Chhoti Si Baat (1975)

The dvd cover is…patchy. The contrast leans too far towards white, and basically it seems like the picture is incredibly faded. This very reason made me want to steer clear of this movie…making me wonder whether I’d be able to see anything at all, or it would be a choppy and blinding film…I’m sure glad I decided to watch this movie anyway. Surprisingly enough, it’s one of the best preserved movies from the 70’s I’ve ever seen (the sort of movie that astonishes you when you find out how old it is.) The main reason I rented this was for Amol Palekar…you know…the guy who directed and helped write Paheli? Yeah. That’s the one.

Directed by: Basu Chatterjee

Starring: Amol Palekar, Vidya Sinha, Ashok Kumar

 

You’re introduced to several characters and it is explained how they met their spouses then fell in love. One man had a secretary he became smitten with, another man was lazy and eventually got into an accident…falling in love with his nurse and getting married soon after, another man had 5 romances before he finally met a widow with two children and married her, etc. etc. And then we meet Arun (Amol Palekar). He’s mousy, and kind-of cute in that scrawny quiet sort of way. He’s spent god knows how long catching the bus just to be near Prabha (Vidya Sinha) who he just can’t seem to work up the nerve to talk to. He follows her to work (they work in the same building, so it’s not too creepy) and even starts to follow her home. Prabha is completely aware of this, and likes teasing him…catching him walking behind her or asking him the time just so she can watch him turn into a deer in headlights. Eventually she goes to his office to speak to his boss, and Arun is worried that she’s going to report him for harassment. But she doesn’t, surprisingly enough…it’s a business matter, and Arun is the lucky chap who gets to help her out finding some papers…so Arun actually finally get to talk to Prabha…

Don’t they look cute together? Arun has been fantasizing already about working up the nerve to ask her out, or at least have a conversation…so now that he has his chance…the movie cuts to a theatre…where he is watching a movie…ALONE! Yay, Arun! You finally-oh wait. No. You didn’t. Never mind…

While he’s at said film, Arun starts to fantasize about himself and Prabha replacing the hero and heroine in the movie…singing together…catching the bus together…etc. etc.

Prabha tells her friend about Arun’s conversation with her when he tried to stop her from going into his boss’s office the other day…and we get the distinct impression that she really does like him…if only he would work up the nerve to ask her out. Well, he does. And she seems nervous about it (worrying that perhaps he won’t be a gentleman? What if he, horror of horrors…grabs her hand?!)

She agrees to go out to lunch with Arun, but doesn’t sit down with him alone…because Nagesh (Asrani) is there, and he’s a ’coworker’ of hers. Nagesh is a bit rude, a bit demanding, and a bit of a jerk. But hey, he’s Asrani…and I just love Asrani. He snatches the menu from Arun and orders for all three of them. Personally, if I were at a restaurant with a friend, a family member, etc…I’d get pretty mad if he tried to order for me! Poor Arun misses his chance to really talk to Prabha…poor Arun…

Nagesh has a scooter, and Prabha’s started to ride it with him in the mornings rather than take the bus. Arun thinks he’ll impress her (possibly even be able to give her rides) if he gets one too…but the dealer ends up tricking Arun into buying a crappy motorcycle instead. But don’t worry Arun! Nagesh is here to steal the girl from you again, after your motorcycle breaks down…kya fantastic hai? Fantastic nahee hai! Prabha isn’t very happy about this…in fact, she looks disappointed. Nagesh may be manly, but Arun is just so gosh darn sweet!

Arun resorts to fortune tellers, palm readers, horoscopes, guys with parakeets, etc. etc…trying to find a solution to his predicament. Well, after many tries with many different weirdoes…Arun finds Colonel J. N. W. Singh (Ashok Kumar) to help him become a bit more masculine, forward, and able to really speak to Prabha about his feelings…and from then, you’ll have to find out the rest for yourself.

On another note…there IS a quick cameo from my beloved (Amitabh)…and he looks ‘really’ good…just…fyi…~cough~

I absolutely adored this movie. The characters. The script. The director of photography. The few songs that there were…it was all wonderful. Don’t pass this movie up. My final verdict is 9 out of 10 bindis…