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Baazi
Poster
Directed by	Guru Dutt
Written by	Balraj Sahni
Screenplay by	Balraj Sahni
Story by	Guru Dutt Balraj Sahni
Produced by	Dev Anand
Starring	Dev Anand Geeta Bali Kalpana Kartik
Cinematography	V. Ratra
Edited by	Y. G. Chawhan
Music by	S. D. Burman
Production company	Navketan Films
Distributed by	Navketan Films
Release date	1 July 1951 (1951-07-01)
Country	India
Language	Hindi

Baazi (English: Gamble) is a 1951 Indian Hindi noir film directed by Guru Dutt. This was the second film of Dev Anand's production house Navketan Films, and as per a commitment given by Dev Anand to Guru Dutt in their days of struggle, the movie was given to Dutt for direction. Baazi was the first crime noir made in the country. It initiated a new genre called "Bombay Noir", the success of which encouraged and defined the later noir films of 1950s and '60s in Hindi cinema. It was the first film in which Dev Anand came up with his unique style of rapid-fire. The film's story was partly inspired by the 1946 movie Gilda.

The movie stars Dev Anand with Geeta Bali and Kalpana Kartik. It is a crime thriller and had very popular music composed by S.D. Burman.

The film is a tribute to the Forties' Film noir Hollywood with the morally ambiguous hero, the transgressing siren, and shadow lighting. It was hugely successful at the box office and was the second highest grossing film of 1951 after Awaara.

The Times of India called Baazi, "a milestone in the short lived genre that can be loosely called Bombay Noir." It was listed by Filmfare in "Best Bollywood Noir Films of '50s". It is considered one of the Best Noir films to have come from India.

Synopsis

Madan (Dev Anand) comes from a once well-to-do family background, and 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 the 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.

Cast

• Dev Anand as Madan
• Geeta Bali as Leena
• Kalpana Kartik as Rajani
• Roopa Verman as Manju
• Krishan Dhawan as Ramesh
• K. N. Singh as Rajani's Father
• Rashid Khan as Pedro
• Johnny Walker
• Nirmal Kumar

Music

Lyrics were written by Sahir Ludhianvi.

References

1. "Dev saga: When Navketan went noir". The Times of India. 10 December 2011. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
2. "Baazi (1951)". Archived from the original on 1 April 2018. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
3. "Baazi (1951)". Archived from the original on 2 July 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
4. "Baazi (1951)". harveypam.wordpress.com. Archived from the original on 14 November 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
5. "Baazi(1951)". imdb.com. Archived from the original on 20 April 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
6. "Baazi". britannica.com. Archived from the original on 1 September 2023. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
7. "Baazi". upperstall.com. Archived from the original on 17 August 2013. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
8. Jonathan Crow (2016). "Baazi (1951)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
9. ^ "14 must watch Neo-Noir films from India". Archived from the original on 19 January 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
10. "BoxOffice India.com". 2 January 2010. Archived from the original on 2 January 2010. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
11. "Filmfare recommends: Best Bollywood noir films of the '50s". filmfare.com. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.

External links

• Baazi at IMDb

• 1951 films
• 1950s Hindi-language films
• Films directed by Guru Dutt
• Films scored by S. D. Burman
• Indian black-and-white films
• Films produced by Dev Anand