#Neena Gupta had to do bad roles

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“Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai?”: Bollywood's Scandalous Question, and The Hardest-Working Scene in Movies by Genevieve Valentine

In a nightclub with the mood lighting of a surgical theater, a village belle is crying out for a husband. Her friend Champa encourages and chastises her by turns; her male audience is invited to be the bells on her anklets. (She promises, with a flare of derision, that serving her will make him a king.) Her costume, the color of a three-alarm fire, sparkles as she holds center screen. The song and camerawork builds to a frenzy as if unable to contain her energy; the dance floor’s nearly chaos by the time she ducks out—she alone has been holding the last eight minutes together. And the hardened criminal in the audience follows, determined not to let her get away.

Subhash Ghai’s 1993 blockbuster Khalnayak is a “masala film,” mingling genre elements with Shakespearean glee and a healthy sense of the surreal. By turns it’s a crime story, a separated-in-youth drama, a Gothic romance with a troubled antihero, a family tragedy, a Western with a good sheriff fighting for the rule of law, and a melodrama in which every revelation’s accompanied by thunder and several close-ups in quick succession. (There’s also a bumbling police officer, in case you felt something was lacking.) It was a box-office smash. But the reason it’s a legend is “Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai?”—“What's Behind That Blouse?”— an iconic number that’s one of the hardest-working scenes in cinema.

See, Ganga (Madhuri Dixit) isn’t really a dancer for hire. She’s a cop gone undercover to snag criminal mastermind Ballu (Sanjay Dutt), who’s recently escaped from prison and humiliated her boyfriend, policeman Ram (Jackie Shroff). Ballu, undercover to avoid detection, is trying to avoid trouble on the way to Singapore...but of course, everything changes after Ganga.

Though the scene shows its age—the self-conscious black-bar blocking, the less-than-precise background dancers—it’s an impressive achievement. Firstly, it’s a starmaker: the screen presence of Madhuri Dixit seems hard to overstate. By 1993 she was already a marquee name, and she would dominate Bollywood box office for a decade after, both as a vivid actress and as a dancer whose quality of movement was without peer. But if you’d never seen a frame of Bollywood you’d still recognize her mountain-climb in this number—playing the cop who disdains Ballu playing the dancer trying to court him, performing by turns for the room and to the camera, conveying flirty sexuality without tipping into self-parody, and all on the move for kinetic camera shots ten to fifteen seconds at a time. Dixit’s effortless magnetism holds it fast; the camera loves what it loves.

But this is more than just a career-making dance break; “Choli Ke Peeche” is the film’s cinematic and thematic centerpiece. Khalnayak is about performativeness. Ballu performs villainy (sometimes literally) in the hopes it will fulfill him; Ram vocally asserts the role of virtuous cop to define himself against those he prosecutes. As Ballu performs good deeds—saving a village from thugs, ditching his bad-guy cape for sublimely 1993 blazers—his conscience grows back by degrees. As Ganga performs a moral compass for Ballu, her heart begins to soften. And at intervals, crowds deliver praise or censure, reminding us that all the world’s a stage. (It’s in the smallest details: While on the run, Ballu’s ready to kill a constable until it turns out he’s an extra in the movie shooting down the street.)

And nowhere in cinema is the fourth wall more permeable than a musical number. Bollywood’s turned them into an art. Playback singers are well-known (they even have their own awards categories), a layer of meta in every performance. Diegetic dance numbers are common. Movies often halt the action entirely for an item number, as a guest actress drops by. For the length of a song, the suspension of disbelief the rest of a movie requires is on pause.

Musical numbers are a place where a movie can comment on itself, and Khalnayak takes full advantage of the remove. (In an earlier number with more traditional Hollywood framing, Dixit winks at us while singing to her beloved.) Likewise, Saroj Khan’s choreography in “Choli Ke Peeche” invites us to enjoy Ganga’s sexuality without concern about racy lyrics—or even about the villain, who dances in his chair along with the rest of us. With the camera as chaperone, it’s safe for “Ganga” to  asks what else she’s meant to do but lift her skirts a bit as she walks (that skirt's expensive!), and to let her prince know she sleeps with the door open. The men around her are either part of the act, or an audience safely contained by the narrative and the frame for our benefit. (At times, her back is to her audience so she can dance for the camera; Khalnayak knows we’re watching.) “Choli Ke Peeche” is a thesis statement on the relationship between performance and audience.

