Howrah Bridge (1958 film)
Howrah Bridge is a 1958 film directed by Shakti Samanta. Its name is a reference to Howrah Bridge, which connects Howrah to Kolkata over the Hooghly River. It features the well known Hindi song "Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu" which was re-used in the film Salaam Bombay!. This song was sung by Geeta Dutt and picturised on Helen. Director Samanta also said that the sensuous club number "Aaiye Meherbaan" picturized on Madhubala was also very memorable.[1] The Music Director was O. P. Nayyar. The songs of this film were penned by the famous lyricist and Urdu poet Qamar Jalalabadi. The film performed "above average" at the box office and one of the most successful film of that year.[2]
| Howrah Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Shakti Samanta |
| Written by | Ranjan Bose |
| Starring | Madhubala Ashok Kumar K. N. Singh Om Prakash Madan Puri |
| Music by | O. P. Nayyar |
| Distributed by | Shakti Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 153 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
Plot
Prem Kumar (Ashok Kumar) and his elder brother Madan (Chaman Puri) are looking after a successful business of their father in Rangoon. But Madan suddenly disappears with the family heirloom, a dragon embedded with precious stones and reaches Calcutta to sell it off. He falls prey to the designs of a few smugglers and pays with his life. Prem's father urges him to get back the heirloom and Prem in disguise of Rakesh comes to Calcutta from Rangoon. There he meets his father's trusted tangewala Shyamu (Om Prakash) who takes him to a hotel run by Chang (Madan Puri) but then he is swiftly taken over by the seductress Edna (Madhubala) to her uncle Joe's (Dhumal) hotel, where he is looked after by her. Edna falls for him and reveals that her uncle, Chang and Pyarelal (K N Singh), a friend of Joe and Chang, are into illegal business. Having got a cue from Edna, Prem chases the culprits until finally he is framed by Pyarelal in the murder of Chang.
Ultimately Prem gets his heirloom and his love and now wife Edna.[3]
Cast
- Madhubala as Edna
- Ashok Kumar as Prem Kumar / Rakesh / Vikram
- K. N. Singh as Pyarelal
- Om Prakash as Shyamu Tangewala
- Madan Puri as John Chang
- Dhumal as Uncle Joe
- Kammo as Chhamia
- Sunder as Bhiku / Bhikarilal
- Brahm Bhardwaj as Madan & Rakesh's dad
- Mehmood as Wedding Dancer
- Minoo Mumtaz as Wedding Dancer
- Chaman Puri as Madan
- Nirmal Kumar as CID officer.
- Helen as item number "Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu"
Music
| # | Song | Singer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Aaiye Meharbaan" | Asha Bhosle |
| 2 | "Yeh Kya Kar Daala Tune" | Asha Bhosle |
| 3 | "Dekhke Teri Nazar Bekaraar Ho Gaye" | Asha Bhosle, Mohammed Rafi |
| 4 | "Gora Rang, Chunariya Kaali" | Asha Bhosle, Mohammed Rafi |
| 5 | "Mohabbat Ka Haath, Jawaani Ka Palla" | Asha Bhosle, Mohammed Rafi |
| 6 | "Main Jaan Gayi Tujhe Saiyaan" | Shamshad Begum, Mohammed Rafi |
| 7 | "Eent Ki Dukki, Paan Ka Ekka" | Mohammed Rafi |
| 8 | "Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu" | Geeta Dutt |
Trivia
Mehmood and his sister Minoo Mumtaz have performed together as a pair in a song "Gora Rang Chunariya Kaali" in this film.
References
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 15 February 2009. Retrieved 9 December 2008.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=164&catName=MTk1OA== Archived 22 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- Samantha, Shakti. "Howrah Bridge (1958)". Filmy Geek.
Other links
- Howrah Bridge at BFI Film & TV Database