I first met Shakti Samanta when I was in school. I saw him as a slim, tall, very self-effacing shy young man who would often frequent the Shivaji Park residence of filmmaker Phani Majumdar in Mumbai. He began his career as assistant to Phani Majumdar in films like Aarti, etc. Often, when Phani Majumdar requested, he would stand in as prompter for amateur plays for Durga Pooja in Mumbai. No one saw him making a tantrum or throwing his weight about. He even did small cameos in the plays he would prompt for and no one gave him as much as a second glance. When he became an independent director, he remained his modest self, easily accessible to everyone who wanted to reach out. When one looks back at Hindi cinema from the 1950s to the 1970s, the name of Shakti Samanta and his production banner stand out alongside other big banners like B.R. and Yash Chopra, Manmohan Desai, Prakash Mehra etc.

With little money and big dreams, he took up the job of a school teacher in Dapoli, about 200 kilometers from Mumbai. He would make a weekly trip to Mumbai on Fridays, the weekly holiday in the Muslim-run institution he worked for. He made his rounds of the studios when Bombay Talkies was uppermost and as it turned out, Bombay Talkies at the time was overflowing with Bengalis.

He assisted Phani Majumdar for more than ten years before he could make his directorial debut with Bahu (1955) Usha Kiron, Karan Dewan, Pran and Shashikala. But the prints have disappeared into oblivion. His second film Inspector (1956) was a thriller with Ashok Kumar in the title role. It was a slickly made murder mystery, showing glimpses of Shakti-da’s flair for suspense thrillers. Sheroo and Hill Station followed. He set up his production house Shakti Samanta Films when he started work on Howrah Bridge (1958) starring Madhubala, Ashok Kumar and Madan Puri. It also featured Helen in the famous cabaret number mera naam chin chin chu sung by Geeta Dutt.

Madhubala’s lip-synching to Asha Bhonsale’s aaiye meherbaan remains a scene-stealer. The film established Shakti Samanta with command over entertainment that packed in brilliant music, dynamic action, chilling suspense, and a tight-knit script. Howrah Bridge was an instant hit. His next,........

© Mathrubhumi English