I was rewatching the 70's darling Hema-Dharmendra masala romp by the name of Jugnu and just before my (brand new) DVD stopped co-operating with me, something occurred to me.
Dharmendra's character is a millionaire with the secret identity of Jugnu (translates glow worm), a moustached crime-fighter and con artist, outwitting baddies left and right. In the eyes of society, he's merely a wealthy and polite philanthropist, running a school for orphaned children. The trauma of losing both of his parents lingers, as do memories of his patriotic father standing up against his English-loving grandfather..
Sound familiar to you? Of course, Mr Wayne never had a school for orphans and never thought that a disguise could be made up of just a moustache and a wig. And because Batman's father was never played by Pran, we know for sure he's dead and not coming back, resurfacing at a moment when you'd least expect it. In Jugnu, it's a bit of a different story in that regard.. (Lesson: Pran never dies.)
I also realised how much I like this film, how rewatchable it is, and how sad it is that now that I finally got a copy of it, the damned thing broke in an instant. I don't expect cheap DVD's to last a forever, but at least one or two watches should go without a hitch. Otherwise, why even bother?
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