Jab jab phool khile (1965)

जब जब फूल खिले

Sometimes a film can leave the thinking and feeling portions of my brain disaligned.  Such films are hard to write about.  Jab jab phool khile ("whenever flowers may bloom") is one such, with an anti-modernity  and possibly anti-feminist message that is hard for me to swallow.  And yet I loved the film for its emotion and tenderness, and I'm inclined to give it a pass for any moral aspects that don't set right with me. 

Rita (Nanda), having finished her studies in America, ventures to Kashmir for a little vacation time, and rents a houseboat from a simple local boy named Raja (Shashi Kapoor).  Raja is smitten instantly, and eventually a mutual affection develops.  Rita's vacation eventually ends, but she returns the following summer, this time in the company of the irritating Kishore (Jatin Khanna), the self-important dandy Rita's father wants her to marry.  After a showdown with Kishore, Raja declares his love, and travels to the city to present himself to Rita's family.  Rita dresses him in western finery and instructs him in some of her family's modern customs, but when Rita's father sets him up for an embarrassing evening, Raja realizes that he cannot adjust to Rita's world.  It's up to Rita to figure out a way to keep their relationship alive.

Jab jab phool khile pits the emancipated go-go 60s against good old fashioned country conservatism, and it's in no way a fair fight.  On the side of traditionalism we have the charming Raja, earnest, innocent, and handsome.  He looks after his pre-teen younger sister and manages their houseboat rental business with an ethic of hardworking honesty; he's not even comfortable accepting tips.  Meanwhile, we are shown very little of value in modernity and Westernization.  Rita may be educated, but she's vapid and selfish.  It's not Raja the country rube who is a boor, it's Rita, who abuses servants and whines petulantly each time she doesn't get her way.  Also on the side of modernity is the sniveling, entitled Kishore, not to mention Rita's wealthy scheming father, who is not satisfied merely to refuse to his daughter to Raja but must also put the rustic in his place.  The deck is stacked so heavily in favor of Raja's simple country living that there's no question which kind of life the film is advocating.  In one song, expressing his discomfort with the modern trappings, he even makes an explicit contrast between Rita's milieu and what is properly Indian life, asking "kaise bhuul jaaun ki main huun hindustani" - how can I forget that I am Indian? 

It's statements like that which make it hard for me to judge the apparently anti-modern, anti-feminist sentiments of the movie.  How can I forget that I am not Indian?  In the end, it's not my place to declare that this cautionary tale is too cautionary.  Rita's over-accessorized, Audrey Hepburnized 1960s splendor is appealing, but I don't know what the threat of western homogenization really looked like from the perspective of this film's original, intended audience.  And I don't think the film is necessarily saying that all Westernization or modernization is bad, just the all-or-nothing, un-nuanced brand adopted by Rita and her orbit. 

In real life, if a relationship between a "sophisticate" like Rita and a "bumpkin" like Raja were to have a ghost's chance of success, a great deal of compromise on both sides would be required.  It's certainly problematic and perhaps a little dissatisfying that in the end of Jab jab phool khile, it's Rita who makes all the sacrifices.  (Beth has more about this.) And yet somehow in the film's own narrative context it makes perfect sense.  Both Raja and Rita are extremely naive and narrow-minded; neither one of them is particularly good at seeing the perspective of the other.  But at least Raja has an excuse for his simplicity; in Rita, supposedly so worldly and educated, the presumption is less forgivable.  And Raja does try to join Rita in her world, even though he discovers that it doesn't suit him.  Of the two, he seems to be the one who has tried harder, done all the work, and done all the thinking for the both of them.  It seems only just that in the end he gets all the reward.

