Cast: Shashi Kapoor, Mumtaz, Danny Denzongpa, Asrani, Tarun Ghosh, Madan Puri, Meena T Director: Ashok Roy March 18 was Shashi Kapoor’s ...
Cast: Shashi Kapoor, Mumtaz, Danny Denzongpa, Asrani, Tarun Ghosh, Madan Puri, Meena T
Director: Ashok Roy
March 18 was Shashi Kapoor’s birthday and when Chor Machaye Shor was released on 22nd March 1974 just four days after Shashi Kapoor’s birthday what a birthday present he got! The film released exactly 50 years ago became a ‘surprise’ superhit of the year thus giving a boost to Shashi’s sagging career then. But the critics attributed the film’s success to the reigning queen then - Mumtaz with whom Shashi had refused to work with in Sachaa Jhutha (yes Sachaa Jhutha was supposed to star Shashi in the double role which finally went to Kaka going in to become a blockbuster). The film was produced by ‘hit’ producer N N Sippy and became director Ashok Roy’s biggest and only success.
The film boasted hit songs like Ghungroo ki Tarah and the cult Le Jayenge Le Jayenge - first, a solo by Kishore Kumar and next the duet by Kishore & Asha Bhonsle, not to forget the two Mohammed Rafi duets - Ek Daal Par Tota Bole and Paon Mein Dori. The music was given by Ravindra Jain which also led to the success of this film.
The film was a total commercial potboiler. Vijay (a dashing Shashi Kapoor) is an engineer who is in love with a very rich girl Rekha (the effortless and beautiful Mumtaz in one of her last appearances) but her father Jagdish (played by Kamal Kapoor) disapproves of the relationship and arranges her marriage to the villainous politician Seth Jamnadas’( Madan Puri) son. Seth Jamnadas frames Vijay for the crime that the latter didn’t commit and goes to jail where he befriends three criminals - Raju Ustad (Danny), Kalua (Tarun Ghosh who was also the story writer of this film), and Bhalua (Asrani). Together they escape to a village Shantinagar and are joined by Rekha and how all of them help the villagers to escape from the evil clutches of Seth Jamnadas forms the rest of the film.
The movie had dollops of comedy, action, and solid dialogues (especially Danny mouthing ‘teri Maa ko meri apni Maa kahoon’) which was greeted by seetis and thunderous claps from the audience.
Even 50 years later the film roars with the ‘Chors’ making a jubilant noise at the box office.
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