Underplayed Gems

Haathi Mere Saathi (1971)

Haathi Mere Saathi poster
Original title
हाथी मेरे साथी
Directed by
M. A. Thirumugam
Genre
children's film
Country
India
Runtime
2h 50m
Rating
7.1 of 10 from 14 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

A boy forms a close bond with an elephant, and they become inseparable companions. Together they navigate challenges and adventures in their village.

whimsicalheartfeltfamily-friendlycheerfuladventurousplayfulemotionalold-fashioned

What happens

Haathi Mere Saathi (transl. O Elephant, My Companion) is a 1971 Indian Hindi-language drama film, directed by M. A. Thirumugam, with screenplay written by Salim–Javed (Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar) and dialogues by Inder Raj Anand. The movie has a Disneyesque appeal with an Indian twist. It stars Rajesh Khanna and Tanuja in the lead. The film at that point in time was the biggest hit ever made by a South Indian producer in Hindi. The story was written by producer Sandow M. M. A. Chinnappa Thevar who is of Tamil origin and owned Devar Films in Tamil Nadu. Thevar also played a small cameo in the film. Directed and edited by Thevar's brother M. A.Thirumugham, it had music by Laxmikant-Pyarelal and lyrics by Anand Bakshi. The film was also the first collaboration of Salim-Javed (Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar), who were officially credited as screenplay writers. The film was based on Sandow M. M. A. Chinnappa Thevar's 1967 Tamil movie Deiva Cheyal. After the success of this movie, Thevar remade it in Tamil again in 1972 as Nalla Neram. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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