User reviews

What we have here is a slice of the life narrative which is dominated by an exciting battle of wits between two suitors over a girl. Amol Palekar plays Arun, a diffident simpleton who likes a girl from a neighboring office but isn't able to profess his adoration for his object of affection and attention. They meet in the most mundane circumstances- on the bus while on the way to their respective offices. On some days, he follows her and on some days, she notices. Is she interested in him? Is she playing the mind games? How can one be certain? The problem of the girl's inexplicable behavior (in Arun's mind) is further increased by the entry of a third factor- a glib talking, over smart and overbearing character of Asrani who happens to be a colleague of Prabha and is therefore, ostensibly at an advantage. And yes, he is a keen enthusiast in two sports- Chess and Table Tennis, whereas Arun sucks at both those disciplines. Oh, and Asrani also has a lime green Lambretta which Arun is envious of.

In the first act itself, there ensues a battle of wits between Arun and Asrani. While Arun's motives in winning over Prabha are pretty unambiguous, Asrani's motivations are not that apparent to the audience. We are left guessing whether he is really trying to woo Prabha or is he just a compulsive flirt with a big mouth and terrible etiquettes? But those very vices seem to be helping him in the beginning. He emerges as a roadblock in Arun's journey of love and in a memorable dream sequence, several of which are used very innovatively throughout the film, Arun imagines himself murdering him and then facing the jury proudly after his belligerent deed. However, that's just one of Arun's many daydreams. In reality, he is unable to express his feelings of love for Prabha. Whener she's around, he gets tongue tied. A Beatles Song most accurately describes his psychology at that point of time

"I want to tell you. My head is filled with things to say. When you're here, all those words they seem to slip away"

That Harrison Song from 1967's legendary 'Revolver' album, perfectly captures Arun's inner torment and turmoil in the first half of the film. Disillusioned and disappointed with his repeated failures in the war of love, he turns to astrology and divine intervention but no avail God helps those who help themselves. Therefore, he decides to seek help and finds that in the form of Col. JNW Singh of Khandala, a confident, worldly wise, old man who is said to have the best advise for everyone who come to seek it and the advise is available on various topics- love, career, tax planning, etc. He takes a special interest in Arun's case, the reason for which is revealed later.

Under Col. Singh's tutelage, Arun learns the art of courtship. Through a complex training process comprising body language courses, table etiquettes, chess and table tennis apart from of course the mandatory knowledge about the birds and the bees and the wondrous art of deciphering the intentions of womankind by the wave of her hand, the curled smile on her lips, the placement of her feet, the position of her face and purse, the movements of her fingers, the contact of her eyes, her laughter, her touch, the color of her mascara, the size of her earrings, the strength of her handshake, the tone of her voice, etc. etc.

After all this, Arun returns back to Mumbai a changed man. He is accompanied by his mentor, Col. Singh, who wants to check on his progress. The new Arun has a leap in his stride, a mild confidence about his countenance and knowledge of his new craft. Slowly, he starts turning the tables on Asrani and uses his own tricks against Asrani himself much to the secret glee of Prabha, who by this time, seems to have developed an affection of her own in Arun. They enjoy spending time together. Then, one day he calls her to his place. What are his intentions? Does he really love her or can it be that….? No, Prabha decides to go and find out for herself the truth about Arun's character. What happens in the end? Does Arun trick Prabha or do we get a happy ending? And where does Asrani fit into the scheme of things? The situations are so believable and the characters are so relatable that this film is an instant favorite of mine. The technique used is brilliant. The use of voice overs, flash backs and flash forwards are innovatively used. And the songs…they are mind blowing…most rendered soulfully by Yesudas- 'Jaaneman- Jaaneman', ' Yeh Din' and the beautiful and haunting, 'Na Jaane Kyun'. Amol Palekar excels in a role tailor made for him. Asrani gives an effortless performance. Vidya Sinha is adequate. Ashok Kumar is brilliant in his depiction of one of the most memorable characters- Julius Nagendranath Wilfred Singh.

A thoroughly entertaining film and one that can be watched again and again, CSB is my favourite Basu Chatterjee film, followed closely by Rajanigandha- which is worthy of being hailed a classic too and is on certain levels, even more masterful than Choti Si Baat as Rajanigandha looks at the matters of love through the eyes of a woman and touches a point even deeper in our psychology.

Okay.First off a disclaimer.I am from the other side of the divide.The faction that believes that Bollywood comedies are sparse and stilted. But this movie is different.Coming from someone who is steeped in the tremendous comic timings of the southern movies this is indeed a very formidable feat.

The setting,Mumbai in the early 70s I think,is nostalgic.One does not have to be born there nor have experienced it to get this feeling.It is plain nostalgic.Take a 1970 Reader's Digest and flip through the pages. The bell bottomed Male models,the polka dotted saris and the large ortem fans are what one sees in the movie.

Amol Palekar and the lead heroine(I think Someone named Vidhya) are delightful to watch as the quintessential young shy middle class people with a feeling towards each other.The villain/comic Nasrani is also irritating to the right degree and begging for a comeuppance from the meek hero.Amol Palekar's "revenge dreams" are awesome in their humour. This movie is a must for everyone who likes classic clean comedy.Amazing stuff.Why don't they make such movies now in Bollywod?

A light and funny movie about a very simple and shy man going to a love-guru to learn the tactics of how to impress a female. A pretty nice comedy. Moreover, it also brings up the question about how fair it is to use pre-thought/learnt techniques to get the love of one's life. Can't one just be natural and still get one???

Just watched this film after 14 years and loved it just as much. CSB is is one of those simple experimental fantastic films from 70's which Indian filmmakers have not tried in the last 25 years. I think Golmal and Angoor were the last of this genre.

Script of CSB is unbeatable and doesn't deviate for even a second from its aim. Casting is perfect. Vidya Sinha is very good as a good looking middle class office going woman in Mumbai. Male cast is brilliant. With Ashok Kumar, Amol Palekar and Asrani you don't need anyone.Do you? In case you need then there is ever dependable CS Dubey. Dialogs are funny and situation are unique. Music by Salil Chowdhray is fantastic but I wont guarantee if its original. SalilDa was also good at inspired music :>

I couldn't stop noticing vacant Mumbai streets. 'Janeman' is very well shot with extras doing there own stuff while Amol and Vidya romancing around. Fantastic idea. I just loved the scene where Arun have his first conversation with Prabha and Nagesh just turns everything upside down. It captures the concept that when things go wrong they go wrong in quick succession. Its very well done. Colonel's analysis or Arun is hilarious 'improper conditioning and defective verbal communication', 'unstable self evasiveness', 'love labor lost case', 'unstable para nautical frustration'. Damn funny. Asrani is so good in his downfall scenes "Sala Peter Kaam Chod Ke Chala Gaya?", "Kahna Nagesh Sahab Ka Order Hai". Amol's best line is "Khade Ho Or Kaho Good Morning". Fantastic film. definitely in the top 25 Hindi films and of course best Basu Chatterjee.

Chhoti Si Baat is for me the ultimate romantic comedy of those times - simple, funny and totally charming. Basu Chatterjee was an amazing talent. Like Hrishikesh Mukherjee, he used to make films that reflected the lives of people from the middle-class. Everything in this film is kept simple and contributes to its authenticity, including dialogues, characters, sets, props and costumes. Chatterjee brilliantly captures the world of Arun, an ordinary and rather insecure fellow who is deeply in love with a young and beautiful girl named Prabha. The story follows Arun's trials and tribulations and his later attempts to get her through the help and guidance of a love-guru, when another guy enters the picture. It's amazing how the viewers are given a chance to witness and experience every thought, yearning and disappointment that the character of Arun is going through, and yet the movie remains consistently humorous, lighthearted and comic.

I think that's what makes both the film and particularly the character of Arun so easy to relate to. I think everyone has been at some point secretly in love and could not express his feelings. And clearly this would not be so believable without Amol Palekar's great portrayal. Palekar's comically melancholic performance is wonderful. He never tries to do more than required or over-express his deep feelings. And yet it is always understood. This is easily one of his best. Vidya Sinha is beautiful and ever so graceful that it's easy to understand why she is the love interest here. Asrani is not the type of guy who would really look like a serious rival who could undermine one's confidence, but he is inevitably funny and suitably annoying. Ashok Kumar is just outstanding in a role which is quite different from his usual ventures. As the witty and kind Colonel Julius Nagendranath Wilfred Singh, he is hilarious, likable and memorable.

Some of the film's scenes are still remembered today, including the sequences showing Arun daily following Prabha on her way to her workplace. The lively streets of the yet-unconjested Bombay are efficiently shot and are nostalgic to look at. The scenes involving Arun and the love-guru Julius are of the best moments in the film, while Arun's transformation afterwards and his renewed interaction with Prabha is incredibly entertaining. Salil Choudhury's soundtrack for the film is beautiful. In another evident attempt to keep the film realistic, the songs are not visualised as one would expect in a Hindi film. The songs either play over montage sequences ("Na Jaane Kyun" and "Yeh Din Kyaa Aaye") or appear as part of a film the characters go to see in the cinema (the wonderful "Jaanemann"). In either way, they express the characters' state of mind brilliantly. Overall, Chhoti Si Baat is one classic gem to remember. Go now.

The year was 1975 and Bollywood was enjoying with a lot of masterpices like Deewar,Chupke Chupke,Mili,Sholay,Juli,Aandhi. In the midst of all them a film was released which might not get that much attention but which is equally deserving called "Choti si baat".

I remember watching that movie for the first time on TV when I was in my 10th standard but i din't able to see the complete movie So, recently (after 10 years) i downloaded and watched it again and came with the Conclusion -> "Choti si baat" is perhaps the best Comedy movie of that(70's) decade and What makes it Class apart is it's simplycity. It masterfully tells one of the most important stories of the 70's which is about middle class.

I normally do not write about movies and I do not think movie like this should be critiqued.it should just be appreciated. Choti si baat is the most impressive movie by the director "Basu Chatterjee" his other movies like "Rajnigandha" "Manzil" and "Ek ruka hua Faisla" that also shows his directional sensitivity. But this is a movie which speaks more than it scripts. It tells us more than its characters narrates the story.

Choti si baat is set to give the audience an intimate look at the very soul of Arun's Character.Ashok kumar is fantastic as Col. Julius Nagendranath, You cannot think of any other actor in this role.Asrani is also very impressive and according to me this is his finest performance. Vidya Sinha was better in Rajnigandha but it does not mean she is not Good in this, She Performed the character of Prabha very well.But it's actually Amol palekar who set aside everyone in the acting department,he played the role of Arun exceptionally.

"Choti si baat" tells us how a man decided not to live like a Coward. The music of the movie is its another strongest part. I don't remember how many times I have watched this movie since then but each time is an experience in itself.Choti si baat belongs to the genre of movies which gives you more than what you expect in the 120 minutes.

Undoubtedly one of the funniest Hindi films of all time, giving a nostalgic look at young and urbane 70s Bombay. Palekar is brilliant as the quintessential idiot in love with Vidya Sinha, but unable to express his love for her. Asrani is an excellent rival, sliming his way into the girl's heart. But there's a trump card - up in the hills is a learned oldie Ashok Kumar who has a devious plan of action in mind - to give Palekar the one-up on Asrani. Few have seen this film, and I'm yet to come across anyone who disputes that this rates as one of the best comedies to ever come out on the Indian silver screen.

Firstly, this movie for me was a great 70s nostalgia trip: The Fort district of Bombay, Dadar Hindu Colony, Scooters, Flora Restaurant (The Best and probably the only Chinese Restaurant in Bombay those days- But I've never used chopsticks there!), the old BEST Double-Deckers, the bell-bottoms, Amol Palekars' glasses, Jehangir Art Gallery, and Samovar. They missed out Rhythm House, Flora Fountain, and Chetana, but well, it didn't matter. Whatever was served, was enough. Secondly, the nostalgia was not in stark B & W of Guru Dutt's 50s, but in glorious Color, which brought out even the shiny, worn flagstones on the footpath in a unique, fresh, perspective, a unique shade of gray that only color could do. All this to say that my youth was re-lived, real-life. Thirdly, the protagonists: Young, Fresh-Faced, Natural, Lovely, Naive, in love- yet shy enough to express it, and how they get together, it was all so simple, and the contrast is yet so apparent when compared to todays' Bollywood Kitsch. Fourthly, to realize that Nostalgia dies with the death of a Generation; How Col. Singh has his own deep memories of an age that would have been ancient for the protagonists themselves! I never realised then, but right now, I'm old(er) and the young 'uns cannot 'get it' when I'm nostalgic. Fifthly, This movie is about Bombay, and the spirit of Bombay, and kudos to Basu-da and Salil-da for their glorious effort.

I have seen this movie 10 times and I don't mind watching it another 10 times. The movie is inspired by an English movie,School for Scoundrels ,but BasuDa has done exceptional work in adapting it.

I am very sure movie was done in a budget of less than Rs.10 Lakhs(compared to 10s of crores spent for current day junk movies).

Amol palekar is simply genius. Bombay looks so beautiful. If there was a time machine I don't mind time travelling to those days to enjoy simple pleasures.

All the actors have done excellent work.I would advice current generation movie lovers to watch this.

This film beautifully captures Bombay in 70s, office going middle class, Bus 86 from Khar to Fountain (btw it still runs the same route!), conman, greenery of Khandala, awkwardness of relationship from acquaintances to love. Kudos to late Sharad Joshi for witty dialogues, to late KK Mahajan for showcasing Bombay through eyes of a commoner. Excellent cast led by Dadamoni & Amol ji. This film released in 1975 is enjoyed by ten yr child today. That's a classic. It has endured.

"Chhoti Si Baat", set in 1975, delivers a believable and realistic portrayal of the urban Indian working class. Basu Chatterjee, the film's director achieves the very same in his previous venture, the slightly more serious "Rajnigandha"(1974). Both films are quite similar in their basic aspects. They are love triangles and have the same lead pair playing almost identical characters - Amol Palekar (Arun) plays a mousy man whereas Vidya Sinha (Prabha) shines (even more so in Rajnigandha) as the girl next door as well as Arun's love interest. The film's music should be lauded for it adds to the endearing quality of the film. The picturization of Mumbai is all done in good taste. Asrani steals the show with his performance as Naagesh, the big thorn in Arun's path to Prabha's heart. Although certain aspects of Arun's training to court women are a tad too silly, these may be overlooked on account of the film's sheer charm. It's a classic tale of courtship with an generous helping of comedy.

This movie is all about a shy boy & a girl who taunts him but is actually in Love with him. Amol Palekar the hero keeps following her (Vidya Sinha), she knows he follows her all the way to her office, she enjoys his attention, at times she tries to draw his attention more by asking for time & all but the too timid hero does not react immediately but keeps rehearsing in front of his mirror at home. Amol Palekar meets an Army colonel retd. (Ashok Kumar) who has started a personality development school in Khandala a hill station near Bombay. He teaches Amol Palekar to increase his self esteem & be confident in his approach. Choti Si Baat is a very neat Love story & also a very good motivating movie. A Must watch for all movie goes in the world.

The flip side is - too many visualisations (The hero keeps visualising sequences like Vidya hugging him & all) this could easily have been done away with.

The added bonus to a wonderful movie is the songs, especially the one by Hema & Dharmendra.

CHOTI SI BAAT (1974) : Brief Review -

True Love triumphs in this Romantic Comedy of a Naive Lover trying to be a Tricker. Choti Si Baat is a story of a naive guy Arun who goes through a complete transformation to win his Love, Prabha. Prabha also loves him but none of them ever dare to propose hence the third party Nagesh tries his chances with fancy lifestyle. But dramatically the true love wins battle over this tricky lover and fancy lover's rivalry at the end. This feels so sweet and i couldn't imagine better climax than this. Although Choti Si Baat is called a Romantic Comedy, the film lacks funny jokes and moments in the first hour and i asked myself that does it really deserves to be called a Comedy? But then answers appeared in the second half where film is funny, twisty , crispy and lot enjoyable. The second half truly saved it otherwise that comedy tag was in danger. Amol Palekar is fantastic in his variational role where he plays naive and tricky both the parts. Vidya Sinha is decent and Asrani is unexpectedly overwhelming. Ashok Kumar comes out as a complete surprise package but i think the writing of his character deserves more credit. Music is average but 'Choti Si Baat' song sounds situationally correct in all tunes. Basu Chatterjee's direction is down in the first half but by far Up after the intermission. Maybe the second half wouldn't have worked if first half had not been dull. It seemed like an intentional set up so that people can enjoy and connect to the sweetness post interval. This kind of good comedies are missing now days may be because the audience is changed but me being today's audience loving this film tells that audience isn't changed, it's filmmaking level which is down. Overall, Choti Si Baat is a Fantastic Romantic comedy from 70s that can be watched multiple times and at least once even in the worst case.

