आज भी यादगार वो प्रतिज्ञा

 19 सितंबर, 1975 को प्रदर्शित हुई दुलाल गुहा निर्देशित ‘प्रतिज्ञा’ ने मसालेदार मनोरंजन और धर्मेंद्र के अभिनय का अनूठा संगम पेश किया। फिल्ममेंधर्मेंद्र का एक्शन, कामेडी और रोमांस दर्शकों को खूब भाया। ‘मैं जट्ट यमला पगला दीवाना’ जैसे अमर गीत के साथ हमेशा-हमेशा के लिए यादगारहुईइस फिल्म पर संदीप भूतोड़िया का आलेख...

 

1975 हिंदी सिनेमा के लिए सबसे यादगार वर्ष रहा। ‘शोले’, ‘दीवार’, ‘चुपके चुपके’ और ‘आंधी’ जैसी फिल्मों ने शैली और कहानी कहने के ढंगकीपरिभाषा नए सिरे से गढ़ी। इसी दौर में प्रदर्शित हुई दुलाल गुहा की ‘प्रतिज्ञा’। इस फिल्म ने बिना किसी झिझक के दर्शकों को मसालेदारमनोरंजनका पूरा स्वाद दिया। धर्मेंद्र और हेमा मालिनी की यह फिल्म एक्शन, हास्य, संगीत और मेलोड्रामा का अनोखा संगम थी। यह 20वीं शताब्दीकेसातवें दशक की लोकप्रिय फिल्मों का आदर्श उदाहरण बन गई, जिसकी ताजगी और आकर्षण 50 साल बाद भी कायम है।

 

जहां ‘शोले’ ने धर्मेंद्र की पहचान एक रोमांचक एक्शन-हीरो के रूप में मजबूत की, वहीं ‘प्रतिज्ञा’ ने उनकी इस छवि के साथ-साथ उनका हास्य पक्षभीउजागर कर दिया। यह फिल्म केवल बाक्स आफिस पर सफलता के लिए ही नहीं, बल्कि धर्मेंद्र को उनके सबसे यादगार गीत ‘मैं जट्ट यमलापगलादीवाना’ देने के लिए भी जानी जाती है। इस गीत की लोकप्रियता ने ‘प्रतिज्ञा’ को हिंदी सिनेमा के इतिहास में स्थायी जगह दिला दी। अन्यपारंपरिकहिंदी फिल्मों की तरह ‘प्रतिज्ञा’ भी खोए हुए परिवार, डकैत, बदले और व्यक्ति का अन्याय के खिलाफ खड़े होना जैसी कहानी पर आधारितहै, लेकिनदुलाल गुहा ने इसे कई चटपटे ट्विस्ट से ऐसा रंग दिया कि पूरी कहानी जीवंत और मजेदार सफर बन गई।

 

धर्मेंद्र ने इस फिल्म में एक ट्रक ड्राइवर अजीत सिंह का किरदार निभाया, जिसके परिवार की हत्या कुख्यात डकैत भरत (अजीत) कर देता है औरसबकुछ खोकर अजीत अपने प्रियजनों की हत्या का बदला लेने की प्रतिज्ञा करता है। कहानी उदास भी हो सकती थी, मगर गुहा और लेखक नबेंदुघोष नेइसमें हास्य और परिस्थितिजन्य कामेडी का ऐसा तड़का लगाया, जिससे ये और रोचक हो गई। डकैतों के इलाके में घुसने और बदला लेने केलिएअजीत (धर्मेंद्र) एक पुलिस इंस्पेक्टर होने का नाटक करता है। उसका यही रूप फिल्म के सबसे मजेदार दृश्य रचता है। आम आदमी का अपनाकामनिकालने के लिए पुलिस का ढोंग करना कोई नया विचार नहीं था, लेकिन यहां धर्मेंद्र की कामिक टाइमिंग और अभिनय इसे रोचक बना देते हैं।हेमामालिनी इसमें गांव की चंचल लड़की राधा के किरदार में हैं, जो अजीत के झूठे-पुलिसिया अंदाज पर फिदा हो जाती है। उनकी और धर्मेंद्र कीजोड़ीपहले ‘सीता और गीता’ में सराही गई थी और बाद में ‘शोले’ में अमर हो गई। ‘प्रतिज्ञा’ में भी दोनों की नोकझोंक, मस्ती भरे झगड़े और गानेदर्शकों कोखूब पसंद आते हैं। यह फिल्म पूरी तरह धर्मेंद्र के इर्द-गिर्द घूमती है। 1975 तक धर्मेंद्र ने ऐसी छवि गढ़ ली थी, जिसमें ताकत और हास्यका संतुलनथा। ऐसा मेल बहुत कम अभिनेता कर पाते थे। जहां अमिताभ बच्चन का ‘एंग्री यंग मैन’ रूप उस दशक पर हावी था,वहीं धर्मेंद्र कीखासियत उनकाहल्का-फुल्का अंदाज था।

