Chaudhvin Ka Chand
- Director
- M. Sadiq
- Studio
- Guru Dutt Films
- Release Date
- 1 January 1960
- Language
- Hindi
- Country
- India
Review
Guru Dutt's "Chaudhvin Ka Chand" is a delightfully absurd romantic comedy that somehow manages to be charming despite—or perhaps because of—its utterly ridiculous premise. The entire plot hinges on a torn veil, mistaken identity, and the spectacular incompetence of grown men unable to distinguish between two women, and yet Dutt treats this wispy material with such theatrical flair and comedic timing that you can't help but laugh along. Waheeda Rehman is luminous and sharp, elevating what could have been a purely decorative role into something spirited, while Johnny Walker's comic relief actually lands more often than not. The film captures the elaborate social codes of Lucknow with a light touch—the segregation, the veils, the courtship rituals—but never allows period detail to strangle the fun.
Where the film stumbles is in its second half, where the momentum dissipates into melodrama and moralizing. The Hajj subplot feels tacked on and deflates the comedy, and the resolution relies too heavily on convenient coincidence rather than earned narrative logic. Dutt's direction, usually so nimble, becomes sluggish when he abandons the fizzy interplay between characters for sentimental tangents. The film also can't quite decide whether it's gently satirizing these social conventions or earnestly endorsing them, which creates tonal whiplash. Still, this remains one of Dutt's more entertaining efforts—buoyed by charm, performance, and genuine wit in its first half, even if it doesn'
Storyline
The movie is set in a time and Muslim social circle where noble women, especially young girls, would always cover their faces out in public. Houses were divided into common and female sections where even men of family would seek permission before entering into female sections. Much confusion and plot revolve around the customary veils worn by love interest of leading men. Aslam (Guru Dutt), Nawab Pyare Miyan (Rehman) and Mirza Musarraddique Shaida (Johnny Walker) are three childhood friends who live like brothers in Lucknow. One day Pyare Miyan accidentally sees a beautiful girl Jameela (Waheeda Rehman) in market and sets his heart to marry her. As the luck has it, Jameela is one of the guests on his sister Rehana's birthday party next week. Pyare Miyan gets hold of a piece of Jameela's veil which he hands over to their maid Naseeban (Tun Tun) to match and bring information about the girl he adores. Meanwhile girls exchange veils (dupatta) as a sisterhood tradition. Jameela exchanges her veil with her friend Bano, to whom Naseeban matches the torn piece and reports about her origin to Pyare as she had worked at Bano's house as maid earlier. Pyare sends his friends Aslam and Shaida to Bano's house for setting the marriage but her father asks for some time to think about it. Meanwhile Pyare Miyan's mother (Mumtaz Begum) who dreams to perform Hajj, is forbidden by doctor. An Imam suggests to send someone else in her place as it's permitted in Islam. The family asks Imam to go instead but he is hesitant as he wants his young daughter to get married before going. Pyare Miyan's mother wants Pyare Miyan to marry Imam's daughter, but Pyare Miyan is unknown of the fact that Imam's daughter is none other than Jameela and in order to avoid him getting entangled with Imam's daughter, Pyare Miyan first asks Shaida to marry Jameela and when Shaida refuses as he likes Tameezan (Minoo Mumtaz), thereafter he asks Aslam to marry Jameela, which Aslam accepts without even asking anythi