Film Noir UK presents C.I.D. (1956)

C.I.D. (1956)
Director: Raj Khosla
Starring: Dev Anand, Shakila, Waheeda Rehman, Johnny Walker
146mins / IN / PG / Hindi (with English subtitles)

The most successful Hindi film of 1956, C.I.D. was one of the most popular films noirs in 1950s world cinema.

C.I.D. follows its Hollywood film noir predecessors more closely than its Hindi contemporaries, drawing on the police procedural and “rogue cop” cycles of the late 1940s and 1950s. Dev Anand partly sheds his debonair romantic persona to play it straight as C.I.D. inspector Shekhar, who becomes embroiled with gangsters whilst investigating the murder of a crusading newspaper editor. Although unusual for its strong genre focus, C.I.D. still includes opportunities for the comedy, romance and musical numbers expected by Indian audiences. O.P. Nayyar’s legendary score includes gems like “Leke Pehla Pehla Pyaar” and the iconic ode to the city “Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan,” picturised on comedy favourite Johnny Walker.

C.I.D. showcases some of the greatest talents in Indian cinema including Guru Dutt as producer, prolific Hindi film noir director Raj Khosla, and Zohra Segal as choreographer. Dev Anand stars alongside Shakila, Johnny Walker, K.N. Singh, and Dutt’s discovery and subsequent muse Waheeda Rehman in her memorable Hindi film debut.

Special Intro by Dr. Kulraj Phullar. This screening is presented by Film Noir UK (https://www.southwestsilents.com/filmnoiruk) and is part of a special look at Indian Noir and particularly the noir related films starring Dev Anand. With thanks to the BFI Audience Network.