AANDHI

Have been wanting to write about my all time favourite movie since a long time and its finally happening! :-)


A Gulzar classic, Aandhi stars two great actors : Sanjeev Kumar and Suchitra Sen as protagonists.
Music by RD Burman was a chartbuster with 3 beauties from Kishore Kumar & Lata Mangeshkar - Iss Mod Se Jaate Hain, Tum Aagaye Ho Noor Agaya hai and Tere Bina Zingadi Se Koi..


First some trivia: 
The movie was released in 1975 - Emergency was imposed by Indira Gandhi on June 25 and Aandhi was banned cuz it was allegedly based on her life. It was then re-released in 1977 on Doordarshan and was declared a blockbuster.
The makers of the film drew inspiration from Tarkeshwari Sinha - the freedom fighter, one of the youngest parliamentarians & first lady politician of our country. She was also the first female Deputy Finance Minister in the Union cabinet of Nehru.
And interestingly the movie has just one female character - that of  "Aarti Devi", portrayed by Suchitra Sen !

I was totally blown away by the movie - the acting, direction, story, characterization and the music of course. The one favourite adjective i like to use for almost everything in life - Subtlety - is what i loved most about Aandhi :-)


We have all heard the songs - the epic poignant 'Tere Bina Zindagi Se Koi Shikhwa...' being one of the most popular numbers of RD Burman. When a song becomes a story in itself, you know you have a winner. The song where they question their living (or mere existence in the years spent apart).. Conveying regret of losing one's love and questioning if the sacrifice was worthy enough... 
On the hindsight, many of us would want to change the journey, but how many of us would want to change the destination also? 
"Kaash aisa ho.. Tere kadmon se chunke manzil chalen.. Aur kahin.. door kahin.."
What do you think?


Coming back to the movie. The characters are strong. When Aarti Devi, the leader of the country - has a chance encounter with her estranged husband - she is torn between love and duty. Without being dramatic, the film provokes sentiments which can be extreme. While some rejoiced in the triumph of duty to the nation over personal travails others banished it for portraying sacrifice of love as heroic. 


Most of us have hangovers of our professional role spilling onto our personal lives. Especially if you straddle the cosmos of power & wealth. In the movie, the husband expects the wife to behave like a "normal wife" even though she is the leader of the nation. The question that came to my mind: can the same be expected out of the husband too - had he been the leader of the masses? 


The script was written with Suchitra Sen (the legendary bengali actor) in mind and its one of her best works to date. Her style, aura & enigmatic personality in real life perfectly suited the reel character of "Aarti Devi" and Gulzar sure knows to bring out the best in everyone! She is the epitomy of grace, elegance and sophistication in that.

What i loved was - the ease with which she slips in and out of her two personalities - the super-smart, enigma-like political visionary AND the girl-next-door who has similar emotions like her subjects & who loves her family. I wish Gulzar had shown more elaborately the turmoil that she undergoes but then again, remember - the movie is subtle! One almost misses the insecurity she suffers when she is with her husband - what a stark contrast to the commanding leader that she is, in the next scene. This humane real depiction of characters is the USP of Aandhi. 


I believe the first step towards conquering the small mind, its cravings and aversions - is to ACCEPT it first. Observe it.


When the opposition leaders try to tarnish Aarti Devi's image, she withdraws - her suffering is personal and her trauma silent. 
The climax - when she storms into the opposition leader's rally and pours her heart out to the 'junta janardhan', is one of the most powerful & sentimental sequences of hindi cinema. Suchitra Sen is simply brilliant in showing the pain & longing of a woman who is deprived of privacy of her feelings and yet for whom the duty of service to the nation is paramount. It is an example of her sailing with the journey of the small mind and accepting it. 


Sanjeev Kumar won the filmfare award for Best Actor, for his role as JK - a hotel manager and Aarti Devi's estranged husband. Undoubtedly one of his best performances, he brings life and power to the screen. He also undergoes myriad emotions. While a part of his role is cliched & stereotyped, he is more lovable cuz he is depicted as the one who suffers! 

The scene where JK bashes up the opposition leader who talks perversely about Aarti and ends up shouting at her - conveys so much more than what meets the eye. Two people who experienced unexpected happiness and love in their lives have to suppress it for the societal demands. It takes enormous courage to not give in to the questions being raised about your integrity, when you know you have done no wrong. I truly believe that no explanations and justifications need to be given when you know you are on the side of truth - probably another reason why i could relate to Aarti's character so much. 


And finally. The mesmerizing beauty, the legend in her life-time, Suchitra Sen arrived as the latest entrant in my elite 'Musey Hall of Fame' after this movie :-) 

She was in her 40s when she shot for Aandhi and yet looked a million bucks with more oomph than her granddaughters Raima and Riya Sen manage now. 
She was just a few years short of going into a complete seclusion, when she bid the outer world a complete good-bye without saying one, in 1979. From reigning as a super-star for 3 decades to a completely withdrawn reclusive life dedicated to RamaKrishna Mission - what a journey from one end of spectrum to another! Imagine the gymnastics of the small mind, its struggles and the ultimate triumph - what an EXHILARATING life led!


In the glory of my Gurudev, who is the strength in my journey from small mind to the triumph of the big mind.