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Seeing no new post from me on my blog, my readers got concerned about it. Pacifist just couldn’t tolerate this utter neglect and came again to my rescue. thank you, dear Pacifist. This is her third post on this blog and with it she is showing her business acumen. Bravo, Pacifist! More power to the small businessmen and -women!
Pacifist’s choice of 10 songs of small business
Thank you Harvey. I’m quite pleased at having this opportunity of posting 10 songs on a subject I have often thought about. People selling stuff, doing business. It was a wonderful time of economic opportunity, letting the small fish survive. Today they have been eaten up by the big fish. I don’t mean to imply that they all sold stuff in the filmi manner, but sell, they did.
So in memory of those small dying/dead businesses, here are 10 such songs.
I do have more than 10 songs with a different product being sung and sold, but I’m such a sucker for melody, tunes which are pleasing to my ears that I left some and took some even though the product got repeated. Boot Polish was one such, Tel Maalish another 🙂
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Tags: aaj ki taaza khabar, Asha Bhonsle, baman ho ya jaat, Bhagwaan, boot chappal sandal- Karigar (1958), C Ramchandra, channa chor garam babu, Chitragupt, dev anand, Dhumal, ek aana boot polish do aana tel maalish, Film Pyaasa (1957), Ghar ki Laaj (1960), Guest Post, Jaan Nissar Akhtar, Jadoo [1951], Johnny Walker, Kabhi Andhera Kabhi Ujala (1958), Karigar (1958), Kishore Kumar, lelo choodiyan main laya nirali, lelo lelo do phool jani lelo, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Maya [1961], Meena Kumari, Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh, Nalini Jaywant, Naushad, Naya Andaaz (1956), O. P. Nayyar, OP Nayyar, Pacifist, Prem Dhawan, Rajendra Krishan, Ravi, Sahir Ludhianvi, Sajid Khan, Salil Choudhary, sar jo tera chakraye, SD Burman, Shakeel Badayuni, Shamshad Begum, Shanti Mathur, Sheikh Mukhtar, Son of India (1962), surma mera nirala, Tel Maalish Boot Polish (1961), This Singing Business, Usha Mangeshkar, zindagi hai kya, Zorabai
Today, on the occasion of Nanda’s birthday, here is a different kind of post; Nanda and her eight different voices. If you were a leading actress in the 60s and 70s, like Nanda, you could spend your entire career without having had lip-synced to anybody but Lata and Asha’s voice. Since Lata had that tiff with Rafi, it could be possible that Suman Kalyanpur also lent her voice to you in a duet with him. Thus, it is amazing to see that Nanda moved her lips to eight singers in her short career.
Today is also Madhu-Dustedoff’s birthday. So here is to both of your birthdays!! Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Agra Road [1957], Akashdeep [1965], Asha Bhosle, betaab nigahon se mujhe dekhne walo, Chhalia [1973], Chitragupta, Dustedoff’s birthday, Geeta Dutt, Gumnaam [1965], gunahao ka chirag jal na sakega, Hasrat Jaipuri, jaan-e-chaman shola badan, Kala Bazaar [1960], Khaiyyam, Lata Mangeshkar, Leela Chitnis, Majrooh Sultanpuri, mile to phir jhuke nahin, Mohabbat Isko Kahete Hain [1965], Mohd. Rafi, Mukesh, na main dhan chahoon, Nanda's eight voices, Nanda’s birthday, Nartaki [1963], Navin Nischol, pike ham tum jo chale, Prem Dhawan, R. D. Burman, Rajinder Krishan, Ravi, Roshan, S. D. Burman, Shailendra, Shakeel Badayuni, Shankar-Jaikishan, Sharda, Shashi Kapoor, Sudha Malhotra, Suman Kalyanpur, Sunil Dutt, theriye hosh me aa loo, Usha Mangeshkar, Vani Jairam, zindagi me aap aaye
My ten favourite men-in-drag songs
Men in drag has me always in splits. It is one thing, which guarantees a laughter from my side. I know it doesn’t show much of a depth for my character. Yeah, how to put it much better than: I am like that only!
