By 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 Mazil” featuring Shammi Kapoor, Asha Parekh, Helen, Prem Chopra, Iftekhar & Laxmi Chhaya was released on 21 October1966 with fanfare. The films completes 56 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 Mohammed Rafi of which some were duets with Asha Bhosle.
“Teesri Manzil” was a murder mystery, yet, it still draws full houses with the kind of scinillatingly melodious music it offers. Asha Parekh was 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 visits 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 hotel 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. Dev Anand was the original choice and few shoots were also done on him. He was later replaced .
