| Azaad | S. M. S. Naidu | Dilip Kumar, Meena Kumari, Pran, Achala Sachdev, Om Prakash, Badri Prasad, Randhir, Murad, Shammi | Action Drama | Music: C. RamachandraLyrics: Rajendra Krishan |
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Description
After Azaad, a rich man, rescues Shobha from a few bandits, she decides to marry him. Things take a turn when Shobha's family discovers that Azaad himself is a bandit.
Initial release: 1955
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Azaad ( lit. Free) is a 1955 Bollywood film produced and directed by Sriramulu Naidu S.M. It was the top grossing Hindi film in the year of its release, and one of
Web results
Rating: 6.9/10 - 108 votes
Azaad (1955) .... Trending Hindi Movies and Shows ..... They are even more shocked when Shobha informs them that she wants to get married to Azaad.
After her widower dad, Kedarnath, passes away,
Shobha goes to live with his friend, Charandas, and his wife, Shanta,
who had their son go missing as a child. Years later Shobha is now ...
See full summary »
Director:
Sriramulu Naidu S.M. (as S.M.S. Naidu)Stars:
Dilip Kumar, Meena Kumari, Pran | See full cast & crew »
Naya Daur
(1957)
Certificate: U
Drama
|
Musical
|
Romance
Director:
B.R. Chopra
Stars:
Dilip Kumar,
Vyjayanthimala,
Ajit
Edit
Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
 |
Dilip Kumar | ... | Azaad / Abdul Rahim Khan / Kumar |
 |
Meena Kumari | ... | Shobha |
 |
Pran | ... | Sunder |
 |
Raj Mehra | ... | Police Inspector |
 |
Murad | ... | Jagirdar |
 |
Om Prakash | ... | Head Constable Motilal |
 |
Achala Sachdev | ... | Shanta |
 |
Shammi | ... | Janki |
| |
S. Nazir | ... | Chander |
| |
Badri Prasad | ... | Charandas |
| |
Randhir | ||
| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
 |
Unni Mary | ... | Paro (as Deepa) |
| |
Sai | ... | Chanda (as Sayee) |
| |
Ramesh Sinha | ||
| |
Subbalaxmi | ... | Gopi (as Subbulakshmi) |
Edit
Storyline
After her widower dad, Kedarnath, passes away,
Shobha goes to live with his friend, Charandas, and his wife, Shanta,
who had their son go missing as a child. Years later Shobha is now
matured and Charandas scouts for a suitable groom. A wealthy man,
Sunder, would like to marry Shobha, but the family detests him. Then one
night Shobha is abducted. The Police are informed but their search is
in vain. A few days later they get wind that Shobha may be in Sunder's
custody, a search does prove to be in vain. Then Shobha returns home and
tells them she was rescued by a wealthy man named Azaad, housed in a
mansion, looked after very well, and brought back home all in one piece.
They subsequently find out that the wealthy man is none other than a
notorious bandit named Azaad. They are even more shocked when Shobha
informs them that she wants to get married to Azaad. Will Charandas and
Shanta permit her to marry a bandit?
Written by
rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)
Plot Summary
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Parents Guide:
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
IndiaLanguage:
HindiCompany Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
Black and White
Edit
(Qawwali)
Sung by Raghunath Jadhav & Party
Music composed by C. Ramchandra
Lyrics by Rajendra Krishan
See more »
Did You Know?
Soundtracks
Marna Bhi Mohabbat Mein(Qawwali)
Sung by Raghunath Jadhav & Party
Music composed by C. Ramchandra
Lyrics by Rajendra Krishan
See more »
User Reviews
Tragedy King and Tragedy Queen present a comedy
Dilip Kumar is known as the Tragedy King and
Meena Kumari is known as the Tragedy Queen of Hindi cinema. It's because
of the intense roles played by them on the screen with excellence. Who
can forget Dilip Kumar in Devdas or Meena Kumari in Sahib Bibi Aur
Ghulam ? However despite this labelling on them, these two stalwarts of
Hindi cinema were equally proficient in comedy too. Today I reviewing a
classic black and white movie with these two legends in lead roles which
is a hilarious comedy. It's Aazaad (1955).
Aazaad is the remake of a superhit Tamil movie - Mallikallan starring M.G. Ramachandran. It tells the story of a youth, Kumar (Dilip Kumar) who has to don the persona of a bandit, Aazaad in order to take on the real baddies directed by Sunder (Pran) who is known as a wealthy and respectable person. Kumar aka Aazaad has one more persona and that's of an aged Muslim - Abdul Rahim Khan. The story takes off when the heroine of the movie, Shobha (Meena Kumar) is abducted by the men of a bandit, Chander (S. Nazir) but before she could be taken to Chander, Aazaad intervenes and rescues her from them, taking her to his place. He promises her to take her to her guardians (she is an orphan) when the time is right for that. Quite naturally, romance blossoms between the lead pair. After many twists in the story, Aazaad not only reveals his true identity to the police (who is after him and other known bandits since the very outset) but exposes the reality of the villain also before the law-enforcing agencies and the society at large. The lovers unite (and live happily thereafter).
