Mera Saaya (1966) :
Brief Review -
Another gripping thriller that has all the Raj Khosla and Sadhna duo's trademarks. Raja Paranjape made a Marathi thriller called "Pathalaag" with the legendary Kashinath Ghanekar and Bhavna that left Marathi audiences stunned. Raj Khosla and Sadhana's duo delivered the super hit thriller "Woh Kaun Thi?" (inspired by old Hollywood flicks/novels) in the same year as Pathlaag and then chose to remake Pathlaag as Mera Saaya as a new addition to their mystery thriller independent trilogy. In both films, Sadhana plays a double role, and that part is what unfolds the main suspense in the end. Both films have great music and gripping narratives. To add more, films have a terrific shock value for Hindi cinema audiences (from the 1960s). These are the reasons why I called Mera Saaya Raj Khosla and Sadhana's trademark thriller. Khosla mastered the genre and the art of copying with great sense. Woh Kaun Thi added some extra elements that weren't there in those old Hollywood flicks, and there is "death" involved in both films. Mera Saaya takes things to court and even confuses the judge and the lawyers. Interestingly, the lawyer is himself an eyewitness, and he is sure about his opinion. Will it be changed? How can one prove it when the actual criminal activity happened without anyone's knowledge? Mera Saaya finds an easy getaway from these difficult loops (actually the original Marathi film) and cooks an instant hit thriller. To add commercial value, we have two super hit songs : Jhumka Gira Re and Mera Saaya Saath Hoga. The emotional entanglement of the husband and wife adds more to the drama that attracts viewers sentimentally. As a whole, Khosla made another winner, be it critical acclaim, box office, or popularity over the years. It has to be one of the best of the decade.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
