Mere Dil Main Aaj Kya Hain !

EBC Show
June 4. 2009

So, Kakaji-Aka-Rajesh Khanna is getting a lifetime achievement award in the upcoming IIFA awards in Macau this year. This year is the 10th year for this award ceremony.

Wow! Its been 10 years? I still remember the 1st International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards that were held somewhere in UK. Priyanka Chopra, who was very new on the bollywood scene at that time was the poster honor for the awards alongside Mr. Amitabh Bachchan.

Meri Jaan, so our this week's blog sends out a big shout-out to Rajesh Khanna for receiving the lifetime achievement award.

Jai Jai Shiv Shanker - Kakaji !

This is Kaka-ji's second lifetime achievement award, the last one was in 2005 when Filmfare gave out the lifetime achievement award to Kaka.

Kaka - don't cry re (or are all of you crying on seeing that Kaka got the award :), all I will say is that - "I hate those tears re"!

My memory of been associated with Kaka-ji's movies stays around the 80s and 90s (movies like Amrit, Avtar, Kudrat, Souten, Agar Tum Na Hote and likes). I somehow never cared much for Kakaji's style of acting; to me, he was more of a ham artist and was just lucky during his time. The right scripts, co-actors and songs just worked out for him.

I personally do not give much credit to Kakaji as an actor or his nodding style. I think people needed some change from the Kapoors and the Khan's of those years, and Rajesh Khanna was there at the right time in the right place !

But I guess it is the same with most actors, you either like their style or not. But, the folks that I know who still love Kakaji are people like my khala-or-mausi's and mama's, uncle's and aunt's.

These folks were in their college years during those Kaka-ji times and for them movies like Kati Patang, Amar Prem, Do Raaste, Anurag, Anurodh, Daag, Aradhna, Mere Jeevan Saathi, Andaaz and Prem Nagar re-defined their concept of a romantic hero, much like Shahrukh did after DDLJ.

Though, some of these folks moved over the Big B wave that swept the nation after 1972, these people still swear by those movies.

I know an aunt that has probably seen Kati Patang, Amar Prem, Aradhana, and Do Raaste some 15-20 times. Now, that is what I call a fan following - be it for the movie, the story, the songs or the actor, but something somewhere just clicked big time between the audience, the movie and yes - Rajesh Khanna!

Leaving my personal opinion aside (vaise bhi - who cares about that anyways), if you really thing about it, 1969-1972 is just 4 years but in these years, Rajesh Khanna gave back-to-back hit movies like Aradhana, Do Raaste, Kati Patang, Aapki Kasam, Prem Nagar, Dushman, Saccha Jootha, Anurag, Haathi mere saathi, Safar, Aan Milo Sajna, Ajnabi, Amar Prem, Mere Jeevan Saathi, Mehboob Ki Mehndi, Anurodh, Andaaz, Daag, Roti and many more.

So, you are talking about more than 20 Super-Duper hits in 4 years? That is a definitely a big achievement for any actor!

Tou meri jaan, whatever you think of Kakaji, one thing is there for sure that you cannot say say no to those melodies in his movies: Mere Sapno Ki Rani, Roop Tera Mastana, Kora Kagaz tha yeh man, Vaada tera vaada, Yeh shaam mastani, Pyaar deewana hota hain, Yeh jo mohabbat hain, Kuch tou log kahenge, Chingari koi bhadke, Yeh kya hua-kaise hua, Karwate badalte rahey, Mere dil main aaj kya hain, Ab chahe maa roothey ya baba, Hum dono do premi, Yeh jo chilman hain, Chalaa jaata hoon kisi ki dhun main and Zindagi ek safar (with the Kishore Da-classic yoodeling), Aap ke anurodh pe, Aatey jaatey khoobsurat aawara sadko pe, Yeh public hain, Samaa hain suhaana, Humein tumse pyaar kitna and many many more..

So, whether you love Kaka's movies or not, please-please do check out some of those songs, the combination of Kishore-Da and RD Burman, Laxmikant-Pyarelal (music composers) is a Killer and I am sure you will love those songs!

Meri Jaan, so in any case, congratulations to Kaka on the lifetime achievement award!

Well, talking about Awards, seems like Big B always gets chutnied in the news due to one reason or other. The latest been his decision to reject the OZ honor; an honorary doctorate from the Queensland University in Brisbane.

I honestly also do not know about the rating of the university, or the reason to honor Big B in an OZ university, but I do feel that probably the Dean is a huge Big B fan and must be willing to meet Bachchan from his hay days, so what better way to meet-n-greet, then to honor the man via the university. I am sure the Dean is singing - Aye Jee-OZ-Big B se milo JEE :)

So, people that pretty much sums up the blog for this week.

Songs played in the show:

1) Jai-Jai Shiv Shanker (Movie: Aap ki Kasam)
2) Chalaa Jaata Hoon (Movie: Mere Jeevan Saathi)
3) Kora Kagaz tha yeh man mera (Movie: Aradhna)
4) Pyar Deewana Hota Hain (Movie: Kati Patang)
5) Yeh jo chilman hain (Movie: Mehboob ki Mehndi)
6) Zindagi Ek Safar Hain Suhaana (Movie: Andaz)
7) Mere Dil main aaj kya hain (Movie: Daag)
8) Oh Mere Dil Ke chain (Movie: Mere Jeevan Saathi)
9) Humein tumse pyaar kitna (Movie: Kudrat)
10) Karwate Badalte Rahey (Movie: Aap Ki Kasam)

Dont forget to keep emailing your requests and dedications at pankajonebc@yahoo.com

Till next week, stay safe and stay in loeve!

- Pankaj