Author: Devanshu Mehta

Bollywood Roots: Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuchh Kahaa

~ Devanshu Mehta ~ 3 Comments

This is the second video in my new series “Bollywood Roots” on tracing the roots of influences in Bollywood music:

One thing worth clarifying: I’m not trying to identify naked copies. Copied tunes are a dime a dozen and frankly, are uninteresting. What I am interested in is tracing culture and influences. When I see a Hindi music director take a snippet of a 19th century Irish song and turn it in to a modern hit, I think that is talent. You may not. But I hope you recognize the difference between this kind of an inspiration and the Pritam-style note-for-note Korean copies.

In any case, here’s the story in the video above:

This time, the search has been 11 years in the making.

The song is “Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuchh Kaha” from Basu Chatterjee’s “Baton Baton Mein”:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0157339/ starring Amol Palekar and Tina Munim. The music was by Rajesh Roshan, sung by Amit Kumar and Asha Bhonsle with lyrics by Yogesh.

I had no idea this song had any older roots than the 1979 film until 1995 when I was watching Die Hard: With a Vengeance and the tune plays throughout the film. Once more, I had a case of a western version of an Indian song appearing after the Hindi version. Clearly, the song had older roots- but I had no idea just how old. I was about to be surprised… 11 years later. It was this military beat with an orchestra playing the tune which is the main part of the Hindi song: (Read More)

Music Pick: Like a Hitman, Like a Dancer

~ Devanshu Mehta ~ Leave a comment

AC Newman‘s “Like a Hitman, Like a Dancer” is one of the most fun songs of 2009. Newman is one of the main songwriters for The New Pornographers. The song is extremely catchy. It’s from his second solo album, Get Guilty. And I just need to hear it once for it’s beat to get stuck in my head for the rest of the day.

This is part of a regular feature where I highlight new music I like. On Mondays.

Early 2010: My Most Anticipated Movies

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JANUARY

Youth in Revolt

My wife and I are suckers for former Arrested Development cast members– give us a Jason Bateman, David Cross, Will Arnett or Michael Cera movie and we can’t resist. This one is directed by Miguel Arteta, who gave us one of only two great Jennifer Aniston performances in The Good Girl (the other being Friends with Money). Arteta also directed The Office Diwali episode. I’m also hearing good things about newcomer Portia Doubleday in this one, so here’s one we will be watching in a month of Oscar leftovers.

FEBRUARY

My Name is Khan

This is the only Karan Johar movie I’ve ever looked forward to. I think he’s a hack, rode on the success of the Yash Raj formula. He built a name through friends in high places. He has directed only 3 movies in his career, but if you read the trades you’d think he was Spielberg. But that is how Bollywood works.

Of course, now he has made My Name is Khan and I’ve been hearing all the right things. And it has Shah Rukh Khan.

Shutter Island


Scorsese. DiCaprio. What more can I say?

MARCH

Green Zone


Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon reunite after the Bourne films, and the trailers have been playing up that connection. It’s set in Iraq. And when has Paul Greengrass made a bad movie– Bourne, United 93, Sunday Bloody Sunday— so why should he start now?

I Love You Philip Morris

Jim Carrey falls in love with Ewan McGregor while in jail. This won the Camera D’Or at Cannes, and despite its superstar, it’s been having trouble finding a studio to stand behind it.

APRIL

Date Night


Tina Fey and Steve Carrel. It may be horrible, but as someone who has had every (in season) Thursday for 4 years ruled by one or both of these, I have to watch.

Kick-Ass

This one was under my radar until the BNAT buzz. Some day I’ll make it to Austin for Harry Knowles’ big birthday bash (or for SXSW). But the buzz from that showing is pretty impressive for this story of the superpowerless super hero.

MAY

Iron Man 2 & Robin Hood

I’m kind of ambivalent for both of these, but I like Robert Downey Jr., I usually like Ridley Scott and I thought the first Iron Man was above average. So there’s hope.

Toy Story 3

Pixar should just keep my credit card number and send me a ticket every time they make a movie.

That’s all for now. Maybe I’ll do another one in a few months for the rest of the year. But this is as far as I can see at the moment. Obviously there will be movies straight out of left field, and other ones that will have their schedules moved around.

Eastwood’s Invictus

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There is a lot I could say about Clint Eastwood’s latest film, Invictus.

There are two good films within Invictus— a solid sports movie and an inspiring Mandela biopic. Unfortunately, it is neither one. One more time, Eastwood doesn’t fail to disappoint. Unfortunately, we won’t see another Mandela movie for a while and this was probably Morgan Freeman’s only shot at the part. He deserved better.

For once in a sports movie, I missed all the cliches. The interpersonal drama in the team. The folks back home that I identify with. The loose cannon coach or captain. Something, anything to care about. It’s not enough to tell me that this game was important to a nation, you have to show me. When the result is inevitable, you can’t drag the final game for 25 minutes without a personal story to care about.

And there’s a lot of stuff I want to say about how the movie handle’s the issue of race and minority appeasement. But maybe another time.