When Mahal 1949 delved into the supernatural genre there was another blockbuster movie Andaz which started the trend of love triangle directed by Mehboob Khan, who had directed eighteen movies and produced six of them before he did Andaz.
Andaz was also memorable because it was the only time that two legends, Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar, came together for a film, with fascinating results. They however never got an opportunity to share the screen together though an attempt was made by Raj Kapoor for Sangam (1964) but it did not work out.
Andaz proved to be a milestone in Dilip Kumar’s career. Not only did the tag of tragedy king get attached to his name for the rest of his life, but the film also gave him the much needed mass appeal. These were the times when the jodi of Raj Kapoor and Nargis had just begun to take an iconic shape. No wonder, Raj Kapoor was selected on the recommendation of Nargis. Mehboob had a special regard for Nargis. He introduced her in “Taqdeer” and she went on to play the title role in his magnum opus, “Mother India”. Inadvertently, Nargis and Naushad’s recommendations resulted in one of the biggest casting coups in the history of Hindi cinema.
Andaz was Raj-Nargis’ first major success together (their earlier release Aag had been accorded a lukewarm reception), and this romantic pair went on to do 14 films together.
The Story
Nina (Nargis) is the spoiled daughter of a rich businessman (Murad). One day while horseriding she loses control of her horse and is rescued by a young man named Dilip (Dilip Kumar). Dilip instantly takes a liking to her and starts to frequently visit her house where he entertains her with his singing along with Nina’s friend Sheela (Cukoo). Nina’s father dislikes this; he tries to make her realise that spending so much time with Dilip is not wise, as Dilip might misconstrue their friendship as love. On the day of Sheela’s birthday party, Dilip realises he has fallen in love with Nina and tries to tell her. However, tragedy strikes on the same day when Nina’s father dies of a heart attack, leaving Nina devastated. Dilip comforts her and Nina gives him the responsibility of looking after her father’s business and staying in a spare room at her home.
Dilip tries to confide in Nina about his feelings for her, but her fiance Rajan (Raj Kapoor) returns from London. Dilip is shocked that Nina had not mentioned that she was already engaged and in love. Rajan and Nina eventually get married, and Dilip finally reveals his true feelings for Nina on the wedding day. Nina is shocked by Dilip’s revelation as she thinks of him only as a good friend. Dilip tries to leave, but stays to avoid any suspicion from Rajan.
A few years pass by and Rajan and Nina now have a daughter. On their daughter’s birthday, Dilip arrives with a present. Nina tries secretly to tell him that she does not love him and that he should leave, unaware that she has said all this to Rajan. Rajan accuses Nina of having an affair with Dilip and Dilip decides to clear Rajan’s misunderstanding. He confronts Rajan and tries to convince him he is wrong about Nina. In a fit of rage, Rajan hits Dilip on the head and walks out, taking his daughter with him. Nina comes to Dilip’s aid and tells a doctor to save him as he is proof that she has not cheated on Rajan. When Dilip awakens he is half mad and tries to molest Niña, insisting she really is in love with him. Nina shoots Dilip, killing him instantly, and is then imprisoned.
Rajan testifies against Nina in court about her affair with Dilip and how she killed him to hide her infidelity. While Nina awaits for the judge’s verdict, Rajan tells his daughter that she is not coming back and tears up the doll that Dilip had given her on her birthday. Inside the doll he finds a letter Dilip had written for Niña, saying that Rajan is the fortunate one who she loves and he has realised this now. Upon reading the letter, Rajan realises he had been wrong about Nina’s infidelity and that Nina only loved him. The judge sentences Nina to life imprisonment and Rajan and his daughter come to see her before she is taken away.
The music of Andaz was scored by Naushad and lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri
Music maestro Naushad made Mukesh sing for Dilip Kumar, while Mohammed Rafi playbacked for Raj Kapoor. Mukesh (who later went on to become Raj Kapoor’s favourite playback singer), was used here to voice Dilip’s anguish in Tu kahe agar, Jhoom jhoom ke naacho aaj, Toote na dil toote naand Hum aaj kahin dil kho baithe. Raj’s solo song Yun toh aapas mein bigadte hai was vocalised by Rafi, who was later associated more with Dilip Kumar.
Lata Mangeshkar benefited tremendously from three blockbuster movies released in 1949, Mahal, Andaz and Barsaat
Cuckoo (Moray), also credited as Cuckoo or Cukoo, (1928 – September 30, 1981) was an Anglo-Indian dancer and actress in Indian cinema Cukoo was the queen of film dancing in Hindi cinema of the 1940s and 1950s.
Cukoo made her screen debut in the film Arab Ka Sitara in 1946. Then soon after in Stum Chandi, the large audience and directors noticed her dancing abilities for the first time. Then the turning point in her career was in Mehboob Khan’s films. Her dance number in his film Anokhi Ada (1948) established her as the lead dancer of the era and in Andaz (1949), a romantic drama starring Nargis, Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor, gave the dancer an opportunity to display her acting skills. In Mehboob Khan’s 1952 Technicolor film Aan she had a brief cameo in her only film in colour.
Cukoo remained the best dancer in Hindi films until dancers like Helen and Vyjayanthimala came along in the industry. Cukoo was a family friend of dancer and actress Helen. She was also known for helping unknown actors get their break in Hindi cinema like Pran in Ziddi. Cukoo had introduced a 13-year-old Helen into films as a chorus dancer in the films like Shabistan and Awaara (both 1951). Cukoo and Helen most notably appeared in song and dance sequences together like in Chalti Ka Naam Gadi (1958) and Yahudi (1958). Her last film appearance was in Mujhe Jeene Do in 1963 after which she had disappeared from the film industry.
Cukoo died on September 30, 1981 at the age of 53. She was forgotten and unattended by the film industry at the time of her death.
Andaz took the nation by storm. Technically brilliant, it won rave reviews for its revolutionary theme and technical finesse. It reflected the influence of Hollywood on Mehboob. The film was steeped with Western influences – ballroom dancing, piano songs, western outfits and above all the lifestyle it depicted was seldom seen before on the big screen. The film also carried a strong undercurrent of Mehboob’s personal outlook. Though Mehboob didn’t resent Western culture – his lifestyle bore several elements of Westernisation – deep down he believed in Indian values. Though Andaz abounded in symbols of modern living, its thematic thrust was radical. It blatantly rejected a platonic relationship between a man and a woman and punished the protagonist for cultivating friendship with another man when she was already committed to one.
After 64 years, Andaz still retains its freshness and style and one can find many similarities in movies released in the following years where many directors explored the feasibility of platonic relationships between the sexes. It is worth revisiting Andaz to enjoy the intense acting of Dilip Kumar and romance of Raj Kapoor and Nargis enhanced by its melodious songs.
Here is a link on You Tube posted by Shemaroovintage
Movies & Music of India 