Me Movies More

Last year, around July, I came up with a list of a few Hindi Films that were originally made in Bengali. Since last week, when I wrote about Basu Chatterjee and some of his works, I have been considering expanding the list of these Hindi remakes. (His film Manzil was a remake of Mrinal Sen's Akash Kusum.) So, without further ado, let's deep dive: 1. Bees Saal Baad from Jighansha: The very popular thriller film, Bees Saal Baad, that was released in 1962, was the Hindi adaptation of the 1951 Bengali movie, Jighansha. The film had Biswajit and Waheeda Rehman in the lead roles and was directed by Biren Nag, with melodious music by Hemanta Mukhopadhyay. The Bengali version Jighansha was directed by Ajoy Kar and was a screen adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles.  This was an exact replica of the original, except that the romantic angle was highlighted more in the Hindi version. 2. Khamoshi from Dweep Jwele Jai: Dweep Jwele Jai was one of the best Ben...

Fifteen years have passed by since the horrific Delhi Gangrape of Jyoti Singh, and still, there is no change in the scenario of women’s safety. The culprits were punished, but predators still roam outside to catch their prey. And their prey? Women- of all ages, from any background, it doesn’t matter, she has to be a woman. So, when we come across horrific headlines, like a 4-year-old raped by her own grandfather, it doesn’t make us astounded; all it does is add to another news story, of another woman being ripped off her dignity, so what if she is only 4? At the end of the day, she is a woman. It makes us roll our eyes and feel pity for the victim, but does it make any difference these days? We keep on questioning. For we know very well, this will again turn into another case, piling up on the already heaped-up thousands of cases of violence against women in our country. All candlelight marches, all protests, all the outrage fade away; all that remains is fear. A woman’s fear of travel...

Basu Chatterjee, a name associated with pleasant-feeling movies, immortalised the character of Saradindu Bandopadhyay's "Satyanweshi" Byomkesh Bakshi as a household name throughout India. A filmmaker who, upon closer examination, has brought the regular drama of an ordinary household to the screen so effortlessly. January 10 marked his 95th birth anniversary.  After starting as a cartoonist, at the beginning of his illustrious career in films, he began assisting legendary filmmakers such as Basu Bhattacharya and Hrishikesh Mukherjee. His directorial debut was Sara Akash, released in 1969. In a couple of years, he made one of his most acclaimed films, Piya Ka Ghar, and then there was no looking back. He established himself as one of the most prolific storytellers of the middle class. Despite the larger audience's affinity for romantic or action films of that era, Chatterjee successfully brought the average man's joy from small things, despite various struggles and ...

I have read quite a few books last year, thanks to participating in the Book Review challenges. For this year, regardless of whether I participate in those challenges or not, I have already developed the habit of reading books, so there's no looking back. In today's blog, I am going to list a few of the books that I have enjoyed reading the most. Most of the books are not new, having been published several years ago, but I read them last year. So here are the best of the best: 1. The Book of Everlasting Things: This book, written by Aanchal Malhotra, was published in 2022. It takes us back to the partition of India, where two teenage lovers had to be separated due to differences in religion. Later, as the story continues, both their lives undergo drastic changes, but they accept them without ever losing their love for each other. This is a beautiful love story, and interestingly, the lovers met only a few times and went on a date only once; yet, their unconditional love for ea...

I still remember the posters of him I used to buy with my pocket money. So, when I got the opportunity to read his biography, I jumped at it. He is none other than Salman Khan, the undisputed Bhaijan of Bollywood, and the book is his newly launched biography, Salman Khan: The Sultan of Bollywood , by Mohar Basu. About the Author Mohar Basu is the Chief Correspondent at Mid-Day (Entertainment). As a film critic, she has reviewed numerous movies across various media. She has also authored Shah Rukh Khan, another biography of the Badshah of Bollywood. About the Book The book is about the rise of one of the Bombay Film Industry's most powerful icons. It takes a deep dive into the real person, beneath the larger-than-life persona he carries effortlessly. It is full of interesting anecdotes and lesser-known trivia about one of the nation's biggest stars, which have seldom been revealed. The book has a few details about his behind-the-scenes of shootings, his turbulent stage of life, ...