It’s a moment powerful enough to cast a shadow across the rest of the film. This number, not the crimes or the cops, is what the movie returns to repeatedly; it’s too good to ignore and too subversive to solve. Not least, among the other layers of performance, is queer subtext. In Impossible Desires: Queer Diasporas and South Asian Public Cultures, Gayatri Gopinath points out that “female homoerotic desire between Dixit and [Neena] Gupta is routed and made intelligible through a triangulated relation to the male hero.” Champa’s masculinized within the performance; she asks the loaded title question, addresses our heroine’s male savior, and discusses him with Ganga. It’s a significant connection between women in a song supposedly directed at a man—which might be why Champa is the one who defends Ganga’s reputation by explaining the dance-hall sting, and reminding the audience it was all for show.

But that’s not going to stop “Choli Ke Peeche.” At the end of the second act, Ballu blows Ganga’s cover. (He’s known she’s a cop since their backstage meeting—another layer of performance). To prove they mean no real harm, the men don lenghas and veils and parody a chunk of the number, right down to interjectional close-ups and a wandering camera that brings kinetic energy to the static space.

In one way this reprise tries to undercut the song’s power by making it faintly ridiculous, suggesting it isn’t really sexual—it’s camp. But if “Choli Ke Peeche” functioned as a ‘safe’ way for Ganga to express sexuality when we first saw it, it serves a parallel purpose here. Despite the mocking undertones, with this number the men are reassuring her; they understand her sexuality was itself just a performance—her purity is therefore safe with them. (We know that’s a concern here because her shawl is pulled close about her; the free-spirit act is over, and her virtue is at stake.)

But there’s also something undeniably subversive in hyper-masculine, violent figures reenacting coy expressions of feminine desire. To prevent things from getting too subversive, Ballu invades Ganga’s personal space, a reminder of his power amid the making fun. And the performance ends in the threat of violence against Ganga when she breaks the spell—the expected order of captor and captive reestablishing itself as the film falls into a formulaic last act, an attempt to wrest social order out of the exuberant chaos one musical number has wrought.

It caused some chaos offscreen, too. When the soundtrack was released ahead of the film, “Choli Ke Peeche” was deemed obscene; the song was banned on Doordarshan and All India Radio, and faced legal challenge at the Central Board of Film Certification. In “What is Behind Film Censorship? The Kahlnayak debates,” Monika Mehta writes that “the visual and verbal representation combined to produce female sexual desire. It was the articulation of this desire that was the problem—it posited that women were not only sexual objects, but also sexual subjects.” And within the number, there’s no doubt Ganga’s in control; she sends alluring glances Ballu’s way, mocks (then takes) his money, and signals he’s free to follow her if he dares. The undercover-cop framework gives these gestures the veneer of respectability, but since Ballu doesn’t know that yet, the frisson of the forbidden remains.

Letters of condemnation and support rolled in. Many claimed the song was too suggestive; an exhibitor from Paras Cinema in Rajasthan wrote in favor because “Choli Ke Peeche” was based on a folk song from the area, and “If it was vulgar then the ladies would have never liked it.” The examining committee eventually ruled in favor of letting the number remain, with some edits: one that removed the chorus entirely (which Ghai successfully appealed), and two cuts to beats considered provocative, including one of Ganga ‘pointing at her breast’ as she sings, “I can’t bear being an ascetic, so what should I do?”, unequivocally claiming sexuality without even a man as her object. No wonder it had to go.

It wasn’t the only controversy dogging the film; star Sanjay Dutt was arrested under The Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act for possible connections to the 1993 Bombay bombings, which added an uncomfortable self-awareness to Ballu’s onscreen misdeeds. Yet those controversies did Khalnayak no harm at the box office, where it broke records, and the movie’s had such nostalgic power that as of 2016, Ghai was considering a sequel.

But “Choli Ke Peeche” remains the movie’s most measurable influence. In Bombay Before Bollywood: Film City Fantasies, Rosie Thomas notes that after Ganga, “distinctions between heroine and vamp began to crumble, as the item number became de rigueur for female stars,” suggesting Khalnayak was a harbinger of less rigid strictures for Bollywood’s leading ladies. Another legacy of Khalnayak: more numbers feature women—with a man as the absent locus of their affections—dancing with each other instead, forming their own narrative connections and opening the opportunity for queer readings. (One of the most famous, “Dola Re Dola” from 2002’s Devdas, features Dixit again, alongside costar Aishwarya Rai.)

