Baazi
Tags: romantic, murder

Plot synopsis:
Madan (Dev Anand) comes from a once well-to-do family background who is now out of work and lives in a shanty with a sick younger sister Manju (Roopa Verman). Unable to find employment, he takes to gambling in a big way. He develops a reputation for being a lucky gambler and is one day found and escorted by a stranger named Pedro to the Star Hotel where he meets the seductive dancer Leena(Geeta Bali) and is offered a job by the mysterious 'Maalik' (Boss)of tempting rich gentlemen to come and gamble at the club. Initially reluctant to take up this offer due to moral pangs, he refuses and leaves. He meets with sophisticated and cultured Dr. Rajani (Kalpana Kartik), who has opened a free clinic in his locality to treat the poor and needy and helps him out in the treatment of his sister, who is suffering from tuberculosis. Both are attracted to each other and soon fall in love. Rajani's rich lawyer dad (K.N. Singh) does not approve of Madan, nor of his background, and prefers that Rajani marry her childhood friend Inspector Ramesh (Krishan Dhawan), who is in love with her. Dejected and in dire need of money for his sister's treatment who has been packed off to a sanatorium somewhere in a hill station, Madan accepts the job at star club and meets more frequently with the sexy club dancer Leena. He becomes friends with her and is seen discussing his troubles and thoughts with her. In turn, she is obviously charmed by him and evidently has a soft spot for him. Then Inspector Ramesh arrests Madan and imprisons him for the murder of Leena, who was killed with a revolver with Madan's fingerprints on it. The shooter intended to kill Madan, but Leena protected him and was killed instead. Rajani's father (who also turns out to be Maalik, the mysterious Boss of Star Club) had ordered the killing because he didn't consider Madan suitable for his daughter. Rajani's father threatens Madan that he will kill his sister if he says anything. Madan keeps quiet and is sentenced to be hanged at 6 am. Inspector Ramesh finds some evidence that it wasn't Madan who killed Leena. He sets a trap for Rajani's father and leads him to believe that Madan has been hanged, and in his joy, makes him confess to his plan to frame Madan. Then, Rajani's father is arrested and imprisoned and Madan is sent to three months' worth probation for indulging in gambling activities. He is freed after serving his small sentence and is united with Rajani.

Review: A trendsetter of its time, with excellent musical score by S. D. Burman.. This was Navketan's second production, after "Afsar". Dev Anand,  the Producer, gave chance to Guru Dutt to make his directorial debut. The story of an urban unemployed youth taking to crime because of circumstances, has excellent performance from Geeta Bali and equally unforgettable music by S. D. Burman, who experimented with the Ghazal format, in its orchestration, for the first time with the song "Tadbeer se bigdi hui taqdeer bana le". With this film Dev Anand picked up his style, which were to keep him on top, alongwith Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor, for decades to come.. A winner. It's a fascinating Indian take on Gilda also borrowing bits from Destry Rides Again and Casablanca among others. The print is in a wobbly condition after all these years and even looks at times like it might have been close to combustion, but the poetry and the poetry of the music by S. D. Burman shines through. I don't do gambling, so I'm glad that even with the title of The Gamble there wasn't much gambling – but I'd still bet most people on the planet will never watch this. It was the first film Guru Dutt directed – he even gave himself a bit part smoking away at the start of the picture.The previous post gives it nearly all away, but Dev Anand plays a basically honest young buck prone to gambling employed by dodgy boss of dingy nightclub to entice in and then fleece rich suckers. He does this to make sure he has enough money to pay for his sisters' recovery from TB, simultaneously he falls in love with a lady doctor (Kalpana Kartik, his real-life future wife) with a rather dodgy and forbidding father. I found the playful performance of Geeta Bali portraying prostitute Nina delightful – she danced well to some superb tunes - made both by the lovely music and the honourable emotions aroused within her by Anand. Years ago I used to smoke 30 a day but never blew cigarette smoke so forcibly into other people's faces as do a lot of the characters a lot of the time in here! The police inspector was no sluggard either, he was almost too noble to be true. Was this skinny Johnny Walker's first film ever? Geeta Dutt did most of the singing, my favourite of course being the philosophical Tadbir Se Bigdi Hui Taqdeer Bana Le – such a perfect jolly fusion of East & West pop. Also nice and jolly was Dekh Ke Akeli Mohe Barkha Sataaye. Wheeee, talk about catchy tunes!All in all, a lovely little film with a lot of interesting musical and dramatic scenes, cheaply churned out but still entertaining all these years later.. A landmark film. The film is notable for two reasons:first, being the directorial debut of Guru Dutt and second, it was the film which inspired many urban crime thrillers in the fifties.The story basically revolves in the shady part of the city with a morally ambiguous hero played to perfection by Dev Anand(this film also marked the coming of Devanand as a superstar), supported well by Kalpana Kartik and Geeta Bali. The songs are a treat to listen, each one of them being a gem.A fine piece of filmmaking from Guru Dutt, who would later go on to make even bigger classics. Recommended to watch.. Chocolate Hero Dev Anand, a youth icon, for his style and charm... Though the title of the film is Baazi, meaning to put some thing at stake, the emphasis shifts from stakes on dice and cards, to the hero's precious life itself ! As the most popular song of the movie goes, Tadbir Se Bigdi Hui Takdeer Bana Le, Apnepe Bharosa Hai to Ek Daav Laga Le, indeed , Madan, the hero of the movie played effortlessly, and charmingly by a very youthful and handsome Dev Aanand, has bad luck all the time, except in the game of cards. A sort of maverick, yet firm on his principles, the hero is loved by two women, one, a club dancer, and an accomplice of bad men, yet liberal to the extent of understanding Madan's love for another woman, Rajani, who is a doctor, and has a very rich father. Madan loves his sister dearly, who is suffering from T.B., and under treatment at a sanatorium. With Rajani's help, Madan is able to afford all these expenses initially, but later on, has his own shady income, based upon his skills to lure unsuspecting, rich clients ,into the club-cum-gambling den, owned by none other than Rajani's father, played by K. N.Singh. Unlike some others, Singh portrays a cool, calculating villain, leading double life, in his own style. He is benefited by his looks, specially the eyes. Both Kalpana Kartik and Geeta Bali , look beautiful and have given good performances. However, Geeta Bali as Leena, is simply bewitching, and also gets the sympathy of the viewers, when she sacrifices her own life, while saving Madan's. Dhawan is also excellent as an Inspector, who succeeds in bringing the real culprit to the hook. Overall, though the movie would appear a bit outdated in today's context of Mafia , which is much more sleek, it's not the gambling that the script writer wanted to emphasize, but the morals, and the limitations binding the hero, may it be poverty, or some body's life at stake, or even disclosing the real situation to his lady love, and preferring to go to the gallows, by accepting the crime he hasn't committed. That's the human angle, which touches the heart, a hero in a shady business, and yet true to his soul. Guru Datt's debut as a director is impressive, though the scene when Leena gets shot by mistake, while embracing Madan, and falls on the floor, Madan is panicked, and confused , could have been refined , as it appears strange,that Madan should leave her and go, while she is counting her last breaths. S.D. Burman's music is , of course the strong point of this movie, and even the lyrics are poetic. Dialogues have been written with ease, and are quite natural, and appropriate to the occasions. It's fun, watching this one, even after so many years have passed !