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India Today
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Raj Khosla's new biography
When author Amborish Roychoudhury started writing Raj Khosla: The Authorized Biography, he discovered that people around him didn't know much about Khosla's contributions to Hindi cinema. Only when he posted some iconic songs from his films like C.I.D. (1956), Woh Kaun Thi (1964) and Dostana (1980) did they recognise his works. This is why this book, co-written by Khosla's daughters, Anita Khosla and Uma Khosla Kapur, is important.
Hindustan Times
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Filmmaker Raj Khosla at 100: A tale of Dutt, dacoits and a double life
He had the best possible start as an aspiring filmmaker, working as assistant to the great Guru Dutt. He went on to become one of Bollywood's most versatile directors. In a 35-year career (1954-89), he directed 26 films, adroitly shifting between Bombay noir crime thrillers and spooky tales of mystery, love stories, family socials and dacoit dramas. Raj Khosla grew up in Bombay, hero-worshipping the singer KL Saigal, who coincidentally lived close to the Khoslas' home in Matunga. Khosla, in fact, dreamed of being a playback singer. But, given the opportunity to sing a few songs in films such as Bhool Bhulaiyan (1949) and Aankhen (1950), he soon realised he could never stand out in a field dominated by the likes of Mohammed Rafi and Mukesh. So, when Dev Anand — who describes Khosla in his autobiography as 'my coffee-house friend from the days I was working at the military censor office' — recommended him to Dutt instead, Khosla accepted the offer. Dutt, who was working on his directorial debut, Baazi (1951), took him on as one of his two assistant directors. Khosla assisted on his next three films too. In-between, he made his own directorial debut, with Milap (1955). The Dev Anand-Geeta Bali starrer, a tale of a poor country youth who comes into a big inheritance and falls prey to swindlers, flopped at the box office. A still from Mera Gaon Mera Desh, a 1971 precursor to Sholay (1975), about a small-time thief and jailbird who must protect a village from a merciless daku. Fortunately, Dutt stepped in and offered him the chance to direct his next production, the noir thriller CID (1956). CID was a huge hit. Dutt would remain an important figure in Khosla's life and much of his work reveals influences of his guru's cinematic style. These influences are particularly clear in the way he used songs. They weren't just embellishments but carried the story forward. And they were exquisite, truly deserving of the term 'evergreen'. It was Khosla's films from the '50s and '60s that gave us Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan (CID; OP Nayyar), Naina Barse Rim Jhim and Lag Ja Gale (Woh Kaun Thi; Madan Mohan), Mera Saaya and Jhumka Gira Re (Mera Saaya; Madan Mohan). Many of Khosla's films are remembered fondly even today: Do Raaste (1969; starring Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz); Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971, starring Dharmendra); Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1978; starring Asha Parekh and Nutan); Dostana (1980, starring Amitabh Bachchan). Yet, oddly, the man himself has faded from public memory. In his centenary year — he was born in the same year as Guru Dutt — a new biography by Amborish Roychoudhury seeks to right this strange imbalance. Jabbar Singh! Two genres stand out in Khosla's filmography: suspense and the dacoit drama. In the former, the first two films of his famous trilogy — Woh Kaun Thi (1964), Mera Saaya (1966) and Anita (1967) – were almost Hitchcockian. The suspense is real, the plots taut. Both films keep the viewer on the edge of their seat. (The third was weak and faltered on plot and pace). Among the dacoit dramas, Mera Gaon… foreshadows the blockbuster Sholay (1975): A small-time thief and jailbird Ajit (Dharmendra) must protect a village from the depredations of a merciless daku (who is called Jabbar Singh!). Khosla saw hits and success in his peak years. Behind the scenes, however, a complex personal life was taking its toll. Khosla had fallen in love outside his marriage. Amid the turmoil, he sank into alcoholism. 'Going by several accounts, he was mentally disturbed... The double life he was leading sat heavily on his lean shoulders,' Roychoudhury writes in his biography. Khosla's later films, meanwhile, were neither commercially successful nor did they do justice to his talent. Soon, work started drying up. His time was over. He died in 1991, aged 66, forgotten by the industry. Until the end, he kept a giant photograph of Guru Dutt in his office, Roychoudhury writes. 'In the autumn of his life, it was not uncommon for journalists or assistants to walk in on him weeping in front of the portrait.' Perhaps he was remembering his guru, perhaps he was remembering happier times, or perhaps it was a bit of both. (Poonam Saxena is a writer and translator whose works include Dharmvir Bharati's iconic Gunahon ka Devta, Rahi Masoom Raza's Scene: 75 and Aleph's Greatest Hindi Stories Ever Told)
