Kaala Patthar
Encyclopedia
Kaala Patthar is a 1979
Indian Bollywood
action/drama film. It was produced and directed by Yash Chopra
. The story was written by Salim-Javed
. This film is the fourth collaboration between Amitabh Bachchan
and director Yash Chopra
after the hugely successful Deewaar (1975), Kabhie Kabhie (1976) and Trishul
(1978). However, this film did average business at the box office, but did good business in the big cities. Despite its many Filmfare
nominations, it failed to win any awards. While Rajesh Roshan provided music for the lyrics penned by Sahir, the background score was done by Salil Chowdhary who is known for his impressive background score in films like 'Madhumati', 'Ittefaq', Poonam ki Raat, etc.
The words " Kaala Patthar" refers to coal. This movie was inspired by Chasnala mining disaster
.
However the main plot is very similar to Joseph Conrad's novel Lord Jim
.
) is a disgraced Merchant Navy
captain who is branded a coward, humiliated by society and disowned by his parents for abandoning ship risking the lives of over 300 passengers (perhaps inspired by Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim
). Feeling guilty over his cowardice and with low self-esteem, he starts working as a coal miner to forget his past. He meets and becomes friends with Ravi (Shashi Kapoor
), an engineer incharge of the mine. He also makes an enemy in another co-worker named Mangal (Shatrughan Sinha
) who is an escaped criminal working in the mine to avoid the police. Vijay's past comes to haunt him as he sees Mangal causing trouble for the coal miners and angry over his cowardice over what happened when he was in the navy, Vijay tries to defend the miners against Mangal. Ravi eventually gets Vijay and Mangal to be friends after circumstances surrounding the mine force Mangal to change himself. The one person who supports Vijay him in his life is Dr Sudha Sen (Raakhee Gulzar
) who tries to make Vijay face up to his past and move on. Ravi and Mangal also get involved in their own romances with Anita (Parveen Babi
) and Channo (Neetu Singh
) respectively.
When Seth Dhanraj (Prem Chopra
) makes lives difficult for the coal miners by giving them poor equipment, less than sufficient medical supplies and lack of facilities, Vijay, Ravi and Mangal forcefully come together to fight for justice against Dhanraj when water floods the mines endangering the lives of hundreds of workers. The disaster actually took place at a place called Chasnala in erswhile Bihar(now Jharkand).
"ek angoothi main bhi le loonga"
"My pain is my destiny and I can't avoid it."
Bollywood films of 1979
-Highest grossing:The top thirty grossing films at the Indian Box Office in 1979:The last eleven were declared flops but had huge openings on their release and the first twenty nine were declared superhits.-1979:...
Indian Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
action/drama film. It was produced and directed by Yash Chopra
Yash Chopra
Yash Raj Chopra is an Indian filmmaker, film director, screenwriter, and a highly successful Bollywood producer. Waqt, Deewar, Kabhi Kabhie, Silsila, Lamhe, Chandni, Darr, Dil To Pagal Hai, and Veer-Zaara are some of his highly popular movies...
. The story was written by Salim-Javed
Salim-Javed
Salim-Javed were a scriptwriter duo who wrote a number of commercially and critically successful Hindi films in the 1970s and early 1980s. The duo, composed of Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, made the writer's role popular with their names appearing in the posters of the films, and in some films they...
. This film is the fourth collaboration between Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades...
and director Yash Chopra
Yash Chopra
Yash Raj Chopra is an Indian filmmaker, film director, screenwriter, and a highly successful Bollywood producer. Waqt, Deewar, Kabhi Kabhie, Silsila, Lamhe, Chandni, Darr, Dil To Pagal Hai, and Veer-Zaara are some of his highly popular movies...
after the hugely successful Deewaar (1975), Kabhie Kabhie (1976) and Trishul
Trishul (film)
Trishul is an Indian Hindi film directed by Yash Chopra and produced by Gulshan Rai in 1978. It is written by Salim-Javed, with music by Khayyam and lyrics by Sahir Ludhianvi. The movie was a "blockbuster" Hit at the box-office and one of the top grossers of 1978, along with Muqaddar Ka Sikander...
