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Published: 28 January 2022

Last Updated: 28 January 2022

Recently Prof Afroz Taj, of the Univ of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, who studies South Asian media, with emphasis on the film industry and television, mentioned something I did not know. Rekhta.org has Film Song Booklets. I typed Tarana on the first page search box, scrolling down I fond the booklet of the film Tarana (1951). it had a brief cast listing, plot and lyrics of all the songs! I also found Teerandaz, another Madhubala movie. I am sure there are many more. Thanks Dr Saab for pointing out another resource!

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Published: 18 April 2022

Last Updated: 18 April 2022

Passed away o June 12, 1957.

In Shehnai (1947).

Tum Sa nahin Dekha (1957).

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Published: 11 October 2021

Last Updated: 11 October 2021

The Database Website is both in English and in Hindi, whereas the HFGK is only in Hindi. In fact, the database was typed in Hindi and the English version was generated with a little Python script I wrote. There was no easy way to produce names like Vishwnath, so I went for char-to-char substitution, giving phonetic English. Here is a sample from the Tollywood search in Hindi (see Musing 961).

What about Urdu? Some people can read neither English nor Hindi.We decided to use Google Translate for that. Here is what it gives for the same page in Urdu.

Not too bad. I have actually implemented many Indian languages. Here is Punjabi.

Amusingly in a few places feet is translated as the lower extremity :)

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