Raat Aur Din (1967)

This review is written by Mr Arunkumar Deshmukh

RAAT AUR DIN-1967,an A.A.A. production film(where AAA meant Akhtar Hussain, Anwar Hussain and Abu Baker-all brothers of Nargis), which was directed by Satyen Bose who also wrote its screenplay on the story of Akhtar Hussain and Dialogues by Govind Munis- an Assistant Director of Satyen Bose.

Raat aur Din was a remarkable movie based on a Psychiatric problem of Multiple Personality Disorder. Such type of subjects are hardly a basis for Hindi movies, though in Hollywood there were several films on such uncommon topics. This was a daring attempt in Hindi, but the team of Satyen Bose, and extraordinary acting by Nargis saw this film through very successfully. Though the cash boxes did not rattle significantly, it was a critics’ choice all the way and was very much appreciated for its bold attempt.

The story is of Pratap(Pradeep Kumar) and Varuna(Nargis) and their disturbed married life. Pratap, who is on his way to Shimla to see the would be wife, selected by his mother(Leela Mishra), meets Varuna on the way and gets married to her after some love scenes, songs and her father Khushiram(K.N.Singh)’s consent.

They come back and start their happy married life, but soon Pratap finds that Varuna’s behaviour is strange and that she goes out in the night alone. However next day she does not remember anything. One day Pratap follows her in the Night Club where Varuna drinks and dances with a person Dilip(Feroze Khan). On bein confronted she does not recognise Pratap, claiming that she is Peggy.

Pratap is furious and plans to kill her, but Dilip comes there and says that she is Peggy. By that time Varuna does not remember her night outing and refuses to recognise Dilip.

Pratap takes her to many doctors (Dr. Kumar-Anup Kumar, Dr.Alvares- Anwar Hussain etc). Finally it is diagnosed as MPD-Multiple personality Disorder, to which only psychiatric treatment is given. Meanwhile, Pratap’s mother fixes his second marriage with Sheela(Veena Kumari). When Varuna comes to know of this she faints.

The doctors are called and through psychiatric sittings in a row, slowly discover Varuna’s childhood, her friend Peggy, her mother’s behaviour etc.

This was a real treat for the critical viewer and very enjoyable. It is very rarely that such type of films are made in Hindi and the producer- Jaffer Hussain(another relative of Nargis) must be complimented.

After this movie, hardly any offbeat movie based on Psycho problem was made in Hindi.