It was exactly four decades ago in 1973 that British directors James Kenelm Clarke and Harry Weisbloom decided to reveal the richness of Hindi cinema to global audiences.Their mutual cooperation gave birth to an interesting documentary "Man Alive: Bombay Superstar",a film about the life and times of Hindi cinema's biggest star attractions Mr.Rajesh Khanna.A large part of this film features acclaimed British documentary film maker Mr.Jack Pizzey interviewing Rajesh Khanna and other Hindi cinema actors namely Ms.Mumtaz and Mr.Shashi Kapoor.It is through a detailed narration that the complex world of Hindi cinema industry has been simplified for western audiences.This is shown in sequences where playback singing and picturisation of songs in Hindi films are described.It is nice to note how throughout the film Mr.Rajesh Khanna appears extremely calm,composed and cool.In many ways by dint of his replies,viewers get a chance to explore his intuitive thought process. The best part of this documentary is its unbiased stance towards the personal world of film stars wherein all their fears, gossip and insecurities are succinctly delineated.Lastly,a very useful documentary which takes its viewers to embark on a culturally significant journey of Hindi cinema from the crowded streets of Bombay right up to some of the quiet pristine valleys of Kashmir.
