Haathi Mere Saathi

Today is Ganesh Chaturthi or Vinaayak Chaturthi, the day of Lord Ganesha, the god of wisdom. He is also known as the Vighneshwara, i.e., the remover of obstacles (appearing in the way of any good work). As per the Hindu mythology, he is the god who is worshipped before anybody else whenever something is to be done. Even the idiom in Hindi used for the expression - 'to begin a work' is - 'Shreeganesh Karna'. Lord Ganesha has the head of an elephant and hence elephants are symbolic of him in the religious psyche of the Indians. Today is Wednesday also which is also known as his day only. I am fasting today and presenting a review of an old movie whose story was based on the relationship of some elephants with the protagonist. This movie is Haathi Mere Saathi (1971) starring Rajesh Khanna and Tanuja with four elephants (and many other animals also).

Haathi Mere Saathi (elephants are my buddies) tells the story of a motherless boy - Raju (Rajesh Khanna) who, being lost in his childhood, is saved by four elephants and taken back to his father who in his dying moment, instructs him never to leave the company of those elephants and to always consider them as his Saathis (buddies). Raju grows up in their company and they always help him in all kinds of situations. One elephant out of these four, named as Ramu is actually the first among equals in them and he is the special buddy of Raju. Due to him only, Raju comes across Tanu (Tanuja) who is the daughter of a rich man. When Raju loses his wealth due to losing a lawsuit, he loses his prospects of marrying Tanu also. However his genuine buddies, i.e., the elephants help him in not only earning money but also bringing Tanu back to his life. He develops his own private zoo and calls it - Pyar Ki Duniya (the world of love) with the relentless support of the elephants, Tanu and a young boy - Chhote who was earlier the assistant of an unscrupulous mountebank. He becomes rich and finally wins Tanu's hand also from her father. They get married and beget a son.

The trouble strikes with Tanu's becoming an apprehensive and sceptic mother who starts doubting the nature of the elephants, lest they should harm her child (whereas in reality, the elephants themselves are quite concerned for the welfare and safety of the child). This issue leads to her break-up with Raju and she moves to her parental house. A heart-broken Raju has nobody to solace him except his buddies, the elephants. There are some other baddies also, ever ready to harm Raju, viz. the unscrupulous erstwhile mountebank (and later a released jailbird) and the wicked owner of a circus who is the competitor of Raju in this entertainment business. In the end, Raju's best friend, Ramu elephant sacrifices its life to set everything right in Raju's life.

Written by Saleem-Jaaved and directed by M.A. Thirumugham, this movie is actually a brain-child of Chinnappa Devar who can be considered as the pioneer of making animal-based movies in Indian cinema. A genuine animal-lover Mr. Devar always loved to make movies with the significant roles of animals in them. And Haathi Mere Saathi is perhaps the most successful and popular such movie made by him. The animals and especially the elephants have done marvellously and they are in fact, the soul of the movie. All the sequences involving them are simply superb. Some of them are entertaining and some of them are so touching that any sensitive person may find tears coming out of his eyes while watching them. The last journey of Ramu which contains the memorable song - Nafrat Ki Duniya Ko Chhod Kar Pyar Ki Duniya Mein Khush Rehna Mere Yaar (Rafi) is one such scene only.

Though the main performers are elephants and other animals only, the human performers also have done justice to their roles. The movie had come in the heyday of Rajesh Khanna and it is one of his all time great blockbuster movies. He is at his emotional best in the movie, keeping his patent mannerisms under control. Tanuja has done well first as a loving sweetheart and then as a sceptic mother. The complete supporting cast including the baddies (K.N. Singh and Sujeet Kumar) has rendered ample support to the lead cast.

Laxmikant Pyarelal have composed memorable music for the movie with the admirable lyrics of Anand Bakshi. I have already mentioned the song - Nafrat Ki Duniya Ko which can be considered the best of the album. The other songs - Sun Ja O Thandi Hawa, Dilbar Jaani Chali Hawa Mastaani, Duniya Mein Rehna Hai To Kaam Kar Pyare, Mere Mann Mein Machi Halchal, Tak Tak Tak Chalti Hai Gaadi etc. are also very nice to listen.