RATING - 7/10*

By - #samthebestest

This film sparkles with the Seventies innocence. It may not be relevant in the age of YouTube but who cares! Genuine lovers of cinema will keep going back to this precious li'l gem.

I love all Basu Chaterjee's movie, but Choti si Baat is my all time favorite. I always see my image in the character "Arun".

4-jun-2020, The Great director Basu Chatterjee is no more, after 2 days, I were watching this movie, And what i said for this movie ? Normally, I don't watch romantic movie but this movie is different. This movie gives us a important lession about philosophy. If you want to watch a romantic film no one can beat this. Watch it Now. Direction = 10/10 Acting = 10/10 Dialogue = 10/10

This is one of the best movies of Bollywood. Nice light movie with genuine moments of laughter. One of the very few movies where over acting was not used to generate laughter. Amol is amazing. Songs are nice. Highly recommended to watch with you family.

The harsh truth of this cruel world is that simpletons lag behind in the race of life due to ditto traits of themselves. To win in the different races of life and get better of the opponents, a person has to shed the tag of being a simpleton and acquire the tag of being smart. Smartness counts everywhere, even in love. And that's the message of this comedy of the seventies.

Chhoti Si Baat (trivial thing) is the story of a shy accountant - Arun (Amol Palekar) who is not smart and just too simple to find things his way. In the office of his company, his subordinates do not listen to him. His boss is not very happy with him. In his colourless life, his fascination towards Prabha (Vidya Sinha) is the only thing which enthuse him. She works in a neighbouring office (in Mumbai) and Arun loves her in his heart, seeing and deliberately coming across her in the most mundane situations of life. However his shyness and simplicity blocks his path whenever he has to express his feelings to her. Prabha knows it and discusses these things with her colleague, Deepa (Nandita Thakur). The shy and hesitant advances of the boy are a source of fun for Prabha. She likes him and wants him to express himself. Now comes the twist in the tale.

Arun faces a rival for Prabha's companionship and love in the form of Naagesh (Asrani) who is oversmart more resourceful than Arun and now, our hero, i.e., Arun is struck by the fear to lose the bet called Prabha to Naagesh. The competition with annoying and irritating Naagesh, compels him to commit some silly errors and get cheated by a motor workshop owner. Finally, he takes a month long leave from his office and moves to Khandala where Col. JNW Singh (Ashok Kumar) lives whom he expects to play his troubleshooter. Col. Singh is not only a love-Guru but also a personality development expert. Under his tutelage and guidance, Arun's personality is groomed in the right direction. Now he is ready to take upon his rival, Naagesh as well as win his lady-love, Prabha.

Here, in Mumbai, Prabha has got restless by not seeing Arun for so many days. That reveals that she also loves him but being a girl, has been expecting the boy to initiate the things. Arun's return fills her with joy. Now a smart and renovated Arun not only outwits Naagesh but also the cheating motor workshop owner, paying him and his gang in the same coin and sets the undisciplined subordinates in the office also right. Prabha is glad to see the change but she is apprehensive of his true intentions now. Col. Singh also arrives at Mumbai to check where this love-story is heading and whether his tuition has indeed helped Arun or not. In the climax, Arun does not go exactly according to the coaching of Col. Singh (which was not required also) and wins Prabha over through his original self only.

This movie scores at several places and provides a feelgood experience to the watcher. It's a movie which most of the middle class Indians can relate to. It's a comedy but not meant for generating laughs only. It touches a chord in the viewer's heart at many places. While watching, the viewer effortlessly gets attached to Arun and starts praying for his ultimate success.

