Dastak (1970 film)

Last updated

Dastak
Dastak (1970).jpg
Directed by Rajinder Singh Bedi
Screenplay byRajinder Singh Bedi
Produced byRajinder Singh Bedi
Starring Sanjeev Kumar
Rehana Sultan
Anju Mahendru
Cinematography Kamal Bose
Edited by Hrishikesh Mukherjee
Music by Madan Mohan
Majrooh Sultanpuri (lyrics)
Release date
  • December 31, 1970 (1970-12-31)
Running time
140 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi

Dastak (knock on door) is a Hindi film made in 1970. It was written and directed by Rajinder Singh Bedi and was his directorial debut.

Contents

The film is known for its performances by its leading cast, Sanjeev Kumar, and the newcomer, Rehana Sultan, and for its memorable songs by Madan Mohan. He won his first National Film Award for it and the lyrics of Majrooh Sultanpuri. Hrishikesh Mukherjee, the film director-turned-editor of this black-and-white film and won a Filmfare Award, his second after Madhumati in 1958. [1]

Awards

Overview

Dastak presents an expanded version of Rajinder Singh Bedi's radio play, Naql-e-Makaani (Moving to a New House), first performed on All India Radio, Lahore in 1944. [2]

Upon release, the film established Rajinder Singh Bedi as an important force in Indian Parallel Cinema, as Dastak is considered an important film of the decade. [3] In 1972 the director was awarded the Padma Shri.

The director Hrishikesh Mukjherjee once said, "Rajinder Singh Bedi was an extraordinarily gifted writer. Indeed, I feel privileged that I could edit his maiden venture as writer-director 'Dastak' in stark B&W starring Sanjeev Kumar and Rehana Sultan. Rehana won the 'Urvashi' award then the term for the National Award for Best Actress and I won the coveted Filmfare award for my first love - editing!" [4]

Critical reception

Dastak was featured in Avijit Ghosh's book, 40 Retakes: Bollywood Classics You May Have Missed. [5] In a retrospective review, Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com wrote, "It [Dastak] rejects conventional ideas of filmmaking to produce a nuanced, uncompromised vision, which slams the inconsistencies and ethics of social structure through ordinary, imperfect people. Yet shows how it’s these very ordinary, imperfect people who battle it in spirit till the very end." [5]

Synopsis

The film was known for its unusual story line set in a red light area. A newlywed couple, Hamid (Sanjeev Kumar) and Salma (Rehana Sultan), unwittingly rent a flat, and thus begins their daily turmoil at the knocks (dastak) on their door. The previous occupant was Shamshad Begum (Shakeela), a mujrewali (nautch girl).

Cast

Music

The film's music director stood his ground as a maestro of classical rhythms on the dholak and raga based melodies. The music of Dastak stood out for its allegiance to the classical traditions of raga-based melodies by its music director Madan Mohan, who managed to get from Lata Mangeshkar, ostensibly her best performance as a playback singer. [6]

Lyrics

The film is known for its poignant lyrics by lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri, especially in capturing the painful state of the story's female protagonist, Salma — be it a dramatic statement about the society: "Hum hai mataye koocha bazaar ki tarah, Uthti hai har nigaah kharidaar ki tarah" or the silent pain of "Mai Ri mai ka se Kahoon peer apne jiya ki..." [7]

Songs

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lata Mangeshkar</span> Indian singer (1929–2022)

Lata Mangeshkar was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent. Her contribution to the Indian music industry in a career spanning eight decades gained her honorific titles such as the "Queen of Melody", "Nightingale of India", and "Voice of the Millennium".

<i>Abhimaan</i> (1973 film) 1973 film by Hrishikesh Mukherjee

Abhimaan is a 1973 Indian Hindi musical drama film directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Asrani, Bindu, and David. The film is perhaps best remembered for its songs, composed and arranged by S. D. Burman, written by Majrooh Sultanpuri and sung by playback singers Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar, Mohammed Rafi, Manhar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madan Mohan (composer)</span> Indian composer and singer

Madan Mohan Kohli, better known as Madan Mohan, was an Indian music director of the 1950s, 1960s and the 1970s. He is considered one of the most melodious and skilled music directors of the Hindi film industry. He is particularly remembered for the immortal ghazals he composed for Hindi films. Some of his best works are with singers Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi and Talat Mahmood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jatin–Lalit</span> Musical artist

Jatin–Lalit is a renowned Indian music director duo consisting of brothers Jatin Pandit and Lalit Pandit. They are celebrated for their contribution to Bollywood music during the 1990s and early 2000s. The duo is known for their melodious compositions and has been associated with several hit films. Some of their most famous works include Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Mohabbatein, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham..., and Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha.

