Shashi Kapoor essaying a double role – of a straightforward, studious
Kamal and his look-alike, the rakish Rakesh, who aspires for the same
lady, Babita as Archana, who is to marry Kamal. Kapoor displays panache
and élan in both roles, with his dashing and debonair looks, which
endowed him with a great screen presence, although his lack of
histrionic depth made the portrayal of Kamal and Rakesh almost identical
but for a peculiar whistling style that Rakesh had.
The story by revolves around how Rakesh plans to kill Kamal and take his
place while they are facing the Chinese in war. In the ensuing duel, it
is Kamal who emerges victorious although he feels the weight of his act
on his conscience at having killed Rakesh. Fearing the consequences, he
deserts the flanks, and returns home, leaving the authorities to think
that actually Rakesh has become a deserter, and Kamal has become a
martyr. What follows is a protracted legal battle with a rather
predictable ending. In keeping with the trend of the day, the comic
element was provided by the antics of Johnny Walker, Ameeta and Yunus
Parvez, although, the angle did hardly anything to raise the film's
level in any significant way.
Babita as Archana fails to impress, though the film gave her an ample
chance to demonstrate her skills. She is neither convincing in her
petulant reactions to Rakesh's overtures nor as Kamal's wife. Nor is she
able to bring forth the angst and moral dilemma of a woman who realises
that the man she thinks to be her husband might actually be his
look-alike.
Post a Comment