Movie World
Rabindranath Tagore’s stories converted into Bollywood Films – Part 3
Kabuliwala (1961)
By Dinesh Kamath
There are quite many Rabindranath's
memorable stories and novels that were adapted for the screen in Hindi. The
audience, in our times too, find Tagore's world engaging and relatable, feeling
attached to the emotions, issues, drama and anxieties suffered by the
characters he created. Tagore story has inspired a commercially successful or
remarkable piece of cinema in Hindi in recent times. Let us take a look back at
Hindi language versions of his work ‘Kabuliwala’ on screen.
Kabuliwala (1961)
This is prabably the one Tagore
story that has inspired multiple adaptations across languages and over the
years. In 1961, Balraj Sahni took on the memorable role of an Afghan dry-fruit
vendor who sees his daughter in a young stranger and forms a bond with her.
Rahmat's interactions with Mini and his yearning for his own daughter who he is
forced to leave behind in order to earn a living thousands of miles away make
it one of the most touching stories ever told on celluloid.
Kabuliwala is a 1961 Hindi film
based on the story Kabuliwala, by the Bengali writer Rabindranath Tagore. It
was directed by Hemen Gupta and starred Balraj Sahni, Usha Kiran, Sajjan, Sonu
and Baby Farida.
A poor Afghani leaves his family
behind to earn a living as a dried fruit vendor in India. Profoundly homesick,
he befriends a young girl who reminds him of his own daughter. Meanwhile, the
locals are distrustful of all foreigners.
This heart warming story of a
Pathan from Kabul, who comes to Calcutta (as it was then called) to earn money
and befriends four-year-old Mini from a middle class family since she reminds
him of his own daughter back home, inspired two stalwarts of Bengali and Hindi
cinema to reproduce the story.
If Tapan Sinha made it in Bengali
and took Chobi Biswas and the very cute Tinku Thakur to play the main roles,
Hemen Gupta made it in Hindi employing the impeccable Balraj Sahni and Baby Sonu.
The Bengali version was released in 1954 and the Hindi one in 1961.
The story goes like this: a Pathan
called Rahmat (Sahni) whose wife is no more, takes care of his child Ameena
(Baby Farida) like a mother and saves her from the wrath of her grandmother. As
winter approaches, the poor Pathan is left with little to fend for his family,
so he decides to go to Hindustan to earn money and come back. Ameena wouldn't
let him go, so he stealthily leaves home taking her hand print on a newspaper
as a memento. In Hindustan, he starts selling dry fruits and warm clothes like
shawls door to door.
Because of his unusual look — a
huge wavy, layered turban, Pathani suit with jacket and a huge bag — he is
taken as a ‘baba', who would kidnap children and keep them in his huge bag.
Mothers scare their kids saying if they don't listen to them, Kabuliwala will
take them away! But little Mini, the daughter of a writer played by Sajjan
Kumar (supposedly Tagore himself as the story is said to be based on his own
experiences), befriends him. The chatterbox is hooked to the man who gives her
dry fruits every day. He repairs her broken doll and tells her stories. After
making good money, the Pathan decides to go back home after collecting his dues
from a man who has bought a shawl worth Rs.18 from him. When he asks for his
money, the man abuses the Pathan and his family. Angry and insulted, the Pathan
takes out a knife and kills him accidently.
Despite the government lawyer
asking him to lie, the Pathan tells the truth in court. Impressed by his
honesty, the judge awards him 10 years rigorous punishment. He spends sleepless
nights remembering Ameena and Mini. On his release, he goes to see Mini, but
the now grown-up girl (Lata Sinha) has forgotten him. Stunned, he realises his
own daughter too may have forgotten him by now. He longs to go there but has no
money. Eventually, helped with cash by Mini's father, he leaves for Afghanistan
in the hope of being reunited with Ameena.
The film has Balraj Sahni as Abdul
Rehman Khan, Sonu as Mini, Usha Kiran as Rama, Mini's mother, Padma, Laxmi, Sarita
Devi, Anwari Bai, Leela Agha, Baby Farida and Asit Sen as Bhola
The film has music by Salil
Choudhury; lyrics – Prem Dhawan, Gulzar. The film has songs like "Aye Mere
Pyaare Watan" – Manna Dey (Lyrics: Prem Dhawan), "Ganga Aaye Kahan
Se" – Hemant Kumar, "Kabuliwala" – Hemant Kumar, Usha Mangeshkar
and "O Ya Qurbaan" – Mohammed Rafi.
Balraj Sahni, plays the role of an
Afghani Pathaan in a highly authentic style. His gem of an act is simply outstanding
and undoubtedly one of the best performances of Hindi Cinema till date.
Throughout the movie he never gives you a single moment, where it seems like he
is acting. And if one is not familiar with Balraj Sahni’s huge and reputed
status as an actor, then he is sure going to take him as a real pathaan
performing the lead role in the movie.
Kabuliwala - Bobby Talks
Cinema.comSuch is the impact of Balraj Sahni’s incomparable act in
“Kabuliwala”. Especially in the scene towards the climax when he fondly calls
the small girl of his memories to come out to meet him, but finds a young grown
up girl standing in front of him instead. And further when he is told that the
girl is going to be married in just a few days, then the expressions on his
face are sure going to make you go numb.
The movie very gracefully shows the
agony of working away from one’s own mother land. Along with that it very
tactfully enlightens the viewer with both the strengths and weaknesses of its
main characters originating from two different regions of the world. In other
words “Kabuliwala” truly represents the Golden Era of Bollywood, when
simplicity was used in the most effective manner to express the emotional
stories taken from our rich literature.
With a classic musical score by
Salil Chaudhary, which includes two memorable and meaningful songs, “Aye Mere
Pyare Watan” sung by the great Manna Dey & “Ganga Aaye Kahan Se” sung by
another legend Hemant Kumar, “Kabuliwala” is a cinematic masterpiece.
No comments:
Post a Comment