Ijaazat

Gulzar's Ijaazat is easily the benchmark for Indian movies. The story, script and the surprise element in the movie is beyond comparison. The direction is superb with the added magic of mind blowing songs--music and lyrics. What I liked best about the movie is the passion displayed in the sophisticated style of Gulzar. The passion between Rekha and Naseerudin Shah and between Naseeruddin and Anuradha has been dealt with amazing finesse and sophistication. The song " Mera Kuch Saaman" is amazing in its rendition and also the perfect description of the situation between the protagonists.

The humor displayed by Naseeruddin in the scene when the couple are back from their honeymoon, on the flight when Rekha is a little upset with him and he says "Don't get off half way" says everything about Gulzar's immense talent to use subtle humor in every situation

'Ijaazat' was like a remarkable anthology full of beautiful poetry. There are some wonderful poetry recited by the actors but the film itself is a colourful poem: the characters, the music, the story...all poetry. Directed by a poet himself, Gulzar, takes us into a journey of complex emotions of complex people.

Gulzar starts his movie with a view of beautiful landscapes and a passionate song sung by the legendary Asha Bhosle. After that, we see Nasseeruddin stepping out of the train while we hear torrential rain in the background. Here he meets Rekha and then, as flashbacks, we see their story.

Mahinder (Naseeruddin Shah), a young photographer, is madly in love with the wild and impulsive Maya (Anuradha Patel). However, his marriage has been arranged (by his grandfather) with his childhood friend Sudha (Rekha). He confides in Sudha and tells her the truth. Sudha advises him to speak to his grandfather and arrange for Maya to meet him. All of a sudden Maya leaves. Things don't work out as expected and Mahinder decides to marry Sudha. The couple seem to be happy in their marriage yet they're both trying to deal with Maya. Sudha, trying to deal with the fact that Mahinder still has strong feelings for her and Mahinder, dealing with his feelings and with the fact that Maya is the past. Maya appears every contacts every now and then. Sudha tries to accept things the way they are but the more time she spends with Mahinder, the more difficult it gets.

All the songs are beautifully song by Asha Bhosle, giving life to the poem this movie is and then Maya's poems which add to the intriguing mystery of the character and her relationship with Mahinder. Anuradha Patel as the mysterious Maya is brilliant. Her facial expressions (especially with her eyes) are amazing. As Maya herself is heartbroken that because of her own impulsiveness she lost Mahinder, she tries to prevent herself from reaching out to Mahinder but can't help herself from contacting him.

Rekha is amazing as the strong but also vulnerable Sudha. She plays her part subtly and manages to convey a lot by her presence alone. This is a fine example of how subtle acting stands out. Sudha gradually sees hope that she'll have a happy marriage until she soon comes to terms with the fact that Maya will always stand between them.

Only an actor like Nasseeruddin Shah can do justice to a character like Mahinder. He's excellent as the helpless man torn between two women. His scenes with both Anuradha and Rekha are examples of how fine acting and a display of a quiet but powerful chemistry.

'Ijaazat' is Gulzar's poem which he beautifully recites. It's a poem about three lives. It's a poem that reflects life...

I suggest this movie for all those people who are or were in love at some point in time in their lives.

This is Gulzar at his best.

Naseeruddin, Rekha and Anuradha Patel have done a splendid job with Panchamda's music providing the icing on the cake.

What is it about?

The story is a love triangle between Mahinder (Nasseruddin Shah), Sudha (Rekha) and Maya (Anuradha Patel). Mahinder is an ostensibly ordinary photographer. Sudha is his equally ordinary, understated and understanding wife. Maya is Mahinder's sensitive, enigmatic, complex and impetuous ex-girlfriend with an extraordinary gift of poetry.

When the film begins one night, we meet two of the three main characters- Mahinder and Sudha in the waiting room of a train station in the middle of nowhere while it rains relentlessly outside. It is immediately apparent to us that these two characters have shared something in the past as there is an unmistakable sense of familiarity and an edgy chemistry between them. Then, through a series of sporadic flashbacks, we are transported to the past where we find some answers to our questions

Mahinder was expected to marry his childhood friend Sudha but while he was away from home, he had fallen in love with Maya (titled so aptly as she would later play the 'other woman' and hence symbolizes selfish greed for the protagonist, Mahinder) and Mahinder confides in Sudha that he wants to get married to Maya. Circumstances however act against his wishes and Maya disappears and he, having thought that she had walked out on him (something which is never confirmed in the film), ends up marrying Sudha.

However his old house is where the more vivid memories of Maya can be found. Her flavor through the windows and her demons under the carpet; she is omnipresent- in the nooks, crannies, cobweb ridden closets and basements, her memories linger on and she lives on between Mahinder and Sudha like those articles of old furniture one develops a sentimental fixation for and hence, neither is ever discarded.