Indian Express
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Mahesh Bhatt pens a poem remembering Raj Khosla: ‘The Light That Lingers'
On Raj Khosla's birth centenary, Mahesh Bhatt pens a special poem for the filmmaker. Khosla helmed films such as C.I.D., Do Raaste, Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki, Bombai Ka Babu, Woh Kaun Thi and Mera Gaon Mera Desh. 2025. First quarter of the second century of cinema. They're screening his films again. Regal Cinema. An old hall. The velvet is dull. The walls are cracked. Dust floats in the light. The air smells of time. The screen waits. It doesn't shine like it used to. Streaming has taken over. Theatres are kings without kingdoms. And still—here we are. I'm the guest of honour. Asha Parekh will be here soon. Once, the face on every poster. Now, a medal on her chest. Reverence in every greeting. I sit and wait. We're here to honour the brilliance of one of the most underrated filmmakers India ever had. Thanks to the Film Heritage Foundation— founded by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, a man on a mission to rescue our fading cinematic memory. And as I wait, something inside me shifts. 1969. I was twenty. Rubber slippers. Tight pants. No money. A head full of storm. I wanted to make films. I didn't know how. At Mehboob Studio, the watchman stopped me. 'You don't belong here,' he said. I said a name — Raj Khosla. I hadn't met him, but I knew him. Something in the way I said it opened the gate. Inside, the air smelled of sweat and paint. Cables on the floor. Men shouting. Dreams being built— not dreamt. Built. His office was cold with air-conditioning. He'd just woken up. Looked at me like a face from a dream he couldn't place. 'Know anything about filmmaking?' he asked. 'No.' He smiled—small, sideways. 'Zero's a good place to start.' That was it. That's how I began. I stayed a short while. But I saw enough. How a film is made— Not wished into being. Wrestled in. Through heat and silence and rage. We made a film. Later, they called it the first Eastern Western. We called it madness. Sand. Heat. Guns that jammed. Stars who bled. Then I left. We all do. I failed first. Then, somehow, I didn't. Four hits in a row. The applause came. I smiled. But the sound never reached me. He, meanwhile, had begun to vanish. Even the brightest lights fade. One night—Sea Rock Hotel. Terrace. Stars above. Music below. He stood alone. Hands in his pockets. Looking out at the sea like it had stolen something from him. I walked up. 'Get me a drink,' he said. I did. Because some men stay taller than time. He looked at me. 'So—how does it feel? Being on top?' I said, 'I didn't ask for this.' He laughed. Not kindly. 'You? Four hits and still restless? Try being the man who once had it all and now begs for one last sip of relevance.' Then he looked beyond the lights— toward something only he could see. 'Fame is starlight,' he said. 'The glow of something already dead. You see the shine— but the star is gone.' I never forgot. I couldn't. Now the young come. They speak with fire in their throats. I listen. And when I speak— they don't just hear me. They hear him. The man who let me in. The man who said zero. They don't know his name. But they carry it—like I did. He is gone. But the light is still here. The hall stirs. She walks in. Applause cracks through the dust. We take the stage. A question comes: 'What did your master leave you that lasted?' I close my eyes. See his face. Hear his voice. 'Zero,' I say. 'That's where I began.' They nod. They think I'm wise. They think I know. But I don't. And that's the truth. To stay in this work— to stay in this life— you have to live with not knowing. The old sages knew it: Not this. Not that. Not even this. What remains isn't certainty. It's the light. The kind that flickers. The kind that stays. I don't direct anymore. Don't chase stories. I'm quiet now. Like a volcano that once burned. Now still. Still warm. I mentor the thirsty, the talented. The young come. They burn. I listen. I guide. I hand them the match. Let them strike it. That's enough. So I say it again— for the ones still outside the gate: Fame is starlight. Beautiful. Distant. Already gone. Let it guide you. Let it burn you. Then let it go. And when your time comes— Start from zero. Stand in the not-knowing. Speak only what's true. And pass it on.
