Caravan- Revisiting after 50 Years

 

The musical superhit film directed by Nasir Husain featured Asha Parekh, Jeetendra, and Aruna Irani completed 50 years on 5th Nov 2021 and was a super hit in India. You would be surprised to note that it was a super-duper hit in China when it was released eight years after its Indian release. In fact, Caravan, believe it or not, sold 19 million tickets in India – and 100 million tickets in China! One hundred million broke all records in China for a foreign film. One of the earliest Indian films to earn the big bucks in Chinese domestic markets was Raj Kapoor's 1951 Indian classic Awara. released in 1955.

Caravan‘s amazing success in China was matched only thirty years later by Nasir Husain's nephew, Amir Khan with his 3 Idiots.

The movie’s storyline was nothing great. A runaway heiress joins a passing caravan of gypsies, to escape the villain who murdered her father, then falls in love with the leading man, who eventually rescues her from the villain, etc, etc. The film's plot was loosely inspired by the 1953 film Girl on the Run, a little-known crime drama set against the backdrop of a carnival burlesque show, which was changed to a gypsy show in Caravan.

Aruna Irani has a significant role in this film.The traveling troupe featured Madan Puri as the manager and a young Aruna Irani as the star performer Nisha. In fact, Irani nearly stole the show from the film’s heroine with her animated performances in the songs 'Chadhti Jawaani Meri Chaal Mastani', 'Dilbar Dil Se Pyaare' and ‘Ab Joh Mile Hain Toh’.

The screenplay of the film was provided by Bhowmick, but the treatment of the film was all Husain, who turned it into the entertainer that it was. According to the film's star Asha Parekh in her biography The Hit Girl, Caravan happened accidentally.

The highlight of the film was its music, composed by R D Burman, and lyrics by Mazrooh Sultanpuri. In Caravan, there was a song for every mood. There was the soft romantic duet ‘Kitna Pyaara Waada’, the road song ‘Goriya Kahaan Tera Desh Re’, the goofy performance number ‘Daiya Yeh Main Kahaan Aa Phasi’, and, of course, the most famous of them all, the cabaret track, ‘Piya Tu Ab Toh Aaja’ picturized on Helen, which brought singer Asha Bhosle her third Filmfare award for Best Female Playback Singer.

Even after 50 years, the film is still refreshing, if you have not seen the film,i recommend you to see it today.

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All Songs of Caravan

50 Years of Mera Gaon Mera Desh

 

A super hit movie of 1971 starting Dharmendra, Asha Parekh, and Vinod Khanna shot in Rajasthan is sheer eye candy. It has its romance, its moments of comedy, and its melodrama, but ( Vinod Khanna) Jabbar Singh vs. Ajit(Dharmendra) is, eventually, the focus of the film.  it has a lot of the tropes and motifs of the Clint Eastwood films. The film was a huge blockbuster at the box office cementing Vinod Khanna's place as a top actor.

Dharmendra plays Ajit, an orphan, who is reformed by an ex-soldier Jayant. The village is repeatedly looted and savaged by Jabbar’s gang and Ajit stands up to wage a lone fight.

Asha Parekh is the heroine of the film but has nothing to do except singing one or two songs. 

Worth mentioning is Laxmi Chhaya. She gets to lip-sync to three of the film’s most famous songs—Maar diya jaaye ya chhod diya jaaye, Aaya aaya atariya pe koi chor and Apni prem kahaaniyaan—and dances up a storm in each of them. 

Music is the strong point of the film. All the songs were popular but the background score by Laxmikant Pyarelal adds to the ferocity that Jabbar comes to signify. 

Vinod Khanna as Jabbar Singh shall live for all times to come.  I recommend every one who has seen this movie or not ; please watch it again and get mesmerized.

Soundtrack

#
Title
Singer(s)
1
"Aaya Aaya Atariya Pe Koi Chor"
Lata Mangeshkar
2
"Apni Prem Kahaniyaan"
Lata Mangeshkar
3
"Kuchh Kehta Hai Ye Saawan"
Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi
4
"Sona Lai Ja Re"
Lata Mangeshkar
5
"Maar Diya Jaye"
Lata Mangeshkar

Songs of Mera Gaon Mera Desh 1971

Nasir Hussain- Always Believed in Long Associations

 

Nasir Hussain (16 November 1926 – 13 March 2002),  started his career as a story writer in 1948. He remained there till he started his own Nasir Hussain Films and turned producer-director. He made musical hits like Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai (1961),  

He introduced Asha Parekh in Dil Deke Dekho (1959), she was the heroine of his first production Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai (1961),  she was the heroine for all his films like  Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1963), Teesri Manzil (1966), Baharon Ke Sapne (1967), Pyar Ka Mausam (1969), Caravan (1971),  After a gap of 13 years, she did a cameo in his film Manzil Manzil (1984). With Teesri Manzil he associated with music director R D Burman and after that RD was the music director of all his films like  Baharon Ke Sapne (1967), Pyar Ka Mausam (1969), Caravan (1971), Yaadon Ki Baraat (1973), and Hum Kisise Kum Naheen (1977),  Zamane Ko Dikhana Hai (1981), Manzil Manzil (1984) and Zabardast (1985) So was the lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri who wrote lyrics for all the above films.

Rajendra Nath the comedian was a fixture in almost all of his early productions. He was in Dil Deke Dekho (1959), Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai (1961), Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1963), Baharon Ke Sapne (1967), Pyar Ka Mausam (1969), Zabardast (1985) and Zamaane Ko Dikhana Hai (1981).

