Look behind the scenes of fifty celebrated songs; from an estimated repository of over one lakh!De de khuda ke naam pe: when Wazir Mohammed Khan sang these words in Indias first talkie; Alam Ara; he gave birth to a whole new industry of composers; lyricists and singers; as well as an entirely new genre of film-making that is quintessentially Indian: the song-and-dance film. In the eight decades and more since then; Hindi film songs have enraptured listeners all over the world. From Babul mora; naihar chhooto jaye (Street Singer; 1938) to Dil hai chhota sa (Roja; 1992); from the classical strains of Ketaki gulab (Basant Bahar; 1956) featuring Bhimsen Joshi to the disco beats of Nazia Hassans Aap jaisa koi (Qurbani; 1981); from the pathos of Waqt ne kiya (Kaagaz Ke Phool; 1959) to the exuberance of the back-to-back numbers in Hum Kisise Kum Naheen (1977); here is an extraordinary compilation; peppered with trivia; anecdotes and; of course; the sheer joy of music. Find out answers to questions like:With which unreleased film did Kishore Kumar turn composer?In which song picturization was dry ice first used?Which all-time classic musical was initially titled Full Boots?Where was the title song of An Evening in Paris shot?The idea for which song originated when the film-maker visited Tiffanys in London?Which major musical partnership resulted from the celebrations around an award function for a commercial jingle for Leo Coffee?How many of your favourites find mention here? Make your own list!
#669148 in eBooks 2015-06-04 2015-06-04File Name: B00ZPB4Z8C
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Visions of HerzogBy Alex ReaganAlan Greenberg directed the amazing documentary; Land of Look Behind; which is ostensibly about the reaction to Bob Marleys death in Jamaica; but is really about much more. His book about the making of Werner Herzogrsquo;s Heart of Glass is similar in that he doesnrsquo;t directly critique the film as an artwork; and instead weaves his story through the loose ends of the moviemaking process. We read about absurdly heroic attempts to get to a location; amateur actors who are weirder than the already weird movie they are in; and some metaphysical quotes about the universe and all within from Herr Herzog himself.Most books I have read about auteur directors either lionize their subject or delve into the interpersonal strife that occurred on set. Greenberg offers himself as a young American improbably meeting Herzog; taking in film shoots in fly ridden castles; snowy fields; and a remote island off the coast of Ireland. Through the fog of filmmaking; he finds the strange; yet recognizable; violent; but disciplined; element of the art.Did I mention that Herzog hypnotized his actors during the making of Heart of Glass? Oh; and the screenplay is inserted in a lovely way between most of the chapters. Excellent interior photographs in color as well; apparently by the author. I should also mention that I had extremely vivid dreams while reading this; which is rare for me. Enjoy!2 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Danielle K.Lovely book3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Interesting but not much hereBy faringtonThis slim volume would be even slimmer were it not for the inclusion of generous excerpts from the film scenario in alternating chapters. The content of this book might have been covered in a long magazine article; and evidently it was originally released in a "different form" over 30 years ago (thats per Herzogs Afterword). Im not sure the scenario excerpts add anything; they were apparently included as stand-alone chapters by Herzog for this recent re-release; so they dont tie in with the other chapters. And anyone reading the book has obviously already seen the film or he/she wouldnt be reading the book; so a recitation of the films action by way of the scenarios is not necessary. Perhaps theyre included to add atmosphere; but the book suffers from a bit too much atmosphere as it is.There are some interesting anecdotes of the practical difficulties encountered in the filming; a few insights into Herzog behind and away from the camera; a good look at how almost everyone in his cast and crew was a lunatic; a lot of cryptic (apparently profound) statements by everyone concerned; and tales of animals being hit by Herzogs van(the significance of which was lost on me). The book provides little if any insight into the film that one cant get more succinctly by listening to Herzogs own commentary on the film on the DVD. Most of the book is written in a "poetic" style that felt a bit pretentious and which portrayed Herzog as a far-off mystic; making me wonder how he could ever pull things together enough to complete the organizational tasks needed to complete a film. This impression is countered by Herzogs Afterword; when Herzog enters; explaining things coherently and plainly. Its refreshingly sober and direct after the authors atmospheric writing.So; some bits of interest in the book; and it doesnt take long to get through (especially if you start skipping the scenario excerpts as I found myself doing); just dont expect too much from it.
