Monday, December 29, 2008
thook meN bhajiyaa tal rahe ho
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Jo haath angaare ko chhupaaye, angaaraa usee haath ko jalaa detaa hai
Film : Zanjeer
Year of release : 1973
Spoken by : Inspector (Satyen Kappoo)
Spoken to : Ranjit (M Rajan)
A felon Ranjit is being released from the prison. He had refused to divulge the details of the gang which manufactured and distributed spurious drugs during his entire term. The inspector had tried his best to get Ranjit to become an approver and confess the names of the people involved, but in vain. Finally as he releases him, he says
"lekin yaad rakho ranjit, jo haath angaare ko chhupaaye, angaaraa usee haath ko jalaa detaa hai. tum ek din zaroor pachhtaaoge"
"लेकिन याद रखो रंजीत, जो हाथ अंगारे को छुपाये, अंगारा उसी हाथ को जला देता है. तुम एक दिन ज़रूर पछताओगे"
Some secrets are better divulged before they consume the keeper of the secret. As Ranjit found out in this movie.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Usne kahaa thaa
Monday, December 15, 2008
Aapkaa janeoo dikh rahaa hai
Year of release : 1976
Spoken by : Ajay (Vinod Khanna)
Spoken to : Asha Khanna (SulakshaNa PanDit)
Ajay saves Asha from some goons who are trying to molest her. He manages to scare them off. However, the goons have torn Asha's clothes. And the audience can see the fat ugly bra strap that was common in the 1970s. But the line that Ajay delivers has to go down as a classic. He says
आपका जनेऊ दिख रहा है
Whenever I am faced with such a situation, I cannot but help remember this line. Whether I use it or not depends on how well I know the person in question. But the line crops up nonetheless and brings a smile to the face.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
kitnee door hai babuji... hindustaan me to hai naa
Saturday, December 6, 2008
terii mayyat par zyaadaa bheeD naheeN lagegee
Film : Woodstock Villa
Year of release : 2008
Spoken by : Kaleem Bhai (Gulshan Grover)
Spoken to : Sameer (Sikandar Kher)
Kaleem Bhai has lent some money to Sameer. Since Sameer is behindhand on the payment, he comes and bashes him up regularly to serve as a payment due reminder. In one such instance, he says
"terii mayyat par zyaadaa bheeD naheeN lagegee...kyoNkii mardoN se too pehchaan banaataa naheeN hai aur auratoN ko shamshaan meN aane kee manaa hai"
"तेरी मय्यत पर ज़्यादा भीड़ नहीं लगेगी, क्योंकि मर्दों से तू पहचान बनाता नहीं है और औरतों को शमशान में आने की मना है"
It is quite surprising that inspite of the society having progressed so (women can go into space and onto moon); they still don't go to the graveyard.
Aadmii jo hai aur aadmii jo kartaa hai...aage chalkar donoN meN antar naheeN rehtaa
Year of release : 1983
Spoken by : Jyotsana Gokhale (Smita Patil)
Spoken to : Anant Velankar (Om Puri)
This film was one of Govind Nihalani's rare films which was a commercial success too. It was a good film and a must watch for all fans of Hindi films. Jyotsana is a college lecturer who is in love with Anant Velankar (who is the 80s version of Inspector Vijay Khanna). She attends a conference on police brutality and excesses and comes back and asks Anant Velankar to leave his job. He protests at her attempt to paint all the policemen with the same brush. She says,
"Dekho aadmi jo hai, aur jo kartaa hai – aage chalkar donoN meN antar naheeN rahtaa. Odhii huyee manovratti bhee aadmi ko khaa letee hai"
Thursday, December 4, 2008
kaneez kee majbooree ko aarzoo naa samajhiye zill-e-ilaahii
Year of release : 1960
Spoken by : Anarkali (Madhubala)
Spoken to : Akbar (Prithviraj Kapoor)
Anarkali says this to Akbar when he accuses her of having been a gold digger.
"Kaneez kee majboori ko aarzoo naa samajhiye zille ilaahee"
"कनीज़ की मजबूरी को आरज़ू ना समझिये ज़िल्ल-ए-इलाही"
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
tujhe maa chaahiye yaa chane
अरे तू कैसी मा हो राधा. खा ले. शाबाश. इस हाथ में भी ले.
Radha : birju phenk de chane. phenk de... birju, tujhe maa chaahiye yaa chane.
बिरजू फेंक दे चने...फेंक दे...बिरजू, तुझे माँ चाहिये या चने.
At this Birjoo throws away the food and spits out what he was eating on Sukhilala's face.
Sukhilala : aay haay maa bete sabab sayaane . sabere tak tabeeyat thikaane ho jaayegee
True to his words, just as he leaves Birju collapses due to hunger. Eventually this forces a distraught Radha to go back to Sukhilala. But we will come to that some other time.
I do think however, if you use this line with a modern day kid, he is going to go for the 'chane' and not the 'ma'.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Yeh to cheating hai
Year of release : 2002
Spoken by : Babu (Manoj Bajpai)
Spoken to : Arvind Chauhan (Viveik Oberoi)
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Yeh laDkiyaaN shamshaan tak aa naheeN saktee, lekin pahunchaa zaroor sakteeN haiN
Year of release : 2008
Spoken by : Kaleem Bhai (Gulshan Grover)
Spoken to : Sameer (Sikander Kher)
Gulshan Grover here playing another interesting character called Kaleem Bhai. He is a don who is owed money by the hero Sameer. Sameer is of course a philanderer and takes a needlessly healthy interest in women. On one such collection call, Kaleem Bhai leaves Sameer with a warning.
