Archive for the 'N' Category
New York (2009) & Crash (2005)
Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s not so famous movie “Naukri” featuring Rajesh Khanna and Raj Kapoor together is based on the plot brilliantly worked upon by Frank Capra in “It’s a Wonderful Life”. The story features a person getting help of an angel after his death. The God Sent person makes the hero realize that when he was alive he was so important and loved by all around him but he couldn’t recognize it. In the Indianized version Rajesh Khanna plays the man who meets the angel Raj Kapoor, after his death. The movie is not as enjoyable if compared to other famous Hrishi Da’s social and comedy movies but still it is based on a unique and novel theme, though an inspired one.
Infact it seems that Hrishikesh Mukherjee must have been a fan of Frank Capra cinema. Movies of both the master film-makers have a simple and middle class feel, which touches the heart. If you are lover of Hrishi Da’s movies then you must watch Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” and also “It Could Happen To You”.
You must remember the Hit Song “Pag Ghughroo Bandh” from “Namak Halaal” and also the funny party sequence just before the song, when Amitabh loses his one shoe in the flowing water and then starts following it.
The complete sequence is taken from Peter Seller’s “Party” released in 1968. In this film Peter Seller by mistake gets invited to a party of the rich and as he enters he tries to wash one of his muddy shoes in the flowing water and loses it.
And I would like to add here that in my opinion Amitabh does it better than Peter Sellers with his unique comedy expressions and i really love the other comic sequences in this film too.
Namak Haram
Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s “Namak Haraam” is a movie quite different from his more famous light comedies. This is a film which talks about serious issues of relationship between the Employer and his workers. The film is said to be based on “Prana Mithrulu” (Telugu) (1967).
But both the films seem to be inspired from another movie which came in 1964 and is called “Becket”. In this movie too a friend is given an important post by the King but his friend in turn becomes his opponent as he starts living with the workers.
Check out at :
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057877/plotsummary
No Smoking
The basic storyline of “No Smoking” is very much on the same grounds of Stephen King’s short story “Quitters’, Inc.” This story was included in the movie “Cat’s Eyes” which had three stories featuring a mysterious cat.
In “Quitters’, Inc.” story – The cat is picked up by a certain Doctor, who lives in New York and who uses experimental techniques to get people to quit smoking. His recent client is the main character, who faces some drastic consequences if he tries to cheat the doctor’s step-by-step quit smoking policy. Chek out at:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088889/plotsummary
And also the treatment & some sequences were quite similar to the ones in the movie “Vanilla Sky”, though its on a different subject alltogether.
Nishabd
Nishabd is influenced by more than one movies, “Lolita”, “American Beauty” & “Poison Ivy”. Its a mixture of sequences from these, but the english flicks are surely more enjoyable. The hindi version only has one element to watch out for and that’s Amitabh, rest is all just ok.
Nayakan
Though this Maniratnam directed masterpiece is inspired by another classic “Godfather” but still this movie is a treat to watch due to the brilliant and inimitable Kamal Hassan. Undoubtedly one of the finest movies from bollywood.
More in “N” Category
Naqaab - Dot The I
Naina – The Eye or Jian Gui
Naksha – The Rundown or Welcome to the Jungle (2003)
Namastey London – Purab Aur Paschim (Reworked)
Na Tum Jaano Na hum – You’ve got mail
Nazar – Eyes of Laura Mars
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