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06 February 2012

Shagird (1967)

Directed by: Samir Ganguly
Music: Laxmikant-Pyarelal    
Lyrics:    Majrooh Sultanpuri 
Starring: Joy Mukherjee, Saira Banu, 
IS Johar, Nasir Hussain, 
AK Hangal, Achala Sachdev, 
Asit Sen, Madan Puri, 
Urvashi Dutta
I have shelves of DVDs waiting to be seen; with the paucity of time, juggling work and home, finding time to watch a movie or to read a book is a luxury. So, why, I ask myself, am I re-watching movies that were only ‘okay’ the first time around? I either have a deep vein of masochism running through, or (since I have  to blame it on someone or something other than me) dustedoff’s latest post brought this song back to mind, and I actually looked the movie up online again! 

Well, what can I say? Unlike good wine, the movie hasn’t improved with the keeping, but I got a whole lot of ironing done, and a post. Hmm, I suppose I came out ahead at that… Onwards to the movie then (you will have to put up with a lot of idle comments)...

We are introduced to Ramesh (Joy Mukherjee), a recent ‘BA-pass’, who spends his time partying, much to his father’s (Nasir Hussain) irritation. 
(Idle comment no:1 - Wasn’t Joy Mukherjee a bit long in the tooth by then to play a graduate student? Which brings us to: Idle comment no:2 - Why was Nasir Hussain always playing the irritable father? 

His mother (Achala Sachdev) and long-time servitor Narayan (Asit Sen) however, dote on him, and cover up for him as much as they can, thereby serving to irritate the father some more. 
Ramesh’s professor, Brijmohan Agnihotri (IS Johar) is a confirmed bachelor, and a misogynist who claims that marriage is the ruin of every man. Influenced by him, Ramesh too vows to remain unmarried, even going so far as to sing an anti-marriage song at his friend’s wedding reception. (Idle comment no:3 - And he thought that was a good idea? Why?

The song isn’t anything out of the ordinary (this is not one of Laxmikant-Pyarelal's best scores), though pleasant enough to hear, but is definitely worth watching for a) A very young and mouche-less MacMohan and b) a very familiar face to some of you who have been reading Memsaab’s and dustedoff’s blogs.
We are also introduced to Madan Chicagowala (Madan Puri), a photographer, and Shefali (debutante Urvashi Dutta) - the latter seems to want to kill anyone who even looks at Ramesh. Ha! Keep an eye on these two, will you, for they play a very important part in future proceedings. 
Ramesh’s life is soon to change. His father, fed up of his dilettante ways, decides to send him off to Madhupur – to work. He gets there alright, but doesn’t seem to be working much; he is sauntering around, enjoying the view, when he sees a beautiful village belle frolicking in the distance. 

After a short altercation, the girl Poonam (Saira Banu), and he make up pretty fast, and Ramesh falls in love faster than you can say ‘Professor Brijmohan Agnihotri’. Turns out, Poonam is the innocent, naive but very capable daughter of  Kedarnath Badri Narayan (AK Hangal). She can cook (every girl should know how to cook when she gets to her sasural), she can dance (well, she can’t, but that is another story altogether), she is pretty (that she is!) – not in that particular order, I suppose, for Ramesh, but hey, who is interested in cooking when the girl looks like Saira?
(Idle comment no:4 - Why on earth do film-makers think that ‘innocent’ and ‘naive’ are synonymous with ‘stupidity’? They just make the heroine seem like they have 'paanch paise kam' as we used to say in college... see accompanying photos – I rest my case.)
Anyhow. Ramesh and Poonam are in ‘luvvv’ and Ramesh leaves for the city promising to come back for her as soon as he can manao-fy his mom. In the meanwhile, Kedarnath has decided he is going off on a vanvas and never coming back (ever!); he leaves his precious daughter in the care of his ex-student – guess who? Professor Brijmohan Agnihotri. Yes, indeed, he of the ‘women are all out to cause a man’s downfall’ fame. Well, he takes one look at Poonam and falls hook, line and sinker for her. Only, she persists in referring to him as 'Chachaji’. 
There being no fool quite like an old fool, the professor sets out to become ‘young’ – which involves drinking lots of fruit juices, gulping down tonics, dyeing his hair, and quoting poetry.
Alas, nothing works. And Ramesh is watching all this in bemusement. His initial reaction of stunned laughter soon gives way to helpful advice, and he helps his mentor undertake a makeover. 
Soon, the professor is togged out in a natty suit and hat, has shaved off his mouche, and is spouting some more poetry at the drop of the proverbial hat. 
(Idle comment no:5 - Since they show the Professor in coat and vest and hat at the beginning, I wonder why they put him into a dhoti-kurta only to change him back again!) It’s making no inroads into Poonam’s heart however, since she persists in seeing him as an uncle of sorts. 

