Ah, there is nothing like a relentless and brutal social tragedy to provide much-needed catharsis in difficult times – especially when it contains magnificent performances… Now I really know why Meena Kumari was the tragedy queen. And if I didn’t sufficiently appreciate Waheeda Rehman before, I do from this film. Guru Dutt also does a fine job as a sort of helpless observer, more in command of his own fate than some of the other characters, but basically unable to do anything about the evils around him.
Dutt’s character, Bhootnath, goes through a transition that reminded me a little of a few characters (or versions of the same character) played by Raj Kapoor. When he first enters the scene of the film – this great, aristocratic mansion of the 19th century – he is considered a sort of simpleton, awkward and naive. But he ends up surprising people around him with his cleverness, intelligence, and sensitivity. The difference here is that unlike that Raj Kapoor character, Bhootnath doesn’t become a moral leader and doesn’t effect any changes in the social environment. Though he does accomplish some interesting things personally, in addition to improving his own station in life… For one thing, he eventually finds himself in a successful romance with the smart and independent Jabba, played by Waheeda Rehman (though that path has been strangely predetermined as we learn later). More impressively, he manages to become a good friend and confidante of a woman of much higher status (though more modest origins); that is, Meena Kumari’s tragic character, Chhoti Bahu. But he can only listen to her problems rather than help solve them, and his existence eventually only contributes to her seemingly inevitable demise.
Chhoti Bahu embarks on a path to her own destruction that is almost as ironic as it is tragic. Her tendency to make the greatest sacrifices in order to keep her husband’s attention might irritate some feminists if taken out of context, but she is actually engaged in a revolt against the oppressive condition to which most women in this Indian aristocracy are subject; that is, she will not willingly accept her husband’s nightly desertion of her, a phenomenon that goes along with the all-night drinking and brothel haunting that the men indulge in while their wives are expected to stay home, tending to the house and acting grateful for their respectable lives. (By the way, Philip’sfil-ums comes through very nicely in discussing the social tendencies and changes that motivate this tragedy, with an emphasis on the condition of women in the society, the major object of criticism in this film. His writing on this subject seemed so right to me, I’ve probably ended up somewhat paraphrasing him.)
Another interesting irony in Chhoti Bahu’s tragedy is that it leaves us both hating her husband, Chhote Babu, and hoping against his destruction. This is a selfish, sadistic and morally worthless man. But because of his wife’s endless devotion to him (not to mention the unbreakable ties prescribed by society), we know that if and when ills befall him, this will only mean more suffering for her. So, when this despicable character is badly injured in a fight, though the viewer (or at least this one) can’t help cheering for a moment, we’re soon filled with dread.
The way that the film winds up is not surprising, but the execution (a terrible pun, when you think about it) makes it horrifying nonetheless. This film is highly effective due not only to the great performances but also the brilliant direction, shared by Abrar Alvi and Guru Dutt. (The former got all the credit officially while the latter gets all the credit in people’s minds. But let’s just say they collaborated and leave it at that.) A lot of credit has also been given to the cinematographer, V.K. Murthy, which makes sense, because Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam is so beautiful to look at right from the start.
Usually, however, this is a bleak kind of beauty. We’re told of the splendor of the mansion, but it always looks far more oppressive than splendid, and the most impressive shots of the whole place are pictures of its ruins, as observed by Bhootnath during a work-based visit years following its decline.
This movie deals a lot with darkness, literally as well as metaphorically. For instance, the first outstanding thing I noticed in the terrific mujra with Minoo Mumtaz (the original reason I got interested in the movie) was the way that the chorus of dancers around her were kept in shadow. (Apparently, that’s also the first thing a lot of people noticed about this fantastic number…)
The ending of the movie looks so downright gothic, I couldn’t help thinking of Mahal. But Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam contains none of Mahal‘s dark humor (even though one might find some very dark humor in Kumari’s performance at times), nor does it have any of Mahal’s horror-movie-based, borderline campiness. This film is just expertly tragic, and devastating.
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P.S. Though I already mentioned the soundtrack in a prior post, I probably should reiterate here… It is yet another very impressive aspect of this film. With music by Hemant Kumar, singing by Asha Bhosle and Geeta Dutt, lyrics by Shakeel Badayuni (which I was happy to see subtitled in the DVD that I bought, from Sky Entertainment)…
“Devastating” seems to be the universal verdict on this one and Guru Dutt’s other classics – Kaagaz Ke Phool and Pyaasa – which arent a whole lot better! I have them all in my collection but so far I havent worked up the courage to watch.
