Anand

Hrishikesh Mukherjee has enriched Hindi cinema with such masterpieces as Gol Maal, Chupke Chupke, Mili, Abhimaan, Bawarchi, Khubsoorat. All of them relatively low on budget and high in quality. To think of it that he was directing at the breakneck speed of more than two movies a year. Mukherjee's movies were light hearted comic dramas, Anand too is comical at times. His other movies featured people struggling to keep a job, or fancying a marriage to film star, or struggling to keep up with a practical joke, Anand on the other hand is about struggling to live the short life you have.

Anand is without doubt the best (and most popular) of Mukherjee's works. Rajesh Khanna's role as Anand, a patient with 'Lymphosarcoma (cancer) of the intestine' is probably his best acting ever. How Anand fights cancer brings tears to your eyes, even if you see this movie for the umpteenth. You laugh with Anand, you cry with him, you sing with him, you live the life he lives. Amitabh Bachchan's (Dr Banerjee) role of his square faced Bengali doctor, in a role so different from the roles that made him a superstar, (Bachchan was voted the greatest actor ever in the online BBC pole, though he played it down saying - this proves Indians do not have much to do on Internet) Amitabh does a wonderful job. Being a Bollywood movie that it is, there are some beautiful songs. I wonder - a Hollywood movie with songs is called a musical and all Bollywood movies are characterised as song and dance sequences. This is a stereotype that a lot of Hindi Movies won't fit into (then there are a lot that will). Anand for one has no dance sequence. Lot of beautiful songs though, that help the narrative and in character development like acting can't.

For example you never see Anand unhappy for a second. You think he has no sorrows. Even the name of his illness is something to enjoy. Lymphosarcoma of the intestine is quite a name to have for a disease, Anand says in his ever cheerful voice (the word Anand means pleasure btw). Deep inside Anand knows he has limited time in the world and he wants to fill every life that he touches with happiness. In the process he starts growing closer to you. He talks to a complete stranger on the street like he knew him forever. He shares the sorrows of people he meets, gives them reason to smile. But never will let you into his own sad past. It is only through a song (a sort of soliloquy) he sings that you get a bit of information about his sad past - he himself wont share it with you.

The movie won the 1972 Filmfare Award. One of the best works to come out of Bollywood.

I enjoyed this movie because I thought the main character was extremely likable and consistently brought a smile to my face. This movie essentially tells you how it will end as soon as it starts, but it still wraps up with an emotional punch.

Sure enough, there is no vacant person under the prestigious name. Anan is full of passion and joy in life, life and death, and the attitude of life is full of enthusiasm and joy. Such Anan will not die, because happiness will never die. "Leave sorrow to yourself, give happiness to others" is a very simple sentence, but it has the power to change people's hearts, and even change the attitude towards people and things around them. It is a chicken soup, but I am willing to drink it.

It is very rare for guys to shed tears after watching a movie, this movie does make you shed tears for Anand, the main protagonist played by the superstar of the 70's Rajesh Khanna.

The movie has everything going for it. Acting, direction, story, music, dialogues etc... everything is fabulous. It has drama, humor, emotions in dollops. It is a story a dying man who looks at life with a positive attitude and enjoys his time knowing fully well his disease is incurable and that he is going to die soon.

Rajesh Khanna as Anand is absolutely brilliant, this is his career-best performance , notwithstanding movies like Kati Patang, Roti, Aradhana, Amar Prem etc. You cannot think of any other actor in this role and to think Rajesh Khanna was not the original choice(Shashi Kapoor was). He makes you laugh and cry. He causes anxiety and goose bumps. Simply superb.

Amitabh Bachchan is fantastic as babumoshai( a name with which Raj Kapoor used to address the film's director Hrishikesh Mukherjee). He showed the world that the next superstar was coming, though he really "arrived" a couple of years later. The rest of the supporting cast is also brilliant be it Johhny Walker(stands out) or Ramesh Deo or Seema or Sumitra. Everyone is wonderful.

Music is the hallmark of all great hindi movies and this one has music ranking right up there, on the top. Be it "Kahin door jab din dhal jaye" or " Maine tere liye hi saath rang" or "Zindagi kaisi hai paheli".

Maverick composer Salil Chowdury comes up with an absolutely fantastic score and singers Mukhesh and Manna Dey do complete justice to his tunes.

About the director Hrishikesh Mukherjee, what can one say, he is one of the best directors ever in the Indian film history. A guy with a complete repertoire,a complete entertainer (though people consider other directors to be more entertaining, but real movie buffs will agree with me). All his movies, he has been directing movies since 1957 are worth a watch. Some are brilliant and others watchable. None of his movies can be rated as unwatchable(except maybe Jooth bole Kauwa kaate and Jhooti).

Simply put, this is one of the best Hindi movies ever made.

In 1970, Rajesh Khanna was the biggest star and was shooting for multiple movies along with Anand. But it seems he would take some time out from his other schedules would come to Hrishi da and ask him if he could shoot the next scene from Anand. That's how eager and dedicated he was to Anand. Probably he knew that this was the movie that he would be remembered for.

The movie narrates like the pages of a diary of one Dr. Bhaskar Bannerjee and his relationship with Anand Sehgal who he treated for cancer. Despite of such a heavy theme the movie is high spirited just like Anand Sehgal who likes to laugh in the face of death. Special mention should be made for attention given to each character in the movie. All the characters are well etched and everyone has given a truly inspired performance.

The last sequence must be the most dramatic sequence that I have seen in any movie. Music by Salil Chaudhary and lyrics by Yogesh and Gulzar are apt and wonderful. Definitely one of the best movies made in India.