Jagmohan Singh Barhok
ओ हसीना ज़ुल्फ़ों वाली जान-ए-जहां
ढूँढती हैं काफ़िर आँखें किसका निशां
महफ़िल महफ़िल ऐ शमा फिरती हो कहाँ
वो अन्जाना ढूँढती हूँ
वो दीवाना ढूँढती हूँ
जलाकर जो छिप गया है
वो परवाना ढूँढती हूँ
Vijay Anand’s “Teesri Manzil” featuring Shammi Kapoor, Asha Parekh, Helen, Prem Chopra, Iftekhar & Laxmi Chhaya was released on 21 October1966 with fanfare. The films completes 55 years of its successful release & continues to enthrall the audiences with its romantic numbers “O Haseena Julfo Wali Jane Jahan”, “O Mere Sona Re Sone re Sona..” & “Aaja Aaja, Main Hoon Pyar Tera” to mention some. Written by Nasir Hussain with music score by Rahul Dev Burman, it was a super hit film of the year .Majrooh Sultanpuri penned the lyrics .Interestingly, all songs of the film were rendered by Mohd Rafi of which some were duets with Asha Bhosle.
“Teesri Manzil” was a murder mystery, yet, it draws full houses, even now ,with the kind of scintillatingly melodious music it offers .Asha Parekh was friendly with Nasir Hussain ( ‘Tumsa Nahin Dekha’, ‘Dil Deke Dekho’, ‘Jab Pyaar Kisi Se Hota Hai’ & ‘Yaadon Ki Baaraat’ fame director) did many films with him later,too.
A young girl dies falling from the third floor of a hotel.Her sister viits the place to look into the events relating to her death which was seen as suicide. She meets a drummer who works at the same club where her sister Sabina commits suicide. Though initially Sunita dislikes Anil, the drummer Rocky, she later falls for him. Helen plays a dancer at the Park Hotel in Dehradun. Noted screenwriter, Salim Khan appears, albeit brief, as a drummer in the beginning of the song “O Haseena Julfo wail” .Helen is now Mrs Salim Khan. Sadly enough, Geet Bali, Shammi Kapoor’s wife, passed away during the making of the film in 1965.
India Times has included the film among its India Times Top 25 Must-See Bollywood Films along with – Awara(1951), Do Bigha Zameen (1953) ,Devdas (1955), Pyaasa ,Mother India ,aDo Aankhen Barah Haath (1957), Mughal-E-Azam(1960), Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962), Guide (1965) ,Anand (1970), Booby, Garam Hawa (1973) Deewar, Sholay (1975), Arth (1982), Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995).
“Teesri Manzil” was the third highest grossing film of 1966 after “Phool Aur Patthar” & “Suraj” followed by “Mera Saaya” ,”Love In Tokyo” & “Do Badan”.