फिर आता है गीत ‘मैं जट्ट यमला पगला दीवाना’। यह सिर्फ गीत नहीं रहा, बल्कि धर्मेंद्र की अनौपचारिक पहचान बन गया। इस गाने में किएउनकेडांस स्टेप्स को कई फिल्मों में अनगिनत बार दोहराया गया। बाद में इस गीत के आधार पर फिल्मों के नाम भी बने (यमला पगला दीवानासीरीज)।इस गाने के दृश्यों में धर्मेंद्र का बिंदास अंदाज दर्शाता है कि वह खुद को कभी ज्यादा गंभीरता से नहीं लेते थे। दर्शक उनके साथ हंस सकते थे,यहांतक कि उन पर भी हंस सकते थे और फिर भी उनका हीरो वाला रुतबा कम नहीं होता था। लक्ष्मीकांत-प्यारेलाल का झट से गुनगुनानेलायक,परिस्थितियों से जुड़ा और हर वर्ग को पसंद आने वाला संगीत उस दशक की मसाला फिल्मों का आत्मा था।

 

1975 तक हेमा मालिनी ‘ड्रीम गर्ल’ के रूप में लोकप्रिय हो चुकी थीं और फिल्म ‘प्रतिज्ञा’ में उन्होंने धर्मेंद्र के साथ शानदार अभिनय किया। फिल्ममेंहेमा का किरदार राधा केवल सजावटी नहीं, बल्कि हास्य और रोमांस से भरपूर है। सहायक कलाकारों ने भी फिल्म को रंगीन बनाया। ‘प्रतिज्ञा’ मेंदुखीनायक, बदला, जिद्दी नायिका, चालाक खलनायक, रोमांटि…क और लोकधुनों से सजे गाने, सभी मसाले मौजूद हैं। भले ही कहानी अनुमानितहो,लेकिन प्रस्तुतीकरण और स्टार पावर ने फिल्म को दर्शकों के लिए बेहद मनोरंजक बना दिया।

 

आधी शताब्दी बीत जाने के बाद  भी ‘प्रतिज्ञा’ न केवल व्यावसायिक रूप से सफल रही, बल्कि उस दशक के हिंदी सिनेमा को मनोरंजक औरयादगारबनाने वाली फिल्मों में शामिल है। निर्देशक दुलाल गुहा को भले ही महान निर्देशकों में न गिना जाए, लेकिन उन्होंने संतुलित मनोरंजन औरभावनाओंके साथ कई सफल फिल्में दीं, जो आम और पारिवारिक दर्शकों को आकर्षित करती थीं।

 

‘प्रतिज्ञा’ उस दौर की बेहतरीन मनोरंजन फिल्मों में मानी जाती है, जो यह दर्शाती है कि उस समय केवल गंभीर या महाकाव्यात्मक ही नहीं, बल्किहास्य, मस्ती और संगीत से भरपूर सिनेमा भी लोकप्रिय था।

(लेखक संस्कृतिकर्मी हैं)

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A Golden Jubilee Look at a 1970s Masala Gem

 

In 1975, Hindi cinema witnessed the arrival of one of its most iconic years. Sholay, Deewaar, Chupke Chupke and Aandhi redefined genres and storytelling, while in the middle of this cinematic ferment came Dulal Guha’s Pratigya, a rollicking, unabashed masala entertainer. Starring Dharmendra and Hema Malini, the film was a heady cocktail of action, comedy, music and melodrama, a quintessential 1970s potboiler that, fifty years later, retains its zest and charm.

 

If Sholay stamped Dharmendra's claim as the dashing action-hero with comic flair, Pratigya had already showcased both sides of his persona earlier that year. It remains a landmark in his career not only for its success at the box office but also for giving him his most evergreen musical calling card: ‘Main Jat Yamla Pagla Deewana’. That song's enduring cultural resonance alone has ensured Pratigya an indelible place in the history of Hindi cinema.

 

Like most mainstream Hindi films of its era, Pratigya revels in the familiar tropes: lost  families, dacoits, revenge, and a man taking on injustice. But Dulal Guha adds enough quirks to turn the predictable into a joyous romp.

 

Dharmendra plays Ajit Singh, a truck driver whose family is slaughtered by bandits led by the notorious Bharat (Ajit). Ajit, left with nothing, takes a vow to avenge his loved ones. The narrative could have been dark and intense, but Guha and his writers, Nabendu Ghosh among them, injected a strong vein of comedy and situational humour, ensuring that even the revenge saga never turned grim.

