The original don (China Town)

So you thought Amitabh Bachchan was the original Indian don? Rubbish. Shammi Kapoor started it all. In Shakti Samanta's gangster flick, China Town, Kapoor essayed twin roles of the stylish smuggler Mike, as well as his lookalike, the smart undercover agent, Shekhar. The difference? Unlike the later film starring Bachchan, where the two men were not related to each other, in this 1962 thriller, the two men are shown to be identical twins. A more plausible script, therefore.
Shammi Kapoor, I have always maintained, was a stylish man. His clothes, attitude, hairstyle, mannerisms, everything screamed of panache.

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Three-tiered thriller (Teesri Manzil)

If entertainment could be measured in degrees, I'd call Teesri Manzil, the source of third degree enjoyment!! Considering that this Vijay Anand trendsetter is my favourite (incidentally it was also my father's favourite, and, father and daughter spent numerous hours bonding over this thriller), I should have penned my thoughts on it much earlier. But, truely, I have been mustering up the courage to sum my feelings on this 1966 superhit. For, I really want to reign in the gush and sound objective. But, since I've already seen the film 27 times, that might be a tad difficult. I'll try nonetheless...

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Edge of the seat (Gumnaam)

Eight people look like nine pins in Raja Nawathe's Gumnaam. With every murder, the plot gets tighter, with every scene the incidents more grim. But no one's complaining. This is one story that grips you from frame one. With sleek execution, a taut storyline, Gumnaam is a nailbiting murder mystery. And yes, there's Gumnaam hain koi and Hum kaaley hain to make the chills last...
Adapted from Agatha Christie's And Then There Was None, this 1965 thriller is a tingling take on murder. The director groups up eight personalities from various walks of life and starts bumping them off one after the other in situations that are scary and thrilling at the same time. So, while the foolish Dharamdas's corpse is left to be discovered amidst some old stone statues, Helen's lithe frame hangs from a tree!!!

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Unworthy cousin (Anita)

Anita spells the decadence of Raj Khosla's house of cinema. Gone is the splendour of Mera Saaya, the cold chills of Woh Kaun Thi, the tautness of the script, the haunting melody and above all, the superlative performances. This 1967 thriller is a sad and unconvincing sequel to its grand predecessors.
The director who gave us intriguing thrillers before, lets film lovers down in this last installment of the mystery trilogy with Sadhana. True, he tries to conjure the same suspense, drama and romance, but Anita pales in comparison to his previous ventures.

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Dramatic twist (Mera Saaya)

Wholesome. That describes Mera Saaya, Raj Khosla's courtroom thriller. And, just like a shadow, this 1966 masterpiece stays with you. With a unique plot, nuanced approach, mindblowing music and stunning performances, Mera Saaya is a gem that never goes out of fashion. In fact, tu jahan jahan chaley ga, Mera Saaya saath hoga...

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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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Obviously timeless (Casablanca)

"Here's looking at you kid," says Rick Blaine as he raises a toast to Ilsa, his love. Humphrey Bogart mouths this famous line four times in the two-hour drama and each time his eyes are as earnest as his tone romantic. The intensity of emotions and raw appeal turns me wobbly in the knees. And I feel, where have all these MEN gone?

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Due credit (C.I.D)

Dharam Dev Pishorimal Anand writes his heart out in Romancing with Life, his autobiography. He traces his roots to Gurdaspur and recalls his struggles as a strapping but thin 25-year-old jobhunting in busy Bombay. He dots the narrative with multihued incidents from his film career and personal life that made him DEV ANAND, the star. While doing so, he credits Vijay Anand's Baazi for making him a household name.

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