Dream Sequence

May 11, 2011 8:07 PM

Ghar Aaya Mera Pardesi + Tere Bina Aag Yeh Chandni: Dream sequence from the 1951 Hindi film, Awara. "The film, generally considered one of Kapoor's finest, is notable for its darkly surreal sets... and for its remarkable dream sequence, which echoes this architecture in an evocation of heaven and hell. Despite its ultimate vindication of patriarchy and capitalism, the film became an enormous hit in the U.S.S.R. and, thanks to Chairman Mao’s reputed fondness for it, in China (to this day, millions of middle-aged Chinese can hum its title song)." You can view the other musical numbers from the film here.
posted by puny human (9 comments total)

Ghar aaya mera pardesi with subtitles.
posted by puny human at 8:11 PM on May 11, 2011

interesting. good post
posted by the mad poster! at 8:38 PM on May 11, 2011

"I need you, I love you ... my Raj Kapoor" I was always sure that the opening sample was from a Kapoor flick but was never sure which.
posted by adipocere at 8:54 PM on May 11, 2011

Fantastic! And who's the big guy with the knife?
posted by hydrophonic at 9:59 PM on May 11, 2011

Raj Kapoor was just 26 when he directed it.

FWIW as an arbiter of taste, Time magazine once made a list of 10 classic Bollywood films, Awara included (listed chronologically).
posted by stbalbach at 10:23 PM on May 11, 2011

a bit more modern, similar theme:

Pardesi Pardesi jaana nahin
posted by the mad poster! at 11:45 PM on May 11, 2011

Great post, thanks. As Youtube's blocked in China, rather than fire up the VPN I watched some of the songs on the local social video sites and the comments were indeed full of people reminiscing about how popular this was when they were young.
posted by Abiezer at 2:41 AM on May 12, 2011 [2 favorites]

So hell is full of men and heaven is full of women. That certainly vindicates the patriarchy ... I think.
posted by Faze at 4:41 AM on May 12, 2011

Princess Beatrice royal wedding exciter at the fifty-second mark.
posted by Prince Lazy I at 4:47 AM on May 12, 2011