Saaransh

Saaransh is a story of an old couple living in Bombay, coming to terms with the death of their only son who is killed in a mugging incident in New York.

A poignant moment in the movie is one in which Pradhan, the school teacher (played by Anupam Kher) is haggling with the customs officials to recover the ashes of his son.

Ironically, Anupam plays a stubborn old man in the movie which was his first. Saaransh established him as a great actor.

'Saaransh' was India's official entry for the 1985 Oscar awards but was not nominated.

The movie started with an emotional journey of a father who lost his son but ended with an inspirational way. This is the first leading role of Anupam Kher and is the best performance of him till now. All the supporting actors were also great.

This is one of the finest works of Mahesh Bhatt. The story touched so many social issues like corrupt system, abortion and specially spoke about the meaning of life. It was India's official entry for Oscars and deserved it so.

Mahesh bhatt created a oscar level movie ...Such a intense portrayel of complexity of life ..Pain ,grief ,never ending struggle of life ,great great ...Direction & story by mahesh ji Huge applause for Anupam kher such a outstanding debut by him..Stellar performance..great actor he is..Great work by mahesh ji ,anupam kher & Rohini hattengiri . A genuine masterpiece..Must watch it..

What worked:

• let's not forget the acting by the lead character Anupam Kher and Rohini. Their characters are given life by their beautiful and convincing portrayal of the lead.
• screenplay; it's a very powerful and satisfying watch. It's a strong movie, the characters are lively and the narrative gives a great conclusion.

What did not work:

• some be some of the scenes regarding the chase and torture of the family could have been cut down slightly to get a crisp and subtle message.

Final verdict: recommended

When one has the pleasure of watching movies like 'Arth' and 'Saaransh' the question that lingers is what happened to the Mahesh Bhatt who was such an amazing storyteller? 'Saaransh' tells the story of an grief-stricken elderly couple whose son was brutally murdered three months ago in the streets of New York. The film essentially shows how B.V. and Parvati deal differently with the tragedy. While B.V. is mourning his son's death, Parvati seeks enlightenment in her faith which allows her to be positive but at the same time, in denial. Entering their life is a young actress, Sujata, who will put them to test.

'Saaransh' is a very well made film. It is on the quiet side but there is a lot of subtlety and symbolism. Bhatt tackles numerous themes such as corruption, discrimination against the elderly and poverty but he always manages to link them back to the main story. The visuals are simplistic but also suggestive. The dialogues work very well and the songs are thankfully limited.

Anupam Kher is phenomenal in his debut film performance. At such a young age he plays the part of a 60+ so convincingly, capturing his nuances and every essence. To say the least, it is an admirable debut. Rohini Hattangadi is equally stupendous. A beautiful Sony Razdan holds her own and makes her presence felt.

'Saaransh' is an enlightening and satisfying film experience. It is easily one of Bhatt's best.