Mera Saaya

Plot synopsis:
Thakur Rakesh Singh (Sunil Dutt), an affluent descendent of the royalty, is a lawyer and happily married to Geeta (Sadhana) for three years. He goes to London for higher studies and after one year receives the news of his wife's illness. He immediately comes back only to witness his wife's death in his hands. He builds a small memorial in her memory in his mansion. He deeply mourns her by always sitting at that memorial and listening to recorded songs sung by Geeta.
While things are like this, one day a police inspector Daljit comes to meet him. He explains him about the bandit they caught on other day, Naina (Sadhana) who claims to be wife of Rakesh. Rakesh meets her and gets shocked as she looks exactly like Geeta. But he rejects that she was his wife as he saw his wife dying and buried her with his own hands. But that woman claims that she was indeed Geeta and tells him about intimate moments they shared. Rakesh gets surprised but suspects some mischief.
Case proceeds in the court and Rakesh starts to cross examine that woman. She answers every question correctly and claims that she was kidnapped by someone 2–3 days before her arrest. When Rakesh asks why she has no mangalsutra on her, which was compulsory ornament for married Hindu woman, she tells him that she removed it before going out on that day. He wouldn't believe that, as Geeta would consider mangalsutra very sacred and wouldn't have removed it.
After some drama, he asks her about her diary which Geeta always keeps near to her and she fails to answer. He decides that she was just an impostor and asks court to convict her. She becomes emotionally unstable after all this drama and ends up in a mental institute. One night she escapes from there and comes to Rakesh's house. There she explains Rakesh all that has happened.
Geeta had a twin sister named Raina, who was a bandit just like their mother. Geeta hides the fact about her criminal family and marries Rakesh. But one day her sister comes to her in a pitiable condition and asks her to give shelter for one night. Geeta, seeing her sick gets out of her house to buy medicine. But she doesn't want other family members to know about Raina and makes Raina up just like her and even gives her own mangalsutra to Raina. But when she comes out, Ranjit singh, Raina's husband (Prem Chopra) mistakes her for Raina and takes her away without giving her chance to talk. When Ranjit Singh comes to know that she wasn't Raina, he wants to take her back but police arrest them on their way back. While she was explaining all this to Rakesh, Ranjit Singh comes there and confirms her story. Police shoot him and he dies at Raina's memorial. Rakesh and Geeta reconcile and start their regular life.

