Mr. & Mrs. '55

2021-08-30T09:17:58Z

122.171.131.139: /* Cast */

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Mr. & Mrs. '55
| image = Mr. & Mrs. '55 poster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Guru Dutt]]
| writer = [[Abrar Alvi]]
| screenplay =
| narrator =
| music = [[OP Nayyar]]
| cinematography = [[V.K. Murthy]]
| editing =
| story =
| based_on =
| starring = [[Madhubala]]<br />Guru Dutt<br />[[Lalita Pawar]]
|producer = Guru Dutt
| studio =
| distributor = Ultra Distributors Pvt. Ltd.
| released = 11 February 1955<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mr. & Mrs. '55 - Lifetime Box Office Collection, Budget, Reviews, Cast, etc|url=https://bestoftheyear.in/movie/mr-mrs-55/|access-date=2021-01-31|website=BOTY|language=en-US}}</ref>
| runtime = 157 minutes
| country =
| language = Hindi
| budget =
| gross = {{Estimation}} {{INR}}17.5 million<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2012-01-30|title=Top grossers of 1955|url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=161&catName=MTk1NQ==|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120130042736/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=161&catName=MTk1NQ==|archive-date=30 January 2012|access-date=2021-01-20}}</ref>
}}

'''''Mr. & Mrs. '55''''' is a 1955 Indian [[romantic comedy]] film directed and produced by [[Guru Dutt]], from a screenplay written by [[Abrar Alvi]]. A socially critical film set in urban [[Mumbai]], it stars [[Madhubala]] as Anita Verma, a naive heiress who is forced into a marriage with an unemployed cartoonist (Guru Dutt) to save her millions.

''Mr. & Mrs. '55'' was among the early works of Dutt, and was also one of the few comedies made by him. Upon its theatrical release on 11 February, 1955, the film emerged as a major critical and commercial success. Its box-office victory marked a reversal of fortunes for Madhubala, who was one of the film stars deemed "[[Box Office Poison (magazine article)|box office poison]]" in 1954. Her portrayal of Anita Verma has been generally considered one of her most memorable and identifiable performances.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-02-14|title=Birth Anniversary Special: 5 iconic Madhubala movies too good to miss|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/birth-anniversary-special-5-iconic-madhubala-movies-too-good-to-miss-951062.html|access-date=2021-02-16|website=Deccan Herald|language=en}}</ref>

''Mr. & Mrs. '55'' has gained classic status over years. In 2019, [[Time Out (magazine)|''Time Out'']] placed it at the 57th place in the list of "The 100 Best Bollywood movies".<ref>{{Cite web|title=The 100 best Bollywood movies|url=https://www.timeout.com/london/film/the-100-best-bollywood-movies-the-list|access-date=2021-02-01|website=Time Out London|language=en}}</ref>

== Plot ==
[[File:Mr & Mrs 55 (1955).webm|thumb|250px|Full length film]]
Preetam ([[Guru Dutt]]), a struggling cartoonist, meets Anita ([[Madhubala]]) at a tennis match, where she is watching her favourite tennis star. Anita, a wealthy and westernised heiress, is controlled by her aunt, Seeta Devi ([[Lalita Pawar]]). Seeta is suspicious of men and cultivates her attitudes in Anita. However, to receive her fortune, her father's will decrees that Anita must marry within one month of turning 21. Seeta Devi doesn't agree with this and tries to set Anita up with a sham marriage which will soon lead to divorce, thereby giving her both freedom and a fortune. Seeta hires Preetam to marry Anita, but she doesn't know that the pair have already met. Preetam is kept from Anita after their marriage, but he kidnaps her and takes her to the traditional house of his brother.

While at the house, Anita befriends Preetam's sister-in-law, and she begins to see the merit in becoming a wife. Preetam is worried that he has lost Anita and expedites their divorce by providing false, incriminating evidence to the court. Preetam then leaves Mumbai, heartbroken. Anita now recognises her feelings for Preetam and rushes to meet him at the airport. In the end, the couple is reunited.

