All posts by GGaurav

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About GGaurav

I am passionate about old movies, songs and trivia.

Kalicharan (1976)

My Reviews,

Today’s post is dedicated to Subhash Ghai (born: 24th January, 1945), often called as the (second?) showman after Raj Kapoor. I remember watching Aradhana (1969) and noticing a young Subhash Ghai in a scene. Starting as an actor, he moved to direction and launched his own banner Mukta Arts. It would be safe to say he left his mark on the 1980s and 90s with a slew of movies like Hero, Meri Jung, Karma, Ram Lakhan, Saudagar, Khalnayak, Pardes and Taal. And most of them can be termed as “grand” movies for their big budgets, star power, hit music and blockbuster status.

Kalicharan was the directorial debut of Subhash Ghai. While the movie may not be perfect, it shows his craft, perhaps indicating the grander scheme of things to come.

The Plot

Kalicharan has a simple plot. We are introduced to the villain at the very beginning. Meet Seth Deendayal (Ajit). He is fondly called as Lion (also pronounced Loin) by the whole city. The country is reeling with inflation and foodgrain prices have hit the roof. Lion has managed to hoard huge quantities of wheat through is “baniya” friends. The Government is importing wheat and the ship is expected to arrive soon. Lion assures his cronies that the ship will never reach the country. Next, a blast occurs, the ship is destroyed and the grain is gone. The titles start rolling.

Prabhakar Srivastav (Shatrughan Sinha) is a capable and non-corrupt police officer. He has managed to capture a truck driver Raghu who works for Lion’s organization. But Raghu is not ready to reveal his real boss’s / owner’s name. Raghu has a sister Sapna Mathur, who studies in Simla. Sapna thinks Raghu is a hardworking and rich man but does not know the reality and the kind of work he is associated with. Upon some emotional blackmail by Prabhakar, a desperate Raghu reveals the name of the villain as Lion. Prabhakar is aghast as Lion is Seth Deendayal , a respected big shot in the city. Later, Raghu gets shot by Lion’s men and dies in the jail.

A disturbed Prabhakar prepares his report for submitting to the Inspector General (IG) P. N. Khanna (Premnath). Prabhakar is like a foster son for Khanna. Prabhakar’s 2 children (Chinky, Pinky) are like his grandchildren. Khanna has a daughter Anju (Alka) who treats Prabhakar as her brother and is attached to the children. The children are traveling to Simla (where they study) and Anju is accompanying them on the train journey.

A confused Prabhakar goes to Khanna’s cabin but Khanna is on the phone talking to none other than Lion, who is his best friend. He considers Lion and Prabhakar as the people closest to him. Prabhakar is unable to speak and reveal his suspicions about Lion. Khanna reminds him to reach the station on time to see off his children.

In a wrong move, Prabhakar goes and directly confronts Lion, who obviously refutes all allegations. Prabhakar threatens him with some wonderful dialogue delivery. Lion counters with one of the most iconic dialogues of Hindi cinema… Saara sheher mujhe Lion ke naam se jaanta hai. He holds the same status in the city as a lion in the jungle. Prabhakar warns that a man-eater lion also gets killed and to be ready for his fate.

Prabhakar leaves for the railway station. As fate would have it, Lion arranges a hit and run accident. Prabhakar is seriously injured. Khanna receives the news at the railway station. He is unable to share the news with Anju or the children. He sees them off with a heavy heart and rushes to the hospital as soon as the train departs.

Khanna is at the hospital hoping for some positive news about Prabhakar, who may not survive the accident. He meets an old friend, retired jailor (David) at the hospital. Prabhakar dies. (But before dying, he manages to write “LION” on the hospital chart by his bedside. As it is written in reverse on the paper, it is wrongly misinterpreted as “No. 17”).

David is shocked when he looks at Prabhakar. Apparently, there is a prisoner in the New Delhi prison whose face resembles Prabhakar – a carbon copy. This is Qaidi number 511 – Kalicharan (also Shatrughan Sinha). Khanna makes some quick plans. Prabhakar’s death is kept secret. Khanna goes to New Delhi and meets Kalicharan. After lot of convincing, he manages to bring Kalicharan with him to Simla.

Kalicharan is accommodated in a guest house. Khanna tells the truth to Alka. She supports him on his mission to transform Kalicharan into DSP Prabhakar to take on the people who had killed Prabhakar. But it is not going to be easy as Kalicharan has only one mission – to escape at the earliest.

Its time for the heroine’s entry. Sapna (Reena Roy) has reached Simla for participating in a youth festival. Kalicharan manages to escape and takes a ride on top of Sapna’s bus. Through some funny scenes, Sapna manages to “capture” him and hand over to the police. Sapna is Anju’s friend and comes to meet her and Khanna. She informs Khanna about the thief she caught who calls himself Kalicharan and insists that he is a friend of Khanna. Upon hearing this, Khanna rushes to get Kalicharan released and confines him to the guesthouse. Sapna is apologetic when she comes to know this is DSP Prabhakar who Anju considers as her brother and so on.

Sapna performs a song “Jaa re jaa o harjai” in the youth festival. The lyrics seem as if she is singing for Prabhakar. Kalicharan is entertained and joins her in the dancing.

Next day, Kalicharan manages to run away again on a horse but Khanna chases and nabs him. So its back to the house and confinement. Kalicharan is frustrated. Now its time for Anju to deal with Kalicharan and make him change his ways. In filmy style, she tries to tie a rakhi to him as his sister. Kalicharan is moved and narrates his life story involving his sister. We come to know that his sister was raped and committed suicide. The culprit was Shetty (Shetty) and his friends. Kalicharan kills the friends but Shetty escapes. Anju tells him about Prabhakar’s tragic story. Finally, Kalicharan melts and agrees to be DSP Prabhakar. Khanna is relieved at the news.

But its not an easy job. Kalicharan has to meet Prabhakar’s children and behave as if he is their father. The children sing the song “Ek batta do, do batte chaar” in school and are overjoyed to see him after so many days.

Then there are other obstacles like Shaaka (superbly performed by Danny Denzongpa). He is lame in one leg and fights with a trishul (trident). And we come to know Sapna is none other than Raghu’s sister, who plans to avenge his death.

All this leading to the revelation about the No. 17 puzzle. But will Khanna be convinced that his best friend Lion is the main villain responsible for Prabhakar’s death? And will Lion remain silent? He is arranging to get rid of Prabhakar with the help of some bad men like Madan Puri, Manik Irani and last but not the least Shetty, with whom Kalicharan has old scores to settle.

The Music

The songs are written by Ravindra Jain and Inderjeet Singh Tulsi, music by Kayanji Anandji. There are only 4 songs but Jaa re jaa o harjai and Ek batta do are more famous. They were heard often on radio and TV.

My Thoughts

As mentioned, Kalicharan is a simple story but Subhash Ghai manages to make an entertaining movie primarily with a combination of the acting and dialogues. The director focuses on the story avoiding diversions like unnecessary songs and a long romantic track.

The biggest credit is perhaps to Shatrughan Sinha, who shines in the brief role of Prabhakar and then the lengthier character of Kalicharan. He is good in the emotional and action scenes, and is convincing in the comedy scenes as well. His dialogue delivery is phenomenal. He was normally associated with multi starrers and negative characters. This was his first hit as a solo hero movie.

Ajit nails it as as Lion. He portrays the menacing villain by his convincing dialogue delivery, expressions and body language. Danny Denzongpa impresses in a small but effective role. The rest of the cast pales in comparison. Reena Roy plays the typical heroine and appears in some weird costumes. Premnath talks loudly with exaggerating actions and keeps on swearing for no reason.

Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye (1974)

My Reviews,

O.P. Nayyar (full name Omkar Prasad Nayyar), was a class apart from his peers in the music industry. His distinct compositions helped him to carve a separate identity. And the biggest distinguishing factor was his non-utilization of Lata Mangeshkar. This was a time when not only music directors but producers, directors and even actresses would insist to have their songs graced by this incomparable voice. But not O.P. Nayyar. He made use of the talents of Shamshad Begum, Geeta Dutt and Asha Bhosle’s to enhance his musical offering. And success did not elude him. The reason for remembering O.P is his birth and death anniversaries fall in January (16th January, 1926 and 28 January, 2007 respectively).

Today’s theme is not a song list but a movie whose music was contributed by O.P Nayyar. Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye, a dacoit drama and otherwise forgettable movie. The movie is significant because it marked the end of the long association between O.P. Nayyar and Asha Bhosle. Yes, this was the last time this voice was heard under the O.P. baton.

Another bit of trivia. Asha Bhosle was awarded the best playback singer for the song Chain Se Humko Kabhi, but it did not feature in the movie! Strange are the ways of cinema!

The Plot

Where there is a dacoit drama, there is a dacoit (daaku). Raja Thakur (Sunil Dutt) is a daaku revered by the villagers and hated by the wealthy. The movie starts with Raja Thakur arriving at Thakur Bhanwar Singh’s (Rajan Haskar’s) house. Bhanwar Singh has exploited a Harijan girl and her helpless parents have approached Raja Thakur for justice. Raja Thakur threatens Bhanwar Singh and makes him marry the girl forcibly. He warns his own men not to loot the house as it is now the house of his “sister.”

Also introduced is Janniya (Rekha), a dancer. She had come to entertain Bhanwar Singh but ends up entertaining the daaku with a mujra item. Raja Thakur is impressed and asks her to demand anything (he is in a good mood!). She insults him saying he doesn’t earn a decent dime, what can he give her? He is further impressed by her attitude and states that she has pure blood and should leave dancing and get married soon.

Later, he meets his mother (Veena) and informs her of the good deed he has performed that day. She is happy and hopes he will marry soon as well. He tells her that is not possible and reminds her of the injustice done to their family. There is a flashback. The local zamindar (Tiwari) was exploiting Raja Thakur’s family for the loan taken by his ancestors. He comes to take away the family’s cattle as repayment. There is a fight and Raja Thakur’s father gets killed. It was Raja Thakur’s dream to study and become a big man but his dreams are shattered. The pen in his hand is replaced by a rifle.

The local police are making plans to catch Raja Thakur. They plan to nab him during the annual fair when Raja Thakur will be making his customary visit to the temple. There is a song sequence involving policemen posing as dancers. They surround Raja Thakur but he outwits them and manages to escape.

Another shady character is Dharamdas (Jeevan). He helps Raja Thakur by supplying him resources including ammunition in return of gold. This is win-win situation for both, so the barter arrangement continues successfully. Dharamdas tells him about Janniya. Their is gossip in the village about the relationship between Raja Thakur and Janniya.

The police put Janniya in lock up in order to make Raja Thakur come and rescue her. We come to know that Janniya is actually the abducted daughter of a crorepati Seth Dhanraj (Iftekhar). His brother in law Jagmohan (Madan Puri) had done a deal with Mangal Singh (Premnath) to abduct /kill her when she was a child. But she ends up with Chandabai (Indira Bansal) and becomes a dancer. Jagmohan is after Dhanraj’s money.

Through clever planning, Raja Thakur attacks the police station and rescues Janniya. He takes her to his hideout. He declares Janniya should get married soon to end all speculation regarding their alleged relationship.

He wants to ensure a decent future for Janniya and “arranges” 3 prospective grooms (Keshto Mukherjee, Birbal and Polson). They try to add a comedic touch to the proceedings. Janniya needs to select one of them as her husband.

Meanwhile the police have contacted Dhanraj. He reaches the police station and identifies that Janniya is indeed his long lost daughter Sheetal. (The police show him the dress that Sheetal was wearing at the time of her abduction). Dhanraj and Jagmohan meet Raja Thakur’s mother requesting her to intervene and ensure his daughter’s safe return. Money is offered, which she refuses. She promises to pass on the message to Raja Thakur. She does so and Raja Thakur agrees with his mother’s wishes.

Its marriage day and Janniya is all decked to marry one of her 3 suitors. In her mind, she is secretly fancying Raja Thakur. Unfortunately he is strictly professional and miles away from any romantic overtures. The police reach and attack the hideout before the marriage celebrations can begin. Raja Thakur manages to get hold of Janniya and run away. He leaves her with his mother, who will hand her over to her father. But hardly has he turned his back that Janniya is kidnapped by Mangal Singh’s men. His mother falls down and dies.

This is just the first half. The rest of the movie is all about Raja Thakur v/s Mangal Singh. Mangal Singh is a sadistic type of villain. He sits on a throne like chair playing a harp in a very flashy den. He is surrounded by a bevy of foreign looking (firangi) girls.

