The Web of Desire. Review on Jaal (Black and White)

A spider’s web is the most treacherous creation of nature and the spider, the wiliest of all creatures. This statement may appear incongruous to the passive observer but to the trained eye, the distinction is not only obvious but also a clear reminder of the dictum that not all enemies face off in the open. Unlike other predators, the spider never uses force to kill its victims but lures them to death with charm and guile. Its victims are not the result of a traditional battle between the fang and the hoof but are led to their doom by the charm of his magnificent web, patiently woven around the frailties of it’s unfortunate victims.

So also does the human spider lurk in the shadows, plotting his web, waiting for the prey to make the fatal error and once made, moves in ruthlessly to destroy his victim, showing no mercy, till the victim has been vanquished and the objective realized. Amazing, as it may seem, this breed is commonly found in offices, among ones circle of friends and among loved ones and often the hand that you trust the most hides a sharp dagger.

Jaal (1952) is one of the most brilliant and stark portrayals of a human spider that could go to any extents to ensure that his primary objective was achieved. This movie was in a way, the harbinger of similar movies, wherein the villain would use the garb of love and emotions to obtain his desire and then ruthlessly destroy the victim, but with one marked difference – the villain in this movie was the hero himself, making it one of the first negative portrayals by a leading man.

Geeta Bali as Maria plays perhaps her best performance in a sadly truncated career. It’s sad to note that despite being an actress of the best calibre, Geeta rarely got a chance to prove her capabilities and all we have as a remembrance of the great actress are her brilliant performances in a few movies. One of those has to be definitely Jaal. The spunk of the character, the gay abandon of youth, the mesmerism of first love, the wakening of the sexual desires and the final abandonment of the self to the pursuit of happiness in the arms of the beloved and then the rude awakening, all of it points to a brilliant understanding of the role and it’s deeper nuances. Geeta does all this and more, as she lives the part of a woman in love with a man from the depths to the extent of committing any crime to be with him effortlessly. Her portrayal of an agonized and arrested soul, seeking liberation during the course of the song ‘Yeh Raat’ is one of the most brilliantly performed and has all signs of an awakening sexuality. Never before has sexuality been so brilliantly depicted without a hint of the vulgar as in the picturisations of this song. In it’s brilliance, it compares itself only to a similar performance by Madhubala in Mughal-E-Azam and Nargis in Barsaat.

Dev Anand as Tony pulls out all stops to portray effortlessly the negative side of man. The sly toothless grin, the twinkling eye, the friendly smile every gesture of this man points towards the eternal romantic except for the fact that somewhere behind the mask lurks a predator. This is vintage Dev, long before the actor got submerged in the star with the romantic persona and engrossing mannerisms. An actor out to prove his capability, Dev not only manages to portray his role to perfection but also in the process is able to create one of the most enduring and well-chiseled negative performances in Hindi Cinema. Look at the way, he creates his persona and seduces Maria. The soulful ballad, the charismatic persona, indeed Dev was the Casanova of Hindi Cinema

Johnny Walker impresses in a short cameo. Purnima plays the role of the wronged woman effortlessly. K N Singh is adequate. Rashid Khan shines in the role of the buffoon. Ram Singh however fades away in his depiction of Mr. Good in front of the incessant devilish charm of Dev.

S D Burman as usual is at his mesmerizing best. This was one of his first films in collaboration with Sahir Ludhianvi and went a long way in creating the magic that culminated in priceless classics like Sadhana and Pyaasa. Although each and every song in the film is a classic, the song that captures the imagination is undoubtedly the love ballad, ‘Yeh Raat, Yeh Chandni” serenaded by the great Hemant Kumar in his inimitable style. The song is seduction at his best as the singer croons,

“Ek Baar Chal Diye Jo Tujhe Pukaar Ke

Laut Kar Naa Aayenge Qaafile Bahaar Ke”

Listening to this song is magic… pure magic…. As if this was not enough, we have Lata Mangeshkar’s melancholic version of the same song, sung with pathos the way only Lata can. Then we have Geeta Dutt at her effervescent best in “Chori Chori Meri Gali”.

Guru Dutt is synonymous in Hindi Film as a director who dealt with the inner tribulations of a talent gone waste in a materialistic society but long before Guru Dutt acquired the reputation, he had actually earned his spurs directing what would be later considered as one of the finest psychological crime thrillers of Hindi Cinema. His ability to emerge deep into his characters and still manage to remain afloat enough to ensure that the film does not become a personal ego-trip is something today’s directors would do well to learn from. Right from the characterization of the lead pair to the game of seduction to the inevitable end, everything in the movie is perfect and it’s all thanks to the director who time and again reminds us that directors are not those who rely on camera angles but those who ensure that the film has a story worth the trouble. The director impresses with his take on the futility of human relationships in a world given to materialistic pursuits. Equally mesmerizing is his skill at using the fisherman’s net as a symbol of the human spider’s plotting and machinations.

Indeed a film for all connoisseurs; indeed a film for all viewers. Also a warning to all that not all that glitters is gold and not all who greet is a friend.