Haathi Mere Saathi
Tags: romantic

Plot synopsis:
Orphaned Raju, in the company of four elephants, has to perform with them at street corners, in order to keep alive. The back-story is that as an orphan, they have saved his life from a leopard. In time, he makes it big, and starts Pyar Ki Duniya (The World Of Love), a zoo in which various wild animals reside along with his elephants, among whom Ramu is closest to him. Slowly he amasses a fortune, and is able to build his own private zoo, housing tigers, lions, bears, and of course the four elephants. He treats all the animals as his friends. He meets with Tanu (Tanuja), and both fall in love. Tanu's rich dad, Ratanlal (Madan Puri), is opposed to this alliance, but subsequently relents, and permits the young couple to get married. However trouble looms soon after as Tanu feels neglected. Things worsen when their child is born, and Tanu, fearing physical harm to her child from the elephants, tells Raju to choose between the elephants and his family. When Raju chooses his lifelong friends over wife and son, Ramu decides to bring the estranged couple together, but thanks to the villainous Sarwan Kumar (K.N.Singh), he has to sacrifice his life.
The original name of "Haathi Mere Saathi" was "Pyaar Ki Duniya ".

Review: After 30 years, I still loved this movie!.
I first saw this film in India when I was 5 years old.
I remembered that I really liked it then, and was quite pleased to find it 30 years later via the Internet.I'm glad to say that it has lost none of its magic.
The story of Raju and his elephant buddy Ramoo makes for a truly unique film.
The best way I can sum it up, without giving too much away, is that it is reminiscent of older Disney films, but with a uniquely Indian feel.
Suffice to say, there are not many countries in the world where a story of a man growing up with elephants could be told in such an effective manner.
The trained animal sequences alone are worthy of films such as "The Bear".With regards to the inevitable singing and dancing in a Bollywood production, the songs are wonderful and there are far fewer of them than in standard Bollywood fare.
Additionally, as opposed to the more modern Indian films, the dancing is refreshingly non-professional and consists mostly of the hero and heroine scampering about and waving their arms - which only adds to the overall charm of this film..
It's difficult to forget this film....
I decided to watch the film on TV because I understood that it had been extremely famous in Bulgaria in the 1970s and lots of people came out from the cinema crying.So I was curious to see "Haathi Mere Saathi" and I really enjoyed it.The protagonist is Raj Kumar-a young man whose life had been saved by four elephants when he was a kid.Since then he loves them and doesn't think of them as "animals" but as real "friends".He falls in love with the beautiful Tanu.Unfortunately,Raj Kumar loses his fortune and becomes a poor man.But Tanu follows him and they struggle with life with the help of the faithful elephants.Yes,the story looks naive.But what's more important is that this film made something that few films are capable of nowadays-it proved the great power of friendship and love in a really touching way.The songs are wonderful and the animals are trained incredibly well.Undoubtedly a highly recommendable film!.
A Super Hit. This movie is one the biggest hits of Super Star Rajesh Khanna and is a movie which made him popular with kids who grew up seeing his future movies.
This movie is about the relationship/bondage between man and animal.
Elephants play an equally important role with Rajesh Khanna in the movie and the movie revolves around them.
Tanuja playing the heroine also contributes.
The movie has excellent music by Laxmikant Pyarelal who have composed some great hits for this movie sung by Kishore Kumar.
One song of Mohammad Rafi is a class.
The movie is a must see for movie watchers of all ages and especially the kids will enjoy this classic..
Entertaining if clichéd.
As a kid, I loved Haathi Mere Saathi.
Today, I'm not particularly eager to revisit it though it's definitely a memorable picture.
The film portrays a friendship between a young orphaned and wealthy man and his group of elephants, who had once saved him when he was lost in a jungle.
The film was generally well made and several Indian movies were inspired by this story afterwards.
The script is well written and the movie has its share of enjoyable moments even if the concept itself is hard to believe.
The songs, the proceedings and the development were pretty fun to watch, despite being a bit melodramatic at points.
Rajesh Khanna stars as Raj and he is a good hero for this film.
This was the year when his performance in Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Anand wowed audiences.