Mangal Singh demands Rs 25 lakhs as ransom from Janniya’s father. In parallel, Raja Thakur makes the decision to leave the village and come to the city to face Mangal Singh and rescue Janniya. He teams up with Seth Dhanraj and hatches the rescue plan, eventually taking the movie towards closure.

The Music

All songs carry the O.P. Nayyar trademark. However it is true that his music had starting sounding repetitive and jaded by now. The staleness of the musical arrangement and rhythm is evident. The songs appear randomly and seem a wasted effort.

There is no male singer and all songs are sung by Asha Bhosle. While the dropped song Chain Se Humko Kabhi is easily the best song, others like Bikaner Ki Chunari (picturised on Jayshree T) and Aake Dard Jawan Hai (on Bindu) are not bad too.

My Thoughts

I would say times had changed by 1974 when the movie was released. The subject may be more relevant in the 1960s. Sunil Dutt has played the daaku role in a number of movies and appears confident. This was one of Rekha’s earlier movies but she acts really well. Unfortunately, there is no chemistry between the two leads and they make an odd pair. Normally, a romantic angle will be expected but that doesn’t happen.

The movie goes downhill in the 2nd half where the focus is more on Premnath’s character. The character is too loud (similar to his den and the flashy set we get to see) and highly irritable. And the actor plays it in that way, irritating the audience. Same for Jeevan, who plays a predictable role. We get to see many familiar supporting actors but sadly, they do not leave much impact.

R.D. Burman – Multiple Version/ Tandem Songs

My Lists

Rahul Dev Burman or R.D. or Pancham was one of the most talented and prolific music directors in Hindi cinema. Its been more than 30 years since he passed away on 4th January 1994. Arguably, he is the most well known of the composers of a bygone era for today’s generation. He is widely known for his musical “experiments” and attempts to create the desired sounds and effects in his songs.

Coming to the theme based on R.D. songs. We find there are different versions of one song used in the same movie. Sometimes, one version is happy and the other one is sung in sadder times. Both versions may be solos, sung by the same or different singer(s). Or can be a solo and later a duet. There are multiple variations to the theme itself! In today’s post, we will be visiting some multiple version or tandem songs, all composed by R.D. Burman. Which similar songs do you remember?

1) Song: Wadiyaan Mera Daaman
Film: Abhilasha (1968)
Credits: Majrooh Sultanpuri | R.D. Burman | Mohammed Rafi | Lata Mangeshkar

Abhilasha is probably remembered only for its two famous songs. The catchy Pyar hua hai jabse and this multiple version song. The first version is a Mohammed Rafi solo. Sanjay Khan is romancing Nanda and crooning the song. Later, Nanda is remembering him and singing this song. But this time she is accompanied by his brother (played by Kashinath Ghanekar). He misinterprets her thoughts for him, leading to misunderstandings.

2) Song: Tum Bin Jaoon Kahaan
Film: Pyar Ka Mausam (1969)
Credits: Majrooh Sultanpuri | R.D. Burman | Kishore Kumar | Mohammed Rafi

Another memorable song and R.D. excels. The song first appears as a Kishore Kumar solo when Bharat Bhushan is singing for his wife (Nirupa Roy) and young son. Then tragedy strikes and they get separated. The song appears again with an older and impoverished Bharat Bhushan singing on the roadside (Kishore Kumar again). Coincidentally, his long lost son, grown up as Shashi Kapoor is (conveniently) sitting nearby to hear, like and memorize the song. Shashi Kapoor later sings it for Asha Parekh as a romantic solo (this time voiced by Mohammed Rafi). While both the versions are famous, it sounds odd to think of Kishore Kumar as Bharat Bhushan’s voice in place of Mohammed Rafi who has sung so many hit songs for him in films like Baiju Bawra, Barsaat Ki Raat, Phagun etc.

3) Song: Chanda O Chanda
Film: Lakhon Mein Ek (1971)
Credits: Anand Bakshi | R. D. Burman | Lata Mangeshkar | Kishore Kumar & Lata Mangeshkar

Lakhin Mein Ek is a remake of a Tamil movie “Edhir Neechal” (1968). The movie is centered around an orphan, played by Mehmood. The first version is a female solo. A sad Radha Saluja is unable to sleep. She addresses the moon and compares their plight. Later, in a filmy contrived situation, Mehmood is forced to take care of a neighbour’s child and make him sleep. He sings the same song as a lullaby. The song is melodious and R.D. manages to impart a sorrowful layer to it, suitable for the situation.

