THE MILLIONAIRESS

'''The Millionairess''' is a 1960 romantic comedy film set in London, directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Peter Sellers and Sophia Loren. It is a loose adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's 1936 play of the same name.
Sellers plays Ahmed Kabir, a socialist Indian doctor, who meets a willful and arrogant heiress (Loren) who must marry to satisfy the conditions of her father's will. Rather memorable performances are given by Alastair Sim, playing the head of the millionairess’s business empire, Vittorio de Sica as the proprietor of a pasta production sweatshop, and Alfie Bass as a self-employed Cockney fish curer.
The film was a huge hit at the time of its release. Its success may be said to have launched Sellers' international career, since it allowed him to take more challenging roles later, such as his lead in ''Dr. Strangelove''. In recent years, the reputation of ''The Millionairess'' has waned somewhat and it is no longer considered a classic. In particular, the broad stereotyping of Sellers’ Indian character has been criticised, but fans note that he is also portrayed as intelligent, diligent and professional.
"Goodness Gracious Me", a duet between Sellers and Loren (as his patient), was released as a single to publicise the film, and became a chart hit. The song also gave its name to ''Goodness Gracious Me'', a popular UK radio and television sketch show from the late 1990s, and a modernised form of the tune with bhangra elements was used as the theme for the programme.

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