This movie tickles, entertains and inspires all at the same time. The climax is toned down but it's always been the style of Basu Da to keep a low profile climax in his movies. Entertainment prevails throughout and there is no boring moment in the movie. It appears to be the love story of any ordinary youth and hence a layman can relate to it. It was made when the term Rom-Com was not used in the cine-circles. But it's an excellent rom-com with a perfect mix of comedy and romance. It's the simplicity prevailing in every nook and corner of this movie that goes deep into the heart of the viewer.

Amol Palekar had mastered the art of playing a straightforward and simple hero having boy next door looks during the seventies and created his own fan-following. Chhoti Si Baat is one of his such kind of movies only with the role being a tailor-made one for him. He makes the viewer get attached to his smiles and sadness and his triumph in the end appears to the viewer as his own triumph in the battle of life and love. Vidya Sinha was the perfect choice for the girl next door kind of roles due to her simple middle class looks and natural acting in such type of roles. Asrani is marvellous like always. However the show-stealer is Ashok Kumar, the seniormost actor of Bollywood during that era. The script-writer and dialogue-writer have immensely helped this seasoned actor in delivering a memorable performance.

Yogesh beautiful lyrics of high literary quality have been strung in heart-soothing melodies by Salil Choudhary. The best song is the title track - Na Jaane Kyun Hota Hai Ye Zindagi Ke Saath (Lata). Jaaneman Jaaneman Tere Do Nayan (Asha and Yesudas), Ye Din Kya Aaye Lage Phool Hanse (Mukesh) etc. are also unforgettable ones for the melody and literature lovers alike.

The filmmakers of today can learn a lot from this classic rom-com as to how to make neat and clean family movies containing stories of laymen. I opine that a lady may lose her heart to a simpleton but she wants her man to be a simpleton for herself, not for the world because she can never tolerate the love of her life losing out to the others in different spheres of life.

Within a few minutes into the movie, every middle class guy will relate to every bit with their life. You have a crush on a girl of your dreams, and you cannot think of any possible way to woo her. On top of that there is another guy who is getting way ahead in the race. And he even got a bike ! (How cool is that !!)

This film captivates you from the start. With its slow pace and awesome background score you'll never know when it ended. And you crave for more of it in the end.

All leading actors shine brightly. And Ashok Kumar is a piece of cake to watch.

The movie has a promising start and a generally good first half but the second half fails to impress. The actors have done a good job despite the clichéd characters. The story is predictable, but the movie is still fun to watch (and re-watch). The songs--beautifully sung by Lata, Asha, Mukesh and Yesudas--capture the pleasant and simple quality of the movie and have rightfully become classics of Bollywood music. In my opinion, bad editing weakens the impact of the movie greatly. It feels as if no attempt was made to keep the cinematography crisp (although some scenes have conspicuously been shortened as evident from the 'jumps'). The audience has to endure through minute-long montages and forced dialogue. There is even a half-minute long montage of the lead character walking. Just walking!

a good film, because its not a conventional one, instead its full of adrenaline type film after introducing the characters. Amol AT ITS BEST,AND The climax where Ashok kumar enters in is the plus point. overall very very nice screenplay.

nice dialogues, i don't how to express my excitement about this film, though am an action lovers film, typically jason statam ones, special effects, but very good direction.

similar films i liked with emotional contents are namely: Masoom, Paa, Rajesh khanna's Anurodh, Mard maybe,

watch it once and you will love it

I watched this movie today on TV. I thought it would be some old boring movie which will help me sleep. But as I saw, I couldn't stop watching it. It shows the reality of some shy guys, who are considered to be unsuccessful in their work and personal life. Amol Palekar's acting is natural, but it is Asrani & Ashok Kumar who really outperform. Asrani really impresses with his funny perplexed performance. Really a classic comedy, it is also a film which has thoughts or ideas ahead of it's time. It made me realise that, some Indian movies are really good and can be more authentic than we think. This movie comes first, then Hitch & then the Partner ;)

Review By Kamal K

The thing that I like the most is how it is a cheesy love story but still any common man can still relate to it. It isn't like any other bollywood which at that time were sexsit and the only role that the lead female had was to be the love interest of the hero. In this movie however both male and female equally contribute to the story. Each character is beautifully written and performed well. It's a must watch and I'm sure u will fall in love with this piece of art too.