Seeta Aur Geeta
Seeta aur Geeta (transl. Seeta and Geeta) is a 1972 Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama film, written by Salim–Javed (Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar) and directed by Ramesh Sippy. It stars Hema Malini, Dharmendra and Sanjeev Kumar in leading roles, and features music composed by R.D. Burman.
| Seeta Aur Geeta | |
|---|---|
Film poster | |
| Directed by | Ramesh Sippy |
| Written by | Salim–Javed |
| Produced by | G. P. Sippy |
| Starring | Hema Malini Dharmendra Sanjeev Kumar |
| Cinematography | K. Vaikunth |
| Edited by | M. S. Shinde |
| Music by | R. D. Burman |
Release date | 3 November 1972 |
Running time | 162 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi[1] |
| Budget | ₹4,000,000 ($53,000) |
| Box office | est. ₹19.53 crore ($22.82 million) |
The story is about identical twins (played by Hema Malini) who are separated at birth and grow up with different temperaments. After they meet each other as adults, they swap places (like The Prince and the Pauper). The two sisters' partners in the movie are played by Dharmendra and Sanjeev Kumar, while Manorama plays the villainous aunt.
The theme of the film was inspired by Ram Aur Shyam (1967), which inspired Salim-Javed to write Seeta Aur Geeta.[2] Ram Aur Shyam is itself a remake of the 1964 Telugu film Ramudu Bheemudu. The film subverted the formula by having the heroine eventually become the "hero" while the male lead is in a mostly supporting role.[3] An earlier film with a similar theme was Muqabala (1942), starring Fearless Nadia.
The film became a major hit, both in India and abroad in the Soviet Union.[4] Hema Malini won her only competitive Filmfare Best Actress Award of her career, while K. Vaikunth won the Filmfare Best Cinematographer Award.[5] Malini was noted for the novelty of her role as Geeta, where she is rambunctious and sometimes violent.
The film was remade in other languages, which includes the Telugu film Ganga Manga (1973) and the Tamil film Vani Rani (1974), both starring Vanisri in the dual roles.[6] Subsequent Hindi remakes of the story have been made, including Geeta Mera Naam starring Sadhana Shivdasani, Jaise Ko Taisa starring Jeetendra, ChaalBaaz starring Sridevi, Kishen Kanhaiya starring Anil Kapoor, Judwaa starring Salman Khan, Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi starring Kajol, in the dual roles.
Plot
Seeta and Geeta (Hema Malini in a dual role) are twin girls who were separated at birth. Geeta, a feisty girl is raised in a poor neighborhood and is a street performer, while Seeta is raised by her cruel aunt Chachi and meek uncle. Chachi treats Seeta like a servant, despite the fact that the family is living off her late parents' money. Seeta's only consolation is her old grandmother, who is bound to a wheelchair.
One day, Seeta decides life is not worth living and runs away to commit suicide. She is saved but is mistaken for her identical twin Geeta and is taken to Geeta's home. Meanwhile, Seeta's aunt and uncle are frantically searching for her and find Geeta. They attempt to force Geeta to go with them but, using some of her clever tricks, she escapes them and the police who have been searching for her. She then meets Ravi (Sanjeev Kumar) and, though he also mistakes her for Seeta, she goes home with him. Ravi is surprised by this "Seeta" and the Seeta he had met previously. Geeta realizes the cruelty that Seeta has been living under and vows to teach her aunt a lesson.
Meanwhile, the real Seeta is living in Geeta's house. Her foster mother has attributed her new docile attitude to shock. Here, Seeta meets Raka (Dharmendra), Geeta's friend and fellow performer. Raka is also surprised by "Geeta's" sudden gentle nature and desire to do housework. When he tried to coax her into performing, she is unable to do so. Ravi meanwhile falls in love with Geeta. At home, Geeta begins to set everything on a proper course. She resumes control of the money and restores her grandmother to the head of the household, where she belongs. Raka begins to fall in love with Seeta. Trouble begins brewing when Chachi's brother Ranjeet comes to visit and sees the real Seeta in a marketplace. He follows her and discovers the truth, which leads to a showdown in the villains' den and then marriage.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Hema Malini | Seeta / Geeta |
| Dharmendra | Raka |
| Sanjeev Kumar | Ravi |
| Satyendra Kapoor | Badrinath |
| Manorama | Kaushalya |
| Roopesh Kumar | Ranjeet |
| Honey Irani | Shiela |
| Pratima Devi | Dadi Maa |
| Kamal Kapoor | Ravi's Father |
| Ratnamala (actress) | Ravi's Mother |
| Abhi Bhattacharya | Seeta & Geeta's Father |
| Karan Dewan | Properiety Lawyer Gupta |
| Asrani | Laughing Doctor (Special Appearance) |
| Asit Sen | (Special Appearance) |
| M. B. Shetty | Bald Guy Ranjeet's Goon, Kidnapper |
| Keshav Rana | Inspector Rana |
Production
According to Salim Khan, one half of screenwriting duo Salim–Javed, the concept of Seeta Aur Geeta was inspired by the Dilip Kumar starrer Ram Aur Shyam (1967), but they altered the formula with twin female sisters.[2] Seeta Aur Geeta subverted the formula by having the heroine Hema Malini eventually become the "hero" while male lead Dharmendra is in a mostly supporting role.[3]
Ramesh Sippy initially wanted Nutan as Seeta and Geeta because he "saw the heroine as a mature woman with a child" but he was advised against casting a heroine who was "at a mature phase of her career when the hero, too, was getting along in age." The film was also offered to popular actress Mumtaz, who ironically starred in Ram Aur Shyam, but she refused the offer as she wasn't paid enough. Mumtaz stated in an interview that at the time, the film was offered to her, she was charging Rs 8-8.5 lakhs/film, but she was offered only Rs 2 lakhs for Seeta aur Geeta. So she had to refuse the film.[7] According to Sippy, the film's budget cost ₹400,000[8][9] ($53,000).
