MemsaabStory

I really wanted to like this movie—Faryal as a heroine! The Shash as her hero! Lalita Pawar! Pran!—but I was forced to ponder these things instead:

• Why is Faryal the heroine so much less likable than Faryal the vamp?
• Is it possible for Prithviraj Kapoor’s sons to pull off being “poor”? (no)
• How many wimpy roles did Shashi play in the Sixties anyway?
• Is it better to ignore psychological issues than to completely eff them up?
• Is there anything funnier than absolutely literal subtitles?
• Is Lalita Pawar Awesome No Matter What? (yes)
• Is Pran the Most Suave Villain Ever? (yes again)
• Have I really seen two movies in a row where Lots of Mehmood wasn’t Too Much?

*Sigh* So much goodness squandered on a story full of trite saccharine platitudes (if you are rich, be kind to the poor; they are people too!) which descends finally into that melodrama I so dread, where the females in the story are either blamed or worshipped and lose any bit of individuality and humanity they might have had.