Khatta Meetha
Khatta Meetha means sour & sweet. Life is such.
When you do not have anything constructive to do in the afternoon, that is, you are either bored or unemployed, in my case I have not got any Hafta Vasuli to do and you cannot have Chammiya’s in afternoon (Mehfil raat ko hi maaja aati hain. Mehfil-e-shaam!), so you either surf the net – but for how long – or you will watch Columbo on the TV or you will watch a movie of Hrishikesh/Basu.
The Columbo was not on the TV and I do not own DVD of it, but I do have DVD of Khatta Meetha, which is directed by Basu Chatterji. So I watched the movie and it effectively killed a couple of hours. Now I am back to square one!
I could write about the movie, but what would I write about the movie! When you tell someone that you liked the film in reply you will either get, “I liked the film as well” or “You’re a sap”(I would reply, “you’re a twat!”) and that is it.
There isn’t much to write about the movie. The film is excellent, though. There is no fancy camerawork – in fact the cinematography is shoddy – it is very indy. No dialogues – just regular-simple talk, that we converse everyday in our life. There are ain’t any Nataunki – no item or mujra song. No Switzerland or Russia. The protagonist are old, Ashok Kumar and Pearl Padamsee, so no Star in the films. Well, if you think Rakesh Roshan, is a star, because his son is a star, then he has a small role in the film.
What would PFC Ronin contestants or any top critics make of this movie, if they were given Khatta Meetha to review? Would they review this movie – Complain about it? Or would be happy to review the movie? They certainly would not be able to dissect the movie in a great length, would they be?
There is nothing intellectual about the movie, so if you prefer only movies that are beyond your intellectual levels and makes you think, then you certainly would not enjoy the movie. The film is very simple – simplicity at its best. Everything is on the plate – it is a brainless movie. Not like a David Dhawan kind of movie, though. It is a very good refreshing brainless movie.
I still have not mentioned anything about the story. Because, I believe, most of you would have seen the film and it is only a one line story. The film is about two old Parsi widowers played by Ashok Kumar and Pearl Padamsee. Ashok Kumar has four kids and Pearl has three kids, are lower-middle-class-factory-people and they have a common friend in David Abraham – he works with Ashok Kumar in the factory and is close neighbor of Pearl. So David gets both of ‘em married – you have to watch the scene – where Ashok Kumar comes to see Pearl – it is so hilarious – in a good way – because they both were very apprehensive about getting re-married at their age (they are about 50 years old) and were worried about what would their kids and society think about it.
The marriage was more of a comprise because Ashok wanted someone to care about him as he was getting older, do the cooking and take care of his younger kid. Where as Pearl wanted a husband who will get her daughter married and will earn the money. Also they had house problem, so it made a sense for them getting married to sort out their problems together.
They get married without telling their kids, and Ashok Kumar shifts with Pearl. Then the film is about routine problems like, fights between the kids, getting Pearl’s fat daughter married, space problem – house was very small, money problem, Rakesh Roshan in love with Bindya – so Rich vs Poor problem, etc. Nothing extraordinary – you would have seen it before.
The film is melodramatic but it is not cringe-melodramatic which you see in Munnabhai series or over the top – melodramatic which you see in Yash Raj/Karan Johar movies. Whatever melodramatic is in the movie, which is very minimal btw, is very convincing and believable. That is why I like the movie and own the DVD, where as I do not own DVD of Munnabhai series. I already have written a bit about my problem with Munnabhai, which you can read about it here, if you wish. So I shall not repeat it here. Will continue to talk about the movie..
I am writing about a Hindi film and still have not mentioned anything about the music. How can that be?! The music is by Rajesh Roshan and lyrics are by Gulzarsaab. Many people have a problem with Gulzarsaab because his lyrics are so complex and the words he uses, that a layman cannot understand it, or the very intellectual people have some sort of problem with – i think, that is, because it is beyond their level. But here the lyrics are so simple yet meaningful, that a deaf would be able to understand it. Don’t ask me how, but they would.. The film starts with a gem of song – “Khatta Meetha” by Kishore Kumar and Usha Mangeshakar (Yes, Lata-ji has a sister other Asha Bhosle!):
Khatta Meetha Khatta Meetha
Yeh Jeena Hain Angoor Ka Dana
Khatta Meetha Khatta Meetha
Yeh Jeena Hain Angoor Ka Dana
Kuch Kachcha Hain Kuch Paka Hain
Kuch Kachcha Hain Kuch Paka Hain
Areeh Jeetna Khayaa Meetha tha
Jo Haat na aaya khatta Hain….
I bet even Mini Randhawa would not have any objections about this Gulzarsaab’s lyrics. She would not be able to find a fault in this song. Now would she? Naaah.
