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The comedy genre in Hindi films is represented by a few Cult Classics like “Padosan”, which ironically was just a moderate success at the box office when it was released in the year 1968. And probably that was one of the reasons why Mehmood decided to make a quick project post “Padosan” which was also a comedy adapted from a 1966 released Tamil hit titled “Sadhu Mirandal” to keep the things going. The film was called “Sadhu Aur Shaitan” and for many critics it was a better comedy than the famous “Padosan” comparing the basic storyline or sub-plots in the two films (without considering their individual soundtracks).
Based on an engrossing crime-thriller plot revolving around a bank robbery, it has the lead character Mehmood playing an honest Taxi driver of Bombay who finds himself caught in the web of murder due to a corpse hidden in his own taxi. Beginning with the introduction of Om Parkash as the loyal Bank employee, the film progresses at a great pace and never gives you a dull moment till it arrives at its long and innovative climax which is both executed and enacted brilliantly. In fact the second half of the film has the main highlight of a more than 45 min long sequence wherein the dead body of Pran is lying below the back seat of Mehmood’s taxi and he is not aware of it at all. Now in these 45 minutes we have a long list of hilarious cameos by many big names of those times who casually hire Mehmood’s taxi and then get out of it in a horrifying manner after seeing the corpse lying below their own feet. And the list of these names includes Ashok Kumar, Dilip Kumar, Kishore Kumar, Sunil Dutt, Mumtaz, Tuntun, Shubha Khotey and more.
Interestingly Mehmood also repeated the famous ‘Naatak Mandali’ of Padosan lead by Kishore Kumar as it is in this film and the team continues doing its unique amusing act as they hire the taxi with the dead body in the climax. In short if you loved watching “Padosan” then you would surely enjoy this comic thriller too as it has got the same entertaining ingredients in the right dosage once again to give you a great time.
Directed by A. Bhim Singh
Music : Laxmikant Pyarelal
Starring : Mehmood, Om Prakash, Pran, Bharathi and more.
Tags :
Sadhu Aur Shaitaan (1969), Movies To See Before You Die Comedy, Not to be missed entertaining Bollywood movies list by Bobby Sing, Must See Hindi Films, Mehmood & Kishore Kumar Movies Together, Great Bollywood Comedies, Best Comedy films in Bollywood, Worth Watching Comedy Movies from Bollywood.
