At The Edge

The following verdict on present state of Indian film Industry is from 'Verdict on India' (1944) by  Beverley Nichols .  Hindu Hollywood LET us go to the pictures, and see an Indian film. It was the first thing I did, when I was well enough to hobble about again, and it would seem that no other Englishman has ever had such a wild idea before. 'What are Indian films like?' one used to ask. 'Good heavens, how should I know?' 'But haven't you ever seen one?' 'Seen one? An Indian film? Really!' Blank amazement greeted the suggestion that it might be interesting to see an Indian picture. And yet, the films are a living mirror of a nation's life; even if one did not understand everything that the mirror showed, it would surely repay a few hours of study. I was particularly anxious to visit the studios themselves, and after a little wire-pulling obtained permission to witness the shooting of a big historical picture which ...

Came across this gem by Mario in December 1, 1972 issue of Filmfare. This was part of the public  debate triggered by Khosla Committee Report (1968-1969). -0- For further study: this mind-altering rendition of Chintamani Bhatta's Suka Saptati or 'The Seventy tales of the Parrot' done by bollywood in 1985.

Fimfare 1-15 Oct 1981 Topic of discussion was Kalpana Iyer's bare back scene in Armaan(1981), a film about 'Liberation of Goa' (you see, I wasn't kidding, there is a co-relation between skin show in Indian Cinema and Goan liberation ). The article talked about what a 'bare back' meant generally in greater context of Indian culture and in lesser context to censorship in India. 2012-04-19 The news is about some bright people in Calcutta coloring posters in blue ink to cover a 'bare back' so that it becomes less obscene and less provocative . April 17, 2012 Good old Khushwant Singh wants to know  Why sexy films are ‘blue’… not red, yellow or green? and recounts catching one with Good old R.K. Narayan. The reason: "Comparing this notion of prudisness to the expression blue movie (i.e., pornographic films). the later one seems to entail quite an opposite meaning, but it is a metonymy as well, just having gone into a different direction...

Close on heels of  Sharmila Tagore's August Bikini cover , November issue of Filmfare had Mumtaz as beach babe on cover. 1966 was probably the hottest year in India or that was the year Indians profusely thanked Sardar Patel and Nehru, or either one of them, whoever it was, for bringing in Goa into India. -0-

This bit of information from a book called 'Children's Literature in Indian Languages' (1982) under the Urdu section by one Dr. Muzaffar Hanfi. Chah Ko Hindi mein Kathe Hain Kuan, Dood Ko Hindi mein Kathe hain Dhuan, Hindi mein Aqeab Ka Bichhoo naam hai, Farsi mein bhaun Ka Abroo naam hai Lines are from a booklet published in around 1856 called Qadir Nama and believed by some to have been penned by Mirza Ghalib for the sons of his nephew so that they could learn languages and have some fun along the way. -0-

conform. conform.conform or Chalo Murga Bano. A School in the time preceding annexation. (From a picture book said to have been prepared for the Mahárája Dalíp Singh.) Came across it in 'The Panjab, North-West Frontier Province, and Kashmir' (1916) by Sir James McCrone Douie.