A Star Was Born

True to its noir roots, the film pitches Madan (Anand) as a flamboyant anti-hero who wants to play fair, but unlike a tragic hero, he doesn’t brood when the odds are stacked against him; rather he fights till he can. The mood of the film is darkish, full of shadows — Dutt would use a similar colour palette in his later films such as Jaal, CID, Aar Paar. There is also a siren Leena (Bali), who dances in seedy bars and enjoys a flirtatious relationship with Madan. The first time she meets Madan, she offers him a bevarage saying,“Sharab nahin.. thandi coffee hai (It’s not alcohol, it’s cold coffee).” She checks him out and declares, “Anari maloom hote ho (You appear to be a novice)” and then removes his beret, ruffles his hair affectionately and tells him, “Tum khoobsurat ho (You are beautiful).” He shoots back, “Tum aafat ho (You are a troublemaker).” She bats her eyelashes and whispers, “Shukriya.” That’s the kind of girl she is.
Bali strikes the perfect balance between endearing and intriguing and even in a supporting role, she shines in every frame. Be it the dances — look how she teases Madan when she croons, Insaaf tere saath hai ilzaam laga le… or when she warns him with Suno gajar kya gaaye — Bali as Leena is dignified and alluring.

Dev is romantically paired with Karthik nee Mona Singha, who was introduced in this film. She plays Rajani, a socially aware doctor “jo gareebo ka muft ilaaj karti hai (who treats poor patients for free).” She also happens to be arch villain Bossman KN Singh’s daughter in the film. When Madan and Rajani fall in love, the baazi is turned against him.

Incidentally, Baazi was a personal milestone for Anand and Karthik: they fell in love on the sets of this film and eventually got married. The film also made Anand a superstar. In his autobiography Romancing with Life, Devsaab reminisces: “Baazi gave me an image that stayed in the minds of people, and made a genuine star out of me. For the first time I felt and saw what stardom was in terms of adulation and fan following. I became a phenomenon after the release of Baazi.”

The film’s recall value is boosted by the music brought to us by the winning team of Dada Burman, Ludhianvi and Geeta Dutt. Just listen to the soundtrack and you will have a memorable Sunday.

PLAY IT AGAIN

Film: Baazi Year: 1951
Director: Guru Dutt
Cast: Dev Anand, Kalpana Karthik, Geeta Bali, KN Singh
Music: SD Burman
DVD: Shemaroo

Sharmaaye Kaahe: Shamshaad Begum
Yeh Kaun aaya: Geeta Dutt
Tadbeer Se Bigdii: Geeta Dutt
Aaj Ki Raat Piya: Geeta Dutt
Mere Labon Pe: Kishore Kumar
Dekhte Akele: Geeta Dutt
Tum Bhi Naa Bhoole: Geeta Dutt
Suno Gajar Kya Gaaye: Geeta Dutt