Alibaba and 40 Thieves is a 1954 Hindi/Urdu fantasy action filmdirected by Homi Wadia. The film was a Basant pictures presentation under the Wadia Brothers Production banner. The story, screenplay and additional dialogue were by JBH Wadia, while the dialogues were written by Chand Pandit and Tahir Lucknavi. The art direction and special effects were by Babubhai Mistry. The music was composed by Chitragupta and S. N. Tripathi. Chitragupta had worked as an assistant to S. N. Tripathi in some of the mythology and fantasy films before branching out on his own. The lyricist was Raja Mehdi Ali Khan. The film starred Mahipal, Shakila, B. M. Vyas, S. N. Tripathi, Sharda, Lalita Kumari and Helen. The song sequence of "Dekho Ji Chand Nikla" was shot in Gevacolor. The film based on the Arabian Nights fantasy adventure follows the story of Alibaba finding the cave filled with treasure and his escapades thereafter. Homi Wadia rebooted this film as Alibaba Aur 40 Chor, with lead protagonist as Sanjeev Kumar, while continuing B. M. Vyas as the main antagonist from this film.
Plot
Alibaba and his brother are out with their donkeys when one donkey runs away and Alibaba follows looking for him. Hiding behind a stone he sees forty thieves ride up to a hillside and the chief saying "Khul Ja Sim Sim" and a cave door opening. He later goes back there and returns a rich man. The jealousy of Alibaba's brother’s wife lands her husband in trouble with his head being cut off. Marjina, Alibaba’s beloved finds a tailor who sews him back. The thieves find out about Alibaba and meet him under false pretenses. He invites them home where Marjina finds out the chief’s strategy of pretending to be a merchant. She gets the 40 vats he’s brought to hide the thieves in thrown down the hill. Finally Alibaba is free of the thieves and lives amicably with his brother and family.
The music direction was by S. N. Tripathi and Chitragupta who had started out as a composer by assisting Tripathi. Together they gave 'folk-based' music with some classical input by Tripathi. The songs were sung by Mohammed Rafi, Shamshad Begum and Asha Bhosle. Lyrics written by Raja MehdiAli Khan.
