The statement from Bhaichand Patel in the introduction of the book Bollywood's Top Twenty that Salman had to be axed out of top 20 actors as none of his films will stand the test of time, is worth a heated debate. Comparing Salman with Rajendra Kumar and saying that none of his films will be remembered by posterity is a misjudgement. Salman's films like Maine Pyar Kiya, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Andaz Apna Apna and Dabanng will always be part of bollywood folk lore.
Bollywood's Top Twenty is a compilation of some wonderfuly analysed, insightful essays by prominent writers like Jerry Pinto, Nasreen Munni Kabir, Rauf Ahmed, Bhawna Somaya etc on the great actors of Indian cinema since the beginning of Hindi cinema. Devika Rani's liplock way back in 1933, Suraiya-Dev Anand's unrequited love affair, Meena Kumari's tragic decadence wrapped in a poetic allure, the myth-n-reality of Raj Kapoor Nargis real life romance, K L Saigal's dream like rise to stardom, quick rise-n-rapid fall of Rajesh Khanna from super stardom, the tenacious success of Amitabh Bachchan, quest for Aamir's perfection, understanding the evolution of Shahrukh and why he needs to reinvent himself are some of the key facets of this must read book.
The essay on Kajol is sugar coated and it is obvious that it has been written by an industry insider in Niranjan Iyengar and not an objective writer like Jerry Pinto or Deepa Gahlot. Udita Jhunjhunwala's confusing english stands out as a sore thumb.
Final Analysis
Bollywood's Top Twenty is a good buy if you wish to educate yourself about the eminent work of some of Hindi cinema's greats and details about their muchitalked-about personal lives. But yes, the debate will rage on as to who else deserved a mention in the coveted list. Apart from Salman, Guru Dutt, Dharmendra, Ajay Devgn, Jaya Bahaduri, Naseeruddin Shah are a few of the names that readily come to mind.
Star Rating *** 1/2
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Bollywood's Top Twenty is a compilation of some wonderfuly analysed, insightful essays by prominent writers like Jerry Pinto, Nasreen Munni Kabir, Rauf Ahmed, Bhawna Somaya etc on the great actors of Indian cinema since the beginning of Hindi cinema. Devika Rani's liplock way back in 1933, Suraiya-Dev Anand's unrequited love affair, Meena Kumari's tragic decadence wrapped in a poetic allure, the myth-n-reality of Raj Kapoor Nargis real life romance, K L Saigal's dream like rise to stardom, quick rise-n-rapid fall of Rajesh Khanna from super stardom, the tenacious success of Amitabh Bachchan, quest for Aamir's perfection, understanding the evolution of Shahrukh and why he needs to reinvent himself are some of the key facets of this must read book.
The essay on Kajol is sugar coated and it is obvious that it has been written by an industry insider in Niranjan Iyengar and not an objective writer like Jerry Pinto or Deepa Gahlot. Udita Jhunjhunwala's confusing english stands out as a sore thumb.
Final Analysis
Bollywood's Top Twenty is a good buy if you wish to educate yourself about the eminent work of some of Hindi cinema's greats and details about their muchitalked-about personal lives. But yes, the debate will rage on as to who else deserved a mention in the coveted list. Apart from Salman, Guru Dutt, Dharmendra, Ajay Devgn, Jaya Bahaduri, Naseeruddin Shah are a few of the names that readily come to mind.
Star Rating *** 1/2
Sent from my iPad
Sir, please post your Ishaqzaade review..
ReplyDeleteIshaqzaade has some nice moments, nice writing and decent performances. Both Arjun and Parineeti r good. But the felicity with which bullets are sprayed liberally (rarely they hit the target) it seems one was in war torn Afghanistan and not in a UP small town. It is far fetched and unconvincing. 2 1/2 stars.
ReplyDeletethanks for d review sir!
ReplyDeleteI think i'm probably not gonna watch it now...