An Evening in Paris

I have seen far more Bollywood films than the average American, though I am far from an expert on these movies. For a change of pace, I thought I'd try watching an older Indian film--to see what they looked like decades ago (most Indian films available in the US are much more recent).

"An Evening in Paris" is about a couple of Indian ladies who, not surprisingly, go to Paris. However, one is very tired of men wanting her for her money, so she poses as the other's maid. Lots of kooky adventures, romance, a kidnapping and humor (such as it is) results. Other than the nice scenery, there really isn't a lot I liked about this film. The acting is just awful---very, very, very broad and the director seemed to encourage the actors to really ham it up for the audience. Subtle, this certainly isn't!! As a result, nothing about the film worked for me--it was so fake and plastic that I got VERY tired of the film and couldn't take it after a while. About the only thing I like about the film are a few of the musical numbers. While the sound quality of the songs is bad, they were catchy and easy to enjoy. I also liked some of the location shots during these songs--particularly the one in the Swiss Alps. Perhaps all this would play better for someone more familiar with and forgiving of the genre--I just thought it was rather dumb. Plus, how did so many Indians just happen to be in Paris?! I was there a few months back and didn't see Indians cavorting and singing anywhere in the city limits! Just my two cents worth.

An Evening In Paris review :

Want an extensive Europe trip with a complimentary Niagara falls view for price of just one cinema ticket??!! Well, An Evening in Paris is just what you need to see. "Aisa Mauka phir kahan milegaa" as its title song goes. Starring rockstar Shammi Kapoor and the gorgeous Sharmila Tagore, the film explores exotic locales of Paris, Swiss, Beirut and ends at the Niagara Falls. The Switzerland locales are truly awesome and mind you, this was a decade before Yash Chopra started filming his chiffon saree songs there..

Sharmila Tagore played a Richie rich heiress who comes to Paris to find true love and has Shammi pursuing her through its galli kucha. "Akele Akele, Kahan jaa rahe ho!!" goes the melodious sung by Mohammed Rafi and composed by Shankar Jaikishan.

An Evening in Paris goes down in history of Bollywood for being the first one to feature a mainstream heroine in a negative role - she plays a doppelganger in a plot partially inspired from Producer - Director Shakti Samanta's own China Town (1962) with gender reversal. Sharmila Tagore also sizzled in a light blue bikini paving the way for future sex symbols like Zeenat Aman and Parveen Babi in the '70s. Sharmila's uninhabited exposure in this film was talk of the town then and she even appeared in an itsy bitsy bikini on cover of Filmfare magazine around the same time.

As for the performances, Shammi was earnest as the lover boy and so was Pran with fake blonde hair playing the mandatory villain. But then An Evening in Paris was all about Sharmila and her bold attitude. I can't imagine any other top heroine of that time pulling off this audacious role. Kudos!!

Overall, the film was a complete entertainer but unfortunately, turned out to be an average grosser only due to its high budget. Shooting in foreign locales in those days was a costly affair and only the legendary Raj Kapoor Saahab had taken his Radha to Europe for his Sangam (1964). Bro Shammi Kapoor was never too far behind either!!

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.

Rich and pretty Deepa (Sharmila Tagore) comes to Paris to get away from failed relationships in India. She meets Sam (Shammi Kapoor), who falls in love with her and tries to win her affection. In the meantime, wicked gambler Shankar and his evil friends are scheming a way to get Deepa's money. What follows is kidnapping, impersonation, and dangerous adventures.

Filmed in four locations outside India, An Evening in Paris is lovely to watch. As for the plot-- the better part of the first hour of the is spent with Deepa in various locations, pretending to ignore Sam who is behind her, singing. All the excitement comes in the last 30 minutes or so, and the climax occurs too quickly. Kapoor is energetic and exuberant in every movement, which is entertaining. Tagore, who shocked the public by wearing a bikini, does a nice job of playing a double role. The music, and there is a lot of it, is catchy with a definite 60's feel to it. Tagore's costumes were exceptionally lovely. Overall, though the acting is great, the movie is somewhat dull up until the "thriller" aspect begins, and there just isn't enough suspense to make it better than okay.

Everything is just perfect, the music, the director, the actors and the execution. The movie was shot in Paris and Shakti Samata captured Paris beautifully in this movie. Shammi Kapoor and Pran sahab gave amazing performance in this movie. Sharmila Tagore was good to watch but it was Shammi Kapoor who stole the show completely.

Music was another pillar of the film. Every song is classic. You keep humming the tracks An evening in paris.

Music is excellent with Mohd Rafi and Shankar Jaikishan. The villains are portrayed by three legendary character actors Pran KN Singh, and HB Shetty. David is great and Rajendrath is hilarious and charming. Sharmila Tagore is lovely and plays her part well. Scenery is beautiful.

So why only a 6 despite all that? The plot was not well written. The first 20 minutes is good, the story seems promising and the French man is hilarious. Then the next 75 minutes is just Shammi Kapoor trying to woo Sharmila Tagore repeatedly and it really isn't amusing or charming but kind of a drag. If the director was someone as skilled as Hrishikesh Mukherjee it could have been different but that's not the case here. Shammi Kapoor had potential but too bad he didn't always take care of himself. Then the last hour is just a trite conflict, nothing remarkable. Everything was great but the story was average - and that is important. You can watch this movie completely for free and legally at rajshri and so for this I'll give it an extra point and make it a 7.