Tamasha (1952)

1952

Directed by: Phani Majumdar

Music: Khemchand Prakash, Manna Dey

Starring: Dev Anand, Meena Kumari, Kaushalya, 

Ashok Kumar, Kishore Kumar, 

Bipin Gupta, Sunalini Devi, Shivraj

I was watching Parivar the other day, after reading Dustedoff's well-written review of the film. Now, YouTube throws up 'similar' films on the sidebar, and while scrolling through them, I came across a Dev Anand-Meena Kumari starrer called Tamasha. If I'd heard of this film before, I'd certainly forgotten about it; equally certainly, I had no clue what it was about. But Dev Anand? Meena Kumari? Worth taking a chance, I thought to myself, and I could always stop watching if it turned out to be too dreary. Well, as it turns out, it wasn't. Quite the contrary, in fact.

The film starts off rather innocuously. Rai Bahadur (Bipin Gupta) is furious. His grandson, Dilip, is entangled with a woman whom the Rai Bahadur despises. What's more, Dilip has deceived him again and again to be with her, he tells his family doctor (Shivraj). Dilip pretends he has broken off all relationship with this woman, but that is obviously not true. Preposterous! This is all too much! But Dilip hasn't reckoned with him! In fact, he has a plan up his sleeve at this very moment. He will pretend to be on his deathbed. And then Dilip will have to do as he says.

 

When a concerned Dilip (Dev Anand) rushes in, he 'overhears' the doctor telling a cohort of his dadaji's friends that his grandfather may live only for another three or four hours. He hurries into his grandfather's room (complete with a nurse and other paraphernalia as befitting a dying man), and finds his dadaji is not even interested in talking to him. After all sorts of emotional blackmail, the beleaguered Dilip promises his grandfather that he's cut off all ties with 'Nayantara', and is actually in love with a 'shareef gharaane ki ladki'.

Rai Bahadur has had enough of his subterfuge. He asks Dilip pointblank why he hasn't brought this 'shareef gharaane ki ladki' to meet him yet. Dilip replies that the girl is from a poor family and he fears that his dadaji may not approve of her. Rai Bahadur excoriates him for being a liar. (For someone who is doing plenty of lying himself, dadaji has some cheek. And for someone on the verge of dying, dadaji is rather spry.) The drama continues to play out - dadaji falls back gasping, the doctor rushes in, proclaims that the patient's pulse is low, and rushes out to arrange for oxygen. Poor Dilip is at his wits' end.

 Dilip's love, Nayantara (Kaushalya), is a stage dancer who is trying to break into films. And it is quite evident right from the beginning that she sees Dilip as her ticket to fame and fortune. Her secretary, and an assistant director (Randhir) want her to persuade Dilip to bankroll a film which the assistant director will direct and she will star in. And now that Rai Bahadur is on his deathbed, their way seems to be clear.

Nayantara's mother (Sunalini Devi) comes in to the room just then; she bears bad news. Dilip had just telephoned and he sounded rather strange over the phone. Suppose he's persuaded by his grandfather? The director-to-be is aghast - what will happen to his debut film then? So he hits upon a plan - when Dilip comes to Nayantara, she's to pretend to be grief-stricken.

Dilip enters to tell Nayantara that he's come to end their relationship. His grandfather is dead against the match and will not countenance her being his bahu at any cost. Nayantara plays up - she's given up five contracts for him. What's to happen to her now? (The director has the music director playing appropriate music in the background.) Dilip apologises but he cannot see a way out - he has to find a woman from a decent background and present her to his grandfather; he has to control his wayward heart, accept this hypothetical woman as his wife and seek his grandfather's last blessings. 

 

But the canny assistant director has another ace up his sleeve - after all, the grandfather has only a few hours left to live. Just persuade some girl to pretend to be his fiancee, and present her to the grandfather; once he dies, Dilip can come back to Nayantara. Dilip is aghast. This is against common decency. He cannot deceive his grandfather to that extent. (Really? When he's been deceiving his living dadaji for so long? Now he has compunctions about deceiving a dead dadaji?!)

But Nayantara plays her cards well. She faints gracefully (thankfully, she is already sitting down and doesn't need to see if Dilip is around to catch her.) Her plight (and her mother's persistent calling of 'Brute!') makes Dilip change his mind. (Incidentally, 'Nayan' does a lovely job of pretending to faint - even to the 'Main kahan hoon?' as she slowly flutters her lashes.)

