UTPAL DUTT 90 & HIS 'BHUVAN SHOME' 50!

Utpal Dutt & Suhasini Mulay in Mrinal Sen's film 'Bhuvan Shome' (1969).

Today is 90th Birth Anniversary of one of the intellectual actors of Indian cinema...Utpal Dutt! On this occasion remembered 50 years completed his 'Bhuvan Shome' (1969) a landmark film of 'Indian New Wave Cinema'!

Mrinal Sen shooting 'Bhuvan Shome' (1969) with cinematographer K.K.Mahajan!

Begali theatre & film actor Utpal Dutt prominently acted in Bengali films like..in Satyajit Ray's 'Agantuk' (1991) and Gautam Ghosh's 'Padma Nadir Majhi' (1993). Apart from that he got fame in Hindi cinema too like..Hrishikesh Mukherjee's 'Golmal' (1979). But he was best known for 'Bhuvan Shome' for which he won 'Best Actor National Award'!

Utpal Dutt & Suhasini Mulay in 'Bhuvan Shome' (1969).

Our renowned filmmaker Mrinal Sen fantastically directed 'Bhuvan Shome' (1969) which was based on the Bengali novel 'Banaphool' wrote by Balai Chand Mukhopadhya! 
It's about changing life of bureaucrat!..Utpal Dutt played the title role in it superbly. This was the debut film of talented actress Suhasini Mulay who played village belle so nicely!

Great Filmmaker..Mrinal Sen!

That time emerging actor (latter became superstar) Amitabh Bachchan did voiceover for this as narrator! Film & director Mrinal Sen also won National Awards!!

Tribute to this our new wave pioneering film and it's director, cinematographer & actor!!

- Manoj Kulkarni

POLITICS & MEDIA..GAME OF POWER! 

Politics is now game of power. Media is playing vital role in it! Some time it helps to improve system! Reference to this I remembered more than 7 decades old classic Hollywood film 'Meet John Doe'. And Bollywood adaptation of it 'Main Azaad Hoon' which completed 30 years!

In 1941 two such American films of masters released with the plot of 'Media & Politics'! 
One was Orson Welles' masterpiece 'Citizen Kane'..And just after that came Frank Capra's 'Meet John Doe'. How newspaper columnist create grassroots political campaign with the involvement of fictional unemployed character was the theme of 'Meet John Doe'.

That was the last screenplay Robert Riskin wrote for Capra. Earlier he wrote Capra's 'It happened One Night' (1934) which became the pathshowing for romantic films! That time famous star Gary Cooper portrayed character of John Doe and Barbara Stanwyck played the role of journalist in it. This hit film is in the list of 'AFI's 100 Years..100 Cheers'!

In 1989 Indian remake of that film came as 'Main Azaad Hoon'..with Superstar Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role. Tinu Anand directed this Hindi movie wrote by Javed Akhtar. 
In this lady Journalist create fictitious character of poor unemployed man for such socio-political campaign..which become mass-movement against the corrupt system! In this Shabana Azmi did that journalist role..And that was the only film in which she played lead with Amitabh Bachchan who did such offbeat role..and also sung "Itne baazu Itne sar.." wrote by her father Kaifi Azmi! Dialogues of this film were powerful for which Javedji won Filmfare award! 
I still remember some part of this movie (especially climax) was shot in Pune!

That way cinema focused on the politics..and media gimmicks! Earlier it was to increase the circulation of newspapers in Print Media and now for TRP rise in Electronic Media! 
If this happen for the good of common people then that is OK! But some time opportunistic politicians take the benefit!!

- Manoj Kulkarni

IN SEARCH OF WOMAN IDENTITY!

Graceful Mrinal Kulkarni in Marathi film 'Welcome Home'!

'Aayam's 10th Women's Film Festival recently over at NFAI in Pune. This time it's theme was 'Through the Lens of a Woman Director'! In this some films tried to search the woman identity in male dominating society!

In festival Bhave-Sukthankar's Marathi film 'Welcome Home' showed the picture of struggling woman for her right to live with dignity! It's wide screenplay covered various women in different generations & situations through glimpses of characters. In this central character..well educated lady portrayed by graceful actress (& director) Mrinal Kulkarni! What happen when married woman has to leave her husband's home because of the family dispute, how she face her own people, tackle the situation and take the responsibilities..in all such happenings & emotions she performed very sensibly. Especially she expressed trauma of divorce through her eyes sensitively without words!..That touched the heart!

Disha Thakur, Arita Sarkar & Vartika Tiwari in Hindi movie 'Teen Muhurat'!

Deyali Mukherjee's Hindi movie 'Teen Muhurat' was an episodic focus on independent women. It showed the confused situations of girls who want to live their life freely. That's why one girl in it scare about marriage and another girl stay away from male domination! Pretty Vartika Tiwari played her role nicely in it!

Bangladesh's Tasmiah Afrin's 'Statement After Poet Husband's Death'!

There were few short films depicted woman thinking independently! In this Bangladesh's Tasmiah Afrin Mou's 'Statement After Poet Husband's Death' presented the picture of woman who loved her husband passionately but after his death she realise that he died to her long before!

Strength to Women Empowerment!!

- Manoj Kulkarni

DOWN MEMORY LANE!

In this I am with film Journalist friend Jyothi Venkatesh & Devsahab!

Just found this rare photograph which was taken in 1995..at the party given by legendary Actor-Filmmaker Dev Anand. That was his birthday & celebration of '50 years of Film Career'..which started in 'Prabhat Film Co.' Pune. So he grandly celebrated here in Pune!

- Manoj Kulkarni

SAALGIRAH MUBARAK..AAMIR KHAN!

I am with Aamir Khan!

Today is 54th Birthday of famous Bollywood Actor, Producer-Director & TV Presenter..Aamir Khan!

From first film 'Kayamat se Kayamat tak' (1988) to recent social issues based tv talk show 'Satyamev Jayte'..he has established himself as one of the most popular and influential actors of Indian Cinema!

Aways remember nice & informal meetings him! My above photograph was taken with him during the ceremony of 'MAMI's Film Festival in 1997 at Mumbai.

Wishing him Happy Birthday!!

- Manoj Kulkarni