Ram Teri Ganga Maili

Directed by: Raj Kapoor

Starring: Rajeev Kapoor, Mandakini, Divya Rana, Saeed Jaffrey

Released: 1985

Verdict: destroy every copy – horrible – bad – whatever – flawed but enjoyable - good – great – amazing

Will there ever be another man or woman who could reach the level of Raj Kapoor´s story telling? Because had it not been for Raj Kapoor, Ram Teri Ganga Maili just might have been a whiny story with two non-actors, one of which is not even an eye-candy. But it was Raj Kapoor on a director´s chair, and he did manage to create yet another beautiful, though not flawless film.

Disgusted by his rich and corrupted father (and oblivious to pretty Divya Rana´s feeling), Narein (Rajeev Kapoor, who looks very much like his older brother Rishi, yet lacks his charisma and talent) joins a group of young men traveling all the way from bustling with life and filth Kolkata to Gangotri and place where the river Ganges/Ganga begins her journey. Keeping in mind a promise given to his loving grandmother, Narein brings along a jug with an intention to bring clean and unpoluted water of the holy river back home for her. Almost instantly upon his arrival he meets a local village girl Ganga (Mandakini, looking more Russian than Indian with her Slavic bone structure and blue eyes), and both young people are instantly attracted towards each other.

So much that they actually get married according to a tradition of Ganga´s people and engage in pleasant nightly activities. Alas, Narein has to return home, but promises his kind-of-wife to return for her. Alas, alas! The family meanwhile fixed his marriage with rich and pretty Radha (already mentioned Divya Rana). Alas, alas, alas! The news about Ganga shock Narein´s beloved grandmother so much she dies. And Narein is stopped from going back to Ganga by Radha´s influential father, who is determined to ensure his daughter´s happiness by marrying her to Narein. Thus Rajeev Kapoor, a boring hero if there ever was one, becomes sad. And stays sad.

Meanwhile Ganga gives birth to his son, and to ensure he grows up with his father´s name she decides to look her kind-of-husband up. And with nothing but her baby and utter naivity she sets out on a long journey, that actually makes it seem everybody in the world wants to rape her, and she ironically finds shelter in a kotha. Indeed, Narein teri Ganga maili ho gayi.....

Mandakini and Rajeev Kapoor were two non-actors, and it actually played to their advantage they were both so talentless, so they actually fitted together well. At least Mandakini has a certain X_factor, a screen presence, and she is definitely the life of the movie. The tale itself gets a bit tiring in the second half, with hero sitting at home and heroine meeting various creeps, but the finale was definitely worth all that, even if only for the wonderful Radha/Meera´s love comparism in a song. Music of the film is brilliant overal, and this last song has to be a crowning jewel.

Ram Tera Ganga Maili, skillfully drawing parallels between the holy river that is polluted by sins of others and a girl Ganga, polluted by pretty much the same source of dirt, is also (in)famous for the semi-nude and completely-nude scenes that would be shocking to many even today. Raj Kapoor, after all, liked to show female body (remember Zeenat in Satyam Shivam Sundaram or even Simi Garewal´s booty in Mera Naam Joker?). Yet it is again a part of Raj Kapoor´s art that the nudity never seems out of place or vulgar. It is not there to lure anyone into Mandakini´s lap (makes me think if she was actually cast because no other actress agreed to reveal herself as much?), it is not there to shock. It is used to show her purity, her acceptance of the natural part of life. And I loved that. I loved pretty much everything about this film.

Tawaif

Directed by: B. R. Chopra

Starring: Rishi Kapoor, Rati Agnihotri, Poonam Dhillon

Released: 1985

Verdict: destroy every copy – horrible – bad – whatever – flawed but enjoyable - good – great – amazing

Since few days ago it was Rishi Kapoor´s 60^th birthday I decided that I should review a film that actually made me change my opinion about him. Originally I knew him as the fat and awkward guy who romanced girlshalf (and quarter) his own age, and if anything I found him ridiculous. But then he grew onto me in his father roles, and finally I thought it was about time to watch some more 80s and chose Tawaif with Rishi in the lead role. Attracted primarily by the title (I have a thing for Bollywood tawaifs/prostitutes/courtesans), I was presented with a very nice film. And Rishi was suddenly cute instead of ridiculous.

Dawood, a young man in possession of a one room apartment in a friendly neighbourhood and working for a publishing company, meets a beautiful young girl Kayanat, an aspiring writer. She is naturally overjoyed when Dawood introduces her and her novel to the publisher and all seem to be going well both for Kayanat´s career and Dawood´s love life, as he soon enough finds completely enchanted by her. However then one night Dawood opens to the door only to have a tawaif forced into his house by her pimp escaping from the police. All the protests are in vain and Dawood, in fear for his life, has to take the woman, named Sultana, in and that for quite some time. For the matters to go even worse his neighbours find out about her existence the very next day, and assume Dawood got married in secret. And to avoid embarrassment both him and Sultana decide to go with the flow, letting the neighbourhood to celebrate their fictional marriage while they sleep in a room divided in half by curtains. As the time passes, Sultana becomes favourite of everybody around – except Dawood, who is still pining after Kayanat....

Rishi is quite adorable as poor but honest Dawood. Indeed suddenly I was able to see why he used to be so popular when younger. Far from being exactly good looking, he had cuteness written all over him, not to mention his comic timing was wonderful, and there are quite a few scenes in the film where he can prove that to you. His initial disgust over Sultana and frustration over not being capable to romance Kayanat are a source of some good humour when they clash with Sultana´s quick adaptation to her new role of his wife. 

Rati Agnihotri makes Sultana a beautiful, interesting tawaif character. She does not have the depth of Chandramukhi from Devdas or Gulabji from Pyaasa, but she combines excellently the vulnerability of a woman for sale and rather unladylike behaviour taught by "her world". As weird as it may sound I found her a "fun" prostitute (sounds even weirder now that it´s written down). I did not like though how the film made it sound as if a tawaif wasn´t a woman, but some low species unworthy of breathing air (I sense some strong Pakeezah inspiration here). Rati is the showstealer, even though Rishi acts very well as already mentioned, and Poonam Dhillon in the supporting role of Kayanat does her job with sincerity too. 

The finale though, was kinda hilarious instead of touching. So the whole community somehow makes their way into a brothel of all places to claim Sultana, not one of them suffers of prejudice against her profession. The pure naivity and cheeziness of it made me laugh, but I am almost never against heart-warming (even if unrealistic) endings.