C 8 — Gumnaam Movie Analysis
The film Gumnaam, directed by Raja Nawathe, is an adaptation of the classic novel “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie. The cast involves celebrated actors like Helen, Manoj Kumar, Nanda, Pran, and Mehmood. The film includes a loaded background score, misplaced soundtracks, outstretched screenplay, and a captivating storyline. It was amongst the highest grossing hits in the year 1965 grossing over ₹2.6 crore. Other evergreen films like Guide and Waqt, were released in the same year. The film won the Filmfare Best Art Direction Award of the year.
The plot of the movie revolves around 8 people who have won a free ticket to an exotic foreign location but are abandoned by the pilot who leaves them astray in the midst of unknown fields. A sensational voice singing “Gumnaam hai koi” leads them to a grand bungalow, where a butler awaits their arrival. A mysterious letter is read out which holds all of them responsible for an unjust death, and thus vengeance will be sought by the death of each one of them. As the plot unfolds, the guests start getting killed one after the other by a mysterious killer who is presumably amongst those 8 people. Fingers are pointed at each other, and the mystery is instilled till the end. In the midst of it, Manoj Kumar is seen romancing with Nanda while Helen and Pran vow to get married. Mehmood adds a comic element to the film with his South Indian caricature, and Chaplin inspired looks. The resolution of the conflict is cliched with the protagonist, Manoj Kumar revealing himself as a CID officer who was undercover to catch the culprit. An action sequence is laid out between the protagonist and the culprit, while the actress is shown as a damsel in distress. As expected, Manoj Kumar wins in the end with his lady love by his side and the criminal caught by the cops. A few mysteries are resolved while keeping others at loose.
I personally have a special connection with the book “And Then There Were None”, on which this movie is based. I read it in Grade six and it was my introduction to the world of classic literature. Even after reading it multiple times, still, the same chills are experienced with the turn of every page. For someone who adores the book so fondly, the movie was an utter disappointment. It is the airtight storytelling in suspense movies that makes the audience grip their seats for three hours straight. However, this movie fails to evoke the element of mystery required. Agatha Christie is known for providing intricate details in the story, which gives her readers a cathartic experience. All characters come to life on a page with her ultimate character building and filling storytelling. The movie, however, has not represented the characters efficiently, leaving a big trail of plot holes. In the book, all characters eventually die, with the reason for their deaths reasonably justified. The killer fakes his own death and then orchestrates the death of the remaining guests. The actual killer is revealed in the last two words of the entire book, satiating the reader’s curiosity while instigating the yearning to demand more. The movie does not show how the eight characters are linked to one another, and what is the reason behind their killings. The ulterior motive of the killer falls flat after the extensive build-up produced throughout. Logic takes a backseat, as the plot entails basic “Bollywood Masala” elements.
In the movie, the airplane leaves passengers stranded in the most ridiculous way possible. The geographical terrain shown is unfeasible for a landing. They are seen carrying poison bottles and daggers despite having traveled in an aircraft. The motive of innocent people carrying heinous substances does not align with any logical explanation whatsoever. Pragmatic considerations are missing in the movie, which makes it seem more like a comic movie rather than a mysterious one. Despite knowing that all 8 of them are going to die, they are seen dancing, drinking, joking and eating with no expression of fear and apprehension. They make almost zilch attempts to get out of their isolated environment. The ulterior motive of the killer falls flat after the extensive build-up produced throughout.
The film sought to create a Bollywood style “Film noir” of the 1960s. Film Noir is the use of “a sleazy setting and an ominous atmosphere that is conveyed by shadowy photography and foreboding background music.” It represents fatalism, menace, and pessimism. Bollywood, however, is known to add dance sequels and romance scenes to pander to the masses. The setting at the beginning of the film is dark and eerie. Death of an unknown person conspired by a man in the office foreshadows the trailing plot. Nanda screeches on the phone after getting to know about the demise of the man who was supposedly her uncle. The informant in the office is killed by a man in a long coat and hat with a concealed identity. The title of the film appears next. Thus, the opening scene sets the tone of the entire film. The underlying tone of enigma is interrupted by the untimely music tracks inserted.