(1978). However, this film did average business at the box office, but did good business in the big cities. Despite its many Filmfare
Filmfare
Filmfare is an English-language tabloid-sized magazine about Indian cinema. Published by The Times Group, India's largest media services conglomerate, in Mumbai , it highlights the doings of the Bollywood film scene...
nominations, it failed to win any awards. While Rajesh Roshan provided music for the lyrics penned by Sahir, the background score was done by Salil Chowdhary who is known for his impressive background score in films like 'Madhumati', 'Ittefaq', Poonam ki Raat, etc.
The words " Kaala Patthar" refers to coal. This movie was inspired by Chasnala mining disaster
Chasnala mining disaster
Chasnala mining disaster is a disaster on 27th December 1975 in a coal mine in Chasnala near Dhanbad in Indian state of Jharkhand . The explosion in the mine followed by flooding killed 372 miners....
.
However the main plot is very similar to Joseph Conrad's novel Lord Jim
Lord Jim
Lord Jim is a novel by Joseph Conrad originally published as a serial in Blackwood's Magazine from October 1899 to November 1900.An early and primary event is Jim's abandonment of a ship in distress on which he is serving as a mate...
.
Synopsis
Vijay Pal Singh (Amitabh BachchanAmitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades...
) is a disgraced Merchant Navy
Merchant Navy
The Merchant Navy is the maritime register of the United Kingdom, and describes the seagoing commercial interests of UK-registered ships and their crews. Merchant Navy vessels fly the Red Ensign and are regulated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency...
captain who is branded a coward, humiliated by society and disowned by his parents for abandoning ship risking the lives of over 300 passengers (perhaps inspired by Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim
Lord Jim
Lord Jim is a novel by Joseph Conrad originally published as a serial in Blackwood's Magazine from October 1899 to November 1900.An early and primary event is Jim's abandonment of a ship in distress on which he is serving as a mate...
). Feeling guilty over his cowardice and with low self-esteem, he starts working as a coal miner to forget his past. He meets and becomes friends with Ravi (Shashi Kapoor
Shashi Kapoor
Shashi Kapoor , born Balbir-Raj Prithviraj Kapoor on 18 March 1938 in Calcutta , is an award-winning Indian film actor and film producer. He has also been film director and assistant director in Hindi Films. He is a member of the Kapoor family, a film dynasty in India's Bollywood cinema...
), an engineer incharge of the mine. He also makes an enemy in another co-worker named Mangal (Shatrughan Sinha
Shatrughan Sinha
Shatrughan Sinha is an Indian film actor and politician. Apart from being member of Rajya Sabha twice he was also Union Cabinet Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Shipping...
) who is an escaped criminal working in the mine to avoid the police. Vijay's past comes to haunt him as he sees Mangal causing trouble for the coal miners and angry over his cowardice over what happened when he was in the navy, Vijay tries to defend the miners against Mangal. Ravi eventually gets Vijay and Mangal to be friends after circumstances surrounding the mine force Mangal to change himself. The one person who supports Vijay him in his life is Dr Sudha Sen (Raakhee Gulzar
Raakhee Gulzar
Raakhee is an Indian film actress, who has primarily appeared in Hindi films, as well as several Bengali films. She is popularly known as Raakhee Gulzar after her marriage with lyricist-director Gulzar ....
) who tries to make Vijay face up to his past and move on. Ravi and Mangal also get involved in their own romances with Anita (Parveen Babi
Parveen Babi
Parveen Babi was an Indian actress, who is most remembered for her glamorous roles alongside top heroes of the 1970s and early 1980s in blockbusters like Deewar, Namak Halaal, Amar Akbar Anthony and Shaan...
) and Channo (Neetu Singh
Neetu Singh
Neetu Singh is an Indian Bollywood actress. She worked as a child actor under the name Baby Sonia. She played Roopa in the 1966 movie Dus Lakh and a dual role in the film Do Kaliyaan. Her other notable films were Waris and Pavitra Paapi.-Career:Neetu Singh made her debut as an actress in 1972 with...
