C.I.D.

Newspaper editor Shrivastav, who is against the criminals being murdered as per the order of the head of the criminals. Inspector Shekhar was appointed to find out the anonymous main culprit of this murder.

A 50's crime thriller with a stunning soundtrack. As a Dev Anand fan I always wanted to watch the film though I wasn't had much interest earlier. Because I thought this would be another crime thriller surrounded by just suspense. But I was completely wrong. This film is not just a way ahead of its time, but also a complete package of entertainment.

This film marked one of Dev Anand's early successes, showcasing his charm and impeccable acting skills. Known for his perfection in crime thrillers during the golden era, Dev Anand shines in this one. Shakila caught my attention with her stunning looks and impressive acting, particularly in the first half. Johnny Walker's breakout role may not have been as exceptional as his other performances, possibly due to it being one of his early career roles. Nonetheless, he never fails to entertain the audience, and his chemistry with Kumkum is a highlight. While K. N. Singh usually plays the villain in crime thrillers of the 50s, this film takes a different approach. Debutant Waheeda Rehman delivers an impressive performance, even though I feel that a negative role may not have been the best fit for her at such a young age. Nevertheless, she looks breathtakingly beautiful, captivating the audience with her intoxicating eyes. Despite not being paired as a couple, the chemistry between Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman is still enjoyable to watch. Mehmood takes on a serious role, deviating from his usual comedic characters, and Tun Tun also makes a brief appearance. Minoo Mumtaz and Sheela Vaz showcase their dancing talents in two numbers, with Minoo's performance in 'Boojh Mera Kya Naam Re' leaving a lasting impression. She truly added soul to the song.

The plot is not much of a thriller compared to today's films. But way ahead of the 50's. Usually these crime thrillers have serious thriller scenes with less entertainment and music. But this film is the opposite. I really appreciate how Raj Khosla managed to keep the entertainment of the film while making it a serious crime thriller as well.

I loved the song picturization. Especially in the closeup shots, the actresses look breathtakingly beautiful. Also impressed by the choreography by Zohra Sehgal in the songs. It's so simple though, bringing many emotions to the song picturization.

The film's standout star is O. P. Nayyar, who created a super hit album and background score. While not entirely impressed with the score, the brilliant soundtrack compensates for it. Among my favorites from the film are 'Boojh Mera Kya Naam Re' , 'Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan' , 'Leke Pehla Pehla Pyaar' , and 'Kahin Pe Nigaahen Kahin Pe Nishaana'. Unfortunately, the best song, 'Jaata Kahaan Hai Dewaane', was removed, but its intro is used in the background score. 'Leke Pehla Pehla Pyaar' has two versions, one happy and the other sad. Not a single bad song can be found in the film, and I would consider this one of Nayyar's finest works. I also appreciate how the lyrics of 'Kahin Pe Nigaahen Kahin Pe Nishaana' accurately match the scenes, with Kamini urging Shekhar to run away as the villain Daramadas approaches. Majrooh Sultanpuri deserves credit for brilliantly writing the lyrics.

I would recommend anyone who likes to watch the golden era films should watch this film. Especially if you think 50's movies are boring, this film will change your mind. You can never have any other crime thriller full of entertainment like this film.

"A newspaper editor, Shrivastav, is wounded when he was about to expose the underworld links of a rich and influential man. He calls over his friend, Inspector Shekhar from C. I. D to talk to him about the threat he receives from the underworld." (Wikipedias starting of the story)

The movie was good, acting was good too, dev Anand did great acting in this flim, Shakilas acting was okay in the start, it got better as the movie went on, the best acting in the movie was definitely waheeda rehmans in my opinion, storyline was good but i didn't really see any chemistry between hero and the main heroine Shakila, music and songs were great especially "leke pehla pehla pyar" sung by shamshad begum and picturised on Sheela Vaz, "kahin pe nigahe" sung by shamshad begum, "yeh hai Bombay meri jaan" sung by Mohammad Rafi Geeta Dutt and aankhon hi aankhon mein also sung by Rafi and Geeta lyrics were also good, the movie has abit of problems and some unrealistic stuff too, but the last 30 minutes were very entertaining and suspenseful.

Overall it's a movie worth watching.

