Ponga Pandit

This film concerns two adults in India who were joined in marriage by their parents at an early age. The woman has been raised Westernized and the man (Randhir Kapoor) was sent off to study religion. When he returns expecting his wife to be waiting for him, he realizes that they have little in common. With outside aid he develops an alter ego "Prem" who becomes a pop star and is highly sought after by groupies. It would be a love triangle with only two participants if not for the presence of another pop singer, Rocky (Danny Denzongpa) who has been spurned but still covets the woman's dowry.

PONGA PANDIT is a broad comedy made enjoyable primarily by the great performance by Randhir Kapoor. Seeing him transition from simple student to sophisticated ladies' man reminded me of Don Knotts being groomed as a Hugh Hefner clone in THE LOVE GOD? (Meanwhile, Prem's tailor/dance instructor seems patterned after James Brown.) Seeing this chubby Lothario breaking his female fans' hearts and shaking his groove thing on a hideously decorated stage is priceless. I doubt that anything else in Kapoor's body of work equals this role, but I'm going to keep looking.