Dashing dacoit (Mujhe Jeene Do)

One segment from Mujhe Jeene Do will remain with me forever. Sunil Dutt staring at the pristine visage of Waheeda Rehman as she sleeps peacefully. Just moments before she had scarred him on the face with her nails and had disobeyed his firm orders to dance and sing for him. She insulted him for his lowly trade and sweared that she would never entertain someone who killed and plundered. Then as Dutt's piercing eyes bore down on her weeping face, she stunned him with loud slaps. A reaction so strong was enough to startle the cruel dacoit Thakur Jarnail Singh. He not only was shaken up by the gall of this girl, he also felt instant attraction for this woman who dared to hold her own against him. Something no one ever had done. Probably that's why he pours over her face. Pondering over his feelings for her (after all she is very attractive) as well as trying to gauge the kind of person she is. For, no normal person would dare to challenge a dacoit of his fame and calibre.

There is a strong sexual undertone in this scene. A robust man who never came in proximity to a young woman is desirous towards this pretty damsel. He finds her beautiful and brave at the same time. It is at this moment that he feels that probably this is the woman who can change his life for the better. The camera captures Jarnail's face closely. His eyes are peering on Chameli's face. He is struck by the beauty of the woman and his sexual yearnings are almost palpable. Never had I seen such intensity in Sunil Dutt and such vulnerable charm in Waheeda Rehman!

These packets of in-your-face rusticity and robustness makes Moni Bhattacharjee's Mujhe Jeene Do one of the best dacoit dramas. Every frame is perfect, every emotion on the dot. Sunil Dutt and Waheeda Rehman share a crackling chemistry. The supporting cast is fantastic (yes, even Rajindernath is pleasantly tolerable here). The story is very good and the performances compelling. The music by Jaidev is appropriate and the lyrics by Sahir Ludianvi are expressive. But a special mention needs to be given to the person who chose the location. Shot is the Bhind-Morena plains of Chambal valley where dangerous dacoits thrive, the arid landscape becomes almost a character in the movie. As the dacoits gallop on their horses, the dust in the air arising from the animals' hoofs lend character to the plot. The chase scenes in the crevices of the hills, the dry land and the village montage are breathtaking. Kudos to Sunil Dutt for undertaking such an innovative venture!
Mujhe Jeene Do is the story of reformation about a feared dacoit called Thakur Jarnail Singh and his journey towards redemption. His gang is notorious for loot and plunder in the small villages of Madhya Pradesh and he displays his cruelty right in the beginning by killing the headman of a village before his young wife Champa (Nirupa Roy). The dying man becomes a martyr and Roy pledges, along with the villagers, to protect themselves from this dacoit henceforth and to extract sweet revenge one day.
Thakur Jarnail Singh plans his next trip to the marriage of the daughter of another Thakur (Sapru). There he spots Chameli Jaan, the courtesan who entertains everyone with Raat hain kuch bheegi bheegi (Lata Mangeshkar). It's a deliciously tantalising take on how young lovers meet. Jarnail is instantly hooked on to the antics of the dancer and plots to kidnap her. Which of course he does.

In his ghetto, Chameli Jaan is least scared of him. She makes it quite clear that she will have nothing to do with Jarnail's tantrums. Jarnail is enormously miffed and orders his men to stop giving her food. Tara Khan (Rajindernath), one of Jarnail's aides, smuggles food into Chameli's chambers by fooling Kripal Singh, the dacoit who is getting too big for his shoes. He lusts over Chameli and wants her for himself. In the meantime, egged on by Tara and the circumstances Jarnail realises that he has fallen in love with Chameli. He asks the dancer to marry him, a decision that Chameli is surprised to hear. After all, no one ever wanted to marry her and rescue her from the dirty profession that she is in. She slowly regards Jarnail in high esteem. Here she starts dreaming about a blissful marriage with her man in Maang mein bhar le rang sakhiri. It is a beautiful depiction of the aspirations that a young girl harbours in her heart. Every girl wants to look like a queen on the day of her wedding. And Chameli Jaan is no different.
One day, while Jarnail is off to loot some more, Kripal Singh attacks Chameli thinking that Jarnail will fall prey to the bullets of the police. This scene is also shot wonderfully. The fear and desperation in Chameli's face is remarkable. The lust and cruelty on Kripal Singh's demeanour is terrible. As Chameli escapes, she falls in front of Jarnail, who is so angry that he goes to kill Kripal. But on the behest of Chameli he lets him go. A mistake, as we get to learn later!
Chameli Jaan and Jarnail get married. But alas, they never get to enjoy a blissful honeymoon. Just after their wedding, the police catch up on them and the two have to run with their men. In the middle Chameli teases her husband with the lovely Nadi naare na jao shyam culminating in the union of the two lovebirds. BUt, all said and done, marriage does not change Jarnail. He is just the same old handsome dacoit who dares to take up odd challenges. This shows that love cannot change one suddenly.
It is only after Shera is born that Jarnail reckons the dangers that he is putting his loved ones in. He loses his dear friend Tara and Chameli and Shera are always on the brink of danger. A stunning and heartfelt scene at Anwar Hussain's haveli brings out the positive side if this man and Jarnail;s journey to redemption commences. But his path is strewn with big thorns that will leave gashing wounds...
Tere bachpan ko jawani ki dua is a mindblowing creation. A mother understands the predicament of bringing up her son and wishes for his fast growth. She is not willing to enjoy his childhood. It is a painful thought for every mother that she cannot secure a stable upbringing for her son. Brilliant work by Sahir Ludhianvi.
This 1963 film is definitely one of the best dacoit dramas ever. It showcases the life of dacoits and the circumstances in which they live. It harps on the fact that even if a criminal wants to reform himself, society does not give him a scope or a chance. It blends the black and white shades of a goon splendidly. At once the writer shows Jarnail to be all crooked and wild. But this is also a man who feels the pangs of love very strongly and sacrifices his well being for his wife and children. Kudos to writer Agha Jani Kashmiri.
Waheeda Rehman is a brilliant choice for Chameli Jaan. She has the right dosage of ethnicity and vulnerability to pull off this role. She looks rustic, is naughty in parts and displays her sorrows and fear darn too well. In the scene where she screams out when the villagers come to vandalise her house is done with utmost precision.

But the surprise element is Sunil Dutt here. He is absolutely marvellous as Thakur Jarnail Singh. He is intense, full-bodied and flamboyant. As the wild dacoit he is as much cruel as he is loving and desirable as Chameli's lover. In his dilemma you can sense his helplessness. His ability to stay true to his words is praiseworthy. There is a certain kind of sexual vibe that flows between Chameli and Jarnail and Sunil Dutt's strapping physique helps in that. The hair flicks on his forehead kill me, his kohl-lined eyes are heartbreakingly deep and there is a loud manliness about him that shouts sexy. Never did I see such a handsome dacoit who made me jelly in the knees. His voice is deep and husky and his dialogues are fabulous. His attire looks great on him and his face has that right amount of duskiness to enhance his charm. In short, Sunil Dutt is the best part of Mujhe Jeene Do. Surely the producer in him knew where he was putting his money into...