His work here does not even deserve a comparison to the latter, but he is the main reason the movie works, and frankly speaking I've never been a big fan of his films and liked very few of his performances.
Tanuja is very pretty as his wife.
The supporting cast is good but the elephants are those who leave a mark.
Their loyalty and wisdom were funny and inspiring at the same time.
Haathi Mere Saathi is a nice film.
It has many moments of comedy, drama and heartwarming fun, and despite having its flaws, it's worth watching, particularly for lovers of Hindi films..
Haathee Mere Saathee .
Jai Ganesh Jee. Today is Ganesh Chaturthi or Vinaayak Chaturthi, the day of Lord Ganesha, the god of wisdom.
He is also known as the Vighneshwara, i.e., the remover of obstacles (appearing in the way of any good work).
As per the Hindu mythology, he is the god who is worshipped before anybody else whenever something is to be done.
Even the idiom in Hindi used for the expression - 'to begin a work' is - 'Shreeganesh Karna'.
Lord Ganesha has the head of an elephant and hence elephants are symbolic of him in the religious psyche of the Indians.
Today is Wednesday also which is also known as his day only.
I am fasting today and presenting a review of an old movie whose story was based on the relationship of some elephants with the protagonist.
This movie is Haathi Mere Saathi (1971) starring Rajesh Khanna and Tanuja with four elephants (and many other animals also).Haathi Mere Saathi (elephants are my buddies) tells the story of a motherless boy - Raju (Rajesh Khanna) who, being lost in his childhood, is saved by four elephants and taken back to his father who in his dying moment, instructs him never to leave the company of those elephants and to always consider them as his Saathis (buddies).
Raju grows up in their company and they always help him in all kinds of situations.
One elephant out of these four, named as Ramu is actually the first among equals in them and he is the special buddy of Raju.
Due to him only, Raju comes across Tanu (Tanuja) who is the daughter of a rich man.
When Raju loses his wealth due to losing a lawsuit, he loses his prospects of marrying Tanu also.
However his genuine buddies, i.e., the elephants help him in not only earning money but also bringing Tanu back to his life.
He develops his own private zoo and calls it - Pyar Ki Duniya (the world of love) with the relentless support of the elephants, Tanu and a young boy - Chhote who was earlier the assistant of an unscrupulous mountebank.
He becomes rich and finally wins Tanu's hand also from her father.
They get married and beget a son.The trouble strikes with Tanu's becoming an apprehensive and sceptic mother who starts doubting the nature of the elephants, lest they should harm her child (whereas in reality, the elephants themselves are quite concerned for the welfare and safety of the child).
This issue leads to her break-up with Raju and she moves to her parental house.
A heart-broken Raju has nobody to solace him except his buddies, the elephants.
There are some other baddies also, ever ready to harm Raju, viz.
the unscrupulous erstwhile mountebank (and later a released jailbird) and the wicked owner of a circus who is the competitor of Raju in this entertainment business.
In the end, Raju's best friend, Ramu elephant sacrifices its life to set everything right in Raju's life.Written by Saleem-Jaaved and directed by M.A. Thirumugham, this movie is actually a brain-child of Chinnappa Devar who can be considered as the pioneer of making animal-based movies in Indian cinema.
A genuine animal-lover Mr. Devar always loved to make movies with the significant roles of animals in them.
And Haathi Mere Saathi is perhaps the most successful and popular such movie made by him.
The animals and especially the elephants have done marvellously and they are in fact, the soul of the movie.
All the sequences involving them are simply superb.
Some of them are entertaining and some of them are so touching that any sensitive person may find tears coming out of his eyes while watching them.
The last journey of Ramu which contains the memorable song - Nafrat Ki Duniya Ko Chhod Kar Pyar Ki Duniya Mein Khush Rehna Mere Yaar (Rafi) is one such scene only.Though the main performers are elephants and other animals only, the human performers also have done justice to their roles.
The movie had come in the heyday of Rajesh Khanna and it is one of his all time great blockbuster movies.
He is at his emotional best in the movie, keeping his patent mannerisms under control.
Tanuja has done well first as a loving sweetheart and then as a sceptic mother.
