Ever since W.M. Khan sang Indian cinema's first playback song in 1931 for the first Indian talkie 'Alam Ara', songs have played an important part in films. There was a magical and mesmerizing quality in the voices of the playback singers of Hindi films during the period from nineteen thirties to nineteen seventies. Accompanied by original music directors of equally high caliber and lyricists who could pen simple but literary songs, these would be on every ones lips as soon as the composed songs were released. The singers of this era went on to earn high fame and riches. They also have become almost immortal and generations to come will be listening to their sung songs with relish. Their melodious voices are both captivating and soothing to the nerves and one feels relaxed listening to their songs. It was truly the golden era of the Hindi film music and the playback singers of that era have become legendary.

The first playback singer to capture the imagination of the masses was undoubtedly the singing star Kundan Lal Saigal, whose portrayal of the drunken 'Devdas' and the songs he sang made him an actor of great potential overnight. Many of his songs are popular today also. He started his legendary journey in films in the 1932  film 'Zinda Lash'.

The next singer to attain immense popularity was Mohammed Rafi. A trained singer he could sing in an astonishingly wide range and modulated his voice exactly as the actor for whom he was singing. It was easy to identify the actor if one heard Rafi singing. He could sing songs in classical. light comedy, qawwali and any other type demanded by the music directors. His songs are heard with relish today also by persons of all ages. Many of his songs will be heard even decades from now. He sang his first song under Shyam Sunder in Lahore in 1941, in the Punjabi film Gul Baloch and in 1945 in the Mumbai film Gaon ki Gori. Rafi's long association with his mentor music director  Naushad was in the hindi film 'Pehle Aap' in 1944.

It was Lata Mangeshkar who can be truly said to have brought respectability to the playback singers. Always dressed in white this Nightingale of India has sung thousands of songs which are so melodious to hear, that one likes to hear them again and again. She possessed a highly versatile voice and the range of songs sung by her is simply astonishing. She made her debut in 1943 by singing a Hindi song in a Marathi film 'Gajabhau'.

Mukesh was another singer who captivated audiences,though he had a limited range and also did not sing a large number of songs. He was known as the voice of Raj Kapoor. Melancholy songs sung by him are popular today also. He began his career by singing the iconic song 'Dil Jalta Hai toh jalne De' under Anil Biswas in the film 'Pehli Nazar'.

Lata's sister Asha Bhonsle is another singer of great fame. She brought a voice which was used by music directors to create foot tapping numbers of Western style Her amazing voice continues to mesmerize the country today also. To her goes the credit for creating space for herself even when her elder sister was dominating the playback scene. She started her amazing singing career in the film Chunaria in 1948.

It was Kishore Kumar who brought a new whiff to the playback scene. He sang his first song in 1948 in the film 'Ziddi' for Dev Anand.' It was he who introduced yoddeling into Hindi film songs for the first time. Besides singing he was an actor, composer, lyricist, director, producer, screenwriter etc .His songs are like wine, mellowing with time. His songs sung under the music director father S. D. burman and the son R. D. Burman continue to be in demand today also.

Talat Mehmood brought ghazal singing into playback singing. No one has been able to match him in this till date.The King of Ghazals had a soft and mellow voice and has sung a number of songs which have a niche audience.

Hemant Kumar possessed a haunting voice which lent a mesmerizing quality to his songs. He was also a music composer of repute. He was to become an engineer but left half way and to the good luck of film music became a singer. His first song was in the 1944 film 'Iraada' unde rmusic director Amarnaath.

Manna Dey is another singer who especially sung classical base songs many of which which have gained an iconic status. His voice had a magical quality which left the audience thirsting for more .His first song was in 'Ram Rajya' in 1943.

Geeta Dutt was another singer whose voice had a nostalgic tinge and continues to be heard with great pleasure today also. She started her singing journey by singing two lines in 1946 for the film Bhakt Prahlad. However in her next film Do Bhai she sung the ever famous song Mera sundar sapna beet gaya under S. D. Burman's baton that catapulted her to fame.

Another singer of repute in this era was Mahendra Kapoor who started his journey by singing in the 1951 film Madmast under composer Balsara.

It is sad that the most productive period of Hindi film music started declining from late seventies. The thousands of songs of that era are remembered today also but today's songs are not possible to recall as early as even tomorrow.It is often observed that in today's FM radio stations it is the songs of that era which are frequently played. What could be a greater tribute to that period from the youth of today. Indeed we are blessed that we have such rich collection of eminently melodious songs suiting all moods available for all times to come.

