“Golmaal was entirely shot in my Bandra bungalow in just 40 days” – Hrishikesh Mukherjee

Read More">Rekha replaced with Bindiya Rekha had worked in my earlier film Alaap and she was my original choice for this film. But I felt I wouldn’t be doing justice to such a brilliant artiste as there were not many scenes for the heroine in the film. By then Rekha had established herself as a hugeRead More

Rekha replaced with Bindiya

Rekha had worked in my earlier film Alaap and she was my original choice for this film. But I felt I wouldn't be doing justice to such a brilliant artiste as there were not many scenes for the heroine in the film. By then Rekha had established herself as a huge star. I didn't want to take undue advantage of her popularity. I opted for Bindiya Goswami instead. Rekha was furious when she learnt about it. But I convinced her that since the entire film revolved around the hero, there was no scope for her in the film. I also promised that after completing Golmaal, I would start a film with her in the lead. I made Khubsoorat, a film that remains synonymous with Rekha.

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Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s evergreen laugh-riot Golmaal continues to enthrall cine-goers and filmmakers, while two more films have used the same title, Read More">YRF’s Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is reportedly “loosely” inspired by it. We reproduce Late Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s interview about the making of the film: A comedy to combat depression Despite the good storyline and liltingRead More

Hrishikesh Mukherjee's evergreen laugh-riot Golmaal continues to enthrall cine-goers and filmmakers, while two more films have used the same title, YRF's Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is reportedly "loosely" inspired by it. We reproduce Late Hrishikesh Mukherjee's interview about the making of the film:

A comedy to combat depression

Despite the good storyline and lilting music, my 1977 film Alaap starring Amitabh Bachchan as the hero flopped. I was completely shattered by it and went through depression for several months. To snap out of it I decided to make an out and out comedy.

It was during this low phase that I happened to watch a Bangla film entitled Kancha Meetha (sour and sweet). The hero kept fabricating tales and to cover one lie he would invent several other stories. This goes on till the last reel. I was fascinated by the character and decided to make a film with 'the web of lies' as the central theme. When I discussed it with producer N.C. Sippy, he approved of it instantly and the film was launched. Right from the outset we decided to make a complete family entertainer interwoven with many rib-tickling moments. I teamed with writer Sachin Bhowmick for the screenplay. Once the story was conceived we worked on every scene and infused many hilarious situations. Thus there is an even tempo of humour throughout the film.

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Twin trouble The story is about Ram Prasad (Amol Palekar) who clears his exams and his uncle (David), Read More">brings him a job offer of a Chartered Accountant in his childhood chum Bhavani Shankar’s (Utpal Dutt) trading firm. But he warns Ram not to reveal his relationship to his prospective employer as he is averse toRead More

Twin trouble

The story is about Ram Prasad (Amol Palekar) who clears his exams and his uncle (David), brings him a job offer of a Chartered Accountant in his childhood chum Bhavani Shankar's (Utpal Dutt) trading firm. But he warns Ram not to reveal his relationship to his prospective employer as he is averse to nepotism. Also a whimsical person who has a great penchant for flourishing moustaches, Bhavani loves ethnic wear and chaste Hindi. Ram plays his part perfectly through the interview and is selected. In the days to come he wins the old man's heart. But his happiness seems short-lived. One day he shirks duty to watch a hockey match on the pretext of looking after his ailing mother and is spotted by Bhavani at the stadium. A cross examination follows. To save his skin Ram, on the spur of the moment, cooks up a story, that he must have been mistaken for his good-for-nothing twin brother Lakshman Prasad. The fictitious character ushers in hordes of problems as Bhavani insists on meeting both the brothers together. To save his skin he tells too many lies and the situation snowballs into a big laugh-riot. There is not a single dull moment as the story builds up with every scene.

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‘Amu’ my son, my hero I chose Amol Palekar for the hero’s role because I was assured of his acting potential. He is also a close family friend and like a son. I call him Amu. He is a committed actor. Generally, Read More">I never discuss the artiste’s role with them before filming begins but inRead More

'Amu' my son, my hero

I chose Amol Palekar for the hero's role because I was assured of his acting potential. He is also a close family friend and like a son. I call him Amu. He is a committed actor. Generally, I never discuss the artiste's role with them before filming begins but in Amol's case I did. I knew he always tried to get under the skin of the character, and being an intelligent actor, he came up with valid suggestions. As I narrated the story of Golmaal he became worried about the scene where he had to shave off his moustache. 'I have never done it before. I might look funny,' he protested. But I allayed his fears saying that it could be replaced with an artificial one.

My favourite scene is the one in which where Bhavani Shankar trying to test him gives him a balance-sheet with minor errors for scrutiny. Ram Prasad points out the mistakes and asking deliberately, 'Yeh kis duffer ne banaya hai, sir?' Amol fully understood the situation. He faced the camera after a couple of rehearsals and did the entire scene in one take!

Another scene I like is when Lakshman Prasad comes to Bhavani's house for the first time and ends up 'mistaking' him for a gardener. I explained the sequence to Amol in detail and then asked him do it as naturally as possible. And the result was simply superb! Working with him was a great pleasure, that's why I cast him again in my films Naram Garam and Rang Birangi.

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Utpal Dutt, the master improviser However, the best character of the film was Bhavani Shankar, essayed by the late Utpal Dutt. When we worked on his role we added certain traits to make it interesting and entertaining. Thus he was portrayed as a strict disciplinarian, Read More">a little idiosyncratic at times but basically a soft-hearted man.Read More

Utpal Dutt, the master improviser

However, the best character of the film was Bhavani Shankar, essayed by the late Utpal Dutt. When we worked on his role we added certain traits to make it interesting and entertaining. Thus he was portrayed as a strict disciplinarian, a little idiosyncratic at times but basically a soft-hearted man. Utpal Dutt was a unique actor. I knew him from the time he was a theatre actor in Calcutta. In real life too, he was a serious man. But I knew that he had a great comic timing. In my previous film, Guddi, his role was limited so I couldn't exploit his talent much, but Golmaal made up amply for that! He listened patiently to my explanations and if he had suggestions, he promptly voiced them. Many times he performed a particular scene in his own style. He was a master improviser who acted spontaneously. It reminds me of the scene towards the end of the film, when he discovers that Ram Prasad and Lakshman Prasad are one and the same. On realising that he had been fooled, he becomes frantic and chases him with a pistol in hand. While doing so he looks inside a flower-pot as if looking for Amol. This was something he did in the spur of the moment. But that scene had comic impact. It had the audiences rolling with laughter.

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