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Mint
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Raj Khosla@100: Asha Parekh remembers director who helped her break glam girl image with Do Badan
Mumbai, Jun 1 (PTI) Veteran actor Asha Parekh has credited the late writer-filmmaker Raj Khosla with recognising her potential beyond the "glam girl" image by offering her "Do Badan", a film that changed the trajectory of her career. At a retrospective event to mark Khosla's 100th birth anniversary on Saturday evening, Parekh said the filmmaker's decision to cast her in the 1966 drama came as a surprise to her as it went against the industry's perception of her. "Everyone in the industry thought I was just a glam girl, a dancing girl and that I am not a good actress. I do not know what Raj ji had in mind when he came to me and offered me 'Do Badan'. The critics wrote good things about me and my work in the film. It gave me confidence to do more such films," Parekh said at a panel discussion. "Do Badan" tells the story of two lovers -- Asha (Parekh), a wealthy young woman, and Vikas (Manoj Kumar), an orphan -- whose romance takes a tragic turn due to a series of unforeseen events. The film, which became a box-office hit on its release, also featured Simi Garewal and Pran in pivotal roles. The Dadasaheb Phalke award winner revealed that initially, her contemporary, Rakhee, was supposed to star in the film. "I remember, Raj ji called me and said, 'I want to talk to you'. I said, 'okay'. He came home and narrated the story. After the narration, I told him to promise me to make the film as it is. It was a beautifully-written film. It was poetic. I remember, women would cry watching the film," Parekh said. The actor also shared that she had suggested a different climax to Khosla for "Do Badan", one where only her character would die. However, after further discussions, Kumar convinced the director to go with a more tragic ending in which both lovers meet their fate. "He would say what he wanted but leave the artists to emote the way they want," Parekh said about their collaborative process. After "Do Badan", the two also collaborated in "Chirag" (1969), "Mera Gaon Mera Desh" (1971) and "Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki" (1978). Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt was also part of the panel discussion along with Amborish Roychoudhury, the author of "Raj Khosla: The Authorised Biography", and Khosla's daughter, Anita. Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, director of the Film Heritage Foundation (FHF), moderated the panel discussion. Khosla gave Hindi cinema some of its most memorable songs like "Lag Jaa Gale", "Mera Saaya", "Jhumka Gira Re", "Kahin Pe Nigaahen Kahin Pe Nishaana", "Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan", "Nazar Lagi Raja Tore Bangle Par", "Hai Apna Dil To Awara" and many more. Parekh said she loved the way Khosla shot the song sequences in his movies. "When you work in four films, the whole unit becomes like a family.... Raj ji came from the Guru Dutt school, there was a little bit of Guru Dutt ji that he had while doing (songs)," she said. The daylong retrospective, titled "Raj Khosla 100 -- Bambai Ka Babu", was curated by the FHF at the Regal Cinema in south Mumbai. As part of the celebrations, three of Khosla's acclaimed films -- "CID" (1956), "Bambai Ka Babu" (1960) and "Mera Gaon Mera Desh" -- were screened. The first two films have been restored in 4K resolution by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and National Film Archive of India (NFAI) under the National Film Heritage Mission, an initiative of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Parekh said re-watching "Mera Gaon Mera Desh" brought back fresh memories. "It did bring back fresh memories. I had the most fun working with him. I wish I could see the entire film, but I had to leave," the veteran actor told PTI. "It was a film that was different from the films I was doing. It had beautiful songs. Laxmi Chayya had a better role than I, but despite that, I stood my ground," she added. Earlier in the day, actor Raima Sen introduced "Bambai Ka Babu", which featured her late grandmother, Suchitra Sen, opposite Dev Anand. Sen said she is glad that these classic films are being reintroduced and thanked the FHF for taking the initiative to commemorate Khosla's work. "I am excited to introduce this film, which is my favourite film. For her (Suchitra Sen), to take up this subject was a very bold move because it was not conventional and she was a star. "So to do an unusual film story of a brother and a sister, who till the end do not know that they are brother and sister, and the romance between the two, I think the film was way ahead of its time," Sen said.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Raj Khosla@100: Asha Parekh remembers director who helped her break 'glam girl' image with 'Do Badan'
