Chori Chori

1956 RomanceDrama 158 minutes Directed by Anant Thakur

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About Chori Chori

Kammo (Nargis), daughter of the rich widower Girdharilal (Gope), means to marry the pilot Suman Kumar (Pran). Her father thinks Suman is after the money, so she runs. He advertises a reward of Rs. 125,000. On a bus toward Bangalore she meets Sagar (Raj Kapoor), a freelance reporter who does not know who she is. Missed buses, a shared room, and a walk through a village follow, and she comes to think he has left her. She goes home quieter. Girdharilal is ready to allow the wedding with Suman until Sagar turns up, and he accepts Sagar instead.

Cast & crew

More about Chori Chori

L. B. Lachman produced Anant Thakur's film at AVM Productions. Agha Jani Kashmiri wrote the screenplay from It Happened One Night (1934). V. N. Reddy photographed it and S. Surya edited it. It is the last picture in which Raj Kapoor and Nargis played the leads together. Nargis's only later appearance for Kapoor was a cameo in Jagte Raho, the same year.

Themes

  • a runaway heiress
  • a reward advertisement
  • a reporter who does not know her name
  • the pilot left at the wedding
  • Kammo
  • Sagar
  • Suman Kumar
  • Girdharilal
  • Bangalore bus
  • Rs. 125,000
  • wedding

Making

AVM, a Madras company working in Hindi here, hired Kapoor and Nargis after their run of films at Kapoor's own studio. Thakur directed. Kashmiri wrote the adaptation of It Happened One Night.

Music

Shankar-Jaikishan wrote the music. Hasrat Jaipuri and Shailendra wrote the words. "Aaja Sanam Madhur Chandni Mein" and "Yeh Raat Bheegi Bheegi" are sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Manna Dey. "Sawa Lakh Ki Lottery" pairs Lata Mangeshkar with Mohammed Rafi. The tune that opens "Aaja Sanam" comes from "Tarantella Napoletana."

Preservation

Prints survive, and the film has been remastered and colorized for later release.

Notes

  • Johnny Walker plays a poet, David plays Banwarilal, and Mukri plays Madarilal. Bhagwan Dada appears with his screen wife.
  • Kumari Kamala, Sayee and Subbalakshmi, and K. V. Shanthi dance in the film.
  • Raj Mehra plays Sagar's editor. Neelam plays Girdharilal's secretary.

Awards

  • Filmfare Award for Best Music Director (Shankar-Jaikishan)

Scenes

  • Girdharilal publishes an offer of Rs. 125,000 for Kammo's return.
  • Kammo and Sagar miss the bus and spend the night under one roof.
  • Sagar walks in before the wedding to Suman Kumar.
  • Nargis and Raj Kapoor sing "Aaja Sanam Madhur Chandni Mein.

Influenced by

  • It Happened One Night (1934)