Abhimaan

What can be said about this old time classic movie? Perhaps it can be described as one of the best movies that I can remember watching in Bangalore with my parents thirty six years back and even that after I had heard that Amitabh Bachchan had got married to Jaya Bhaduri. Watching this film, made me remember those childhood days. A professional singer, whose career is soaring, marries a girl from a village, who has learnt singing from her father and whose career, he takes care of. But then his begins to falter and leads to jealousy.

Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bhaduri, Asrani, David Abraham, Bindu, Durga Khote and A.K. Hangal, this is superbly directed by the late Hrishikesh Mukherjee, while the music is by S.D. Burman I still remember watching Bindu as a vamp in many of the films before this and it made a change to see her in a role, which could have led her to be the "other woman" in this, but she didn't and this made a difference in the story. Amitabh as the husband who becomes jealous is just superb and since this was released after "Zanjeer," he was by then very well known. Jaya Bhaduri was also perfectly cast as are Asrani and David Abraham.

The music by S.D. Burman is beyond any doubt as the best for this type of film and the songs – all of them are memorable even after thirty six years and while listening to and watching them, I was able to sing along, which nowadays is extremely rare to do so as many of the tunes are not so memorable. As the lyricist, Javed Akhtar, said recently, it is very rare to hear such tunes nowadays.

It's a shame that films such as "Abhimaan" are no longer being made and if they are, they wouldn't do very well as times have changed, peoples taste have also changed and they will keep on doing so even after you, the reader, and I are no longer around.

Abhimaan is a tale of how "music" brings two singers (amitabh and jaya) together; how it creates disharmony in their marital life and drives them apart; and finally how the same music reunites them.

Excellent performances by Amitabh and Jaya. Asrani, A. K. Hangal, Durga Khote and Bindu as supporting casts have acted very well.

S. D. Burman's music direction is excellent, both background score and songs (all time hits). Very rarely one gets to see a Hindi movie like Abhimaan with background score at appropriate places.

Hrishikesh Mukerjee has directed the movie very well. An example is how he takes the story forward through direction of just one song (Ab tho hai tumse, kudos to S.D. Burman too). He also brings in social issues such as tax evasion, commercialization of music etc. without diverging from the main story line.

Hrishikesh Mukherjee made his best movies with Amitabh and this is one of the best of the best. Though many would think that this is a remake of the movie A STAR ID BORN (and is does look like it), it is actually based on the life of the genius Kishore Kumar and his first wife, the mother of singer Amit Kumar. Kishore was offered the leading role first but things didn't work out so it eventually went to AB. The very last scene of the movie where Amitabh and Jaya walk out of the auditorium was actually filmed the day both of them got married anbd went out of the hall. The song TERE MERE MILAN KI JEH RAINA has an extra version a capella in the movie which is not available on the soundtrack. A gem

This is a rather ordinary film UNTIL Jaya Bachchan makes her appearance. From that moment on the film gathers life and breath.

Touching tale of the marriage between a very popular singer (played by Amitabh Bachchan) and a simple, devout country girl. (Jaya Bachchan)

All goes well until the public begins to prefer the wife's singing over that of her husband. Arrogance, jealousy and envy possess him.....and.......a lot happens.

I won't say more.

See it for yourself.

Jaya is completely amazing.....especially in the last 30 minutes.

Hrishikesh Mukherjee made this masterpiece of Indian cinema three years after the equally marvelous "Anand".

More than just a reflection of man's ego, his fall from grace, eventual defeat, surrender and redemption, it is a fine glimpse of the delicate balance and intricate nuances of marriage, and of course, extra-marital relationships. Subir, himself a successful singer, is unable to digest his wife Uma's rising fame and its slow eclipsing of his own career. He crumbles under the weight of his misguided ego and misplaced pride.

The mythological underpinnings of this film are simply superb. Chandru (played so well by Asrani) says that he's not just Subir's manager, but more like a brother! But even the sane, balanced Laxman can't save Rama from life's inevitable follies. He leaves when insulted by Subir, who then takes aim at Uma and casts aspersion on her integrity, her morality and even her dignity. The interchange between Chitra, the other woman (played by Bindu) and Uma is unusual -- there's no acrimony or jealousy, just unconditional love. If you truly love someone, you must be able to accommodate all their faults and forgive! Shyam may not belong to both Radha and Mira, but surely both have equal right to love him!! That is so incredible. Chitra once calls him 'Subi', she retains the right to use a before-marriage nickname. But what about the wife...?

The cinematography, the editing and of course S D Burman's rendering of each song into a heavenly ode, is just incomparable. Jaya and Amitabh soar to such heights in this movie, they are hard to surpass. The shots where she is singing, framed by the microphones (imprisoned by Subir?!) and those of Subir talking to CHitra, looming large in the foreground, seemingly taller than his own ego, are just great.

Hrishi-da fans will recall Guddi, Bawarchi, Gol Maal, Mili (a gem) and Khubsoorat, made in the 1970s. Along with Basu-da (Basu Chatterjee) and Shakti-da (Shakti Samanta), this golden era of Hindi cinema sadly came to an end in mid-80s, after giving audiences many memorable films, some of which also became all-time hits.

It has been 30+ years since Abhimaan, and 30+ viewings later, it still holds the same charm as always. A truly evergreen film.