साहिब बीबी और ग़ुलाम

A beautifully made movie of the travails of an aristocratic woman in late 19th century Calcutta neglected by her husband as seen by a sympathetic lower-class acquaintance. The woman is ever the faithful wife, always trying to win the attention of her drunkard & womaniser husband and failing.

Excellent period atmosphere, and superb acting by Meena Kumari. Waheeda Rehman provides the glamour, but her role is superfluous. Abrar Alvi is credited with the direction, but grapevine has it that it was the great Guru Dutt himself who directed the movie. It certainly has the Guru Dutt stamp.

Satyajit Ray's Charulata has a similar theme & is set in the same period, but unfortunately I haven't seen it so can't compare both.

Not very often do we see films which leave a great impact on the mind after wards and leave you craving for more. SBAG is one such film. Meena Kumari's very appearance on the screen leaves you in shock, it has to be one the most beautiful screen presence on Indian screen ever. Waheeda is charming, Guru is absolutely adorable and the story is very intriguing. The scene of the pigeon game comes across as so natural that you feel yourself standing there in b/w them. An absolute gem of Hindi cinema.

I always wondered why Meena Kumari is given so much love and respect by old audience of Hindi films. After watching this film, I can safely say, that no one comes close to her if we talk about the combination of beauty and talent.

One film, which no cinema lover should ever miss.

RIP Guru Dutt, Meena Kumari, Rehman and Abrar Alvi. You have given us a rare gem. God bless Waheeda.

I couldnt agree more with those who describe SB&G as the greatest classic in Indian cinema, followed by "Sholay". While the latter is the quintessential Bollywood blockbuster, SB&G is a mainstream film of another kind --- expertly-crafted, aesthetically breathtaking and profoundly disturbing. Its also a film WAY ahead of its time (was a `flop' at the box-office!) and caused much controversy when it was premiered. It is based on a great Bengali novel, one that exposed the hypocrisy and decadence prevalent in the Zamindari (landed gentry). The film ran into terrible problems with our puritanical censors, because of its sometimes unabashed references to alcoholism and sex. Nominally directed by Abrar Alvi (they say Guru Dutt shadow-directed it....and it shows!) and luminously photographed in B/W, the film has immaculate attention to detail in EVERY respect, starting from the trenchant plot-line and script. Of course there are compromises made to accomodate market-needs, such as a couple of superfluous songs; and some farcical comedy. But if ever there was a case for releasing a "director's cut", lovingly restored, its here. God knows what the censor's scissors threw away. Meena Kumari's performance is the finest given by an actress in Indian cinema....and I will go on to say that its the finest performance given by an actress that I have EVER seen (a close second is Meryl Streep in "Sophie's Choice"). Meena Kumari acts with her FEET --- thats the first we see of her, with her dialogue spoken as a voice-over; then a cut to her incredible face, the eyes betraying a glitter of obsessive-compulsion that is the character's core. Its a performance that stirs you like few will, courageous and uninhibited, honest and intense. Its centre-piece is of course the drunken tirade against her husband, accusing him of impotence. In this, as indeed in every scene, she goes beyond acting into a realm that exists only in the gut. Another great Indian film that is not available on DVD, at least not in our own country. When will we learn to honour our best?

This is not only one of the best Hindi films that I have ever seen, it is also one of the greatest movies I have seen.

But first things first, MEENA KUMARI, a queen among beautiful women, looks so breath-taking, sometimes you really have to catch your breath and stop staring at her face in wonder. The soft sensuality of her sari clad figure is unparalleled. Which other women I say, clothed from head to feet , can look so alluring, beguiling, mysterious, lovable. The movie with lush black and white cinematography showcases her spell binding beauty flawlessly. My oh my, the scene where she first appears on the screen, some half an hour into the film, we see her from the feet upwards and hear her beautiful voice that could have anything from any man in the world. From the first instant, she wins your heart and your heart goes out to her as the inevitable tragedy unfolds.

Set in the affluent house of high society Bengal Family, the story tells the tale of ruin of a household when all the people in the house are blinded by their many conflicting ambitions. Of particular interest to us is the story of the servant Bhoothnath(Guru Dutt) who falls in love with his mistress, the enigmatic Choti Bahu(Meena Kumari), wife of the youngest wayward son (Rehman)in the house who spends most of his time drinking at whore-houses. The ploys employed by the young wife with the help of the faithful and loyal servant to bring her husband lead nowhere. Soon she to turns alcoholic and very soon has her own problems with the bottle to add to the troubles. All the men in the house blinded by joys of money ignore the family business completely which ultimately brings about the the ruin of the house.

The movie also has the wonderful subplot of Bhoothnath and Jaba(Waheeda Rehman), another beautiful and gifted actress. Their little tale also unfolds with the tragedy occurring in the big house.

All in all, an outstanding movies comparable to Citizen Kane, Casblanca, Sunset Boulevard and All Aboue Eve for the style, narration, and of course superb acting all around. Particularly by the amazing Meena Kumari, who excels in her drunken outbursts towards the end of the movie. The ending of the movie is also sublime. Go watch the movie tho know what great movies are capable off. This is a gem produced in India that is not widely discovered and acknowledged.

Not much to add to what has already been stated by the other reviewers previously. A great movie. Haunting b&w photography which captures the era very well, superb performances, of course Meenakumari and the rest, who can forget Sapru as the zamindar with that look, Rehman, and the sets themselves. And the beautiful music especially Geeta Dutt's singing. Just one correction- Gurudutt's character's name is Bhognath (not Bhootnath as stated elsewhere on this site).