Daag

I saw this film many years ago and have seen it several times later.Evidently it is dated but Dilip Kumar's acting is superb conveying starkly the traumatic effect of alcoholism.The plot is rather weak but overall the message is clear.It is doubtful whether Hindus are buried as when the drunk and' dead 'Shankar mentions the way to the cemetery!The music is enchanting especially the songs of Talat Mahmood.Nimmi is pure gold here.Kaniyalal and Lalita Pawar lend solid support.With a little more directness Daag could have become a exemplary movie.A reflection of its time but also a milestone for Nimmi and Dilip.An understanding of the era is essential for the enjoyment of this classic because the dialog is brilliant.Not for the impatient but a must for all Dilip Kumar addicts.

In my humble opinion, consuming liquor to forget one's grief is futile. as liquor consumption may make a happy person happier but it can by no means mitigate the grief of an aggrieved person. On the contrary, the feeling of grief intensifies in the intoxicated condition. By drinking, a person does not get any relief from his grief but he makes those aggrieved who are, in one way or the other, associated with him. By quitting drinking only, can the drinker think logically about and take some prudent step to solve the practical problems of his life. That's the message of Daag (1952).

Daag (scar) tells the story of Shankar (Dilip Kumar) who makes earthen toys and idols and sells them to earn a living for himself and his aged widow mother (Lalita Pawaar). Shankar loves Paaro (Nimmi) who is the (step) sister of Laala Jagat Naarayan (Kanhaiyalaal). And Paaro loves Shankar even more than he loves her. Laala Jagat Naarayan has a grown up daughter too named as Pushpa (Usha Kiran). The aunt (Bua in Hindi) and the niece belonging to the same age-group, behave like close friends. Pushpa falls in love with a teacher Shyam Sunder (Jawaahar Kaul) who has been appointed to tutor her and Paaro. Now Usha's marriage with Shyam Sunder is fixed quite smoothly by her father but as far as the marriage of Paaro with Shankar is concerned, it's almost next to impossible because of an acute problem with Shankar.

And this problem is his addiction to drinking liquor. Paaro belongs to a well-off family whereas Shankar earn barely enough to make both ends meet for himself and his mother. But even a major part of that earning goes in Shankar's expenditure on liquor. He does not listen to anybody, may it be his mother or his sweetheart Paaro or his close friend and genuine well-wisher Ragunaath (Laxman Rao) who wants him to quit drinking despite himself only running the liquor shop. He loses a lot including his mother and the love of Paaro whose marriage is fixed by her brother to someone else. The movie ends on a happy note when Shankar finally gets rid of his liquor addiction and gets the love of his life in the form of Paaro.

Sometimes a person may be very good, capable, virtuous and possessing a heart of gold but develops a bad image of him in the eyes of the world. That bad image sticks to him like a monkey on his back and does not leave him despite all his pluses and his sincere efforts to get rid of it. Hence to survive and prosper in this world and to lead a normal and peaceful life, one has to be image-conscious because we can't afford to live alone, ultimately we have to be a member of the society or at least the milieu. The protagonist of this story, i.e., Shankar could learn it after losing a lot as well as suffering a lot. The bad habit of drinking became a scar (Daag) on his name uglifying his personality. That's why the movie is titled as Daag.

Despite selecting a good theme, writer-director Amiya Chakravarty could not prepare a good screenplay for the movie and finally it turned out to be just an average flick which the audience can endure mainly because of the great musical score consisting of some immortal songs. The complete script is lacklustre and the narrative moves in a wayward fashion without any direction and coherence of events. The movie defies logic time and again throughout its duration and the filmmaker could not create any sympathy in the audience for the suffering hero.

The major part of the narrative is gloomy but for the purpose of giving relief to the audience, the completely superfluous love story of Shyam Sunder and Pushpa has been inserted alongwith a couple of songs. It has given some relief and amusement to the audience but it has nothing to do with the main story of Shankar, his mother and his sweetheart Paaro. The character of Pushpa itself is not at all required in the main story. The episode of Laala Jagat Naarayan's unexpectedly getting inherited wealth is also quite amusing though it also serves no purpose for the story except creating a status difference between the hero and the heroine which has no relevance to their love.

Still if the movie is able to pull the audience alongwith it, then it is because of the songs composed by Shankar-Jaikishan with the help of the lyrics of Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri. This movie was made in the heyday of Talat Mahmood who was the uncrowned king of sad songs then. The album consists of three great sad songs of Talat Mahmood - 1. Hum Dard Ke Maaron Ka Itna Hi Fasaana Hai, 2. Koi Nahin Mera Is Duniya Mein, Aashiyaan Barbaad Hai, 3. Aye Mere Dil Kahin Aur Chal (which comes many times in the movie, once in the voice of Lata Mangeshkar too). Among other songs, Lata's classic sad song - Kaahe Ko Der Lagaai Re, Aaye Na Ab Tak Baalma is also in the movie.