Since she has also run into Ramesh again (and run his car aground), she is definitely not interested in her older suitor; in fact, she doesn’t even realise he is a suitor. The professor, who has noticed her growing attraction to Ramesh, now sets off to undermine him; he is helped by Ramesh himself, who, not knowing that his professor is not only courting the same damsel, but also pretending to be her uncle, confides all in his mentor. 
Chafed by 'chachaji's' growing possessiveness, Poonam takes matters into her own hands, and lands up uninvited at Ramesh’s house. She soon endears herself to his mother and Narayan, and even manages to melt the ice around the disapproving father. 
(Idle comment no:6 - When seeking approval from boyfriend’s parents, please sing a bhajan. It would help if you were a dashed good singer, or best option? Just lip-sync to Lata Mangeshkar.)

Soon, talk of marriage is in the air.

By the way, you haven’t forgotten Madan and Shefali, have you? (Idle comment no:7 - Well, the director did, until someone remembered to ask why Madan Puri and an unknown face were present on the sets every day. A hurried consultation with the scriptwriters ensued.)

Ab aayega kahaani mein twist! “Let’s turn this into a murder / thriller / precursor of Ekta Kapoor’s soaps,” said the scriptwriter. “Excellent!” said the director rubbing his hands together in glee.

Shefali is head-over-heels in love with Ramesh, and seeing him with Poonam, cannot contain her chagrin. Madan, who happens to be around, offers to help her. Of course, he sets up a meeting in his flat, where everything including the front door is operated by remote control, spikes her drink, and rapes her. 
Soon, she is at his doorstep – she is pregnant! What will she do?? Madan has to marry her! Madan agrees; of course she should be married. To Ramesh, not him. And if she is going to make any noise about it, well, he has also videotaped their night together, and recorded all their conversation too… Shefali leaves in anguish. 

Ramesh is busy romancing Poonam, but her ‘uncle’ is beginning to be a fly in the ointment. So off goes Ramesh to his professor to seek advice. Oops! He finds out that his professor is the hidden rival, and the swords are now in the open.

Meanwhile, Shefali is abducted in plain daylight, and Ramesh is a witness. Like all good heroes, he sets off in chase, and rescues her. The villains leave when they see another car coming along. An old man steps out, and is all concern. He insists that they take some refreshment since the lady is weak and the gentleman is tired out from fighting.

As Ramesh and Shefali sit outside, the old man goes in to order the soft drinks. We see him giving the waiter money, and some pills. A-ha. Keen-eyed viewers of countless Hindi masala movies will know at once – daal mein kuch kaala hain.
Sure enough, Shefali feels faint, and the old man solicitously offers Ramesh his own room so the lady can rest for some time before they leave. Just as they enter the room, and place Shefali on the bed, Ramesh is overcome with dizziness. When he comes to, he is undressed (shhh, don’t tell the censor board) and so is Shefali. Aghast, he quickly clambers into his clothes but not before Shefali also comes to, and bursts into sobs. Ramesh is quick to disclaim all knowledge – do you think I could do something so heinous, he asks. Shefali is resigned (more like martyred, if you ask me); ‘Men will be men; it’s always the woman who has to bear the brunt,’ she says. Ramesh is flustered, but he offers no consolation. 

Soon, they are back in the city, and Ramesh finds that his professor is still a thorn in his side. When Poonam decides to stay with her ‘uncle’ because he is ailing, Ramesh is furious. However, Poonam manao-fies him. (And this is the song that caused my downfall!) The professor, watching, realises that Poonam is as much in love with Ramesh, as he with her, and though heartbroken, retreats from the fray.

