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Housefull: The Golden Age of Hindi Cinema
Remember the first time the illustrious Mangeshkar sisters sang together? Or the time when music composer, poet and lyricist Gulzar was prohibited from singing his own song? And do you know who was supposed to step into the famous actress Madhubala's shoes in Mughal-e-Azam? Replete with little-known facts about the actors, actresses, directors, producers, composers and lyricists of the path-breaking films of the '50s and '60s, a period rightly qualified as the Golden Years of Bollywood, this hook, rich with anecdotes is an important record of cinematic history that examines the changing trends in Hindi films, right from the times ofAlaai Ara to films like Lagaan and Tare Zameen Par via films like Pyaasa, Do Bigah Zamin, Mughal-e-Azam, Sholay and the rest.
A film critic with the renowned Indian daily The Hindu since 2000, ZIYA US SALAM has been writing regularly on cinema, preferring a multi-layered approach. the medium often reduced to mere slapstick in today's media. A dispassionate observer of Hindi cinema, he has contributed to several anthologies.
A film critic with the renowned Indian daily The Hindu since 2000, ZIYA US SALAM has been writing regularly on cinema, preferring a multi-layered approach. the medium often reduced to mere slapstick in today's media. A dispassionate observer of Hindi cinema, he has contributed to several anthologies.
312 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 21, 2017
What could have been an amazing compendium of the Golden Years of Hindi cinema gets marred by shoddy writing and editing. Repetition of plot points and clunky hyperbole obscure the wealth of information about the great films and the artistes.
The book looks at some of the great directors of the times with a mix of anecdotes and facts, though it misses out on Nasir Husain who came into his own during this period.
The part about directors is followed by a section on classic films where there is a bias towards Dilip Kumar (at the cost of, say, Shammi Kapoor).
Given the importance of music during this period, maybe a section on composers ans lyricists would have been in order.
The book is still worth a read for fans of Hindi cinema.
The book looks at some of the great directors of the times with a mix of anecdotes and facts, though it misses out on Nasir Husain who came into his own during this period.
The part about directors is followed by a section on classic films where there is a bias towards Dilip Kumar (at the cost of, say, Shammi Kapoor).
Given the importance of music during this period, maybe a section on composers ans lyricists would have been in order.
The book is still worth a read for fans of Hindi cinema.
August 4, 2016
Enjoyed reading this wonderful book. However this narrative falls short of quenching your thirst for a reader who identifies with the likes of this genre. A must read and a must have nevertheless.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews