Yeh vo log haiN jinheN saDkoN pe baTue mile aur unhone lauTaaye naheeN

Film : Anari
Year of release : 1959
Spoken by : Ramlal (Motilal)
Spoken to : Raj (Raj Kapoor)

The first time I 'heard' this film, this was the line that stayed with me. I finally managed to dig up the DVD to confirm the exact words. Yes you read right - I said 'heard' this movie. There used to be a program called Chitradhwani on Vividh Bharti. I think that was way back in 1989. I saw the movie for the first time in 2008. But for some strange reason this line stayed with me all this while.

Raj is searching for his 50 p which has fallen on the road, when he is almost knocked over by Ramlal’s car. Ramlal angrily gets down and accuses him of trying to extort money by purposely coming under his car. Later when he realizes Raj’s honesty, he offers him money. Raj refuses. Ramlal offers to take him to a hotel and feed him instead. Raj refuses that too. While leaving, Ramlal drops his wallet accidentally. Raj picks it up and has to fight off local loafers who accuse him of being a thief, before he can take the wallet back to Ramlal. Even Raj's landlady Mrs. L D'sa (Lalita Pawar) suspects him initially. Once she realises he is honest, she forces him to immediately go and return the wallet to Ramlal. Ramlal is having lunch in Hotel Shan Mahal (a none-too-veiled reference to the five star hotel Taj Mahal). Raj is unable to get in as the doorman thinks he is a low class person. Raj fishes out the wallet to try and explain to the doorman. The doorman is overly impressed by the wallet and immediately allows him in.

When he finally meets Ramlal, this is the exchange between the two of them. Truly a classic of Hindi cinema.

"Tum jaante ho is batue me kitne rupaye haiN?

"Bahut se rupaye haiN"

"Aur tum ye mujhe waapas karne aaye ho?"

"Jee haaN"

"Tab to tum bilkul anaaRi ho"

"dekhiye is batue ke liye aaj lord ke saamne merii beizzati ho gayee, aur ab aap mujhe anaRi kehte hain!"

"BaiTho. dekhte ho yeh rangeen zindagi. Heerey moti jawaaharaat se ladee ye auraten, bhaDkeele qahqahe lagaane vaale ye mard, ye log sab kaun haiN?"

"Mujhe nahee maaloom"

"Ye vo log haiN jinhe saDkoN pe batue mile, aur unhone lautaaye naheeN"

" ये वो लोग हैं जिन्हे सड़कों पे बटुए मिले और उन्होंने लौटाये नहीं"
"Jee ye sab mujhe jaanne kee zaroorat naheeN"

For a long time, the general populace in India thought that it was not possible to be rich and to be honest at the same time. I have mentioned this earlier in my blog too. Read this post.

I do think that times have changed. But every now and then when I am at a party, where the ostentation is atrocious, I am reminded of this line.