Results Out - Uttkrishtt 2012 - Heroes Of Hindi Cinema | Editor's Pen

Hi All,

Uttkrishtt 2012 saw unprecedented inflow of votes. Thanks a lot for your love and appreciation. Nothing beats the feeling when you know that people appreciate your efforts. On behalf of Team TRM, many thanks. This will act as a great motivation for all of us.

It was heartening to see the vote patterns. Characters with substance were chosen over characters with high popularity. A character like Raj played by Shahrukh Khan or Ajay Rathore played by Aamir Khan failed to make it to top ten while Adinath played by V. Shantaram got the nod. This speaks volumes.

Please let us know your opinion... they matter a lot.

Thanks

Sujoy

Heroes Of Hindi Cinema | Uttkrishtt 2012

We can always argue who is our favorite hero. Definitely a matter of subjective evaluation. However, that should not undermine the popularity of characters and appreciation by masses. Presenting Uttkrishtt 2012 Results – Heroes Of Hindi Cinema...

A quick analysis can tell us that people didn’t voted much for larger than life characters. Most of them walk among us. They represent masses. They fight for causes so omnipresent that usually we chose to ignore. Not every hero wins. In fact, some lose their battle. But their fight is not about the outcome. It’s about their values... You can lose a battle provided you fight well.

1. Common Man (Naseeruddin Shah - A Wednesday) : What can a common man do? We need heroes to do the struggle on behalf of common man. But on a Wednesday things changed when a caller brought entire Police Department on knees and successfully orchestrated killing of four deadly terrorists. As it turns out, he is just another common man, without a name and to some extent, without an identity.

2. Raghu (Rajesh Khanna - Bawarchi) :  He is street smart. He can manage house and people like a magician. But what makes him different is his inherent goodness. His ability to teach people a few nuances about life. He picks a family where harmony is a matter of past and becomes a part of it, only to teach them small things to make life better and leave them forever... in search of a new house.

3. Radha (Nargis - Mother India) : Mother - whenever this word is uttered, Nargis drenched in sweat while working in farm is one of few images which comes up in mind. Radha's life is a ballad of struggle and resilience. Her husband leaves her with debt when he becomes invalid. Lala who lustfully approaches her. The famine and never ending financial problems. She refuses to bow down and remains righteous. In the end, she even kills her own son in order to save the honor of her village which she believes to be not different from hers.

4. Suresh Sinha (Guru Dutt - Kagaz Ke Phool) : A successful film director whose marriage is on the rocks finds some solace in affection of his new actress. As his romance faces trials, his daughter is not happy with the situation. Unannounced, actress leaves him. His work betrays him and slowly becomes irrelevant in cinema. In the end, he dies a tragic death.

5. Usha (Smita Patil - Bhumika) : Usha is a strong willed woman who wants to make her career in cinema. Her manager, who later becomes her husband, arranges work for her. After a point she wants to leave her profession much to dislike of her husband. She leaves her and pursue a relationship with a director which doesn't work out. It follows up with a relationship with a businessman who is too orthodox. In the end she returns to her husband and try to redefine her life.

6. Vijay Deenanath Chavan (Amitabh Bachchan - Agneepath) :  Revenge is a dish best served cold. Kancha was responsible for murder of his saintly father and he decides to take his revenge. Vijay wants his village back. His violent means are not appreciated by his mother but his goodwill has many takers. He is a character who breaks laws but doesn't break hearts of poor. A person with heart of gold and blood in eyes.

7. Yeshwant Lohar (Nana Patekar - Yeshwant) : Hot-head. This one word describes Yeshwant. However, he is not only a hot headed cop, he is a very honest person who would not let anything bypass law. He inspires his wife to become IAS. When he realizes that he was wrong in doubting her, he apologizes sincerely. He is a temperamental but un-tampered character.

