Bobby (1973 film)
Bobby is a 1973 Indian Hindi-language musical romance film, produced and directed by Raj Kapoor, and written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas.[2] The film stars Raj Kapoor's son, Rishi Kapoor, in his first leading role, opposite Dimple Kapadia in her debut role. The film became a blockbuster, the top-grossing Indian hit of 1973,[3] the second-top-grossing hit of the 1970s at the Indian box office,[4] and one of the top 20 highest-grossing Indian films of all time (when adjusted for inflation).[5] It also became an overseas blockbuster in the Soviet Union, where it drew an audience of 62.6 million viewers,[6] making it one of the top 20 biggest box office hits of all time in the Soviet Union.[7][8]
| Bobby | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Raj Kapoor |
| Written by | Jainendra Jain (dialogue) |
| Screenplay by | Khwaja Ahmad Abbas V. P. Sathe |
| Story by | Khwaja Ahmad Abbas |
| Produced by | Raj Kapoor |
| Starring | Rishi Kapoor Dimple Kapadia Prem Nath Pran |
| Cinematography | Radhu Karmakar |
| Edited by | Raj Kapoor |
| Music by | Laxmikant–Pyarelal |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | R.K. Films |
Release date | 28 September 1973 |
Running time | 169 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Box office | est. 31 crore[1] |
The film became a trend-setter. It was wildly popular and widely imitated. It introduced to Bollywood the genre of teenage romance with a rich-versus-poor clash as a backdrop. Numerous films in the following years and decades were inspired by this plot. Indiatimes Movies ranks Bobby amongst the 'Top 30 Must See Bollywood Films'.[9] The film was remade in Persian as Parvaz dar Ghafas in 1980. Bobby was Dimple Kapadia's first and only film of the 70s era. As she left the film industry following her early marriage, before returning back to proper movies in the mid-80s till the present date.
Plot
The story is about the love between two Bombay teenagers of different classes—Raja 'Raj' Nath (Rishi Kapoor), the son of a rich Hindu businessman Ram Nath (Pran), and Bobby Braganza (Dimple Kapadia), the daughter of a poor Goan Christian fisherman Jack Braganza (Prem Nath).
Raj returns from his boarding school. Upon his return, his parents throw a party to celebrate his birthday. Raj's former governess Mrs. Braganza (Durga Khote) comes by with her granddaughter Bobby to give him a present, but Raj's mother Sushma Nath (Sonia Sahni) ignores Mrs. Braganza, which leads her to leave the party with Bobby in a rush.
Raj opens his gifts the next day and finds Mrs. Braganza's gift, so he decides to meet her in person. Reaching there, Bobby opens the door for him, and it is love at first sight for him. During that visit, he mixes his book with Bobby's, so he goes to meet her at the library to exchange the books, and from that, both start their friendship. Raj and Bobby decide to go to see a movie, but find out it is a full house. Then Raj gets an idea to go to a party. At the party, Bobby sees Raj talking to Sushma's dance partner Nima (Aruna Irani) privately and thinks he is in love with her, so she breaks off her relationship before running off to Kashmir. However, Raj comes by to Kashmir and clears up the misunderstanding, prompting Bobby to resume her relationship with him. Despite Jack and Mrs. Braganza being very supportive of Raj and Bobby's relationship due to Raj's friendly nature, Raj learns that the matter is not taken kindly by Ram, who abhors the idea of his son falling in love with the daughter of a poor fisherman. Upon Raj's insistence, Ram invites Jack over to initiate talks of Raj and Bobby's relationship. But instead, a feud ignites when Ram insults Jack and accuses him of using Bobby's beauty and charm to trap Raj for his money; he even offered Jack a bribe of cash to stop Bobby from seeing Raj. Jack gets offended by this accusation and retaliates by insulting Ram before leaving in a huff with Bobby, forbidding her to hang out with Raj again. To ensure of Bobby's safety, Jack sends her and Mrs. Braganza to live in Goa.