Pran the most lovable villain of the Hindi screen has been bestowed with the prestigeous Dadasaheb Phalke Award by the government of India. This recognition has come very late, for Pran is now 93 years old. However better late than never. Millions of his fans will be delighted that he has been recognized and his considerable acting skills have been brought to the fore once again. The present generation may come to know and get to see some of his finest acting moments.

Born into a rich Delhi family in February 1920, Pran acted in his first film Yamla Jat in 1940 in Lahore. His very first role was as a villain. He went on to act in 22 more films before he had to leave Lahore for Mumbai following the partition of India. Although he had made a name as a versatile lead actor in various roles, to his surprise he found no roles coming his way from the Mumbai film industry. He had moved into Taj Hotel with his family and gradually found himself almost penniless with no work. However in 1948 he was offered a role in the film Ziddi starring Dev Anand and Kamini Kaushal.. The movie was a hit and Pran never again had to look for work.

He is reported to have worked in 350 to 400 films although most seem to be agreed on 350 films. A phenomenal body of work by any account. His screen career lasted nearly sixty years. It is said that in the fifties only the trio of Dilip, Dev and Raj Kapoor was paid more than him. In the sixties he was paid more than all actors excepitng Rajesh Khanna. In fact the high rates charged by both was a reason producers found it difficult to pair them together , though later on a few successful films were made. By seventies he had moved on to playing character roles.

His portrayal of the villain on the screen was so powerful and effective that it is said no baby was named Pran from 1950 on wards. The name Pran was synonymous with wickedness. He would bring unique mannerisms into his various roles and the audiences would simply love him for it. His flicking of cigarettes or blowing smoke rings or flicking his head up wards or brushing his hair by the palm of his right hand or moving his eyebrows are all now part of acting history. He was gifted with a good and clear voice which he modulated appropriately to suit the type of villain he was playing. His style of walking with both hands inside his jacket pockets has not been surpassed till date.

If Yamla Jat brought him on the screen, Ziddi launched his Bollywood career, Zanjeer immortalised him as Sher Khan and Upkar transformed him from  playing negative roles to positive roles. From the fifties to early nineties it was rare to make an A grade movie and not have Pran in it . He added a comical touch to the villain in Kashmir ki Kali in 1964 which expanded his acting skills further. He sung a few songs also and almost all are famous to this day. Most famous being 'Yaari Hai Iman Mera---' from Zanjer and 'Kasme Vade Pyar Wafa---' from Upkar.

All the top actors from fifties like Dilip, Dev, Raj ,Rajendra Kumar, Dharmendra,Vinod Khana, Rajesh Khanna, Shammi Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor etc, came and faded away but such was the range and adaptability of Pran that he continued being in demand actively till 1998 and infrequently thereafter till a few years more. It was he who had recommended Amitabh for Zanjeer. He could match all these top actors scene on scene and often would steal the show. The only other actor who can be compared in range and screen longevity to him was Ashok Kumar.

He and Ashok Kumar acted in 27 films. Pran and Amitabh acted together in 14 films. With Shashi Kapoor and Rajesh khanna he  acted in 7 films each. Prakash Mehra cast and directed him in his 9 films.

Some of Pran's famous films are Aah, Jab Pyar kissi Se Hota Hai, Ram Aur Shyam,  Amar Akbar Anthony, Don, Bobbby, Madhumati, 1942:A Love Story, Sanam Bewafa, Sharaabi, Andhaa Kanoon, Kaalia, Naseeb, Krodhi, Karz, De Pardes, Vishwanath, Dharam Veer, Sanyasi, Joshila, Victoria No 203, Roop Tera Mastana, Johny Mera Naam, Humjoli, Aansoo Ban Gaye Phool, Tum Se Acha Kaun Hai, Aadmi, Sadhu Aur Shaitan, An evening in Paris, Pathar Ke Sanam, Upkar, Dil Diya Dard Liya, Love in Tokyo, Gumnam, Khandan, Mere Sanam,Shaheed, Kashmir ki Kali, Bluff Master, Mere Mehboob, Dil Tera Diwana, Chalia, Jis Desh Main Ganga Behti Hai, Tumsa Nahin Dekha, Chori chori, Halaku, Jagte Raho, Azaad, Devdas and Munimji.

