Happy Birthday to My Blog and a Quiz

Two years back, when I started this blog, I had completely a different vision in my mind for it. I had thought I would be reviewing films from all over the world. Somehow I ended up making theme-lists of songs. There are many reasons for it, which I myself don’t know!
When the blog started, many of the readers from other blogs, whom I had got acquainted with came and supported me with their comments and encouraging me to go ahead with it. I am really very grateful to them. But somehow after the review of Indien, my ambition lost steam and the overwhelming response to the come-back maanjhi (boatman) song list, put me back on track. This just goes to show what readers and comments and their commentators mean to this blog. It won’t exist without them. Thank you my dear readers and commentators. Big thanks from the bottom of my heart.
What better words than from S. H. Bihari can express my feelings!
bahut shukriya badi meharbani (many thanks, it is a great act of favour)
meri zindagi me huzur aap aae (that you have come into my life)
kadam chum luu yaa ye aankheen bichaa du (shall I kiss your feet or spread my gaze at your feet)
karu kya ye meri samajh me na aae (I just don’t know how to repay this kindness)

So overwhelmed I am from your response that:
mujhe dar hai mujhme gurur aa na jaae (I am afraid that I may become proud in vain)
lagu jhumne main suroor aa na jaae (and become merry being drunk in this adulation)

If I do reach this stand, please pull me back to the earth!
Speaking of getting drunk, this is also the theme of my small gift to you. It is a quiz, to work your small grey cells on, which are hopefully unscatehd by alcohol comsumption 😉 .

This quiz-pattern isn’t my invention. Some Hindi-Filmi-Sangeet deewane had been practicing it on the discussion forum rec.music.indian.misc. (RMIM) for a long long time. Here is an example. Since few years it has been abandoned.

PLEASE SEND THE ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ TO
h a r v e y b l o g (a) h o t m a i l dot c o m
PLEASE DON’T POST THEM IN THE COMMENTS SECTION.

 

Happy Birthday, Parveen!

My ten favourite Parveen Babi songs

Parveen Babi would have turned 63 today (4th April). She was a wonderful actress and a beautiful one at that. Born in Junagadh, Gujarat, she made her film-debut with Charitra [1973] opposite the cricket player Salim Durrani (is he related to G. M. Durrani, the singer?). I couldn’t find any video from Charitra but here is a song and here another one from her second film Dhuen Ki Lakeer [1974] opposite Ramesh Arora. Both the films flopped but she got noticed and had her major hit with Amitabh starrer Majboor [1974]. From then on there was no looking back. She not only had looks and sex-appeal but also good acting skills. If it were not for her impulsiveness and her illness, she would have reached heights, which other actresses could only have dreamt of. Instead she got reduced to playing the seductress and heroines in multistarrers like Shaan [1980], Do Aur Do Paanch [1980], The Burning Train [1980] and Mahaan [1983] or playing bit roles in Kranti [1981] and Razia Sultan [1983]. Nonetheless she left a big impression on the viewers and is still remembered for her mesmerizing looks and fabulous screen-presence.

I won’t go on about her sad end to her life and other tragic details of her life. These things can be read about in internet. Here is a post dedicated to this exceptional actress. Ten of her solo songs, which I like. Enjoy!