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Subhash K Jha Turns the spotlight to the music and lists his selection of composer pair extraordinaire Kalyanji-Anandji’s Top 10 evergreen hits.

1.’Mere desh ki dharti’ (Upkar):

Manoj Kumar and Kalyanji-Anandi(K-a) were a potent combination. Some of Ka’a biggest hits were part of Manoj Kumar’s cinema, none more pervasive than this patriotic paean written by Gulshan Bawra and sung by Manoj’s preferred voice Mahendra Kapoor. Said Kalyanji to me, “We gave many hits. But this is our favourite. Yeh gaana desh ki mitti se judi hai.”

2. ‘Laila oh Laila’ (Qurbani):

Besides the Big 4, Lataji, Rafi Saab, Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle, Ka also gave...

As it completes 29 years since it hit the big screen, Subhash K Jha revisits Sunny-Salman-Karisma-Tabu’s Jeet.

When director Raj Kanwar’s Jeet was on release, this writer reminded Karisma Kapoor that her mother Babita had also done a film titled Jeet with her future husband, Karisma father, Randhir Kapoor.

Karisma had reacted rather strangely. “This Jeet is very different from my mother’s Jeet, not that I’ve seen my parents’ Jeet. But that was so long ago. Our Jeet is actually a fresh take on Devdas.”

Actually, producer Sajid Nadiadwala and director Raj Kanwar’s entertaining potboiler couldn’t hope to be that ambitious.

Why Did Rekha Never Work With Amitabh Bachchan After Silsila? (Photo Credit – YouTube)

Bollywood legends Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha’s rumoured relationship has always been a topic of discussion in the industry. Their alleged romance began on the sets of Do Anjaane. Bachchan was already married to Jaya Bhaduri at the time, and Rekha got the title of ‘other woman.’ They last worked together in Silsila, and the audience loved their on-screen chemistry.

Rekha Said Not Working With Amitabh Bachchan After Silsila Was Her Own Loss

In an interview with Filmfare, Rekha reflected on her decision not to work with Big B and called it her ‘own loss.’ “My loss is that I didn’t get a chance to share the phenomenal growth of Amitji as an actor. The only rational answer that I can think of is that the wait to be able to co-star with Amitji is worth it.

Amitabh Bachchan, in this special interview speaks with Subhash K Jha about Suneel Darshan’s Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love, which also featured Akshay Kumar, Juhi Chawla, and Karisma Kapoor and shares what it was like to work, once again, with Raakhee Gulzar.

Suneel Darshan was completely bowled over by your professionalism and expertise during the shooting of Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love?

The feeling is mutual. I think Suneel is extremely focussed and organized. Long before Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love went on the floors, he knew exactly what he wanted to do on screen, down to the music and songs. That, I think, is the forte of this millennial generation. Filmmakers in the past were also organized in their own way. But what they had it all in their heads. This millennials directors puts it down on paper. And there’s a whole battery of...

Subhash K Jha turns the focus to the chartbusting songs in Prakash Mehra’s myriad of excellent films.

1. ‘Bekhudi mein sanam utth gaye jo Kadam’ (Haseena Maan Jayegi): Prakash Mehra’s first directorial starred not Amitabh Bachchan but Shashi Kapoor. And it was a superhit. The songs by Kalyanji-Anandji played a large hand in its success. This dulcet Lata-Rafi duet has lingered in music lovers’ minds and hearts forever and a day. Says Anandji, “Prakash Mehra and us, my brother Kalyanji and I, worked closely together. Even before we did the music for his first directorial venture Haseena Maan Jayegi, we worked with him when he was an assistant to filmmaker Mohan Segal. Tab se hum saath mein rahe. Ek tuning ban gayi thi… We had a good rapport. Prakash Mehra also wrote some songs for us in Purnima. And when he turned producer with Zanjeer, we did the music.

Subhash K Jha celebrates the movies of Prakash Mehra, who brought such classics to audiences like Haseena Maan Jayegi, and Zanjeer and so many more.

Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra are the two movie makers who are credited with “making” Amitabh Bachchan.

