Jaal
1952 · India · 165 min
- Director
- Guru Dutt
- Screenplay
- Guru Dutt
- Music
- Sachin Dev Burman
- Cinematography
- V. K. Murthy
Cast
What it is about
Set in a fishing village in 1950s Goa, under Portuguese rule, the film follows the relationship between Tony, an aimless man from the city, and Maria, a local fisherwoman who falls for him without reserve. Amid rivals, warnings and gossip, the romance becomes entangled with the smuggling operation Tony runs along the coast.
How it was made
It was Guru Dutt's second film as director, after Baazi (1951), which also starred Dev Anand. Anand and Dutt had watched Bitter Rice (1949), Giuseppe De Santis's Italian film, together and adapted its story to a rural Indian setting. The film was shot on location in coastal villages of Goa, in black and white by V. K. Murthy, the start of a long partnership with Dutt. S. D. Burman's score draws on Goan folk music and became popular with songs such as «Yeh Raat Yeh Chandni».
Reception and legacy
Early audience reactions were mixed, as some viewers were uncomfortable with the lead character's negative traits, though the film became a hit thanks to its romance and songs. It was the third highest-grossing film of the year in India. Today it is regarded as an early classic of Indian noir, and its portrayal of Goan Christian fishing communities was praised for avoiding common stereotypes.
Stills
Trivia
Accident at Malvan
During the shoot, at one of the locations in Malvan, Anand and Geeta Bali were injured in a car crash on the return trip to Bombay and recovered at a hospital in Pune.
Guru Dutt's cameo
The director appears uncredited as a fisherman in the song «Jor Laga Ke Haiya», sung by Geeta Dutt.
More films by Guru Dutt
Pyaasa
Paper Flowers
Gamble (Baazi)
Mr. & Mrs. '55
Across the Heart
BaazOriginal Cinematopedia text based on Wikipedia (en) and Wikidata.