EXCLUSIVE PICTURE!

Acting king Dilip Kumar and Beauty queen Madhubala of Indian cinema's golden era..with great filmmaker K. Asif in relaxing mood after shooting of milestone 'Mughal-E-Azam' (1960).

It's a rare photograph of these legends' informal moment!

Surprising!!!

- Manoj Kulkarni

CREATOR, MIRROR & MALIKA-E-HUSN!

One more rare photograph in which our Indian cinema legend K. Asif discussing scene with our golden era malika-e-husn Madhubala during shooting of 'Mughal-E-Azam'!

A Tribute!!

- Manoj Kulkarni

TWO LEGENDS BEHIND 'MUGHAL-E-AZAM!

Now almost 5 decades over..our great filmmaker of 60 years old 'Mughal-E-Azam'..K. Asif left this world! And last year was a birth centenary of it's music maestro..Naushad Ali!

This is a rare photograph in which two legends of our Indian cinema..Asifsahab and Naushadsahab discussing about immortal music of 'Mughal-E-Azam'!

Still songs from it lingering in our mind like..

Lata Mageshkar sung "Pyar kiya to darana kya.."
Mohammed Rafi sung "Aae mohabbat zindabaad.."
And Bade Ghulam Ali Khan specially sung "Prem jogan ban ke.."

Tribute to them & their great work!!

- Manoj Kulkarni

ROSSELLINI AT K.ASIF'S 'MUGHAL-E-AZAM' SET

Here is a very rare photograph of renowned Italian filmmaker Roberto - Rossellini's visit to our legendary filmmaker K. Asif's 'Mughal-E-Azam' set! Great artists..Prithviraj Kapoor, Madhubala & Dilip Kumar are also with them in this frame! (See expressions of Madhubala towards Dilip Kumar!)

Surprising that one of the pioneers of 'Italian Neo-Realism'..Rossellini also fascinated by our India's popular cinema genre 'costume drama' and 'Mughal-E-Azam's great - work of Asifsahab!

This Hindi-Urdu great epic of love 'Mughal-E-Azam' was released in 1960.. that means 60 years are over!

Tribute to my favourite film and it's great makers & artists!!

- Manoj Kulkarni

'WORLD THEATRE DAY'!

Just found these rare photos on this occasion..

Legendary Prithviraj Kapoor performing in play 'Deewar' with Sajjan & Zohra Sehgal!

Famous actor-director Shashi Kapoor at 'Prithvi Theatre'!

A Tribute!!

- Manoj Kulkarni

NIMMI NO MORE!

Veteran actress of the golden era of our Indian cinema..Nimmi passed away yesterday at age of 88!

Nimmi & Dilip Kumar in technicolour 

film 'Aan' (1952) by Mehboob Khan!

Her real name was Nawab Banoo and for screen.. RK named her Nimmi when she appeared in it's.. 'Barsaat' (1949). Her village girl in it singing.. 
"Jiya beqarar hai.." was notable!

Then she became lead actress in 1950s to 1960s and did films with that time big stars like..Dev Anand ('Sazaa'), Dilip Kumar ('Daag') & Bharat Bhushan ('Basant Bahar'). And she acted in our India's first technicolour film 'Aan' (1952) made 
by Mehboob Khan!

Nimmi worked in almost 40 films. In great filmmaker K. Asif's last movie 'Love and God' (1986)..she also gave her last performance with Sanjeev Kumar!

Nimmi in song from film 'Udan Khatola' (1954).

I met Nimmiji in our great actor Dilip Kumarji's autobiography launch function at Mumbai five years back!

To homage..I remembered her song in 'Udan Khatola' (1954)..
"Mera salam le ja.."

- Manoj Kulkarni

THEORIST TARKOVSKY'S LAST GREAT FILM!

Great Soviet/Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky's final movie 'Sacrifice' (1986) gives awareness about human commitment towards creating good world!

In this film..after world war, one intellectual searches a way to restore peaceful life for all in good nature..which he thinks his responsibility!

This film won 'Grand Prix' in 'Cannes Film - Festival'!

Remembered this great film on.. current world scenario!

A Tribute!!

- Manoj Kulkarni

CINEMA..125!

French pioneers of 'Cinematograph..(Auguste & Louis) Lumiere Brothers first time screened their motion pictures on 22nd March, 1895 at Paris! 

Now 125 years over..! 

A Tribute!!

- Manoj Kulkarni

Great Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa's another masterpiece after 'Ikiru' (1952)..which spoke on life!

