Previous this week, Sooraj Barjatya launched the trailer of his upcoming movie Uunchai. For many who were following Barjatya’s paintings since Maine Pyar Kiya days, this looks like a departure from his standard taste. Within the trailer, there weren’t any dramatic circle of relatives moments, no wedding ceremony track and no love tale. For a director who remains to be recognized for motion pictures like Hum Aapke Hai Koun and Hum Saath Saath Hain, Uunchai turns out like a puzzling selection however this isn’t the primary time that Barjatya has made a extraordinary selection that threw his lovers off. In 2003, Sooraj Barjatya directed Major Prem Ki Diwani Hoon, which will now be observed as his try at being ‘other’ despite the fact that it didn’t land in the appropriate position.
Now not many would know that the movie which starred Kareena Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan was once the remake of the 1976 movie Chitchor. Produced by means of his house manufacturing Rajshri Motion pictures and directed by means of Basu Chatterjee, Chitchor had Amol Palekar, Zarina Wahab and Vijayendra Ghatge in lead roles. The movie’s tale follows a circle of relatives as they welcome a brand new guy (Palekar) into their lives below the influence that he can be a perfect suitor for his or her daughter (Wahab). As the 2 fall in love over song categories, the circle of relatives unearths out that they’ve welcomed any person else, and now not the supposed suitor (Ghatge). Chitchor navigates thru this story of relationships moderately delicately and does now not get trapped in exaggeration in the best way its remake did.
Chitchor launched in 1976. (Photograph: Categorical Rachives)
Chitchor establishes its feminine protagonist Geeta as a easy however feisty lady who’s extra excited about her examination effects than being married. Her circle of relatives expects her to fall in love with Palekar’s personality and whilst Geeta isn’t the type who would do as steered, her affection against him takes shape when they get started spending a while in combination. Not like her Kareena Kapoor counterpart a long time later, Geeta doesn’t post to her destiny. She doesn’t talk a lot but if she does, it counts. In an important scene, Geeta walks out of her space as a result of she has made up our minds that she’s going to best marry the person she loves. As her sister and mom attempt to emotionally blackmail her to stick, Geeta seems forward and broadcasts, ‘Phaisla ho chuka hai (It’s been made up our minds)’ as she is the one that has made the verdict.
The tone of Chitchor is moderately in step with Basu Chatterjee’s different works like Rajnigandha and Piya Ka Ghar. Amol Palekar, who had established himself because the hero of the center magnificence, is at his relatable highest right here as he sheepishly professes his like to Geeta and is visibly heartbroken when he unearths out that she would possibly get marry any person else.
Revisiting Chitchor just lately was once a robust reminder of the way a filmmaker like Sooraj Barjatya, who believed in going giant even prior to it was once regarded as a certain shot formulation for good fortune in Bollywood, made a easy tale by means of Subodh Ghosh into an extravagant movie that was once adorned with unnecessary CGI, and felt extra dated than its Seventies model. It’s but to be observed what Uunchai has to mention in regards to the evolution of the director however one will also be positive, that the souring revel in of Major Prem Ki Diwani Hoon may not be forgotten for years.
