A Man and his Ego - My Thoughts on Abhimaan (1973)

The battle of the sexes has been a subject of a number of interesting films. And it becomes an even bigger battle if the protagonists in the battle happen to be married. There is a lot of he-did-this and she-did-that which only further complicates the matter and makes it impossible to actually apportion the errors, if any in neat timelines. Actually, in most cases, the error is a mole and the furore the mountain.  Talk about a mole in the mountain!

However, only a few Hindi Films made on that subject have been able to stir both the hearts and the minds of the populace, without severely the impacting the bottom-line of the movie. A case can be made for Talaq (very few must have actually heard about this Rajendra Kumar starrer), Dastak (a movie par excellence), Kora Kaaghaz (Much about this milestone later on) and the Basu Bhattacharya starrers, Anubhav and Avishkaar.

A majority of the movies on this subject have almost the same incestuous plots (not to do with incest per se but with the commonality of the plot) and the ever same contrived endings. Very rarely does a movie made on this premise go deep into the psyche of the characters and delve on the psychology of these emotions. What is the reason for the discord? Why did he behave in this manner? What was her justification? Did he mean what he say? Did she do what she did for some ulterior motive? Who was responsible? Why did this happen? Questions galore but most remain unanswered and what actually we see is the storm that threatens the existence of the tea-cup, in this case marriage.

If there was ever a movie which did complete justice to the concept without sermonizing or taking sides, it had to be Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s great take on the subject – Abhimaan – the surprise packet of 1973.

In a nut shell Abhimaan is the story of a couple whose family life falls apart due to the predominance of male ego over familial ties. The movie beautifully traces the growth of the monster of jealousy to its final metamorphosis in it’s all destructing avatar as the resultant male ego brooks no boundaries as it shatters all hopes of reconciliation and by the end of the movie one is forced to delve deep into one’s own self and find instances when one has also felt the pangs of male ego and there must have been many who must have observed the self-destructive ability of this abominable monster from close quarters.

Amitabh Bachchan as the male protagonist, Subheer Kumar is unbeatable. This is one of his earliest films and Amitabh plays the role with the perfect intonations and the exact shades of grey, without trying to justify his actions- the bane of many leading stars. I don’t understand why actors feel the need to justify themselves. Acting is supposed to be the art of the subconscious – if you are a good actor, your performance will justify you! And yet even the best try their best to justify themselves. Amitabh stays away and in the process gifts us cinegoers with an excellent performance for all times. The expressions on his face in the scene where a female fan snatches away her autograph book from his hand is just perfect.

This is Amitabh at his vintage best. 1973 was finally the year Amitabh took off with Abhimaan, Namak Haraam and Zanjeer highlighting the actor’s strong hold on different aspects of performance.

Jaya Bhaduri nee Bachchan as Amitabh’s singer-wife, Uma is perfect. I have doubts that any other actress would have been able to perform this role with the deft maturity that it requires.  As a wife, trying her best to salvage her relationship with her husband, she is just extraordinary. Unlike other actresses who would try to perform anguish with dialogues or overdramatic gestures, Jaya displays all her anguish with her silence and a look at her eyes in the course of the movie tells much more than can ever be expressed by dialogues. In fact, the beauty of the movie lies in the fact lies in the fact that it speaks more with silence and eyes than with dialogues. 

No wonder Jaya won her first Filmfare trophy for her subtle and strong, though understated performance in the movie. It was also the first time in the history of FilmFare that the trophy was divided among two female contenders - the other winner being Dimple Kapadia for her debut performance in Bobby.

Abhimaan also boasts of memorable and impeccable performances by the supporting cast. Bindu (in a rare positive outing), David Abraham, A K Hangal and Durga Khote all perform their roles with consummate ease and perfect intonations. When I saw the movie for the first time in my childhood, I was surprised with the effortless with which Bindu managed a positive turn. I had sadly got used to the Hindi movie's penchant for typecasting good actors.

 Asrani captures more than our hearts in the role of a family friend who is a silent though unwilling witness to the spiral down in the couple’s relations. In fact, the popular comedian was so convincing and subtle that he was nominated in the Best Supporting Actor Category for FimFare awards for this performance. Unfortunately he didn't win the award (he lost to a brilliant performance by Amitabh Bachchan in Namak Haraam) but few can challenge his performance.

