Gol Maal (1979) User Reviews

A classic comedy of errors which has fun, suspense and soul

[Peter_Young · 8/10 · 23 September 2011]

Hrishikesh Mukherjee directs another comedy movie involving simple middle-class people and presents it through their everyday struggle. The entire picture is simple, authentic and fun. The concept of a young guy who would go to any extent to not lose his job is very interesting, and Mukherjee handles it with great success. Gol Maal is a comedy of errors and it's wonderfully developed and narrated. It's not a complex story, but it's not a silly one either, and the simplicity works in its favour. The film benefits from its genuinely lifelike sets and costumes, its script, and its proceedings, which grow from humorous to amusing to suspenseful to hilarious. It gets funnier and funnier as it goes along, as the conflict gets more complicated, the obstacles are doubled, and the irony grows. But the movie also has soul, and that's one of its high-points. The characters are colourful and memorable, but they also have depth which makes them easy to identify with. The relationships are also very impressively portrayed and it's nice to see how united families and relatives can be and how they care for each other and help each other in times of need.

Gol Maal is very well cast, and for me, there are three actors who totally nail their parts: Amol Palekar, Utpal Dutt and Dina Pathak. Palekar is excellent in the role of a simpleton who is forced to live a double life in order to save his job. He displays the differences between the two roles his character has to play brilliantly, with just subtle change in body language and a few nuances here and there. Dutt is hilarious, skillfully creating a memorable persona of a strict boss with a soft heart. His is the funniest performance in the film. Dina Pathak, one of Hindi cinema's greatest character actresses, is awesome as she is in all the films I've seen her in. She comes across as a vivacious, fun-loving and kind woman and, like Palekar, wonderfully plays her 'two' roles. Among the supporting cast, David stands out and is as always likable as the kind uncle. The film also has fantastic music by maestro R.D. Burman. "Aane Wala Pal" is my favourite number, and it is performed to perfection by the great Kishore Kumar. Gol Maal is overall a lighthearted and heartwarming comedy but it has the power to captivate, and it can always provide a fun watch for the entire family.

What an outstanding movie !!

[simplyabhi2007 · 10/10 · 5 July 2009]

A must Recommend movie for all generation of people. The situations of the movie are so comic that it does not matter who is actor,one has to enjoy the movie.Truly Great. A must watch movie. I would suggest every body to go and watch this movie. Every character was so amazingly suits the different characters. I see it as a lifetime achievement for all those who were a part of it,not intending to undermine their other accomplishments.The photography,art direction and production of the movie sets it apart from other movies of its era and at the same time puts it right up there on a different level.undoubtedly, one of the finest examples of film-making.This film is an absolutely original, Indian story, and does not owe anything to the west.Every aspect of the film is top-notch.10/10.

A movie that you can see infinite number of times.

[abhishekroy · 10/10 · 6 January 2003]

This movie is one of the best movies that Hrishikesh Mukherjee gave. A must see for everybody. I don't have words to express how much I like this movie. And I am yet to meet a person who did not like it. Too good.

The greatest Bollywood comedy movie of all times!

[madan_lmg · 10/10 · 9 March 2009]

This classic 70's flick is regarded by many as undoubtedly the greatest Bollywood comedy movie of all times. Utpal Dutt is mostly remembered for his role as a strict boss and a person who holds the qualities of the Raj era to his heart, and in the process creating a generation gap between himself and the entire world. The "Double Role" played by the next door boy Amol Palekar in order to cover his real colors in front of his boss and his girlfriend makes a riot of a script such that you will remember for a long time. R D Burman's "Golmaal" and Kishore Kumar's "Aane Waala Pal" are songs that render the heart with unsurpassed happiness and sorrow. All this has made this movie the greatest Hindi comedy flick of all times. A must watch movie!

What a great movie

[mishu_mausam · 10/10 · 18 February 2002]

If you like comedies (and everyone of us does) don't miss this. Hrishikesh Mukherjee was always brilliant, but in this he is exceptional. Amol Palekar and Utpal Dutt are great as ever. This movie is so (don't know what to say) that one can't stop laughing throughout it. If you haven't seen this you are missing something.

