Rafoo Chakkar (1975, India)

A Bollywood version of Some Like It Hot by Narender Bedi, with Rishi Kappor (as Dev, and Devi as a woman) and Paintal (as Salim, and Salma) in the principal roles. The story within the film is fairly faithful to the original, although Marilyn Monroe's role is not as strongly presented. There is much less attempt at believability and more slapstick, and a lot of singing and dancing. In Hindi with English subtitles, this was probably the first Hindi film to explore same-sex love.

Two young men belong to mothers whose husbands are gangsters and who disappeared long ago. When the young men were performing as musicians at a wedding, the bride decided to run away, and the men lost their payment. When they later witness a killing in a cemetery, they recognise the gangsters who are doing the dirty deed and they have to run away. Trying to get work as musicians, they discover that the only work is for an all-girl band shortly leaving for Kashmir. They join it forthwith, and there is an extended scene in the train, getting to know the other girls and making the sleeping arrangements in their new role.

When they arrive at the mountain resort, there are several elderly millionaires waiting to woo them; one insists on helping with the luggage.

Another man pesters them and there is a mix-up over the luggage.

The on-stage sequence is extended to make a long music-and-dance section, although their ability to play instruments convincingly falls short, and there is plenty of comic dancing.

Salim gets invited to the houseboat of a millionaire, Mr Smuglani, and comes back engaged to him; in the picture he has the ring. He says he wants babies, who will call him "Mummy". Dev asks incredulously if he understands what he is doing; has he been taking drugs? No, he says -- times are changing.

HF January 2001

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