S D Burman, as usual comes up trumps with songs that gel with the flow of the story and also resonate with the mood of the movie. This album can be considered without any objection to be among the top 10 musical scores ever in the history of Hindi music. Such is the versatility of the composer that he composes tunes to the strength of every singer and at the same time keeps the mood of the movie within his firm grasp. From Pyaasa (1957) to Guide (1966) to Abhimaan (1973), he is indeed the doyen of Hindi Cinema.

Mohammed Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar, and Manhar Udhas, all score with their brilliance. Anuradha Paudwal, the top singer of the late 80s and early 90s makes her debut in the Hindi film industry with the rendition of a shloka sung with great fervour in this movie

The 3 duets in the movie have each a life of their own. Whether it is “Loote Koi Man Ka Dagar” with Manhar Udhas, “Tere Mere Milan Ki Ye Raina” with Kishore Kumar or “Teri Bindiya Re” with Mohammed Rafi are all exceptional. 

In fact, “Teri Bindiya Re” is among my all-time favourite duets. Every Rafi-Lata duet down the years is a special treat but this one is just in a class of its own. 

Similarly, “Tere Mere Milan Ki Ye Raina” has a life of its own and I consider this the best ever Kishore-Lata duet only next to the ones in Aandhi and Tere Mere Sapne. 

Hrishikesh Mukherjee manages to hold our attention throughout the movie without indulging into high theatrics and it’s to the credit to the talent of this young director that such an intense movie does not look heavy duty. Maybe it is the dialogues by the great Rajinder Bedi that make the difference. 

The confrontations between Amitabh and Jaya and the final reconciliation (or should I say redemption) is perfectly handled. So is the reaction of every friend and relative, keeping in view their seniority and their closeness well described. So Asrani, a friend reacts as friends do, while Durga reacts effeciently as an elder relative would. It is to the director's credit that there is no artificality in the movie or on the part of the characters. 

His biggest plus point lies in the fact that the director presents every character as it is. There is no sermonizing or sloganeering involved. Nor is there any heavy-duty victimization or ruthless villainy. There are no antagonists but man and his deep-seated ego! Kudos to the director for ensuring that the movie doesn't take sides but at the same time doesn't bow down from making a telling point either.

Do watch this movie if you are newly married, long since happily married or on the verge of some major relationship break. Marriage is not a joke, at least not one where personal egos should interfere. A Marriage is made of more than one people; so it is imperative that personal ego should always take a backseat to collective responsibility and trust among the stakeholders. 

Think about it!

Of Dead Souls and Living Bodies - My Thoughts on Pakeezah (1972)

Society is not only a collection of human bodies; it’s also a consortium of human dreams, whims, fancies and ambitions – not all of which can ever be realized and not all of which are entirely ethical. Hence, by nature itself, Society is a collection of mortals who have different ambitions, different values and different paths of realizing the same. Despite this or maybe because of it as well, every Society lives by its own rules – rules that may or may not be logical, ethical or even reasonable, the only criteria that matters is that it should be amenable – amenable to the ruling elite. Yes, unfortunately, the law of the society is the law of the privileged, the elite, the frontliners… It’s rule, the rule of the majority – the polite word for the democracy of coercion… Its ethics the final roll call of hypocritical morality, where different standards exist for different people based on differentiation of colour, creed, community, caste, language or gender … A sham with pretensions from which no dissidence is allowed and no divergence of opinion left unscathed.

Society, being all-powerful, its but obvious that all who dare to oppose it’s dictum will be relegated to the sidelines, never to be allowed a second go at life, if they somehow escape the clutches of death.

This then is the end of those who dare to challenge the unwritten writ – those who dare to question the social fabric of the arrangement that we call Society. Those who dare to challenge the institutions of society are never forgiven – they suffer silently and sometimes fatally for their audacity in challenging the system.

Beyond the pale of the society live those condemned by society. And yet, they cannot be done away because they fulfil even in their perpetual condemned exile, the needs of the society – for every moon has a dark side – even if the darkness is banished to the nether land. This is the background on which one of the most beautiful films of Indian Cinema – Pakeezah - is based. Pakeezah means pure and it was indeed very brave of the director to make a movie on a prostitute and call her pure in the society of the 70s when a prostitute was an embodiment of nothing that was pure and holy.

On the face of it, Pakeezah is the story of a courtesan and her instruction in the ways of ‘moral’ life outside her ‘kotha’ – the four walls within which she lives a life of a queen, and beyond which she is condemned a prostitute. Indeed, strange are the ways of morality. She cannot be the honour of a home, but the wealth of a home can be thrown at her feet. You may say then that it is but the destiny of the prostitute. But if you look at it closely, it is actually the mirroring story of a society that refuses to accept its own faults and would gladly give away its sweet flowers to preserve a morality that is decadent at best – in its own eyes.

