Woh Kaun Thi? (1964)

Very early on, I knew I would love this movie because of the scene where Lata (Parveen Choudhary) and Anand (Manoj Kumar) flirt over the phone even though she has called him up to inform him of an urgent case at the hospital. 

The rest of the movie is as flawless and memorable as this scene. Raj Khosla and K.H. Kapadia (the cinematographer) have depicted that nothing is as treacherous as the human mind so brilliantly that the film feels fresh and exciting 57 years after its release. I say "fresh and exciting" as if the movie didn't completely horrify me, but all three feelings are absolutely correct. It has aged like fine wine, and is much better than most of the trash being marketed as "horror" or "thriller" these days. I felt like I was going a little crazy too, and that's the only marker of a truly good psychological drama. Plus, there was an actual thunderstorm going on while I was watching Woh Kaun Thi?, which just added to everything it was making me feel anyway.

The music is completely in sync with the narrative, both the background score as well as the songs. It was appropriately spooky but never over-the-top, and gave all of us goosebumps. As for the star of the show, Ms. Sadhana, whatever one can say about this performance of hers is less. She IS the reason for you to watch this movie. It's her expressions, her body language, her ability to make you question what you've been seeing with your own eyes that makes this movie a Bollywood classic. Even though the ending is a bit choppy, Sadhana's magic is enough for you to come up with your own conspiracy theories. It's quite sad that her talent isn't as recognised these days, because she could do all kinds of roles and own them. I mean, she played Meeta in Hum Dono just two years before this, and she ruled that movie as well, despite Dev Anand's double role.

In conclusion, "Lag Jaa Gale" is not just a song, it's a cultural phenomenon. 

PS- I am still not sure... woh kaun thi????

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shyam Singha Roy (2021)

There is honestly nothing more annoying than a movie that has flashes of being a good movie, but turns out to be a bad one anyway. Not only have you watched a bad film, but you have also been cheated of all hope and it's exhausting, to say the least.  Also, when this movie is a first day first show, you can't help but feel betrayed. Full "I trusted you!" moment only.  The first half was so tedious to sit through, I genuinely thought of leaving after the interval at one point. I didn't though, because Sai Pallavi only made her entry in the second half, and let's face it, she was the real reason for me to go watch it anyway. I mean, Nani was a huge pull factor too, but after Tuck Jagadish (2021) and V (2020), I was a little wary of trusting this man completely. As I should, because look what he made me sit through... again! (I swear to god, if the Nazriya film isn't good, I just might never watch a Nani movie ever again). Back to Pallu though- she is the onl
Read more

Aasai (1995)

My only regret is that I wish I knew absolutely nothing about this movie before watching it. I know I'm 26 years too late to the party, but honestly, not knowing the basic premise would have made things even more scary and messed up, not that there wasn't enough of those sentiments already. But to watch it unfold like the psychotic drama it was on the big screen, while innocently expecting another cute sweet love story featuring foetus Thala... I would give anything to have that experience. I know we love poking fun at Prakash Raj for being the evergreen villain, but it takes an Aasai for one to truly understand why he's earned that reputation. He really brings to life the evil but powerful psychopath who can manipulate people and situations to get what he wants, and I swear I was shaking a little when the movie ended because he is just that good at driving the point home. That's the thing about well-written thrillers- they work excellently as horror movies because you
Read more

Pokiri (2006)

Sairam, thank god I had forgotten the "twist", despite having seen Bhai's Wanted (2009) when it came out. Not only was I majorly zoned out (so much that I don't even remember for sure if I slept for sometime in the middle) but I have also actively tried to erase all memories of it. Which is why I was shocked enough to legit scream when the big twist came along.  From what I have heard about Pokiri , it sounds like some kind of cultural reset. And going by that, I must say that it totally lived up to that hype. Prince Mahesh seems to be at the peak of his career, and it's a performance that is memorable in more ways than one- he really shines through as the cool, stylish hero who outsmarts villains and beats them up. Of course, he needs a solid story and some killer dialogues as well, both of which are amply present here. I loved how understated his commitment dialogue was, especially in comparison to Bhai's exaggeration, the memory of which still gives me war
Read more