Ek Musafir Ek Hasina

Ek Musafir Ek Hasina (a traveller and a belle) tells a story of a man's amnesia happening twice in his life which was later repeated in several Bollywood movies. I don't know the source of the basic grains of this script, however the writer-director, Raj Khosla has been able to present it in a highly impressive and entertaining manner.

The main protagonist of the story is a military officer, Lieutenant Ajay Mehra (Joy Mukherjee) who is sent on the Kashmir front in November 1947 to fight the Pakistani invaders disguised as Kabaayalis (tribals). He comes across a young bride-to-be who is fleeing for her life after the attack of the Kabaayalis at her marriage venue. While saving her life, he gets himself injured and loses his memory. The girl, Aasha (Saadhna) cares for him, taking the help of a child, Abdulla (Master Aziz ). The hero, not able to remember even his own name, leave aside the other things, soon finds himself in love with the heroine who is hesitant to respond to his advances considering that her marriage has, in the eyes of the world, taken place and socially she is a married woman (though the rites essential for a Hindu marriage through the Vedic system were not completed). She returns to her home and tells her elder uncle (she is an orphan, fostered by uncles and aunts) that neither the marital rites were fully performed, nor the groom and his greedy father are deserving people who had taken her all bridal ornaments and fled away from there, leaving her at the mercy of the invaders. Now the conscience of the uncle does not allow him to send his beloved niece with her so-called in-laws who are back to take her with them. When they try to take her away forcefully, the hero, already searching for his beloved, arrives there but the ensuing fight leads to his arrest. He escapes from the police van and moves to Bombay in search of his true identity because he had seen the label of a tailoring shop of Bombay on one of his shirts.

Now starts the second half where the hero is not able to reach the desired shop because now it's been closed and replaced by a hotel but suddenly and unwillingly he gets involved in a clash with some bank robbers who are fleeing away after committing the robbery. He gets another head injury which brings back his lost memory (of his life prior to the first injury) but now another partial amnesia has taken place with him due to which he has lost memory of everything that has happened between these two injuries. The bank robbers are now relieved to find that due to this memory loss, the protagonist who now knows that he's Lieutenant Ajay Mehra of the Indian army, cannot identify them. Still, being habitual criminals, they cannot take any chances. On the other hand, the hero's cousin who was dreaming to usurp his property, considering him dead, is stunned at his return. There is a mysterious woman also who is linked to both this greedy cousin as well as the ringleader of the robbers. So there is a threat to the hero's life from more than one side. One more woman who is actually the wife of one of the robbers, also approaches the hero, claiming to be his wife. The web of conspiracy against the hero seems to be getting more and more intricate.

Since his photograph alongwith the interesting tale of his memory loss and regaining the same, has been published in the national newspapers, Aasha comes to know about him and she reaches Bombay to check his welfare. But the tragedy is that he has forgotten her too due to this second amnesia. The story reaches its happy ending (the union of the lovers post the arrest of the robbers) after many thrilling moments and twists in the tale.

This movie is, in fact, a two-in-one entertainment. While the first half is dedicated to music and romance and studded with melodious and touching songs, the second half is a fast-paced thriller studded with checks and checkmates between the criminals, the hero and the Bombay police. Thus the two halves of the movie render two different types of entertainment to the audience.

Raj Khosla has extracted good performances from the artists though chocolaty hero, Joy Mukherjee was not fit for anger and action (he's the best bet for romancing). Saadhna is not just gorgeous, she has acted well too. Actually a Sindhi, Saadhna completely fits the bill of a Kashmiri girl in the movie. Her trademark hairdo (the famous Saadhna-cut for ladies' hair) is visible in a few sequences of the movie and a normal hairdo in the remaining part. The supporting cast and the baddies are more or less OK.

O.P. Nayyar has given the music of a lifetime for this movie. While the first half contains melodies like - Mujhe Dekh Kar Aapka Muskuraana, Bahut Shukriya Badi Meherbaani, Aap Yun Hi Agar Humse Milte Rahe, Tumhen Mohabbat Hai Humse Maana, Humko Tumhaare Ishq Ne Kya Kya Bana Diya and my favourite - Phir Tere Sheher Mein Lutne Ko Chala Aaya Hoon; the second half contains some situational songs alongwith a great duet of Rafi and Asha - Aye Yaar Zulfon Waale Dildaar Zulfon Waale which is the climax of the movie. The album also contains a rare gem of Rafi - Main Pyar Ka Raahi Hoon which I did not find in the movie.

Now-a-days anything is shown by the Bollywood movie makers in the name of entertainment. If somebody who is going to make a movie, really wants to know how an entertaining movie is made for the Indian audience, he should watch this movie and meet Ek Musafir (Joy Mukherjee) and Ek Hasina (Saadhna).

Ek Musafir Ek Hasina (1961) : Brief Review -

A Raj Khosla Romantic Spy thriller that goes Random Harvest (1942) way, just to find preachy Indian drama right. Musafir Ek Hasina what a box office smash as I can guess why. It has a typical romantic plot with a memory loss term and then adds spy elements and woman's tragedy in to make it look emotional-enough drama for Hindi audiences, I guess. The film is about Ajay, who is sent on a mission right after the independence, but ends up getting injured while saving a Kashmiri girl, Asha. She takes good care of him but he suffer some memory loss and then they fall in love. One more crisis appears when Ajay leaves for Bombay yo find his past and gets injured again to lose his memory again. In a rare medical phenomenon of amnesia, he regains his old memory but forgets all about the last 6 months he spent with Asha. Amidst a gang trying to kill him for their secret, Asha comes back to help him regain his memory but Ajay goes testifies against her. Now, that's an interesting plot until it gets preachy in the last half hour. Things look too simple and predictable there and then you know, the happy ending and all that. Nevertheless, it held me for two and a half hours. There were too many songs, though, all slow paced. A typical OP Nayyar album, but I'd been more happy with at least one energetic romantic chartbuster. Joy Mukherjee plays his part well, but it's Sadhana who steals the show. I don't know why she was Khosla's favorite, but he made her look so good on the screen. A complete exposure of a superstar and a super talented actress on celluloid. Rajendra Nath and Dhumal's jodi adds a few laughters-nothing hilarious, though. The screenplay, cinematography and editing are on par level. Khosla's romantic spy thriller lacks excitement and suspense, but not engagement. Overall, a good entertainer for its time, but nothing for the future audience.

RATING - 6/10*

By - #samthebestest.