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There you are!: The ‘lost and found’ trope in Hindi cinema
I suppose I should have dedicated this blog post to fellow blogger Anu Warrier, since the uncanny coincidences that dog our two respective lives and blogs seem straight out of a Hindi masala flick....
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Oliver!
People who’ve been frequenting this blog for the past couple of years probably know by now that there’s one annual tradition I follow on Dusted Off: every year, on my birthday—which is today, January...
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An Evening in Paris (1967)
…and a day or two in Beirut (plus an afternoon in the Lebanese countryside, masquerading as provincial France). A couple of days in Switzerland, and a grey afternoon at the Niagara Falls. Lots of...
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Deep Jwele Jaai (1959)
It’s sad that, over the past year or so, barely a month has passed without my having to post a tribute to yet another film personality who’s passed on. Last month, with Eleanor Parker, Joan Fontaine...
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The Egyptian (1954)
…and it’s a historical, again! Frequent visitors to this blog would probably by now have realised that I have a weakness for history and historical films. Give me a sword and sandals epic, a Mughal...
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Book review: Akshay Manwani’s ‘Sahir Ludhianvi: The People’s Poet’
I grew up in a house that resonated with the sound of Hindi film music. My maternal grandfather had worked many years for HMV; my father, whose elder brother was a guitarist in Bombay’s film industry,...
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Topkapi (1964)
RIP, Maximilian Schell. Of the cinema personalities who have passed on recently and to whom I’ve posted tributes on this blog, nearly all have been people I’ve watched in at least a few films each....
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Songs of romantic love – in ten moods
Ah, well, the Valentine’s Day bandwagon and all that. Seriously, I’ve blogged through five Valentine’s Days, and steered clear of the temptation to post something even vaguely romantic (largely because...
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Intequam (1969)
When Anu listed her favourite Sadhna films, I remarked that another Sadhna film I like—though it’s from later in the actress’s career—is Intequam. Based on Vendetta, a Marie Corelli novel (the only...
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Shijibganeun Nal (1956)
In English, The Wedding Day. Also known (ironically, as it turns out) as A Happy Event in the Maeng Family. I’ve been watching a lot of (relatively new) Korean films—most of them frothy romances and...
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Nakli Nawab (1962)
Muslim socials are among the genres I can never have too much of. Back in their heyday, they had some of the best music around (remember Chaudhvin ka Chaand? Barsaat ki Raat? Mere Mehboob? The...
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Ten of my favourite wind songs
The other day, with a storm in full force, I could hear the crash and rumble of thunder, the pitter-patter of raindrops (and, as it grew more stormy, huge splashes of water against the windows)—and the...
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The funny side of blogging
I’ve been blogging for more than five years now, and over the years, I’ve discovered a lot of things that make me want to continue. One is the enthusiasm and support of readers. Another is the vast...
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Ten of my favourite Nanda songs
This wasn’t the post I’d planned for this week on Dusted Off. I’d been thinking, instead, of reviewing a Hollywood film—one which I happened to be watching when I received the news that Nanda had...
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Alexander’s Ragtime Band (1938)
The other day, scrolling through previous posts, I realised I hadn’t reviewed any Hollywood films for a while (to be honest, I’ve not even watched many Hollywood films over the past couple of months)....
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Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1960)
In one pivotal scene in Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai, Kammo (Padmini), the daughter of a dacoit chief tells her naïve beloved that they, the dacoits, are not to be scorned or derided, because they...
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Ten of my favourite ‘classic poem’ songs
Several weeks back, a two-day festival called Dilli ka Apna Utsav was organised in Delhi. As part of the festivities was a heritage walk led by my sister, Swapna Liddle. This walk took us to buildings...
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Ugetsu (1953)
Or, if you want the complete, expanded name, Ugetsu Monogatari (Tales of Moonlight and Rain), named for the collection of supernatural stories by 18th century Japanese writer, Ueda Akinari. Two of the...
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Dhool ka Phool (1959)
Yash Chopra’s debut as a director, Dhool ka Phool is unusual in a lot of ways. Leela Chitnis, for instance, is not a coughing-her-guts out (or basket-making) pathetic old mum. The hero and heroine...
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The Mouse That Roared (1959)
What is a country to do if its economy suddenly takes a nosedive? What if the country’s sole source of income is a product that’s suddenly no more in demand? Are economic reforms in order? Or a smart...
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