Now all that is left to do is find a girl who will fit the Rai Bahadur's idea of an ideal bahu, and who will be amenable to playing the part for a few hours. So off they go, Randhir (The assistant director doesn't have a name in the movie; so I'll stick to his real name from now on.) and Dilip in search of such a young woman. They visit a lot of places - the Bombay Nurses Association, the Isabella Duncan Ladies Boarding House, even the Extra Suppliers Association. Without much luck.

Eventually Dilip throws the director out of the car and goes home. On the way he hears a woman scream for help. (And now the film jumps or is cut and the next scene is already in Dilip's house.)

He begs the bewildered girl (Meena Kumari) to listen quietly to everything his grandfather says. Upstairs, the doctor warns the grandfather, who is merrily eating and drinking, about Dilip's arrival. They quickly hide the evidence, dadaji is back to looking like he's dying, and Dilip enters with the girl whom he presents to his dadaji. (He also makes some lovely faces at her from behind his grandfather's bed.) 

It turns out that Kiran (for that's her name) is the orphaned granddaughter of one of Rai Bahadur's childhood friends. Dilip tries to manage the situation as much as possible, but his dadaji is not exactly a stupid man. And Kiran is totally befuddled, not having any idea of what either man is talking about.

Dilip somehow manages to get Kiran out of the room, and apologises to her for having played such a trick. An incensed Kiran throws his money back at his face and leaves.  Matters go from bad to worse for Dilip - his grandfather overhears him on the phone to Nayantara.  Dilip is busy making plans to meet his Nayan in the evening, and back in his room, the Rai Bahadur's health 'gives way' again. He insists that Dilip bring his bahurani back - now. 

Back in her flat, Kiran is packing to leave to Pune, and telling her room-mate (who seems to have been responsible for Kiran going to Dilip's rescue) how the Rai Bahadur turned out to have been her grandfather's  friend - how could she deceive him like this? Her friend teases her by saying that when Dilip comes next, she will tell him that Kiran hates subterfuge. So perhaps he should actually make her his bride. It is clear that Kiran is not as immune to Dilip's charms as she is pretending to be.

But when Dilip comes to persuade her to return to his house, Kiran becomes furious again and throws him out of the room. Poor Dilip is left wondering how to face his grandfather.

Meanwhile, Nayantara has a new visitor - film star Ashok Kumar (Ashok Kumar). The director warns Nayan's mother that Mr Kumar is up to every game and not a pigeon for their plucking, but 'Mummy' deems otherwise. (Nayan is pretty honest, I must say.  She's marrying Dilip for his wealth, and will continue to look to Ashok for love, for he cannot give her the wealth that Dilip can. They are made for each other, in a way, Ashok and she, both opportunists, and neither of them have any delusions about the other.  Ashok seems well aware of his rival, and none too bothered that his lover may be marrying another for his wealth.

A distraught Dilip lands straight up at Nayan's. What's he to do now?   While Nayan and her mother are pleased to hear that Kiran's left for Pune, they have to solve Dilip's problem - where is he going to get dadaji's bahurani? Randhir comes up with another 'twist' - Dilip should go to dadaji all dishevelled and distraught and tell him that Kiran was in an accident the previous evening, and died this morning.(It says much for Dilip's state of mind - and general stupidity - that he decides this is a good idea.)

Meanwhile, back in the Rai Bahadur's mansion, the servants, waiting for the new bahurani, are surprised by another visitor - Rajju (Kishore Kumar), Dilip's cousin. (He is the Rai Bahadur's daughter's son.) After joshing his grandfather, it turns out that he and his grandfather are as thick as thieves - in any case, the Rai Bahadur is none loath to tell him his secret plan.

 Meanwhile 'bahurani' has come to the Rai Bahadur to 'tell all'. She is besieged by the servants who have all been waiting for her with bated breath. A perturbed Kiran gets no chance to tell her story. Rai Bahadur insists that it is her arrival that has caused him to get well. (Even as the doctor tries hard to keep the pretence going.) Kiran still tries to tell dadaji the truth, but he doesn't seem to want to listen. (He knows bloody well that his grandson is enacting a drama.) In any case, he tells Kiran that it is now her duty to feed him, sing to him (Sing to him?) take care of him, etc. Poor Kiran!

