Dosti the film was a surprise packet of the year 1964. It was a small budget movie without any great star cast, just two total new comers, yet it was the theme that drew the crowds. The movie describes the bond of deep friendship between two destitute physically challenged souls who turn out to be each others’ brothers in arms.
The 2nd movie produced by Tarachand Barjatya under his banner Rajshri productions – Dosti, while the first being Aarti. Rajshri productions has been known for socially relevant themes in their movies. They are the same people who have provided us with neat and clean entertainment, social dramas and box-office blockbusters like – Hum Aapke Hain Kaun and also introduced us to the elaborate festivities of a North Indian wedding.
This movie was directed by Satyen Bose and also had Sanjay Khan (one of his early movies) in a supporting role which was appreciated for his performance. In the 12th Filmfare Awards Dosti garnered six awards out of the seven it was nominated for with the awards including those for – best film, story, dialogues, music, playback and lyrics. It was a remake of Bengali film Lalu Bhulu (1959), which was seen by Tarachand Barjatya in Kolkata and was asked by his friend and producer Deepchandji Kakaria to be remade in Hindi.
While the film was a super-hit, but its lead stars Sushil Kumar and Sudhir Kumar who came under the radar of the Bombay underworld due to their popularity could never capitalise on its success. The movie was a music connoisseurs’ delight with some archetypal songs one better than the other, which are still remembered. It grossed over rupees two crore on the box-office in 1964-65.
Story of two souls i.e. Ramu (Sushil Kumar) and Mohan (Sudhir Kumar) who have gone through a series of disasters in their life and have been rendered destitute and physically challenged as they are lame and blind respectively but they strike up a friendship when they realise their potential together as Ramu is a good harmonica player and Mohan renders soulful songs from the heart thus they make a living singing songs on the street of Bombay.
Ramu was good in academics before misfortune overtook him thus wants to study further. There is also a track of Mohan and his sister. The movie also shows how their friendship is tested when the school headmaster seeing Ramu’s academic potential and also his plight, has taken him under his wings and given a place in his house on the condition of strictly prohibiting him from seeing his beggar homeless friend. With a heavy heart Mohan roams the streets alone singing sad ballads. In the mean time the Ramu’s guardian dies leaving him destitute once again but Mohan comes to his rescue and pays his fees without his knowledge, enabling him to sit in the exam and come out tops, realising that it was his friend who had bailed him out, he visits him in the hospital where Mohan has been nursed back to good health under the care of his own sister. Thus the the movie which had throughout pulled on to our heartstrings seeing so much devastation in the lives of the protagonists ends on a bright note and gives a message to fightback in adverse circumstances.
The songs as mentioned earlier were the soul of the film and responsible to a large extent for its success. Credit goes to Mohammed Rafi for his rendering on such evergreen hit sons like ‘Chaahunga Main Tujhe Sanjh Savere’, ‘Koi Jab Raah Na Paaye’, ‘Raahi Manwa Dukh Ki Chinta’ and ‘Jaanewalon Zara Mudke Dekho Mujhe’ while it also has Lata Mangeshkar’s ‘Gudiya Humse Roothi Rahogi’.
The acting was good. It be noted here that the great R.D. Burman was the one who has played the harmonica in the movie. The songs are considered a land mark for the music director duo resurrecting their career and giving fillip to an already illustrious career of Mohammad Rafi who has sung most of the songs and also received the best male playback Filmfare award. The movie also went on to get the best movie National award for the year.
– Revisited by PAWAN GUPTA
Cast of DOSTI:
Sudhir Kumar Sawant
Sushil Kumar Somaya
Sanjay Khan
Leela Mishra
Leela Chitnis
Baby Farida
Abhi Bhattacharya
Credits of DOSTI:
Directed by Satyen Bose
Produced by Tarachand Barjatya (Rajshri Productions)
Based on the story by Ban Bhatt
Screenplay & Dialogues by Govind Moonis
Music by Laxmikant Pyarelal
