Bobby

Wanting to get back into "Hindi retro" movies after a few years hiatus, a friend of mine in Kerala showed me the YouTube channel Bollywood 70s 80s, where this movie had been uploaded with English subtitles.

Fifty-one years later & in another country, I found 'Bobby' to be a timeless story. The namesake is for Bobby Braganza, the daughter of a drunkard Goan fisherman. Raja, the son of a rich but unsympathetic businessman, returns home at the end of term from boarding school, where his father throws him a party at which he has the pick of several forward caste nubiles, with Nima, a particularly flirty one, making herself explicitly available to him. Raja, however, is disappointed by these options, seemingly feeling that none of these women really wanted to get to know him for who he was. Amidst his despair at finding a genuine partner whom he would understand & who would understand him, he is stricken with passion by the demure, painfully shy Bobby. Despite her feelings of inadequacy for being beneath his standing, & initially being indifferent to him, she too finds her passion for him.

The story touches lightly on topics that are more familiar to Indian audiences than those in my own part of the world - namely, caste distinction, the sensitivities of family honour, corruption, & bridal kidnapping. It touches lightly enough that these topics don't overseason the rest of the story, which itself unfolds & develops at a very sensible pace. It's not a short movie, but this allows for the story to cook slowly & feel more natural.

I was drawn to this movie specifically because of the ethereal, sphincter-tickling beauty of Dimple Kapadia. Despite being about fifteen at the time of filming, she played her role brilliantly - as did all of her elder peers. Aruna Irani was also pretty sizziling, but, like Raja, I was turned off initially by her immodest, even aggressive, come-on towards him was.

I would give this movie a 10/10, but for two reasons. I deduct one star in that the dynamic between Bobby & Raja consists almost entirely of anticipation & struggle, & the audience does not get to view any external expression of their love (perhaps the sensibilities of Indian cinema in that era were not in favour of displaying gratuitous lovemaking). I also deduct a star for the movie's rather limited production value, which I would have liked to see more polished, especially given how beautiful the story is.

The film Bobby is a love story of a rich boy and a poor girl which remains fresh for the generation of 1990s & 2000s too. The character Bobby pretends to be a 21st century girl which is based on prediction of the lifestyle of girls who would live after 27 years. The plot is about the misunderstanding between lovers in the first half and superiority and inferiority complex between parents of the lovers in the second half of the movie. It shows how parents get united due to the strong love between their children. Bobby is suitable for all ages as it shows multiple perspectives i.e, perspectives of both children and parents. So, do watch it to understand self and others.

I saw the movie recently on a DVD given to me by a friend. I was aware about the movie when it was released many years ago. "Bobby" is a gorgeous girl and the scenery was awe inspiring. The producers took a chance in conservative India to feature her in mini skirts and somewhat promiscuous scenes. Anyway she reminds me of a famous American star Kristie Ally from an old TV series Cheers. How can I join her fan club?

Bobby review :

The debacle of Mera Naam Joker (1970) broke showman Raj Kapoor financially as well as emotionally. His semi-autobiographical and philosophical take was too heavy for the audience to digest. This is when he decided to give them candy floss.

A romantic musical is what he started next. Rajesh Khanna, the reigning superstar, was unaffordable to cast as the lead. Raj Saahab settled for his younger son Rishi who had acted as a school boy in Joker. Dimple, daughter of noted industrialist and Kapoor's family friend Chunnibhai Kapadia, was signed as the heroine. The intent was to keep the budget to the minimum and give audience what they would understand and absorb easily..

Bobby released at the prestigious Metro Cinema in Mumbai in September 1973 and became an instant blockbuster. Though the story of a rich boy falling for a poor girl and then eloping with her offered nothing new, the sheer innocence and freshness of the new pair (Rishi- Dimple) coupled with some awesome music score by Laxmikant Pyarelal worked big time in its favour. Raj Saahab gave some memorable supporting characters like Premnath's rum guzzling Jack Braganza with his ill-fitting suit and open trouser zip!! "AAVAIESSS", a Goan phrase he keeps repeating in the movie..

