BLAST FROM THE PAST
Ab Dilli Door Nahin (1957)
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STARRING Motilal, Sulochana, Master Romi, Anwar Hussain, Yaqub
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An Innocent’s quest A poster of the film.
“Ab Dilli Door Nahin” — the phrase that became the slogan for reaching the seat of power in Delhi, the phrase that is used as a symbol of hope — actually gained more prominence after Raj Kapoor’s R.K Films produced and Amar Kumar directed the film with this title in 1957. As the film starring Motilal, Sulochana, Ratan Kumar, Mohan Choti and others begins in the manner of the usual happy family saga, it seems as if the title of the film has little relevance to the story, but the second half more than justifies it.
In brief, it is about a financially feeble mill worker father Hariram (Motilal), who keeps his family — loving wife Bela (Sulochana) and son Rattan (Master Romi) — happy even as the cost of a loan he took from the village’s greedy moneylender increases. His good days end when his wife dies of a snake bite and he takes to drinking, loses his job and is charged with murder. But the actual killer Mukunda Lal (Anwar Hussain) roams scot-free till a pickpocket Ghaseeta (Yaqub) meets Ratan by chance and tells him that he saw his drunk father sleeping near his wife’s grave at the time of the murder. Now the 10-year-old must prove the innocence of his father who is facing a death sentence. And it is only Independent India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who can commute the sentence. Most of the film is Ratan’s journey to Delhi on foot, and his struggle to meet the PM, and predictably, his triumph.
The blend
The film, one of its kind from the RK banner, was experimental in nature symbolising new India’s hopes and aspirations and a belief that injustice was a thing of the past. And it blended beautifully with family values that were the hallmark of the society then. Akhtar Mirza’s story and dialogues by Muhafiz Hyder and Rajinder Singh Bedi gave ample space to overriding emotions. Sample these — a loving husband takes a loan of Rs.30 at an interest of 12 per cent per month to gift his wife a sari and his son a brightly embellished cap on Diwali. A drunk father rushes to attend to his lonely son nudging his drinking companions. Or, a motherless child burns his hand while making rotis. To bring patriotic fervour to a family scene, the director utilises the festival of lights. And hence, diyas are placed so as to make India’s map on the courtyard, around which children from Hariram’s neighbourhood burst firecrackers and Bela sings “Ye chaman hamara apna hai”.
It is delightful to see Motilal getting into the skin of a villager, speaking the local dialect to perfection. India Gate of those days was full of gigantic trees lining both sides of the road, and the river Yamuna (at ITO) was cleaner. It is here that one bursts into laughter as Ratan asks a bald man, ‘where is Darya Ganj?’ Pointing at the Yamuna and his hairless head, he quips, ‘That is darya, and this is ‘Ganj’!’
An actual shot of Nehru leaving Teen Murti Bhawan is flashed for a few seconds to bring credibility to the story of reaching the PM. One is also amazed at the use of animation in the song “Chun Chun Karti Aayi Chidiya”. Was our technology that advanced at that time or did RK source it? The film didn’t do well at the box office. But its lyrics by Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri and music by Dutta Ram became popular. The two songs besides “Masti Bhara Hai Saman” are still fresh in our minds. The film undoubtedly celebrates the spirit of courage and togetherness.
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Flashback
“I was very small when the film was released. Keeping the newly independent India’s new Prime Minister in mind, Raj Kapoor ji wrote the script and persuaded Nehru ji to work in the film, especially in the last shot where the child finally meets the PM. Raj ji told Nehru that the film would put his government on a high pedestal and bring the desired credibility, and Nehru ji had agreed to work in it. But at the last moment he declined to work for reasons best known to him. So, Raj ji had to use stock shots of Nehru. As the whole film was based on the child’s meeting with the PM which didn’t happen, the film fell flat. Obviously no one could empathise with it.”
Rishi Kapoor to RSZ
RANA SIDDIQUI ZAMAN
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