Jul 20, 2007 07:42 PM
2525 Views
This is partly like drawing blood from a turnip. It's been decades since this movie came, saw and became another superhit in the incredible resume of the legendary Amitabh Bachchan.
The urge to write on this movie came from three sources:
Bangalore Airport
Hema Malini
Gori Nahin Hum Kaale Sahi
Only two of those inspirations make any sense. Where does Bangalore airport come into the picture?
Let me explain...
...is the prettiest thing to ever grace Indian screens. I remember seeing Hema Malini in the movie that ended up being her monicker - DREAM GIRL. My heart skipped a beat. She has the most incredible eyes...
sigh...
(GROUND TO PSYXX... GROUND TO PSYXX)
================================
So there I was...
================================
...driving towards Bangalore Airport thinking of Hema Malini and her dreamy eyes. Technically, there was nothing else to do. The traffic jams were so bad that the only other source of entertainment was showing your middle finger to other drivers. I wasn't in the mood for that...
That's when by chance.. I started humming that song from DESH PREMEE...
================================
Gori Nahin Hum Kale Sahi
================================
Desh Premee had all the essential ingredients for a sure-fire hit. It had:
The leading actor of the time: Amitabh Bachchan in a double role - twice the action for half the price (er... that was bad math)
Hema Malini - the heroine who commanded respect from even the biggest of the biggest...
The dynamic duo - Lakshmikant-Pyarelal providing music to words penned by THE man - Anand Bakshi. Kader Khan provided the screenplay.
A great support cast consisting of Sharmila Tagore, Parveen Babi, Shammi Kapoor, Amjad Khan, Parikshit Sahni and my favourite villain of them all... Prem Chopra and...
Finally, it's a Manmohan Desai film.
The equation worked.
================================
The Plot
================================
Desh Premee is the tale of a freedom fighter (played by one Amitabh Bachchan) who fought hard for his country but lost contact with his wife in the process. He proceeds to raise his son with all the values and morals that a freedom fighter normally possesses. Unfortunately, he picked the worst possible place - a village where half the population were anti-socials.
Meanwhile, his wife abandons their little daughter at a rich person's doorsteps and ends up contacting leprosy (imagination... is either vivid or lacking in a Hindi movie).
Days, months, years go by. Those who were children are now adults and those who were adults are now older adults and those who were older adults are now sitting on a cloud playing a harp.
Now comes the fun part... everyone gets into the act and push the story forward (actually in all directions...)
The son decides to deviate from the path that his dad showed him and becomes a thug. He gets married by accident (to the beautiful Hema Malini... darn... that's the best accident ever). He gets a rude awakening at some point of time and decides to mend his ways.
The daughter (the beautiful Parveen Babi [R.I.P]) has become a doctor. Guess who comes to her for treatment? Her mother who's got full blown leprosy!
Meanwhile, the dad manages to reform the local thugs.
A few songs, comic scenes, loads of action and loopholes in plot later, the family is reunited but... not without some tragedy...
Somehow, the cast shines through and turns this storyline into a thoroughly entertaining feature film.
================================
I wrote this before...
================================
Bangalore Airport... the first thing that hits you when you reach the place... is the smell of that light golden liquid that comes out of a certain part of the human anatomy that I would never name here even if I were offered a million dollars (offer a million and one and I might...)
When there is a place to do it... people still prefer walls and sidewalks and buildings to go...
Is this what those freedom fighters died for? Is the soil that we rub on our foreheads really a symbol of PEEce and URINEty? er... unity...
================================
The Epitome of Patriotism
================================
I'm confused. How do you define patriotism. Is it rubbing soil on your forehead and behaving like Manoj Kumar? Is it kissing a noose before being hung a la Bhagat Singh? Is it screaming Vande Mataram or extinguishing a burning flag??
Personally, I'd say patriotism is the preservation of a rich and diverse culture that everyone else envies. Patriotism is understanding ones roots and being proud of it. Patriotism is ...........
...you fill in that blank...
~finis~
