The Filmy Funda

07/07/2021

Traced the journey of one of the most versatile, underrated and brilliant actors in the Indian cinema, Adil Hussain for this piece on
Film Companion. Do give this a read.

Starring in films across as many as nine languages, Adil Hussain is one of our most interesting actors

30/06/2021

The first half of 2021 is over.

Which has been your favourite Indian film so far?

10/06/2021

is the show of the year so far. A whodunit murder mystery, interconnected plotlines, screwed up characters, cliffhanger episodes, great performances and Kate Winslet make this miniseries a must watch. Streaming on Disney+ Hotstar

25/05/2021

Do you know what connects these four films - Tenet, 12 Angry Men, The Great Indian Kitchen and Fight Club?

The protagonists in these films are unnamed. This is often done by the directors to keep their characters real to the ordinary people or to suit the larger theme of the film.

In Tenet, John David Washington's character is an unnamed CIA agent as Christopher Nolan didn't wish to reveal his real identity even to the audience. The classic 12 Angry Men calls its characters as Juror 1, Juror 2 to Juror 12 since the jury members must not be connected to each other to process a fair trial. In The Great Indian Kitchen, the husband and wife have no names as it is befitting since the story and the characters could be set in any household in the country and it would still stand true. Naming Edward Norton's character in the cult Fight Club as The Narrator is a clever choice due to the final plot twist in the film.

13/01/2021

Lohri diyan lakh lakh vadhaiyaan!

It’s a celebration of lodi, it’s a celebration with the special ones. Groove to the celebratory song ‘Lodi’. - https://www.youtube.com/playli...

16/12/2020

Recommending 16 December on 16 December!

The Mani Shankar film is a hugely entertaining spy thriller. It boasts of a strong screenplay and powerful performances from Danny Denzongpa, Milind Soman, Sushant Singh, Dipannita Sharma and Gulshan Grover. From tracing the black money trail in the first half to rescuing Delhi from the planned nuclear bomb attack in the second half, the film keeps you on its edge from start to finish.

16 December takes its title from the historical date of 16th December 1971, the day Pakistan forces surrendered in Dhaka at the end of the Indo-Pak War of 1971 leading to the creation of Bangladesh. The film's story revolves around the terrorists' plan to avenge this defeat by destroying India's capital on 16th December 2001, exactly 30 years after the Bangladesh's Victory Day. Four Indian intelligence agents race to foil their mission and save Delhi in this gripping action thriller.

The film has umpteen memorable sequences but the most striking of them all is the climax that includes the unforgettable line - 'Dulhan Ki Bidaai Ka Waqt Badalna Hai'. The excitement of this scene is simply unmatchable and it needs to be experienced.

16 December is a roller-coaster ride of multiple twists and still remains the most enjoyable Hindi spy thriller even after 18 years if its release.

20/10/2020

In 1987, a certain Kedarnath Bhattacharya was spotted singing at a bar by Jagjit Singh. The Ghazal legend took him to meet the music directors Kalyanji-Anandji. The duo loved Kedar's voice & gave him his major breakthrough in the Hindi film industry. The composers also suggested him to change his name to Kumar Sanu.

Do you know that Kumar Sanu also holds the Guinness World Record for recording the maximum number of songs in a single day? The Bengali singer made this record in 1993 when he recorded a total number of 28 songs in one single day and that record hasn't been broken in the past 27 years!

In the last decade, he made a comeback in 2015 in the film Dum Laga Ke Haisa. As Ayushmann's character is a huge Kumar Sanu fan, the film begins with Kumar Sanu's vocals instead of Lata Mangeshkar as the background voice for Yash Raj Films logo. This was the first time in YRF's 60-year history that Lata Mangeshkar's voice was replaced.

Kumar Sanu celebrates his 63rd birthday today!

14/10/2020

Birthday wishes to one of the finest Indian filmmakers.

Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti own Tiger Baby Films, the production company behind projects such as Gully Boy and Made In Heaven.

When asked about its name, Zoya had said, “I like tigers. I think it's Indian; it's hip, very feminine and fierce. That's kind of reps our work.”

01/10/2020

The iconic composer S. D. Burman & the renowned lyricist Asrar ul Hassan Khan, better known as Majrooh Sultanpuri, share their birth anniversaries today. Both the legends of Hindi film music have collaborated on multiple memorable soundtracks like Abhimaan & Jewel Thief.

Born on 1st October 1906 in present day Bangladesh, Sachin Dev Burman lends his name to another great Indian icon - Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. The cricketer's father was a huge fan of the music director and hence named his youngest son after him.

Majrooh Sultanpuri was born on 1st October 1919 in Uttar Pradesh. The Urdu poet worked for more than six decades in the industry and was the first lyricist to be conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest honour in Indian cinema.

25/09/2020

The Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awardee Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam breathed his last in Chennai at the age of 74 today.

The legendary singer, famous for being Salman Khan's voice in the 90s, also won six National Film Awards for Best Male Playback Singer.

Some of his most famous Hindi hits were Mere Jeevan Saathi Pyaar Kiye Jaa from Ek Duuje Ke Liye, Mere Rang Mein Rangne Wali from Maine Pyaar Kiya, Dekha Hai Pehli Baar from Saajan, Pehla Pehla Pyaar Hai from Hum Aapke Hain Koun, Yeh Raat Aur Yeh Doori from Andaz Apna Apna and Yeh Haseen Waadiyaan from Roja.

16/09/2020

Released in 2013 and partly based on a short story written more than a hundred years ago, Lootera is an eternal love story between Atmanand Tripathi aka Varun and Pakhi Roy Chaudhary.

In the beginning of the film, Varun claims himself to be a great painter. He wishes to paint a masterpiece and the only issue he faces in his dream is that he cannot draw the leaves in a landscape. When he actually tries his hand at painting, it is revealed that he doesn't even know the basics about the art. Pakhi, who had actually wanted to learn from him, teaches him the skill. The two fall in love with each other. Varun, who is actually a conman, loots Pakhi's father and runs away.

Later in the film, Pakhi is suffering from tuberculosis and doesn't wish to live further in her life after Varun has broken her trust. She believes she would die as soon as the last leaf falls from the tree outside her home. Varun makes a promise to her that he won't let that happen. Varun, who always wanted to paint a masterpiece, sees this as his one shot at redemption. He paints the last leaf, goes out and sticks it to the tree every night when Pakhi is asleep. In doing so, he completes his dream of painting the masterpiece and even saves the life of the person he loves the most while sacrificing his own life in the process.

Vikramaditya Motwane has put in all the perfect emotions in this poignant tale of romance and pure love. Amit Trivedi's haunting soundtrack with the songs like Manmarziyaan, Zinda, Shikayatein add upto the evocative atmosphere of the film. Just as Varun's masterpiece of the last leaf, Lootera is a masterpiece in filmmaking and storytelling. It would be remembered for ages just like the O. Henry's 1907 short story The Last Leaf it is based on.