Musafir Khana

1955 150 minutes

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About Musafir Khana

Prakash leaves Delhi rather than take the bride his father chose. Francis leaves Goa because his father will not let him marry Mary Jones. Gul Yar Khan, a Pathan, leaves Kabul ahead of his creditors. The three meet, homeless, around Chowpatty and end up at a musafir khana. Gul Yar Khan's try at greasing a boss into hiring the other two gets him sacked from his watchman's job. They peddle a homemade hair oil. Seth Mansukhlal, the first customer, loses his hair, and Prakash is locked in the servants' quarters for forty days, where he falls for the seth's daughter Mala. Williams, a rival for Mary, gets Francis and the Pathan arrested, and the seth tries to marry Mala off to a friend's son from Delhi.

Cast & crew

More about Musafir Khana

M. Sadiq directed for Sadiq Productions, Bombay. B. H. Bukhari wrote the story and dialogue. Minoo Billimoria photographed, Moosa Mansoor edited, and B. L. Nagar recorded the sound. Surya Kumar staged the dances. The negative was processed at Bombay Film Labs. HMV issued the music. The censor rating is U.

Themes

  • Three runaways sharing a lodging
  • A hair oil that ruins the customer
  • A forty-day lockup that starts a romance
  • musafir khana
  • Chowpatty
  • Prakash
  • Francis
  • Gul Yar Khan
  • hair oil
  • Mala

Look

Minoo Billimoria shot the film at Shree Sound Studios and M & T Studios in Bombay.

Music

O. P. Nayyar composed and Majrooh Sultanpuri wrote the lyrics. Mukul Bose recorded the songs.

Notes

  • Karan Dewan plays Prakash, Johnny Walker plays Francis, and Om Prakash plays Gul Yar Khan.
  • Shyama plays Mala, Shammi plays Mary Jones, and Gope plays Seth Mansukhlal.
  • Badri Prasad plays the Rai Saheb of Delhi. Amar plays Williams.
  • Kumkum dances. Jayant is billed on some cast lists without a character name in the press booklet.
  • Cinemaazi gives 150 minutes. Wikidata gives 148.
  • The press booklet promises a last-reel answer to whether the seth allows Mala to marry Prakash, whether Francis keeps Mary, and whether the Pathan comes out ahead. It does not print that answer.

Scenes

  • Gul Yar Khan takes a bribe to the boss and is fired for it.
  • Seth Mansukhlal tries the hair oil and goes bald.
  • Prakash spends forty days locked in, with Mala nearby.
  • Williams has Francis and the Pathan picked up.

Also available

  • Wikimedia Commons (Musafir Khana (1955).webm)