Elephants are my friends! I was inspired after seeing this elephant. Don’t you want a pet elephant now too? Haathie Mere Saathie is a cute little movie and was the first movie I saw that starred Tanuja. It’s an orphan movie, which always makes for a good plot. Raju and his elephants were so misunderstood! Over at Memsaab’s blog, haiku has been dedicated to this fine film.
Haathi Mere Saathi (1971) is an Indian film and a favourite with children in the early 1970s. The movie has a Disneyesque appeal with an Indian twist. Orphaned Raju, (Rajesh Khanna) in the company of four elephants, has to perform with them at street corners, in order to keep alive. Slowly he amasses a fortune, and is able to build his own private zoo, housing tigers, lions, bears, and of course the four elephants. He treats all the animals as his friends. He meets with Tanu, (Tanuja)
and both fall in love. Tanu’s dad, Ratanlal, is opposed to this alliance, but subsequently relents, and permits the young couple to get married. Tanu is unhappy with the amount of time Raju spends with his animal friends, and this causes some bitterness between them. Things do not improve when a child is born, as Tanu fears that one day the child will be harmed by one of the animals, and hence Raju is told to make a choice between his animal friends or his wife and son. (wikipedia)
Chal mere saathie and enjoy Kishore Kumar’s playback singing of the Laxmikant-Pyarelal tune, “Chal Chal Mere Saathie.”
Thanks to mahagedara2222 for the video.
I cried like a baby for the poor elephants and poor Rajesh Khanna. And Gemma just went crazy during the whole film whenever the elephants appeared
Yes Memsaab, animals respond to this movie as evidenced by your dog and my own cat. I watch many Hindi movies in my cat’s presence and she will lift her sleeping head and be very alert during elephant calling scenes. She did it in Haathi Mere Saathie and in Autograph when the elephant appeared and in a couple other movies I can’t remember right now.
In this movie, I most recall that Raju’s mini sidekick kid was also in Hare Rama Hare Krishna. I also liked when Raju was homeless, just working in the city, and then carried the bags of his rich lady, her not knowing at first it was him, due to his down and out state caused by starving and basic down and out conditions. Then he’d go back in the evening to his elephants in their make shift home, which was at one point an abandoned temple, right? And that reckless maid, so busy flirting she neglected the baby! Those misunderstood elephants! No wonder you cried!
Oh gosh- I cried in the elephant scenes too! I feel all better now that I know I wasnt alone
But no tears for Mr Khanna- he causes violent reactions in me, related to beating him up and trashing his movies- If only they had roped in Shashi/Shammi- ANYONE else to do this!
If it wasnt for the elephants and the always adorable Tanuja, I’d have never seen it- she makes it all worthwhile.
Wow, this brings back memories. I watched it first as a kid growing up in the 1980s, and this song is still one of my favorites of all time!
Schweta, I confess during some of the more difficult animal elephant scenes I had to look away and/or skip ahead to avoid the tears. It would have been too much to watch in real time. I have only seen Khanna in one other movie, Anand, and don’t get his appeal yet. I say “yet” because you know how these movies work: you see someone you’d never expect to like then suddenly in one role you LOVE them. At least that’s how it’s gone with me. It’s that crucial role that can do it. But I am creeped out by what I’ve read regarding him marrying Dimple when she was so young, and the implication that it could have been done to help bring back interest in his then fading career. I don’t get the hype that he was said to have created in his prime “yet”
. So for me too it was all about those elephants and Tanuja. When and if you ever see Khanna in that crucial opinion changing role, I command you to confess! (I just cued the elephant sound to play loudly in the background)
theBollywoodFan, Thanks for stopping in and glad to remind you of a movie you remember. I thought that tune was pretty catchy. You’ve got a nice looking blog!
Thank you Sitaji. I’ll look forward to future posts here as well!
rofl- commandment accepted- thing is I really try to avoid his movies
When he finally died in “Anand,” I breathed a sigh of relief
LOL. Khanna trying to be so brave, jolly and cute with his grim prognosis was too quaint for me. I don’t recall minding when he finally slipped away. I was completely distracted my how sizzlingly HOT (HOT!) Amitabh was as the brooding Dr. in Anand.