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Simplicity was his hallmark

M. L. Dhawan on Shakti Samanta, one of the most successful filmmakers of
Hindi cinema, who died recently

Shakti Samanta, who died recently, came to Mumbai to become an actor. He learnt the art of making films by assisting directors like Gian Mukherjee, Satish Nigam, Phani Majumdar etc. He directed his first feature film Bahu in 1955. After the success of his films like Inspector, Sheeroo, Detective, he started his own production company Shakti Films, which released Howrah Bridge (1958) — a crime movie, which assimilated the influence of Hong Kong cinema.

In Howrah Bridge, Rakesh (Ashok Kumar), son of a Rangoon merchant, comes to Kolkata in search of his brother’s killers. Jali Note (1960) was also a crime thriller in which inspector Dinesh (Dev Anand) tracks down a gang of counterfeiters by putting on a variety of disguises.

Then came Chinatown (1962), another crime thriller in which Shammi Kapoor played a double role. After the success of his crime thrillers, Shakti Samanta reinvented himself with romantic socials. A strain of social commentary ran through most of his films. Though he never made feminist statements, yet this theme was a strong point in many of his films. Kashmir Ki Kali (1964) was an exotic comedy romance in which Rajib (Shammi Kapoor) is constantly criticised by his mother for being irresponsible. He leaves home when there is a talk of arranging his marriage. He goes to Kashmir and lives in family’s bungalow sneakily rented out by the caretaker. Rajib falls in love with a flower-selling girl (Sharmila Tagore) and spurns his family’s wealth.

Though Samanta delivered a number of superhits, he is remembered the most for his path-breaking melodrama Aradhana (1969), a story of an unwed mother’s ordeals. Music was the hallmark of Samanta’s films. When Madhubala swirled her skirt, flashed that 440-watt smile and crooned "Aaiye meharbaan baithiye jaan-e-jaan" in the vocals of Asha Bhosle in a notable Geeta Dutt style, in Howrah Bridge, she enamoured one and all. Be it "Yeh kiya kar dalla tu ney, Mera naam hin Chin Choo, Balma khuli hawa mein, Yeh chand sa roshan chehra, Subhan Allaha hasen chehra, Deewana hua baadal, Mere sapno ki rani kub aayegee tu, Roop tera mastana, Baghoon mein bahar hai, Baar baar dekho hazaar baar dekho, etc, composers like O P Nayyar, S D Burman, R. D. Burman, Ravi etc always reserved their most enduring compositions for Samanta’s films. Aradhana not only turned Rajesh Khanna into a superstar overnight but also relaunched Kishore Kumar’s career as a singer.

The common factor in Shakti Samanta’s is their simplicity. And yet he managed to evoke such phenomenal warmth, pathos and sensitivity through them. Some of his films like Kati Patang, Pagla Kahin ka, Jane Anjane, Ajnabee, Mehbooba, Khwab, Alag Alag etc were not money spinners yet his honesty of purpose and integrity were discernible in each frame. His blockbuster film Anurag (1972) was the story of love between a schoolboy and blind girl played by Moushumi Chatterjee. The schoolboy dies of cancer but before he dies he donates his eyes for the blind girl whom he had befriended.

Some of Shakti Samanta’s films have been shown at various international festivals in Berlin, Tashkent, Moscow, Cairo and Beirut. Shakti Samanta was one of the most successful filmmakers of Hindi cinema and his enduring appeal lies in surprising the audience with every new film.

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