<i>Mausam</i> (1975 film) 1975 Indian film

Mausam (transl. Season) is a 1975 Indian Hindi-language musical romance film starring Sanjeev Kumar and Sharmila Tagore, and directed by Gulzar. It is loosely based on the 1961 novel, The Judas Tree, by A.J. Cronin. Sharmila Tagore for her acting received The Silver Lotus Award at the 23rd National Film Festival and the film itself was awarded the Second Best Feature Film. The film was nominated in eight categories at the 24th Filmfare Awards and won in two. The film also won many other accolades as well.

<i>Hulchul</i> (1951 film) 1951 film

Hulchul is a 1951 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by S. K. Ojha and written by Hasrat Jaipuri. The film was produced by K. Asif with Mohammed Shafi-Sajjad Hussain as music directors and film song lyrics by Khumar Barabankvi.

<i>Sawaal</i> (film) 1982 film by Ramesh Talwar

Sawaal is a Hindi drama film produced by Yash Chopra and directed by Ramesh Talwar, released in 1982. The music was composed by Khayyam and the lyrics were written by Majrooh Sultanpuri. Despite an all-star cast, it did not succeed at the box office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajinder Singh Bedi</span> Indian author, director and screenwriter

Rajinder Singh Bedi was an Indian Urdu writer of the progressive writers' movement and a playwright, who later worked in Hindi cinema as a film director, screenwriter and dialogue writer and he is grandfather to Rajat Bedi and Manek Bedi.

Rehana Sultan is an Indian actress best known for her debut role in the acclaimed 1970 film Dastak which won her the National Film Award for Best Actress. A graduate of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, she is also known for another bold role in the film Chetna (1970), which got her typecast thus ending her film career, despite its promising start. She said "The sex in my films was not forced, but part of the narrative. Today, I feel these scenes are used for commercial reasons. All I can say is Babuda was ahead of his times."

<i>Chirag</i> 1969 Indian film

Chirag is a 1969 Indian Bollywood film directed by Raj Khosla. The film stars Sunil Dutt and Asha Parekh in the lead roles. Apart from other plus points, it has the famous song "Teri Aankhon Ke Siwa" sung separately by Mohd. Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar. It also has "Mere Bichhade Sathi Sunta Ja" and "Chhayi Barakha Bahar.." both sung by Lata Mangeshkar.

<i>Jahan Ara</i> (film) 1964 Indian film

Jahan Ara is the 1964 Indian Hindi debut film of director Vinod Kumar. It stars Prithviraj Kapoor, Bharat Bhushan, Mala Sinha,and Shashikala in lead roles. The film is a historical romance based on the life of Jahanara Begum, played by Mala Sinha. It was the first time this character was portrayed on-screen.

The 24th Filmfare Awards were held in 1977.

The 18th Filmfare Awards were held on April 18, 1971, honouring the best in Hindi Cinema in the year 1970.

Garam Coat was a 1955 Indian Hindi drama film, directed by Amar Kumar and written by noted writer Rajinder Singh Bedi, adapted from the short story, The Overcoat (1842) by Nikolai Gogol. Bedi set the story in the economic turmoil of the post-partition North India, also experiencing a collapse in human values, fractured social fabric and growing cynicism towards the state. However, beyond that, the story of the film diverges from the original; Bedi took the story to a completely different development and also gives it an optimistic ending, unlike the original, where the protagonist turns into a ghost. The film starred Balraj Sahni, Nirupa Roy, Jayant, Brahm Bhardwaj, Rashid Khan, and Vijayalaxmi. Music was by classical singer Pandit Amar Nath, and songs were sung by Lata Mangeshkar.

<i>Chandni Chowk</i> (film) 1954 Indian film

Chandni Chowk is a 1954 classic Muslim social drama film directed by B. R. Chopra.

References

  1. ↑ "Hrishikesh Mukerjee". Archived from the original on 15 October 2007.
  2. ↑ The Films of Rajinder Singh Bedi Archived 16 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine , Annual of Urdu Studies. v. 5, 1985
  3. ↑ "Parallel Cinema". Archived from the original on 12 February 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2007.
  4. ↑ "Hrishikesh Mukherjee remembers Dastak". Archived from the original on 15 October 2007.
  5. 1 2 Verma, Sukanya. "Revisiting Sanjeev Kumar's masterful, must-watch Dastak". Rediff. Archived from the original on 11 August 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  6. ↑ "The Incredibly Sweet Sound - Madan Mohan". Archived from the original on 25 October 2007.
  7. ↑ "Dastak (1970)". Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved 8 October 2007.
  8. ↑ "Film Songs on Ragas". Archived from the original on 18 November 2007. Retrieved 11 October 2007.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.