Aazaad is not a great movie but it provides wholesome entertainment which may sound old-fashioned to some but still this logic-defying movie is a decent romantic comedy. Modern directors like David Dhawan seem to have learnt to make pure entertainers sans any logic from such movies only. The movie starts interestingly and despite dragging of the narrative, entertains the viewer through comedy, romance and songs and dances. The romantic track of the lead pair is heart-soothing and the comedy of Om Prakash makes the spectator laugh time and again.
It appears to be a low budget movie with the beautiful locations in the scenes mostly being created in the studio instead of real outdoor locations. Art direction is all right alongwith the costumes of the characters suiting the time frame (fifties). The movie is unduly long which, I feel, is due to the trend of long movies in that era. Director Sriramulu Naidu has done his job well but he could have done better.
Dilip Kumar had won the Filmfare Award for the best actor for this role. He is at his romantic best with an admirable comic timing. The great tragedy king has shown in movies like Aazaad that he could do comedy with no less proficiency than he could do tragedy-stricken and profound roles. Ditto for the tragedy queen, Meena Kumari who with her raw and immensely beautiful looks, has romanced hilariously with the hero and played her part very well in tickling the spectators. Her dance numbers in this movie are considered as classics. Pran is utterly hateable. Shammi, Raj Mehra, S. Nazir, Jaanakidas etc. have played their parts satisfactorily. The actor who has generated non-stop laughters for the audience is Om Prakash who has played the role of a policeman.
The biggest strength of this black and white movie is its music. C. Ramachandra has composed music of a lifetime for this movie with gems in Lata's voice. Her unforgettable songs viz. Aplam Chaplam Chaplaai Re (sung with her sister, Usha), Baliye O Baliye Chal Chaliye (again with Usha), Kitna Haseen Hain Mausam Kitna Haseen Safar Hai (with Chitalkar who was C. Ramachandra himself), Dekho Ji Bahaar Aai, Ja Ri Ja Ri O Kaari Badariya, Radha Na Bole Na Bole Na Bole Re, Kitni Jawaan Hai Raat, Kabhi Khamosh Rehte Hain etc. are a perennial source of pleasure for the music lovers. There's a awesome Qawwaali also in the movie, sung by Raghunath Jadhav and others - Marna Bhi Mohabbat Mein Kisi Kaam Na Aaya. Most of Lata's songs are based on Indian classical Raagas. All the dance numbers have been choreographed in the most impressive manner. It's the music which adds immense value to the movie and covers the shortcomings of the script.
Aazaad has a repeat value due to its comedy, romance and above all, music. Not only the fans of Dilip Kumar and Meena Kumari but movie buffs in general too, will find this black and white movie as thoroughly enjoyable which was a huge box office hit of its time. I unconditionally recommend it to all with my rating of 3.5 stars.
Aazaad is the remake of a superhit Tamil movie - Mallikallan starring M.G. Ramachandran. It tells the story of a youth, Kumar (Dilip Kumar) who has to don the persona of a bandit, Aazaad in order to take on the real baddies directed by Sunder (Pran) who is known as a wealthy and respectable person. Kumar aka Aazaad has one more persona and that's of an aged Muslim - Abdul Rahim Khan. The story takes off when the heroine of the movie, Shobha (Meena Kumar) is abducted by the men of a bandit, Chander (S. Nazir) but before she could be taken to Chander, Aazaad intervenes and rescues her from them, taking her to his place. He promises her to take her to her guardians (she is an orphan) when the time is right for that. Quite naturally, romance blossoms between the lead pair. After many twists in the story, Aazaad not only reveals his true identity to the police (who is after him and other known bandits since the very outset) but exposes the reality of the villain also before the law-enforcing agencies and the society at large. The lovers unite (and live happily thereafter).
Aazaad is not a great movie but it provides wholesome entertainment which may sound old-fashioned to some but still this logic-defying movie is a decent romantic comedy. Modern directors like David Dhawan seem to have learnt to make pure entertainers sans any logic from such movies only. The movie starts interestingly and despite dragging of the narrative, entertains the viewer through comedy, romance and songs and dances. The romantic track of the lead pair is heart-soothing and the comedy of Om Prakash makes the spectator laugh time and again.
