Yash Chopra's second directorial venture is a family melodrama involving a Hindi and a Muslim family with their houses connected by a bridge, set during the revolutionary movement against the British rule in 1925 and 1947. The bridge stands a metaphor to the communal harmony between the Hindu and Muslims amid the partition of India - Pakistan and the hostility between them.
Though not successful commercially, the film sets a benchmark for a remarkable direction by Yash Chopra for making a notable film based on a literary work set in a historical milieu. The film is tautly narrated and well acted, yet few cast go uncredited, notably Ashok Kumar for a remarkable role as a benevolent Muslim, who is shot dead during the people's movement to burn the union jack. Besides, the film showcases the remarkable performances from Mala Sinha, Manmohan Krishna, along a promising debut in an adult role by Sashi Kapoor.
Amid its grip throughout, the film is interrupted by the numerous songs you ought to skip. Plus the disappointment is it sketches the story superficially only in the perspectives of Hindu extremists. It's a film worth watching for the remarkable direction and story that to some extent takes a departure from the ordinary cliches with some notable acting, but still it isn't a classic of a higher order to stand an epitome of time.
Rating: 2 stars out of 4
