Moser Baer’s 50 comes off quite well in that respect, because it keeps away from little-known critical gems and plays safe with popular and blockbuster films, dividing them into five sections: Classics, Romance, Drama, Comedy and puzzlingly, Action and Kids clubbed together.
Hindi films do not specifically stay within genre boundaries, so films like Pyaasa and Chaudvin Ka Chand would be classic and romance, Sholay would be drama and action. So would Tezaab and Ghayal. Madhuri Dixit’s scintillating Ek do teen number? Sure. Sunny Deol’s smoulder? Good choice. But, hang on, where are Deewaar and Zanjeer? Could I pass away without having seen these two thrillers where Amitabh Bachchan’s powerhouse persona was being shaped? And if you have Maine Pyar Kiya and Ek Duaje Ke Liye and even as recent an entrant as Jab We Met, where, oh, where, is Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak?
Also, there’s been no dearth of actioners in these years, so why mix kiddies with them, poor things? In the children’s section, Chhota Chetan is an obvious choice. The Blue Umbrella is perfect, a wonderful film whose lead is a completely natural little girl, a rarity in Hindi cinema, where children are meant to recite, not speak. But My Friend Ganesha, another in the line of predictable mythologicals, doesn’t belong here.
The comedy section is much more of a success. Savour Kishore Kumar’s supremely madcap moments in Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi and the lesser-known but equally wonderful Half Ticket. Plus, of course, Padosan. Of the new ones, both Oye Lucky!Lucky Oye! and Khosla Ka Ghosla are fine, because they are contemporary, edgy and just a little bit dark. But where, oh, where, is the best black comedy ever made in Indian cinema - Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron? Get the set, nevertheless, to re-acquaint yourself with some unforgettable classics. No one can quibble with Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam. Or Mother India.
