Kaun kambakht kehtaa hai, ki Hitler mar gayaa

Film : Golmaal
Year of release : 1979
Spoken by : Ramprasad Sharma (Amol Palekar)
Spoken to : Doctor Mama (David)
Dialogue writer : Dr. Rahi Maasoom Raza


I am a huge fan of Hrishikesh Mukherjee and I believe that some of the best Hindi movies ever made (or will be made) would have his name under the director's column. I would have seen most of his 40 odd films starting from the 1957 Musaafir to the swan-turned-duckling song - Jhooth Bole Kauva Kaate. But there are some of his films, which have huge repeat value. Every time you see them, you enjoy them even more. Now, there are a lot of Hrishida film lines which would feature in this blog, but this is his debut here. So I need to try and do some justice to it.

While I have been rambling on about Hrishida, what I have not mentioned hitherto is that the film that this line belongs to, is Golmaal. This film was released in the year 1979 and turned out to be one of the biggest hits of the year. The plot is simple. A young man who is just out of college seeks employment with an extremely fastidious, finnicky and fussy man. This man - Bhawani Shankar (superbly played by Utpal Dutt) - has set views on most things. Unless you agree with him, you cannot co-exist. One of Bhawani Shankar's friends - Doctor Mama (played by David) - knows of his idiosyncrasies. Hence, he prepares his nephew - Ramprasad Sharma (Amol Palekar) - in an appropriate way before he can approach Bhawani Shankar for employment with Urmila Traders (Bhawani Shankar's firm). This includes teaching him how to dress, how to speak, what to say and what not to. This is the pre-story.

As Doctor Mama starts narrating Bhawani Shankar's likes and dislikes, Ramprasad becomes increasingly despondent. He realises that the candidate Bhawani Shankar is looking for is as different from him as chalk and cheese. But the last remark by Doctor Mama acts as the proverbial last straw. Doctor Mama says

"सर पर तेल भी अच्छी तरह से चुपड लेना"

This prompts Ramprasad to respond with the classic line:

"Mamaji Kaun kambakht kehtaa hai, ki Hitler mar gayaa"

"मामाजी, कौन कम्बख़्त कहता है, कि हिटलर मर गया"

All of us come across such extreme characters from time to time. People who brook no dissent. People who go to extreme lengths to ensure that their will is done. People who say "My way or highway". Whenever you meet or hear about such a person in future - try using this line.

कौन कम्बख़्त कह्ता है, कि हिटलर मर गया