The sexy '70s

by | December 10, 2014, 12:29 IST

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The sexy '70s


The unparalleled rise and fall of one superstar, the birth of another, plus the rush of the parallel movement. The ’70s were heady times indeed for Indian film buffs. The transition from Rajesh Khanna to Amitabh Bachchan changed the way movies were made. Romances gave way to actioners with socio-economic subtexts. Films became star-centric instead of story-centric. But there was a flourishing counter cinema, heralded by stalwarts like filmmakers Shyam Benegal and Govind Nihalani and starring the likes of Naseeruddin Shah, Girish Karnad, Om Puri, Amol Palekar, Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil for the discerning viewer. Fan magazines too flourished in the era, printing more risque content than before. Free love, LSD, and rock 'n' roll was ruling the world and echoes were heard on Indian shores too. Stars lived bolder and colourful lives than ever.

1



Raj Kapoor's epic failure Mera Naam Joker

Raj Kapoor associated himself with the Joker – not your Batman villain but a comic hero, who hid his tears behind a mask of laughter. Mera Naam Joker (1970) was a culmination of that philosophy. He left no stone unturned to scale up his magnum opus. A circus troop was especially hired from Russia and kept on the RK Studio payroll for the length of the project. He planned it as a three film series but escalating costs forced him to tell the story in a single film. Still, at 255 minutes, it was a tad long and had two intervals. The film wasn’t received well when it was first released, leading Raj Kapoor to bankruptcy. It picked up after the maestro’s death in 1988 and is currently hailed as a classic.

2




Bobby, Bikini and box-office
Raj Kapoor’s teen romance Bobby (1973) made an overnight pin-up sensation of Dimple Kapadia when she appeared in a bikini. Thanks to Dimple’s oomph and the appeal of adolescent romance, the hit film recouped the losses made by Mera Naam Joker. It became the precursor to teenage romances, a formula repeated in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Maine Pyar Kiya and several other films.

 

 

3

 

Dimple-Rajesh:a sudden wedding
Rajesh Khanna was seeing Anju Mahendru, who had said no to Caribbean cricket legend Gary Sobers in favour of Kaka. But the superstar surprised everyone by opting for a gun-shot wedding with Dimple Kapadia. He was 20 years older to Dimple She was flooded with offers after Bobby but gave it all away for hearth and home. She did make a comeback with Sagar (1985), after her separation from Khanna but the magic wasn’t the same.

4



Zanjeer ties Amitabh Bachchan to superstardom
Bachchan had made people aware of his histrionics in films like Anand and Namak Haram but it was Zanjeer (1973) that heralded the birth of  ‘the angry young man’. The film saw him cast as a police inspector frustrated with the system and who isn’t averse to using violence against gangsters. People were fed up with rampant corruption and it felt good to see a lanky man, who wasn’t built like a traditional action hero, striking a blow against the baddies and winning. Bachchan went on to act in hits after hits like Sholay, Deewaar, Hera Pheri, Amar Akbar Anthony, and many, many more, forming successful partnerships with hard core commercial filmmakers like Yash Chopra, Prakash Mehra and Manmohan Desai.

5



Amitabh-Jaya get hitched
Amitabh Bachchan wasn’t the phenomenon he became when he married Jaya Bhaduri in 1973, who was the bigger star then. The marriage was the result of a long courtship. They did many films together like Bansi Birju, Ek Nazar, Zanjeer and Abhimaan before finally tying the knot in 1973. They went on to do Chupke Chupke, Mili and Sholay after marriage.

 

 

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Sholay: India’s very own Western
Hugely inspired by the classic Once Upon A Time In The West, director Ramesh Sippy’s film nevertheless had an inherent desi flavour. The classical elements of Indian folk stories – two unlikely heroes coming together to war against evil and finding redemption, interspersed with a host of colourful characters made it a riveting watch. The film wasn’t an outright hit and only picked up after the seventh week. But after that it broke all the existing box-office records. It ran for three years at Minerva and still runs to packed houses at every re-release. Thakur, Jai, Veeru, Basanti and of course, Gabbar have become household names.

7


Meena Kumari's tragic end
Three weeks after the release of Pakeezah, Meena Kumari became seriously ill, and died on 31 March 1972 of liver cirrhosis. It is said that she died in a nursing home and there was no money to pay her hospital bills. Pakeezah, ironically, picked up after her death and today is considered a classic. Legend also has it that she asked for just one ashrafi (gold coin) from producer/husband Kamal Amrohi to do the film.

 

 

8



Mumtaz marries a millionaire
Mumtaz was once linked to Shammi Kapoor and later to Rajesh Khanna. So, it came as a shock to the industry when the reigning queen suddenly decided to quit it all and marry NRI industrialist Mayur Madhwani in 1974. She was on the top rung of her career ladder and just 27.

9



Flower power rules fashion
The hippies were conquering the world with free love and bell bottoms and Indian films were quick on the uptake. Indian heroines took to bell bottoms, platform heels, sunglasses, jump suits and maxis with mojo. The Zeenat Aman look from Hare Rama Hare Krishna is still popular. The bouffant gave way to long straight hair and cat eyes and use of bold eyeliners a la Hema Malini in Seeta Aur Geeta was the order of the day. Male stars too strutted in long collared shirts and suits with exaggerated buttons.

