Mili (1975) - Starring Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan and directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee

Mili released in the year 1975 and saw the return of the successful trio of Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan. This film is also the last film for which S.D. Burman scored music; after he finished composing for this film he went into a year long coma and finally passed away. For Hrishikesh Mukherjee it was his second movie, after Anand, which talked of terminal illness. However the film is not a tragedy, it is a very melancholic, yet very bright, pleasant and thoroughly optimistic piece.

Mili (Jaya Bachchan) is this effervescent young girl who infuses verve and energy with her bright and happy disposition. She is forever bubbly, vivacious, outgoing and a big prankster. Shekhar (Amitabh Bachchan) moves into the penthouse above the apartment that Mili’s family occupies and initially they end up disliking each other. Shekhar is haunted by ghosts of his past. Shekhar’s father had accused his mother of infidelity and the tension of this act had resulted in the death of both. Shekhar moves into Mili’s universe like a dark cloud-one that is full of anger, negativity and melancholy.

Soon Shekhar and Mili become friends and the latter helps Shekhar to shed the baggage of his past and move on to a happier state of being. She helps him to realise that life is a mixed bag of good and bad. The two fall in love but he does not know that Mili is suffering from leukaemia. This news takes the wind out of Shekha’r sail and he decides to move out of the housing society as he is unable to deal with the thought of a dying Mili. It is Aruna Irani, Mili’s friend and a woman of debatable moral virtues, who helps Shekhar realise the fact that it is now his turn to be there for Mili just as she has been there for him.

Shekhar decides to marry Mili, brushing aside all her protestation and at the end the duo fly out of the country to seek better medical remedies for Mili. Mili’s death is left like an open-ended question by the director and this helps to infuse a lot of hope into the film. A poignant and brilliantly told story, Mili can be easily ranked among the greatest emotional dramas of its times. Mukherjee’s direction is splendid and very real. Amitabh Bachchan is brilliant as Shekhar and puts in a restrained performance with his brooding good looks. Ashok Kumar is effortless and Aruna Irani makes an impact in a small role. However the film belongs to Jaya Bhaduri (Bachchan). She is funny, charming and yet you do note the underlying fear. Her characterisation makes Mili one of the most lovable and unforgettable characters of Hindi cinema.

CAST AND CREW

Directed by: Hrishikesh Mukherjee
Produced by: Hrishikesh Mukherjee, N.C. Sippy
Written by: Bimal Dutta, Dr. Rahi Masoom Reza, Mohini N. Sippy
Starring: Ashok Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Asrani, Aruna Irani, Parikshat Sahni
Music by: Sachin Dev Burman
Cinematography: Jaywant Pathare
Editing by: Hrishikesh Mukherjee

Chupke Chupke (1975) - comedy super-movie starring Amitabh and Dharmendra

Chupke Chupke released in the year 1975 and was a remake of the hit Bengali movie Chhadmabeshi (Disguiser). It starred the leading stars of that era like Dharmendra, Sharmila Tagore, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Om Prakash, David, Asrani and Keshto Mukherjee. The movie was directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and had S.D.Burman composing music for the film. Chupke Chupke till date remains one of the best comedy films made in Hindi cinema.

Professor Parimal Tripathi (Dharmendra) is a botany professor who by chance meets and falls in love with Sulekha Chaturvedi (Sharmila Tagore) during a women's college botany excursion. Parimal takes on the disguise of the caretaker of a bungalow in which Sulekha comes to stay along with her college friends and teacher. It is she who is able to find out about Parimal’s true identity and two get married after a whirlwind romance. Parimal is fond of practical jokes and is unable to resist the temptation of playing out one on Sulekha’s brother-in-law (Jijaji, Raghavenra eanacted by Om Prakash) whom she worships as her ideal.

Jijaji is in need of a trusted driver/chauffeur and writes to his brother-in-law and Sulekha’s brother Haripat (David) to send him a reliable person from his place. Parimal comes up with the idea of going to Jijaji’s place dressed as a driver. Sulekha is confident that her beloved Jijaji will see through Parimal’s disguise and challenges him to fool her Jijaji. Parimal takes up the challenge sportingly and sets out for Allahabad in the guise of a driver. He becomes Pyaremohan Alahabadi a man who speaks ‘shudh’ (pure, undiluted) Hindi. Sulekha too joins in the fun after a couple of days. Meanwhile Pyaremohan has Jijaji in a tizzy with his incessant questions on English grammar and has the well known lawyer running for cover.

Soon they convince Jijaji that Sulekha is unhappy in her marriage and has feelings for Pyaremohan. To add more drama they bring in Sukumar Sinha (Amitabh Bachchan), a Professor of English, to pose as Parimal, just as the duo (Sulekha and Parimal) go into hiding. Parimal's long-time friend P K Srivastava (Asrani) is also party to the prank. His sister-in-law Vasudha (Jaya Bachchan) suspects fake 'Parimal' - Sukumar Sinha - of infidelity to his wife when he tries to get close to her. Sukumar falls in love with Vasudha who at first believed he was Parimal, but Sukumar reveals to her the real drama behind all this mix-up of situations. The climax sees Sukumar and Vasudha marrying in a temple while Jijaji is finally able to see through Pyaremohan disguise and recognise him as the real Parimal.

The film is a laugh riot and is a situational comedy. Dharmendra as Parimal, Om Prakash as Jijai and Amitabh Bachchan as Sukumar put in terrific performances. Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s direction is light and right and S.D. Burman composes some wonderful numbers especially Ab Ke Sajan.


CAST AND CREW

Directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee
Produced by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, N.C. Sippy
Written by Shakeel Chandra, Upendranath Ganguly, Gulzar, D.N. Mukherjee, Biren Tripathy
Starring Dharmendra, Sharmila Tagore, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Om Prakash, Asrani
Music by Sachin Dev Burman
Lyrics Anand Bakshi
Cinematography Jaywant Pathare
Editing by Subhash Gupta, Pandit Shridhar Mishra