Bollywood Masala Mix
Karan Dewan – the 'Jubilee Star' of decades past
Karan Dewan was born Dewan Karan Chopra on 6th November 1917, the youngest of three brothers, and worked in over seventy films from 1941–79. There was a time when Karan Dewan was known as a Jubilee Star; in fact over 20 of his starrers celebrated jubilees.
While a college student in Lahore, Karan Dewan used to conduct an Urdu film weekly called “Jagat Lakshmi.” As a journalist he came in contact with local distributors. Tarachand Barjatya, Manager of Chandanmal Inder Kumar’s distribution office at Lahore, recommended him to his head office in Calcutta. In 1941 Karan Dewan made his debut as Puran in “Puran Bhagat” (Punjabi) produced in Calcutta by Raisaheb Sukhlal Karnani and directed by R. L. Shorey (father of Roop K. Shorey). His second film (Punjabi) was “Mera Mahi” directed by Shankar Mehta at Lahore.
After that, he was selected out of 1,500 applicants by Bombay Talkies. He came to Bombay but as luck would have it he never appeared in any Bombay Talkies’ films. After almost a year he got his first break in Chimanlal Trivedi’s “Tamanna” in which he was cast opposite Leela Desai. Then he played the leading man in a series of pictures: “Shobha” opposite Sulochana Chatterji, “Ghar Ki Shobha” (Swarnalata), “School Master” (Maya Bannerji). These all proved to be miserable flops and Karan Dewan was branded an unlucky star.
“Gaali” (1944) directed by R. S. Chowdhury also proved a flop. However, his next film “Rattan”, co-starring Swaranlata, celebrated a golden jubilee and the song "Jab Tum Hi Chale Pardes" sung by Karan himself for Naushad, set a new vogue for sad songs. It also led to his marriage with his co-star Manju, who has been acting in Prabhat Films since “Aadmi”.
After marriage his luck changed and in 1945 two pictures starring Karan Dewan celebrated silver jubilees, "Zeenat" and "Bhai Jaan" (both with Noor Jehan). The spell of success continued with movies like “Mehndi,” “Do Dil,” “Krishna Sudama,” his only mythological film, and “Shakti”.
Karan Dewan proved popular in an era when the hero had to be meek and non-violent and suffer defeat and frustration with equanimity. He was ideal for such roles.
His post-partition success started with a Punjabi film “Chaman,” produced by his brother, producer and director, Jaimani Dewan. It was followed by “Lahore” and “Chhoti Bhabhi,” in which Nargis was his co-star; V. Shantaram’s “Dahej” (with Jayashree); “Duniya” (Suraiya); “Rakhi” (Kamini Kaushal) and “Pardes” (Madhubala). Karan played the lead opposite newcomer Meena Kumari in Ranjit’s “Piya Ghar Aaaja” in 1947 and opposite Vyjayanthimala, also a newcomer, in A.V.M.’s “Bahar” in 1951. Though pictures like “Gaon” and “Anmol Rattan,” produced by his brother flopped, he continued to be much in demand. Other hits to his credit included V. Shantaram’s “Teen Batti Char Rasta” (opposite Sandhya) and M. Sadiq’s “Musafirkhana”. He co-starred with Meena in Shorey’s “Jalwa” and “Aag Ka Dariya.” He appeared opposite Geeta Bali in “Sau ka Note.”
After his days as the leading man were over, Karan Dewan made occasional appearances on the screen. He contributed excellent cameos in “Daadi Maa”, “Shahid Bhagatsingh”, “Jeene Ki Raah” and “Maa Aur Mamta.”
With "Apna Ghar" in 1960, Karan was relegated to playing supporting character. The film was directed by Ram Pahwa and had Prem Nath, Shyama and Nanda in main roles. The music director was Ravi. Some of his important films during this period included "Shaheed" (1965), "Aamne Samne" (1967), "Jeene Ki Raah" (1969), "Maa Aur Mamta" (1970), "Nadaan" (1971), "Shehzada" (1972), "Jalte Badan" (1973), "Kala Sona" (1975), "Bhanwar" (1976) and "Atmaram" (1979).
Karan Dewan died on August 2, 1979 in Bombay.
While a college student in Lahore, Karan Dewan used to conduct an Urdu film weekly called “Jagat Lakshmi.” As a journalist he came in contact with local distributors. Tarachand Barjatya, Manager of Chandanmal Inder Kumar’s distribution office at Lahore, recommended him to his head office in Calcutta. In 1941 Karan Dewan made his debut as Puran in “Puran Bhagat” (Punjabi) produced in Calcutta by Raisaheb Sukhlal Karnani and directed by R. L. Shorey (father of Roop K. Shorey). His second film (Punjabi) was “Mera Mahi” directed by Shankar Mehta at Lahore.