CID is a must-watch for any Bollywood fan just for the music but it's the plot that made me fall in love with it. Such a perfect thriller film despite you knowing who the criminal is. Just like Bambai Ka Babu (1960), here also Raj Khosla subverts popular genres and I'm still amazed (I watched the film yesterday) at how CID blends all top genres include romance and crime. More than anything, it's looking at Bombay of the 50s that melted my heart, superbly supported by Johnny Walker who is a treat a watch. Waheeda Rahman's definitely got the charm and I can see how her negative role may have still played in her defense to her potential stardom. CID is a classic and rightly so.

(Watched during Raj Khosla's centenary celebration in Mumbai.)

Though much better than the decade-old running TV series on Indian TV by the same name (sorry couldn't resist the namesake comparison), Raj Khosla's CID was a very simple and straightforward who-dun-it. In the mould of Hollywood film-noir, CID was gripping and entertaining.

CID officer Shekhar (Dev Anand) is investigating the murder of a newspaper editor but somehow gets falsely implicated for the murder of the editor's murderer (Mehmood). A mysterious woman Kamini (Waheeda Rehman) helps Shekhar reach the real murderer.

Unlike most multi-layered modern murder mysteries, CID was very one-dimensional without any subplots. While the simplicity added to the appeal of the thriller in the 50s, it kind of looks too undemanding in present times. In the sense that the identity of the killer is revealed to the viewer very early in the film (which could easily have been kept a mystery and been a highpoint of the suspense drama). The motive of the editor's murder was never explained. Director Raj Khosla went on to make the same mistakes in future in Kala Pani.

Waheeda Rehman's character was too half-baked with no background account to her. While she made an impressive debut in a character with grey shades, her abrupt change of heart towards Shekhar (the hero) isn't justified. Thankfully the story doesn't get into a love triangle with the beautiful Shakila playing the only love interest of Dev Anand in the film.

Otherwise CID was a decent entertainer and had to its credit a superlative soundtrack. Each and every track in the film from "Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan", "Aankhon Hi Aankhon Mein Ishaara Ho Gaya", "Kahin Pe Nigahen Kahin Pe Nishana" to "Bujh Mera Kya Naam Re Nadi Kinare Gaav Re" was a chart-buster and is in common knowledge even today. Wonderful melodies by O P Nayyar! Performances were quite good. Dev Anand was convincing, both, as an efficient investigating officer and a victimized fugitive. Shakila looked beautiful. Producer Guru Dutt had spotted Waheeda Rehman in a Telugu film (Rojulu Marayi) and cast her as the supporting actress (with grey shades) in her first Hindi film. The rest, as they say, is history. Mehmood, who later went on to become one of the most popular Bollywood comedians ever, played a negative role in the film. His sister Minoo Mumtaz was also in the film. Johnny Walker offered some genuine light moments in the otherwise earnest film.

Interesting Trivia: Oscar winner Bhanu Athaiya (then known as Bhanumati) debuted as a costume designer with this film. Javed Akhtar's father Jan Nisar Akhtar wrote the lyrics of 'Aankhon Hi Aankhon Mein Ishaara Ho Gaya'. Tinu Anand's father Inder Raj Anand wrote the script. Popular senior actress Zohra Sehgal known to play grandmotherly roles today choreographed the songs.

Watch it as a modern film of the 50s and you might like CID.

• Gaurav Malani

Shamshaad Begum passed away on 23.04.2013 leaving a golden chapter of the book of Bollywood music to glitter forever in her mesmerizing voice and unique style of singing.

As my tribute to Shamshaad Begum, I am presenting the review of an old movie - C.I.D. (1956) which was made by Guru Dutt and directed by Raj Khosla, starring Guru Dutt and Shakila in lead roles. The highlight of this movie is the immortal music composed by O.P. Nayyar containing certain classic songs in the voice of Shamshaad Begum which we, the music lovers, are fond of listening to again and again and again.