Top Class Comedy !!!!!

[shailu_nonstop · 10/10 · 7 September 2005]

One of the best comedies of all time in Hindi cinema. Gone are the days when comedy used to be clean and without loud expressions or stupid facial gestures. Golmaal comes out to be one of the favorite comedies of all times. As an adamant businessman, Utpal Dutt excels in his performance. This is probably his best role in Hindi movies. Amol Palekar outrightly describes that why he is renowned as an actor of extraordinary caliber. The supporting cast viz. Deven Verma, Dina Pathak and David have added pinch of flavor to the outcome. Keshto and Om Prakash have done well in a small cameo. Salute to the great director, Hrishikesh Mukherjee who has given loads of humor with excellent movies viz. Chupke Chupke and Anand. Golmaal is the best and will be ever remembered for it's hummable number like "Aanewala Pal". Truly Outstanding!!!

Best comedy I have ever seen

[abladabla · 10/10 · 6 December 2003]

This is the best comedy I have seen so far. Neither has such a comedy ever been produced again, not it will be. Utpal dutt is just great and so is Amol Palekar. Two great actors and very well supported by Dina Pathak. Bollywood, why have you stopped making such excellent movies. I have seen it 20 times and each time I see it, I like it even more. I know almost all main dialogues of the movie now. Wondeful film and must watch. I would give it a 10/10.

Brilliant

[udita_mittal · 9/10 · 3 August 2006]

This has got to be one of the best movies I have, and will ever, see. It's comedy at its best.

The casting is superb, with Amul Palekar, Dina Pathak, Utpal Dutt, Manju Singh, and of course, a whole lot of special appearances.

The story is quite ridiculous at times, but the acting and music more than makes up for it. Some of the sequences such as Ramprasad's interview with Utpal Dutt and the scene where Dina Pathack comes into their house through the window, are out of this world. It makes me wonder, what ever happened to good Indian comedies?? The story resolves quite nicely, and all well that ends well. Basically, a thoroughly enjoyable film.

Gut busting comedy

[hprashantarora · 8/10 · 9 February 2010]

A comedy of errors in which a lie and a mistaken identity sets into motion a domino effect of such proportions that every time a character faces an obstacle your heart leaps into your mouth, only to fall back with a thud because you continuously feel the urge to laugh uncontrollably.

Like any Hrishikesh Mukherjee movie, Gol Maal tells the story of next door people in the most heart-warming manner with a good dose of clean and genuine humor that takes a clean bite at the culture and traditions of middle-class India. Ramprasad Sharma (Amol Palekar), a chartered accountant by profession, is a colorful personality who is a sports junkie in the afternoons and an amateur singer in the evenings. With the help of his uncle he lands up a job at a trading firm and embarks on a mission to please his boss Bhavani Shankar (Uttpal Dutt in a hilarious turn) because his whole identity is fake considering his boss disapproves fashion, vehemently opposes the obsession of sports among the youth (although he is a secret sports fan himself), dislikes people who abbreviate their names and use recommendation to get a job, encourages purity of language, and sees mustache as a symbol of pride and a window to the soul. Ramprasad has none of the "good" qualities sans the mustache, his only saving grace, which he ends up losing in an attempt to save his skin after being spotted at a Hockey match by his boss. Remembering the plot of a movie an actor friend of his is doing, he manages to convince Bhavani Shankar that it was not him whom he had seen at the stadium but his jobless, good-for-nothing, clean shaven identical twin Laxmanprasad Sharma aka Lucky. So, during the day Ramprasad works as a straight-as-a-reed worker bee quoting quasi intellectual teachings of his imaginary father and in the evening takes on the role of his mustacheless notorious twin brother who teaches music to the boss's daughter and also romances her on the sly.

