Review of Junglee

Junglee (1961)
10/10
One of The Most Meomrable Films From The 1960's.
21 December 2008
Who can forget "Yahoo Chahe Koi Mujhe…", when Shammi Kapoor slides down the snowy hill in the beautiful Kashmir with the beautiful Saira Banu? And then the dance with the dancing sensation, Helen, in "Ayaya Karume Kya Suku Suku?" And finally the romantic songs, "Ehsaan Tera Hoga…" by both the late Mohd Rafi and the nightingale of India, Lata Mangeshkar? This film was Saira Banu's first film and it was opposite the then top actor, Shammi Kapoor, who is known as "Elvis Presley" of Hindi cinema, now more famously called "Bollywood." Born into a family who has extremely strong and perhaps even draconian rules, which also includes no one allowed to laugh in the household, fall in love or even go out led by the old time favourite, dreaded mother, played by Lalita Pawar, who heads the family and Chandra Shekhar (Shammi Kapoor) as her son, who, even those working for him, consider him and call him "Junglee." But there is his sister, Shashikala, who is totally the opposite of him and the mother. She laughs and likes to go out and meet her boyfriend, who, happens to be a clerk in Chandra Shekhar's firm. Naturally the mother suspects that her daughter is up to something and sends her packing with the brother on a holiday to Kashmir. Here there some very hilarious scenes with Chandra Shekhar and Raj (Saira Banu) whenever they meet. But then the fate takes a turn and the god of love firs an arrow and love starts to blossom and Chandra Shekhar realises what he has missed all his life and the sister is absolutely shocked and cannot believe that it is her brother behaving in the way he now is.

With the combination of the late Mohd Rafi, Shammi Kapoor and Shankar Jaikeshen as the composers, one knew at the time, that the music and the songs had to be good. In one scene, Raj, the character played by Saira Banu, calls Chandra Shekhar a "Bunder," monkey and in true sense of the word, it can be said that his expressions, until romance starts to blossom, are that of the monkey. Related to Naseem Banu, an old time favourite actress, Saira Banu is perfect in this role.

Shashikala, who later played roles similar to that of being an evil mother – in – law or sister – in – law, who falls in love with a clerk, in her brother's company, is perhaps a flamboyant here as she is totally the opposite of her brother and her mother. The part of her lover is played by the late Ashok Kumar's (Dadamoni's) brother, Anoop Kumar, who is good in supporting Shammi Kapoor in this film.

Finally the rock of the family, Lalita Pawar, who controls everything in terms of rules of the house. She is just perfect as an authoritarian character, who is stubborn and will do whatever she can to ensure that her late husband's rules are carried on.

This movie, for those who watched it when first released 47 years ago, will take down memory lane, which has some of the most memorable songs by Mohd Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar and is supported by good, excellent comedy and scenery of Kashmir as well romance.
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