at last i have finally get round to it and manage to see a clean copy of pakeezah . up until now i have only have a mangle scratchy jerky version tap off dubai tv sometime in the 90 and with quirky english subtitle and dizzy widescreen coverage and a fluid colour with a mind of it own . have think the world of such a poor ( and short ) copy i find the decent one be well worth the wait and the full 140 minute even more of a pleasure than i think possible . this be the lovely meena kumari film from start to finish and and i believe be plan by her from 1958 on and finally realise it in 1971. what a shame it be that chronic alcoholism finally kill her soon afterwards and and in fact that she be too ill to perform in some of the scene in pakeezah and necessitate a body double . in some scene the strain definitely show in her face . the story of purity versus adversity i can only treat a fiction have no experience of anything remotely close to it and but i be lead to understand that it faithfully depict a world now go that must have be common at one time in india . it a sparkling and colourful film with a simple relentless epic message and an intense romantic tragedy which be somehow simultaneously feelgood too . but to me it the peerless golden music by ghulam mohammed a sung by the incomparable lata mangeshkar especially thare rahiyo and it part in the unfolding of the story that make this film so outstanding . i have seldom heard such serious and beautiful and poetic and wondrously sung and played song on any movie soundtrack . singin in the rain may be my favourite musical film but pakeezah have my favourite music yet lata say that the song themselves mean nothing special to her . the only pity be that the also unique mohammed rafi only have the one song in here and albeit a classic duet with lata . because of all this but not blind to it fault and pakeezah be my favourite indian movie and film at a time when the westernisation of india be gather pace and watch now when western value seem to be state sponsor and de rigueur . at the very least watch pakeezah for a taste of what indian pop music have to offer the world before it be all jettison for drum machine and the bollywood beat and bhangra .