Category Archives: My Reviews

Johar Mehmood in Goa (1965)

My Reviews

Today, lets talk about I. S. Johar whose birth anniversary falls on 16 February (born: 1920). I was familiar with his roles as a character actor in films like Goonj Uthi Shehnai, Shagird, Safar, Johnny Mera Naam and Pavitra Paapi to name a few. He used to have a scowl on his face and normally played comedy/ villainous characters with sarcasm filled dialogues. But that is a limited introduction. He was an educated man (M.A., LLB) who was an actor, writer, producer and a director. He was also one of the first Hindi actors to work in international productions, notable being Lawrence of Arabia (1962). The movies he produced and directed carried his distinctive stamp. Apparently he had an eccentric personality in his personal life which reflected in the movies he made. One of his famous movies as an actor/producer/director was Johar Mehmood in Goa (JMIG), where he teams up with ace comedian Mehmood.

The Plot

The plot of JMIG as the name implies happens in Goa. It occurs during the time when the Portuguese ruled Goa even after India gained its independence in 1947. The movie opens with a church scene. Mary (Sulochana) is crying and sharing her thoughts with Father (Chaman Puri). Mary, a Catholic was staying in Burma during the 2nd World War. She had secretly married an army contractor (who was a Protestant). Her father opposed the relationship.

One day, she is informed that her husband has been killed in the enemy bombing. A pregnant and desperate Mary walks all the way from Burma to Goa (really?). She has given birth to 2 boys but decides to abandon them considering her hopeless situation. She leaves the babies on the steps of 2 different houses so as not to burden one family with 2 babies (how considerate!) and walks away. She lives in Daman for 12 years before returning to Goa.

The boys are readily accepted by two couples, one a Hindu (played by Ulhas and Leela Chitnis) and other a Muslim (played by Murad and Mumtaz Begum). Conveniently, both couples are childless and are happy to bring up the boys as if they were their own offsprings. The boys are named Ram and Rahim, their fathers being respectively a Pandit and a Maulvi. The boys are fast friends. They hate the Portuguese and openly shout slogans like “Portuguese murdabad” in school mildly angering their teacher Mr. Pinto (Mukri). Mr Pinto serves the Portuguese Government but is their critic in private.

One day the boys are shouting slogans on the road when the police start chasing them. Mary (now the Mother Superior in the Goan church) sees the police and shields the boys. She reminds them of her own children who would be of the same age today. This scene reminds us of Amar Akbar Anthony. Did Manmohan Desai seek inspiration from this movie? I wonder…

The police manage to catch the boys and bring them to the police station. And guess what, we are introduced to their father! Yes, Mary’s husband Peter (Surendra) who had supposedly died in Burma is actually alive. He was caught by the enemy and later released. He is now in the Goan police, serving the Portuguese. So we know the parents and children are in Goa but their connection will not be revealed till, well the movie’s climax.

12 years pass and the Portuguese oppressive rule continues. The Superintendent of Police (SP) Albuquerque (played by Kamal Kapoor) ensures that freedom fighters are punished by putting them in jail. He is on the trail of Ram (I.S. Johar) and Rahim (Mehmood), who are now young men. Ram and Rahim have started an underground movement for opposing the the Portuguese and their (often hilarious) schemes seem to be successful. These include robbing the bank, setting the house of the SP on fire (posing as firefighters) and so on. These comedy scenes turns out really good. Helping them to gain inside knowledge of the Portuguese authorities’ plans is Mr Pinto, who is now the school principal.

The city’s new chief i.e. Hakim (Sapru) is arriving with his daughter Rita (Soniya Sahani) in Goa. A big welcome procession is being planned. The DSP Peter informs the SP that Ram and Rahim are sure to target the procession. Just then news arrive that Ram and Rahim have been arrested and are being taken to the jail. The duo sing the delightful song “Ye do deewane dil ke, chale hai dekho milke” in the police van. Both manage to escape making the SP furious. He tells DSP Peter that the procession will go ahead as planned. But there will be a fake Hakim in it. The real Hakim and his daughter will be transferred by motorboat to their residence. Pinto shares these details with Ram and Rahim.

