Starcast: Rishi Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, Pran, Premnath, Prem Chopra (guest role)
Producer and Director: Raj Kapoor
Distributed by: R.K. Studios
Rishi Kapoor: 2nd movie in 1973, after 1st movie (played Young Raju role) Mera Naam Joker in 1970. Mera Naam Joker had adolescent Raju infatuated with his teacher Mary (played by Simi Grewal). Mera Naam Joker flopped but audience (esp young crowd) remembered Young Raju (Rishi Kapoor)…and then in 1973, in Bobby, he came up Solo, thus a chocolate face amongst youngsters of 70s whom they could connect with.
Raj Kapoor as Director: Had directed Aag (1948), Barsaat (1949), Awaara (1951), Shree 420 (1955), Sangam (1964), Mera Naam Joker (1970)…Thus a very covetous and formidable name as a Director. Bobby was kind of platform for Raj Kapoor to launch his Son Rishi Kapoor, thus movie had got huge publicity beforehand.
Dimple Kapadia: She was 16 when Raj Kapoor discovered her for his movie Bobby. This was Dimple Kapadia’s first movie, but an interesting fact that Dimple Kapadia married heartthrob Rajesh Khanna on 27th March, 1973, 6 months before release of Bobby movie. Thus Dimple Kapadia was very much in news.
This was Dimple Kapadia’s first movie after her marriage with none other than Rajesh Khanna, 2nd movie and 1st solo of Rishi Kapoor after young Raju in Mera Naam Joker, and next one of Cult Raj Kapoor as Director…Thus Stage was set for a movie which was very much in news and very very hot even before its release.
Prologue: Very promising movie because of 2 reasons:
1)In news for multiple reasons even before its release
2)A movie on youngsters love. There hadn’t been a single movie till now to be based on teenagers love. And now we had Rishi Kapoor (21 years age at movie release) and Dimple Kapadia (16 years old and beau of RAJESH KHANNA)
Other successful movies of 1973:
Abhimaan (27th July, 1973)
Zanjeer (11th May, 1973)
Jugnu (30th August, 1973)
Daag: A Poem of Love (April 27th, 1973)
Kahani Kismet Ki (1st Jan, 1973)
Conclusion: No movie in 1973 till November that can be called a romantic love story. Abhimaan, Zanjeer etc are all heavy movies…all were very successful, but one romantic love angled movie was a draught which BOBBY filled.
Bobby Movie:
Movie is set on the background of a high-society family whose head Mr. Nath (Pran) is a very rich, busy, and disciplined man. Movie progresses showing both Mr. Nath and his wife busy with high-society (now called Page-3) parties, which were more of business get-togethers.
India in 1973 was a poor country, hence most people of India had never experienced high-society culture, had only heard about it through common street-corner gossips, tales from elderly, through newspapers etc that Rich don’t have time for their kids and don’t love their kids. Hindi Cinema hadn’t made any such movie before. To the extend that its shown that Raj Nath (Rishi Kapoor’s) mother never fed him on her milk and his Nanny Durga Khote grew him up…
Raj Kapoor leveraged this fresh concept and here was Indian audience’s chance to witness this theme in this movie. This helped make word for Bobby spread and made it talk-of-the-town.
Raj (Rishi Kapoor) has been shown as a well-behaving son who doesn’t call his father ‘Dad’ but ‘Sir’ and never goes against their directions. This despite living in boarding school from his childhood till his adolescence.
Rishi Kapoor returns home on his 18th b’day and there’s first song of Bobby movie ‘Main Shayar Toh Nahin’. Bobby had very touching lyrics by Anand Bakshi and amazing songs sung by Shailender Singh, Lata Mangeshkar, Manna Dey.
‘Main Shayar toh nahi’, ‘Hum tum Ek Kamre main band ho’, ‘Jhoot Bole Kauva Kate’, ‘Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai’ made BOBBY movie a heartthrob of entire youth of 1973….especially Hum tum Ek Kamre Main Band Ho…This helped attract people to the Hall which made Bobby the most successful movie of 1973.
The way Rishi Kapoor’s mother derided and insulted Durga Khote when she came with Bobby to give a present to Rishi Kapoor set emotions high amongst audience. Then Rishi Kapoor goes to Mrs. Braganza (Durga Khote’s house) and the first scene wherein Bobby had Gram Flour on her forehead were the scenes which audience remembered till long.
Raj Kapoor in those few minutes set the belligerent character of 16 year old hot chick, making it very clear that targeted segment for this movie is Indian Youth .
The scene where Bobby says to Rishi Kapoor that ‘Daadi Maa Kehti hai 1st time family room main milna chahiye’, ‘Mere Daant bahut tej hain’, etc set up innocence also of 16 year old girl. Youth connected with these dialogues/scenes/screenplays and didn’t get jaded with the movie. This helped spread word for this movie. These songs were something people did sing even absent-mindedly in 73, and something audience took with them while leaving the hall.
Then is entry of Prem Nath, a very lively person who knows living life. When Rishi Kapoor comes to take permission from Prem Nath to take Bobby to movie, the scene shows a very lively father which didn’t practically exist in 1973. Such a scene was a fantasy of every youngster of 1973, I am sure many youngsters would have even tried enacting this in reality after watching this movie. The way Rishi Kapoor, very nervously, asks Prem Nath that he wants go movie with Mrs. Braganza was very comic.
