indian cinema heritage foundation

Geet Gaata Chal (1975)

  • Release Date1975
  • GenreDrama, Comedy
  • FormatColour
  • LanguageHindi
  • Run Time138 min
  • Length3737.46 meters
  • Gauge35 mm
  • Censor RatingU
  • Censor Certificate Number79174
  • Certificate Date12/08/1975
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Shyam is a wanderer boy of seventeen-ever gay, happy even though he has no parents, no earthly relations, nor even any hearth or home. He loves everything and everybody that meets his eyes.

In the course of his journey through different lands he comes across a nautanki troupe who were staging a performance in a village.

All of a sudden Shyam rises up from amidst the audience, and through his song chastises champa-the nautanki damsel and Bankey her stage lover, for catering in cheap stuff.

The audiences happily acclaim Shyam for his high thoughts. Even the nautankl girl-Champa, is moved to admiration beyond any measure. She requests Shyam to stay with them permanently. But Shyam without telling anybody leaves them behind for another unknown destination!

In a big mela by the riverside, Shyam is seen moving aimlessly through the crowd. But ill-luck as it is, for no fault of his own twice he comes into direct confrontation with Radha, a rich and pampered girl of fifteen, who by virtue of her being the only child of rich parents considers the entire world to be at her beck and call.

Suddenly a bull is seen running amuck through the crowd, people start running helter-skelter. One lady was looking very helpless without knowing that the furious bull was charging at herself and it is only at the last moment Shyam jumps in and saves her from being gored by the horns. Grateful for having saved her life, the lady invites Shyam to the dharmsala where they are temporarily staying and there shyam discovers to his utter surprise that the lady is none other than the mother of that same girl, Radha!

Radha’s father durga babu, who is a zamindar, and Radha’s mother become very affectionate towards Shyam and propose that Shyam should accompany them on their return journey, to their estate.

Radha, for the first time, feels impressed by the happy buoyancy, by the sonorous singing of Shyam; inwardly she feels proud about him. She considers him to be her proud possession to be jealously guarded from all outsiders. At the same time she is very careful to maintain her usual show of disinterestedness in Shyam!

Since then, these two apparently contradictory sentiments one of secret pride for Shyam and the other an intense jealousy at his being loved and praised by others, go on dominating the little world of Radha. But Radha did not realize that in spite of all her naughtiness, her ego and her pride, inwardly and unknowingly she is being drawn closer and closer to Shyam.  And one day when, as an anticlimax to her trying to punish Shyam by stealing his clothes she falls down the branch of a tree into the river, it is Shyam himself who rescues her up from the water. That touch that very close touch—suddenly changed everything for her. From a teenage adolescent girl she becomes a woman by that one single touch!

The naughty girl of yesterday has now turned into a loving woman, always yearning for the company of Shyam, always trying to read his thoughts. When one day Shyam expresses his longingness to move on towards to unknown, Radha by the strength of her newly-awakened love declares that she will never let him go!

This new change in the relationship between Radha and Shyam gradually draws the attention of the parents, and they plan to give their daughter in marriage to Shyam, but to Shyam the call of the unknown has by this time become so intense that he considers marriage and home-life like a permanent bondage! He silently leaves the house.

The news of Shyam’s mysterious disappearance comes as a bombshell to the zamidar’s family. Radha is stunned as she hears the shocking news—does not talk with anybody—does not touch food or water, she remains like the Radha of mythology—deserted and forlorn!

What happened to Shyam? Did he return to end the miseries of his devoted Radha? See the breath-taking climax on the screen.

(From the official press booklet)

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