Ram is entrusted to “take care” of the Hakim and Rita while Rahim will look after the procession. Ram impersonates Peter and meets the Hakim. Hakim asks him to to take Rita to the official bungalow safely. Ram fools Rita easily and takes her to the forest. He makes her sing an “inquilabi” freedom song with him (Na koi raha hai na koi rahega, mera desh azaad hoke rahega) which is directed against the Portuguese. The real police reach their hiding place and Ram is forced to flee. Rita is furious that she has been fooled by Ram and seeks revenge. The SP Albuquerque cajoles her; he is also her fiancee.

Ram reaches the underground hideout to meet Rahim and their freedom party members. Pinto brings with a new recruit, a young lady Simmi (Simi Garewal). Being a woman, her inclusion is opposed. She has a fiery temperament and is an excellent knife thrower. She gives a demonstration to showcase her skill and is accepted as a party member.

There are celebrations for the Hakim’s arrival and the freedom party plans to kill him by participating in a dance performance. Ram and Rahim pose as female dancers singing “Mar gayi allah, chhod de palla” while Simmi attacks the Hakim. But the SP is alert and foils their plans.

Ram and Rahim are chased by DSP Peter and they enter the church. Mary and Peter come face to face and are shocked to see each other. But Mary behaves in an aloof manner and asks him to leave as this is a place of worship. Ram and Rahim are thankful to her for saving them. Meanwhile the SP chases Simmi, and Rahim arrives in time to save her.

Rita plots with the SP to capture Ram by calling him to meet her in a secluded area away from the city. But the plan fails. Ram outwits the police and holds Rita captive in the forest. She is forced to spend time with him waiting to be rescued.

Rahim’s father is staying in the mosque, he is seriously ill. The police lay siege to the mosque to capture Rahim. Rahim hatches a weird plan (again!). There is a famous plastic surgeon in the mosque. He performs plastic surgery on 4 men and makes them look identical to Rahim. So we have 5 Rahims coming out of the mosque and the police are forced to arrest all of them. They sing a merry song in the jail “Aji aisi nazar ko kya kahiye.”

The madness continues! Rita is stuck with Ram in the forest. It is the perfect time to get impressed by him and fall in love. Ram sings “Dheere re chalo mori baanki hiraniya” and she sings a dream song “Ankhiyon ka noor hai tu.”

Rahim is freed from jail by Simmi and there is another song in disguise “Kuch bhi kahe duniyawale hum hai abhi jawaan” as they are on the run from the police and enter a club.

We have more plotting and entertaining twists before the Portuguese are vanquished, and there is a happy ending.

The Music

Kalyanji Anandji are the music directors. There are multiple singers including Mohammed Rafi, Manna Dey, Kishore Kumar, Mukesh, Shamshad Begum, Kamal Barot, Suman Kalyanpur and Usha Khanna. Ye do deewane dilke, chale hai dekho milke (Mohammed Rafi and Manna Dey), Dheere re chalo mori baanki hiraniya (Mukesh) and Ankhiyon ka noor hai tu (Suman K and Mukesh) stand out.

My Thoughts

Overall, I.S. Johar succeeds in making an entertaining film. While meant to be a comedy, it has a serious undertone which increases its impact. He manages to balance the fast moving story line and multiple characters, churning out a successful narrative. Mehmood appears subdued compared to his other comedy roles. The female characters are shown to be fiesty and decisive which is a welcome change. There is a scene where Ram’s and Rahim’s mothers run away by operating a train engine! This is Soniya Sahani’s debut movie. She appeared in multiple movies with I.S. Johar and also married him later.

So, it was a revelation to watch a movie where I.S. Johar is the hero who acts and entertains in a fun way. A final bit of trivia – I.S. Johar is the uncle of Karan Johar.