Back at Ramesh’s, his parents and Narayan are busy addressing wedding invitations. However, troubles are just amassing on the horizon for Ramesh and Poonam. Shefali has come to Ramesh claiming she is pregnant; if anyone were to find out, she would have no other recourse but to kill herself. Ramesh first brushes her off, but his own sense of decency begins to gnaw at him – he finally gives in, takes her to the gynaecologist, and then promises to marry her to save her honour. 
Now, all he has to do, is to tell his parents that the name of the girl on the wedding invitation has to be changed; tell Poonam that he loved her but really didn’t mean to marry her; tell his professor that Poonam is so beautiful, anyone would be proud to marry her; and of course, not tell anyone why he is marrying Shefali.

Let’s take a look at the tangled web for a second. Who was the old man who set Ramesh and Shefali up? Is Shefali a victim who is just making use of an opportunity that came her way? Or is this all a complicated trap? Will the path of true love lead to a happy ending for Ramesh and Poonam? Or will Poonam marry the professor? Will Madan get his come-uppance? And oh, will Ramesh’s father ever stop being irritated? 

This was a movie that began well, with some lovely cartoon credits, and a reasonably decent premise. Now, if only they hadn’t decided that ‘entertainer’ meant that the film should have ‘ackshun, drrraamma, emoshun’ all mixed together with the comedy. And, if they had realised that ‘innocent village maiden’ need not mean a hyper, over-the-top, chulbuli-ness...
Saira Banu is at her prettiest, and shrillest, screechiest best here. Made me want to clap my hands over my ears, or mute the sound or something. She seemed to only talk at high pitch and her giggles were beyond irritating. Until the last few scenes, when the drama went up a couple of notches – then, she was sober, and gave it her all. She was good! 

Joy Mukherjee did his Shammi routine quite well, but, as I said, was at least a decade older than his purported age. And it showed. 
IS Johar was his inimitable self, mouthing the dialogues (by Gulzar) as dryly as only he could. As the professor who finds love mid-life, only to be told that he is ‘too old’; his resignation when he realises that youth calls to youth... he was perfect.

Debutante Urvashi Dutta had quite a bit of screen time, but I’m afraid she didn’t leave much of an impact. For one, her role in the movie just twisted what might have been a brilliant straight-forward comedy of oneupmanship into an average masala - but hey, who am I to criticise? The film was a hit when it released, and is still a favourite re-run. Watchable once, I guess; or re-watchable once more after a l-o-n-g period – at least for me. 

*mini-spoiler*
I did like the ending though – while Madan, who was thoroughly bad, ended up dead as the proverbial door nail, the girl, pregnant-out-of-wedlock, is not dead or dying. And Shefali actually gets to have a happy ending, without too much moralising. Hurrah!

61 comments:

  1. I watched this ages ago on DD and I only remembered the songs, particularly woh hai zara khafa khafa. I had forgotten the whole eplot, but it is so typical of the 60s films. boy meets girl, boy teases girl or girl teases boy. they eventually fal in love, the side-kick also falls in love, boy can't marry girl because of misunderstanding or girl can't marry boy because of blackmail and eventually everything sorts out. What remains are the songs! Songs, Songs, Songs!
    Isn't there this story about dil vil pyar vyar? I think that the composers (or was it Lata) knew somebody, who would always speak in such rhymes (like paisa-vaisa and so on).
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-C237nAW2Y

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  2. No, no, no, this hero didn't have a 'side-kick'; he doesn't tease the heroine, the heroine doesn't tease him; and the songs were okay, pleasant-ish, but LP have had better days; and there was no misunderstanding between the hero-heroine - didn't you read my synopsis? :( I'm totally rootho-ed... (credit given to Madhu for coining that one.)

    And now I have put all that down, I'm wondering if I have been underwhelmed by this movie when it so obviously is deserving of some applause!

    (But I am still rootho-ed at you!)

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  3. Not a favourite movie of mine - not in the way of Junglee or Professor, but watchable enough (well, I'd certainly rewatch Shagird sooner than nearly all of Biswajit's, Pradeep Kumar's, Bharat Bhushan's or Raj Kapoor's movies). I really liked I S Johar's comedic style in this (that "Aap ishq mein baal safed kyon kar rahe hain?" - "Safed??! Arre, maine toh ishq mein baal kaale kiye hain!" is delightful). :-)

    And I have to admit to loving Duniya paagal hai ya phir main deewaana - it has such an infectious beat to it, always makes me want to get up and dance! Woh hain zara khaf-khafa is nice, but I can live without the rest of the songs. And the second half of the movie. 

