“Before a Crime” Songs

My Lists,

Crime scenes are an integral part of many Hindi movies. Ranging from cheating, fraud to murder, the choice is impressive for film makers. Of course, this is based on the story and plot requirements. In this post, I am presenting a list of 10 songs where the crime is committed towards the end of the song. The viewer is hooked to find out what happens next. Enjoy and do leave your comments!

1) Song: Raat Bhi Hai Kuch Bheegi Bheegi
Film: Mujhe Jeene Do (1963)
Credits: Sahir | Jaidev | Lata Mangeshkar & Chorus

This is a lovely song performed by Chamelijaan (Waheeda Rehman) during a wedding at a zamindar’s house. Also “attending” the wedding uninvited is Thakur Jarnail Singh (Sunil Dutt) for the purpose of looting the zamindar. After completing his job, he settles down to enjoy the mujra and is mesmerized by Chamelijaan. There is a quick change in plan and he abducts the dancer at the end of the performance. (Crime: Abduction)

2) Song: Yahan Ke Hum Hai Rajkumar
Film: Rajkumar (1964)
Credits: Shailendra | Shankar Jaikishan | Mohammed Rafi

Prince Bhanu Pratap (Shammi Kapoor) is returning to India after a long stay abroad. However his step uncle mamaji (Pran – who else?) has made special plans to ensure the prince will not reach the palace alive. There is a long welcome procession with Shammi Kapoor leading the proceedings. Someone attempts to shoot the prince at the end of the song. But the prince is one step ahead and survives to take on his enemies. (Crime: Attempted Murder)

3) Song: Jhumka Gira Re
Film: Mera Saaya (1966)
Credits: Raja Mehdi Ali Khan | Madan Mohan | Asha Bhosle

Another great song! Sadhana is part of a gang of dacoits and is entertaining the villagers by singing and dancing. However she is also communicating with her gang members who have started gathering waiting to strike. They attack the village as soon as the song ends. (Crime: Dacoity)

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

This is a robbery sequence involving a king’s necklace. Suraj (Rajendra Kumar) competes with Vyjanthimala in a music cum dance face-off. His intention is to steal the necklace worn by the king. Helping him is his accomplice Johnny Walker. Entertaining song that brings out the competitiveness and the viewer is curious to find out if the robbery succeeds in full public view. (Crime: Robbery)

5) Song: Lut Jaa, Lut Jaa
Film: Ankhen (1968)
Credits: Sahir | Ravi | Asha Bhosle, Usha Mangeshkar & Kamal Barot

Possibly, one of the best spy movies in Hindi. In this song, Mala Sinha and team are spying on Sajjan, disguising as a dance troupe. Before the start of their show, Sajjan sees a French girl befriending one of his gang members and trying to elicit information. At the end of the song, he kills both of them. That’s quick decision making! About the song – its catchy with an Arabic feel. (Crime: Murder)

6) Song: Husn Ke Lakhon Rang
Film: Johny Mera Naam (1970)
Credits: Rajendra Krishan | Kalyanji Anandji | Asha Bhosle

A seductive song with an undercurrent of sorrow and helplessness. Tara (Padma Khanna) is pleading for her lover Babu’s (Randhawa’s) life with the main villain Premnath. Babu has betrayed his boss for which he has to pay with his life. The song ends and Babu is taken to the forest and killed. (Crime: Murder)

7) Song: Holi Ke Din
Film: Sholay (1975)
Credits: Anand Bakshi | R.D. Burman | Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar & Chorus

The song follows one of the most famous dialogues by Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan) – Kitne addmi the? Gabbar Singh is itching to take revenge and teach the villagers a lesson. Holi celebrations end on a bitter note as Gabbar Singh’s gang attacks the village. (Crime: Dacoity)

8) Song: Aayi Woh Raat Aayi
Film: Parvarish (1977)
Credits: Majrooh Sultanpuri| Laxmikant Pyarelal | Lata Mangeshkar & Usha Mangeshkar