Hrishikesh Mukherjee, once again succeeds in creating a complex story around some simple and some quirky characters like Mrs. Kamala Srivastav (Dina Pathak) – a reluctant mother for hire and Bade Babu (Yunus Parvez), a not so bright colleague of Ramprasad whose favorite pastime is pulling hair out of his nostrils. He went so far as to mount this broad satire on the platform of Bollywood itself wherein an actor friend of Ramprasad Deven (Deven Varma as himself) mouthpieces the idea that life indeed is stranger than fiction as depicted in the movies and does the humble job of furnishing the fake mustache to the protagonist, the complex results of which sets the whole hanky-panky business into motion.

The rest of the cast is mediocre except for Shobha Khote and David in minor roles. Bindiya Goswami as the love interest only shines in her introduction scene and has nothing better to do except look lovelorn. Needless to say, it is the comic timing between Uttpal Dutt and Amol Palekar that is the star of the movie and the two went on to do three more films together with mixed results.

Simply fantastic

[asatsi · 10/10 · 16 February 2001]

Also fabulous music by R. D. Burman. Very simple, neat ,smooth comedy... too good ... enjoy on a lazy afternoon. Its one of those lighter movies that came around in the seventies. And since then no such movies in bollywood. Very few movies come closer to movie like Golmaal. Amol Palekar's cool acting and Utpal Dutt's fantastic role. Must see!

The perfect comedy

[michaelgfalk · 10/10 · 22 October 2016]

This is the perfect comedy! It has all the hallmarks of the genre. A delightful, optimistic young hero. A tempestuous young heroine. A stiff and prejudiced father. A garrulous uncle. A tough and sentimental aunt. Dopey friends. Misunderstandings. Seemingly unending conflict and a hilarious resolution.

Amol Palekar shines as the hero, Ram. His character is absurdly unrealistic. He is a feckless youth and a devoted nephew and brother. He has a wicked sense of humour and strong religious devotion. He is a brilliant accountant and has a raft of boring opinions of Kabir. He is an incredibly hard worker and yet has a thriving social life. He loves sport more than anything else, but will sacrifice it for a job and for love. Ram is a chameleon, a supreme actor, and Palekar is utterly convincing as each of Ram's altar egos.

The rest of the main cast are equally brilliant. Deven Verma is the best friend a young guy could ask for. Bindiya Goswami has just the right balance of disobedience and daughterly devotion to be utterly charming. Dina Pathak is hilarious as Kamla, the part-time actress who climbs through kitchen windows. And Utpal Dutt is nearly unbeatable as the fierce potential father-in-law, who thinks that only men with moustaches and without hobbies or nicknames have any value in modern India. He reminded me of Walter in Sterne's classic novel "Tristram Shandy," a man of great status and absurd beliefs, but withal extremely likable.

Like all the best comedies, this one takes place in a world just a little bit different from our own. Everyone is flawed, but there is no harm in that. Everyone misunderstands one another, but in the end all difficulties melt in the breeze.

The plot unfolds breezily, and complication piles on complication as Ram's schemes get increasingly involved. I was grinning or laughing the whole way through, and I think you will too. 10/10

Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Comedy of Error(s)

[Chrysanthepop · 15 February 2008]

Well first thing's first. If you liked 'Chupke Chupke' (another comedy of error by Mr. Mukherjee) then you'll almost certainly enjoy 'Gol Maal'. Mukherjee does what he's very specialized in doing: telling the simple story of the common man and this time again he does it with comedy. The film opens with the hilarious title song and the story slightly falls on the same line of Mukherjee's 'Chupke Chupke' but the humour and the actors make the moments their own and 'Gol Maal' is very much its own film. Amol Palekar as the simpleton who is 'forced' to live a double life, Utpal Dutt as the opinionated boss and Dina Pathak as the vivacious mother/aunt create a wonderful comic team. Lending support are Manju Singh as the happy-go-lucky sister, Deven Verma as...himself and a cute Bindiya Goswami as the love interest. One will notice several cameos by stars like Rekha, Amitabh Bachchan etc. 'Gol Maal' presents several situations of confusion, suspense, and drama - all of it with a touch of comedy. The only thing that slightly irritated me was the poor cinematography as the camera was a little too shaky at times. I was watching it really late at night (a time during which most normal people have already entered REM sleep) and couldn't stop laughing. I think it would have been a lot more entertaining had I watched it with my parents (as was the case with 'Chupke Chupke'). Perhaps thats because there's the additional comedy of watching them laugh out loud.

