Oonche Log (1985)

Oonche log (1985) is another movie loosely based on Wuthering Heights. However, it starts on a somewhat less dramatic note than the previously reviewed Dil Diya Dard Liya, in that the young boy who grows up to be our hero doesn't lose his parents at sea, but loses his mother in a car accident caused by Thakur Vikram Singh's (Pradeep Kumar) driver. Vikram Singh is so horrified by this event that he adopts the boy Raju. While his daughter, Poonam, is rather pleased by this addition to the family, his son, Maan, is less than impressed and makes his dislike of Raju very, very obvious (refusing to shake his hand, refusing to sit at he same table with him, etc.). In the end, Vikram Singh is so exasperated by his son's behaviour that he sends him off to boarding school.

This is the most cheerful the movie will ever be:


He probably would have preferred a puppy:


Vikram Singh also has a brother Pratrap Singh (Prem Chopra), who (to everybody's great sursprise given who plays him) is a somewhat shady character who spends too much money on wine and women. Vikram Singh is fed up with his behaviour and threatening to stop supporting him. Before he can follow through on his threat, Pratrap smothers him with a pillow, hoping to get away with it as Vikram was known to be a heart patient. Unfortunately (well, for him) he wasn't quite as unobserved as he believed himself to be.

This is bad news for any prospects of familial harmony:


Is this from this year's "fratricide collection"?


Shouldn't he be in bed at this time of night?


Vikram Singh's sudden death means that things take a turn to the worse for Raju. Not only will he henceforth be treated like a servant (Pratrap Singh shares his nephew's dislike of Raju, even though he doesn't know that Raju saw him killing his brother), he also is branded with a sign of ownership, and is used as a stool when Maan goes out riding. His one friend is Khan (Raza Murad).

Years pass, Maan Singh grows up to be Danny Denzongpa, Raju grows up to be Rajesh Khanna, and Poonam grows up to be Salma Agha, and everybody else now sports fetching streaks of grey. Otherwise, not much has changed: Maan Singh is mean to Raju, basically treating him like a dog; Khan is kind to Raju, Pratrap is overly fond of wine and women. Of course, the puzzle is why on earth Raju didn't run away years ago, but he says that his love for Poonam kept him there, and he won't leave as long as she loves him. His fond childhood reminiscences leads us to the first song.

At least there is someone looking after Raju:


You have changed a lot, Maan Singh:

Oonche log (1985) is another movie loosely based on Wuthering Heights. However, it starts on a somewhat less dramatic note than the previously reviewed Dil Diya Dard Liya, in that the young boy who grows up to be our hero doesn't lose his parents at sea, but loses his mother in a car accident caused by Thakur Vikram Singh's (Pradeep Kumar) driver. Vikram Singh is so horrified by this event that he adopts the boy Raju. While his daughter, Poonam, is rather pleased by this addition to the family, his son, Maan, is less than impressed and makes his dislike of Raju very, very obvious (refusing to shake his hand, refusing to sit at he same table with him, etc.). In the end, Vikram Singh is so exasperated by his son's behaviour that he sends him off to boarding school.

This is the most cheerful the movie will ever be:


He probably would have preferred a puppy:


Vikram Singh also has a brother Pratrap Singh (Prem Chopra), who (to everybody's great sursprise given who plays him) is a somewhat shady character who spends too much money on wine and women. Vikram Singh is fed up with his behaviour and threatening to stop supporting him. Before he can follow through on his threat, Pratrap smothers him with a pillow, hoping to get away with it as Vikram was known to be a heart patient. Unfortunately (well, for him) he wasn't quite as unobserved as he believed himself to be.

This is bad news for any prospects of familial harmony:


Is this from this year's "fratricide collection"?


Shouldn't he be in bed at this time of night?


Vikram Singh's sudden death means that things take a turn to the worse for Raju. Not only will he henceforth be treated like a servant (Pratrap Singh shares his nephew's dislike of Raju, even though he doesn't know that Raju saw him killing his brother), he also is branded with a sign of ownership, and is used as a stool when Maan goes out riding. His one friend is Khan (Raza Murad).

Years pass, Maan Singh grows up to be Danny Denzongpa, Raju grows up to be Rajesh Khanna, and Poonam grows up to be Salma Agha, and everybody else now sports fetching streaks of grey. Otherwise, not much has changed: Maan Singh is mean to Raju, basically treating him like a dog; Khan is kind to Raju, Pratrap is overly fond of wine and women. Of course, the puzzle is why on earth Raju didn't run away years ago, but he says that his love for Poonam kept him there, and he won't leave as long as she loves him. His fond childhood reminiscences leads us to the first song.

At least there is someone looking after Raju:


You have changed a lot, Maan Singh:


I am not sure that there is a way to prevent this ending in tears:


One day, Poonam insists on riding a horse which hasn't yet been broken in properly, with predictable consequences. Luckily, Raju is there to rescue her. Unluckily, the two are observed by Maan Singh, who takes his anger out on Raju and gives him a thorough beating. We also learn that, when not beating up the servants, Maan Singh and his uncle enjoy betting on horses and dancing girls. One of the dancing girls is very interested in uncle Pratap (or, presumably, in his money) and would like to elope with him; but he stalls her by saying that he first needs to embezzle more of his nephew's money. Meanwhile, Poonam has taken some flowers to the injured Raju, who is even more smitten with her after this, and goes to thank her, even though that means meeting her in what is her (extremly large) bathroom. She receives him graciously which leads us to another song, this time involving a very wet but thankfully fully clothed Raju.