"जाते जाते कलीम भाई की नसीहत सुन ले. ये लड़कियाँ शम्शान तक आ नहीं सकती, लेकिन पहुँचा ज़रूर सकतीं हैं"
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Isme aapkaa dosh naheeN...meree soorat hee aisee hai
Year of release : 1951
Spoken by : Raj (Raj Kapoor)
Spoken to : Rita (Nargis)
This is Raj's oft-repeated line in this movie. You can call it his 'takiaa qalaam'. Raj is a tramp - an aawaara - who steals for a living. One fine day, he snitches Rita's purse from a crowded market place. He bumps into her as he is doing this. Since he is dressed as a tramp, Rita heaps scorn on him. When she discovers that her purse is missing, she is distraught. She starts running in the direction where she thinks the thief might have gone. Raj pretends to chase the thief and while chasing this thief he jumps over a high wall and pretends to fight with the imaginary thief before bringing back the purse to Rita. He is almost exposed, as a curious Rita tries to climb the wall to see what's going on. But she is unable to scale the wall and hence Raj escapes detection. When he hands the purse back to Rita, she is contrite as she had treated him with contempt a while back. Raj says
"IsmeN aapkaa dosh naheeN memsaab; merii soorat hee aisee hai. Aur to aur kabhee kabhee police bhee dhokhaa khaa jaatee hai"
"इसमें आपका दोष नहीं मेमसाब; मेरी सूरत ही ऐसी है. और तो और कभी कभी पुलिस भी धोखा खा जाती है"
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Neech aadmii bhee vohee kaam karte haiN jo shareef karte haiN
Friday, November 21, 2008
Agar maarnaa ho to bolne kee zaroorat kyaa hai
"Suar ko ghar meN ghus ke maaregaa maiN"
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Afsos ke log doodh se bhee jal jaate haiN
Year of release : 1972
Spoken by : Salim Ahmed Khan (Raaj Kumar)
Spoken to : Hakim saahab (Sapru)
Paakeezah is another film where the writing has what we call 'nafaasat' - a kind of finesse which is very rare in Hindi films. Salim is in front of his family patriarch who has objected to his bringing Saahib Jaan (Meena Kumari) home without determining her pedigree. He has had a similar experience with Shahabuddin (Ashok Kumar) who had, many years ago, brought a woman called Nargis (Meena Kumari again) home. So he says
"Jo log doodh se jal jaate haiN, wo chhaachh bhee phoonk phoonk kar peete haiN"
"जो लोग दूध से जल जाते हैं, वो छाछ भी फूंक फूंक कर पीते हैं"
A visibly irritated Salim retorts with this great line
"Afsos ke log doodh se bhee jal jaate haiN"
"अफ़सोस के लोग दूध से भी जल जाते हैं"
He is referring to the benign nature of milk and using it to hit back at his grandfather's proverb.
This Hindi equivalent of 'once bitten twice shy" is oft used by people. So if it is used in a situation where you disagree, go ahead and say
"अफ़सोस के लोग दूध से भी जल जाते हैं"
Monday, November 17, 2008
Inkaa exam hai?
"इनका इग्ज़ॅम है?"
One of the few genuine mirthful moments of the film. With films like Return of the Jewel Thief, you can laugh at them, if not with them. But in movies like Vivaah, even that is not possible without feeling guilty. You run the risk of being dubbed as heartless and emotionless.
Friday, November 14, 2008
MaiN tumheN is tarah Khaamosh naheeN hone dooNgaa
Film : Anand
Year of release : 1971
Spoken by : Dr Bhaskar (Amitabh Bachchan)
Spoken to : Anand Sehgal (Rajesh Khanna)
This is the climax scene of the tear-jerker Anand. Still manages to clean my eyes out, though I would have seen it over 100 times.
Anand is bed-ridden and about to breathe his last. Suddenly a desperate Dr Bhaskar tells Dr Prakash Kulkarni (Ramesh Deo) that Dr Shastri (who is a cancer specialist) might have found some new miraculous cure for the disease and rushes out to Dr. Shastri's house. A dying Anand begs Bhaskar to stay, as he knows that it is futile to find a cure at this late stage. Even Prakash tells Bhaskar not to be foolish and stay with Anand during his dying moments. But a stubborn Bhaskar goes anyway.
While Bhaskar is away, Anand is dying and asks for Bhaskar. When he realises that Bhaskar is not there, he asks Prakash to play the tape which has Bhaskar's and his voice. It is the same "maut too ek kavita hai" poem in Bhaskar's voice which ends with the "zindagi aur maut to oopar waale..." dialogue (which you can read here). If you have seen the scene, you would remember that between Bhaskar's poem and Anand's dialogue there is a long interlude when Anand is figuring out what he should say. In fact, Bhaskar has to goad him with the famous 'tumhe bhee bolnaa paDegaa bolne ke liye" dialogue (Read it here). This interlude is used very cleverly in the climax.
So as Anand listens to the poem on death in his friend Bhaskar's voice, he dies with a last scream of "babu moshaai". There is a hushed silence all around. This is broken by Bhaskar who bursts into the room with
"Prakash, Dr. Shastri..."
He breaks off as he realises that Anand is dead. He turns to the supine form of his friend and delivers those great lines which will give you gooseflesh even if you are part human. Full humans beware.
"naheeN ...maiN tumheN is tarah Khamosh naheeN hone dooNgaa"
"नहीं...मैं तुम्हें इस तरह ख़ामोश नहीं होने दूंगा"
"Chhah maheene se tumhaaree bak bak sun rahaa hooN maiN"
"छह महीने से तुम्हारी बक बक सुन रहा हूं मैं"
"bol bol ke meraa sar khaa gaye ho tum. bolo...baateN karo mujhse - baateN karo mujhse - baateN karo mujhse"
"बोल बोल के मेरा सर खा गये हो तुम. बोलो...बातें करो मुझसे - बातें करो मुझसे - बातें करो मुझसे"
That's when the tape interlude ends and Anand's voice rings out from the Sony tape recorder. For a moment, everyone feels that the prankster in Anand has actually come to the fore. In a moment they realise, it is only the tape. That's when the words dry up and everyone breaks down. Great scene.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Jab pati apnee patni ko kuchh aur nahee de saktaa to usko credit card detaa hai
Monday, November 10, 2008
Ye Bruce Lee kaa naheeN Osama kaa zamaanaa hai
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Qutub minar par malaai maar ke le aa
Friday, November 7, 2008
Yeh vo log haiN jinheN saDkoN pe baTue mile aur unhone lauTaaye naheeN
Year of release : 1959
Spoken by : Ramlal (Motilal)
Spoken to : Raj (Raj Kapoor)
The first time I 'heard' this film, this was the line that stayed with me. I finally managed to dig up the DVD to confirm the exact words. Yes you read right - I said 'heard' this movie. There used to be a program called Chitradhwani on Vividh Bharti. I think that was way back in 1989. I saw the movie for the first time in 2008. But for some strange reason this line stayed with me all this while.
"Jee ye sab mujhe jaanne kee zaroorat naheeN"
Thursday, November 6, 2008
English boltaa hai
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Utarte huye sooraj meN bhee bahut tapish hai
Film : Jodha Akbar
Year of release : 2008
Spoken by : Sujamal (Sonu Sood)
Spoken to : Jodha (Aishwarya Rai)
Shujamal has been passed over for the kingship of Aamer. He leaves the court of Raja Bhaarmal (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) in a huff. Jodha tries to stop him, but he doesn't wait. But while leaving he says,
"to yaad rakhiyegaa jodhaa , utarte huye sooraj meN bhee bahut tapish hai"
"तो याद रखियेगा जोधा, उतरते हुये सूरज में भी बहुत तपिश है"
He later goes and meets Sharifuddin (Nikitin Dheer). Sharifudin agrees to put in a word for him, but he asks for Sujamal's support for attacking Akbar as a return favour.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Achchhaa kyaa aur buraa kyaa sab bekaar kee baateN haiN
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Jo log dhoti pahante haiN na, vo doosroN kee saaRee naheeN utaarte
Film : Woodstock Villa
Year of release : 2008
Spoken by : Mr. Chawla (Shakti Kapoor)
Spoken to : Sameer (Sikandar Kher)
Mr. Chawla is Sameer's landlord. He refers to Sameer's vulnerability and says
"Jo log dhoti pahante haiN na, vo doosroN kee saaRee naheeN utaarte"
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
kabhee kabhee daave dilchasp bhee huaa karte haiN
Monday, October 27, 2008
Joke sunaayaa iskaa ye matlab naheeN kee joke kar rahaa thaa
Year of release : 2008
Spoken by : Sameer (Sikandar Kher)
Spoken to : Jatin Kampani (Arbaaz Khan)
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Jab sar kaTne vaalaa hai to daaDhee karane se kyaa faaydaa
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Paani aur tamannaaoN kee taaseer ek hai
Year of release : 2008
Spoken by : Sharifuddin Hussain (Nikitin Dheer)
Spoken to : Sujamal (Sonu Sood)
When Sujamal is not crowned as the King of Aamer (though rightfully he should have), he rebels and leaves his erstwhile kingdom. He starts lobbying with neighbouring kings for his right. One such king is Sharifuddin. He agrees to help Sujamal, but asks him point blank as to what he can expect in return. Sujamal agrees to do anything for him. Sharifuddin says he should help him to attack Agra (i.e. Akbar himself). Sujamal is surprised, since Sharifuddin is married to Akbar's sister. Sharifuddin responds with this flowery dialogue
"जानते हैं सुजामल, पानी और तमन्नाओं की तासीर एक है. आगे बढ़ते जाना. अब हमे मुकम्मल हिन्दुस्तान चाहिये"
Monday, October 20, 2008
dimaaG pe bojh naheeN Daalte
Friday, October 17, 2008
Is aundhee duniyaa ko seedhaa dekhanaa ho to sar ke bal khaDaa honaa paDtaa hai
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Akelee ladkee khulee huyee tijori kee tarah hotee hai
Film: Jab We Met
Year of release : 2007
Spoken by : Railway Waterstall owner (Asif Basra)
Spoken to : Geet Dhillon (Kareena Kapoor)
This is one of my favourite films. Great music (although most songs are copied or inspired) and very good performance by the protagonists. So when Geet Dhillon is going back to her home in Punjab, she is left behind at a railway station. The railway waterstall owner is a loafer. When he sees her predicament, he says this line
"Akelee ladkee khulee huyee tijori kee tarah hotee hai"
"अकेली लड़की खुली हुई तिजोरी की तरह होती है"
Monday, October 13, 2008
Majority dekhkar mai bhee usee side ho gayaa
"Majority dekhkar maiN bhee usee side ho gayaa"
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Jab shaadi karne ke liye taiyyaar hooN to maut se kyaa Darnaa
Year of release : 1985
Spoken by : Rasik Lal (Deven Verma)
Spoken to : Kalpana Srivastav (Rekha)
जब शादी करने के लिए तैयार हूँ तो मौत से क्या डरना
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Faisle naheeN unke nateeje Galat hote haiN
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Us waqt tumhaare paas choice naheeN thii
Year of release : 2002
Spoken by : Babu (Manoj Bajpai)
Spoken to : Lakshmi (Antara Mali)
This was a line that I was looking for a long long time. It has special relevance for me. I will tell you why, later.
"to tum kise pasand karteeN, use ya mujhe...us waqt tumhaare paas choice naheeN thii. soch meN paD gayeeN naa, jab chunane kaa waqt aayaa. choice choice kee baat hai"
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Aap convince ho gaye, ya maiN aur bolooN
Film : Jab We Met
Year of release : 2007
Spoken by : Geet Dhillon
Spoken to : Ticket checker
Any sales guy would have gone through this feeling some time or the other in his life. When you try and convince a prospect, you keep wondering whether you have said enough. Indian prospects are particularly cryptic. Since we Indians do not like saying 'No', we try and find a thousand mechanisms to defer and delay without saying a straightforward no. In such situations, I think this is a good line to use.
The scenario is that Aditya (Shahid Kapoor) is sitting on a train berth looking totally disappointed and dejected. He has lost in love and hence all desire to live too. Geet is another passenger in this coach. She has constantly been trying to engage him in lively banter. He has been absolutely oblivious to her. When the ticket checker arrives, it is discovered that Aditya is WT (or without ticket). Geet pleads Aditya's case with the TC. She is trying to talk him into taking a lenient view of Aditya's ticketless travel. After she has spoken for about 60 seconds in her garrulous style, she pauses to check if her pleas have registered. She says,
"आप कंविंस हो गये, या मैं और बोलूं?"
"Aap convince ho gaye, yaa maiN aur bolooN"
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Yeh ...to peT meN daaDhee rakhtee hai
Year of release : 1985
Spoken by : Seema's mother (Dina Pathak)
Spoken to : Kalpana Srivastav (Rekha)
Monday, September 29, 2008
BaDe log badtameezee bhee karte haiN to baDee
Year of release : 1978
Spoken by : Thakur Ajmer Singh (Goga Kapoor)
Spoken to : Ajay Chauhan (Vinod Khanna)
During a polo match, Naini (Neeta Mehta) also comes to join Ajay and Pratap (Deb Mukherjee)'s team. Thakur Ajmer Singh (the opponents' captain Goga Kapoor) suggests that Naini is being included to distract them. He says
"kabhii hum inkee khoobsoorat aankhoN ko dekhenge
kabhee hum inkee patlee kamar ko dekhenge, kabhee... "
"Ajmer singh, shut up", says Naini. If she had not interjected (on behalf of the censors methinks), Ajmer would have made some uncivil references about some body parts of Naini.
Ajay says they didn't need distractions to beat Ajmer. But he says he was surprised such a "puraane thakur vansh kaa sapoot ek laDkee se itnee baDee badtameezee kar rahaa hai".
बड़े लोग बद्तमीज़ी भी करते हैं तो बड़ी
Friday, September 26, 2008
My first century - and a dedication
A very dear friend of mine would take me to a shop and ask me to select dresses for him and on the way out would hand me a packet, saying he bought some for me too.
It was as if "My wish was their command". I happily accept goodies and gifts from my friends without reciprocating. My wife, who is also my well-wisher, absolutely abhors this habit of mine. She chides me no end when I come back and announce to her my latest possession.
I am reminded of the dialogue in Seeta Aur Geeta when Ravi (Sanjeev Kumar) introduces Geeta (Hema Malini) to his mother (Ratnamala) and she tells Ravi how beautiful Geeta is looking. Hema responds with this line
A slight distortion of what I tell my wife at such times. Whenever we get something free of cost, we seem to enjoy it more than if we had actually paid for it. Ghaalib also conveys this thought beautifully with his line
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Tumhe bhee bolnaa paDegaa bolne ke liye
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
AankhoN dekhee makkhee niglee naheeN jaatee
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Bachche tum jis school meN paDhte ho hum uske headmaster rah chuke haiN
Film : Haath ki Safai
Year of release : 1974
Spoken by : Shankar (Vinod Khanna)
Spoken to : Raju (Randhir Kapoor)
One of the lesser known Salim-Javed films. Not as illustrious as some of their other output, but it too has its moments.
Raju or Raju Tardeo is a pick pocket. As he is relaxing in his area, one of his acolytes comes and informs him that there is a man in the neighbourhood who has 100 Rs notes in his wallet. All of them are very excited. I remember my dad used to get a monthly salary of Rs 100 those days, but to a youngster today, this might be a cause of great surprise. Inflation my dear friends!
