Take Two

Vijay Anand developed Nirmal Sircar’s original story of look-alikes Captain Anand and Major Verma (Dev Anand rocks in the latter with a handlebar moustache and an exaggerated English accent). The Army men meet during World War II and bond over life,love and regrets. The story takes a dramatic turn when Major Verma is believed to be dead,and his mother (Lalita Pawar) and wife Ruma (Nanda) mistake Captain Anand for Verma. Sadhana plays Meeta,Captain Anand’s devoted girlfriend and the film charts their love story.

Fifty years after its release,producer Dev Anand is

re-releasing a colour version of Hum Dono. “The story of Hum Dono is not dated. Romance is modern… war is modern and so is the song,Main zindagi ka saath nibhaata chalaa gaya. I’m confident the film will click with the younger generation,” says Anand.

In 1961,when it released,Hum Dono was India’s official entry at the Berlin International Film Festival and director Amarjeet was nominated for the Golden Bear. Col. Montgomery Kee,a Scot conceptualised the film’s war footage. It’s well known that Vijay Anand had directed Hum Dono but Amarjeet was given the credit. “Amarjeet was a loyal member of Navketan. When we were making this film,he said Dev saab mera naam de do as director. And I said le lo. That’s how we used to work in those days. It was never about the credit,it was always about the film,” says Anand.

He might have let go of his credit graciously but Vijay Anand’s stamp is all over Hum Dono. The way the songs were shot,the framing and the staging especially the climax in the mandir,where all the four characters experience the moment of truth is classic Vijay Anand. “Goldie (Vijay) did a good job in Hum Dono and,in a way the film prepared him for Guide where he really came into his own,” recalls the elder brother. Interestingly,Guide owes its genesis to Hum Dono for it was at the Berlin film festival that Anand met writer Pearl Buck,who expressed a desire to make a film on RK Narayan’s novel.

Dev Anand rates Hum Dono as the best film of his black-and-white era. He earned much acclaim for his double role. Captain Verma was modelled on a real life army officer. “He was posted in Kirkee near Pune. I used to drive down and observe him over a glass of beer. The ‘haw-haw’ laugh and the moustache were both modelled on him.” As a proud survivor,Major Verma’s character says the film’s definite dialogue,Ek taang toh hai,as he acknowledges his physical incapacity. Years later,a soldier in a hospital greeted Anand with the same line. “That’s what an actor works for all his life… for your work to mean something to someone,” he says.

Both the leading ladies added their special grace to the film. Nanda who had played Dev’s sister in Kaala Bazaar lipsyncs to a bhajan sung by Lata Mangeshkar,Allah tero naam. The bhajan was a personal favourite of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and he often requested Mangeshkar to sing it on important occasions. Sadhana was spotted by Anand at Filmistan Studios where she was shooting. “I saw a cute,pretty girl smiling shyly at me and I told Goldie to sign her. Hum Dono was her second major film and Sadhana brought freshness to it,” says Anand.

Jaidev’s music and Sahir Ludhianvi’s lyrics add to the appeal of this classic. Jaidev got his big break with Navketan after working with the camp regular SD Burman. “Jaidev came to us as Ustad Ali Akbar Khan’s assistant. I asked him to get Burman dada’s blessings and he was on.” For the iconic Main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya,Anand says,“Sahir’s words are a philosophy for the world.”

harneet.singh@expressindia.com