Ending sucks!

[tanmoynath-37204 · 6/10 · 2 July 2019]

It was fun watching from the beginning but The ending is so Lame & messed up.

Over acting

[boobooc-06588 · 1/10 · 25 February 2021]

Can anyone please tell me that how is this movie better than ratsasan,anand and chhichhore ? Utter nonsense and overacting.

Indian cinema at its very Best!

[shilajit01 · 10/10 · 30 October 2011]

The Best comedy produced from our land!!! Legendary and impeccable!!! The performances, the sequences, the presentation and the carefully panned out little details are all outstanding! No need no mention anything about the plot, no one can stay without liking such a movie!

Hrishikesh Mukherjee is one of the Best directors in the world ever and certainly from India! Amol Palekar produces such believable moments yet his expressions and mannerism is almost impossible to match! The whole cast works wonders!! An absolute peach!

It won the following awards in India: Filmfare Best Actor Award - Amol Palekar Filmfare Best Comedian Award- Utpal Dutt Filmfare Best Lyricist Award-Gulzar for the song "Aanewala Pal"

Divine comedy!! India is proud to be homeland of such fine cinema!

Good, clean fun

[mishaone · 9/10 · 21 January 2006]

This is one of my favorite Hindi comedies of all time, as it is completely family friendly, has some genuinely hilarious moments and adheres to a subtlety in comedy which seems lost in the gyrating Govinda era of Hindi comedies.

This is one of the few movies one can watch with the entire family and everyone, from the oldest to the youngest member, will enjoy it.

A comedy of errors, our story begins with young CA grad Ram Prakash Sharma who is looking for modest employment. Enter his uncle, who advises him on how to behave to gain a position at the uncle's childhood friend, Bhawani Shankar's, company. Unfortunately, Bhawani Shankar is a man of strict tastes and fancies all young men of the time to be lazy and far too preoccupied with time-wasting activities such as sports, music and parties. Ram Prakash presents himself (according to the tutelage of his uncle) as the quintessential, too-good-to-be-true young man with no time for leisure and frivolities and all the time in the world for work and the serious things in life. Unfortunately, Ram Prakash's true self cannot be suppressed and he schemes to get out of work to watch a hockey match. Unluckiloy for him, Bhawani Shankar happens to see him at said match and confronts him, because of which Ram Prasad is forced to invent a twin, Laxman aka Lucky who is the very epitome of the sort of young man Bhawani Shankar detests. Things get further complicated when Ram Prasad is forced to invent a mother, having told Bhawani Shankar that she is still alive and ill as an excuse to go to the hockey match. What ensues due to the confusion is a tangled web of good old fashioned mix-ups and lies to keep the whole thing from falling in around Ram Prasad's ears.

I would definitely recommend the movie to anyone who enjoys an interesting, non Givinda-esquire comedy, and of course, anyone who enjoys music as this movie has the very well known and loved Kishore Kumar number, "Aane Wala Pal".

What a movie!!

[yufyonder · 8/10 · 27 May 2010]

Someone has rightly said, you can watch this movie any number of times. The best part of Hrishikesh Mukharjee's movies is that he captures the time period, the lifestyle of that era where movie is setup, simple events or references from day to day life that reveals a lot about the time and society. This one is no exception.

It will always give you a feeling of freshness even if you watch it continuously for a week. Pleasant is the one word I would like to associate with this movie in it's true sense. Utpal Datt is outstanding in his act, but he is Amol Palekar who stole the show. He beautifully executed the pole apart characters, the credit should be given to the director I would say.

