Old Hindi Movies..

Hmm, some of these movies made in the 60s and 70s are seriously outrageous. The other day I saw this move called Ek Paheli - starring a slightly chubby Feroz Khan (in his pre pseud avatar), but still exuding a raw sex appeal which made him the in thing a few years later and a Tanuja, who well looked a hell a lot pretty and can be compared to current day Kat Kaif as an example, has the acting capabilities of a door though. So the movie has  this seriously whacked out premise on which it is based. Feroz Khan comes back to India after his dad dies and he buys this piano from an old artifacts shop. The day it is installed he meets this damned pretty girl with a superb voice and penchant for singing ghostly and haunting numbers (the cover song goes "Main Ek Paheli Hoon, Barson Se Akeli Hoon, Mujhe Jaane Wala Koi Nahin, Pehchannewala Koi Nahin, sung suitably hauntingly by Suman Kalyanpur). The girl, Maria (played by Tanuja), with perfectly coiffed hair, stylish western wear (she goes most of the movie in suitably modest frocks of a catholic descent) and well accessorised (nice leather handbag, high heeled shoes, etc), tells Feroz Khan that he can play the piano but all hell will break loose if anyone else. Someone else does and dies promptly. The girl has this nasty habit of appearing and disappearing without anyone realising wtf is going on. Feroz Khan is prime suspect for the killing, but there is a suitably villainous looking Madan Puri lurking around in the background, wearing the most hilarious goggles, with Helen (very young looking, the movie was made in 1971, other than Madan Puri who probably along with AK Hangal was born looking like he was 60 years old, in AKH's case 80, everyone else is very young and innocent) as his conniving mistress/girlfriend. In any case, the thingy goes around and around, has a couple of more haunting songs (again sung by Suman Kalyanpur, who should based on this record established a monopoly on haunting melodies, which alas wasn't the case, Lata and Asha both did their share of haunting melodies) and a convoluted lot later, established that Madan Puri was the villain and that Maria was a long dead girl, who damned drunk dad sold her blessed and much loved piano for drink and hence had committed the sui-cide. And Feroz Khan goes searching for her and then trips and falls from a height and dies and is united with Maria in death.  Completely mind fugged me. I was stunned. Not since Sixth Sense had I been delivered this stunning a revelation at the end of a movie. Istunning - MNS presumably got his inspiration from this movie. Movie is very average, the haunting songs haunt appropriately - Feroz Khan hadn't yet become the smouldering hero that he became later, Tanuja was not yet the pretty, smiling, perky girl that she did to perfection in other movies, Madan Puri was well Madan Puri and Sanjeev Kumar apparently also lurked around in this movie, though I couldn't find him. Hear the songs, try to avoid watching the movies, tho' Zee History or whatever that channel is called shows it fairly regularly. Funky movie though. 

So having heard Ek Paheli, I had to go and listen to all the other haunting melodies and that leads onto the haunting melodies countdown:

1.      In tenth place comes another song from Ek Paheli - goes Ek Boond Aansoo. Sung while Tanuja bangs the piano and the money shot of the movie unfurls a bare chested Feroz Khan gets up showing a hairy chest which would put Anil Kapoor to shame. In any case, he gets a shirt on and goes to find out who the hell is making all the noise.
2.      In ninth place we would have the song from Who Kaun Thi - with the ubiquitous Sadhana in white to provide the backdrop - sung by Lata one of
the many haunting melodies she does. Naine Barse Rim Jhim Rim Jhim. Haunts the shit out of you and Manoj Kumar along the way.
3.      In eighth place we have the title number of Ek Paheli - picturised on a picture perfect Tanuja, there is no correlation between her actions on
the screen and the song - making it one of most amazing bits of direction since Asit Sen decided to show only the back of Dharmendra in Tum Pukar Lo
4.      In seventh place, I would plonk in that song only - Tum Pukar Lo - not haunting in a ghostly way, but the song has a melancholic tinge, even
though Dharmendra seems to be in the best of spirits. And Waheeda Rehman is Waheeda Rehman, the most elegant of actresses.
5.      In sixth place, would come in another Waheeda Rehman number, again not haunting in a ghostly manner, but a number which will make you lose sleep - Geeta Dutt though this time around. Waqt ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam from Kaagaz Ke Phool. Amazing is all I can say.
6.      In fifth place, comes back Lata with a number which is reasonably morbid and melancholy, and haunting in an unghostly fashion - Aurat Ne Janam Diya Mardon Ko from Sadhna. Picturised on a very young looking Vyjayanthimala Bali, this song haunts you as much for Vyjayanthimala as
Lata's voice as the lyrics. Stunning.
7.      In fourth place, we have from Mera Saaya, Tu Jaahan Jaahan Chalega.
8.      In third place we would have the song from the movie which started airplane disaster movies - Gumnaam - Again we have Lata at her high octave
haunting best, singing Gumnaam Hai Koi while the survivors of an airplane crash led by Manoj "Mr Bharat" Kumar search for shelter in a forest.
9.      In second place, haunting for the man, the times, the lyrics and the music - no ghosts though is Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaaye from Pyaasa. The melancholic lyrics are further sent into depression by a perfect rendition by Mohd Rafi at his depressing best, music by  SDB just adds to it. The
lyrics by Sahir Ludhianvi tear the inner being apart.
10.     In first place, in yet another song from Pyaasa - Jinhe Naaz Hai Hind Par - take all that is there in the above song and multiply it a couple of times and add Waheeda Rehman to the mix. Deadly deadly - can bring down the spirits far more than any black day at the stock markets.

So there, that is my top ten.