Piya Mai To Hui Bawri....

Piya Mai To Hui Bawri-Lata Mangeshkar- Film Shart 1954-Lyrics S.H.Bihari-Music Hemant Kumar.

Shart, released in 1954, was a film blatantly copied from Alfred Hitchcock's " The Stranger on a Train". Normally a murder mystery , dazzling star cast and beautiful music ensures the success of a film. Take for example Kohra, Bees Saal Baad, Teesri Manzil. However this was not the case for film Shart. Since this was a straightaway theft of a foreign film, Censor Board of India initially withheld the release but later on released it after severe cuts. The ferocious wantonness with which the Censors cut the film was the main reason why the story lacks continuity. There are many coincidences which are difficult to explain. The characters were not properly developed, no rationales of locales, no reasoning with the behavior of various characters and their movements. In addition to this I.S.Johar, who played villain gave a comedy touch to villainy. All these factors make the film ridiculous and tests the patience of viewers.

Hiten (I.S.Johar), a slightly demented villain, tries unsuccessfully to murder his father for inheritance in initial sequence of the film. The father instead defends himself and advises Hiten to try for second condition in his death-wish. Hiten should marry his daughter Kamini (Shyama) to claim the money. While Kamini & her step-mother are travelling by train to Dehradoon, Hiten murders her step-mother and manages to make Kamini responsible for the murder. Panicked Kamini flees to avoid the murder rap. While she is wandering aimlessly, she is attacked by goons. In comes the hero Robin (Deepak), who rescues her and brings her to his home. Deepak is in the process of getting inducted in Police Dept. after passing exams and assigned for the inquiry of the train murder. The shrewd Kamini realizes that the best safe place for her to hide is Robin's home. While Robin is taking her to home, she seduces him successfully and manages to get shelter in his home.

Up to this stage of the film the viewer is totally bored and amazed at the stupidity of all the characters. Hiten plans to blackmail Kamini into marrying with him for getting inheritance. Kamini has no reason to panic as there is no substantial proof against her, yet she takes to her heel. The hero is not even officially inducted into the police force, yet he interferes with the inquiry by checking everyone. He searches places for finding Kamini without search warrant and proper authority. He suspects everyone, almost everyone except the girl sitting besides him who behaves mysteriously, trying to befriend him. He also fall for her charm. The rest of the film is replete with such ridiculous, improbable events defying logic. After lot of bizarre twists in the plot. the real villain is captured and our two lovebirds unite on happy note.

The only shining aspect of the film is Hemant Kumar's music, which somehow manages to salvage the film to some extent. However music alone cannot save the film. It was no wonder therefore that the film sank without any ripples. Today it is remembered only for it's music. This song comes in the film when Kamini, on the way to Robin's home with Robin in his jeep, tries to befriend and seduce him. Lata's tender voice,  Pretty Shyama's graceful appearance on screen and wonderful classical music by Hemantda, makes the song an audio-visual treat.

  पिया मैं तो हुई बावरी
अंखियाँ तोरी हैं जादू भरी
मैं तो हुई बावरी
पिया मैं तो हुई रे बावरी हुई रे

मोरे नरम कलेजवा में चुभ गई सुई रे
भाई मन को सूरत तेरी साँवरी रे साँवरी
मैं तो हुई बावरी बावरी ...

दिल की लगी मोरी जानी न तुमने तड़पे रे मोरा जिया
लाज की मारी मैं कुछ ना बोली आँखों ने सब कह दिया
तेरी भोली अदा पे पिया मैं मरी रे मरी
मैं तो हुई बावरी बावरी ...

रुत आई रे प्यार की आई रे
चहुँ ओर जवानी छाई रे
मेरे मन में बजे है मीठी बाँसुरी रे बाँसुरी
मैं तो हुई बावरी बावरी ...

Shart 1954

Star Cast: Deepak, Shyama, Shashikala, Sulochana Kadam, Neelkant Tiwari, I.S.Johar. Mohana. Chaman Puri, Jagdish Kanwal etc.
Lyrcist: S.H.Bihari
Music by Heman Kumar
Story and Screen Play: I.S.Johar, Naseer Hussain and Qamar Jalalabadi.
Directed by Bibhuti Mitra.
A Filmistan Production Film.