The lost and found formula has been a very popular formula for the masala flicks made in India which contains separation of beloveds (friends or siblings or parents and children or lovers) in childhood and their reunion in adulthood. Certain movies made on this formula were immensely successful on the box office, viz. Yaadon Ki Baarat (1973), Dharm-Veer (1977) Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), Muqaddar Ka Sikander (1978) etc. Crime has always been part of the scripts based on this formula. I consider Waqt (1965) as the best Bollywood movie ever made on this formula. It is a classic movie made by none other than B.R. Films and directed by none other than Yash Chopra.
Waqt (time) starts with the inauguration of the new shop of a businessman - Lala Kedarnath (Balraaj Saahni) who believes that human-being can do anything with his efforts and ability and accordingly pre-plans the future of his three sons. However on the night of the inauguration itself, an earthquake shatters his house, his shop and his dreams as well. The father - Kedarnath, the mother - Laxmi (Achala Sachdev) and the two elder sons get separated in the wake of the natural calamity. Only the youngest son fortunately remains with the mother. The eldest son, Raju reaches an orphanage but due to the oppression of its warden (Jeevan) runs away from there. The warden later on gets killed in the hands of Kedarnath when he enquires about his son and comes to know that he had ill-treated his son. Kedarnath gets long sentence. The second son, Babloo is found by a rich but childless couple which fosters him like its own child.
Years pass and the children are grown-up now. The eldest son, Raju has now become Raja (Raaj Kumar), a criminal working for a bigger white-collared criminal Chinoy (Rehman). The second one, Babloo has now become Ravi (Sunil Dutt) who is a lawyer now. Fate make these two brothers rivals for the love of a common girl - Meena (Saadhna) who is the daughter of the police commissioner (Manmohan Krishna). The youngest brother, Munna has now become Vijay (Shashi Kapoor) who is in love with Renu (Sharmila Tagore) the sister of Ravi (born to his fostering parents later). Vijay has been fostered by his poor and ailing mother with a lot of difficulty. He gets the job of a chauffeur at Chinoy's house. Now the old father - Kedarnath has also completed his jail sentence and is searching for his lost family.
Though Raja initially hates Ravi due to his being his rival for Meena's love but once he accidentally comes to know that Ravi is, in fact, his lost younger brother; his hatred is evaporated like anything. All of a sudden, Ravi comes to know that he is not the son of the parents who have fostered him. He leaves the house to search his true identity and his real parents. Raja supports him and throws a party to announce the engagement of Ravi and Meena. However in that party, a spat takes place between Raja and Balbir (Madan Puri) who is Chinoy's man. Later on Balbir himself gets killed in the hands of Chinoy whose eye-witness is none other than Vijay, Raja's younger brother and Chinoy's chauffeur. Raja is arrested under the charge of Balbir's murder and he appoints his younger brother - Ravi as his defense counsel. In the climax, not only Raja is acquitted but also the whole family is reunited. Kedarnath restarts his business but now he has learnt a lesson that human-being is not the biggest power on Earth. The biggest power is TIME (or DESTINY).
The movie is studded with coincidences, romance, songs, thrill and witty dialogues. The hypnotizing court-room drama in the climax is the icing on the cake. There are too many characters but justice has been done to all of them (though some of them are high-profile whereas the others are low-profile in the story).
The hero of this movie is actually its mesmerizing script and the script-writers deserve a big hand. The dialogue-writers are at par with them as far as the quality of the work is concerned. Raaj Kumar's famous dialogues in the movie - 'Jinke Apne Ghar Sheeshe Ke Hon, Woh Doosron Par Patthar Nahin Phenka Karte' and (regarding the knife) 'Yeh Bachchon Ke Khelne Ki Cheez Nahin, Haath Kat Jaaye To Khoon Nikal Aata Hai' are still remembered by the people and they played a major role taking his career to unprecedented heights.
Ravi has composed great music with the help of Saahir's beautiful lyrics. All the songs are real gems. Hum Jab Simat Ke Aapki Baahon Mein Aa Gaye, Din Hain Bahaar Ke Tere Mere Iqraar Ke, Chehre Pe Khushi Chha Jaati Hai, Kaun Aaya Ki Nigaahon Mein Chamak Jaag Uthi, Aye Meri Johra Jabeen, Maine Ek Khwaab Sa Dekha Hai, Waqt Se Din Aur Raat and Aage Bhi Jaane Na Tu, which can be considered any less than the others ? The song - Maine Ek Khwaab Sa Dekha Hai which Sunil Dutt and Saadhna sing over phone to each other just like a romantic conversation evidences the height of romance in the movie.
