Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
As part of our ‘Retro Review’ series on Hindi films from the past, we revisit ‘Bombai Ka Babu’, a classic that flirted with many controversial themes, including incest, and redefined the concept of crime and punishment.
- Film: Bombai Ka Babu (1960)
- Cast: Dev Anand, Suchitra Sen, Achala Sachdev, Dhumal, Nazir Hussain, Rashid Khan
- Director: Raj Khosla
- Box-Office Status: Flop
- Where to Watch: YouTube
- Why to Watch: For a complex plot way ahead of its time; a dark, anti-hero Dev Anand, and Suchitra Sen’s last great performance in a black-and-white Bollywood film; and SD Burman’s multi-genre music
- Moral of the Story: The most difficult thing to betray in this world is your own conscience.
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Suchitra Sen is trying to pluck flowers from a tree in a meadow in the Kangra valley. Lying in the grass, Dev Anand gapes at her with a half-open mouth and a roguish glint in his eyes. Cinematographer Jal Mistry’s camera lingers on Suchitra Sen for eternity– it tantalises with glimpses of her curves, and teases with flashes of her mesmerising smile.
A hopelessly smitten Dev Anand plucks a flower and puts it in Suchitra’s hair.
“What did you do–you know unmarried girls do not put flowers?” she asks earnestly.
“Flowers add to a woman’s beauty,” he replies. Suchitra’s eyes widen, confusion flashes through them. “There is a difference between a woman,” she says in a quivering voice, “and a sister.”
And thus begins the central conflict of the film–Dev Anand’s love for a woman who is supposed to be his sister (but isn’t). In the hands of a less accomplished writer, director and actors, this dilemma that verges on incest could have induced moral aversion, even guilt for watching it unfold on the screen. But Raj Khosla – one of the most underrated directors of Hindi cinema – handles it with nuanced finesse, creating a masterpiece that starts with a complex question and ends with the only morally correct and satisfying solution.
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In a career spanning four decades, Raj Khosla delivered several memorable films, starting with ‘CID’ and reaching the pinnacle of his glory with the Nutan classic ‘Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki’. In the initial years, the central theme of his movies was the conflict created by one of the lead characters, who isn’t what they’re supposed to be.
His trilogy starring Sadhana is a classic example. In ‘Mera Saaya’, Sadhana is supposed to be an ally of dacoits, but she isn’t. In ‘Woh Kaun Thi’, she is supposed to be a ghost, but she isn’t, and in ‘Anita’, she is supposed to be dead, but she isn’t. ‘Bombai Ka Babu’ takes this theme forward with a minor change. Dev Anand (Babu) pretends to be the separated-in-childhood son of Shahji (Nazeer Hussai), and brother of Suchitra Sen. But, he is just a murderer on the run. To conceal his identity, he agrees to a village thug’s plan to pretend to be Shahji’s son with the objective of decamping with the old man’s savings.
Khosla was known for making films with a focus on women, especially those who lead with their moral power, even when their actions lead to avoidable pain. In ‘Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki’, Nutan fights for the rights of her husband’s illegitimate child even when her own son feels slighted.
In ‘Bombai Ka Babu’, Suchitra Sen is the moral beacon. When she becomes suspicious of Dev Anand’s identity, she tries to maintain the sanctity of the perceived relationship, leading to tension and drama. But these confrontations are subtle and are carried forward by fine metaphors.
Suchitra Sen acted in very few Hindi films. ‘Bombai Ka Babu’ was initially signed by Madhubala, who later pulled out because of her health. But it is difficult to imagine ‘Bombai Ka Babu’ without her. Starting out as a playful girl happy to see her ‘brother’ return home, she transforms into a resolute woman intent on doing what is morally right with the imperious dignity which defined her off-screen persona.
In a dramatic scene, she attempts to tie a rakhi on his wrist, while Dev Anand tries to convey the depth of his love. Khosla dresses up Suchitra in a white saree–a signature scene in most of his films–and sets her up as a perfect contrast to Dev Anand, who is dressed in black. In another, Dev Anand enters Suchitra’s room while she is standing in front of a mirror.
Watching him through the corner of her eyes, she pulls a dupatta over her shoulders. Such nuances make the complex plot poetic and poignant–it also makes the viewer empathise with both Suchitra and Dev Anand, understand their dilemmas, taking the drama to a point where any resolution would have been acceptable.
Will they get married? Will Babu sink further into a dark abyss?
The film ends with a song – Mukesh’s immortal ‘Chal Ri Sajni Ab Kya Soche’ – another bold move that was far ahead of its time. The song is interspersed with a brief interaction between Dev Anand and Suchitra Sen.
Suchitra emotes with her eyes. Dev Anand listens in silence as she speaks in her trembling voice. In the end, what is left unsaid makes you feel for them, perhaps even cry. Yet you are tempted to applaud their dignity, the courage to follow the path of redemption, and the ability to listen to their conscience and not their hearts.
PS: The music of the film captures every conceivable human emotion–pain of separation, joy of reunion, love, confusion and even anger. SD Burman and Majrooh Sultanpuri combine to create several timeless classics. But, the problem with the album is this: one of its best songs isn’t an original composition.
‘Dekhne Main Bhola’, rendered by Asha Bhonsle, is a perfect example of Punjabiat – a foot-tapping number with OP Nayyar-type rhythm that evokes vivid images of Punjabi belles performing giddha with energetic claps and giddying swirls. Unfortunately, SD Burman lifted it from a Telugu song, without giving credit to the original composer.
If only Burman Da’s moral compass were set by Suchitra Sen’s character, the joy of listening to Bombai Ka Babu would not have been marred by discomforting thoughts of plagiarism.
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
