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24 Nov, 2021

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Memdidi (1961)

Hrishikesh Mukherjee

LanguageHindi

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Who wrote that letter ?" asked Mem-Didi with anguish in her voice. "I did" Bahadur Singh replied, feeling all of a sudden a little guilty. "Oh ! What have you done ? You have ruined every thing.. every thing that I have been working for. How can she ever come and live in this wretched hut ?"

What do you mean Mem-Didi ? said a surprised Bahadur, "You have been living here for quite some time and have liked it too, Why then can your daughter not live here for a few days ? "But she is not my daughter."

"WHAT ?'' shouted Bahadur and Sherkhan who is also there.

Yes. Rita is not Mem-Didi's daughter. Yet Mem-Didi (or Rosie Ayah, as Rita would call her) is fondly called Mem-Didi ; after an interesting incident that took place when she first came in the neighbourhood, could be seen at various odd jobs, day in and day out so that Rita could live in comfort and finish her education in cool surroundings of Simla and then get married into a good family. Till then she cannot rest in peace for till then she will not have fulfilled her promise to Rita's dying impoverished parents who had been so good to her while she served them as the maid of the house.

Till now Mem-Didi is struggling all by herself. A lonely and what seems an endless struggle. But it is different now. Sherkhan and Bahadur know her secret. From now on it is their concern too. From now on their only ambition in life is to see Rita married to the boy she loves............. Dilip.

It turns out that Dilip's father is a virtual Shylok. He will not be impressed by anything other than the jingle of real money. So Bahadur says to Sherkhan with murder in his voice, "Remember now. You are a millionaire. You have more millions than Dilip's father can count. But to be sure that you do not spoil the plan, you are also deaf and dumb and I am your private secretary who can understand your lingo". Sherkhan is only too eager to help Mem-Didi, so he wants to be blind as well. But Bahadur has a serious objection.

Dilip's father is very glad to meet the millionaire and says he cannot dare break the hearts of two young people in love, especially when he stands to gain a few millions in the process. The result is that the marriage is fixed to take place on the 15th August when everyone will be free from the worries of responsibility.

Rita and Dilip are too happy for words so they often break into a song. Only person who is not aware of all these developments is Mem-Didi. For one thing she is too sick to leave the bed and for another Bahadur and Sherkhan are too wise to let her in on the secret for they know that she is a bit of a sentimentalist and will think the whole plan is an attempt to cheat and swindle.

But right on the wedding day, Mem-Didi finds out about the wedding through a fat woman who wants to prove herself true to her sex. Mern-Didi manages to reach the pandal and insists on telling Dilip's father the gospel truth. This gives a rude shock to Sherkhan and the result of it is that he starts speaking again. But he speaks a bit too loud so that Dilip's father cannot help hearing what he says. Dilip's father rushes to the police for this is what he calls an emergency. The marriage ceremony is threatened to come to a premature stop. But then Bahadur and Sherkhan are in charge....

(From the official press booklet)