8. Kabeer Khan (Shahrukh Khan - Chak De! India) : A disgraced captain of Indian Hockey team whose religious identity becomes a subject of suspicion takes up a difficult task of training a women's Hockey Team and win the World Championship, something literally unheard. He fights against the system, his demons and resistance within the team. In the end, when his hard work pays back and the color of medal changes to gold, he silently leaves in his own little world.

9. Adinath (V Shantaram - Do Aankhen Barah Haath) : A young jail warden who believes that goodness exists in even most dreadful criminals and this goodness can help them their demons and become good citizen. He takes six criminals with him and tries to rehabilitate them in a farm. His firm belief in his ideology works and six criminals becomes good citizen. The purpose of law and punishment sees the daylight.

10. Raju (Dev Anand - Guide) :  Raju, the guide, falls in love with dancer-wife of archeologist. Dancer is lonely as her husband doesn’t care for her talent. Raju makes her a professional. As money comes, greed develops. Eventually, he is arrested. After release he takes shelter in a famine-ridden village. Due to miscommunication, people start believing that he is a saint. They start paying respect and much more. Some more miscommunication happens and message 'he won't eat till it rains' goes out. After a lot of dilemma, Raju decides to stick to the message.

Women Who Won Hearts | Uttkrishtt 2012

Four women characters who made it to top 25 failed to make it to top ten,  incidentally represent a section of society which is frowned upon. This hypocrisy of social structure has been explored and exposed by many filmmakers. TRM salutes womenfolk for being the strength of our society.

Gulabo (Waheeda Rehman - Pyaasa) : She is a prostitute but she loves a poet. Her heart cries for him and he seeks shelter in her company. Society can disown her but she owns up many ills of society. She carries the burden of society. She faces the disgust of society. When the poet sees the hypocrisy of society, she is the one who is pure.

Mumtaz (Tabu - Chandni Bar) : The worst situation a woman can face is when people she trust blindly betrays her or when she helplessly sees he children going to dark alleys. Mumtaz witnesses both. She refuses to give up. She fights the world but in the end finds herself weak in front of circumstances. Her failures however cannot undermine her struggle. In a world of abuse and harassment, she comes out as a face of resistance. 

Nargis / Sahibjaan ( Meena Kumari - Pakeezah) : Almost identical stories of two women - mother and daughter. Mother, a courtesan, falls in love with a man and gives birth to a girl before dying. Daughter falls in love with a Forest Ranger who wants to marry her but she refuses as it can bring ordeals in life of her love. Enraged Ranger summons her to dance in his marriage where truth is revealed. Father of daughter is uncle of Forest Ranger. What an irony that she is being asked to dance in front of her family.

Umrao Jaan (Rekha - Umrao Jaan) : Umrao Jaan was sold to tawaif at an early age. As she becomes famous, a prince who watches her performances fall for her. When it seems rosy, things turn blue and she finds herself alone, tired and lost.

Others Who Missed The Final List | Uttkrishtt 2012

These characters won our hearts over ages. They inspired us. They helped us push the envelope. They taught us lessons no textbook shared. They are our heroes...

Ajay Rathore (Aamir Khan - Sarfarosh) : A young IPS who opted IPS over IAS because he wants to weed out criminals proactively. With a small team he takes on naxal-terrorist nexus spanning across borders. His challenges include people in masks and political interventions. In difficult times he keeps his ethics and moral values above everything including his personal welfare.

Bhagat Singh (Manoj Kumar - Shaheed) : Sardar Bhagat Singh is perhaps one of the most respected revolutionary of Indian Independence. Born in family of revolutionaries, Bhagat Singh had patriotism flowing in his veins. When he grew, he took up the challenge and emerged as one of the biggest threat to British Empire in India. He was instrumental in giving direction to the armed revolution. 

Mahesh (Mehmood - Kunwara Baap) : It doesn't take herculean tasks to be a hero. Sometimes even simple acts of generosity count more. Mahesh finds a destitute and despite of his meager resources, decides to adopt him. He assumes the role of father. When the child suffers from polio, he does whatever he can do. However, the child-father bonds suffers a setback when the real parents reconcile. At this point, Mahesh does the right thing despite of the fact that he cannot imagine his life without the child.

