Sep 30, 2007 10:25 AM
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Growing up in a totally middle class family during the 70's and 80's in India, was a totally different world for me. The Internet was something which existed only in the distant realms of science fiction, TV was thought of as a luxury, and even when it became popular, Doordarshan was the only channel, Cable TV and 24/7 News Channels were not even heard of, while theaters were mostly single screens. Mobile phones were unknown, and getting a phone connection would take ages. It was also the time when unemployment was rife, and getting a job was more dependent on how good you were at greasing palms or getting a sifarish, rather than your ability.
I had personally seen many of my uncles and their friends, struggling to get a good job, and having had to use other channels. Pocket money was something which was rationed, and the only way we went to school was by the humble bicycle or the school bus. Splurging on new clothes or restaurants was something we did only on birthdays or festivals. But yet even during those times, there was something which was never in short supply, Dreams. Like any other normal kid I had my own dreams too. Some were very humble, some maybe more ambitious, but all of us had some kind of dream or other. Some times our dreams came true, some times they did not. But yet some how we managed to handle the failure, taking it as karma or fate. While we were upset when things did not work out, we were never depressed to the extent of shooting ourselves. It was a typical life of middle class dreams.
And for me it was the movies of Basu Chaterjee and Hrishi Da, that wonderfully symbolized the middle class existence. Basu Da made some wonderful movies on the middle class life in India like Piya Ka Ghar, Choti Si Baat, Rajnigandha to name a few. In a 70's scenario where big budget multi starrer blockbusters dominated the marquee, he still managed to have his own audience with his movies. And one such excellent movie on the middle class in India, was Khatta Meetha(1977). Set against the backdrop of the Parsee community, the movie revolves around 2 families, one headed by a widowerHomi Mistry( Ashok Kumar), who lives with his four sons,Fali(Ravi Raaj), Jaal(Devender), Russi( Ranjeet Choudhury) and Tilu( Master Raju) in a small rented home. Fali works as a mechanic, Jaal is an aspiring musician,Russi daydreams of being a cricketer. The other family is headed by Nargis Sethna( Pearl Padamsee), a widow who lives with her two teen sons,Firoze( Rakesh Roshan), Fardeen( Vimal Sahu) and her teen daughter Premi( Preeti Ganguly). Firoze studies in a college, while Fardeen wants to get a job and start earning. Premi meanwhile has a big time crush on Amitabh Bachan, and wants to get married to him.
The fun starts when Homi and Nargis, having been introduced through a common friend( David), decide to get married, considering their needs, and then every one moves into Nargis home. Only problem while Homi and Nargis love each other, their respective children don't.Nargis kids can't accept Homi as their father, and resent the intrusion of his children into what they see as their private space. Homi's kids resent being ordered around, and not having the freedom to do whatever they like. And thats where some of the movie's most hilarious moments come through, as the siblings quibble and fight over every issue. As in any movie, though, the initial hatred and bickering slowly give way to friendship, and a crisis re unites the entire family. The crisis point here isFiroze's love affair, with his college mate Zarine( Bindiya Goswami). Her father(Pradeep Kumar) is an influential businessman, and he gets back at Firoze'sfamily, by getting Homi dismissed from his job, and then using his clout to get the family thrown out of their house. And thats when every one starts to get together, and fight out things. Watch the rest of the movie to see what happens.
Though the story line is taken from the 1968Henry Fonda-Lucy Ball starrer, "Yours, Mine and Ours", Khatta Meetha, Basu Da, still manages to give it a totally Indian touch. And one of the best things I liked about this movie was the totally authentic Parseemilieu it creates. In most of the Bollywood movies, Parsis are often caricatured as stiff necked guys with pot bellies, driving in antique cars, speaking with an accent, to be used for comic relief only. This was one of the few movies, which shows Parsis as normal human beings, with dreams just like us. The characters dont speak in accents, and behave like any common person. But yet the movie still remains true to the Parsi community's traditions. Widow remarriage, which is still a taboo for many of us, is a normal practice in the Parseecommunity, and it is to Basu Da's credit, that he bases his main story on this fact. Again while Parsees are generally educated and well off, there are many like Homi Mistry, who live pretty simple lives, and it is to the credit of Basu Da, again that he focuses on the common people here.
Again one of the reasons why I do love Basu Da's movies are that his families are totally natural and realistic, populated with characters who stay with you. Not like Sooraj Barjatya's "too perfect to be true" families or KJo's"designer families who hop in and out of helicopters" kind. Apart from the fact that Homi and Nargis have married a second time, the family in Khatta Meetha, is as normal, as any Indian family. The fights, the squabbles, the bickering, is something which you can see in any Indian family. Whether its squabbling over minor issues or bonding together, you see a mirror image of your own life there. Also the treatment of the emotions is not too loud or over the top or melodramatic, unlike the Kalpataru family movies of the 80's. It is more subtle and natural.
The movie has a good musical score by Rajesh Roshan. The title song "Yeh Jeena Hai Angoor Ka Daana...Kuch Kacha Hai Kuch Pakka Hai...Jitna Khaya Meetha Tha Jo Haath Na Aaya Woh Khatta Hai..." accurately reflects what life is all about the sweet and sour moments. And some other songs like"Humko Mila Tha Pyaar", "Mummy O Mummy", "Rol Rol Makonisa" are good too. But for me my all time personal favorite would be "Thoda Hai, Thode Ki Zaroorat". Gulzar as usual provides wonderful lyrics for this song. I also love the way Basu Da picturized this song, as he depicts the dreams of every character. The lines "Thoda Hai, Thode Ki Zaroorat Hai, Zindagi Phir Bhi Yahan Khoobsorat Hai" wonderfully sums up the Indian middle class attitude to life. It is good to want a little more, but at the same time take life as it comes, that is something that remains my motto to date. Also the lines "Jis Din Paisa Hoga, Jaane Kaisa Hoga"*, is something which touches a personal chord in many of us, most of us dream of having the money.