9



Mukesh passes away
Mukesh died of a heart attack on August 27, 1976 in Detroit, Michigan, USA, where he had gone to perform in a concert. Raj Kapoor is believed to have said, “I have lost my voice,” when he heard the news. The singer, along with Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar, dominated the playback scene since the ‘50s. Along with Shailendra and Shankar-Jaikishan, he was seen as a pillar of RK productions.

8



A parallel wave
The parallel cinema movement, led by such directors as Shyam Benegal, Mani Kaul, Rajinder Singh Bedi and Govind Nihalani, as also the middle-of-the-road cinema by filmmakers like Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Gulzar and Basu Chatterjee gained momentum in the ’70s. Films like Mani Kaul’s Uski Roti (1971), Shyam Benegal’s directorial debut, Ankur (1974), Hrishkesh Mukherjee’s Anand (1970), Basu Chatterjee’s Rajnigandha (1974) also found an audience alongside regular potboilers. A host of talented actors like Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, Deepti Naval, Farooq Sheikh got introduced to the industry because of such films.

b



Kishore Kumar’s rise and rise

It’s not as if Kishore Kumar was unheard of before Aradhana (1969). He was considered a good singer since the ’50s but he wasn’t the first choice of composers. One film changed all that. The tremendous success of Aradhana’s songs made people reassess his vibrant voice. His versatility ensured that he didn’t just remain the voice of the current superstar Rajesh Khanna. He went on to sings hit songs for stars ranging from Amitabh to Dharmendra and even Navin Nischol. He remained the numero uno singer right up to his death in 1987.

7




The Amitabh Bachchan-Rekha affinity
The duo appeared in a number of films together like Do Anjaane (1976), Alaap (1977), Khoon Pasina (1977), Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978) and Mr Natwarlal (1979). Given their onscreen chemistry, rumours about their off-screen liaison were thick. The media got a wind of their alleged affair when Amitabh reportedly roughed up a guy who was heckling Rekha on the set of Ganga Ki Saugandh.

6



Dharmendra-Hema unite
They were dubbed the dream pair in their first outing itself, the comedy Tum Haseen Main Jawan (1970). By Sholay (1975), they were seen as a couple. It’s said that Dhamendra used to pay the lightboys to goof up so he could keep on giving romantic retakes with Hema. The duo went on to star in some 28 films together and eventually tied the knot in 1980 after nearly a decade of courtship.

5



Parveen Babi follows Kabir Bedi to Italy
Top actress Parveen Babi created a stir when she quit films to join beau Kabir Bedi in Italy on the set of Sandokan. Protima Bedi later accused Parveen of stealing her husband. Her relationship with Kabir was going nowhere and she returned to India. She then got into an intense relationship with Mahesh Bhatt, who was a struggler then. Sadly, it was during this relationship that first signs of schizophrenia began to appear in the actress.


S




Nutan sues mother Shobhana Samarth
It made headlines when Nutan sued mother Shobhana Samarth over a property dispute. The public opinion was against the actress, whatever the legalities of the case may be. The dispute, allegedly about non-payment of income tax that couldn’t be solved amicably at home, had to be settled in court. The actress also set the rumour rags abuzz when she allegedly slapped Sanjeev Kumar on a film set in order to prove her fidelity to husband and naval officer Rajnish Behl.

 

 

 

 


B



Garm Hava: Pain of the Partition
It took 30 years to make a film that took a close look at the Partition. MS Sathyu, an old IPTA hand and one of Chetan Anand’s protégé, cast Balraj Sahni in perhaps one of the finest roles in his career as a Muslim householder. He is forced to question his loyalties, thanks to the division of the country and its aftermath. The film’s poignant tale still holds true.


B



Shatrughan Sinha-Reena Roy affair
Sparks flew when Reena Roy and Shatrughan Sinha were cast together for Kalicharan (1975), which became a big hit. They appeared in many films together like Vishwanath (1978) and Muqabala (1979). Their affair allegedly concluded in 1981 when Shatrughan married Poonam Chandiramani.



B



Amitabh’s press ban

During the height of his career in mid-70s, Amitabh Bachchan and the media came to be at loggerheads, the actor resenting the scrutiny on his personal life. A certain section of the media banned Amitabh from their publications, refusing to publish interviews or photographs or any other material connected with the star. The war continued till Amitabh’s ‘Coolie’ (1983) accident, where news of his illness thawed the battlelines. The fourth estate, like millions of his fans, wanted him to recover and regain his health. All was forgiven from both sides after his discharge and the superstar has enjoyed a cordial relationship with the press ever since.


B



Raakhee-Gulzar rift: poetry gone awry

Raakhee was already a divorcee when Gulzar married her in 1973. It was apparently her desire to face the camera again that caused a rift between Raakhee and Gulzar. It’s alleged that she wanted to act in his Mausam (1975) and didn’t approve of it when he cast Sharmila Tagore instead. She allegedly retaliated by signing Kabhi Kabhie (1976) soon after daughter Bosky’s birth. The couple then decided to separate, though they aren’t divorced.

 

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