A doubtful assumption. Did Shakti Samanta “make” Rajesh Khanna with Aradhana?

If you have it in you, success will find you sooner or later.

Prakash Mehra was a successful producer-director before he began working with Amitabh Bachchan. Way back in 1968, when Prakash Mehra directed Haseena Maan Jayegi with Shashi Kapoor and Babita, it surprised the hell out of the box office by turning into a moneyspinner. The music by Kalyanji-Anandji was a big Usp.

Mehra collaborated with Kalyanji-Anandji for a total of twelve films, including musical blockbusters like Lawaaris (featuring Amitabh Bachchan’s self-rendered chartbuster ‘Mere angne mein’), Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (featuring the all-time hit ‘Salaam-e-ishq’), and of course Zanjeer,...

The cleft on the chin gave him a distinctive edge. The self-confidence and talent to play both rugged and soft characters did the rest. Vinod Khanna was the rank outsider in the film industry who showed Hindi cinema a new path to screen heroism. In 1969, just out of Sydenham College in Mumbai, Vinod had no connections in or with the Mumbai film industry. Friends, especially female ones, told him he was good-looking and ekdum hero material. But as luck would have it, Sunil Dutt offered Vinod the villain’s role in Man Ka Meet. The film flopped, and Sunil Dutt’s brother Som Dutt, who was elaborately launched in the film, vanished.

But Vinod survived. And how! His longish stint as a villain continued well into the 70s when he played antagonist to Rajesh Khanna in Sachcha Jhootha and Aan Milo Sajna and Dharmendra in Mera Gaon Mera Desh. In the last mentioned,...

Which Silsila Role Was Initially Offered To Parveen Babi? (Photo Credit – YouTube)

Directed by Yash Chopra, Silsila starred Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha, and Jaya Bachchan in the lead roles. It is one of the most iconic movies of Hindi cinema. However, did you know that Parveen Babi was originally the first choice to play Jaya Bachchan’s role in the film?

In an interview with Ani, veteran actor Ranjeet disclosed that Parveen Babi was very upset after being replaced by Jaya Bachchan. The actor shared, “She (Parveen) was my dear friend… She was all alone. She was a beautiful lady. Always smiling and we used to call her ‘Fawada’ because of her teeth. Once she was very upset and she was crying. I asked her, ‘Kya hua Parveen?’”

“We were in Kashmir. I don’t mind quoting it because it’s a fact. A film was made, Silsila, and Parveen Babi was the original heroine,...

Rekha Once Walked Out Of A Film Because She Couldn’t Spend Time With Amitabh Bachchan (Photo Credit – YouTube)

Rekha and Amitabh Bachchan are two legendary names from a chapter of Indian Cinema that has a lot to read between the lines. A lot was said and denied. A lot has been said and brushed under the carpet, and a lot has been reported, but none has ever been denied or clarified.

A lot of people, a lot of times have talked about the two Muqaddar Ka Sikandar actors and once it was actor Ranjeet who opened up on the equation while talking about a film he was directing.

Ranjeet was one of the most famous villains of his time. He turned to a director for a film called Kaarnama, and for the lead cast, he zeroed in on Rekha and Dharmendra. During an interview with Rediff in 2015, the actor...

Music director Anand Virji Shah, who appeared on the kids’ singing reality show ‘Superstar Singer 3’, reminisced about the competitive atmosphere during the 1950s, where children were often asked to perform mock playback sessions for lead singers of that time.

The upcoming episode will take you on a nostalgic ride with its ‘Kalyanji-Anandji’ night.

In a special tribute to the iconic composer duo, the little wonders created magic on stage as they delivered heartwarming performances of some of Kalyanji-Anandji’s most acclaimed songs.

The 11-year-old Diya Hegde from Sagara, Karnataka, stole the spotlight with her captivating rendition of the song ‘Salame Ishq Meri Jaan’ from the movie ‘Muqaddar Ka Sikandar’, alongside captain Sayli Kamble.

Impressed by the performance, Anand said: “I am deeply impressed by the singing talent of these kids, and I have a strong feeling that they are the future voices (of India). Special acknowledgment goes to Sayli for her exceptional training.

