Wapas

This movie had me completely befuddled. Visually, it looked a film from the 40s...no later than 1959 I'd say. And yet, my research confirmed it was indeed made in 1969!No, it didn't sit in the cans for 10 years and had a late release- the heroine, Alka's youth testifies to that- she is unchanging and comparable to her other releases during the era. It's uncanny!

Title: Wapas (Trans: Back; as in going back)
Year: 1969
Cast: Shekhar Purohit, Alka, Satyajeet, Leela Mishra

The movie open with Alka living in Bombay with her parents, Mom (someone tell me her name!) and Styajeet. Mom wants Alka to marry a rich man of her choosing, while Alka is in love with Shekhar, a poor singer.

So love triumphs, and quickly, with the young lovers marrying an posing in filmi-style montages. Mom is so pissed that she moves to Delhi with Dad, bag and baggage. They don't like the new city, but refuse to go back. Meanwhile, Shekhar becomes a popular singer, ... and they have a baby,

...and he gets a movie role! Jankidas brings him to the studios, who are happy to hire him opposite their resident heroine, daughter to the spiffily coiffed and made-up Leela Mishra. It was glorious to see her vamping it up~

And so shooting begins, and there are some real fun shots here-

The movie is a hit, and Shekhar is a star. Jankidas and Leela go into over-time spreading rumors about Shekhar and his heroine. Rumors=fame, they argue, and fame=$$$.

Alka isn't happy with the gossip, ... as are her parents, who rush back to town to inquire about her well-being.

Resident evils #1 Mom and #2 Leela quickly begin instrumental in driving apart Shekhar and Alka, and the unhappy couple are on their way to divorce court in no time at all. The heavily-Bolly judge grants the son to Shekhar and the daughter to Alka, who moves to Delhi with her parents. Shekhar is left alone with his son, his work and a very designing Leela.

Time passes, as it will, and the kids are grown up enough to take this film to the scripts of The Parent Trap (1961) and Do Kaliyan (1968). why Satyen (the director) chose to do this barely 1 year after the release of the remake, I will never understand.

Unlike the going-camping scenario of the earlier movies, which wouldn't have worked here anyways, since the kids aren't twins, Shekhar's daughter simply going to visit him. ..Which is followed by a scheming Leela & Co.,

... and counter-scheming by the kids.

And you can easily imagine how all this wraps up.

Wapas isn't a bad movie, but it definitely feels redundant with a very tired script. The highlights are Leela Mishra and the lady playing mom to Alka with all their gesticulations and scheming, while Alka is decorative in parts. What I really enjoyed are these two songs by Mohammed Rafi, that stay with you long after the movie is forgotten. Enjoy!