At The Edge

The Women Who Destroyed Pakistan - The cover story for The Illustrated Weekly of India dated  July 8, 1973. found at:  Karen's Picasa Gallery  The story probably covered those singer-actress woman of Pakistan who were rocking out in an arena filled with Generals and Mullahs. Maybe the article had a line like, ' most of these woman take on Hindu names when they take on the job of entertainment.'

Sophocles King Oedipus Illustrated by Kenneth J. McQueenie Abacus Sphere Books ( 1986 ) So I finally know  the complete sad story of Oedipus the King . The book tells it magnificently, lots of black, grey, red, blue...brilliant use of panels, remember, it's from the 80s when the term 'graphic novel' was still evolving and this book uses lot of  'graphic' techniques beautifully to tell this ancient story.

First Leela Naidu and now I read about passing away of Gayatri Devi . [ A fine obit at TOI remembering Gayatri Devi ] As my mother heard the sad news on TV, she couldn't help remembering that a cousin brother of my nani was a friend of the queen and that the great lady had often helped him with the business. She was a queen. -0- Came across some rare photographs of Gayatri Devi at Flick: Pic1 , from a time when she was called Princess Ayesha of Cooch Behar . Pic2 ,  poise. Pic3 , Maharani Gayatri Devi at Rambagh Palace, 1943. Pic4 , After the wedding of Princess Gayatri Devi of Cooch Behar and Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur. Rampur Palace, 1940. (uploader  Doc Kazi has a great collection of  pre-partition era photographs of Royals from India ) -0- Image: An article in The Hindu about Gayatri Devi's biographer Dharmendar Kanwar

Leela Naidu was crowned Miss India in 1954 and there was a time when she was believed to be one of the most beautiful women in the world. She made her name with her work in 'The Householder' (1963) by Merchant Ivory Productions. Hrishikesh Mukherji's Anuradha marked half-Irish/French half-Indian Leela Naidu's  debut into films and it won a national award for the best film and a nomination for the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival in 1961. Director Hrishikesh Mukherji chanced upon her pictures taken by Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay and declared that he had found his Anuradha, the protagonist of his eponymous 1960 film.  The beautiful actress passed away on 28th July 2009. She was 69. In 1956, at the age of 17, Leela Naidu married Tilak Raj Oberoi, scion of the Oberoi Hotels chain, who was 33 years old. After a divorce, later, she married her childhood sweetheart poet Dom Moraes. Images: Cleaned and brushed up an old image that I came across at hamaraforums and ...

  All tied up Found this sizzler of a  rare photograph in India Today's 33rd Anniversary Issue, 29th December 2008. It's supposed to be from the year 1977. Caption to the photograph carried Raj Kapoor's famous soundbite about Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978) - 'Let them (conservative ladies) come to see Zeenat's t*t*, they will go out forgetting her body and remembering the film.' Ironic. .   Goddess loves tea This is something I did to an old ad featuring Zeenat Aman -0- That word has been star*ed cause those kind of bits make crawlers go crazy and then you look at the stats  wondering what the hell is wrong with the world. And them you mumble something like that line by Raj Kapoor.

"is bruce li have any relation with Indira Gandhi" - Anonymous. Bruce Lee and Indira Gandhi! Anonymous people have the strangest thoughts. Okay how about this. This is very Khushwant Singh. Bruce Lee and Indira Gandhi. One believed in fighting empty hand and the other believed in fighting foreign hand. Photograph of Indira: originally taken by Warren K. Leffler in 1966. Effects (for both )added by me. -0- For people still looking for some action, how about this - Caption reads (I know you can read, it's for the crawlers): Muhammed Ali greets Indira Gandhi with a Kiss. This comes from Wilmington Morning Star, January 25th 1980. MuhammadAli was pretty much vocal (and what wasn't he vocal about) 'Holy war' against bad Russia. Remember it was the 1980s. Cold war. And Soviet war in Afghanistan. Ali was in India with his then (third) wife Veronica Porsche to attend India's Republic day parade. The guest of honor of the parade that year was t...

