Most fans of Shammi Kapoor and this fabulous film are by now painfully aware that no full version of it has made it onto dvd or vcd. Well, fear not! Shalini has shared her videotaped version which is intact (though unsubtitled), and I am here to tell you what we’ve been missing.
On the dvd, Sunita (Asha Parekh) and Rocky (Shammi) return from their little excursion having fallen head over heels in love and Rocky discovers that his room has been ransacked while he was away. He realizes that someone is investigating Rupa’s death a year earlier, and is confronted by a jealous Ruby (Helen)—she says cryptically that she hopes that Rupa’s little sister doesn’t find it necessary herself to leap from the third floor to the arms of mother earth. Then suddenly the scene switches to a rural fair, with Sunita and Rocky singing a song on a ferris wheel; and from that point on wealthy Kanwar (Premnath) is suddenly part of the plot and Sunita’s father (Raj Mehra) is also inexplicably present along with Ramesh (Prem Chopra) and his father.
Between Ruby’s jealous sniping and the song at the fair are about 30 minutes of footage which make sense of Kanwar’s character and entrance, and explain the arrival of Ramesh and the two fathers. It’s not of utmost importance to the plot, but it does make it smoother and more logical and gives us a whole lot more of Shammi, which is really what matters, hai na?
I’m not clear on all the dialogue of course, but here’s what I gather happens. If I get it wrong maybe Shalini can correct me!
Sunita informs Rocky that her friends (the hockey team) have planned a picnic outing for everyone, but Sunita and Rocky want to spend the day alone together (I adore Rocky’s pajamas here!).
They decide to pretend they are ill and ham it up tremendously, somehow even so managing to convince the girls to go on without them.
They meet at their usual place on a hill and Sunita tells Rocky (I think) about her wish to avenge Rupa’s death, which of course makes Rocky feel terrible even though he already knew about it. The angst!
I marvel at Sunita’s red pom-pommed knit cap.
They are interrupted by her friends (who seem to carry their hockey sticks everywhere) and teased a bit. The girls are hungry and thirsty, and Sunita suggests that they stop by Rocky’s uncle’s place (remember that Rocky had pointed out a big mansion on a hill earlier in the film while telling Sunita that he came from a good family).
Rocky of course tries to stop them, but the enthusastic gaggle of sahelis heads off towards the house. He runs ahead and arrives just in time to see the house’s owner Kanwar (Premnath) climb into a sporty convertible and drive away to meet some friends.
Relieved, he sweet-talks his way past the servant, invites them all in and orders up some refreshments.
But Kanwar returns unexpectedly, having forgotten to give his servant some instructions. He hears the ruckus inside and goes in to investigate.
This is a very silly scene, as he stands there and the party rages on with nobody noticing him or his giant rifle. Rocky distributes apples and brags about his rich “uncle”—really it’s very silly indeed, but makes me giggle anyway. Such is the power of Shammi and Teesri Manzil.
Luckily Kanwar decides that it’s funny too and begins to laugh heartily—and he goes along with Rocky’s story that they are uncle and nephew. It seems he has an eye for pretty girls too.
As they all take their leave Rocky stops to thank him (Kanwar says that he was young once too!) and a man in black dressed exactly like the mysterious figure skulking about at the hotel drives into the compound. Kanwar tells Rocky that the man is his estate manager, who is a bit of a drunk.
Back at the hotel, Ruby is conspiring with the weaselly hotel waiter (Rashid Khan) and Sunita discovers that her father has arrived in Mussoorie with Ramesh and his father in tow (she is less pleased to hear that, although she is glad to see Dad). He has come to fetch Sunita to the house where they are all staying.
Rocky looks in vain for Sunita in the hotel club, and the waiter tells him about her father’s arrival and Sunita’s subsequent departure from the hotel.
At the house, Ramesh tries to put the moves on Sunita but she will have none of it. She tells him furiously that she will not marry him, ever.
Her father quickly catches on that Sunita has given her heart elsewhere. She is thrilled when he agrees to meet Rocky that evening.
Meanwhile, Rocky has gone to meet Sunita at their spot, but mistakes another young lady for her. That girl screams for help and soon Rocky is being chased down the hill by a group of nearby villagers.
He runs into Sunita now, and yells at her for leaving the hotel without telling him. They argue and he says “You go to your Daddy!” She responds furiously “You go to your Mummy!” and I laugh. Lord how I love these two together.
But the men who are chasing Rocky now see him fighting with Sunita and assume that he’s found yet another victim.
Sunita runs off in a huff and Rocky chases her, with the villagers chasing him—and that’s how they end up at the fair, where the dvd picks up again with the song “Dekhiye Sahibaan.”
In terms of the story it isn’t a horribly big deal, but how I would love to see this film restored in its entirety (and subtitled). It is just such a classic! These missing scenes add continuity and context, not to mention more Shammi, more Asha, more Laxmi, more Premnath, (a little) more Helen, more silliness, more mystery and more romance. Less is not more, Hindi film dvd manufacturers!!! More is more!! I WANT MORE!
MemsaabStory 