After that, he was selected out of 1,500 applicants by Bombay Talkies. He came to Bombay but as luck would have it he never appeared in any Bombay Talkies’ films. After almost a year he got his first break in Chimanlal Trivedi’s “Tamanna” in which he was cast opposite Leela Desai. Then he played the leading man in a series of pictures: “Shobha” opposite Sulochana Chatterji, “Ghar Ki Shobha” (Swarnalata), “School Master” (Maya Bannerji). These all proved to be miserable flops and Karan Dewan was branded an unlucky star.
“Gaali” (1944) directed by R. S. Chowdhury also proved a flop. However, his next film “Rattan”, co-starring Swaranlata, celebrated a golden jubilee and the song "Jab Tum Hi Chale Pardes" sung by Karan himself for Naushad, set a new vogue for sad songs. It also led to his marriage with his co-star Manju, who has been acting in Prabhat Films since “Aadmi”.
After marriage his luck changed and in 1945 two pictures starring Karan Dewan celebrated silver jubilees, "Zeenat" and "Bhai Jaan" (both with Noor Jehan). The spell of success continued with movies like “Mehndi,” “Do Dil,” “Krishna Sudama,” his only mythological film, and “Shakti”.
Karan Dewan proved popular in an era when the hero had to be meek and non-violent and suffer defeat and frustration with equanimity. He was ideal for such roles.
His post-partition success started with a Punjabi film “Chaman,” produced by his brother, producer and director, Jaimani Dewan. It was followed by “Lahore” and “Chhoti Bhabhi,” in which Nargis was his co-star; V. Shantaram’s “Dahej” (with Jayashree); “Duniya” (Suraiya); “Rakhi” (Kamini Kaushal) and “Pardes” (Madhubala). Karan played the lead opposite newcomer Meena Kumari in Ranjit’s “Piya Ghar Aaaja” in 1947 and opposite Vyjayanthimala, also a newcomer, in A.V.M.’s “Bahar” in 1951. Though pictures like “Gaon” and “Anmol Rattan,” produced by his brother flopped, he continued to be much in demand. Other hits to his credit included V. Shantaram’s “Teen Batti Char Rasta” (opposite Sandhya) and M. Sadiq’s “Musafirkhana”. He co-starred with Meena in Shorey’s “Jalwa” and “Aag Ka Dariya.” He appeared opposite Geeta Bali in “Sau ka Note.”
After his days as the leading man were over, Karan Dewan made occasional appearances on the screen. He contributed excellent cameos in “Daadi Maa”, “Shahid Bhagatsingh”, “Jeene Ki Raah” and “Maa Aur Mamta.”
With "Apna Ghar" in 1960, Karan was relegated to playing supporting character. The film was directed by Ram Pahwa and had Prem Nath, Shyama and Nanda in main roles. The music director was Ravi. Some of his important films during this period included "Shaheed" (1965), "Aamne Samne" (1967), "Jeene Ki Raah" (1969), "Maa Aur Mamta" (1970), "Nadaan" (1971), "Shehzada" (1972), "Jalte Badan" (1973), "Kala Sona" (1975), "Bhanwar" (1976) and "Atmaram" (1979).
Karan Dewan died on August 2, 1979 in Bombay.
Richa Chadha, who's a spectacular actress, is also a gem of a person in real life. The actress does not believe in throwing tantrums and goes out of her way to help others. Recently, when she was at a store in Australia, a girl, who was the manager of the store sought her for help from a guy who has been stalking and harassing her. The petite actress not only made sure that the girl is safe but she also waited till the store was closed and then took her out for a bite. Recalling the incident, Richa was appalled at the fact these situations happen everywhere in the world.
Queen Elizabeth II
It is not too often that the Queen of England, Elizabeth II, sends out invitations to people to join her at the Buckingham Palace for cultural events. When one such invite comes in the mail, it is not usually turned down, unless you are Bollywood megastar, Amitabh Bachchan.
It has been reported that the Queen extended a rare invitation to the actor, who is arguably one of India’s biggest cultural icons, to the United Kingdom – India Cultural Year reception at the Palace. However, the invite was politely turned down by the star citing “pre-scheduled commitments” as the reason behind giving the gala a miss.