Background score plays a crucial role in thriller flicks. Loud piano and percussion tracks precede the forthcoming dramatic shots. The real-time expressions of actors fall short in most scenarios, which is when the histrionic soundtrack comes handy. Loud thunder sounds add gothic taste to the film. Western influence is highly visible in the music of that time. O.P Nayyar and Shankar Jaikishen were inspired by the western Rock & Roll style of music. The foot tapping song, “Jaan Pehchaan Ho” was also featured in the 2001 Hollywood release Ghost World. The song “Gumnaam Hai Koi” sung by Lata Mangeshkar is played multiple times in the film and sounds surreal every time one listens to it. The lyrics echo the innate tone of the film and brings us back to the main conflict on which the film is based. It is inspired by the title track of Henry Mancini in the movie Charade. The dream sequence on “Hum Kale Hai To Kya Hua” is non-contextual and was also a point of contention between Mehmood and Manoj Kumar. Yet, it turned out to be one of the greatest hit songs of all time. The comical song “Peeke Hum Tum Jo” was revolutionary in its own way as it showed two leading ladies sharing the screen (hence busting the misogynistic bubble) and on the top of it, were seen dancing drunk! The progressive thought shattered right in the next scene where Manoj Kumar slaps Nanda for her “obscene” act. Nonetheless, the dynamic chemistry of Asha Bhosle and Usha Mangeshkar is felt strongly in the song which in general has been untapped and underrated in Bollywood.
When it comes to character building, the scriptwriters have made some follies by not creating complex characters in a script that desperately demanded them! One female character (Helen) has been portrayed as eye candy, while the other (Nanda) is shown as a damsel in distress. Helen is made to wear skimpy swimsuits for no reason and is eyed sleazily by men. Pran forces her to drink alcohol. Pran tries to rape Nanda as well. She is shown shrieking since her introductory shot, portraying her as a weak feeble character. She is the only character with a picturized backstory. Manoj Kumar comes to her rescue, who is also shown dominating her on several occasions. Manoj Kumar is depicted as the ultimate Bollywood hero with no flaws in character. Manoj Kumar and Nanda show sparkling on-screen chemistry and were compared by many people of that era, to Shammi Kapoor and Aasha Parekh. Pran on the other side represents an Anti-hero who drinks all the time and flirts with women. Mehmood’s character is tailored to give comic relief in the content heavy storyline. His character is shown as a stereotypical South Indian, thus his fractured Hindi and comical accent is the subject of humor to the Hindi speaking northern audience. His mustaches are similar to Charlie Chaplin, thus invoking the Western comical influence. Other characters have not been given a backstory or depth in general. However, characterization is such that the audience does keep on wondering who the killer might be till the end, as each character oozes enigmatic expressions on the death of any one of them. The hero does escape the purview of suspicion due to his white slate portrayal.
The screenplay, cinematography, and direction of the movie check all the boxes that make a Bollywood movie a super hit on box office. Having read the original book, I could make out the manipulations deliberated upon the script of the movie. For instance, instead of showing all the characters killed at the end of the story, the script showed that the hero rescued the heroine was getting raped by the villain and then handcuffed him, thus depicting the cliched victory of good over evil. The director panned on to show extreme close up shots of actors’ expressions whenever any dramatic sequence occurred. The camera angle tilted showing slanted lines and angles to show distress in outdoor shoots. The panning was fast, exceeding the 24 frames per sec criterion to show the chaos caused. Action sequences are well timed and interesting. Many shots were slow paced, without any reason, making the failing to glue the eyeballs of the audience on the screen. Low key lighting with an enlarged shadow has been shown to induce thrill and fear in the audience. In my opinion, the face of the killer should have been shown in a chiaroscuro (high contrast of light and dark) set up, as was established in the Western Film Noirs of the 1950s and 60s, to accentuate the histrionic effect.
Special effects were used to show deceased characters haunting Nanda. The effects may seem of lower quality in today’s context, but they did align well with the era and tone of the movie. The faces of the dead people appear from oblivion in front of the Nanda causing an eerie turn in the events. The production house had flown good chunks of the budget on the set of the film. The entire movie is set on the lavish bungalow located on the stranded island. The bungalow creates the necessary grandiose setting for the events to occur. The created grandeur, yet eerie environment heightened the atmosphere on camera. The interior of the airplane in which they traveled is visibly shot on a film set, yet would have aligned with the film making the advancement of that era. Helen became a style icon for wearing lavish costumes and jewelry in the film. All the other characters dress subtly in the film, which suits their characterization.
The purpose of the film was to break into the genre of suspense, thriller, and mystery in a Bollywood style! The underlying motive is to depict the victory of the hero over the villain using wits and action. The characters seem to be extremely affluent and influential and are the residents of Bombay. The 1960s was the year of the incubation of huge economic disparity between high-income groups and low-income groups due to the advent of industrial development. It is visible in the demeanor of the 8 guests and the butler. It shows the conflicts of interest and problems accompanying wealth in the high economic strata. All guests held dignified job positions, including a lawyer, a police officer, and a doctor. The opening scene itself shows them enjoying themselves in a lavish clique bar, establishing their wealthy positions. Yet, all of them were guilty of conspiring and manipulating, probably which they could afford to get away with due to their entitled position in the society. The villain in a way seeks to attain justice by taking matters in his own hands.
To sum up, the movie is an amalgamation of humor, romance, and comedy, engulfed in the broader theme of mystery and drama. The foot tapping music and engaging storyline keep the audience entertained throughout. The movie does succumb to the “The book was better than the film”
