Today (February 24) is the seventy ninth birth anniversary of one of the most charming actors the Hindi film industry ever saw. His smile gave the audiences a lot of joy. And his name too was Joy-Joy Mukherjee. It is indeed interesting to know that he was a student of Colonel Brown Cambridge School, Dehradun where his elder son, Monjoy also studied later. This is one of the oldest schools in this region, founded in 1926.
In the 1960s, Joy Mukherjee emerged as a popular hero, especially in the romantic musicals that ruled the industry in this golden era of our cinema. It was quite an achievement as he was one of the many heroes who could be seen on screen during these years like Dharmendra, Sanjay Khan, Sunil Dutt, Biswajeet, Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, Pradeep Kumar and Rajendra Kumar (the Jubilee Kumar). Joy, son of the great producer/film maker Sashadhar Mukherjee, debuted opposite the beautiful Sadhna in the film love in Simla (1960) directed by R K Nayyar. He then starred with Asha Parekh for several hits like Phir Wohi Dil laya Hoon, love in Tokyo and Ziddi.
Some of his films like Door Ki Aawaz, Aao Pyar Karen and Shagird(opposite Saira Bano), Ek Musafir Ek Haseena with Sadhna, Ishaara with Vyjayantimala and Jee Chahta Hai with Rajshree were super hit movies. Most of his movies had hit music. In all these 60s films, Joy smiled his way into the hearts of cinegoers. He was a natural actor, effortlessly getting into the skin of every role. His performances in Phir Wohi Dil laya Hun and love in Tokyo are memorable. Nephew of Ashok Kumar, Anoop Kumar and Kishore Kumar, Joy had acting in his genes and also had a great comic timing (Shagird with I S Johar). He made a place for himself in the crowd of stars that one can see in the 60s films. He was suited for romantic, soft roles and his boyish charm was welcomed by audiences who had been watching heroes like Ashok Kumar, Bharat Bhushan and Pradeep Kumar who looked anything but boyish! Joy’s effervescence was infectious and one could sit through his film with a constant smile on one’s face. If anyone has not yet seen any of Joy’s films, it is strongly recommended.
Joy was born on February 24 at Jhansi and died at the age of 73 in 2012. His co-stars often remember him as great fun to be with. He had a wonderful sense of humour. He was the tallest (six feet, two inches) and slimmest of the heroes and this was a major part of his charm. Rafi’s voice lent a lot of beauty to the musical sequences in Joy’s films. Classy, sweet, boyish and energetic are good words to describe Joy’s personality. Vivacious are another word. Making such a special place for himself when Shammi Kapoor was at his peak was indeed a great achievement made by Joy.
However, it was only in the 1960s that this handsome star could be seen on the silver screen. With the coming of the 1970s, Joy began to fade. However, he had, by then, planted himself in the hearts of millions. His films will continue giving joy and happiness to people of the coming generations. He will be a star forever. A Joy forever.