Anyways, our hero is lured towards his target and as he attempts to pick Shankar's pocket, Shankar is quick to catch Raju's hand in the act. He chides him with a classic 'don't teach your grandmother to suck eggs' kind of line (the best I have heard in Hindi cinema). He says
"बच्चे तुम जिस स्कूल में पढ़ते हो हम उसके हॆड़मास्टर रह चुके हैं"
"bachche tum jis school me paDhte ho ham uske headmaster rah chuke haiN"
And he follows up by delivering the title of the film in the next line. He says
"aur is purse meN rupayoN se bhee zyaadaa ek keemtee cheez hai jise churaanaa aasaan naheeN, jaao apne haath meN aur safaai paidaa karo. jaao"
"और इस पर्स में रुपयों से भी ज़्यादा एक क़ीमती चीज़ है जिसे चुराना आसान नहीं, जाओ अपने हाथ में और सफ़ाई पैदा करो. जाओ"
Of course, the 'qeematee cheez' that Shankar is referring to is the photograph of his younger brother. And his younger brother is none other than Raju Tardeo. But then if he knew that then, 12 reels of the film would have been wasted. Or saved. Depending on where you stand about the film.
Vinod Khanna makes his debut on this blog. I often used to wonder that Vinod Khanna also was a good actor, was a six footer, was good looking, well built and yet people never gave him the status that Amitabh got. I just saw the statistics of this blog and found that till date there are 11 lines of Amitabh and Vinod just made his debut. I think I know the answer now.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Maine to kulhaaDee pe pair maaraa hai
Year of release : 1979
Spoken by : Ramprasad Sharma (Amol Palekar)
Spoken to : Ratna (Manju Singh)
There is a saying in Hindi
खरबूज़ा छुरी पर गिरे या छुरी खरबूज़े पर
which means that whether the musk melon falls on the knife or the knife falls on the musk melon, the end result is one and the same. The knife is not harmed while the melon is cut open.
In this film, Ramprasad says
"लोग तो पैरों पर कुल्हाड़ी मारते हैं, मैने तो कुल्हाड़ी पर पैर मारा है"
"Log to pairon pe kulhaadi maarte hain main to kulhaaDi par pair maaraa hai"
At first glance, there seems to be no difference. But Ramprasad is referring to his act of having proffered to teach his boss's daughter as an act of Himalayan stupidity. Hence 'kulhaaDee par pair maaraa hai'. Because if you have to go and bang your legs against an axe, physically you will have to align your legs in a particular manner and hence it would be more difficult than hitting your legs with an axe.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Aaj kee raat tumhe vidya kee zaroorat nahee maayaa ki zaroorat hai
Film : Shree 420
Year of release : 1955
Spoken by : Seth Sonachand Dharmanand (Nemo)
Spoken to : Raj Kumar (Raj Kapoor)
This comes during Raj's interaction with Sonachand just before the MuD muD ke song. Vidya (which means knowledge) is Nargis' name in this film. Maya (which means illusion) is Nadira's name. Raj Kapoor had a fetish for this silly symbolism. You can see that in Sangam when the three people are reading Time, Life and Fortune. Here the symbolism is closer home. Maya has insulted Vidya at a party to which Raj had invited her. She runs out with Raj in hot pursuit. As Vidya goes out of the revolving door, Seth Sonachand comes in and sees Raj calling after Vidya. He pauses and says,
"आज की रात तुम्हे विद्या की ज़रूरत नहीं, माया की ज़रूरत है"
"Aaj kee raat tumhe vidya kee zaroorat naheeN, maya kee zaroorat hai"
which is a none-too-veiled reference to the fact that the party would involve a bit of gambling and in such a milieu, it is not knowledge but the illusive and elusive 'maayaa' that would be required.
Four decades of post-independence education in India were devoted to rote learning and 'collecting' knowledge for the heck of it. Vocational education or training was looked down upon. Though this trend is changing of late. Though there are still heavy school bags and school teachers focussing on learning by rote, the entire education system is slowly realising the fact that
'tumhe vidya kee zaroorat nahee maayaa kee zaroorat hai'
Monday, September 15, 2008
Chapraasee ke kaan oopar ke baraasee aur neeche ke teraasee
Year of release : 2005
Spoken by : Dashrath Singh (Amitabh Bachchan)
Spoken to : Phoolwati (Pratima Kazmi)
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Shaadii karne se to khaanaa achchhaa hai
Year of release : 1971
Spoken by : Dr Bhaskar (Amitabh Bachchan)
Spoken to : Raghu Kaka
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Form bharnaa zarooree hai kyaa
Year of release : 2003
Spoken by : Murli prasad Sharma (Sanjay Dutt)
Spoken to : Dr J Dot Asthana (Baman Irani)
The occasion is the initial welcome lecture for all 1st year MBBS students. The dean, J dot Asthana finishes the speech, wishes everyone luck and asks the customary - "any questions" question. A hand goes up and says
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Yeh kaneez Jalaaluddin Mohammad Akbar ko apnaa Khoon maaf kartee hai
Year of release : 1960
Spoken by : Anarkali (Madhubala)
Spoken to : Akbar (Prithviraj Kapoor)
ये कनीज़ जलालुद्दीन मुहम्मद अक्बर को अपना ख़ून माफ़ करती है
Mughal-e-Aazam is of course full of great lines. Most of them generally require a dictionary to unravel and decode. This is one of the simpler lines. But equally effective.
As the film is coming to an end, Akbar goes to meet Anarkali. He tells her that due to her, the son and father are at loggerheads. He makes it clear that he cannot allow her to live. Anaarkali resigns herself to her fate, but not without this parting shot. This line brings out the proud dignity in that character. Though I would shudder to think that a maid actually would have the courage to say this to an emperor. But then as they say, this is the stuff that legends are made on.
