Category Archives: My Reviews

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.

Tridev (1989)

My Reviews,

Multi starrers have their own charm. If made properly they can be most entertaining and remain etched in the minds of the viewers. Films like Waqt, Sholay, Amar Akbar Anthony are some of the all time hits of this genre.

By the late 1980s, the audience seemed to have got tired of these kind of movies. Probably they had become formulaic and repititive. But Tridev turned out to be an exception. Produced by Gulshan Rai and directed by Rajiv Rai, it succeeded to become the third largest box office success that year. Tridev was a story of crime, action, romance and a revenge drama. It is known for the catchy song Oye Oye…Tirchhi Topiwale which became an instant chart buster.

The Plot

Tridev is a tale of multiple characters and sub plots. The director succeeds in combining all of them convincingly. All roads seem to lead to the main villain Bhujang (played superbly by Amrish Puri). I won’t explain the whole plot but focus on the main characters to keep it simple!

There are 3 heroes and their respective heroines. Inspector Karan Saxena (Sunny Deol) is an honest and incorruptible police officer. He is the son of a judge (played by Subbiraaj). Karan is looking for information on smuggled arms and trying to get to the source of the menace.

Karan’s marriage has been arranged to Divya Mathur (Madhuri Dixit), the daughter of the Police Commissioner Mathur (Anupam Kher). Their fathers are good friends.

The second hero is Jai Singh (Naseeruddin Shah) who lives in a village called Madhavpur. He is a sort of Robin Hood character always helping the villagers without caring for the consequences including the breaking of any law. He has many cases filed against him in the local police station.

He meets Renu (Sonam) who is a film star. Renu has arrived in Madhavpur for a film shooting. She meets Jai and is impressed by his personality. She requests the director to cast Jai in a special appearance in the film. Jai agrees and they shoot for the song Oye Oye…Tirchhi Topiwale. After that, they part ways when she goes back to the city.

Due to some circumstances, Karan is transferred to Madhavpur. He comes to know about the troublemaker Jai Singh character. Their initial differences are sorted and they become the best of friends. Renu’s father is a politician referred as Mantriji (Raza Murad), who works with the villain Bhujang and his gang for progressing his political career.

Coming to the third pair of Ravi Mathur (Jackie Shroff) and Natasha Tejani (Sangeeta Bijlani). Ravi is the son of the police commissioner and Divya’s brother. He is a law breaker and works closely with the villains. His aim is to penetrate Bhujang’s organization and strike at its roots to destroy it completely. But his father doesn’t know his real intentions leading to a major conflict between them.

His love interest is Natasha, whose brother is Ramesh (Vijayendra Ghatge). Ramesh works for Bhujang and has agreed to help Karan in exposing the culprits responsible for the arms smuggling. Ramesh gets killed when his connection to the police gets revealed. Ravi and Natasha team up to expose the villains and seek revenge for Ramesh’s death.

And finally we have the villains led by Bhujang who is the “desh ka dushman.” He is an ex-dacoit by the name of Bhairav Singh. He has two sons (played by Tez Sapru and Dan Dhanoa). Bhujang wants one of them to get married to Mantriji’s daughter Renu. There is the dumb Raghav (Rajesh Upadhyay), Don (Dalip Tahil), who manages the smuggling operation and a corrupt inspector Suraj Singh (Sharat Saxena).

As the story progresses, Karan, Jai and Ravi realize they are against the same villain Bhujang alias Bhairav Singh. They unite as Tridev and and vow to finish him off forever.

The Music

The film is filled with great songs. Anand Bakshi is the lyricist. Kalyanji Anandji are credited as the music director but their son Viju Shah is specially credited as music conductor. Oye Oye (by Amit Kumar and Sapna Mukherjee – she won the Best Female Playback Singer Filmfare award) is the obvious winner but other songs are also well known. The songs are well choreographed.

There are other duets picturized on the main leads. Main Teri Mohabbat Mein is a duet by Mohammed Aziz and Sadhana Sargam. Gali Gali Mein Phirta Hai is sung by Manhar Udhas and Alka Yagnik. Alisha Chinoi sings Raat Bhar Jaam Se. The climax song Oye Oye..Gajar Ne Kiya Hai Ishaara features the three leading ladies and is sung by Sapna Mukherjee, Sadhana Sargam and Alka Yagnik.

