cover saturday, august 1, 2020 BL 6 Ĩ Lights, camera, laughs Once upon a time, the slapstick humour of the comedian was as integral to a Hindi film as the swagger of the hero
Lead the way Mehmood (left), seen here with Sunil Dutt in Padosan, could carry a film on his own
magine an adult masquerading as an Comedy also brought with it song se or adventures. There are, unfortunately, only a overgrown child in shorts; imagine the quences: Johnny Walker wooing a dimple handful of such instances in the Hindi lm Isame man dressed in drag, trying to fob cheeked woman under an oce desk in Mr. industry. o the lecherous advances of the lm’s and Mrs. 55 (1955) with Jaane kahan mera jigar Fewer still are satires, especially political villain; and then imagine him singing both gaya ji; a cherootsmoking Gope wearing a satires. The origins of comedy in ancient the male and female parts of a duet. Burmese longyi and swinging his rotund Greece were in the political satire of Aristo All this was done by Kishore Kumar — the frame in the still popular Mere piya gaye Ran- phanes. However, in Hindi cinema, apart from versatile genius of the Hindi lm industry. The goon from Patanga (1949); and Mehmood and the cult Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983) and Motilal’s lm was the 1962 laughaminute classic Half Shubha Khote in several lms from the early classic Mr. Sampath (1952), one can’t really Ticket, which, to this date, remains one of the 1960s. think of too many lms which have used funniest lms made in Bollywood. Like Kishore Kumar, Mehmood was a star by satire to make a statement on the social and Like its songanddance routines, comedy himself and could carry a lm on his own. political reality of the time. too has always been an integral part of Hindi From Guru Dutt’s avaricious brother in Pyaasa Some of the comedies of recent years come cinema. In line with the rasa theory of Natya (1957) to playing the lead in many lms in the with the prex “socalled”, and, barring a Shastra, the Sanskrit treatise on performing ’50s, Mehmood became synonymous with Govinda here or an occasional Aamir KhanSal arts, Hindi lmmakers made sure to incor comedy in the ’60s (his vivid description of a man Khan there, cinema has little to oer on porate hasya rasa, or comedic essence, along horror scene, complete with a creaking door, the comedic front. But the success of the Mun- side the shringar (romantic love) and veer to Om Prakash in the 1966 lm nabhai series indicates that the (heroism) rasa in their work. Pyar kiye jaa is the stu of le audience, as always, is ready for a Comic interludes, again like the songs, were gends). His pairing with Khote good laugh. mostly intended as breaks — to provide “comic was especially popular; more so Not surprisingly, on music relief” to the audience. The comedy sequences when her gullible father — usu TheyQ also had their reality shows, one will always usually played out in the rst half of the lm ally played by another comic distinctive styles, nd a tot singing the Manna Dey before the second half, with its intense melo such as Mukri or Dhoomal — mannerisms and Kishore Kumar classic Ek chatur drama, led to the climax. would be taken for a ride by persona naar from one of the greatest For the most part, the roles went to actors Mehmood. Hindi comedies ever. Just six who specialised in them. From Gope to Johnny Apart from the performers years after Half Ticket, Kishore Ku Walker, the performers were as well known as who were specialist comedians, R mar teamed up for Padosan with the leading actors. there were many mainstream Mehmood and a cast of other Of course, each of these great comedians actors who have given us brilliant perform comedians such as Mukri and Om Prakash. had an exceptional sense of timing. But they ances in comic roles. Utpal Dutt and Amol Mehmood played a Tamilian music teacher to also had their distinctive styles, mannerisms Palekar in Gol Maal (1979), Pran and Ashok Ku the leading lady in this 1968 lm while Kishore and persona, which were cultivated in lm mar in Victoria No. 203 (1972), Hema Malini in Kumar was the eccentric, paan chewing mu after lm: Rajendra Nath with his striped un Seeta Aur Geeta (1972), Om Puri in Chachi 420 sic instructor to the hero. derpants, Asit Sen with his singsong speech, (1997) and, of course, Dharmendra and Amit The most memorable scene in the lm is the Keshto Mukherjee with his trademark alco abh Bachchan in Chupke Chupke (1975). In fact, contest where Kishore Kumar (singing for and holic hiccups, Johnny Walker with his Bachchan developed a typical comic style, hidden behind Sunil Dutt, the lm’s hero) Neanderthal walking style, Om Prakash with which he used to great eect in many lms bests Mehmood by changing the tempo and his nasal and whiny drawl, Deven Verma with where he was not playing the angry young the rhythm of the composition. Watching that his lost and confused look, and IS Johar with man — and which, some critics argue, ended clip on YouTube will still make you roll with his sarcasmdeliveredwithastraightface . up making the comedian redundant. laughter — and remind you that, not too long Then, of course, there was Tuntun, whose one Films such as Bombay to Goa (1972), Chupke ago, there was indeed a golden age of comedy little shove felled strong men, and Manorama Chupke and Gol Maal were unusual in that they in Hindi lms. (as much a vamp as a comedienne) with her were comedies. The plot line itself revolved exaggerated facial expressions. around a series of comic misunderstandings shobhit mahajan teaches physics in Delhi University