Two ads from the campaign for National Egg Coordination Committee (NEC) that won the Advertising Campaign of the year Award of the Bombay Advertising Club, 1989. (Agency: Enterprise) The best square meal in the world Try an eggsperiment . Offering recipe for egg chart. The tastiest multi-vitamin capsule in the world. An ad from NEC, year 2009. Nothing has changed here. Most people in India would recognize the jingle Meri jaan, meri jaan, murgi ke anday! Omlet khilaoon, fried khilaoon, boiled khilaoon! Khilaoon murgi ke, murgi ke, ande hi ande!  Sunday ho ya Monday, roj khaayein ande The jingle in fact finds origin in a song called ' Ana meri jan meri jan, Sunday ke Sunday ' from year 1947 film Shehnai. Music was by C. Ramchandra. Check it out the fun - ( The video actually comes from Karachi! ): video link The anglish man sings to the hindi girl: Tujhe Brandy pilau, Whiskey pilau, aur Khilau Khilau Murgi ke, Murgi ke Anday. Anday. Ana meri jan...

While I am at it, how can I leave out the cult classic mytho-religious film Har Har Mahadev (1974) starring great Dara Singh. Not many people remember it but the film actually got in trouble with the censor board, not because of religion or anything, but because of a steamy Padma Khanna item number - she was playing Rati (maybe too well) to Kamdev being played by dancer choreographer Gopi Krishna. Anyway, here's the mashup: It's Shiva's wedding procession and they got The Blues Brothers as the wedding singers. Enjoy! video link Video: Scene of wedding procession of Shiva from 'Har Har Mahadev' (1974) Audio: "Riders in the Sky by the Blues Brothers.

23 July, 2009 Yesterday  I read about death of Graphic designer Heinz Edelmann. The article informed me that the 75 year old, Czechoslovakia born (1934), German illustrator and designer was best known for his work as art director of the 1968 Beatles film Yellow Submarine . And Heinz Edelmann was also known to have designed the book cover of the first German edition of  J. R. R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings.” As I read the news, I realized I had recently come across some of his brilliant creations in a rare book that I stole from a dear cousin of mine; the book is simply titled  'German Advertising Art', Edited by Eberhard Hölscher and published in 1967, Bruckmann (Munich).[ previously posted ] I am sharing Heinz Edelmann's rare works that can be found in this fine book, these include: theater and film posters, a book jacket, record sleeves and a calender. (Also adding some information about the works for which Heinz Edelmann created these masterpieces)   ...

I just opened the fridge to gulp down some water. Opened a bottle. Gulp. Gulp. What this in my mouth. I take it out. It's a green leaf. A small leaf of tulsi. It's in every bottle. Holy Basil in every edible thing in the fridge and even outside it.   The bloody eclipse is here. Sun is consuming hydrogen and I have to consume green tulsi leaf. For these next few days, these leaves will turn up at the strangest places. In between sheets of clothing and Newspaper, in the crevices of my under-wears...happens all the time. With the Sun god you can't take a chance. -0- Images - It's Tintin - The Seven Tulsi Leaves...

Another one of my bad production. video link Krishna headbanging to the tunes of his biggest fan band - Kula Shaker. Video: Clips from Ramanand Sagar's Shri Krishna (1994-95) and B. R. Chopra's Mahabharat (1988-90). First guy is actually a professional dancer. Story: Krishna tames the great river serpent Kalia. Audio: "303" and "Hey Dude", two fine songs by Kula Shaker from their great album K (1996)

  Quite educating! Something with a sour taste. Chandamama, January 1982 [Check out the archives of Chandamama ]   What's that buzzing noise? Just blood sucking pink fairies. This one comes from 'Doga Hindu hai' ( Raj Comics) . This particular issue is quite a riot. Sample this - Doga bashes up bad guys, someone badder, working a scheme, later kills few of those injured guys. It turns out the ones who died were Muslims and the ones who lived were Hindu. People conclude Doga must be a Hindu. Riot. This isn't the end, in the next issue Hindus scream ' Apna Bhai Doga'. Mind bending. A junky friend of mine would agree with a lot of it, he used to say, 'If you want the stuff, head to a Muslim ghetto, basti.' Doga was pretty much the last comic series that I really followed. And I still think it has the best title names. However the art has become too dependent on computer generated images - basically the colors have become too shiny.

