Wahan Ke Log Explained

Wahan Ke Log
Director:N. A. Ansari
Producer:N. A. Ansari
Studio:Bundelkhand Films
Music:C. Ramchandra
Country:India
Language:Hindi

Wahan Ke Log is a 1967 Hindi science fiction film.[1] Directed by Nisar Ahmed Ansari, the film stars Pradeep Kumar, Tanuja, Johnny Walker. One of the earliest sci-fi films made in India,[2] [3] it tells the story of a supposed martial threat on India by aliens from outer space intending to rob the rich of their diamonds.[4] [5] Made on a low budget, the film was promoted with the tagline "The strange visitors from Mars are on the way".[6]

Plot

Agent Rakesh is assigned by Chief Sheikh of the Central Intelligence Service to investigate the murder case of Dinanath from Karolbagh, with speculation of a possible involvement of aliens from Mars. Rakesh, who lives with his mother and is to marry Anita, embarks on a journey to Bombay along with private detective Neelkanth, from Blue Bird Detective Agency.

Cast

Soundtrack

The music was composed by C. Ramchandra.[7] [8] The lyrics were written by Shakeel Badayuni.[9] The songs are as follows:[10]

Song Singer
"Hum Tujhse Mohabbat Karke"Mukesh
"Tum Kitni Khoobsurat Ho"Mahendra Kapoor
"Woh Pyara Pyara Pyara"Mahendra Kapoor
"Aawaz Meri Sunkar"Asha Bhosle
"Zindagi Ka Nasha"Asha Bhosle

Reception

A review carried by Link magazine was critical of the film, writing: "Credibility is not by any means its forte and there is very little in its length to distinguish it from the stock brew that Bombay is known to bottle under various labels".[11] Being one of the only sci-fi pictures from India, the film has been discussed by a number of scholars.[12] [2] [13] According to Sami Ahmad Khan, author of the essay Bollywood's Encounters with the Third Kind, Wahan Ke Log seems to have taken inspiration from the Sino-Indian War which took place five years before, even though no mention of China is made in the film.[3] The Times of India listed the film as one of India's "Super C grade movies", dismissing it as the worst of India's sci-fi films.[14] A retrospective review by The Hindu, however, called it "an unusual film, an interesting blend of a ghost and thieving aliens".[15]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Raj . Ashok . Hero Vol.1 . 2009 . Hay House, Inc . 978-93-81398-02-9 . en . 14 September 2020 . 23 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200923044229/https://books.google.com/books?id=tgo9BAAAQBAJ&q=wahan#v=snippet&q=wahan . live .
  2. Mohan Nautiyal . Chandra . A look at S&T Awareness – Enhancements in India . Journal of Science Communication . 20 June 2008 . 7 . 2 . 5 . 10.22323/2.07020201 . en . 1824-2049 . The first Indian movie (in Hindi) which had some element of Sci-Fi in it was Wahan ke Log (people from there) and included visitors from Mars in its story. . 14 September 2020 . 23 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200923044230/https://jcom.sissa.it/sites/default/files/documents/Jcom0702%282008%29A01.pdf . live . free .
  3. Book: Khan . Sami Ahmad . Kishore . V. . Sarwal . A. . Patra . P. . Bollywood and Its Other(s): Towards New Configurations . 2014 . Palgrave Macmillan UK . 978-1-137-42650-5 . 186–201 . en . Bollywood’s Encounters with the Third Kind. 10.1057/9781137426505_13 .
  4. Book: Gokulsing . K. Moti . Dissanayake . Wimal . Routledge Handbook of Indian Cinemas . 2013 . Routledge . 978-1-136-77291-7 . 247 . en.
  5. Book: Smith . Iain Robert . Hollywood Meme: Transnational Adaptations in World Cinema . 2016 . Edinburgh University Press . 978-0-7486-7747-4 . 117 . en.
  6. News: Ghosh . Avijit . Hrithik passes PM test, over to box office . 14 September 2020 . . 3 August 2003 . 18 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200918120150/https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/hrithik-passes-pm-test-over-to-box-office/cid/804501 . live .
  7. Book: Rajadhyaksha . Ashish . Willemen . Paul . Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema . 10 July 2014 . Routledge . 978-1-135-94325-7 . 190 . en.
  8. Book: Gulzar . Nihalani . Govind . Chatterjee . Saibal . Gulzar . Govind Nihalani . Saibal Chatterjee . Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema . 2003 . . 978-81-7991-066-5 . 538 . en.
  9. News: Vijayakar . Rajiv . The soft-spoken bard . 14 September 2020 . . Express Group . 2 June 2011.
  10. Web site: Wahan Ke Log (1967) . myswar.co . MySwar . 25 September 2020.
  11. News: Flying Saucers from Bombay . Link . 9 . 1967 . 36 . en.
  12. Reddi . Madhavi . Aliens as the Other in Post-Independence Hindi Cinema . GNOVIS . 2018 . 18 . 2 . 29–40 . 14 September 2020 . 23 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200923044230/https://repository.library.georgetown.edu/bitstream/handle/10822/1050460/Reddi-Aliens-as-the-Others-in-Post-Independence-Hindi-Cinema-2.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y . live .
  13. Sawhney . Rashmi . An evening on Mars, love on the moon: 1960s science fiction films from Bombay . Studies in South Asian Film & Media . 1 October 2015 . 6 . 2 . 121–146 . 10.1386/safm.6.2.121_1 .
  14. News: 7 Super C grade movies . 14 September 2020 . The Times of India . The Times Group . 15 August 2017 . 23 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200923044236/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/7-super-c-grade-movies/articleshow/60062148.cms?from=mdr . live .
  15. News: Sen . Aditi . What made N.A. Ansari's films so entertaining? . 14 September 2020 . The Hindu . 14 April 2018 . en-IN.

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