Le mystère du voile

This was a seminal Indian film from their Golden Age, with the musical poetry taking up nearly a quarter of its total running time but leaving you wishing it could have been even more.

It centres around the Islamic custom Purdah of veiled women not showing their faces to men outside of their immediate family. The trouble begins when a man catches a glimpse of a beautiful woman, sets out his plans to win her with the help of his friend but ultimately bringing tragedy on their collective heads. It's a simple quintessential Bollywood tale that unfolds on the screen, it definitely looks more complex in print! Although Waheeda Rehman and Guru Dutt never looked lovelier it was really the incomparable Rafi's film, from the mesmerisingly sung soft Technicolor Chaudvin Ka Chand to the heartbroken b&w Mili Khak Mein Mohabbat; Asha had a fine song in Dil Ke Kahaani (also in Technicolor), while Lata shone with Badle Badle in atmospheric melancholic b&w. Johnny Walker was here too providing a bit of light relief as usual – so what more could anyone want!

A sad tale but nothing heavy - for a glimpse of the beauty of another world, recommended.

This movie can be declared as the effective starter of love triangles in Hindi movies. There have been an unbelievable number of lift offs of this story since then. However it does not in any way reduce the repeat value of this movie. Guru Dutt shows us how to handle a theme of love that could have only a tragic ending. Vahida Rahman looks most beautiful and the title song by Rafi deserves all the acclaim it received.

Chaudhavin Ki Chand (1960) : Brief Review -

A royal musical touch for the greatest love triangle in friendship formula in Hindi cinema. You might have seen many love triangles revolving around friendship, be it a huge blockbuster like Sangam or modern Ram Avatar, Saajan, a few 00s flicks, and many more. Believe me, you will not find anything better than Chaudhavin Ka Chand. A majority will go with Sangam because of its popularity in India and overseas, and without denying its modernity and huge box office income, I would say Chaudhavi Ki Chand is better. Sangam manages to bring that silent Hollywood-era love triangle to Bollywood, but CKC actually did much better, and that too 4 years before it came. So, it has an edge, and the second plus point is the royal touch of Lucknowi nawabi and evergreen songs. We know that one of the friends dies, sacrificing his life for the other friend to get his love, and the same happens here. Maybe that's what Indians want to watch, and that's what works for them. It brings an emotional quotient to any love triangle, I assume. The Hollywood blockbuster "Flesh and the Devil" (1926) was far ahead with its thinking because the English culture isn't as sober and pure as Indian culture when it comes to true love theories. Still, that silent romantic blockbuster feels much better because, at the end, friendship wins and love loses, whereas all the Indian love triangles have always preferred to let friendship die and love triumph. In that film, the lady dies and two friends reconcile, mostly because it was a kind of femme fatale. In India, one has to sacrifice, making himself bigger in the eyes of both his wife/girlfriend and friend. CKC set that formula once and for all, and that too with such a classy touch. The entire art design, production design, costumes, music, lyrics, and choreography set this film apart from any other competitor. The script gets the hold of heart and throat both, hence making it the greatest love triangle in Hindi cinema.

RATING - 8/10*

By - #samthebestest.

This was Guru Dutt's most successful commercial film. What Catherine Deneuve is to French films, Waheeda Rehman is to Indian films - sensuous, talented, photogenic and ethereal. The Lukhnavi traditions are captured beautifully - the women's quarters and the men forbidden access. The lifting of the veil has two men fall madly in love with the same woman. In the end, as tragedy strikes, Jameela's divorced husband gently pulls the veil back on her face. This scene is worth the price of the DVD. I wish that Guru Dutt had not colorized the title song in this black and white film. Meenu Mumtaz and Tun Tun are great. Johnny Walker does his usual schtick and Rehman and Guru Dutt complete the love triangle.

Chaudhvin Ka Chand Directed By Mohammed Sadiq & Produced By Guru Dutt Is Romance Drama.... Written By Saghir Usmani ....Screenplay By Abrar Alvi...Story Is About Three Friends Aslam,Nawab & Saiza ...Two Of The Friends (Aslam & Nawab)Fall In Love With The Same Girl Named Jamila...It Deals With Friendship, Love & Sacrifice ....

Guru Dutt As Aslam Does Fine...Waheeda Rehman As Jamila Looks Very Beautiful....Johny Walker As Saiza is Very Funny In Some Of The Scenes...Rehman As Nawab Gives One Of The Best Performance ...He Was A Great Actor....Others Are Fine....

Guru Dutt's Music Composer Of Earlier Films S. D. Burman Had Warned Him Not To Make Kagaz Ke Phool Which Resembled His Own Life. When Guru Dutt Insisted On Making The Film S.D.Burman Said That Would Be His Last Film With Guru Dutt. So The Music Was Composed By Ravi...Music Is Outstanding ...Especially The Award Winning Song "Chaudhvi Ka Chand Ho" By Rafi ...All The Songs Were Fine....

Overall A Great Movie...This Was The Most Commercially Successful Guru Dutt's Movie...