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  4. well, I'd certainly rewatch Shagird sooner than nearly all of Biswajit's, Pradeep Kumar's, Bharat Bhushan's or Raj Kapoor's movies)

    And you're my soul-sister?? :( Now I'm mortally wounded, and need some absolutely lovely manao-fying songs to be, well, manao-fied.

    This is definitely not among my favourite movies - in fact, if it hadn't been for your post and humming Woh hain zara khafa khafa a million times until I nearly dug my larynx out myself, I would never have gone online to look for the movie. Absence definitely didn't make the heart grow fonder in this case.

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  5. Rootho rootho naa, rootho naa rootho meri jaan... :-)

    Dekho rootha na karo, baat pathe ki suno...

    Of course I read the whole review. Poora ka poora!
    What Imeant was that it is typical of the 60s films to have this structure and in one form or the other it is presen there as well. dil vil pyar vyar cann be put in the teasing category, the side kick has a bigger role here, in form of I. S. Johar. All the same the basic elements of the 60s are there!

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  6. Hum tumhe maan gaye, tum bade woh ho, hato :)

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  7. That RK dig was deliberate! ;-) I can't help but be wicked at times. Na rootho, rootho na rootho, na rootho meri Anu...

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  8. Kitne bhi tu kar le sitam, hans hanske sahenge hum.... :(

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  9.  Woh kaun?

    Gori zara has de tu, has de tu, has de zara!

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  10. Not a favourite of mine too. Saira is pretty, but screeches, JOy is not a patch on Shammi and i hate Johar. Some of the songs are okay though.

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  11. I didn't see this movie when it was released because I couldn't stand Saira Banu's screech, and Joy Mukherji's toothpaste ad smile, but that song, Woh hain zara khafa khafa ... was a favorite of mine.  And I have found myself singing that song in my head (and out loud too) a million times since reading the post by DO! 

    Who knows, now that so many years have passed, maybe I will be able to tolerate this movie, so I have bookmarked this (along with a zillion others) for viewing in the next three years! 

    On the other hand, maybe I won't and just read and re-read and re-re-read your post and the idle comments therein and laugh out loud every time, why put myself through torture when there are better ways to pass the time?

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  12. Oh, and by the way, it is not 'emoshun' in the Tamil serials, but 'yemoshun', which always cracks me up!  

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  13. Your write-up is funny enough to get me to stick to reading it than venturing to watch the movie, which in either case you wouldn't catch me doing any time. Maybe that's a better idea - reading your thoughts online on movies than watching them:) Started off like a not-so-great comedy but looks like they put in too many plots in it to make it an  entertainer, even though you would think comedy is an entertaining enough genre.

    Written by Gulzar? Surprising! Looks like a blip in his vast body of work. Recollect Saira Banu in this constant state of girlishness in most of her movies and when it is topped up with a small town or village belle background, it gets exaggerated and the make-up remains unblemished. Wouldn't a village belle automatically qualify as naive in those days?

    And you are entertaining yourself with re-runs, that too of okay movies despite scores of recommendations lying in the cans ?? Masochism, alright!!! The aggrieved reader demands more....

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  14. *laughing helplessly*

    I give in!

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  15. Johar was bearable in this. He is not one of my favourites either. I usually like Joy - he was the best of the pretenders - but I agree with you that he is not a patch on Shammi. Songs are ho-hum. Pleasant ditties, but nothing out of the ordinary.

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  16. Ha ha ha! I can just see Shivaji declaiming 'yemoshun', with all his jowls quivering, and his eyes bloodshot! (My comment was a nod to Veeru's dialogue in Sholay!)

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  17. See, the problem is, most people don't know how to make a full-length comedy. Either they resort to cheap slapstick, or they decide to add masala and then proceed to muck it up!

    As for heroines and their make-up, why, you didn't expect them to look 'natural', did you?? And it is strange - this sort of exaggerated make-up came up only in the 60s. If you look at the heroines of the 40s and 50s, they didn't have eyelashes that could poke you at ten paces, or lipstick so thick that whole tubes got expended at each application!