An accident in the making:


At least help is at hand:


Personally, I would have preferred some painkillers:


This bathtub is bigger than my flat:


There is really some rather nice greenery in this picture:


Next we are introduced to Maan Singh's fiance, Sonia (Priti Sapru). Despite the fact that she dresses in western clothes she appears to be a nice and girl, and is concerned about Raju who has a high fever. Of course, this worries Poonam and she goes to look after Raju. Alas, things never go well when those two are involved, and Poonam is bitten by a snake. Raju sucks out the poison and carries her to the main house; where he is beaten (again) for daring to touch Poonam. Sonia actually stands up for him and points out that normal people would thank him for what he did, and she also takes some medication to him to counteract the poison he inadvertendly swallowed.

She is kind of cute, if somewhat challenged in the fashion department:


An uninvited guest:


Unfortunately, she doesn't convey much more animation when conscious:


I do sense a certain amount of tension here:


After Raju recovers, he goes to see how Poonam is doing (at night, in her bedroom) and the two finally declare to each other what has been painfully obvious to anybody else for a while: they are in love. This necessitates another song with much running around various bits of greenery. Towards the end of the song, they are spotted by Maan, who is just prevented by his uncle from shooting Raju there and then (apparently, killing people in broad daylight is no longer permissable for Thakurs, what has the world come to). However, beating people up in the stable is permissable, and this is what Maan proceeds to do. When Poonam finds the injured Raju, she dips her hand in his blood and confronts her brother. Of course, Raju isn't actually dead, and he even makes it through Maan things next attempt to kill him, which involved being thrown to the dogs. However, in one of the confrontations he does mention that he knows that Pratap Singh killed his brother.

Doing this in plain view may not have been the brightest idea either of them ever had:


Son, you need to learn to be more discreet in your homicidal tendencies:


Have you been busy with the fingerpaint again:


He just won't stay dead:


Poonam realises that it is very likely that her brother will one day suceed in killing Raju, something she would rather avoid if at all possible. As Raju is staying because of their mutual love for each other, she decides that the way forward is to tell him that she doesn't love him. She does this in a very convincing manner and a heart-broken Raju leaves to the strains of a sad song. Alas, Pratap Singh doesn't want an eye-witness to his dastardly dead alive, so he tries to kill Raju in a somewhat convoluted manner. He leaves Raju for dead, but of course he isn't, and he is picked up by a somewhat ominous looking hunting party.

How could I love someone who can't keep me in the staircases I am use to?


Oh, for crying out loud just shoot him:


We are the good guys, no, honest:


When Raju wakes up he finds himself at the house of an older gentleman who very eagerly enquires about Raju's family. It turns out that Raju is actually this gentleman's grandson. He threw his son out of the house after he married a lady from a poor family but later regretted his actions and has been looking for them for years.

How dare you marry someone from a stair-less family:


She loves me because of my superb taste in shirts:


So, now that it has turned out the Raju actually is from a wealthy family (and what a shock that was) it is time to plot revenge. The instrument of the is Mubarak Ali (Deven Verma), an employee of Raju's grandfather, who makes Maan Singh a profitable business offer, which he gladly accepts as he is feeling the pinch somewhat financially, what whith all the wine, women and horse-racing, as well as an embezzling uncle. Mubarak Ali says that he works for a very wealthy businessmen. When the aforementioned businessman finally deigns to meet Maan Singh and his family there is a gallery of shocked looks as he looks just like Raju. A suggestion that he looks similar to a servant, however, almost makes Rai Bahadur Rajev Singh, walk out in a huff. However, good relations are restored though Rajev never seems to warm completely to his host, who are still a bit suspicious about the fascinating similarity.

Of course he is completely trustworthy, why do you ask?


Mind you, he may just have seen Sonia's dress:


Maybe she caught her reflection in the mirror:


It's infectious, she is shocked, too:


He, on the other hand has practised the disdainful look:


Before the suspense can get too much, the secret is revealed to the one person who always cared about Raju and who Raju still cares for, Khan. Back with the rich people, Raju causes more confusion for Poonam by flirting with Sonia, sending her flowers and generally paying a lot of attention to her. Suspicions are further aroused and the tension heightened when Pratrap finds himself in an unfortunate incident with some horses and several metres of rope.

I can recognise you, now that you have taken off the sunglasses.


Flower wars?


This scene seems oddly familiar:


Meanwhile, Maan Singh has been losing money on the share market, taking the advice of Mubarak Ali and Raju. Several tense encounters later, one in a billiard room and one at Raju's birthday, the tension culminates (at least for the time being) in a horse race between between Maan Singh and Raju.

We got the colour cheap when the renovted the local pool:


Suspicion personified on a balcony:


Not even Sonia's clothes manage to lighten the atmosphere:


What will happen next? Who will win the race? Will Raju suceed in ruining Maan Singh? Will Sonia desert her fiance? Will Poonam get a chance to explain why she told Raju that she doesn't love him? Will Maan Singh survive? Will Sonia recover her fashion sense?

This isn't really a great movie. It may well provide entertainment for a rainy Sunday afternoon if there is nothing better on offer but not much more. It may work better for people who are greater fans of Rajesh Khanna than I am.

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: