Watching Amitabh Bachchan's movie Coolie, 30 years after its release

Thirty years ago Amitabh Bachchan had got critically injured while shooting for his movie Coolie.

For months he remained in hospital and there were prayers across the country. It was a miracle that he survived.

I still remember the period as newspapers daily published reports about his condition.

In that era, even the children's magazines that rarely dwelt on films, printed special issues with the superstar's photograph on the front pages.

Coolie was released in 1983 [Bachchan was injured in mid-1982]. I was a kid when I saw it. I remembered a few scenes and nothing more. 

In fact, I couldn't even recall the story line. Recently, I again got to see the movie--after a gap of 30 years.

It was a typical formula film of the era. It was still the pre-liberalisation era, when the hero was not a 'Raj Malhotra', who is son of business tycoon.

Today it is unimaginable to have a coolie as a hero in our movies. But this is also a fact that the story line used to be too fantastic.

Perhaps, it was Amitabh's magic, his persona, that he could carry such roles, where the movie absolutely revolved around him.

The criminal, Zafar, comes out of jail and find that the woman, Salma, he wanted to marry, is wedded to one, Aslam Khan. Zafar forcibly takes her away, in process letting dam water flood the locality.

Everyone is marooned in process. Salma who has lost her memory, goes with Zafar [role played by Kader Khan]. Her son Iqbal [Amitabh Bachchan] is also separated from her mother and father.

He grows up on the railway station, working as a porter [coolie].

It was the formula of the seventies and the eighties.

The Angry Young Man grows up with his Hindu uncle, offers Namaz and also leads the Ganpati procession.

There is romance, songs and drama. Also, comedy scenes like making the omelette while hearing recipe on radio.

Rati Agnihotri keeps swapping radio stations--one airing yoga and the other omelette recipe. Like many other movies of the era, Rishi Kapoor is here the side hero, playing the role of a photographer-journalist.

A typical Manmohan Desai movie, it has all the ingredients of the old Mumbai movies.

The 'baaz' [falcon] comes from nowhere every time to save Iqbal or his uncle or the side hero.

There is emphasis on religious identities and the communal harmony among the Hindu-Muslim-Christian characters.

Then, the Coolie's badge, 786, which protects him. Divine intervention also comes when it is needed the most.

From the wish to go to Ajmer, the famous song 'Mubarak ho tumko haj ka mahina...'while the ship taking pilgrims goes for Haj and the green chadar that saves Iqbal, there is a lot of stuff.

Today we call it the 'old formula' but in those days, it worked wonders. A potpourri of all emotions, everything went well at the end.

People getting united because of a tattoo or an old photograph.

The movie stops when the scene when Amitabh had got injured, comes on the screen.

Coolie is a kind of a 'Muslim social' though it is not counted in this genre, as it was basically a masala movie.

Quite a long movie, it represents an era in the Bollywood movies. Critically you can find faults with a lot but this sort of movie can't be made anywhere else, except India.

Here lies the uniqueness of Indian cinema. After a long time, I have rediscovered my interest in movies. Hence, a few more posts may be in the offing on this blog in near future.

[The movie turned out to be super-hit. The first photograph shows the frame when movie was stopped to show the scene where Amitabh had got injured]

From Shalimar to Dayavan: The joy of watching old Bollywood movies

Though I am not a movie-buff, there are a few times in the year when I occasionally get this urge to catch up on movies and see the films from the golden era of Indian movies.

I've also compiled a list of the most famous Bollywood films of all time, that I want to watch.

Recently, I had taken a few days off and watched half-a-dozen movies, ranging from Dilip Kumar's black-and-white Udan Khatola to Feroz Khan's Dayavan.

One of the movies which I yearned to watch for years was Dharmendra starrer Shalimar [first released in 1978].

In the pre-satellite TV era and even before the advent of VCR [video cassettes], I watched this movie when during Ganeshotsava [or perhaps Durgotsava] celebration, (I saw it perhaps in 1982-83), when screens were put in open in a nearby locality and amid great excitement, the movies were shown with projector. 