    And you are entertaining yourself with re-runs, that too of okay movies despite scores of recommendations lying in the cans ??

    Arre baba, I was ironing! I needed something to get me through that. If I had been watching any of your recommendations, I wouldn't have got anything done!!

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  18. As for Joy Mukherji looking too old to have just graduated, that has been my complaint all these years, and persists even now!  When will these Hindi (and Tamil and other languages) film makers realize that their heroes look too old to be in college or just recent graduates?  Countless examples come to mind: Gemini Ganesh in Missiamma or Miss Mary, MGR and Sivaji Ganesan in a zillion movies (which I didn't bother to watch), Rajendra Kumar in Arzoo, Amitabh Bachhan and Rakhee in Kabhi Kabhi, SRK in Kuch kuch Hota Hai, Kareena Kapoor and Hrithik in KKKG, and so on!  I always wonder aloud how many times these guys have flunked their exams, irritating hubby who would like me to shut up and just watch!

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  19. I just did a Harvey here, but I forgot to add Randhir Kapoor and Jaya Bhaduri in Jawani Diwani to that list!

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  20. The only way I even forgave the Kabhi-Kabhi angle was because there was that one shot (and one song) in college and then Raakhee was married off. I don't think Amitabh ever got inside a college ever again, until he played lecturer in Kasme Vaade. (In Chupke Chupke, he was a lecturer, but they never showed him in college.) He always played a man, never a 'boy'.

    I thought SRK, Kaajol in KKHH were the pits until KKGG came along! As for actors playing characters much younger, Aamir pulled it off in Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander - he was around 28 or so, I think, and pulled off being 18 quite well. He did again in Dil Chahta Hai (so did Saif and Akshay) and in 3 Idiots. But that is also because, I think, he takes pains to get into character, so it's not just how he looks.

    Poor hubby, though! : - ) When you come here and watch movies with me, I'll make sure I have enough Parippu vadai or something - each time you open your mouth, I'll put one in! Or better still, I'll put  a movie like Shagird on - then we can both pass remarks, while munching on the aforesaid vadais...

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  21. LOL at 'just did a Harvey'! I think, if not in the Urban Dictionary, at least in our little part of the bloggosphere, that is going to mean 'hitting post before completing entry'.

    Randhir actually explained his continued education in Kasme Vaade - he had flunked many, many times. (Maybe they heard you.) Jawani Diwani was awful! But the songs were to die for.

    Have you forgotten the most long-toothed of them all? Rekha, Manoj Kumar and Rajendra Kumar in Clerk? That movie released in 1989!

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  22. Once you started speaking of vadais I forgot everything you were talking about! ;-)

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  23.  Doing a harvey is the in thing now!

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  24. "yemoshun"

    What a word! Love the sound of it! *rolling the word over the tongue and relishing it*

    YEMMMOOSHUNNN!

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  25. It's time you visited us in the US, Harvey. : - )

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  26. I agree, it is time you visited us here and we will pamper you with vadais, dosais, and lots of sambar and chutney!

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  27.  I think it is better that we both pass remarks without munching on vadais - I don't know about you, but my waistline (and a lot of other body parts) will say 'Thank you for skipping the vadais'!

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  28. I haven't seen this movie, Anu, but your review makes me want to watch it (even with your idle comments -which, by the way, had me giggling right through!)... Saira looks so beautiful. I have a soft spot for Joy Mukherjee, ever since I saw him in Ek Musafir Ek Hasina.

    I quite liked your post on Shamshad Begum because of the sheer volume of information you managed to collect - other than that, I couldn't really comment because I do not know much about the songs you posted. I was hearing most of them for the first time.

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  29. Since I'm working hard to remove excess avoirdupois myself, I think I'll pass (sadly) over the vadais. I know! Let's give it all to Harvey!

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  30. Watch at your own peril. :) No, actually, you might find it bearable for a one-time watch.

    No worries about the Shamshad post - she is not everyone's cup of tea. :)

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  31. You (Anu and Lalitha) and the Grand Canyon are the only reasons I have to visit the US!

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  32. Yeah! Yippie! Vadais and dosas and sambahr and chutney!!!!!!!!

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  33. The only reason that would have tempted me to watch this would be Gulzar. Did not know he was also caught in this kind of mucked up slapstick masala at any point of time. 