) respectively.
When Seth Dhanraj (Prem Chopra
Prem Chopra
Prem Chopra is an actor in Hindi and Punjabi films. He has acted in over 400 films. He is famous for his soft spoken diction despite being a villain in most films.-Personal life and education:...
) makes lives difficult for the coal miners by giving them poor equipment, less than sufficient medical supplies and lack of facilities, Vijay, Ravi and Mangal forcefully come together to fight for justice against Dhanraj when water floods the mines endangering the lives of hundreds of workers. The disaster actually took place at a place called Chasnala in erswhile Bihar(now Jharkand).
Dialogues
"Teesre Baadshah hum hain" (I am the third King) legendary dialogue spoken in style by Shatru, after a card game, pure machismo."ek angoothi main bhi le loonga"
"My pain is my destiny and I can't avoid it."
Cast
- Amitabh BachchanAmitabh BachchanAmitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades...
as Vijay Pal Singh - Shashi KapoorShashi KapoorShashi Kapoor , born Balbir-Raj Prithviraj Kapoor on 18 March 1938 in Calcutta , is an award-winning Indian film actor and film producer. He has also been film director and assistant director in Hindi Films. He is a member of the Kapoor family, a film dynasty in India's Bollywood cinema...
as Ravi Malhotra, Engineer - Shatrughan SinhaShatrughan SinhaShatrughan Sinha is an Indian film actor and politician. Apart from being member of Rajya Sabha twice he was also Union Cabinet Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Shipping...
as Mangal Singh - Raakhee GulzarRaakhee GulzarRaakhee is an Indian film actress, who has primarily appeared in Hindi films, as well as several Bengali films. She is popularly known as Raakhee Gulzar after her marriage with lyricist-director Gulzar ....
as Dr. Sudha Sen - Neeto SinghNeetu SinghNeetu Singh is an Indian Bollywood actress. She worked as a child actor under the name Baby Sonia. She played Roopa in the 1966 movie Dus Lakh and a dual role in the film Do Kaliyaan. Her other notable films were Waris and Pavitra Paapi.-Career:Neetu Singh made her debut as an actress in 1972 with...
as Channo, jewellery seller - Parveen BabiParveen BabiParveen Babi was an Indian actress, who is most remembered for her glamorous roles alongside top heroes of the 1970s and early 1980s in blockbusters like Deewar, Namak Halaal, Amar Akbar Anthony and Shaan...
as Anita, Press Photographer - Prem ChopraPrem ChopraPrem Chopra is an actor in Hindi and Punjabi films. He has acted in over 400 films. He is famous for his soft spoken diction despite being a villain in most films.-Personal life and education:...
as Dhanraj Puri, Coal mine owner - Parikshat SahniParikshat SahniParikshit Sahni is an Indian film and television actor, who is most known for playing the lead in TV series Barrister Vinod, Gul Gulshan Gulfaam and Gaatha ....
as Jagga - Satyen KappooSatyen KappuSatyen Kappu , also credited as Satyendra Kapoor, was an Indian character actor in Bollywood films. His most remembered role is Ramlal in movie Sholay and as Amitabh Bachchan's father in Yash Chopra's Deewaar...
as Raghunath , Coal miner - Gita Sidharth as Mrs. Raghunath
- Poonam DhillonPoonam DhillonPoonam Dhillon is an Indian Hindi film, theatre and TV actress. She is best known for her 1979 film, Noorie, for her six films with Rajesh Khanna Red Rose, Dard, Nishaan, Zamana, Awam and Sohni Mahiwal , Samundar Saveray Wali Gaadi and Naam .- Early life :Dhall was born 18 April 1962 in Kanpur,...
as Raghunath's daughter - Babu Kumar as Raghunath's son
- Suresh OberoiSuresh OberoiSuresh Oberoi is an Indian actor who is also father of Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi. He was born in Quetta, now Pakistan and is a recipient of 1987 National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor...