My Thoughts

Tridev has the look of a classy and stylish film. Maybe this is the key element that distinguishes it from other muti starrers of that period. The film keeps moving as the lives of the key characters get intertwined. Surprisingly (or thankfully), there is no comedy side plot that keeps propping up to divert the audience’s attention. Also, there is no lost and found sub plot which is typical of this genre. It is more of an action thriller with lot of crime happening on screen. The romantic tracks and songs are quite well integrated into the story.

The three male leads were more famous and established compared to the female leads. Sunny Deol is convincing as the upright inspector and Naseeruddin Shah plays the simple village character on a revenge mission effectively. For some reason, Jackie Shroff carries / wears a dupatta at all times!

Madhuri Dixit was doing well with hits like Tezaab and Ram Lakhan. Comparatively, Sonam and Sangeeta Bijlani were new to the industry though the latter has a stunning presence in the movie. By this time, Amrish Puri had become the staple villain in Hindi movies and he doesn’t disappoint. The supporting characters are good. Anupam Kher’s character appears to be weak and helpless, always ensuring the villain outwits him easily!

Sadhi Manasa (1965)

My Reviews, , , ,

Bhalji Pendharkar is regarded as one of the pioneers and most respected filmmakers in Marathi cinema. He was an influencer and mentor to many artistes. Though more famous for historical films centered around the Marathi empire, he also made films on other subjects occasionally. His creation Sadhi Manasa (Simple People) is a gem of a movie. Like its name, it tells the story of simple people and the hardships faced by them. Perhaps the most special thing about the film is its music, which was composed by none other than Lata Mangeshkar (credited as “Anandghan”)!

At the 13th National Film Awards, it won the President’s silver medal for the Best Feature Film in Marathi. At the Maharashtra State Film Awards, the film won 9 awards including Best Film, Best Director, Screenplay and Dialogue (for Bhalji Pendharkar), Best Actress (Jayshree Gadkar), Best Music Director and Best Female Playback Singer for Anandghan / Lata Mangeshkar as well as Best Cinematography: Arvind Lad and Best Art Direction: Sadashiv Gaikwad.

The Plot

The film is set in Hanbarwadi village and tells the story of Shankar (Suryakant) and Parvati alias Paru (Jayshree Gadkar). Shankar is an ace blacksmith. His skill is demonstrated in the first few scenes.

Chakkadrao (Rajshekhar), a truck driver arrives in the village. His truck has developed a snag and a certain part needs to be fixed. He is directed to Shankar’s house. Shankar, helped by Paru gets on the job. It is also the perfect setting for one of the most well known songs – Airanichya deva tula thinagi thinagi waahu de.

Shankar repairs the part and Chakkadrao is impressed. He offers to take them to Kolhapur, a big city where Shankar can make better use of his skill. He asks the couple to think about it for a few days. If agreeable, they can join him on his return journey.

Shankar starts thinking of the proposal. A big city means more money and that will improve their lives. Paru is not very agreeable, she is happy as they are. It is decided they will consult Paru’s brother Mhatoba (Master Vitthal) and sister in law (Sulochana), whom they hold in high regard and seem to be their only close relatives.

Paru goes ahead to her maternal home. Shankar will join her after completing the tasks at hand. Mhatoba and his wife are glad to have her with them. Their kids Shirpa and Hansa are fond of their aunt. The two ladies share a close bond and are constantly engaged in an entertaining banter.

Shankar’s arrival is delayed and it is time for Paru to sing another song Waat pahuni jeev shinala. He finally comes and the decision is made to go to Kolhapur. As promised, Chakkadrao takes them to Kolhapur in his truck. He also arranges their accommodation in the same locality where he stays. The couple settle down in their new surroundings. Shankar is lucky and gets a job in an engineering unit.

Life is different in Kolhapur compared to their village. They have an elderly and helpful neighbour called Tuka Jadhav. But the rest are of the troublesome category. There is a drunkard who beats his wife Sanguna (Asha Patil) daily and extracts money from her. He also tries to borrows money from his neighbours and keeps irritating them.

One day, the neighbour Sanguna comes hurriedly to Paru. She request her to keep her putali necklace safely as she does not want her husband to get hold of it. This is her last piece of jewellery and she cannot think of parting with it to support her husband’s drunken ways. Paru is reluctant but Sanguna presses her. Paru agrees and keeps the necklace in a jar of pulses in the kitchen.