Pran was also a constant villain in Ziddi, Love in Tokyo, Paying Guest and Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon. He also collaborated with writer Sachin Bhowmick, comic Wasti, and editors Babu Lavande and Gurudutt Shirali in many of his films

Here are a few songs of his films of RD & Majrooh Sultanpuri combination.

Song of Teesri Mnzil 1966

Song of  Baharon Ke Sapne (1967)

Song of Pyar Ka Mausam (1969)

Song of Caravan  (1971)

Song of Yaadon Ki Baraat (1973)

Hum Kisise Kum Naheen (1977)

50 Years of Kati Patang

 

Kati Patang was released on 29th Jan 1951.By that time Rajesh Khanna was the Super Star of Bollywood. All of his films were making Jubilees  The Rajesh Khanna phenomenon was at its peak. This was the third picture of Shakti Samanta and Rajesh Khanna together and the second film of the trio of Shakti Samanta, Rajesh Khanna and R D Burman.

The film was tragic in nature with a non-glamorous heroine role but became hit because of its music. The film gave us evergreen hits like Yeh Shaam Mastani, Pyar Diwana Hota Hai and Yeh Jo Mohabbat Hai. all sung by Kishore Kumar. One song 'Jis Gali Me Tera Ghar Na Ho Sajna' was sung by Mukesh.

The film was based on the novel by Gulshan Nanda, the 1971 film features the story of the double life of Madhavi, played by Asha Parekh, who got her first Filmfare Award of the Best Heroine for this role.

Sharmila Tagore who was a favourite heroine of Shakti Samanta did not get this role because she was pregnant at that time. Asha Parekh who had earlier worked with Samanta was the natural choice for this film.  He had cast her in his earlier film,  Pagla Kahin Ka.

Rajesh Khanna and Asha Parekh had already been paired in a few films like Aan Milo Sajna,  their pairing was also acceptable to the audience.  This film too was a hit and was  the sixth highest-earning Bollywood film of 1971

Track	Song	Singer(s)	Picturized on	Duration
1	"Yeh Shaam Mastani"	Kishore Kumar	Rajesh Khanna and Asha Parekh	4:07
2	"Pyar Deewana Hota Hai"	Kishore Kumar	Rajesh Khanna and Asha Parekh	4:30
3	"Mera Naam Hai Shabnam"	Asha Bhosle, R. D. Burman	Bindu	3:05
4	"Yeh Jo Mohabbat Hai"	Kishore Kumar	Rajesh Khanna	3:36
5	"Jis Gali Mein Tera Ghar"	Mukesh	Rajesh Khanna and Asha Parekh	3:40
6	"Na Koi Umang Hai"	Lata Mangeshkar	Asha Parekh	3:07
7	"Aaj Na Chodenge"	Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar	Asha Parekh and Rajesh Khanna	4:

Song of Kati Patang 1971

Song of Kati Patang 1971

Song of Kati Patang 1971

Song of Kati Patang 1971

Song of Kati Patang 1971

Song of Kati Patang 1971

Song of Kati Patang 1971

Asha Parekh- The Heroine with Hit Films & Hit Songs

 

Asha Parekh was one of the most successful heroines of the 60s. Every year she gave a big hit Her films were essentially cheerful, lighthearted entertainers These may not count as classics but may be remembered for their songs.

She made her debut in Nasir Hussain's Dil Deke Dekho in 1959, she was a teenager then. She was soon cast opposite Dev Anand (Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai), Rajendra Kumar (Gharana), and Joy Mukherji (Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon). She soon started giving one hit after another. some of these films were Gharana (1961), Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1963), Bharosa (1963) , Ziddi (1964), Mere Sanam (1965), The year 1966 was  a great year for her, this year four of her filmsTeesri Manzil (1966), Love in Tokyo (1966), Do Badan (1966) , Aaye Din Bahar Ke (1966), became hit. Upkar (1967) , Shikar (1968), Kanyadaan (1968), Mahal (1969), Aan Milo Sajna (1970), Kati Patang (1971), Caravan (1971), and Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971)

She got her first Filmfare award for Kati Patang and was honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of India for her contribution to the field of cinema. She took on supporting roles as bhabhi (sister-in-law) and mother, but she called this the "awkward phase" of her career. So she stopped acting in films, and her friends recommended that she become a television director. She took their advice and became a television director in the early 1990s with the Gujarati serial Jyoti. She formed a production company, Akruti, and produced serials like Palash ke Phool, Baaje Payal, Kora Kagaz and a comedy, Dal Mein Kaala. She was the president of the Cine Artistes' Association from 1994 to 2000. Parekh was the first female chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (Censor Board) of India.

She was born on 2nd Oct 1942 and has remained unmarried. Today, Parekh concentrates on her dance academy Kara Bhavan and the Asha Parekh Hospital in Santa Cruz, Mumbai, named in her honour because of her many humanitarian contributions.

Asha Parekh's Hit Songs

Song of  Dil Deke  Dekho 1959

Song of Ghunghat (1960)

Song of Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai (1961)

Song of Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1963)

Song of Bharosa (1963) 

Song of Ziddi (1964)

Song of Mere Sanam(1964)

Song of Teesri Manzil (1966)

Song of Love In Tokyo(1966)

Song of Baharon Ke Sapne (1967)

Song of Shikar (1968)

Song of Aya Sawan Jhoom Ke (1969)

Song of Aan Milo Sajna (1970) 

Song of Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971)

Song of Caravan (1971)