Dil Diya Dard Liya (1966)

Dil diya dard liya is one of three movies I have seen so far which are (more or less) roughly based on motifs from Wuthering Heights. I am planning to write about all three of them; and if someone can point me in the direction of any others, I would be willing to have a look at those, too. It starts off in suitably stormy night with a small ship in grave danger on the sea. The passengers consist of a well-off couple and their infant son. Alas, the ship sinks and only the (surprisingly smiley) infant is rescued, complete with a golden locket which is quite likely to become important later on.

Not looking good:


The palm trees remind me a lot of those in Aadmi:


Before we can find out more about the fate of the infant, the voice-over takes us to a royal palace, where the king is dying. He was hoping to be reunited with his estranged son (who married against his father's wishes, and who might just possibly be one half of the couple lost at sea), but he dies before he even learns of his son's death. His loyal administrator knows about the accident, and the possibility that the heir may still be alive, so the throne will remain vacant and the property will be in trust until the fate of the heir has been ascertained.

It's an impressive home to miss out on:


The deathbed:


Amazingly, this guy turns out not to be evil:


Back, at a somewhat less impressive, but still by no means small, house, several years has passed and the foundling is now called Shankar. He has been adopted by the owner of the somewhat less impressive mansion, and while he is very close to the daughter, Roopa, her brother, Ramesh, resents him as an interloper and frequently picks fights with him. Luckily, their father is aware of Ramesh's behaviour and protects Shankar. Less luckily, the father also suffers from an unspecified but possibly cardiac-related illness, which does not bode well.

Not bad as a second choice:


I hope you like him, we will be seeing a lot of him:


Shankar:


and Roopa:


Is shawl wearing a a sign of impending doom, either for the wearer or his immediate family?


He is trouble:


Alas, the father's health problems lead to his premature demise and Shankar's life very swiftly becomes a lot less pleasant as he is now treated as a servant and can't continue his studies, though he was a good student (in contrast to Ramesh). Time passes and we get to watch many, many different kind of flowers bloom. Once we are finished with the flowers, Roopa has grown up into Waheeda Rehman and Shankar into Dilip Kumar. The two are very much in love with each other, although Shankar is employed in all sorts of manual labour and Roopa is mainly downtrodden by her brother and doing embroidery. The down-treading is done by Ramesh (Pran), who has grown up into a rather unpleasant adult (how unexpected).

Shankar:


And I don't blame him at all for having fallen for her:


It's a cruel fate to have him as a brother:


I wonder what the motive is:


After a brief comic interlude which involves a gentleman named Murlidhar (Johny Walker), his wife (Tun Tun), their nine children and a moneylender who wants the money Murdilal owes him, we are back with our ill-fated lovers. Ramesh, who enjoys being mean to Shankar, tells him to fetch a gun which he left behind at a neighbour's house. The house is a considerable distance away and he needs they gun within the next hour. This gives us an opportunity to meet the neighbour in question, Satish (Rehman) and his sister Mala (Shyama). It turns out that the gun was never left at their place, Ramesh took it home with him earlier, but when he is told this he just shrugs off all the trouble he caused Shankar.

They are not very colour-coordinated:


Sherlock?


Looking less than impressed:


Oh, that gun, silly me:


Before things can get too depressing, we have our first song, which confirms that Roopa and Shankar are very much in love with each other. While they are chastely affirming their devotion to each other, Ramesh is up to no good, indulging in alcohol and loose women. One of the latter has taken his fancy in particular, namely Tarabai (Rani). She, however, is also part of a convoluted plan of Murlidhar to repay is creditor whith Ramesh's money. Shanker and Roopa, on the other hand, continue their romancing during daylight hours, which may not have been the wisest choice ever.


Lovebirds:


Now with more daylight:


Up to no good:


I suspect he has found his match:


They have some very scenic ruins in their village:


After some more romancing and another song, trouble begins to brew. The people in the village have started to talk about Shankar and Roopa, and the family's loyal retainer is worried, partly because of the possible damage to the family's reputation, and partly because of what will happen to Shankar when Ramesh finds out that he has fallen in love with his sister.

One day, Mala comes to see Roopa, and she has brought her brother, Satish, who would like to have a word in private with Roopa. They are less alone than he thinks they are, as Shankar, who had brought some flowers to Roopa's room is hiding behind a curtain. It is all incredibly awkward, especially since Satish does realise that there is another person in the room eventually. He leaves, leaving Roopa to ponder his proposal. (And he really isn't a bad second choice at all). Shankar, of course, is aware that his position doesn't really allow him to marry Roopa, in spite of his love for her, so everybody is left feeling low.

Surprise visit:


You are less alone than you think you are:


This may or may not be symbolic of something:


Satish is also rather less than impressed with the company Ramesh has been keeping, but Ramesh won't listen to his possible future brother in law. Nevertheless, he invites Ramesh and Roopa to Mala's birthday party. Roopa had been asking for some flowers, but the evening still sees Shankar and the bouquet in his room. When he finally brings them to the party, after Mala and Roopa have treated us to another song, there is really nobody left who doesn't realise that Shankar is more than a little fond of Roopa. This irritates Ramesh so much that the two come to blows.

Maybe he would also like a different hair colour on Ramesh:


Look who is attending the party:


Bad ideas Shankar had today:


Ramesh is fuming:


Back home, Ramesh takes his revenge for Shankar's behaviour and has him whipped, much to Roopa's distress. That night, she comes to meet him in the scenic ruins and after much railing against fate and the resident deity (which is never a good idea), the two come to the conclusion that maybe eloping is the way forward. Alas, the next morning still finds them in the scenic ruins and Ramesh, supported by a large number of men with sticks, comes to find them. After a (more or less) exciting fight, which does showcase the architecture of the ruins rather nicely, Shankar ends up being thrown into the sea and Roopa is dragged home.

They may be about to make a decision:


Aaaw:


Don't mess with him:


Oh no:


Don't worry Roopa, we haven't been shown the body:


Satish reaffirms his willingness to marry Roopa but is also prepared to wait, given that she has had somewhat of a shock. He is still underwhelmed with Ramesh's lifestyle and persuades him to let Roopa stay at his place, rather than in a house which is frequented by dancing girls (and he will also have more opportunity to press his suit if she is his guest, but he doesn't say that) . Meanwhile, somewhere on the coast, Shankar is found by helpful fisherfolk. He is not dead, nor has he lost his memory or eyesight, or anything of the sort (I am really rather amazed at that). Instead, he decides to earn lots of money, so he can come back and be worthy of Roopa (the sort of plan that makes the assumption that she will wait, which is okay if you have actually discussed it, but likely to backfire if you haven't had a chance to tell her). Roopa, for her part, has become rather depressed, and the fact that her brother spends most of his time with doesn't help, though it means that amid all the doom and gloom we get treated to a rather nice song.

His...:


...and hers matching depression:


Thank you, for providing some relief:


Once the song is over, we are back to our suffering lovers. Satish is determined to get Roopa to marry him, but she is still grieving for Shankar, and while grateful to Satish for the shelter he offers her, not willing to marry him (yet). Shankar, on the other hand, has found work in a factory which just happens to have belonged to his grandfather (how convenient). One day, the administrator is visiting and Shankar is more than a little puzzled by seeing the same crest on the car, as the pattern on his locket. The administrator, however, has serious problems. His son is fed up with being a loyal retainer and hoping for the lost grandson to return and would quite like to use the king's riches for his own (probably debauched) purposes. When his father refuses to even contemplate the possibility he hits him over the head with a blunt instrument, and sets off to rob the royal resources (well, the vault really).

I am still amazed that the administrator isn't evil (not that I am prejudiced or anything)


Ah, somebody's identity may be clarified in the near future:


Unsurprisingly, the administrator isn't actually dead. Instead he is found by Shankar, who not only helps him back to the palace but also defends him against his son, and is provided with enough exposition to realise that he is the long lost heir to the kingdom. He swiftly finds himself installed on the throne, but alas this is also the time when his already not too plentiful supply of marbles starts to dwindle even further.

Helpfulness pays (at least in this case)


Somehow one would expect him too look at least a bit happier:


For some reason, Shankar's first thought does not seem to be to go and find Roopa, which is somewhat of a mistake. Roopa had been living in Satish's house for some time now, and people have started to talk. All the nasty rumours come to head during a New Year's Eve party after a confrontation with her brother and his inappropriate girlfriend. After a sleepless night and some more disapproval and emotional blackmail by the family's loyal servants and being confronted with her father's stern picture, Roopa decides to give in and gets engaged to Satish.