It appears to be a low budget movie with the beautiful locations in the scenes mostly being created in the studio instead of real outdoor locations. Art direction is all right alongwith the costumes of the characters suiting the time frame (fifties). The movie is unduly long which, I feel, is due to the trend of long movies in that era. Director Sriramulu Naidu has done his job well but he could have done better.
Dilip Kumar had won the Filmfare Award for the best actor for this role. He is at his romantic best with an admirable comic timing. The great tragedy king has shown in movies like Aazaad that he could do comedy with no less proficiency than he could do tragedy-stricken and profound roles. Ditto for the tragedy queen, Meena Kumari who with her raw and immensely beautiful looks, has romanced hilariously with the hero and played her part very well in tickling the spectators. Her dance numbers in this movie are considered as classics. Pran is utterly hateable. Shammi, Raj Mehra, S. Nazir, Jaanakidas etc. have played their parts satisfactorily. The actor who has generated non-stop laughters for the audience is Om Prakash who has played the role of a policeman.
The biggest strength of this black and white movie is its music. C. Ramachandra has composed music of a lifetime for this movie with gems in Lata's voice. Her unforgettable songs viz. Aplam Chaplam Chaplaai Re (sung with her sister, Usha), Baliye O Baliye Chal Chaliye (again with Usha), Kitna Haseen Hain Mausam Kitna Haseen Safar Hai (with Chitalkar who was C. Ramachandra himself), Dekho Ji Bahaar Aai, Ja Ri Ja Ri O Kaari Badariya, Radha Na Bole Na Bole Na Bole Re, Kitni Jawaan Hai Raat, Kabhi Khamosh Rehte Hain etc. are a perennial source of pleasure for the music lovers. There's a awesome Qawwaali also in the movie, sung by Raghunath Jadhav and others - Marna Bhi Mohabbat Mein Kisi Kaam Na Aaya. Most of Lata's songs are based on Indian classical Raagas. All the dance numbers have been choreographed in the most impressive manner. It's the music which adds immense value to the movie and covers the shortcomings of the script.
Aazaad has a repeat value due to its comedy, romance and above all, music. Not only the fans of Dilip Kumar and Meena Kumari but movie buffs in general too, will find this black and white movie as thoroughly enjoyable which was a huge box office hit of its time. I unconditionally recommend it to all with my rating of 3.5 stars.
Azaad (1955) Cast - Actor, Actress, Director, Producer ... - Cinestaan
Know the full star cast of Azaad film like producer, music director, singers, ... Welcome to the complete cast and crew page for Azaad (1955) on Cinestaan.
.jpg)
Music
Raghunath Jadhav
Singer
Usha Mangeshkar
Singer
B.N. Sharma
Song Recordist
Jeeva
Song Recordist
Complete information on bollywood movie: Azaad Star cast, Movie Rating, Reviews, Plot, Screenshots, Song listing, Trailer, Watch Movie link and more...
Lyrics and video of songs from Movie / Album : Azaad (1955); Music by: C Ramachandra; Singer(s): Lata Mangeshkar, Usha Mangeshkar; having star cast: Dilip ...
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na bole, na bole, na bole re
na bole, na bole, na bole re
ghunghat ke pat na khole re
radha na bole, na bole, na bole re
ghunghat ke pat na khole re
radha na bole, na bole, na bole re
radha ki laj bhari ankhiyo ke dore
radha ki laj bhari ankhiyo ke dore
dekhoge kaise ab gokul ke chhore
dekho mohan ka manava dole re
radha na bole, na bole, na bole re
na bole, na bole, na bole re
ghunghat ke pat na khole re
radha na bole, na bole, na bole re
yad karo jamuna kinare, sanvariya
yad karo jamuna kinare, sanvariya
todi thi radha ki kahe gagariya
is karan na tum sang bole re
radha na bole, na bole re
na bole, na bole, na bole, na bole re
ghunghat ke pat na khole re
radha na bole, na bole, na bole re
ruthi hui yun na manegi chhaliya
ruthi hui yun na manegi chhaliya
charano me radha ke, rakh do muraliya
charano me radha ke, rakh do muraliya
bat ban jayegi haule haule re
radha na bole, na bole, na bole re
na bole, na bole, na bole re
ghunghat ke pat na khole re
radha na bole, na bole, na bole re
kitana hasi hai mausam, kitana hasi safar hai
sathi hai khubasurat, ye mausam ko bhi khabar hai
kitana hasi hai mausam, kitana hasi safar hai
sathi hai khubasurat, ye mausam ko bhi khabar hai
milati nahi hai mazil, rahi jo ho akela
do ho to phir jahaan bhi, chahe laga lo mela
dil mil gaye to phir kya, jangal bhi ek ghar hai
sathi hai khubasurat, ye mausam ko bhi khabar hai
kitana hasi hai mausam, kitana hasi safar hai
sathi hai khubasurat, ye mausam ko bhi khabar hai
na jaane ye havaye kya kehana chahti hai
na jaane ye havaye kya kehana chahti hai
panchhi teri sadaaye kya kehana chahti hai
panchhi teri sadaaye kya kehana chahti hai
kuchh to hai aaj jisaka, har chiz par asar hai
sathi hai khubasurat, ye mausam ko bhi khabar hai
kitana hasi hai mausam, kitana hasi safar hai
sathi hai khubasurat, ye mausam ko bhi khabar hai
kudarat ye kah rahi hai, aa dil se dil mila le
ulafat se aag lekar, dil ka diya jalale
sachhi agar lagan hai, phir kisaka tujhako dar hai
sathi hai khubasurat, ye mausam ko bhi khabar hai
kitana hasi hai mausam, kitana hasi safar hai
sathi hai khubasurat, ye mausam ko bhi khabar hai
apalam chapalam, chap laayi re duniya ko chhod
teri gali aayi re aayi re aayi re
apalam chapalam, chap laayi re duniya ko chhod
teri gali aayi re aayi re aayi re
ho duniya ko chhod , teri gali aayi re aayi re aayi re
bada majabur kiya, haay tere pyaar ne
maar diya maar diya, haay tere pyaar ne
bada majabur kiya, haay tere pyaar ne
maar diya maar diya, haay tere pyaar ne
ab pachhataye dil, haay kit jaaye dil
ab pachhataye dil, haay kit jaaye dil
kaahe koyi aag lagayi re lagayi re lagayi re
apalam chapalam, chap laayi re duniya ko chhod
teri gali aayi re aayi re aayi re
ho duniya ko chhod , teri gali aayi re aayi re aayi re
tedha medha khel hai ye pyaar jo me janati
bhul ke bhi baat kabhi dil ki na manati
tedha medha khel hai ye pyaar jo me janati
bhul ke bhi baat kabhi dil ki na manati
dil beimaan hua, dekho ji paraya hua
dil beimaan hua, dekho ji paraya hua
roye roye jaan ganvayi re ganvayi re ganvayi re
apalam chapalam, chap laayi re duniya ko chhod
teri gali aayi re aayi re aayi re
ho duniya ko chhod , teri gali aayi re aayi re aayi re
daga dene vaala dekho kaisa daga de gaya
chhod gaya yaad aur dil mera le gaya
daga dene vaala dekho kaisa daga de gaya
chhod gaya yaad aur dil mera le gaya
maine hi qusur kiya, aise ko jo dil diya
maine hi qusur kiya, aise ko jo dil diya
sudh budh sab bisraayi re
apalam chapalam, chap laayi re duniya ko chhod
teri gali aayi re aayi re aayi re
ho duniya ko chhod , teri gali aayi re aayi re aayi re
ja ri ja ri o kari badariya
ja ri ja ri o kari badariya
mat baraso re meri nagariya
mat baraso re meri nagariya
parades gaye hain savariya
ja ri ja ri o kari badariya
ja ri ja ri o kari badariya
kahe dhire dhire shor machhaye re
kahe dhire dhire shor machhaye re
mera naram karajava jalaye re
mera naram karajava jalaye re
mera manwa jale, koyi bas na chale
mera manwa jale, koyi bas na chale
haye tak tak ke suni dagariya
ja ri ja ri o kari badariya
ja ri ja ri o kari badariya
mat baraso re meri nagariya
parades gaye hain sanvariya
ja ri ja ri o kari badariya
ja ri ja ri o kari badariya
jaiyo, jaiyo, ri desh piya ke
kahiyo dukhade tu mere jiya ke
kahiyo dukhade tu mere jiya ke
kahiyo chham chham roye, akhiya na soye
kahiyo chham chham roye, akhiya na soye
huyi yad me pi ki banwariya
ja ri ja ri o kari badariya
ja ri ja ri o kari badariya
mat baraso re meri nagariya
parades gaye hain sanvariya
ja ri ja ri o kari badariya
ja ri ja ri o kari badariya
dekho ji bahar aayi, bago me khili kaliya
dekho ji bahar aayi, bago me khili kaliya
aana hai to aajao, suni hai meri galiya
dekho ji bahar aayi, bago me khili kaliya
duniya se jo darate ho, khwabo me chale aao
duniya se jo darate ho, khwabo me chale aao
do bol muhabbat ke, tanhai me kah jao
do bol muhabbat ke, tanhai me kah jao
ajao mana lege, sapano me rag-raliya
aana hai to ajao, suni hai meri galiya
dekho ji bahar ai, bago me khili kaliya
ham dil se tumhare hai, ye kah bhi nahi sakate
ham dil se tumhare hai, ye kah bhi nahi sakate
aur tum se juda ho kar, ham rah bhi nahi sakate
aur tum se juda ho kar, ham rah bhi nahi sakate
tum bin aashao ki, kaise khili kaliya
aana hai to ajao, suni hai meri galiya
dekho ji bahar ai, bago me khili kaliya
KRISHAN MUSIC : C RAMCHANDRA MOVIE : AZAAD (1955)
marna bhi mohabbat me kisi kam na aaya
di jan magar de ke bhi aaram na aaya
di jan magar de ke bhi aaram na aaya
kahate hai jise ishq qaayamat ki bala hai
shola hai kabhi aur kabhi bad-e-saba hai
ashko ka samadar hai to aho ka khazana
sunate chale aye azal se ye fasana
is qisse ka lekin kabhi ajam na aaya
is qisse ka lekin kabhi ajam na aaya
marna bhi mohabbat me kisi kam na aaya
di jan magar de ke bhi aaram na aaya
di jan magar de ke bhi aaram na aaya
marne ki mohabbat me aaja aur hi kuchh hai
is zahar ke pine ka maza aur hi kuchh hai
marte hai to marne ki shikaayat nahi karate
dilawalo dikhane ki mohabbat nahi karate
ab tak to mohabbat me ye ilzam na aaya
ab tak to mohabbat me ye ilzam na aaya
marna bhi mohabbat me kisi kam na aaya
kisi kam na aaya
di jan magar de ke bhi aaram na aaya
di jan magar de ke bhi aaram na aaya
hota na agar ishq to duniya bhi na hoti
jine ki kisi dil me tamanna bhi na hoti
bijali me chamak taro me ye nur na hota
laharo ko machalana kabhi mazur na hota
kya lutf jo hotho pe ye hi jam na aaya
kya lutf jo hotho pe ye hi jam na aaya
marna bhi mohabbat me kisi kam na aaya
kisi kam na aaya
di jan magar de ke bhi aaram na aaya
di jan magar de ke bhi aaram na aaya
marna bhi mohabbat me kisi kam na aaya
o baliye o baliye chal chaliye kahaan chale
aa chale wahaan dil mile jahaan aa chale wahaan dil mile jahaan
to dekhe naa koi baliye yahaan aankh lade sansaar jale
chal dur yahaan se chaliye aa chale wahaan dil mile jahaan
aa chale wahaan dil mile jahaan to dekhe naa koi baliye
yahaan aankh lade sansaar jale chal dur yahaan se chaliye
baliye o baliye chal chaliye
is jag ki reet hai jhuthi meet na koi kisi kaa
is jag ki reet hai jhuthi meet na koi kisi kaa
yahaan sabki preet hai jhuthi yahaan sabki preet hai jhuthi
meet na koi kisi kaa yahaan kya rehna kyun gam sehna
yahaan kya rehna kyun gam sehna
chal dur yahaan se chaliye yahaan aankh lade sansaar jale
chal dur yahaan se chaliye aa chale wahaan dil mile jahaan
to dekhe naa koi baliye yahaan aankh lade sansaar jale
chal dur yahaan se chaliye baliye o baliye chal chaliye
ye duniyaa nafarat kaa ghar baar pyaar na jaane koi
zamaanaa matalab kaa hai yaar pyaar na jaane koi
ye duniyaa nafarat kaa ghar baar pyaar na jaane koi
zamaanaa matalab kaa hai yaar pyaar na jaane koi
le meraa haath aa mere saath le meraa haath aa mere saath
chal dur yahaan se chaliye yahaan aankh lade sansaar jale
chal dur yahaan se chaliye aa chale wahaan dil mile jahaan
to dekhe naa koi baliye yahaan aankh lade sansaar jale
chal dur yahaan se chaliye baliye o baliye chal chaliye
The spinning top sisters – Sai-Subbulakshmi ...
May 1, 2012 - This blog is inspired by some of the clips on the legendary dancers Sai-
Sai and Subbulakshmi
Sayee and Subbulakshmi, popularly known as Sayee Subbulakshmi,
were two Indian female Bharatanatyam dancers who performed on stage in
South Indian and Hindi films. They were a twin dance duo and were
popular during the 1950s and 60s. They were noted for their synchronised
dancing.Sayee Subbulakshmi - WikipediaWikipedia
kitni javan hai raat, koyi yad aa gaya
kitni javan hai raat, koyi yad aa gaya
badhane lagi hai baat, koyi yad aa gaya
kitni javan hai raat, koyi yad aa gaya
badhane lagi hai baat, koyi yad aa gaya
phir aa gayi chaman me, gujri huyi bahar
phir aa gayi chaman me, gujri huyi bahar
rehne laga kisi ka phir dil ko intzar
rehne laga kisi ka phir dil ko intzar
abb hogi mulakat, koyi yad aa gaya
abb hogi mulakat, koyi yad aa gaya
badhane lagi hai baat
kitni javan hai raat, koyi yad aa gaya
badhane lagi hai baat, koyi yad aa gaya
phir yad aa rahe hain gujre huye jamane
phir yad aa rahe hain gujre huye jamane
dil gun-guna raha hai
dil gun-guna raha hai bhule huye tarane
tanhayi aur yeh raat, koyi yad aa gaya
tanhayi aur yeh raat, koyi yad aa gaya
badhane lagi hai baat
kitni javan hai raat, koyi yad aa gaya
badhane lagi hai baat, koyi yad aa gaya
aankho se nind janey ud kar kaha gayi hai
aankho se nind janey ud kar kaha gayi hai
woh bhi wahin pe honge, nindiya jahan gayi hai
woh bhi wahin pe honge, nindiya jahan gayi hai
shayad yahi hai baat, koyi yad aa gaya
shayad yahi hai baat, koyi yad aa gaya
badhane lagi hai baat
kitni javan hai raat, koyi yad aa gaya
badhane lagi hai baat, koyi yad aa gaya
........................................................................................................
Azaad (1955) | MemsaabStory
Mar 2, 2011 - Azaad (1955). The best thing about this movie is that stars Dilip Kumar and Meena Kumari don't stab their own eyes out or cry through th
Azaad (1955)
The best thing about this movie is that stars Dilip Kumar and Meena Kumari don’t stab their own eyes out or cry through the whole thing (in fact they don’t cry at all!). It is a real treat to see them laughing and carefree even in a very silly story. Unfortunately much more screen time and emphasis is given to what amounts to the Comic Main Plot, in which a new-to-the-area police inspector (Raj Mehra) tries vainly to get the incredibly dumb head constable Motilal (Om Prakash) to help him solve the many serious (robbery and murder) crimes which have taken place in his locality. These crimes are blamed on two supposed dacoits, Chander and Azaad, whose identities remain mysterious to the police; they are not even sure that Chander and Azaad aren’t the same man.
Motilal’s main schtick is that he has two wives and nine children and is lazy, incompetent and stupid. His relationship with his new Inspector seems to take up about two-thirds of the movie, leaving no room for development of the romance between hero and heroine or a plot that makes any sense. I like Om Prakash and Raj Mehra and all, but it seems like a huge waste of two of the biggest stars of the time!
Shobha (Meena) lives with her adoptive parents Charandas (Bipin Gupta) and Shanta (Achala Sachdev, looking way too young to be Meena’s mother!), who took her in as a child when her widowed father died. Their own son Kumar went missing afterwards, a fact which still of course pains them deeply.
They love Shobha dearly and to their great credit do not want her to marry a wealthy local man who has offered for her, Sunder (Pran). Sunder is—as they suspect—a very bad man and the instigator behind the activities of dacoit Chander (S Nazir), whose spit-curl sideburns and mouche I find adorable.
A small thing like approval from the parents and the bride is not going to stop a man like Sunder from getting married, and he sends Chander off to kidnap Shobha.
In the meantime, Motilal has introduced his new boss to another wealthy but also respected denizen named Khan Sahab (Dilip Kumar). Dilip apparently won a Best Actor award for this movie, which I can only attribute to the numerous disguises that he dons in it since he really doesn’t have that much else to do.
That night, Chander’s men abduct Shobha. As they carry her through the forest they are set upon by another band of outlaws whose purpose is to rescue Shobha. She is assured by their elderly leader (Dilip again) that he will return her home to her parents as soon as it is safe to do so.
He invites her to stay for a few days at his house across the hills and they trek for what seems like hours through forest and vale, interrupted once by stock footage of a leopard and a boar fighting, which only distresses me and doesn’t serve any purpose at all to the plot. I assume that the producer spent a lot of money on such footage (there is more of it later with a tiger fighting a bear) and was determined to use it no matter what.
Anyway, after a very convoluted trip involving an Aladdin’s cave type of stone entrance and a gondola ride propelled by wrestlers, Shobha and her guide arrive at a palace of sorts, where she is introduced to the old man’s aunt Paro and her daughters.