The movie is not a preaching type. In fact, this movie and all other movies made by Mr. Devar are such that they deliver the message of treating the animals with sensitivity through pure entertainment only. They are nowhere loud in saying anything, the message reaches the viewer automatically in a subtle way.That's why the message though hackneyed does not bores, it touches and moves the viewer deep within. I pity that now-a-days our so-called animal-right activists cannot arrange the closure of the slaughter-houses but they can restrict the artistic creativity of the filmmakers by prohibiting them to use animals in their movies. That's why filmmakers like Mr. Devar cannot get an opportunity now to show their cinematic excellence with the use of live animals.

(Rated on the basis of watching on T.V. 41 years after release)

Plot: A little boy, Raju grows up with a group of elephants who become his soul-mates. But can they live happily ever after?

Review: Children's cinema was a rarity in the 70's decade which was dominated by action-dramas. But one big exception was "Haathi Mere Saathi"(1971), directed by M.A.Thirumugham which was inspired from his own Tamil hit, "Vettaikkaaran"(1964).

The screenplay was penned by the legendary script-writing duo of Salim- Javed, who here were making their debut. It was a story about friendship, loyalty, misunderstanding and sacrifice. But unlike other films, here this message was spread through a bond between humans and the immensely lovable, elephants! Brilliantly written; it packed in all the essential elements- a tense beginning, romance, a tragic twist, fight-back, misunderstanding and a high-octane climax packed by several heart-warming and heart-wrenching moments! The script laid the solid foundation on which the pachyderms & co. stole the show.

In those days, it wasn't prevalent to take the little ones to watch movies; especially Hindi films! They were either too violent or too romantically matured. But they never missed out in case a film like "Haathi Mere Saathi" came around. While the parents shied away their children from other Rajesh Khanna hits like "Aradhana", "Amar Prem", and "Daag"; there was no escaping the charm of the then-reigning-superstar of Bollywood in this flick. But the undeniable superstars here were the tuskers who won our hearts with their frolics and actions displaying a superb mixture of innocence and intelligence. They made the humans look like supporting actors to them. Hats off to their trainers! But it would be a terrible mistake to believe it is just an elephant-based film going by the title. The lions, tigers, bears and alligators, all deserve their place of honour. However incredible the antiques of the tuskers appeared; the wedding-feast sequence and the climax-song where the cast members are surrounded by these four-legged friends, are jaw-dropping and drop-dead stunning! One must rub their eyes in disbelief. They were one surprise the viewers were least expecting but couldn't thank their stars enough for witnessing it. The circus-stunts (especially, the jump from the tower after the hero sets himself on fire) are bonus treats for children and grown-ups alike! The last half-an-hour strike a hammer blow in the viewers' hearts; but yet one would only take back happy memories from the film.

Rajesh Khanna slipped into his role with typical élan. He consciously portrayed himself as a friend of the animals, never as a master. It was tough to be convincing as someone whose orders are obeyed by wild animals. But he pulled it off with his trademark grace and ever-charming smile. Tanuja looked gorgeous and portrayed the concerns of an insecure mother, convincingly. She shared a sweet and lovely chemistry with 'Kaka'; it's a pity we didn't get to see this pair in too many films. It was surprising to see Sujit Kumar play a negative role, but he did full justice to it. The remaining cast including Madan Puri and Jr. Mehmood were good as well. But the best performers undoubtedly were the non- humans; especially the elephant, Ramu who put in the most assured performance. There are just no words to describe him. Take a bow, Ramu!

The title-track, having superb antaras, is the best song of the film; all of which are scored by Laxmikant-Pyarelal. 'Nafrat Ki Duniya' is brilliantly sung by Rafi; though the attention got diverted by its spell-binding picturisation on 'Kaka' surrounded by tigers and lions on both sides. 'Dilbar Jani' and 'Duniya Mein Jeena' are also praise-worthy tracks. The composers must also be lauded for the impressive theme-score where trumpets were used to replicate the voice of the tuskers.

Although commendably written, the script lacks logic at places. The basic premise itself of a man affording to keep four elephants is hard to believe. The 'munshi', who bought ration for the elephants from his own pocket, didn't seem so money-minded to switch allegiances. It was more incredible that Raju could feed himself and four elephants with a daily earning of just Rs.250 when they were driven out on the streets! Lastly, the rise of Raju from a street-performer to the owner of a private zoo was too swift to be convincing. His progress needed to be depicted in more detail.

But the biggest deficiency in the film, which prevents it from being termed 'great', is its sub-standard editing. Also handled by the director himself, he fails to replicate his skills behind the camera on the editing table. The first signs were evident from the thrilling elephant-leopard tussle at the beginning; but one could excuse that considering the difficulty in executing the shot. But it was unacceptable when shots were repeated in a couple of songs and the same close-up of an elephant's eye being used repeatedly. The two sequences of shooting of elephants, Tanu's father lying to her about Raju and Raju lying ill in a temple are clumsily edited. Poor editing injects apprehension into the viewers' mind regarding the style of unfolding of the film as the editor is the overseer of the final product. The editing sticks out like a sore thumb in this otherwise gem of a film.

"Haathi Mere Saathi" spreads a message of harmony (exemplified by the peaceful co-existence of lions and goats together). It will live on as an ideal film for children but it sends out important lessons for grown- ups as well. The elephants teach us how to be true human-beings.

Box-Office Verdict: The film became the highest-grossing blockbuster of 1971. The title-track remains popular even after four decades. It also won the National Award and became the last of Rajesh Khanna's unbroken record of 15 consecutive hits. It was remade by the makers in Tamil as "Nalla Neram" in 1972. It's regarded as the finest children's film made in Bollywood.

This movie is one the biggest hits of Super Star Rajesh Khanna and is a movie which made him popular with kids who grew up seeing his future movies. This movie is about the relationship/bondage between man and animal. Elephants play an equally important role with Rajesh Khanna in the movie and the movie revolves around them. Tanuja playing the heroine also contributes. The movie has excellent music by Laxmikant Pyarelal who have composed some great hits for this movie sung by Kishore Kumar. One song of Mohammad Rafi is a class. The movie is a must see for movie watchers of all ages and especially the kids will enjoy this classic.

I first saw this film in India when I was 5 years old. I remembered that I really liked it then, and was quite pleased to find it 30 years later via the Internet.

I'm glad to say that it has lost none of its magic. The story of Raju and his elephant buddy Ramoo makes for a truly unique film. The best way I can sum it up, without giving too much away, is that it is reminiscent of older Disney films, but with a uniquely Indian feel. Suffice to say, there are not many countries in the world where a story of a man growing up with elephants could be told in such an effective manner. The trained animal sequences alone are worthy of films such as "The Bear".

With regards to the inevitable singing and dancing in a Bollywood production, the songs are wonderful and there are far fewer of them than in standard Bollywood fare. Additionally, as opposed to the more modern Indian films, the dancing is refreshingly non-professional and consists mostly of the hero and heroine scampering about and waving their arms - which only adds to the overall charm of this film.

Haathi Mere Saathi is drama film directed by Late M. A. Thirumugam. The film stars Late Rajesh Khanna, Tanuja, late Madan Puri, Late Sujit Kumar and Late K. N. Singh.

Raju becomes very attached to his four elephants after they save his life. His wife, however, fears for her child and tells him that he must choose between the animals and his family.

The film which is one of the most entertaining film and was liked by adults and kids at the time of it's release was also considered as one of the biggest hit of not only Hindi cinema but also of the career of Rajesh Khanna and also paved the way for a new genre in Indian cinema.

The plot of the film is unique at the time the film was made and execution is good. The pace of the film is also good and is supported by some good songs which doesn't effects the pace of the film.

Screenplay of the film is decent but the viewers of current era might feel the film long, exhausting and cliched but the era the film was released it was normal and people loved such films.

Acting is decent and none of them were very impressive nor very disappointed as we have seen them doing similar acting in many films.

All the songs of the film are good specially the title track. Climax and the end of the film is emotional and perfect.

Can be watched once and the children will surely like this film.