The red light of public diapproval:


Thinks are getting rather too much for Roopa:


It always puzzles me that men are so keen on getting married to someone who quite clearly is more than a little distressed at the prospect:


This is, of course, the perfect moment for Shankar to reappear. But first, Roopa pours out her misery in song. Then Shankar confronts Ramesh who is more than delighted to tell him that Roopa has abandoned her childhood love and is now happily engaged to Satish. Shankar is not prepared to belive this, saying that he is more willing to believe that she committed suicide than that she became somebody else's fiance, however, when he goes to Satish's house, he is confronted with a scene which leads him to believe that Roopa is now in love with Satish (of course, asking her point blank isn't an option, and neither does he seem to take into consideration that Roopa had very good reason to believe that he was dead; especially as nobody has as yet told her, that he is still alive). It also becomes very obvious that Ramesh is an alcoholic and possible not any longer quite in his right mind; and has lost most of his not insubstantial property to Tarabai.

I am not sure which of the two is saner:


Misunderstanding about to happen:


Not looking at it won't make it go away:


Before the general misery and heartbreak can get to us to much, we check in with the comic relief, whose wife has just given birth to multiple children.

Shankar is now bent on revenge. He first starts to get interested in Tarabai in order to make Ramesh jealous. He arranges for the already irate Ramesh to walk in on them in a compromising situation (not that I can blame Tarabai for looking for a change of companion). He also confronts Roopa at a party held in his honour that night. The poor woman has only just realised that the prince everybody talks about is her believed to be dead beloved; and she swiftly learns that he feels betrayed. She finds herself stuck between a fiance she doesn't want but feels obliged to be loyal to, and the man she loves, who thinks she has been unfaithful to him. No wonder she is beginning to look rather stressed.

Now this is a woman who knows what she wants:


I suspect that a plan may be hatched here:


Hmmm;


Roopa is subjected to more than her annual share of disapproval:


At least there are very impressive staircases for Shankar's marbles to bounce down:


Before we can get too depressed we are treated to another dance by Tara; during which Shankar flirts rather openly with her, which does not end well for poor Tara when Ramesh looses the last remnants of his self control.

Well, at least she isn't bleeding all over a priceless carpet:


With Ramesh on the run from the police, Shankar installs himself in his house, which he bought from Tarabai, and proceeds to torture poor Roopa (and Satish) by flirting with Mala. Will it all end in tears? Will Mala recognise that Shankar isn't interested in him? Will Satish heroically renounce his claim on Roopa? Will Roopa ever be able to make up her mind as to whether she wants duty or love? Will Ramesh turn up to wreak further havoc? Will there be more dramatic zooms up and down giant sweeping staircases?

Personally, I like this movie. I love every overly melodramatic minute and it doesn't feel too long to me. Other people have felt differently about it and put their thoughts in writing. I would say, if you have low melodrama resistance or have seen Aadmi (or Deedar) and found that to melodramatic, it's best to avoid this one. There is also a lot of eye-candy and nice music.


Gratuitous Waheeda pictures:

Clerk (1989)

Clerk is a movie which follows the fate of a down-trodden and depressed Clerk (now there is a surprise) with a large number of dependants and a lost love in the ministry of defence. It is also one of my contenders for "worst movie sharing Shashi Kapoor"; but of course such things are always a deeply personal matter.

After a multicoloured opening sequence, which, alas, is a sign of things to come, we meet Bharat (Manoj Kumar), on his way to work. Once he arrived at the office, we meet the peon (that's what subtitles tend to call these people), Sadhuram (Prem Chopra) and some time later his colleague, Pooja (Anita Raj), who is clearly very fond of Bharat (though it's never clear to me why) and who provides a breath of fresh air in the doom and gloom surrounding him. Of course, there is also a sleazy and corrupt boss, B. M. Sharma (Satish Shah), who insists that everybody should speak Hindi, while peppering his speech with plenty of English. Currently he is not in the office for anybody trying to contact him in connection with a tender put in by a certain Mr. Kapoor.

I know, I should have just stopped here:




Bharat and his boss:


Surely, life can't be all bad, if she works in your office and likes you; less sure about him, though:


The movie then continues to illustrate why Bharat's life is so miserable. At home, we meet his older brother Ram, once a soldier, who lost a leg fighting for his country and also is disfigured. He was offered help to get an artificial leg but he declined it. Ram remembers how their father (Ashok Kumar) sold his land, so his sons could study in the hope that they would be able to buy it back at some point, but now all these dreams are just dreams (and so on). Before those two can sink even further into misery, the father suffers a heart attack and we also meet the two youngest siblings, Balram (Rajiv Goswami) and Tulsi (Sonika Gill), who are both still in college. They had gone out to get a doctor for their father, but the doctor refuses to come unless he is paid. Luckily, Bharat knows that what his father really needs to get better is a rousing patriotic song; and indeed, lots of swirling visuals later, Dad is back on his feet.

I wonder how long it took them to get those holes just where they wanted them:


Familial concern:


The younger generations (and a use of mirrors that will recur (frequently))


Is that what being drunk feels like?



Ram is married to Rukmini (Zeba Ali) and their marriage is not a happy one. He suspects her of doing something quite different on those days when she wears a nice, wedding-like sari and goes to meet her brother. Bharat defends his sister-in-law, but Ram remains unconvinced. The next day at work, Bharat receives a semi-mysterious phonecall. The caller reminds him of the time he spent with Sneh (Rekha) in college, and this leads us to the next song, which also clarifies for the viewer, that the caller is no other than Sneh, who, we learn shortly afterwards, is now married to Mr. Kapoor. They have the sort of relationship where they call each other by last name.

The mirror of marital trouble:


There is a saying that you can't disfigure a beautiful person. They were trying very hard:


The mirror of happy memories:


I am beginning to wonder whether this would be easier to bear if I was drunk?


Oh, Mr. Kapoor is Mr. Kapoor


We learn that Mr. Kapoor is evil. He married Sneh because he could impress her with his wealth, knowing full well that she really loved Bharat and now one of his aims in life is to turn Bharat to dishonesty, partly becaue he enjoys this sort of thing, partly because there is this pending tender with the ministry of defense, and partly also from jealousy. He uses his wife to get to Bharat. First she visits him in his office, but meets with a very cold reception when she invites him to their college reunion, and triggers another trip down memory lane, this time to the day when she told Bharat that she was marrying Vijay Kapoor because her sister needed money to join her fiance in the States. She then talks to him on his way home; a conversation with much symbolism involving throwaway lights and holes in sandals, and at first he refuses to come to the reunion. However, after having by mistake downed the peon's alcoholic cold drink, he decides to come anyway. This gives him the opportunity to bemoan the fact that his academic achievement and honesty have left him and his family destitute, to refuse an offer of Mr. Kapoor to support his younger siblings financially (no doubt he refuses to have anything to do with ill-gotten gains) and to treat us another song.

While Pooja wonders what the relation is between Bharat and Sneh, I wonder why the lever arch files never fit on the shelves in movie offices:


I raise you one lighter:


The shoe of lost hope and poverty:


He looks somewhat like a giant snowball:


I am rather developing an aversion to sparkly lights:


Hmm, not sure this is an improvement:


After the function, Rukmini makes some disparaging comment to Sneh, and Sneh lashes out at Rukmini. This, of course, feeds Ram's suspicions. Meanwhile, we meet Balram's girl-friend Sonu (Sonu Walia) (and her amazing trousers, or lack thereof) for the first time. She has a more direct approach to the family's financial problems; she suggests robbing a bank and Balram is ready to go along with her. The Kapoors, on the other hand, having made no discernable progress with Bharat, decide to bribe Mr. Sharma to make their tender successful. He proves a much easier target. He accepts a bribe, but when he is challenged by his boss, Rahim Khan (Rajendra Kumar) about Mr. Kapoor's visit, he implies that it is Bharat who takes the bribes without sharing with his superior, but that if a more senior person interfered, he might be made to share. To facilitate that, Bharat is invited to perform at the office's 15th of August celebrations, which (you may have guessed) leads to another, very sparkly song.

I am not sure Maa would approve:


The mirror of ill-advice:


Preparations for the annual giant snowball convention are in full swing:


That's a perfectly innocent suitcase:


Senior plotting:


Just in case you had missed where the movie takes place:


This is also the day Balram and Sonu have picked for the bank-robbery, as everybody will be out celebrating and security isn't very tight. At first, all goes well, but unfortunately the vitally important motor-cycle won't start and Balram has to escape on foot. In order to appear less conspicous he drops the bag with the money and the blanket he is wearing which are picked up by Bharat (because there is of course nobody else waiting for a bus at this point) who is promptly arrested. Some emotional blackmail by his family later, Balram confesses and is put in jail instead of his big brother.

A fateful meeting:


Don't worry Bharat, Balram won't be able to take your nobility much longer:


Tulsi, who has had far to peaceful a life for a member of Balram's family, is accosted on the street by a friend of Mr. Kapoor's with the promise of a job if she goes to a certain address. Unfortunately, what awaits her isn't a job but a man ready to molest her.