He  was awarded the Padma Bhushan  and was named in the top 25 all time great actors of Asia by CNN amongs a hostof awards and honoures he has recieved.

For someone who had trained himself to be a photographer and hid the fact that he had switched over to acting from his father, the journey has been truly a memorable one. It has given millions of his fans countless moments of joy watching him perform on the screen. Rarely has an actor acted so effectively that audiences hated his portrayals but loved him for his performances. The  more vicious he was on the screen the more they loved him.

Our congratuations to him for the award and may God continue blessing him with a healthy and long life. May he hit a century. 

Image are from Google Images.

Akshay Kumar is one of the most talented actors in India. He is versatile, bold, humorous, but apart from these qualities there is something that makes him stand apart from the rest of his  bollywood counterparts. Most of us watch bollywood movies but how many of you can tell which movie has the most sequels? Movies like Dhoom, Race, Raaz, Dabanng, Housefull etc has 2 or a maximum of 3 sequels. It is because either the director or the actor is not willing to try his luck at the box office with the same character.

Unlike other actors Akshay Kumar had full faith in his abilities and as a result of this 8 movies in the Khiladi series were made till now. This movie holds the record in bollywood for the most number of series made for a movie. There is no need to tell that each of the series were super duper hit in the box office. Twenty years have passed since the release of the first Khiladi movie but still a lot of directors are in queue to make the 9th installment in the series. Lets take a look at the journey of this movie and what makes it so special.

The Beginning Of New Era

The Khiladi Begins

The first movie Khiladi was released in the year 1992. This movie was directed by Abbas-Mastan Burmawalla brothers. Akshay Kumar shared screen space with Deepak Tijori in this movie. Ayesha Jhulka played the lead against Akshay Kumar.

It tells the story of two friends who like to put bets for fun and money. The rest of the story revolves around the biggest bet they had ever made. Bold action scenes, natural humor and hit songs made this movie a sensation among people. It was among the top ten highest grossing movies of that year.This movie gave Akashy Kumar the Khiladi tag. After that there was no looking back and Khiladi became an integral part of bollywood.

The Skilled Khiladi

The second movie in the Khiladi series was Main Khiladi Tu Anari  which was released in the year 1994. This was directed by Sameer Malkan. Saif Ali Khan also played an important role in this movie. The main attraction of the film was the superb chemistry between Akshay Kumar and Shilpa Shetty. This movie gave a new outlook to Khiladi by introducing some rib cracking comedy.

The Biggest Khiladi

The third movie Sabse Bada Khiladi was released in 1995 which was directed by Umesh Mehra. Mamta Kulkarni  was the lead actress. This movie had some evergreen songs by Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik. This movie lived up to the expectations created by its previous two installments and cemented its place in the top seven highest grossing films of that year.

The Action Khiladi

 The fourth movie in the installment was Khiladiyon Ka Khildadi which was released in 1996. This movie was also directed by Umesh Mehra. While Raveena Tandon played the love interest of Akshay, Rekha donned the cap of a sexy villian for the very first time in her career. The movie was a pure action thriller which pulled the crowds to theatres.

The Khiladi Couple

The fifth movie in the series was Mr. and Mrs. Khiladi which was released in 1997. It was directed by one of the best comedy movie director in India, David Dhawan. For the very first time Juhi Chawla was paired opposite Akshay. This was the first and the only movie in the Khiladi series which was totally based on comedy.

Khiladi Goes International

The sixth movie was titled International Khiladi which was released in 1999. It was again directed by Umesh Mehra. Twinkle Khanna who is also Akshay's wife was the female lead. No need to tell that the credit behind the success of this movie goes to the sizzling chemistry between them.

The Trickster Khiladi

The seventh installment in the Khiladi series was Khiladi 420 which was released in 2000. It was directed by Niraj Vora. Mahima Chaudhry  was the lead actress. Akshay performed some of the most dangerous breathtaking stunts of his career in this movie.

The Immortal Khiladi

After a gap of 12 years the eighth installment in the series, Khiladi 786 was released. It was directed by Ashish R Mohan. Asin played the love interest of Akshay. Even after a gap of 12 years people accepted Khiladi with both hands and the movie turned into a blockbuster hit.

With eight installments so far and counting many more to come, Khiladi has been immortalized in bollywood.