The sweet sixteen Dimple Kapadia became the national crush after Bobby. Her short skirts and teeny weeny bikini alongwith her fabulous performance got tremendous acclaim and awards that year. She was touted to be the next big star but shockingly, settled for a marriage with Rajesh Khanna. Later, she made a grand comeback in the '80s with Ramesh Sippy's Saagar (1985) and continued her glorious Bollywood innings right till the recent Brahmastra...the elegant lady is my most favourite Bollywood actress of all time!!

Coming to Bobby, "Mujhse dosti karoge?" became the popular pickup line of that time and "Hum tum ek kamre mein bandh ho" song is still referenced in Bollywood. I also love "Main shaayar toh nahi.." number where Shailendra Singh's voice suited the young Rishi so perfectly. Prem Chopra appeared in a cameo and his one liner "Prem naam hai mera..Prem Chopra!!" immortalised him just what "Mogambo khush hua" did to Amrish Puri later.

Personally, I consider Bobby to be Raj Saahab's most underwhelming effort. The film lacked the intellect and underlying social commentary normally associated with his each and every film. It is as if he was mocking the audience saying "You didn't like my masterpiece Mera Naam Joker, so eat this!!".

P. S. (Spoiler alert): Not many know that Raj Kapoor had filmed a sad ending where Rishi- Dimple die but heeding to his trusted distributor, Raj Saahab opted for a happy ending for the movie. After all, such an innocent sweet couple deserved to live happily ever after.

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.

Raj Kapoor's "Bobby" will never get old. It is a brilliantly made modern teen romance. Raj Kapoor's direction and imagination are excellent, ditto for his realistic portrayal of the modern 1970s India and its middle-class Christian community. The romance is portrayed beautifully, injected with many youthful energies and further aided by colourful and vernal locations, beautiful romantic songs, comedy and drama, and two very charming fresh talents in the lead roles.

This is the love story of a pretty, smart and headstrong Christian school-girl named Bobby, and a romantic, rich and well-mannered young man named Raj, who, unlike most of his contemporaries, prefers to sit at home and write poetry. He falls in love with her the first minute he meets her, and surprisingly enough, it does not look clichéd. The story shows how they start dating each other and how they later fight parental opposition.

Interestingly, while Raj Kapoor made this film to launch his son on the big screen, he titled it after Dimple Kapadia, who impressed him very much and reminded him of his muse Nargis. In a documentary about the life and craft of Raj Kapoor, he said that Bobby's first meeting with Raj in the film was loosely inspired by Kapoor's first meeting with Nargis at her home. And I completely understand why the memory of meeting her stayed with him for the rest of his life when I see this scene. It is a magic moment.

Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia make for a very good couple. This is according to me Rishi Kapoor's best performance along with his role in Mera Naam Joker. Maybe his dad was the one who could extract his talent to the fullest. He is likable, impressive and very convincing as Raj. Dimple Kapadia's is undoubtedly one of the greatest debuts in the history of Hindi cinema. She was natural, compelling, beautiful and acted with total aplomb. Her western outfits and sex-appeal are still very memorable. The rest of the cast are excellent, with Prem Nath standing out in a wonderful comic act as Bobby's loving father. Pran was also very convincing as Raj's witty, proud and dignified father, and Durga Khote and Aruna Irani provided fantastic support. Oh, and how can one forget Farida Jalal's Alka Sharma? A five-minute role which stays with you forever just like the film.

The film's cinematography is effective, the editing is good as well, and the art direction is fantastic. The characters are well-written, and most importantly - the music is simply outstanding. My favourite songs are "Main Shair To Nahin" (as is Aruna Irani's wonderful dance for the song) and "Chabi Kho Jaye (Hum Tum)". All in all, Bobby was a trend-setter, and it still remains an all-time sensational and fresh love story, which will never look dated.