Meena Kumari as the courtesan (she reprised the role of the mother Nargis as well as the daughter Sahibjan), as usual, is brilliant. The movie was in the making for more than 2 decades; still Meena retains the same expression, the same continuity as if the movie was preserved in some cryogenic engine for all the period. The actress proves her billing as the most versatile actress ever in the history of Indian Cinema by a quiver of a voice, a sudden fall of her tresses, a look that mesmerizes and a stare that penetrates. Nothing is more potent than her expression, while she observes a bird trying to desperately fly from a cage where it has been imprisoned – never before and never after has the feeling of a loss of freedom been better expressed than that one scene which despite the absence of dialogues speaks more eloquently than Shakespeare. This was the tragedienne’s last major performance and her command and hold over the cinegoer is evident that she managed to retain the interest of the public in her for more than 20 years after her first major movie. This is something very rarely achieved among actresses but then Meena was always different.

This movie itself is said to have been conceived as Kamal’s marriage gift to his wife Meena and had started principal photography in the 50s but sadly it took 16 years to make because Meena and Kamal had separated in the 60s due to irreconcilable differences.  It was due to intense efforts on the part of Nargis and Sunil Dutt that Pakeezah saw the light of the day, and Meena returned to the sets. It is said that after watching the final cut, Meena was so overwhelmed that she forgave Kamal every hurt and every pain.

The decades had not been kind to her body but the will was strong – the fire still burnt hard. It was not that the years had been wanting. Brilliant performances like the ones in Daera (1953) and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962) had already ensured immortality to the great actress, but as they say sometimes it needs one last hurrah and Pakeezah was the third of the Trinity. It won’t be a hyperbole to state that her performance is like a ‘tear left on the cheeks of eternity’ never to be forgotten and never to be performed again.

Ashok Kumar as the father and husband who failed in his duties both as a father and a husband is impressive. His is a role of a person who is not strong enough to stand up for his rights and who can compromise his happiness for the approval of his peers at the altar of Society, but still cannot forget his loss or make amends with his present. His past haunts him and he spends his time trying to extricate his future from a past that never lets him live in peace. Any normal actor would have failed in portraying this character, since it has few scenes but many emotions but then Ashok was Ashok.

The impotency of a weak character as well as the guilt of a deserter and the depression of a loser is all well portrayed in whatever little screen presence he has in the movie. I especially like the scene where Sapru ridicules him, on his half-hearted attempts and all he can do is bow his head, unable to stomach the insult but equally unable to fight back. To be frank, his Shahabuddin can be seen in the face of every man who walked away from a love due to social pressures.

Raaj Kumar on the other hand as Salim impresses in his performance as a young man who refuses to bow down to the dictates of Society. A finely chiseled performance, Raaj is still remembered for his searing delivery of the romantic line “Aapke Paon Dekhe; Bahut Haseen Hain – Inhe Zameen Pe Naa Utariyega…. Maile Ho Jayenge.”  Simply among the best romantic lines ever! 

As a man, who has both the guts and the gumptions to stand up for the woman he loves, Raaj is simply unbeatable. Thankfully Raaj Kumar doesn’t attempt to become Jaani Kumar in this movie. He remains subdued and plays himself to the contours of the role. This was a marked improvement over the past wherein after Waqt (1965), he had adopted mannerisms that were often marked and marketed the actor above the role.

Veena as Meena’s guardian with an acidic and acerbic tongue that drips of sarcasm performs brilliantly in a short cameo role. Sapru also impresses as the old-timer with rigid notions of vice and virtue. Kamal Kapoor as an extravagant Nawab also performs well. However, Nadira is wasted in a role of no consequence.

Ghulam Mohammed, a great but unlucky composer, proves his capability by composing some of the most beautiful melodies of all time. He was a longtime associate of Naushad about whom Naushad remarked “Such is the travesty of nature and destiny that I should have been his assistant but he spent his lifetime assisting me in my compositions.” No wonder, after his untimely death, Naushad took it upon himself to complete the movie compositions and the background score and did it with such a spectacular finesse that shows his respect for his erstwhile assistant.

Pakeezah contains some of the best songs sung by the immortal Lata Mangeshkar – “Inhi Logon ne”, “Thade Rahiyo”, “Chalte Chalte” and Mausam Hai Ashiqana”, all of which are acclaimed classics in their own right, and the Lata Mangeshkar – Mohammed Rafi duet “Chalo Dildaar Chalo”, known for the spectacular use of echo sounds.

The director, Kamal Amrohi is a man in a class by his own. It’s to the credit of this great writer, producer and director that each and every movie directed by him (there are 4 in all) enjoy the status of cult in their own styles. While Mahal was the first movie on reincarnation and Daera, the first feminist film of India; Pakeezah can be considered the first film that challenges the concept of a fallen woman. The vibrancy of ancient Awadh and Lucknow and the culture of a fast-dying Muslim elite is well captured and very few movies can claim to hold a candle to this movie as far as the depiction of the period is concerned.

As a director, Kamal succeeds in portraying all the three principal characters in a very highly coherent frame. The use of metaphors and the play of light are well depicted and so is the story well developed by the entry of every frame. Not a single shot is out of place.

Pakeezah boasts of some of the best cinematography ever seen in Hindi Cinema. I have been told that the principal photography was done by Joseph Wirsching and on his death, 8 top cinematographers combined to work on the film. Well, Hats off to them because the tone and tenor remains constant irrespective of the same. Also, the editing by D N Pai and continuity of the film are first rate. 

A special mention needs to be made of the Art Work by N B Kulkarni. It is one of the best art designs in a long time. As an example, look at the way the introductory song of the younger Meena has been shot ... The Song "Inhi Logon Ne ... " has a panaromic view of the entire bazaar with about 6-8 dancers  (playing prostitutes) dancing in their own durbar on the same song. The focus is on Meena but if you glance outside, you can see the other dancers in their own kothis performing mujra, independent of each other, and below is the busy throughfare, teeming with humans. Again, to the credit of the director, observe the bazaar, every second the scene is different. There is total continuity and no scene is repeated.

 In short, it remains to date a crash course reminder of an elite past and a firm revolutionary statement of an ambitious future. It is also maybe the best marriage gift on record by a director husband for his actress wife, though Kamal was not a good husband by a mile or more.

But finally who is Pakeezah? In my mind,  she is actually the faceless woman who appears in the end and looks out longingly at the marriage procession that files by – thinking if something similar is held out for her, in her future! 

Hazaaron Saal Nargis Apni Be-Noori Pe Roti Hai

Badi Mushquil Se Hota Hai Chaman Mein Deedavar Paida

Sadly rarely does the Daffodil bloom in those cloistered houses of silent screams.

An Ode to Mother India - My Thoughts on Mother India (1957)

103 years of Film-making in India have passed by! In these 103 years, the Hindi Film Industry has made history by emerging as the industry which churns the maximum no of films year-on-year, year-by-year. Sadly quality has often be compensated with quantity and as a result, most of the films seem dated. Not only so, often they have logical inconsistencies and plot holes, the size of gigantic football fields. Often they are the butt of the so-called Master Connoisseurs who often worship at the altar of Hollywood and look askance at the achievements of Indian Cinema. And yet when you look behind at the ages that have gone by, you find that such as attitude is not called for. There are many movies in the darkness of the Indian firmament that shine lustrous and illuminate the paths of the realms. These are the Masterpieces of the industry that cannot be forgotten or sidelined.

Masterpieces are not the result of accidents, they are created by geniuses - special people for whom the creation of the masterpiece is the only reason-de-etat of being in the profession. If this is true for all forms of art, it's also true for the greatest art of all, the one that encompasses all forms of art - Movie making. Such is the charisma of some movies that they are destined only to be experienced as what they are - mind blowing masterpieces - and it's hence no surprise that even after a passage of a multitude of years, they still manage to hold their charm in an industry where a movie is considered passé within 3 days of it's release. It is as if Time has no effect on their shelf-life, as if they have crossed the threshold of immortality and become by themselves the standards by which future generations of both cinegoers and moviemakers will be judged. Reviewers still hark towards them to make a point and they become reference points and undulating challenges for the coming generations.

Mother India is one of the frontliners of that genre of films which make you sit up and take notice of the fact that Indians can also produce, direct, script and make films with the same finesse normally associated with the Westerners. It proves beyond a shred of doubt (although the proponents of today's generation moviemakers would beg to differ) that Indian films are in no way inferior to what the West makes. 

On a superficial level, Mother India is the story of a peasant woman, Radha (Nargis in arguably the best role of her life) and the vicissitudes she has to face after her weak-willed husband Shyam (Raaj Kumar in his first major role) leaves her to fend for herself and how she manages to fend for herself and live a life of dignity inspite a host of problems. On the deeper level, this is a movie which brings out in bold relief the problems faced by Indian peasants in the early years of the century at the hands of unsavory moneylenders and the social restrictions of the time.

The movie is also one of the first movies, which allows the female protagonist a role of great substance, such that she casts a deep shadow over all the male protagonists and antagonists in the movie and it's to the credit of this movie that the role of the mother-figure became important in later movies - a role Nirupa Roy made a hallmark of her career 2 decades later in the seventies. In fact, even in movies as late as Vaastav (1999), you see the effects of the movie and the role, as it casts it's formidable shadow across generations.

Nargis as Radha gives a brilliant performance, easily among the best 3 performances by an actress in the annals of Indian movie history and you literally feel smothered down by her grief, exalted at her happiness, frustrated at her helplessness and poignant at her final decision. She captures the emotions of the populace effortlessly and you find yourself in perfect consonance with her actions. It is a surprise to note that Nargis was just 28 years old when she played this brilliant role and not only played, she played it so well, that neither can you stop marvelling at her performance, nor can you but remain stunned at her transformation from a young bride to a grandmother who has seen everything that was worth seeing in her life. No wonder, she chose retirement from the Film Industry after this movie. What else remains to be said after a role such as this, that transcends generations and times!

Radha is not only the role of the mother, it is also the role of the woman. It doesn't define only motherhood but also defines womanhood and the central concept of honour and dignity of a woman. In a telling piece of commentary of the need to respect the honour of a woman, the mother shoots down the same son, she loves above all for the sake of honour. This is important and wish it was taught to all men and women down the ages, that whatever be the reason, the honour of a woman is sacrosanct. Her dialogue .. "Main Beta De Sakti Hoon, Laaj Nahin De Sakti" is a telling reflection of her rockhard commitment to her values

Sunil Dutt as her rebellious son, Birju brings to life the angst of the younger generation at the injustices meted out to them due to social inadequacies. This is not the generation that will accept or tolerate injustice, nor will it wait for legal remedies. It is the generation that believes in instant justice. In one of the few performances, that pre-dates the angry young man of the 70s as well as takes up the challenge of playing an anti-hero in an era when it was frowned upon, to play one, Sunil Dutt brings to life not only the pain and angst of the character but also makes it look sympathetic to an audience that was attuned to watching it's heroes in hues of strict white. Looking at his performance, none can say this was the first major role the actor essayed and that the actor had been playing second leads to vetarans like Ashok Kumar in Ek Hi Raasta (1956). The actor is excellent and the angst is well portrayed. Sunil Dutt performed this role under a handicap as the spotlight was turned onto this role as never before. This was the role the legendary Dilip Kumar was to play and so Sunil had to prove that he was worth his talent in Gold. and prove he did, with such a brilliant performance that even today, he is considered the prototype of the dacoit even after decades of this performance.

Rajendra Kumar as the other son, Ramu also plays his part effortlessly. His is the role which exudes idealism, continuity with and a quiet child-like obedience to his past and he manages to perform the same without any flaw. He represents the multitude of Indians, suffering under oppressive customs but not agreeable to changing the same for fear of loss of moral ground. This is hence a very interesting dichotomy of nature. While Birju represents the Generation that will not bow down to it's moorings but will challenge it to the ground, Ramu represents the other half of the Generation that believes in adhering to the continuity of the narrative.

Looking at the history of the nation, I think it is this dichotomy that has always persisted in the Indian mind - the desire to challenge destiny with the self-effacing hope to assimiliate and change history by it's own hands. Maybe this is why India remained India and retained it's basic structure even when the ancient cultures of the world fell afoul of the latest fads of a dominant culture.

Raaj Kumar as Shaamu is commendable. His frustration and his slow fall into depression have been very vividly captured in the movie. Some scenes like the one where Sukhilala puts the cowbell on his shoulders or the one where in a spasm of cough, the cigarette falls on his shirt and he is unable to dislodge it are scenes which convey a master actor at his work.

 This is the third facade of Indian malehood that has also been shown off in such a beautiful manner - the one that quits! the one that walks away! the one that chooses self-destruction over a face-off. Critics may argue that a crippled man has no options but then, haven't even the crippled performed acts of fortitude. What matters is moral courage and it is moral courage that fails Shaamu in the end. 

