Chitchor

I read other user comments and felt like commenting on them. Sure it is a simple movie, but is that everything what a good movie demands. It may have been nicely directed but I failed to notice any brilliance. Sure it was a movie which felt like real life, but honestly there should be something more than small subtle pleasures that one gets in seeing people's gestures, mannerisms...

Anyhow, on the whole the movie lacked strongly in the idea and the story aspect. It failed to give a clear message about the intention of the movie. It was no doubt much better than any commercial venture because of its music, narration and acting. But I would have expected more from such a brilliant director.

Paying tribute to Basu Chatterjee by watching his films. Watched Chitchor today. Beautiful romantic musical... A simple story flowing like a fresh stream... Amol Palekar and Zarina Wahab in a mild underplayed romance. Ravindra Jain and Yesudas providing mellifluous melodies for love soaked lines.... Kind of a cult movies of those middle cinema times... Absolute pleasure to watch.

There is no extravagance, no foreign locations, no show off, no heavy dialogues and no complications. This is a very nice and a simple love story shot in a small village which simply flows but at the same time it remains beautiful from start to end. And cherry on the cake is some great songs. Everyone one has given great performance.

Sooraj Barjaatya has directed some good movies over the period spanning from 1989-2006 but his work includes one let down also in the form of Main Prem Ki Deewaani Hoon (2003). With too much unnecessary glamour, body expose, theatrical performances and average musical score, MPKDH did not have anything worthwhile to offer to the audience who approached the theatres with high expectations and quite naturally, it bombed on the box office. However anybody who has been following the movies of Sooraj's banner (actually his grandfather's banner) - Rajshri Productions, could easily see that MPKDH was actually an urbanized remake of an old classic of this banner which kept the flag of simplicity, high values of life and Indianness high in Hindi cinema for around two and a half decades. The original classic movie in this context is Chitchor (1976).

Chitchor (heart-stealer) is a lovely movie which got turned into an unforgettable one by the brilliant performances and the excellent music. The pivotal character of the story is Geeta (Zarina Wahaab) who lives with her parents in a small town. Her father, Pitambar Chaudhary (A.K. Hungal) is a schoolmaster who alongwith her mother (Deena Paathak) is concerned about her marriage (like any traditional Indian parents). Her married elder sister, Meera (Ritu Kamal) informs them from Mumbai (then Bombay) a suitable boy who is an engineer, is coming to their place for work and he should be welcomed and treated properly by them to woo him for consenting to marry Geeta. The parents do the same. The arriving person is Vinod (Amol Palekar) who does not know the background behind his welcome and hospitality but through his nature and behaviour he is able to win the hearts of all including that of Geeta. But the twist in the tale comes when the case turns out to be that of mistaken identity. Actually, the person who was suggested by Meera as the prospective groom for Geeta is Sunil (Vijayendra Ghaatage) and not Vinod who is not engineer but his subordinate overseer. Sunil also arrives at the place and now Geeta's parents are in a fix as to how to deal with Vinod whom they had been treating as their prospective son-in-law because quite naturally, the (more) suitable boy is the engineer and not the overseer, forg tting the fact that the heart of a girl once gone for a boy, it's gone. She cannot change her feelings according to the post and the status of the boys. After an emotional drama, the movie reaches its happy ending when Geeta asserts herself and disallows others to decide her destiny.

This simple yet highly touching love story has been penned by Subodh Ghosh which ace director, Basu Chatterjee has adapted for the screen with finesse by writing the screenplay and the dialogs himself. It's the simplicity of the story, the characters and the complete milieu which makes this movie a winner all the way. The characters are innocent ones with hearts of gold and they effortlessly take the viewer away with their talks, gesture and activities towards the desired culmination of the story. The spectator becomes a part of their psyche, desiring the same which is bound to happen ultimately.

This was the first movie of Vijayendra Ghatage whereas Amol Palekar and Zarina Wahaab too were in the initial phase of their respective careers only. And all three have delivered outstanding performances with ample support from seasoned character artists like A.K. Hungal and Deena Paathak and also from the number one child artist of his time, Master Raju.

This movie despite Rajshri's penchant for the traditional social values prevailing in India (which expect the daughter of the house to bow before the decision of her parents regarding her marriage), surprisingly makes the audience hear the footsteps of the woman-lib movement in which the girl wants to decide her groom herself. Zarina Wahaab with her girl next door looks, has delivered a highly confident performance in her role which, in the climax, set the bells of woman-lib ringing for the middle class Indian girls who wanted to be the decider for their fate but could not, being caught in the shackles of social tradition where the parents only could decide what's good for them. This way, it was a path-breaker in the regular Bollywood cinema.

The movie could not be such a grand success as well as considered a classic if not for the unforgettable music of Ravindra Jain. This blind music maestro not only composed great melodies based on classical Raagas but also wrote heart-soothing lyrics of high literary quality for them. Gori Tera Gaaon Bada Pyaara, Tu Jo Mere Sur Mein Sur Mila Le and Aaj Se Pehle Aaj Se Zyaada Khushi Aaj Tak Nahin Mili. If you ask for my favourite song from this movie, it's Jab Deep Jale Aana, Jab Shaam Dhale Aana which is based on Raag Yaman. Ravindra Jain introduced K.J. Yesudaas and Hemlata as playback singers from this album.

True to its title, this movie is a CHITCHOR who will steal your heart.

Chitchor is a wonderful comedy directed by the great Basu Chatterjee, and as you would already predict, it is one small and authentic picture which tells its story through its presentation of everyday realism and its ability to captivate without ever overdoing its story. There is something in this simplicity that is really engaging. Chitchor is a light, musically-abundant tale of a village couple who want to marry their growing daughter Geeta to a young successful engineer named Sunil, only that for quite some time they mistake him for his supervisor, Vinod, who comes to the village several days before. The story deepens upon the arrival of Sunil and follows the proceedings when Geeta is already very much in love with Vinod.

Chitchor is aided in equal parts by Chatterjee's wonderful direction, the great cast, and of course the classic soundtrack composed by Ravindra Jain. K. J. Yesudas and Hemalata perform brilliantly their numbers. Eash song is totally melodious and pleasant. Do take a listen to "Gori Tera Gaon", "Aaj Se Pehle", "Jab Deep Jale Aana", and my personal favourite "Tu Jo Mere Sur Mein". Where acting goes, every actor does well. A.K. Hangal and Dina Pathak are excellent as the loving parents. Amol Palekar is fantastic as the kindhearted and talented Vinod. Zarina Wahab is outstanding in a restrained performance which is mostly non-verbal. Vijayendra Ghatge lends adequate support and child actor Raju Shrestha also does exceedingly well.

There's one aspect in the film that really struck me and it's the running time. At a little more than one hour and a half, Chitchor is one of the shortest movies, and it's great because so many Hindi movies are too long for the story they tell, and here's a nice exception. The word "chitchor" means "a heart stealer", and the movie lives up to the premise. It is enjoyable, simple and heartwarming, and is without a doubt an amusing tale worth revisiting. Go for it.