Archive for the ‘Profiles’ Category
Master Vithal (d. 1969)
Master Vithal was an actor who happened to be on the path of the juggernaut of Hindi cinema history. As the hero of the first Indian talkie, Alam Ara, Vithal witnessed the same force that elevated him to a permanent place in film annals, also becoming the cause for the annihilation of his career. Before ...
Ardeshir Irani (1886 – 1969)
At the height of the silent era, one man dared to think of bringing sound into Hindi films. Talkies had already been introduced in Hollywood and Ardeshir Irani realized that films were perched on the lip of change. It was not an easy task to incorporate sound equipment into cinema halls. But Irani, the kingpin ...
Chandulal Shah (1898 – 1975)
Along with New Theatres, Prabhat and Bombay Talkies, Chandulal Shah’s Ranjit Studios was one of the four great institutions of the studio era. With stars like Gohar, E Billimoria, Madhuri, Motilal, Khurshid and Saigal on its payroll, the studio’s boast was: ‘There are more stars in Ranjit than in the heavens’. Shah first won attention ...
Himanshu Rai (1896 – 1940)
If Phalke is credited with pioneering the production of films in India, Himanshu Rai is generally lauded for lending sophistication to the nascent craft. The founder of Bombay Talkies was indeed a true visionary with ideas forever fermenting in his head. The westward-leaning Rai became one of the first Indians to collaborate with European filmmakers. ...
Gope (1914 – 1957)
Beginning his career in the early 1930s, Gope Kamlani went on to become one of Hindi cinemas most popular comedians. Such was his appeal that at the height of his career, he shared credits with the films lead actors. One of nine children, Gope completed his education in Karachi (now in Pakistan). His interest in ...
Simple Kapadia
Born on August 15, 1958, Simple was the younger sister of actress Dimple Kapadia. She started her career at the early age of 18 and made her debut with Rajesh Khanna in Anurodh in 1977. However, she failed to establish herself as a prominent actor. She worked in at least 10 films. Simple quit acting ...
Shadia (1931 – )
Fatma Ahmed Kamal Shaker was given the stage- name “Shadia” by director Helmi Rafla. In her heyday during the 1950s and 1960s, she avoided being typecast by working with a number of different directors and in different genres—melodrama, romance, and comedy. It was, however, her musical talent as a singer that established Shadia as one ...
Mohammad Ali Fardin (1930 – 2000)
A former wrestling champion, Fardin was the biggest star in Iran’s cinema during the 1960s and early 1970s. He acted and sometimes directed films in the luti genre, playing the proletarian rogue with the heart of gold, who rejects Westernization and materialism yet does not challenge the status quo (Champion of Champions [Siamak Yasami, 1965]; ...
Niki Karimi
Karimi is an award-winning Iranian actress, film director, and translator. Dariush Mehrjui’s Sara, based on Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, gave Karimi her first nationally and internationally acclaimed role, an emotionally charged rendering of the title character, Sara, a woman on the verge of discovering the truth about her exploitative and loveless marriage. She is ...
Abdel Halim Hafez
For thirty years, Muhammad Abdel Wahab dominated Arabic song. Then suddenly a sickly young man called Abdel Halim Hafez appeared, and earned for himself the name al-Andalib al-Asmar, The Dark Nightingale. The upstart’s sudden rise to fame took the Singer of Kings and Princes by surprise. In an attempt to smother him, he signed him ...
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Bollywood - Arjun has lived up to the expectations- Karan:
We Are Family has had a good opening and is turning out to be yet another decent success of this...
V. Shantaram (1901 - 1990):
After Barua's Devdas set a nationwide trend for apocalyptic despondency, Shantaram felt the need...
Neelo:
Real Name Cynthia Alexander Fernandes, Neelo was Pakistan's first oomph girl. Born 30th June ...
Two Women (1998):
Two Women tells the story of two school friends, intelligent and beautiful Fereshteh from ...
Veena:
Veena was a famous character actress. She was born as Tajour Sultana on July 4, 1926 in Quetta,...
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- admin commented on Raj Kapoor’s Filmography – As Actor : I checked my collection and I don't have this song.
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