He really doesn't appear very trustworthy:


Oh no, my world has turned upside down:


In the meantime, Sneh continues her persistant attempts to turn Bharat towards the way of corruption and financial gain. This time, she persuades Mr. Sharma, to take Bharat to a function in the Kapoor mansion, mainly to have him humiliated and to give him a chance to be inspired by the artwork to sing a song about the fact that he is a clerk (not that that is news to any of the people present). Pooja, who is also present, attracts the attention of a rather sleazy older man, who is a business partner of Mr. Kapoor's. When he drops her home, her mother is very shocked, and it turns out that he is actually her father, who abandoned her mother after one of those secret temple marriages which are so common in the movies.

Temptation at work:


At least we are spared any more fake guitar playing:


I detect a spot of symbolism here:


Sometimes, not being pretty would be a distinct advantage:


The mirror of abandonment and disgrace:


Back at home, Ram has decided to finally find out what his wife is up to, on the days she goes at very well dressed, and returns with money. When he finds out his is very ashamed, as she wasn't at all doing what he thought she was doing (though why she needed to dress up to do what she was doing, is somewhat beyond me). Anyway, he asks her forgiveness, and offers to be beaten with her sandal. The rest of the family is also very touched by her sacrifice.

I think he may be shocked:


So, what's that then:


Aaaaw, at least one problem solved:


To provide some light relief (and maybe to prevent the viewer from jumping out of the window in sympathetic dispair), we then get to watch Pooja doing some gymnastics, which of course is enough reason for another song. However, before we can get to cheerful, we are back with Tulsi who is now pregnant from the guy who raped her and wants him to marry her. He refuses and says that nobody can force him, as he is Vijay Kapoor's man, when Bharat challenges him. Sneh, who turns up for no apparent reason, points out that Bharat has a choice, of working for Mr. Kapoor, and stealing the project "Green Star" file for him, or watching his sister's ruin. After some tortured deliberation, involving watching a tree being felled (not that that is symbolic in any way shape or form, and not that Sneh was talking about trees which provide shelter earlier on), he decides to go ahead with the dastardly deed.


She looks very nice


but of course the sparkly lights aren't far off:



This is not the most promising beginning for a marriage:


Behold, the key to dishonesty and financial gain:


The theft does not remain unobserved, but Sadhuram is easily persuaded to not betray Bharat. In order to explain his sudden wealth to his family, Bharat claims that he has won the lottery. To celebrate this happiness, they visit their ancestral fields and Bharat also forces the father of Tulsi's child to marry her. Of course, all this has feet of clay, as it is based on Bharat's involvement in illegal and traiterous dealings, of which his family is still unaware.

Now partners in crime:


Hey, they are able to smile, how unexpected:


Family relations are somewhat strained:


Some days later, Pooja is again at Mr. Kapoor's house, and her father, who is still unaware of their relationship, offers her a lift home. On the way home, he tries to rape her, but she manages to defend herself with a conveniently placed trident. When she arrives in hospital with her mother, to prove to him that she is his daughter, he begs her forgiveness, and only dies after naming her his heir (in writing no less).

Yikes:


Oh dear:


The mirror of patricide:


I am not sure I really needed to see this:


Now it is time for Tulsi's wedding but, alas, the (presumably) joyous occassion is disrupted by the police looking for Balram who escaped from prison. He is actually lurking on the other side of the road with his girlfriend bemoaning his cruel fate in not being able to attend his sister's wedding (well, what did he have to go and rob a bank for). Some time later, Mr. Kapoor visits Bharat at home, and congratulates him on his newly found dishonesty and arranges some other plans with him, involving more stolen files. Unfortunately, Bharat's father overhears the conversation and the shock kills him, though he has enough time to dress in his old uniform and reassert his patriotism. And he refuses to take his pills because they were paid for with ill-gotten money.

Uninvited guests:


Self-pitying brothers:


Sigh:


Will his father's death show Bharat the error of his ways? How will his brothers react when they find out that Bharat worked for Mr. Kapoor? What is the new dastardly plan going by the name of Operation Red Rose? Which of the people in the ministry of defense is actually not corrupt. Will there be more sparkly lights and hard to spot symbolism? If you don't want to sit through this yourself, I am happy to tell you in the comments.

I really don't like this movie (I am sure that's not that hard to tell). Part of the problem is that I have problems with all the mirroring, billowing smoke, people half hidden behind something or other which goes on in the songs and not just there. I am also not overly enamoured with all the mistreatment of women; and while I generally don't mind depressing movies, this was just too much. It would probably also help if I found Manoj Kumar appealing in this, but I don't.

Zabardast (1985)

Zabardast has much to offer to the viewer, a highly convoluted plot including the requisite separated brothers (though nobody is lost at a fair), a villain played by Amrish Puri, and lots and lots of sequins. After a colourful title sequence with fireworks in the background



we meet Ratan Kumar (Sanjeev Kumar) who is just being released from jail. We learn that he is well educated and even served in the army, and that he also never told the police who his accomplices were. The latter is explained when he is reunited with his wife (Gita Siddharth) and baby son, he was afraid that his family would be hurt if he told the police who his accomplices were. He vows never to committ a crime again, but before he can do much more he is called by a police officer to a burning building to rescue a box containing important papers.

Palmistry, I will take up Palmistry


I am somehow suspicious as to the authenticity of these policemen (those aren't regulation moustaches)


A lovingly handcrafted burning building:


Alas, it turns out that the policemen were fake, and working for Ratan's old boss, Balram Singh (Amrish Puri), and the box doesn't contain documents but diamonds (hey, at least the both start with D). Ratan is very upset about the deception and escapes from Balram Singh with the diamonds. After picking up his son from home, he escapes (cunningly disguised) on a train, where he learns from a newspaper someone left behind, that his wife is presumed to have died when there house was burned down (Why is it that when I am on a train without reading material all that is left lying around is the train company's promotional magazine or the sports section of at least three different newspapers?).

That's an impressive smirk


A decidedly less impressive disguise:


Ratan leaves the train and continues his flight across an arid wasteland, but before he collapses completely he hides the case with the diamonds in a grave in a conveniently placed graveyard (which conveniently already has a hole). He is picked up by a (conveniently) passing doctor with very good eyesight (Kulbhushan Kharbanda). He offers Ratan a job as an estate manager for the local Maharani, although he knows that the police are looking for Ratan; however, there is a condition. The Maharani (Tanuja) recently lost her husband and gave birth to a still-born child. She hasn't accepted that the child is really dead, so if the doctor could present Ratan's son as the Maharani's child it would do wonders for her mental health. After a small dose of emotional blackmail, Ratan agrees. He now calls himself Ramesh, and he is also told that he shouldn't come before the Maharani.

Flight not going so well


Only a small palace:


The doctor has a daughter - who may or may not become someone's love interest later on:


Years pass, and one fateful birthday, Ratan actually is seen by the Maharani, who promptly faints as he looks exactly like her deceased husband. For some reason, this likeness is also reason enough for her to marry Ratan (I asked a married friend whether she would marry someone who looked exactly like her husband and i got a very emphatic no). Her son is less impressed, telling his mother that she can make him her husband but he will never make him his father (he is lacking a vital piece of information there).

Oho:


This may not have been the wisest decision ever:


Of course, now that Ratan has married again, it it time for his not quite so deceased as he assumed wife to make an appearance (in the movies, never trust the report of somebody's death unless you have seen the body yourself). The Maharani is understandably upset at this development and, less understandably, set on killing Ratan's wife. There is a tussle as he tries to stop her, and the Maharani manages to fall on her gun in a particularily unlucky manner and dies, but not before she has asked her son to avenge her whilst pointing towards her husband.

Ghost! Ghost!


I can see how this misunderstanding could arise:


Ratan and his wife now look after their son, who still doesn't know that he is their son, as the doctor argued that news would be too much of a shock for him so shortly after his mother's death. They also have a second child, but somehow the older one never quite settles down and he is still planning to avenge his mother's death. In order to do this, he first kidnaps his little brother so he can throw him to the tigers. However, he is interrupted in this dastardly deed by the arrival of a car, and runs off, while the baby is picked up by the occupants of the car. Ratan and his wife, having successfully misplaced both their children, decide to leave. Before they can get very far, Ratan is arrested and convicted for the theft of the diamonds and his wife is left all alone (again).

Nahiin:


Nahiiiin:


Years pass, and Sunder grows up to be a petty thief (with a heart of gold, of course), who goes by the name of Shyam (Sunny Deol) and spends much time with his friend Anwar (Tariq), who is something of an aspiring musician. We first meet them in a small pup and learn that they must be good guys as they defend the honour of the proprietor's daughter. Sunder is still determined to avenge his mother. He doesn't remember the killers face but he does remember a rather distinct scar on one of his hands.

I like him:


Meanwhile, Ratan, has been released from jail and acquired a bad wig which reminds me of a poodle, a pair of gloves (which rather puts a spanner in Sunder's great plans of revenge), and two loyal henchmen, who, like him, have been cheated by Balram Singh.

This is a much better idea than you might think (though he should have taken an oath not to take them off until he has defeated Balram Singh)


The loyal henchmen:


Balram Singh has acquired a much less poodle-esque wig, very well dressed and colour-coordinated henchmen and a son.