Raj gets angry at Ram for driving Bobby away; this was further intensified when he learns that Ram intends to have him marry a mentally-challenged wealthy girl named Alka 'Nikki' Sharma (Farida Jalal) to establish business ties with her rich father Mr. Sharma (Pinchoo Kapoor) without even consulting Raj; even Sushma and Nima aren't supportive of the idea as well. On the advice from Nima (who sympathizes with Raj on the issue), Raj cuts off all ties to his father and drives off to Goa to reunite with Bobby, who runs away with him. As Sushma blames Ram for driving Raj away, the latter advertises a reward of $25,000 for anyone who can help find Raj. Upon spotting Raj and Bobby while seeing the reward on a local newspaper, a local greedy goon named Prem Chopra (Prem Chopra) decides that he wants the money so he and his goons kidnap Raj and Bobby. When the teens try to escape, Prem starts beating up Raj while having his goons to restrain Bobby. Eventually, Jack comes to the rescue by attacking Prem, who orders his goons to beat up Jack in retaliation. However, this was witnessed by an arriving Ram and the police, who furiously beat up and arrest Prem and his goons while Raj and Bobby escape. Deciding that they don't want their fathers to interfere in their relationship anymore, Raj and Bobby attempted to commit suicide by jumping over a waterfall after chewing out Ram for antagonizing Jack and starting the feud in the first place. However, a horrified Ram and Jack dive in and rescue both teens from being drowned.
Having realized the folly of the feud that almost drove both teens to death, a remorseful Ram and Jack agreed to end the feud by giving their blessings to Raj and Bobby's relationship, promising never to interfere with it again. With their relationships reconciled, the teens and their fathers happily head back home to their families.
Cast
- Rishi Kapoor as Raj 'Raja' Nath
- Dimple Kapadia as Bobby Braganza
- Prem Nath as Jack Braganza
- Durga Khote as Mrs. Braganza
- Pran as Ram Nath
- Sonia Sahni as Sushma Nath
- Aruna Irani as Nima
- Prem Chopra as Prem Chopra
- Farida Jalal as Alka 'Nikki' Sharma
- Pinchoo Kapoor as Mr. Sharma
- Raj Rani as Mrs. Sharma
- Jagdish Raj as Police Inspector
- Shashi Kiran as Shyam, Raj's college-mate
- Piloo J. Wadia as Mrs. Pestonji
Raj Kapoor launched his second son Rishi Kapoor in this film; he wanted a new heroine to complement the young love story. Dimple Kapadia and Neetu Singh were auditioned for the role of Bobby Braganza, but Dimple was finally selected.
Production
In an interview in 2012, Rishi Kapoor stated, "There was a misconception that the film was made to launch me as an actor. The film was made to pay the debts of Mera Naam Joker. Dad wanted to make a teenage love story and he did not have money to cast Rajesh Khanna in the film".[10]
Filming
Some scenes were shot in Gulmarg. One scene was shot in a hut in Gulmarg, which became famous as the 'Bobby Hut'.[11][12] A few scenes towards the end of the movie were shot on Pune-Solapur highway near Loni Kalbhor where Raj Kapoor owned a farm.
Soundtrack
The film's music was composed by the Laxmikant-Pyarelal duo. The lyrics were written by Anand Bakshi, Rajkavi Inderjeet Singh Tulsi, and Vithalbhai Patel. Lyrics penned by Anand Bakshi except where noted.
