Albela
About Albela
Pyarelal lives poor in Bombay with his parents, his brother Mohan, Mohan's wife Malti, and his sister Vimla. Vimla's wedding needs money. Their father has saved 1,000 rupees, Mohan arranges 600, and Pyarelal is told to find 400. He brings home 100 and says he has been fired. After the fight he is turned out, swearing he will come back only when he is famous and rich. He meets the actress Asha, they fall in love, and he begins to succeed on the stage. He sends money and gifts home. Malti's brother takes them and blackmails her. When Pyarelal finally returns, his mother is dead, the money is gone, Vimla's marriage is off, and his father and sister are missing, said to be begging.
Cast & crew
More about Albela
Bhagwan Dada directed, wrote, and starred. Geeta Bali plays Asha. C. Ramchandra wrote the music and, as Chitalkar, sang most of the male songs. Lata Mangeshkar sang the women's songs. English Wikipedia says it was the third-highest-grossing Indian film of 1951. A Tamil dub, Nalla Pillai, appeared in 1953.
Themes
Background
A 1951 Hindi musical comedy set in a Bombay household that cannot pay for a sister's wedding.
Making
Bhagwan played the daydreaming actor he also wrote and directed.
Music
C. Ramchandra wrote the score and sang most of the male vocals as Chitalkar. Lata Mangeshkar sang the female songs. Shola Jo Bhadke and Ye Deewana, Ye Parwana are among the numbers.
Preservation
The film survives and is on Wikimedia Commons.
Notes
- Badri Prasad plays the father. Pratima Devi plays the mother. Dulari plays Malti. Bimla plays Vimla.
- Songs include Shola Jo Bhadke and Ye Deewana, Ye Parwana, with cabaret-style choruses using bongos, oboes, clarinets, trumpets, and saxophones.
- The Tamil title of the 1953 dub is Nalla Pillai.
Scenes
- Pyarelal brings home 100 rupees instead of 400 and is told to leave.
- He comes back famous and finds his mother dead and the gifts missing.
Also available
- Wikimedia Commons (Albela 1951.webm)
