Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein
Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein is a 1964 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed, produced and written by Kishore Kumar. He also stars, along with Supriya Devi and Amit Kumar. Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein, an adaptation of the American film The Proud Rebel, was released in 1964 and gained critical acclaim, but was failing commercially at the start and was not making any money at the box office. However, the film became a sleeper hit and as days went by, it grew into sustained commercial success and becoming a hit over time because of word of mouth success, making it one of the most loved and popular Indian films of all time. The film ran in many theatres in many parts of India becoming a success later on and received a cult following making it a classic. The film was It was later remade in Tamil as Ramu in Telugu with that same title, and in Malayalam as Babumon.
Plot
Shankar, a soldier, returns from war, only to find that his family has died in a fire, and the sole survivor is his infant son Ramu, left mute by the incident. When Shankar is attacked by the Thakur's men, he is rescued by a woman named Meera, and they fall in love. This provokes further trouble from the Thakur whose son wants to marry Meera.
Cast
Production
Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein was the directorial debut of Kishore Kumar, who also worked as producer, writer and lead actor. The film was based on the 1958 American film The Proud Rebel directed by Michael Curtiz. Kumar also took inspiration from the 1955 Bengali film Pather Panchali, which he saw at least 13 times before making Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein. Although Kumar was then known primarily for acting in comedy films, he cast himself against type this time by portraying the melancholic role of Shankar, a demobbed soldier. Regarding his choice to make such a melancholic film, Kumar said, "There's sadness in the heart of even a comedian." His son Amit played the role of Shankar's son Ramu, and Supriya Devi portrayed Meera, the woman Shankar falls in love with after she rescues him from an attack. Devi said she accepted to work on the film because of its offbeat nature. Aloke Dasgupta was the cinematographer, and Ramesh Pant wrote the dialogue. According to Amit, his father's fascination for the word "door" was the reason behind the film receiving its title. He also said that, despite Kumar facing adverse remarks from his friends while making the film, he managed to complete it "against all odds".
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was composed by Kishore Kumar who also worked as lyricist, along with Shailendra. The song "Aa Chalke Tujhe", written by the former, attained popularity. R. D. Burman played the harmonica.
Release and reception
Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein was released in 1964, and received critical acclaim. Baburao Patel, then the editor of Filmindia magazine, wrote, "Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein just misses out on being a classic". However, it was not commercially successful. When officials suggested that Kumar give them bribes so that the film would be entered for the National Film Awards, Kumar refused.
BFJA (Bengal Film Journalist' Association Awards)
Although Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein could not be entered for the National Film Awards and perhaps could have had a chance to be a nominee or winner, Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein became the 8th best Indian film of 1964 in order of merit in the 28th Annual BFJA Awards but never won an award in any category.
Remakes
Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein was remade in Tamil as Ramu. The remake was commercially successful, and ironically won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil. Kishore Kumar's brother Ashok Kumar praised Ramu screenwriter Javar Seetharaman for making suitable changes to the screenplay. The film was also remade in Telugu with that same title in 1968, and in Malayalam as Babumon.