Can a thief be lovable? Why not? If the thief on the screen happens to be a Dev Anand or Dharmendra or Shashi Kapoor you don’t mind being “robbed”. We have had lady thieves too and the theme was received with enthusiasm by fans of Hindi cinema. Over the years, one has seen filmmakers exploit this sure recipe for success and one of the modern hits — “Bunty Aur Babli” — only reconfirmed the popularity of this subject — a lovable thief or a thief with a golden heart.
In “Do Chor”, Dharmendra essays a similar role, with Tanuja for company, to light up the narrative in style. Light-hearted moments are galore as the two strike a superb chemistry to deliver an entertaining film, backed by music that was a hit during the period it was released. When RD Burman is the composer the fans can be sure of getting some excellent songs which were finely penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri.
“Do Chor” did not boast of a stirring script. Very ordinary in fact. Tony (Dharmendra) is a happy-go-lucky man who makes his living by stealing. Sandhya (Tanuja) is a thief too. Circumstances bring them together and the story moves at a pace that keeps you engaged.
The city has been rocked by frequent cases of burglaries. By circumstances, obviously contrived, the thefts take place at the homes of four rich men. There is a connection and a pattern to the well-planned acts. The thief picks just one piece from the collection of jewellery and leaves behind a calling card — a swastika.
The police is baffled. Why just one piece after breaking open the safe? The suspect is Tony. He is notorious and he is a master of his craft. When confronted, Tony claims innocence. “I was watching ‘Mera Gaon Mera Desh’,” he insists, at the time of the burglary. Even Tony is perplexed now. Who is this thief? He discovers soon that it is Sandhya who is behind the series of burglaries.
Sandhya has a compelling reason for whatever she has been carrying out. There is history to her acts. The four wealthy men have been responsible for swindling the jewellery from her mother after the death of her father. It is Sandhya’s way of reclaiming her mother’s lost wealth. Sandhya’s conscious does not allow her to claim what is not hers. She is on a mission and Tony is her partner, pulling off the thefts, and, in the process falling in love. With Tony’s help, Sandhya recovers her mother’s jewellery and the police is able to apprehend the real culprits. Her mother overcomes the shock of losing the valuables. Tony and Sandhya must serve short jail terms before returning to a happy life.
Dharmendra loved doing such roles. It brought out the versatility of the actor who landed in Bombay to chase his dreams. From performing serious roles in films like “Bandini”, “Shola Aur Shabnam” and “Anupama”, he moved on to assume the image of an action hero. The ‘He Man’ of Hindi cinema, saving damsels in distress, pounding the bad man single-handedly. He also indulged in comedy with success and it was this ability to perform any role that endured him to a large audience of young and old.
Dharmendra and Tanuja figured in a few films, beginning with “Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi” in 1966, with success and “Do Chor” turned out to be a runaway hit. Tanuja too had a significant part to play and always managed to perform her act effortlessly. There was not much scope for Tanuja to showcase her acting skills in “Do Chor” but she had her moments on the screen.
R.D. Burman’s music was an important component of the film with hits like “Meri Jaan Meri Jaan Kehna Mano” by Kishore Kumar, “Chahe Raho Door Chahe Raho Paas”, a duet by Kishore and Lata Mangeshkar. The most popular song, however, on the chart was the Lata-Kishore duet “Kali Palak Teri Gori”.
Dharmendra and Tanuja came up with some delightful stuff to turn “Do Chor” into an entertaining offering from the stables of Raj Khosla. When it hit the screens in the early 70s, it was indeed in the must-see category. A revisit today would not be out of place.
Genre: Romantic drama
Director: Padmanabh
Cast: Dharmendra, Tanuja, KN Singh, Shobhana Samarth, Jalal Agha, Trilok Kapoor, Dhumal, Murad, Asit Sen, Mohan Choti
Story and screenplay: GR Kamath
Dialogue: Krishan Chander
Music: RD Burman
Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri
Box office status: Hit
