By Jagmohan Singh Barhok

गर्म है, तेज़ है, ये निगाहें मेरी
काम आ, जाएँगी सर्द, आहें मेरी
तुम किसी, राह में, तो मिलोगे कहीं
अरे इश्क़ हूँ, मैं कहीं ठहरता ही नहीं
मैं भी हूँ गलियों की परछाई
कभी यहाँ कभी वहाँ
शाम ही से कुछ हो जाता है
मेरा भी जादू जवां-जवां
ओ हसीना ज़ुल्फ़ों वाली–

Vijay Anand’s “Teesri Mazil” featuring Shammi Kapoor, Asha Parekh, Helen, Prem Chopra, Iftekhar & Laxmi Chhaya was released on 21 October 1966 with fanfare. The films completes 55 years of its successful release & continues to enthrall the audiences with its romantic numbers “O Haseena Julfon 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 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 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 Julfno 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), Pyasa , Mother India, Do Aankhen Barah Haath (1957), Devdas (1955) 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 Mazil” was the third highest grossing film of 1966 after “Phool Aur Patthar” & “Suraj” followed by “Mera Saya” ,”Love In Tokyo” & “Do Badan”. I watched the film on its release in Delhi followed by another hit film “Do Badan” during my visit to New Delhi in Summer vacations.