4) Song: Phoolon Ka Taaron Ka
Film: Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1972)
Credits: Anand Bakshi | R. D. Burman | Lata Mangeshkar | Kishore Kumar

This is one of the famous brother-sister songs in Hindi movies. The first version is a childhood song. The brother is singing for his sister in happier times (featuring Master Satyajeet and Baby Guddi). But their life changes when the parents separate and so do the children. A grown up Dev Anand searches for his sister Zeenat Aman who has joined a band of hippies in Nepal. He sings the song in an attempt to remind her of the younger days. The song appears at a crucial point in the movie. A simple but impactful composition.

5) Song: Yaadon Ki Baaraat
Film: Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973)
Credits: Majrooh Sultanpuri | R.D. Burman | Lata Mangeshkar , Padmini Kolhapure & Shivangi Kolhapure | Kishore Kumar & Mohammed Rafi

Another song where the two versions are set years apart. The first version is sung together by a family comprising of 3 sons. Their parents get killed. Circumstances lead the brothers to get separated and meet after 15 years. By coincidence, all 3 of them are in the same location, a hotel. The youngest brother (Tariq), sings the song and is soon joined by Vijay Arora. The eldest brother Dharmendra is unable to join the singing but is happy to see his brothers reunite after so many years.

6) Song: Tera Mujhse Hai Pehle Ka
Film: Aa Gale Lag Jaa (1973)
Credits: Sahir | R. D. Burman | Kishore Kumar | Kishore Kumar & Sushma Shreshtha

Aa Gale Lag Jaa was a rich heroine & poor hero story where the 2 lovers are separated by the cunning father of the heroine. They meet again a few years later.

The hero Shashi Kapoor sings this song for Sharmila Tagore initially as a romantic solo. Years later, his son sings this song in a party and is also joined by his father. The heroine is unaware of the bitter truth that the boy is actually her own son.

7) Song: Kahi Karti Hogi
Film: Phir Kab Milogi (1974)
Credits: Majrooh Sultanpuri | R.D. Burman | Mukesh | Mukesh & Lata Mangeshkar

A highly forgettable movie directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. And featuring the rare combination of Mukesh with R.D. Burman. Biswajeet sings the male version thinking of the girl who will be entering his life as his beloved. Later, the same song is sung as a duet with the heroine Mala Sinha.

8) Song: Mere Naina Saawan Bhado
Film: Mehbooba (1976)
Credits: Anand Bakshi | R.D. Burman | Lata Mangeshkar | Kishore Kumar

Mehbooba was a flop movie but its songs remain popular. The movie is based on the reincarnation theme where the lovers separate in one life and meet again in another life. Rajesh Khanna, a singer is reminded of his previous life through this song. A ghostly Hema Malini walks around the palace and its grounds. He follows her through the palace as she makes him recall his earlier life. And later he is destined to meet the present day Hema Malini. He sings the same song reminding her of the connection of their past lives. Set in raag Shivaranjani, this is a haunting composition by R.D. Burman.

9) Song: Rijhim Gire Saawan
Film: Manzil (1979)
Credits: Yogesh | R. D. Burman | Kishore Kumar | Lata Mangeshkar

This can be termed as an iconic song, and Kishore Kumar’s version is heard more often. The male version occurs at the beginning of the movie. Amitabh Bachchan is singing in his friend’s house. The singing is subdued but effective. The second version is slightly faster paced but musically rich in Lata Mangeshkar’s voice. Its a background song. The leads Amitabh and Moushumi are walking and running around Mumbai, in the rains. Highly enjoyable. Again, R.D. does a great job in both the versions!

10) Song: Hume Tumse Pyar Kitna
Film: Kudrat (1981)
Credits: Majrooh Sultanpuri | R.D. Burman | Parween Sultana | Kishore Kumar

And the last song from a movie based on reincarnation. The first version is a classical inclined composition picturised primarily on Aruna Irani with the main leads watching her performance. She meets Rajesh Khanna before the show and remembers this old song which she has not sung for 30 years. Parween Sultana won the Filmfare award for this song.

The second version occurs in a flashback. Rajesh Khanna sings for Hema Malini in their previous life. Kishore Kumar’s version is subtle and romantic. Both songs are equally impactful as per their situations, courtesy R.D. Burman.