This is a great movie, although v.v. sad and bleak which isn’t my usual thing. And Meena in weepy avatar makes me break out in hives usually, but it was so good here.
Pyaasa isn’t as as or “devastating” as this one and Kaagaz Ke Phool, I love that film and if you want to see more Waheeda she’s great in it!
Bollyviewer, I thought some of your comment was phrased rather strangely… I wouldn’t say “which aren’t a whole lot better”; I’d say, “which are almost as good.” Well, I know Pyaasa is anyway.
Memsaab, I already knew about your aversion to “weepy Meena,” so it’s good to see that you liked her in this.
I’ve got to see Kaagaz Ke Phool sometime soon. There was a place called Raja Sweets in Jackson Heights that always had a copy of that in one of their $5 DVD bins, so I left it there a few times as I grabbed other films I wanted to see that I knew I might not find again. But the other night I walked past Raja Sweets and saw that their inventory was mostly cleared out and they were obviously closing down! Oh, well. I guess I’ll find it somewhere else…
Richard, I was all of 10 when I watched Pyaasa and it left a very deep (and yes, a wrongly dark and dreary) impression on me. Suffice it to say that if I hadnt seen Mr. and Mrs. 55 as a teenager I would have lived my entire life without venturing near a Guru Dutt film! And since I still havent worked up the courage to face my childhood demons, his other movies are still “equally bad”. :-D I have taken the right step and bought them all – they just need to be watched!
Bollyviewer, now I understand! I didn’t know anything about Hindi films when I was a child. The closest I came to watching an Indian movie when I was ten was probably when I saw clips of Ravi Shankar playing at a George Harrison concert. But I was about 10 years old when I first decided that I would be a writer. If only I did see Pyaasa back then, I might have been better prepared for the perils that lay ahead. :)
Memsaab, I just found Kaagaz Ke Phool at another favorite Bollywood store, in another $5 bin. :) So, I should be watching this fairly soon…
Great write up!
Am still mustering up courage to write about it.
Don’t know how to start. This movie has so many dimensions and each frame telling so many stories. The mind is boggled by the different impressions
Have left behind the translation of ‘din control ke aaye’ form Mr. Sampath at my site.
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Richard, I just left a comment onHarvey’s blog and found thiis link to yours. I’ve only seen the songs on YT. I too noticed the mujrah, the other dancers shrouded in dark. Frame by frame it was brilliant. I don’t think Minoo Mumtaz is attractive and so her casting here was just spot on–well working girls have hard lives and don’t have time to be pampered into beauty. And Meena’s acting is the finest I have seen in Bollyland (just the little I saw in the songs). I thiink this might be my favorite Indian movie (after I’ve seen it.)
I read somewhere (maybe in Philips fillums) that her willingness to take up drink is an example of her affirming herself and putting up a fight. That’s an interesting interpretation.
Poor Guru Dutt. To not take credit for a work of genius–he was already sinking then.
Thank you for the link, Harvey (as well as, as I mentioned at your post, the nice words!)… Now my post on a movie that impressed me a lot is getting a new life even though I wrote it a year and a half ago. :)
Sophy, good to hear you noticed this mujra too. I do think Minoo Mumtaz is attractive, but you are right that she is not the glamorous/”conventional” kind of beauty. (Someone at one of the YouTube postings of this song said she looked “adorable,” and I think that’s accurate.)
You are right that this film shows Meena Kumari to be possibly the greatest actress in “Bollyland.”
Regarding the comment you read that “her willingness to take up drink is an example of her affirming herself and putting up a fight,” I just looked over Philip’s review again and I didn’t see that there, and I’m not sure I would put it that way myself either. But maybe this is related to what I was pondering in my post, that when she makes these great sacrifices for her husband (and here I’ll quote myself :) ), she is actually engaged in a revolt against the oppressive condition to which most women in this Indian aristocracy are subject; that is, she will not willingly accept her husband’s nightly desertion of her… It’s a pretty bleak drama when a character resorts to self-destructive and seemingly unlimited subsurvience in order to rebel against an even greater kind of oppression (at least as she sees it), but Meena the Tragedy Queen plays this sad role very compellingly.
Yes Richard, I really need to see this movie to see how this is spun. Is it a feminist story–someone drew parallels with Ray’s Charulata — about a bored aristocratic housewife. That was the time of the Brahmo samaj–these were the kinds of issues they discussed.
Meena Kumari seems to have been an interesting person. Of all the actors in Bollywood, it’s she and Kishore Kumar I would have liked to meet. (And Dharmendra for completly different reasons.)
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