Parwana

I may have seen this film ages ago but seeing clips in Johnny Gaddaar reminded me that I needed to revisit the film. The film was an early career venture for Navin Nischol and Amitabh. Navin was cute, romanced the girl (Yogita Bali - was she a bit squint eyed?), got all the song numbers, and Big B played the sensitive introverted artist who secretly loves the girl but cannot have her. But seeing her with Navin twists the knife of jealousy deeper and deeper in until he decides that all is fair in love and war and declares a most insidious war. Yogita was OK, Om Prakash was a complete natural as ever, and Shotgun Sinha over-acted like hell in a cameo court scene. There was an obligatory item number from Helen. Oh - Kaifi Azmi wrote the lyrics and they were mostly mundane. Two songs were decent - Yun Na Sharma, Phaila De Apni Gori Gori Baahen and Simti Si Sharmai Si Kis Duniya Se tum Aayi ho.

The film had a very B-grade feel to it but the plot was extremely innovative - no wonder Sriram Raghavan got inspired! Navin Nischol was like a lost kid and it was hard to get too involved in the lovers played by him and Yogita. Amitabh was intense all the way through and had flashes of brilliance in the film. But it was the 70s and his negative role had to have redemption at the end. There might have been some problem with the way the character of Kumar developed because while the film was most interesting and engaging throughout I felt a clinical detachment from the players as I watched it. I think this was not very much like Jewel Thief and Johnny Mera Naam, instead of a whodunit suspenseful tale this was a Howdunit and very unique for its time. Worth a watch for the plot and for seeing the beginnings of Big B.