Mumbai, Veteran actor Asha Parekh on Saturday credited the late writer-filmmaker, Raj Khosla, with recognising her potential beyond the "glam girl" image by offering her "Do Badan", a film that changed the trajectory of her career. At a retrospective event to mark Khosla's 100th birth anniversary, Parekh said the filmmaker's decision to cast her in the 1966 drama came as a surprise to her as it went against the industry's perception of her. "Everyone in the industry thought I was just a glam girl, a dancing girl and that I am not a good actress. I do not know what Raj ji had in mind when he came to me and offered me 'Do Badan'. The critics wrote good things about me and my work in the film. It gave me confidence to do more such films," Parekh said at a panel discussion. "Do Badan" tells the story of two lovers Asha , a wealthy young woman, and Vikas , an orphan whose romance takes a tragic turn due to a series of unforeseen events. The film, which became a box-office hit on its release, also featured Simi Garewal and Pran in pivotal roles. The Dadasaheb Phalke award winner revealed that initially, her contemporary, Rakhee, was supposed to star in the film. "I remember, Raj ji called me and said, 'I want to talk to you'. I said, 'okay'. He came home and narrated the story. After the narration, I told him to promise me to make the film as it is. It was a beautifully-written film. It was poetic. I remember, women would cry watching the film," Parekh said. The actor also shared that she had suggested a different climax to Khosla for "Do Badan", one where only her character would die. However, after further discussions, Kumar convinced the director to go with a more tragic ending in which both lovers meet their fate. "He would say what he wanted but leave the artists to emote the way they want," Parekh said about their collaborative process. After "Do Badan", the two also collaborated in "Chirag" , "Mera Gaon Mera Desh" and "Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki" . Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt was also part of the panel discussion along with Amborish Roychoudhury, the author of "Raj Khosla: The Authorised Biography", and Khosla's daughter, Anita. Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, director of the Film Heritage Foundation , moderated the panel discussion. Khosla gave Hindi cinema some of its most memorable songs like "Lag Jaa Gale", "Mera Saaya", "Jhumka Gira Re", "Kahin Pe Nigaahen Kahin Pe Nishaana", "Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan", "Nazar Lagi Raja Tore Bangle Par", "Hai Apna Dil To Awara" and many more. Parekh said she loved the way Khosla shot the song sequences in his movies. "When you work in four films, the whole unit becomes like a family.... Raj ji came from the Guru Dutt school, there was a little bit of Guru Dutt ji that he had while doing ," she said. The daylong retrospective, titled "Raj Khosla 100 Bambai Ka Babu", was curated by the FHF at the Regal Cinema in south Mumbai. As part of the celebrations, three of Khosla's acclaimed films "CID" , "Bambai Ka Babu" and "Mera Gaon Mera Desh" were screened. The first two films have been restored in 4K resolution by the National Film Development Corporation and National Film Archive of India under the National Film Heritage Mission, an initiative of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Parekh said re-watching "Mera Gaon Mera Desh" brought back fresh memories. "It did bring back fresh memories. I had the most fun working with him. I wish I could see the entire film, but I had to leave," the veteran actor told PTI. "It was a film that was different from the films I was doing. It had beautiful songs. Laxmi Chayya had a better role than I, but despite that, I stood my ground," she added. Earlier in the day, actor Raima Sen introduced "Bambai Ka Babu", which featured her late grandmother, Suchitra Sen, opposite Dev Anand. Sen said she is glad that these classic films are being reintroduced and thanked the FHF for taking the initiative to commemorate Khosla's work. "I am excited to introduce this film, which is my favourite film. For her , to take up this subject was a very bold move because it was not conventional and she was a star. "So to do an unusual film story of a brother and a sister, who till the end do not know that they are brother and sister, and the romance between the two, I think the film was way ahead of its time," Sen said.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