Parvarish is a standard Manmohan Desai movie with all typical plot points including the lost and found formula, revenge, reunion, unexplainable coincidences and so on. Shabu (Shabana Azmi) and Neetu Singh (Neetu) want to avenge their parent’s murder by killing the murderer Daku Mangal Singh. By coincidence, they see Mangal Singh on T.V., who is now a respected citizen. They intend to murder him at the function he is attending by disguising as qawwali performers. (How they manage all this in a short time, what happened to the original performers, how do they know the song and dance steps, well…too many questions!). Anyways, they plan to shoot Mangal Singh from the stage (in front of the audience!). But Mangal Singh is a shrewd villain. He manages to get someone else killed and shift the blame on the two sisters. (Crime: Murder)

9) Song: One Two Cha Cha Cha
Film: Shalimar (1978)
Credits: Anand Bakshi | R.D.Burman | Usha Uthup

The movie begins with this song. Kumar (Dharmendra) is a club owner. Aruna Irani is teaching the cha cha cha in the dance studio. One of the guests Premnath suddenly collapses and Kumar helps him towards his car. But someone shoots Premnath unexpectedly. (Crime: Attempted Murder)

10) Song: O Sherowali
Film: Suhaag (1979)
Credits: Anand Bakshi | Laxmikant Pyarelal | Mohammed Rafi, Asha Bhosle & Chorus

Another Manmohan Desai movie based on the lost and found formula. The villain Vikram (Amjad Khan) promises money to Amit (Amitabh Bachchan) to help him complete a Durga Mata temple he is constructing. But in return Inspector Kishan (Shashi Kapoor) will have to be killed. There is a glitch as Amit and Kishan are friends. Ultimately, Kishan incurs a fake injury and Vikram attempts to finish him off (Crime: Attempted Murder)

Paradh (1977)

My Reviews,

June 4th was the birth anniversary of Nutan. So this post is a late tribute to one of Hindi cinema’s acting greats. Presenting Paradh (meaning hunting), a Marathi movie starring Nutan and other Hindi movie actors. Possibly the only Marathi movie of Nutan, it was also made in Hindi as Anjaam (1978).

The Plot

The story begins with Seth Dinanath (Shreeram Lagoo) arriving at a mansion. He has recently purchased it for Rs 20 lakhs. He is greeted by an old servant Sadoba (Dhumal) working for the previous owners. As he is settling down in his new property, strange things start happening. The lights flicker, windows bang, a painting frame crashes. He feels the presence of someone in the mansion and hears a supposedly haunting song. Is the place haunted?

As he is wandering about the place looking for an explanation, he is met by an old lady. This is Vidya (Nutan), who was the previous owner of the mansion. She thanks him for the purchase and helping her in her difficulties. He tells her about his intention to build a cancer hospital on this property in memory of his late wife.

Vidya notices the fallen frame. The painting is of her late husband Thakur (Ramesh Deo). She continues to narrate her story to Dinanath who is intrigued in general by all the happenings since he has arrived.

Time for a long flashback. After initial issues, Vidya and Thakur are leading a happily married life and Vidya is expecting their child. However Thakur owes one Seth Dharamdas (P. Jairaj) a lot of money and he is required to pay monthly instalments without fail.

Vidya delivers a boy but Thakur gets killed in an accident on his way to the hospital. The boy grows up as Sunil (Sachin) studying in Maharaja college. His friend and soon to be fiancee is Seema (Sarika). Sunil is an outstanding student and wins all the awards in the annual function. He is awarded by Raja Saab (Gajanan Jagirdar) who invites him to his palace.

Sunil is angry when he comes to know of the money owed to Dharamdas. Vidya has been selling her jewellery to repay the money all these years. And the day is not far away when the family mansion will have to be sold. Sunil meets Dharamdas requesting him an extension for the payment but he refuses to show any sympathy. By chance, Sunil saves the life of Shrikant Moghe (who works for Dharamdas). In return he receives a substantial amount of money which helps him repay the full debt of Dharamdas.

Sunil also gets a job in Shrikant Moghe’s office. His boss is Shekhar (Chandrashekar). Things couldn’t have been better. He is also looking forward to get married to Seema who has been visiting their house frequently and Vidya approves of her too. But tragedy is waiting to strike.

Unknown to Sunil, Dharamdas is running a smuggling ring and Shekhar and Shrikant Moghe are part of the gang. When Sunil comes to know the real picture, he is forced to steal a Nataraj statue worth Rs 2 crores from Raja Saab’s palace. Sunil is successful but refuses to give the statue to Dharamdas and team. Vidya hides the statue in the mansion while Sunil calls the police. However Sunil gets killed before the police arrive. Later, a sorrowful Seema commits suicide. Vidya completes her narration.

What happens next is the twist in the story leading to a startling revelation in the climax.

The Music

Ram Kadam gives some catchy music. Ajun athawe ti raat pawsali is a romantic song sung by Chandrashekhar Gadgil. The haunting Ye na sajali is sung by Suman Kalyanpur. But the big surprise is Nutan singing and dancing to Saang sakhya tuja kay hawe? Great effort for a difficult composition! One has to wonder why she didn’t sing more in her hey days.

My Thoughts

As mentioned, this is possibly Nutan’s only film with 2 language versions. She acts effortlessly and lights up the screen with her presence especially during the twist in the end. Then there is a long list of Hindi movie actors including Sachin, Sarika, P. Jairaj, Chandrashekhar and Jagdish Raj but the non Marathi speaking  actors’ voices are dubbed. The spooky atmosphere keeps the viewer guessing as to where the story is really leading to. The thriller element and final reveal are worth watching and of course, Nutan.

Dillagi (1978)

My Reviews,

Dillagi is a Basu Chatterjee directed movie based on a Bengali story. The movie can be termed a sweet and simple story with hardly any twist or turn. In comparison to some of his other classic movies, this one is a pale offering.

The Plot

Dillagi opens with a new lecturer arriving in a new lecturer Swarnakamal/Kamal (Dharmendra) arriving in a girls college. He is a Sanskrit teacher. On the very first day he has a funny interaction with some students. He also meets Phoolrenu/Renu (Hema Malini), the Chemistry lecturer. Kamal is a bachelor who falls in love with Renu at first sight!

But Renu is made up of a different material. A no non-sense and disciplinarian personality. First of all she doesn’t like Kamal teaching the girl students romantic dramas of Kalidas etc terming it as a bad influence. She is also the hostel warden and would expect the students to behave in a normal and controlled manner, meaning no time for entertainment and ensure full concentration on studies. The students have nicknamed her carbon and carbon dioxide because of her properties! Needless to say she has no interest in romance or respond to Kamal’s romantic overtures time and again.

The students have started calling Kamal as “jijajee.” Among the staff, Geeta (Mithu Mukherjee) admonishes Renu on her dry romantic life but Renu tells her she is happy as she is. Renu has a widowed mother and younger brother Ramesh (Asrani) in Kashipur. She will get married after her brother’s marriage.

Meanwhile Kamal’s efforts to woo Renu continue but not even the arrival of Basant ritu (season) and Holi festival will bring any change in Renu’s colorless romantic disposition! She doesn’t like his advances and would like him to leave the college at the earliest. She rejects his offer to act in the college’s silver jubilee function. Kamal selects Geeta to play the role of Shakuntala with him as Dushyant. Renu does feel a bit jealous when she sees Kamal and Geeta’s romantic duet on stage. Are these the first seeds of change?

The summer holidays arrive and Renu leaves for her hometown Kashipur. Kamal informs her he will come to visit her. His sister stays in the same town. While Renu doesn’t show much interest, she eagerly waits for his arrival.

Is this change for the better? Will Renu mellow down and will a chemistry develop between the opposite elements?

The Music

The songs are written by Yogesh and music by Rajesh Roshan. The tunes are melodious but none too memorable.

My Thoughts

The film is not boring but there is expectation of some drama which unfortunately does not happen. There is a bit of twist in the end when Renu selects another college lecturer as her prospective groom and later realises it is not Kamal. The interactions between Kamal and Renu are worth watching and indeed the 2 lead characters share great chemistry on screen.

It is fun to watch Dharmendra play such a toned down character (similar to Chupke Chupke (1975)) which is different from his regular image. He brings out the Sanskrit teacher character brilliantly frequently bursting out in Sanskrit in front of the heroine which she dislikes. Wish he had done such more such roles showing his flair for light comedy. Hema Malini complements him, (and yes, talks in a very Hema Malini special accent!).

Other cast are adequate including Mithu Mukherjee, Asrani with Shatrughan Sinha and Deven Verma in special appearances.