The complete supporting cast including the baddies (K.N. Singh and Sujeet Kumar) has rendered ample support to the lead cast.Laxmikant Pyarelal have composed memorable music for the movie with the admirable lyrics of Anand Bakshi.
I have already mentioned the song - Nafrat Ki Duniya Ko which can be considered the best of the album.
The other songs - Sun Ja O Thandi Hawa, Dilbar Jaani Chali Hawa Mastaani, Duniya Mein Rehna Hai To Kaam Kar Pyare, Mere Mann Mein Machi Halchal, Tak Tak Tak Chalti Hai Gaadi etc.
are also very nice to listen.The movie is not a preaching type.
In fact, this movie and all other movies made by Mr. Devar are such that they deliver the message of treating the animals with sensitivity through pure entertainment only.
They are nowhere loud in saying anything, the message reaches the viewer automatically in a subtle way.That's why the message though hackneyed does not bores, it touches and moves the viewer deep within.
I pity that now-a-days our so-called animal-right activists cannot arrange the closure of the slaughter-houses but they can restrict the artistic creativity of the filmmakers by prohibiting them to use animals in their movies.
That's why filmmakers like Mr. Devar cannot get an opportunity now to show their cinematic excellence with the use of live animals..
Elephant Is My Buddy.
Now, kill me if I can remember anything in particular about this movie.
Beside the fact that it was 3 hours long and I spilled tones of tears during that time.
No other film had made me cry so much for no reason at all.
There is some hidden sentimentality in human species that makes him cry - most often some sad event of Bereavement - but in cinema there are instances unexplained.
So it was the soundtrack of this Bollywood movie that has remained unchallenged hit for all times in Hindu cinema.My personal memories from 40 years ago reveal the phenomenon of full cinema saloons with standing people interspersed between rows.
Most were Gypsies of various age.
That doesn't mean that Bulgaria (that's me) as a full member of European Union is Gypsy state.
Most of them are of mixed origins, some of them cohabit with the Turks minority and at least half of that vagrant population is Christian.
It's a matter of cultural adaptation and educational policy.I see from the release info that "Haathi Mere Saathi" (1971) was projected only in Portugal and Bulgaria.
Hundred percent guarantee that the end scene where elephant is being shot in the eye would heal your heart.
Actors / actresses are beautiful by any standard and cars are fashionable.
Thank you!.
Heart-warming and Heart-wrenching in 'Elephantine' Proportions!.
(Rated on the basis of watching on T.V. 41 years after release)Plot: A little boy, Raju grows up with a group of elephants who become his soul-mates.
But can they live happily ever after?Review: Children's cinema was a rarity in the 70's decade which was dominated by action-dramas.
But one big exception was "Haathi Mere Saathi"(1971), directed by M.A.Thirumugham which was inspired from his own Tamil hit, "Vettaikkaaran"(1964).The screenplay was penned by the legendary script-writing duo of Salim- Javed, who here were making their debut.
It was a story about friendship, loyalty, misunderstanding and sacrifice.
But unlike other films, here this message was spread through a bond between humans and the immensely lovable, elephants!
Brilliantly written; it packed in all the essential elements- a tense beginning, romance, a tragic twist, fight-back, misunderstanding and a high-octane climax packed by several heart-warming and heart-wrenching moments!
The script laid the solid foundation on which the pachyderms & co.
stole the show.In those days, it wasn't prevalent to take the little ones to watch movies; especially Hindi films!
But they never missed out in case a film like "Haathi Mere Saathi" came around.
While the parents shied away their children from other Rajesh Khanna hits like "Aradhana", "Amar Prem", and "Daag"; there was no escaping the charm of the then-reigning-superstar of Bollywood in this flick.
But the undeniable superstars here were the tuskers who won our hearts with their frolics and actions displaying a superb mixture of innocence and intelligence.
They made the humans look like supporting actors to them.
But it would be a terrible mistake to believe it is just an elephant-based film going by the title.
The lions, tigers, bears and alligators, all deserve their place of honour.
However incredible the antiques of the tuskers appeared; the wedding-feast sequence and the climax-song where the cast members are surrounded by these four-legged friends, are jaw-dropping and drop-dead stunning!