 

In order to infiltrate the dacoits’ territory and bide his time for revenge, Ajit pretends to be a police inspector. The masquerade sets up some of the film’s funniest sequences – he must live up to his assumed identity without being caught, simultaneously juggling action, romance, and the occasional burst of song. This conceit, of a common man forced into the guise of authority, was not new, but here it works brilliantly because of Dharmendra’s comic timing and physicality.

 

Adding to the mix is Hema Malini as Radha, a feisty village belle who falls for Ajit’s faux-police bravado. Their chemistry – already celebrated in films like Seeta Aur Geeta and later immortalised in Sholay – sparkles here with playful banter, fights that dissolve into flirtation, and songs that throb with energy.

 

Pratigya is very much a Dharmendra vehicle. By 1975, the star had perfected a persona that combined brawn with humour, a balance very few actors could manage. Unlike Amitabh Bachchan, whose ‘angry young man’ persona dominated the decade, Dharmendra’s charm lay in a lighter screen presence – strong but seldom brooding, masculine but always accessible through humour. In Pratigya, his comic timing is impeccable, particularly in sequences where he bluffs his way through ‘police work’. At the same time, his physicality anchors the film’s action. 

 

And then there is his effortless dancing and singing in ‘Main Jat Yamla Pagla Deewana’. It became more than just a song; it became Dharmendra’s unofficial anthem. Here was a star with the quintessential two left feet. And yet, his steps in this song have been imitated in countless films and by all who mimic the star. Even decades later, it would inspire titles of films (the Yamla Pagla Deewana series starring Dharmendra, Sunny, and Bobby Deol) and remain a shorthand for his screen persona – rustic, mischievous and irresistibly charming. Mohammed Rafi’s exuberant rendition gave it an infectious energy. Watching Dharmendra cavort with abandon, one realises why he was among the most loved stars of the 1970s: he never took himself too seriously. He allowed his audience to laugh with him, and sometimes at him, without ever compromising his heroic stature. Laxmikant-Pyarelal’s pulsating music of Pratigya embodies the spirit of the 1970s masala entertainer: instantly hummable, situational and designed to please every section of the audience.

 

Director Dulal Guha may not be remembered today among the pantheon of auteurs, but in the ’70s, he had a string of successes with films like Dushman (1971), Dost (1974) and Do Anjaane (1976). His craft lay in balancing melodrama with entertainment, ensuring his films appealed to both the masses and family audiences. In Pratigya, Guha ensures that the narrative never loses momentum. The revenge angle gives it structure, but he allows ample space for humour and romance. His staging of action sequences, particularly the dacoit confrontations, is rousing without being overly violent, keeping in line with the censor norms and audience expectations of the time. What stands out is his ability to maintain a tonal balance: despite deaths and oaths of revenge, the film never turns grim, which is why audiences flocked to it as a feel-good entertainer.

 

Hema Malini, by 1975, was firmly established as the ‘Dream Girl’. In Pratigya, she complements Dharmendra perfectly. Her Radha is spirited, quick with repartee, and refreshingly active in the narrative. She is not merely a decorative presence; she engages in the comedic set-ups and holds her own in romantic interludes. The supporting cast adds much flavour. Ajit, as the dacoit, brings his signature suave menace. Comedians like Johnny Walker, Jagdeep and Keshto Mukherjee provide side-tracks of humour that, while digressive, align with the entertainment ethos of the film. Villagers, bandits, and side characters flesh out the masala world, where every few minutes something new happens – be it a song, a chase, or a comic misunderstanding.

 

Pratigya is a case study in the 1970s masala formula. A hero wronged by tragedy. A vow of revenge. A romance with a strong-willed heroine. A comic subplot to keep audiences laughing. A flamboyant villain and his gang. A soundtrack that offers both folk exuberance and filmi romance. A climactic showdown that restores order and justice. If this sounds predictable, it is precisely the predictability that audiences of the era cherished. The genius lay not in novelty of plot but in execution and star power. And here, Dulal Guha and Dharmendra delivered a package brimming with fun.

 

Half a century later, Pratigya deserves recognition not only as a commercial success but also as a snapshot of what made ’70s Hindi cinema so enjoyable. In an era often remembered for the rise of Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘angry young man’ persona, Pratigya reminds us of the alternative strand of Hindi cinema: the fun-filled entertainer where action, comedy and music coexisted without self-consciousness.

 

 

As Pratigya turns 50, it is worth celebrating as one of the decade’s wonderful entertainers, a film that embodies the colour, energy and unpretentious joy of 1970s Bollywood. It may not have the critical heft of Deewaar or the epic scale of Sholay, but it was never meant to. Its aim was to make audiences laugh, cheer, sing along, and leave the theatre satisfied. And that it did, spectacularly.

 

Pratigya remains a golden jubilee gem – a reminder of why we still return, fifty years later, to that promise of fun, action, and ‘Yamla Pagla Deewana’.