| Song | Singer(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| "Ae Ae Ae Phansa" | Lata Mangeshkar Lyrics by: Anand Bakshi | Picturized on Aruna Irani |
| "Ankhiyon Ko Rahne De" | Lata Mangeshkar Lyrics by: Anand Bakshi | Based on the song "Ankhiyan nu rehen de" by Reshma[citation needed] |
| "Beshak Mandir Masjid" | Narendra Chanchal Lyrics by Rajkavi Inderjeet Singh Tulsi | |
| "Hum Tum Ek Kamre Mein Band Ho" | Lata Mangeshkar and Shailendra Singh Lyrics by: Anand Bakshi | Shot at Kapoor family's bungalow inside their farm house Rajbaugh, which is now a memorial to Raj Kapoor and lies inside the MIT World Peace University (MIT WPU) on the banks of Mula-Mutha River in Loni Kalbhor village 30 km east of Pune in Maharshtra.[13][14][15][16][17] |
| "Jhoot Bole Kauva Kate" | Lata Mangeshkar and Shailendra Singh Lyrics by: Vithalbhai Patel | Picturized on Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia in a village dance setting. |
| "Main Shayar To Nahin" | Shailendra Singh Lyrics by: Anand Bakshi | Picturised on Rishi Kapoor. The song was reused and picturised again on him in the 2004 film Hum Tum. |
| "Mujhe Kuchh Kahna Hai" | Lata Mangeshkar and Shailendra Singh Lyrics by: Anand Bakshi | |
| "Na Mangun Sona Chandi" | Manna Dey and Shailendra Singh & Chorus Lyrics by: Vithalbhai Patel |
Box office
| Territory | Gross revenue | Inflation-adjusted gross revenue (2016) | Footfalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic (India) | ₹11 crore[3] (US$14.21 million)[n 1] | ₹697 crore (US$87 million)[20] | 53.5 million[21] |
| Overseas (Soviet Union) | 15.65 million Rbls[n 2] – US$21.44 million[n 3] (₹19.24 crore)[n 4] | US$108 million (₹638 crore)[25] | 62.6 million[6] |
| Worldwide | ₹30.24 crore (US$39 million)[1][26] | ₹1,212 crore (US$184 million) | 116 million |
In India, Bobby was the highest-grossing film of 1973, earning ₹11 crore.[3] It was also the second-highest-grossing film at the Indian box office in the 1970s, second only to Sholay (1975).[4] Adjusted for inflation, it grossed ₹398 crore in 2011 value,[19] equivalent to ₹697 crore (US$87 million) in 2016 value. As of 2011, it is one of the top 20 highest-grossing films of all time in India.[5]
Overseas, Bobby was very successful in the Soviet Union when it released there in 1975, due to Raj Kapoor's popularity in the country. Bobby drew 62.6 million admissions at the Soviet box office, making it the second-best-selling film on the Soviet box office charts in 1975,[6] the most popular Indian film of the 1970s, the second-biggest foreign film of the decade,[7] the sixth-biggest box office hit of the decade,[7][8] the second-most-viewed Indian film of all time (after Raj Kapoor's Awaara), the sixth-biggest foreign hit of all time,[7] and one of the top 20 biggest box office hits of all time.[7][8] The film's success launched Rishi Kapoor into an overnight movie star in the Soviet Union,[27] much like Awaara had done for his father Raj Kapoor.
Similarly, the film was very successful in Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. It was popular among non-Indian audiences in these countries, despite a lack of local language dubbing or subtitles upon its initial Malaysian release. It was among the most popular foreign films in Malaysia at the time, along with Bruce Lee films such as The Big Boss (1972).[28] In China, the film was released in 1990.[29]
Critical reception
The Illustrated Weekly of India wrote upon release that despite a new style, "the story formula remains the same as ever". The review further noted that despite some gimmicks, the film's commercial appeal may be attributed to the "two fresh-faced, delightful youngsters", later praising the performances, including the lead pair who "act with natural ease and freshness", Premnath who is "outstanding as the expansive, volatile Mr. Braganza", but accused Pran of being typecast.[30]
Awards
- Won
- Best Actor – Rishi Kapoor
- Best Actress – Dimple Kapadia (tied with Jaya Bhaduri for Abhimaan)
- Best Male Playback Singer – Narendra Chanchal for "Beshak Mandir Masjid"
- Best Art Direction – A. Rangaraj
- Best Sound Design – Allauddin Khan Qureshi
- Nominated
- Best Film – Raj Kapoor
- Best Director – Raj Kapoor
- Best Supporting Actor – Prem Nath
- Best Supporting Actress – Aruna Irani
- Best Music Director – Laxmikant Pyarelal
- Best Lyricist – Anand Bakshi for "Hum Tum Ek Kamre Mein Band Ho"
- Best Lyricist – Anand Bakshi for "Main Shayar To Nahin"
- Best Lyricist – Vitthalbhai Patel for "Jhoot Bole Kava Kate"
- Best Male Playback Singer – Shailender Singh for "Main Shayar To Nahin"
1974 BFJA Awards:
- Best Male Playback Singer (Hindi Section) – Shailender Singh for "Main Shayar to Nahin"
- Best Audiographer (Hindi Section) – Alauddin Khan Qureshi[32]
Controversy
In his 2017 autobiography Khullam Khulla: Rishi Kapoor Uncensored, Rishi Kapoor revealed that he paid someone ₹30,000 (equivalent to ₹760,000 or US$9,600 in 2020) to win him an award for Best Actor. Although it is inferred as Filmfare Award, he said in an interview that "I did not write a Filmfare Award [in the book]. I have not said any names. I have said I bought 'an award'".[33]
See also
Notes
References
- ^ a b "On Independence Day, here are the most successful Indian movies of every decade since 1947". Hindustan Times. 15 August 2018.