Yesterday Neeraja was talking about songs, lyrics and video in her article and I had forgot to mention “Roll Roll” song from Khatta Meetha, because she primarily talks about classy song, well, this is a classy songs as well, but different kind of a classy song – Kishore Kumar and Amit Kumar signing together – although you cannot tell a difference between them, but it is a brilliant song and it is shot brilliantly albeit some lame action and camerawork. The energy with the singers have sung it and what actors do in the scene makes the song brilliant to watch and listen to it..:
…Haal Bura Hain Chaal Bhali
Chaal Bhali Chaal Bhali
Door Hain Meri Pee-ki Gully
Pee-ki Gully Pee-ki Gully
Chaar Kadam Ki Manzil Hain
Manzil Hain Manzil Hain
Saari Umar ka Chalna Hain
Chalna Hain Chalna Hain…
There are a couple of mellow-romantic duets by Kishoreda and Lataji in the album, which are also quite decent.
Thoda hai thode ki jaroorat hai
zindagi phir bhi yahan khoobsurat hai
thoda hai thode ki jaroorat hai
I would give this film 10 out 10 – some of you would be surprised, but there isn’t anything in the film I would want to change. Even the dire romance between Rakesh and Bindiya is bearable.
[BTW, lately I have written a lot and now I have ended with a soar throat, is there any connection between writing and soar throat?]
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
@Honhaar G,
Khatta Meetha is a different world where audience go for more than 2 hours and remain light all through the film and come back with a light mood and lot of smile on the face whenever something from the film strikes the memory. Be it Preeti Ganguli’s scream when she finds Master Raju is going to live in her room,”Kya ek mard mere kamre mein”. Or when Ashok Kumar anounces his decison of marrying Pearl Padmasi and two of his sons object under the hope all the brothers will oppose but Master Raju ofcourse supports his father and slowly all brothers have to supoort it. Or Deven Verma’s over the top innocent longing for a woman so that he can marry and when he sings,”Mummy O Mummy tu kab saas baengi”, its hilarious.
Ranjit Chaudhari’s kungfu practise and coming back to home after getting injury at Cricket ground.
A genuine conflict among youngesters of two different families when they are forced to live together.
Good music.
Usha Mangeshkar has sung many good songs with Rajesh Roshan, Ravindra Jain etc in late 70s.
Thank you for reminding us again this light comedy.
@H.G,
as you have again touched the topic of Gulzar saab.
He wrote first time in Bandini (Mora Gora Rang le le Mohe shyam rang de de) and he has been writing lyrics continuously since then.
Hindi film makers dont use anybody who writes complex things. They did not use Suresh Wadekar properly under the excuse that he sings in classical way.
Those who repeat that Gulzar saab writes complex dont recall this long journey of his as a lyricist. He wrote for Izajat in late 80s and many who have started lisetening him after that period live under that illusion. They dont bother to go back to his all the songs he has written. He might have written hundreds of songs. How many are complex?
and somebody had just few days ago commented that he does not write for masses. now these things are purely argumentative. Mass is not that who is listening, Kajrare, Beedi, Chaiyan, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom and many many more which have got super success in recent years?
People have to criticise anything and everything without having proper evidence and if produced counter arguments then its often taken as debate. Then we have century old arrow- lets agree to disagree:d
Truth- what we think is truth should prevail.
Is it too complex????????;)
sounds like a “baaton baaton mein” kind of simplistic film.. been meaning to watch this one. plus it’s got ranjit choudhary, who was awesome in BBM. thx for reminding me..
RKSaab, I have always preferred Gulzarsaab’s simple lyrics to lyrics like Ijaazat or whatever. perhaps, i don’t understand those complex lyrics, but it also could be that I prefer simplicity and sometimes those kind of songs are a lot meaningful.
Also, it is much difficult to appreciate simplicity compare to complex stuffs.
Striker, Khatta Meetha is slightly better than Baton Baton Mein and it is not as slow as Baton Baton Mein. But, Khatta Meetha does not have Tina Munim…
Khatta meetha is one of my favourite movies especially because of Ashok Kumar, Pearl Padamsee and, David. It might not be a technically good movie, but it has its heart at the right place. Always a refreshing watch.
Coming to Gulzar Saheb’s work. I have always loved them irrespective of the lyrics being complex or simple. Personally, I love all the words I learn from his works. When I get to know its meaning, I get to undestand its usage and it makes his work all the more interesting. I agree with RKSaab, Gulzar has written all kinds of audiences…….
The scene where ranjit chaudhary and other guy are pulling bread/cake to their respective side and pearl padamsee cuts the cake. Also Amitabh Bachchan as groom of Priti Ganguli in dream and the song” mummy o mummy tu kab saas banegi….quite hillarious!
i loved the film absolutely.
Was this Pearl Padamsee’s first film?
Whenever there is a good flow in a story.. the technical bits take the back seat and whatever there are inefficiencies in technical department you tend to overlook it, which is the case with this film.
Shailesh, it was ‘Kaakdi’/Cucumber – not bread or cake.