I am sure he could afford more colourful telephones:


Next, we meet Ravi (Rajiv Kapoor), who is making his way as a singer under the name of Tony. He and his friend overhear Sunita (Rathi Agnihotri) planning with Monty (Rajendra Nath) to ruin Tony's carreer because he forced a friend of her's to commit suicide by leaving her pregnant and unsupported. Tony is rather puzzled as he has never heard of the girl, and (to his knowledge) never abandoned a pregnant girl-friend. In order to get to the bottom of this mystery he decided to appear in his stage show in a disguise and befriend Sunita under his real name Ravi. This leads into the first musical number, which, like all songs in this movie, suffers somewhat from a differently beautiful set design and too many sequins.

Tony and some interesting wallpaper:


Eaves-dropping in progress (and two different kinds of wallpaper)


An exceedingly cunning disguise:


Sequins were on special offer:


The next morning, Sunita and Ravi (or rather she thinks she is talking to Tony), agree to meet at a hotel that afternoon. The plan is for Tony/Ravi to be beaten up by Monty (I see a fatal flaw here, but Sunita obviously can't) but before this can be put into action, Ravi, in another cunning disguise, eavesdrops (again) on the two, and therefore manages to foil the plan. Sunder and Anwar happen to be in the same place (obviously the place to be). At the same time (and stil in the same hotel), the doctor is trying to arrange the marriage of his daughter, Mala (Jaya Pradha), with Balram Singh's son. Mala has more sense than her father and isn't willing to agree to the match.

Oh and look who is working in Sunita's house:


More eaves-dropping in progress:


The requisite brothers-unkown-to-each-other meeting:


Don't mind me, I will just be angry on my side of the table:




The prospective groom is called away from the meeting to arrange the delivery of some smuggled gold biscuits (How many calories do those have?) with one of his father's henchmen. This is overheard by Anwar, but also by Ratan. Sunder and Anwar steal the gold biscuits from Balram Singh's men, but they give chase and the two are rescued by Ratan who buys the gold biscuits from them and they continue their flight. This is where things get somewhat convolutied.

Multilateral eaves-dropping:




It's a cute car, but not what I would expect a master criminal to drive:


Mala, whose father insists on her marrying Balram Singh's son, decides that she should commit suicide. However, she doesn't finish the huge glass of soluble sleeping tablets and after watching the room spin for a bit, passes out on her bed. Sunder, still escaping from Balram Singh's men, enters her room, drinks the remaining medication, and also passes out on Mala's bed. Her father, checking on Mala, sees the two in the same bed, but by the time he has fetched his gun, Sunder is gone.



This might be a bit awkward to explain:


The next morning, Balram Singh is getting concerned about the gold biscuits and the general interference of a new person in town on his business. Sunita is planning to use Monty to burn Tony's house down. She discusses this plan with Ravi, who tries to dissuade her from the whole notion that Tony had anything to do with her friend's death. Alas, he is unsuccessful and we get treated to Monty in a sari trying to comit arson. Of course it doesn't work and Ravi and Sunita have to flee from the police (who are actually Ravi's friends) and this leads to the next song, where both leads are very wet.

There are things I really didn't need to see:


There are a lot of sparkly lights here, were they on special offer?


Ravi takes Sunita home, and talks to her at her window, thanks to a conveniently placed ladder. On his way down, he is confronted by Sunita's mother's companion (his mother, only he doesn't know that) who after a brief cross-examination, approves of him.

She is really amazingly calm about all this:


He appears somewhat less calm:


Meanwhile, Mala's friend Salma has come up with one of the more crack-potty plans of marriage avoidance: She suggests that, given that an unkown male was spotted in Mala's room, she should claim to be pregnant by him and get engaged to him. The first hurdle, telling Dad, is taken, and now the girls have to find the man in question, especially as they told Mala's father that he is a doctor who went to a conference in Simla (guess where everybody is going to turn up soon). We also learn that Sunder has no idea as to what happened in that night, or how he came to be in Mala's bed.

I read this in a romance novel, it must work


He may be a good doctor, but his taste in chandeliers is as brilliant as his taste in sons-in-law:


Blissful ignorance:


Sunder is therefore not unwilling to believe that he is the father of Mala's baby, even though he isn't best pleased. Meanwhile, somewhere else in the plot, Ratan plans to blow up all of Balram Singh's godowns in a single night. During the resulting chase, Sunder helps Ratan and the bond between them strengthens. Balram is more than a little irritated by this development, but he isn't going to le this stop him from attending the opening of a new hotel in Simla. Ravi and Sunita are going to Simla, too, where she plans to poison Tony with a powder which turns people mute and paralyses them. Since Ravi doesn't seem the self-destruvtive type, I am no too worried. When Ravi mentions during their journey that Tony might be innocent, Sunita reacts badly, and it takes a song and a bus load of schoolchildren, as well as Sunder and Mala, who happen to be passing by, to calm her down.


Sunder is taking his new role very seriously:







We are here to help with the next song




This is nothing to worry about




He looks happy not to dance




Finally, our protagonists make it to the hotel. Mala and Sunder spend the evening discussing child-rearing issues and Sunita continues to plot her revenge. The sleeping arrangements for the night are reassuringly conservative (though one wonders what the point is in Mala and Sunder's case).





You, too?




The next morning, Sunita continues with her revenge. She feeds the "poison" to Tony (a cunningly disguised Ravi) and he pretends to be poisoned. Sunita leaves satisfied but unfortunately she leaves behind her purse and returns while Tony is transforming into Ravi and explaining the whole plan again. She is livid, and not even the unexpected (and unexplained) appearance of Ravi's father persuades her that Ravi is really a good guy. We also learn that the fayther is a heart patient (whuch is never a good sign).


Poisoning in progress




Not a good moment:




All will be well, son:





Meanwhile, Sunder's meeting with Mala's father doesn't go well, either. He recognises Sunder as a young man who brought in an injured and pregnant young woman who later killed herself (no other than Sunita's friend), and is, of course, convinced that he must be the child's father. Sunder tries to explain to Mala that he was just helping a stranger, but she doesn't believe him (he has, after all, a habit of turning up in girl's bedrooms).


Wait, I can explain:




Balram Singh, who is at the same hotel, spots Sunder and asks him to work for him, and Mala and Sunita also meet up and exchange notes about their rubbish boyfriends. This convinces Sunita that Ravi/Tony is innocent and she tries to apologise to him, which involves our next song, thankfully free from flag-waving schoolchildren.


This is a somewhat dodgy choice of employer




At least one misunderstanding in the process of being sorted out:




There is another family reunion in the pipeline as Ratan spots his wife leaving a temple. She is gone before he can approach her and a chat with the priest reveals that she isn't a regular, but he promises to ask her for her address the next time she comes. Mala has met up with Sunita and Ravi, and they have decided to stop jumping to conclusions, and to get to the bottom of the mystery of the abandoner of pregnant girl-friends by asking the friend's mother (finally). She doesn't know the name, but she suggests they have a look at her daughter's paintings, and lo and behold, the identity is revealed (not that it is that much of a surprise to the seasoned movie watcher).


Purveyor of useful information




The mystery solving team




Sunder, meanwhile, is not only working for Balram Singh, but also still in contact with Ratan, though I suspect double-crossing Balram isn't a terribly wise choice. Mala, now convinced that Sunder is a decent guy, and also rather in love with him, tries to repair their relationship and what better way to do that than by pretending to get drunk and be molested by a group of dancers in his (and everybody else's) favourite bar; all of course done as another dance number.


To be honest, I got completely side-tracked by the decoration and wallpaper:










Alas, there is bad news for Ravi when he returns from his fact-finding mission: His father has died and he learns that he was adopted which estranged his father from his wife and son who have now returned to claim the property. He learns that he was found near a Tiger's den (you don't say, but apparently we are meant to be surprised) and that he probably belonged to a family which disappeared shortly afterwards. He travels to the area with Sunita, and they find a faithful retainer with a frayed photograph. Sunita recognises her aunt as Ravi's mother. As the priest has also provided Ratan with his wife's address all but one member of the family are soon reunited. Sunder has also learned about the circumstances of Ravi's adoption and worked out who Ravi must be, but he keeps quiet about his part in the story, having decided that he has really no enmity with Ravi but rather with Ravi's father.



Oh dear




You see, it pays never to throw anything out:




Partial family reunion:




In the more criminal part of the plot, Ratan and Balram have come to an understanding that Balram can have back his stolen diamonds, as Ratan wants to give up his life of crime and settle down with his family. Ratan's associates don't seem too impressed with this plan.


A good boss does the dirty work himself




Plotting?




He must be bad, look at all those bottles:


Is his ability to reform suggested by his use of a phonebooth?



What will happen next? Will Ratan be double-crossed by his men? Will Sunder see Ratan's scar and if so, will he learn who Ratan is before he does anything rash? Will there be a big fight at the end? And were the fairy lights on special offer?