Tragedy King Dilip Kumar has done well in the lead role but surely it is not one of his best performances. Nimmi and Usha Kiran have done well as the leading ladies. Lalita Pawaar is perfect as the hero's mother. The supporting cast including Kanhaiyalaal is well in place.

Daag may not be liked by today's generation who may find it difficult to sit through this movie. However I recommend it to those who are fond of watching old black and white Hindi movies containing good music and ample dose of sentiments.

Due to the fortunate death of an aunt, Paro's family inherits property and they become rich overnight. They move to a mansion while Paro's poor alcoholic boyfriend and neighbour is left behind to take care of his sick mother. Due to his severe alcoholism, he is unable to be the good son and wastes every scent on booze. Paro tries her best to help in spite her brother's disapproval. She even offers her boyfriend her jewelry so that he can exchange them for money in order to cover his mother's medical costs. But, things only get worse as circumstances become more desperate. Mehboob's 'Daag' has a similar melodramatic tone as his other films. Yet, this one is more watchable in comparison to his popular work. The script is poor and it fails to find balance. Also, the ending is abrupt and looks forced. The songs are overall good even though repetitive. Dilip Kumar's acting ranges from wooden to hammy but he is quite good in the few scenes where he's balanced. Vivacious Nimmi is wonderful and she easily steals the show. Lalita Pawar is impressive as the helplessly ill mother who is unable to take care of herself and her son. 'Daag' could have easily improved with tighter writing and editing. It's far from a terrible film, rather a mediocre movie with good and bad moments. Overall, not a bad watch if the alternative is something awful.

"Daag" in Urdu language means "a scar". It may be on somebody's face or on the face of moon. Appropriately named, the movie describes the weak personality traits of a young romantic man, Shankar, who uses alcohol to tranquilize his many a worldly shortcomings and life's misgivings. It is all about a weak will powered but honest and kind hearted sculptor who notwithstanding the life's bitter and hard challenges takes refuge by intoxicating himself. His mother would long to convert her unruly and waverly son into bringing some discipline and purpose to his life. But all in vain.

Nevertheless, in the end, he would muster the courage and determination to break the bottle filled with the liquid that brings temporary succor to his perplexed vibes. And would never again touch it and instead find solace and peace in the warm bosom and company of his lover and now wife. Dilip Kumar's excellent portrayal of Shankar instantly rose him to new heights of stardom.

The legendary song "Aye mere dil kaheen aur chal", that repeatedly punctuates the sequence of the story is still a memorable piece of meaningful song coupled with fine music and stymieing lyrics.

It is a pity that now movies are not made in this fashion. People and the cine-goers are more crazy to watch special effects, computer animated graphics and the temporal side of life which is nowhere near the real-to-life experiences. The imagination to fathom subtle human values and sentiments is gradually diminishing, rather dieing out from the screen audience of this age who love to watch and fantasize about the superficial/artificial events.

I understand this is one of Dilip Kumar's most well known and successful films, and that he received a filmfare award for his acting in it. Still, I find his performance stilted and exaggerated, in particular in the many drunk scenes. The movie's plot is formulaic to the extreme, very melodramatic. It may have affected viewers at the time, but today it is so clichéd one can guess what happens a good 10 minutes ahead. The movie is also slow and repetitive, in particular in the the first hour, with Dilip Kumar succumbing again and again to the bottle. His character in this movie is weak and to me seems unsympathetic, although I must say I could never relate to stories about drunks or addicts. The direction, by Amiya Chakrabarty, is professional and solid, but seldom tight or original enough to thrill.

The saving grace of this movies is Nimmi, who gives an extraordinary performance, relishing every scene, laughing uncontrollably when her lover comes home, throwing herself at his feet, mouthing the words of the song with great emotion, a delicate, weak, foolish but beautiful diva. The camera loves her and she steals every scene. It is a pleasure also to watch the sets of this movie, reproducing a village entirely in the studio, with very kitschy decor elements, fake broken columns and painted sunsets. They don't film fantasy backdrops like these anymore. The music is superior, in particular the very memorable song: "Aye mere dil kahin aur chal", which is offered in three lovely and different versions.

All in all, a pleasant diversion, if not a masterpiece, memorable in particular for Nimmi. I will be looking for other films featuring her.