Greatest Hindi Comedy - Gol Maal | A Study | Under Lens

IMDb rating of 7.8 hardly reflects the right picture. Gol Maal, directed by maverick director Hrishikesh Mukherjee, is rated at par with finest Hindi films ever made. Rank #1 at Uttkrishtt 2013 backs the opinion. But what makes Gol Maal such an iconic film? We had a discussion and came up with certain thoughts –

1. Amol Palekar and Utpal Dutt: Chemistry between these two extremely talented and equally underrated actors reflected well in their comic timing. One scene where Amol starts bluffing and creates story of his non-existent brother, their chemistry is something to look out for.

2. Story: A guy lies about having a twin brother and finds a job for him as well. For another little innocent lie, he creates a mother and also an aunt. His boss’ daughter falls in love with his non-existent persona and hates his true identity. Lies, deceit and chase, all in good humor. Story was the pillar of this film, something Hrishikesh Mukherjee always ensured.

3. Situation Based Comedy: Instead of having slapstick and non-consequential jokes, film relied on situational comedy that carried the story along. Not a scene stands out as a misfit. Hrishikesh Mukherjee had an eye of an editor. That was perhaps the reason why Gol Maal was so well trimmed.

4. Reel Reflects Real: Having a good job was on the top of wish list of contemporary youth. Little lies to get and maintain one were acceptable. Gol Maal exaggerated and romanticized the idea. By creating a romantic angle between boss’ daughter and employee, writers checked all the points.

5. Cameos And Casting: Apart from Amol Palekar and Utpal Dutt, actors like Deena Pathak, Deven Verma, Shubha Khote and Yunus Parvez formed the supporting cast. Cameos by Amitabh Bachchan and Om Prakash added the typical Hrishida feeling. However, the masterstroke was casting of Bindiya Goswami  instead of first choice Rekha who would have taken away a share of attention from Amol Palekar and Utpal Dutt pair.