Dastak (1970)

Dastak (1970) poster

Tells the story of newly weds Hamid and Salma. They move into a rental flat next door to the local red light district. The flat had been the former home of a well known mujra and qawali singer, Shamshad. Men still come to the door in the hope of seeing Shamshad and do not seem too put out by seeing Salma despite her protestations. The couple struggle to live within the bounds of their own moral code while the earnings of prostitution seem to be flaunted around them. Hamid gets more and more angry and seemingly unable to reconcile his morality with the immorality of the world and at one point beats his wife and then rapes her making her into a 'whore' of his fantasy. The story here bears resemblance to the later 'Ek Chadar Maili Si' by the same director and seems to explore the complex world of women and sexuality as viewed by Indian men: mother, goddess, whore. This film also explores the ethos of prostitution in its reality and as a metaphor for the outside world.

Director: Rajinder Singh Bedi
Genre: Music, Drama
Runtime: 145 min
Release Date:

Cast

Screenplay

Music: Madan Mohan
Cinematography: Kamal Bose
Editing: Hrishikesh Mukherjee
Production: Dachi Films
Country: India
Language: हिन्दी
Original Language: hi
More Films by Director: Rajinder Singh Bedi
More Films in Genre: Music, Drama

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Dastak about?
Tells the story of newly weds Hamid and Salma. They move into a rental flat next door to the local red light district. The flat had been the former home of a well known mujra and qawali singer, Shamshad. Men still come to the door in the hope of seeing Shamshad and do not seem too put out by seeing Salma despite her protestations. The couple struggle to live within the bounds of their own moral code while the earnings of prostitution seem to be flaunted around them. Hamid gets more and more angry and seemingly unable to reconcile his morality with the immorality of the world and at one point beats his wife and then rapes her making her into a 'whore' of his fantasy. The story here bears resemblance to the later 'Ek Chadar Maili Si' by the same director and seems to explore the complex world of women and sexuality as viewed by Indian men: mother, goddess, whore. This film also explores the ethos of prostitution in its reality and as a metaphor for the outside world.
Who directed Dastak?
Dastak was directed by Rajinder Singh Bedi.
Who stars in Dastak?
Dastak stars Sanjeev Kumar, Rehana Sultan, Shakeela Bano Bhopali, Anwar Hussain, Manmohan Krishna, Anju Mahendru.
How long is Dastak?
Dastak has a runtime of 2h 25m (145 minutes).
What genre is Dastak?
Dastak is a Music, Drama film.
Where was Dastak produced?
Dastak was produced in India.