Light Comedies, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Top 5 of His Light Comedy Films

Light Comedy Films

Comedy Films have been appreciated a lot by audiences, of late. While most of these films were Horror Comedies, some were Slapsticks and Light Comedies. In modern times, filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani's films like PK , 3 Idiots and the Munnabhai Franchise can be rightly described as the best of modern light comedy films. Light comedy films are those works of play that present the subject of its content in a lighthearted and amusing way, often characterized by delicacy and wit. 

Hrishikesh Mukherjee

If we go back in time, Hrishikesh Mukherjee was the first filmmaker to come to mind while talking about light comedy films. While the ace director gave us numerous emotional drama films like Anand, Abhiman, and Namak Haraam, his Light Comedy Films set a benchmark in the entire comedy genre. His signature style was the Middle Cinema, where amongst the tiringly loud thuds of Action Films and the somewhat too realistically presented Art-House films came the tale of regular middle-class people and their regular stories. He was a pioneer in this genre when it came to Hindi films, and the audience could connect with the peaceful and lighthearted representation of a middle-class, educated household that mainly was the backdrop of his storytelling style. Even his last Hindi film, Jhooth Bole Kauwa Kaate, released in 1998, was a Light Comedy film.

Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Top 5 Comedy Films

1. Gol Maal (1979): Considered one of the finest light comedy films of all time, this film could get the audience hooked throughout its runtime through a series of happenings and mishappenings. Amol Palekar and Utpal Dutt ensured that every bit of the comedic events remained balanced without going overboard in their performances. The humour is witty, and the screenplay is quite pacy. Of course, there are some one-liners that the audience may find outdated, but a clean comedy film with fine performances and fantastic music can never go old-fashioned in any way.

2. Chupke Chupke (1975): A professor of botany plays a practical joke with his wife's brother-in-law by disguising himself as a driver in the latter's house. Dharmendra, a popular action star of that time, showed his comic timing in an enjoyable way, ably supported by Amitabh Bachchan, Sharmila Tagore and, of course, Om Prakash. The film was made in Bengali in 1971 by Agradoot and starred legendary Bengali actors Uttam Kumar and Madhabi Mukherjee. Chupke Chupke's music by SD Burman was another reason why it was considered one of the most popular films in the Light Comedy genre.

3. Bawarchi (1972): Rajesh Khanna was a huge romantic star when this film was released. This was his re-association with Mukherjee after the heartwarming performance in my all-time favourite movie, Anand. Interestingly, he had shed his romantic image for the film and played the part of a know-it-all and do-it-all cook-cum-househelp in a somewhat dysfunctional joint family. The film is about how he fixes every problem in the household very quickly and smoothly, finally able to make them function together amidst their differences. The film is again an adaptation of Tapan Sinha's 1966 film, Golpo Holeo Sotti, where famous actor-comedian Robi Ghosh plays the main lead. The movie is one of the brightest examples in the light comedy genre.

4. Naram Garam (1981): Utpal Dutt and Amol Palekar reunited in this film, along with Shatrughan Sinha. The story has similarities with that of Gol Maal when it comes to a series of lies and confusion created by the film's protagonist, played by Palekar. Definitely not one of his best works; still, this film had some funny moments that were quite enjoyable. Some hummable songs by RD Burman make it a pleasant watch in the Light Comedy genre.

5. Khubsoorat (1980): There were very few films at that time where the female lead took centre stage. Rekha was one of the pioneer female leads who started this trend. This film saw her in her best form. Her excellent comic timing and dialogues made this film a wonderful treat for the viewers. She plays a young woman who visits her sister's house for a few days. The strict and orthodox ways of the family's matriarch, played by Dina Pathak, make everyone uncomfortable. The new house guest (Rekha) tries to put all the family members at ease by breaking the shackles of disciplinary confinement. This movie is really Khubsoorat when it comes to Light comedies.

This post was created for the Blogaberry Creative (Monthly) Challenge with the theme word "Light"

#Blogaberrycc