This incident is witnessed by Chakkadrao. He is not the good samaritan he pretends to be. He has his sights on the beautiful Paru since their first meeting. He is waiting for an opportunity to get closer to her. Paru has sensed this and voiced her concern about Chakkadrao’s intentions to Shankar.

The same day, Shankar comes home with his first salary. He has purchased a watch for himself and a saree for Paru. Paru is overjoyed and sings a song Malayachya malyamandi patacha paani jaata remembering her maternal house and describing her brother, sister in law and the kids.

Chakkadrao meets Shankar and suggests visiting the renowned Jyotiba temple. Shankar agrees. But this request is part of a well thought plan. Chakkadrao has instructed his helper to steal the necklace when Paru and Shankar are out visiting the temple. The plan is successful and the helper hands over the necklace to Chakkadrao. The couple is unaware of this.

Paru’s brother and sister in law arrive in Kolhapur for a very short visit. There is another sweet song between the ladies – Rajachya rangmhali sonyacha bai palang.

All is hunky dory and it is time for Chakkadrao to make his move. Chakkadrao asks the drunkard to ask his wife for the necklace. He makes a huge fuss and forces Sanguna to goes to Paru and demand the necklace. Paru searches frantically but cannot find it in the kitchen. She realises the necklace as well as the salary amount (cash) are missing. Shankar and Paru accept the reality. News about the “stolen” necklace reach Shankar’s boss. He asks Shankar to arrange for a guarantor if he wants to continue in his job.

Shankar mortgages their house in Hanbarwadi and arranges the money. He doesn’t know any jeweller and Chakkadrao offers to help him in this task. Chakkadrao keeps the money and hands over a fake necklace in return. Shankar is a simple man and doesn’t understand he has been taken for a ride.

The truth is soon found out by Sanguna and her husband and the blame falls on Shankar. He is arrested, convicted and sent to jail. Paru is unexpectedly left to fend for herself. Her condition is portrayed through the devotional song Nako devaraya anta aata pahu. Chakkadrao offers to help her but she knows his intentions and throws him out. She is forced to vacate their house and starts working as a farm labourer.

She meets Shankar in the prison. He tells her to go her brother’s house but she disagrees. She doesn’t let her brother and sister in law know what has happened.

So, the couple continue their struggle. Shankar works as a blacksmith in the prison and spends his time in the company of a fellow prisoner cum teacher (played by Chandrakant Gokhale) who teaches him to read and write. Shankar is also desperate to flee the prison one way or the other. He cannot bear to live without Paru.

But more testing times are in store for the couple. Chakkadrao tracks Paru and attempts to make unwanted advances. She beats him with a wooden stick in self defense until he dies.

Where will this end? Will Paru be convicted of her crime? Will the couple be able to live happily again?

The Music

The film has evergreen music. Lata Mangeshkar composed the music under the pseudonym Anandghan. The story goes that the identity of “Anandghan” was revealed when Lata Mangeshkar got up to collect the award during the State Awards ceremony. The songs are in the voices of the Mangeshkar siblings – Lata, Usha and Hridaynath.

Airanichya deva is a well written song by Jagadish Khebudkar referring to the hard work of the blacksmith. Malachya malyamandhi, Waat pahuni jeev shinala and Rajachya rangmhali are written by Bhalji Pendharkar under the pseudonym “Yogesh.” Nako Devraya is a composition by Sant Kanhopatra based on raag Malkans.

My Thoughts

Sadhi Manasa maintains its simple tone throughout. It is said that none of the actors applied makeup while shooting for the film. The characters are shown to be quite practical. They accept what is in front of them and decide how to deal with the circumstances. Surprisingly, the melodrama is kept to the minimum and there are no over the top weepy ham scenes. Kudos to Bhalji Pendharkar! In a way, the film also reflects the impact when a simple villager moves to a big city. The transition can be life changing.

Suryakant, Chandrakant Gokhale, Sulochana, Rajshekhar and Master Vitthal are all adequate in their roles. The show stealer is Jayshree Gadkar who performs brilliantly. Her equation with different characters like her husband, brother and his wife, with the villain are presented convincingly. She is not merely the helpless heroine but handles the matters in her feisty manner. Sometimes, things don’t need to be flashy and glamorous to make a point and Sadhi Manasa underlines this effectively.