Urban legends from India – Na le ba

 What will be your reaction when someone calls from behind in dark of night?

 Will you keep moving or turn back to see? Especially if it is Amavasya or Friday 13^th, no one will dare look behind. Supposedly, if one turned back to see, he is doomed to die. Sounds absurd? Isn’t it!! In fact, such instances have happened in Karnataka, India. Long back in 90’s, a witch haunted the streets of rural side of Bangalore. She mostly targeted men. Any man, if mistakably roaming the streets of night was sure to die if he sighted her. Such was her terror that people used to write ‘Na le ba’ (Come tomorrow in Kannada language) on walls to drive her away. After reading this sign on walls, the witch used to go away and return back to haunt the streets. This cycle continued for several days.  This ghostly terror was short lived. Afterwards, such ghostly instances stopped happening in Bangalore. No one knows how much truth was in this supernatural phenomenon.

The 2018 Bollywood horror-comedy movie – Stree was based on urban legend of ‘Na le ba’. Only the location of the ghost story was shifted to Chanderi, a small town based in Northern India. The witch haunting the streets in movie had her back story. She was a prostitute who longed for true love. When she had found her true love, the prostitute and her lover were killed by the villagers.  To avenge her death, she stalks the streets of Chanderi village, targeting men. There was no backstory of witch stalking the streets of Bangalore. No know could trace the origin of her existence and the purpose behind targeting men.

 There are many urban legends and haunted places in India which have their own back story. Author Rudyard Kipling had once written about an urban legend of Shimla in his short story ‘The Phantom Rickshaw’ which revolves around a ghostly figure of a woman who is seen haunting the streets of Shimla, searching for her love. 

To know more about Na le ba, do watch the 2018 movie – Stree and for further reference, do read the 2019 ghost story collection - India’s most haunted: Tales of Terrifying places written by K. Hari Kumar. I am keen to pen down more stories on haunted places of India in my upcoming stories.

The tragic life of Hollywood diva Natalie Wood

 Natalie Wood is an unheard name to Indian movie audience. She was a Hollywood legend who rose to success by working as a child star to her ascent as a highly in demand star of 1950’s. Today Bollywood’s young actresses throw so many tantrums after one hit movie. They presume themselves to be Goddess of cinema. On contrary, Hollywood artists are humble, hard-working and dedicated and Natalie Wood belonged to that league. 

I stumbled upon Natalie Wood’s life, career and her untimely death while researching on an article related to Marilyn Monroe, the timeless diva of Hollywood. After publishing my story on Monroe, I learnt a lot about Natalie Wood’s difficult childhood, her heartbreaking relationship, her disturbed marital life and the stardom that tormented her. A gypsy woman had once predicted that Natalie would be successful movie star, but may lose her life due to drowning.

After learning about the prediction, Natalie’s mother became too much over-protective and controlled her life. It is been said it was her mother who pushed little Natalie into movie business. She was never allowed to play with other kids like a normal child. Since Natalie’s father made a meager earning, little Natalie was the bread earner of the family. Natalie Wood was not her actual name. Her actual name was Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko. Fondly called as Natasha, Natalia went on to become a child star in classics like ‘Miracle on 34^th Street’, ‘Tomorrow is forever’ and several other movies.   

Natalie’s mother was so obsessed with movie career of her daughter that she never allowed her daughter to mingle with male friends. According to sources, Natalie was forced to have a break up with a boy named Jimmy with whom she vowed to marry during her teen days. Her first crush, the boy Jimmy committed suicide by shooting herself. Jimmy’s death shook Natalie to such an extent that she shut herself in her room for a week. In later days, Natalie focused on her movie career to work as a full-fledged actress. Her breakthrough role earned her both fame and recognition in movie – Rebel Without a cause opposite the 50’s heartthrob James Dean. She became a close friend of James Dean during the filming of movie. Sadly, James Dean didn’t live to see the movie. His untimely death in car crash was a big blow to Hollywood. Natalie not only lost a great co-star, but also a great friend and confidante in James Dean.

Natalie’s name was linked to many Hollywood biggies including Elvis Priesley. Her personal life was equally stormy as her screen life. During her struggling days in Hollywood, Natalie is been said to be raped by a big Hollywood actor in a hotel. That incident was one of the tragic episodes in life of Natalie. She never revealed the name of the molester in public as she was too feared to mess with a Hollywood top notch actor. In Feb 2020, it was been disclosed that it was actor Kirk Douglas (father of actor Michael Douglas) who had molested Natalie. On death of Kirk Douglas in Feb 2020, it was been trending on a social networking site that it was Kirk who was the molester.

Though Hollywood gave her fame, success, money, it couldn’t give back her childhood innocence. Natalie won Oscar nomination thrice for her notable performances.

Mysterious death on November 29, 1981: Her fear for water remained a phobia and a nightmare throughout her life. The prophecy came true when Natalie drowned during a boat trip on a personal yacht. How did she drown? Did anyone pushed her in water? Why did Natalie get into water? Was Natalie murdered? Prior to drowning, Natalie had a big quarrel with her husband Robert Wagner. How could Natalie die when there were so many people on boat? Didn’t anyone hear her scream? Her body was discovered one day later. There are many speculations that it was her husband Robert who had drowned Natalie. The case of Natalie’s death was reopened in 2012, but nothing concrete conclusion came out of it. Like Marilyn Monroe’s mysterious death due to sleeping pills, Natalie too died a mysterious death due to drowning. Natalie’s life would have been a happy one had she not been a star. As predicted, she made a big fortune as actor, but lost the best years of childhood.

The inspiration to write this biography blog post came to me while I was penning a memoir on the Hollywood actor James Dean. This memoir on Natalie Wood is a sequel or follow-up story connected to 50’s Hollywood legends like Marilyn Monroe and James Dean.

To know more about Natalie Wood, I would highly recommend watching the biopic: The mystery of Natalie Wood and the documentary – What remains behind.

James Dean (2001) – Biopic of the Hollywood’s rebel

 When it comes to making biopics, no one makes it better than Hollywood. Indian film makers make biopics only to en-cash their pockets. There is neither any heart nor soul in Bollywood biopics. While researching info on a celebrity, I stumbled upon the biography of James Dean, the 50’s heartthrob and an Academy award nominee who created a benchmark in acting with movies like Rebel without a cause, Giant and East of Eden. He starred in only 3 movies. His stardom was tragically cut short by his untimely death due to car accident on September 30^th 1955. Had he survived the car crash, he would have set new milestones. 

Dean is only the star who is idolized, worshipped and looked upon as inspiration even several years after his death. The 2001 biographical TV movie captures the intimate moments happened in life of the rebellious actor James Byron Dean. His troubled childhood, his tensed relationship with his father, his affairs, struggles, stardom and his untimely death are vastly researched and presented in the biopic.  James Franco who portrays Dean on the screen not only physically resembles the character, but also lives the role through his powerful performance. The movie begins with narration of James Dean where he recounts his early childhood and his efforts to win the heart of his father who neglects him. After his mother’s death, James is sent to live with his uncle and aunt in Fairmount.

 As James grows up, he aspires to become an actor. His realistic performance helps him bag a role in Broadway and Television movie. Happy with his progress in acting career, he longs to meet his estranged father, but only to discover a cold approach. It is irony that James’ father Winton never encouraged his son in any stage of life. James Dean kept his personal troubles ahead to focus on his movie career that catapulted him to stardom. His passion for cars and bikes was infectious. He had numerous affairs which include a failed relationship with actress Pier Angeli. Pier Angeli’s mother never approved the relationship of James with her daughter.  It was been said that James Dean was bi-sexual. The 2001 biopic doesn’t shed any light on this dark side of Dean. The biopic does highlight his relationship with Christine White, a struggling actress who supported Dean during his struggling days. Despite the box-office success, prestigious contracts with studios and a lavish lifestyle, Dean is unhappy that he can’t win the heart of his father. It is later revealed that James was not the biological son of Wanton, but a child born from the affair of his mother with other man. The biopic ends on a tragic note when James Dean dies in car crash. Dean’s untimely death shocks the whole Hollywood, creating an emptiness which cannot be filled by any artist. 

I was blown away by this heart-touching biopic on the Hollywood’s biggest star whose rebelliousness won him many accolades and praises. To prepare for the role of James Dean, actor James Franco started smoking cigarettes and brought the mannerisms of the late actor in this biopic. What brought me to tears was the scene where James Dean literally cries to win the heart of his father. Sadly, James’ father realized his son’s love only after his death. 

Only few actors could capture the rebellious nature of James Dean and later actor Heath Ledger was one of them. In a short span, Heath had made Hollywood take up notice of his works with movies like Monster’s ball, Brokeback Mountain, The Patriot and his academy award winning role as the Joker in the Nolan’s movie – The Dark Knight.  Unfortunately, Ledger passed away in 2008 due to overdose of drugs.

James Dean (2001) biopic premiered on TNT channel in August 2001, earning praises for Franco’s portrayal. If you are a fan of James Dean, I highly recommend watching this emotional biopic on the Hollywood’s most loved actor.