Growing up with the movies – Saboot (1980)
Flash. I am in an auto along with my aunts. We are on our way to a theatre called Bahar(in Vile Parle).Flash. A person is pulling a dead body down a staircase. These are two flashes of memory that I have of my earliest childhood visit to a theatre and probably the beginning of my love for horror films. The 2nd image gave me sleepless nights after I saw the film. Sadly the cut I saw on youtube didn’t have that scene. It makes me wonder whether that shot was a figment of my imagination. These two images from Saboot are crystal clear to me even now.
Saboot was released on 28th February 1980 (according to imdb). I was almost 3 years old when I saw it. Directed by Tulsi Ramsay and Shyam Ramsay the film is more of a suspense thriller cum horror film.
Asha (Vidya Sinha) and Akash(Vinod Mehra) are a newly married couple singing ‘Jeena bhi koi jeena hai jisme tera saath nahi’. Minutes later tragedy strikes and Akash is killed in a plane accident. Tragedy ka baap follows when Vidya Sinha’s father Dharamraj (Trilok Kapoor) is murdered by his business rival Dhanraj(Prem Chopra) with the help of Ashok Gupta(Narendra Nath), Manmohan Saxena (Roopesh Kumar) and Rita (Padma Khanna). While burying the laash Padma Khanna tells them “yeh zinda hai, yeh zinda hai” and “kehte hain kisi zinda insaan ko agar dawan kiya jaaye toh uski aatma uski rooh apne maut ka badla apne kaatilon se leti hai”
Thus begins the one by one murder of the people who killed Dhanraj by his ghost. Amongst all this there is Ananad (Navin Nischol) investigating the murders and side mein making time for romance with Vidya Sinha’s sister Kaajal (Kaajal Kiran). Then there are Dhukiram (Rajendra Nath) and Sukhiram (Paintal) in what used to be called a ‘comedy track’ in those days.
Since I don’t have memories of the first viewing this revisit was almost a fresh viewing except the suspense part of it which I had remembered very clearly. Most of the people remember this film because of the suspense.
Here are some of the gems I found in the revisit. You decide if it inspires you to visit or revisit this little gem from the 80’
High points of the film:
A Lift, a cold storage godown and a grave guard are three settings for the murders in the film. They don’t come close to the murders in Gumnaam but for it’s time the murder sequences were quite well done.
The background score of this film can teach the current crop a thing or two about creating a haunting theme and mood for a horror film.
Rajendra Nath’s wiper wale glasses and the ones with mini headlights on them. These trademark glasses can be seen worn by him in other films too.
A slo mo shot of kaajal kiran running in a one piece swimsuit near sun n sand swimming pool. If you are watching the film on YouTube it is at 01.18.18.
The hilarious one track investigation by Navin Nischol, in which every time there is a murder he lands up at Vidya Sinha’s house to see if Om Shivpuri is at home who is his only suspect.
Songs:
‘ladki ho ladki kaise bhi chalegi paise wali ho yaa kadki’ sung by Bhappi Lahiri and Amit Kumar.lyrics by Amit Khanna featuring Rajendra nath and Paintal.
‘dooriyan mita do’ for fans of Kaajal Kiran ( if there are any)
Dialogues:
“Paisa bahot buri cheez hai” – Prem Chopra
“meri akkal yeh kehti hai” – Rajendra Nath’s takiya kalam
“Iss laundiya ka kaam hai khaali jaam bharna.bistaar aur zevar se mohabbat karne wali iss jawaani ko iss kabr ke mitti ke paas kyun le aaye” – Narendra Nath talking about Padma Khanna
Trivia:
This was the first time writer J.K. Ahuja worked with Ramsay’s. He wrote the story of Saboot. Later he wrote the story for 6 more Ramsay horror films. He is a person I would love to have a chat with.
Since it’s a murder mystery the revisit didn’t appeal to me much but would love to hear from whoever plans to see this film If they are able to tell the suspense kyunki “Saboot chhode nahi jaate.dhoonde jaate hain”.
keedakandi 