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Published: 31 July 2014

Last Updated: 31 July 2014

Here is a very nice article on Madhubala from an American magazine published in August 1952. They called her,

The biggest star in the world and she is not in Beverly Hills

Theatre Arts, August 1952
 

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Published: 28 September 2017

Last Updated: 28 September 2017

Parody song is a comic song that has the same or very similar tune of a popular song but the words are changed. The earliest one I have heard is 'gaao gaao ai mere saadhoo' from MIss Frontier Mail (1936)

gaao gaao ai mere

It is based on the very popular 'jaavo jaavo ai mere saadho' from Pooran Bhagat (1933)

jaavo jaavo ai mere

Now you know!

Listen to Sati Nari (1965)

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Published: 22 August 2017

Last Updated: 03 November 2017

Number 3 2017/08/18

Filmographies

My mentor and guru Prof R K Pathria always proof-reads my books. When reading my book on Indurani he was surprised to know that only one of her films survives. He wanted to know how I prepared the list of her films and if I am sure that these films were even made!

So I told him briefly about the meticulous record-keeping habits of the British (rivaled by the Nazis!). British Govt passed the Indian Cinematograph Act of 1918, which required all films headed for public exhibition to obtain a censor certificate and be notified in the official Gazette.  Censors had to watch the film and give a certificate of approval or reject it.

Where are these gazettes? Nobody had any idea. Then around 1966, one tireless man went on a quest to track these down and prepare the first reliable filmography of Hindi films. Who was that man? Stay tuned.

Now you know!