How long we would have to wait for someone like Hrishida to give us simple and perfect marvels like this.

Golmaal Hai Bhai Sab Golmaal Hai . . .

[jmathur_swayamprabha · 15 August 2011]

First of all, I sincerely thank my dear friend and esteemed MS member - Deepak Ji (@deepak27) for inspiring me to write a review of this classic comedy by the legendary director - Hrishikesh Mukherjee. I am sorry Deepak Ji for being late in posting this review. The delay took place because I wanted to watch it again before writing the review.

Golmaal (1979) is one of the best and (commercially successful) movies of the perennial simpleton of Bollywood movies of the seventies - Amol Palekar. However, despite his straightforwardness, sincerity to work and middle-class manners, he is not that simpleton in this movie. He is smart enough to tackle his practical problems with the contingency approach of management and befool his employer by creating the fake identity of his look-alike twin brother. And this is the Golmaal (confusion / hodgepodge) in this movie which consists of not only the fake mother of the hero and his sister but also her (fake) look-alike twin sister as well. The end result of this Golmaal is plain and simple - laugh-filled healthy entertainment for the audience.

Ram (Amol Palekar) is an orphan who lives with his sister Ratna (Manju Singh) and needs a decent job after passing the C.A. exam (just like the writer of this review). His maternal uncle - Kedar (David) directs him to an industrialist Bhavaani Shankar (Utpal Dutt) who is not only orthodox and old-fashioned but also a bit finicky. He does not like youths taking interests in extra-curricular things and has a special disliking for the clean-shaven males (not sporting a mustache). Ram presents himself before him the way he wants his employee to be and soon wins his confidence through his sincere work too. However the trouble starts with his being caught by Bhavaani Shankar while watching a Hockey match. Now to save his job, he creates the fake story of his vagabond look-alike twin brother - Lakshman. A new twist arrives with Bhavaani Shankar's hiring Lakshman's services to take music tuition of her daughter - Urmila (Bindiya Goswami). The young pair falls in love. Further, since Ram had taken leave to watch the Hockey match under the excuse of his mother's illness, now he has to create a fake mother also who is a theatre artist - Kamla Srivastav (Deena Pathak). Even worse, when she is caught by Bhavaani Shankar in a party, her fake twin sister is also to be created. And the climax comes when Bhavaani Shankar decides to marry his daughter to Ram but she is willing to marry Lakshman (without knowing like her father that both are the same). The laughter-filled climax leads to the union of the lovers and clarity of everything before Bhavaani Shankar (i.e., resolution of the Golmaal).

The story based on the plot of fake identities and the lies spoken is not only full of laughs and entertaining sequences but also touches at several places through the human relations and sentiments among the middle class people. The brother-sister relation, the mother-daughter as well as the mother-son relation and the concern of the benevolent maternal uncle for his nephew and niece, everything is heart-warming and creating sublime feelings in the heart of the viewer. The characters of the helping friends of the hero are also to be seen in this context. Right from the start to the very finish, the movie is highly entertaining and impressive by all means.

Amol Palekar was a master in performing such roles and it is undoubtedly one of his best performances. The artist matching him in performance is Utpal Dutt. Their amazing on-screen chemistry was later seen in Naram Garam too (which I found even better than Golmaal). Both these great actors have generated unlimited fun for the audience with their hilarious interactions. Deena Pathak, Manju Singh, Deven Varma, David and the other supporting actors in cameos, everybody has done well. Bindiya Goswami has filled the quota of heroine.

Director Hrishikesh Mukherjee demonstrated his mastery in not only profound movies but also comedies. Golmaal was a box office hit because it effortlessly won the heart of the Indian audience. The movie does not contain a single boring scene. It starts hilariously and it ends hilariously as well. A perfect entertainment.

Technically the movie is up to the mark. Hrishi Da's movies are always wrapped in simplicity. The same is with Golmaal. A middle class family environment has been maintained throughout the movie and there is no artificiality visible anywhere, may it be the office or the households. The length of the movie is also optimum.