"ये कनीज़ जलालुद्दीन मोहम्मद अक्बर को अपना ख़ून माफ़ करती है"
Now where in the wide world can you use this line. Sure. One of my friends changes her job every six months. She is very good looking and somehow still manages to find a new job every six months. It could be because of her looks, could be because of her business contacts. But whenever she resigns she tells me
"MaiN Akbar ko apnaa khoon maaf kar aayee"
Though I think it is more appropriate to be used, if you are fired, not when you resign. But anyways, people use film lines the way they want to. It is not a violation of the Cinematography Act 1952. Whatever!
Monday, September 8, 2008
Bhagwaan kare golee chalaate waqt tere haath naa kaaNpe
Year of release : 1975
Spoken by : Sumitra Verma (Nirupa Roy)
Spoken to : Ravi Verma (Shashi Kapoor)
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Aaj Khush to bahut hoge tum
Film : Deewar
Year of release : 1975
Spoken by : Vijay Verma (Amitabh Bachchan)
Spoken to : God Shankar :)
आज ख़ुश तो बहुत होगे तुम. देखो जो आज तक तुम्हारे मन्दिर की सीढियां नहीं चढा, जिसने आज तक तुम्हारे सामने सर नहीं झुकाया...जिसने आज तक कभी तुम्हारे सामने हाथ नहीं जोड़े ...वो आज तुम्हारे सामने हाथ फैलाये खडा है
aaj ...khush to bahut hoge tum। Dekho... jo aaj tak tumhaare mandir kee seedhiyaaN naheeN chaDha ..jisne aaj tak tumhaare saamne sar naheeN jhukaayaa...jisne aaj tak kabhi tumhaare saamne haath nahee joDe ... woh... aaj tumhaare saamne haath phailaaye khaDaa hai।
bahut khush hoge tum...bahut khush hoge ki aaj maiN...yahaaN aayaa...lekin tum jaante ho ki jis waqt main yahaaN khaDaa hoon...woh aurat, jiske maathe se tumhaaree chaukhaT ka patthar ghis gayaa, wo aurat, jispar zulm baDhe, to uskee poojaa baDhee, wo aurat jo zindagi bhar jaltii rahee magar tumhaare mandir meN deep jalaatee rahee ...WOH AURAT...woh aurat aaj zindagi aur maut ki sarhad par khaDee hai.
बहुत ख़ुश होगे तुम...बहुत ख़ुश होगे कि आज मैं...यहां आया...लेकिन तुम जानते हो कि जिस वक़्त मैं यहां खड़ा हूं...वो औरत, जिसके माथे से तुम्हारी चौखट का पत्थर घिस गया, वो औरत, जिस पर ज़ुल्म बढ़े, तो उसकी पूजा बढ़ी, वो औरत जो ज़िन्दगी भर जलती रही मगर तुम्हारे मन्दिर में दीप जलाती रही...वो औरत...वो औरत आज ज़िन्दगी और मौत की सरहद पर खड़ी है.
kyaa qasoor hai uskaa, kaunsaa paap, kaunsa jurm kiyaa hai usne. kyaa uskaa jurm ye hai ki wo merii maa hai, kya uskaa jurm ye hai ki usne mujhe janam diyaa hai, kyaa uskaa jurm ye hai ki main usse pyaar kartaa hooN. ye...ye kis jurm kee sazaa dee jaa rahee hai use? merii maa, suhaagin hote huye vidhwaa banee rahee ...maine tumse kabhee kuchh naheeN maangaa
क्या क़सूर है उसका, कौनसा पाप, कौनसा जुर्म किया है उसने. क्या उसका जुर्म ये है कि वो मेरी मां है, क्या उसका जुर्म ये है कि उसने मुझे जनम दिया है, क्या उसका जुर्म ये है कि मैं उससे प्यार करता हूं. ये ...ये किस जुर्म की सज़ा दी जा रही है उसे? मेरी मां सुहागन होते हुये विधवा बनी रही...मैने तुमसे कभी कुछ नहीं मांगा.
This is a classic dialogue from the all time classic called Deewar. Vijay is an atheist in the film and even as a kid when his mother and brother Ravi go to the temple, he is shown sitting and waiting at the entrance. In one of the powerful cinematic moments of the film, when he realises his mother is not well, he swallows his pride and keeps his principles aside and steps inside the sanctum sanctorum. He pleads with God to cure his mother. He argues that even though he might have committed illegal acts, his mother should not be punished for it. But the piece de resistance is the opening line he uses with God, almost equating him to a potent adversary. He says
aaj khush to bahut hoge tum
Implying that God had created circumstances which have weakened him so much, that he has decided to genuflect before his old adversary. So whenever you face a situation where you are forced to do something by someone you dont like, use this line. Instantly hits home.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Saaree Khudaaii ek taraf beevee kaa bhaai ek taraf
Year of release: 1982
Spoken by: Mr Khanna (Shail Chaturvedi)
Spoken to: Seema Dutt (Swaroop Sampat)
Mr Khanna is Seema's boss and the manager in the bank they both work in. He has been invited with family to Seema's house for lunch and when he is introducing his brother in law Divakar (Anoop Kumar), he uses this famous proverb.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Aye chinky tu bahut change ho gayelee hai re
Year of release : 2003
Spoken by : Munna (Sanjay Dutt)
Spoken to : Chinky (Gracy Singh)
Munna is in love with his childhood friend Chinky. He does not know how she looks like, but believes that she is still in love with him. The Chinky is actually none other than Dr Suman, one of the doctors in his hospital. Dr Suman panics when she finds out that Munna is interested in 'Chinky'. She decides to introduce her friend Neha Dubey as Chinky. Now Neha Dubey is a tube-tops-and-hot-pants girl who drinks, smokes and dances at night clubs. After meeting her, Munna is shocked. Shell-shocked. Even the normally unflappable Circuit is shocked. So how does Munna convey his dismay. He tells Neha
Chinky tu bahut change ho gayelee hai re
चिंकी तू बहुत चेंज हो गयेली है रे
Later when the real Chinky is discussing the meeting with Dr Asthana, they have a good laugh about it, by repeating this line again and again - almost like a shibboleth.
