Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam is a 1962 Indian Hindi film. Produced by Guru Dutt and directed by Abrar Alvi. The film’s music is by Hemant Kumar and lyrics by Shakeel Badayuni Cinematography by V.K.Murthy. The film stars Guru Dutt, Rehman, Meena Kumari, Waheeda Rehman and Nasir Hussain. The film is based on a book by Bimal Mitra by the same name, and is a look into the tragic fall of the haveli-dom in Bengal during the British-Raj.
Indiatimes Movies ranks the movie amongst the Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films.
Trivia
- The year in which it was released was one of triumphant success for Meena Kumari. She made history as she bagged all the three Filmfare Best Actress nominations for that year. For ‘Aarti, Main Chup Rahungee’ and of course for ‘Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam’, for which she eventually won the award.
- Though Abrar Alvi directed the movie and won the filmfare award for it, several claim that the movie was actually directed by Guru Dutt and Abrar was a ghost director. After failure of Kaagaz Ke Phool, Guru Dutt was unwilling to put his name on any movie.
- Hemant Kumar lost out the Award for Best Music which went to Shankar-Jaikishen for their populist score in Professor (1962).
- The film was screened at the Berlin Film Festival in June 1963
- Was India’s official entry to the Oscars for 1963.
- Meena Kumari’s performance as Chhoti Bahu is regarded as one of the best performance in Hindi Cinema.
- The famous song Na Jao Saiyaan by Geeta Dutt became Classic because her voice, with all its sensuality and pain, complements Meena Kumari’s performance perfectly
- This movie was remade in a TV-Series starring Raveena Tandon.
- This movie will be remade again in 2008 with Salman Khan and Priyanka Chopra by the title Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam.
- Nargis Dutt turned down the role Of Chhoti Bahu to spend time with her infant son Sanjay.
- Guru Dutt considered Shashi Kapoor and then Biswajit before taking on the part of Bhoothnath.
- Jitendra Arya’s wife Chhaya was considered for the role of Chhoti Bahu.
- Guru Dutt wanted S.D. Burman and Sahir Ludhianvi for the music and lyrics but S.D. Burman was unwell and Sahir declined the offer.
Review
Besides a commercial success, the film was also a huge critical success. To quote the review featured in the Times of India dated June 24, 1962… The well-knit screenplay, achieving an effective balance between the various characters and emotional phases, provides a neat dramatic pattern. It appears to be a specially successful job considering the verbosity and digressiveness of the novel of Mr. Bimal Mitra who, though often brilliant, writes in a highly disorderly way.
Hemant Kumar’s evocative music particularly Chhoti Bahu’s songs give the film a haunting quality. Geeta Dutt’s rendering of the three Chhoti Bahu songs – Koi Door Se Awaaz De Chale Aao, Piya Aiso Jiya and Na Jao Saiyaan represents some of the finest singing she has ever done. Her voice with all its sensuality and pain complements Meena Kumari’s performance perfectly. Chhoti Bahu’s ‘signature tune’ – the melancholic music played each time Bhoothnath meets her adds enormously to the aura of tragedy surrounding her. Mention must be made of Bhanu Athaiya’s costumes and Biren Naug’s Art Direction and above all V.K. Murthy’s stunning cinematography with masterly use of light and shadow, none better than the mujra – Saaqiya Aaj Mujhe Neend Nahin Aaegi, where the lead dancer is always in the light and the dancers in the background lit up in a manner that no light falls on their faces. This when often there is both character movement and camera movements being coordinated in the course of the shot! And rarely has the Indian screen seen better use of close-ups particularly those of Meena Kumari who looks absolutely stunning. The editing rhythm with its many dissolves and fades adds to the film’s mysterious feel..
While each of the performances are spot on, if there is one person who is the heart and soul of the film, it is Meena Kumari. Her portrayal of Chhoti Bahu is perhaps the greatest performance ever seen on the Indian Screen. The sequence where Chhoti Bahu dresses for her husband singing Piya Aiso Jiya Main is a poignant exploration of a woman’s expectations and sexual desire. And later on when she has become a desperate alcoholic, you cannot help but cry with her in the sequence where she pleads with her husband to stay with her and then angrily turns on him to tell him how she has prostituted her basic values and morals to please him. However the common factors between the actress’s life and Chhoti Bahu are too dramatic to be merely coincidental – The estranged marital relationship, the taking of alcohol, turning towards younger male company, the craving to be understood and loved – all elements evident in Meena Kumari’s own life.
Last song of the film, Sahil Ki Taraf Kashti Le Chal sung by Hemant Kumar was edited out of the film. The song had a shot which showed Chhoti Bahu resting her head on Bhoothnath’s lap in the carriage. Audiences reacted sharply to this so Guru Dutt removed the song and the ‘offending shot’ changing the carriage scene to a dialogue exchange between Chhoti Bahu and Bhoothnath. He also shot an additional scene with the paralyzed husband repenting his sinful and debauched lifestyle. Hemant Kumar reused the tune for Sahil ki Taraf for the song Ya Dil ki Suno in film Anupama (1966)