All the actors have delivered great performances and every principal character has been able to preserve his / her uniqueness among others. However the memorable performances have come from Sunil Dutt and Raaj Kumar. Besides, the performance of Balraaj Saahni and Achala Sachdev (blushing like a teenager girl while listening to the romantic song of her husband) in the song - Aye Meri Johra Jabeen is also something unforgettable.
Waqt was a blockbuster and I bet, it will again prove to be a blockbuster, if re-released.
Waqt (time) starts with the inauguration of the new shop of a businessman - Lala Kedarnath (Balraaj Saahni) who believes that human-being can do anything with his efforts and ability and accordingly pre-plans the future of his three sons. However on the night of the inauguration itself, an earthquake shatters his house, his shop and his dreams as well. The father - Kedarnath, the mother - Laxmi (Achala Sachdev) and the two elder sons get separated in the wake of the natural calamity. Only the youngest son fortunately remains with the mother. The eldest son, Raju reaches an orphanage but due to the oppression of its warden (Jeevan) runs away from there. The warden later on gets killed in the hands of Kedarnath when he enquires about his son and comes to know that he had ill-treated his son. Kedarnath gets long sentence. The second son, Babloo is found by a rich but childless couple which fosters him like its own child.
Years pass and the children are grown-up now. The eldest son, Raju has now become Raja (Raaj Kumar), a criminal working for a bigger white-collared criminal Chinoy (Rehman). The second one, Babloo has now become Ravi (Sunil Dutt) who is a lawyer now. Fate make these two brothers rivals for the love of a common girl - Meena (Saadhna) who is the daughter of the police commissioner (Manmohan Krishna). The youngest brother, Munna has now become Vijay (Shashi Kapoor) who is in love with Renu (Sharmila Tagore) the sister of Ravi (born to his fostering parents later). Vijay has been fostered by his poor and ailing mother with a lot of difficulty. He gets the job of a chauffeur at Chinoy's house. Now the old father - Kedarnath has also completed his jail sentence and is searching for his lost family.
Though Raja initially hates Ravi due to his being his rival for Meena's love but once he accidentally comes to know that Ravi is, in fact, his lost younger brother; his hatred is evaporated like anything. All of a sudden, Ravi comes to know that he is not the son of the parents who have fostered him. He leaves the house to search his true identity and his real parents. Raja supports him and throws a party to announce the engagement of Ravi and Meena. However in that party, a spat takes place between Raja and Balbir (Madan Puri) who is Chinoy's man. Later on Balbir himself gets killed in the hands of Chinoy whose eye-witness is none other than Vijay, Raja's younger brother and Chinoy's chauffeur. Raja is arrested under the charge of Balbir's murder and he appoints his younger brother - Ravi as his defense counsel. In the climax, not only Raja is acquitted but also the whole family is reunited. Kedarnath restarts his business but now he has learnt a lesson that human-being is not the biggest power on Earth. The biggest power is TIME (or DESTINY).
The movie is studded with coincidences, romance, songs, thrill and witty dialogues. The hypnotizing court-room drama in the climax is the icing on the cake. There are too many characters but justice has been done to all of them (though some of them are high-profile whereas the others are low-profile in the story).
The hero of this movie is actually its mesmerizing script and the script-writers deserve a big hand. The dialogue-writers are at par with them as far as the quality of the work is concerned. Raaj Kumar's famous dialogues in the movie - 'Jinke Apne Ghar Sheeshe Ke Hon, Woh Doosron Par Patthar Nahin Phenka Karte' and (regarding the knife) 'Yeh Bachchon Ke Khelne Ki Cheez Nahin, Haath Kat Jaaye To Khoon Nikal Aata Hai' are still remembered by the people and they played a major role taking his career to unprecedented heights.
Ravi has composed great music with the help of Saahir's beautiful lyrics. All the songs are real gems. Hum Jab Simat Ke Aapki Baahon Mein Aa Gaye, Din Hain Bahaar Ke Tere Mere Iqraar Ke, Chehre Pe Khushi Chha Jaati Hai, Kaun Aaya Ki Nigaahon Mein Chamak Jaag Uthi, Aye Meri Johra Jabeen, Maine Ek Khwaab Sa Dekha Hai, Waqt Se Din Aur Raat and Aage Bhi Jaane Na Tu, which can be considered any less than the others ? The song - Maine Ek Khwaab Sa Dekha Hai which Sunil Dutt and Saadhna sing over phone to each other just like a romantic conversation evidences the height of romance in the movie.
All the actors have delivered great performances and every principal character has been able to preserve his / her uniqueness among others. However the memorable performances have come from Sunil Dutt and Raaj Kumar. Besides, the performance of Balraaj Saahni and Achala Sachdev (blushing like a teenager girl while listening to the romantic song of her husband) in the song - Aye Meri Johra Jabeen is also something unforgettable.
Waqt was a blockbuster and I bet, it will again prove to be a blockbuster, if re-released.