Joginder (real name Joginder Shelly) was an Indian actor, director, producer, writer, singer, songwriter and distributor. Two Hindi films produced–directed–written–acted–distributed by him were "Super Hits" – Bindiya aur Bandook and Ranga Khush.
(In Indian cinema any film which runs for over 50 weeks continuously is
classified as "Super Hit.") He successfully instituted a plagiarism
suit against the producers of one of India's greatest films Sholay
for substantially copying his work. The character Ranga Khush was a
household name in India in the 1970s, especially among little children
who copied his maniacal laugh and rolling eyeballs, and favourably
compares with Gabbar Singh who copied him. The film Ranga Khush was a spinoff from Joginder's two-word dialogue in Bindiya aur Bandook (known internationally as "The girl with the gun").
He was often placed on lists of "worst movie directors", a fan-generated title he shared with Ed Wood.
In common with Wood, Joginder made a run of cheap and poorly produced
films, now humorously celebrated for their unsophisticated special
effects, large amounts of ill-fitting stock footage, idiosyncratic
dialogue, eccentric casts and outlandish plot elements, although his
flair for showmanship gave his projects at least a modicum of commercial
success.
His commercial acumen came to the fore when he dared to release his houseful sequel Bindiya aur Bandook-2 against J.P. Dutta's megabudget LOC
which flopped. The popular song "Main Hoon Botal Band Sharab" had
audiences dancing in the aisles whenever it came on the screen.
Joginder acknowledged that he had no plans to enter mainstream
cinema. His "Jhuggie-Jhopdi" (slum) audiences gave him fame and success.
Joginder's film Ranga Khush was repeatedly featured in debates in India's upper house of Parliament, the Rajya Sabha, for its extended rape sequences and insults to religious deities of all faiths.
Like Aamir Khan and Guru Dutt, he was often shy in claiming directorial credit for his hit films which were usually attributed to industry veteran Shibu Mitra.
A trained pilot, he had also worked with late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi before turning actor.
In conclusion, a tribute from a fan "the world has two kinds of
people – those who have watched ‘Ranga Khush’ and others who lead
unfulfilled lives".
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