Dil Hi To Hai (1964)

Dil Hi To Hai is what in Bollywood masala classification, one would call a "Muslim social musical", made probably in 1964. It was directed by P.L. Santoshi (father of today's well known director, Raj Kumar Santoshi) along with D. Rawal. The film had two well-known stars and actors of Hindi cinema - Raj Kapoor and Nutan, that made for an unusual pair. The film boasted of beautiful music by Roshan, including one of most popular classical and sufi songs ever of Hindi songs by Manna Dey, Laga chunneri mein daag chuppaon kaise.

Synopsis

The film starts with Nawab saheb (Hari Shivdasani, yesteryears' actress Sadhana's father) and his wife, Begum (Dulari) discussing the imminent return to home of their son Yusuf. Since all their children died shortly after birth, to save guard his life, Yusuf had been sent to Begum's brother's (Shiv Raj) house for 3 years. Thus, they had not seen their son for the last three years. They were sending 300 rupees per month to Begum's brother for Yusuf's up keep.

After the theatrical opening scene that explains the background, the scene shifts to a railway station where Begum's brother and his wife (Manorama) are waiting for their train with two 3 year old children. Their own son Sheiku and Nawab's son Yusuf. While Sheikhu receives love from his mother, Yusuf is treated badly. For them Yusuf is just a source of money.

There is another widow waiting for the train at the station (Leela Chitnis) whose young son has died. Once again, in a theatrical setting, dialogues between Begum's brother and his wife explain all the situation so that the widow can hear the whole story. Widow and Yusuf fall asleep on the railway station. When train comes, the others leave, having decided that they will propose their own son Sheikhu as Yusuf, so that he can grow in a rich house!

Shiekhu grows up as Yusuf in Nawab's house and becomes a man (Pran) who likes his women and drinks. The real Yusuf grows with the widow as Chand (Raj Kapoor) an aspiring singer. Yusuf who is actually Sheikhu wants to marry Jameela (Nutan), beautiful and rich daughter of Nawab's friend (Nazeer Hussein) but Jameela is mad after the singer Chand and asks her father that she would like to learn singing from Chand.

Yusuf understanding the danger of losing Jameela to handsome Chand, is determined to find an old singing teacher for her. In the city their is a music concert and the famous singer Bade Ghulam Ali Khan does not arrive. Chand is asked to step in dressed as an old man and he sings in Khan saheb's place. Yusuf asks Chand, dressed as Khan saheb to be the singing teacher for Jameela.

Now as Khan saheb, Chand can regularly meet Jameela and they fall in love. After many songs and dances, with dramatic dialogues of Nazir Hussein asking his daughter to save his khandaan ki izzat, marriage between Jameela and Yusuf is fixed. However, Bahar (Sabita Chatterjee), the kind hearted prostitute who is expecting a child from Yusuf, tells the truth about philandering ways of Yusuk/Sheikhu. The widow, who has taken care of Chand/Yusuf, finally seeing Begum with her brother and sister-in-law, tells the whole story about the abandoned child at the railway station. Yusuf, trying to run away, fires from his revolver and by accident kills his real mother, who before dying confesses every thing to Nawab. Sheikhu-Yusuf (Pran) is taken away by the police and Chand-Yusuf (Raj Kapoor) gets the hand of lovely Jameela (Nutan).

Comments

The story has all the usual twists and convenient "by chance" happenings common to masala films but it is done in a theatrical manner, showing the bad script and direction. The whole set-up is made Muslim just for giving some space to Urdu dialogues, which are not really good. Hari Shivdasani as Nawab, does not fit the role, he sounds like a Sindhi. Nazir Hussein, who fits his role much better, repeats the same expression and dialogues that would later become his trademark in many similar films for his whole acting life.

Nutan, just fresh from a powerhouse performance in Bimal Roy's "Bandini", looks beautiful in light comedy role but at times seems contrived and repetitive. She is shown going around in sarees without any burqa except for one scene near the end, where she goes to see the sick Chand at his home.

When the film was made, Raj Kapoor, already had a series of impressive works like Jagte Raho, Awara, Shree 420, etc. and is made to impersonate the Awara/Shree 420 persona once again. His impersonation of the old Khan saheb, that lasts for a major portion of the film is done with great gusto and is the one major pleasure of the film. His Khan persona was copied later by Rajendra Kumar in "Arzoo" and his masquerade as a singer near the end of the film was copied in some Manmohan Desai films in the seventies and early eighties.

Other actors like Pran, Agha, etc. are just adequate. Manorama was already busy making faces even in this film. Over all the film seems like a missed opportunity, in spite of the two wonderful actors, Raj Kapoor and Nutan and their unusual pairing. It could have been much better film with a more imaginative direction and tighter script. Probably the producer and director wanted to save money and time, so many shots are repeated, especially during the songs. For example, there are 2-3 songs shot in Brindavan gardens. During the song, Tumhari mast nazar gar idhar nahin hoti, shots of water coming up and rising up from the fountain are repeated so many times that they become irritating.

The best thing about the film is its music by Roshan. The songs are wonderful with simple lyrics by Sahir Ludhyanvi - Tum agar mujhko na chaho to koi baat nahin, Gusse mein jo nikla hai us husn ka kya kehna, Bhule se mohabbat kar betha nadaan hai bechara dil hi to hai, Tumhari mast nazar gar idhar nahin hoti,Paarda uthe salaaam ho jaye, Dil jo bhi kahega maan hi lenghe, Nigahein milane ko ji chaata hai and of course the famous Manadey gem of a song, Laaga chunri mein daag chupaon kaise. When the film finishes, the film is easily forgotten but the songs remain in your heart and your lips for a long time.