Chanda (Sai) and Gopi (Subbalaxmi) are responsible for two extremely fun dances (the music in this is by C Ramchandra) with a southern flavor (I think this is a remake of a South Indian film). Shobha is surprised when a handsome young man (yup, Dilip) appears and turns out to be the “elderly” man who rescued her.
She is appalled to realize that he is the infamous Azaad, although he reassures her that he and his men only steal from criminals like Chander. And it’s not long (because we have to fit in endless repetitive footage of Raj Mehra telling Om Prakash to shut up, from which I am sparing you) before the two are in love and singing up a storm. Shobha is finally convinced of Azaad’s goodness when he does escort her home, thwarting another kidnapping attempt by Chander and Sunder in the process.
But Azaad is still considered a criminal by everyone else, including Charandas and Shanta. Sunder is not a man to give up so easily either (and Pran’s ability to blow smoke rings is always entertaining).
With the police in this town as inept as they are, does Azaad have any chance of proving his innocence? Who is Khan Sahab? Can Shobha convince her disapproving parents to let her marry a suspected dacoit? Will they ever find their son Kumar?
As much as I love to see Dilip not tormenting himself, and beautiful Meena with this lightness of spirit, I can’t say I really loved this movie. It is certainly watchable, but expectations should be set for a largely unamusing police “comedy” rather than the swashbuckling romance I hoped for; I used the fast-forward button a lot. The songs are pretty but I wouldn’t have minded fewer of them too (may I say though that I am always happy to see a qawwali with Balam!).
Between the time spent running around trees and on quarrelsome policewallahs there is little left over for meaningful character or plot development and it’s a pity.
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Azaad (1955) | Dustedoff
Mar 16, 2012 - But, thanks to Anu, who assured me that Azaad was loads of fun, I decided I should try watching this one. And yes, Anu: I loved it. Loved Meena
‘Azaad’ is the leader of a band of gangsters who hide away in the hills around the fictitious village of Bhopur. Azaad and his men are believed to have committed dozens of murders and thefts, and the local police are at a total loss about what to do. A previous inspector has been transferred out of Bhopur after having failed to deliver, and the new inspector (Raj Mehra), though he’s keen and level-headed, is hampered by having, as his main assistant, the earnest but nutty head constable #441 (Om Prakash).
Though they’ve been trying, the inspector and #441 haven’t been able to net Azaad yet. Neither have they been able to catch Chandar (S Nazir), another goon who’s been wreaking havoc in the vicinity.
Meanwhile, we have been introduced to Shobha (a gorgeous Meena Kumari). Shobha is an orphan, and has been brought up by her father’s friend, Charandas (Badriprasad) and his wife (Achla Sachdev).
Shobha is much loved by both Charandas and his wife [I’m going to call her Mrs CD from now on]. Now that Shobha’s grown up, they are looking out for a groom for her. If only their young son Kumar had not gone missing all those years ago, they mourn—they’d have a groom right here, at home. But Kumar has long vanished [we aren’t told how that happened, yet], and alas, Shobha has to now be wedded elsewhere.
Charandas goes off out of town to meet a prospective bridegroom, and while he’s gone, Mrs CD receives a surprise visit from an old acquaintance. This is Janki (Shammi), and she has a sob story to relate. Sundar (Pran), a man who’s known to Charandas and Mrs CD, has ‘ruined’ Janki and left her. Now Janki has come trailing after him, and wants him back. [She obviously hasn’t learnt her lesson yet].
Janki begs Mrs CD to help—perhaps they can put in a word with Sundar?
What these ladies don’t realise is that Sundar:
(a) is the boss of the vile Chandar—the same man who’s been ravaging the countryside. Sundar is a baddie, big time.
(b) Sundar has his eye on Shobha. [To be fair, the ladies do know this, but not its full extent]
(c) Sundar has commissioned Chandar to now kidnap Shobha, so that Sundar can have his wicked way with her (presumably).
However, since they don’t know all of this, Mrs CD assures Janki of her help, and Janki goes away happy.
Now we’re introduced to another character: the very dignified, very wealthy (he has dozens of houses across India, and two stables in Yorkshire) Khan Sahib Abdul Rahim (Dilip Kumar, with moochh, beard, and a large mole on his left cheek). Khan Sahib is much respected, so the new inspector, along with #441, comes to visit. [And to sponge on Khan Sahib. They need to collect Rs 50,000 for the government war funds—this film is set during the days of the Raj].
We now switch back to Shobha’s house. One night, a bunch of goons break in, knock out Mrs CD, and kidnap Shobha. One of them waves some shrubbery under Shobha’s nose, apparently to knock her out; the smart girl that she is, she pretends to swoon instead of putting up a useless fight.