    Didn't expect them to look natural but wished they did. But then in their defence, you could argue that the directors had a certain target audience in mind and played to the gallery. If you were looking for kitsch and landed here (not this movie specifically), maybe you wouldn't be disappointed. The problem comes when you are undecided on what you want to offer to the audience and decide to mix and match to try to meet everyone's expectations and finally satisfy none.

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  34. The only reason I was disappointed was because the S Mukherjee productions have a reputation for bringing out decent-ish entertainers. They went very badly wrong with this one, not knowing whether to stick with the comedy angle, or to make it a masala - in the end, it became a rather unpalatable khichdi.

    When I watch the masala movies, I'm happy to have the heroines glammed up. I'm not looking for 'natural'. But there is a difference between 'made-up' and wearing what could pass off as lethal weapons, or the contents of a chemical factory.

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  35. lethal weapons, or the contents of a chemical factory

    Oh yes, Madame Anu is an American now; they snoop nuclear weapons in the unlikeliest of places:) 

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  36. Good one! :) But, hey, I'm Indian. Alway will be. And unlike my place of residence, you must admit that I actually found lethal weapons and the rest! (Take a look at accompanying photographs in the post, if you don't believe me - Saira's eyelashes would impale me at ten paces!)

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  37. Yeah, these must qualify as Weapons of Mass Destruction - if looks could kill !!!

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  38. Love the songs, love your review, do not care much for Joy Mukherjee, OK with Saira Banu. As usual, your review is more entertaining than several of the movies you write about (except those with Dev or Shammi or Amitabh of course.)

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  39.  I didn't know a movie called Clerk existed at all!  In 1989, I was in Dallas, TX, busy with going to school to get a degree in education, two kids and a hubby, and no Hindi channels on TV or radio in those days!  So who was still in college in that movie, or were both Manoj and Rajendra Kumar in college?  That must have been a truly entertaining sight - two old men and a bunch of younger guys, almost old enough to be their sons, around them!  Maybe it was a remake of Rodney Dangerfield's "Back to School"!

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  40. Lalitha, *all* of them! :) I think Ashok Kumar was playing the father. I also liked the fact that Manoj Kumar and his son were playing siblings! The college scene is in flashback. And I'm sorry - it was Manj Kumar, Rekha and Shashi Kapoor in the college scene - not Rajendra Kumar. RK played the token Muslim.

    It must have been the most unintentionally hilarious movie ever made. Unfortunately, it wasn't even of the 'so-bad-it-is-good' category! Avoid like the plague.

    I watched it on DD when I was in college - well, 'watched' is a misnomer. I didn't watch it would be a better way of putting it.

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  41. I have been a big fan of this movie thanks not to the lead pair, but due to IS Johar. He's one of the funniest guys with a poker face I have ever seen.

    Saira had mentioned in an interview that this "Shagird" and "Ram Aur Shyam" both released at the same time of her marriage with Dilip Kumar. Both being hits would have been an ideal wedding gift for them.

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  42. Hi Shashi, welcome to my blog. IS Johar was certainly good in this film, with his deadpan dialogue delivery. Usually, I find him going over the top - or maybe that is the directors' fault? After all, subtlety is not a much-vaunted tool in Hindi films...

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  43. Well,Shagird isn't that bad.In fact for many,this is the best Joy movie and one of the best entertaining movies of the 60's.

    And,yup,i do agree that S mukherjee productions that include Filmistan,Filmalaya and Subodh Mukherjee productions would generally bring out good to very good entertainers like Junglee,Abhinetri,Ek Musafir Ek Haseena etc.Out of all their productions,I personally rate Jagriti as their best film followed by Junglee and Shagird.In fact,S.mukherjee productions have the highest number of hits[around 70 hits in all] by any production house till date in bollywood.The only one who comes close is Rajshri Productions of Tarachand Barjatya.

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  44. well,Shagird isn't that bad.In fact for many,it is Joy's best movie and one of the most entertaining movies of the 60's.

    I do agree with you that Sashadhar Mukherjee and his brother Subodh  productions generally produced good to excellent films like Ek Musafir Ek Haseena,Abhinetri,Junglee etc.Personally i find Jagriti as the best film that S.mukherjee ever produced,followed by Kismet,Junglee & Shagird.I personally find these four films excellent.

