Naukri

Naukri (lit. 'Job') is a 1978 Bollywood film directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. It was critically acclaimed and became an unexpected flop at the box office. However over the years, the film has been appreciated by the audiences in its screening in television and has gained a cult following over the years.[1] Rajesh Khanna and Raj Kapoor starred in this movie, set in 1944–1947.

This article is about the 1978 film. For 1954 Bimal Roy film, see Naukari. For the Indian employment website, see Naukri.com.

Naukri
Directed byHrishikesh Mukherjee
Produced byJayendra Pandya
Rajaram Pandya
Satish Wagle
R.S.J. Productions
Written byBiren Tripathy (dialogue)
Screenplay byBimal Dutta
Story bySalil Choudhury
StarringRajesh Khanna
Raj Kapoor
Music byRahul Dev Burman
CinematographyJaywant Pathare
Edited bySubhash Gupta
Khan Zaman Khan
Release date
  • 9 June 1978 (1978-06-09)
Running time
Super Cassettes Industries Limited (T-Series)
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi

Naukri's basic idea is based on the 1955 Tamil film Mudhal Thethi, starring Sivaji Ganeshan and Anjali Devi. The other inspiration for this film was It's a Wonderful Life, produced and directed by Frank Capra. The story features a person getting help of an angel after his death. However, the story and treatment in this film are completely different form both of these films. The God-sent person makes the hero realize that when he was alive he was so important and loved by all around him but he couldn’t recognize it. Rajesh Khanna plays the man who meets the angel Raj Kapoor, after he commits suicide.

The film was not well publicized before its release and being released at a time when multi-star films ruled the roost, this classic was a box office failure. However, over the years it has been appreciated by audiences. In the Bollywood Guide Collections, critics gave the film 4 stars of 5.

The idea of an angel helping a dead person in realizing his significance on earth was also adopted in the 2005 film Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi!, in which Shahid Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt play respective roles of Rajesh Khanna and Raj Kapoor, with Dutt playing a modern Yamraj.

Plot

The film opens up with a distraught, tense Ranjit watching his mother and his sister and their adopted brother closely. He is wearing a depressing look as he cannot earn and feed his family members properly being a handicapped person. He walks with help of walking stick. He decides that its better to commit suicide and die rather than giving trouble to others and also seeing his family members struggle for survival. His mother loves him a lot although he is limping and jobless. She asks him not to worry and be happy. Their landlord has asked them to vacate the premises the next day. Tension looming around his mind, Ranjit decides to go out early in the morning and jump from the bridge above the railway tracks and give away his life. Ranjit carries out his plan. In the next scenes, he starts walking without help from any stick. He meets a man who calls himself as Captain and he says that he is the only person who can see Ranjith right now. That man introduces himself as Swaraj Singh Captain and says that he is a ghost and that Ranjit has died and is now a ghost too. Captain takes him along everywhere and shows him how many other people are roaming as ghosts in the world after committing suicide. Captain says the ghosts attain salvation only when their unfulfilled wish gets fulfilled. Captain asks him why did he commit suicide. Ranjit tells him his story of how he was a badminton player and how rich they were. He had even fell in love with a richer girl. The rest of the story is about Ranjit's description of what drove him to poverty, how were they surviving, how his friends betrayed him and deprived him of any job, how he lost his leg and how much he feels betrayed by his girlfriend leaving him and joining with someone else. Captain just keeps listening to his story. The answers to the above question and the rest of the story are full of suspense.

Reception

It received four in the Bollywood guide Collections. The film grossed 2,70,00,000 at the box office in 1978 and thereby became a surprise flop. The film was praised by the critics at the time of its release and has developed a cult following over the years among audiences.

Cast

Crew

Soundtrack
SongSingersTime
"Duniya Mein Jeene Ka Mujhe Shaukh Tha" Kishore Kumar, Manna Dey 3:40
"Main Ne Tumko Piya Keh Diya" Lata Mangeshkar 3:10
"Teri Duhai Harjaayee" Asha Bhosle 3:25
"Upar Jaake Yaad Aayi Neeche Ki Baatein" Mukesh 3:20

References
  1. "PHOTOS: Fans remember Rajesh Khanna on his first death anniversary Photo Gallery, Picture News Gallery - The Indian Express". archive.indianexpress.com.
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