Anari

Hrishikesh Mukerjhee, after an above average debut with his three parter Musafir (1957) strikes gold with this Raj Kapoor starrer.

Starring the showman in his classic poor Chaplinsque avatar who falls in a romantic yet fun escapade with a rich girl pretending to be poor (played by Nutan), the film delivers the best of classic Hindi cinematic experience.

The film has such a fine array of actors. From the outside stone cold yet inner loving Lalita Pawar to ethereal Nutan to Raj Kapoor himself and Motilal (one of the most under rated actors of Indian cinema. Many actors have cited him as their influence and he was one of the first to bring in natural acting in Hindi school of cinema. Yet films starring him remain scarce to see in good quality. He isn't the main character here but he lights up every scene he comes in).

I normally dislike and skip most songs in Hindi films, both newer and even older variants. I consider them a weakness. Yet, this is one of the few exceptions where the music elevates the film. From the above average numbers like 'Woh Chand Khila' to 'Nineteen Fifty Six' to the evergreen classic ' Kisi Ki Muskurahaton Pe ho Nissar'; the latter simplistically filmed on a walking Raj Kapoor. Yet the lyrics are so simple and yet so deep that they touch your heart and beautifully rendered by Mukesh. It's a testament to the fact that you don't need an array of dancers and six pack abs to groove to a tune (looks at the mess that modern Film music is). Proper lyricist, composer and singer are all you need.

The director will make many more such slice of life films, namely Golmaal, Anand, Chupke Chupke though they will all be in color. This will be his testament to black and white cinema.

Anari is the story of Raj (Raj Kapoor) a poor 'anari' (simpleton) who rents a room with Mrs. D'Sa (Lalita Pawar). Raj and Mrs. D'Sa have a strange relationship. They love each other dearly but choose to show that love in unique ways. Raj makes mischief and jests with Mrs. D'Sa while she constantly yells at him.

Raj is a painter who doesn't make enough money. One fine day he meets Aarti (Nutan) a rich man's daughter. But Aarti, afraid of class differences coming in the way of their friendship/budding love tells Raj that she is actually a servant in her own house. Gullible Raj believes her and they begin to fall in love.

They sing a few songs around town and then things get serious when Raj discovers who Aarti really is. Saddened at being lied to, Raj wallows in his misery and sings a few sad songs. His life gets even more complicated when Mrs. D'Sa falls sick and eventually dies. The police find that her demise was caused by the medicines she took. Raj is accused of poisoning her.

What really happened? Is Raj guilty? Was he just pretending to be an anari? Watch the movie to find out!

Overall this is a good entertainer. Coming from the likes of Raj Kapoor and Hrishikesh Mukherjee, we don't expect any less. The performances are also very good. Raj Kapoor is perfect in his now famous role of a naive village boy. Nutan is charming and Lalita Pawar is fun to watch.

Music is excellent, simple tunes set to some wonderful lyrics.

Definitely recommended.

Anari is a classic remembered for Raj Kapoor, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Lalita Pawar. Raj Kapoor gives us a wonderful and a memorable performances and even makes us even cry in his scenes with Lalita Pawar.Raj Kapoor makes an excellent job in this movie and makes this as one of the classics to be remembered even today.Lalita Pawar really gives her best and makes her performance a memorable one.Hrishikesh Mukherjee has excellently directed and showed that his first classic is the ever best among made in Bollywood.Rarely a classic comes with the wonderful performances by important characters in the film.Motital also has played a pivotal role to make this movie a classic.Shankar Jaikishan has also given his best music with a classical touch.

Anari," the 1959 film, served as an unflinching mirror to society, confronting themes that remain unsettlingly relevant even today-innocence in a world of cunning, truth in the face of manipulation, the corrupting influence of greed, and the cruel irony of wealth built upon the suffering of the powerless. Decades later, its questions still echo: Will the romantics-those who value integrity, empathy, and human connection-ever triumph? Or will the world continue to revere the 'smart'-those who commodify every aspect of existence, reducing meaning to monetary value, measuring success solely by wealth, and idolizing fortunes over virtues?

Anari is a most entertaining classic, but what can one expect from Hrishikesh Mukherjee anyway. The film, boasting of high production values, is well written and strongly executed and, needless to say, Mukherjee's direction is very impressive and detailed. True to the style of the 1950s, the sentimentality is much more reserved than what it would become in subsequent decades, and the film is stylish to the core in both costuming, sets, and the multiculturalism and human values it seeks to promote.

The main character is akin to Dostoyevski's Idiot, a protagonist who is as innocent, honest, kind and a little gullible as he is smart and resilient. This type of character isn't new to Mr. Raj Kapoor, who embraced them and always played them with great sympathy. But the 'anari' (idiot) of this film, despite his open heart and pure intentions, is slightly more sophisticated, a little less innocent, a tad more worldly; he does know the ways of the world; he is just too kind to complain, and too optimistic to give up.

Indeed, this mix of a man who is as innocent as he is perceptive, is a refreshing sort of character which goes really well with Mukherjee's style. Mukherjee never succumbed to stereotypes. He was one director who always knew how to tread that line between art and commercial cinema; how to make films that cater to both the thinking audiences and the masses, how to combine entertainment with educative value and realism. This is exactly what he does here and how he portrays the main protagonist, a real, complex character.

Raj Kapoor, normally a world-class filmmaker, restricts himself to just acting this time, and does it so well. He is very easy to relate to, very easy to like, and creates a real man rather just a persona. A beautiful, graceful Nutan is wonderfully natural as his love interest, growing as a character throughout the film like only an actor of her calibre can. By the end of the film, she is an altogether different person, providing some great moments with her typically understated approach. The two form a nice couple.

The supporting cast includes Motilal, an actor par excellence who knows camera and is exceptionally stylish and grounded. Even when his character enters the realm of villainousness, he never veers into caricature. Shubha Khote is quietly effective. Greater support though comes from the legendary Lalita Pawar as Mrs. D'sa, that unforgettable, devout Christian woman who knows people for what they are, who stands for values of humanity, unity and common good. She is phenomenally good and memorably inspiring.

Anari is a most enjoyable cinematic experience of an era in Indian Hindi cinema which, to this day, remains its best (nowadays there's fantastic improvement and today's Hindi cinema comes closer to those glorious 50s and 60s in terms of content and quality). The music, by the way, is absolutely beautiful. The film is not devoid of some clichés of course - some parts, especially the court scenes are quite a farce, but the overall product is much better, and the ending is really nice. Anari is classic, quality entertainment.