Poonam Ki Raat (1965)

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Last year I had written about Mahal (1949). In a true sense it was a haunting classic movie that set the tone for similar movies in Hindi cinema. A faraway mansion, a wandering woman (soul?) singing a lovely song, with the hero following & trying to make sense of it became a template for many such movies. Some of them like Bees Saal Baad (1962), Woh Kaun Thi (1964) and Gumnaam (1965) became hits and have stayed in the minds of the audience.

In 1965, Kishore Sahu made Poonam Ki Raat under his banner perhaps inspired by this genre. He is credited with the story, screenplay, dialogues, and also plays an important role in the movie. The intention was good but unfortunately the film falls short of expectations. It is remembered today for the evergreen song Saathi re..tujh bin jiya udaas re.

The Plot

The film begins with a death scene. We see a young woman (named Rani) falling down the stairs. It is not clear if she got pushed or lost her balance. At the top of the stairs is Lala Baijnath (Sapru). At the bottom is his sister (Leela Mishra). She is shocked to see the body and looks at her brother questioningly. There is no dialogue and the credits appear.

After the credits, we are treated to a college outing scene. A group of students have arrived at an archeological site. Lunch preparations are in full swing accompanied by singing and dancing. A girl Rekha (Bela Bose) sings a romantic song Ta deem tana deem addressed to Prakash Gupta (Manoj Kumar). His friend Chandan (Shiv Kumar) watches in amusement as Prakash has no interest in Rekha.

The celebration is broken by the arrival of a jeep. Meet Sumer Singh (Rajendranath). He has a message for Chandan. Chandan’s father Lala Baijnath has taken ill and Sumer has come to take him home to the estate. (Sumer Singh is the son of the estate’s munim and close to the family). Chandan takes the professor’s permission and leaves with Prakash for company. He invites the professor to bring the students to visit his house as its on the way to Mumbai (where their college is situated). On the way, Prakash takes over the driving as Sumer Singh rests (or sleeps!).

It is a long drive. They stop near a paan shop for cigarettes. Prakash hears some men talking when they see Chandan. Lala Baijnath’s mansion (kothi) is supposed to be haunted. A woman called Rani had died there some 10-12 years back, since then her soul is said to be wandering around the mansion. This is apparently a reference to the woman who had fallen down the stairs. There is a rumour that Lala Baijnath was responsible for her death.

The trio reach the mansion. Chandan’s mother (Sarita) tells him that his father has become bedridden. And many of the family members are hoping for his death to get a share of his immense wealth. We are slowly introduced to the family.

First is Prakash’s sister Jyoti (Kumud Chhugani in her debut film). A chirpy girl, she meets Chandan and gets introduced to Prakash. She mistakes him to be a driver and treats him condescendingly before Chandan clears the matter.

Apparently, the servants of the house are not very reliable and not available when needed. Jyoti brings two glasses of milk for her brother and Prakash. Jyoti and Prakash have a playful conversation. After she leaves, he finds that the glass of milk has shifted its position. Is it possible? There was no one else in the room. He tastes the milk and drinks it fully.

He lies down smoking when he hears a woman singing Saathi re…tujh bin jiya udaas re. It is an intense song full of longing. He tries to find the source of the singing and comes across a locked door. He pushes the door open by force. The singing stops abruptly. But all that he finds is a black cat glaring at him through the darkness. The cat scampers away. He lies down again confused and is disturbed by some fluttering birds and the sound of a train passing. The train track is next to the mansion. The train’s high decibel whistle adds to the spookiness of the occasion.

Next day he has an argument with Chandan and Jyoti when he tells them about the weird happenings during the night. Later, Chandan takes him to meet his elder brother Naren and his wife. They overhear the couple speaking about Chandan’s father. Naren is in dire need of money but it is difficult to get a dime out of his miser of a father. His wife openly wishes to get rid of his father and solve the problem forever.

After that they meet Lala Baijnath. The old man seems to be in pain and is being looked after by a nurse. He talks about many topics in one go. He admonishes the nurse Thelma for touching the keys to the safe where he holds a lot of money and jewellery. He then hears someone climbing down the stairs. Apparently the stairs are faulty and he requests Chandan to get them repaired to avoid another accident (again, this is a reference to the woman Rani falling down the stairs).

The doctor (Kishore Sahu) in charge of Lala Baijnath arrives. The nurse requests him to grant leave for a week. He says she can leave only when her replacement is arranged. For some reason, the doctor has a sinister look as if he knows about something and is trying to hide it from the others.

Another important character comes in with Lalaji’s breakfast. She is Nandini who is a step daughter of Lala Baijnath. She has a stiff and lifeless manner.

And finally, there is Lala Baijnath’s sister (played by Leela Mishra) who stays with her son Ramesh in the same house. She claims to have a right in the property and will not rest until she gets it.

For this, she is close to a family friend come lawyer (Bharadwaj). The lawyer has a daughter Mukta (Parveen Chowdhury). He is hoping to get Mukta married to either Chandan or Ramesh once its clear who is entitled to a share of the property.

Its been only a day and Jyoti and Prakash sing a romantic duet (Tum kahan le chale ho). Matters get complicated when Nandini too falls for him. The love triangle is depicted through the song Sapno mein mere koi aaye jaaye sung by the 3 characters. As Prakash settles down for the night, he hears the haunting song again.

The next day, he asks Chandan about Rani. Chandan tells him that Rani was daughter of a tawaif from Lucknow. Rani used to stay with them. Prakash tells him what he had heard about Rani’s death. Chandan denies that his father had any hand in her death. Prakash requests him to show her room. They go upstairs and do a bit of exploring in the room. The room seems to be quite clean as if someone is using it regularly. Jyoti, who is downstairs sees the window opening and assumes there is a ghost in Rani’s room. Prakash convinces her that it was Chandan who had opened the window.

It’s the night of the full moon (poonam ki raat). Nandini sees a ghostly figure and screams. The doctor is convinced that something is bound to happen. The nurse Thelma asks the doctor to spare her for that night. (She wants to go for a dance with her boyfriend Peter (Prem Chopra in a small role). But the doctor tells her it’s poonam ki raat and to stay with her patient throughout the night. In spite of this, Thelma goes to meet Peter and later disappears.

On the same night, tragedy strikes. Someone tries to attack Lala Baijnath and he is found lying on the floor. Thankfully he is alive but paralysed and unable to speak. He is unable to tell what happened during the night leaving the family puzzled.

The story continues. Chandan and Prakash’s college friends arrive. There is another song by Rekha who realizes there are 2 more girls vying for Prakash’s attention! She sings Bhole piya jaane tumne kya kiya. If the attention of the girls was not enough for Prakash, he is troubled by the singing at night and unable to find a solution. Is it Rani’s soul who is singing? He sings a sad song in frustration “Dil tadpe tadpaaye.”

Things become twisted when Thelma’s body is discovered in the garden well. The police are unable to solve the murder. And the next poonam ki raat arrives. Will something happen again? Will Lala Baijnath be killed? Who is really behind all this?

The Music

The lyrics are written by Shailendra and music by Salil Chowdhury. Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Usha Mangeshkar, Mukesh and Mohammed Rafi have sung the songs. Unfortunately, only one song Saathi re stays with you. The lyrics, music and singing blend effortlessly to bring out the expected impact. If you hear carefully, you will find the tune of Baag Mein Kali Khili (another Salil Chowdhury song) used in the second stanza.

My Thoughts

The plot of the movie is not bad but the execution is not convincing. There are suspenseful moments that jolt you in between. The best thing is perhaps the haunting song which comes in bits and pieces and the full version towards the end.

There could be a long list of flaws. The poonam ki raat phenomenon is interesting but the revelation at the end does not answer all questions. There is a serious patient in the house but everyone seems to be casual about it. People carry on their activities like arranging parties, sing romantic songs, dancing and going for hunting. This dilutes the seriousness of the plot when you are expecting it to be compact and suspenseful. Then there is the unnecessary love triangle which hardly contributes to the plot. The Prakash character was supposed to give company to Chandan. But no reason is provided on why he extends his stay in the mansion. All he does is sing songs during the day or listen to the haunting song during the night! And its only him who can hear the haunting song which is ridiculous. There are lesser known faces in the cast including Nandini, Chandan, Ramesh, Naren etc whose acting skills seem limited. Better casting would have definitely helped to keep the proceedings tight.

Mem Didi (1961)

My Reviews

Hrishikesh Mukherjee was a celebrated filmmaker famous for making “slice of life” movies. They showed ordinary people and the happenings in their life. The films were non-flashy, low budget and told simple stories. Mem Didi is perhaps a lesser known movie of this ace director but it has his unmissable touches. The film does not boast any big stars. It has three character actors David, Jayant and Lalita Pawar acting as the main leads, supported by newcomers Tanuja and Kaysi Mehra. There is a dialogue in the movie – “dusron ki khushi ko apna khushi samjho, dekho kitna maza aata hai” which sums up the message it attempts to deliver. Interestingly, Hrishikesh Mukherjee made Achha Bura on the same story in 1983.

The Plot

Mem Didi is set in a poor locality. The poor residents are one big family. They laugh and cry together. They enjoy and celebrate together. For example, there is a man called Giridhari’s daughter’s marriage. The whole neighborhood comes together to help with the arrangements and make the occasion a success.

But there are two “go to” persons who are the self appointed trouble shooters in the neighbourhood. They are the local dadas Sher Khan (Jayant) and Bahadur Singh (David). You just need to approach them and they are all ready to help you out. This usually involves threatening the so called villain of the situation (like the local moneylender (played by Dhumal), and getting the job done.

It is fun to watch the two cooking up a story and making their point indirectly. Their professions are not clear but Sher Khan seems to be a lorry driver. They are inseparable friends and the actors display great chemistry. They enjoy doing the job of maintaining harmony in the locality by helping its residents. And the residents find them dependable and approachable to highlight their problems for a quick action solution. They are bullies but with a golden heart.

There is a new arrival in the locality in the form of a new tenant – memsahib (Lalita Pawar). But the first meeting between Sher Khan, Bahadur Singh and the lady is disastrous. There is an unnecessary ruckus going on when she arrives and tries to enter her rented house. Sher Khan and Bahadur Singh realize she is the memsahib they had heard of. But they were expecting a young and fashionable lady as opposed to the actual arrival. They burst out laughing at the realization..khoda pahaad aur nikali chuhiya. But she is not amused. She feels insulted and slaps them.

The men are shaken. They are insulted, that too in a locality where they are the revered bullies. They must seek revenge from the old lady. But that is easier said than done. She is a woman, how can they raise a hand on her? The approaches of the 2 men to this problem are different. Sher Khan has a rough and tough thinking whereas Bahadur Singh has a more toned down and sensible way of dealing with things. After much deliberation and funny dialogues, they hatch a weird plan. They will make her sit on a chair and throw it out of the house. Revenge accomplished!

With much gusto, they go to her house. She is relieved to see them when they arrive unannounced. She asks them to help her in moving heavy stuff like trunks and a sewing machine. She offers them sweets as they have come to her house for the first time. They are confused at this turn of events.

Finally, they manage to make her sit on the chair and Sher Khan blurts out their plan of teaching her a lesson. But the old lady is a tough nut. She sits on the chair and challenges them to throw her out. They are unable to react. Later, she gets emotional, starts crying and tells them that she will leave the locality if she is not welcome there. They cannot bear this and apologize to her. She tells them she is their sister going forward. They decide a name for her – Mem Didi.

Mem Didi settles down happily. On a Sunday, Sher Khan and Bahadur Singh are bored as its a weekly off. Mem Didi asks Sher Khan to get his lorry. She asks all the neighbours to get ready for an outing and hop in the lorry. All are happy and the day is spent enjoyably.

More details are revealed about Mem Didi. She has a daughter Rita (Tanuja) studying in Shimla. Rita is of the carefree type. She spends her time frolicking with friends. She also has a lover Dilip (Kaysi Mehra) who is the son of a very wealthy man (played by Hari Shivdasani).

Mem Didi gets along with her neighbours but she is known as a miser in the locality. She is very careful in money matters. Sher Khan and Bahadur Singh find out that she slogs day and night to ensure the monthly fees of Rs. 300 are sent to Rita on time. To achieve this, she stitches clothes, makes badis (or wadis) and pickles, and sells them for earning money. All this for Rita.

One day, a thief steals her bag containing the “fees” money she has managed to collect with great effort. Sher Khan And Bahadur come to know this is the handiwork of the local goonda Jaggu. They confront him and retrieve the money. They tell a grateful Mem Didi that they are Rita’s mamas (uncles) and have some responsibility towards her.

But things are about to change. Mem Didi falls sick after returning home on a rainy night. Her 2 brothers and the neighbours look after and help her recover. Bahadur Singh manages to find Rita’s address and sends a telegram informing her of Mem Didi’s condition. For 3 days, the 2 men are constantly looking after Mem Didi without having food or sleep. Mem Didi is speechless when she hears this. But she is shaken when a telegram arrives stating that Rita will be coming home.

Mem Didi reveals that Rita is not her real daughter. She used to work as an ayah in her parents’ house. Her parents were very rich. The parents passed away and the wealth also went away. But Rita was not made aware of this. She was brought up by Mem Didi like the daughter of a rich family. Mem Didi would slog to ensure Rita gets everything. The shocking truth should not be revealed to her.

What will happen when Rita comes home? Can Mem Didi continue with the deception? The engaging events continue with the two men stepping in to help out Mem Didi and ensure a sweet end to the story.

The Music

Mem Didi’s songs were written by Shailendra and composed by Salil Chowdhury. Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh and Mahendra Kapoor provided the playback. The songs are melodious but somehow not popular compared to other films of Salil Da or Hrishikesh Mukherjee. The song Bhula De Zindagi Ke Gham is played during the titles. The duet Ham To Ghar Me Chulha Phuke is performed during the marriage celebrations scene. Raaton Ko Jab Neend Udd Jaaye is Tanuja’s introduction song. Bachpan O Bachpan Pyare Bachpan is a picnic song whereas Main Jaanti Hoon is a romantic duet. And there is the delightful Beta Wa Waw Waw picturized on Tanuja as she plays with a dog in the locality.

My Thoughts

Mem Didi is a delightful film thanks to Hrishikesh Mukherjee and the 3 main actors. Lalita Pawar performs the role effortlessly. You are obviously reminded of her Mrs D’sa in Anari (1959) and the matron in Anand (1971). David performs as usual but I particularly liked Jayant. He normally appeared in villain roles but he is so impressive here and gets a long screen time. The 3 leads are shown to be from different faiths. Bahadur Singh is a Rajput (Hindu), Sher Khan is Muslim and Mem Didi, a Christian. Tanuja is chirpy as the role demands but she and Kaysi Mehra don’t have much to do. There are certain loopholes in the story but those can be overlooked. The interaction between the main actors, the small actions, reactions leave you satisfied. I would say you have the watch the movie properly to enjoy all those intricate nuances that Hrishi Da was a master of.

“Asha Bhosle – Challenge and Competition Songs”

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12 April was a sad day for the entertainment world. Asha Bhosle (AB), the versatile singer left us forever, leaving behind a staggering musical treasure. Though primarily a playback singer, she also contributed to the non-film genre. It was always a delight to see her perform on stage. She had a great sense of humour, made witty comments and was a great mimic as well. She stayed connected to her audience.

One point she always mentioned was “rising to the challenge.” If a music director said that he was ready to simplify a tough sounding tune, she would disagree to the proposal. She would rehearse hard and deliver the most difficult of compositions, that too in a single take! Facing challenges became her forte. As years passed, new music directors arrived, trends changed along with the audience’s taste. AB was always around to adapt to the new generation and remain competitive. 

Today’s post is also about some film situations involving a challenge or a competition; AB being an integral part of all these songs. Even scrolling through the list will give the reader an idea of the variety of songs and the ease with which she sung them.

My heartfelt tribute to this truly versatile icon. Hope you enjoy!

1) Song: Dekho Bijli Dole
Film: Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1963)
Credits: Majrooh Sultanpuri | O.P. Nayyar | Asha Bhosle and Usha Mangeshkar

One Asha sings for another. AB and Asha Parekh (AP) shared a long association starting from the latter’s debut film Dil Deke Dekho. AB sang a range of songs for her right from trademark dance numbers to romantic and sad songs. Parde mein rehne do, Daiya ye main kaha aa phansi, Khat likhde sawariya ke naam babu, O mere sona re, Jab chali thandi hawa..it would be a long list of hit songs. In this classical dance competition song AP shows her dancing prowess complemented by AB’s classical singing. It is definitely one of those songs which is a delight to hear and watch. It is a rare classical composition from O. P Nayyar, the music director who arguably had a sizeable contribution in AB’s playback career.

2) Song: Mere Mehboob Mein Kya Nahin
Film: Mere Mehboob (1963)
Credits: Shakeel Badayuni | Naushad | Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle

This is a duet between AB and her peerless sister Lata Mangeshkar (LM). Both sisters are in a competitive spirit as they sing for the onscreen pair of Sadhana (LM) and Ameeta (AB). The lyrics describe their beloved and each one tries to outdo the other. A beautiful composition by Naushad and both sisters excel in their art by matching note to note.

3) Song: Kaise Samjhaoon?
Film: Suraj (1966)
Credits: Hasrat Jaipuri | Shankar Jaikishan | Mohammed Rafi & Asha Bhosle

Mohammed Rafi sang the highest number of duets with AB and their pairing was one of its kind. Again it would be a long list of songs enough to feed multiple blog posts! This Shankar Jaikishan number is a nice give and take song set in raag Bhairavi. A hero v/s the heroine song. AB sings for Vyjanthimala as she taunts the hero (Rajendra Kumar). This is another example of a song where the voice matches the heroine’s expressions perfectly. The singing and dancing is effortless and impactful.

4) Song: Saaf Karo Insaaf Karo
Film: Aashirwad (1968)
Credits: Gulzar | Vasant Desai | Ashok Kumar, H. Chattopadhyay, Hemlata and Asha Bhosle

Lavani is a traditional dance form in Maharashtra state. It’s subset is the sawaal jawaab performance. Questions (riddles) are posed in the form of a song and the other party guesses the answer. The lyrics are witty and set to a melodious tune. AB has sung many lavanis in Marathi films and she is in top form here in it’s Hindi version. The singing has that hint of a mischievous, teasing tone as the competition heats up(!). On screen, we see Ashok Kumar enjoying the performance of the dancer (Leela Gandhi). A different song but highly enjoyable.

5) Song: Raaz Ki Baat Kehdu Toh
Film: Dharma (1973)
Credits: Verma Malik | Sonik Omi | Mohammed Rafi and Asha Bhosle

I would term this as a suspense song. The dancer Bindu is aware of Nawab Saab’s (Pran) secret and threatens to expose him in public. He warns her to remain silent and the audience is eager to know what happens next. This was an unlikely qawwali duet between supporting actors but it became a roaring hit thanks to the acting, lyrics, music and of course the singing. AB is in top form using a threatening and warning tone to bring about the desired emotions.

6) Song: Hai Agar Dushman
Film: Hum Kisise Kum Naheen (1977)
Credits: Majrooh Sultanpuri | R. D. Burman | Mohammed Rafi, Asha Bhosle and Chorus

Another blockbuster qawwali featuring the same singers. This is a challenge song where the hero dares the heroine to come forward and proclaim her love for him in full public view. She is reluctant but gathers courage and joins him in the performance. Challenge accepted! AB makes a fully charged entry in this fast faced and difficult composition based on raag Kalavati. Once again, we are awed by her versatility.

7) Song: Saare Niyam Tod Do
Film: Khubsoorat (1980)
Credits: Gulzar | R. D. Burman | Asha Bhosle, Rekha and Chorus

Challenges can be subtle as shown in this song featuring Rekha, Ashok Kumar, Rakesh Roshan and others. Rekha’s character organizes a surprise performance to deliver an important message to the family members. She challenges them to break rules and enjoy their life for the sake of nirmal anand (pure bliss). Needless to say, they are convinced and accept the challenge responding “Inquilaab Zindabaad.”

8) Song: Meri Nazar Hai Tujh Pe
Film: The Burning Train (1980)
Credits: Sahir | R. D. Burman | Asha Bhosle

The 60s and 70s would have these fusion songs (Indian v/s western) which became popular. This is one such song from R. D. Burman. It has Parveen Babi (western) competing against Hema Malini (Indian). And surprise, AB sings for both the ladies. She glides alternately through the western and Indian singing styles and doesn’t loosen her grip. A difficult feat but AB proves her command in handling such experimental songs.

9) Song: Aa Dekhe Zara
Film: Rocky (1981)
Credits: Majrooh Sultanpuri | R. D. Burman | Kishore Kumar, R. D. Burman and Asha Bhosle

This is a rare song sung by the golden trio of Kishore Kumar, RD and AB. The men sing for Sanjay Dutt and Shakti Kapoor whereas AB sings for Tina Munim and Reena Roy. It is a proper dance competition song full of energy. AB sings full throttle adding the needed punch to the competition.

10) Song: Main Haseena Gazab Ki
Film: Khoon Bhari Maang (1988)
Credits: Indivar | Rajesh Roshan | Asha Bhosle and Sadhana Sargam

And the final song is a face off between Rekha and Sonu Walia. Khoon Bhari Maang was a revenge drama. Rekha plots to seek revenge from Kabir Bedi and this song is the first step towards that goal. AB makes a dashing entry through her engaging vocals to crush the onscreen opponent. Rekha matches the singing with some over the top costumes and dance moves.