Tag Archives: Basu Chatterjee

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.

Swami (1977)

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Swami is a Hindi language movie based on an adaptation of Bengali novelist Sarat Chandra Chatterjee’s story by the same name. The movie’s producer is Hema Malini’s mother Jaya Chakravarthy and directed by Basu Chatterjee.  The movie brings out an interesting theme whether a man or woman can be independent after marriage and the obligations they have towards each other, their families etc.

The Plot

The movie, in a Bengali setting, begins with Saudamini “Mini”(Shabana Azmi) narrating her story. It’s been 6 months since she got married. She was one year old when her father passed away. After which, she and her mother (Sudha Shivpuri) went to stay with her uncle (Mamaji) (Utpal Dutt). Later Mamaji’s wife also passed away. Mamaji treated her like his own daughter, educated her, and wants her to complete her B.A. (graduation).

Brought up as a progressive and educated girl, Mini indulges in literature induced chats with her uncle. Joining them is the local zamindar’s son and neighbour Naren (Vikram). Mamaji is aware that Vikram’s frequent visits are not for the purpose of chatting and bringing books, but Mini is part of his agenda! Mini too falls for Naren and are hoping to get married.

Mamaji himself is progressive and stays away from orthodox beliefs and rituals. He wants Mini to complete her graduation before getting married. Mini’s mother on the other hand is an orthodox lady, and wants Mini to get married soon and settle down as a normal housewife.  

Fed up with his sister’s pestering, mamaji visits Madhupur for a proposed match. Mamaji assures Mini he will reject the match as he knows about her and Naren.

The proposed groom Ghanshyam (Girish Karnad) is a food grain trader and less educated than Mini. This is his second marriage. He is the eldest son of the house staying with his step mother (Shashikala), who has a married son (Dheeraj Kumar) and a daughter Charu (Preeti Ganguli).

Unfortunately, mamaji suffers a heart attack while returning from Madhupur. On his death bed, he tells Mini that Ghanshyam is the right match for her. He advises her “Naren can provide her love but Ghanshyam can carry on the responsibility brought by marriage.” Mamaji passes away leaving Mini shattered.

Her marriage to Ghanshyam is a forced marriage and she needs time to adjust in her in-laws’ home and more importantly accept Ghanshyam as her husband. Her husband is the major bread earner of the house who slogs throughout the day. But its his stepbrother Nikhil who gets all the attention. Ghanshyam accepts everything patiently.

While she slowly accepts the situation, Naren comes visiting as Nikhil’s friend to complicate matters. Things reach a point when Mini decides to leave the house with Naren while Ghanshyam is away. And this leads us to the movie’s climax where a lifelong decision awaits Mini.

The Music

Rajesh Roshan is the composer with lyrics by Amit Khanna.

2 songs that stand out are Pal bhar me ye kya ho gaya by Lata Mangeshkar and the classical music thumri “remake” “Kaa karoon sajani aaye na balam, passionately sung by K.J. Yesudas.

My Thoughts

The film belongs to Shabana Azmi. What a performer she is! She starts off as the impressive and chirpy Mini but has to mellow down after the sudden forced marriage. She is ready to tackle her mother-in-law when required and live on her terms. Gradually, she is impressed by her husband’s nature and his progressive views especially on how women need to be treated. This leads to the first thaw in their strained relationship. And we see a more mature Mini blossoming. But things take a turn for the worse when Naren arrives and she takes a stand against the whole house.

Girish Karnad appears too down to earth in the beginning but gives space to his new wife to settle down amicably. He is clear on what is right or wrong and doesn’t back away from expressing his stand to Mini or other members of the family. He brings out the balanced character nicely.

Other cast members including Utpal Dutt and Shashikala are good. 

Overall, this is an entertaining movie from Basu Chatterjee. It somehow reminds me of his another movie Apne Paraye (1980), also based on a novel by Sarat Chandra Chatterjee.

Trivia Shot – Dharmendra & Hema Malini appear in cameos in a song. They had played cameos in another Basu Chatterjee movie Chhoti Si Baat (1976) and can be seen in the song Jaaneman jaaneman tere do nayan.