Vijay ‘Goldie’ Anand did not have to struggle for a break in the Hindi film industry. His elder brothers Chetan Anand & Dev Anand (13 & 11 years older) had established themselves as a filmmaker and leading man. Immersed in his theatre group at St Xavier’s College, Bombay, Vijay wore multiple hats as a director, writer, and actor. The Shape of things to come! Just emerging from his teens he wrote the script for the hit film ‘Taxi Driver’ (1954) directed by Chetan Anand and starring Dev Anand and his bhabi-to-be Kalpana Karthik.
His innings as a director began with ‘Nau do Gyarah’ under the Navketan banner in 1957. For the next 15 years, his brilliance and versatility lit up the big screen. ‘Nau do Gyarah’ was a road movie; ‘Kala Bazaar’ a nod to neo-realist cinema; ‘Tere Ghar Ke Samne’ was a rom-com; ‘Guide’ a classic book adaptation of R K Narayan’s masterpiece; ‘Teesri Manzil’ a musical mystery; ‘Johny Mera Naam’ a caper film with the lost and found formula; ‘Tere Mere Sapne’ inspired by A J Cronin’s Citadel about an idealistic doctor in a coal town, his surrender to Mammon and a timely redemption.
Vijay Anand is not just regarded as a textbook in movie making but the entire curriculum. This genius’s grasp of the movie craft extended across direction, acting, writing, screenplay, and dialogues to the editing room. During his prime in the 60s, he is known to have shared draft ‘mukhdas’ of lyrics to his lyricists to embellish, improve and work upon. Simply to ensure that the songs became a part of the story. Later in his career, he penned a few lyrics himself. The Maestro was not done yet. A trained waltz performer he did a dance number with Bindu in ‘Chuppa Rustam’.
But 4 extraordinary films in a 6-year span built the Vijay Anand cult amongst his legion of fans and within the film fraternity. ‘Guide’, ‘Teesri Manzil’, ‘Jewel Thief’, and ‘Johny Mera Naam’ remain in the collective memory of an entire generation of movie buffs even after the passage of 5 decades.
‘Guide’ (1965) is regarded as one of the best Indian films of all time. The story of a charming tourist guide Raju (Dev Anand) who falls for a married woman Rosie (Waheeda Rehman), goes to jail for embezzlement and is mistaken for a sage and holy man in a drought-stricken place is superbly curated and directed by Vijay Anand. The film transcends into an experience for our minds and soul. In 1965, the story had controversial elements but the filmmaker did not pull any punches. Rosie walks out on her philandering archaeologist husband after a showdown in a cave and gets into a live-in relationship with Raju guide. Waheeda Rehman’s portrayal of the independent woman character with her own identity and dreams remains a landmark in the annals of Hindi cinema. Rosie’s ascent to fame as a talented dancer Ms. Nalini (with Raju as her Manager) is beautifully captured through an elaborate song number. She also has no qualms about breaking up with a drunkard Raju after she discovers that he has siphoned off some of her hard-earned money and hands him over to the police authorities. Then, the seamless screenplay takes Raju’s accidental redemption story to a spiritual level and a surreal ending. The audience exited the theatre in droves with the film imprinted on their minds.
Goldie Anand’s films are also known for their natural and conversational dialogues. Remember that in the 50s and 60s Hindi cinema was still in the throes of theatrical dialogues and posturing with words that were not in sync with the character. ‘Guide’ is a testament to his mastery over the spoken word. In an interview, Waheeda Rehman shared that her only disagreement with the director related to her dialogue during her angry parting with her husband. She felt that the words were ‘coarse’ and ‘harsh’ but Vijay Anand persuaded her that they were ‘in character’ and ‘in context’. After watching screenings later she acknowledged that these words were critical in her character’s arc. Dev Anand’s redemption chart from convicted swindler to an accidental savior is captured through heart-touching dialogues- ‘Shaurat use mili, sar mera ghoom gaya; jab hosh aya to paya salakhon ke piche’ (in jail). ‘In logon ko mujh pe vishwas hain aur abhi mujhe unke vishwas par vishwas hone laga hai’ (Raju Swami fasting to bring rain to the parched countryside). ‘Maut ek khayal hai, jaise zindagi ek khayal hai. Na sukh hai na dukh hai. Na deen hai na duniya. Na insaan na bhagwan. Sirf main hoon, main hoon, sirf main hoon.’ (on his deathbed as heavy rain falls outside).
In an interview, Vijay Anand said that he has always been an explorer and a student of cinema as it is an integrated art form. As a director, he would give a complete picture of what he wanted to all his technicians and collaborators. It is not surprising that he was not limited to any genre. ‘Teesri Manzil’ ( 1966) has been called a musical thriller. The film opens with a film noir scene where a woman rushes up to the third floor of a hotel before falling to her death. Suicide or Murder? The first half is all about romance and foot-tapping songs and dance. Shammi Kapoor grooves and moves like Elvis Presley possessed. And it is with this film that our Pancham became RD Burman. Film is said to be the Director’s medium and this was brought out charmingly during the filming of the song, ‘Mere Sona Re’ where the buckle of a bag the hero was carrying broke. The filmmaker kept the cameras rolling and the lead man improvised adding a natural flair to the song. The second half of the film is full of twists and turns and new characters are introduced at a bewildering pace. Although it may not satisfy a whodunit purist with a thirst for clues, it evolves into a thrilling yarn.
