Finally I’ve gotten around to seeing Asha Parekh in a film with 1970’s Kati Patang. I even love the title, which the subtitles translate to Guideless Kite. I know I feel like a guideless kite a lot of the time, so that title spoke to me. How about you? I loved the film right off the bat, since within the first few minutes there’s lots of drama. Lovely Asha is just about to get married when she opens the gift from her former flame and reads:
Now how great is THAT? Way to guilt trip her! Plus even better, should the future bring me a situation where I’m in love with a Hindu man who is just about to walk around that marriage fire 7 X with his new bride and not me, his true love, I can easily plagiarize that for my own dialogue. “But when you go around the holy fire with your wife, think this to be a funeral pyre of my love. Yours, and all the best! Sita-ji.” I don’t want to spoil the movie in any way, but let’s just say some stuff goes down shortly after this wedding scene which results in seeing the big nahin. Another reason to love the film for me. I love hearing nahin screamed as much as I love to be surprised by seeing a tight slap to the face.
Yet another thing I like in Hindi films is to frequency of limb amputation. Remember that Sholay, Lawaaris, and Mother India all have double arm amputations, which always makes me think of insurance dismemberment clauses. You may also remember the limb amputations parodied in Om Shanti Om. I know I’ve seen other Bollywood films with limb amputations, but I can’t remember others right now, so I welcome your comments if you remember any others.
Then for even more pleasure, I get to be simultaneously repulsed and attracted to Prem Chopra. I am grossed out by Prem’s character, yet also strangely attracted to the sleaziness, evidenced by the his open shirts, chest hair and large medallion. Yuck! Yet I must see more! See his effect of Bindu’s character? She just hangs on him. She can’t help it. In addition to his medallion, his glasses are noteworthy.
I’m seeing what I like in Kati Patang, the same stuff I see repeatedly in these Bollywood films: the drama, the big nahin, sleazy bad guys and gals, amputations, misunderstandings, and coincidences. Then there’s the requisite item girl number with outlandish costuming and suggestive choreography, but this time I am startled more than usual. I invite you to watch Bindu in the scary and captivating number Mera Naam Hai Shabnam, with music by R. D. Burnam and playback singer Asha Bhonsle. The choreography is by Surya Kumar. Surya, hats off to your work. Unfortunately, the only quality footage I could find from this song for now is rather short, so see the entire film with the complete song, which involves Bindu rolling around on the ground a lot. Now dosto, I dare you NOT to have the same expression and reaction that Asha Parekh’s character has when you watch Bindu’s dance, because I know I shared Asha’s response, “I can’t believe this is happening. NO WAY!”
This ARTICLE states that, “Overnight Kati Patang turned Bindu into the hottest dancer in movie town.” I can certainly understand why that was true. Now if you’d like to read more on the film, head over to memsaabstory.
Weren’t these dances unbelievable? And these were ‘U’ films 🙂
Did you really mean Prem Chopra’s open shits? I know you didn’t, but the typo is funny. 🙂
I like this film a lot too. Haan!!
LOL! I used the same exact Nahiiiin! screen cap in my post on this 🙂
Prem Chopra=ugh. He gives me the creeps.
What did you think of Rajesh? 🙂 I also really love the songs in this film (including Bindu’s fab number).
I hate the movie for the sob-fest it was, but LOVE that “mera naam hai shabnam song”- so crazy, so mad- 😀
I must this movie now!
Its one of the super hit movie in 1970 of Super Star Rajesh Khanna.
• First and last super star in the filmland
Rajesh Khanna is living legend and he is first and last super star in the filmland. No film personality can be compared with Rajesh Khanna until now – not even Amitabh Bachan. He is just superb and extraordinary glamorous and different. His style of acting cannot be compared. He is a genius and a magnificent superstar and above all any actor in India. He is an unforgettable actor for ever.
Banno,
LOL, Thanks for pointing that out hai. I fixed it, but maybe I should have left it as is. 😉 I should really proofread more. I let so many errors and typos slip in my excitement to post. I like to think of my postings to be consistent with the low production values in many Bollywood films and that perhaps people will over look the errors. 😀
memsaab,
That Nahin was too good not to screen cap it, right!? I will link your great review at the end of my post.
As far as Rejesh, I’m pretty neutral on him, but I loved him in the shop ordering his whiskey, red label, but demanding it to be switched for the superior black label next time, and then him forgoing the sharab all together for the sake of his love. What did you think of him in this film?
shweta,
That song is great! I wish I could find a longer version to post, since the one I found for now doesn’t have all that footage of her writhing around on the floor.
Nicki,
Namaste! I think you’ll enjoy it, if only for that dance number.
V. Manohar,
Thanks for the visit and for the Rajesh information.
Loved Rajesh in this! 🙂 But of course.
and thanks for linking me! 😉
I love the film’s title 🙂 And Bindu is amazing! I want to see her in more films! Wasn’t she fabulous in Main Hoon Naa?
memsaab,
I will eventually have a second viewing of this film and will dedicate myself to paying more attention to Rajesh than I did to Asha and Munna. It was my first Asha film so I was more focused on her, and taken by Prem Chopra’s spellbinding sleaze. Rajesh’s goodness got lost in the shuffle. And of course you’re welcome for the link. I am glad you did a proper review of it. 🙂
Bhargav,
Thanks for your visit and yes, I did love seeing Bindu in Main Hoon Naa. I want to see more of her movies. I also liked her a lot in Abhimaan, where she played a sympathetic role. I did a post on it a while back and Bindu had some beautiful dialogs in the film that I screen capped HERE.
Hey, thanks for that link 🙂
Hahaha,
I always love reading about the idiosyncracies shown in Bollywood movies, viz “nahin”, sleazy villains, garishly dressed characters, coincidences etc. And “Kati Patang” has all these tried and tested formulas nicely included at one place.
And by the way, if anyone wants to see this for free on YouTube, it’s here:
P.S. You know, that Bindu dance reminded me a lot at points of a dance in another film and I wondered if they had the same choreographer. Sure enough, they did. The dancer in that other dance was Jayshree T.:
Bhargav,
You are welcome yaar! Thanks for stopping by.
squarecuatul-ji,
Thanks and I’m glad you love the wonderful idiosyncracies of the industry. I just saw Virasat last night and there were not one, but two amputations!
Richard-ji,
Thanks for those great links to the movie and the song. You are correct, so very Jayshree T-esque. The heavy floor work choreography is very, very similar, almost identical. I wish I could get a longer clip of Bindu’s dance here, since the rest not shown is all her on the floor.
ROFL Sitaji! So is bahane you have something in common with Bindu 😉
pitu-ji,
Oh I wish I had more in common with Bindu! I wish I could BE Bindu in that clip! 🙂
hi, i want to ask the name of movie in Mr. Amitab Bachan was named asn BADAL.
nadim-ji,
I’m not sure about that, but if I find out I will report back. Thanks for your visit.