Ranjeet Opens Up About The Yesteryear Bollywood Parties. (Photo Credit – IMDb/Instagram)

Veteran Bollywood actor Ranjeet was a popular face in Hindi cinemas during the 70s and 80s. He mostly appeared in roles with negative shades. Besides working in Bollywood, he has also worked in several Punjabi movies. The actor was often showcased as an alcoholic on-screen owing to his villainous roles, but in reality, the veteran actor never had a drop of alcohol despite hosting several parties at his place. However, he recently revealed how the then-leading actors like Rajesh Khanna, Parveen Babi, and others partied back then.

He was born as Gopal Singh Bedi near Amritsar and has reportedly played villain in over 200 Hindi movies. He has appeared in films like Dharam Veer, Nagin, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Suhaag, The Burning Train, Namak Halaal, and more. He has also worked in multiple television shows throughout his career. The senior...

Amitabh Bachchan's journey of five decades to become the Bollywood "Shahenshah" was not always a smooth ride. Indeed, his life is nothing short of brilliant biopic material. Early rejections were followed by a phase when he made his mark as a promising actor, which was soon overshadowed by the kind of superstardom Bollywood never saw before or after. When the superstar tried his hand at film entrepreneurship, he went bankrupt, only to bounce back and claim supremacy as a super brand and respectability as an icon.

The first reaction of the industry all those years ago, however, was far from welcoming. His tall and lanky frame, and the baritone of his voice, were deemed unsuitable for Bollywood's image of a perfect hero back then. These factors were pointed out as flaws, and reasons why he wouldn't be able to make it big in the industry.

Also Read:?When Big...

Shimla, Jan 15: Just as you leave the Mall, the hill station's main shopping street, towards the chief minister's official residence, the narrow road meanders its way to a heritage hotel owned by the erstwhile royal family of Jubbal that has an enduring link to Bollywood.

Uday Singh and his grand Woodville Palace, now a heritage hotel with typical British Raj architecture, have over the years seen no less than 25 films shot there, among them Prakash Mehra's "Muqaddar Ka Sikandar", Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Black" and Raj Kumar Hirani's "3 Idiots".

But then, the former royal has also witnessed the ugly side of the picture.

Having extricated the legally-challenged project from its producer Amit Mehra, Amit Mehra's brothers Puneet and Sumeet Mehra are all set now go all-out to promote Zanjeer in preparation for a September release. Finally, the first trailer of Zanjeer would be out on the internet on Friday. Informs a source close to the project. "The Zanjeer team has so far been legally forbidden from any promotion and marketing. But now that Puneet and Sumeet have taken over Zanjeer to produce it under their father Prakash Mehra's banner (Prakash Mehra Productions) the decks are cleared for a September release." Shedding light on Amit Mehra's ouster from the project, the source says, "He brought it on himself. He kept telling the entire production team of Zanjeer that his brothers had no interest in the movie business when in fact Puneet and Sumeet were repeatedly requesting Amit to let them be a part of their father's production house.

With item numbers being all the range recently, we really shouldn’t be too surprised when yet another item number is due to hit our screens, but this time it’s the unlikely duo of Priyanka and John! We’ve seen them both shake and shimmy to Desi Girl, and in O Mama and now, the duo are all set to perform in a special item number for the Shootout at Lokandwala prequel, Shootout at Wadala (Saw). This will be Priyanka’s first official item number, although she has made several special appearances in songs such as ‘Sabse Alag’ (Alag), ‘Deewangi Deewangi’ (Om Shanti Om) and ‘You Get Me Rockin’’ & ‘Reeling’ (Billu).

The pair is reportedly going to be dancing along to the Amitabh-Rekha hit ‘Salaam-e-Ishq’ (Muqaddar Ka Sikandar) and if the source is anything to go by, that’s just what will happen! The source that is close...