One of the oft-spoken remarks about Goldie Anand is that ‘he was well before his time.’ In ‘Jewel Thief’ (1967) based on a story by KA Narayan, he created a doppelganger character for the hero, a cunning criminal who does not exist. Here his trump card was to cast Ashok Kumar as the real Jewel Thief. The thespian actor was reluctant to play the villain as it went against his well-accepted screen image. Vijay Anand convinced him that the surprise reveal would happen at the very end. The fast-track narrative was considerably enhanced by SD Burman’s score and compositions, and the film does not feel dated even today. The extent of his creative involvement is revealed when the opening credits roll. We see a profile of the jewel thief appraising the spoils in his gloved hands. Then you hear a chuckle and a short laugh. The Director’s laugh. The jewels are fake. Shades of Nirav Modi and his diamond collection.
His song picturizations have become the stuff of film legend. Like Guru Dutt, Raj Kapoor, and Raj Khosla he believed that songs were part of a film’s storytelling process and should take the story forward. He fervently felt that songs were part of Indian culture and films and if captured well on reel would bring repeat audiences to the theatre. During his time most filmmakers left it to choreographers to film the song and dance sequences. Not Vijay Anand. ‘My characters should not become artificial when they sing. They are expressing their emotions through the song. The characters are not meant to be dancers in the film.’ The song ‘Hothon mein aisi baat’ from ‘Jewel Thief’ was shot at the royal palace in Gangtok, Sikkim. In this fast-moving song, the camera stays with the talented actress/dancer Vyjanthimala showing her anxiety and distress even as she performs exquisitely till the male lead Dev Anand surprises her with an exclamation in the course of the song. In ‘Tere Mere Sapne’ from ‘Guide’ the rising sun becomes the metaphor for the new love between Raju and Rosie. The background shot the fastidious director wanted was available for only 15 minutes in the early mornings. So the unit was up and about each morning till he was satisfied. With his eye for detail and authenticity, Goldie scouted for the right locations- Chittor and Udaipur for ‘Guide’. ‘Pal, pal dil ke pas’ in ‘Blackmail’ (1973)is considered as one of the most romantically picturized songs in Hindi film history. It simply features a graceful Raakhee reading letters sent to her by the hero (Dharmendra) and imagining that he is beside her. In the same film Vijay Anand does the unthinkable of featuring the lead pair in an intimate love song situation (‘Mile Do Badan’) while they are being hunted down by villains with arms and dogs. His creative imagination amazes us to this day. ‘Ek Ghar Banega’ from ‘Tere Ghar ke Samne’(1963)had camera tricks where Nutan is seen in ice cubes in a glass of whisky. The song ‘Dil ka bhawar kare pukar’ was shot in the Qutb Minar (actually on a set as permission was not granted). In the song both Dev Anand and Nutan are shown climbing the narrow winding staircase as friends and come down as lovers. The lighting and camera work makes this a magical sequence.
Released in 1970, ‘Johny Mera Naam’ was the biggest hit of his career. This film is often touted as a must-watch for screenplay writers. Never a dull moment in a screen time of 2hrs and 45 mins. Kalyanji-Anandji’s signature car-chase tune which added to the mood and excitement of the movie also ‘inspired’ many composers later. Anita Padhye writes in her Marathi book, ‘Ek Hota Goldie’ about ‘Husn ke lakhon rang’, the raunchy number which became a highlight of the film. The back story of Padma Khanna gives the context- it’s not just another item number. ‘So real were Premnath’s expressions that Goldie was worried that Premnath might hug Padma Khanna out of sheer lust.’ This blockbuster launched Hema Malini towards superstardom and gave a new lease of life to Premnath as a major character actor.
A word about Vijay Anand’s notable screen roles which left a mark on the audience. From the soldier in ‘Haqeeqat’ to the disillusioned Dr Kothari in ‘Tere Mere Sapne’; the Professor husband in ‘Kora Kagaz’ to the Thakur of ‘Main Tulsi Teri Angan Ki’. To the popular TV crime series thriller ‘Tehkikaat’ in 1994 with Vijay Anand as private detective Sam D’Silva- directed by his nephew Shekar Kapur.
After 1973, his career went downhill due to personal and family issues; spiritual meetings with Rajneesh (Osho) and later sessions with UG Krishnamurthy also took him away from the film world. Still, for many Bollywood filmmakers, Vijay Anand is the Boss. Many are in awe of his technical finesse, storytelling skills, and his ear for film music. Shekar Kapur, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Raj Kumar Santoshi, Madhur Bhandarkar and Rakesh Omprakash Mehra to name a few. Sriram Raghavan (of ‘Andhadhun’ fame) dedicated his ‘Johnny Gadar’ to the Master and peppered it with many hat tips to him. In one scene the hotel receptionist is shown watching ‘Johny Mera Naam’.
Surprisingly, this much-feted filmmaker received only 4 Filmfare awards-Best Director & Dialogues in ‘Guide’ (1966) and Best Screenplay and Editing for ‘Johny Mera Naam’ in 1971.
But his seminal impact and legacy endures through his work. In today’s times, he would probably have been referred to as Mr 360 degrees- the encyclopedia of filmmaking.
A Fistful of Salt 