Chhoti Si Baat

Undoubtedly one of the funniest Hindi films of all time, giving a nostalgic look at young and urbane 70s Bombay. Palekar is brilliant as the quintessential idiot in love with Vidya Sinha, but unable to express his love for her. Asrani is an excellent rival, sliming his way into the girl's heart. But there's a trump card - up in the hills is a learned oldie Ashok Kumar who has a devious plan of action in mind - to give Palekar the one-up on Asrani. Few have seen this film, and I'm yet to come across anyone who disputes that this rates as one of the best comedies to ever come out on the Indian silver screen.

What we have here is a slice of the life narrative which is dominated by an exciting battle of wits between two suitors over a girl. Amol Palekar plays Arun, a diffident simpleton who likes a girl from a neighboring office but isn't able to profess his adoration for his object of affection and attention. They meet in the most mundane circumstances- on the bus while on the way to their respective offices. On some days, he follows her and on some days, she notices. Is she interested in him? Is she playing the mind games? How can one be certain? The problem of the girl's inexplicable behavior (in Arun's mind) is further increased by the entry of a third factor- a glib talking, over smart and overbearing character of Asrani who happens to be a colleague of Prabha and is therefore, ostensibly at an advantage. And yes, he is a keen enthusiast in two sports- Chess and Table Tennis, whereas Arun sucks at both those disciplines. Oh, and Asrani also has a lime green Lambretta which Arun is envious of.

In the first act itself, there ensues a battle of wits between Arun and Asrani. While Arun's motives in winning over Prabha are pretty unambiguous, Asrani's motivations are not that apparent to the audience. We are left guessing whether he is really trying to woo Prabha or is he just a compulsive flirt with a big mouth and terrible etiquettes? But those very vices seem to be helping him in the beginning. He emerges as a roadblock in Arun's journey of love and in a memorable dream sequence, several of which are used very innovatively throughout the film, Arun imagines himself murdering him and then facing the jury proudly after his belligerent deed. However, that's just one of Arun's many daydreams. In reality, he is unable to express his feelings of love for Prabha. Whener she's around, he gets tongue tied. A Beatles Song most accurately describes his psychology at that point of time

"I want to tell you. My head is filled with things to say. When you're here, all those words they seem to slip away"

That Harrison Song from 1967's legendary 'Revolver' album, perfectly captures Arun's inner torment and turmoil in the first half of the film. Disillusioned and disappointed with his repeated failures in the war of love, he turns to astrology and divine intervention but no avail God helps those who help themselves. Therefore, he decides to seek help and finds that in the form of Col. JNW Singh of Khandala, a confident, worldly wise, old man who is said to have the best advise for everyone who come to seek it and the advise is available on various topics- love, career, tax planning, etc. He takes a special interest in Arun's case, the reason for which is revealed later.

Under Col. Singh's tutelage, Arun learns the art of courtship. Through a complex training process comprising body language courses, table etiquettes, chess and table tennis apart from of course the mandatory knowledge about the birds and the bees and the wondrous art of deciphering the intentions of womankind by the wave of her hand, the curled smile on her lips, the placement of her feet, the position of her face and purse, the movements of her fingers, the contact of her eyes, her laughter, her touch, the color of her mascara, the size of her earrings, the strength of her handshake, the tone of her voice, etc. etc.

After all this, Arun returns back to Mumbai a changed man. He is accompanied by his mentor, Col. Singh, who wants to check on his progress. The new Arun has a leap in his stride, a mild confidence about his countenance and knowledge of his new craft. Slowly, he starts turning the tables on Asrani and uses his own tricks against Asrani himself much to the secret glee of Prabha, who by this time, seems to have developed an affection of her own in Arun. They enjoy spending time together. Then, one day he calls her to his place. What are his intentions? Does he really love her or can it be that….? No, Prabha decides to go and find out for herself the truth about Arun's character. What happens in the end? Does Arun trick Prabha or do we get a happy ending? And where does Asrani fit into the scheme of things? The situations are so believable and the characters are so relatable that this film is an instant favorite of mine. The technique used is brilliant. The use of voice overs, flash backs and flash forwards are innovatively used. And the songs…they are mind blowing…most rendered soulfully by Yesudas- 'Jaaneman- Jaaneman', ' Yeh Din' and the beautiful and haunting, 'Na Jaane Kyun'. Amol Palekar excels in a role tailor made for him. Asrani gives an effortless performance. Vidya Sinha is adequate. Ashok Kumar is brilliant in his depiction of one of the most memorable characters- Julius Nagendranath Wilfred Singh.

A thoroughly entertaining film and one that can be watched again and again, CSB is my favourite Basu Chatterjee film, followed closely by Rajanigandha- which is worthy of being hailed a classic too and is on certain levels, even more masterful than Choti Si Baat as Rajanigandha looks at the matters of love through the eyes of a woman and touches a point even deeper in our psychology.

This film beautifully captures Bombay in 70s, office going middle class, Bus 86 from Khar to Fountain (btw it still runs the same route!), conman, greenery of Khandala, awkwardness of relationship from acquaintances to love. Kudos to late Sharad Joshi for witty dialogues, to late KK Mahajan for showcasing Bombay through eyes of a commoner. Excellent cast led by Dadamoni & Amol ji. This film released in 1975 is enjoyed by ten yr child today. That's a classic. It has endured.

Chhoti Si Baat is for me the ultimate romantic comedy of those times - simple, funny and totally charming. Basu Chatterjee was an amazing talent. Like Hrishikesh Mukherjee, he used to make films that reflected the lives of people from the middle-class. Everything in this film is kept simple and contributes to its authenticity, including dialogues, characters, sets, props and costumes. Chatterjee brilliantly captures the world of Arun, an ordinary and rather insecure fellow who is deeply in love with a young and beautiful girl named Prabha. The story follows Arun's trials and tribulations and his later attempts to get her through the help and guidance of a love-guru, when another guy enters the picture. It's amazing how the viewers are given a chance to witness and experience every thought, yearning and disappointment that the character of Arun is going through, and yet the movie remains consistently humorous, lighthearted and comic.

I think that's what makes both the film and particularly the character of Arun so easy to relate to. I think everyone has been at some point secretly in love and could not express his feelings. And clearly this would not be so believable without Amol Palekar's great portrayal. Palekar's comically melancholic performance is wonderful. He never tries to do more than required or over-express his deep feelings. And yet it is always understood. This is easily one of his best. Vidya Sinha is beautiful and ever so graceful that it's easy to understand why she is the love interest here. Asrani is not the type of guy who would really look like a serious rival who could undermine one's confidence, but he is inevitably funny and suitably annoying. Ashok Kumar is just outstanding in a role which is quite different from his usual ventures. As the witty and kind Colonel Julius Nagendranath Wilfred Singh, he is hilarious, likable and memorable.

Some of the film's scenes are still remembered today, including the sequences showing Arun daily following Prabha on her way to her workplace. The lively streets of the yet-unconjested Bombay are efficiently shot and are nostalgic to look at. The scenes involving Arun and the love-guru Julius are of the best moments in the film, while Arun's transformation afterwards and his renewed interaction with Prabha is incredibly entertaining. Salil Choudhury's soundtrack for the film is beautiful. In another evident attempt to keep the film realistic, the songs are not visualised as one would expect in a Hindi film. The songs either play over montage sequences ("Na Jaane Kyun" and "Yeh Din Kyaa Aaye") or appear as part of a film the characters go to see in the cinema (the wonderful "Jaanemann"). In either way, they express the characters' state of mind brilliantly. Overall, Chhoti Si Baat is one classic gem to remember. Go now.

A light and funny movie about a very simple and shy man going to a love-guru to learn the tactics of how to impress a female. A pretty nice comedy. Moreover, it also brings up the question about how fair it is to use pre-thought/learnt techniques to get the love of one's life. Can't one just be natural and still get one???