R.D. Burman has composed admirable music for the movie with the lyrics being penned by Gulzaar. The title track, Ek Din Sapne Mein Dekha Sapna and Ek Baat Kahoon Jo Maano Tum are all good. However the best number is Kishore Kumar's classic song - Aanewaala Pal Jaanewaala Hai.

Golmaal has enormous repeat value. Anybody who watches it once, likes to watch it again. Hence I recommend this classic comedy from Bollywood cinema unconditionally to all and sundry. Watch this laugh-filled story embedding Indian family and social values once on my recommendation and you will undoubtedly watch it for the second time without anybody's recommendation.

Excellent Comedy

[Shanky · 10/10 · 29 September 1999]

Superb acting by the entire cast particularly Uttpal Dutt and Amol Palekar in a sincere person role make this one of the best made comedies of Indian Cinema. A Must see for everyone.

moustach controversy

[jrameshjjj · 9/10 · 15 July 2005]

greatest of the comedy movies i have ever seen .Great hilarious work by both amol palekar and utpal dutt. the story revolves around ram prasad sharma and his boss . THE roll of the boss being played by utpal dutt .He want a person who can handle the accounts of his office .BUT he wanted the person 2 b unfamiliar with sports and films and parties.

To get the service he acted as if he did not know anything about film and sports.He got the service

but after sometime he had to play a double roll.after that he had few problems he had to cut his moustach and play a double roll. then after that he made one actress to play his mother . After that mother also played a double roll.

Absolutely Hilarious!

[Jini-B · 9/10 · 22 January 2020]

This is a fantastic film and a classic for a reason. The cast is just perfect in their respective roles. Amol Palekar's expressions were so good, and Utpal Dutt is brilliant. The script was a little far-fetched at times but the acting more than made up for it. This was highly entertaining and can be watched many, many times!

Golmaal = Hilarious movie

[kumar-ajitj · 10/10 · 28 July 2013]

If you are in mood to experience a good movie with family & friends. Just don't miss this one :) I bet you are going to watch this again n again. This is an excellent comedy movie. A perfect work by every one. Gol Maal meaning hodgepodge, confusion) is a 1979 Bollywood comedy movie directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. The film was produced by Mukherjee and N.C.Sippy with music by Rahul Dev Burman. The film's music was crafted by Burman to match the timbre of Mukherjee's perception of a subtle, yet complex love story involving the Indian middle class. Along with getting high accolades and praise from several critics, the film became a "Blockbuster" at the box office and gained huge popularity among the masses. Gol Maal, becoming a "Mega Hit" reached the top spot in 1979 in terms of box office collections. The film till now remains as popular and favorite among the audiences as it used to be and is regarded as one of the finest comedy films of Indian Cinema.

Classic.

[kaminnisreeram · 10/10 · 28 October 2020]

"Tumhari shaadi ussey nahi hogi jissey tum prem karti ho, tumhari shaadi ussey hogi jissey mein prem karta hoo", thundered Bhawani Shankar. When legends like Hrishi da, Utpal Dutt ji, Gulzar saab, Pancham da, Amol Palekar, Deena Pathak, Deven Verma come together, we get a classic like Gol Maal. Here's the film that's almost four decades old, but who can forget "Aana wala pal" ? Our common man ie Amol Palekar beat likes of Rajesh Khanna at Filmfare back then, to win coveted Best Actor award. A big Thank you to entire team of Gol Maal for creating this simple timeless comedy.

One of the best Indian comedy film of all time

[swarupbasak · 7/10 · 23 August 2020]

Entertaining, story is not bad slightly similar to Angoor. Theme music golmaal hai bhai sab golmaal hai is iconic. Acting is quite good but directing could be better.

Silly, not funny and lame.

[Kdosda_Hegen · 2/10 · 12 November 2020]

I was so disappointed, it was a very silly comedy, I did not laugh once. The jokes are really lame, so is the storyline which is just so silly.