Gunga Jumna

The best film ever of Dilip and Vyjantimala.These two took acting to unprecedented realms in this great movie.Script,music,photography,editing....all the aspects that make a movie are near perfect.Only weak point would be Nasir Khan who is badly mis-casted as the younger brother but it seems that his presence brings such impact from Dilip Kumar that one is left awe-strucked.The story is perhaps not new but it is the realism of the film that attracts the mind.Who will forget the scene of the dying Dhano with Gunga imploring her not to leave him alone in the world.You feel how much she means to him as if the drama was being played right in front of you instead of on the screen.Magnificent!Similarly the scene where Gunga see off his brother at the railway station is too good to be true.The supporting cast is marvelous.Anwar Hussain gives an excellent performance as well as Kaniyalal and Sohrab Modi in a cameo role.And what to say of the music? You have to see the film to really enjoy it because it is made for it.A milestone in the Indian film history.

The songs in the film are part of the story. For instance the song 'dhoondho, dhoondho re sajna more kaan ka bala' is a sensuous one, that narrates how the heroine lost her virginity on the first night of her wedding. Take any of the songs, none are out of place, and all compliment their respective situations beautifully. They are shot, choreographed, and performed excellently. Camera work of the film is world class, and so is the sound design. Bollywood films of today, touted as technically superior, cannot match the sensibility and detailing of this one on various technical parameters. I wish we would have had more respect for our mainstream cinema and had not run down our cinematic tradition of using songs and dances and our lyrical romanticism.

Ganga Jumna is truly a world-class film and its characterization is real and the film represented its time and place more realistically than the Bollywood films of today that are seemingly set in India but have very little to do with Indian reality. It is a great entertainer and it also delivers important and relevant messages. This is one of the few films that even showcases that even dacoits followed certain moral code. In one of the scenes when Ganga hits Dhanno, the other dacoits castigate him for hitting a woman. Had the film been marketed well worldwide, it could have won the applause and approval of cinema lovers and aficianados all over the world for its cinematic qualities. While we are celebrating 100 years of Indian cinema, this film is worth our remembrance.

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Circumstances leading two brothers on the different sides of law has been a much contrived plot in Indian Movies, "Deewar," among the names to list. Well, "Gunga Jumna" is the predecessor in this theme. Given a rustic rural backdrop and Bhojpuri dialect, the film sparks in terms of art, storytelling, or performances. DIlip Kumar, Vaijyantimala, and Kanhaiyalal all make bravura performances. There are emotions and wit spread along, nuanced through the mesmerising cinematic frames the film creates. Abundance of songs and dances stretches the film a bit, but doesn't reduce the pleasure the film overall imparts. After "Mother India," it's a film which deserves to be archived for the pure Indianism the film tries to canvass.

Rating: 3 stars out of 4

A superb movie directed by Nitin Bose and written & produced by Dilip Kumar himself. Those who have seen Deewar may not find anything new here. Dilip Kumar, Vaijayantimala, Anwar Hussain and Kanhaiyalal are first rate. Acting is not Nasir Khan's (Ayub Khan's father who plays Jamuna) cup of tea. He is there just because he is Dilip Kumar's real brother. Naushad Saheb's music is excellent with songs such as 1) Nain Lad Jayi Hain, 2) Do Hanson Ka Joda, 3) Dhoondho Dhoondho Re Sajana, 4) Na Manu3 Re Dagabaaz Tori and 5) Insaaf Ki Dagar Pe. The movie was nominated for 7 Filmfare awards in 1962 but could win 3 of them; Best Actress, Best Cinematography & Best Dialogues.