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Regarding the Manzil song here’s a comment I left on Bachchan 39:
[I was revisiting Benaam yesterday. This is another film that for me represents everything that was marvelous about the 70s. A cinema that was rooted (another ‘Bombay’ film this..), real characters, an interesting narrative, and in this case a superb Asha/Rafi duet in Aa raat jaati hai chupke se mil jayen dono.. The film of course belongs to the thriller genre that was so popular in that decade. I keep making the claim that the 70s was the most variegated decade of cinema and the thriller genre is but one of the manifestations of the latter. And you also had another thriller in Majboor the same year.
One of the reasons the cinema of that decade fascinates me so much is because it is so much about the topography of Bombay. I still await the writer who does a book on this — Bombay as it was represented in Hindi cinema down the ages but especially in the 70s. In this regard let me mention two songs that function as love letters to the city in that period. The first one is from Manzil, this is the rim jhim gire saawan video but the female version. You and Moshumi Chatterjee walks through the streets of a rain swept Bombay. It’s a very evocative song sequence. Deeply nostalgic in some ways. The other one is from your “ardhangini’s” film, Piya Ka Ghar — the frenetically paced and shot Bambai shehr ki chal aa tujhe ser karadoon.
Since the 90s Bombay has very rarely been represented in Hindi cinema. Another casualty of ‘Bollywood’. In this regard Ram Gopal Varma’s Satya stands out as a magnificent exception. His film represents another ode to Bombay, on a very different scale. To be fair the signs have been healthier on this front over the last few years as cinema has been gradually decontaminated of its 90s admixture. I am perhaps a purist. I prefer that palatial residences in England not masquerade as Indian homes! Or that Swiss streets not be stand-ins for Bombay ones. Finally, as the ultimate admirer of that 70s cinema I will always resist the name ‘Mumbai’. The city will always be ‘bambai nagariya’ for me…]
I completely endorse what you say here, Especially the bit about 70’s and Bombay, I know you and many others have said this time and again, that Bluffmaster is another such film that has “used” bombay really well with the narrative of the film, The city bombay fits like a glove to the story that is being unfolded on screen, I dont think any other city would have been able to justify the core of the film.
Speaking of Bombay, my two fav scenes (for bombay) are 1. When Dittu and Roy sitting on terrace and looking at the sunset over bombay’s skyline(somewaht) and the other one where Roy is driving around in a 1968(if i am not wrong) Mustang, that’s just beautiful to see a black mustang on the streets of south bombay.
SATYAMSHOT 
March 6, 2009 at 1:50 PM
Regarding the Manzil song here’s a comment I left on Bachchan 39:
[I was revisiting Benaam yesterday. This is another film that for me represents everything that was marvelous about the 70s. A cinema that was rooted (another ‘Bombay’ film this..), real characters, an interesting narrative, and in this case a superb Asha/Rafi duet in Aa raat jaati hai chupke se mil jayen dono.. The film of course belongs to the thriller genre that was so popular in that decade. I keep making the claim that the 70s was the most variegated decade of cinema and the thriller genre is but one of the manifestations of the latter. And you also had another thriller in Majboor the same year.
One of the reasons the cinema of that decade fascinates me so much is because it is so much about the topography of Bombay. I still await the writer who does a book on this — Bombay as it was represented in Hindi cinema down the ages but especially in the 70s. In this regard let me mention two songs that function as love letters to the city in that period. The first one is from Manzil, this is the rim jhim gire saawan video but the female version. You and Moshumi Chatterjee walks through the streets of a rain swept Bombay. It’s a very evocative song sequence. Deeply nostalgic in some ways. The other one is from your “ardhangini’s” film, Piya Ka Ghar — the frenetically paced and shot Bambai shehr ki chal aa tujhe ser karadoon.
Since the 90s Bombay has very rarely been represented in Hindi cinema. Another casualty of ‘Bollywood’. In this regard Ram Gopal Varma’s Satya stands out as a magnificent exception. His film represents another ode to Bombay, on a very different scale. To be fair the signs have been healthier on this front over the last few years as cinema has been gradually decontaminated of its 90s admixture. I am perhaps a purist. I prefer that palatial residences in England not masquerade as Indian homes! Or that Swiss streets not be stand-ins for Bombay ones. Finally, as the ultimate admirer of that 70s cinema I will always resist the name ‘Mumbai’. The city will always be ‘bambai nagariya’ for me…]
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January 10, 2013 at 12:08 PM
I completely endorse what you say here, Especially the bit about 70’s and Bombay, I know you and many others have said this time and again, that Bluffmaster is another such film that has “used” bombay really well with the narrative of the film, The city bombay fits like a glove to the story that is being unfolded on screen, I dont think any other city would have been able to justify the core of the film.
LikeLike
January 10, 2013 at 12:11 PM
Speaking of Bombay, my two fav scenes (for bombay) are 1. When Dittu and Roy sitting on terrace and looking at the sunset over bombay’s skyline(somewaht) and the other one where Roy is driving around in a 1968(if i am not wrong) Mustang, that’s just beautiful to see a black mustang on the streets of south bombay.
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March 6, 2009 at 2:07 PM
Cool stuff, Satyam.
Makes me want to revisit Benaam. This was a damn giood film along with Majboor.
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