Timeless Indian Melodies

(Author: Alex Almeida) Don (1978) was started in 1974 the film was made in order to support producer Nariman Irani financially who was in debts of twelve lakhs which was a huge amount then. The film was made on a very low budget and was facing a financial crunch since the beginning over the years the film was made by arranging funds from wherever possible. But the biggest blow it faced when producer Nariman Irani passed now there was a question whether the film would be complete or not. But finally it got completed and had gone a bit over budget. Director Chandra Barot wanted to shoot the climax in a real Catholic Cemetery. But did not have that budget and producer was against it. Chandra Barot decided to erect a set at Chandivali studio in Mumbai famous art director Desh Mukherjee erected the set in 21 days and was ready to shoot. On the day of the shoot when director Chandra Barot arrived with cast Amitabh Bachchan , Zeenat Aman , Om Shivpuri and Pran what everyone n

(Author: Alex Almeida) Before Tezaab(1988), Madhuri Dixit had done about eight to nine films in span of four years but was still waiting for her dew finally which happened with Tezaab . During the release of the film Madhuri Dixit wasn’t in the city but was abroad and had got the news that the film is a big hit and her song ' Ek do teen... ' is a chartbuster. The day Madhuri reached back to Mumbai she saw a huge crowd gathered outside the airport to welcome her and she could hear only one thing ' Mohini... Mohini... Mohini...' She had never imagined that the film and the song will create such an impact.Madhuri had only known that film is a hit but never taught she would be a craze. Touched by the scene at the airport Madhuri felt that if this is a scene out here what would be the craze at the cinema halls. She then made up her mind to watch the film at a cinema hall in Mumbai and along with her sister went dressed in a burkha to escape the crowd. Within fi

(Author: Alex Almeida) 'Ghajini  (2005)' was a big hit down south in Tamil language staring Surya . After two years the film’s director A.R Murugadoss decided to make the film in Hindi . The film which was huge success in south needed to be done justice in Hindi hence A.R Murugadoss decided his casting should be powerful. A.R Murgudoss met Aamir Khan and discussed about the film and the character in detail. After the discussion Aamir Khan told him that he should cast Salman Khan for the lead role as Sanjay Singhania and no one give the best then him. Aamir Khan’s vision to approach Salman Khan for the casting was due to Tere Naam (2003) and somewhat part of Kyu Ki (2005) as Salman Khan had played similar characters in these two film which were similar to Sanjay Singhania in Ghajini. But A.R Murgudoss told Aamir Khan that if Salman Khan does the film it would just an hit action film and if he does the film it will be something different for the audiences. Aami

Since the beginning of 70s the box office was ruled by king of romance Rajesh Khanna where every film of his would become a hit. But during this romantic era director Prakash Mehra decided to break boundaries and make an action film based on a Police officer and his Pathan friend.The writer duo Salim-Javed had a script ready and Dharmendra was finalized to play the lead alongside Mumtaz . It said that it was Dharmendra who bought the script to Prakash Mehra during Samadhi (1972) . But before the film could progress Dharmendra had to opt out of the film due to date issues. Prakash Mehra then approached Raj Kumar who declined the film as he wanted to shoot it outdoors in South and not in Bombay as well as he said he won’t do the film as he didn’t like the smell of Prakash Mehra’s hair oil. The script then went to Dev Anand who liked the script but Salim-Javed were against casting him as they felt he didn’t fit the serious role of a cop. After hearing the script Dev Ana

An Evening in Paris (1967) was shot at various locations over two months.While shooting for the film it was Shammi Kapoor who suggested the song ' Aasman se aaya farishta... ' and that it should be somewhat like a farishta coming down from the sky. Mohdmmad Rafi and director Shakti Samanta recorded the song in absence of Shammi Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor asked Rafi how did he managed to record the song so well in his absence. Rafi said I just imagined your moves that Shammi Baba is moving his hand right and left and shaking his body. Now Shammi Kapoor thou had given the idea of the song a farishta coming down from sky he never imagined that Shakti Samanta would actually arrange for an helicopter to shoot the song .One fine day he told Shammi Kapoor tomorrow we are shooting the song with helicopter at 08:00 am and I want you on the set by -7:30 am with makeup. Now the actual fear started in Shammi Kapoor as he had vertigo problem and couldn’t stand heights.Out of f

During the early stages of Baazigar '  Abbas Mastan wanted Salman Khan to do the film but he rejected the followed by Anil Kapoor . As they did not want to do negative characters. The film finally landed with newcomer Shahrukh Khan who accepted the antihero role. Director Abbas Mastan originally had Sridev i in mind to play a double in the film of two sisters Seema and Priya, But he taught about the scene of brutal killing of Seema’s character in the film and realized that Sridevi who rules many hearts is killed by a newcomer Shahrukh Khan her fans might not like it and the film might flop. He then decided to drop the idea of casting Sridevi in double role and cast two new comers Shilpa Shetty as Seema and Kajol as Priya. When the film released on eve of Diwali in 1993 it became a big blockbuster. The scene where Shahrukh Khan brutally kills Shilpa Shetty (Seema) became the films highlight. After few months when the film would be aired on cable TV or on home VHS people in the ho

The 80s was an iconic decade in Indian cinema, and it's impossible to talk about it without mentioning the trio of Mithun Chakraborthy, Bappi Lahiri, and B Subash. Together, they produced numerous hit songs that continue to be popular today. One such song is "Mera Dil Gaye Ja Zooby Zooby Zooby," which was inspired by the 1986 song "Brother Louie" by the disco band Modern Talking. Bappi Lahiri added an Indian touch to the song, and it became an instant chartbuster. However, there is an untold story behind this iconic song. The actress who performed on the song, Sarla Yeolekar, was not originally part of the film. B Subash had initially wanted Smita Patil for the role and had even given her a double role in the film as Mithun Chakraborthy's mother and sister. However, while shooting for the film, Smita Patil was in the early stages of pregnancy, and B Subash decided to shoot the sister's character first with her. After her delivery, he planned to shoot the

Bollywood, also known as the Hindi film industry, has been entertaining audiences for over a century with its unique blend of music, drama, and romance. Over the years, Bollywood has produced some of the most iconic movies that have become cultural touchstones for Indian society. From epic historical dramas to socially relevant stories, Bollywood movies have showcased a range of themes and genres that have touched the hearts of millions of people. In this article, we will take a look at some of the greatest Bollywood movies of all time before 1980. Bollywood movies before 1980 were known for their deep-rooted storytelling and memorable performances. These movies explored a range of themes from love, loss, and betrayal to social and economic inequality. Here are some of the greatest Bollywood movies of all time before 1980. Pyaasa (1957): Directed by Guru Dutt , "Pyaasa" is a critically acclaimed film that explores the themes of love, greed, and exploitation in post-independen