Download or read book The Longest Kiss written by Kishwar Desai and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2022-11-18 with total page 447 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: She was India's first international superstar in the 1930s and 1940s. Astonishingly beautiful, prodigiously talented and a great-grandniece of Rabindranath Tagore, Devika Rani earned rave reviews for her first film, Karma. Shortly afterwards, she married Himansu Rai, and together they set up India's first truly professional studio, Bombay Talkies. Over the next few years, the studio became the launch pad for some of India's best-known talent, including Ashok Kumar, Leela Chitnis and Dilip Kumar. After Himansu's controversial death in 1940, Devika took over Bombay Talkies. She ran the studio with a steel hand, squashing all rebellion and constantly walking a tightrope when it came to the men around her. Then, one day, she met the handsome and reclusive Svetoslav Roerich, and, just like in a Hindi film, nothing was ever the same again. Devika died as she had lived, in the midst of controversy, and an enigma to most. In The Longest Kiss, for the first time, through her letters and documents, is pieced together the life that she kept away from the world. The romance and the abuse that characterized her marriage with Himansu, the struggle of being a woman at the helm of a hyper-male domain, the circuitous ways in which cinema found its feet in Bombay, and the soaring happiness and tragedy of a life lived on the edge, always.
Download or read book The Life and Times of Devika Rani written by and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 442 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Dilip Kumar written by Dilip Kumar and published by Hay House, Inc. This book was released on 2014-07-28 with total page 429 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An authentic, heartfelt and compelling narrative – straight from the horse’s mouth – that reveals for the first time numerous unknown aspects of the life and times of one of the greatest legends of all time who stands out as a symbol of secular India. Dilip Kumar (born as Yousuf Khan), who began as a diffident novice in Hindi cinema in the early 1940s, went on to attain the pinnacle of stardom within a short time. He came up with spellbinding performances in one hit film after another – in his almost six-decade-long career – on the basis of his innovative capability, determination, hard work and never-say-die attitude. In this unique volume, Dilip Kumar traces his journey right from his birth to the present. In the process, he candidly recounts his interactions and relationships with a wide variety of people not only from his family and the film fraternity but also from other walks of life, including politicians. While seeking to set the record straight, as he feels that a lot of what has been written about him so far is ‘full of distortions and misinformation’, he narrates, in graphic detail, how he got married to Saira Banu, which reads like a fairy tale! Dilip Kumar relates, matter-of-factly, the event that changed his life: his meeting with Devika Rani, the boss of Bombay Talkies, when she offered him an acting job. His first film was Jwar Bhata (1944). He details how he had to learn everything from scratch and how he had to develop his own distinct histrionics and style, which would set him apart from his contemporaries. After that, he soon soared to great heights with movies such as Jugnu, Shaheed, Mela, Andaz, Deedar, Daag and Devdas. In these movies he played the tragedian with such intensity that his psyche was adversely affected. He consulted a British psychiatrist, who advised him to switch over to comedy. The result was spectacular performances in laugh riots such as Azaad and Kohinoor, apart from a scintillating portrayal as a gritty tonga driver in Naya Daur. After a five-year break he started his ‘second innings’ with Kranti (1981), after which he appeared in a series of hits such as Vidhaata, Shakti, Mashaal, Karma, Saudagar and Qila.
Download or read book Witness the Night written by Kishwar Desai and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-05-24 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a small town in the heart of India, a young girl, barely alive, is found in a sprawling house where thirteen people lie dead. The girl has been beaten and abused, and the house still smoulders from the fire that raked through it. The girl now awaits her trial for the murders that the local police believe she has committed. But an unconventional social worker, Simran Singh, is convinced of her innocence. As Simran begins to examine the circumstances around the case, she encounters a terrifying web of prejudice and deceit in which lives of women are endangered from birth. Brilliantly descriptive of tradition-bound Punjab, Kishwar Desai's debut novel introduces the feisty and independent Simran, whose determination to seek out the truth places her at odds with her environment. What she discovers will change her forever.
