Nastik (1954) :
Brief Review -
I. S. Johar's first directorial super hit turns an atheist into a believer with simple devotional human strings. I live in a generation where films like "Oh My God" and "PK" are deemed as classics and rightfully so. Some greedy people have made a business of religious beliefs, and believe me, those 'some' account for a large number nowadays. It is very easy to fool someone and become a trend in today's times with so many dummies available for cheap prices on the internet. Therefore, films like PK and OMG are needed to open people's eyes, even if they have to show some brutal facts and make fun of Gods, because that's the best way to explain your thoughtful message to audiences. Dev Anand's Guide attempted self-salvation through an impostor baba thing, but it was a very intellectual film for its time and it remains so even for today's audiences. Now think about IS Johar's "Nastik", which came a decade before Guide. The film has no intellectual speeches but simply directs you to believe in God. The film compiles simple formulas and speeches into a commercial potboiler with a lot of drama and the usual conflicts. Those conflicts were damn too relevant and advanced for their time (1954). I mean, we know what Radha did to Birju in "Mother India" (1957), but I saw the same scene here too. Can you believe it? There are so many iconic scenes, dialogues and songs in Nastik that instantly connect with you and stay with you forever. That scene when Anil fights for the low-caste boy against the biggies, and then he has to lose everyone close to him just for his own arrogant atheism. Lata Ji's songs will always stay with me and what lyrics Kavi Pradeep has penned. The music album by Legend C. Ramchandra is just outstanding. Ajit and Nalini's performances are great, and so is I. S. Johar's direction. Nastik remains one of its kind even today. Thank you for the on-screen Tirth Yatra. BTW, was it the first time for Bollywood?
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