Kanhaiyalal as Sukhilala, is excellence personified and its unfortunate that this great actor's exploits have gone highly unnoticed even by the greatest connoisseurs of Indian Cinema and the modern viewer is still ignorant of his great exploits on the Indian screen. What else can be said about this performance but that his performance of Sukhi Lala brought down to tears people in the rural lands of India, where many could watch him and remember someone of his ilk that had been personally responsible for their destruction

Sukhilala is the epitome of usury - the greed of land using high-interest loans that the farmer could never repay that made the moneylender destroy generations of farmers in India in the 18th and 19th century. He still exists today in the banks and other so called financial supports that drive the farmer to suicide day after day and year after year in the hinterlands of India. The government has changed, the flags have changed, the miseries remain the same.

Speaking Of the supporting cast, it's business at usual. Mehboob's favourite comedian Mukri, the versatile Jiloo Bai, the vivacous Chanchal, sweet Kumkum, Master Sajid and Azra are exceptionally brilliant, especially Azra who manages to portray unrequited love quite effortlessly and Master Sajid who plays his role with characteristic élan. 

The talented Azra joins the list of actresses who could have become legends in their own right but who failed unfortunately. Sad is the way of Indian Industry. Azra went on to play brilliant roles in other masterpieces such as Gunga Jamuna (1961) and Junglee (1961) and yet she never managed to get the spotlight that was her right. 

Master Sajid returned to the marquee in the lead role in Son of India (1964) but sadly he also never got his due and vanished in the sands of time. Chanchal managed a brilliant role in Jhumroo (1961) but even she couldn't move ahead. Kumkum did a few roles in the lead but was soon relegated to B-Grade action movies. However, the movie was instrumental in creating the career of all the 3 male leads of the movie who went on to lead the Hindi film industry in the 60s and 70s.

Naushad's music is highly melodious; all the songs of Lata Mangeshkar are outright gems in their own right. Under his masterful eye, Lata graduates effortlessly from a newly-wed wife to a mother and then grandmother effortlessly. Whether it is "O Jaanewaale Jao Na Ghar Apna Chod Ke" or "O Mere Laal Aaja" or "Duniya Mein Hum Aayen Hai To..." or "Nagri-Nagri, Dwaare-Dwaare Dhoondoon Sawariya" each and every song is melody personified.

Shakeel Badayuni, the unsung writer surpasses himself again and again as each song touches deep into our hearts. Manna Dey is excellence personified in "Chundariya Katti Jaaye Re, Umariya Ghatti Jaaye Re" - the one song that portrays the anguish of the Indian peasants. Mohammed Rafi also makes a valueable contribution to the song list with his memorable rendition of "Na Main Bhagwaan Hoon". Shamshad Begum sets the scene alight with her rendition of the marriage song "Pi Ke Ghar Aaj Pyaari Dulhaniya Chali"

Mehboob Khan once again proves that he was, is and shall always remain a front name director in the annals of Indian film directors. The different undercurrents that he weaves in the movie, the helplessness of the matriarch and the widening gulf between the two faces of the new generation as well as the frustrations of a society urgently in need of reform and the resultant discord in the family due to the inherent confusion due to the same is pulsating and well captured.

In all, Mother India is not a movie.. It's a legend and legends never die. 

For Honour and Equality! - My Thoughts on Aan (1952)

A life spent in humiliation and subjugation is worse than a death embraced in an attempt to salvage one’s pride, honour and dignity. No man can consider himself alive if he fails to respect his own dignity and those of his kith and kin, his near and dear ones. For what is life sans honour? Still the battle for dignity is often not won without sacrificing the self. The irony of life lies in the fact that often honour in life is achieved on the altar of death. And what can define this best than the unceasing battle for supremacy between the aspirations of the masses and the ambitions of the elite.

All men were created equal or that is what all books on religion state unequivocally… at least for some time ... at least till some among them decided that they were more equal than the others. And thus began the process of man’s rule over man…. fueling the need for weapons and weaponry to advance the notion of superiority and the birth of totalitarianism and despotism. 

It’s indeed difficult now to go back into the genesis of the birth of slavery but one thing is clear – all slaveries are a function of the power of the sword and the dictum that the law of the land is often the law of the sword. Every totalitarian system - whether naked monarchy or the veiled rule of the elite in the garb of democracy or the one-party rule of self-appointed custodians of communist nations is in itself the most potent face of slavery today for what else can you term a system wherein a few rule others on the basis of  birth, people who would almost always outrank them in merit.

