Sorry to appear misleading, but I’m not talking about the latest talk-of-the-town, Neha Dhupia’s Julie, but its more illustrious namesake predecessor which was released about 29 years ago. Yes, I’m referring to the 1975 hit by producer B. Nagi Reddy and director K.S. Sethu Madhavan starring the popular southern star, Laxmi.
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The plot:
Julie (Laxmi) is an Anglo-Indian girl who stays in the railway quarters with her parents, Morris (Om Prakash) who is an engine driver and mother Margaret (Nadira). Margaret is extremely proud of her roots and considers herself as an Englishwoman, with a sneering attitude towards anything Indian. Morris is a beer-loving bumbler who is content in his own world. Their eldest son takes after the mother’s attitude and migrates to England. That leaves Julie, her younger sister (young Sridevi in a surprise appearance) and younger brother.
Julie is a beautiful, sensitive and loving girl. She and her father have different views from that of her mother. They are happy in their present surroundings and do not want to migrate.
Usha (Rita Bhaduri) is Julie’s best friend and daughter of the railway engineer Mr. Bhattacharya, who happens to be Morris’ boss. Julie is quite fascinated by the close-knit homely atmosphere in Usha’s family which is so different from the tension created by the drunken brawls between her parents. At the same time, she respects their orthodox Hindu sentiments and keeps her distance.
Usha’s brother, Shashi (Vikram) returns home after his studies. Soon Julie and Shashi get attracted towards each other. Julie starts avoiding her fiancé (Jalal Agha) – very effectively depicted in the prom night sequence. After things heat up between the two, Julie finds herself pregnant. The efforts of her mother to hush up the matter seem a bit far-fetched as Julie is sent away on some pretext until her delivery, the child is packed off to an orphanage. Luckily all’s well that ends well as things get sorted out to everyone’s satisfaction.
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Performances:
Laxmi in the title role breathes life into the character of Julie. She sensitively portrays the emotions of a girl who falls in love at a young age and is prepared to pay any price for it.
Vikram as Shashi is passable in a sketchy role.
Able support is provided by Om Prakash, Sridevi, Rita Bhaduri and others.
The star of the show however is Nadira as Julie’s assertive Anglo-Indian mother. Her dialogue delivery and body language are perfectly tuned to character and she leaves a lasting impression on the viewer.
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Music:
The music by debutante Rajesh Roshan is the highlight of the film. Even after a quarter of a century, many of the tracks remain memorable:
“Bhool gaya sab kuch – Julie I love you” by Kishore and Lata remains one of the best among Bollywood sensuous bedroom songs.
“Ye raatein nayi purani” by Lata is a soothing ballroom dance number.
“Dil kya kare jab kisise” by Kishore has some haunting interludes which create a romantic atmosphere.
The bhajan by Asha Bhosle and Usha Mangeshkar “Tu shyam mera saancha naam tera” has a philosophical edge laced in some pleasant tunes.
The innovation however is in the first English song in Bollywood – “My heart is beating” by Preeti Sagar. This number fits perfectly in the Anglo-Indian milieu.
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Final Comments:
The social distance felt by the Anglo-Indian community as they face the dilemma between their English and Indian ancestry is a real factor which earlier generations used to experience. The tensions of love trespassing the socio-religious barriers are often quite clichéd in Hindi cinema. But in Julie, the Anglo-Indian streak brings in an interesting angle not seen in such plots.
This film won three Filmfare awards in 1975, for the best actress (Laxmi), best supporting actress (Nadira) and best music director (Rajesh Roshan). Though I haven’t really seen the new film Julie, going by the reviews it does not appear to be a patch on the original. At least I can safely say that it won’t win any Filmfare awards…. Or can I?