Chhaayaageet #99 - "Jo aadmi chal sakta hai, woh naach bhi sakta hai."
A man who can walk, can also dance.
The filmmaker arrives on set. A song is to be recorded today. However, the usual buzz is missing. Everyone is just hanging around as if some tragic scene is going to be shot. And where is the hero? He asks the dance master, "I don't see the hero anywhere. Where is he?"
"The hero is running a high fever. He has retired back to his room", the filmmaker receives the answer.
Running a fever? He was fine yesterday. What happened to him?
The filmmaker goes into the hero's room. And what does he see? The hero is almost in tears.
"Mujhse nahin hoga. Dance master jo bata rahe hain mujhse nahin hoga. Mein nahin kar paaunga bhaijan", the hero despondently admits his failure. I can't do this. What the dance master wants, I can't do. I won't be able to do it, brother.
The hero is a relative newcomer. He has been in the industry only three years, but this is his first film as a legitimate leading man. His acting chops are not in question. He has won the National Film Award for Best Newcomer for his very first film. His second film has fetched him the Filmfare for Best Supporting Actor, garnering high praise for his performance. Yet, he has not yet made his mark in the industry in any commercial sense. A string of flops, a few bit roles, a few special appearances, but nothing to write home about.
For all practical purposes, the hero views himself a failure. But Lady Luck has smiled in the form of this film, a chance to play a mainstream lead role as the hero. But now he has to dance. That's where panic has set in. He can't dance. There is not a single bone in him that could sway in rhythm to the music. And too boot, the film's heroine is renowned for her dancing ability and grace. The hero is convinced he is just going to make a fool of himself. Is he really cut out for all this?
For a few weeks, the hero has been getting together with the dance master in a dilapidated closed mill to learn dancing. He does not want to practice in front of everybody so he suggests this mill. Just the dance master choreographer, and the choreographer's son working as assistant.
The dance master is exasperated. How can this guy be the hero if he cannot dance? Finally the dance master decides he needs to take things to the next level. He picks up a stick in his hand. A wrong step, whack on the knees.
The hero does not say anything. He dutifully complies and continues. Knees lacerated, bleeding, tying them up with a kerchief, he soldiers on trying to learn how to dance. The next morning on set, the hero does not let the crew know what he's going through in the dance rehearsals. He is afraid he might be thrown out of the film. Quietly, he goes about his day on set.
Now is the day of the shoot, and the hero is having panic attacks.
"Mujhse nahin hoga. Dance master jo bata rahe hain mujhse nahin hoga. Mein nahin kar paaunga bhaijan", the hero despondently states his failure. I can't do this. What the dance master wants, I can't do it. I won't be able to do it brother.
The filmmaker ponders the situation. He boosts his hero's confidence.
"Jo aadmi chal sakta hai, woh naach bhi sakta hai." A man who can walk, can also dance.
The filmmaker continues, "Aaj rest karo aur kal aao. Dekho, inshallah, sab first class hoga." Rest up today and come back tomorrow. You'll see, by the grace of Allah, everything will be first class.
The next day they are all back in the studio on set.
The filmmaker instructs the dance master choreographer and the crew, "Dekho pehla shot lena. Agar shot kharab bhi hoga na, to jitne bhi log hain unse zor zor se taaliyaan bajwana. Phir aage badhna, doosra shot lena. Retake mat karwana. Kyonki actor ki khurak hoti hai uski taarif."
See, take the first shot. Even if it is a bad shot, ask everyone here to start clapping loudly. Keep moving forward, take the next shot. Don't take any retakes. An actor needs praise as the tonic to keep him going.
The filmmaker gives these clear instructions before the hero comes out of the makeup room.
The shot is ready. Cue music, and action. The song starts. The hero and the supporting cast start grooving to the music.
And cut.
It is a rank bad shot. The hero's body movement and steps are falling completely out of rhythm with the music and the song. But as soon as the director shouts cut, everyone starts clapping loudly and cheering for the hero.