So if you meet an old friend and are dismayed about any sort of perceived negative change, this is a great line to use.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Kuchh log vaise bhee to hote haiN
Year of release : 1979
Spoken by : Vijay Pal Singh (Amitabh Bachchan)
Spoken to : Dr. Sudha Sen (Raakhee Gulzaar)
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
UTh jaayenge do chaar mulaaqaatoN meN
Year of release : 1965
Spoken by : Ravinder Kumar Khanna aka Ravi (Sunil Dutt)
Spoken to : Raja (Raj Kumar)
When Meena (Sadhna) goes to the airport to receive Ravi, Raja also goes there, looking for Meena. The exchange between Ravi and Raja, which clearly underlines their rivalry in love has been briefly covered in one earlier post - goyaa voh alag baandh ke rakkhaa hai.
Ravi appreciates the diamonds on Raja's coat and says they are very good. Raja retorts
बढिया तो हम भी बहुत हैं, मगर ये आपको अभी पता नहीं चलेगा
badhiyaa to ham bhee bahut haiN, magar yeh aapko abhee pataa naheeN chalegaa
इतने पर्दे डाल रक्खे हैं आपने - कोई बात नहीं - उठ जायेंगे दो चार मुलाक़ातों में
Itne parde Daal rakhe hai aapne – koee baat nahee – uTh jaayenge do chaar mulaaqaatoN me
I am reminded of the famous couplet from the Mehdi Hasan ghazal
प्यार जब हद से बढ़ा सारे तक़ल्लुफ़ मिट गये
आप से फिर तुम हुये फिर तू का उनवां हो गये
The formalities between friends disappear after a few interactions.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Ham aanewaale gham ko kheenchtaan ke aaj kee khushee par le aate haiN
Year of release : 1971
Spoken by : Anand Sehgal (Rajesh Khanna)
Spoken to : Dr Bhaskar Bannerjee (Amitabh Bachchan)
Thursday, August 21, 2008
khaa gayee naa aap bhee kapDoN se dhokhaa
Year of release : 1955
Spoken by : Raj (Raj Kapoor)
Spoken to : Vidya (Nargis)
Immediately after the famous song 'eechak daanaa', Raj rings the bell and all kids run away. Vidya is very angry. Raj is dresssed as a tramp and Vidya is making no secret of her disdain for him. She calls him an illiterate bumpkin and wonders if Raj would want that the kids also end up like him. Raj protests.
This is the exchange between them
Raj : Main graduate hooN...BA pass मैं ग्रॅजुएट हूं ...बी ए पास
Vidya : BA pass ...huh. ek aur jhooTh. zaraa apanaa huliyaa to dekho. college ke paDhe likhe graduates kee yeh soorat hotee hai?
बी ए पास...हह...एक और झूठ. ज़रा अपना हुलिया तो देखो. कॉलिज के पढे लिखे ग्रॅजुएट्स की ये सूरत होती है?
Raj : khaa gayee naa aap bhee kapDoN se dhokha!
खा गयीं ना आप भी कपडों से धोखा!
Agar aaj main ek badhiyaa suit pehne, shaandaar gaadee me baiThkar yahaan aataa to shaayad aap mujhe badtameez, jaahil ganwaar na kehteeN…aur isme aapkaa koee dosh nahee hai…jis duniyaa me aap rehtee hain wahaan insaan ke dil aur dimaag kee naheeN, uske kapdo kee izzat hotee hai. Sharkskin ke suit, silk kee kameezen aur georgette kee saaRiyon kee izzat hotee hai.
अगर आज मैं बढिया सूट पहने, शानदार गाडी में बैठकर यहां आता तो शायद आप मुझे बदतमीज़, जाहिल गंवार न कह्तीं ...और इसमे आपका कोई दोष नहीं है...जिस दुनिया में आप रहतीं हैं, वहां इंसान के दिल और दिमाग़ की नहीं, उसके कपडों की इज़्ज़त होती है. शार्कस्किन के सूट, सिल्क की कमीज़ें और जॉर्जॅट की साड़ियों की इज़्ज़त होती है".
Great socialistic monologue which worked very well in that era. But the message in that one line is still relevant. It happens all the time. So either you can keep complaining about it - as Raj does. Or make it work to your advantage. As Raj himself does in the later half of the movie.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Itnee dostii nahee hai ki vajah bataa sakooN
Year of release: 2008
Spoken by : Vibhavari (Rani Mukherjee)
Spoken to : Rohan (Abhishek Bachchan)
Normally most of the complimentary comments that I get are for posts pertaining to the 1970s (or earlier). I do feature newer lines too, but even when I write them, my heart is not entirely in it.
But this is one line from a new film which left an indelible mark on me. I found tears welling up in my eyes (inspite of myself).