The late 1960's and early 1970's witnessed a subtle profile change in both the audience tastes and the personality of the new and  incoming heroines. Anger was building up in the country's youth at the failure of the political masters to equitably deliver the fruits of progress. In such scenario the Hindi screen was captured by a galaxy of trained actresses and in particular very talented actresses hailing from South India.This period also saw the rise of 'new wave' cinema or 'parallel cinema' which brought realistic plots of daily life on to the silver screen. Acting especially by talented actresses was to touch new heights.

One of the actresses who dominated this era was Shabana Azmi whose range of acting varied from a new wave film like Ankur to an out and out commercil films opposite super star Rajesh Khanna with whom she did seven successful films. Her first film was Parinay in 1974 bit it was Ankur in the same year that brought her into limelight as an actress of great talent and skill. She went on to act in a number of highly successful and acclaimed films like Swami (1977), Shatranj ke Khilari (1977), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), Junoon (1979), Sparsh (1980), Umrao Jaan (2006), Godmother and the recently released Matru Ki Bijlee ka Mandola. She is married to Javed Akhtar and is involved in social activities.

The other new wave actor was the late Smita Patil who became one of the youngest recipients of the National Award for her sensitive portrayal in Bhumika at the age of 21 years.She entered the Hindi movies in 1974 and in 1976 established herself  Manthan, the story of rise of Amul. She went on to act in Bhumika (1977), Bhavni Bhavai (1980), Chakra (1981), Namak Halaal (1982), Mirch Masala (1987) amongst others. A very talented actress she had a very impressive screen presence. She passed away at the young age of 31 during delivery of her only child.

Down South a four year girl child made her entry into the world of Tamil cinema. She grew up to become the fine actress Sridevi. She made her entry into Hindi films in the hugely successful 'Julie" in 1975 as the younger sister of the heroine. However she got adult roles from 1979 onwards. In a career span ranging from 1967 to 2007 she has acted in 63 Hindi movies, 62 in Telegu ,58 in Tamil and 21 in Malayalam films. Some of her noteworthy Hindi films were Himmatwala (1983), Jani Dost (1983), Nagina (1986), Mr India (1987), Chandni (1989), Chal Baaz (1989), Lamhe (1991), Juddai (1997), and the recently highly acclaimed English Vinglish. She is married to Boney Kapoor and settled in Mumbai with her two daughters .

 But the most impressive was the dream girl Hema Malini hailing from Tamil Nadu. She had a dream debut opposite Raj Kapoor in Sapnoon Ka Saudagar in 1968 and went on to dominate the commercial Hindi cinema for the next more than two decades. Like other heroines from South she was also a very fine dancer. Her beauty captivated the audiences who flocked to see all her movies especially one's with the suoper star Rajesh Khanna. Her pairing with Dharmendra, Dev Anand and Shashi Kapoor were very popular. Later on her pairing with Amitabh Bachchan alos became very popular. She is best known for her role of Basanti in the 1975 iconic film Sholay. Some of her notable films are Sharafat (1970), Johny Mera Naam (1970), Amir Garib (1974), Prem Nagar (1974), Dharmatma (1975), Charas (1976), Meera (1979), Kudrat (1981) and, Bhagban (2003). She is now a memberof BJP and has also had a stint in the Rajya Sabha. She has two daughters and is now settled in Mumbai.

Yet another star from South to dominate the Hindi screen was Rekha. Born in 1954 into a film family it was a matter of time before she too would seek a career in films. She debuted opposite Navin Nischol in Sawan Bhadon in 1970. She went on to deliver hit films like Nagin (1976),the hugely successful Muqaddar ka Sikandar opposite Amitabh in 1978. Her other notable and successful films were Rampur Ka Lakshman (1972), Kahani Kismat Ki (1973), Namak Haraam (1973), Mr Natwarlal (1979), Khubsurat (1980), Umrao Jaan (1981), Silsila (1981), Khoon Bari Maang (1988), Koyi Mil Gaya (2003) and Krrish (2006). She is supposed to be also acting a role in Krrish 3. She is now almost retired from films and is settled in Mumbai. She is unmarried and is usually seen looking as glamourous as ever at the many Award ceremonies.

There are other actresses like Zeenat Aman, Parveen Babi, Jayaparadha etc. who also made their mark in the late seventies and eighties and we shall cover them in another follow up article.