Kissise Na Kehna

Hrishikesh Mukherjee made many simple slice of the life films and this one is no different.

Due to circumstances, the father (Utpal Dutt) concocts theory that English speaking educated girls are bad and goes on a quest to find a simpleton instead. It is this that forms the crux, add to it a rotating cast of characters and you have a comic film. The director doesn't surprisingly dwell much on the question of whether westernization is affecting the Indian culture in negative ways and what he purports to be the answer (nary a statement here and there via Utpal Dutt's mouth on this complex dilemna).

But then, Hrishikesh Mukerjee was there to entertain the viewer and probably had that thing in mind first and foremost. What does let this film down is the sound score. Bappi Lahiri was no Salil Chaudhary(composer for his classic 'Anand' ) or equivalent to Shankar Jaikishan (composer for his film Anari).

A typical movie centred around Utpal Dutt where he is allergic to his daughter-in-law knowing English, as he considers such woman, to be non traditional and outgoing. There is another movie of Utpal Dutt as actor and Hrikesh Mukherjee as director called 'Golmaal' which centres around a similar theme where Uptpal Dutt does not like a man without a moustache. The team of such movies remains the same Hrikesh-Mukherjee-Utpal Dutt. A simple, comic and captivating movie till the end. Acting by all the actors has been excellent, top of the heap being Utpal Dutt. Another pair of actors Faroukh Shaikh & Deepti Naval have also acted in numerous films of this genre like Chashme Buddoor directed by Sai Paranjpe. In essence it is a movie with Hrikesh Mukherjee trademark, which in fact had prompted me to watch it in the first place, although this movie was not as popular as his other movies, but was equally good.

This is another one in the genre of sweet home comedies built out of nothing or minimal events. The idea here is a father (Utpal Dutt) who wants her daughter-in-law to not be english speaking because he feels that those don't follow the traditional value system.

Thus Deepti Naval, a doctor, marries to Farooq Shaikh in disguise of being a village-girl and the story goes on, eventually having the father realise that his idea about english-educated females was incorrect.

Of course the idea here is not so relevant. It is the simply comic situations that get created one after the other. Its a hilarious movie but doesn't create big laughters. The movie does not stand out as a great comedy or a great movie in any sense but is surely a worth watch because its a great combination of nice script, nice direction, nice acting etc. It has everything good though nothing great.

This is very below par effort from Hrishikesh Mukherjee, who has delivered good comic, serious and sometimes naiughty movies too. Inspite of having a rich star cast, the movie fails to connect with the audience.

Director Hrishikesh Mukherjee had made a classic comedy in the form of Chupke Chupke (1975) presenting the Hindi vs. English debate amidst a laugh-riot for the audience. After a few years, he again dealt with this theme with a different story, focussing on English this time (Chupke Chupke focused on Hindi). This movie which is also a comedy, is Kissi Se Na Kehna (1983) starring the red hot pair of that time - Farooq Sheikh and Deepti Naval in lead roles with Uptal Dutt being at the centre of the story.

Kissi Se Na Kehna (don't tell it to anybody) is the story of a widower - Kailashnaath (Utpal Dutt) who is searching for a bride for his grown-up son - Ramesh (Farooq Sheikh). Since he finds certain English educated girls as totally Westernized in their outlook, life-style and behaviour; he decides to marry his son to a girl who does not know English. This decision of his puts Ramesh into trouble because he is in love with a medico - Dr. Ramola (Deepti Naval). His father's friend - Laalaji (Saeed Jaaffery) helps him by presenting Ramola as a totally naive and modestly educated village girl who has no knowledge of English and the love-birds get happily married.

But as the story progresses with hilarious incidents in the family of Kailaashnaath involving his interactions with his daughter-in-law, Ramola starts feeling guilty because she is a lady who believes in truth and it hurts his conscience that she is lying to her father-in-law (who also believes as much in truth only and hates lie in similar quantum). She wants to reveal the truth to Kailaashnaath but Ramesh stops her for the sake of the family bliss. However the day comes when Kailaashnaath needs medical aid and with no alternative around, Ramola only attends him in her professional capacity of a doctor. After some emotional tension, the story concludes on a happy note.

Kissi Se Na Kehna is not a laugh-riot as Chupke Chupke but it entertains the audience throughout its duration. Set in a simple milieu, this low budget and neat 'n' clean movie tickles the funny bone of the viewers for most of its duration and generates smile on their lips. Though, in my view, the script of this movie is not as strong as it should have been considering the theme; nevertheless it is an appreciable movie which can be watched with complete family. The seasoned director has done his job well despite not-so-strong script.

The points raised by Kailaashnaath are genuine and valid. He is not against English as a language because in his opinion (and in my opinion too), every language is divine. He is against the imposition of English relegating our own cultural and lingual heritage. When several nations could progress by relying on their own languages instead of English, why can't India ? The imposition of English as a medium of Education as well as a language of public dealings is nothing but a sign of our mental slavery to the Western culture.

However the director has very wisely shown Kailaashnaath as realizing his error of discarding English and English-literate females altogether because despite being a highly qualified and English-educated lady, Ramola has proved to be a perfect daughter-in-law for his family, giving utmost respect to the elders and soaking herself in the Indian cultural values. Her guilt-complex of lying to her father-in-law itself is a sign of her inner piety. And that's the point which needs to be understood to bring about the required balance in our outlook and behaviour with respect to the issue of English vis-a-vis our mother-tongue (Hindi in this movie).

Technically, the movie is all right because it is a simple movie devoid of lavishness. Lengh is perfect. Music composed by Bappi Lahiri is another weak point of this movie.

The title of this movie has been taken from a song of another Farooq-Deepti starrer Saath-Saath (1982). Farooq and Deepti made a lovely on-screen pair and presented some memorable movies during the early eighties. In Kissi Se Na Kehna too, their on-screen chemistry is perfect. The story revolves around Deepti and she has delivered another admirable performance. Farooq as a man caught between his wife and his father is not far behind. Saeed Jaaffery and other supporting cast members are perfectly in place. The best performer is, undoubtedly, the seasoned actor Utpal Dutt who is all pervasive in the movie.

On the occasion of Hindi Day, I reiterate the viewpoint of Kailaashnaath that every language is divine and respectable. However let's not forget that it's our mother tongue in which we learn to speak, listen, understand and interact, may it be Hindi or Bengali or Oriya or Tamil or Telugu or Kannada or Malayam or Maraathi or Assamese or likewise. And therefore, it deserves more respect than English which though necessary for life, is ultimately a foreign language only. And mother tongue is just like mother to a human-being. Despite loving, respecting and giving importance to his wife very much, a married man cannot allow her to supersede his mother. That's my view.

I recommend Kissi Se Na Kehna wholeheartedly to all the movie buffs.