Gentle and gallant, intelligent and inspiring, faithful and feisty; our films have portrayed dogs as so many things and then some – just as the wonderful creatures they are. Here’s a compilation of some cool canines in our films doing some pretty heroic stuff.
1. Gunboat in Muqabla (1942)
When you are Fearless Nadia’s dog, would you be anything short of awesome? Gunboat, the fantastically named German Shepherd had a prominent presence in the whip-cracking superstar’s Bambaiwali (1941) and Muqabla (1942). In Muqabla, possibly Hindi cinema’s first lost and found story, Nadia plays twin sisters – the fiery Madhuri and the footloose Rani – and Gunboat plays Madhuri’s trusted companion. He is the perfect sidekick during the action sequences, keeping a watchful eye on Madhuri and following her commands to the T. During a fight, he even snatches the revolver from Madhuri’s assailant and chases him off. Moreover, good boy Gunboat is health conscious and disapproves of smoking. How pawsome is that!
2. Moti in Paisa Ya Pyar (1969)
In this family drama, a wealthy young woman, Shanti (Mala Sinha) falls in love with Shekhar (Biswajeet), a man of modest background much to the chagrin of her haughty, class-conscious mother Lakshmi Devi (Shashikala). Like every Sixties melodrama rife with relationship tussles, deceptions, and misunderstandings, the tension in Paisa Ya Pyar hits the peak when Lakshmi Devi’s conniving manager tries to kill Shekhar. Shekhar’s faithful dog Moti sees him adding poison to Shekhar’s milk and runs along to warn his master. Unable to get his humans’ attention, Moti (bless his noble heart) spills the milk and drinks it to alert them about the nefarious plan. He is rushed to the vet and saved just in time. But Moti’s emotionally stunted humans spend not one moment worrying about the precarious condition their dear dog got into. The poor boy doesn’t even get any hugs or head pats. Shekhar is busy pacifying an aggrieved Shanti who thinks it was Lakshmi who tried to poison her husband. Self-absorbed much? Starting a petition to find Moti better humans.
3. Moti in Sachaa Jhutha (1970)
The dashing Doberman in this Manmohan Desai entertainer is among the most charismatic animal characters in Bollywood history. Moti is the trusted dog of Belu, a crippled village girl, who arrives in town searching for her missing brother, Bhola. Unbeknown to them, Bhola has been embroiled in a cat and mouse game between the cops and a criminal gang led by Bhola’s lookalike, Ranjit. Moti guides Belu around the city and protects her from leering men. When Ranjit kidnaps Belu and sends his lackeys to kill Moti, the smart dog tricks them by staging his own death, and dashes off to the courtroom for a crucial case. As Bhola and Ranjit stand trial and both of them claim to be Bhola, it is the discerning Moti’s testimony that finally ascertains his master’s identity. We can only reiterate what Agatha Christie says: dogs are wise.
4. King Kong in Do Bachche Dus Haath (1972)
This little-known ’70s flick starring Mehmood Junior and Baby Pinky (of Parichay fame) follows the adventures of a wannabe detective Junior Jasoos and his gallant dog King Kong who come to the aid of little Pinky in finding her parents’ killers. The kids encounter different gangs of baddies (the 10 hands in the film’s title is an indicator of them) and several perilous situations. And each time it’s King Kong possessed with smarts and kinetic energy that saves his human friends from danger. He finds the trail to the killers, frees Pinky and Junior when the goons have left them to die, and uses a clever trick to get an ambulance for his injured mates. King Kong truly outdoes himself when he sprints alongside the villain’s speeding jeep – to which his friends are tied and are being dragged around – chases the baddie out, takes control of the vehicle and manages to free the duo. An absolute legend.
5. Unnamed poodle in Chacha Bhatija (1977)
The saying ‘it’s the size of the dog in a fight’ is truly representative of this sweet pooch who appears briefly in the film but is essential to the plot. Shankar (Master Satyajeet) leads a happy life with his bhaiyya, bhabhi and a pet poodle. When his brother banishes his wife due to a misunderstanding and later remarries, Shankar retreats into a shell with only his dog for company. Shankar’s new sister-in-law, Sonia is a greedy woman who is after the family’s wealth and wants Shankar out of her way. When Sonia tries to push Shankar off the terrace, his loyal little poodle foils her attempt. He pounces at her to protect the young boy, but a cruel Sonia fakes injury to declare the dog mad and has him shot dead. A grief-stricken and unforgiving Shankar leaves the house thus beginning the tale of a family torn by wrong actions.
6. Khairoo in Noorie (1979)
Khairoo, the mountain mutt was the scene-stealer of this doomed love story starring Poonam Dhillon and Farooq Shaikh. Set in the picturesque valleys of Kashmir, the film tells the story of Noorie, a local beauty who lives with her father and pet dog, Khairoo. She falls in love with a village boy, Yusuf and they decide to get married. Tragedy befalls the sweet couple when Noorie is raped by Yusuf’s lecherous boss Basheer and she jumps to her death. A chained up Khairoo struggles hard to help Noorie but in vain. Driven by guilt and grief, Khairoo bids his time to extract revenge from Basheer. The determined dog defeats all the attempts to eliminate him, makes a distraught Yusuf aware of the perpetrator’s identity, and drives Basheer off the same cliff where Noorie had killed herself.
