain Barsaate Hain" song. I adore this girl. She's one of my latest obsessions :)

I haven't watched the entire movie, I've just been jumping around to certain parts. But I liked the aforementioned songs so much, I wanted to do a brief post about them.

Nallavanuku Nallavan(1984)

I became interested in this movie as of an hour ago when I was searching for the original version of the "Vechikkava" song in Silambattam. I prefer the faster tempo of the remix, but the older version has its charms.

The other songs in the movie are equally good. I especially like "Unnaiththaane" and "Muththadhuthe", and "Chittuku Chella Chittuku" is very pretty.

The "rowdy to respectable man" storyline sounds familar, like I've already seen a movie with a similar theme, but I can't recall the title. **shrug** Oh, well. I might give it a look-see. Rajini's not my cup of tea, but in these stills from the film, I think he possesses a certain something-something that I find strangely appealing.

Jawaani(1984)

I just happened to click on Nehaflix's "New on DVD" section and saw this listed. Neelam made her debut in this movie. According to Neelam's Wiki entry, it was a flop. However, the plot sounds like the kind of mess-ocity that I would enjoy watching, so I'll most likely order it. Plus, I think Neelam's cute and I'd like to check out some of her films.

Here's the "Tu Rootha To Main" song on YouTube, and a link to the other songs in the movie.

Chandni(1989)

My love for Sri was solidified after one viewing of this movie. She made this film. She was Chandni. And her outfits and eye makeup were to die for. I just wish her name had appeared first in the opening credits and that she lived happily ever after with Vinod Khanna instead of Rishi Kapoor. And the running time could've been chopped by a half-hour, at least. But other than that, I felt it was the perfect overly melodramatic, terribly clichéd poor-girl-loves-rich-boy story.

If my bad memory serves me correctly, Rekha was the first choice for the lead. I say "Non." I have nothing anything against Madame R., I just can't see her as the title character. My judgment could be totally clouded, of course, but I don't care. I'm Team Sri all the way :)

A few of the many caps I made a while back. I felt these were among the best of the bunch:

Abodh(1984)

The DVD is available from Induna, but I don't want to spend $14 just to have it delivered to me. Maybe it will show up on Nehaflix one day.

Some caps I swiped from a now-deleted forum:











Songs I found on YouTube:

"Ghir Aaye Megh Parbat Pe Bijuriya"

"Sun Mere Sajan"

"Shiv Hai Shiv Hai"

"Ghani Ghani Amariya"

"Mandir Ki Murti"

"Tujhe Dekhne ko Tarasti Hain Ankhein"

"Mujhe Raah Dikha Bhram Door Karo"

Aag Aur Shola(1986)

I got this a while back because, at the time, I was unaware that Sridevi appears only in a flashback episode, and that Mandakini was the main heroine. I eventually learned to like Mandakini('cause her eyes remind me of my cousin's), but I'm still bummed about buying the DVD.

Some caps from her song with Jeetu. I don't remember the name, and I'm too lazy to Google or YouTube:

Sadma(1983)

I don't like this movie. I began to hate it even more after I read interviews with Bollywood starlets in which they claimed that the type of role they most wanted to do was Sridevi's in Sadma. This is the kind of film that begs to be parodied, especially the last scene. Most people cried, it seems, but I laughed because I have no soul. Until now, I never admitted my true feelings about Sadma because I felt it was somewhat sacrilegious to suggest that it's not one of the greatest Bollywood movies ever. I love Sridevi, but this flick bugs.

However, I must confess that I do like this song, and the one picturized on Kamal Hassan and Silk Smitha because it has a Solid Gold feel to it. But otherwise, nope, this movie's not one of my faves. I wish I hadn't bought it.

Manav Hatya(1986)

One of Madhuri's earlier films. Here's what little I know, based on what I've read about a year ago on a now-gone forum and in an online article(don't remember the link): She plays a lawyer. She didn't complete the dubbing because sometime during or after shooting, she was discovered by Subash Ghai who cast her in...Ram Laksham, I think. To this day, she refuses to discuss or acknowledge this movie. It's not commercially available, but it's sometimes shown on Zee TV during the wee hours of the night/early morning. Oh, and she supposedly received her first on-screen kiss from co-star Shekhar Suman, who had this to say about it:

"...I remember a song in 'Manav Hatya' where we had to do a kissing scene. It was a funny kiss on screen for me, as we had to kiss on a beat. I was so uncomfortable but Madhuri made me feel very comfortable and relaxed during that scene!" Source

LP cover I found on this site:



Some screencaps, courtesy of the Indomania forums:

Ek Nai Paheli(1984)

I'm not really a Hema Malini fan, but I think she looks very SEKS-SAY in this movie, which is a remake of Aboorva Raagangal.

I thought she and Kamal had amazing chemistry. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking on my part. **sigh**