Hamraaz

Hamraaz (1967) is my most favourite suspense-thriller which was a blockbuster in its time and re-released several times thereafter. I had seen this great movie in theatre in Kolkata (then Calcutta) in 1989. This excellent movie is the brain-child of the legendary director - late B.R. Chopra. If you want to watch an edge-of-the-seat genuine suspense-thriller with an excellent musical score, this masterpiece starring Sunil Dutt, Raaj Kumar, Vimi, Mumtaaz and Balraaj Saahni is there for you which, in my opinion, is the best musical suspense-thriller ever made in Bollywood.

Hamraaz (someone who knows your secret) starts with the hidden marriage of Vimi, the daughter of a military contractor at Darjeeling who finds herself pregnant after hearing the news of the death of her husband, Raaj Kumar in the 1962 war. After delivery, her father informs her that she had delivered a dead child. Time passes and Sunil Dutt, a famous theatre artist, enters her life, proposes her, marries her and takes her to Bombay without knowing about the secret marriage and delivery issues of his wife's life. A few years later, Vimi is informed about her child living in an orphanage of Bombay by her father when he is on his death-bed. Vimi meets her child (daughter), takes her to her home and requests Sunil Dutt for her adoption which is refused by Sunil Dutt on the plea that she won't treat that child as her own when she herself delivers his child later on. Since then the activities of Vimi start creating suspicion in the mind of Sunil Dutt and the suspense begins. Sunil Dutt spies on his wife only to find herself as murdered and himself becoming a suspect in the eyes of the investigating officer, Balraaj Saahni. These and the following events, the thrill and the unfolding of the mystery; everything combines to a very very big treat for the suspense-thriller fans.

Music is a great strength of the movie and the first hour is dedicated to music and romance only. Saahir Ludhianvi has written five great songs for this movie and Ravi has composed great music for them. Four are Mahendra Kapoor's all time great solos - 1. O Neele Gagan Ke Tale, Dharti Ka Pyar Pale, 2. Na Munh Chhupa Ke Jiyo Aur Na Sar Jhuka Ke Jiyo, 3. Kisi Patthar Ki Moorat Se Mohabbat Ka Iraada Hai, 4. Tum Agar Saath Dene Ka Vaada Karo, Main Yun Hi Mast Naghme Lutaata Rahoon. And the fifth one is a Mahendra Kapoor-Asha duet - Tu Husn Hai Main Ishq Hoon, Tu Mujhme Hai Main Tujhme Hoon - in which classic love stories from the history have been shown as a theatre-play. The melodious compositions coupled with the meaningful and touching lyrics make the album very precious. The picturization of the songs is also laudable.

The beauty of the narrative is that all these five songs are over within the first one hour of the movie and immediately thereafter the viewer finds himself enveloped in a non-stop suspense drama lasting for more than two hours. But the length of the movie does not allow the viewer to get bored even for a single moment. It is thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end. The speed of the narrative after the songs are over, is so fast that the viewer keeps on watching holding his / her breath without getting any time to pause and think from the master storyteller.

The screenplay of Hamraaz is simply brilliant and when the viewer is out of the theatre (or finished with the VCD / DVD or the satellite telecast), then only he / she realizes what a hypnotic state he / she has been in for the previous few hours. Through the spellbinding narrative, B.R. Chopra has been able to clarify with conviction the difference between reading a mystery and watching a mystery. It underscores the superiority of the visual medium in presenting a mystery over the medium of words. It's a suspense-thriller in which the spectator not just watches the mystery but lives the mystery shown on the screen. The white-shoes of the mysterious person whose identity is revealed just before the climax, is something unforgettable for the spectators.

All departments of the movie are up to the mark. The scenic beauty of Darjeeling has been very well captured by the cinematographer. Production value is quite high according to the repute of the prestigious B.R. Films banner.

The heroes have done exceedingly well, especially Sunil Dutt. Vimi does not show any acting talent in her debut movie but she looks extremely beautiful and that has made up for her acting deficiency. Mumtaaz also looks very pretty. Herself alongwith the complete supporting cast, has performed satisfactorily. We can also see Sarika in this movie as a child artist and hers is also a heart-winning performance .

Considering the plot, the acting, the tight screenplay with excellent direction and above all, the music; the movie easily finds itself in the list of all time great suspense-thrillers of Bollywood. Any mystery-fan who has not seen Hamraaz, should not miss it. However this movie is equally recommendable for the audience of romantic musicals also. It's truly outstanding and nothing short of a textbook of filmmaking for the contemporary filmmakers.

The movie starts with an ordinary love story of a girl with a military man, they marry without telling the girl's father. The girl's father somehow agrees and asks them to do the marriage again. War breaks out and the husband dies in the war leaving the girl pregnant. Father of girl tells the girl that the child was born dead. The girl marries a stage actor Kumar, played by Sunil Dutt. First half is full of good songs, and beautiful surroundings of Darjeeling. No one can even imagine what the second half can be. The second half is suspense thriller, young Sunil Dutt plays the role of chasing husband very well. Balraj Sahni is, as always, at the top of the affairs, as a police inspector. Balraj Sahni's styles eventually suggest that probably Amitabh copies him a lot of times. Suspense goes on till the last 7-8 minutes of the movie. Raaj Kumar is not so good, but Dutt sahib has done phenomenally well. A must watch movie. I still remember when I was a child I saw this movie first time on Vishal cinema in New Delhi, and my father when I told him that I saw Humraaz, he embraced me. Its a far far better movie than today's suspense thrillers.

Hamraaz is extraordinary quality entertainment of its times, which benefits from superb writing, excellent direction, good acting and phenomenal music. In this regard, the film is B. R. Chopra at his most quintessential. It's stylish and enjoyable and very affecting throughout. The sudden turn of events it takes halfway through the story is most unexpected but it is a fantastic twist at that, quite Hitchcockian I would say. First it turns into a successful thriller, later into a murder mystery, and it works well all through. The gripping delivery, very characteristic of Chopra's films at the time, is very tight and successful. The film's second half is therefore much stronger than the first, but the film has many qualities going for it, among which the cinematography and camera work are quite excellent for the times.

The film's main trump-card other than the interesting story and the technical finesse, is unquestionably the music, which can't get better than this. Comng from the great musci director Ravi, this is hardly surprising. All the numbers are classically melodious and wonderfully sung by Mahendra Kapoor (take "Neele Gagan Ke Tale", "Kisi Patthar Ki Murat Se"). The actors all do well. Vimi, a lesser-known actress, is competent in her most famous role, which is quite uncommon for a leading Hindi film actress. Sunil Dutt, on the other hand, does a pretty common role, similar to what he did in Raj Khosla's thriller Mera Saaya, and he does well as always. Supporting parts by excellent character actors like Blaraj Sahni and Iftekhar are a great addition, and Raaj Kumar and Mumtaz do equally well. Great entertainment, indeed.

I feel this movie is awesome. It had a very 60's Hollywood suspense theme. The background music helped create the mood of suspense while viewing Sunil Dutt's goal to sidetrack the police. The camera shots were awesome, especially when Sunil Dutt is in the hotel room and he has his hands on his face and the white lighting hits his face. The film had a great glamor to it with actors like Sunil Dutt and Raj Kumar. The main actress (Meena) was very elegant and high maintenance. Sunil Dutt did an awesome job in the film of being the lovable husband to the suspicion husband. It appears that he is already in the interrogation room of the police station. I wish they made Bollywood films like this today.

Good star cast. Interesting story. Very well made movie with excellent songs.