To celebrate the 70th birthday of Mr. Amitabh Bachchan and also to pay tribute to his contributions as an actor, we have compiled a list of the ten greatest films which this Bollywood legend has starred in. We hope this will entice you to watch some, if not all these films if you have never encountered them before. This list has aimed to promote some of Amitabh Bachchan’s films where he has been able to demonstrate his wide-ranging abilities as a professional actor. This includes the years when he was dubbed ‘the angry young man’ of Hindi cinema, as well as some of the films where he has played comedic, romantic and senior characters. We hope that by highlighting some of his key films, this will verify for you why Amitabh Bachchan is widely regarded by many as one of the greatest actors to have emerged from the Indian...

To celebrate the release of India Fantastique, a book that celebrates 25 years of Indian designer duo Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, Sotheby’s in London held an exhibition celebrating the work of the designers and famed photographer Ram Shergill.

Ram Shergill has photographed the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, the late Amy Winehouse, and Naomi Campbell. Ram Shergill is also the man behind the breathtaking photography featuring in the two-volume book, India Fantastique.

Bollyspice.com talked with Ram Shergill about exhibiting at Sotheby’s, what inspires his work and whether he prefers photographing Bollywood stars or fashion shoots.

You are exhibiting at Sotheby’s, which is an amazing achievement. How did it come about?

It has been a fantastic experience.

Basically a few years ago I got contacted by L’Officiel magazine to do a cover of Abhishek Bachchan and when I did the photo shoot the two editors of the...

Mumbai, April 28: An all time popular on screen couple, Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha might have parted ways over decades but Big B doesn't rule out the possibility of reuniting with her again on the silver screen.

"If there is a good story and like it then I don't mind working with her," the megastar said at a function here Saturday.

The two have earlier worked together in films like "Silsila", "Mr Narwarlal", "Muqaddar Ka Sikandar" among others.

Ians...

Contrary to reports, Salman is not leaving his shooting in Dublin to return to Mumbai for Bigg Boss and to participate in an item song for Joker. The Yash Raj spokesperson confirms that there will be no break in the shooting in Dublin. "Salman is not taking a break from the shooting in Dublin. He will, however, be returning to shoot for Bigg Boss between two schedules of Ek Tha Tiger." It was planned by director Shirish Kunder as the big surprise for the Dabangg girl. An item song for Dabangg's 'Rajjo' with 'Chulbul Pandey' in Joker had been elaborately planned for Sonakshi. And everyone in the unit was under an oath of secrecy regarding Salman's flash appearance. Says a source, "Farah Khan had rehearsed Salman's steps for the item song in Joker before he left for Dublin to shoot for Ek Tha Tiger. But Sonakshi had not been told about it.

Contrary to reports, Salman is not leaving his shooting in Dublin to return to Mumbai for Bigg Boss and to participate in an item song for Joker. The Yash Raj spokesperson confirms that there will be no break in the shooting in Dublin. "Salman is not taking a break from the shooting in Dublin. He will, however, be returning to shoot for Bigg Boss between two schedules of Ek Tha Tiger." It was planned by director Shirish Kunder as the big surprise for the Dabangg girl. An item song for Dabangg's 'Rajjo' with 'Chulbul Pandey' in Joker had been elaborately planned for Sonakshi. And everyone in the unit was under an oath of secrecy regarding Salman's flash appearance. Says a source, "Farah Khan had rehearsed Salman's steps for the item song in Joker before he left for Dublin to shoot for Ek Tha Tiger. But Sonakshi had not been told about it.

The memoirs of Manu, a cinema-loving flight attendant, who over 30 years in the air, encountered some of the biggest, finest and funniest Bollywood stars?

The Bachchan Family

Somewhere in the early 1980s, my wife, my four-year-old son and I were returning home from London after a three-month long ?temporary-posting? (to operate trans-Atlantic flights). It so happened that Mr. Amitabh Bachchan and his family were also traveling on the same Lon-Del-Bom flight. Mr. Bachchan, accompanied by his wife Jaya Bachchan, eight-year-old daughter Shweta and six-year-old son Abhishek, was presumably returning from a family holiday.

Amitabh Bachchan was already a big star by then, having delivered quite a few hits like Zanjeer, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Sholay, Namak Haram, etc. My wife was thrilled to see such a distinguished star and his family in the Heathrow Airport waiting lounge. Amitabh Bachchan was grace and modesty personified. He delivered a polite nodding smile to...