The pressure of so much cultural influence and metatextual weight might have turned a lesser scene into a relic, a stuttery car chase from a silent movie that starts a montage of the ways the camera has developed. It’s a testament to “Choli Ke Peeche” that it absorbs the weight of the years as gracefully as it does. If you want a watershed moment for sexual agency in Bollywood, you have it. If you want a starmaker with dancing that’s influenced choreography and direction for twenty years since, it’s happy to help. If you want a scene that dissects the idea of performance as subversive act, the offscreen vulgarity scandal only adds to your case. And if you want a musical number that reminds you what cinema can do, “Choli Ke Peeche” is as vibrant, campy, and complex as ever.

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Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan Movie Review: Weddings and Other Pandemoniums

Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan

Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Jitendra Kumar, Gajraj Rao, Neena Gupta

Director: Hitesh Kewalya

When we first meet Aman (Jeetendra Kumar) and Kartik (Ayushmann Khurrana), they are running around in superhero suits, fighting people dressed as ‘Bad Keetanus’, and quizzing perplexed bystanders on consequential matters like, “Kya aapke toothpaste mein pyaar hai?

After that intriguing and zany introduction, I was on board and ready for a madcap rollercoaster of a ride. And the film did not disappoint.

Laughter, as a section in Reader’s Digest that old family manual informed us, is the best medicine and Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan is a good example. Employing the small town milieu that has gained much prominence and popularity over the last decade, Kewalya takes forward the conversation around same sex relationships to the heartland, where members of the LGBTQIA community face their biggest acceptance challenge.

Kewalya, when I met him at the trailer launch, mentioned that he had addressed the biases to homosexual relationships head-on, starting with those that he himself had once held on to. One knows that he has indeed, and that the film is likely to strike home when Aman’s uncle (Manu Rishi), who is constantly refusing to even utter the ‘G’ word, asks Kartik, “Beta yeh kab decide kiya ki ye banoge?” Anyone familiar with the North Indian diktats on masculinity would know that it’s a humorous, but astute chronicling of a patriarchal society’s deep-rooted homophobia.

If one were to rewind a bit, we have had Dostana, which introduced the idea of two brawny men as a pretend gay couple and the hilarity it would induce. But that was a story set on foreign shores aimed at a far more liberated set that despite their modern ideas struggled to break free of established norms. Then there were far more poignant sensitive films like I Am and Aligarh, which explored the complexities of being gay in India followed by the sensitive Kapoor & Sons about family secrets. And now SMZS takes it to the next level by making LGBTQIA relationships a lot more accessible, and even family-friendly, if you will. Given that most love stories tragic or comic are about overcoming the impossible obstacles in their way, the premise is perfect.

And with the courts having done away with Article 377 that made homosexuality a crime, the timing is perfect too. Parents struggling to accept children who choose relationships outside the widely accepted heterosexual construct is a worldwide phenomenon and Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan does well in making it the central point of conflict. Kewalya, who makes his debut as a director, passes with flying colours given the odds of pulling off a film like this one.

The ensemble cast comprising of accomplished actors like Ayushmann Khurrana, Neena Gupta, Gajraj Rao, Sunita Rajwar and Manu Rishi in Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, impresses. They bring to their characters the bumbling simplicity that is essential to making the story credible and the humour effective. Besides the seasoned actors, there is a bunch of fresh talent in there that impresses too. Jitendra Kumar, best known for his web-series outings is impressive as are Maanvi Gagroo and Pankhuri Awasthy in smaller roles.

A film’s cast is instrumental in making the film watchable and the abovementioned do a fine job keeping the audience glued to the screen with their antics. Khurrana, as usual, plays to his strengths and works the more flamboyant part, wearing his heart on his sleeves with Kumar as the bashful Aman and together, along with the aforementioned, they tide over the bits that don’t exactly stand out.

That Aman and Kartik get their ‘Ja jee le apni zindagi’ nod from Bauji bodes well for the film and if it notches up a good number at the box-office, it could well be the happily ever after that Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan and the LGBTQIA community in India needs.

Rating: 3.5/5

The post Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan Movie Review: Weddings and Other Pandemoniums appeared first on News.

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6 Incredible Love Stories Of Bollywood And Cricket Stars

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6 Incredible Love Stories Of Bollywood And Cricket Stars

Shivani K April 9, 2019

We all are aware of the association of glamour with cricket. There’s a whole lot of glamour in terms of after parties, movie stars gracing the stadium (some even dating the cricketers) etc. Why do you think that happens? If you think it’s because of the wealth that one can make from it or the tremendous fan base one can achieve by being a cricketer, we are sorry to inform you that you’re wrong. It’s the deep relationship that cricket shares with Bollywood that makes it so glamorous. And this isn’t a recent phenomenon, this relationship can certainly be traced back to several decades.

