Birthday Special: HAMARI , TUMHARI , HUMSAB KI PYAARI FLIM -" HUM AAPKE HAIN KAUN"

I received an invitation to see the new film of the Rajshris, “Hum Aapke Hain Kaun" and I had heard people talking about the film as a ‘Shaadi ka antakshari'(a string of songs as a film) - Ali Peter John

The time was fixed for three pm and as usual I reached fifteen minutes early. I was first greeted by the general manager, the affable Mr P.K Gupta who was associated with the Rajshris for years (and still is).

He was joined by Sudhir Rahate who was the PRO for Rajshris. I was led to the mini auditorium which was a part of the Rajshri office.

I sat alone and waited for some other people who I felt would come. But, I didn't see anyone.

After a few minutes, I found the head of the Rajshri Empire, Seth Tarachand Barjatya himself walking towards me and taking his seat next to me.

I was a junior compared to his seniority and his achievements as a man who had come to Bombay without anything and just armed with his ambitions and dreams and had gone on to build the Rajshri Empire.

I also knew him as the man who had seen no future for Amitabh Bachchan and had asked him to write poetry like his father or play football as he had long legs..

The man in the projection room asked if he could start the film. I was surprised and asked Sethji if he was not expecting anyone else.

He both embarrassed me and even made me feel a high when he said that the show was only for me.

I had never had an experience of watching a film all alone in an auditorium or theatre.

Sethji kept giving me some kind of a running commentary about Rajshri and the film I was about to watch.

He left the auditorium after twenty minutes and I sat in splendid solitude and watched the film, which as it progressed transported me into another world,a world where there was human relationships and Indian values blended with some great music, with Lata Mangeshkar at her best, singing almost all the major songs.

I still have memories about how I was delighted with every moment I was in the auditorium.

During the interval, I was served with the best of Indian snacks and tea with which I toasted the film even though I had only seen half of it till then.

The second half was a blend of several Indian emotions, love, laughter, tradegy and dance, besides a poodle called Tuffy(real name,Redo).

When I walked out after almost three and a half hours of being a part of a huge family, I was in for a big surprise.

All the Rajshris were standing in a line with their hands folded. It was only a little later that a very shy Sooraj Barjatya joined the men of his family.

I wanted to know what all this was about, till Mr Rajkumar Barjatya, the father of Sooraj and one of the producers, with his other brothers Kamal Kumar and Ajit Kumar Barjatya very shyly held a handkerchief to his face and asked me what I felt about the film.

I didn't know how to react, but I assured them that the film would be a huge success and would also create a wave that couldn't be stopped.

They all looked at me with feelings I failed to fathom and I left thanking them for giving me a great opportunity to have a great time with pure Indian entertainment at its very best.

The Rajshris sent me a letter of thanks which made my day and many more days to come.

The film was finally released and it seemed like it would not work the kind of magic I had expected it to.

But with the very second show, there was some kind of a revolution in the world of entertainment in Indian cinema and that was the beginning of a five-year long feast of film entertainment.

“HAHK" was the first Hindi film to collect 100 crores in 1995, which was an unbelievable amount no other film had crossed, and the others who could be compared to this magic of a film were “Mughal-E-Azam",“Sholay" and later “DDLJ".

Sooraj Barjatya made sure that success did not spoil him or touch him in any way.

He was still the shy Sooraj who stood up when anyone, even a technician entered his cabin.

Little did he know that he had made followers like Aaditya Chopra, Karan Johar and was the founder of a whole new school is filmmaking besides being a name to respect even among the seniormost filmmakers,not only in Bombay but all over the country.

There was some kind of a sweet revolution among the masses. People who had never seen films travelled all over to see a celebration of a marriage in the midst of all that happened in a family during a marriage.

Three were families who walked out of their homes to see this film and an entire families watched the film and then watched it again and again...

The saris especially the purple-coloured saris worn by Madhuri Dixit became the in thing and women of all communities felt that their wardrobe was incomplete without the kind of costumes worn in the film by all the characters.

The highlight of the film came when the world renowned painter, M.F Husain saw the film at the Liberty Cinema and was so enchanted and enraptured by Madhuri that he saw the film 98 times, sitting in the same chair everytime.

Madhuri had become his muse and all that he painted after seeing Madhuri was only his various interpretations of Madhuri.

His ‘affair' with Madhuri became the talk of the world. He organised exhibitions of his paintings on Madhuri and when the Madhuri fever captured him and became his obsession, he even went back to his first love, films and directed a film after more than sixty years.

He made “Gaj-Gamini" with Madhuri in the title role and his obsession with her was so total that he even made a guest appearance in a film produced by Madhuri's manager, Rakesh Nath (also known as Rikku) and directed by Reema Rakesh Nath, Rikku's wife.

Incidentally, it was the first time I spoke to Husain Sahab during the shooting of the film and we developed a kind of friendship that lasted till he had to unfortunately leave the country, never to come back again....

It is twenty-five years now and as I look back, I see the changes that have come over with time.

Rajkumar Barjatya who was supposed to be the brain behind the film died recently after he had started showing signs of dementia.

Among the others associated with the film who died earlier were Sethji himself and among the actors who quit this world were Reema Laagoo, Laxmikant Berde, Ajit Vacahhani and the cinematographer, Rajan Kinagi and Redo, the poodle who was a heart-winner in the film.

Salman Khan is still at the very top, with his career only growing better with time and his confidence in Sooraj only growing stronger.

Madhuri opted for marriage rather than pursuing her career and is now Mrs Madhuri Dixit Nene with her husband, Dr Sriram Nene and their two sons, Ryan and Arrin.

She is still looking mesmerizing but the magic seems to have lost some of its shine, which had to happen, now that she is all of fifty-four.

Rakesh Nath is no more working with her and it is Dr Nene who has taken charge of her career.

Among those who have either volunteered or by time gone into retirement are Bindu, Monish Behl, Renuka Shahane and even Alok Nath who had reached the top of hours career with “HAHK" and was going strong in father's roles but had to take a forced bow after he got involved in #metoo movement.

And no one knows where the music director, Ram Laxman who had given the biggest musical hit and the other technicians involved in the film are.....

That is what happens with the passing of time. That is the power of time which can play any kind of games with people, take them to the heights of success and even throw them into the wells of oblivion.

“HAHK" was a celebration of cinema and will always be. But “HAHK" is also an experience to learn from.

Will the magic of “HAHK" happen again? Only time, yes, only time can tell and will not, because time loves to keep us human beings on tenterhooks all the time.

KYA AISI SAAF , SUNDAR AUR KAMYAAB FLIME BANANA SIRF SOORAJ BARJATYA KA KAAM HAI ? , KYUN AUR DIGDRASHAK AISI FLIME NAHI BANA SAKTE ? SOCHO , SOCHO HAMARI , TUMHARI , HUMSAB KI PYAARI FLIM -" HUM AAPKE HAIN KAUN"

-Ali Peter John