7. Buzo in Betaab (1983)
Betaab surpassed the poor boy and rich girl love story cliché with some great music, a charming lead pair, and an adorable sidekick: Buzo, the dog. As farm boy Sunny’s best bud, this lovable Labrador was a great draw as he ran errands with him, played, swam, and enjoyed the country life. Soon Sunny reunites with his childhood sweetheart Roma and Buzo becomes their merry assistant – playing and running around with them. When the villains attack Sunny and separate him from Roma, Buzo calls for help and saves his injured buddy. Later on, he sneaks into the enemy camp to deliver Sunny’s message to Roma. Buzo offers an ultimate sign of his love and unwavering loyalty when he fights off Roma’s kidnappers and is hit by a bullet. An enraged Sunny thrashes the baddies and rescues Roma. The film ends with the lovers uniting and our brave boy Buzo, all bandaged up, joining his friends.
8. Moti in Teri Meherbaniyan (1985)
Hell hath no fury like a doggo who has watched his human brutally killed. Moti, an adorable little floof, is rescued by Ram Babu (Jackie Shroff) and grows up to be his best friend. Moti is chuffed for his human when he falls in love with a village belle, Bijlee. Their happiness is cut short when Ram is murdered by a corrupt Thakur and his acolytes, and Bijlee kills herself; a devastated Moti vows to avenge their deaths. Furious, he goes after each perpetrator fashioning them a painful and grisly end. The Thakur gets his comeuppance as Moti mauls him to death – right at Ram’s grave, no less. Taking this moment to appreciate Brownie, the wonderful chocolate Labrador who played Moti and served poetic justice. On paws.
9. Moti in Mard (1985)
The master of mind-boggling plot lines, Manmohan Desai’s Mard weaves a thrilling tale of freedom, friendship and familial bond against the backdrop of British imperialism. A daredevil tonga driver, Raju (Amitabh Bachchan) fights ruthless colonial masters and their unjust ways with his fantastic four-legged pals – Badal, the horse and Moti, the dog. As Raju schools bullies and takes on arrogant oppressors, Badal becomes his ride through thick and thin and Moti, his comrade-in-arms. When Raju clobbers Simon, a smug Britisher who humiliates his adoptive father for entering a venue where ‘Dogs and Indians are not allowed,’ Moti puts an end to the discriminatory practice by peeing on Simon. He also shows excellent presence of mind when the villains throw Raju into a quicksand. To save his friend, a selfless Moti jumps into the swamp with Badal’s reins and together they pull Raju out of danger. Finally, in what is one of the most outrageous filmi sequences ever, Moti outsmarts the baddies dressed up as Raju and driving the tonga. Just another day in the Manomohan Desai universe.
10. Dobby in Maa (1992)
A dead woman’s ghost communicates with her dog to keep her baby from harm’s way. Led by Jaya Prada and Jeetendra, Maa is a schmaltzy film with some hammy performances that remains memorable for its canine hero, Brownie whose impressive antics earn him the ‘wonder dog’ title. In the film, Brownie plays Dobby who lives with his loving humans Mamta and Ram and their baby. Mamta is mercilessly murdered by a professional killer hired by Ram’s greedy relatives. Her spirit wanders around seeking justice and only Dobby is able to sense her presence. The devoted dog joins Mamta’s quest to reveal her enemies’ malafide intentions. More importantly, Dobby becomes the baby’s guardian angel; cradling and feeding him, and protecting him from the villains. The film’s highlight is a scene where Dobby is locked up and the evil relatives leave the baby out in scorching sun. The tenacious dog uses all his might to break free, runs to pick up the baby, places him carefully on the bed and applies Burnol on his sunburns as a helpless and wailing Mamta watches this with gratitude. #IAmNotCryingYouAre
11. Tuffy in Hum Aapke Hain Koun! (1994)
He ain’t the most recognized dog in Bollywood history for no reason. Tuffy is a fabulous furry with a vibrant social life. When he isn’t umpiring in cricket matches, he participates in important family discussions and joins them on road trips. He rocks sunglasses, can dance and has excellent guarding skills (not). Most importantly, he is a wise little fella who doesn’t buckle under pressure, stays calm, and makes the right choice for his family and friends. Damn right, he’s our hero.
12. Entertainment in Entertainment (2014)
The dialogue goes: “Yahaan kabootar ka naam Masakkali ho sakta hai, zameen par reh kar ghode ka naam Badal ho sakta hai… toh inka naam Entertainment kyun nahin ho sakta?” and we are introduced to the film’s amazing eponymous canine character. Headlined by a glorious golden retriever, Junior, this action comedy is themed around friendship, compassion and loyalty. Akshay Kumar plays Akhil, a self-seeking wastrel who finds out that his recently deceased father – a rich diamond merchant – has bequeathed all his wealth to his dog, Entertainment. In order to reclaim the inheritance, he sets out to get rid of the dog but ends up learning a thing or two about love and devotion from his ‘rival’. As Akhil struggles to eliminate Entertainment, his plans consistently backfire with comical results until one day when the selfless dog saves his life and it compels Akhil to get on a path of transformation. Akhil and Entertainment go on to fight the goons who have captured their father’s empire and like a true filmi dog the goldie takes a bullet for his human. Once intent upon killing him, Akhil is now rushing through a busy town trying to get medical attention for his injured furry friend. The dog is saved, the circle is complete and everyone goes home happy.
An edited version of the post was first published on Yahoo India on August 26, 2019.
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