== Cast ==
[[File:Guru Dutt dans Mr and Mrs 55 (1955).jpg|thumb|Dutt in ''Mr. & Mrs. '55'']]
* [[Madhubala]] as Anita Verma
* [[Guru Dutt]] as Preetam Kumar
* [[Lalita Pawar]] as Seeta Devi (Anita's Aunt)
* [[Johnny Walker (actor)|Johnny Walker]] as Johny
* [[Vinita Bhatt(actress)|Yasmin]] as Julie{{efn|name=Single|Yasmin's real name was Vinita Bhatt.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm9007290/bio|title=Yasmin|website=IMDb|access-date=2020-02-21}}</ref> She was side heroine in this film opposite [[Johnny Walker (actor)|Johnny Walker]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=http://www.moneylife.in/article/mr-and-mrs-55-celluloid-magic-by-stalwarts/57769.html|title=Mr & Mrs 55: Celluloid Magic by Stalwarts|website=Moneylife NEWS & VIEWS|access-date=2020-02-21}}</ref> She did not stay long in films and married a popular make-up man Jimmy Vining. ''Mr. & Mrs. '55'' was her first and last film.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cineplot.com/yasmin-ii/|title=Yasmin (II) – Cineplot.com|language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-21}}</ref>}}
* [[Kumkum (actress)|Kumkum]] as Preetam's Bhabhi
* [[Tun Tun|Uma Devi]] as Lily D'Silva
* Radhika as Moni
* Anwari as Anita's Nanny
* [[Agha (actor)|Agha]]
* Haroon as Advocate
* Rooplaxmi as Seeta Devi's follower
* Moni Chatterji as Judge
* Al-Nasir as Ramesh, tennis player
* Bir Sakhuja as Mr. Sharma, editor
* [[Cuckoo Moray|Cuckoo]] as singer in the song "Neele Aasmani"
* [[Jagdeep]] as paper boy
* [[Chandrashekhar Dubey]] as Doctor
* [[Moolchand]] as husband of the lady in theater

== Production ==
The cartoons in the film were drawn by [[R. K. Laxman]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://upperstall.com/film/mr-and-mrs-55/|title=Mr and Mrs 55|last=Bali|first=Karan|date=2004|website=Upperstall.com|access-date=7 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/enspMr-amp-Mrs-rsquo55-1955/article15924432.ece|title=Mr & Mrs '55 1955|date=24 October 2009|work=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=7 March 2018|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

The initial choice for playing Anita Verma, the main character of the film, was [[Shyama]]. Guru Dutt had approached her as she was his leading lady in the highly successful ''[[Aar Paar]]'' (1954), but Shyama demanded a high fee and he refused.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=When Madhubala replaced Shyama - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/When-Madhubala-replaced-Shyama/articleshow/48250245.cms|access-date=2020-11-04|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref> Dutt then contacted [[Vyjayanthimala]], who rejected the role due to her hectic schedule and later recalled it as her "worst decision ever" in 2011.<ref>{{Citation|title=Mr. & Mrs. '55 (1955) - IMDb|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048392/trivia|language=en|access-date=2020-11-04}}</ref> It was then when [[Madhubala]] was chosen to play the leading lady in the film.

== Soundtrack ==
The music of this movie was composed by [[O. P. Nayyar]] and [[Majrooh Sultanpuri]] was the lyricist.