FHF to celebrate Raj Khosla's centenary with screenings of his restored films
The Film Heritage Foundation (FHF) has announced a one-day retrospective to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of writer-filmmaker Raj Khosla. Titled 'Raj Khosla 100 - Bambai Ka Babu', the event will take place on May 31 at Mumbai's Regal Cinema and also features a special panel discussion on the legacy of one of 's most versatile directors. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now As part of the celebrations, three of Khosla's acclaimed films -- "C.I.D." (1956), "Bambai Ka Babu" (1960), and "Mera Gaon Mera Desh" (1971) -- will be screened. T he first two movies have been restored in 4K resolution by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and National Film Archive of India (NFAI) under the National Film Heritage Mission, an initiative of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. The event will feature a panel discussion with veteran actor Asha Parekh, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, and Amborish Roychoudhury, the author of "Raj Khosla: The Authorized Biography". Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, director of the Film Heritage Foundation, said, "I would describe Raj Khosla as the Howard Hawks of Indian cinema for his remarkable ability to successfully make films in every genre from thrillers, whodunits, musicals, action adventure to love stories and dacoit films." "He excelled in song picturisation and was known for having strong female characters in his films. It inspired me as an upcoming filmmaker when I saw images of his hoardings that had a director's chair with his name emblazoned on it," he added. Parekh, who collaborated with Khosla on several films including "Chirag", "Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki", and "Mera Gaon Mera Desh", said his 1966 film Do Badan transformed the way audiences perceived her as an artist. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Before my first film with Raj Khosla, I was known more for my dancing and glamorous roles. It was 'Do Badan' that changed people's perception of me as an actress that could perform more serious roles. I shared a great rapport with Rajji and I enjoyed working with him. He was a very fine filmmaker and his song picturization was remarkable," she said. Mahesh Bhatt paid a tribute to Khosla, saying, "His words haunt me still. He likened fame to starlight - a flow emanating from stars long dead, their light journeying across vast distances to reach us. 'The light is the message,' he said, 'but the star, the messenger, is gone'. Raj Sahab is such a star. Though he is long gone, his light still shines through me." Prakash Magdum, managing director, NFDC, revealed that NFDC-NFAI has had a 35mm release print of 'Bombai Ka Babu' in its collection for over 40 years, which made the 4K restoration possible in the first place. "This screening at Regal, Mumbai, is a unique opportunity for the cinema lovers to view, for the first time ever, 'Bombai Ka Babu' in 4K restored version," he added. PTI
Indian Express
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Aranyer Din Ratri at Cannes: Sharmila Tagore, Simi Garewal walk red carpet; Wes Anderson introduces Satyajit Ray's classic
Veteran actors Sharmila Tagore and Simi Garewal on Monday evening attended the screening of Satyajit Ray's iconic 1970 movie Aranyer Din Ratri at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival. A 4K restored version of the Bengali film, titled Days and Nights in the Forest in English, was showcased at the 78th edition of the prestigious gala under the Cannes Classics section. Tagore made an appearance on the red carpet in a classy green saree along with her daughter, jewellery designer Saba Pataudi, who opted for an all-yellow ethnic ensemble. Tagore was joined by her co-star Garewal, who was dressed in a gown by Indian couture label Karleo in her signature white colour. Two veteran actresses of Indian cinema presented their movie Aranyer Din Ratri at Cannes this evening. Not only were their words moving the audience but the movie is s masterpiece of its own. Sharmila Tagore Ma'am & Simi Garewal Ma'am 78th Cannes Film Festival Thank you 🙏🏽 — Vineet Chhatria (@IndioenSevilla) May 19, 2025 They were joined on the red carpet by the film's gala presenter and Hollywood filmmaker Wes Anderson, who led its six-year-long restoration. Anderson, a long-time admirer of Ray, introduced the movie ahead of its screening. Also part of the screening