From the roof of our third floor apartment, I had seen this movie. As a child, I was totally hooked. It was a great experience. The world renowned thieves were called by 'Sir John' at an island and given a chance to show their 'talent' by stealing the Shalimaar diamond.

All sort of modern security measures apart from alarm system and guards were put up. Further, the diamond was under 24/7 surveillance through cameras. As the floor resembled chessboard, the hero--Dharmendra, devises a novel strategy. He gets a dress with similar black-white squares, and crawls towards the diamond.

'Sir John' senses that there is a movement or something fishy but it is not noticed exactly until Dharam gets close to the diamond.

Dharmendra finally enters the bulletproof glass vestibule that covers the 'heera'. Now what he will do? Surrounded by gunmen, how can he escape?

Here comes another trick. So that was a thrilling movie by Indian standards in that era.

Watched it again nearly three decades later, and just loved it. Zeenat Aman was the lead actress in this movie and added glamour to it.

So whenever I get chhuttis at a stretch, I decide on the half-a-dozen odd movies which I have to watch.

Among the recent movies that I saw included, some old ones, some of 70s-80s, and a few latest ones. They included Garam Hawa. It is again a gripping movie. As far as Dayavan is concerned, the story initially seemed too much of typical Bollywood masala. But after the first 30-45 minutes, I enjoyed it.

Dayavan has Vinod Khanna playing the lead role with Feroz Khan as his friend. The story line is similar to some of Amitabh Bachchan movies of the era. A poor boy, who takes on the system, rising as a criminal and later dispensing justice. But it is certainly enjoyable.

As far as the classical Udan Khatola [officially spelt as Uran Khatola] is concerned, it was an old wish. Had heard so much about it. The name also fascinated me. Either its the story, the dialogues or the songs like 'Ulfat ka jaam le jaa, mohabbat ka paighaam ka le jaa...', I loved the movie.

Have made a fresh list of the movies which I have to watch during my next such vacation. Which movies do you like, friends? Your wish list! Share it here so that I can also get an insight about the movies which others wish to watch. 

'Ishqiya' movie review: An Engaging and Entertaining Film

Coming straight to the point, Ishqiya is a gripping movie that entertains, excites and keeps you engaged till the very end.

The cast doesn't boast of superstars but the story of small-time thugs Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi falling for the serene-yet-coquettish young 'widow' Vidya Balan whose gangster husband has died, is not a  run of the mill Bollywood potboiler.

Still, it has all the ingredients that are needed to sizzle and surprise you. Set in the heartland, Ishqiya goes out of the morality mode that was typical of Indian movies.

Iftikhar alias Khalu Jan [Naseer] and Babban [Arshad] share a wonderful chemistry and as they run from the menacing Mushtaq Bhai, who was intent on burying them into the qabr alive, the Bhopali duo reach Cowbelt.

They land in rural Gorakhpur, a place where kids get to know how to use Tamancha [revolver] even before they can wipe their posteriors. Khalu Jan falls in love with Vidya Balan alias Krishna Ji, the mysterious 'widow' who smooches just as passionately as she fires with the gun.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
...ab mujhe koi intezaar kahaaN
voh jo bahte the aabshaar kahaaN...

There are funny dialogues, the unique accent of Bhopali Urdu along with Purabi dialect of Hindi prevalent in Eastern UP, and the duo's Jai-Veeru kind of relationship.

Krishna hatches a plan to abduct an industrialist and though the initially reluctant duo agree to it, as they have to return Rs 25 lakh to Mushtaq Bhai to save themselves.

More surprises are in store as the storyline takes you through rural Uttar Pradesh. A young boy joins Sena [army] but it is revealed later that it's not Indian army rather they are caste armies, backwards fighting thakurs et al. And there are red flags aflutter in a Maoist village.

