I feel this movie is awesome. It had a very 60's Hollywood suspense theme. The background music helped create the mood of suspense while viewing Sunil Dutt's goal to sidetrack the police. The camera shots were awesome, especially when Sunil Dutt is in the hotel room and he has his hands on his face and the white lighting hits his face. The film had a great glamor to it with actors like Sunil Dutt and Raj Kumar. The main actress (Meena) was very elegant and high maintenance. Sunil Dutt did an awesome job in the film of being the lovable husband to the suspicion husband. It appears that he is already in the interrogation room of the police station. I wish they made Bollywood films like this today.
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harpisteva29 April 2007
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prince_khaalid3 August 2006First off i must say that this movie soundtrack is one of the best soundtracks of the 60's. The story is very catchy and will keep you entertained through the entire movie. Most of the cast acted well, Sunil Dutt being the best. Sunil Dutt is very convincing as kumar, while vimmi could have been better. I felt as if a better actress was casted as her character the movie would have been better (ex. asha pareh, sadhana or saira banu). Raaj kumar did well in a short but sweet role and Mumtaz as always was very pleasant to watch. Anyone who likes mysteries will love this one....will all the being said i believe that the movie is worth a watch...i give it 7/10.......very good.
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Hamraaz (1967) is my most favourite suspense-thriller which was a blockbuster in its time and re-released several times thereafter. I had seen this great movie in theatre in Kolkata (then Calcutta) in 1989. This excellent movie is the brain-child of the legendary director - late B.R. Chopra. If you want to watch an edge-of-the-seat genuine suspense-thriller with an excellent musical score, this masterpiece starring Sunil Dutt, Raaj Kumar, Vimi, Mumtaaz and Balraaj Saahni is there for you which, in my opinion, is the best musical suspense-thriller ever made in Bollywood.
Hamraaz (someone who knows your secret) starts with the hidden marriage of Vimi, the daughter of a military contractor at Darjeeling who finds herself pregnant after hearing the news of the death of her husband, Raaj Kumar in the 1962 war. After delivery, her father informs her that she had delivered a dead child. Time passes and Sunil Dutt, a famous theatre artist, enters her life, proposes her, marries her and takes her to Bombay without knowing about the secret marriage and delivery issues of his wife's life. A few years later, Vimi is informed about her child living in an orphanage of Bombay by her father when he is on his death-bed. Vimi meets her child (daughter), takes her to her home and requests Sunil Dutt for her adoption which is refused by Sunil Dutt on the plea that she won't treat that child as her own when she herself delivers his child later on. Since then the activities of Vimi start creating suspicion in the mind of Sunil Dutt and the suspense begins. Sunil Dutt spies on his wife only to find herself as murdered and himself becoming a suspect in the eyes of the investigating officer, Balraaj Saahni. These and the following events, the thrill and the unfolding of the mystery; everything combines to a very very big treat for the suspense-thriller fans.
Music is a great strength of the movie and the first hour is dedicated to music and romance only. Saahir Ludhianvi has written five great songs for this movie and Ravi has composed great music for them. Four are Mahendra Kapoor's all time great solos - 1. O Neele Gagan Ke Tale, Dharti Ka Pyar Pale, 2. Na Munh Chhupa Ke Jiyo Aur Na Sar Jhuka Ke Jiyo, 3. Kisi Patthar Ki Moorat Se Mohabbat Ka Iraada Hai, 4. Tum Agar Saath Dene Ka Vaada Karo, Main Yun Hi Mast Naghme Lutaata Rahoon. And the fifth one is a Mahendra Kapoor-Asha duet - Tu Husn Hai Main Ishq Hoon, Tu Mujhme Hai Main Tujhme Hoon - in which classic love stories from the history have been shown as a theatre-play. The melodious compositions coupled with the meaningful and touching lyrics make the album very precious. The picturization of the songs is also laudable.
The beauty of the narrative is that all these five songs are over within the first one hour of the movie and immediately thereafter the viewer finds himself enveloped in a non-stop suspense drama lasting for more than two hours. But the length of the movie does not allow the viewer to get bored even for a single moment. It is thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end. The speed of the narrative after the songs are over, is so fast that the viewer keeps on watching holding his / her breath without getting any time to pause and think from the master storyteller.
The screenplay of Hamraaz is simply brilliant and when the viewer is out of the theatre (or finished with the VCD / DVD or the satellite telecast), then only he / she realizes what a hypnotic state he / she has been in for the previous few hours. Through the spellbinding narrative, B.R. Chopra has been able to clarify with conviction the difference between reading a mystery and watching a mystery. It underscores the superiority of the visual medium in presenting a mystery over the medium of words. It's a suspense-thriller in which the spectator not just watches the mystery but lives the mystery shown on the screen. The white-shoes of the mysterious person whose identity is revealed just before the climax, is something unforgettable for the spectators.
