Jyotsna Gokhale

The film is superlative in far too many ways, and RK didn't - whether as performer or as director - hold the pose or the moment long enough to hammer the viewer into submission; especially with himself on camera, one had to be all alert to catch the fleeting, elusive moments that flew past before one knew. This was only his third film, his own production and direction, and an additional tidbit for the connoisseurs, one notes he brought in five members of his family to play various roles. His father, still a hero, wasn't willing to play a hero's father; RK convinced him by saying he was the hero, and RK would play the son. And indeed it's an unconventional two hero film, where it's not about the two sparring for the girl - not overtly, anyway, although there are a couple of fleeting moments, of not essential importance to the main drama. Quoting an older post of mine about this film:- ....................................... "Funny, when one comprehend RK work, its a steep dose of quinine, which he has people ingesting knowing fully well it is so, because it's so heavily and yet attractively overstated with honey and spice - which is completely in accord with Naatyashaastra! Here in the perhaps his best work, and arguably best production only matched by Jaagte Raho, perhaps one of the best films ever, at that, this song - arguably the most famous and popular song of this pair, 'Dum Bhar Jo Udhar', - and romance, is what most people of course remember, and in fact repeatedly watch the film for; and yet, this song, the romance, are just the overstating of honey with spices. The real soul is the story of the mother and son - she abandoned for no fault of hers and striving to bring up a child all by herself in poverty and on brink of starvation, he forever anguished with the realisation he has to look after her and handicapped first by his young age, then his lack of education and being caught in a bad trap. The young woman who is draped in romance angle is in fact the only relief and hope, only support and aspiration for the tortured soul. In this respect her role is not that different from that in Jaagte Raho, only there it is more obvious. And while there is no denying the romance angle of 'Dum Bhar Jo Udhar', a much more complex song with matching complex filming is the much less often remembered one before her birthday - the line "Ab Raat Guzaranewaalie Hai", with its overlaying of several completely different meanings, all just as much of anguish to the two characters as the obvious one. Jyotsna Gokhale Sunday, 3 June 2018, 18.00" ....................................... December 29, 2020.

Inspiration for Raazi?

Superb. Several ways it's so very different from the then norm, the faultlessly beautiful hero plays an out and out villain who not only cheats the law but women as he goes along - credit to Dev Anand for playing this role without excuses added - and has every intention of cheating the heroine until he realises he's in love, the heroine who isn't shy but a working woman in primitive seafaring fishing and quite rambunctious but innocent until she is caught in the snare of this guy and makes a choice, and the beautiful music of course is cherry on top!

Superb film, with much unknown to general public about the silent PM of India. Akshay Khanna, superlatively delightful as the narrator. Thanks to the author for writing this, and the makers for the film.

Superb! Thanks to those that made the film, and proud of those portrayed.