Soundtrack
All the songs[10] were composed by Rahul Dev Burman and lyrics were penned by Anand Bakshi.
| # | Song | Singer(s) | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Arey Zindagi Hai Khel" | Manna Dey, Asha Bhosle | 04:43 | Picturised on Hema Malini as Geeta and Dharmendra |
| 2 | "O Saathi Chal" | Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle | 04:29 | Picturised on Hema Malini and Sanjeev Kumar |
| 3 | "Koi Ladki Mujhe Kal Raat" | Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar | 04:20 | Picturised on Hema Malini as Geeta and Sanjeev Kumar |
| 4 | "Haan Ji Haan Maine Sharaab" | Lata Mangeshkar | 05:26 | Picturised on Hema Malini as Geeta |
| 5 | "Abhi to Haath Mein Jaam" | Manna Dey | 05:31 | Picturised on Dharmendra |
Reception
Box office
Domestically in India, the film grossed ₹3.5 crore[11] (US$4.61 million) in 1972.[a] Adjusted for inflation, this is equivalent to ₹465 crore in 2017.[n 1]
Overseas in the Soviet Union, the film grossed 13.8 million SUR[b] (US$18.21 million,[c] ₹16.03 crore)[d] in 1976.[18] Adjusted for inflation, this is equivalent to $78 million (₹578 crore) in 2017.
Worldwide, the film grossed ₹19.53 crore (US$22.82 million). Adjusted for inflation, this is equivalent to ₹1,014 crore in 2017, or ₹1,208 crore (US$150 million) in 2020.
In terms of footfalls, the film sold an estimated 33 million tickets in India[e] and 55.2 million tickets in the Soviet Union,[14] for an estimated total of 88.2 million tickets sold worldwide.
Awards
| Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Best Actress | Hema Malini | Won |
| Best Cinematographer | P. Vaikunth | Won |
Series
Bohra Bros had made a television series based on this film which was aired on NDTV Imagine in 2009.[19] Coincidentally Hema Malini did a similar series on same plot called Kamini Damini which was aired on Sahara One on 2004.[20]
Notelist
References
- ^ Aḵẖtar, Jāvīd; Kabir, Nasreen Munni (2002). Talking Films: Conversations on Hindi Cinema with Javed Akhtar. Oxford University Press. p. 49. ISBN 9780195664621.
JA: I write dialogue in Urdu, but the action and descriptions are in English. Then an assistant transcribes the Urdu dialogue into Devnagari because most people read Hindi. But I write in Urdu.
- ^ a b "Seeta Aur Geeta was inspired: Salim Khan". Mid-Day. 28 March 2013.
- ^ a b Chintamani, Gautam (25 October 2015). "The brilliance of Salim-Javed lies not just in what they said, but how they said it". Scroll.
- ^ Singh, Prabhat (18 October 2016). "Hardly a stranger in Moscow". The Hindu. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- ^ Dhirad, Sandeep (2006). "Filmfare Nominees and Winner" (PDF). deep750.googlepages.com. p. 35.
- ^ http://www.ghantasala.info/tfs/cdata0872.html
- ^ Mumtaz Interview: Rajesh Khanna-Anju Mahendroo BREAK-UP on YouTube
- ^ Rangan, Baradwaj (5 October 2013). "The man behind Gabbar - The Hindu". The Hindu.
- ^ "The making of a dream - KOCH - The Hindu". The Hindu. 16 March 2007.
- ^ "Seeta Aur Geeta : Lyrics and video of Songs from the Movie Seeta Aur Geeta (1972)". HindiGeetMala.
- ^ . Box Office India. 20 October 2013. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013.
- ^ "Pacific Exchange Rate Service" (PDF). UBC Sauder School of Business. University of British Columbia. p. 3. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
- ^ "Top Adjusted Nett Grossers 1993". Box Office India. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b Indian Films in Soviet Cinemas: The Culture of Movie-going After Stalin, page 211, Indiana University Press, 2005
- ^ Moscow Prime Time: How the Soviet Union Built the Media Empire that Lost the Cultural Cold War, page 48, Cornell University Press, 2011
- ^ "Archive". Central Bank of Russia. 1992.
- ^ "Reserve Bank of India - Publications".
- ^ Sergey Kudryavtsev (3 August 2008). "Зарубежные популярные фильмы в советском кинопрокате (Индия)".
- ^ "Seeta Aur Geeta hit home - DELI - The Hindu". The Hindu. 28 May 2009.
- ^ http://www.thehindu.com/mp/2004/12/02/stories/2004120200600200.htm[dead link]
External links
- Seeta Aur Geeta at IMDb