Proud to be a Sikkimese: Sikkim Travel, Culture & Local Heritage

Did you know...Buddha Park, Ravangla is featured in a 7-second scene in Aamir Khan starrer Laal Singh Chadda.

  Aradhana Hindi film gave to the world a new star in Rajesh Khanna. The beauty of Darjeeling mesmerized the cine watchers. Amidst all this, my fantasy lay in a Numer Plate used in the vehicle that Rajesh Khanna drives in most of the shot. The number plate read - SKM 701. Oh My God, that’s Sikkim's Number Plate !! When I first shared this fantastic coincidence on my Facebook page, Kazeeman Chhetri, one of the readers, commented. This Willy Jeep was owned by the late Krishna Chandra Pradhan of the Development Area, Gangtok. He further wrote that during his school days in  the 1970s, this vehicle used to be parked near his residence.

1. Ghatak (1996)    2. Dhund (1973)  3. Bulundi (1971) 4. Kanoon Kya Karega (1984) 5. Fakira (1976)

When Rishi Kapoor passed away this morning, an era of romantic movies just ended. He wasn't the biggest superstar that Indian cinema had seen, but there are films which are incomplete without mentioning the character of Rishi Kapoor. You have films like Amar Akbar Antony, Kabhi Kabhi, and lately Agneepath, and if you minus Rauf Lala, the film has nothing challenging. We all love Rishi Kapoor and his films. His love for designer sweaters is incomplete if don't talk about it. Remember his films Chandni and his other romantic films that justified his romantic characters.

Nirupa Roy was an Indian actress who had appeared in Hindi films. Often called the "Queen of Misery" in Hindi film circles. Roy was active from 1946 to 1999 and was best known as renowned for playing motherly roles. Roy appeared in over 250 films and won three Filmfare Awards throughout her career, as well as being nominated for one. In 2004, Roy received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. FOR MORE ON MY DIGITAL ARCHIVES CLICK THE LINK   https://srisyogdigitalarchives.blogspot.com/  

I bought an old Hindi film promotional page from an unknown magazine from OP Biyani, my old-time Kanpur hobby dealer. The black-and-white poster with foreign looks in a Hindi film mentioned was enough to create curiosity for me. The film was named Samundar ki Sindari , produced by J. Arthur Rank , and distributed by Eagle-Lion Distributors (India). The poster mentioned the lead actors and actresses as Jean Simmons (an Academy Award winner) and Donald Houston ( Debonair Pride Discovery ). The film played in packed houses at Regal New Delhi , Jagat & Imperial - Delhi, City Light - Amritsar , and Orient - Dehradun .  Returning to the present, I received that page in my hands. I was eager to know about Jean Simmons. She was an actress and singer who was involved in cinema until 1996. She won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for Guys and Dolls in 1955 but was twice nominated for Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actress in Hamlet (1948) and Best Actress in...

Reunion of old friends. Danny Denzongpa, Prem Chopra,Jeetendra,Paintal, Rishi,Ranjeet.  What an evening of reminiscing. Thank you all.

Sikkim these days happens to be around Bollywood's corner. Priyanka Chopra produced the Nepali film "Pahuna" shot in Sikkim just made its presence at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. Now the biggest of all news for all Sikkimese fans, our Agya Danny Denzongpa's film ‘Bioscopewala’ directed by Deb Medhekar is completed and will be there at Tokyo International Film Festival this October.  The film also features another talented National awardee Gitanjali Thapa from Sikkim. Pic: Mid-day.com

Bollywood's celebrated actor Irrfan Khan is shooting the climax of Tanuja Chandra's Hindi film Qarib Qarib Singlle at a different location of Gangtok. He arrived at Gangtok on the evening of February 28. Nothing more is known about the movie that also stars Luke Kenny as a Sikkimese gentleman. The film unit will stay in Sikkim for ten days as reported.

Sikkim-born Geetanjali Thapa has won the Best Performance in the Narrative Competition for her role in Kamal K.M’s  I.D at the recently concluded Los Angeles Film Festival. I.D. was screened in the Los Angeles Film Festival in the section of the International Competition held on June 13-17. Geetanjali Thapa is the first Bollywood lead actress from the small state of Sikkim, and her success story will surely inspire the new generation to dream big. Geetanjali Thapa , who plays “Charu” in I.D. ,  earli er won the Award for Best Actress at Imagineindia International Film Festival, Madrid. The much-acclaimed film I.D. has  won seven awards at film festivals across different countries and is making news. Speaking exclusively to Shital Pradhan, blogger of  the ' Proud  to be a Sikkimese'  blog, she said, "I feel extremely grateful.  It feels good to be appreciated for the hard work one has put in. I have been meeting filmmakers and reading scripts. I did...

  Time ho gaya.......pack up!!..... . This was the last word legendary Rajesh Khanna said to Amitabh Bachchan in his blog.  I was never part of the Rajesh Khanna era, but I have grown up watching his movies on television and reading about him in print media. No doubt his "Anand" is one of my favourite movies. With a simple story, hummable songs, and great acting, Anand was a classic from Hrishi da. The greatest about Anand to me is, without hesitation, the two songs by my singing idol Mukesh. Both the songs 'Kahi door jab din dhal jaye' and 'Maine tere liye hee saat rang kay' are gems for any Mukesh lover.  And who can forget this evergreen line penned by Gulzar…     Zindagi aur maut upar wale ke haath main hain jahapanah, use na aap badal sakte hain na main, Hum sab toh rang-manch kee katputliya hain, jinki dor uparwale ki ungliyon mein bandhi hain Kab kaun kaise uthega, koi nahi bata sakta ha ha ha…   Just in the evening, I was watching the new...

Paan Singh Tomar was a strange name for a Hindi film to me when I read about it in a newspaper a few months back.  The fact that I have been a fan of Irrfan Khan since his  Banegi Apni Baat  days made it obvious for me to watch this movie, and as the name suggested, I was sure I might have something very different to watch. Story of an athlete of a world-class, seven times national champions at Steeple Chase in the 50s and 60s, a participant at the 1958 Tokyo Asian Games and his journey as a “baaghi” as Irrfan Khan playing Paan Singh Tomar repeats in the movie is the backdrop of the story.  No doubt Paan Singh Tomar, the persona, is the winner of the movie, a sportsman who faded with time and, despite bringing laurels to the nation, was forced to rise against the law. This movie can be listed as one of the best movies by Irrfan Khan, and his natural acting has made Paan Singh Tomar live on screen.  The newspaper clip Paan Singh Tomar with his wife Indir...