Stars : Sunil Dutt, Raaj Kumar, Sadhana, Shashi Kapoor, Sharmila Tagore
Watch on : Prime Video
The way to approach a dated film like ‘Waqt’ made six decades ago, a cult multi-starrer with box-office ingredients – is to sit back and enjoy a kaleidoscope of emotions, drama, songs, thrills and beautiful locales with a galaxy of shining stars that keep you hooked for nearly 3 hours ! It was ‘paisa vasool’, then only seen on big screens in film theaters !
Directed with ingenuity by a young Yash Chopra for the prestigious BR Chopra banner, this movie probably saw beginning of those engrossing tales of three brothers of well to do families getting lost in childhood as calamity befalls them (later films of the likes of ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’ borrowed the theme loosely) and the criss-crossing of their life’s tumultuous paths. Will they reunite in the end and live happily ever after ?
But there’s more beyond the panorama of story-telling on dramatic events that unfold with a host of fascinating characters who play contrasting roles. Raaj Kumar is a cool, charming charlatan, the glamorous Sadhana is the one he’s in love with but without much success and flamboyant Sunil Dutt, who she falls for. There’s handsome Shashi Kapoor as an underdog and Sharmila who loves him and shuns society’s class divide.
As the unfortunate, estranged family head ‘Lala Kedarnath’ who’s happy life is shattered in one night of despair, is desperately looking for his wife and lost sons, but will not give up hope. In him there’s a telling message that’s relevant even today. ‘Waqt’ (‘Time’) is omnipotent and even the most rich & powerful cannot escape what fate has in store. Vicissitudes of life can change one’s destiny in moments and therefore one must always live with humility and accept whatever comes his way with good grace.
Finally, like many old the films of the golden era of music ‘Waqt’ is a musical treat from Ravi with more than a dozen tuneful songs as that was the staple diet for Hindi films. However, even the millennial who may not have heard or seen this film, would be familiar with the classic, zestful song ‘Ae Meri Zohra Jabeen..’ sung with great elan by Manna Dey and enacted with style by Balraj Sahani ( and to which Achla Sachdev as his wife, blushes with such charm that could put today’s young starlets out of business !).
With profound lyrics by Sahir, the other evergreen number is “Aage bhi jane na tu..’ in Asha Bhonsle’s sensuous voice. It says – live in the present, future is not for us to see..!
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