All departments of the movie are up to the mark. The scenic beauty of Darjeeling has been very well captured by the cinematographer. Production value is quite high according to the repute of the prestigious B.R. Films banner.
The heroes have done exceedingly well, especially Sunil Dutt. Vimi does not show any acting talent in her debut movie but she looks extremely beautiful and that has made up for her acting deficiency. Mumtaaz also looks very pretty. Herself alongwith the complete supporting cast, has performed satisfactorily. We can also see Sarika in this movie as a child artist and hers is also a heart-winning performance .
Considering the plot, the acting, the tight screenplay with excellent direction and above all, the music; the movie easily finds itself in the list of all time great suspense-thrillers of Bollywood. Any mystery-fan who has not seen Hamraaz, should not miss it. However this movie is equally recommendable for the audience of romantic musicals also. It's truly outstanding and nothing short of a textbook of filmmaking for the contemporary filmmakers. -
Peter_Young15 October 2021Hamraaz is extraordinary quality entertainment of its times, which benefits from superb writing, excellent direction, good acting and phenomenal music. In this regard, the film is B. R. Chopra at his most quintessential. It's stylish and enjoyable and very affecting throughout. The sudden turn of events it takes halfway through the story is most unexpected but it is a fantastic twist at that, quite Hitchcockian I would say. First it turns into a successful thriller, later into a murder mystery, and it works well all through. The gripping delivery, very characteristic of Chopra's films at the time, is very tight and successful. The film's second half is therefore much stronger than the first, but the film has many qualities going for it, among which the cinematography and camera work are quite excellent for the times.
The film's main trump-card other than the interesting story and the technical finesse, is unquestionably the music, which can't get better than this. Comng from the great musci director Ravi, this is hardly surprising. All the numbers are classically melodious and wonderfully sung by Mahendra Kapoor (take "Neele Gagan Ke Tale", "Kisi Patthar Ki Murat Se"). The actors all do well. Vimi, a lesser-known actress, is competent in her most famous role, which is quite uncommon for a leading Hindi film actress. Sunil Dutt, on the other hand, does a pretty common role, similar to what he did in Raj Khosla's thriller Mera Saaya, and he does well as always. Supporting parts by excellent character actors like Blaraj Sahni and Iftekhar are a great addition, and Raaj Kumar and Mumtaz do equally well. Great entertainment, indeed. -
The movie starts with an ordinary love story of a girl with a military man, they marry without telling the girl's father. The girl's father somehow agrees and asks them to do the marriage again. War breaks out and the husband dies in the war leaving the girl pregnant. Father of girl tells the girl that the child was born dead. The girl marries a stage actor Kumar, played by Sunil Dutt. First half is full of good songs, and beautiful surroundings of Darjeeling. No one can even imagine what the second half can be. The second half is suspense thriller, young Sunil Dutt plays the role of chasing husband very well. Balraj Sahni is, as always, at the top of the affairs, as a police inspector. Balraj Sahni's styles eventually suggest that probably Amitabh copies him a lot of times. Suspense goes on till the last 7-8 minutes of the movie. Raaj Kumar is not so good, but Dutt sahib has done phenomenally well. A must watch movie. I still remember when I was a child I saw this movie first time on Vishal cinema in New Delhi, and my father when I told him that I saw Humraaz, he embraced me. Its a far far better movie than today's suspense thrillers.
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yalghar4 June 2005This movie has a good cast and songs(Tum Agar Sath Daine Ka Vaada Karo)(Naa Mun Chuppa Ke Jiyo).Although the movie was a hit at its time but the main flaw is its direction.Initially the film seems to be a love story which then changes to an unfaithful type story and then to a mystery type of movie.Sunil Dutt gives a good performance as a man trapped under a mystery.Raaj Kumar also gives a good performance though his character is of no appeal or anything.The end of the movie is very strange and the presence of Raaj Kumar was not even needed in my opinion.On the whole the movie can be given 6 because of its good songs and some appealing thrilling moments but still direction really decreases it value.
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vinodmohankunal1 April 2014Hamraaz meaning confidante is a suspense movie directed by B.R.Chopra, known for his movies like Naya Daur,Sadhna,etc.Hamraaz is one of his best movies.
It is about Meena,daughter of an army general who secretly marries Rajesh an army officer without telling her father about it.On the day of their marriage Rajesh has to leave to the border upon declaration of emergency.Later she gets the news of his death.
