Abdullah

This film is set in some fictional Arab region, and for a Hindi film of its time, it is quite lavish. The sets are spectacular, and clearly a considerable amount of money was invested into making it look as well as it looks. The film's title role is played by none other than the great Raj Kapoor, and he plays here a kind Muslim man who adopts a little orphan. His house seems to be placed in a desert right in the middle of nowhere. On the other side of this desert lives a couple of wealthy Muslims who live in a grand mansion, and a cruel criminal who seeks to undermine their lives. Their stories are intertwined. Everything in this film seems to follow the style of Arabian Nights, just like other films that came at the time like Alibaba and Ajooba. Despite its pretty look, however, the film is sadly never fully realized, and the script is really, really poor. Even worse is the insertion of some sadistic elements into the film. Sanjay Khan, the director and actor, is very good in his role. The film is led by Raj Kapoor in a very nice performance in the central character. Zeenat Aman is incredibly beautiful and sensuous, while Danny Denzongpa plays the cruel villain typically. Abdullah sadly has little focus and although it's not a total waste of time, it just doesn't live up to expectations and falls flat.