Aan is an attempt by the great Mehboob to juxtapose this ancient wisdom in the face of the battle for supremacy among the ruling elite and the oppressed masses. Each and every character in this timeless classic is busy fighting a battle to preserve his own honour, his own dignity and to carry forward his own version of the truth. Timeless as it is, the movie assumes significance because this movie was released about the time when India had just incorporated the princely states and a party of past rulers and renegades was mounting pressure on the government to reconsider its decisions. Keeping an eye on this background, Aan comes forth as one of the best-made movies of the times that effortlessly blend traditional concepts of chivalry with the overwhelming forces of modernism.

Aan is not a movie; it’s a social statement made in the garb of commercial interests; it’s the retelling of the age-old cliché of ‘Janata Janardhan’ using the garb of fantasy and action – the best fantasy ever attempted in Hindi Cinema. Everything about the movie is on an epic scale, right from Faridoon Irani’s brilliant cinematography to the excellent sword duels in the movie – incidentally among the best sword duels in Hindi Cinema.

Dilip Kumar sets the celluloid ablaze with his exceptional portrayal of the commoner Jai who refuses to let regal arrogance crush his dignity and honour. In a role, miles away from his traditional tragedy roles, the thespian proves his mettle and carries the entire movie on his able shoulders. From the frolicking scenes with Mukri and Nimmi in the beginning to his harmless flirtations and almost obsessive streak (some would even call it stalking) of courtship with Nadira to his sense of hurt dignity and wild anger and revenge on the establishment to the rebellious streak towards autocracy, every nuance is flawless.

As the swashbuckling Jai, the thespian has no equals and is effortlessly perfect in his first attempt at action. The film  and the role would then become the template for the evergreen Azaad (1955) and echoes of it's rustic ambience could be seen as far as Gunga Jamuna (1961) and Sagina (1974) 

Nadira in her role as the haughty aristocrat, Rajeshwari fits into the groove effortlessly. Those raised eyebrows, that deep frown set in arrogance, the voice that reeks of royalty - no one else can play Rajeshwari. It seems as if she was born to reprise Rajeshwari. This was her maiden performance and the actress was all of 15 when she appraised this role but after watching her perform, none can miss the talent and spunk in the debutante.

Sadly, the Indian crowds would not and did not think so. An exceptionally brilliant turn of performance in the classic Shree 420, where she played negative shades effortlessly typecast her and an actress of her calibre was forced to joust for space in the ever-teeming world of second leads and vamps. Her talent sadly remained underutilized

Nimmi on the other hand plays the role of the oppressed maiden to the galleries. A bit of toning down would have done her wonders but sadly, the actress though brilliant at times fails to keep the tempo constant and hams quite a bit when she should have been restrained. 

However, you are tempted to forgive her these tidbits considering that her confrontations with both Jai and Shamsher are dynamite and the actress does exude a rare attitude.

A special mention should be made of the scene where she is forced to choose between her life and her AAN (honour). I have seen many scenes in many movies where the so-called damsel in distress is forced to kill herself but never before have I felt someone thirst for her own death with the passion and intensity of Nimmi. It is as if Life never mattered - not even for a second. For that one intense scene of unrivalled performances, many scenes that feel flawed can be forgiven.

Prem Nath is tyranny personified. As Shamsher Singh, the votary of the Charles I school of thought, the actor is completely in form and effortlessly treads the path of an anti-hero at a time when being an anti-hero was considered hara-kiri. 

The arrogance of the despot is well-documented and his penchant for the sword as the arbiter of all issues is so minutely perfected that the audience can not but help marvel at an actor who could go against the grain and essay a role on the opposite sides of the spectrum at a time when he was at his zenith and the populace unforgiving of such transgressions. Such is his impact that not only does he match Dilip stride to stride, but also manages to leave a strong impact of his own.

It is said Prem was not very much interested in this role and was not comfortable doing this role but Dilip convinced him to do this role. Thank Heavens for such mercies - What would be Shamsher Singh without Prem Nath and what would be Prem Nath without Shamsher Singh

Among the supporting cast Amir Banu as Jai’s mother who values her honour to her son’s life; Mukri, Murad and Cuckoo play their roles with effortless ease; such is the level of performance that you feel drawn into the vertex of their ambitions and aspirations.

