Daulat Aur Duniya (1962)
Cast: Waheed Murad, Rozina, Aslam Parvez, Aaliya, Nanna, Zerqa
Director: Khalifa Saeed
Music: Kamal Ahmad
Synopsis: Convoluted melodrama managed to score a box office hit back in ’72.
Reviewed by: Omar Khan

Struggling but noble artist Anwar finds temporary relief when he discovers a benefactor in Rozina, the daughter of the wealthiest Nawab in the city. The latter, smitten by his work, intends to buy all he has to offer to fulfil her desire to satisfy her craving for art while helping a poor soul, an overtly honourable intention. Meanwhile, the Nawab steps out to take a drive and is met with a terrible accident, only to be saved by artist Anwar who happens to be passing by and then crucially donates timely blood to save the Nawab from certain death.

Later the Nawab is visited by slick cad Aslam Parvez gushing crocodile tears about the accident while avidly scheming the best way to acquire the Nawab’s zillions. Aslam sizes up Nawab’s bellbottom-clad daughter as a potential jackpot. Meanwhile, Miss Najma (Rozina, the daughter) appears lost in Anwar’s art and is also falling rapidly in love with the artist. In the interim, some stretches of tedious comedy seem to last forever.

A midst all that, tragedy strikes Anwar’s family when his young sister falls sick and desperately needs medicine. Anwar’s identical look-alike brother Akhtar desperately flounders around town trying to get enough money to buy the medicine but fails at every juncture. Then, finally, seeing that his daughter is about to keel over, he decides to sell his law books – his one ticket to a better life – and rushes out again to buy the medicine. This time he does succeed in acquiring enough money but is pickpocketed on his way and is unable to return with the treatment. But it’s too late, as their sister passed away while he was out.

Much grief, woe, and soul-searching follow, especially as now there is the additional problem that they can’t afford the money they need for the girl’s burial. Meanwhile, the neighbouring Chaudhrys celebrate the birth of a son by having a dancing girl perform while they mourn their dead daughter next door.

Meanwhile, Poor Akhtar is framed by a petty criminal and ends up in jail, where he is thrown into a cell with a Charlie Mansonlike raving lunatic whose babbling seems to make sense to Akhtar. He realizes, if none too late, that “no more Mr. Nice Guy” and that it’s time to fight back against those who did wrong him and his dead sister.

At the same time, Anwar tries to support his mother with the meagre earnings he brings home by selling a painting now and then. However, Rozina is still madly devoted to him, even if a slight misunderstanding might have cooled things off momentarily. Also, the gap between his poverty and her super-rich status might not be surmountable in “the eyes of the world.”

Later, Akhtar manages to spring from his cell, as fate works its mysterious ways, and he ends up teaming up with the slick scheming cad Aslam, and together, they decide to rule the local crime scene. Akhtar turns a modern-day bandit and returns to each location where he had found obstacles in his path. He desperately tries to help his sister and delivers his cold-blooded brand of justice while Aslam collects all the loot.

Then, one fine day, Aslam plots his master plan by which he intends to have his cake and eat the lot too. Fate also brings Anwar and Akhtar together again, and in a less-than-thrilling climax scene, all the loose threads of various subplots are carefully tied up.

Daulat Aur Duniya Will Rozina and Anwar get married despite the difference in income bracket? Will Akhtar receive the death sentence, or will he somehow escape for a new life with his dancing moll Aliya? It’s rather a dull fare, not particularly interesting and lacking the emotional power and intrigue that films like these thrive upon. On the other hand, some people felt otherwise as the film succeeded in 1972 even though it featured Rozina, who was not quite an “A” bracket leading lady during that era. Waheed Murad is also slightly automated and uninspired in this movie, even if he manages a decent fist. Rozina fails to shine as a good girl and lacks the spark she invariably displayed whenever she was cast in a negative role. She tries hard, but in a limited scope, she fails to make much of an impression. The comedy provided by Zerqa and Nanna is laborious but undoubtedly contributed to the film’s success, and the songs are not particularly catchy either. It is strange how a film as mediocre and predictable as Daulat Aur Duniya can succeed while others far better fall by the wayside. Desi audiences can be counted on for their unpredictability, making life more enjoyable.