Zeenat Aman in a still from the trippiest Hindi film song ever rolled on a film - "Chanchal Sheetal Nirmal Komal" [ youtube Query ] from Satyam Sivam Sundaram (1978). Found it in The Week magazine dated June 28, 2009.

Bhagat Singh!. O, he's like the Che of India! Anyone can claim him. Who doesn't like a man with a gun? -0- A rear-window sticker seen on a tourist cab at Haridwar.

Pensive like some ancient deity. Some place near Muzaffarnagar

Subhash Chandra Bose should have known better. Bose visited Berlin in 1939 to enlist Nazi support for his independence movement and shook Hitler's Hand. And I come to have more and more respect for Gandhi. If you say yes to A of  Z then B of Y certainly follow and C of X can't be logically denied. So Gandhi said clear no to A. Image found in Hindustan Times (dated April 17, 2009) story on a collector of vintage currency and coins. I looked around for some more information on this note and found this: It turns out that Azad Hind may have never actually minted any banknotes meant as currency ( according to a rumor Germans printed banknotes for Bose, but  allegedly they were lost when the ship they were sent in was torpedoed on its way to Japan). The 1000 (currency unit less) notes depicting Bose shaking the hand of Adolf Hitler were commemorative propaganda banknote minted at the end of the war and meant to be sold with the profits going to various charities for the ben...

And this is how in the 80s, late at night, they introduced films to the viewer. video link The film is Wadia Movietone's The Court Dancer (1941) Thanks to an incredible effort by Alaknanda2007 Do read about it.

Salma Sultan, read news on Doordarshan between 1967 and 1997. But that doesn't tell much about her. In the color 80s she became known for the rose worn low in her hair and her style saris. I remember when she used to say. ' Namaskar. Aaj ke Samachar. Is prakar... ' and sitting in front of the TV set old ladies of the house would reply back to her greeting saying, ' Namaskar . Namaskar . Bless you! Urzu! (Kashmiri word for Good Health)' Watching television was something else in those days. -0- Here's how Salma Sultan  started out: Her entry into news reading too had been quite a hilarious experience. After doing her post graduation from English Literature from I. P. College, Delhi, she started working with Doordarshan as an announcer and presenter. "Those days (1967-68), they would not take young people for news reading but mature ones. Pratima Puri and Gopal Kaul were regular faces then. But Kaul never wanted to read news so once, when it was time ...

Seeker asked the finest question - Why Boroline Vaseline name ends with line? And for no reason the great machine lead the seeker to this place -0- In 1872, a man in a U.S. patent declared ""I,  Robert Chesebrough , have invented a new and useful product from petroleum which I have named Vaseline…". Vaseline: from German wasser , water, and Greek, elaion , oil. [etymology from: What's in a word?  By Robert M. Gorrel l. Image comes from the cover] -0- And I read it was one time even called Cosmoline . No reason.

 Awesome title track of the immensely popular comedy show  'Flop Show' (1989) directed by Jaspal Bhatti. video link Download the Song here: 1.18 Mb,1.17 min,128Kbps. If I remember right then the music was composed by Louis Banks. Lyrics of the crazy Flop song...almost: Bow Wow. Bow Bow Bow Flop Show Fa.Fa.Fa.FaFaa.Fa.FaFaa.Fa.Flop Zoooom in, Zoooom out Zoom in, Zoom out Fade in, Fade out Pan in(?), drop in(?). oohh aah AaAah. Wide Shot(?). Pull Shot. oohh aah AaAah. Tilt up, Tilt Down, Camera now fell down Flop Show, Flop Show, Flop Show Flop Show Bow Wow. Bow Bow Bow Flop Show Writerrr, Fighterrr Writer, Fighter, Producer Director  Singer, Actor. oohhaah AaAah. Light man, Trolley man. oohh aah AaAah. Cameramaaan, Everymaaan FLOP Flop Show, Flop Show, Flop Show, Flop Show -0-

