Teesri Manzil

The basic instincts of directors come to the fore when they make a movie. Guru Dutt is an observer of life and never resorts to melodrama even in his tragedies. Gulzar is a mischievous person and this comes out in Anand, Chupke Chupke where he wrote dialogues or in the tragic Namkeen where he directed. Vijay Anand has a trained upbringing in terms of directorship when he saw and observed Chetan Anand at work. Here, he has not written the film but as a director his stamp is there in each frame of the film. He is a director by instincts, and a very good one. Apart from his writing and shooting and editing skills, where too he is unmatched.

This is a perfect example of Indian pop cinema from the 1960's reflecting the relentless encroachment of Western style music and beat generation dancing - however R. D. Burman composed some good tunes for this, perfectly showcasing the talents that were Asha Bhosle and Mohammed Rafi.

A woman is murdered and her old friend played by Shammi Kapoor feels obliged to help track down the culprit. As it goes it's done pretty well, but of course the music is the thing! Although I liked his older brother Raj and along with this one some of his other films too I could never understand Shammi's over-expressive style of acting or his appeal (not being a woman maybe) - imho he almost ruined some of the songs here with his mugging and jerky movements. But of course, Shammi once seen never forgotten! Favourite bit: O Mere Sona - I used to wind on and play the vid just for this just to marvel in the incredible dexterity of Asha's vocals in the asking of Shammi's forgiveness; it's much easier with the DVD! The only copy I've ever seen has a rather fluid colour, occasionally lending an unintentionally surreal atmosphere at times but not detracting from the enjoyment.

It's an inconsequential treat much better than Viva Las Vegas, but clocking in at nearly 3 hours means patience, patience I think ultimately rewarded.

This is probably Shammi Kapoor's best performances after JUNGLEE(1961

Its quiet different to see him in the role of a framed musician with an eye for the ladies He has like three bad girls who love him

A young woman fell in love for Shammi and committed suicide but the girls sister thinks her sister was seduced and jilted which is why she wants revenge

The movie is a Hithcock-influenced romance with a small murder mystery thrown in

The movie has fantastic song stand outs like O Hasina Zulfonwali Jaane Jahan and Tumne Mujhe Dekha

Shammi Kapoor stands out in his role Asha Parekh is the spunky revenge seeking sister Premnath is convincing Helen's role is small but effective Prem Chopra is average Rashid Khan is scary with his stare the rest are okay

While the filmmakers may have been trying for a Hitchcock-like blend of suspense, humor and romance, the eye-popping pastels of the film's Eastmancolor cinematography and outlandish, energetic musical numbers blend to create a delightful Bollywood concoction. Lead actor Shammi Kapoor is wonderfully fruity in what is probably his best performance, and dancing queen Helen is in classic bad girl mode. Not to be missed by anyone interested in 1960's Indian pop cinema.

My Rating : 8/10

Superb - when Hindi Cinema had great artists unlike the cigarette factory of today's Bollywood.

Highest recommendation. A landmark.