This is gonna be a fun one for me to write, and a useful one for some of you. Thanks for the suggestion Catherine!
Continue readingHindi Film 101: Top Hindi Film Personalities Decade By Decade
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Tag Archives: Meena Kumari
Female Films: Pakeezah, the Forgiven Tawaif
Oh boy, the second classic Tawaif film in two days! I say “second”, but really it is all of them. Pakeezah and Umrao Jaan cannot be compared to other Tawaif films, they are on their own level.
Continue readingHappy Birthday Meena Kumari! Your Life, Part 4, Pakeezah
Final section! Meenaji is one of those rare artists where the end of her life and her last film were so perfectly matched that I can write a post that weaves in one with the other.
Continue readingHappy Birthday Meena Kumari! Your Life, Part 3, the Last Loves
Second to last post! I am so glad that I have an excuse to repost these posts, I really like them. It’s like a little birthday present for you to me.
Continue readingHappy Birthday Meena Kumari! Your Life Part 2, Marriage
Part 2! Continuing the Meena Kumari celebration. I don’t know if anyone else on the internet is celebrating her today, but I can have my own little party over here.
Continue readingHappy Birthday Meena Kumari! Your Life, Part 1: Your Childhood
It’s Meena Kumari’s Birthday! Well, in India. August 1 hasn’t reached America yet, but will soon. Anyway, I want to repost my multi-part series on her in honor of her birth anniversary.
Continue readingHindi Film 101: The Deol Family Part 1, Dharmendra and His Loves
Thank you Maria! You asked in a comment who Abhay Deol was and where he had been and it made me realize that I haven’t done a Deol family Hindi Film 101 yet!
Continue readingEveryone is Talking At Me At Work! Here is a Post of “Lower Your Blood Pressure” Songs
I’m the customer support supervisor at work, which means I get my own office and a window (oooo!), but also I get to take the really complicated phone calls. And it has not been a good day for phone calls. Or maybe, it has been a good day for phone calls? What I am saying is, I have been on the phone straight through for the past 5 hours and it is beginning to get a bit stressy. I’m supposed to also do a bunch of really urgent work things, and I’d like to actually respond to your comments on the blog, plus personal emails and stuff, but that’s not going to happen today. Also lunch, lunch is not going to happen. I’ve been trying to eat an apple for 5 hours, and I’m still only two bites in.
Continue reading100 Years of Hindi Film History in 10 Actresses
Okay, you ready to fight me? The problem is, unlike actors, actresses never really get the chance to lead the industry, there isn’t a clear “Queen” the way there is a clear “King”. So this list is a bit of a judgement call, I realize that, and that means there is lots and lots of space for us all to argue.
Friday Classics: Phool Aur Patthar, Dharmendra Reveals Himself
Happy Friday! And Happy Dharmendra’s Birthday! I considered changing my plans in honor of Shashi, but I decided no, Shashi would want life to go on. And anyway, we should let Shashi serve as a reminder to cherish our legends while we have them (Dilip Sahib’s birthday is in 3 days, get ready for a blow out!)
Happy Birthday Dharmendra! A Dozen Reasons I Love You!
Happy Birthday to the Garam star, and continual winner of my TGIF posts! Here are a dozen reasons I love you (this is an updated and reposted post from last year)
Hindi Film 101: Meena Kumari Part 4, Pakeezah and the Epic Death
Hindi Film 101: Meena Kumari Part 3, The Last Loves
Hindi Film 101: Meena Kumari Part 2, The Years as a Wife
Welcome back to Meena Kumari part 2! As I mentioned in the first part, this is almost entirely based on her classic biography, published within weeks of her death. It’s not a completely unreliable source, but it’s also the version that people were remembering just after she died. One thing that does seem clear is that she was a woman who never fully controlled her own destiny.
Hindi Film 101: Meena Kumari Part 1, The Years as a Daughter
I’m finally doing Meena Kumari! Because she was consistently the second choice every time I gave you options. And because I have this book (be aware, it’s written in an unusual style for a bio. But it’s still fun!) for a source, so it’s easy. The thing with Meena, is that she was never able to really live alone or control her own destiny, she just went from man to man, starting with her father.
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