Jhuk Gaya Aasman

Jhuk Gaya Aasman (1968) : Brief Review -

Lekh Tandon adaptation of "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" (1941), which is much better than the original mess. I have seen Alexander Hall's cinematic adaptation, "Here Comes Mr. Jordan," based on Harry Segall's novel, and also "Heaven Can Wait" (1943), which was based on a similar idea. Here Comes Mr. Jordan goes too messy in the last quarter with multiple dead bodies. Lekh Tandon's adaptation is much better and somewhat different from the original-for its own betterment. This film is like an extended version of the original source material, as we have a longer runtime and lot of masala elements to carry the story forward. The film sets the base for almost an hour as the hero, Sanjay, is trying to win the heroine, Priya. Sanjay dies in a car crash after Priya has left for Kolkata to see her father and his friend cremate his body. In heaven, it is learnt that the delivery guy brought the wrong soul, and now Sanjay must get back to earth. But how can he do that when the body is burnt to ashes? Therefore, he has to choose a different body, and as a part of an additional change in this adaptation, the body here has the same face, making things easier. However, it comes with a flaw that Sanjay's friend is openly calling him Sanjay, not TK, and yet nobody suspected-even the bad guy. But this trick definitely hits the right chord with the storyline. It's easier for the guy with the same face to change things instead of getting a new face. The film is boosted by two evergreen songs: Kaun Hai Jo Sapna me Aaya (copied by Elvis Presley's song) and Mere Hosh Udd Gaye (Saira Banu looks breathtaking in this song). The performances by all the actors are very nice, and the screenplay is superb. Lekh Tandon truly knew the job. What a great phase he had back then! Simply unstoppable.

RATING - 7/10*

By - #samthebestest.

No chemistry between Rajendra kumar & Saira Banu. No entertainment value either to the movie. Looks like it was made on a shoe string budget as most of the shots were on indoor sets. The dialogues just like the casting was a mismatch and all of Rajendranath's buffoonery couldn't save the movie. For the golden era in Hindi cinema this one was a dud.

We always place actors like Rajendra Kumar second to the stars like Dileep Kumar, Shammi Kapoor etc. But, Rajendra Kumar has given some of best films which will continue to be with us forever. Aarzoo, Aayi Milan ki Bela, Suraj, Zindagi, Dil ek Mandir and the list goes on. Jhuk Gaya Aasmaan is one such gem. An extremely strong plot, fabulous background score, wonderful performances make it a true epic. Shankar Jaikishan, Mohammed Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar, Rajendra Kumar, Durga Khote, Saira Bano, as if they got together to bring this plot to larger than life landscape. Famous Margarita tune of Elvis Presley continues in background through the magical fingers of Shankar Jaikishan. The 160 minutes of thorough entertainment is worth watching. I've seen it some 10 times. Can see again later. 10 stars is fully appropriate rating for a film like this.

In bollywood movies, there always have been certain set formulae used in most of the movies to entertain the target audience. The audience is served what it likes. However the intelligent filmmaker is one who knows the right proportion of the formulae to be used in presenting the chosen story on celluloid. When (deliberately or by default) it happens, the audience find the movie as highly entertaining.

Jhuk Gaya Aasmaan (1968) is one such movie. The writers, Prayag Raj and Omkar Sahib in unison with the director, Lekh Tandon have presented a formula-based movie in which the proportion of all the formulae used are just perfect. The result is a thoroughly engrossing movie which entertains the viewers from the very first frame to the very last frame. It contains most of the usual bollywood formulae - romance, comedy, emotion, re-incarnation, action, melodious music and finally a murder. But everything neither exceeds nor falls short of the optimum quantum required to entertain the (Indian) public.

The story revolves around our hero Sanjay (Rajender Kumar) who is a tourist guide in Darjeeling and lives a happy-go-lucky life with his friend Hanuman (Rajendra Nath) comes across our heroine Priya (Saira Banu) who has arrived from Calcutta with her college group. Quite expectedly, they fall in love with each other. But after Priya is back to the city because of the news of her father's arrest, Sanjay dies in a mishap. Now when his soul reaches Yamraaj (the Death God in the Hindu mythology), it is known that the Yamdoot sent to bring the soul of his double Tarun Kumar Saxena, has erroneously brought him because of the sameness of faces of these two. Sanjay requests Yamraaj to send him back into his body but now it is not possible because his funeral has already taken place. So, as the last resort available to him, Yamraaj infuses Sanjay's soul into the dead body of Tarun Kumar aka TK who was been a corrupt man in his life, doing all types of bad things in the company of Prem Kumar (Prem Chopra) who had created a rift between him and his grandmother (Durga Khote).

Now Sanjay in the body of TK, is close to his sweetheart Priya because his new home is also in Calcutta where Priya lives with his father who earlier worked for TK (and had got arrested by him only) and well-acquainted with his grandma too. However he, originally being an honest and noble person, is very uncomfortable because of the tainted past of his new body. He now starts correcting the wrongdoings of TK, patches up with his resented grandma and keeps distance from Prem. Prem, not being aware of the truth that it is Sanjay in the body of TK, makes his own moves on the chessboard of business, power and glamour and finally masterminds a murder to frame TK. Finally the movie reaches its happy ending with the baddie being arrested and the lovers being united.

This story has been borrowed from a Hollywood movie of 1941 - Here Comes Mr. Jordan which had been remade as Heaven Can Wait (1978). However the writers and the director have given the movie an Indian look and as I have already praised them, mixed all the bollywood formulae in the perfect ratio in the basic story plot and prepared a spicy dish for the Indian audience. The movie does not bore you even for the fraction of a second and you get your money's worth in full. While watching the spicy, formula-based movies of Farah Khan (Main Hoon Na and Om Shanti Om), I was wondering whether she has learnt from this movie as to how to make a masala movie for the Indians.

The performances are all up to the mark. This is one more silver jubilee movie of the romantic hero Rajender Kumar who was known as Jubilee Kumar in the sixties. His on screen chemistry with Saira Banu who herself was known as the beauty-queen in that period, is amazing. Her sex appeal in the song - Unse Mili Nazar Ki Mere Hosh Udd Gaye is so great that no Kareena Kapoor or Katrina Kaif is a match for her. Rajender Nath's comedy is hilarious. Prem Chopra as the villain, Durga Khote as the affectionate grandma, Parveen Choudhary as TK's secretary cum girlfriend among others are quite all right.

Shankar-Jaikishan has composed highly melodious songs for the movie. Kaun Hai Jo Sapno Mein Aaya, Unse Mili Nazar Ki Mere Hosh Udd Gaye, Kahaan Chal Diye Idhar To Aao, Kisi Ki Jaan Lete Hain, Mere Tumhaare Beech Mein, Meri Ankhiyon Ki Nindiya, Sachcha Hai Pyar etc. all are very very good to listen. Most of the songs are among the extremely popular songs of Lata and Rafi. The music of this movie is, in fact, a very big treat for the melody lovers.

Technically also, the movie is perfect. The cinematographer has captured the beauty of Darjeeling very well. The prints of this movie are so good even today (after 42 years) that the brightness of colours cools your eyes. Art direction, editing, production value and all other aspects are quite in order.

Summing up, you will get a satisfactory feeling after this movie similar to the one you get after consuming a delicious, spicy dish. I was fortunate enough to watch it on the big screen but it is enjoyable on the small screen as well.