Download or read book The Life and Times of Nargis written by T. J. S. George and published by . This book was released on 1994 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biography of Nargis Dutt, 1929-1981, Indian motion picture actress.
Download or read book The Flight of the Swans written by Devika D. Bai and published by Monsoon Books. This book was released on 2015-03-01 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Flight of the Swans is a rich and fascinating family saga set in British India and Malaya. Cursed, and with blood on his hands, Captain Ramdas Rao Bhonsle is forced to flee Killa Fort, which has fallen to the British. A strange flight of swans signals his flight from Killa; a flight that will drive Ramdas and his family into further adversity. But great adversity spawns great dreams. Ramdas dreams of ousting the British from his motherland. His sons, the handsome and irascible Nilkanth and the plain and romantic Madhav dream of possessing the same girl, Tara Bai, who is the most beautiful courtesan in the land. And Ramdas’ granddaughter, blind Arundhati, dreams only of seeing one day. Woven into this tapestry is a lone white swan inextricably linked to the ebb and flow of the Bhonsles’ fortunes as they flee across India to Malaya.
Download or read book Bimal Roy written by Rinki Roy Bhattacharya and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2009-07-15 with total page 419 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Udayer Pathe, Bimal Roy’s first film, revolutionized Indian cinema. Hailed as a pioneer by Satyajit Ray, he was perhaps the first to bring shades of grey to the black-and-white screen. Roy’s spare storytelling and nuanced understanding of the human condition are reflected in classics like Devdas, Sujata and Madhumati. His ability to illuminate ordinary characters like Shambhu in Do Bigha Zamin and Kalyani in Bandini, is attested to by their being a part of popular memory even to this day. The Man Who Spoke in Pictures is not just a eulogy to this great director, but also an insight into Roy, the man, the director and his art. The auteur’s little-known Bengal phase is chronicled by Mahasweta Devi and Amit Chaudhuri, as well as Tapan Sinha, Amit Bose and other greats of cinema who trace his journey from cinematographer to director. His Bombay years are recorded through a collection of analyses and anecdotes from leading literary and cinematic luminaries, including Nayantara Sahgal, Gulzar, Naseeruddin Shah and Khalid Mohammed. The final section examines Roy from the outsider’s perspective, with articles by Meghnad Desai, Rachel Dwyer and Paula Mayhew.
Download or read book My Life written by Gp Editors and published by . This book was released on 2019-08 with total page 86 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dilip Kumar was born Mohammad Yusuf Khan-to Ayesha Begum and Lala Ghulam Sarwar Ali Khan in a Muslim Hindko-speaking Awan family. For most of his childhood, he lived in Peshawar, North West Frontier Province. His father was a landlord and a fruit merchant, and he owned orchards in Peshawar and Deolali. He moved to Bombay when his father came back after a brief stint in the upcoming city and realizing it offered a lot of opportunities. After finishing his college education, Yusuf left his home in a huff after a disagreement with his father. He arrived at Poona (now Pune) and that was his first tryst with earning his own keep. He recalls having left his house with just forty rupees in his pocket! His coming into what we now know as Bollywood was quite accidental. He just happened to be at the right place at the right time and Devika Rani saw what Yusuf had never seen in himself-untapped potential. Since the pay was quite good, he decided to go ahead and give this profession a shot. It was his movie Jugnu with its huge hoardings that gave him the first taste of stardom. The movie posters were hung all around the town, and clued his father in about what he had been secretly indulging in. His affair with Madhubala was widely publicized and there have been many accounts of their breakup-with each party holding onto their side of the story. The fact remains Dilip Kumar married Saira Banu and they have been an indomitable team for years to come. Dilip Kumar had ruled Bollywood during his days by adopting a screen name because he didn't want to associate his family name in this business as his father wasn't too happy about his decision to join the nautanki business.