A disturbed Kiran turns to Rajju to help her get out of the mess she is in. (She actually tells him the truth - now why she should trust a man she's met a precious few minutes ago, is another question altogether.) They reach an agreement of sorts, even though Rajju is not only clear that Dilip is a decent man (though with a screw loose somewhere), but perspicacious enough to question why it would be so bad if Kiran were really to become the bahurani.

 

Meanwhile, Dilip comes back prepared to play his part of distraught lover. Unfortunately for him, both Kiran and Rajju enter the room after him, and the grandfather, not beyond playing pranks himself, signals to them to stay behind, and not say anything. Poor Dilip continues to dig his own grave. 

 Rai Bahadur has other plans too - he embroils Kiran into his plans of getting Dilip to turn a new leaf. And Dilip is busy wondering what brought Kiran to the house, until Rajju tells him that she is in love with him. (Which, to his credit, Dilip doesn't quite believe.) While the cousins are talking, dadaji comes in and sends Dilip off to beg his bahurani's forgiveness. And Rajju of course, in on the whole of his nanaji's plan, is there to complicate matters for Dilip.

But Dilip is no fool himself. When persuaded by Rajju to behave lovingly towards Kiran on the pretext that their grandfather will be eavesdropping on their conversation, he writes a message to Kiran so she would not let the pretence slip. Unfortunately for him, he holds the wrong side out, and Kiran, having no clue what Dilip is muttering about, thinks he is cracked, leading to some hilarious dialogues between the two.

Suddenly, Dilip realises that she hasn't seen his message at all; he apologises for the misunderstanding and for all his lovelorn dialogues until then, and thanks her for not disclosing his deceit to his grandfather. A rather silent Kiran leaves him to go back to her flat. His gentleness has made inroads into her heart, and she is well on her way to falling in love with him.

The next morning, she is back at the house, much to Dilip's astonishment. Rajju's musical warning makes Dilip turn to him for advice, which is also given in song. Between his dadaji's earnest efforts, Rajju's 'help' and Kiran's own agenda, Dilip is in a bad place. But he's still the thoughtless, self-centred, wishy-washy person he always way, even leaving her waiting in the car (her own fault, actually) while he waltzes off to meet his Nayan.

Only, Nayan's busy keeping Ashok company. While a disapproving Dilip looks on, Ashok is not above adding some oil to the flames of his jealousy. Nayan manages to coax him out of his sulks, but when he comes back to pick up his lighter which he left behind in her dressing room, it is to finds his Nayan in Ashok's arms.

He handles it very well. So does Ashok. And so does Nayantara. While Ashok is able to muster some sympathy for his rival, Nayan has her eyes focused on the big prize - she wants to become a heroine - come what may.

Dilip returns home (having forgotten that Kiran was waiting for him outside the theatre). When Rajju tells him that the only reason Kiran is staying on is because she is in love with him, Dilip demurs. It cannot be; someone like Kiran cannot like a deceitful cheat like him. Rajju probes further - why shouldn't she love him? Who is going to say 'nay' to Rai Bahadur's grandson? Dilip confesses that Kiran doesn't strike him as someone who is after his wealth. And oddly enough, he's finding himself attracted towards her. (A confession that is overheard by both an overjoyed Kiran, and a satisfied Rai Bahadur.)

 Soon, Dilip is forced to go to Delhi to attend the marriage; on the way , he is accosted by Nayantara who tries to persuade him that she truly loves him. Dilip brushes her off and goes on his way, only to stopped by Randhir and Nayan's secretary who tell him that Nayan has a bottle of poison in her purse. When he crashes into her room, he finds her about to drink the poison - and while they make up (silly Dilip!), she's still annoyed that he's leaving for Delhi.  The only way to stop her from taking her own life, says Randhir, is to not go to Delhi at all. He should just stay with Nayan for five days and go back home after that.

But Ashok arrives while Dilip is there, and it is clear that Nayantara and Ashok understand each other. Much to her mother's and Randhir's disgust - if Dilip were to see Nayan with Ashok again, all their conspiring will go to waste. Nayan couldn't care less, but they manage to persuade her to entangle Dilip so they can get some compromising photographs.

Back at Nayan's Dilip has been made privy to the fact that Nayan and his cohort have been playing him for an utter fool. And he has no choice but to marry Nayan anyway. While Kiran has just realised (from a postcard from Delhi) that Dilip hasn't  been to the wedding at all. At the same time, Rai Bahadur is receiving a mysterious phone call.

What game is Ashok playing? How is Dilip going to get out of this mess? Will dadaji's and Rajju's support be enough for Kiran to save her love?

