Movie – Black Cat (1959)
The song, Sitaare raah takte hain, was featured in the Sippy Films’ crime thriller Black Cat (1959), directed by Nisar Ahmad Ansari and produced by G P Sippy. The movie started Balraj Sahni, Minoo Mumtaz, Nisar Ahmad Ansari, Johnny Walker, etc.
Rajan (Balraj Sahni) is a police officer in-charge of the case of the notorious criminal Black Cat. The Black Cat is audacious enough to regularly leave his calling card at the scene of the crime and is very confident that he will not be caught. Rajan is in love with Nita (Minoo Mumtaz), sister of a close family friend Professor Gupta (Nisar Ahmad Ansari).
Rajan’s friend Popat (Johnny Walker) is a detective and assists Rajan from outside the police force. Together with his assistant Bulbul (Shammi), Popat also begins to search for the Black Cat albeit playing safe and not falling prey to the goons. What no one knows is that Professor Gupta is a heart patient by day and the Black Cat by night.
One night, Popat and Bulbul visit a club, disguised. Professor Gupta appears there also disguised as a normal club-goer with a female assistant, Lily (Nilofer). Popat gets suspicious of the man and he with Bulbul follow the man’s movements. The man and the female assistant enter Cabin no. 3 and do not come out for some time. Later, they inform Rajan about the man and his assistant’s movements.
At the same time, Nita watches her brother go out for his nightly activities and tells Rajan about it. Rajan drops Nita at her home and stays back to watch the house from outside. The Professor sows seeds of doubt in his sister’s mind about Rajan and she leaves him to go to her room. But, a chance meeting with Rajan’s sister Manju (Sheila Kashmiri) informs Nita that Rajan is always thinking about his girlfriend. However, it is the last straw when Rajan tries to prove to Nita that the Professor has gone for his nightly activity. On the contrary, the older man is seen sleeping on his bed.
Nita cries herself to sleep that night and feels that she is singing this song in her dream.
Song – Sitaare raah takte hain
The lyrics of the song, Sitaare raah takte hain, were penned by Jan Nisar Akhtar and the music was set by N Dutta.
The song goes, “The stars are waiting for you and beckoning to you. Thousands of hearts are beating and beckoning to you.”
Video – Sitaare raah takte hain
The cinematography is by K S Jaitly.
The video opens with Minoo Mumtaz singing this song in her dream. She is at the place where she would meet the leading man Balraj Sahni during their dates. Minoo Mumtaz is sitting on a ledge, singing.
When she is sitting on a rock on a wild path; she perceives Balraj Sahni, who immediately disappears. She is crying as she sings and remembers their good times. Soon, the song peters out and the video also ends there.
Artists
Lata Mangeshkar have sung this song for Minoo Mumtaz and Balraj Sahni is also seen in the video.
Cultural Influence
There is no influence of any culture on this song. The song and the artists are good. The video is watchable for the same.