Babban and Khalu Jan are no less surprised as the former says, 'Back at home we have only Shia-Sunni, but here there are Pandeys, Yadav, Jat, Thakurs...and everyone having their armies'. Gulzar's lyrics are once again refreshing with good cinematograhy turning it into a nice spectacle.

Having succeeded in their plan, Babban and Khalu Jan along with Krishna Ji are back. Each with their own ideas for future. There is another twist in story of love and betrayal with the return of the 'dead husband' who had assumed another identity and had played a deceitful game for his wife, brings more action.

Jilted lovers, Khalu Jan and Babban are on their way back from this Gorakhpur village. But both of them are still haunted by memory of the strange seductress. They return to her. What happens after that? Who will she go with? No judgment on morality.

Ibn-e-Batutah.....
..baghal mein joota...

This is another track. [Ibn-e-Batuta was the famous traveller, historian who often had to run away without wearing the footwear] The other song, 'Dil to bachcha hai...' has also become popular. Certified adult, this film is thoroughly enjoyable and it's advisable to watch it in theatre than on VCD.

Magical Madhubala: Recalling India's most beautiful woman, film actress

Who can forget the mysterious girl who sang 'Aayega Aanewala' in Kamal Amrohi's Mahal or the Anarkali who daunted Akbar-e-Azam with 'Pyar kiya to darnaa kyaa'?

Madhubala, perhaps the most beautiful actress to ever grace the silver screen in India, was born on St Valentine's Day nearly 76 years ago.

Ironically, she was born with a hole in her heart, a medical complication for which there was no treatment until her premature death, just at the age of 36.

 Her love life remained unfulfilled and after her unrequited love affair with Dilip Kumar, she stunned everybody with her marriage to the immensely talented yet maverick Kishore Kumar. The marriage was a disaster.


Madhubala was at the peak of her career after the success of Karimuddin Asif's Mughal-i-Azam in the early years of 1960 when she got critically ill.

She battled the illness for several years and passed away in 1969. Unfortunately, it was soon after her death that such heart surgeries became common.

Madhubala alias Mumtaz Jehan Begum who had caught the imagination of the whole country and become a legend in her life--due to her reclusive nature and her father Ataullah's strictness, remains a mystery even after her death.

Close friends say that despite her exquisite beauty, Madhubala was a vivacious but humble girl who loved to play pranks and spend time with her family.

She had an ordinary wardrobe for an actress and rarely wore jewellery.


When she got offer to work in Hollywood, Ataullah Khan rejected it as he 'couldn't have dinner with those ate with forks and spoons'. He dominated every sphere of her life.

The actress whose comic performances in Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi and Mr and Mrs 55 are part of the folklore of Hindustani cinema, had a lonely and tragic life, especially in the last decade of her life.

Despite the strictness of her father which was termed by many as responsible for her loneliness and depression, she had tremendous love for him and even in later years during her illness, always dreamt of herself as a small kid walking while holding her father's finger.

Little was known or published about her in her lifetime or even after her death. Incidentally she died in the same month (of her birth). Her death is recorded on February 23, 1969.


Not much was known about Madhubala as her family including her sisters never shared information about her life and interests.

Khatija Akbar's painstaking efforts must be praised as she wrote the first biography of the legendary actress--'Madhubala, Her Life Her Films' that was published in 1997.

Like Marilyn Monroe, she also died at the same age (36). Forty years have elapsed but Madhubala's laughter, her enigmatic smile and her ageless beauty still entrances and intrigues millions of us in whose hearts she continues to live long after her death.

Vandalism on Valentine's Day

Meanwhile, today being Valentine's Day, the entire nation again witnessed the same annual tamasha. Right-wing organisations holding protests, roughing up young couples and slapping lovebirdsfor meeting at public places.

Though a majority of youth have also become quite smarter and celebrate it either a day earlier or a day later. The members of Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena do it just to get attention as their photos get published in papers and are seen on TV.

Cameramen encourage them and the cycle goes on. Two years ago I had written a post: Hindu, Muslim right-wing agree on St Valentine's Day. The situation hasn't changed a bit. Read the post.