Naushad wields the baton as efficiently as a general marshalling his troops. As was his forte, he has used the pristine voices of Rafi, Lata and Shamshad Begum to perfection. So while we marvel at Shamshad giving her rustic voice to ‘Mohabbat Chume Jinke Haath’ or singing with gusto ‘Aag Lagi Tan Man Mein’ one also takes delight in her duel with Lata in ‘Gao Tarane Man Ke’. Lata on the other hand sings the angst filled ‘Tujhe Kho Diya’ with a depth that sears your heart while ‘Aaj Mere Man Mein’ is a harbinger of every woman’s ultimate wishes. Rafi also adds to the party with the frolicking ‘Dil Mein Chupake’, the emotional ‘Takra Gaya Tumse’ and the mischievous ‘Maan Mera Ehsaan” All in all, an album that conquers the spirit of Rajasthan while also paying full attention to modern rules of orchestration. In fact this was the first time an entire orchestra ensemble was used in Hindi Cinema and to what brilliant effect! 

One of the most important songs plays out like a dream and this dream sequence is one of the first to be shot in such impressive condours. Though the dream sequence in Awara beat Aan to the history books, the dream sequence is nevertheless well-shot and frankly speaking, though many will disagree, it seems more at home and can be considered one of the definitive dream sequences ever shot in the Hindi Film Industry.

Mehboob was one director who always wore his convictions on his sleeve. As a man of communist leanings, all his films stood upto the convictions he held in life but at the same time he was also shrewd enough to add on emotional sentiments to keep them commercial and well in the running for popularity. Never before and never since Mehboob has Indian cinema seen a director who could effortlessly marry off art and commerce to bring forth a movie of exceptional brilliance. Aan is similarly a magnum opus… a simple story told in an exceptionally appetizing format with the best-assorted supports (script, dialogue, music, editing and cinematography), a strong line-up of actors and a competent director at the helm. One more interesting tidbit about this brilliant movie is that this was India's first 70 MM movie and I daresay it was 70 MM in every respect!

A movie that not only talks about Aan but also defines Aan with élan.

Remembering Rafi... the Voice of God

When I was young I saw a movie called, 'Krodh' starring Sanjay Dutt..... it's a nice movie, nothing out of the ordinary but what's more memorable is one beautiful song in the movie; sung by Mohammed Aziz and composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal.... this I think is one of the first songs in Hindi cinema on a singer; if there are others, I apologize for I have not come across them so far

Na Fankaar Tujhsa Tere Baad Aaya
Mohammed Rafi, Tu Bahot Yaad Aaya

No artist of thy compare ever came after thy departure
Mohammed Rafi, we miss you a lot now, here and after

It's so strange to write about some one whom you grew up listening to, though I should confess he had left for the heavenly abode long before I was capable enough to even understand music but right from the first moment of my living life, if there was a song that moved me to tears, if there was a song that filled me with joy, if there was a song that resonated in my pain and if there was a song that spoke to me of my desires, inevitably I would find the magic of Rafi behind it... somehow, he connected with me when I was not even capable of understanding my own self and still does when I am again incapable of understanding myself...

There have been other voices too, each and everyone of them worth it's price in gold and enriched uranium but somehow the range and sweetness and beauty of this one voice is what propels me all the time.... It's futile to fight over who was better or who was worse, what's important is to remember that there could be comparisons and comparisons but what really matters is not those comparisons but the value of that man's brilliance and talent....

A Diamond will always shine and it does not make a difference if the diamond is set in the crown of England or the crown of India..... it will still remain a Diamond....

I am an atheist, a confirmed one but still the voice of Rafi compels me to listen to such beautiful gems as 'Man Tadpat Hari Darshan Ko Aaj' and makes me feel so much as a theist at times.... Bhajans like 'Hey, Naam Re' and   'Badi Der Bhai Nandlala' could make me feel the devotion of the temple-goer and even today I do not find issue with humming these beautiful gems.... neither do I find any issue with the beautiful 'Parvardigaar-e-Aalam' that makes me go gaga over the miracles of a God that I know does not exist....

Or look at the Ghazals like 'Mere Mehboob Tujhe Meri Mohabbat Ki Qasam" or "Tujhe Kya Sunaoon Main Dilruba" ... the pristine nature of love captured in the most beautiful and innocent of ways.....

I can go on and on.... the thumris, the Quawaalis, the songs of romance, the songs of pain, the songs of separation, of pathos and hurt, each and every one of them so painful, so deep; there is no emotion that cannot be captured that escapes the maestro.... he is in his prime in every moment, every second, every tune....

Maybe that's the reason we say..... Mohammed Rafi is the voice of God if he exists!

I agree with what Shankar-Jaikishen composed for Rafi and made him sing...

Tum Mujhe Yoon Bhula Na Paoge
Jab Kabhi Bhi Sunoge Geet Mere,
Sang Sag Tum Bhi Gungunaoge......

I miss your voice sir.... I wish we could have you back here with us