Vibhavari is a high society call girl and her family has no clue about it. Her family thinks she has a corporate communications job with the private sector - and that is the source of her new found wealth. Her corporate avatar has also resulted in a new name. She is now called Natasha in the corporate circles. Her younger sister Shubhaavari (Konkona Sen Sharma) aka ChhuTkee, is getting married to a 'decent upper middle class' boy called Vivaan (Kunal Kapoor). During the marriage ceremony, she comes to know that Rohan (Abhishek Bachchan) is Vivaan's elder brother. Vibhavari has already met Rohan in Switzerland on one of her corporate junkets and hit off with him. But she goes into a tizzy when Rohan proposes to her. Rohan is exasperated as he can think of no reason why she cannot marry him. He is educated, well-heeled and most importantly the two of them have a great rapport. So he says that he at least deserves to know why she is rejecting him. Or as he puts it
"इतनी दोस्ती तो है हम मे कि तुम वजह बता सको"
To which Vibhavari says poignantly and pithily
"इतनी दोस्ती नहीं है रोहन कि वजह बता सकूं"
There are many times when friends importune you to tell them the reason for something, essentially because they are friends. A great line to use at all such junctures.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Koee bhee faislaa chunaav se honaa chaahiye dabaav se naheeN
Year of release : 2005
Spoken by : Rashid (Zakir Hussain)
Spoken to : An associate
Rashid is hatching a plan to kill Subhash Nagare (Amitabh Bachchan), along with Virendra Swami (Jeeva) and Vishram Bhagat (Raju Mavani). One of their associates is appalled at the idea and says so. He says he will have nothing to do with such a crazy plan. He starts walking out of the room. As he walks out, he catches the steely look in Rashid's eyes. He suddenly realises that he is about to be killed. He pleads with Rashid that he will keep his mouth shut and they could trust him completely. But he (and the audience), realise that his murder is almost fait accompli. Rashid walks up to him and plunges a dagger into his intestines. As he turns around the dagger, he very pithily adds,
"कोई भी फ़ैसला चुनाव से होना चाहिये दबाव से नहीं"
"koee bhee faislaa chunaav se honaa chaahiye dabaav se naheeN"
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Daro mat, maiN aadmee naheeN hooN
Year of release: 1959
Spoken by : Charandas (Johny Walker)
Spoken to : Anand (Dilip Kumar)
This is a 3 hour long movie, but gripping all through the way. Almost 50 years old, but still so fresh. Great songs, great performances and a great film. Am reminded of the couplet by Dr Harivanshrai Bachchan
"अर्धशती की होकर के भी षोड्ष वर्षी मधुशाला". Just need to change "Madhushala" into "Madhumati".
This scene happens immediately after the "Suhana safar" song (what a song!). Anand Babu is finding his way to his destination. He is suddenly accosted by a probably sozzled Charandas - who is hanging upside down from a tree. By way of introduction, Charandas tells Anand
"डरो मत, मैं आदमी नही हूं"
"Daro mat, maiN aadmee naheeN hooN"
As I write this, I realise that the Naina Devi stampede killed more people than the serial bomb blasts in two cities. The difference being the guys behind the bomb blasts were terrorists and the guys behind the stampede were ordinary 'god-fearing' 'human' beings. But yet such an appalling tragedy took place.
What a great line! Hats off to your Mr Rajinder Singh Bedi!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Meree samajh meN ye naheeN aataa ki tum kameene zyaadaa ho, yaa bewaqoof
Year of release: 1984
Spoken by : Mohan Kumar (Dilip Kumar)
Spoken to : Balwant (Amrish Puri)
Portions of this scene have been featured earlier too. Mohan breaks into Balwant's house and is waiting for him, with a minatory motive. Balwant manages to find his revolver and points it at Mohan. Mohan suggests that he has already removed all the bullets from the revolver (he shows him six bullets). His logic is that - he would not have come and ensconced himself in a villain's lair and not sanitised it for arms and ammunition. Mohan uses the power of dialogue to sell his story
"मेरी समझ मे ये नहीं आता कि तुम कमीने ज़्यादा हो, या बेवक़ूफ"
"Meree samajh me ye naheeN aataa ki tum kameene zyaadaa ho, yaa bewaqoof"
Balwant falls for the power of the dialogue (and so do we) and drops the revolver. Mohan picks it up and we discover that the revolver is actually loaded. Leaving us wondering, whether Mohan was more 'kameenaa' or more 'bewaqoof', for having left him exposed to such a risk.
Anyways all well that ends well. Balwant dies under the wheels of an oncoming truck, prompting Mohan to remark - ....
Try and remember that classic line. Can't? Search the archives or the labels. Great line that.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Apun tum ko sirif do maaraa, pan solid maaraa
Year of release: 1977
Spoken by: Anthony Gonsalves (Amitabh Bachchan)
Spoken to: Amar (Vinod Khanna)
This line appears before the one featured earlier - the 'solid aawaaz' one. Anthony is in the lock up and recouping from the bashing he has received from Inspector Amar. His confidence is shaken but he tries to salvage whatever of it he can by asking Amar,
"तुम अपुन को दस दस मारा अपुन तुम को सिरिफ़ दो मारा...पन सॉलिड मारा कि नहीं ...हैं? है कि नहीं? अरे हां बोल ना"
"tum apun ko das das maaraa – apun tum ko sirif do maaraa…pun solid maaraa kee naheen..hain? hai ki nahee…are haan bol naa…"
An exasperated Amar retorts with,
"शट अप विल यू. तुम्हारी यहां बक बक नहीं चलेगी"
"Shut up will you…tumhaaree yahaan bak bak nahee chalegee"
Sometimes, in a fight, the victor does not get all the accolades. A determined opponent who delivered two competitive blows could actually make his mark.