In case you don't believe the excellence of Aruna Irani's gypsy girl in Caravan, here she is in her introductory number - hip checking Jeetendra's head and dancing with a chorus of similarly sassy gypsy girls.

In other news, my bed rest yesterday has improved my mental state about 100% and I'm fit to return to work, so I sadly will not be able to spam you with posts about the excellence of Okada Junichi and/or Park Shi-Hoo.

Here are the media on my docket for the upcoming weekend:

*I'm about 100 pages into a nice re-read of Gaskell's North and South. (Mr. Thornton!!!)

*Episodes 7 & 8 of Iljimae

*Episodes 1 & 2 of Strongest Chil Woo

*Tiger and Dragon (Okada Junichi!!)

* and a backlog of Hindi films - Gehra Daag, Pyaar Kiya Jaa, Sharmilee, and Guide are all sitting patiently on my nightstand waiting to be viewed.

Caravan has more than "Piya Tu Ap Tu Aja" to recommend it - like about 10 other awesome song picturizations, a plethora of spunky ladies, and a nice moral ending where Happiness is more important than Money.



The basic premise of the film is that Rajan is a jerk. He murder's Asha Parekh's father, convinces everyone around her that her grief is really maddness, and then smooth talks Asha into marrying him to fulfil her father's wishes all in the first 10 minutes of the film - he's a fast operator. When he takes Asha on their honeymoon, however, things start to go further south for our heroine. (Just wait and see how things get worse than the hair-don't she has in the first part of the movie. Grief = no visits to the salon with Sadhana to chit chat and get a permanent.) ( More Caravan excellence under here... )

There are two reasons to watch Caravan: wonderful song picturizations and a very charming Aruna Irani in a huge supporting role as a gypsy girl.



On her first meeting with Jeetendra, she threatens to stab him. *approves* Aruna's character has a nice development from selfish, immature brat to mature lady and plenty of wonderful dance numbers, including an excellent "drunk" number. ( Screeeeeencaps and more discussion under here! )

So, yes - if you love song picturizations and Aruna Irani like I love song picturizations and Aruna Irani please watch Caravan!

Ah... Aruna Irani at her best! Enjoy the long and lazy circular tracking shots that emphasize her stumbling, drunken walk!

Well, I suppose it's official: I am a Manoj Kumar fan.



(I'm making this face right now.)

While watching Roti Kapada aur Makaan, I had such sympathy for Manoj Kumar, beyond sympathy for his character, who was quite nice and broody. Seeing the effort and detail that goes into a Manoj Kumar production, I was overcome with a sense of outrage that Farah Khan would mock him so meanly in Om Shanti Om. That was when I knew I was an official Fan (tm). Where are the earnest young (handsome) men making films like this today? Politics, romance, melodrama, action, and some wonderful songs all wrapped into one package. Rang de Basanti comes close to a Manoj Kumar production. I need to rewatch that, I think.

Roti Kapada aur Makaan is a wonderfully intricate story of a guy named Bharat (natch!) who can't get a job in 1974. The story spreads out to encompass Bharat's brothers and his sister and his lady friends, but leaving out the parents in a very modern way.

( Follow me for more Manoj Kumar plus The Shashinator in some excellent 70s suits. )

Let's give a big cheer to Aruna Irani - everyone's favorite non-Helen item queen of the 1970s!

Look how uncomfortable (and cute) Rishi Kapoor is! I would look kind of pissed, too, if my father was both played by Pran and trying to hook me up with a mentally retarded girl.

Bobby is such a classic.