Although Bachchan was “honoured” to have received the invite, his packed shooting and promotional schedules have forced him to sit this one out. Apart from shooting for Vijay Krishna Acharya’s ‘Thugs of Hindostan’ with Aamir Khan and Gaurang Doshi’s ‘Aankhen 2’, Amitabh will also be launching the trailer of Ram Gopal Varma’s ‘Sarkar 3’. He also has a number of film projects in the pipeline including Ayan Mukerji’s superhero film.
It has been reported that the Queen extended a rare invitation to the actor, who is arguably one of India’s biggest cultural icons, to the United Kingdom – India Cultural Year reception at the Palace. However, the invite was politely turned down by the star citing “pre-scheduled commitments” as the reason behind giving the gala a miss.
Although Bachchan was “honoured” to have received the invite, his packed shooting and promotional schedules have forced him to sit this one out. Apart from shooting for Vijay Krishna Acharya’s ‘Thugs of Hindostan’ with Aamir Khan and Gaurang Doshi’s ‘Aankhen 2’, Amitabh will also be launching the trailer of Ram Gopal Varma’s ‘Sarkar 3’. He also has a number of film projects in the pipeline including Ayan Mukerji’s superhero film.
In a new era in Indian cinema, the glamourous world of Bollywood continues to flourish, more than it ever has. Movies are making more than Rs 600 crore at the box-office, huge sets are being erected, technicians are being imported from abroad and stars are enjoying massive fan-following.
And while Bollywood fillmmakers have a lot more funds and technology at their disposal compared to three decades ago, it seems there is a dearth of creativity among the industry’s elite. There seems to be a sudden surge in remixing popular Bollywood songs. Suddenly it seems like any new Hindi release is incomplete without having a re-hashed version of an old classic song in it. From ‘Humma Humma’ to ‘Tamma Tamma’, we explore this latest trend of Bollywood remixes.
Laila Main Laila
Who can forget Zeenat Aman dancing to ‘Laila O Laila’ in the Vinod Khanna, Feroze Khan-starrer Qurbani? The film became a huge hit and the song went on to become a rage for many years to come. Fast forward to 2017 and Zeenat has been replaced with Sunny Leone, who dances at a shady setting in Shah Rukh Khan’s Raaes. What was an iconic song, has been reduced to ajust another number. The youngsters aren’t complaining though, with the song registering a record number of views on YouTube and the filmmakers are laughing all the way to the bank.
Aaj Jaane ki Zidd Na Karo
This popular chartbuster sung by the legendary Asha Bhonsle in Monsoon Wedding (1993) was reprised in Karan Johar’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil last year, in a song picturised on Ranbir Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. While Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’s music had been Number One on the charts for a while now, this song was appreciated by listeners who took a trip down memory lane. Aishwarya’s presence also brought the song more eyeballs.
Humma Humma
One of the evergreen classics composed by the legendary AR Rahman in Mani Ratnam’s Bombay, Humma Humma was reprised this year in Shaad Ali’s Ok Jaanu. While the original track needs no introduction, the song has been modified to be picturised on Aditya Roy Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor. The remix polarised opinions, with the younger generation grooving to the tune, while those familiar with the original song, brushing it aside with disdain.
Haseeno Ka Deewana
This year’s Republic Day saw two big releases – Raees and Kaabil releasing on the same day. And both these films have something more in common – a remix of a popular Hindi song. If Raees had Sunny Leone dancing to ‘Laila O Laila’, Kaabil witnessed the remake of Kishore Kumar’s iconic song – Haseenon Ka Deewana. Here it’s Urvashi Rautela who sets pulses racing as she dances to the tunes of Rajesh Roshan. While the song lacks the Kishore Kumar magic, the remix nevertheless turned out to be hugely popular with the younger audience, and the video attracted over 50 million views on YouTube.
Maahi Ve
While Bollywood filmmakers often say that they're merely paying tribute to classics – to justify their lack of creativity – while remixing old songs, here is a case where a relatively recent song has been reprised once again, with different singer and a different item girl. Malaika Arora raised the temperature with the item song Maahi Ve (2002), which became an instant hit. Fifteen years later, the song has been reprised (again an item song) in Wajah Tum Ho (released in December 2016). The song has been picturised on Zareen Khan and has become a roaring hit with over 80 million views on YouTube, apart from being a constant feature in nightclubs. But it still begs the question: Can’t Bollywood, with all its resources at its disposal, be more original?
