Manchali

A fairytale-ish Indian make-over of "Taming of the Shrew." A spoiled rich girl concocts a fake marriage to a coolie to inherit her late father's money. All would be fine but that her suspicious nature and uncontrolled temper, along with her fake-husband's antics, lead to a power struggle between the couple and increasing chaos that leads to an acceptably melodramatic ending.

Honestly, I just watched the movie for Sanjeev Kumar, and you get some great moments with him, but the movie itself was good too. The setup is nice, and the actors are perfectly cast. The movie surpassed my expectations, however, in the comedy that permeates two-thirds of the movie. Of course, kudos to Sanjeev Kumar for this - perfect timing and great believability - and a good support in Leena Chandravarkar.

All in all, though you know how the movie is going to end, it's a nice ride to go along with.

Having left the cinema just after ten minutes of watching "De Taali," which I must say I did not enjoy at all as it just didn't make any sense to me, I decided to watch this romantic comedy oldie from 1973 and it took me back to the times when as child I went to Bombay with my parents and had the opportunity to watch it for the first time in a cinema and feel the experience of watching it with an audience who would not hesitate to get up and dance to some good tunes as well as laugh out loudly to some jokes and funny scenes as well as get involved in fight scenes by showing their emotions. Of course in those days there were no multiplexes either and for a movie to be considered a "hit" it would have run successfully for over three weeks and over several weeks for it to be considered as a "silver jubilee hit." A spoilt rich girl who lives with her uncle and aunt in the Himalayan town Simla, hires a man who she doesn't even know never mind having met before, in order to get her family inheritance which has been handed over to her uncle, who is ailing. The man informs her that he is from a poor family and that he will only do this for money. But she informs him that soon after they get married, she will divorce him and she will ensure that he receives his money. But soon events take a twist and she finds herself falling in love.

Starring the late Sanjeev Kumar, Leena Chandvarkar (now Leena Ganguly, widow of the late Kishore Kumar), Nirupa Roy, Nazima, Manmohan and Krishnakant. This is directed by Raja Nawathe and is written by Krishan Chander and G.R. Kamath and is based on the novel by Satyendra Sharat, entitled "Sayamber." Leena Chandwarkar just looked gorgeous and played her part very well as did the late Sanjeev Kumar. The songs, though just a few, were good and worth listening to as well. The comedy side of this movie – well what can I say? Except that the cast just made it look simple and effective. One particular song that still sticks in my mind is "O Manchali Kaha Chali," sung by the late Kishore Kumar and the other being by the nightingale of India, Lata Manageshkar and the music by Laxmikant Pyarelal.

Conclusion: If you enjoy old movies and in particular a romantic comedy, then this is the one to watch.

Well, Manchali came out in mid-seventies. Manchali was a moderate hit. Those days almost all movies made won back the investments. There was no Television, leave alone Satellite channel. Amitabh Bachchan summed up that era and its apparent gloss very well when he had said 'Actors of our generation were lucky. They got enough time to seep into public mind. These days an actor remains in the living room of everyone for 24 hours. His weakness, his mannerism, his inability to dance all are exposed much before he gets ample chance to rectify himself. I think actors who succeed these days are far more talented than we were.'

Those days there were no USB port either. So things were generally slow. The movies were slow. They had to be. Since those days you couldn't possibly have made a 'dark docu drama on Bombay' which would keep everyone riveted with one's chair for 2 and 1/2 odd hours. You didn't know there are 'nuances of lesbianism to explore in most relationship'. You didn't even know or possibly didn't hear the word 'psychopath' a lot many times. But still if you had made a movie, you would have to keep guys riveted. Once in a week - possibly Sunday - everyone will wear their best Terrilyn trousers and maroon guru shirt and take out his sari and Ponds powder clad girl friend next door to a theater. That's the only thing you could do. There was no esselworld either! And as with any hip dressed lover from a conservative society, you need to give them ample time to just sit together. Romanticizing each other's warmth and - nothing else - for 2 and 1/3 odd hours.

So everyone made pretty much benchmarked standard stories, slow ones, predictable ones into even more slow movies which had to go on two and 1/2 odd hours. Raja Nawathe - director of Manchali - was certainly not a Shyam Benegal and he sticked to the 'formulae'(or as Herr Mogambo said later - 'phor mullah').

Manchali is that story you never actually read but know by heart. A rogue and spoilt girl from a rich family hires a husband who apparently is from a poor family for reason as obscure as 'her chacha is not exactly keeping well and she must get married'. Then she sleeps on the King sized bed with almost as much pillow material as needed to cover her flesh and makes the poor-guy-on-hire sleep on balcony. As it always happens when poor guys sleep on balcony - he became St Augustus. Surprizingly he used to know twist and charmed the friends of his 'wife' very quickly. This type of movie used to had (have) a stock scene where the poor-guy-on-hire will slap the rich-girl-gone-spoilt in front of everyone. That single slap will change the girl forever. After the guy will say something like 'Har ek laDki ko thik karne ke liye yeh hi ek dawa hai chachaji. Aapko yeh bahut pehle karna chahiye tha'

(This is the only medicine for all such spoilt gals Uncle. Wish you had utilized it before.)

Exactly at this point our guy on the theater will feel very much elated. Or at least confident having actually heard and watched something which he always believes in just because his dad had always believed in the same. If the girl was not 'anglo-indian' - 99% chances are she was just 'finishing her B.A.. And she would have continued munching the 'Macy's Popcorn' as silently as she can - often gulping down less fried corns lest she is heard munching those.

The movie ending is as predictable as watching Saurav Ganguly bat in off form or watch Steve Waugh bat in any form. To make it really interesting - as it is in Manchali - it will be revealed finally that the poor-guy-on-hire is actually something of a 'millionaire in Shillong'.

All's well that ends well.

Well, since there was not really a lot to think about during making of these movies - the directors always tried to persuade the music directors into composing very decent and hummable tunes.

LP was the duo who could compose one such tune as easily as you can switch channel in a 15 day old TV from upon your bed. They don't at all disappoint. The music is superb, Well, if you are one who never listened to anything other than Pink Floyd I apologize.

Leena was supple. But still very fleshy. Just like our girl in the theater was. When all you do is 'finishing B.A.' in public and munching popcorns as silently as possible on weekends inside a dark theater in private - you got to be fleshy. Well, unless you are - umm - an 'anglo-indian' in which case you'd be working in some office as 'stenographer' or 'secretary' (two pre-USB era jobs meaning the same) and would be branded as 'someone who will sleep with just everyone' by everyone else in the office.

Watch Manchali. It's fun. It's nostalgic. It belongs to an era when there was no USB or Gladrags Manhunt contests.

"Manchali" is basically a comedy where the hero brings an arrogant heroine into track. In between we have all the ingredients familiar from 70s romantic comedies like trains, goons, fights, songs. But all the things have a bit faded look which won't hold you much. Besides the dated and faded look, there is much of co incidences and overacting from Sanjeev Kumar. The heroine, Leena Chandrawarkar, doesn't look impressive and others also don't leave their mark. As a whole, the film doesn't raise above average but isn't even that bad. If you're a fan of 70s movies, there is a bit of fun and story for you which makes it watchable.

Rating: 1 star out of 4

A movie made well ahead of times. Contract Marriage, a subject quite new for early seventies. Director Raja Navathe managed to keep it simple for family viewing. Sanjeev Kumar and Leena Chandrawarkar are good. Others have virtually nothing to do. Fantastic music by LP for songs; 1) O Manchali, 2) Mile Kahin Do Ajnabi, 3) Gam Ka Fasana, 4) Tan Man Dhan Sab Hai Tera, 5) Kali Kali Choome. Watch it if you get a chance to.