The song "Preetam Aan Milo" was originally sung by [[C. H. Atma]] in 1945 as a non-filmly song. Nayyar, having liked that song, included it in the film and it was sung by Geeta Dutt.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Deepa|date=2020-01-20|title=The Original And The Spoof – Preetam Aan Milo|url=https://thesongpedia.com/the-original-and-the-spoof-preetam-aan-milo/|access-date=2021-02-01|website=TheSongPedia|language=en-US}}</ref>
{|class="wikitable"
! Song !! Singer
|-
| "Meri Duniya Loot Rahi Thi"
| [[Mohammed Rafi]]
|-
| "Ae Ji, Dil Par Hua Aisa Jaadu"
| Mohammed Rafi
|-
| "Chal Diye Banda Nawaz"
| Mohammed Rafi, [[Geeta Dutt]]
|-
| "Udhar Tum Haseen Ho"
| Mohammed Rafi, Geeta Dutt
|-
| "Jaane Kahan Mera Jigar Gaya Ji"
| Mohammed Rafi, Geeta Dutt
|-
| "Neele Aasmani"
| Geeta Dutt
|-
| "Preetam Aan Milo" (Solo)
| Geeta Dutt
|-
| "Preetam Aan Milo" (Duet)
| Geeta Dutt, [[C. H. Atma]]
|-
| "Thandi Hawa, Kaali Ghata"
| Geeta Dutt, [[Shamshad Begum]]
|-
| "Ab To Ji Hone Laga"
| Shamshad Begum
|-
|}

== Release ==
''Mr. & Mrs. '55'' was theatrically released on 11 February 1955.<ref name=":4" />

=== Critical reception ===
[[File:Madhuhala and Guru Dutt in Mr. & Mrs. '55.jpg|thumb|300px|Madhubala's performance as a modern miss was well-received by film critics and audience.]]

''[[Filmfare]]'', in its May 1955 issue quoted : "A thoroughly delightful, honey and cream social comedy. ''Mr. & Mrs. '55'' is a model of film craft and has gripping interest for every class of cinegoer. Its satire of characters we know and its incidents taken from life are spiced with humour… the dialogue, well-written, tense and witty, enhances the appeal of this true-to-life and thought-provoking entertainer."<ref name=":1" />

Karan Bali of Upperstall.com praised the film thoroughly and stated that it "sparkles with wit and imagination". He also acknowledged Madhubala's power of "lift[ing] the film several notches up with her natural and spontaneous flair for comedy."<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Bali|first=Karan|date=2004-03-12|title=Mr and Mrs 55|url=https://upperstall.com/film/mr-and-mrs-55/|access-date=2020-09-02|website=Upperstall.com}}</ref>

Harneet Singh of ''[[The Indian Express]]'' wrote, "The film rides on Madhubala's impish charm and breezy comic timing, Johnny Walker's one-liners, O. P. Nayyar's evergreen music and Dutt's lyrical direction, replete with long tracking shots, close-ups and cinematographer V. K. Murthy's exquisite shadow-and-light framing [...] ''Mr. and Mrs. 55'' is a great ride till the time the film doesn’t go all sanskari. Alvi's dialogues are the star of the narrative. The banter is funny, life-like and refreshingly non-filmi."<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-07-19|title=Let Me Make You Mine|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/let-me-make-you-mine/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-06-29|website=[[The Indian Express]]|language=en}}</ref>

== Box office ==
''Mr. & Mrs. '55'' was the [[List of Bollywood films of 1955|fifth highest-grossing Indian film of 1955]]. It earned {{INRConvert|17.5|m|nolink=no}} at the box office, generating a large profit of {{INRConvert|9|m|nolink=no}}.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2012-01-30|title=Top Earners 1955|url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=161&catName=MTk1NQ==|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120130042736/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=161&catName=MTk1NQ==|archive-date=30 January 2012|access-date=2021-02-01}}</ref> In 2018, ''Best of the Year'' gave its inflation-adjusted gross as {{INRConvert|4.85|b|nolink=no}}.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|title=Mr. & Mrs. '55 - Lifetime Box Office Collection, Budget, Reviews, Cast, etc|url=https://bestoftheyear.in/movie/mr-mrs-55/|access-date=2021-02-01|website=BOTY|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{IMDb title|id=0048392|title=Mr. and Mrs. 55}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mr. and Mrs. '55}}
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:1950s Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:1955 films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Guru Dutt]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Abrar Alvi]]
[[Category:Films scored by O. P. Nayyar]]
[[Category:Films featuring an item number]]

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Mr. & Mrs. '55