Tribute to Manmohan Desai on his 89th birth anniversary In the grand, gravity-defying universe of Manmohan Desai, logic is optional, coinci...
Tribute to Manmohan Desai on his 89th birth anniversary
In the grand, gravity-defying universe of Manmohan Desai, logic is optional,
coincidence is compulsory, and subtlety is an outlaw. His cinema doesn’t just
suspend disbelief—it ties it to a rocket and shoots it into melodramatic orbit.
Tears cure blindness, dogs unmask villains, paint becomes a GPS device, and
faith itself operates like industrial-strength pulley equipment. To watch a
Desai film is to surrender to spectacle: outrageous, operatic, and utterly
sincere. Here, then, is a joyous stroll through twelve moments that define the
delirious genius of his world.
*1. Divine Ophthalmology (Amar Akbar Anthony 1977)*
Amar Akbar Anthony features perhaps the most ophthalmologically ambitious
miracle in cinema. As Nirupa Roy’s blind mother stands in pious anticipation,
sparks literally shoot out of Sai Baba’s eyes—divine laser beams of faith—and
restore her sight. Modern medicine nods respectfully and steps aside. In
Desai-land, devotion isn’t metaphorical; it comes with special effects.
*2. The Holy Blood Bank Convergence (Amar Akbar Anthony 1977) **
In the same film, three long-lost brothers—each raised in a different
religion—donate blood to save their ailing mother. The real miracle? The three
tubes, each representing Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity, converge into a
single line before reaching her. Science may raise questions; Desai raises
goosebumps. National integration has never looked so medically symbolic.
*3. Love as Central Heating (Aa Gale Lag Jaa 1973)
Aa Gale Lag Jaa provides a masterclass in unconventional first aid. Stranded in
the snow, Shashi Kapoor must prevent Sharmila Tagore from succumbing to
hypothermia. His solution? Body heat, administered with romantic dedication.
It’s survival strategy by way of song-and-dance intimacy—biology meets
Bollywood.
*4. The Paint Trail of Destiny (Chacha Bhatija 1977)*
Chacha Bhatija answers a question nobody asked: how durable is two litres of
paint? Apparently durable enough to be tied to a car bumper and drip obligingly
across miles of terrain, forming a neat breadcrumb trail to the villain’s den.
Forget satellite tracking—Desai gives us hardware-store heroism.
*5. The Hawk That Raised a Hero (Dharam Veer 1977)*
Dharam Veer begins with an infant flung from a palace verandah. Enter a hawk,
swooping in like divine air support, rescuing the baby mid-air. The child grows
up to be the hero, because in Desai’s universe, even birds recognize star
potential.
*6. Lord Curzon’s Great Escape (Mard 1985)*
Mard offers a colonial statue with a twist. The statue of Lord Curzon remains
suspended mid-air after his horse magically transforms into a real mare and
gallops off—with the hero’s horse in tow. Imperial authority literally loses
its footing. History class was never this animated.
*7. Mirror, Mirror, Heal Thyself (Amar Akbar Anthony 1977)*
Back to Amar Akbar Anthony, where Amitabh Bachchan, bruised and battered,
applies first aid—not to himself—but to his reflection in the mirror, while
holding a full-fledged conversation with it. The scene is tragic, comic, and
completely unhinged in the best way possible. Only Desai could turn a medical
emergency into a vaudeville act.
*8. The Human Mirror Trick (Mard 1985)*
In another display of theatrical mischief, Amitabh Bachchan perfectly mimics
Prem Chopra’s movements, convincing the villain he’s staring into a mirror.
It’s choreography as psychological warfare. Who needs visual effects when you
have impeccable comic timing?
*9. Rings of Faith as Escape Engineering (Naseeb, 1981)*
When a rooftop hotel catches fire, the three heroes once again put their
religious rings to work—this time as pulley anchors to zipline their way to
safety. Theology doubles as mechanical engineering. Faith doesn’t just move
mountains; it rigs emergency escape systems.
*10. Moti the Method Actor Sachaa Jhutha (1971)*
Sachaa Jhutha features Moti the dog, who stages his own death only to reappear
dramatically later. He rescues the real hero (Bhola) and exposes the imposter
(played by Ranjeet). Give that dog a Filmfare award. In Desai’s moral universe,
loyalty has four legs and impeccable timing.
*11. The Kolhapuri Chappal Combat Style (Suhaag 1979)*
Suhaag elevates everyday footwear into a weapon of mass disruption. Amitabh
Bachchan fends off goons using a humble Kolhapuri chappal. Bruce Lee had
nunchucks; Desai’s hero has sandals—and swagger.
*12. Dara Singh vs. Aviation (Mard 1985)*
Finally, in Mard, Dara Singh halts a plane’s takeoff with his bare hands.
Physics resigns in protest. The runway trembles. The audience cheers. In
Desai’s cinema, masculinity is measured not in horsepower, but in the ability
to outmuscle it.
Manmohan Desai didn’t just make films—he staged operatic carnivals of emotion
where faith, family, patriotism, and punchlines collided in technicolor chaos.
His cinema runs on coincidence, powered by conviction, and delivered with a
wink so earnest you can’t help but applaud. In that glorious madness lies its
magic: it doesn’t ask to be believed—it dares you not to enjoy it.
By Pratik Majumdar (author: Love Coffee Murder and 1975 The Year That
Transformed Bollywood)
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