Raashan pe bhaashan bahut hai par bhaashan pe raashan koii nahii

Film : Upkaar

Year of  release : 1967

Spoken by : Malang Baba (Pran)

Spoken to : Various characters

A hark back to the 'raashan' era, where ordinary middle class citizens spent a lot of time getting this ungettable object.

This is the film which turned Pran's image from the despicable rogue that he played with elan to a 'character actor'. This was then taken to greater lengths with films like Zanjeer and Majboor. Pran along with Nirupa Roy became Amitabh's lucky charm. So much so that when he and ABCL were struggling badly, he got Pran to come out of retirement and do a special act with him in that crap film called Mrityudaata. The film was so bad that no amount of luck or charm could help it.

But Upkaar was the beginning of the Bharat series of patriotic films. It was riding on the Indo-Pak war and the personality of Late LB Shastri. But it is not a bad film either. Well written, good songs and some great characters - like this Malang fellow whose shibboleth is

"राशन पे भाषण बहुत है, पर भाषण पे राशन कोई नहीं, इसलिये जब भी बोलता हूं, ज़्यादा ही बोलता हूं"

"Raashan pe bhaashan bahut hai, par bhaashan pe raashan koee nahee.n, isliye jab bhii boltaa hoon. zyaadaa hee boltaa hoo.n'

Use it whenever you are accused of being garrulous.

bevaqoof parindaa daanaa to dekhtaa hai, phandaa nahee.n

Film : Bobby
Year of release : 1973
Spoken by : Mr. Nath (Pran)
Spoken to : Mrs. Braganza (Durga Khote)

This was one of the first teeny-bopper films which spawned many more over the years.

Before going any further, I must say that it is strange how we are not told Pran's and Durga Khote's 'Christian' name in any dialogue. So throughout the film, Pran is Mr. Nath and Durga Khote is Mrs. Braganza. Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

Mrs. Braganza was the governess of Raj before he is sent away to a boarding school. Later, her son Jack (Prem Nath) grows up to be rich and successful in the fisheries business. After the Braganza family comes to the Nath house to formalise the relation between Bobby (Dimple Kapadia) and Raj Nath (Rishi Kapoor). Sorry, to digress. But I just saw Rajnath Singh of BJP in my mind's eye while typing 'Raj Nath'. Couldn't help smiling.

So, the two parties meet. A cynical Mr. Nath still feels there is a class difference between the two families. He suggests that the Braganza family ensnared his son Raj in their trap. He goes on to say that though Raj is his son and thus the heir to his fortunes, but he is still a kid. He is trying to justify his son's actions by dubbing the entire thing as a planned move by the Braganza family. He says,

"bevaqoof parindaa daanaa to dekhtaa hai, phandaa nahee.n"
"बेवक़ूफ़ परिन्दा दाना तो देखता है, फन्दा नहीं"

is ilaaqe meN naye aaye ho saahab

Film : Zanjeer

Year of release : 1973

Spoken by : Sher Khan (Pran)

Spoken to : Vijay Khanna (Amitabh Bachchan)

This is the scene where Sher Khan and Vijay Khanna share screen space for the first time.

Inspector Vijay has sent for Sher Khan. Sher Khan comes to the police station. This is their interaction -

"assalaam aalaikum Inspector. Hamaaraa Khushqismatii, tumhaare jaise baDe officer ne humko yaad kiyaa. Hamaare laayaq koee khidmat?"

"अस्सलाम आलेक़ुम इंस्पॅक्टर. हमारा ख़ुशक़िस्मती, तुम्हारे जैसे बडे ऑफ़िसर ने हमको याद किया. हमारे लायक़ कोई ख़िदमत? "

"tumhaaraa naam ...sher khan hai?"

"तुम्हारा नाम ... शेर ख़ान है?"

"is ilaaqe meN naye aaye ho saahab? varnaa sher khan ko kaun naheeN jaantaa. Khair...ab mulaaqaat ho gayee hai."

"इस इलाक़े में नये आये हो साहब? वर्ना शेर ख़ान को कौन नहीं जानता. ख़ैर...अब मुलाक़ात हो गयी है."
And then something else happens. That will follow in the next post.

Sher Khan ne shaadii nahii kee to kyaa huaa, lekin baaraateN bahut dekhee haiN

Film : Zanjeer
Year of release : 1973
Spoken by : Sher Khan (Pran)
Spoken to : Vijay (Amitabh Bachchan)

Sher Khan comes to Vijay's house to give him a heads up about the offer that he has got. Two people have approached him with an offer to bump off Vijay Khanna. When Sher Khan walks in, Vijay is sitting with Mala. Vijay introduces Sher Khan to Mala;

"Mala ye Sher Khan hai. Mere bahut acchhe dost. Samjhee?
"माला ये शेर ख़ान है. मेरे बहुत अच्छे दोस्त. समझी?"

Sher Khan says,

"Yeh hamaare baare meN kuchh samjhe ya na samjhe, lekin ham inke baare meN samajh gayaa"
"ये हमारे बारे में कुछ समझे या न समझे, लेकिन हम इनके बारे में समझ गया"

"kyaa samajh gaye Sher Khan?"

"dekho biraadar. Sher Khan ne shaadii nahee kee to kyaa huaa, lekin baaraateN bahut dekheeN haiN"
"देखो बिरादर. शेर ख़ान ने शादी नहीं की तो क्या हुआ, लेकिन बारातें बहुत देखीं हैं"

Baarah janglee kutte milke sher ko maar Daalte haiN

Film : Zanjeer

Year of release : 1973

Spoken by : Sher Khan (Pran)

Spoken to : Vijay 'Khan' (Amitabh Bachchan)

Teja asks his men to find out someone who has had a skirmish with Vijay in the past and pay him money to bump Vijay off. His men go and visit Sher Khan as he has had a very public fight with Vijay. What they do not know is that both Vijay and Sher Khan have now kissed and made up. Sher Khan refuses the offer given by Teja's men. He then goes to warn Vijay about the offer he has received. Vijay laughs it off. Sher Khan says, that though Vijay might be a brave man, but a pack of wild dogs can finish off a lion. Must have been a very powerful dialogue in the pre-Discovery and Animal Planet days. Now even little kids know this and hence the dialogue sort of loses its potence. But here goes nonetheless,

"Baarah janglee kutte milke sher ko maar Daalte haiN"

"बारह जंगली कुत्ते मिलकर शेर को मार डालते हैं"

Duniyaa meiN aisaa koee qanoon nahee hai ki puraanaa aadmii Gaddaaree nahee kar saktaa

Film : Duniya
Year of release : 1984
Spoken by : JK (Pran)
Spoken to : His associate (Unknown)
Dialogue writer : Javed Akhtar

This is another line from the 1984 movie Duniya. Jugal Kishore aka JK (Pran) is the chief villain in the film. He is told that one of his trucks containing contraband goods has been captured by the police. He suspects one of his men. His aide protests and says they are all old hands. Pran retorts with
दुनिया में ऐसा कोई क़ानून नहीं है कि पुराना आदमी ग़द्दारी नही कर सकता
We all find solace in dealing with people we know. Often we meet an old friend from college and start trusting him from the word go. It is possible that he might have changed from the way he was in college. But it seems impossible to us because we are very comfortable with that person. Higher desires and ambitions might have completely changed the person. But the ‘puraanaa aadmii’ syndrome is rampant even in corporate India. I know you for 6 years and I know another person for 8 years. I think I will deal with the other person, since I know him longer. If such a situation confronts you, remember this line by Pran