A backyard or mohalla romance. gentle as afternoon tea. almost a college sketch in its upbeat mood.
three student roomies - Rakesh Bedi, Farooq Sheikh, Ravi Vaswani. some gr8 camaraderie over cigarettes, used bike, girlie magazines, music, bare bachelor pad, and very little money. Money orders arrive, and as their money supply goes up, the brand of smokes improves. Syed Jaffrey - the local corner shopwallah, spewing shayari-flavored gaalis. The trios addiction to udhar ki cigarette.
farooq sheikh - the sharif-ladka types, serious student. The other two have many schemes for shikar (read girls), such as lacy handkerchiefs ’found and returned’, all of them end when the girl’s big brother, or other kabab mein haddi turns up.
ever seen Delhi so empty ? kaunsi mohalla hai yeh? and yet I recognize shades of Vasant vihar. some beautiful green parks and empty sun-soaked lanes free of traffic and ppl- where is this magical Delhi?
minimal sets, small budgets, sideline actors, except Syed Jaffrey.
A raw finish, yet surprisingly keen eye on humor in situations. Rakesh in the park, envying other couples. The nude poster covered over hastily with a towel, when the unexpected female turns up at the bachelor paradise.
Miss Chamko scene where Farooq meets Deepti selling detergent-the awkwardness reaches its height when Hum Tum Ek Kamre Mein Band Ho starts playing. Vaswani and rakesh trying to patao various ’kya cheez thi’s’ and failing. Deepti absorbed in song reverie at the bus-stop, heedless of snickering bus-mates. The opening scene with the single cigarette being passed around hand to toe.
Was this Sai Paranjpye’s maiden directorial effort? I hav no idea. her daughter appears in a brief cameo.
P’pye excels in creating those little middle-class gharelu pastorals - the father reading the paper, the dadi making quilts, while Deepti proposes to bring in her young man to meet the family. And she’s got the bachelor heaven all mapped out - walls covered in girlie posters, playboy mags, bare bones furniture, and overflowing ashtrays, while the underclothed trio in shorts lounge around daydreaming.
gr8 classical score wraps up this reverie- Jesudas sinigng some deep resonant songs - Kaali ghodi dwar khadi..makes u smile.. Kahan se aaye badra, ghulta jaaye kajra... made me shed a small tear for life’s first big disappointment.
As usual, a rift will be created, betw the hero and heroine. Farooq really excels as the hot and bothered doubtful lover.
The climax - Mme director doesnt want to reduce it to a realistic film. but doesnt know where the story can go - be dramatic yet upbeat - the ending turns slapstick.
The eighties were bad time for clothes everywhere, but Deepti’s outfits really take the cake. Never noticed it the first viewing, some 20 yrs back. Now it makes me wince.
glad to tell u ppl that even after 20 yrs, it still is a treat to watch