At The Edge

The Japanese left-leaning film critic Akira Iwasaki narrates a story connected to the filming of Rashomon. “While Kurosawa’s staff was at a loose end in its Kyoto hotel waiting for the completion of an open air set…they saw a 16 mm film of an expedition to Africa. One shot showed a lion staring at the cameraman from the edge of the jungle. “Look, Mifune !” cried Kurosawa. “ That’s how Tajomaru (the bandit) should be!” in that instant, he had seen the bandit Tajomaru as he was to appear in the film, peering out at the woman with piercing eyes from the bamboo grove. Iwasaki also tells how they all went to see a film featuring a black panther at the local cinema on the recommendation of the actor who played the husband ( Masayuki Mori ). “When the panther at last appeared, Machiko Kyo , the actress who played the part of the young wife, covered her face with her hands in alarm. It was this gesture that crystallized in Kurosawa’s mind the image of Masago, confronted by two men fighting ov...

We were talking - about the space between us all And the people - who hide themselves behind a wall of illusion Never glimpse the truth - then it's far too late - when they pass away Lennon had been making comments on Christ and Christianity; and George was taking a keen interest in all things India. These were tough times for The Beetles: there were even talks of retirement. In July 1966, The Fab Four arrived at Delhi on what was to be the band’s first visit to India; it was a brief visit, and Harrison famously bought a Sitar from a music store in Cannaught Circus, Delhi (now better known as Cannaught Place or just CP, and the shop was Rikhi Ram and Sons .). In September, seeking Sitar lessons from maestro Ravi Shankar, George Harrison returned to India on a six-week trip along with his wife Pattie Harrison (who later married Eric Clapton). He stayed at Taj Mahal Hotel in Bombay (now Mumbai) and commenced taking lessons from Ravi Shankar; but soon realized that he was too fam...

Santosh Sivan’s latest film Tahaan: A boy with a grenade will tell the fable of an eight-year-old Kashmiri boy named Tahaan and his struggle to reclaim his pet donkey poignantly named – Birbal. The film stars mainstream actors like Rahul Bose, Anupam Kher and Rahul Khanna; while Purav Bhandare, a boy from Mumbai plays the young protagonist of the movie. The film (earlier tentatively named Dastaan ) shot in Kashmir last December, in certain sense marks the return of Indian filmmaker to the subject and the locale of Kashmir. Of course, Santosh Sivan is not new to the subject of Kashmir, remember, he was the cinematographer for Mani Ratnam’s critically acclaimed Roja . Roja may not the kind of movie that I would like to see on the subject of Kashmir but considering that it was made in 1992, a period that marked the peak of militancy in Kashmir – it certainly was a brave attempt at the divisive subject by one of India’s best film director. In a previous post of mine, I wrote about the...

The signature tune for AIR (All India Radio) was composed and set to music by Thakur Balwant Singh in 1936. Still according to some others, in the year 1936, the signature tune was composed by Walter Kaufman, the director of western music programs in Bombay.That the antiquity of this tune is 1936, is certain. Every morning since then, this otherworldly tune has been played at the beginning of the morning telecast of AIR, and with time has etched itself into the memories of everyone who listened to radio in India. Some brooding morning sounding: melancholic, and on some bright mornings sounding: still more melancholic. -0- Download the AIR signature tune here (361kb, .mp3) Found it thanks to this wonderful site: Interval Signals The site has an almost comprehensive collection of audio clips of foreign radio stations from all around the globe. It is a must for all those with an ear for the radio signals. -0- Read more about the Sound of AIR at Deccan Herald: The birth of India...

NEW Iridescent Pearls by CUTEX Cutex Nobody knows more about doing nails No wonder all the world loves Cutex. Never-before nail glamour for your finger-tips! Invented by Cutex. Shimmering pearls. Icicles glinting in the sun. in clear, clean living colours that speak your every mood . Unchanging and glowing as the love that fills your heart. Chesebrough-Ponds’s Inc (Incorporated in the U.S.A with Limited liability) -0- In 1972, this could well have been the ‘Hottest’, ' Most Shocking', 'Sexiest' Ad of the year. Or may be the most ' ashleel ' Ad of the year. -0- More old Ponds Ads here for Shampoo , Cream , Powder also Check out rest of the 70s Ads here

A single wash With SUPER SURF gives more Whiteness than any other Washing powder! SUPER SURF has super cleaning Power. Removes even hidden Dirt, gives your clothes the super Whitness others envy. No wonder It’s India’s leading brand: Super SURF! SUPER SURF washes whitest of all (and no need to add any whitening agent) A Quality Product by HINDUSTAN LEVER March, 1972 Agency: Lintas HLL( Hindustan Lever Limited) was one of the first companies to manufacture detergents in India, the other company was Swastik with their product DET. HLL test marketed Surf, the blue detergent powder, between 1956 and 1958, and began manufacturing it from 1959. 3 women, 3 completely different demands. So 3 different powders? “Not necessarily”, said out Research technician. “Let’s put all 3 demands into one washing powder.” The result: New Triple Action DET New Det is a whiter powder – contains a superior whitener for the whitest wash. New Det has extra cleaning power. Removes even h...

Call Permutit ® Permutit, the water treatment people. Ion Exchange (India) Ltd., subsidiary of The Permutit Company Ltd., U.K. The only Company that manufactures both the equipment and the entire range of ion exchange resins. -0- How could India Pistons Have sold Two Million Piston castings to a Single customer in the United Kingdom Unless the quality Of our products Is consistently good? India Pistons Limited A unit Company of the Amalgamation Group -0- Because high speed Printing and slow Speed trimming Don’t go together, We’ve come out with A guillotine that keeps Pace with out printing machines It took the ingenuity and craftsmanship of HMT of India and NEBIOLO of Italy to recreate these machines in India. HMT, which contributed its Extensive skills and techniques In precision engineering. NEBIOLO, which loaned its world acclaimed know-how in printing equipment and experience. hmt NEBIOLO Process starts with printing. Printing starts with us....