This is a movie I find extremely enjoyable; lots happens and while much of it is predictable it's never boring, and there are lots of details to enjoy or marvel at. Posiibly not suitable for someone with a severe 80s allergy but definetly one of the better offerings of the decade, late but stll enjoyable masala. And to me proof that the words cute and Sunny Deol can happily coexist in a sentence not involving the word "not".

P.S. It's not actually a Hindi movie:

Bandhan kuchchey dhaagon ka (1983)

First, apologies for the prolonged silence. I have been watching lots of movies but wasn't particularly inspired to write about any of them, apart from one, whose subtitled version promptly is stuck somewhere in the mail, and while I am still trying to find the courage to write up Clerk, I came across this 80s-movie starring Shashi Kapoor, and here I am again.





At the beginning we meet the Kapoor-family, Prem (Shashi Kapoor) and his wife, Bhavna (Rakhee), and their two children. They are all extremely happy, Prem is a successful businessman who when confronted with a young lady willing to enhance her business proposal with some more personal attention make it very clear that he is not at all interested in this sort of thing.


The happy couple:




And their cheerful house:




I am shocked, shocked, I tell you:




One day, Prem receives a phonecall from his friend (and requisite comic relief person) Ratan (Deven Verma), who is going to court in an attempt to evict his tenant and her numerous noisy children. Prem quite obviously doesn't want to get involved, but Ratan is very insistent. The reason for this becomes clear when it turns out that Bhavan is the judge presiding over his case.


This movie clearly predates mobile phones:




And very stern she appears:




Luckily for the tenant, Bhavan is not influenced by her husband's friendship with Ratan, and that evening Prem helps Ratan to drown his misery. The next day is Saturday, and we learn that Saturday is reserved as a special day for husband and wife:




whereas Sunday provides fun and relaxation for the whole family (well, maybe less so for the children):




So much happiness this early in the movie can't bode well. And indeed, the weekend idyll is interrupted by the arrival of Prakash Dutt (Prem Chopra) who has a letter for Prem. Now, the way he emphasises that this letter is meant for Prem and Prem only, strongly suggests that there is something fishy about it. However, Prem doesn't receive visitors on Sundays, and neither does he deal with any kind of business, so he asks his wife to read the letter to him. It turns out to be a request from a friend of his called Sneh (Zeenat Aman), who urgently needs his help due to unforeseen circumstances. Bhavan is somewhat puzzled as to who this might be, but Prem tells her that they met some years ago in Bombay. Bhavan then encourages him to go and see what Sneh needs him to do (Bhavan might just be too good for this world.)


He may be here to spread tidings of gladness and joy; but then again:




Just business aquaintances, sure:




I told you, just a business aquaintance:




We get a mini-flashback to Sneh and Prem's first meeting, which suggests that they were very friendly with each other and which has an incredibly frustrating (to me) scene.


This I do not approve of:




Much better:




Oh, and you might want a look at Sneh, too:




After some stock footage of a plane, Prem arrives to meet Sneh. Alarm bells begin to ring, as running towards someone in slow motion at the airport is not normal movie behaviour for people who share just a friendly business relationship. After this outburst of enthusiam, the two settle down to a more sedate and rather quite drive home to Sneh's which gives them ample opportunity to remember all about the last time they met.








This involved a picnic with friends which of course gives us the chance to enjoy our first song. The energetic dancing is interrupted by a sudden downpour which also results in emphasising some of Sneh's natural assets with not entirely unpredictable consequences. Prem had mentioned to Sneh that he is a married man in the conversation preceding the song; but this minor detail seems to have slipped both their minds. The next morning they awake to regrets, but Sneh assures Prem that she won't try to interfere with his marriage as long as he promises to remember her in his moments of loneliness.


The past is a country without glasses, but with bad hats:




What are they cooking?




That's a very scenic place you have choosen to be remorseful in:




His and hers matching remorse:







On this cheerful note we return to our car journey in the present. That evening, Sneh phones up Bhavna to let her know that her husband has arrived safe and sound, and the two take to each other. Bhavna is very understanding, but she clearly misses her husband, too. The fairly relaxed atmosphere is not going to last very long, as Sneh has some news for Prem, which stuns him but doesn't stun the experienced movie watcher: He has in fact three, and not (as he previously believed) two children. Sneh brought up their son on her own, but she now wants him to get to know his father. Prem is underwhelmed by this development, but she emphasises that she doesn't want him to publicly announce his fatherhood, or leave his wife, she just wants her son to know who his father his (she has a very good reason for this, but the movie takes some time to get there).






This conversation is surprisingly less awkward and tense than it could be:




Poor Bhavna, all in the dark:




How did he not spot the giant picture in the back before?




After some pleading on Sneh's part, Prem agrees to meet his son. For reasons which aren't clear to me (apart from providing some very nice visuals) the first meeting takes place in a church, and father and son instantly like each other. It follows a very nice family bonding song, only slightly spoilt by the niggling question what Bhavna and the children are going to make of it. In the end, all the running around on the beach proves to much for Sneh and she collapses.


Nobody can resist the combined power of my red coat and a spiritual environment:




Do I detect a hint of symbolism?




Hmm, this is all very sweet but it can't end well:




It turns out that Sneh is suffering form stomach cancer, and needs to go to the States for treatment, although the chances of recovery are very slim. She tries to continue to hide the seriousness of her condition form Prem, but her Doctor (Bindu, and no, it really doesn't work) has already told him what is going on. He agrees to look after his son, Bittu, while Sneh is in the States. It is very obvious that she doesn't have much hope of coming back. There is also someone else, who is very interested in her not coming back alive, namely Prakash Dutt, and he bribes a nurse to give her something which will ensure that she dies on the operating table.


An unexpected casting choice:




A painful conversation:




Oh, he is evil! I would never have guessed:




After taking Sneh to the airport, Prem returns home, taking Bittu with him. On their way home, they meet some friends of Prem's, Mr. And Mrs. Shrivastav, and they remark on Bittu calling Prem Papa, so Bittu suggests that Uncle may be a better form of address for the time being. Bhavan welcomes Bittu with open arms, and the other two kids take to him as well. Bhavan remarks that it is sad that some fathers are just unwilling to take responsible for their children (if only she knew), and Prem begins to show sings of stress, but otherwise things settle down fairly quickly and we have another brief instance of the family bonding song (only with a slightly different set of people).


I begin to worry about everyone still being so happy around here:




Deceiving my wife is giving me a headache:




And she looks so lovely, strange fashion notwithstanding:




Over in the States, a close inspection of a piece of foil reveals that Sneh's chances are not looking good but she takes the news fairly calmly. Prem, on the other hand, is feeling more and more uncomfortable with the situation, but his friend Ratan advises him that it is his duty not to tell his wife about his infidelity, given that at the moment only he is unhappy, if he tells her, they are both going to be unhappy.


Honestly, what's going on here:




Snuggles, but for how long?




I suppose he means well:




Before things can get too depressing, there is some good news: Ratan has gotten married, to now other than his tenant with all the noisy kids. As he is careful with money, he and Prem have a joined wedding/wedding anniversary celebration, which of course requires another song, during which Bittu imagines the scene with slightly different protagonists.


One happy couple:




Another happy couple:




That's one happy couple too many:




Meanwhile, in the States, it turns out that Sneh's operation is possible after all, and after some rather gruesome pictures of her (or at leas somebody's) innards (honestly, don't watch this while eating); she is on the way to recovery. This joyful news inspires a bout of dangerous driving on Prem's part which sends some fluffy chickens flying. The only person not happy about this development is Prakash, who had designs on Sneh's wealth after her death. He now decides that blackmailing Prem may be the way forward.


Thoughtful:




I am sure this scene was entirely necessary:




What evil plot can I come up with next?




A spot of blackmail, perhaps?




I don't think so:




However, this plan backfires quite badly. So, what will Prakash come up with next? Will Bhavna ever find out who Bittu is? What's going on here?




And who has died?




How very appropriate:




To me, this was an okay movie. It has lots of things I like, especially in the non-teenage romance department, and in the non-judgemental manner in which the affair is handled, (and all the eyecandy it provided for me), however, the whole sub-plot concerning Prakash and its sudden violent turn somehow seemed unnecessary and out of place. I would have liked it a lot better, if it had just focused on the two (or is that 1 1/2 ?) couples dealing with the consequences of Prem's infedility. The songs are okay and there is a lot of peculiar fashion on show. All in all, an okay movie, definetely worth a watch for the devoted Shashi-fan, and nothing to be avoided by other people if they have a spare evening.



Gratuitous Shashi-pictures (rather a lot of them, I am afraid):

Raaz (1967)

Raaz is a movie that sounds very good on paper; an appealing cast including Rajesh Khanna, Babita and a host of other people whose name I can't remember but whose faces seem familiar, a mysterious story of a young man haunted by extremely precise dreams of places he has never seen, and lots of nice music. Alas, it doesn't live up to its promise. Having said that, the start is quite promising. One stormy night, a masked man with piercing eyes kills a father in front of his baby daughter.

