Monday, July 21, 2008

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro--Satire and Slapstick



A perceptive observation by my friend Karan on Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, the black comedy made in 1983 that lives on as an engaging satire on modern India, its corruption and its idiosyncracies: "The entire cinema hall was in splits-- but the front rows, the back rows and the middle rows were laughing for different reasons."
Who can forget the charms of a movie that combined slapstick humour, clever one-liners and subtle satire that covered contemporary events to please the front, middle and back rows all at once!

Monday, July 14, 2008

Pyaasa -- A Movie That Changed Bollywood




So what's special about Pyaasa?
Was it the undercurrent of discontent that spelt the arrival of the Angry Young Man?
Was it the quintessential Indian compassion that supports the sensitive loser?
Was it S.D. Burman's music?
Was it the prostitute with a pristine face?