International Joke Day: Some pure comedies that took funny seriously
Laughter can ease us of heartbreak, desolation, and rejection. Films can be a great source of recharging us in this aspect. On International Joke Day, let us take active steps to embrace laughter through some pure comedy flicks from Bollywood. But we're talking of out-an-out comedy movies of yesteryear, when the script was meticulously written and comedy as a genre thrived. Let's dive in.
'Padosan': Where comedy was in music, dialogues, and characters
Jyoti Swaroop's Padosan (1968) is a marvel of Hindi films. Based on Arun Chowdhury's story Pasher Bari, the movie saw some powerful comedic performances from Sunil Dutt, Saira Banu, Mehmood, and Kishore Kumar. The epic singing battle between Mehmood's Masterji and Kumar's Vidyapati is immortal and full of laughs. Even the caricatures don't feel insulting. It boasts of an unparalleled album too.
'Angoor': One of the best tales on mistaken identity
Gulzar's script based on Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors is perhaps the best tale told about mistaken identities in Hindi cinema. Angoor (1982) starred Sanjeev Kumar and Deven Verma in dual roles and their chemistry together onscreen is enough to launch you into howling laughter. The comic timing of supporting actors like Moushumi Chatterjee, Deepti Naval, and Aruna Irani is a pleasant surprise.
Watch 'Chupke Chupke' for Dharmendra's charms alone
This 1975 venture directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee is based on Upendranath Ganguly's Bengali story Chhadobeshi. Starring Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Sharmila Tagore, Jaya Bachchan, Chupke Chupke tells a story of prank, impersonation, and a whole lot of confusion. Dharmendra is phenomenal as Botany professor Parimal Tripathi. One could watch this movie repeatedly solely for his charms. Evergreen songs and witty dialogues enhance the appeal.
'Bawarchi' saw Rajesh Khanna in a brand new avatar
Another gem from the house of Mukherjee, Bawarchi saw India's first superstar Rajesh Khanna like never before. Khanna is a cook who holds the ties of an entire family together. The guileless jokes and Khanna's pure smile can take all your stress away. This 1972 movie is based on a 1966 Bengali film Galpo Holeo Satti and influenced the Govinda-starrer Hero No. 1.