Oh no!


The first "Nahin" and we aren't even five minutes into the movie:


A woman, presumable the wife of the deceased, is then abducted and we continue with the luridly coloured title sequence, which has extra special sound effects when the names of the two leads are shown.

Before the suspense of what the opening sequence was all about can do bad things to our blood-pressure, we meet the lady and the murderer again, this time aged by about twenty years and in a dungeon. Apparently, he, Sakar Nath, killed his brothers and abducted his sister-in-law, Paro, to punish her for not marrying him, even though he loved her. He has since brought up her daughter as his own, and she is now singing in hopeless longing for her dead lover (there is a strong implication that the cause of death wasn't natural). Paro is shocked, and with that the scene changes to a young man's bedroom whose dreams are haunted by the same song.

Aah, family, one can't live with them, one frequently gets murdered by them:

The mysterious dreamer:

The dream appears to take a turn for a worse and the sleeper wakes with a start. He gets up and goes to another room to look at some paintings. According to his best friend, the comic relief for the movie and purveyor of helpful exposition, Rocky, he paints what he sees in his dreams, including an extremely detailed picture of a railway station in India complete with the name on the sigen (how helpful), which is particularly strange, as they live in Africa and Kumar, for that is the young man's name has, to his friends knowledge, never been in India.

I rather like the lampshade:

Don't worry, maybe your next dream will reveal the timetable:

In order to get to the bottom of these disturbing dreams, the two young men decide to travel to India. They arrive late at the railway station in question, which appears to be deserted. Rocky goes to luck for transport to the town, while Kumar goes to speak to the stationmaster who is reading a significant looking book:

and who also addresses Kumar by name. Meanwhile, Rocky has found transport but when the driver sees Kumar, he is shocked and runs away. Again, the film-maker is very concerned about the negative results of unnecessary stress, so we are told straight away why he is so shocked: he actually witnessed Kumar (or somebody looking exactly like Kumar) being killed and buried. Of course, not knowing the identity of the murderer would be bad for the viewers health, too, so he is revealed as Sakar Nath (now, there is a surprise)

Oh no!

I am not sure this is the correct way of going about a mud bath:

Luckily, the next driver is not a murder witness, so they make their way to a local dak bungalow, where they hope to be able to stay for the night. However, the gate keeper refuses to let them in, as he is afraid of Sakar Nath. Assorted townspeople react shocked to Kumar's arrival, until an elderly gentleman of eccentric appearance takes them home and offers them a bed for the night. He, too, addresses Kumar by name and acts as if he knows him, but encourages him to follow the path of true love while Sakar Nath is away. Rocky is rather puzzled by it all and begins to doubt his friends assertion that he has never been here before. He points out that he was gone for four month hunting in Africa, but Kumar insists that this is his first visit to this part of the world.

No room at the Inn:

More shock!

Dedication to recycling should probably stop at using your couch covers to make suits:

Before long, the mysterious song is heard again and our host encourages Kumar to follow the voice, but Rocky has to stay behind. Following the voice involves walking a lot through prettily spread out fog. He spots a misty figure in the distance but returns home, before he establishes contact with her. In the same night, somebody comes through is window but is disturbed, and leaves, dropping a knife in the process. Surprisingly, this appearance is not immediately explained.

Listening very hard:

On the road of true love, is twirly fog one up from soft-focus?

Oh, a mysterious woman in white:

Creepy, though I am not sure a white shirt was a wise choice for this undertaking

The next day starts with some light comic relief, when two local girls come looking for Kumar babu and instead have to deal with Rocky. This ought of the way, we catch up with Kumar who for some reason is wandering around a mine. The overseer is (for a change) not shocked at seeing him, though everybody else is, but very irate and starts threatening Kumar and beats him up rather badly. Given that it is very early in the movie, and we already had one burial of the main character, I fail to be overly worried. He is rescued by one of the local girls, Indu, and she takes him home and patches him up, saying that he rescued her from some unwanted advances, and is therefore grateful to him. This leads to more puzzlement on Kumar's part.

The (presumably evil) overseer:

Our confused hero:

Meanwhile, the overseer, Thakur Singh, has come home and tells his father about having beaten up Kumar. As he is rather drunk, his father assumes that he must have been imagining things, but he doesn't explain why he is so unwilling to believe that Kumar was at the mine that day. Kumar, on the other hand is drawn out of the house again by the mysterious singing, and this time he meets the singer, a very pretty young lady, who looks a bit like a refugee from a Victorian romance and is most distressed when she realises that he has no idea who she is. However, this does not stop her from launching into the first song of the movie.

More puzzlement is being caused:

This is my thoughtful pose:

She is very happy to see him:

He is confused:

When even the song fails to help him recognise her, she tells him how they met. Their first meeting wasn't entirely auspicious, as she was pretending to be in danger in the jungle, and when he told her off for fooling him, the eccentric gentleman told him off for bothering a young girl. However, the next day, she sees him (in a very unflattering hat) defending the workers rights in the mines and is very impressed. This leads us to another song, in which Babita looks really lovely.

Apparently, grass was much greener in the past:

How dare you wear a hat that is brighter than my shirt:

Woohee, I am so happy:

Their love story proceeds not hindered by the fact that Sakar Nath as Kumar's both is unhappy with his behaviour towards Thakur Singh nor by the sudden and unexpected appearance of snow, and is celebrated by another song. Alas, Thakur Singh spots them frolicing in the very green grass and reports back to Sakar Nath, who locks his daughter in her room causing much distress both to her and to Kumar.

This doesn't bode will for a closer relationship in the future:

Snow, and so pretty:

Alas, they are less alone than they assume:

A pink peeping Tom:

His and her matching pining:

So much emotional distress of course needs to be expressed in yet another song (even my tolerance of frequently occuring songs is tested by now) and the two lovers meet at the end, only to be surprised by her father, who whips Kumar (showing me more of Rajesh Khanna than I wanted to see). He is taken home by the cart-driver (who is soon to become the murder witness, or so one assumes) and nursed by Indu and her sister. However, his recovery is very slow, and he only regains consciousness when Sapna who has run away from home, comes to see him. Unfortunately, her father has followed her and it comes to another confrontation with Kumar at the end of which he appears to agree to them getting married.

Calling out for his beloved:

With success:

Oh dear:

The best medicine:

I wouldn't trust him:

With this, we come back to the present day, where Kumar remains extremely puzzled, as he doesn't remember any of the events he has just been told about. He goes back home where we are treated to another comic relief interlude. Kumar goes out again, and after scaring the poor cart driver yet again, is almost shot by Rocky, who is gone hunting with their host and appears to have borrowed one of the latter's suits.

He is getting the hang of being puzzled:

Unfortunately, this isn't my reaction anywhere in the movie:

Bad fashion sense seems to be infectious:

That night Rocky, who is frustrated with his lack of success with the ladies, decides to dress up as Kumar to see whether this will lead to more success. At the same time, Indu learns that some goons plan to kill Kumar in an abandoned temple, where he is meant to have an assignation with Sapna. Rocky turns up in the same temple, and is attacked by a group of people disguised as statued, while he sings a male rip-off of Pyaar karna darna kya which is about as absurd as it sounds and can be easily found on youtube.

This was unexpected:

The result of all this is that Indu is now smitten with Rocky; and that Rocky raises again the four month spend hunting, and when Kumar tries to show him his diary to proof that he was indeed in Africa, it turns out that the relevant pages are missing. Kumar meets with Sapna once more and they sing another song. There is also news, that Sakar Nath has finally returned home, and Kumar is encouraged to leave town. Before anything in that direction can happen, we are treated to another song featuring Indu and Rocky in their wedding night.

The poor book:

The present really is quite foggy:

This falls firmly under the heading “Songs the world doesn't need”

Kumar refuses to leave, and Sakar Nath is somewhat puzzled by the insistence of everybody around him, that Kumar has returned. He is fairly convinced that he buried him in the particularly inconspicuous place.

What will happen next? Will Kumar ever find out that people think he is dead? Is anybody buried under all those white flowers? Will true love triumph? Who is the mystery stalker? And who is burning down the palace?

Honestly, if you aren't on a quest to watch all movies of one of the people involved in this; don't watch it. It's very irritating because the story could have had potential, if the writer hadn't insisted on telling us almost everything two minutes after something mildly mysterious happened, and then to pad out the lack of plot with a felt 146 songs. I like songs, I don't mind lots of songs, but this was pushing even me over the edge. No more singing! That said, the songs which don't involve Rocky are very nice, and may be pleasant to watch on their own, when they don't slow down the hardly-existent plot even more. Especially the one with Babita freshly in love is so much fun, and it might even have a rare appearance of her own hair. In some ways, it does take real talent to use a plot with that much potential and turn it into something this boring, however, it does not make for a pleasant viewing experience.

Pyaar ki jeet (1987)

Whereas Pighalta Aasman felt like a romance novel, Pyaar ki jeet is very much a condensed version of a soap opera. We begin the story at Dr. Kumar's hospital. He is a successful surgeon, and he is also very clearly of the opinion that medicine should pay and therefore unwilling to treat people who can't pay his full fees. He is good friends with a minister and his son, Anand, (Vinod Mehra) who just finished his medical studies. His father is planning to built a hospital for him, but while the building work is going on, he plans to send him to a small village where Dr. Rehman (Shashi Kapoor) is working, so he can buy a formula from him. Though Dr. Kumar and Dr. Rehman studied together (the creaking sound you hear is my disbelief suspender trying to cope with the strain), they went very different ways, and Dr. Rehman dedicated his live to serving the poor and now lives in a village, being himself not very well off, although he is highly qualified and has several degrees from abroad. Dr. Kumar thinks that Dr. Rehman could do with tightening a couple of screws.

They are such good friends:


They even have the same coffee set:



Dr. Anand


We first meet Dr. Rehman while he is attempting to repair his bicycle. His trusty servant/practice nurse/loyal retainer/general dogsbody is not only our comic relief for his movie but also provides useful exposition if necessary, so we learn that Dr. Rehman is looking for a sucessor, mainly because he is suffering from a heart condition, but he is finding it very difficult to find someone to come and work in this remote village. So, when Anand turns up and tells the locals that he is a doctor and looking for Dr. Rehman, it is only natural (well, sort of) that everybody assumes that he has come to be Dr. Rehman's successor. Everbody is terribly happy about his arrival and any attempts to clear up the misunderstanding are brushed away.

Dr. Rehman (and his bicycle)


The first meeting:


I am sure he wasn't expecting that:


The next morning, while accompanying Dr. Rehman on his round through the village, Anand again tries to clarify the misunderstanding, but alas, he doesn't manage to get a work in edgeways. In the end, Anand resort to writing a very strongly worded letter, saying that he isn't an idiot like Dr. Rehman to spend his entire life in a village in the middle of nowhere, he is just here to buy the formula. However, when he goes over to the doctor's house to place the letter on the hall table, he finds Dr. Rehman collapsed on the floor, as he has suffered an attack of his heart condition and had (as heart patients have a tendency to do (at least in the movies)) placed his medication in a particularily inaccessible place.

Determined letter writing:


Early movie happiness doesn't bode well even for middle-aged doctors:


Anand to the rescue:





After Anand has sorted the medical side of things and helped Dr. Rehman back to his bed, the two have a conversation at the end of which Anand makes up his mind to stay and work in the village at least for the time being. Shortly afterwards, the tranquillity of village life is disrupted by the arrival of Sohni (Rekha).

Half the men in the village are very happy to see her, while the women are distinctly underwhelmed (and the other half of the men is on the Committee for prevention of moral corruption). There is a strong implication that she is a woman of loose morals. Sohni announces her arrival by means of a song.



However, her arrival ends with her having a stone thrown at her, but who should come t oher rescue by Dr. Anand. Sohni is immediately smitten, the doctor is less convinced.

She appears to have taken a liking to you:


Subtelty isn't her strong suit:


Over the next days Dr. Anand has to fend of various advances by Sohni. He isn't terribly successful, especially since he does come to her aid when the village women are nasty to her at the well which only serves to convince her further that he is interested in her. Her plans include: dressing demurely (though that doesn't last very long, mainly because she is offended because Dr. Anand doesn't notice), pretending to have been bitten by a snake, and in the end she comes with a wedding procession to fetch him which leads to another song:

Plan A:


Plan B:


Dr. Rehman dispenses relationship advice:


Now, this is what I would call determination:


I don't think he stands a chance:


In between we learn that the local Thakur is very interested in Sohni, but she isn't interested in him at all. Sohni also attempts to buy food for an elderly couple who have lost their son, but the wife doesn't want to take her money, so she gets Dr. Rehman to act as a go-between. We also learn that Dr. Rehman's payments very rarely involve money.

I think there is a considerably probability that he is evil:


That's not a bag of money (alas)


Meanwhile, Sohni's attempts to come closer to Dr. Anand have gotten her into trouble with the village council. It is pretty clear that the only person who is on her side is Dr. Rehman; everybody else doubts her morals and is unwilling to listen to her defence (and she is silent on one crucial point, namely how she earns her money in the city). Nevertheless, they can't force her to leave the village.

The decision-makers:


Zooni is many things but not defenseless:


The next day, Sohni comes again to see Dr. Anand, and he brushes her off again. However, when he complains about her to Dr. Rehman, Dr. Rehman fills him in on Sohni's tragic background (you didn't think she would have no tragic background, did you). She was abducted on her wedding day! By Dacoits! Her father had testified against their leader's brother in court. He is killed during the abduction and when the dacoits are arrested and Sohni is returned to her in-laws the next day, they refuse to take her in as they assume that she must have been raped. She protests that no such thing happen, but the chief dacoit confirms that she was raped, although she wasn't, because he wants to ruin her life even further and has nothing to loose. Her future husband then tried to rape her (charming individual, isn't he) but when the matter is taken to the village council he claims that she was trying to take advantage of him. Again, Dr. Rehman is the only person who believes her, and when her claim is rejected, she turned into the wild girl she is now.

The blushing bride:


Of course, I would trust him rather than my daughter-in-law:


If you think I am wild; I will show you wild:


Shortly after Dr. Anand has been apprised of these facts, Sohniencounters the Thakur once more. He offers her a lot of money, if she spends the night with him, but she tells him that she doesn't need his money, and should she ever need it she will come to him on her own account. (Of course there is no way this could become important later). She also asks Dr. Rehman for relationship advise, and he says that maybe sorting out things with the village council might help her in her pursuit of Dr. Anand. However, before she can get very far, Dr. Anand's father turns up. He is worried by his son's long absence and concerned that he may have been enticed by Dr. Rehman's lofty (and economically non-viable) ideals. The two have a long discussion which culminated in an impassioned defense of his choices by Dr. Rehman, who thinks that for the pursuit of economic success a textile mill might be more appropriate than a Doctor's practice.

Dispensing sage advice:


Not seeing eye to eye:


Dr. Anand is taken back to the city by his father, who throws a party in honour of his return. Sohni has followed him, and when he isn't particularly welcoming (which really shouldn't come as a great surprise to her), she gate-crashes the party in the guise of a dancer and we get another song. Anand then tries to drive her back to the village, but on the way they encounter a couple who have been involved in an accident. Anand tries to rescue the husbands wife with an emergency operation carried out there and then but the patient dies. His widow regards Anand as her husband's murderer and the whole matter ends up in court.

My poor eyes; so much sparkle:


He still isn't particularly impressed:


Bad ideas I had today:


While Dr. Kumar seems to be mainly concerned about what this whole court-case is costing him (well, he is nothing if not consistent), Dr. Reham manages to convince the court that Dr. Anand isn't a murdered by (yet another) impassioned speech. There is also a quick reminder that Dr. Rehman isn't a healthy man as all this excitement isn't good for his heart.

A knight in tweed and bow-tie:


She may be causing a lot of trouble, but she is very pretty:


These events also have convinced Dr. Anand that maybe his father's focus on making money isn't the best way forward and he decides to return to the village. His father is so unhappy with this decision that he breaks off all relations with his son; for him his son is dead (now, what are the odds that Dr. Anand will require a substantial amount of money urgently in the next twenty minutes or so). Sohni, on the other hand, is very happy about Dr. Anand's return, and he can only get her out of the house after he has assured her that it doesn't need cleaning, nor do his clothes, and all his buttons are present and accounted for. She isn't deterred and returns again and again, even spending a day standing in the rain when Anand tells her to wait outside, but he doesn't warm towards her.

Oh, the drama:


Andand is really amazingly resistant to her charmes:


More resistance:


After a brief (and rather screechy) comic interlude involving Sohni getting drunk, and Dr. Rehman finding out how Sohni earns her money and why she isn't telling anybody what she does, the Thakur, who has heard of Dr. Anand's interest, sends some of his ruffians to deal with the competition. The come across Sohni who beats them up single-handedly but is injured in the process. This, finally, makes Dr. Anand realise that he loves her, regardless of her bad reputation, and the two expresss their newfound happiness in a song involving large butterflies.



However, can their way to a happy future really be that simple? What misfortune will befall them next? Will the Thakur let Sohni go this easily? Will Dr. Anand's father agree to their marriage? And most importantly, can Dr. Rehman's heart withstand any further excitement.

This is one of these movies which has enough plot for three or a several month long TV-series. I found it fun to watch, especially since I found Dr. Rehman very adorable (and he has plenty of screen-time), and it is entertaining to try and predict what is going to happen next. Rekha was good as Sohni, and I liked the fact that she was never transformed into a demure heroine who lets the hero do all the fighting. Vinod Mehra didn't impress me, however, this was my first movie with him, so I am reserving judgement; and he was okay (ish) as a straight-laced doctor. All in all, it's solid entertainment of the cheesy variety. There is a message about medicine and money-making in there, too, but it isn't rammed down one's throat (too much) and garnished with so much other stuff that the movie doesn't feel too preachy. And because I liked Dr. Rehman, there are:


Gratuitous Shashi pictures:

Pighalta Aasman (1985)

Pighalta Aasman (1985) has all the charm of a Harlequin romance (and that isn't a bad thing). We start with a lady (Rati Aghnihotri), obviously meant to be older as she wears huge glasses and has tastefully sprayed on grey hair, receiving a telegram that her book has been published. Before we even know her name she starts reminiscing about the story. An undetermined number of years ago, she worked as a secretary (then without glasses and grey hair) for a rich businesswoman (Rakhee). Anu tells us, that her employer is very proud and not too fond of men, as she is convinced that they are all faithless, while she herself spend her spare time writing about an as yet unfinished story. After the credit sequence, we learn that Aarti's unmarried state deeply disturbs her aunt, as, of course, a woman's life is unfulfilled until she is married.

Meet the family:


Anu may be keeping a romantic secret:


As the day of Aarti's company's annual function draws close, she is asked to participate in a song-contest. Before the contest, Anu probes Aarti some more on the topic of marriage, and it turns out that her father, who was very proud, always refused any proposals, as he considered all suitors beneath him and his daughter, and some of this attitude has rubbed off. In the song contest, Anu defends love, while Aarti proclaims that love can only lead to unhappiness as men are always unfaithful. Anu lets Aarti win, but Aarti knows full well what Anu has done.





Aarti has also business interests in Kashmir, and one day she learns that there are some problems with a field, which belongs to her but has been used by a person named Suraj for years, though her father may have given permission for it to be used. Aarti has no idea who Suraj is, but luckily, her aunt is fully informed: Suraj's father and Aarti's father were best friends. They married on the same day, and their wives' gave birth on the same day. Unfortunately, Aarti's mother died in childbirth, and her father, at loss what to do with the infant, left her with his best friend's family while he went of to Dehli to make money. Suraj's father is already dreaming of getting the kids married to each other (as you do).

It's not going to last:



Years passed, and one day Aarti's father returned, now very wealthy, to collect his daughter. Suraj's parents are naturally not very keen on letting her go, but Aarti's father insists and seems to have acquired more than his fair share of arrogance with his wealth, insulting his former best friend quite badly. We also learn that Aarti suffers from the same illness as her mother, and that upsets of any kind lead to a fever, but her father points out that he has the money to get her treated and takes her away. Suraj's mother asks the aunt (who actually is her aunt) to go with Aarti, so the poor thing won't be all on her own. Suraj's father died a couple of years later, heartbroken by how his friend had treated him.

Oh dear:


However, all the money in the world could not cure Aarti from her illness, of which she got an attack after being taken away from her family. We get treated to the very silly visuals used to indicate that she is having an attack of rheumatic fever:

Because people just talking about it wouldn't have had enough impact?


We return to the present, and are introduced to Suraj, who looks just like his father, (which is all right with me), just without the beard and the glasses (which is kind of a shame because I liked the beard and the glasses). He has received a legal notice from Aarti's solicitor and isn't exactly happy about it, but his mother is really upset, murmuring things about like father, like daughter.

Hello!


Mother and son:


Meanwhile, Aarti has arrived in Kashmir. As she is driving along she finds her road blocked by a motorcyclist (any guesses who said might be?), her car then sprays him with dirt, he forces her to stop the car and they proceed to have on of these fights which clearly indicate that the two participants are meant for each other. When Aarti arrives at her factory, one of the machines isn't working. She is clearly underwhelmed by this, and not  much better pleased when it turns out that the person who fixed the machine much earlier than expected is no other than the offending motorcyclist. Suraj decides to hide his identity and tell her that he is called Badal, and is a good friend of Suraj. Suraj actually has a friend called Badal, who works with him in their electronic goods shop (though it later would seem that Suraj has an engineering firm of some description, and now, I am not really sure why he is repairing random machinery for Aarti's company either), and who is our requisite comic side kick. He is mildly comic (and only appears in very small doses, which helps).

A match made in heaven:


Not love at second sight either:


Ah, I suppose there was no way around you:


Personally, I would recommend some gloves:


Over the next days/weeks/month (I am not sure, the weather is extremely variable), Aarti and "Badal" keep bumping into each other (not literrally) and having disagreements about the merits of Suraj's character. It also becomes more and more obvious that Aarti is rather fascinated by her new acquaintance and that he likes her, too. Back at home, his mother is complaining that Aarti hasn't been to visit them yet.

Sometimes on horseback:


Sometimes in restaurants:


This looks good:


Aarti, on the other hand, would quite like to meet Suraj in person to sort out the court case, so she goes to his house. Nobody is home, apart from Badal (not "Badal"), who claims to be Suraj. However, Aarti isn't a successful businesswoman for nothing (and there are also large pictures of Suraj and his father dotted around the living room), so she works out what has been going on. She leaves without meeting the other members of the family. The next time she meets "Badal" she provokes him into admitting that he is actually Suraj by being very uncooperative about the court case. Once the identity-issue has been cleared up, Aarti expresses her feelings for Suraj in a song which involves running in slow motion, soft focus, and superimposed images of the beloved.

If you look really hard, you may spot some subtle clues:


Alas, a sign of things to come:


It must be true love then:


and the snow is back:


well, temporarily:


This jumper-thing, does it run in the family then?


Unfortunately, the romance is cut short by a phone-call from Anu (remember her?), who reminds Aarti that there is work waiting for her back home. Aarti isn't to happy about the separation, but Suraj assures her that he is going to come to see her as soon as his work allows him to do so. It seems that Aarti's resistance to love and men has been summarily overcome.

Hi!


Sooo cute


Back at home, Aarti tells Anu all about the recent developments and also asks her to tell her about Anu's own love story. We are then treated to a flashback, as Anu remembers her first meeting with her lover. He charmed her by driving his motorcycle all over the sari she had spread out do dry on the lawn, as he came to visit her father, a retired teacher, because he had just passed his engineering degree. Several meetings later, Anu is proud owner of a red rose and thoroughly charmed. However, he has to leave for a while, which gives Anu the  and when he returns, Anu has lost her father

Oops



I suspect this doesn't mean what you think it means:


One brave woman:


Suraj feels responsible for Anu and takes her home. His mother isn't very impressed by this. She wants him to marry a rich girl who will bring lots of dowry so he has a financial safety net, if times should get difficult. Suraj doesn't want to get married yet, and he makes it very clear that he feels only compassion for Anu and has no intention to get married to her. Anu, who has overheard the conversaion, decides to leave the house and goes to Dehli.

This is my “ I don't want to get married” face:


This is my “He doesn't want to marry me” face:


While Aarti expresses surprise, that their men share the same name, neither of the two realises (yet) that there is actually only one Suraj. This does seem a bit odd, given that Anu presumably knows where in Kashmir Aarti went. Before long, Suraj announces that he is going to come and visit Aarti. Unfortunately, the great joy of this news brings on another bout of Aarti's fever and she decides to spend some days in a nursing home, rather than having Suraj see her in her illness. She asks Anu to look after Suraj till she is well again.

Suraj is more than a little surprised to find Anu at Aarti's house. He is als relieved, as he was quite worried about her sudden disappearance, and clearly completely clueless as to her reasons for leaving. The two settle quickly into an easy and friendly relationship. However, Aarti, who makes frequent check-up phonecalls, isn't too happy that Suraj spends so much time with Anu and in the end tells Anu to tell him that she is in a nursing home. Anu also asks Suraj not to tell Aarti that they have known each other earlier.

Any initial awkwardness


is quickly overcome:


Poor Aarti seems to spend most of her time on the phone:


A habit which is also adopted by Anu:


and Suraj:


A rather worried Suraj comes to see her the next day, but is soon convinced that there is nothing seriously wrong with her, and the two celebrate their love in another song. However, their happiness is only short-lived, as Aarti becomes very jealous one evening when a dinner guest is being overly friendly with Suraj. They have a fight which involves both parties smashing some rather pretty plates. Suraj, however, manages to convince her that she is overly suspicious. Unfortunately, realising Aarti's suspicious nature, doesn't make him break off his friendly relations with Anu who he clearly regards as a little sister.

Angry stares contest:




Aaah:


What will happen when Aarti finds out, that Anu and Suraj actually knew each other beforehand? Will she be able to trust the man she loves, or will her natural suspicion take over? How will Anu react when Aarti confronts her with the truth? And will Suraj get any say in the matter of who of the two he is meant to marry?

And will the protagonists overcome their tragic phone adiction?


I do not have a problem with phones:


This is a very straightfoward movie, concentrating on the three main protagonists and their conflict. As I said at the beginning, it feels very much like a Harlequine romance and I wonder whether it is actually based on a novel of some sort. It's very nice to have people falling in love, who aren't teenagers and refreshingly, there are no random fight scenes. All in all a very pleasant movie.

Gratuitous Shashi pictures:























And one very tasteful ashtray: