ravishingravi Posted November 23, 2021 Share Posted November 23, 2021 (edited) The discussion on Mani Ratnam made me think of the really top draw artists in Indian cinema. I would say in terms of all round talent and versatility, Gulzar saab has to be right there in top draw. Top of my head I can think of his directorial ventures - Angoor, Achanak, Aandhi, Maachis, Ijaazat, Koshish, Mausam, Parichay, Mirza Ghalib. While everyone concedes pretty much his ability to write tight scripts, great female characters and of course brilliant music, what most don’t point out are his technical skills. His composition and construction of shots was impeccably. You could see how his craftsmanship kept evolving with each film. The image of Gulzar in my mind is of this ageless man in white Kurta playing badminton. And he has stayed true to it. The ease in his being transcends through to his direction, lyrics and his beautiful poetry. The man can write something so mischievously perverted as “beedi jalailey” to something so heartbreaking “mera kuch khoya samaan”. Also a director not afraid of tackling tough subjects. He took on a subject on Indira Gandhi around the emergency. His Maachis on Punjab terrorism. I dare say the greatest all round artist from mainstream Hindi cinema. Your favorite films and songs from the great man ? Edited November 23, 2021 by ravishingravi mishra, sandeep, zen and 3 others 1 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Bradley Posted November 24, 2021 Share Posted November 24, 2021 Absolute Legend. Greatest writer & poet of Indian Cinema. You take Gulzar's work out of Hindi Film Industry, then there is very little to savour. His work had deep meaning and emotions. Much much better than the likes of Javed Akhtar, who have made a living out of ripping of Hollywood scripts and publishing as their own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zen Posted November 24, 2021 Share Posted November 24, 2021 (edited) Haven’t watched any Gulzar film in the last few years so difficult to comment from today’s perspective. When growing up, we were more into masala entertainers but whenever we wanted something different we put on films like Angoor (remake of Do Dooni Char, which is based on a Bengali film, starring Kishore Kumar, which is good too. Shakespeare!) Aandhi of course has a couple of evergreen songs which I listen to from time to time. Parichay is a version of The Sound of Music. Has songs such as “Musafir hoon yaro”, “Beeti na bithai raina”, … Mausam has a mature theme with a good song like “Dil Dhoondta Hai”. It is based on a novel whose name I can’t recall. We had a VHS of this one too but because of its theme did not watch it too often. IIRC, the cover of the VHS was in red. PS I have an album of R.D Burman somewhere where he remarks that when he worked with Gulzar, magic happened (something to that order). Edited November 24, 2021 by zen ravishingravi 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravishingravi Posted November 24, 2021 Author Share Posted November 24, 2021 I would highly recommend folks to watch one of his less well known works. Loosely based on the incident of KM Nanavati, with a brilliant subtle performance by Vinod Khanna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mariyam Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 On 11/24/2021 at 8:48 AM, Sean Bradley said: Absolute Legend. Greatest writer & poet of Indian Cinema. You take Gulzar's work out of Hindi Film Industry, then there is very little to savour. His work had deep meaning and emotions. Much much better than the likes of Javed Akhtar, who have made a living out of ripping of Hollywood scripts and publishing as their own. Sahir definitely. Far more accomplished as a writer and a lyricist. A legend himself, Gulzar, had a better ensemble of singers and back ground musicians available at his disposal than Sahir. Chakdephatte and I6MTW 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mishra Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 (edited) On 11/23/2021 at 7:06 PM, ravishingravi said: The discussion on Mani Ratnam made me think of the really top draw artists in Indian cinema. I would say in terms of all round talent and versatility, Gulzar saab has to be right there in top draw. Top of my head I can think of his directorial ventures - Angoor, Achanak, Aandhi, Maachis, Ijaazat, Koshish, Mausam, Parichay, Mirza Ghalib. While everyone concedes pretty much his ability to write tight scripts, great female characters and of course brilliant music, what most don’t point out are his technical skills. His composition and construction of shots was impeccably. You could see how his craftsmanship kept evolving with each film. The image of Gulzar in my mind is of this ageless man in white Kurta playing badminton. And he has stayed true to it. The ease in his being transcends through to his direction, lyrics and his beautiful poetry. The man can write something so mischievously perverted as “beedi jalailey” to something so heartbreaking “mera kuch khoya samaan”. Also a director not afraid of tackling tough subjects. He took on a subject on Indira Gandhi around the emergency. His Maachis on Punjab terrorism. I dare say the greatest all round artist from mainstream Hindi cinema. Your favorite films and songs from the great man ? His composition Chappa chappa charakhaa chale in movie Maachis is arguably most memorable lyrics of his. Right from word go you one can see Gulzaaf witten everywhere. His pen blessed with goddeess Saraswati. Liten to Maachis song to appreciate how beautifully he puts Indian villagers life Edited November 25, 2021 by mishra I6MTW and ravishingravi 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
putrevus Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 He might not be greatest but he is very good.Angoor is one of my favorite comedy movies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I6MTW Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 8 hours ago, Mariyam said: Sahir definitely. Far more accomplished as a writer and a lyricist. A legend himself, Gulzar, had a better ensemble of singers and back ground musicians available at his disposal than Sahir. Yes Sahir Ludhianvi. The greatest. Gulzar is still at the top no doubt. Mariyam 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravishingravi Posted November 25, 2021 Author Share Posted November 25, 2021 din kuchh aise guzārtā hai koī jaise ehsāñ utārtā hai koī dil meñ kuchh yuuñ sambhāltā huuñ ġham jaise zevar sambhāltā hai koī aa.ina dekh kar tasallī huī ham ko is ghar meñ jāntā hai koī peḌ par pak gayā hai phal shāyad phir se patthar uchhāltā hai koī der se gūñjte haiñ sannāTe jaise ham ko pukārtā hai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravishingravi Posted November 25, 2021 Author Share Posted November 25, 2021 aap ke ba.ad har ghaḌī ham ne aap ke saath hī guzārī hai aa.ina dekh kar tasallī huī ham ko is ghar meñ jāntā hai koī shaam se aañkh meñ namī sī hai aaj phir aap kī kamī sī hai kabhī to chauñk ke dekhe koī hamārī taraf kisī kī aañkh meñ ham ko bhī intizār dikhe zindagī yuuñ huī basar tanhā qāfila saath aur safar tanhā Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mishra Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 10 hours ago, Mariyam said: Sahir definitely. Far more accomplished as a writer and a lyricist. A legend himself, Gulzar, had a better ensemble of singers and back ground musicians available at his disposal than Sahir. Listen 3 songs, Sandeshe aate hai, Chtitthi aayee hai and then Chod aayen ham vo galiyan- all three is about missing back home. Also you have to come all the way from rural village to get Gulzars level. But you will find nothing what Gulzar has written anywhere else. The facts and figures of speech is allways new, original in Gulzars lyrics. ”when he said jaa padosi ke chulhe se aag lai le” Not many people know that this was a standard practice in rural India where people couldn’t afford match stick and way to get fire for cooking was to take “dung cake” and ask from neighbours, and u only got it after visiting 4-5 neighbors chulha. Mariyam and ravishingravi 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravishingravi Posted November 26, 2021 Author Share Posted November 26, 2021 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 Sampooran Singh Kalra.Why did he adopt Muslim sounding pen name? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forward Defence Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 His lyrics in Mera Kuch Saaman in the film Ijaazat is quite beautiful mishra, Chakdephatte and ravishingravi 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mariyam Posted November 28, 2021 Share Posted November 28, 2021 On 11/27/2021 at 5:38 PM, Lord said: Sampooran Singh Kalra.Why did he adopt Muslim sounding pen name? I'm guessing its a form of music Jihad by the evil urdawood left combine. Lord and Prakat 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diga Posted November 29, 2021 Share Posted November 29, 2021 Shailendra for me with his memorable lyrics in songs such as "Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh" / "jeena yahan marna yahan" / "Paan Khaye Saiya Hamaro" ..... Lord and ravishingravi 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prakat Posted November 29, 2021 Share Posted November 29, 2021 it's definitely easier to market ghazals by Gulzar than by one Sampooran Singh Kalra. ravishingravi 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prakat Posted November 29, 2021 Share Posted November 29, 2021 Gulzar is a great. Also, Yogesh (wiki) A relatively unknown lyricist with a small repertoire but nearly all of them are massively popular and evergreen songs Mariyam 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted November 29, 2021 Share Posted November 29, 2021 i recall watching maachis when it came out - class above ravishingravi 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mishra Posted November 29, 2021 Share Posted November 29, 2021 55 minutes ago, goose said: i recall watching maachis when it came out - class above Actually, Not lyrics, but he has dealt big problem and suggested the simple solution and some thought provoking statements. That scene when Chandrachud Singh first picks up the gun, Tabu just dumps the gun in well, Big message to families of people who have young men who want to pick gun. They can take a easy route to avoid the disaster. Or the scene where Chandrachud Singh says I have killed the police man kyunki kaleje mein aag jal rahee thee. And Tabu interrupts “ab mil gayee kaleje ko thandak” Or Om Puris dialogue about “Azadi kaise milee?” Simple words and sad but correct ending. Story was just as good in my opinion. diga and ravishingravi 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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