Chhaayaageet #5 - "Second half tight hai. Interval ke baad ek gaana chahiye."

“Second half tight hai. Interval ke baad ek gaana chahiye.”
The second half is tight. Need a song after the interval.

He was born and raised in Tanzania, and worked as a banker, until racial turmoil had forced a move to London. When things did not work out, he called into his friends in the film business, and landed in Bombay. His first gig came as an assistant to his mentor⁽¹⁾, the one whose name had become synonymous with the name of the nation itself, thanks to all those patriotic movies he made and starred in.

Through those assistant gigs, he had made a few friends. One of them, a cinematographer⁽²⁾ had fallen on hard times. So he, along with a hero and a heroine, decide to make a movie and raise some money for their friend. It would be his first time directing a major motion picture, and that too, with one of the biggest superstars ever.

They approach the famous writer duo who narrate a script that had been rejected by other well known directors and actors⁽³⁾. They like it, start filming and eventually complete the movie.

Before the release, he takes it to his mentor for a private screening. The mentor makes an astute observation.

“Second half tight hai. Interval ke baad ek gaana chahiye.”

They get back together with the music director duo. Why not do that song which was rejected by another famous star director?⁽⁴⁾ Everyone agrees it would be perfect. How can you go wrong with a rejected script and a rejected song?

Well, the rejections are the least of their problems. The cinematographer friend, who is also the producer of the film, dies in a freak accident before the release. There is no money for the publicity of the film. It doesn't have a great opening. But as time passes, word of mouth spreads, the song catches on and plays a significant part in getting people to theaters. The film and the song endure as a cult classic.⁽⁵⁾

(1) Chandra Barot assisted Manoj Kumar on Yaadgaar, Purab aur Paschim, Roti Kapda aur Makaan and Shor.
(2) Barot introduced Amitabh Bachchan to Manoj Kumar who cast him in RKAM. Nariman Irani was the cinematographer of RKAM, and also the producer of Don. Barot, Amitabh and Zeenat Aman decided to make Don so Irani could repay his debts.
(3) Salim-Javed narrated the title-less script about a don. It had been rejected by Dev Anand, Dharmendra and Prakash Mehra.
(4) Khaike Paan Banaras Waala was written and composed for Dev Anand's Banarasi Babu, who didn’t like it because it didn’t suit his image. Kalyanji Anandji's brother, Babla, suggested the song for Don.
(5) 1978 was a big year with films like Trishul, Muqaddar Ka Sikander, Satyam Shivam Sundaram competing at the box office. Don did well to hold its place. Chandra Barot would attempt to make other films, but for one reason or another, they never complete. Don remains as his first and only film.

Director: Chandra Barot
Music: Kalyanji Anandji
*ing: Amitabh Bachchan
Singer: Kishore Kumar
Lyrics: Anjaan
Cinematographer and Producer: Nariman Irani
Film: Don