Kala Bazar

About the film

Kala Bazar (transl. Black market) is a 1960 Hindi-language crime noir film produced by Dev Anand for Navketan Films. Written and directed by Dev Anand's younger brother Vijay Anand, the film starred Dev Anand, Waheeda Rehman, Vijay Anand, Chetan Anand, Nanda, Rashid Khan, Madan Puri, Leela Chitnis, Mumtaz Begum and Helen. S.D. Burman composed the music, while the lyrics were penned by Shailendra.

It was noted for having several of Bollywood's stars in a cameo at the film premiere of Mother India (1957), and it was also the only film to star the three Anand brothers together.

Plot

Raghuveer is a poor bus conductor who is fired from the job after getting into an argument with a passenger. With an ailing mother and two younger siblings to take care of, Raghuveer doesn't know how to provide for his family. When he passes by a cinema hall and sees Kalu (Rashid Khan) selling movie tickets, he gets an idea. Seeing that as a good source of quick money, he too decides to black market movie tickets. But for that, he needs capital to start with. So he robs Advocate Desai (Chetan Anand) of Rs 5000 and soon sets his own network of black marketers outside all prominent cinema-halls of Bombay.

First, he works with Kalu and at the premiere of Mother India, their tickets sell faster and faster as more film stars arrive – they include Dilip Kumar, Guru Dutt, Geeta Dutt, Kishore Kumar, Raaj Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar, Sohrab Modi, Mohammed Rafi, Nargis, Nadira and Nimmi. Finally, he sells his last ticket for 100 rupees when one ticket cost only 2 rupees. Elated with his newfound business, Raghuveer and Kalu go from strength to strength, recruiting many poor and homeless thieves. When Ganesh dares to challenge him, Raghuveer beats him up. The next day, Ganesh agrees to work for Raghuveer. Now a wealthy man, Raghuveer buys a new, spacious flat for his family on Marine Drive. Things change when a group of students buy movie tickets from him. Alka finds out that her friends bought them in black, and tears the tickets as she hates black marketing. This has a great impact on Raghuveer and he gets attracted towards Alka, who is standing nearby and watching. She was in love with her boyfriend, Nand Kumar Chattopadhyay (Vijay Anand) who promises her not to do it again.

Smitten with Alka, Raghuveer starts to follow her. So, when Nand gets a scholarship and travels overseas, Alka's parents decide to take her to Ooty to take her mind off Nand. Raghuveer sees this as a perfect opportunity and gets on the same cabin as her family and attempts to woo Alka on their trip to Ooty, but in vain. He sings "Apni To Har Aah Ek Toofan Hai", trying to flirt with Alka, while the song itself was veiled as a prayer. He also helps to cure Alka's father's back pain with a massage and soon, he becomes friends with the family. Though he is unable to win Alka, his feelings towards her makes him a changed man and he gives up the path of black marketing.

Critical response

Vijay Lokapally of The Hindu called Kala Bazar a "timeless classic".

Soundtrack

The songs of the film are composed by S. D. Burman and lyrics are by Shailendra.

Key details