Dev Anand/Madhubala/SD's Masterpiece. Review on Kala Pani

Kashti palat ke phir se tufan main chali gayee, Maujo ke sahare kinare chale gaye...Hum Bekhudi main tum ko pukare chale gaye, Saagar main jindagi ko utaare chale gaye...

These lines & the tune represents everything that was good about the Indian cinema music in the 50s & early 60s. S.D gave countless 'sublime' tunes/songs of course along with other greats (Check my 10 Best Music Directors Review). These lines do not make it to the song actually that Dev Anand delivers at the kotha in front of Nalini Jaywant but are sung by Mukri while he is composing shayari in his lodging room shared with Dev Anand & Motilal(?). Aaga is the guardian of the lodge that is owned by lovely Madhubala (& her Khadus Aunt).

I am also a BHAKT of this 'Dev' as I am of Dilip Kumar (Amitabh & Shammi too; somehow Raj Kapoor appealed to me as director more than actor) I am amazed with his older pre 60s movies & his ability to show a romantic hero with an rich/urban engineer/architect sort of bakground, most of the time with a great director he kept his typical actions away & came across much better. Only when the director was a little loose then he started doing weird actions in the songs.

His Kala Bazaar, Kala Pani, CID, Taxi Driver, Aag, Tere Mere Sapane, Bombai Ka Baboo, Jab Pyar kisise hota hain are classic & are in my collection of DVDs...I can watch them anytime. His presentation of songs is as good as Dilip Kumar, Check out 'Sunale tu dil ki sada' from Tere mere Sapane or 'Teri juplhonse judai to nahi mangi thi' from Jab Pyar kisise hota hain or even 'Upar wala jaan kar anjaan hain...apani to har aah ek tufaan hain kya kare woh jaan kar anjaan hain' from Kala Bazaar.

The Plot, Overall Presentation The movies starts when Dev Anand is highly disturbed to know the truth that his father is not dead but is under Kala Pani in Hyderabad Jail, accused of a murder out of jealousy of a 'kothewali' who he had extra-marital relations with. Dev Anand goes to meet him, his father crying to see his son, tries to drive him away as he accuses his wife & him of just forgetting him & not ever meeting with him. Dev comes to know in the second visit that he claims to be innocent & is a victim of a circumstantial evidence. Dev then swears to get his father out of the jail & starts his own investigations. He meets with then inspector & also the press to check then papers.

He stays in a lodge & meets with owner Madhubala (who is also a reporter at the press he had been to) & her khadus chachi. The scenes at the dinner table where Mukri, Aga, Madhubala, Deb Anand, Motilal are particularly handled with finesse...Dev & Madhubala flirt with subtly. I can see this part of the movie over & over again.

Dev takes his effort further by getting him entrance into the most popular tawayaf's kotha (Nalini Jaywant) with the help of his room-mates & also Aga. Shayari provided by Mukri, clothes by Aga & a 'shayarana' cap by Motilal. Nalini Jaywant supposedly has in her custody the letter that would prove innocence of his father. He enters by giving 100Rs (then!!) & gets to see ''Najar Laagi Raja tore banagle par'' He criticizes the song/lyrics & impresses Nalili Jaywant with one of my all time GREAT songs 'Hum bekhudi main tum ko pukare chale gaye, sagar maiin jindagi ko utare chalye gaye' I am in debt to S.D. & also the lyricist for this song.

Dikhakiye tumhe hum banake deewana, utaraa jo nasha to hamane ye janaa..

Sheeshe main apakohi utaare chale gaye...Hum Bekhudi main

There is some innovation also where Dev Anand & his friends do a 'dharna/satyagrah' in front of the lawyer's & seth's house for justice. Madhubala supports him thru her paper but get in trouble due to no proofs etc. Editor insists on some proof (that is locked with Nalini Jaywant).

What goes on in parallel is a romantic stint of Dev with Madhubala. The most beautiful actress ever & the most 'chikana' as put by critics actor of all times. This pair itself is a good reason to watch this movie. Dev was always displayed as a shahari-babu & he fits perfectly in the scenes that are written to suit his flirting style/abilities nicely. What again makes this part of the movie great is one more all time GREAT song: Achhaa ji main haari chalo maan jawo na...Dekhi sabki yaari meraa dil jalawo na Asha & Rafi: This could be their best song together along with 'Deewana Mastana huawa dil jane kaha hoke bahaar aayee'

Dev's Acting How Dev reaches his manzhil (destination) is worth watching in the movie itself. He has acted very well in this movie, has displayed the urban youth who wants to meet with father & further he wants to prove him innocent is also displayed effectively. He has displayed an amazing restraint when he scolds his mother for not telling him about his father for all these years. (BTW, initial music when the movie starts is a little funny).

Madhubala: What one can say about her...? Her charisma has not been repeated afterwards & she even today remains the benchmark of Indian actress for beauty. Her appearance, her ada/adab & presence in the romantic song is worth watching a million times.

The three comedians come across as real life characters & not something deliberately created to give some relief to audience. Mukri/Aga/Motilal are all have given very natural appearances. The blend with the story as anything I have ever seen.

I have commented enough on the music just want to repeat the big THANKS to SD he really was BAAP of RD! It is amazing to see the quality of the music coming out of this family. Bade miyan to bade miyan, Chhote miyan subhan Allah!