Men wearing women’s clothes is nothing new. In the early films of the Indian film industry boys would often take up female roles. Men in drag is all the same a more ancient phenomenon. The reasons behind it can be different ranging from transvestism to transgenderism. I can imagine that during times or in societies when and where homosexuality was looked down upon, it was one of the ways for men to approach men. For heterosexual men, I can think, it is a means to make fun of women and in this way digest the rejection by them. At the same time it can also be seen as a rebellion against the society and attempt to break away from the roles imposed by the society based on gender. All the same, it is not these deeper thoughts that go through my mind, why I love these songs.
Here are my favourite 10 songs from Hindi films with men in drag. Since it all is supposed to be fun, no rules this time, except for the quite obvious ones like one song pro actor. 😉
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Tags: Aake Sidhi Lagi Jaise, Anand Bakshi, Asha Bhosle, Babita, Bindu, Biswajeet, Bluff Master [1963], Bombay Se Baroda Tak, Dara Singh, Dharmendra, Five Rifles, Gulshan Bawra, Half Ticket [1962], Haseena Maan Jayegi [1968], homosexuality, I. S. Johar, Johar Mahmood In Hong Kong [1971], Kaatilon ke Kaatil [1981], Kajra Mohabbat Wala, Kalyanji-Anandji, Kalyanji-Anandji. Qamal Jalalabadi, Kamal Barot, Kishore Kumar, Kismat [1969], Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Lootera [1965], Malmal Me Badan Mora Chamke, Mehmood, Mohd. Rafi, My ten favourite men-in-drag songs, Nathaniya Hale To Bada Maza, Neetu Singh, O. P. Nayyar, Oy Chali Chali Kaisi Hawa, Paintal, Parde Ke Peechhey [1971], Patli Kamar Nazuk Umar, Pran, Rafoo Chakkar [1975], Rajinder Krishan, Rishi Kapoor, Saira Banu, Salil Chowdhury, Sar-E-Bazar Karenge Pyar, Shailendra, Shammi Kapoor, Shamshad Begum, Shankar Dada, Shankar-Jaikishan, Shashi Kapoor, Suno Suno, Teen Kuwareeyan... Hathon Me Mehndi, transgenderism, transvestism, Usha Mangeshkar, Vinod Mehra, Yogeeta Bali, Zeenat Aman
My ten favourite hindi film bhajans
Hindi film bhajans are not my cup of tea. They are mostly preachy and weepy, and in worst cases, also very demanding. God give me this and god give me that, as if God is a servant to be ordered around. 😉 That is why I thought this will be any easy list to make. In fact dustedoff and I spoke about it some 2-3 years back.
While collecting songs for this list I did find some soulful music going with some good bhajans with content.
So as to boil the list down to 10, I had to make some rules. Well, in fact only one rule that the songs/bhajans must be sung by person(s) sitting/standing in front of an idol of a god or goddess (or something equivalent). Songs of wandering monks, ascetics or mendicants will constitute a separate list.
So, here is my list of 10 favourite Hindi film bhajans
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Tags: A R Rahman, Achala Sachdev, Anand Bakshi, Asha Bhosle, Baiju Bawra, Balraj Sahni, Baseraa, Bulo C. Rani, dev anand, Dilip Kumar, Durga Khote, Geeta Dutt, Ghunghat Ke Pat Khol Re, Guide, Gulzar, Hari Om…, Hey Ram Hamare Ramchandra, Jaidev, Javed Akthar, Jogan, Julie, Kaajal, Kala Bazaar, Lata Mangeshkar, Leela Chitnis, Madhushree, Man Tarasat, Manna Dey, Meena Kumari, Meerabai, Naa Me Dhan Chahu, Nanda, Nargis, Naushad, Pal pal hai bhari, Parinay, R. D. Burman, Rajesh Roshan, Ramanand Sharma, Ravi, Rita Bhaduri, S. D. Burman, Saancha naam tera, Saanware sunawo bansuri, Sahir, Seema, Shah Rukh Khan, Shailendra, Shailendra Sudha Malhotra, Shakeel. Mohammad. Rafi, Shanakar-Jaikishan, Sharma brothers, Sooraj ki garmi se jalte, Swades, Swami Haridas, Tora Mann Darpan Kehlaye, Tu Pyaar ka Saagar Hai, Usha Mangeshkar, Vijay Prakash