She becomes pregnant with his child which supposedly dies after birth.She is then married of to Kumar,a renowned actor from Mumbai.Four years later Meena's past seems to have come back to her life and one day she get's murdered.The solving of this murder forms the rest of the story.
The direction is good.The camera work,music and art direction stand out. Amongst the actors,Sunil Dutt,Raaj Kumar and Mumtaz stand out.Vimi is unimpressive.The supporting cast comprising of Achala Sachdev,Jeevan, Madan Puri,Iftekhar,Jagdish Raj,Nana Palsikar,Manmohan Krishna,Balraj Sahni,etc are all good.Madhumati and Manohar Deepak have danced extremely well in the song 'Na mooh chupake jiyo'.
The movie could have been faster.Though not boring,the appearance of all the songs within the first one hour becomes quite monotonous.But the songs are very melodious.They have been well sung and well composed.
Overall,the movie is good and a must watch. -
Hamraaz stands out as a masterpiece of entertainment for contemporary audiences, beautifully constructed with impressive writing, remarkable directing, exceptional acting, and an unforgettable soundtrack. This is indeed B. R. Chopra at the pinnacle of his career, creating a stylish and engaging narrative that also deeply moves viewers. The sudden plot twist that unfolds halfway through is quite unforeseen, yet superbly orchestrated, reminiscent of Hitchcock's storytelling. The movie effectively transitions from a captivating thriller into a murder mystery, maintaining its charm consistently. Chopra's meticulous and effective execution, characteristic of his work during that era, is especially prominent in the latter half of the film, though the entire movie is packed with admirable attributes including excellent camera work and cinematography relevant to its time.
The movie's compelling narrative and technical brilliance are reason enough to watch, but the music adds another layer of attraction. As perfect as it can be, the score is composed by the illustrious music director Ravi, making its excellence unsurprising. The complete soundtrack, full of classical melodies beautifully rendered by Mahendra Kapoor (consider "Neele Gagan Ke Tale", "Kisi Patthar Ki Murat Se"), is simply delightful. The actors' performances are noteworthy as well. Vimi, despite being a lesser-known actress, beautifully portrays her most identifiable role, which is somewhat rare for a lead actress in a mainstream Hindi film.
Sunil Dutt embodies a role similar to the one he played in Raj Khosla's film, Mera Saaya, delivering a stellar performance as usual. The film is further enriched by the superb supporting performances by the likes of Balraj Sahni and Iftekhar, as well as equally impressive acts by Raaj Kumar and Mumtaz. All in all, Hamraaz provides top-notch entertainment. -
cseabhi24 April 2020A classic...very well made thriller movie by none other than B R Chopra. This is certainly one of the best of the that times. Music, thrills, suspense, everything was perfect. Sunil Dutt, Raj Kumar and Sadhna were just perfect in their respective roles.
Music is a great strength of the movie and some of the songs are iconic. -
This is an cult movie. No body would or could can create this magic ever. Sahir and Ravi are most underrated song writer and music director of Hindi cinema. They didn't get the due credit of there contribution to Hindi cinema.
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blogavoid18 March 2022Hamraaz is an exceptional piece of entertainment for the present that is awash with great writing, superb direction, great acting and a stunning soundtrack. In this sense the film is B. R. Chopra at his best. It's chic and entertaining and extremely affecting throughout. The abrupt change of events that occurs midway through the narrative is quite unexpected however it's a great twist , and quite Hitchcockian I'd suggest. The film begins as an excellent thriller, and then to a murder mystery and it's a success throughout. The intense delivery, which was typical of Chopra's films at that time is precise and productive. The second part of the film is thus much more successful than the first. However, it has a lot to offer, not least of which camera and cinematography are excellent in the era of the film.
The main reason to watch the film, other aside from the intriguing story and technical excellence is the music. It's hard to be any more perfect than it is. The music is by the legendary Musci director Ravi it's not unexpected. The entire set is classically melodious and beautifully sang by Mahendra Kapoor (take "Neele Gagan Ke Tale", "Kisi Patthar Ki Murat Se"). The actors do a great job. Vimi is a less well-known actress does a great job in her most recognizable character, which happens to be uncommon for a prominent Hindi movie actress.
Sunil Dutt, on the other hand, has an extremely common role like the one he played in Raj Khosla's film Mera Saaya, and he is as good as ever. The supporting roles played by great actor characters such as Blaraj Sahni, and Iftekhar are an excellent addition to the film, as are Raaj Kumar as well as Mumtaz perform equally well. Great entertainment, indeed. -
drsaurabhwadhwa15 June 2020Good star cast. Interesting story. Very well made movie with excellent songs.