Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi

Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958) : Brief Review -

What Mughal-E-Azam means to grandeur cinema, CKNG means to comedy cinema. Bollywood's answer to classic Hollywood musicals from the golden age. I have been through this movie many times during childhood, but the actual fun is experienced today only. Maybe because I have seen a lot of old Hollywood classics that defined and established formulas, genres, and sub-genres in the early talkie era. I can recall at least 5 dozen classic comedies (including rom-coms, screwball, and musical comedies) from the golden age of Hollywood (30s-50s), and yet, I can proudly say that Bollywood made this classic musical comedy in the late 50s. So, we were late, but not as late as they expected us to be. Even Hollywood wasn't really good with multistarrer comedies in that period, so Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi has an upper hand there. It's non-stop entertainment. Almost every comedy movie feels boring for at least 5 minutes here and there, but this one literally has no such moments. Usually, songs work as loo breaks, but here, songs are even better than the narrative. In Hollywood movies, musical numbers are there to define the situation and carry the story or narrative forward, but in Bollywood, music has always been a different setup of entertainment. For that, the story had to be dropped for 5 minutes. Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi broke that stereotype for filmmakers and audiences. You see the songs, how they are designed, how the tunes match the tone of the situations, and how brilliantly the lyrics put the situation in words. Pure masterclass! Many typical plot holes and subtexts were established here. Just keep an eye on them, and you'll realize how important this film was for the Bollywood industry. What's more? We have seen the same templates used in the 90s comedy (that's 30 years later). Imagine the impact it must have had on audiences in the 50s. Evergreen Comedy and Iconic Album Hands down.

RATING - 8/10*

By - #samthebestest.

It seems Ganguli brothers were a huge fan of Marx Brothers Movies and that's what their source of inspiration was when they made "Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi". But the inspiration is limited only to the idea of all three brothers acting in a musical and a comical thriller. The movie is a showcase of talents of ever talented brothers Ashok Kumar, Anup Kumar and specifically Kishore Kumar. Watch him singing melodious "Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi si", naughty "Haal Kaisa Hai Janaab Ka", hilarious "Paanch Rupaiya Barah Aana" or mad cap "Hum The Woh Thi". If there ever was a true all rounder in Indian Cinema, it was the Singer, Composer, Writer, Director and Actor Kishore Kumar and arguably he is the only Genius that bollywood has ever produced. Almost 20 years now that he died of a heart attack but you can still see his style reverberating amongst the new generation of performers.

This is a three hour long light hearted story of three brothers. The film has a good storyline and is not a collection of comic situations. This has made the movie last these 60 years. The director stcks to the screenplay, the actors adhere to their director. The music lifts the movie A must watch.

Saw this film for the 2nd time after a very long gap. The DVD print was very sharp and that always helps. CKNG is a landmark Hindi film for 2 reasons: (1) It is the only Hindi film which starred all 3 Kumar brothers (real family name Ganguly). (2) It paired the 2 most beautiful actresses of all time in the history of Hindi cinema--Veena (real name Tajour Sultana) & Madhubala (real name Mumtaz Jehan Dehlavi); note that this pairing was as adults. Madhubala did appear as a child actress in a 1946 film in which Veena starred. With all due consideration that old time actress Veena was in disheveled make-up for most all of her scenes, Veena's stunning beauty still managed to break through. Only at the last scene of this wacky comedy, do the viewers get to see Veena all neat and prim. Even so, it is apparent that the filmmakers did not go all out to showcase Veena's full beauty via the most suitable make-up and hairstyle befitting her. Film director Satyen Bose must have been well aware of the Marx Brothers, the Three Stooges, and the forgotten Ritz Brothers when he directed this fare. As crazy and talented as Kishore Kumar was on screen, there were generations of Indian filmgoers who for the life of them could never understand how the gorgeous Madhubala ever married him of all the people in the world. It was like gorgeous Ava Gardner marrying Mickey Rooney in the early 1940s...Truly jaw-dropping. Of the 3 brothers, only Ashok Kumar looked somewhat like a matinée idol in his youth. Let's face the facts, Anoop and Kishore looked like cartoons...And on occasion, acted like cartoons. But for this film, it was right on the money. Speaking of money, this film was the 2nd highest grossing Hindi film of 1958. Where this film fell short is in the backdrop of the romance of Ashok's Brijmohan and Veena's Kamini. That was a very promising subplot which certainly should have been given a far superior treatment than it was. The same can be said of the romantic subplot of Anoop's Jagmohan and Sahira's Sheela. Veteran screen great K. N. Singh provides a powerful, menacing presence in this movie as the main heavy. Singh was reunited in this film with his HUMAYUN co-stars Ashok Kumar & Veena, the 1945 Mehboob Khan epic. Singh was even more menacing here than he was in that historical drama. This movie most certainly had the potential of being an all time classic Hindi film comedy but ended up falling short of it. Nevertheless, it is a film that must be viewed at least once by fans of Hindi films.

The Ganguly brothers came together for this hilarious venture. This story of a misogynist older brother (Ashok Kumar), an inept and sycophantic middle brother (Anup Kumar), and a simple yet suave younger brother (Kishore Kumar) will have you in stitches. Directed by Satyan Bose, the film had a plump and cute Madhubala in the lead.

I love Ashok Kumar as the older brother who is trying to keep his brothers away from all contact with women, Kishore as the younger brother who is falling for a woman who came to the car repair garage late one night, but most of all I find Anup Kumar incomparable as the middle brother who veers from side to side, unable to take a stand. He was a comic genius in this film. O Mannu Tera Hua Ab Mera Kya Hoga!!! LOL! Sachin Dev Burman spun magic in the songs that were situationally perfect and often hilarious! Ek Ladki Bheego Bhaagi Si was super melodious. The fantasy number Main Sitaron Kaa Tarana had Madhubala in a classical dance garb carrying a black purse! Hal Kaisa Hai Zanab Kaa, and Hum The Woh Thi were so cute. There was an excellent Mujra by the duo of Helen and Cuckoo, in which you can see Helen excel in a rare classical number.

The story was interesting, acting great by all the actors. I consider a pick me up kind of film and watch it and laugh at it any number of times. If you have not yet seen it what are you waiting for?