What the original was not (Prem Patra)

Here is a film that beats its original hands down. I'd never thought I would point fingers at a Uttam Kumar - Suchitra Sen classic. But, Agragami's Sagarika is so killingly boring that any tepid film of that age would be a better option any day. So, when I accidentally discovered that Bimal Roy's underrated classic Prem Patra is but a Hindi remake of Sagarika, I sat down to watch it with trepidation, expecting the usual tedious drama. But lo! This small film engages with its charming cast, lovely songs, easy narrative and an execution that is way, way better... 

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Age no bar (Professor)

It's a close match. Suave and sexy Preetam is pitted against wobbly but clever Prof Khanna. The wages are high, the competition is tight...
Preetam has to quickly find a job to send his ageing mother to a sanatorium. For that, he has to hoodwink a dictatorial woman and glib his way to her house posing as an old professor. He then has to learn the ABC of Sanskrit to teach two giggly young girls and handle the tantrums of two small boys.
All this, as the old Prof Khanna! Yes, young Preetam, struggling to get a job, charades as an ageing bachelor and enters the household of the martinet Sita Verma, and in the process, sets off a series of hilarious incidents. Rankled initially by the strict regulations set by his employer, Prof Khanna unconsciously breaks all those rules and even manages to make Sita Verma fall in love with him!
So, who wins?

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Birth of the mystery girl (Woh Kaun Thi)

A car negotiates a foresty patch while big drops of rain bombard its windscreen. The wipers try hard to maintain a clear view (with its squeaky noise). Suddenly, a woman, clad in a white saree, appears out of nowhere . The driver rebukes her for hindering his journey. She is drenched and answers in monosyllables. The driver offers her a lift. She sits in the car, the wiper stops functioning! The road is unclear but this woman assures assistance. She behaves in the most bizarre manner and her answers are baffling. She gets down at a cemetary and saunters in. The gate of the cemetary closes and Naina barse ensues. The driver is confused, dumbstruck and astonished. Woh kaun thi??

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