Actor Ravinder Kapoor aka Goga Kapoor, best remembered for Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and Kabhi Haan Kabhi Na, expired yesterday at his Malad residence. Ailing since past two years, he has left behind his wife and three daughters. He was 70. The veteran actor had worked in more than 500 feature films in which more than 20 films were with Amitabh Bachchan. Some of the important films that he did were Patthar Ke Phool and Muqaddar Ka Sikandar...

Actor Ravinder Kapoor aka Goga Kapoor, best remembered for Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and Kabhi Haan Kabhi Na, expired yesterday at his Malad residence. Ailing since past two years, he has left behind his wife and three daughters. He was 70. The veteran actor had worked in more than 500 feature films in which more than 20 films were with Amitabh Bachchan. Some of the important films that he did were Patthar Ke Phool and Muqaddar Ka Sikandar...

Breakups and patch ups are not new in Bollywood, from Guru Dutt to Ranbir Kapoor and from Wahida Rehman to Kareena. It is general perception that bollywood is not good at maintaining long term relationships. Age, religion and status are not a concern in Indian film industry to build a relation, still bollywood encounter many breakups. Let’s have a look at top five breakups in Bollywood.

1. Bollywood Superstar Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai Salman began to date Aishwarya after acting with her in 1999's Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’. Rumors already existed then that Salman Khan had physically abused a former girlfriend, Pakistani actress Somy Ali. However, Aishwarya, madly in Salman’s love, dared to ignore that. After ample amount of controversies, Salman and Ash broke-up. Ash is proud to be a Bachchan Bahu and Salman is having a good time with Katrina as girl friend.

2. Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha Undoubtedly,...

Mumbai, Veteran Bollywood filmmaker Prakash Mehra died here Sunday morning after a prolonged illness. He was 69. Mehra died of pneumonia and multiple organ failure at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, said family sources. Mehra ventured into filmmaking with 1968 Shashi Kapoor starrrer "Haseena Maan Jayegi" followed by the 1971 hit "Mela", which had Feroz Khan and Sanjay Khan in lead roles. However, it was Amitabh Bachchan starrer blockbuster hit "Zanjeer" (1973) that not only catapulted him into the big league but also gave the Hindi film industry its 'angry young man'. He later teamed up with Amitabh in hits like "Muqaddar Ka Sikandar", "Sharabi", "Laawaris" and "Namak Halal" before their last film together "Jaadugar" that turned out to ...

Click above for more stills A few weeks ago, Shakti Samanta passed away. Then Feroz Khan. Now Prakash Mehra. The golden era is coming to an end. Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra regaled us with some memorable films. They were arch rivals, working with the same actor -- Amitabh Bachchan. Having grown up on their films, besides interacting with them subsequently [as a journalist], both Man-ji [as Mkd was affectionately called] and Prakash-ji made films for the masses, the aam junta. Prakash-ji was a simpleton, who dared to call a spade a spade. I would often meet him at his office at Sumeet [his studio in Juhu]. I would often bump into him while going for a preview screening. He would either be seated inside or taking his evening walks outside his office. Prakash-ji kept himself updated with the film industry happenings, even when he stopped making films. He was saddened by the fate of Jaadugar in particular and also dejected that...

Click above for more stills A few weeks ago, Shakti Samanta passed away. Then Feroz Khan. Now Prakash Mehra. The golden era is coming to an end. Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra regaled us with some memorable films. They were arch rivals, working with the same actor -- Amitabh Bachchan. Having grown up on their films, besides interacting with them subsequently [as a journalist], both Man-ji [as Mkd was affectionately called] and Prakash-ji made films for the masses, the aam junta. Prakash-ji was a simpleton, who dared to call a spade a spade. I would often meet him at his office at Sumeet [his studio in Juhu]. I would often bump into him while going for a preview screening. He would either be seated inside or taking his evening walks outside his office. Prakash-ji kept himself updated with the film industry happenings, even when he stopped making films. He was saddened by the fate of Jaadugar in particular and also dejected that...

