| Seeta Aur Geeta | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Ramesh Sippy |
| Screenplay by | Salim–Javed Satish Bhatnagar |
| Story by | Satish Bhatnagar |
| Dialogues by | Salim–Javed |
| Produced by | G. P. Sippy |
| Starring | Dharmendra Sanjeev Kumar Hema Malini Roopesh Kumar Manorama Satyen Kappu Honey Irani Pratima Devi |
| Cinematography | K Vaikunth |
| Edited by | M. S. Shinde |
| Music by | R. D. Burman |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | NH Studioz |
Release date |
|
Running time | 162 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi[1] |
| Budget | ₹40lakh ($53,000) |
| Box office | est. ₹19.53crore ($22.82million) |
Seeta Aur Geeta (Seeta And Geeta)[a] is a1972IndianHindi-languagecomedy drama film written bySalim–Javed (Salim Khan andJaved Akhtar) and Satish Bhatnagar, and directed byRamesh Sippy. Released inIndia on 3 November 1972, the film stars anensemble cast ofDharmendra,Sanjeev Kumar,Hema Malini (in adual role),Roopesh Kumar,Manorama,Satyen Kappu,Honey Irani, andPratima Devi. The music was composed byR. D. Burman.
The story is aboutidentical twins (portrayed byHema Malini) who are separated at birth and grow up with different temperaments. After they meet each other as adults, they swap places (likeThe Prince and the Pauper). The two sisters' lovers in the film are portrayed byDharmendra andSanjeev Kumar, whileManorama portrays the villainous aunt.
The theme of the film was inspired by the 1967 blockbusterRam Aur Shyam, which inspiredSalim-Javed and Satish Bhatnagar to writeSeeta Aur Geeta.[2]Ram Aur Shyam is itself a remake of the 1964Telugu filmRamudu Bheemudu. The film subverted the formula by having the heroine eventually become the "hero" while the male lead is in a mostly supporting role.[3] An earlier film with a similar theme wasMuqabala (1942), starringFearless Nadia.
The film became a major hit, both in India and abroad in theSoviet Union.[4] Hema Malini won her only competitiveFilmfare Best Actress Award of her career, while K. Vaikunth won theFilmfare Best Cinematographer Award.[citation needed] Malini was noted for the novelty of her role as Geeta, where she is rambunctious and sometimes violent.
The film was remade in other languages, which includes theTelugu filmGanga Manga (1973) and theTamil filmVani Rani (1974), both starringVanisri in the double roles. The subsequentHindi remakes of the story have been made, includingGeetaa Mera Naam (1974) starringSadhana,Jaise Ko Taisa (1973) starringJeetendra,Chaalbaaz (1989) starringSridevi,Kishen Kanhaiya (1990) starringAnil Kapoor,Judwaa (1997) starringSalman Khan, andKuch Khatti Kuch Meethi (1998) starringKajol, in the double roles and Pakistan PunjabiDulari (1987) starting Anjuman
The story is abouttwin girls, Seeta and Geeta (Hema Malini in adual role), who were both separated at birth. Seeta, the long-sufferingheiress, is treated worse than a servant by her abusive, money-grubbing aunt, Kaushalya (Manorama), her spoilt daughter, Sheela (Honey Irani), and her equally cruel brother, Ranjeet (Roopesh Kumar), despite the fact that the family is living off Seeta's late parents' money. Seeta's only consolations are her meek uncle, Badrinath (Satyen Kappu), and her elderly,wheelchair-bound grandmother (Pratima Devi). Meanwhile, Geeta grows up to be a feisty girl raised in aslum and works as astreet performer along with Raka (Dharmendra), her friend and neighbour.
One day, Seeta decides that life is not worthy and runs away from home to commit suicide. She is rescued but misunderstood to be Geeta and taken to Geeta's home by Raka. Meanwhile, Badrinath and Kaushalya are frantically searching for Seeta and find Geeta. The two misunderstand her to be Seeta and attempt to force her to come with them, but using some of her clever tricks, Geeta escapes from them and the police who have been searching for her. She then meets Ravi (Sanjeev Kumar), Seeta's prospective groom, who believes her to be Seeta as well and takes her to his home. Ravi is surprised by this "Seeta" and the Seeta he had met previously and falls in love with Geeta.
