Katha (1983 film)

Katha (English: Story) is a 1983 Hindi film by Pawan Sai Paranjpye[1] featuring Naseeruddin Shah, Farooq Shaikh and Deepti Naval in the main roles. The film is about the daily lives of people living in a Mumbai chawl.[2] The story is based on S.G. Sathye's Marathi play Sasa aani Kasav (Hare and Tortoise), which was also adapted into the 1988 movie Mukunthetta Sumitra Vilikkunnu.

Katha
Lobby card
Directed bySai Paranjpye
Produced bySuresh Jindal
StarringNaseeruddin Shah
Farooq Shaikh
Deepti Naval
Music byRaj Kamal
Release date
  • 22-12-1982 (22-12-1982)
Running time
141 min
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi

It was shot on location at Salunke Chawl in Pune. Jalal Agha and Sarika made guest appearances in the movie. Apparently, one of the principal characters, played by Farooque Shaikh, was named Basu Bhatt after filmmaker Basu Bhattacharya.[3]

Plot

The film is loosely based on the classical Indian folktale of the hare and the tortoise, providing a modern interpretation of the same. Even though the good (tortoise) may win in the end, is it worth the wait? It is based on S.G. Sathye's Marathi play Sasa Aani Kasav (Hare and Tortoise).

The tortoise — Rajaram P. Joshi (Naseeruddin Shah) — is a middle-class clerk living in a chawl (middle-class apartment complex) in Bombay. He is secretly in love with his neighbor, Sandhya Sabnis (Deepti Naval), but is unable to disclose his love for her, mainly due to his timidity. Rajaram is a very good natured and hardworking man. Most of his neighbors and colleagues take advantage of his goodness.

One day Rajaram's fast-talking friend Vasudev alias Bashu (Farooq Shaikh) — the hare — comes for a visit and makes himself at home. Bashu generally impresses people by his false success stories and his over-the-top attitude.

Bashu starts wooing Sandhya, and she falls in love with him. He then joins Rajaram's company, Footprint Shoes, by impressing the owner, Mr. Dhindhoria, with false stories about his work experience and love of golf. He also starts flirting with Dhindhoria's beautiful wife Anuradha (Mallika Sarabhai) and daughter Jojo (Winnie Paranjape) at the same time.

In the chawl, the Sabnis family decides to get Sandhya married to Bashu, much to the shock of Rajaram. But on the day of the engagement, Bashu disappears after being caught red-handed, romancing Anuradha, by Jojo. The engagement is called off. Rajaram then offers to marry the devastated Sandhya, but she tells him that she has been very intimate with Bashu and is perhaps pregnant. Rajaram shows his greatness by accepting her in spite of all this and expressing his long hidden love towards her.

Cast

Sai Paranjpye was very annoyed with producer Basu Bhattacharya when the release of Sparsh got delayed. 3 years later when she made Katha, she purposely named Farooque Shaikh's character, which had negative shades, Basu Bhatt.

References
  1. Katha IMDb
  2. Katha synopsis
  3. There's a lot in a name: The names of characters in movies are often well thought out.. The Tribune, 27 April 2008. "Basu Bhattacharya who had earlier produced Sparsh (1980) for which Sai wielded the megaphone. A lot of bitterness was generated between Sai and Basu over the issue of the film's release."
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