Orphaned Raju, in the company of four elephants, has to perform with them at street corners, in order to keep alive. Slowly he amasses a fortune, and is able to build his own private zoo, ho... Read allOrphaned Raju, in the company of four elephants, has to perform with them at street corners, in order to keep alive. Slowly he amasses a fortune, and is able to build his own private zoo, housing tigers, lions, bears, and of course the four elephants. He treats all the animals as... Read allOrphaned Raju, in the company of four elephants, has to perform with them at street corners, in order to keep alive. Slowly he amasses a fortune, and is able to build his own private zoo, housing tigers, lions, bears, and of course the four elephants. He treats all the animals as his friends. He meets with Tanu, and both fall in love. Tanu's dad, Ratanlal, is opposed ... Read all
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Storyline
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- TriviaSeveral years later actress Tanuja took her daughter Kajol to the circus. A elephant grabbed Tanuja' s pallu and would not leave it. Tanuja wondered as to why the elephant was behaving this way. It was then she was informed that the elephant was one the elephants used for her film " Haathi Mera Saathi". The elephant had recognized her despite so many years passing.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Mili (1975)
- SoundtracksChal Chal Chal Mere Saathi
Performed by Kishore Kumar & Lata Mangeshkar
Music by Laxmikant-Pyarelal
Haathi Mere Saathi (elephants are my buddies) tells the story of a motherless boy - Raju (Rajesh Khanna) who, being lost in his childhood, is saved by four elephants and taken back to his father who in his dying moment, instructs him never to leave the company of those elephants and to always consider them as his Saathis (buddies). Raju grows up in their company and they always help him in all kinds of situations. One elephant out of these four, named as Ramu is actually the first among equals in them and he is the special buddy of Raju. Due to him only, Raju comes across Tanu (Tanuja) who is the daughter of a rich man. When Raju loses his wealth due to losing a lawsuit, he loses his prospects of marrying Tanu also. However his genuine buddies, i.e., the elephants help him in not only earning money but also bringing Tanu back to his life. He develops his own private zoo and calls it - Pyar Ki Duniya (the world of love) with the relentless support of the elephants, Tanu and a young boy - Chhote who was earlier the assistant of an unscrupulous mountebank. He becomes rich and finally wins Tanu's hand also from her father. They get married and beget a son.
The trouble strikes with Tanu's becoming an apprehensive and sceptic mother who starts doubting the nature of the elephants, lest they should harm her child (whereas in reality, the elephants themselves are quite concerned for the welfare and safety of the child). This issue leads to her break-up with Raju and she moves to her parental house. A heart-broken Raju has nobody to solace him except his buddies, the elephants. There are some other baddies also, ever ready to harm Raju, viz. the unscrupulous erstwhile mountebank (and later a released jailbird) and the wicked owner of a circus who is the competitor of Raju in this entertainment business. In the end, Raju's best friend, Ramu elephant sacrifices its life to set everything right in Raju's life.
Written by Saleem-Jaaved and directed by M.A. Thirumugham, this movie is actually a brain-child of Chinnappa Devar who can be considered as the pioneer of making animal-based movies in Indian cinema. A genuine animal-lover Mr. Devar always loved to make movies with the significant roles of animals in them. And Haathi Mere Saathi is perhaps the most successful and popular such movie made by him. The animals and especially the elephants have done marvellously and they are in fact, the soul of the movie. All the sequences involving them are simply superb. Some of them are entertaining and some of them are so touching that any sensitive person may find tears coming out of his eyes while watching them. The last journey of Ramu which contains the memorable song - Nafrat Ki Duniya Ko Chhod Kar Pyar Ki Duniya Mein Khush Rehna Mere Yaar (Rafi) is one such scene only.
Though the main performers are elephants and other animals only, the human performers also have done justice to their roles. The movie had come in the heyday of Rajesh Khanna and it is one of his all time great blockbuster movies. He is at his emotional best in the movie, keeping his patent mannerisms under control. Tanuja has done well first as a loving sweetheart and then as a sceptic mother. The complete supporting cast including the baddies (K.N. Singh and Sujeet Kumar) has rendered ample support to the lead cast.
Laxmikant Pyarelal have composed memorable music for the movie with the admirable lyrics of Anand Bakshi. I have already mentioned the song - Nafrat Ki Duniya Ko which can be considered the best of the album. The other songs - Sun Ja O Thandi Hawa, Dilbar Jaani Chali Hawa Mastaani, Duniya Mein Rehna Hai To Kaam Kar Pyare, Mere Mann Mein Machi Halchal, Tak Tak Tak Chalti Hai Gaadi etc. are also very nice to listen.
The movie is not a preaching type. In fact, this movie and all other movies made by Mr. Devar are such that they deliver the message of treating the animals with sensitivity through pure entertainment only. They are nowhere loud in saying anything, the message reaches the viewer automatically in a subtle way.That's why the message though hackneyed does not bores, it touches and moves the viewer deep within. I pity that now-a-days our so-called animal-right activists cannot arrange the closure of the slaughter-houses but they can restrict the artistic creativity of the filmmakers by prohibiting them to use animals in their movies. That's why filmmakers like Mr. Devar cannot get an opportunity now to show their cinematic excellence with the use of live animals.
- jmathur_swayamprabha
- Sep 19, 2012
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- Runtime2 hours 50 minutes
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