Bluff Master (1963) :
Brief Review -
The iconic Dahi Handi song and Shammi Kapoor stand out in Manmohan Desai's bluffy masala flick. Desai, who became a successful director later, had some expected struggles in the early days. After the melodramatic Janam Janam Ke Phere (1957) and the socially and religiously challenging Chhalia (1960), he finally moved towards a masala genre, which later became his identity. Bluff Master is an interesting concept for sure if we have to consider the early 60s Bollywood films-the con stuff. But the poverty factor-I mean, the hero being poor and in debt (and his mother)-was definitely corny stuff. Old Hollywood was doing the same after the mid-30s and throughout the 1940s, but with less drama and more crime, con, and noir elements. Bluff Master bluffs too much in the beginning, only to make things more interesting, but struggles in the conclusion part. The happy ending was expected, but not like this. Suddenly, all those neighbors who had cancelled Ashok appeared from nowhere, and it looked so chaotic and illogical. The heroine being too loyal to the hero despite knowing his truth and keeping his mother to her were definitely not reliable characteristics for a rich and sensible woman. Like I said, the film gets too bluffy and preachy in the end, giving off a sense of immature vision. Desai wasn't a pro-level director then, and his previous two films also fell in the same category. The problem with Bluff Master is that it was easier compared to Chhalia and JJKP, and still it couldn't get above them. The iconic Dahi Handi song, "Govinda Ala Re," is ageless and evergreen. It's been 61 years already, and I hear it every year at dahi handi functions. I'll hear it next month, too, on Dahi Handi 2024. Shammi Kapoor was cute and charming even with those bluffs and conning, and Saira Banu looked gorgeous. Lalita Pawar and Pran both get tailor-made roles, and Desai's direction neither bores you nor excites you much. Overall, a one-time flick.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