It is unusual to see someone play a villain with such insouciance at his villainy, and Ashok Kumar (also the producer of the film) does just that. He is charming, he is debonair, and is much more self-assured than the poor 'hero', who is but a callow youth, both self-centred and clueless at the same time. But Ashok is not 'villain' - not completely anyway. He has a strong streak of self-preservation, but also has a leavening of decency which allows him to rescue the protagonist from his own folly.

It is also unusual to see a vamp who is so self-aware; as she tells Ashok in one scene: 'Ek buri khabar hain. Kabhi kabhi mujhe aisa maloom hota hai ki jaise ki Nayantara ke dil ko sachmuch tumse mubobbat ho jaayegi.' When he responds, 'Samajhdaar log kabhi dil se muhobath nahin karte. Woh dimag se uhobath karte hain', her pragmatic reply is 'Isi liye toh kehti hoon ki khabar buri hain.' And why does she love him? Because she doesn't have to pretend to be anything other than she is. He understands her.

Nayantara is given such scope to build her character that one cannot but help feeling a sneaking sympathy for her, however opportunistic she is. She's playing the cards that she is dealt with, and has a single-minded determination to achieve her ambition. So much so she doesn't care who she uses to reach her journey's end. What's more, she doesn't get her comeuppance; sure, she doesn't succeed in her attempt to snare Dilip, but she is not vanquished. She gets to walk away with the man she is more than half in love with.

 Dev's Dilip is a weak man. To his credit, he knows he is weak. He is easily manipulated - by his grandfather, by Nayan, by Randhir, even by Kiran. And despite all his deceit, he is honest when it matters. Unusually for such films, he tells the heroine the whole, including the fact that he is being blackmailed. There is no 'strong, silent hero' who will bear her hatred and grief. There's just a man who knows that he's lost the game even before he's begun to play.  As he tells Rajju, 'Har koyi sochta hai ki ya toh aadmi din ke tarah safed ho sakta hain ya raat ki tarah kaala. Lekin din aur raat ke beech mein shaam bhi toh hoti hai.' (Everyone thinks that a man is either white as day, or black as night. But between night and day lies twilight.)  Never has there been such a strong plea for the acceptance of the grey shades of human character. (He also gets no songs, not even a love duet.)

In fact, it it Meena Kumari who has the short end of the stick here. Barely 20 when this film was released, she looks very young and pretty. There is the hint of the actress that she would become with experience, but here, she plays the regulation heroine, with few chances to build her character's arc. The chemistry between her and Dev Anand is quite intense, and they look very comfortable when they are together.

However, we are not given as much of a look into her motives and motivations, nor does she get to be the support that Dilip asks her to be. At that point, considering they showed her to be strong and spunky before, and very supportive of him later, one wishes she'd actually done something instead of letting him walk away from her, and singing a sad song about betrayal after he's left.

I honestly do not know what Kishore Kumar was doing in the movie. When he first appeared, it looked like he was going to be the pivot who would unravel the tamasha. But he sort of disappears towards the end, leaving you with the impression that the director was in a hurry to tie up the loose ends, and didn't quite know what to do with this character. This must also be one of the few films in which the hero doesn't even get a song, no, not even a love duet.

On the whole, Tamasha is an unusual film in that none of its characters are cardboard cutouts. Its people have agency - and they are willing to use it. The whole film is a series of tamashas -  staged by the characters to fool others. Rai Bahadur stages his own illness, Dilip stages a new romance, Nayan stages a plausible love affair, and later, a suicide... the vamps and villains have reasons for what they do - and it is more than just jealousy or spite. There is naked ambition on display, and no moralising over it. In fact, even when the supposed 'villain' puts an end to that ambition, he still understands it. By the end, it is made clear that no one in the film is purely evil - everyone is coloured in some shade of grey.

I could have done without the ending being so dramatic, in a film that was not at all so, but at least it ended with a dash of humour, and without melodrama. I must confess that Ashok Kumar rescued the ending from what would most certainly have dissolved into a farce. But that is a small peeve in a film that was unusually subdued in its emotions. And it was a treat to watch Ashok Kumar play the rogue. This must be one of the few, if not only film where Dev Anand shared screen space with his idol, Ashok Kumar. Or even with the man who was to later become his voice, Kishore Kumar. But all in all, a film worth a watch, and I'm glad YouTube threw it up as something that might interest me.