"Kamaal ka shot diya", they tell him. What a great shot you have given.
And in this fashion the shoot proceeds. The entire crew is gathered around the camera. After each shot, they clap incessantly and scream encouragement. The filmmaker goes up to the hero every time urging him to dance and give it his all. What camaraderie! What show of strength!
"Dekh saab shot deke aaye na to ye mosambi juice dete rehna saab ko", the filmmaker tells the spot boy. See when the hero comes back to his chair after the shot, make sure you give him this sweet lime juice every time. Gallons of mosambi juice are kept ready near the hero's chair, with clear instructions for the spot boy.
Slowly the hero starts warming up. The rehearsals, beatings with the stick, all start to pay off. He gets into the mood and dances with all the sincerity in the world, even enjoying himself dancing.
After all the shots are taken, the filmmaker tells the dance master, "Ab pehla shot firse lete hain." Now let's take the first shot again.
Bombay to Goa (1972) is one of the iconic comedy films of Hindi cinema. Mehmood co-produced with NC Sippy and also co-directed with S Ramanathan. Amitabh Bachchan and Aruna Irani starred in lead roles, with music by RD Burman. Kishore Kumar sang the song Dekha na haye re.
This was Amitabh's first lead role as a hero in a typical Hindi commercial film. After the recognition in his debut film in Saat Hindustani (1969), and Anand (1971), a string of flops had made him dejected about his future in the industry. He had become friends with Anwar Ali, Mehmood's brother, during the making of Saat Hindustani.
Mehmood decided to remake the South Indian film Madras to Pondicherry, as Bombay to Goa. Jitendra refused to play the lead because he did not want to act opposite Aruna Irani. Once, Amitabh visited Anwar's house with his friend Rajiv Gandhi. Mehmood saw Rajiv Gandhi and asked Anwar to pay 5000 rupees advance to Rajiv Gandhi to play the lead in Bombay to Goa. Mehmood thought Rajiv Gandhi was fair, good looking and could be hero material. Anwar talked him down saying he was Indira Gandhi's son.
While Mehmood was still figuring out the casting for the hero, one day Amitabh walked into the room. Mehmood looked at his team and said "Is lambe ghode ko kyun nahin le lete?" Why don't we take this tall horse?
Bombay to Goa marked a turning point in Amitabh's career. In one of the fight scenes with Shatrughan Sinha, Amitabh is seen chewing gum. He falls to the ground, and when he stands up, he is seen still chewing gum. This scene impressed Salim Javed mightily and they convinced Prakash Mehra that Amitabh would be the perfect choice to play the role of Inspector Vijay in Zanjeer. Prakash Mehra and Dev Anand went to Naaz cinema in Grant Road to watch Bombay to Goa. After they saw the fight scene, Mehra were convinced he had found Vijay for Zanjeer. The rest is history.
During the music recording of the Dekha na haye re song in the studio, Amit Kumar was also present with Kishore Kumar, RD Burman, Mehmood. Mehmood used to call Amit Kumar with a nickname, Dole. He asked RD to insert the phrase "dole dole dole ae ae" in the song after the mukhda. Kishore Kumar sings this one completely in character. Notice how he pronounces the word "bulbul" differently when Amitabh presses Aruna Irani's cheeks with his fingers.
PL Raj was the dance master choreographer on the film, and was the stern, punishing taskmaster making Amitabh learn dance. His son, Leslie Lewis, the popular musician, was assistant choreographer.
Mehmood was nominated at the Filmfare Awards for Best Comedian, however, Paintal won for Bawarchi. Mehmood won 4 Filmfares for Best Comedian and was nominated a record 15 times.
*ing: Amitabh Bachchan, Aruna Irani, Mehmood
Music: RD Burman
Singer: Kishore Kumar
Choreographer: PL Raj
Director: Mehmood, S Ramanathan
Film: Bombay to Goa (1972)