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By Taran
Adarsh, August 3, 2007 - 11:31 IST
 Come to think of it, who'd be interested in watching a
film that first released 50 years ago? There're
chances that people may've caught it on TV or DVDs.
Or, to be brutally frank, they might want to give the
film a skip. But NAYA DAUR, even after 50 years of its
first release, has the magnetism to keep your eyeballs
focused to the silver screen.
Sure, rural themes are rarely attempted these days and
storytellers have moved on to greener pastures [read
urban themes]. Also, the film lacks the visual appeal
to entice the viewer of today, but despite the
oddities, NAYA DAUR works for several reasons…
[a] It depicts the triumph of the human spirit, which
can never go out of fashion;
[b] The relationships [Dilip Kumar-Ajit, Dilip Kumar-Vyjayantimala]
are so human and believable;
[c] O.P. Nayyar's lilting score is unforgettable;
[d] The man versus machine race in the penultimate
reels is astounding.
It's very difficult to review a classic. But even at
the cost of sounding repetitive, let's say that they
don't make films like NAYA DAUR anymore. Besides, over
the years, we've seen a lot of clones of Dilip Kumar,
Vyjayantimala and Ajit. Watching the originals is a
different experience altogether!
 Dilip Kumar lives the role of Shankar, an upright
villager who revolts against the city-bred Jeevan.
There were no acting schools then, no dubbing theatres
to enhance your performance, not much technical
support to make you look smashing. Yet, Dilip Kumar's
performance strikes a chord even today. Commendable
performances come in from Vyjayantimala [natural],
Ajit [fiery], Johny Walker [exceptional], Nasir
Hussein [first-rate] and Jeevan [nice].
Although B.R. Chopra made movies before and after NAYA
DAUR, NAYA DAUR will always remain one of the finest
cinematic works to come out of B.R. Films. The power
of a storyteller looms large as the reels of NAYA DAUR
unfold. Technically, the colorization is proper and
the sound quality is sharp.
To sum up, NAYA DAUR is a classic and will always
remain one. To skip the film would be sacrilege. Go,
relive the experience!
Rating:- Priceless.
Rating:- * * * *
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