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Neglected
Rural India
With Peepli Live capturing the urban audience,
Ranjan Das Gupta wonders why rural India has taken
a backseat for both mainstream and offbeat filmmakers
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| Finally, after a long
time, a refreshing film has been made that celebrates as well as
highlights rural India. Peepli Live came across as an
uplifting film, far removed in content as well as making, from
the usual Bollywood stuff. Its director Anusha Rizvi had the
courage and conviction to depict contemporary rural India in its
true form. It also showcased how the media had neglected and
mocked its pathos and pains. |
Shyam Benegal focussed on rural India in
Well Done Abba
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The village story
M. L. Dhawan
The
earlier filmmakers used to make movies, set in villages, where
people were shown facing complex problems. Stalwarts like
Mehboob Khan, K. Asif, Bimal Roy and Shyam Benegal always kept
the rural milieu alive and the urban India interested in what
was happening on the other side.
Queen of melody
Lata Mangeshkar will be singing once again after a four-year break from films.
Paramjit Singh recounts the life and works of the legendary singer, whose birthday falls on September 28
Throughout the last six
decades, she has reigned the Indian film industry as the queen
of melody, unchallenged and unrivalled. She is undoubtedly a
living legend as her contribution of thousands of evergreen and
melodious songs in various languages to the film music is
unique. She is still the most loved, highly admired and widely
heard female singer of Bollywood. The recipient of many
prestigious awards and honours, this persona of perfection is
none other than Lata Mangeshkar.
Small pleasures
Suggestive ads cause confusion. While a young girl talks about a simple fruit, the mind wonders whether it is the forbidden one, writes
Saurabh Malik
Remember to bring strawberry in the evening. It excites me so immensely,” a juicy voice, distinct from the mumble-jumble of an open-air eating joint, makes itself audible even to a not-so-discerning ear. Screening eyes turn around in the direction of the luscious tone, involuntarily.
The endeavour is to identify the source of the voice from amidst the nondescript crowd of youngsters, indistinct because of the same style.
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