C.I.D. (the acronym for the crime investigating department) starts with the killing of a newspaper editor who was on the trail of a rich businessman - Dharamdaas (Bir Sakhuja) who was supposed to be having underworld links. The case is assigned to C.I.D. inspector Shekhar (Dev Anand) who alongwith his love life with Rekha (Shakila), moves forward in the direction of unravelling the mystery of the editor's murder and reaching the real culprit. However the real culprit is smarter than him and he weaves a web of lies, deceit and conspiracy around him and traps himself only in the murder of the murderer (Mehmood). How he proves his own innocence and catches the guilty is the remaining part of the story in which the characters of Kaamini (Waheeda Rehman) and Master (Johnny Walker) also play significant roles.

This is the debut movie of its director - Raj Khosla who is credited to bring about neo-noir style in the Indian cinema. C.I.D. was one of the pioneer movies in the tradition of Hollywood style crime-thrillers in India. Raj Khosla had learnt directorial skills by assisting the producer of this movie - Guru Dutt, the legend of the Indian cinema but he did not copy his guru and instead, developed his own style of narration. This debut movie of himself is a showcase of his abundant talent which despite some plot holes, keeps the viewer hooked for two and a half hours. He has not allowed the narrative to go lax (despite melodious songs and the romance of the lead pair intervening) and presented a taut thriller. He has focused on thrill and not on mystery, else, given the script, he could have easily made a whodunit also.

The young director has been able to draw praiseworthy performances from the actors. Dev Anand was fast evolving himself into the Indian Gregory Pack and in C.I.D. also, he is able to fling lightning on the hearts of the young females with his handsome personality and enchanting mannerisms. Shakila was very beautiful and her pair with Dev Anand appears quite charming. This is the debut movie of one of the greatest actresses of the Indian screen - Waheeda Rehman who was barely 18-19 years old then. Guru Dutt gave her the break in Bollywood through a negative role in this movie and lo ! The actress playing a vamp in her debut movie went on to register her name in one of the most happening and the most popular Bollywood heroines during the sixties. Both these ladies have done well. The complete supporting cast has also done justice to the assigned roles.

Guru Dutt's movies are incomplete without Johnny Walker. The immensely popular song - Aye Dil Hai Mushkil Jeena Yahaan, Zara Hatke Zara Bachke Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan has been picturized on him only and none can forget his performance on this song. This legendary comedian has provided sufficient no. of relief moments in this movie belong to the genre of noir cinema. Just like Guru Dutt and Johnny Walker, Dev Anand and Johnny Walker also made a great male pair of the Indian screen, complimenting each other very well and entertaining the audience in huge quantum.

As asserted earlier, the biggest plus point of this movie is the immortal music composed by O.P. Nayyar. Most of the lyrics have been written by Majrooh Sultaanpuri. Aankhon Hi Aankhon Mein Ishaara Ho Gaya has been penned by the great Shaayar - Janaab Jaanisaar Akhtar (the father of Jaaved Akhtar) and Jaane Tamanna Kya Kar Daala has been penned by S.H. Bihari. Geeta Dutt has sung Aaye Dil Hai Mushkil Jeena Yahaan and Aankhon Hi Aankhon Mein Ishaara Ho Gaya with Mohammed Rafi whereas Jaata Kahaan Hai Diwane is her solo. Jaane Tamanna Kya Kar Daala is the duet sung by Asha Bhosle and Mahendra Kapoor.

And Shamshaad Begum has given her voice to the great songs like Kahin Pe Nigaahen Kahin Pe Nishaana (picturized on Waheeda Rehman) and the immensely popular - Leke Pehla Pehla Pyar (picturized on Sheela Waaz and Shyam Kapoor) in the company of Asha Bhosle and Mohammed Rafi. My favourite song of Shamshaad Begum from this album in particular as well as in general is - Boojh Mera Kya Naam Re, Nadi Kinare Gaaon Re which has been picturized on Meenu Mumtaaz. The low profile actresses like Sheela Waaz and Meenu Mumtaaz also got their share of popularity by performing on Shamshaad's enchanting voice in these songs. The lyricists have dropped gems in the form of words for the lyrics of these songs.

With my tribute to the great female singer whose voice was not fine like Lata's and somewhat hoarse, nevertheless enchanting for the music lovers; I unconditionally recommend this interesting crime-thriller from the black and white era to the movie buffs. The evergreen songs render immense repeat value to this classic black and white movie.