Avtaar

Up until the early 1990s, mainstream Hindi cinema had developed a weird trend of casting young actors in parts of older characters. And not just older - old. While early examples (i.e Nargis in Mother India) could be great, this habit was getting greater and greater, and for commercial actors it was considered a validation of their talent. That's a little funny, because most such films were often terribly melodramatic, and along with the unconvincing physical transformation in terms of makeup and overall appearance, actually brought a reversed outcome, making the actors look like real caricatures. Now one such film is Avtaar, but unlike most films which have their stars play old versions of themselves, this film has Rajesh Khanna and Shabana Azmi playing their older versions for the majority of its runtime, quite an exception. As a film, we have a typical Hindi ultra-melodrama, with a done-to-death story of parents getting neglected, abandoned and maltreated by their ungrateful children. Despite everything, Avtaar is quite watchable, and the twist in the story, however cliched, is a welcome change for viewers.

The problem with Rajesh Khanna in this regard isn't that he plays the old character but actually that he plays the young character, which he looks too old for. In my opinion, Khanna wasn't a particularly good actor, but given the right material with the right directors (like Hrishikesh Mukherjee), he could do really well. I'm not sure Avtaar is an example of this, but he is really good within the melodramatic context of the film and the film definitely rests on his starry presence. Shabana Azmi balances it out with a wonderful performance. Those who have seen the kind of offbeat films she used to appear in and which she is best known for will find it almost amusing to watch her play the exaggerated sentimentality of the story and fit in the proceedings. Some of her lines are so stagy one wonders how she, or any actor for that matter, wasn't embarrassed to utter them with full conviction. But they do, and they understand what this film is. And I'm the last person to look down on sentiments that so many people can relate to and be moved by. Avtaar is actually enjoyable.

The heart and soul of Avtaar is Rajesh Khanna and his brilliant portrayal of the title role. He is ably supported amongst others by Shabana Azmi as Avtaar's wife and A. K. Hangal as a friend with similar problems. Mohan Kumar is a director who has made several successful films but not any that gained critical acclaim, that is until Avtaar. Avtaar not only was a huge commercial hit, but it is a film that was very highly reviewed. It is unfortunate that Rajesh Khanna had to miss out on the Best Actor award to another great acting performance of 1983, Naseeruddin Shah for Masoom. Avtaar in my opinion was one of the three best films of 1983 and is a must see, specially for Rajesh Khanna fans.

While Amitab Bachan had ushered an era of action movies riddled with violence and was flying high as a top notch Bollywood icon; there was still some beacon light left in Rajesh Khanna to attract the cine-goers with a real life sentimental social drama which proved to be a Box office hit.

Although the ephemeral limelight stolen by Rajesh Khanna in 1983 with the simultaneous release of "Souten" and "Agar Tum Na Hote" was short lived, still he portrayed a convincingly strong role in Avtaar, when many a times he mesmerizes the audience with his originality while sublimely touching the latent strings of anguished vibes/feelings.

Mohan Kumar as director had the greatest hit of his career with the release of Avtaar. Although, Naseeruddin Shah performed very well in Masoom the same year and won the National Award, it would not be out of place to suggest that Rajesh Khanna was an equally strong contender for this award.

To recapitulate, in 1972 Rajesh Khanna was unjustly superseded by Manoj Kumar for the National Filmfare Best Actor Award for "BeIman", a crappy movie instead of the romantic, evocative and memorable portrayal by Rajesh in "Kati Patang". Nevertheless, just and fair things don't always happen in this imperfect world. The times and response of the audience is a bitter judge of decisions made with a twisted conscience.

Avtaar is a film which can be viewed by people of all ages. It was amongst the first films which spoke of old age people & the problems they face. The film which came in 1983 revived Rajesh Khanna's career which was floundering at that time.

Rajesh Khanna had always an eye for great scripts & this is no exception. The film has been ably directed by Mohan Kumar & he has kept Kaka's mannerisms firmly, though not completely, under control. It is a film which will always gladden the hearts of Rajesh Khanna fans & will find a place among his top 5 favorite films.

Kaka has given an heart warming performance & is ably matched by Shabana Azmi. A.K Hangal, Yunus Parvez & Sachin impresses in their roles. The songs are good though not of the super hit category.

The film was a blockbuster when it was released. It was followed by Souten & Agar Tum Na Hote, making it 3 in a row for Kaka & 1983 -a year to remember for Kaka's fans.

Avtaar was a blockbuster in 1983 and, along with Souten & Agar Tum Na Hote, it put Rajesh Khanna in pole position again. Khanna again demonstrates what a great actor he is by giving an amazing true to life performance. His acting leaves the viewer mesmerised and one can hardly believe he/she is watching a film - his performance is so realistic.

The film itself has a great storyline, very emotional and people of all ages will love it. You will never forget the acting talent of Khanna after watching this film. He excels on every level. Must watch for Khanna fans and anyone who appreciates good acting.