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Teesri Kasam (1966)

Raj Kapoor and Waheeda Rehman in Teesri Kasam (1966)

This film script is adapted from Phanishwar Nath’s short story, ‘Mare Gaye Gulfam’. Produced by the great lyricist, Shailendra, it became famous as his nemesis, as the financial strains and stresses of making the film over four years, followed by its box-office failure, led to his early death. However, it won the national award, the President’s Gold Medal for best feature film of 1966.

Hiraman (Raj Kapoor) is a bullock cart-driver who, after escaping from a police raid, makes his first vow in the film, which is that he will not carry stolen goods. After an accident, his second vow is that he will not carry bamboo. He takes a passenger to a mela (fair) who turns out to be a performer in nautanki (popular song and dance shows), Hirabai (Waheeda Rehman). On the way they talk and she is taken with his simplicity and his songs, in particular the tale of Mahua, a girl who is sold by her stepmother. Hiraman is in awe of Hirabai’s beauty and is happy to spend a few days at the fair to see her performances. When another spectator calls her a prostitute, he gets into a brawl and Hirabai tells him he has no right to fight on her behalf, although she is moved by the fact that he regards her as a respectable woman.

When she rejects the advances of the landowner (Iftikhar, unusually in a negative role), she decides that she has to leave the company. Hiraman returns to bid her farewell as her train leaves the village. He makes his third vow (teesri kasam), that he will not carry a nautanki performer again.

Although Raj Kapoor is somewhat old for his character, and both he and Waheeda look too upmarket for the roles, she excels in some wonderful dances and, as the relationship between them develops, in particular the last scenes when they part, we are no longer conscious of any discrepancy between the actors and the roles.

The film was shot by Subrata Mitra, who is most famous as the cameraman on Pather Panchali and many of Ray’s films, as well as several early Merchant—Ivory productions. In the beautiful shots of the country, of the bullock carts, of villages and rivers, as well as of the train and the nautanki performances, the influence of Bimal Roy on Basu Bhattacharya is clear.

The songs by Shankar—Jaikishan and the apposite lyrics of Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri are memorable and well placed within the film. The songs Mukesh has for Raj Kapoor — ‘Sajjan re jhoot mat bolo’ and ‘Duniya bananewaale’ — set the scene and define his character, while those performed by Waheeda such as ‘Paan khaaye saiyan hamaro’, express her image of glamour and fragility – Rachel Dwyer

Cast and Production Credits

Year – 1966, Genre – Drama, Country – India, Language – Hindi, Producer – Image Makers, Director –Basu Bhattacharya, Music Director – Shankar Jaikishan, Cast - Iftekhar, Raj Kapoor, Waheeda Rehman, Dulari, Asit Sen, Dubey, Krishna Dhawan, Vishwa Mehra, Shailendra

Drama