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Published: 24 November 2021

Last Updated: 24 November 2021

Like most people I could easily recognize the main dancers, Helen, Bela Bose, Minu Mumtaz, Sheila Vaz (to name a few). But there were many others I could not name, although I saw their names listed as dancers in the movies and in the Hindi Film Geet Kosh, Jeevankala, Heera Sawant, Kanchanmala, Nazi (to name a few). Because of this, my picturization information for many songs was ?, or Nazi?

Then thanks to the internet, I learnt about the work of many bloggers, post-makers and commentators, Arunkumar Deshmukh, MN Sardana, Shishir Krishna Sharma (to name a few). Thanks to their generosity in making rare information and photos available to all, and, after watching the dancers in hundreds of songs, now I can immediately tell (mostly) which dancer it is!

Hats off to such selfless crazy fans of Hindi films!

Now You Know!

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Published: 22 November 2021

Last Updated: 22 November 2021

Started in August 2017, received a setback in the beginning of the pandemic, continuing at a steady pace, in this 1000th Musing, I offer you two items.

1. From Jayaraman's collection 77 songs of Anil Biswas (recorded 1936-1965).

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2. The Full Cast of Paise Ki Gudiya (1974).

The official cast (I copied from Vol V of the Hindi film Geet Kosh):

15 people

Ashok Kumar, Sayra Banu, Navin Nischal, Padma Khanna, Asrani, Sulochana, Sapru, Naz, Shetty, Murad, Radheshyam, B Parera, Nazir Kashmiri, Sumiti Gupte, Lalita Kumari

The cast extended by including all the junior artists that Upendra Samaranayake could recognize.

54 more people, listed with the role they played.

Agha Shapur    Guest (Meri Baat)
Anil    Patron (Main Hue)
Bhairav Prasad    Patron (Main Hue)
Darshan    'Unche vichare' mocker
Dayanand    Madhavi's Doctor
Devi Chand    Madhavi's Doctor
Dubey    Patron (Main Hue)
E. Billimoria    'Izzat' commentor
Faredoon Irani    Mocking onlooker
Flo Kelly    Guest (Meri Baat)
Gopal    Namitha's musician
Hanif    Madhavi's Doctor
Iqbal    Guest (Meri Baat) / Patron (Main Hue)
Irene Campos    Student
Iris Campos    Dance viewer
Jagdish    Patron (Main Hue)
Jenny Stone    Nurse
June Campos    Student
K. P. Rao    Patron (Main Hue)
Kedar Saigal    Panditji / Patron
Khalid Mohammed    Intervention guest
Khurshid    Student
Kirti Nagpal    Namitha's musician
Kishan Lulla    Club arriver
Kishen    'Tawaif apne' mocker
Kishore    Patron (Main Hue)
Lamba    Intervention guest
Loretta    Operation observer
Mani    Party guest
Manjeet    Operation observer
Maqsood    Dancer (Pagal)
Margaret    Guest (Meri Baat)
Mary Bully    Guest (Meri Baat)
Mijjan    X-ray Doctor
Mohan Nagpal    Dancer (Pagal)
Moolchand    Patron (Main Hue)
Nadir    Pool viewer / Party guest
Nazir Kashmiri    Ram Prasad
Omi    'Paanch rupaiye' payer
P. D. Lal    Intervention guest
Pandit Chand    Guest (Meri Baat') / Patron (Main Hue) / Madhavi's Doctor
Raj Kumar    Post-win guest
Rajesh Bhatija    Professor
Rehana    Guest (Meri Baat)
Satya Rani    Worried Ma
Shanti    Nun
Solomon    Guest (Meri Baat)
Sopariwala    Intervention guest
Surendra Rahi    Guest (Meri Baat)
Swarna    Advance taker / Guest (Meri Baat)
Tulsi    Patron (Main Hue)
Vishnu    Titles Doctor
Yasmin    Dance watcher
Zaffer    'Gana bajana' mocker

Finally, here is Upendra, a crazy Sinhalese fan of films, there is no one like him

Now You Know!

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Published: 21 November 2021

Last Updated: 21 November 2021

If you look up extras or junior artists, they will be described as atmosphere, background talent, background artists or performers, supernumeraries, supers, walking background, human props, and so on. Almost never credited, they appear to be easily replaceable and interchangeable. In fact, many of these are used more than once in the same film, the directors hoping that nobody would notice!

Perhaps the most famous example, which even the students of Whatsapp university know, is Mushtaq Merchant. He appeared twice in Sholay (1975), as an Engine Driver and the owner of the motorbike with a sidecar that our heroes ran away with. 

If you read the two books on Junior Artists by Upendra Samaranayake, you will find many examples are people appearing 2, 3, 4 or more times in the same film. If you study them closely you will find a guy who appeared SIX times in the same film and he could not hide from Upendra.

Ladies and Gentlemen

I present to you Avtar Singh Gullu, active since 1977,

And the roles are

Tadipaar  (1993)

Club guest / direction giver / audience viewer / check awarding viewer / drunk ("Zindagi") / guest ("Aapki").

Now You Know!

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