Laila Majnu

Laila Majnu is a fairly average film. Rishi Kapoor performs his role well but is limited by the scope of the story which doesn't quite pull off the tragic love story theme. Ranjeeta delivers a decent performance in this her debut film. The rest of the cast is just ok.

The real surprise of the film are the songs by Mohammad Rafi composed by Madan Mohan. The Director and Rishi Kapoor had wanted Shailendra Singh to sing the songs but Madan Mohan put his foot down and said only Rafi would sing his songs otherwise he would quit the project. The Director eventually agreed and Rafi was signed.

Rafi is superb in every single song and, although he was around 50 at the time, he moulded his voice to suit Rishi Kapoor (who was around 20) and the result was mesmerising - it was a perfect match! Kishore Kumar had become the top Bollywood playback singer in the early 70s but the songs of this film in 1976 re-established Rafi as the top singer until his death in 1980. Tere Dar Pe Aya Hoon, Iss Reshmi Pazeb and Barbaad e Mohabat are all outstanding songs by Rafi and show why he is a true singing genius. Because of the music, an average film got elevated to blockbuster status.

For the overly critical, you have to remember this is 70s Bollywood guys ...

Great storytelling, excellent and elaborate sets, fantastic music (if you like that genre and time period)

Rishi Kapoor and Ranjeeta play really good roles and I for one, absolutely loved this movie as a kid. Looking back now, of course you can poke holes and cringe at the 70s but it still was (and is) a great timeless story.

Besides, the best kind of love stories are tragedies are they not... Love found, love lost only to find each other in eternity....

Typical of the era, the music and songs do not disappoint and elaborate sequences really make this a timeless classic.

Love love love it! Lol maybe I'm biased but then again isn't that the whole point... Who looks at 70s Bollywood objectively? And if you do, I think you are kind of missing the whole point.

Review By Kamal K

Laila Majnu" offers within its 19 reel, lavish sets, glittering desert exteriors, an elaborate fantasy sequence, and gorgeous costumes. It all makes for an eye-catching pageant, except that the pageant often looks closer to being a comedy than a tragic tale of star-crossed lovers. For a tale of intense love and hate, director H. S. Rawail's film generally strikes incongruous notes.

The lovers' first meeting in the market place promises a forceful depiction of the first stirring of love, but, the sequence peters out when you see Kais (Rishi Kapoor) appearing and disappearing as if by magic. Later, during his nocturnal visits into Laila's (Ranjeeta) bedroom, he recites verses like one who was doing it without knowing the meaning of the lines.

Next, there is the fantasy sequence, which turns out to be an exercise in matching naive visuals with pedestrian lyrics (written by Sahir Ludhianvi). The lovers' silent meeting at the Dargah captures for a moment the intensity of their love. Perhaps part of the effectiveness of the scene is due to the fact that it comes close, on the heels of a particularly loud 'qawwali' with Kais making a full throated contribution-although you have earlier seen him wandering in the desert for days without food or water.

If the film fails to capture the intensity of love, it fails equally in projecting the hostility between the respective families of the lovers - the main cause behind the tragedy. The violent confrontations which should have been telling omens of the impending doom, are reduced to clowning by Kais's friends (Asrani, Paintal, etc.). The last duel between Kais and Tabrez (Ranjeet), Laila's brother, borders on a caricature.

Ranjeeta makes a convincing Laila, despite being a bit heavy with her dialogue and she manages aided by effective makeup to provide a measure of pathos in her later scenes. Rishi Kapoor as Majnu-Kais is effective in serious moments but looks awkward during the song sequences. As the prince who marries Laila, Danny turns in a sympathetic performance.

The music is unimpressive with the exception of Koi Pathar sai na marey and so is the dialogue which keeps swinging between Urdu and Hindustani, occasionally threatening to lapse into Bombay Hindi.