The public, the janata which spends its’ hard earned money to buy tickets at the box-office deserves kudos for having made “Heeralal Pannalal” the fifth highest grossing movie in 1978, pitted as it was against formidable competition, when the Bachchan juggernaut was rampaging through the country. So much so that the top three grossers, “Muqaddar ka Sikandar”, “Don” and “Trishul”, had Amitabh Bachchan’s name on the credits. The fourth was Raj Kapoor’s “Satyam Shivam Sundaram” .
Surprisingly, there is nothing new that the story had to offer. It conforms to no particular genre and has ingredients of the lost-and-found formula, mixed with comedy, action and revenge. More so, it was directed by Ashok Roy, whose only other hit was the 1974 movie, “Chor Machaye Shor” (Shashi Kapoor in the lead; he was definitely his lucky mascot).
But what makes the film interesting is the taut editing which ensures that the story moves at a fast pace and there is not a dull moment. Credit must also go to the high powered star cast, which rests primarily on the shoulders of Raj Kapoor’s family, Shashi (his younger brother), Randhir (his eldest son) and Neetu Singh (his daughter-in-law) are the leading actors, which shows the bundle of talent in the Kapoor khandaan . Even the other female lead, Zeenat Aman, was Raj Kapoor’s muse in “Satyam Shivam Sundaram”.
The other redeeming feature which contributed to the film’s phenomenal box-office success was the music, composed by RD Burman, who, at this stage of his career had established his credentials as a pioneering music composer. All the numbers, “Main dhal gai rang mein teri” (Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhonsle), “O padosan ki ladki” (Kishore Kumar), “Aaja mere pyar aaja” (two tracks –– one in the vocals of Hemant Kumar and the other by Asha Bhonsle), “Kahiye kahan se aana hua” (Kishore Kumar, Bhupendra, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle) and the title track “Sidhe raste chaloge to” (Rafi and Kishore) –– are racy and fast paced. However, the foot tapping score, for no ostensible reason, has regressed from public memory and has not been remixed (the convoluted tribute to evergreen songs by new age music managers).
Majrooh Sultanpuri showcases why he is considered a lyricist par excellence, whose pen can weave magic as per diktats of the situation, from the poetic to the plebeian. A few songs have been penned by Verma Malik.
The film is based on the antics, trials and tribulations of two good hearted buffoons, Heeralal (Shashi Kapoor) and Pannalal (Randhir Kapoor) who are police informers, their efforts having led to several dreaded criminals falling in the dragnet of law enforcement agencies. Despite their apparent bonhomie and free spirited nature, both have their own personal tragedies to cope with. Heeralal is in search of his parents’ killers and Pannalal is on the lookout for his missing father. Interspersed is the love angle, the former falling for Ruby (Zeenat Aman flaunting her oomph factor) and the latter with Neelam (Neetu Singh) who is also Ruby’s friend.
The efforts of Heeralal and Pannalal to help keepers of the law bring them in conflict with a don, Kalicharan (Ajit) and his cohort, Panther (Amjad Khan). However, Police Commissioner Prem Lal (Prem Nath) who is appreciative of the happy go lucky duo has vowed to protect them. In the ensuing rigmarole, Prem Lal discovers his long lost daughter who is none other than Ruby through a song they used to sing several years ago. The dénouement must be seen to get a feel of the story, although there is nothing unpredictable about it.
On going through the cast of “Heeralal Pannalal”, one is convinced, if ever proof was required, that success is an elusive dame, very difficult to court and win over. It requires not just talent, hard work, patience and perseverance but also oodles of luck. The effortless comic timing and screen presence of Randhir Kapoor are second to none, as is his pedigree, the scion of the showman himself. Yet, he never reached the constellation of stars in the studded cosmic sky of Bollywood, which he deserved.
Even more tragic is the case of Amjad Khan. The actor had made his presence felt as Gabbar Singh in “Sholay”, just three years before “Heeralal Pannalal” was released. In the span of a few years, not only did his physical presence undergo a change for the worse, but his acting style, straitjacketed by cruel diktats of the box office, became jaded, and he could not achieve the level of acting which he was capable of, although we did see flashes of brilliance in films like Satyajit Ray’s “Shatranj ke Khiladi”, in which he was superb as the debauched Nawab of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah. His death at an early age continues to be an irreparable loss for connoisseurs of good cinema.
Shashi Kapoor is ebullient and does justice to his role, as does Zeenat Aman, who adds panache and dash of glamour. Neetu Singh is her usual vivacious self in a role that does not demand too much depth. The support cast of Ajit, Asrani and Premnath is dependable as ever. They all do justice to their roles.
Genre: Action/comedy
Director: Ashok Roy
Cast: Shashi Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor, Zeenat Aman, Neetu Singh, Ajit, Prem Nath, Amjad Khan, Ranjeet,
Kamini Kaushal, Asrani, Madan Puri
Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri and Indeevar
Music director: RD Burman
Box office status: Hit
