Friday, August 3, 2007

1980's movies of the VCR age

A neighbour of mine had a VCR where we watched a movie every Saturday night. This friend's parents used to give us Rs 10 to go and choose a Video Cassette we wished from the video library (extinct today). Most of the times we selected the latest one released that Friday, but several times we’ve (innocently) picked quite the wrong ones!

Our favourite ones were the Neelam-Govinda-Chunky movies. Neelam was my favourite heroine and quite a trend-setter too! I remember having stitched clothes and bought accessories just like hers… frocks and skirts with broad belts, white shoes, and plastic earrings!

Here’s a list of the “Neelam” movies – as much as my rusty memory can remember – all seen on adolescent Saturday nights!

LOVE 86 – the names of the actors in this movie are – behold – Leena Omi Vicky Eesha (stands for LOVE)… remember the song “le jayenge le jayenge dilwaley dulhania le jayenge”

Aag Hi Aag – chunky pandey and neelam singing “saajan aaja re” in the woods. Perhaps later inspired “aashiqui”. Also I remember as a child practicing dancing to the song “lagli lagli lagli, aisi hichki lagli”

Ghar ka chirag – neelam and chunky are college lovers, and chunky dies in a car accident. A pregnant Neelam marries a much older Rajesh Khanna (for convenience, no sex) – has a son – and lo and behold! Chunky returns!!! Popular song “tootak tootak tutiya” which set the trend of bhangra numbers in hindi movies.

Paap ki Duniya – Remember Reema Lahiri singing some lines in the song “Chori Chori yun jab ho aankhen char kya hota hain” – sunny deol dancing funnily. Neelam and chunky are the guys from “good houses” while Sunny is a thief. The song “Main tera tota tu meri maina” and Bappi-da’s music were a big hit.

Mitti aur Sona – one of the boldest movies of the time (I think I must’ve cringed watching this movie with my friend’s parents) Sonam is a call-girl, and chunky who’s actually supposed to fall in love with the goody-goody Neelam falls for Sonam instead… who turns out to be Neelam’s step-sister at the end!

Ilzaam – One of the numerous “dance” movies of the time, Neelam and Govinda are professional dancers, who get separated because of Anita Raaj’s death. And how they get back and fight the villains forms the rest of the story. This movie had the “trendy” song – I am a street dancer.

Hatya – This big hit “thriller” directed by Kirti Kumar had a mute-deaf child being witness to his mother’s death. Govinda – a widower – finds the child and unravels the mystery – with Neelam as arm candy to provide relief in songs – Main pyaar ka poojari, mujhe pyaar chihiye, rab jaisa hi sunder mera yaar chahiye (rab jaisa? Like god?? Ganpati???))

Khudgarz - rakesh roshan’s big ticket to bollywood top directors! Two friends – Shatrughan Sinha and Jeetendra become foes and their children Govinda and Neelam fall in love – over some keechad-splattering! Mai se Meena se na saaki se… singing in the Himalayas!

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