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Was Salman’s 2006 film Saawan: The Season Of Love as sloppy as Sikandar? Subhash K Jha examines this idea in a new installment of This Day That Year.

For all those Salmaniacs experiencing withdrawal symptoms after watching him in his latest film Sikandar, here is some negative consolation: Sawan: The Season Of Love released on April 7, 2006, is hands-down the worst film of Salman Khan’s career.

After watching the film again for the sake of a memory-jog I wondered how Sawan Kumar Tak convinced Salman to be part of this. Agreed, Salman was going through the leanest phase of his career, with films like Phir Milenge, Dil Ne Jisse Apna Kaha, Lucky: No Time For Love, Kyon Ki, and Shaadi Karke Phans Gaya Yaar biting the dust.

Lekin, itni bhi kya majboori?

Sawan-Salman’s Saawan: The Season Of Love begins with Salman telling a girl, “You’ll die this Friday.

Dharmendra remembers the iconic film badman, the Gentleman Villain Pran, in this Subhash K Jha feature celebrating Pran’s incredible career.

During his prime crime-time, Pran instilled a reign of terror in the hearts of Indian humanity. So much so that parents ceased to name their children Pran during this arch-villain takeover on the big screen.

Born Pran Sikand, the villain-to-be never dreamt of becoming a film actor in his youth. After his basic education, Pran became a photographer’s apprentice. The vocation took him from location to location. One day in Lahore, Pran was loitering at a paan shop when a leading screenplay writer Walli Mohamed Walli walked up to him and offered him a role in a Punjabi film called Yamala Jat produced by the renowned Dalsukh Pancholi.

Taking it to be crank offer Pran forgot about it, only to be accosted by Walli a few days later at another venue.

About his pitch-perfect paean to patriotism ‘Maa Tujhe Salaam’, A R Rahman once said to me, “I was not competing with Lataji’s ‘Ae mere watan ke logon’. I am intelligent enough to know that nothing can touch that height. But love for my country is embedded in ‘Maa Tujhe Salaam’.”

Songs about the love for one’s country seldom fail to move. You may or may not be a fan of Manoj Kumar or Mahendra Kapoor. But ‘Mere desh ki dharti’ from Upkaar is bound to move you. Speaking on the genesis of this song, Manoj Kumar said, “‘Meri desh ki dharti’ happened when lyricist Gulshan Bawra and I went to a shrine to pay our respects. When we returned from the shrine in the car, Gulshan was singing Mere desh ki dharti sona ugley… jawanon bhar bhar lo jholiyan… khushi se bolo boliyan? I kept quiet as he hummed these lyrics.

‘Aashiqui’ actress Anu Aggarwal, who worked with the late Saawan Kumar Tak in his 1993 movie ‘Khal Naaika’, calls him a ‘visionary’ filmmaker and shares her experience of working with him.

Known for films such as ‘Sanam Bewafa’ and ‘Souten’, the 86-year-old director passed away on August 25 at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai, where he was undergoing treatment for lung infection.

Anu says: “He will be missed. May he rest well in the better place he has gone to.”

While talking about her equation with the late filmmaker, she says: “Sawan Kumar ji was an extraordinary visionary and a brave filmmaker. He dared to make a movie, in which the female protagonist turns into a psycho killer. In the 90s, and pretty much even now, the concept can easily be termed unique.

“When he approached me for ‘Khal Naaikaa’ with a video of the American film, ‘The Hand that Rocks the Cradle...

Veteran filmmaker Saawan Kumar Tak – who made blockbusters like ‘Souten’ – passed away following multiple health issues here on Thursday, his family said. Tak was 86 and is survived by his wife and eminent music director Usha Khanna, and other relatives.

He breathed his last following a heart attack at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, after battling lung and chest related diseases for the past few days, his nephew Navin told the media.

Tak launched his film career in 1967 by penning the script for the superhit musical ‘Naunihal’ for which the Mohammed Rafi song ‘Meri Awaz Suno’ was shot during the funeral procession of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

Over his 55-year-long Bollywood career, Tak had made over 20 films including the musical blockbuster ‘Souten’ (1983) starring Rajesh Khanna, Tina Munim (Ambani) and Padmini Kolhapure.

Other major films from his creative stable included ‘Gomti Ke Kinare’ (1972), his debut directorial venture which was...

Former couple Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif is coming together for another film. No, they are not doing any full length film but will be seen shaking a leg in director Sawan Kumar Tak’s next movie ‘Souten’ sequel. The director has approached the two lovely actors to perform in an item number for the sequel of his 1983 film ‘Souten’. A source says, “Sawan Kumar has been wanting to make Souten 2 from a very long time now. Lot of people thought that the sequel would never work out. But looks like there has been some progress on the project.” An insider adds, “The film gave some memorable tracks including Shayad meri shaadi ka ...

The demise of Bollywood superstar Rajesh Khanna has certainly given a jolt to the industry. Filmmaker Saawan Kumar Tak, who made a super hit film Souten with Rajesh Khanna, is equally taken aback with the news. He remembers working with Kaka, as Rajesh is fondly called, and says no one can replace him. "I did a great film like Souten with him. He was born to play that role and I was born to make that film. Such was our rare match. It was a memorable experience working with...

Saawan Kumar recorded the first song of his film with singer Key Key for his next production ‘Baniye Ki Moonchh’ under the banner of The Mercury Productions. It has music by Rajesh Roshan wherein lyrics is written by Saawan Kumar himself. This beautiful romantic malady with words ‘pehle dil ko banaya, fir dhadkan banayee, fir mohabbat banayee’ were sung by Key Key at Krishna Studio in Mumbai on 14th April 2012.

Saawan Kumar as lyricist and Rajesh Roshan as music director together have earlier given the hit songs taaza taaza kali khili hai hum uske diwane hain, pyaar ki kashti mein & janeman janeman in K ...

March 2 2010: The 5th Bhojpuri Film Awards publicized the concept of ‘unity in diversity’. The awards spoke about the significance of national integration by presenting an award for the ‘Best Film’ on national integration, apart from giving the other general awards. The press conference of the biggest Bhojpuri film awards was held on 27th of February, 2010, at the Country Club in Mumbai.

The event witnessed the presence of top personalities like Nagma, Surendra Pal, Kunika Lal, Udit and Deepa Narayan, and well-known writer and director, Sawan Kumar Tak. It was a proud moment for Vinod Gupta, the man behind the awards, who declared that the Bhojpuri Film Awards wanted to popularize, appreciate and take forward.

Together forever, never apart, maybe in distance, but never in heart; that is a maxim which best friends Jeetendra and Rakesh Roshan seem to be living by. And this was evident a few days ago during the birthday celebrations of their other best friend, veteran actor and filmmaker Sujit Kumar.

Kumar, who has produced big-budget Bollywood films like Champion, Aetbaar and Khel has also acted in hundreds of Hindi films and been a superstar in Bhojpuri cinema. He celebrated his 75th birthday at a surprise party that his friends threw for him recently. The occasion, complete with all their friends, including producer Saawan Kumar Tak, was celebrated at a suburban restaurant and even had Kumar's favourite pineapple cake.

Speaking about the day, the maker says, "It was a splendid way to bring in my birthday. There is nothing more I could have asked for, than to go over the good old days with my friends.