were producer Purnima Dutta, Margaret Bodde, executive director of The Film Foundation, and FHF founder Shivendra Singh Dungarpur. Veteran actors Sharmila Tagore and Simi Garewal attended the screening of Aranyer Din ratri, directed by the legendary Oscar winning director Satyajit Ray at the 78th iconic annual Cannes Film Festival. Aranyer Dinratri is being screened under the Cannes classic section. — Sourav || সৌরভ (@Sourav_3294) May 20, 2025 Aranyer Din Ratri is presented and restored by The Film Foundation's World Cinema Project at L'Immagine Ritrovata in collaboration with the Film Heritage Foundation, Janus Films, and the Criterion Collection. The funding was provided by the Golden Globe Foundation. The restoration project began in 2019 when Anderson, through his position on the board of Martin Scorsese's The Film Foundation, initiated discussions about preserving the film. A post shared by DietSabya® (@dietsabya) // 'Anything signed by Satyajit Ray must be cherished and preserved, but the nearly-forgotten Days and Nights in the Forest is a special/particular gem,' Anderson said. 'Made in 1970. Modern and novelistic. Ray worked in terrain perhaps more familiar to Cassavetes. A clash/negotiation between castes and sexes. Urbans and rurals. Selfish men and their hopes and cruelties and spectacular lack of wisdom. Women who see through them. The great Soumitra Chatterjee: lost but searching. The great Sharmila Tagore: mysterious, cerebral, mesmerizing. From the master, another masterpiece,' he said. Wes Anderson, self-confessed Ray fan 'introduces' Aranyer Din Ratri' to a houseful Bunuel theatre. @Festival_Cannes — shubhra gupta (@shubhragupta) May 19, 2025 Aranyer Din Ratri, which explores themes of alienation, class, and modernity, follows the story of four city-bred men who escape to the forests of Palamau for a carefree holiday, only to undergo a journey of self-discovery. In the film, Tagore plays Aparna, a cool and elegant city woman, whereas Garewal essays the role of a tribal Santhal girl named Duli. Based on the novel of the same name by author Sunil Gangopadhyay, Aranyer Din Ratri also featured Soumitra Chatterjee, Subhendu Chatterjee, Samit Bhanja, Robi Ghosh, and Aparna Sen. Also Read — Aranayer Din Ratri at Cannes: How Satyajit Ray broke down the hollowness of masculinity Last year, the 4K restored version of Shyam Benegal's Manthan was screened in the same section at Cannes. Aribam Syam Sharma's Manipuri film Ishanou and 1978 Malayalam movie Thamp by G Aravindan were showcased under Cannes Classics in 2023 and 2022 respectively. Kicktstarted from May 13, Cannes 2025 will conclude on May 24.
Indian Express
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Sharmila Tagore, daughter Saba Pataudi reach Cannes ahead of Aranyer Din Ratri screening
Veteran actor Sharmila Tagore on Monday arrived in Cannes with her daughter and jewellery designer Saba Pataudi for the screening of Satyajit Ray's 1970 film Aranyer Din Ratri. A 4K restored version of the Bengali-language movie, titled Days and Nights in the Forest in English, will be showcased at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival under the Classics section today. Pataudi shared a series of pictures with her mother on Instagram. 'Cannes 2025! Ma n Me…moments to cherish (sic)' she wrote in the caption. A post shared by Saba Pataudi (@sabapataudi) Aranyer Din Ratri is presented and restored by The Film Foundation's World Cinema Project at L'Immagine Ritrovata in collaboration with the Film Heritage Foundation (FHF), Janus Films, and the Criterion Collection. The funding was provided by the Golden Globe Foundation. Also Read | Sharmila Tagore was the 'breadwinner' of the family, Tiger Pataudi played cricket for fun; there was no money in it: Soha Ali Khan Sharmila Tagore, who was part of the ensemble cast of Aranyer Din Ratri, will attend the screening at the prestigious gala along with co-star Simi Garewal, producer Purnima Dutta, Margaret Bodde, executive director of The Film Foundation, and FHF founder Shivendra Singh Dungarpur. The premiere of the film will be presented by renowned Hollywood filmmaker Wes Anderson, a long-time admirer of Satyajit Ray. Aranyer Din Ratri, which explores the themes of alienation, class, and modernity, follows the story of four city-bred men who escape to the forests of Palamau for a carefree holiday, only to undergo a journey of self-discovery. Also Read | 'Sharmila Tagore and I were never friendly': Mumtaz Based on the novel of the same name by author Sunil Gangopadhyay, the movie also featured Soumitra Chatterjee, Subhendu Chatterjee, Samit Bhanja, Robi Ghosh, and Aparna Sen.