'Madadayo' (1993) shows the relationship of professor with his students! In this after many years they again plays game called "Madadayo".. means "Not yet!"


I remember it's climax in which professor says to death in dream.. "Madadayo!"

It was so touching!

A Tribute!!

-Manoj Kulkarni

World became one family... 
All sharing same sorrow.. 
Together against virus enemy 
I know...Humanity will win!!

- Manoj Kulkarni

Universal emotions!!

Making short life happy!

[Left] Japanese master Akira Kurosawa's Takashi Shimura acted 'Ikiru' (1952) and [Right] Inspired from it our Indian Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Rajesh Khanna portrayed 'Anand' (1971).

Such films also tells utilise short life in spreading happiness!

All the best!!

- Manoj Kulkarni

CONTEMPORARY PICTURE!

Monica Vitti and Richard Harris in renowned Italian filmmaker.. Michelangelo Antonioni's first colour movie 'II deserto rosso'.. 
('Red Desert'/1964).

A Tribute!!

- Manoj Kulkarni

AND HE LOST GAME AGAINST DEATH.!

Honoured Swedish Actor Max Von Sydow!

Legendary Swedish Actor Max Von Sydow passed away recently at the age of 90. And remembered his character Knight from Ingmar Bergman's film 'The Seventh Seal' (1973)..challenging Death in playing chess with him! But now we can say..ultimately he lost the game of life with Death!

Max Von Sydow and Bengt Ekerot in an iconic scene from 

Ingmar Bergman's Swedish film 'The Seventh Seal' (1973).

Max Von Sydow acted in more than 100 films; but he became famous with his roles in great Swedish director Ingmar Bergman's films. Among those 11 films I remembered his role from - 'Oscar' winner..
'The Virgin Spring' (1960) in which he played father of victim powerfully!

Max Von Sydow with Birgitta Pattersson and Birgitta Valberg 

in Ingmar Bergman's Swedish film 'The Virgin Spring' (1960).

He also acted in other European films like..
Danish 'Pelle the Conqueror' (1987) and American too like 'Exorcist' - (1973) and.. 'Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close' (2011). His roles were notable in such films!

He was honoured in international film festivals of Cannes & Venice. And he received Royal Foundation of Swedens' cultural award and French honour 'Chevalier de Legion d'honneur'!

Homage to this great actor!!

- Manoj Kulkarni

CONGRATULATIONS..'NFAI'!

Glad to know..'NFAI' got the prints of our silent films 'BILWAMANGAL’ (1919), 'MADHABI KANKAN' (1930) and Bengali talkie 'DEVDAS' (1935).

Now hope to see prints of these lost films..important in history of our Indian cinema:

(left side) Our pioneering social silent film 'SAVKARI PASH' (1925) made by 'Maharashtra Film Co.'s.. Baburao Painter and..

(right side) Our India's first sound film (talkie).. 
'ALAM ARA' (1931) made by 'Imperial Movietone's.. Ardeshir Irani!

 



Best luck for that!!

- Manoj Kulkarni

'BEFORE SUNRISE'..SIMPLE INTENSE ROMANTIC..25!

American director Richard Linklater's independent kind simple but intense romantic film 'Before Sunrise' (1995) now completed 25 years! Actually it's plot..man-woman meet on a train and their love..started by master filmmaker Frank Capra's 'It happened one night' (1934); But 'Before Sunrise' relate with the common people's feelings about simple happiness & love!

Director Richard Linklater

Director Richard Linklater himself wrote this American-Austrian film 'Before Sunrise' with Kim Krizan. In this young man from US meets French woman on a train in Europe and they spends romantic evening at Vienna! American actor Ethan Hawke and French actress Julie Delpy played these roles very naturally with intensity of feelings! Lee Daniel nicely cinematographed this film.. which precisely edited by Sandra Adair. And Fred Frith composed romantic tunes for it!

Julie Delpy & Ethan Hawke in 'Before Sunrise' (1995)

'Before Sunrise' was critically acclaimed. Then Linklater made it's sequels..'Before Sunset' (2004) & 'Before Midnight' (2013) with same artists as Jesse and Celine! On this, I remembered my favourite romantic French film 'Un - homme et une femme' (1966). After honoured at 'Cannes' and 'Oscar', it's renowned filmmaker Claude Lelouch also made sequels of this with same artists Anouk Aimee & Jean-Louis Trintignan.

I think 'Before Sunrise' was in our 'IFFI' that time!
It's a tribute!!

- Manoj Kulkarni