- ^ Banerjee, Shampa; Srivastava, Anil (1988). One Hundred Indian Feature Films: An Annotated Filmography. Taylor & Francis. p. 53. ISBN 978-0-8240-9483-6.
- ^ a b c . Boxofficeindia.com. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-01.
- ^ a b . Boxofficeindia.com. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 2011-06-01.
- ^ a b c Top 50 Film of Last 50 Years 4 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Box Office India, 3 November 2011
- ^ a b c d Indian Films in Soviet Cinemas: The Culture of Movie-going After Stalin, page 89, Indiana University Press, 2005
- ^ a b c d e Sergey Kudryavtsev. "Зарубежные фильмы в советском кинопрокате".
- ^ a b c Sergey Kudryavtsev. "Отечественные фильмы в советском кинопрокате".
- ^ Kanwar, Rachna (3 October 2005). . Indiatimes movies. Archived from the original on 15 October 2007. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
- ^ "Proud of Ranbir's choice of roles: Rishi Kapoor – Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis". 15 September 2012.
- ^ . Archived from the original on 4 April 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
- ^ The Gulmarg Nostalgia-X (Bollywood in Gulmarg-II!)
- ^ Google (8 July 2020). "Google map location of Smadhi of Raj Kapoor and Prithviraj Kapoor at Rajbaugh at the camputof MIT-WPU" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
- ^ With RK Studios up for sale in Mumbai, here is how Pune still hangs on to Raj Kapoor’s memories, Hindustan Times, Sep 02, 2018.
- ^ Raj Kapoor Memorial 5 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine, mitsft.in.
- ^ Madhu Jain, 2009, Kapoors: The First Family of Indian Cinema, Penguin Books.
- ^ Raj Kapoor Memorial brief 5 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine, mitsft.in.
- ^ http://fx.sauder.ubc.ca/etc/USDpages.pdf#page=3[bare URL PDF]
- ^ a b Worth Their Weight In Gold! (70's) 22 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine, Box Office India, 3 November 2011
- ^ ₹398 crore in 2011[19][5]
- ^ Mittal, Ashok (1995). Cinema Industry in India: Pricing and Taxation. Indus Publishing. pp. 71 & 77. ISBN 9788173870231.
- ^ Moscow Prime Time: How the Soviet Union Built the Media Empire that Lost the Cultural Cold War, page 48, Cornell University Press, 2011
- ^ Archive of Bank of Russia http://cbr.ru/currency_base/OldDataFiles/USD.xls
- ^ "Reserve Bank of India – Publications".
- ^ . Archived from the original on 13 July 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
- ^ "Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average)". World Bank. 1973. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
- ^ Moscow Prime Time: How the Soviet Union Built the Media Empire that Lost the Cultural Cold War, page 43, Cornell University Press, 2011
- ^ Heide, William Van der (2002). Malaysian Cinema, Asian Film: Border Crossings and National Cultures. Amsterdam University Press. p. 147. ISBN 978-90-5356-580-3.
- ^ "Films popular in China". Data India. Press Institute of India. 1990. p. 111. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
A spokesman of China Film Export and Import Corporation said in Bombay that films such as Sholay, Bobby, Qayamat-se-Qayamai Tak, Hero Hiralal, Shahenshah, Jalwa, Nacha Mayuri, Naseeb, Dance Dance, Disco Dancer and Naam, are being exhibited all over China.
- ^ "Film Review – Bobby". The Illustrated Weekly of India. The Times Group. 1973. p. 41.
- ^ "1st Filmfare Awards 1953" (PDF). Deep750.googlepages.com. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
- ^ 69th & 70th Annual Hero Honda BFJA Awards 2007 22 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Uncensored: Rishi Kapoor reveals *exactly* why he bought an award for Bobby". India Today. 19 January 2017.
External links
- Bobby at IMDb
- Bobby at AllMovie
- Bobby at Rotten Tomatoes