Murli Prasad Sharma (Sanjay Dutt - Munna Bhai MBBS) : Munna is a local goon. A simpleton who has adopted to the lifestyle of Mumbai underbelly. However, his family in village believes that he is a doctor. When his secret comes out, he feels embarrassed and decides to get a medical degree. He forges records and exams and get admission in a reputed college. Though he doesn't become a doctor he teaches doctors a couple of things about their profession and humanity in general.

Pradhan (Anupam Kher - Saaransh) : What an old man can do? Pradhan's son died in an mugging incident in US and he is running from door to door to get his son's ashes. He also fights a local politician who took advantage of a girl by promising her marriage. His success or failure becomes secondary as the objective is so strong.

Raj (Raj Kapoor - Shree 420) : There are three stages in life of a hero - beginning, fall and rise. Raj is a simpleton who is adorable is his own ways. He falls in trap of greed and becomes a fraud. He cheats numerous people and becomes rich. Later he realizes that in this process he killed his goodness and decides to do the right thing.

Raj (Shahrukh Khan - Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge) : Raj loves Simran but Simran's father has fixed her marriage to his childhood friend's son. Though Raj can run away, he decides to win hearts and take away his girl with honor. Raj proves a point by being a good lover-boy, a good son and a good person.

Raju (Raj Kumar - Waqt) : Raju is an embodiment of manliness. He is not a gentleman. He is more or less a crook or thief with some ethics. He has some rules by which he plays his game. As the story progresses, he comes out as a very strong character with a heart of gold. Circumstances might have rubbed against him badly, he still is person one can vouch for.

Ramprasad Sharma (Amol Palekar - Golmaal) : A street smart young man who tricks his boss into believing that he has a twin brother. Problem comes up when boss wants to see his brother and give him a job. He decides to play double role. To keep the story going, he creates a fake mother and his mother creates a fake sister of hers. Th spice it up all, boss' daughter falls for the non-existent brother.

Shambu (Balraj Sahni - Do Beegha Zameen) : Shambhu is poor but has his self-respect. His father Gangu took a debt and worked hard to pay it off. But ever after hard work, due to cunning ways of Zamindar, Shambhu has to pay 235 rupees for his land. He decides to go to Calcutta. He works hard but remains honest under all circumstances. But fate want it other way round. Shambhu loses his land.

Vijay Verma (Amitabh Bachchan - Deewar) : Vijay's father was humiliated and he was branded as a child. The angst against the world puts him on wrong track. The rebel in him is to be feared. The brilliance in him is to be admired. His sensibilities are directed only towards his family and love. He is a person who has seen so much hatred from world that he can only return in the same currency.

Atticus Finch | Greatest Hero In American Film | Under Lens

‘I put everything I had into it – all my feelings and everything I'd learned in 46 years of living, about family life and fathers and children. And my feelings about racial justice and inequality and opportunity’

This is what Gregory Peck thought about his character Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird. In year 2003, Atticus Finch was rated as the Greatest Hero in American Film by American Film Institute. I always thought that no one can beat Rick Blaine. I still feel that Indiana Jones and James Bond are overrated. But that was the ERA when I was unaware about the gem called To Kill A Mockingbird. Based on Harper Lee’s novel by the same name, To Kill A Mockingbird is not just a good movie. It’s education.

Who is Atticus Finch? He is white. He is a lawyer. He is good with firearms. But that’s a rough prototype of numerous characters of the era. What makes him different? Atticus believes that everyone should be treated equally and everyone deserves respect, irrespective of class, race or gender. He not only lets his kids call him by his first name, something unusual to the time, he also respects their opinions on different things. He also respects judgment of his kids’ nanny of the darker race. In a time when racism was prevalent, he fights for a black in court against the words of a white woman. He stands for what he believes in.