Tags: romantic

Review:
Excellent thriller and as haunting as the shadow it deals with. "Mera Saaya" is an incredibly striking picture and it should provide a completely pleasurable watch not only for lovers of Hindi cinema and its golden era, but also for those who love thrillers which have both tension and substance. This film is about a young lawyer who is still mourning his wife's recent death and soon learns that an alleged criminal woman who looks exactly like his late wife stands trial in court and in her defense claims to be his own wife. From then on, the story follows how Rakesh, who is totally convinced of his wife's death (having actually seen her body before it was cremated), firmly attempts to disprove her claims despite the amazingly genuine evidences she presents in court. The film has a great mix of suspense and romance, and the mystery does not get solved until the very end, although it manages to attract different assumptions from the viewers. The plot is interestingly twisted with unexpected proceedings. Raj Khosla's direction is very good; he delicately refines the film's intensity, yet makes sure the viewer keeps watching it until the fantastic ending. The film has a great Sunil Dutt, who successfully portrays the grief-stricken yet decisive Rakesh, but the greatest impact is made by Sadhana who shines in a brilliantly played dual role (even this aspect remains unclear yet unsuspected for the most part). The music is very nice, and the title song is beautifully sung by Lata Mangeshkar. All in all, "Mera Saaya" is another fine movie of 1966 (a year of many great films). I highly recommend you to watch this classic.. Nainon Wali Ne Haay Mera Dil Loota. If anybody asks me the name of my most favourite bollywood actress of the bygone era, I will not take a fraction of a moment in replying - Saadhna. This gorgeous lady ruled bollywood in the sixties with memorable movies like Aarzoo and Mere Mehboob. Highly talented director, Raj Khosla made a trilogy of mystery movies taking Saadhna in the lead role - 1. Woh Kaun Thi (1964), 2. Mera Saaya (1966) and Anita (1967). Whereas in the first and the third, Manoj Kumar was cast opposite her in the male lead, Sunil Dutt was cast as her hero in Mera Saaya. Since I have been a fan of Sunil Dutt too, this movie is a very big treat for me. I have seen it umpteen number of times. Reason ? Not just the lead pair and their amazing on-screen chemistry but the other aspects of the movie too - spellbinding suspense, mesmerizing music, engrossing court-room drama, hilarious comedy, rain of romance, the works. This movie has something to offer to all kinds of movie buffs. It can undoubtedly be called a perfect entertainment spanning some 160 minutes.The story of Mera Saaya (my spirit) is based in the City of Lakes in Rajasthan, i.e., Udaipur. The story starts with the death of the wife, Geeta (Saadhna) of a renowned criminal lawyer, Thakur Rakesh Singh (Sunil Dutt) who becomes melancholous after parting with his beloved wife. However the real story takes off when police catches some dacoits and a woman with them who is the ditto of Geeta by her face and more importantly, she claims to be so. To refute her claim, Thakur Rakesh Singh cross-questions her in the court. At the same time, she also cross-questions him in order to prove that she only is his wife (she refuses to arrange any defence lawyer for her and decides to present her defence herself only). The interesting court-room drama finally culminates in herself first losing her case and then her mental balance, to be sent to asylum consequentially. However the mystery gets resolved through the ringleader of the dacoit gang in the ending scene of the movie.Mera Saaya has everything to recommend itself. There is not a single boring moment in the movie. This is inarguably the best directorial venture of Raj Khosla and the best ever acting performance of Saadhna. The narrative grips the viewer from the opening scene itself and does not loosen that grip till the very end of the movie. The court-room drama is one of the best court-room dramas portrayed in bollywood movies. Dhumal and Mukri have provided enough laughters and relief moments in between the heated-up drama and intense emotions. The character of the maid, Kumud Bole and her activities add up to the intricate mystery. Alongwith the director, the screenplay-writer and the dialogue-writer have also done their jobs pretty well.Madan Mohan has given the music of a lifetime in this movie with all the songs as immortal classics. Raja Mehndi Ali Khan has penned the beautiful lyrics for the songs. The movie has Lata's timeless songs like Tu Jahaan Jahaan Chalega Mera Saaya Saath Hoga and Naino Mein Badra Chhaye, Asha's great item number - Jhumka Gira Re Bareilly Ke Bazar Mein and Rafi's intense sad song - Aapke Pehlu Mein Aakar Ro Diye. One more song of Lata is there which is my favourite because of intermittent romantic dialogues and Shero-Shaayari of the lead pair - Nainon Wali Ne Haay Mera Dil Loota. The choreography of the songs is also excellent.Saadhna had her best on-screen chemistry with Sunil Dutt and this pair has lit up the screen with their marvellous interactions in the story, may they be in the court-room or in their household or in the beautiful locales of Udaipur. The romance is lovely and the emotions are intense. The love of the husband (Sunil Dutt) and the wife (Saadhna) looks damn real and the viewers may wish that their real life love be like that only. The gestures of Sunil Dutt and Saadhna in the song Nainon Wali Ne Haay Mera Dil tickle the romantic hearts so much that it's an experience to watch this song. The pain of losing the partner portrayed by both these artists is able to make the viewer empathize with them. Saadhna's dancing performance on Asha's song - Jhumka Gira Re Bareilly Ke Bazar Mein has made this dance number an unforgettable one. The supporting cast has rendered excellent support to this amazing pair which is all-pervasive in the movie.Mera Saaya is watchable for the scenic beauty of Udaipur also. Since I am a Rajasthani and I have resided too for more than one year in Udaipur, I can say that this world famous City of Lakes has never been shown more beautifully in any other movie. It's a huge pleasure to see a lovely pair romancing in a romantically beautiful location.Normally a mystery movie does not bear repeat value because of the nullification of the suspense factor after the first watch. But Mera Saaya is a great exception. Despite the suspense being revealed upon you after the first watch, you can watch it umpteen number of times. And every watch will give you the same soothing, nice feeling in your heart. It can unbiasedly be termed as 'the perfect entertainment'.A masterpiece indeed.. An excellent movie. This movie is one of the best movies of its time starring Sunil Dutt and Sadhna.It has thrill,it has mystery,it has good songs,good dances and strong performances.Sadhna gives a strong performance as a woman caught up by police and accused of being a bandit,whereas according to her she is wife of a big Thakur.Sunil Dutt gives a bravo performance in the role of a well read lawyer and a Thakur who loves his wife more than anyone but is depressed because of her death and because a young girl who resembles is wife is claiming to be his wife.The songs like "Mera Saaya",Nainon main Kajra" and all others have a strong appeal and Sadhna's dance in the songs "Nainon Wale ne" and "Jhumka Girra re" has been critically praised.On the whole I would say that the movie is a gr88 one and deserves to be seen.. Gripping suspense right till the end and splendid performances by the leads, specially Sadhna. Welcome to the perhaps only exceptional suspense romantic movie that you would love to watch again and again even though you learn of the suspense after watching it for the first time.Its easier to prove who is who when there are 2 similar people as someone reveals the distinct feature/attributes of the 2 people but what happens when only you (the person who is claiming to be the one she is) knows of that distinct feature/property.A woman dies in the arms of her husband and her death rituals are performed by the husband himself. How then can another similar looking woman claim and more importantly prove that she is his wife and not the woman that died in his arms? A fantastic courtroom drama follows where the other woman seems to be winning but her husband has one final proof that she is not his wife. The verdict is announced and the woman is sentenced.But wait she comes back to reveal the real secret.Watch it till the end for a mind-boggling suspense.