Download or read book Kanan Devi written by Mekhala Sengupta and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2015-10-15 with total page 253 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Working as a maid to pay for her meals at the age of six and living in a notorious neighbourhood known for its brothels, Kanan Devi was the unlikeliest superstar. She had no lineage, no godfather and no resources to draw upon. Yet, beginning as a child artist at the age of ten, she rose to become one of the biggest screen divas of her time, commanding a fee of Rs 1,00,000 for a song and Rs 5,00,000 for a film. She was eventually feted with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. Kanan Devi: The First Superstar of Indian Cinema is the incredible story of Kanan Devi's ascent as she went on to star and sing with stalwarts of the era like K.L. Saigal and Ashok Kumar, among many others. She became the voice of the musical works of Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, R.C. Boral, Pankaj Mullick, Kamal Dasgupta and many others and must be credited with bringing Tagore and Nazrul directly to the public arena much before their respective works had evolved into what is now called Rabindra Sangeet or Nazrul Geeti. Kanan Devi was not only one of the few stars to have been successful both in silent films and the talkies, she was also one of the few artists to be internationally recognized in Hollywood magazines as a gifted singer and actor, hobnobbing with the likes of Vivien Leigh.But it is not only her cinematic achievements that set her apart. She was a woman of many dimensions: a fashionista, a producer who made many successful films in the fifties and sixties, a philanthropist for women in theatre and film-centred welfare projects, and a feminist before the word gained currency, walking out of relationships when they came in the way of her profession. She possessed astute financial acumen and, remarkably for a woman of her time, managed her own investments and income.Mekhala Sengupta's well-researched account not only brings to life a fearless pioneer who fought stereotypes to live life on her own terms, but is also a loving ode to a lost era of Indian cinema.
Download or read book Darlingji written by Kishwar Desai and published by HarperCollins India. This book was released on 2007 with total page 442 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biographies of Sunil Dutt,1930-2005 and Nargis Dutt, 1929-1981, Hindi motion picture actors.
Download or read book Stars from Another Sky written by Saʻādat Ḥasan Manṭo and published by Penguin Random House India Pvt.Limited. This book was released on 2010 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Unforgettable reminiscences about the eccentric, glamorous, yet angst-ridden Hindi film world of the 1940s. Saadat Hasan Manto, one of the greatest short story writers of the Urdu language, was also a film journalist and story-writer for the Hindi film industry in Bombay. As an insider he was privy to the most private moments of the men and women who have dazzled generations of audiences. In this series of sketches, Ashok Kumar, the screen idol of yore, emerges as a shy, yet brilliant actor, forever looking to flee the eager advances of his female fans; Nargis comes across as just another young girl looking for companionship among her peers before she steps on the ladder that will forever take her away from the comforts of an ordinary middle-class life; and Shyam-the dashing, handsome hero-is portrayed as a straightforward, flirtatious young man pining for the woman he loves. Manto also describes in detail the obsessions of Sitara Devi; the unfulfilled desires of Paro Devi; and the intriguing twists and turns which transform Neena Devi from an ordinary housewife into a pawn in the hands of film companies. He writes with relish about the bunglings of the comedian V.H. Desai and the incredible dedication of Nawab Kaashmiri to the art of acting. There are also stories about the rise of Nur Jehan as the greatest singer of her times; and the various peccadilloes of the musician, Rafiq Ghaznavi. With subjects ranging from film journalism to the sexual eccentricities of these stars, Manto brings to life a generation with his characteristic verve and honesty.
Download or read book Like a Girl written by Aparna Jain and published by Westland Publication Limited. This book was released on 2018-06-25 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A sparkling collection of real-life stories of women who have lived extraordinary and inspirational lives, drawn from different times in our history and the present. What led these women to strike out the way they did? When and how did the impressionable young child in them become an independent-minded adult? From Saina Nehwal, P. V. Sindhu and Sania Mirza to Rukhmabai Raut, Bama and Muthulakshmi Reddi, from the Rani of Jhansi and Razia Sultan to Sharmila Irom, Medha Patkar and Soni Sori, these life stories will engage and challenge the young reader. So, when next you want to read your child a story, reach for this book, with its wonderfully imagined portraits in words and art.
