» Vintage Tidbits http://cineplot.com Mon, 14 May 2012 08:14:14 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Al-Nasir and the bear (1954) http://cineplot.com/al-nasir-and-the-bear-1954/ http://cineplot.com/al-nasir-and-the-bear-1954/#comments Mon, 02 Apr 2012 05:04:45 +0000 admin http://cineplot.com/?p=8824 Al-Nasir with his bear

Al-Nasir and the bear

On June 9, 1954 handsome film actor Al Nasir wrote to “Filmfare” from Bhopal, where he had gone for a holiday, enclosing the photograph above.

An expert shikari, Al Nasir shot this huge bear in the Bhopal jungles at about three o’clock in the morning.

His star-wife Veena and their two children had accompanied the actor on this holiday trip. In the letter, Al Nasir wrote: “I am going out again tomorrow, but this time to hunt tiger. If I succeed, I shall definitely send you another photograph.”

]]> http://cineplot.com/al-nasir-and-the-bear-1954/feed/ 0 ‘Aaho Chasm’ Raagini and M.D. Kunwar http://cineplot.com/aaho-chasm-raagini-and-m-d-kunwar/ http://cineplot.com/aaho-chasm-raagini-and-m-d-kunwar/#comments Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:28:46 +0000 admin http://cineplot.com/?p=7771 Raagini and Kunwar in Shah Jehan (1946)

Raagini as 'Mumtaz Mahal' and Kunwar as 'Shah Jehan' in Shah Jehan (1946)

Among 40′s Indian actresses, Raagini and Naseem Bano were officially given the titles of ‘Aaho Chashm’ (for her big unusual deer like eyes) and ‘Pari Chehra’ (fairy face) respectively by film circles. Raagini’s co-star in Punjabi film Dulla Bhatti (1940) and Hindi film Shah Jehan (1946) M.D. Kunwar was a rich man, who became a die-hard fan of Raagini. As part owner of Anarkali Bazaar, it is a well-known fact that when Raagini went to shop at Anarkali, he used to lay Rs /100 bills under her feet. Kunwar also requested Kardar for the role of Shahjehan, to be close to Raagini. Unfortunately, Raagini did not respond to his romantic advances, and Kunwar sank himself in perpetual drunkenness, which led to his getting infected by tuberculosis and his death soon after that.

Abandoned by her daughter Saira, Raagini herself died on February 27th, 2007, in Lahore -Pakistan, lonely, poor and forgotten.

Raagini

Raagini

M.D. Kunwar and K.L. Saigal in Shah Jehan (1946) with Saigal singing for himself, music by Naushad.

]]> http://cineplot.com/aaho-chasm-raagini-and-m-d-kunwar/feed/ 0 Rehana and P.L. Santoshi http://cineplot.com/rehana-and-p-l-santoshi/ http://cineplot.com/rehana-and-p-l-santoshi/#comments Mon, 11 Jul 2011 19:16:54 +0000 admin http://cineplot.com/?p=7758 Rehana

Rehana

Lyricist/Director P. L. Santoshi was completely infatuated with Rehana, but Rehana did not reciprocate his romantic feelings. The disheartened and dishevelled Santoshi penned one of his most memorable songs based on this experience, “Tum kya jaano, tumhari yaad mein hum kitna roye, hum kitna roye” (Do you know how many tears I shed remembering you… ) which was used in Shin Shinaki Boobla Boo (1952), directed by Santoshi and picturized on Rehana.

Lata Mangeshkar sings for C. Ramchandra in Shin Shinaki Boobla Boo (1952), music by C. Ramchandra.

]]> http://cineplot.com/rehana-and-p-l-santoshi/feed/ 0