| The corrosive effect of the bright lights of a big, bustling city, on a simple soul. The eternal battle between virtue and sin. Raj (Raj Kapoor), the cheerful Chaplinesque protagonist of the film, full of good cheer, rushing to meet a new life (Chalna jeevan ki kahani, rukhna maut ki nishani). He meets Vidya (Nargis) a schoolteacher who saves from drowning. (Gender reversal?) The streets are not paved with gold, but money is there to be had. When Raj meets Maya (Nadira), a bombshell, honesty, takes a backseat. FLASHBACK: The song “Mera joota hai Japani, yeh patloon Englishtani” almost became an anthem of the age. The song, become popular in Russia! and Raj Kapoor came to hold a special in Russian hearts. Shankar Jaikishan tuned some of their best numbers in this film. “Mera joota hai Japani”- Mukesh. “Ramaiya vastavaiya” – Lata Mangeshkar, Mohamad Rafi & Mukesh; the classic romantic duet “Pyaar hua iqraar hua” – Manna Dey-Lata Mangeshkar; the saucy “Mud mud ke na dekh” – Asha Bhole; and the Manna Dey solo “Dil ka haal sune dilwala” |
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