Surprisingly thrilling (Mahal)

I would call this Shankar Mukherjee film a serious washout if not for the gripping last hour. Mahal, like its earlier cousin, turns out to quite a thrilling venture thanks to the taut storyline and the unconventional execution. What appears to be a run-of-the-mill trying-to-be-clever noir mystery, actually unravels as a innovative entertainer. I admit that Dev Anand is past his prime and tries his mannerisms a bit too much, Asha Parekh hardly gets a meaty role, and the character actors are too scattered in their job, but overall I found the film picking up pace towards the end. And trust me, if it would not have been worth it, I wouldn't have been writing this post. For, I wouldn't have spent time completing the film.

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Two in one (Sajan)

So this is where Basu Chatterjee got the idea of Pasand Apni Apni from. Even as I watched Mohan Segal's Sajan, I could not help but notice the glaring similarities with Chatterjee's romantic comedy. Everything looked alike. The plot, characters and the developments. Only, while Segal did not give much scope to the character of the theatre company owner, Chatterjee made him a full-fledged comic personality on his film. He took Utpal Dutt for the role and cashed in on his talent. But otherwise Mithun Chakraborty's role is absolutely similar to Manoj Kumar's and Rati Agnihotri borrows from Asha Parekh's character. At least in the first half.

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Thrill pill (Jewel Thief)

Chor bahut chalaak hain. But, even more clever are those who created this chor. The year was 1967. Navketan gifted filmlovers a movie whose magic is yet to be replicated. Dev Anand and his younger brother, Vijay outdid themselves. They made Jewel Thief, a rare suspense thriller that is sleek, stylish and engaging. In the same genre as Hitchcock, and maybe a little of Bond, this jewel of a film sends chills down my spine after every frame. I am yet to be done with it...

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