Sagai
About Sagai
Chandni (Rehana) comes back from London. Her father, Iftekhar, tells her she has been engaged since childhood and must marry the man he chose. She refuses, runs away, and joins Fooman (Gope) and Dhaboo (Yakub). One scrape puts the three on a ship captained by Prem (Premnath), who is taking Princess Shehzadi (Purnima) home to Jagira. Chandni and Shehzadi both fall for Prem. When he will not marry the princess, her brother the king (Hiralal) jails him, then proposes to Chandni. Fooman, Dhaboo, and Chandni try to break Prem out.
Cast & crew
More about Sagai
H. S. Rawail's second film for Varma Films, after Patanga (1949). His wife, Anjana Rawail, wrote the story and the screenplay. Rajendra Kumar, not yet a star, worked as Rawail's assistant. Jamshed R. Irani photographed it and Prabhakar Gokhale edited it. Purnima, Gope, and Yakub, and the composer C. Ramchandra, had all just worked on Patanga.
Themes
Making
Varma Films kept the Patanga team almost intact and changed the story from that film's comedy to a ship, a princess, and a jail. Anjana Rawail again supplied the plot.
Music
C. Ramchandra composed the songs and Rajinder Krishan wrote the lyrics, as they had on Patanga. Lata Mangeshkar sings "Dil Ki Kahani" and "Daddy Ji, O Daddy Ji." Mohammed Rafi joins her on "Mohabbat Ho Gayi Bas Ek Nazar Se."
Preservation
A print survives; a digital copy is on Wikimedia Commons under the title Sagai 1951.
Notes
- The title is the Hindi word for an engagement.
- Sunder plays Prem's assistant.
- Patanga, the previous Rawail-Varma film, was reported as the seventh-highest-grossing Indian picture of 1949. Sagai reused that director, writer, composer, and three of the players.
- Rajendra Kumar's job on the set was assistant director, years before he led films.
- Mohabbat Mein Aise Zamane Bhi Aaye" is sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Talat Mahmood.
- O Babu, O Babu" pairs Lata Mangeshkar with Amirbai Karnataki.
Scenes
- Iftekhar tells Chandni, home from London, that her sagai was fixed when she was a child.
- She, Fooman, and Dhaboo come aboard Prem's ship with Princess Shehzadi.
- The king of Jagira locks Prem up for refusing Shehzadi, then asks Chandni to marry him.
- Fooman, Dhaboo, and Chandni go after Prem in the jail.
