Raat aur din (1967)

रात और दिन

The psychological drama is a genre I've not seen much in Hindi films.  Satyen Bose's Raat aur din ("night and day") is not the finest psychodrama ever, but as a rare Hindi example of the form it holds its own, thanks to a rangy and vibrant performance by Nargis.  

Varuna (Nargis) is a sweet, if melancholy, country girl, who meets Pratap (Pradeep Kumar) when his car breaks down near her mountain home.  Though Pratap is on his way to Shimla to meet his betrothed, he is taken with Varuna, and quickly breaks his engagement to marry her instead.  But Varuna has a dark double life; by night she transforms into a vivacious boozer who calls herself Peggy; she sneaks out of their Calcutta home to dance at swanky, Anglophone night clubs, and awakens with no knowledge of these escapades.  With the help of Dilip (Feroz Khan), a man who meets "Peggy" during one of her nights on the town, and a pair of tenacious psychiatrists (Anwar Hussain and Harindranath Chattopadhyay), Pratap and Varuna return to Shimla in hopes of uncovering the root of her mysterious split personality.

With its echoes of Alfred Hitchcock's Spellbound (as well as prescient shades of Sybil, which came somewhat later), Raat aur din is both chilling and compelling.  The inherent creepiness of the subject is enough to glue one's attention to the screen, and the film offers enough hints at the nature of the trauma that splintered Varuna's psyche that I found myself guessing at the analysis, eager to find out whether I was correct.  It suffers, though, under the burden of some filmi touches that detract from the tautness of the psychodrama.  For example, Anoop Kumar is somewhat fetching as a hapless doctor overwhelmed by the willful Peggy, but his broad physical comedy is out of place and distracting at points when psychological tension could have been building to great effect. 

Nargis's performance, though, stands out and makes the film worth watching.  Apart from one instance of classic movie-madness - wild cackling giving way to violent sobbing - she presents a chillingly engaging portrayal of her character's split personality.  Her Varuna is sad and troubled; though unaware, consciously, of her illness, she nevertheless appears melancholy and ill-at-ease, as though the demons that drive her nighttime excursions swirl precariously just below the surface.  And her "Peggy" is not a care-free party-girl; there is a desperation in her thirst for alcohol, music, and stimulation that is palpably pathological.  Raat aur din is Nargis's film, and it is a showpiece for her skill. 

Raat aur din also features a handful of very nice songs by Shanker-Jaikishen, like the lovely and plaintive title song and the jaunty "Awaara ae mere dil," which reminds you that it is the 1960s.

I watched this movie with Greta of Memsaab Story; you can read her comments about it here. Thanks to Greta also for the screencap.

Comments

[memsaab]

I love this film, especially for how different it is from the usual Hindi drama. Nargis completely dominates it :-) Was a fun watch!

[Nida]

Yay--Filmigeek's back for good :)

This looks interesting and I'm definitely putting it on my list. Fabulous screencap (Greta's awesome at those, isn't she?) too!

[bollyviewer]

Yay for a rejuvented Filmi Geek!

This is the third good review of this film in blogland, and I am very curious to see it, now. I've loved the songs for ever, but filmi psychology doesnt always make for entertaining viewing (I thought Spellbound indulged in pop-psychology, too), and have avoided it so far.

[Shalini]

Although there are some inconsistencies in her appearance (and performance to some extent)because of the long time it took make the film(produced by her brother, character actor Anwar Hussein), Nargis really does carry "Raat Aur Din." What impressed me most, was how she carved out separate spaces for Varuna and Peggy yet managed to convy that they were really part of the same whole/being.

I agree - Raat aur Din may not be a great, or even good, film, but it's definitely interesting and worth watching.

[satish]

Brilliant performance by Nargis. Intensity with which she acts has no parallel in Indian cinema. She carries both rules (day/hight) with ease. Her "Mother India" is a master piece. Above all outstanding songs by nightangle "LATA MANGESHKAR" makes this a great film. Lata's voice is like a gentle stream which can flow and melt hardest of rocks, shining moon flowing gently under milky cloud which can starl and surprise even cuckoo. Lata and Nargis are great hits.

[Fog Light]

Hope you start and keep blogging. And, thanks for mentioning me.