DOUBLE TROUBLE

THIS THROWBACK THURSDAY, WE BRING YOU RAM AUR SHYAM, WHICH WAS THE ORIGINAL FLICK TO THE REMAKES WITH THE SAME PLOTLINE - SEETA AUR GEETA, CHAALBAAZ AND KISHEN KANHAIYA AND BELIEVE ME DILIP KUMAR DOES SHOW THE WAY, EVEN TODAY!

I grew up watching Dilip Kumar in tragic roles, he is my Dad’s favourite , but I fell for him when I watched Kohinoor, what a rollicking comedy with none other than Meena Kumari and then Ram aur Shyam and I haven’t found anyone to date with better comic timing and swashbuckling attitude.

If you have watched Seeta aur Geeta and Chaalbaaz, you might have a déjà vu moment or two but very soon Dilip Kumar will draw you in and it will be him all the way, but I simply must put in a word for Pran as the totally amazing diabolic villain, Gajendra.

The music – deep and sinister- whenever Pran steps into the frame is a delight as is his stylish attire with leather boots, jodhpuris and the moustache.

For me, the movie gives a glimpse into how childhood abuse and trauma can shape a person’s character and mark him/her forever as it does with Ram who is a scared, timid man unable to stand him up for himself or his family while his twin Shyam is a happy-golucky, confident, daring and swaggering man.

I would have liked to write youth but even a big fan of the thespian like me can’t stretch the truth so much, he was close to 45 years but his acting prowess makes you forget that.

In spite of Dilip Kumar in a double role and Pran, the movie actually does do justice to both its heroines, the absolutely beautiful Waheeda Rehman and the chirpy pretty Mumtaz, both are women of spirit and we are spared the sacrifice and sobs. Young Mumtaz manages to hold her win despite the strong and senior co-stars.

And now the music, this time I have kept the music for the end because frankly except for Aaj ki raat mere dil ki salaami le le (which is one of my favs); Aayi hain baharein is a sermon, Main hun saaqi tu hai sharaabi is a drag, Balam tere pyaar ki aag is still tolerable.

I love the scene of the face-off when Ram (actually Shyam) refuses the sign the papers, right from sliding down the balustrade, arrogantly whistling in Pran’s glowering face, mimicking the munim to the point of thrashing Pran with his own whip in the shadow of the growling menacing stuffed tiger as the metaphor, I like it all except Nirupa Roy slapping Shyam for bestowing justice, that I hated.

My all-time favourite scene is when in the climax Pran forcibly gets Shyam to sign the property papers thinking he is Ram and brandishing a pistol tells him to sign his name.

Dilip Kumar does, in Hindi, Urdu and English with a smiley… wouldn’t you fall in love with such a hero?