Sometimes great packaging does actually offer a great product. The awesome design has remained unchanged for decades now and its still paper packet. This legendary herbal (Psyllium Husk) product is made at The Sidhpur Sat Isabgol Factory, North Gujarat, India. I am sure if the factory stops production, Indian Parliament would see even lesser attendance. India effectively runs on Isabgol and Kayam Churan.

famous painting Liberty Leading the People and the Hijab issue Image: created using Picasa and Photoshop

And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming, And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor Shall be lifted - nevermore! -  Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven   [First published in 1845]

“The inclusiveness that Indian society traditionally displayed, literally in every aspect of life, is manifest in recognizing a role in society for everyone,” judges of the Delhi High Court wrote in a 105-page decision, India’s first to directly address rights for gay men and lesbians. “Those perceived by the majority as ‘deviants’ or ‘different’ are not on that score excluded or ostracized,” the decision said. [...] Still, the decision was condemned from many corners in India. “This is wrong,” said Maulana Abdul Khaliq Madrasi, a vice chancellor of Dar ul-Uloom, the main university for Islamic education in India. The decision to bring Western culture to India, he said, will “corrupt Indian boys and girls.” The High Court’s decision should be overturned, said Murli Manohar Joshi, the leader of the main opposition Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. “The High Court cannot decide all things,” he said. - the complete story at Nytimes Image: Naagraj aur Jadugar Shakura - Snake...

My video of Viking Ramayan just got featured at the directory of wondeful things - BoingBoing.net A big thanks to Cory Doctorow ! -0- Here the entire Indrajit Vs Laxman story is wrapped up in just 2:23 mins. The actual episodes from this particular part of the story (Indrajit Vs Laxman) from Ramayan, shown every Sunday morning in the late 1980s, went on and on for good 2-4 months. But no one was complaining. It was just too much fun. It was color! It had gods! India stood still.India was moving. But, here the entire Indrajit Vs Laxman story is wrapped up in just 2:23 mins. -0- And yes, after I showed this video to a cousin, he remembered that the entire power grid of our state ( Kashmir ) was down the day Hanuman burnt down Lanka with his tail. In the Muslim majority state, Hindus believed it to be a deliberate ploy by the government to rob them of simple divine joys. Ah! the simple times. I have no memory of that happening. I was just too young. But I do remember praying o...

Sushmita Sen in BPL refrigerator Ad dated July 1999. Found in Gentleman Magazine.

Find the aircraft in he Picture Above and do clock yourself while you are scanning objects in this neat trick image. A fun and smart old ad for India Online Limited. Gives new meaning to finding needle in a haystack. Found it in A&M, Advertising and Marketing Magazine, May 1997.

Bombay-Arts.com celebrating the "aesthetics of  an underground print culture" in Masala X [NSFWish] - a smut meets art kind of thing.  Sample this from their Flash creation :

Based on a list created by renowned film music historian Nalin Shah for 'Playback and Fast Forward' magazine (November, 1987) in memory of  Kishore Kumar who had passed away only a month ago. [retrieved via archive.org ] The songs are in order of year. video link What's wonderful about this list (filled with some rare, obscure and not oft heard tracks) is that one gets to hear the voice of Kishore Kumar as it evolved - coming out of an early 'KL Sehgal - Talat Mahmood' influence and matured into that signature Kishore Kumar sound that we all know ( and that FM stations often play in their retro mood.)  Song list: 'Marne ki duaen kyon mangu' - Film: Ziddi  (1948)   Music: Khemchand Prakash   'Yeh kaun aaya re,karke ye solah singar(with Lata)' - again from Ziddi 'Jhagmag Jhagmag karta nikla,chand poonam ka pyar' - Film: Rimjhm (1949)   Music:  Khemchand Prakash 'Mohabbat ka chhotasa ek ashiana' - Film:  Pyar (1950) Music: S ...

Half-a century old photographs of a person named Charli Bikaner. Dramatic and fun at the same time. Reminded me of characters (and covers) from Hindi detective magazines and novels. The story of Charli Bikaner and more of his photographs here Found at:  blindboys.org - an Asian Photography magazine. Do check it for some more great images.