Anari

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.

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 (1959) : Brief Review -

A Superb triad of Romance, Comedy and Emotions in-essentially went for over analysing social climax. Anari begins on a high note with engaging and entertaining love story, it stays on high level with comedy and adds enough essential social issues such as differences between poverty and wealthy life but then goes on to have overdose of it. The climax doesn't look on same level to what narrative was before that hence, reducing the impact of a potential Classic. Rajkumar is poor jobless guy gets a job for his honesty from a rich businessman Seth Ramnath. His niece Aarti falls in love with Rajkumar but lies to him about her Identity. Ramnath is against their relation and Rajkumar stands up against Ramnath for murdering his supposed mother Miss D'sa. Anari somehow fails to justify it's title despite several attempts in the climax and over analysed vision. However, it a fantastic ride from the beginning and every minute adds something more beautiful and important in the film. It was just a matter of simple climax in mainstream flow which could have easily made it a Claasic Rom-com and Emotional film. The relationship between Rajkumar and his supposed Mother is so beautiful and heart touching. A catholic woman and a Hindu Son, this trick was excellent and highly admirable. Rajkumar and Aarti's relationship was looking fascinating in the start untill the fiasco took place in the pre-climax scene where she couldn't chose him against her uncle. May be that trick was on hold to get typical happy ending but by that time film loses it's main theme of Rom-com and becomes a dark satirical on Rich vs Poor fight. Raj Kapoor as Rajkumar is deservingly known as one of his finest performance. His variable accents from Catholic Hindi to regular Hindi are invulnerable. I always say Nutan just can't go wrong with her acting skills and Anari is yet another complimentary performance of her career and not to forget it came in the same year of Sujata which is One of the Greatest performance her career. Lalita Pawar gets a positive role and how. She is Lovable and kind like never before. Crunchy and Clapworthy dialogues are impressive such as, "Ehsaan to Amir log karte hai, hum garib log to sirf ek dusre ki madad karte hai." Music by Shankar Jaikishan is overall good but could have been better considering thier own high standard but the Maestros didn't fail to deliver an Iconic song. "Jeena Isika Naam Hai" is that only Iconic song in Anari. This was only 2nd directorial for Hrishikesh Mukherjee and he did great as far as his early days are concerned. May be he learnt from this film what he missed and then he didn't repeat those mistakes in his next films. His next film was a Masterpiece 'Anuradha' and i am glad he didn't do the same mistake as Anari. Anari is a Great Rom-Com, a Fantastic emotional story but I wish only if it had that high level climax. Nevertheless, its a sure shot Super Hit formula and box office numbers proved it. I was just me, expecting too much from quality trio of Raj Kapoor-Nutan-Hrishikesh Mukherjee which doesn't come frequently.

RATING - 7/10*

By - #samthebestest

sings Mukesh in the lively and entrancing "1959" cabaret scene, but you'd never guess it if you only listen to Western pop music! This was not only Raj Kapoor and Nutan at their peaks but also singers Lata and Mukesh too, in a typically moralising tale from RK with plenty of social instructions expertly delivered as pills in the jam.

Whilst happily cycling and singing the catchy Ban Ke Panchhi lovely Nutan literally bumps into simple guy Raj - after many tribulations they eventually fall in love. Along the way he forms a son/mother relationship with his loud landlady Mrs D'Sa which is pivotal to the plot – he's utterly traumatised when she dies, but still has more trouble to come. Great songs: the jaunty Kisi Ke Muskurahaton, the poetic duet Dil Ke Nazar Se and the astoundingly simple Woh Chand Khila in the "radiantly moonlit" garden – Lata surpassed her usual high standard with that one!

Overall, enjoyable as usual and with the usual RK messages that love is better than money and ingenuousness is better than being a man of the world it's always worth watching.

Though Raj Kapoor was a versatile actor and performed various kinds of roles in his acting career spanning around 38 years (1944-1982), he's best loved by the Indian audience for the Seedha-Saada, simple, straightforward and naive (and therefore vulnerable) gentleman's role who's pure-hearted and cannot play with anybody's sentiments (but people can easily play with his sentiments and break his heart). Many movies showcasing his talent in such type of roles were made under his own banner and under the outside banners too. One such memorable movie is Anari (1959) which is definitely a classic, not to be missed by a movie-buff interested in watching quality cinema.

Anari (too simple, devoid of shrewdness) is the story of Raj Kumar aka Raju (the evergreen screen-name of Raj Kapoor) who is poor and lives as paying guest with Mrs. D'Sa (Lalita Pawaar), a Christian widow whose personality is like coconut, i.e., apparently stern but very sweet, tender and benevolent inside her heart. Raju gets a job in the pharmaceutical company of Ramnath (Moti Lal) whose daughter, Aarti (Nutan) falls in love with him but pretends to be the maid of his daughter and presents the actual maid, Asha (Shubha Khote) as herself. Though she does it in just in prank-playing way but before she could tell Raju the truth, he himself comes to know of it and feeling badly hurt to see that his sentiments have been played with, alienates himself from Aarti and his father. But when ailing Mrs. D'Sa passes away after a medicine manufactured in the pharmaceutical company is injected to her, Raju is arrested because it is found that she has died of poison. After a few twists in the story, Raju is acquitted and the real culprit surrenders to the court. Aarti and Raju get reunited.

The characters involved are above the plot of the story. The character of Mrs. D'Sa and the affectionate relationship between herself, the land-lady and Raju, the tenant; goes deep inside the hearts of the viewers. Both the performers have delivered performances of a lifetime in the movie. Especially for Lalita Pawar, I can safely say that it's the best role performed by herself in her entire acting career. Nutan, first as the carefree daughter of a rich man and thereafter a true lover who feeling the pain inside her own heart after inadvertently hurting the man she loves and later standing by him in his time of adversity, is just marvellous. And finally Moti Lal, as the proud businessman who is never ready to accept defeat, has delivered a knock-out performance. The performers have enlivened the script on the screen with their towering performances. And the director has shown his class by presenting the story in an extremely effective, interesting and above all, touching way. It's a movie which first entertains you and thereafter moves you deep inside your heart.The cinematography and other technical aspects of this black and white movie are also up to the mark.

The music preparing team of Shankar-Jaikishan (composers), Shailendra (lyricist), Mukesh and Lata (singers) has done an outstanding job. It contains gems like Kisi Ki Muskurahaton Pe Ho Nisaar, Tera Jaana Dil Ke Armaanon Ka Lutt Jaana, Bann Ke Ye Panchhi Gaayen Pyar Ka Taraana, Dil Ki Nazar Se Nazaron Ki Dil Se, Woh Chaand Khila Woh Taare Hanse etc. My favourite song is the title track sung by Mukesh - Sab Kuchh Seekha Humne Na Seekhi Hoshiyaari, Sach Hai Duniya Waalon Ki Hum Hain Anari.

Anari is a timeless classic from the black and white era of Bollywood movies which had won five Filmfare awards in 1960. Its repeat value is beyond measurement. See it once and you will love to see it countless number of times. It scores in every department of cinema. If you have not watched it till date, please do watch it now and you will know at once what quality cinema is all about.