Movie: This song appeared in 1977 MKD Films’ Amar Akbar Anthony produced and directed by Manmohan Desai. The cast includes Rishi Kapoor, late Nirupa Roy, Amitabh Bachchan, Parveen Babi, late Vinod Khanna, Shabana Azmi, Neetu Singh, late Nazir Hussain, late Pran, late Jeevan, Ranjeet and Yusuf Khan.
Robert’s (Jeevan) chauffeur Kishanlal (Pran) takes the rap for a hit and run accident by his boss because Robert assures him that his family would be taken care of. But, when he returns from the jail, he finds that his wife Bharati (Nirupa Roy) has acquired tuberculosis and his 3 sons are starving. When he confronts Robert, he is humiliated and ridiculed. Then he tries to kill his former boss. Trying to escape, Kishanlal unintentionally takes a car with a shipment of gold biscuits. Robert’s henchmen follow him.
When Kishanlal goes home to salvage his family, he finds Bharati’s suicide note. Soon she fails in her attempt to die and becomes blind instead. This Kishanlal does not know. He also loses his sons.
Amar is the oldest child and he is adopted by a Hindu policeman. The youngest boy is found by a Muslim tailor and he starts calling him Akbar. While the other boy is found asleep by a Catholic Priest (Nazir Hussain) on the steps of a church, he picks him up to foster him and calls him Anthony.
Kishanlal wants to avenge the loss of his family and kidnaps Robert’s daughter Jenny to raise her as his niece. He also uses the gold to destroy Robert’s illegal business and sets himself up as another criminal mob head.
Cut to many years later. Amar (Vinod Khanna) is a police officer. Akbar (Rishi Kapoor) is a singer and the other brother Anthony (Amitabh Bachchan) is an affable socially conscious rogue, running quasi-legal activities. He has made God his ‘partner’ and donates half his income to charity. The 3 brothers meet for the first time at a hospital to donate their blood to an accident victim, their own mother, Bharati, without knowing their relationship.
Akbar has fallen in love with Dr. Salma Ali (Neetu Singh). Amar has fallen for a petty thief troubled by circumstances Laxmi (Shabana Azmi).
Anthony falls in love with Jenny (Parveen Babi) and she reciprocates the feelings. They begin to date each other. But, her bodyguard Zibisko (Yusuf Khan) is a hindrance to their love story.
Akbar buys a camera and wants to take his beloved Salma’s picture. But, Salma is controlled by her father Taiyyab Ali (Mukri), who is against Akbar. Taiyyab Ali, on the other hand, frequents a brothel. The night Akbar beckons his beloved for a photo shoot, the older man is called by his keep Bijli (Madhumati) to meet near his home. Akbar sees this and immediately takes their picture and blackmails the older man through a song. By the end of the song, Taiyyab Ali sends some street smart rowdies to beat up Akbar.
Salma goes to Akbar’s rescue and admits him in the hospital she works in. Anthony hears what happened and lifts Taiyyab Ali forcefully to bring him to the hospital with a Qazi (Muslim priest). Anthony tries to force Akbar and Salma’s marriage at that moment. But, Akbar refuses and says that he would marry Salma only if her father agrees to the alliance. Taiyyab Ali does not agree and Anthony leave in a comic huff.
When Akbar is discharged from the hospital, he is on his way home with Anthony and Anthony sees Jenny with Kishanlal. There are several other vehicles chasing them. Things being suspicious, the 2 heroes follow them. Soon, Jenny is lying at the feet of Anthony, who is disguised as a scarecrow in a field comically fighting the goons chasing her and Kishanlal has had an accident to be tended by Akbar. Robert had been following Kishanlal with his henchman Ranjeet (Ranjeet) to get back his daughter Jenny. Robert and Ranjeet make it to the hospital and take Kishanlal into the operation theatre to find out about Jenny. Salma is forced to bring the patient back to consciousness. Let me tell you that these were times of ignorance about security in hospitals.
Bharati comes there thinking Akbar is still admitted there. A nurse misunderstands about the person she had come to meet and sends her to the operation theatre. Ranjeet pulls her in and Robert recognizes her. He murmurs that she is Kishanlal’s wife. Salma hears it. Robert and his henchmen kidnap Bharati to compel Kishanlal to reveal the location of Jenny. On the way, there is an accident. With all the men unconscious, Bharati tries to escape. She is attracted by Akbar’s voice singing this devotional Sufi qawwali.
Song: Music is by Lakshmikant-Pyarelal and lyrics by Anand Bakshi.
The gist of the song is, “O Lord Sai Baba of Shirdi, I have come to your doorstep with a lot of prayers.”
Video: Cinematography is by Peter Pereira. Dance choreography is by Kamal.
The video opens with Nirupa roy getting up from where she had fallen down, as she hears this song. Jeevan and Ranjeet have woken up and are looking for her. The next shot is of the Sai Baba temple where Rishi Kapoor is singing this song. He picks up a dafli and continues to sing. There are other men and women, who are clapping their hands in tune with the song’s music.
Nirupa Roy progresses toward the temple hidden from the villians. Rishi Kapoor performs a few dance steps. Nirupa Roy reaches the temple stumbling all the way. The moment she is about to enter the temple, Jeevan and Ranjeet see her and try to reach her. She enters the temple. But, the villains are stopped by a cobra, which hangs from the archway.
Nirupa Roy hurts her knee and crawls toward the singer’s voice. By mistake she hits her head on the floor while crawling. At that moment, 2 flames of light start from the eyes of the idol to reach hers and she begins to see. I know, this might sound a little ridiculous. But, this was considered to be a dramatic moment in the movie.
Some lamps suddenly light up. Just like that! Nirupa Roy sees her 3 little children beckoning to her from the idol. She continues to crawl toward the idol. As Nirupa Roy reaches the feet of the lifesized idol, the song and the video end.
Artists: Singers are Mohammad Rafi while the onscreen performances are by Rishi Kapoor, Nirupa Roy, Jeevan, Ranjeet and others.
Cultural influence: This typically filmi song has been inspired from the qawwali style of music. Sai Baba was a saint from Shirdi, Maharashtra, india. It is said that if anybody prays for anything from him, the prayers are fulfilled. The song and the artists are good. The video is watchable for the above.