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that both Bollywood and cricket are professions which are worshipped in India. All Indians want to stay updated about what’s happening in their favorite cricketer’s or actor’s life. The fan base of these two professions will only blow your mind, so intense and hard-earned is their loyalty towards their favorite Bollywood and cricket stars. What happens when both of these come together? It’s like sone pe suhaga! While many cricketers may have been the masters of their game on the cricket field, there are quite a few of them who went weak in their knees upon finding their forever partner in the Tinsel Town. Here’s a list of some incredible love stories of Bollywood and Cricket stars. Let’s have a look.

1. Anushka Sharma And Virat Kohli

virat.kohli / Instagram

Virat has been known as the one of the most good looking and amazing captains of the Indian cricket team and there’s no doubt about the acting abilities of Anushka. They have been regarded as the most stylish couple of the celeb world. In the beginning, they tried their best to deny their relationship and it was only in 2014 that they made it official to the paparazzi. Virat always came to Anushka’s defense whenever she received flak for his bad performances on the field. After all the struggles, the couple finally tied the knot in a private destination wedding in Italy on December 11th, 2017. Since then, we just can’t stop ourselves from going awww over their occasional PDA pictures that keep coming up on social media.

2. Sagarika Ghatge And Zaheer Khan

sagarikaghatge / Instagram

We couldn’t help but notice Sagarika in Chak De! India movie, in fact, the entire nation just fell in love with her. And after that movie, we hardly saw or heard much of her until we saw Sagarika and Zaheer walking hand-in-hand at Yuvraj Singh’s wedding. A lot of dating rumors followed this sighting, which both of them neither denied nor accepted. On April 24, 2017, they announced their engagement officially on social media . The couple had a registered marriage on November 23, 2017 and followed it up with lavish wedding rituals which saw the cream of both the cricket and Tinsel world grace the occasion.

3. Hazel Keech And Yuvraj Singh

hazelkeechofficial / Instagram

They sure do look like a match made in heaven, don’t they? Yes, of course, we know our boy Yuvi has been linked to many Bollywood divas like Deepika Padukone and Kim Sharma. However, it was Hazel who truly won his heart. They started talking over social media which was followed by a lot of partying together and they made their official appearance together at fellow cricketer Harbhajan Singh’s wedding. After nearly 3 years of being together, Yuvi finally popped the question and they got married on November 30th, 2016. And since then, the couple has been giving us some serious husband-wifey goals.

4. Geeta Basra And Harbhajan Singh

geetabasra / Instagram

Both of them claimed to be “just friends” for quite some time and it was on October 29, 2015, that they got married and presented themselves as a couple to the world. Soon there were rumors about cracks in their marriage, but like all couples who are in love, these two too sailed through all the ups and downs and are seen enjoying a blissful marital life now. And on July 27, 2016, our beloved Bhajji and Geeta welcomed their adorable daughter, whom they’ve very lovingly named Hinaya Heer Plaha.

5. Neena Gupta And Vivian Richards

bollywood.mobi / Instagram

Neena Gupta has forever been an inspiration to many because of her great acting skills and bold roles. And when it comes to her personal life, it’s no different at all. She turned heads and also set an example for many women out there when she decided to raise her daughter Masaba, the love child from her relationship with Vivian Richards, a cricketing legend. Their relationship did hit a couple of rocks and they never married. However, they are still a happy family with Masaba living with Neena in India and visiting her father, Richards 3–4 times in a year.

6. Sharmila Tagore And Mansoor Ali Khan

shemaroofilmigaane / Instagram

This couple was the most inspiring and the glamorous of the lot here. She was the diva of her time and he was the most successful cricketer, especially when it came to the test series. Not to forget that he was the Nawab of Pataudi too. And this wasn’t just a union of cricket and Bollywood, it was also a union of two religions which was a rare thing to happen back then. The union faced a lot of oppositions, but they still went ahead and got married. Their successful marriage made many realize what true love can actually achieve.

These were some of the more famous love tales from the glam worlds of Bollywood and cricket. As they say, love definitely has no boundaries. And these beautiful love stories of our favorite Bollywood and cricket stars prove just the same. Do you know of any other jodi that can be a part of this list? Let us know in the comment section below.

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