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Thursday, March 1, 2012

Waheeda Rehman: nazar bhar ke jise tum dekh lo vo khud hii mar jaae

8 comments:

  1. Hello Maxqnz,
    While reading this, I was wondering if you'd seen Solva Saal?! (there's some pickies on my blog if you want to check!) Anyway, she's a fascinating woman, you're right.
    yves

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  2. What a lovely little tribute to Waheeda, Stuart! I agree with all three of your choices for films that showcase Waheeda Rehman very well - and I agree with what you say about Kaagaz ke Phool. While her acting is (as always) superb, the film itself goes completely haywire and unrealistic in its depiction of desolation and utter ruin (incidentally, I was inadvertently reminded of Kaagaz ke Phool while watching The Artist earlier this week - both films about very successful film personalities who go from riches to rags while the women they've helped bring into the limelight become BIG stars. The Artist does it much better than Kaagaz ke Phool).

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  3. Thank you both for your comments! Yves, I don't think I'll be trying to get hold of Solva Saal, since it's another Dev film. I really don't like his onscreen persona.

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  4. I wonder why that is though... Why do you think a Teesri Kasam worked 50 years ago and wouldn't now? I keep trying to wrap my head around this and can't. My intuition tells me that, but no idea why. I mean TK even worked for me and you know how I don't do well with oldies, but Teesri Kasam didn't seem forced at all, it was two regular people, who each knew where they were standing, and each knew what needed to be done. These are exactly the kind of people I'd like to see in cinema today. And as much as I agree with you on the charm of the lovely Waheeda, I'm sure she's not the only reason why this movie works so well.

    Hm... While I ponder upon that some more, I will say great work on this post! It's always refreshing to see gushing over an actress from a balanced male perspective. :P

    Also, agreed on Pyaasa > Kaagaz Ke Phool. Hands down. Kaagaz Ke Phool overindulges past the point where it can remain classy. Pyaasa goes over the top just enough to create the emotion but then ends on a note of learning from one's past rather than self-pity.

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    1. Thanks so much for that D&N (had to struggle not to type G)! If I gave the impression that I think Waheeda is the ONLY reason TK works then I'm sorry. I didn't actually say that, and certainly didn't mean to imply it.It's definitely not true. Raj Kapoor was unusually restrained and low-key, and I know that some who feel about his films the way I do about Dev's still like TK for that reason. But this is a celebration of women in Indian cinema and I still feel that this is more her film than his. :)

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  5. My LJ and Wordpress logins aren't working - so thanks for making anonymous commenting available :)

    I really enjoyed reading this post and it reminds me yet again that there are two golden gems that I simply must watch one day.

    I did see Guide as a kid but was probably too young to "get it". Which is why my only memory of it is Piya Tose Naina Laage Re ^^;

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    1. Yep, you'll get around to Pyaasa and Teesri Kasam one day, if you can tear yourself away from Hindi serials for long enough! :)

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    2. That's exactly the problem in one line ^^;

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