These hooligans are Chandar and his men [not that Shobha recognises them]. They bung her onto a charpai, and hurry off with her into the woods.
Midway, however, they are ambushed—and Shobha, on her charpai, is carried off by another lot of men. They finally put her down far away, and except for one old man (Dilip Kumar, in a very grey and very hirsute facial disguise), all leave to attend to Chandar’s men.
The ‘old man’ tries to revive Shobha, but of course she gets up of her own accord, since she’s been conscious through all of these adventures.
The ‘old man’ takes Shobha under his wing, and promises that he’ll return her to her home the next day. Meanwhile, she’d better take shelter in a cave; he’ll be there to protect her. Shobha agrees.
The next morning, though, the old man, instead of taking her to her home, persuades her to come to his home, in the hills beyond. Since she’d be hopelessly lost in the jungle anyway, Shobha again agrees.
It’s a long and complicated route they follow, through the hills, a jungle (where we’re shown a fight between a leopard and a wild boar), and a rough cable car, operated by a quartet of well-oiled men who spend the rest of their time in calisthenics.
Shobha takes it all in her stride. She doesn’t even really bat an eyelid when the ‘old man’ takes her through a tunnel and into a fine mansion—where he introduces her to two girls named Gopi (Sai) and Chanda (Subbulaxmi) and their mother, his mausi (aunt), Paro (Deepa).
[Oddly for a girl who’s generally sharp-witted, Shobha doesn’t seem to be struck by the fact that the ‘old man’s mausi’ looks about half his age. Yes, I have relatives with wildly discordant relative ages too, but Hindi cinema doesn’t usually believe in that].
Shobha soon makes friends with Gopi and Chanda, and the ‘old man’ reveals himself to be—Azaad! Dashing and handsome [and young enough to perhaps be actually Paro’s nephew], and the much-feared leader of the dacoits in Bhopur. Shobha is initially wary, but he soon wins her over.
He also confesses to her that he and his men are not really dacoits. They are actually latter-day Robin Hood and his Merry Men [well, sort of]: they steal from the thieves, and return to those from whom the thieves had stolen stuff. Azaad refuses to tell her why, if he’s really such a good man anyway, he and his men hide out here in the hills.
In the meantime, Charandas has returned to Bhopur, and has discovered Shobha’s abduction. [When he comes back to Bhopur, he brings with him the parents of a prospective bridegroom for Shobha—they inexplicably disappear after this one and only scene in the film. I guess these two people were there because they really wanted to be in a film, and must have known the financier or producer or chai-wallah].
Soon after, Charandas receives a very odd letter, from Azaad. He takes this to the police station, where he, the inspector, and #441 mull over the puzzling contents of the letter. Azaad assures Charandas that Shobha is safe in his house—and that he would like to marry her.
The gall of the man! Charandas, who’s been wearing himself out trying to find a suitable boy for Shobha, will now be reduced to having a dacoit for a son-in-law?
Absolutely not, he says.
Some digressions follow, comic and otherwise. One that is important to the story is the introduction of the local jagirdar (Murad), who is in cahoots with Sundar and Chandar. We discover that the Chandar-Sundar-jagirdar troika is the one behind all the thievery and murder that’s been plaguing Bhopur. Right now, the jagirdar and Chandar are cribbing because a haul of jewellery has turned out to be bags full of sand and pebbles—Azaad has, once again, got the better of them.
Back to Shobha and Azaad: after a last little bit of shy (on her part) and flirtatious (on his) chatting, Azaad has told Shobha he’s finally taking her home, since her foster parents will be worried. [Shouldn’t this have occurred to him much earlier?]
Shobha therefore goes to bid farewell to all of Azaad’s family: Paro mausi, Gopi, Chanda, and Paro’s old husband. This is an occasion for a nice little song-and-dance…
…and Shobha’s trip back to Bhopur, accompanied by Azaad, provides ample opportunity for more singing.
Near the journey’s end, however, Azaad has made other arrangements. The inspector and #441, who’ve chosen a nearby tree to keep an eye out for suspicious goings-on, see a ghoonghat-ed woman being escorted out of the jungle and into a horse-drawn carriage, which they immediately recognise as belonging to Khan Sahib Adbul Rahim.
Khan Sahib?! In league with that ruffian Azaad? What is the world coming to? [Well, we—who’ve watched enough cinema—can guess, but these people are completely clueless]. What is the link between Khan Sahib and Azaad? Who is Azaad, anyway? And what happened to Charandas and Mrs CD’s long-lost son Kumar? [Another sitter for lovers of old Hindi films]
Rather convoluted, but loads of fun.