Released in 1955
Genre- Drama, Family
10/10
Main Cast: Balraj Sahni, Nirupa Roy, Jayant
Screenplay: Rajinder Singh Bedi
Music- Pandit Amarnath
Direction- Amar Kumar

a scene from Garam Coat (1955)

BRIEF INTRODUCTION Another tale showcasing the loss of human values and warmth. The story revolves around a family struggling to meet their daily needs and how fate pushes the protagonist to the edge of sanity.

Notes on the film The story of Garam Coat is based on the master novelist Nikolai Gogol’s widely acclaimed short story “The Overcoat”, although the end of the film is quite different from the original story. Yes, you read it right, the same “Nikolai Gogol”, mentioned in “The Namesake (2006)” by Mira Nair.

Music and songs Memorable music given by Pandit Amarnath, with almost all the songs beautifully sung by Lataji. My favorites are, Kahiyo roye dukhiya re and Zulfon wale ko kya pata hai.

Special mentions There is something about Balraj Sahni that makes him so unique. He used to become the character, one of the earliest actors to follow method acting.

The Evergreen Jodi We often talk about jodis in the film industry, Balraj Sahni-Nirupa Roy jodi, whenever appeared on the screen together, created magic, starting right from Do Bigha Zamin (1953), Garam Coat to Ghar Ghar ki Kahani (1970).

P.S. One of the episodes from Katha Sagar (1986) was also based on “The Overcoat”. It was directed by the National Award Winning filmmaker Shyam Benegal.