This was a good con man –– singing to kids, wooing a pretty lady, fighting a tigress and a bad man and emerging a hero having exacted revenge for a tragedy from the past. There was only one person who could have played that character – Amitabh Bachchan – and he just slipped into the role with the flair that marked his career.
There was a new aspect to his personality as Bachchan lent his voice for the first time. For someone who was rejected by All India Radio, he carved out a huge new set of fans with his “Mere Paas Aao Mera Dosto Ek Qissa Suno…” The song was for his kid friends and obviously it became a rage or its melodious composition and of course the presentation on screen. Bachchan clearly loved frolicking with the kids and the song was a feature of this box-office success. It actually was an experiment that contributed immensely to carry the move forward.
Bachchan, spurred on by this song, went on to add some more in times to come, notably the Holi hit from “Silsila” – “Rang Barse”. The nascent phase of Hindi film history featured leading men giving their own voice to songs and Bachchan was a welcome addition to the list in the new era when parallel cinema gave the commercial field a tough time.
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This was an out-and-out entertainer with Bachchan pitted against the vivacious Rekha. To win her heart he takes on a tigress. Now this one is an actual tigress. Obviously there is Bachchan’s ‘double’ who enacts the action. Graphics and animations were not part of Hindi cinema and “Life Of Pi” would have remained a dream to assume the form of a movie.
Those were times when animals as central figures were not opposed by activists. “Haathi Mere Saathi” was a fine example where the elephant outshone the star of the day – Rajesh Khanna – and the film has remained a landmark movie showcasing the animal as the most popular member of the cast. Here, she gets credit too – Bharti the tigress. The tigress can’t match the skills of Bachchan. Having escaped from the cage, she is overpowered and put in its place. In the process Bachchan wins the love of Rekha.
Natwarlal is a notorious character in Indian lore. There are many stories revolving around the escapades of Natwarlal but our man is Mr. Natwarlal. He is good at heart and reaches out to the poor, always a step ahead when pulling off heists and making a mockery of the traps laid out for him. Bachchan as the protagonist was the right choice. He was at the peak of his career, having figured in hits like “Don”, “Muqaddar Ka Sikandar”, “Trishul”, “Amar Akbar Anthony”, “Sholay”, “Mili” and “Abhiman”. The classic romantic, “Silsila” was two years away, but Bachchan and Rekha had come together in “Imaan Dharam” and “Khoon Pasina” ahead of “Mr. Natwarlal”. There was a beeline to cast them since it assured good return at the box office. “Mr. Natwarlal” was not the best they had to offer but their banter stood out.
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Bachchan is Natwar, who has a mission to expose Vikram (Amjad Khan), the man responsible for framing a police inspector Girdharilal (Ajit). As the younger brother of Girdharilal, the rebellious Natwar seeks to set matters right and his pursuit to deal with Vikram is a roller-coaster path, replete with intrigue. A thief puts him on the trail of Vikram and the rest is the hero’s journey to avenge his elder brother’s ignominy with a gallantry medal, awarded to Girdharilal, the inspiring object for Natwar.
Rajesh Roshan’s music was a highpoint. Apart from the Bachchan offering, a duet by Kishore and Lata – “Pardesia Yeh Sach Hai Piya” – topped the charts of the day along with a peppy Asha Bhosle number – “Tauba Tauba”, the songs carrying a distinct Rajesh Roshan stamp. “Mr. Natwarlal” was a movie to delight when it graced the screens. It continues to be so.