as Navy officer - Gautam Sarin as Chief Navy Officer
- Om Sahni as Navy Officer
- Suresh Bedi as Navy Officer
- Lamba as Navy Officer
- IftikharIftekharIftekhar was a character actor in Bollywood films, especially known for his roles as police officers in several films.-Career:...
as Mr. Singh, Vijay's father - Sudha Chopra as Mrs. Singh, Vijay's mother
- Sanjeev KumarSanjeev Kumar (actor)Sanjeev Kumar was one of the most prominent Indian actors in Bollywood.-Personal life and background:Sanjeev Kumar was born as Jariwala in Gujarat to a Gujarati family. His first home was in Surat and family based in Mumbai. A stint in the film school took him to Bollywood, where he eventually...
as Dr. Mathur - Annu KapoorAnnu KapoorAnnu Kapoor is an Indian film actor and television presenter, best remembered for hosting the singing reality show Antakshari.-Career:Annu Kapoor made his debut in the film Mandi directed by Shyam Benegal in 1979. His career has spanned nearly 31 years including a distinctive presence in...
as Compounder - Pardesi as Compounder
- Yunus ParvezYunus ParvezYunus Parvez was a Bollywood character actor who played supporting roles in over 200 films from the late 1960s to the 2000s. He appeared in the 1996 film Chhote Sarkar.He died on 11 February 2007 at the age of 75...
as Maneklal Saxena, Chief Engineer - Romesh Sharma as Vikram
- Madan PuriMadan PuriMadan Puri was an actor in Hindi and Punjabi films.-Early life:Madan Singh Puri was born in Nawanshahr, Punjab to S. Nihal Singh Puri and Ved Kaur...
as Vikram's father - Manmohan Krishna as Crippled hotel owner
- Sharat SaxenaSharat SaxenaSharat Saxena is an Indian actor working in Bollywood films. He has acted in nearly 160 Bollywood films.Saxena started his career in the early 70s and has mainly played either supporting roles of a father, uncle or villainous roles....
as Dhanna - Mohan Sherry as Shanker
- MackmohanMac MohanMohan Makijany , popularly known as Mac Mohan, was a well-known Indian character actor in Hindi language films...
as Rana - JagdishrajJagdish RajJagdish Raj Khurana is a former Bollywood actor who holds a Guinness World Record record for being the most type-cast actor. He has played a police inspector in 144 films. He was born in 1928 in the town of Sargodha, British India, which is now in Pakistan...
as Police Inspector - Mahaan Swadesh as Murli
- Baldev Trehan as Ozi
- Vikas Anand as Ram Singh
- Raj Verma as Munim
- Harish Chander as Harish
- Nagar as Daag
- Chandu as Chandu
- Uttam Sodi as Qaidi
- Darshan as Jailor
- Bhola as Gyan
- Ramanand as Roshan Singh
Crew
- Direction – Yash ChopraYash ChopraYash Raj Chopra is an Indian filmmaker, film director, screenwriter, and a highly successful Bollywood producer. Waqt, Deewar, Kabhi Kabhie, Silsila, Lamhe, Chandni, Darr, Dil To Pagal Hai, and Veer-Zaara are some of his highly popular movies...
- Writer – Salim-JavedSalim-JavedSalim-Javed were a scriptwriter duo who wrote a number of commercially and critically successful Hindi films in the 1970s and early 1980s. The duo, composed of Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, made the writer's role popular with their names appearing in the posters of the films, and in some films they...
- Production – Yash ChopraYash ChopraYash Raj Chopra is an Indian filmmaker, film director, screenwriter, and a highly successful Bollywood producer. Waqt, Deewar, Kabhi Kabhie, Silsila, Lamhe, Chandni, Darr, Dil To Pagal Hai, and Veer-Zaara are some of his highly popular movies...
