I used to think Raj Khosla was associated with crime and suspense movies. Films like CID, Kala Pani, Woh Kaun Thi, Mera Saaya and Anita all being from these genres. But assumptions can be so wrong! He did handle other themes and directed films including Do Badan, Do Raaste, Bambai Ka Babu and Dostana.

I knew about Do Badan primarily because of its songs like Jab Chali Thandi Hawa, Raha Gardishon Mein Har Dam and Lo Aa Gayi Unki Yaad and was surprised to find it is a serious romantic film directed by this great director. Interestingly it was released in the same year as Mera Saaya. The story is typical. Poor boy meets rich girl. Girl’s father is not agreeable of the poor boy. A villain is ready to spread lies and get the girl for himself. Sounds familiar? Its Raj Khosla’s credit that he makes the common subject into an entertaining film with the help of good acting performances and fabulous music. Raj Khosla passed away on 9 June 1991 and today’s post is in dedicated to him.

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The Plot

The film begins with a typical college scene. Vikas (Manoj Kumar) is studying for the BA final year exams. Nearby, a group of girls are studying, listening to loud music and dancing, all at the same time! In general, they are being a nuisance to Vikas. He has an argument with one of the girls Asha (Asha Parekh). She is no mood to listen and she and her friends talk in a coded language and make fun of him. Asha’s maternal cousin Mohan (Mohan Choti), son of her Mama (Dhumal) is also studying in the same college. Mohan attempts to intervene and gets slapped by both Asha and Vikas.

An irritated and angry Vikas removes the batteries from the transistor and leaves. Asha is taken aback and complains to the principal.

The principal scolds Vikas for his behaviour. The principal reminds him of the importance of his studies. He can be penalized and will not be able to appear for the final exam. Vikas begs him not to do this. He comes from a poor family and his father has struggled to pay for his education. He needs to complete his graduation on time. Asha is outside the office and hears all this. She asks the principal that she is taking back her complaint – she admits she was also responsible for the matter.

Through Mohan, Asha comes to know about Vikas’s background. Vikas is from Jammu while Asha’s family lives in Srinagar. She goes to meet him and apologize for her behaviour. They become friends. She even gives him the books he is unable to afford. He is reluctant to accept them as he is poor, she is rich etc. But Asha convinces him through some philosophical talk about friendship and friends helping each other.

It’s time for the annual exams. All is well until Vikas is suddenly called to Jammu as his father is serious. He rushes home without appearing for the exam. Asha is disturbed as he will lose a year.

Vikas arrives in Jammu but finds out his father has passed away before he could reach there. His wily brother (Bazid Khan credited as Wajid Khan) and sister-in-law (Lalita Kumari) indicate directly and indirectly that he is not wanted in their house. They cannot afford his expenses. Vikas hears this and decides to leave the house forever. He also gives up his claim to the property. Asha has been trying to contact him but the letters are not answered.

After the exam, Asha goes to her father’s house in Srinagar. Here she meets Ashwani (Pran) who is the son of an old family friend. Predictably, Ashwani is the villainous character hoping to get close to Asha.

But Asha is sad. She hasn’t heard from Vikas. She remembers him and sings a song Jab chali thand hawa. Later, Asha meets her uncle (played by Manmohan Krishna). He has encountered some tragedy in his life and lost his wife (or lover?). He spends the whole day painting and immersed in her thoughts. Asha is moved as she realises the importance of memories and she is missing someone too. She weeps her heart out.

And where is Vikas? He is in Srinagar. He has rented a houseboat (how he manages this is not revealed – he is jobless!). Vikas and Asha meet coincidentally. He explains his father passed away and he has left the house. He is desperately looking for a job. Asha’s father is Diwan Shivraj (Wasti). He is a rich man engaged in multiple businesses. She asks him to give a job to Vikas. He does so and Vikas is appointed as overseer in the timber operations.

Asha doesn’t reveal she is responsible for getting him the job. She is aware Vikas is a self respecting man and not bound to take favours easily. But the truth is bound to be out one day and it happens unexpectedly.  Mohan, who also works at the same site reveals the connection between Diwan and Asha. Vikas is incensed and is about to resign but Asha pacifies him with a song Mat jaiyo naukariya chhodke. (This is the only happy song in the film and Asha Parekh gets to shake a leg.)

But the good times are about to end. Ashwani observes the closeness between Asha and Vikas. He is quick to inform Diwan and point out how a poor employee is aiming to get close to a rich man’s daughter. Diwan is shocked to hear this.

Asha has cleared her exams and Diwan throws a party to celebrate her success. There are many wealthy guests in attendance. Diwan invites Vikas and insults him in front of the guests, taunting him on his poverty, his inability to clear the BA exam etc. A hurt Vikas sings a song Bhari duniya mein aakhir dil.

After the song, Diwan makes a surprise announcement of Ashwani’s engagement with Asha. Asha doesn’t know anything about this and rushes to her room. Diwan tells Vikas to go to the office tomorrow, collect his dues and leave the job. He also has a word with Asha making it clear that she has to marry Ashwani – there is no alternative. Vikas meets Asha, telling her they need to part now but he will back one day. She agrees and hopes for his success.

Ashwani has his next plan ready. He wants to remove Vikas “permanently.” He offers him a job in his friend’s company in New Delhi. He tells Vikas that his friend had left his jeep in Kashmir. It would be good if he can drive to New Delhi in that jeep. Vikas agrees. Ashwani has arranged the jeep to have an accident.

Vikas survives the accident and is admitted to a hospital in New Delhi. Unfortunately, he loses his eyesight. There is a dramatic scene. Vikas is unable to accept his condition and refuses to have any food or medicine. He does not feel like living anymore. A sympathetic doctor Dr. Anjali (Simmi) is called to take stock of the situation and calm him down. How she does this is not clarified.

Ashwani was expecting the news of Vikas’s death but comes to know he is recuperating in a hospital. So his plan didn’t work. He goes to the hospital and displays a show of false sympathy. Vikas tells him to inform Asha that he has died in the accident. He is not ready to let Asha know that he is blind and she will have to sacrifice her life and become his lifelong support. He doesn’t want her to face this future. (This seems silly. If he really loved her, he would have faced her and told her everything upright. There would be no need to create a deception).

Anyway, Ashwani tells Asha that Vikas is dead. Meanwhile, Anjali brings Vikas to her home. The intention is to take care of him and convince him to get operated to get his eyesight back. Apparently, she lives alone and also has gone through some tragedy. But she doesn’t want to talk about it.

Asha is in shock after she hears about Vikas’s death. She is not ready to forget him and move ahead in life. Ashwani had been planning to marry her but she is not ready to accept anyone else and continues to be lost in Vikas’s memory.

Ashwani has had enough. He goes to meet Vikas again and tell him about Asha’s condition and they make another plan to convince Asha to forget Vikas. Ashwani informs Asha that Vikas is actually alive and he is staying with another girl in New Delhi. Asha finds it difficult to believe this and goes to witness the deception herself. Vikas acts as if he is love with Anjali. Asha is convinced that she has lost her love forever and agrees to marry Ashwani. She still doesn’t know that Vikas is doing all this because he is blind.

And the melodrama continues and gets too much at one point. Vikas sings two sorrowful songs – Rahaa gardishon mein har dam and Naseeb mein jiske jo likha tha. All this leads to a situation where Asha discovers the truth about all the false stories spread by Ashwani. She takes ill, acts delirious and loses the will to live. She sings Lo aa gayi unki yaad lying on the bed.

Being a married Indian woman, can she leave her husband and go back to her lover? Or will death be the solution? The question is answered through an ambiguous ending.

The Music

The music honours are shared by the combination of Shakeel Badayuni (SB) and Ravi (SB is normally connected with Naushad but he did some 15 films with Ravi too). Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle and Mohammed Rafi are in charge of the vocals. All songs are wonderful but there is an overdose of sadness in the compositions. Somehow, I felt the absence of a romantic duet song which would have helped to balance the multiple sad songs. Also, it is hinted that Dr Anjali was a sitar player. Probably they meant to picturize a “happy” song on her but did not do so.

My Thoughts

Do Badan is a serious film and a long sequence of tragic events. Its as if the characters are inviting the bad times rather than face them when they arrive. Call it self inflicted tragedy? But Raj Khosla’s direction is impressive and he is successful in making an overall entertaining film.

Among the cast, Asha Parekh is the most effective performer. Manoj Kumar is his usual self. You are reminded of Dilip Kumar in certain scenes in the way he acts and delivers the dialogues. Simmi Garewal is impressive in a supporting role and won the Best Supporting Actress Filmfare Award that year. It is not revealed if she develops any feelings for Vikas or what was her personal tragedy. Pran plays a “sensible” and toned down villain which is different than what you would normally expect. Dhumal and Mohan Choti are part of the predictably boring comedy side plot which has no scope in the film.

The film was a hit and I wonder the reason for it. Was it because of the the tragic plot with the sacrificial angle, or the memorable songs? Was it the impactful direction or simply the star power that impressed the audience?