India.com
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
This Lata Mangeshkar song was rejected by director, actor; later, director picked up his shoe to hit… today, it is one of Bollywood's most iconic songs; It is…
Lata Mangeshkar, the nightingale of India's songs, remain timeless. Her melodious voice has spanned generations, transcending language barriers. Her influence on the industry is unparalleled. She has sung over 30,000 songs in over 36 languages. There is one song released in 1964 that has a history. The iconic song was rejected by the director and the lead actor of the movie, and later became a cult classic. We are talking about the song 'Lag Ja Gale' from the movie 'Woh Kaun Thi'. Director Raj Khosla initially didn't like 'Lag Ja Gale' and it took composer Madan Mohan to first convince the film's star Manoj Kumar who then convinced Khosla. Manoj Kumar has been quoted in Raj Khosla: The Authorised Biography , saying, 'One day I got a call from Madan Mohan. He said, 'Raj Khosla has lost his mind. He's rejecting a beautiful song. Please come and handle it.' At that point, Manoj Kumar hadn't even heard the track and was initially hesitant to intervene. But after listening to it, he decided to step in. He spoke to producer NN sippy, who agreed with Mohan and they decided to talk to Khosla. On Manoj Kumar's repeated requests, Raj Khosla agreed to listen to it again, but in the end, he called the song bad. However, after listening to it on repeat, the filmmaker was 'surprised'. His opinion changed and admitted that it was one of the best tunes he had ever heard. He picked up his shoe in frustration to beat himself. He also called himself a fool. Lag Ja Gale became one of Lata Mangeshkar's all-time favourite tracks. With over 315 million views on YouTube, its popularity has continued to grow over time.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
When Manoj Kumar stepped in to save 'Lag Ja Gale' from rejection
Lata Mangeshkar's iconic song "Lag Ja Gale" almost didn't make it into the film "Woh Kaun Thi". Director Raj Khosla initially disliked the song, prompting Manoj Kumar to intervene after composer Madan Mohan sought his help. Kumar convinced Khosla to reconsider, and upon a second listen, Khosla was astonished by the song's brilliance. "Lag Ja Gale", that plaintive ode to love sung by Lata Mangeshkar in the 1964 classic "Woh Kaun Thi", almost didn't see the light of day. Quite simply, director Raj Khosla didn't like the track and it took composer Madan Mohan to first convince the film's star Manoj Kumar who then persuaded the filmmaker that the song was finally included. Once he heard the song again, Khosla picked up his shoe to hit himself, according to "Raj Khosla: The Authorized Biography", released on May 20 ahead of the filmmaker's 100th birth anniversary on May 31. "I got a call from Madan Mohan one day. 'Raj Khosla has lost his mind,' Madan said. 'Ek gaana sunaya. Usko pasand nahi aaya. (I made him hear a song. He didn't like it.) You come and handle this please," the book quotes Kumar as saying. However, Kumar, who hadn't heard the song yet, was reluctant to intervene, reasoning that it was ultimately "Khosla's film", and opted to speak with producer N N Sippy about the matter. "There were only a few days left for the shoot and the song was yet to be finalized. What was to be done? Sippy concurred with the music director. He, too, wanted Manoj Kumar to approach Raj Khosla and sort this out," recounts the book by author Amborish Roychoudhury in association with Khosla's daughters Anita Khosla and Uma Khosla Kapur. Kumar agreed to intervene when the composer played the song for him. Kumar, on whom the song was eventually picturised alongside actor Sadhana Shivdasani , described the piece of music as a "brilliant composition" and was amazed that Khosla -- who joined the film industry with the dream of becoming a playback singer and someone with keen appreciation of good music -- didn't like the song, the book reads. Later, after persistent urging from Kumar, Khosla finally agreed -- albeit reluctantly -- to listen to the song, but only after telling him that it is "really bad". However, upon hearing it again, the late filmmaker was left "astonished" and admitted it was one of the best tunes he had ever come across. "And this was a song he was about to let go? 'How incredibly stupid of me', Khosla exclaimed. According to Kumar, Raj even picked up his own shoe to hit himself," reads the book. Mangeshkar had listed "Lag Ja Gale" as one of her six favourites. It has over 277 million views on YouTube. The soul-stirring melody, as noted in the book and explained by music composer Sanjeev Kohli, Mohan's son, was a particularly challenging piece to execute, even for the legendary Mangeshkar due to the intricate 'murkis' (ornamental flourishes) and nuanced variations incorporated by both Mohan and Lata herself, which demanded exceptional vocal finesse. When she did it right, even Mohan got emotional and hugged the singer. "When we recorded the song, everybody was happy with it. Raj Khosla loved it. All of us were satisfied. Once the recording was over, Madan bhaiyya aaye aur mujhe gale laga kar rone lage. (Madan bhaiyya came and hugging me, started crying.) The song... created history," Mangeshkar is quoted as saying in the book. Six decades after its release, the song has been repurposed by filmmakers variously in their films, including AR Murugadoss in the recently out Salman Khan-Rashmika Mandanna starrer "Sikandar", Karan Johar in "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" (2016) and "Bombay Talkies" (2013), and Tigmanshu Dhulia for the "Saheb, Biwi aur Gangster" franchise. In a career spanning three decades and 27 films, Khosla directed several hits, including "CID", "Dostana", "Do Raaste", "Do Badan" and "Mera Saaya". The filmmaker, who trained under legendary actor-director Guru Dutt, was also credited for shooting musical sequences with dexterity. These include greats such as "Lag jaa gale", "Mera saaya saath hoga", "Jaane kya baat hai", "Hai apna dil toh awara" and "Yeh hai Bombay meri jaan". "Raj Khosla: The Authorised Biography", published by Hachette India and priced at Rs 799, is available for purchase across online and offline stores. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