    Trivia-As a producer,Sashadhar Mukherjee has the most number of hits by any producer [around 70] in bollywood to his credit.These include his Filmistan,Filmalaya,Subodh Mukherjee Productions and Bombay Talkies films.The only producer who comes close is Tarachand Barjatya of Rajshri Productions.

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  45. well both-Ram aur Shyam and Shagird were massive Golden Jubilee blockbusters.So,Saira and Dilip Kumar did get their ideal wedding gift.

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  46. Well,Shagird isn't that bad.In fact for many,it is the best Joy movie and one of the most entertaining movie of the 60's.

    I agree with you that Sashadhar Mukherjee and his brother Subodh productions usually gave us good to excellent films like Junglee,Abhinetri,Ek Musafir Ek Haseena,Tumsa Nahin Dekha etc.Personally,i rate Jagriti as the best film S.mukherjee ever produced,followed by Kismet,Junglee and Shagird.I find these four films excellent.

    Trivia-As a producer,Sashadhar Mukherjee has the highest number of hits[around 70] by any producer in the history of bollywood.These include His Filmistan,Filmalaya,Subodh Mukherjee Productions,S.mukerji and Bombay Talkies films.The only other producer who comes close is Tarachand Barjatya of Rajshri Productions. 

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  47. I prefer Love in Simla or Ek Musafir Ek Hasina to Shagird.

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  48. Aah, I'll have to see this one just for Joy Mukherjee. :) Nothing much to do in the summer anyway. Wasn't it remade in the 80's/90's with Anupam? I forgot the name, but I'm pretty darned sure there was a remake.

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  49.  Yes, there was a remake with Anupam/Rishi/Urmila (I think), but avoid. The original is available for viewing on Rajshri Films' YouTube channel.

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  50. Where is urvashi dutta now ? This movie was good I remember ?

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  51. Who knows, Narotam? I don't think she acted much, at least not in lead roles. Don't remember seening her in any other movie of the period (that I have seen, I mean). Shagird was okay. Not great, but passable.

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  52. I must live on a different universe because I love I watched this movie only a few years ago and thought it was a hoot! Joy Mukerji just seemed so weird but very charming. The songs are the best with great humorous lyrics. I am in my forties and sing bade Mia deewane isi na Bano around the house all the time. The movie just oozed charm and youthful energy. What is there not to like? And for the cast being too old to be in college. Well, that is one the charm of Bollywood movies. Why in some movies the hero looks like he is well into his 40's and plays a typical "college" student. I was just watching a Rajesh Khanna movie from the late 80's where he was playing a teenager in college.

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  53. Oh, I'm sure there were many people who loved the film. I didn't. I found Saira too shrill, the songs, apart from a couple of them, not very great, and altogether, the film didn't just cut it, for me. But then, where would we be if we all liked the same things?

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  54. Why in some movies the hero looks like he is well into his 40's and plays a typical "college" student.
    Oh, I usually hate those too. :)

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  55. Many people found her shrill but I was a teenager and she was hot. So I liked her,to this day Rekha is my favorite actress because she was sooo sexy. Sorry to admit but I am a man and thus have been willing to over look qualities that may disqualify a lot actresses just based on talent. The 40year college student syndrome is still going on in Bollywood. And as man in his 40's I fully support such parts!!

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  56. That sort of like? I know exactly what you mean. :)

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  57. Well, she had ..talents. You know one of the best reasons for loving old Bollywood movies is how beutiful and full of personality the actresses were. Each had a different persona and glamour.

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  58. Yes, she did. [grin]


    It is true about the older generation of actresses - they had such different types of beauty. Today, they all look like they came off an assembly line.

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  59. I completely agree,all of them had such distinct screen personalities and each had their distinguishable fashion,hair and speaking styles. Now they look completely the same and could replace each other in any role and no difference will be noticed. In fact they could replace each during the movie and no one would notice. They wear trendy and yet the same clothes. Even their plastic surgeon is the same doctor. I am affraid Indian people in their quest for westernization have traded talent and beuty for for fair skin and "American" looks. How else do you explain the popularity of Katria Kaif or the porn star turned Bollywood actress. This is not progress ,it is the complete opposite.
    Anyway,I just watched Golmal so I will go to the right page to comment.

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