Mahal (1949)

My Reviews

Some movies are trendsetters. Mahal (literally: palace) can be termed as such a movie. It was probably the first Hindi movie involving a haunted mansion, a beautiful ghost singing a haunting song. And the hero all ready to follow her, mesmerized by her beauty and singing. Welcome to the horror / suspense genre.

A comparatively young Ashok Kumar and even younger Madhubala at her ravishing best, accompanied by horror elements, great music and an unpredictable story line add to the charm of Mahal.

Some trivia. Ashok Kumar was the co-producer of the movie under the Bombay Talkies banner. It was Kamal Amrohi’s first movie as a director. Kamal Amrohi passed away on 11 February 1993 and its Madhubala’s birthday on 14 February.

The Plot

The movie begins with a man arriving at a palace like residence on a stormy night. This is the Mahal named as Sangam Bhavan. It was built on the bank of the Jamuna river in Naini close to Allahabad. There is a voice over which informs us that the Mahal is regarded inauspicious and haunted due to its history. The old gardener (maali) of the Mahal is narrating the Mahal’s unfortunate history to the man.

Some 40 or 45 years ago, an unknown man built the Mahal/ Sangam Bhavan. He would cross the Jamuna river every night, inspect the construction and go back in the morning. After the Mahal was built, a lady called Kamini came to stay here with him. She would wait for his arrival by boat every night. He would visit her and leave in the morning. One night, the boat was caught in a storm while crossing the river and got sunk. Later, Kamini also dies in the waters of the Jamuna. The gardener serving the owner does not know the owner’s name or his origins. He has continued to stay there acting as a caretaker.

He is narrating all this to the new owner of Mahal – Hari Shankar (Ashok Kumar). Shankar is the son of a reputed judge in Kanpur who has purchased the Mahal. Shankar asks the gardener to go and inform his friend Barrister Shrinath in Allahabad that he has arrived at Sangam Bhavan. The gardener leaves and Shankar prepares to spend the night in the Mahal.

A painting suddenly falls down and Shankar is shocked to see himself in the painting. This is the original owner’s painting and an exact copy of Shankar. Shankar is thinking whether he is the reincarnation of that unknown owner in the painting. As he is reasoning, the clock strikes 2.00 a.m. The storm continues outside, the chandelier sways and he hears a woman singing a song. This is Aayega Aanewala, perhaps the most iconic of haunting songs in Hindi cinema.

Shankar follows the woman (Madhubala) throughout the Mahal but she keeps disappearing and reappearing. The song ends. Shankar is shaken by the spooky atmosphere. The storm, the painting and now this woman and her song! He is still in a state of disbelief when his friend Shrinath (Kanu Roy) reaches Sangam Bhavan. He advises Shankar that the painting is a coincidence and to forget the imaginary woman. Upon hearing this, the woman suddenly appears and tells them she is not a fantasy. Apparently, she is Kamini, the same woman who was associated with the previous owner and had died after his death. It seems she is Kamini’s soul, waiting for her lover to arrive again and unite with her.

Shrinath convinces Shankar to forget the Mahal and the woman and return to Kanpur. Apparently, Shankar has a fiancee in Kanpur and they are about to get married. Shankar’s father has admitted his mistake in purchasing the “manhoos” Sangam Bhavan and wants to get rid of it soon.

The train leaves Allahabad station and reaches Naini. It is 2.00 a.m. Shankar sees the Mahal from the train, hears the haunting melody and cannot control himself. He gets down at Naini, and returns to Sangam Bhavan. He has a face to face interaction with the ghost/ soul Kamini. This is an impressive scene and Kamini (Madhubala) conveys a lot through her expressions and minimum dialogue. As Shankar is getting closer to Kamini, Shrinath arrives and shouts at Shankar. Kamini warns Shrinath not to come between her and Shankar. She has been waiting for him all this while. Shrinath tries to kill her but is unsuccessful. Can a ghost die?