- Production Company – Yash Raj FilmsYash Raj FilmsYash Raj Films is an Indian Entertainment company set up by Yash Chopra, an Indian film director and producer who is considered an entertainment mogul in India.-Initial years:...
- Cinematograpy – Kay Gee
- Music Direction – Rajesh RoshanRajesh RoshanRajesh Roshan is a Hindi cinema music composer.-Personal life:Rajesh Roshan is the son of Hindi film composer Roshan and younger brother of film director and actor Rakesh Roshan...
- Lyrics – Sahir LudhianviSahir LudhianviSahir Ludhianvi was a popular Urdu poet and Hindi lyricist and songwriter. Sahir Ludhianvi is his pseudonym...
- Playback – Kishore KumarKishore KumarKishore Kumar , born Abhas Kumar Ganguly, was an Indian film playback singer and an actor who also worked as lyricist, composer, producer, director, screenwriter and scriptwriter.Kishore Kumar was one of India's greatest performers of the late 20th century...
, Lata MangeshkarLata MangeshkarLata Mangeshkar is a singer from India. She is one of the best-known and most respected playback singers in India. Mangeshkar's career started in 1942 and has spanned over six and a half decades. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over thirty-six regional...
, Mahendra KapoorMahendra KapoorMahendra Kapoor was an Indian playback singer.In a career spanning five decades, his repertoire extended to 25,000 songs in various regional languages, including memorable hits like ‘Chalo ek baar phir se Ajnabi ban jayen hum dono’ Gumrah, ‘Neele gagan ke taale’ Hamraaz, and in various...
, Mohammed RafiMohammed RafiMohammad Rafi , was an Indian playback singer whose career spanned four decades. He was awarded National Award and 6 Filmfare Awards. In 1967, he was honoured with the Padma Shri awarded by the Government of India....
, Pamela Chopra, S.K. Mohan, Usha MangeshkarUsha MangeshkarUsha Mangeshkar is an Indian singer who has recorded many Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati songs soundtracks.She is daughter of Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar & Shevanti . She is the younger sister of singers, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle and elder to her music-director brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar...
Soundtrack
Awards and Nominations
- 1980 Filmfare Award Nominations
- Best Film
- Best Director - Yash ChopraYash ChopraYash Raj Chopra is an Indian filmmaker, film director, screenwriter, and a highly successful Bollywood producer. Waqt, Deewar, Kabhi Kabhie, Silsila, Lamhe, Chandni, Darr, Dil To Pagal Hai, and Veer-Zaara are some of his highly popular movies...
- Best Actor - Amitabh BachchanAmitabh BachchanAmitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades...
- Best Supporting Actor - Shatrughan SinhaShatrughan SinhaShatrughan Sinha is an Indian film actor and politician. Apart from being member of Rajya Sabha twice he was also Union Cabinet Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Shipping...
- Best Supporting Actress - Neetu SinghNeetu SinghNeetu Singh is an Indian Bollywood actress. She worked as a child actor under the name Baby Sonia. She played Roopa in the 1966 movie Dus Lakh and a dual role in the film Do Kaliyaan. Her other notable films were Waris and Pavitra Paapi.-Career:Neetu Singh made her debut as an actress in 1972 with...
- Best Story - Salim-JavedSalim-JavedSalim-Javed were a scriptwriter duo who wrote a number of commercially and critically successful Hindi films in the 1970s and early 1980s. The duo, composed of Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, made the writer's role popular with their names appearing in the posters of the films, and in some films they...
- Best Music Director - Rajesh RoshanRajesh RoshanRajesh Roshan is a Hindi cinema music composer.-Personal life:Rajesh Roshan is the son of Hindi film composer Roshan and younger brother of film director and actor Rakesh Roshan...
- Best Male Playback Singer - Kishore KumarKishore KumarKishore Kumar , born Abhas Kumar Ganguly, was an Indian film playback singer and an actor who also worked as lyricist, composer, producer, director, screenwriter and scriptwriter.Kishore Kumar was one of India's greatest performers of the late 20th century...
for the song "Ek Raasta Hai Zindagi"