Desi Train

Part I traversed through a few of SK’s famous performances and many of his exceptional but not widely known films.

We begin Part II with one of SK’s lesser known gems, today, though when it was released it was a fair neat hit, what with it being Jaya Bhaduri’s last movie before her hiatus through the 80s and 90s.

Nauker (1979) - Amar
SK played a rich widower with a daughter who along with their servant (Mehmood), travel to meet a family who are equally enthusiastic to get one of their daughters married to SK. But as fate would have it SK falls for their housemaid (Bhaduri), who is mistreated by the lady of the house (Lalita Pawar). The movie brought in the two of the best performers Bhaduri and SK together for the last time.

Anamika (1973) – Devendra
SK plays a woman-hating writer who sees an unconscious, suffering from amnesia Bhaduri dropping at his house. Love blossoms and things look rosy until Anamika (Bhaduri) disappears and years later they cross paths at a party again. Taunt thriller with a love background, award worthy performances from SK and Jaya Bhaduri with R.D. boss’ outstanding music including “Meri bheegi bheegi see…” and my favorite “Bahon mein chale aa…humse sanam kya parda…”
“Anamika” could well be a lesson for newcomers today to see how a suspense thriller and a love story can be mixed in the most perfect combination….ever..

Hum Paanch (1980) – Krishna
This was I think the last movie before the 80s arrived to blend commercialism against a realistic backdrop. Somehow Bollywood brainwashed itself that only - over the top, dreamy, unrealistic movies succeed. Anything, anywhere realistic in a movie is a sure shot way to having a flop in your hands. How they have faltered in their thoughts. Even to this day, movies are made with this self-brainwashed concept. And even if directors start with a realistic backdrop they eventually fall back on the over the top formula, thereby ensuring their movie never succeeds. For example watch “Tango Charlie” which begins so earnestly but then starting from the middle till the end of the movie, the hero should kill all evil with a machine gun standing in the middle of the road shooting away and not caring about the protective bunkers on either side which he could use to fire and take cover.
Anyway “Hum Paanch” brought forth realistic cinema actors (Naseeruddin Shah) along with providing Bollywood its greatest gift of the time, Amrish Puri. You knew Puri was going places when you saw him in the opening shots - praying, coming out in the courtyard, dropping his shawl on one of the many chickens, coolly picking the shawl with the chicken and handing it over to his assistant simply saying “Nashta” (Breakfast). That was Puri for you. Among the tense buildups all throughout the movie, SK was brought in sparingly and at the right times to provide breathing space for the audience. Playing Puri’s step brother who spends much of his time loitering around the temple and hills of the village with a bottle of alcohol, SK as Krishna finds his purpose of life when he comes across 5 men who are exhausted and mauled by Puri’s atrocities. Giving the men a sense of direction, SK finds his aims too…and “Hum Paanch” takes off. Inspite of a party of stars and powerful actors, “Hum Paanch” holds a special place for SK and his easy, slip in, and make you smile intelligent dialogues. The role of Krishna fit like a glove for SK or should we say that, SK made himself fit into Krishna’s glove?

Vidhaata (1982) – Abu Baba
Chameleon that he was, Vidhaata again proved how SK could transform his personality to make it overpowering and towering towards anyone who watched him. “Vidhaata” proves just that. And this was the second movie where he faced the legend – Dilip Kumar again, after “Sanghursh”. And he overpowered the legend in any of the one to one face off scenes, again in “Vidhaata” as he did in “Sanghursh”. But to be fair to Dilip-saab, I thought that the director, Subhash Ghai, had his scenes titled in SK’s favor. Yet it does not take away any of SK’s credit. To watch his personality overpower Dilip saab there are just two scenes you need to see – the first is when he saves Kumar’s baby–grandson and then brings both of them into his home. First he scolds Kumar for being so careless about his baby and then starts reciting his tale and past history. The second scene was the ultimate verbal face-off between him and Kumar over Kumar’s now grown up grandson (Sanjay Dutt).

Khuddaar (1982) – Hari Srivastav
SK achieves his dream of becoming a big city lawyer but in the process loses his two kid brothers (Amitabh Bachchan and the late Vinod Mehra) who are emotionally black mailed to run away from home by SK’s wife (Tanuja). Fate brings Bachchan across SK, and he recognizes his elder brother, but SK doesn’t. One of the most simplistic stories told in a simple, sweetest way possible. Khuddar was one of the many movies which brought the two powerhouses of talent SK and Bachchan together. Sweet humming music which included songs like “Angrezi mein kehte hain…”, “Mach gaya shor saaree nagree re…”, “Disco 82”, the motivational - “Oonche neeche raaste aur manzil…” and the sweetest of all which has Bachchan caressing his taxi “Maa ka pyar, bahen ka pyaar, kabhi kabhi dulhan ka pyaar…” – Kishore Kumar at his softest sweetest best.