So Shankar stays back. Every night, the clock strikes 2.00 and Kamini emerges. Shrinath wants to help hs friend. He approaches 2 woman “entertainers” to use their charm and ensure Shankar gets out of his fantasy. The 2 sisters (Leela Pandey and Sheela Naik) perform a song “Ye Raat Phir Na Aayegi.” They are almost successful in diverting Shankar’s attention. But the clock strikes 2.00 and Shankar hurries back to Sangam Bhavan.

Kamini is waiting for him. She shows him the secret passages of the Mahal. She takes him to the spot by the river where she would wait for her lover. Shankar is almost in a trance and ready to do anything for Kamini. She asks him to jump in the river and give away his life so their souls can reunite in the present life. But she is afraid that the attempt would fail and they would remain separated.

She proposes a weird alternative. Shankar needs to kill a woman he loves so that Kamini’s soul can enter the dead woman’s body and spend the rest of her life with Shankar. Shankar tells her he does not know any woman so she proposes he kill the gardener’s daughter. So easy! There is a great build up of suspense and anticipation as Shankar waits to meet the daughter in the morning. But the plan fails when Shankar’s father arrives with Shrinath to take him back to Kanpur forcibly.

After a dramatic interaction with his father and emotional blackmailing, Shankar agrees to get married to Ranjana (Vijayalaxmi). Kamini vents her sorrow through a song Mushkil hai bahut mushkil. On the suhaag raat, Shankar leaves Ranjana as the clock strikes 2.00 a.m. and returns later. Of course, Ranjana is puzzled by his actions.

Shankar informs Ranjana that he has made the decision to leave Sangam Bhavan. He plans to go and settle in a far-off place where he will not be troubled by the 2.00 a.m. musical summons from Kamini. Then he will be able to spend time with Ranjana and be able to love her. Ranjana has no choice and agrees to the decision.

But it is not a very feasible solution. After a long travel, the couple settle down in a mountainous area. 2 years pass by. But things do not go on expected lines. Shankar does not develop a relationship with Ranjana. And strangely, he has still not seen her face all this while! An unhappy Ranjana conveys all this via a letter to her bhabhi (the wife of Shankar’s friend).

Where does this lead to? Will Shankar return to Sangam Bhavan? What happens to Kamini, will her love be successful in this life? And what is the future of Shankar and Ranjana’s marriage?

The Music

The lyrics are by Nakshab and music by Khemchand Prakash. Of course, Aayega Aanewala is the clear winner and remembered even after so many years. It was Lata Mangeshkar’s breakthrough song. Unfortunately, in those times, the film credits or the music records did not mention the singer’s name (this would change soon for the better!).

The other songs including the duet Ye Raat Phir Na Aayegi (by Zohrabai Ambalewali and Rajkumari) are not bad. But there are too many sad songs (in the voices of Rajkumari and Lata Mangeshkar). They slow down the flow of the story and seem repetitive.

My Thoughts

The movie was a big success. Kamal Amrohi does a splendid job in setting the movie’s dark tone and mysterious outline. The ghostly scenes leave their impact on the audience. There is a scene involving Ranjana, and her encounter with a bat and a snake. It is a captivating scene involving some scary close-ups.

This was Madhubala’s first hit film. She performs the serious role brilliantly. Unfortunately, she was typecast in those bubbly roles in most of her later movies. Ashok Kumar is too good. He shows his helplessness where he is seeking to identify his past relationship with Kamini and also come to terms with his present life involving his father, wife and friend. He brings out the psychological impact effectively right from the initial scene involving the painting. Rest of the supporting actors are good. Being a 40s film, some dialogues and scenes sound odd today and may seem slow and boring.

The film is not without its flaws. Some plot points are not explained properly and liberties are taken by the director. There are loopholes in the story. In spite of the shortcomings, the film manages to engage the viewer till the end. There are some surprising plot twists right up to the climax which leave their mark on the unsuspecting viewer. Well that is what makes a suspense film successful, right?

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.