These creative punches were something audience took with them while going out-of-the hall.
The Scene where Rishi Kapoor takes Bobby to a party and then fight happening in that party of Aruna Irani showed an innocent naïve unsophisticated Rishi Kapoor who is very obedient/takes instructions for everything/calls his dad ‘Sir’ fighting and beating a guy for Bobby. These are scenes that made youth connect with it. This scene I suppose Suraj Barjatya extrapolated in his ‘Maine Pyaar Kiya’ then!
The misunderstanding that happens between Rishi Kapoor and Bobby in Aruna Irani’s party, and Bobby going to Kashmir, Rishi Kapoor following his love, got beaten up and then clubbing again was the way Raj Kapoor chose to progress the movie!
After ‘Hum tum ek kamre main band ho’, when watchman opens door after returning from city, and Rishi Kapoor/Dimple Kapadia leave the bungalow arms in each-other’s waists and singing was a v.funny scene, and yet another creative punch!
But best had yet to come. When Rishi Kapoor returns home, and Pran abuses Bobby, first time Rishi Kapoor confronts Pran loudly! This was scene-of-the-movie.
Pran inviting Prem Nath, insulting him brutally set up that Raj Kapoor’s movie wasn’t only about Dimple Kapadia in mini-skirts, but had emotional chord in the movie as well. Prem Nath enacted one of his lifetime roles as such a progressive, daughter-loving father who could go to any extent for her Bobby’s happiness.
Scuffles between two fathers-Pran and Premnath were picturised very beautifully. One would very naturally start hating Pran and feel mercy for Premnath and take side with him. Premnath is shown as a very solid man who just falls helpless all the times not because Pran is rich but because for his Bobby. He is shown as a God-fearing, honest, true man with all virtues, and one would get very emotional when Pran lambasts him once and again and again. Raj Kapoor succeeded very well in making his characters emerge out of the shells naturally.
Rishi Kapoor leaving house and going to Goa to meet Bobby, Mrs. Braganza calling Pran, Pran lambasting Premnath again, and then both of them along with Police coming to Goa happened pacefully. Finally Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia jumping down the fall was like a shock to audience sitting in Halls. This is something I am sure many would have liked/took them by surprise. I am sure it was extrapolated in ‘Ek Dooje ke liye’ then in 1981.
Final scene when Pran saying ‘Meri Beti theek hai’ was dialogue-of-the-movie, Raj Kapoor did one more beautiful thing-Premnath saved Rishi Kapoor, Pran saved Dimple Kapadia.
Strengths of the movie:
1)Songs
2)Creative Punches
3)Novel theme/concept of peeping in high-society life, the way their kids grow.
4)Face to face clashes between Poor Dad/Rich Dad
5)Chemistry between 21 year old Rishi Kapoor/16 year old Dimple Kapadia (looks natural and real)
6)Suicide attempt by young couple at end of the movie
7)Belligerent character of Bobby, Innocent Rishi Kapoor, Lively Premnath, high-society father Pran
Weaknesses of the movie:
1)Movie was always confused in showing real character of Pran’s Wife/Rishi Kapoor’s mother
2)She kept saying to Pran always “Aap ne mujhe Maa nahi ban ne diya”…movie remained confused till last whether she was like this because Pran wanted like this or because she herself was kitty-party page-3 lady…
Remember the scene when Rishi Kapoor returns home from boarding school on his 18th b’day, both Pran and his wife come home to see Rishi Kapoor. They meet him for a while and then she leaves saying she has to go for one party……This confuses even more whether she herself was inclined towards loving Rishi Kapoor or liked his parties more
3)Movie showed Dimple Kapadia in mini-skirt in whole movie. There’s a library scene in 1st half of movie, all girls are sitting in Jeans/saree/salwaar…why only Dimple Kapadia has to be in Minis…raises a point that Raj Kapoor did it for sake of it, even when not required! Some would categorize it in movie’s strength as targeted segment was youth!
4)Governess Durga Khote saying to Rishi Kapoor in Goa that you both can’t marry because tum Nabalig ho…quite surprising that a Nanny knowing all these law intricacies!
What I could have been different:
1)I would have loved to see Premnath in Jail sent by Pran…when you showing emotions, then show atrocity to the extent that Premnath is sent to jail first time in life.
2)I would have made a scene wherein Bobby is facing Rishi Kapoor’s mother. I would have wanted to see how Raj Kapoor picturises that scene…that scene would have helped evolve real character of Rishi Kapoor’s mother…which is quite confusing till now, till date!
3)Rather than Premnath and Pran hitting Prem Chopra and his goons, Rishi Kapoor hitting them. Girl won’t want a man who can’t beat someone who tries molest her. Why involve premnath and pran in it…
Finally, a great movie! Raj Kapoor greatly succeeded in attracting youth that helped make this movie highest revenue of 1973.
Filmfare best Actor award: Rishi Kapoor
Filmfare best Actress award: Dimple Kapadia (shared with Jaya Bhaduri for Abhimaan)
