Director: Mohan Kumar Starcast: Dev Anand, Hema Malini, Premnath, Sujit Kumar, Tanuja, Nazima, Birbal and Ranjeet. Guest Appearance: S...
Director: Mohan Kumar
Starcast:
Dev Anand, Hema Malini, Premnath, Sujit Kumar, Tanuja, Nazima, Birbal and
Ranjeet.
Guest
Appearance: Sajjan and Chaman Puri
Music:
Laxmikant Pyarelal
Released on the 26th July, 1974, Amir Garib is an action drama that set the cash registers ringing at the box office in 1974 for its high quotient of drama, a superlative score by Laxmikant Pyarelal, high-octane action, and a solid script. It was the sixth-highest-grosser of that year and one of the rare hits of actor Dev Anand outside his home banner in the 1970s.
Storyline: Moni is a multifaceted man, he is an excellent saxophone player and singer, a magician with special skills in hypnotism. He is also an expert thief, who, under the disguise of “Bagula Bhagat”, robs the rich in cahoots with his gang, and distributes the wealth among the poor. Soni (Hema Malini), is a pickpocket who is in love with Moni, but she has an ulterior motive which is to destroy the life of Daulatram (Premnath) who was responsible for the death of her father Nandlal (Sajjan). Meanwhile, Inspector Anand (Sujit Kumar) is assigned the task to nab Bagula Bhagat, little does Anand know that Bagula Bhagat is none other than his fiancé Anju’s (Nazima) foster brother Moni!
Direction
& Other Technical Departments: Mohan Kumar was a seasoned director of those
days who made a variety of successful films ranging from Aas Ka Panchhi to
Avtaar, however while most of his films hinged more towards family drama, Amir
Garib had a lot of action and thrills. Still, it must be said that the director handled both the dramatic portions and the confrontational scenes equally
well. There is a scene where most of the key characters assemble at a bungalow
for different purposes, it was shot and edited extremely well under the
guidance of the director. K.H. Kapadia, an ace cinematographer of those days
does an extremely commendable job, and so does the art director Sudhendu Roy in
creating the drastically different worlds of the “Amir” and the “Garib”. The
editing is quite good, despite a couple of continuity
glitches.
Performances:
Amir Garib has some notable performances. Dev Anand, known more for
his rat-a-tat dialogue delivery and stylized mannerisms by then, gives a
charismatic performance here. He looks debonair even in his late 40s which adds
to his overall charm. Ranjeet is pure evil, Sujit Kumar looks handsome and is excellent as an honest cop. Birbal is as usual great in his
comic sidekick avatar and Nazima is perfect as the innocent sister Anju.
However, an extremely able performer like Tanuja is wasted here. She
deserved a much bigger role. Ultimately, the film rests on the performances of
two actors - Hema Malini who plays the tomboyish, sharp Soni with utmost
conviction, and of course, Premnath whose ruthless dialogue delivery does the
trick every time he appears on the screen.
Music: One of the biggest reasons why Amir Garib became such a big commercial
success was its extremely popular music by Laxmikant Pyarelal. Main
Aaya Hoon (Kishore Kumar), a melodious number from start to finish is still
extremely popular among music lovers. Baith Jaa Baith Gayee (Kishore Kumar,
Lata Mangeshkar) filmed on a supposedly hypnotized Hema and Dev Saab is a
breezy number, both versions of the title song are easy on the ears.
The slightly underrated male duet Mere Pyale Mein Sharaab Daal De (Kishore
Kumar & Manna Dey) is amazing to listen to.
Overall, Amir Garib is a highly entertaining, fast-paced flick with chart-busting music that can still be enjoyed along with the senior members of the family.
By
Ayushmaan Mitra
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