One must rub their eyes in disbelief.
They were one surprise the viewers were least expecting but couldn't thank their stars enough for witnessing it.
The circus-stunts (especially, the jump from the tower after the hero sets himself on fire) are bonus treats for children and grown-ups alike!
The last half-an-hour strike a hammer blow in the viewers' hearts; but yet one would only take back happy memories from the film.Rajesh Khanna slipped into his role with typical élan.
He consciously portrayed himself as a friend of the animals, never as a master.
It was tough to be convincing as someone whose orders are obeyed by wild animals.
But he pulled it off with his trademark grace and ever-charming smile.
Tanuja looked gorgeous and portrayed the concerns of an insecure mother, convincingly.
She shared a sweet and lovely chemistry with 'Kaka'; it's a pity we didn't get to see this pair in too many films.
It was surprising to see Sujit Kumar play a negative role, but he did full justice to it.
The remaining cast including Madan Puri and Jr. Mehmood were good as well.
But the best performers undoubtedly were the non- humans; especially the elephant, Ramu who put in the most assured performance.
Take a bow, Ramu!The title-track, having superb antaras, is the best song of the film; all of which are scored by Laxmikant-Pyarelal.
'Nafrat Ki Duniya' is brilliantly sung by Rafi; though the attention got diverted by its spell-binding picturisation on 'Kaka' surrounded by tigers and lions on both sides.
'Dilbar Jani' and 'Duniya Mein Jeena' are also praise-worthy tracks.
The composers must also be lauded for the impressive theme-score where trumpets were used to replicate the voice of the tuskers.Although commendably written, the script lacks logic at places.
The basic premise itself of a man affording to keep four elephants is hard to believe.
The 'munshi', who bought ration for the elephants from his own pocket, didn't seem so money-minded to switch allegiances.
It was more incredible that Raju could feed himself and four elephants with a daily earning of just Rs.250 when they were driven out on the streets!
Lastly, the rise of Raju from a street-performer to the owner of a private zoo was too swift to be convincing.
His progress needed to be depicted in more detail.But the biggest deficiency in the film, which prevents it from being termed 'great', is its sub-standard editing.
Also handled by the director himself, he fails to replicate his skills behind the camera on the editing table.
The first signs were evident from the thrilling elephant-leopard tussle at the beginning; but one could excuse that considering the difficulty in executing the shot.
But it was unacceptable when shots were repeated in a couple of songs and the same close-up of an elephant's eye being used repeatedly.
The two sequences of shooting of elephants, Tanu's father lying to her about Raju and Raju lying ill in a temple are clumsily edited.
Poor editing injects apprehension into the viewers' mind regarding the style of unfolding of the film as the editor is the overseer of the final product.
The editing sticks out like a sore thumb in this otherwise gem of a film."Haathi Mere Saathi" spreads a message of harmony (exemplified by the peaceful co-existence of lions and goats together).
It will live on as an ideal film for children but it sends out important lessons for grown- ups as well.
The elephants teach us how to be true human-beings.Box-Office Verdict: The film became the highest-grossing blockbuster of 1971.
The title-track remains popular even after four decades.
It also won the National Award and became the last of Rajesh Khanna's unbroken record of 15 consecutive hits.
It was remade by the makers in Tamil as "Nalla Neram" in 1972.
It's regarded as the finest children's film made in Bollywood..
This film sure is a unique experience.
It takes its time (not specified on the main page here, nor on my DVD box, but it was about 3 hours) and packs it with many unforgettable scenes, mostly involving the elephants of course: the elephant race; the double wedding party (one for the humans, one for the animals, where lions and tigers slurp their milk); the elephant burial...The sets were mostly lavish palaces, and so robustly built that the elephants could easily walk upstairs.
I was a bit disappointed that there weren't more location shots to conserve street sights of Mumbai of the times.The plot is also quite rich with human (and animal) drama in many flavors.
You get romance, marriage, circus acts, villains, some kung-fu fight action..
and much more, including the deaths of two elephants.
But also an incredible solo dance (in the Mumbai Carnival show) - I normally find dance numbers annoying, but that one was fantastic.Unforgettable experience.