Long gone are the days when he used to revel in his reveries about her but some of the memories still linger on like the rain's aftermath. You know how the tumultuous waves of the capricious oceans return and bring to the shore an unmistakable sense of sweet sad Deja Vu and so, one can almost hear the patter of Maya's feet upon the antediluvian seashore of Mahi and Sudha's house. And the imprints made by the patter of her feet upon the frivolous sand of time and the echoes of which can still be heard in its corridors. They are part of a different dimension where time, space and place were of no consequence and they live on still, in the house of memories, ever so fraught with her undeniable presence

It is this state of turmoil that Mahinder finds himself to be in. He has to make a choice. Should he stay on with the sweet reality of Sudha or try to grab the beautiful, mirage like illusion of tempestual, blissful happiness in Maya? He opts for the latter and more self destructive path and then something happens which is not revealed till towards the end of the film

Why is it so good?

Ijaazat is simple, yet layered, subtle yet profound and overwhelmingly poetic. This is probably the best script/screenplay Gulzar has ever written. Every single dialog between the characters is worthy of interpretation, worthy of quiet listening. It makes you wonder, what was said, what was unsaid, what was implied, what was hidden, what was meant

I especially loved the way the characters are written and developed. Its hard not to empathize with all three of them. Everyone has given a brilliant performance. Through simple acts like hanging a towel, combing one's hair, fiddling with a light switch; character motivations are brought forth in a stunningly unique and beautifully subtle way. The dialogs are scattered with poetic verses that are both pleasant and profound. Some examples-

Sudha: "Kya Ghar Abhi Bji Wahi Hain" Mahinder: "WAHI Toh Kuch Nahin Raha Par Haan, Hai WAHEEN, Usi Jagah" & Mahinder: "Yeh Duniya Bhi Toh Ek Waiting Room Hi Hai"

Ijaazat….A remarkable story of two lovers whose love story was incomplete…A movie about love- lost, found and lost again. Poignantly poetic and tremendously metaphoric with allusions of the concept of a Waiting room and the illusions of Maya, Ijaazat has a classic absorbing story, stunning performances, outstanding poetry & beautiful rhythmic music.

The passion between Rekha and Naseerudin Shah and between Naseeruddin and Anuradha has been dealt with amazing finesse and sophistication. The songs " Mera Kuch Saaman" and 'Katra Katra' are amazing in its rendition and also the perfect embodiments of the situation between the protagonists.

Someone rightly said that he film takes off from the moist surreal world of olive branches dripping with Gulzaresque poetry and goes right into the hearts of the characters. The film sees them all- the pure and serene Sudha, an unsolvable cipher like Maya and the tragic Mahinder- through a beautiful albeit maudlin prism. This is a kind of lost love in the true sense of the world. Not only was their love incomplete in the film but more broadly, this movie is also representative of a time bygone, an innocence lost. The heart just doesn't beat anymore nowadays like it used to in the environs of films like these. Back in the days when the pace was slower, the skies bluer, and there was still some magic left in the innocent charms and affairs of the resplendent heart.

Ijaazat is an unusual and ingenuous movie in the sense that it sees sophisticated poetry in the most ordinary situations, lives and events. An affair to remember…. indeed!

Rekha and Naseeruddin Shah star as Sudha and Mahinder, a separated couple who meet unexpectedly at a deserted railway station after years spent apart. The film follows their long conversation into the night and moves from present developments into flashbacks from the past as they recall together their days as a married couple and try to figure what went wrong with their relationship other than the impetuous Maya, Mahinder's past love whose reappearance was making Sudha highly insecure. This brings forth a whole world of new understnadings as they realise everything could have been different and what they had missed out on.

Ijaazat is a true slice of life - the story is affecting, and the emotional impact is haunting. Yes, the basics are somewhat similar to another classic by Gulzar, namely Aandhi, and Ijaazat is equally effective. This is just another superb piece of storytelling - a film that is subtle, realistic, poetic, and which manages to tug at the heartstrings in every turn as we always care about the characters, connect to them, and relate to their story. The conversational and serene narrative style might not appeal to everybody, but I found it highly engaging and was constantly captivated by the film's depth and development.

The film's stark realism is matched by extraordinarily realistic acting. The story is clearly written in Sudha's perspective, and Rekha, in one of her most nuanced and natural performances, does a highly convincing job of portraying her many shades. Hers is a true portrait of strength and maturity. Naseeruddin Shah can hardly go wrong and he is excellent in this compassionate performance. Without taking anything away from the effective work of the two leads, it is Anuradha Patel, in the role of the mysterious and spirited Maya, who gives the film its dramatic urgency and a great part of its poetic tone. Her amazing visage, including the melancholic glimmer of expectation in her expressive eyes, is a sight to behold. She is fascinating.

R. D. Burman's soundtrack for Ijaazat is one of my all-time favourite, and it gives life to the classic that this film already is. The songs are exceptionally composed and written, and their tunes and lyrics resonate in mind. Asha Bhosle, the only singer assigned to the score, is the voice of the film, and who could be a better choice if not her? Every number is performed to perfection, with Bhosle's sharp, soulful and divine voice making them much more impactive than they would have been had someone else sung them. The biggest achievement is their situational relevance within the story which enhances the narrative. "Katra Katra" and "Mera Kuchh Saaman", some of the greatest songs of Hindi music in my opinion, come at the right moments and give so much more meaning to the proceedings. Not to mention the closing gem "Chhoti Si Kahani Se" - oh what a maestro Burman was, and what a perfect and winning combination he formed with Gulzar and Bhosle - out of this world. Just like this film is.