This is one of the seminal movies in the history of Bollywood, one of its very best - like the characters it portrays it's flawed but completely fascinating and compelling. And with music and lyrics by S. D. Burman and Shailendra vocals mainly by Rafi and Lata complemented by incessantly inventive camera-work and direction and sets in the very best '60's tradition you have something special.
And there's a gripping roller-coaster script too: Dev Anand as Raju is released from prison for forgery, goes to a small village and inadvertently becomes the villagers swami while his story comes out in flashback. He was a slick-talking guide for a rich man who (just like a fool) didn't love his younger beautiful wife Rosie played by Waheeda Rehman who in turn loved dancing and Raju helped set up her career as a stage performer and fell in love with her and – well, far more to it than just that. The characterisations are fairly deep but episodic as style was definitely preferred over substance by director Vijay Anand – and the Style is relentless, continually restless cameras and snappy movement on screen to streams of audio interpolation or character interplay or invective means attention must be paid, right from the start. The songs are beautiful and more important than usual because they're integral to the plot. Even Waheeda ecstatically dancing by herself carried a wealth of information and plot development. Out of such a great selection my favourites were Piya Tose Naina Laage Re and Saiyaan Beimaan both sung by Lata with their colourful sets and costumes and vibrant dance routines – in fact they're two of my favourite Lata songs ever; the stately Gaata Rahe Mere Dil duet by Kishore Kumar and Lata always sticks in my mind afterwards. And Aaj Phir Jeene was voted 12th Bollywood movie song of all-time by listeners to UK BBC Asian Network in 2013. The song lyrics are beautiful but the dialogue is also wise – life and death may be illusions as averred by Raju's soul but this surely is fact!
Dev said people thought him mad for pursuing with this Hindi version when an English one had flopped, and there was a cool initial reaction to the film when it was released. For those wishing for the first time for a view of Olde Bollywood, start here. This proper version is nearly three hours long and yet still leaves you thinking that there could have been more and was it rushed, just like real life. Not perfect, what is - but once seen, never forgotten.
And there's a gripping roller-coaster script too: Dev Anand as Raju is released from prison for forgery, goes to a small village and inadvertently becomes the villagers swami while his story comes out in flashback. He was a slick-talking guide for a rich man who (just like a fool) didn't love his younger beautiful wife Rosie played by Waheeda Rehman who in turn loved dancing and Raju helped set up her career as a stage performer and fell in love with her and – well, far more to it than just that. The characterisations are fairly deep but episodic as style was definitely preferred over substance by director Vijay Anand – and the Style is relentless, continually restless cameras and snappy movement on screen to streams of audio interpolation or character interplay or invective means attention must be paid, right from the start. The songs are beautiful and more important than usual because they're integral to the plot. Even Waheeda ecstatically dancing by herself carried a wealth of information and plot development. Out of such a great selection my favourites were Piya Tose Naina Laage Re and Saiyaan Beimaan both sung by Lata with their colourful sets and costumes and vibrant dance routines – in fact they're two of my favourite Lata songs ever; the stately Gaata Rahe Mere Dil duet by Kishore Kumar and Lata always sticks in my mind afterwards. And Aaj Phir Jeene was voted 12th Bollywood movie song of all-time by listeners to UK BBC Asian Network in 2013. The song lyrics are beautiful but the dialogue is also wise – life and death may be illusions as averred by Raju's soul but this surely is fact!
Dev said people thought him mad for pursuing with this Hindi version when an English one had flopped, and there was a cool initial reaction to the film when it was released. For those wishing for the first time for a view of Olde Bollywood, start here. This proper version is nearly three hours long and yet still leaves you thinking that there could have been more and was it rushed, just like real life. Not perfect, what is - but once seen, never forgotten.