Trishul (1978) – R.K.Gupta
1978, at 8 years old, following my mother, standing in the line to get advance booking tickets with mom for 1 hour, someone from behind in the line requested my mom if I could buy a couple of tickets for them, since they were a large family and the theater wouldn’t give them bulk tickets. Mom agreed and at 8 years old I had bought my first movie tickets, even though for someone else. Monday morning around 11, my vacations are on and the tickets we bought for ourselves were for following Sunday 6pm. – Had to pour out that memory attached with “Trishul” before I got back on track.
R…..K…..GUPTA. SK and Bachchan use this word from different angles and different intensities and you keep looking for when will the next time this word be uttered and by whom. Bachchan at his peak, worshipped as GOD, atleast in Bombay, yet SK was never ever overshadowed by the Bachchan mania in any of the movies they acted together in. If it’s hard to digest this fact then, watch SK as R…K…..Gupta…..in “Trishul”. Forced to leave his pregnant girlfriend, by his over ambitious mom, SK is married off to a rich family’s daughter and over the years finds himself becoming one of the richest builders in the country. But his illegitimate son (Bachchan) comes into the picture, who through dubious means becomes a powerful builder himself, with a burning ambition to destroy his father who gave up his mom for the riches. “Trishul” by Yash Chopra (can you believe this is the guy who made Deewar!!!!) was one of the greatest, biggest hits of its times. Freshness is one of its keys, which makes this movie so watchable even today.

Shatranj Ke Khiladi (1977) – Mirza Sajjad Ali
The powerful actor joins hands with the one of the legends of Indian and International cinema – the late Satyajit Ray to give us “Shatranj Ke Khiladi” (Chess Players). The movie is about two Nawabs (lords) in 1800s who have little time or inclination to involve themselves in the politics of the country. Living in Oundh, whose king (the late Amjad Khan) has given up all hope that his kingdom won’t be annexed by the British. The two nawabs live each day to play passionately the only thing they know – chess, with no care or thought to the impending doom which awaits to befall on the kingdom. Excellent portrayal of the nawabs by SK and Saeed Jaffeery with a brilliantly told story by the maestro himself, this movie released at a time when I would have had a hard time pronouncing the name of this movie. Today, it leaves me simply amazed how Ray uses all the tools in the trade from screenplay, characterization, camera movement to effectively portray a thought or an emotion. Wish the late maestro had more subjects to make in Hindi.
Before moving on to the Gulzar-SK combination which gave us some of SK’s most memorable performances under the sensitive baton of Gulzar, here’s a short list and summary of SK’s worth mentioning movies.

Manchali (1973)
A spoit and rich girl (Leena Chandravarkar) brings in a fake husband (SK) to appease her family. Comedy and Rich music. Extremely watchable. Famous song on SK “O Manchali, kahaan chali…”

Aap Ki Kasam (1974)
SK is the bone of contention when the husband (Rajesh Khanna) mistakenly believes that his wife (Mumtaz) is having an affair with SK.

Seeta aur Geeta (1972)
Ramesh Sippy in his second movie brings in Hema Malini as twins. One of them falls for SK, a doctor. Famous SK – Hema song on roller skates – “Ghata ke saath saath, hawa ke sung sung…O Saathi challlllll….”

Khilona (1970)
This is perhaps one of the first movies wherein, SK hits you on the head, to get all your attention. And then he makes you cry and cry hard. Perfect SK-Mumtaz chemistry. Watch Khilone with tons of tissue and keep an eye of the powerful SK performance.

Faraar (1975)
A murderer on the run (Amitabh Bachchan) takes a family hostage. Unfortunately he finds the lady of the house (Sharmila Tagore) is his ex-love, now married to SK, who is the cop chasing Bachchan. One of the better stories from Bollywood, courtesy Gulzar.

Mukti (1977)
Watch this if you are only in to see an SK performance. Playing a truck driver who helps a supposedly widowed woman (Vidya Sinha) and her daughter, SK’s transition in terms of personality from a ragged trucker to a –semi polished tycoon is commendable. Again tons of tissue needed, if you go for this one. “Mukti” was one of the last movies in the seventies which was a tear-jerker and still managed to become a hit.

Swayamvar (1980)
A lesser know SK movie, where he along with brother (Shashi Kapoor) are sent on a mission to by their father (Shreeram Lagoo) to get married to the daughters of his former employer. Ok movie, but wholesome family entertainment. SK acting as the servant in the plot is so much fun to watch.

The last part of this series looks at the Gulzar-SK movies beginning from Parichay, Aandhi, Mausam, Angoor and Namkeen. Their movie “Koshish” has been written about in Part I of this series…..(to be continued)

This entry was posted on Monday, April 11th, 2005 at 10:44 am
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