Skip to main content

DO AANKHE BARAH HAATH (1957) (All time Top 99 Best Hindi Films)

The film was inspired by the story of an 'open prison' experiment Swatantrapur in the princely state of Aundh near Satara. Now Swatantrapur is part ofAtpadi tehsil in Sangli district of Maharashtra. It was recounted by screenwriter G. D. Madgulkar to V. Shantaram. In 2005, Indiatimes Movies ranked the movie amongst the Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films.During the filming V. Shantaram battled with a bull and he hurt his one eye during the stunt, though his eyesight survived. The film was later remade in 1975 in Tamil as Pallandu Vazhga starring M.G. Ramachandran and Latha, and in 1976 as theTelugu color film Maa Daivam starring N.T. Rama Rao and Jayachitra. 
Do Aankhen Barah Haath makes you want to believe in the innate decency of all human beings. And for how many films can one say that? Despite being a message film, it doesn't lapse into dull didacticism but remains cinematically alive throughout.


The scene where one of the prisoner's aged, bedraggled and half-blind mother comes to meet him with his sons is heart-breaking in the abjectness of her poverty and helplessness. Yet, when the mother gives the jailor a simple sweet as her token of appreciation for arranging the meeting, the survival of the human spirit can't fail to move.
There is wry humour as well --- when the farm's caretaker, frightened by the sight of the six menacing prisoners, is asked to identify himself, he quavers, 'Bahadur!'



Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Mere Mehboob Na Jaa, Aaj Ki Raat Na Jaa Song Detail

Song : Mere Mehboob Na Jaa, Aaj Ki Raat Na Jaa Album : Noor Mahal (1965)  Singer : Suman Kalyanpur  Musician : Jani Babu Qawwal  Lyricist : Saba Afghani  मेरे महबूब न जा,  ना जा ना जा मेरे महबूब न जा,  आज की रात न जा होने वाली है सहर,  थोड़ी देर और ठहर मेरे महबूब न जा ...  देख कितना हसीन मौसम है  हर तरफ़ इक अजीब आलम है  जलवे इस तरह आज निखरे हैं  जैसे तारे ज़मीं पे बिखरे हैं,  मेरे महबूब ...  मैंने काटें हैं इन्तज़ार के दिन  तब कहीं आये हैं बहार के दिन  यूँ ना जा दिल कि शमा गुल कर के  अभी देखा नहीं है जी भर के,  मेरे महबूब ...  जब से ज़ुल्फ़ों की छाँव पाई है  बेक़रारी को नींद आई है  इस तरह मत जा यूँही सोने दे  रात ढलने दे सुबह होने दे,  मेरे महबूब ...  इस तरह फेर कर नज़र मुझ से  दूर जाएगा तू अगर मुझसे  चाँदनी से भी आग बरसेगी  शम्मा भी रोशनी को तरसेगी,  मेरे महबूब ...  धड्कनों में ...
Read more

CHALTI KA NAAM GAADI (1958) (All time Top 99 Best Comedy Films)

Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi was the first out-and-out comedy film to be a hit in the Indian film industry. Kishore was inspired by the art of Hollywood’s Marx brothers. It was also the first film that presented the titles in a comical style. Kishore Kumar apparently made Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi hoping it would flop. He wanted to show losses in his income and avoid paying a huge income tax to the authorities. So he made two films, Lookochuri in Bengali and Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi in Hindi, and waited eagerly for them to collapse.  Both went on to be raging successes. Kishore was so disgusted with this that he gifted Chalti Ka Naam… and all its rights to his secretary Anoop Sharma, who retained the copyright.The income tax case on Kishore Kumar was not solved even after forty years. Two songs in the film were plagiarised on Kishore’s request. Hum the who thi…is a take-off on The Water MellonSong and Ek ladki bheegi bhaagi sion 16 Tons from the album 16 Tons of Tennessee Ernie. ...
Read more