Download or read book Bollywood s Top 20 written by Bhaichand Patel and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2016-01-15 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A spectacular collection that celebrates Bollywood’s most enduring superstars Hindi cinema has wielded a hypnotic charm over viewers for close to a century, with its melodious music, colourful drama and lively plotlines. But at the heart of its mystique is the galaxy of stars who continue to mesmerize audiences. Bollywood’s Top 20 is a definitive collection of original essays, paying tribute to the biggest stars of all time—from Ashok Kumar, Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor, Nargis and Madhubala to Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Kareena Kapoor. Each piece offers unique insights into the struggles and triumphs, downfalls and scandals, and the inscrutable X factor of these talented actors that turned them into demigods and divas.
Download or read book Origins of Love written by Kishwar Desai and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-05-24 with total page 381 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The second novel from the winner of the Costa First Novel Award 2010; a stunning story of the value of life. In Delhi a small baby lies alone and abandoned. The product of IVF and surrogacy, she had been so coveted - until she was born with a fatal illness. No one knows how the infection could have been transferred to the child, but one thing is certain: no one wants her now. Thousands of miles away in London, Kate and Ben are desperate for a baby. But, despite all their efforts, fate seems to be skewed against them. Then, as Kate suffers another miscarriage, she knows something has to change. She has heard of women who are prepared to carry a baby for others, and she knows this might be a way to finally find happiness. But will her desire for a baby stop at nothing…? And between the two, feisty social worker Simran Singh is determined to uncover the truth behind the shadowy façade of the multi-million dollar surrogacy industry. Women and children are being exploited, their lives thrown away like so much dust. Is she is the only person prepared to stand up for what is right...? Praise for Witness the Night: 'Terrific' Toby Clements, Telegraph 'No "next-best-thing" novel has been as literary, bold and compelling as Witness the Night... it is a taut, gripping and complex thriller with two enigmatic heroines at its core … I dare you - woman, man, neither or both - not to love Witness the Night.' Huffington Post
Download or read book An Unfinished Autobiography written by Māmaṇi Raẏachama Goswāmī and published by Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. This book was released on 2002 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Autobiography of a woman Assamese author.
Download or read book Dilip Kumar written by Trinetra Bajpai and published by . This book was released on 2019-10-10 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Bombay Hustle written by Debashree Mukherjee and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2020-09-22 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From starry-eyed fans with dreams of fame to cotton entrepreneurs turned movie moguls, the Bombay film industry has historically energized a range of practices and practitioners, playing a crucial and compelling role in the life of modern India. Bombay Hustle presents an ambitious history of Indian cinema as a history of material practice, bringing new insights to studies of media, modernity, and the late colonial city. Drawing on original archival research and an innovative transdisciplinary approach, Debashree Mukherjee offers a panoramic portrait of the consolidation of the Bombay film industry during the talkie transition of the 1920s–1940s. In the decades leading up to independence in 1947, Bombay became synonymous with marketplace thrills, industrial strikes, and modernist experimentation. Its burgeoning film industry embodied Bombay’s spirit of “hustle,” gathering together and spewing out the many different energies and emotions that characterized the city. Bombay Hustle examines diverse sites of film production—finance, pre-production paperwork, casting, screenwriting, acting, stunts—to show how speculative excitement jostled against desires for scientific management in an industry premised on the struggle between contingency and control. Mukherjee develops the concept of a “cine-ecology” in order to examine the bodies, technologies, and environments that collectively shaped the production and circulation of cinematic meaning in this time. The book thus brings into view a range of marginalized film workers, their labor and experiences; forgotten film studios, their technical practices and aesthetic visions; and overlooked connections among media practices, geographical particularities, and historical exigencies.