Tamma Tamma
While watching new-age superstars Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan dance to ‘Tamma Tamma’ in their upcoming film Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya, our minds race back to the song picturised on Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit from Thanedaar. Interestingly, viewers not familiar with the original version couldn’t help but notice the resemblance with Amitabh Bachchan song ‘Jhumma Chumma De De’, and were quite perplexed to find that two songs which are pretty much identical, released in separate movies, just an year apart.
Tu Cheez Badi Hai
One of the most foot-tapping songs from the 90s, the song from Mohra featuring Akshay Kumar and Raveena Tandon was an instant chartbuster and is fondly remembered by the audience even today. Now the latest we hear is that this song will also be reprised in director duo Abbas-Mustan’s upcoming film Machine. The film will feature Abbas’ son Mustafa Burmawalla, who will make his Bollywood debut opposite Kiara Advani.
And while Bollywood fillmmakers have a lot more funds and technology at their disposal compared to three decades ago, it seems there is a dearth of creativity among the industry’s elite. There seems to be a sudden surge in remixing popular Bollywood songs. Suddenly it seems like any new Hindi release is incomplete without having a re-hashed version of an old classic song in it. From ‘Humma Humma’ to ‘Tamma Tamma’, we explore this latest trend of Bollywood remixes.
Laila Main Laila
Who can forget Zeenat Aman dancing to ‘Laila O Laila’ in the Vinod Khanna, Feroze Khan-starrer Qurbani? The film became a huge hit and the song went on to become a rage for many years to come. Fast forward to 2017 and Zeenat has been replaced with Sunny Leone, who dances at a shady setting in Shah Rukh Khan’s Raaes. What was an iconic song, has been reduced to ajust another number. The youngsters aren’t complaining though, with the song registering a record number of views on YouTube and the filmmakers are laughing all the way to the bank.
Aaj Jaane ki Zidd Na Karo
This popular chartbuster sung by the legendary Asha Bhonsle in Monsoon Wedding (1993) was reprised in Karan Johar’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil last year, in a song picturised on Ranbir Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. While Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’s music had been Number One on the charts for a while now, this song was appreciated by listeners who took a trip down memory lane. Aishwarya’s presence also brought the song more eyeballs.
Humma Humma
One of the evergreen classics composed by the legendary AR Rahman in Mani Ratnam’s Bombay, Humma Humma was reprised this year in Shaad Ali’s Ok Jaanu. While the original track needs no introduction, the song has been modified to be picturised on Aditya Roy Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor. The remix polarised opinions, with the younger generation grooving to the tune, while those familiar with the original song, brushing it aside with disdain.
Haseeno Ka Deewana
This year’s Republic Day saw two big releases – Raees and Kaabil releasing on the same day. And both these films have something more in common – a remix of a popular Hindi song. If Raees had Sunny Leone dancing to ‘Laila O Laila’, Kaabil witnessed the remake of Kishore Kumar’s iconic song – Haseenon Ka Deewana. Here it’s Urvashi Rautela who sets pulses racing as she dances to the tunes of Rajesh Roshan. While the song lacks the Kishore Kumar magic, the remix nevertheless turned out to be hugely popular with the younger audience, and the video attracted over 50 million views on YouTube.
Maahi Ve
While Bollywood filmmakers often say that they're merely paying tribute to classics – to justify their lack of creativity – while remixing old songs, here is a case where a relatively recent song has been reprised once again, with different singer and a different item girl. Malaika Arora raised the temperature with the item song Maahi Ve (2002), which became an instant hit. Fifteen years later, the song has been reprised (again an item song) in Wajah Tum Ho (released in December 2016). The song has been picturised on Zareen Khan and has become a roaring hit with over 80 million views on YouTube, apart from being a constant feature in nightclubs. But it still begs the question: Can’t Bollywood, with all its resources at its disposal, be more original?
Tamma Tamma
While watching new-age superstars Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan dance to ‘Tamma Tamma’ in their upcoming film Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya, our minds race back to the song picturised on Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit from Thanedaar. Interestingly, viewers not familiar with the original version couldn’t help but notice the resemblance with Amitabh Bachchan song ‘Jhumma Chumma De De’, and were quite perplexed to find that two songs which are pretty much identical, released in separate movies, just an year apart.
Tu Cheez Badi Hai
One of the most foot-tapping songs from the 90s, the song from Mohra featuring Akshay Kumar and Raveena Tandon was an instant chartbuster and is fondly remembered by the audience even today. Now the latest we hear is that this song will also be reprised in director duo Abbas-Mustan’s upcoming film Machine. The film will feature Abbas’ son Mustafa Burmawalla, who will make his Bollywood debut opposite Kiara Advani.