Bollywood producer/director Prakash Mehra has died of pneumonia and organ failure, aged 69.

Mehra - who launched the career of Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan - died in hospital in Mumbai, India on Sunday.

The pair first collaborated on 1973 film Zanjeer, which made Bachchan an overnight success.

They continued to enjoy a long working relationship with Mehra at the helm, with 1970s and 80s films including Herapheri, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Lawaaris, Namak Halal and Sharabi.

In a tribute to his mentor, Bachchan told the Bombay Times newspaper on Monday: "Prakash Mehra was an all-rounder in his craft. He was first a writer and coming from the north had great sense of the language and its temperament. He was a simple man who had come from very humble beginnings. His commercial successes never ever betrayed his respect for the people that he grew up with or with those that remained with him during his phenomenal journey. We have lost a great filmmaker and a wonderful human."...

Just recently, the Indian Film fraternity lost stylish, suave actor & filmmaker Feroz Khan and yesterday, it was truly a quirk of fate to know that the legendary filmmaker Prakash Mehra's soul departed from amidst us. The prolific filmmaker (69), who was unwell for a while now, died early (Sunday) morning of prolonged pneumonia and multiple organ failure. Prakash Mehra was the person who needs to be credited for creating the cult 'Angry Young Man' image of Amitabh Bachchan with his super-hit film Zanjeer. In the following years, the director-actor duo went on to give us several super-hit films such as Hera Pheri, Lawaaris, Sharaabi, Namak Halal, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar...to name a few. Ab...

Click above for more stills Just a few days back, Bollywood lost its most popular actor cum film maker Feroz Khan and yesterday, fate belted out yet another cruel blow when it snatched away the veteran filmmaker Prakash Mehra from amidst us. The prolific filmmaker, who was unwell for a while now, died early (Sunday) morning due to multiple organ failure. He was 69 years old. Prakash Mehra was the person who needs to be credited for creating the cult 'Angry Young Man' image of Amitabh Bachchan with his super-hit film Zanjeer. In the following years, the director-actor duo went on to give us several super-hit films such as Hera Pheri, Lawaaris, Sharaabi, Namak Halal, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar...to name a few. Unfortunately, Jaadugar, which was the last film of this duo, turned out to be a Box Office disaster. Prakash Mehra's last directorial venture was Bal Brahmchari, which marked...

Click above for more stills Just a few days back, Bollywood lost its most popular actor cum film maker Feroz Khan and yesterday, fate belted out yet another cruel blow when it snatched away the veteran filmmaker Prakash Mehra from amidst us. The prolific filmmaker, who was unwell for a while now, died early (Sunday) morning due to multiple organ failure. He was 69 years old. Prakash Mehra was the person who needs to be credited for creating the cult 'Angry Young Man' image of Amitabh Bachchan with his super-hit film Zanjeer. In the following years, the director-actor duo went on to give us several super-hit films such as Hera Pheri, Lawaaris, Sharaabi, Namak Halal, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar...to name a few. Unfortunately, Jaadugar, which was the last film of this duo, turned out to be a Box Office disaster. Prakash Mehra's last directorial venture was Bal Brahmchari, which marked...

Notable filmmaker of Bollywood Prakash Mehra passes away. He was 69. He was not in good health for quite sometime and breathed his last on Sunday morning. He was in hospital for several days and finally died of pneumonia and multiple organ failure at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital. He will be cremated at the Juhu crematorium.His combination with Amitabh Bachchan was a super-hit. He was the man behind blockbuster like ‘Zanjeer’. He will always be remembered for his offerings like “Muqaddar Ka Sikandar”, “Sharabi”, “Laawaris” and “Namak Halal” starring Amitabh Bachchan. Big...

We have heard him and loved his songs from movies like Silsila and Muqaddar Ka Sikandar. Well it's not for the first time that Big B will be seen dancing and singing on screen, but yes it will be the first time that Amitabh Bachchan will be lending his voice to an Ad commercial. Directed by Sujoy Ghosh who is also directing Big B in the forthcoming film Aladin, Bachchan will be singing for Himani Navratna Oil commercial for which he is the brand ambassador....