Pakeezah - The Truth
There are classics and there are classics - but as everyone knows that we absolutely adore Kamal Amrohi's Pakeezah. We were completely flabbergasted when the late Kamal Amrohi's son Tajdar Amrohi joined us from Mumbai to talk about the truths behind the myths surrounding this epic classic. Yes it was originally started in 1958 and initially shot in black and white; yes Meena Kumari opted out after her break up with Kamal Amrohi; yes a body double was used for some of the shots as Meena was ailing- the body double was the vamp Padma Khanna and yes a group of astrologers did tell Kamal that the film was doomed and that everyone associated with it would die!
But what blew us away was when Tajdar told us of his first meeting with Meena Kumari and how he was completely in awe with his new "Choti Ammi" and how he was distraught at her decline and illness. We were moved when Tajdar broke down in tears when describing how he felt when he met Meena Kumari when he was a young child. Do listen again.
Tajdar will be joining us in the UK in a few weeks so if you have any questions - and we do mean any about Pakeezah and its stars do get in touch with us. Email lovebollywood@bbc.co.uk - he has challenged us to ask him the impossible questions!
We had to other A listers on the show this weekend - the actress Dia Mirza and the maestro himself - Mr AR Rahman. Dia is always bright and fun and told us about the how devastated she was to have missed meeting Ronaldo when shooting her new film in Newcastle. Oscar winner AR Rahman proved to us the bigger the star the more down to earth they are. AR is full of spirituality and told us all about Sufism - the man just makes us feel so at peace.
What a weekend.
Till next week
Love Us Love Bollywood
Raj&Pablo xx
Comment number 1.
At 27th Mar 2010, uma wrote:as a 16yr old in the 21st century ... i think this is a movie worth watching i cant get enough of this movie and its story especially the clothing and wordings to the songs i love it ... gives me a sense of my culture bak in the days.
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