Meanwhile, the real Seeta is living at Geeta's home, where Geeta's foster mother and Raka are surprised by the sudden gentle nature of "Geeta" and her desire to do the housework. When Raka attempts to coax Seeta into performing, she is unable to do so, however, Raka falls in love with Seeta. Elsewhere, the real Geeta is living at Seeta's home where she realises the cruelty that Seeta has been living under. She vows to teach Kaushalya and Ranjeet a lesson and begins to set everything on a proper course. In the process, Geeta resumes control of the money and restores her grandmother to the head of the household where she belongs.
However, things take a drastic turn when Ranjeet sees the real Seeta in a marketplace and discovers the truth. As a result, Geeta's cover is blown and the police arrest her for impersonation, while Kaushalya and Ranjeet locate Seeta and bring her back to her life of mute slavery, abuse and confinement. Raka secretly releases Geeta from prison and reveals that she is Seeta's long-lost twin sister after learning about Geeta's true identity from her foster mother. This leads to Seeta, Geeta, Raka and Ravi fighting against Ranjeet and his henchmen and have the police arrest them all for their crimes. In the end, in the presence of Seeta and Geeta's grandmother, Badrinath and the reformed Kaushalya and Sheela, the real Seeta marries Raka while the real Geeta marries Ravi.
According toSalim Khan, one half of screenwriting duoSalim–Javed, the concept ofSeeta Aur Geeta was inspired by theDilip Kumar starrerRam Aur Shyam (1967), but they altered the formula with twin female sisters.[2]Seeta Aur Geeta subverted the formula by having the heroine Hema Malini eventually become the "hero" while male lead Dharmendra is in a mostly supporting role.[3]
Ramesh Sippy initially wanted Nutan as Seeta and Geeta because he "saw the heroine as a mature woman with a child" but he was advised against casting a heroine who was "at a mature phase of her career when the hero, too, was getting along in age." The film was also offered to popular actressMumtaz, who ironically starred inRam Aur Shyam, but she refused the offer as she wasn't paid enough. Mumtaz stated in an interview that at the time, the film was offered to her, she was charging Rs 8-8.5 lakhs/film, but she was offered only Rs 2 lakhs forSeeta Aur Geeta. So she had to refuse the film.[5] According to Sippy, the film's budget cost₹400,000[6][7] ($53,000).
All the songs[8] were composed byRahul Dev Burman and lyrics were penned byAnand Bakshi.
Vocals were supplied byLata Mangeshkar &Asha Bhosle for Hema Malini, withManna Dey for Dharmendra, andKishore Kumar for Sanjeev Kumar.
| # | Song | Singer(s) | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Arey Zindagi Hai Khel" | Manna Dey,Asha Bhosle | 04:43 | Picturised onHema Malini (as Geeta) andDharmendra |
| 2 | "O Saathi Chal" | Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle | 04:29 | Picturised on Hema Malini andSanjeev Kumar |
| 3 | "Koi Ladki Mujhe Kal Raat" | Kishore Kumar,Lata Mangeshkar | 04:20 | Picturised on Hema Malini (as Geeta) and Sanjeev Kumar |
| 4 | "Haan Ji Haan Maine Sharaab" | Lata Mangeshkar | 05:26 | Picturised on Hema Malini (as Geeta) |
| 5 | "Abhi to Haath Mein Jaam" | Manna Dey | 05:31 | Picturised on Dharmendra |
Domestically in India, the film grossed₹3.5crore[9] (US$4.61 million) in 1972.[b] Adjusted for inflation, this is equivalent to₹465 crore in 2017.[c]
Overseas inthe Soviet Union, the film grossed 13.8 millionSUR[d] (US$18.21 million,[e]₹16.03 crore)[f] in 1976.[16] Adjusted for inflation, this is equivalent to$78 million (₹578 crore) in 2017.
Worldwide, the film grossed₹19.53 crore (US$22.82 million). Adjusted for inflation, this is equivalent to₹1,014 crore in 2017, or₹1,422 crore (US$170 million) in 2023.
In terms of footfalls, the film sold an estimated33 million tickets in India[g] and 55.2 million tickets in the Soviet Union,[12] for an estimated total of 88.2 million tickets sold worldwide.
| Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Best Actress | Hema Malini | Won |
| Best Cinematographer | K. Vaikunth | Won |
Bohra Bros had made a television series based on this film which was aired onNDTV Imagine in 2009.[17] Coincidentally Hema Malini did a similar series on same plot calledKamini Damini which was aired on Sahara One on 2004.[18]
JA: I write dialogue in Urdu, but the action and descriptions are in English. Then an assistant transcribes the Urdu dialogue into Devnagari because most people read Hindi. But I write in Urdu.