Synopsis
C.I.D.
Inspector Shekhar (Dev Anand) is investigating he murderer
of a newspaper editor killed by Sher Singh (Mehmood), whom
Shekhar had bumped into at the scene of the crime when Sher
Singh was leaving. He later chases the man in Rekha's (Shakila)
car, but who escapes thanks to her not believing Shekhar
to be a cop. Master (Johny Walker), a common thief, who
witnesses the crime is arrested as the murder suspect, is
later released by Shekhar. Sher Singh is ultimately arrested
but Shekhar. knowing that he is only the front man, continues
the investigation. He is bribed by a mysterious woman Kamini
(Waheeda Rehman) to stop investigation, but he refuses.
Love blossoms between Shekhar and Rekha. Meanwhile, at the
prison, Sher Singh is killed by fellow prisoners planted
there to silence him and Shekhar is implicated and tried
for his murder...
The film
CID
was really Raj Khosla's
breakthough film. Khosla had initially entered the Film
Industry with hopes of making it as a playback singer. He
however went on to become one of the great directors of
Hindi Cinema. He assisted Guru
Dutt through the making of Baazi
(1951), Jaal (1952) and Baaz (1953) before
getting a break with Jaal's producer and making Milap starring
Dev Anand and Geeta
Bali. The film however failed to create waves but fortunately
for Khosla, mentor Guru Dutt was behind him and produced
CID for him.
Following
trends set by films like Sangram (1950) and Baazi,
a spate of urban crime thrillers were made in Bollywood
in the 1950s and 1960s. These films were influneced by the
film noir movement of Hollywood. CID represents one
of the most polished efforts in this direction. The suspense
portions are extremely well handled and integrated seamlessly
with other elements like romance and music to produce a
high calibre fast paced thriller. In fact, CID
remains one of the best crime thrillers made in Hindi Cinema
highlighted by Khosla's stylish shot taking, extremely competent
actor handling and innovative song picturisations, something
passed down from Guru Dutt. VK Murthy's evocative camerawork
beautifully recreates the noir world of Bombay - the dingy
alleys, the wet roads, use of dark shadows, on location
shooting whereever possible making Bombay very much a character
of the story..
Dev Anand effortlessly plays his role of
the CID Inspector though for once he is
the man representing the law rather than
a man living a live of crime on the streets
of Bombay. By now a common fixture in the
urban crime thrillers of the 1950s, he had
also begun to acquire his starry accessories
-  the
puff in the air, sing-song delivery and
total nonchalance were becoming a part of
every role he played. Shakila makes an ideal
supporting heroine, one of her few big A-grade
films and
Johnny Walker is at his comic best.
Mehmood makes
the best of his small role. Stardom was
still a way off for him yet. However they
are all eclipsed by Waheeda
Rehman who makes a stunning Hindi film
debut in the film as a vamp! Born into a
traditional Muslim family in Hyderabad,
Andhra Pradesh, she was trained in Bharatnatyam.
Her first film was the Telegu film Jaisimha
(1955) followed by Rojulu Marayi
(1955), which was a huge success. She
was spotted by Guru Dutt in a song in the
latter film and was brought to Bombay and
cast in the film. She scores highly in the
film particularly in the sequences where
she tries to bribe Dev Anand or in the song
Kahin Pe Nigahein Kahin Pe Nishana
as she tries to seduce the villain and allow
the hero to escape revealing her extraordinary
facial mobility and dancer's grace. Khosla
maintained he learnt the ropes of directing
actors from Guru Dutt who taught him to
focus on the eyes of the performance as
it is the eyes that are the most expressive.
"Guru
Dutt told me that eighty per cent of acting is done with
the eyes of the actor, and twenty per cent the rest."
Another
high point of the film are the songs. CID represents
OP Nayyar at his peak - Each of the songs a raging hit be
it Leke Pehla Pehla Pyaar, Aankhon hi Aankhon
Mein Ishaara Ho Gaya, Ae Dil hai Mushkil (The
Bombay song even if it is 'inspired' by My Darling Clementine!),
Bhooj Mera Kya Naam re, Kahin pe Nigahein Kahin
pe Nishaana and Jaata Kahaan Hai Deewane. The
last is one of the best songs ever rendered by Geeta
Dutt in her unique seductive style but unfortunately.
though a big hit musically, the song does not find itself
into the film. It is said the censors did not approve showing
a CID officer being bewitched by a vamp! There was also
objection to the use of the word Fi-Fi (Kuch Mere
Dil Mein Fi-Fi, Kuch Tere Dil Mein Fi-Fi...) as being
too suggestive! CID is also known for it song picturizations,
something Khosla would always be famous for.
CID
was a huge success at the box-office. Guru Dutt offered
Khosla another film but this time Khosla declined telling
Dutt,
"I am a small plant and I can't
grow under a big tree."
Grow he did on his own becoming one of
the most innovtaive directors of Hindi cinema
effortlessly making all types of films be
it crime thrillers (Kala Pani (1958)),
musicals (Ek Musafir Ek Hasina (1962)
- whose starting point was seven songs composed
by OP Nayyar), suspense thrillers (Woh
Kaun Thi (1964), Mera Saaya (1966),
Anita (1967) - his mystery trilogy
with actress Sadhana),
'social melodramas' (Do Badan (1966),
Do Raaste (1969)) or dacoit dramas
(Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971) - which
inspired Sholay (1975)).
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