Today, is dedicated to one of my
favorite Amitabh Bachchan movies, directed by Prakash Mehra in 1981, Lawaaris
(orphan). This is one of those movies that I can watch over and over again and
still find it gripping, entertaining, and wonderful to watch.
The movie stars Amitabh Bachchan as
Heera (diamond), who stumbles through the world looking for his parents, and
discovering his true identity. He gets a job working for the despicable
Mahinderbabu, played by Ranjeet, and discovers what having a family means, what loyalty means, and finds his own parents
along the way. As with many of the “lost and found” movies that Prakash Mehra
is renowned for, this story weaves social commentary throughout. Heera gives a
wonderful speech about how the rich put trash bins in the street corners to
keep the cities clean, and in the same way, they build orphanages and hospitals
to hide their sins, their illegitimate children.
The three elements that really make
this movie a part of the “watch it a million times” club:
1. The
music.
2. The
blend of comedy with tear-jerking drama.
3. The
recurring theme.
The Music.
I have each and every one of the
songs from this movies soundtrack on my iPod and listen, and sing them all
shamelessly at every opportunity. The second song is sung by a beggar when
Heera is still a baby, being carried away by a drunk after his mother’s death,
and his father’s assumption that the baby was dead. The beggar is played by
Vikas Anand, the song he sings by Lata Mangaskhar “Jiska koi nahin”. The lyrics
that follow Heera through to childhood are a praise, a prayer, a plead to God. “jiska
koi nahin, ooska to khoda hai yaroo”. One who has no one, has God as his
friend. It is repeated by a mature Heera, one who understands his
responsibilities and understands how God works through your life. The first
song that is sung in the movie is by Alka Yagnik, performed by Rakhee Gulzar,
Heera’s mother. Years later, Heera sings the songs at his father’s house. “Mere
Angne Mein” has got to be one of Amitabh Bachchan’s most memorable, and sweetest
songs. The three other songs in the movie are just as wonderful as well,
especially the love song between Mohini (Zeenat Aman) and Heera. But what I love
about the songs mentioned above is the recurring theme, the chills you get when
you realize Heera is singing his mother’s song in front of his father (Amjad
Khan).
The Laughter and Tears:
The thing that immediately pops into
my head whenever I think of Lawaaris
is a particular scene that involves Heera, a puppy, and a hot green pepper. “Hello
puppy, stupid little puppy” is a simple line, but it is my favorite line. There’s
also a wonderful action sequence that blends comedy with the rough and tumble
aspect of Hindi cinema, where Heera discovers a gang that’s tasked to “silence”
him permanently, and the gang members find themselves individually confronted
by Heera in the woods.
The other scene that always comes to
mind is Dr. Goel coming to Heera’s aid after another gang is through beating
him to a bloody pulp. I have a soft spot for Om Prakash, and his angry,
distraught words here of “beat him, beat him for telling the truth, beat him
for standing up for your rights” always create a lump in my throat. And Amitji
goes from off-the-wall young man from the 70’s swagger with a arrogance about
him to a lost young man who cries when he finds out his father isn’t his own,
will grab anyone’s attention. And hold it.
The Recurring Theme
Most of the recurring theme in this
movie has to do with the songs, and how they weave through the story. Sometimes
the music doesn’t fit well with the story line of the movie, other times, they
meld together perfectly. The music in the movie succeeds in driving the story,
and proving its point that no matter who you are, where you are, what you are
doing, and how distraught you are, God is with you, He will protect you. Heera’s
clothes in the movie also seem to become a character of their own. A light
brown jump suit with a black cloth he calls his death shroud. His black death shroud.
As I watch this movie,I am again
moved by the scene with Heera outside Ranvir Singh’s house, his father’s though
neither know the truth, and the soul that Amitabh Bachchan portrays as he
screams of the injustice, of sometimes being called “son” and sometimes being
treated as a street rat.
As with Om Prakash, Amjad Khan holds
a special place in my heart. The man that portrayed the horrendous Gabbar Singh
in this movie plays a reformed man who’s social responsibilities keep him from acknowledging
his son, Heera. Amjad Khan in this movie is beautiful, and after Big B, I watch
this movie for Amjad Khan.
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