Underplayed Gems

Alibaba and 40 Thieves (1954)

Alibaba and 40 Thieves poster
Directed by
Homi Wadia
Genre
fantasy film
Country
India
Runtime
2h 28m
Rating
9.8 of 10 from 2 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

This is a Hindi fantasy film based on the Arabian Nights tale. It follows a poor woodcutter named Alibaba who discovers a secret cave full of treasure belonging to a band of thieves.

classicwhimsicaladventurousmusicalfantasticaldatedlivelylighthearted

What happens

Alibaba And 40 Thieves (Alibaba Aur 40 Chor) is a 1954 Hindi fantasy action film directed by Homi Wadia. The film was a Basant pictures presentation under the Wadia Brothers Production banner. The story, screenplay and additional dialogue were by J. B. H. Wadia, while the dialogues were written by Chand Pandit and Tahir Lucknavi. The art direction and special effects were by Babubhai Mistry. The music was composed by Chitragupta and S. N. Tripathi. Chitragupta had worked as an assistant to S. N. Tripathi in some of the mythology and fantasy films before branching out on his own. The lyricist was Raja Mehdi Ali Khan. It stars Mahipal, Shakila in the lead roles, with S. N. Tripathi, B. M. Vyas, Sharda, Lalita Kumari and Helen. The film based on the Arabian Nights fantasy adventure follows the story of Alibaba finding the cave filled with treasure and his escapades thereafter. Homi Wadia rebooted this film as Alibaba Aur 40 Chor, with lead protagonist as Sanjeev Kumar, while continuing B. M. Vyas as the main antagonist from this film. The songs from the movie went on to be used in the 1956 Tamil adaptation. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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