Jab jab phool khile is quite clearly the antecedent of the 90s hit Raja Hindustani, but it is by far the better and more delicate movie, without the masala excess of the more recent film.  The greatest strength of Jab jab phool khile is this:  Shashi Kapoor is simply a superb actor.  He registers Raja's emotional  transitions in the subtlest changes in his face - from wide open, boyish innocence to wounded mistrust to anger.  The scene in which he chastises Rita after his humiliation in the company of Rita's urbane family and friends is among the most moving in the film - the most explicitly anti-modern, anti-western views are given voice here - and Shashi delivers it perfectly, wringing tears from me even as I squirmed at his sentiment.  In the film's songs he is a bit raw and unformed; having not yet developed his own style, he channels his brothers in turn, now Raj's smooth sophistication, now Shammi's wild gyration.   In the dramatic scenes, though, he is fully in his own element, one of the finest actors there is.  Jab jab phool khile is a Shashi fan's film - he looks beautiful and does all the emotional heavy lifting - and it's as a Shashi fan that I most enjoyed it. 

Comments

[Nirvana]

Carla, its not 'wherever flowers may bloom"'. It is 'Whenever flowers bloom'

[carla]

Yes, of course it is, with regard to "whenever". Thank you for catching the typo. But I'm leaving the "may" in there because it's not an error, it's a matter of interpretation. It's the first half of a relative correlative phrase and without the second half to fill in the thought, I think the "may" does a nice job of conveying the open-ended sense of the phrase.

[Maajhi]

Can't believe you reviewed this movie and left out mentioning blockbuster songs like Yeh Sama and Pardesiyon se na. Did they not make an impression?

[Maajhi]

Here are the youtube links:

Ye Sama - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iB_iMsdLgI. Lata at her best :o).

Pardesiyon se na, Lata's version - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6ZF42BeXkU

Male version of Pardesiyon se na - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4Ztek080F8

Wonderful songs!

[carla]

Maajhi, thanks for the links. I loved the songs from this movie very much - but my post was getting too long and the music didn't make the cut. I am glad that I can count on you to mention them. I always feel that comments from readers are a great supplement to my posts, whether presenting alternative viewpoints or raising points that I have missed, and you have taken care of the latter here!

[Stella_1]

Hi, I soooo want to see the movies that are on your blog. Where do you get them?

[Maajhi]

Thanks! And I have also done the former for reviews like 36 Chowringhee. On my part, I'm glad you - with your masterful command of English - found humble old Hindi movies, fell in love and decided to write paeans (or not) about them - very engaging and is one of the better Western-perspective filmi blogs around.

[Beth]

Great point about it being a Shashi fan's film. That's definitely the most satisfying approach to it, it seems to me (now in retrospect).

[Akshay Shah]

What a wonderful review of a wonderful movie by a wonderful reviewer!

JAB JAB PHOOL KHILE is timeless and Shashi Kapoor's charm is a cut above the rest. This was later remade(indirectly) as RAJA HINDUSTANI as you've mentioned,but as you've said so wonderfully..."but it is by far the better and more delicate movie, without the masala excess of the more recent film". Keep up the passionate reviews FG:-)

A.Shah

[carla]

Akshay ji and maajhi ji: Thank you both for your encouragement. You are a terrific ego boost! I have a great time writing these reviews and it's just great to hear that folks enjoy reading them.

Beth: It was a retrospective conclusion for me as well. When I put aside the troubling stuff we've talked about and concentrated on what I enjoyed, it was all about Shashi - and I don't think it's an exaggeration to say it's one of the best performances of his I've seen. It's up there with *Junoon* for control and subtlety, but it's a very different character, which is hugely to Shashi's credit. And, such subtlety is perhaps that much more impressive in a mainstream film like JJPK than in an art film like *Junoon*.

Stella - please see this recent post for information about where I get movies. http://www.filmigeek.net/2007/08/filmi-geeks-sho.html

[maxqnz]

Thanks for the excellent review, Carla. I discovered that one of my local video stores has recently been bought by a desi, and now has a great range of old gems, including this one, so I am once again indebted to you. I'll also be perusing your reviews for some of the other oldies newly available to me.

[maxqnz]

I finally got around to watching this, and have also just read Beth's review. I could see the paternalistic and anti-feminist message once alerted to it, but do think that it was not the primary message intended.Indeed, the scene after the dance almost made me ashamed of being a man, and had me largely siding with Rita. My copy's subtitles had her telling him to "stop this cliche-ridden drivel and nonsense!", and I thought that was nicely put. It was cringeworthy for sure. Of course, in addition to being a product of its time and for its audience, it's worth pondering just where "halfway" would have been for those two. One or other of them was going to have give up A LOT more than the other, na?

Of course, I have simple tastes in movies, and seldom see subtexts unless they club me over the head. So I liked this film immensely, especially the first half. Right up to the bizarre and inexplicable snowstorm. Not only did the acting in that scene remind me of the bridge on the original Enterprise, I'm left regretting that I am unable to ask my grandfather how many summer snowstorms he experienced while at school in Kashmir.

Despite the quibbles, this film is worth it for the songs. "Pardesiyon se na" is beautiful, especially (to this Asha fan), the sublime Rafi's version. Lata's is very good, of course, but I absolutely adore Rafi's. My favourite song of the entire film, though, is "Ek Tha Gul Aur Ek Thi Bulbul". Not just because the combination of Rafi's voice and Shashi's face nearly brought me to tears, but because the song directly advances the story. Even the good modern films (both of them) tend to use the songs for nothing more than atmosphere, and the worst stick them in for discernible reason at all. So it's a delight to go back to a time when the songs were integral to the film. Even though the best of them, like "Pardesiyon se na" can stand on their own outside the film, the reverse is not true. This film would be emotionally weakened without songs like "Pardesiyon se na", "Ek Tha Gul Aur Ek Thi Bulbul" and "Yahan Main Ajnabee Hoon".

So thanks again for pointing me to this fine film, carla. Chauvinist ka chand it might be, but still a very worthwhile watch, with great songs.

[Arvind Singh]

I have yet to watch this movie but I'll pay attention to anti-modernist and possibly anti-Western references.

As a generalization, Indian movies tend to appeal more to the heart than the head, especially those from the 1960s to the 1980s. Some recent Bollywood films are more nuanced but many are still not necessarily more thoughtful just more stylized.

Carla, do you think the film was appealing to certain sentiments in India of that era i.e. simplicity of a country boy versus arrogant, privileged attitudes of the urbane? I have to watch the movie to make up my own mind

I love your blog! How did you get into Hindi movies?

[carla]

Arvind, thanks for your great comments. Though I can only guess at the prevalent mindset(s) of the time, I do think that the contrast of the "simplicity of a country boy versus arrogant, privileged attitudes of the urbane" was part of the appeal of the movie. The song "Yahaan main ajnabee huun" drives that point home very explicitly, I think.

Short answer to your question: I got into Hindi movies when I stumbled across Deepa Mehta's *Fire* and lost my head over Shabana Azmi. I started investigating her work, one thing led to another, and here we are. :D

[the ppcc]

After watching yet another 1960s movie where (1) Shashi has his dork haircut and (2) it's a morality play where women come out on the bottom, the PPCC is properly annoyed. (The movie was Kanyadaan, btw.) Give us 70s masala anyday! And enough of this anti-feminist oppression dressed up in beautiful songs and beautiful shots of Kashmir! But I guess it was a different time...

That said, there is something really interesting about 60s movie morality vs. 70s movie morality. The 70s felt so much more humanist and liberal - an effect of the worldwide social upheaval? Apart from being the subject of hippie Orientalism, I don't know enough about Indian social history to know how much of a sexual revolution they had there. But consider JJPK - wherein Rita's drinking and dancing at the final party is properly demonized - and consider Suhaag - wherein Parveen woos Shashi by doing just that: sweetly intoxicated. It'd be an interesting thing to investigate, 60s puritanism versus 70s liberalism, all in the guise of masalaness. Maybe I'm forcing a parallel where there isn't one, but it certainly seems like good ol' 1970s masala movies were a lot more forgiving on their characters.