Several years ago, India had an all-weather friend-the Soviet Union (USSR) till its dramatic collapse in 1991. It was the Soviets to whom the Indian government, and people, looked for collaboration in almost all fields – from space travel to defence equipment, and yes, even in joint production of films, of which “Alibaba Aur 40 Chor” is an example.
Directed jointly by Umesh Mehra and the Russian Latif Faiziyev, the film is based on the fable of Alibaba one of the most famous of the Arabian Nights . Although the story is best suited for animation or as a children’s film, because of the content and possibilities it provides, it has been adapted in several cultures which have made variations to the plot. In India, the character had been essayed by two iconic actors of the south, MG Ramachandran in Tamil and NT Rama Rao in the Telugu version, once in Bengali and twice in Hindi, before the Indo-Soviet collaboration, produced by FC Mehra’s Eagle Films and Uzbek Films starring Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Zeenat Aman, Prem Chopra along with a slew of Soviet actors was released in 1979. In the screenplay, Shanti Prakash Bakshi and Boris Saakov have taken major liberties in the original folklore.
The people of Gulabad in Baharistaan are terrorised by a dreaded dacoit, Abu Hasan, who loots and wrecks havoc on rich caravans passing through the desert routes. In one of these caravans, Abu Hasan comes across Fatima (Zeenat Aman, good in parts, but with very limited facial expressions or voice modulation) and her father (Madan Puri). The two try to repulse the attack using gunpowder, something unknown to Abu and his cohorts. Using his wiliness to capture Fatima, he takes her father as a hostage and asks her to spy in the city for other caravans on their way to Gulabad.
When Alibaba (Dharmendra, on whom the film rests) , who lives with his aging mother and greedy elder brother, Qasim, in Gulabad receives a letter from the king of a distant land, Alampana Shah Farvez (Pinchoo Kapoor) that his long lost father, who had been hurt when his caravan was looted by Abu Hasan, is his honoured guest, he goes to fetch him.
Twists and turns
Approaching the fort, he realises that the king has been killed in a coup by Shamsher (Prem Chopra who in a small role manages to showcase meanness) and is pursing Shehzadi Marjina (Hema Malini) , princess of the kingdom whom he wants to marry. After many twists and turns, Fatima comes to live with Qasim and Marjina with Alibaba in Gulabad. Both Fatima and Alibaba seek vengeance from the evil Abu Hasan.
By a stroke of luck, Alibaba reaches the cave where Abu Hasan stores his loot, the entrance of which is under a waterfall and opens with ‘Khul Ja Sim Sim’. Alibaba, to help the townsfolk gets some gold coins and jewellery from the cave, but Qasim cajoles his younger sibling to share the secret with him. In his greed, Qasim gets killed but not before Abu Hasan comes to know that the secret of his hideout is out. In the ensuring drama interesting facts unfold which will surprise the audience. The Soviet actors, with their different facial features and dialogues dubbed in Hindi, give a feeling as if streams of two different colours are flowing in the same river, thereby reducing the viewing experience. Music composed by RD Burman and Vladimir Milov though good, with some hummable songs, including “Khatouba” (Asha Bhonsale), “Saare Shehar Mein Ek Haseen Hain (Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar) and “Aa Ja Sare Baazaar Tera Pyaar” (Lata Mangeshkar) fall short by some margin. The beats and flavour essential for the setting of the story requiring an Arabic outline, is missing, something which Burman was really capable of giving, especially when lyrics were penned by none other than Anand Bakshi.
