Teesri Manzil (1966)

One of my all time favorites.

Watch something else. There are very few redeeming qualities to this film.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Teesri manzil is above all an entertainer. The film stars Shammi Kapoor, Asha Parikh, and the evergreen Helen. A woman is thrown off a roof and killed. Her sister Sunita (Asha Parikh) is heartbroken, knows of her association with a night club singer (Shammi Kapoor - called Anil Kumar Sona "Rocky" LOL!!) and thinks he is behind the killing. The only clue is a coat button that the dead woman was clutching in her hand. Shammi Kappor is at his goofiest best, the suave drummer Rocky who is a babe magnet. His courting Asha Parikh on a train is hilarious. She does not know he is Rocky and he does his best to preserve this state of misinformation. In the meantime strange waiters, men with cigars, other sinister looking people lurk about in the hotel where Rocky performs. There is also a women's hockey team led by a rather large Manorama that is stalking Rocky. Laxmi Chayya is the best friend - this is a film from the 60s where having a best friend (or several of them) was a must! Rocky makes use of Prince Kunwer (Prem Nath) to preserve the secret of his identity so he can woo Sunita, much to the chagrin of her almost fiancée Prem Chopra. Rocky is being pursued by Ruby (Helen) and her machinations cause his identity to be revealed at a most inopportune moment. Who is the real murderer? Why is Rocky now a target? These secrets are hidden in a most ingenious way and revealed at the 11th hour.A Nasir Hussain production and story, this one was directed by Vijay Anand. The mystery was sustained well and the story engaging. Yes there were some flaws - too many characters were introduced too late in the film. Some of the cloak and dagger behavior was never explained. But the overall entertainment quotient was very high and the film enjoyable.A word about Shammi - he was handsome, goofy, vulnerable and great in the action sequences. Asha had a huge rear end, but was cute and could dance well - even in the jiggling Aaja Aaja number! Helen was a beauty, but strangely enough her dance skills were underutilized. Prem Chopra was the perfect slimy guy and Prem Nath suave.A must see film for the fun, the suspense and the outstanding music (RD Burman) - O Haseena Zulfon wali, O mere Sona re Sona re, Deewana mujh sa nahin, Aaja Aaja main hoon pyar Tera, Tumne Mujhe Dekha ho kar meherbaan and Dekhiye Sahibon.

I first saw this film a few years ago and since then I must have seen it at least 20 times. First and foremost, the songs are excellent. I could listen to every single one again and again, especially O Haseena Zulfon Wali. Mohd Rafi truly is the greatest Indian playback singer to date. Asha Bhosle provides excellent support, particularly in the O Mera Sona Re song. Secondly, both the acting of Shammi Kapoor and Asha Parekh is great, both of them can pull off the comedy and the seriousness. Thirdly the plot of the movie is quite good too, with enough suspense to keep you hooked until the very end. This movie has been credited as the first murder mystery in Indian cinema and although at times its very clichéd and a little unbelievable, it still holds your attention.All in all a typical 1960's movie but with that added masala that is bollywood!!

This movie is one of the landmarks in the history Hindi Cinema. For 158 minutes the audience is enthralled by a spellbound plot, music, dance, songs and suspense saga. The performance of Shammi Kapoor, Helen, both Prems, Iftikar and Rashid Khan is classic. Even during the 5 mt brief intermission, the cine-goer prefers to be glued to his seat lest the entry of Premnath, immediately after the intermission be missed.Comedy is at its zenith. The entry of Kapoor on the New Delhi Rly platform and his extraordinary style of walking is mind boggling.Even 40 years down history, its music and songs are as hit as they were when the first gramophone records were released in 1965. I remember people queuing before the radios in shops and halt in the streets when the songs were played. Needless to say, not a single Wednesday program of Binaca Geetmala in 1966 thru 1968 was aired without a Shammi number either from Teesri Manzil, An Evening in Paris and Bhramachari.The music, drama, settings and perspiring expressions of Kapoor during the climax of accidentally locating the intriguing "gem-studded coat-button " is scary, hair raising and traumatic.A film for all classes and all age.

While the filmmakers may have been trying for a Hitchcock-like blend of suspense, humor and romance, the eye-popping pastels of the film's Eastmancolor cinematography and outlandish, energetic musical numbers blend to create a delightful Bollywood concoction. Lead actor Shammi Kapoor is wonderfully fruity in what is probably his best performance, and dancing queen Helen is in classic bad girl mode. Not to be missed by anyone interested in 1960's Indian pop cinema.