Atticus Finch can change your perception. He remains a part of the system where racism and sexism is sort of norm but he fights the ills in his own way. His struggle may give him a few tough days but he can sleep with peace in eyes. His struggle may instill fear in his followers but it inspires more. Atticus Finch, as a matter of fact, inspired numerous lawyers and activists across the globe. Sometimes he was the character in novel and sometime he wore the mask of Gregory Peck.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

Controversial Gangs And Town Wasseypur | Hammers High

Somewhere I read a fable about Sultana Daku. In some specific places, train drivers drop 5 coins near a temple to ensure safe passage. That money belongs to Sultana Daku. I don’t know how much truth lies in this story, still, its interesting. So, are the dots connected in Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs Of Wasseypur. Bihar (and Jharkhand) evokes mixed emotions. This state is known for producing IASes and IITians. This state is also known for rich heritage. This state is also known for crimes. Unfortunately, cinema has shown the darker shades more than the brighter. GoW is not an exception. But that should not take away the applause Anurag and his entire team deserves for bringing alive a story that will excite cine-buffs for some good time.

Despite of lot of fictionalization, there is lot of reality wired with it. Fahim Khan is a reality. Shabir Alam is a reality. Gang wars happened. People were killed. Rangdari is still a reality. Coal mafia was not figment of someone’s imagination. Scrap is still a business. So, why is there so much fuss about portraying Wasseypur or Dhanbad in the story? Anurag Kashyap never said that its story about Wasseypur. Its about gangs in Wasseypur and gangs do kill people for reasons, sometimes justified and sometime just too random. Fahim Khan and Shabir Alam are in jail. Thankfully, not in the same one.

Coal mines were breeding ground for many crimes. After Coal India was formed, the politics of coal reached its peak. Some pockets earned more than others and not without any reason. Each contractor was shielded by goons who would ensure that mineworkers remain in their places. Slowly, as the nation developed, our dependency on coal reduced and demand for metal, especially iron, increased. Business of scrap was on high in darker corners. In 80s and 90s, rangdari became the trend. People with muscle power provided security to businessmen who had only money to protect. This is reality.

Gulzar’s Mere Apne was allegedly based on student gangs in Allahabad. Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Haasil was largely shot in Allahabad. Both movies earned respect over time. They hardly show anything positive about the city. Allahabad is known for student politics and also for outstanding scholars. Thanks to pervert minds we have, usually the former hogs the limelight. Same thing goes with GoW. People from Wasseypur and Dhanbad are intelligent enough to understand this and nothing can be done about morons. End of the day, Cinema will have smile on her lips.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

Uttkrishtt 2012 And Remembering Kaka

Uttkrishtt 2012 - Heroes Of Hindi Cinema | Editor's Pen

Hi All,

Creating a list of heroes was a difficult task. What will define a hero? We took a reference - Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird. A hero is someone who establishes faith in goodness of human being. A hero is someone who inspires you to fight against the odds and do what he believes in. A hero is someone who becomes a part of your life. After studying numerous characters of Hindi Cinema, Team TRM came out with list of 25 Heroes.

This list was developed after creating a rough list of some four scores of characters and voted. Taking time period into account, we laid some rules for characters developed before 1970 and characters developed after 1970. Voting within team took place and we zeroed upon 25 heroes. You might find a few names amiss and most probable reason will be that the character didn't got enough points to make it to top 25. Given the difference between last selected and last rejected was as small as 0.12, such misses can be forgiven. Some characters are fairly popular and some characters are not much known. We tried to keep our list as exhaustive as possible.

I hope this endeavour will get your support. Please vote and make this effort work. In fond memory of Kaka, we are dedicating our edition to the man who showed what is the meaning of being a Superstar. Rajesh Khanna R.I.P. You will stay in our hearts, for ever.

Thanks
Sujoy Ghosh

Vote For Your Favorite Heroes | Uttkrishtt

A hero is someone who establishes faith in goodness of human being. A hero is someone who inspires you to fight against the odds and do what he believes in. A hero is someone who becomes a part of your life.

Vote for all the heroes from Hindi Cinema who had a positive influence in your life and made you a better person. Lets recognise and celebrate their heroism.