Deewaar

Deewar 1975 pressbook for sale.

Featured here is a rare original vintage Bollywood pressbook of one of the greatest films ever made in Indian cinema. Directed by Yash Chopra, Deewar (1975) starred the biggest superstar of Indian cinema, Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role along with Shashi Kapoor.

A blockbuster action Hindi drama, Deewaar (1975) was written by duo Salim-Javed and produced by Gulshan Rai under the banner of his production studio, Trimurti Films. The cult classic also starred Parveen Babi, Neetu Singh, Nirupa Roy, Iftekhar and Madan Puri in supporting roles.

Printed and circulated during the first release of the film (somewhere in 1975), this original vintage Deewar booklet was intended for publicity of the film but never ended up being used.

The artwork of this Deewaar pressbook was originally designed by the highest paid Bollywood poster designer of all time, Diwakar Karkare of Studio Diwakar fame. The artwork on the cover of the booklet was originally hand painted and features the artist’s signature on the bottom left corner.

A stunning close up portrait of superstar Amitabh Bachchan (also known as The One-Man Industry) is seen on the left. His face is over-painted with a knife using a colorful palette comprising a myriad of shades. The Angry Young Man of Bollywood’s persona has been captured with a rugged and macho texture in this original Deewaar 1975 pressbook. Shashi Kapoor is seen pointing a pistol on the right, while actress Nirupa Roy is seen at the center.

The title appears in English in a large font in white at the bottom in a striking 3D styled wall font.

Deewaar tells the story of two impoverished brothers (played by Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor) who struggle to survive on the indifferent streets of Mumbai after the passing away of their father.

One of them, Shashi Kapoor chooses the path of good, becoming a police officer. Amitabh on the other hand turns into a mafia don and amasses quick wealth and success. This creates an obvious divide or enmity between them, inspiring the title of the film. Deewaar is believed to be based loosely on the real life of one of Mumbai’s iconic gangsters, Haji Mastan. For preparation of his character as a gangster in the film, it is further believed that Amitabh Bachchan met Haji Mastan in person to study his mannerisms.

Deewaar is widely credited for establishing Amitabh Bachchan as the “angry young man” of Bollywood. Actress Parveen Babi was seen as the new age woman in Indian cinema, whose character appears as a liberated woman smoking and drinking, living-in with her lover – defying all traditional norms of the time. The brilliant storyline and dialogues of the film established Salim-Javed as the most sought after writers in Indian cinema. It is believed they were paid as high as actors in subsequent films they worked on, thanks to the success of Deewaar.

Deewaar bagged numerous awards, and is credited as a must see film in Indian cinema. The music of the film was composed by RD Burman. The track “Keh Doon Tumhe” was a chartbuster and is fondly remembered and played till today.

One of the dialogues from the film, “Mere Paas Maa Hai” is regarded as one of the greatest dialogues ever in Indian cinema and has inspired countless spoofs over the years.

Danny Boyle, who described Deewaar as being “absolutely key to Indian cinema”, cited the film as an influence on his Academy Award winning Slumdog Millionaire (2008).