Ankhen

In 2012, two Bollywood movies hit the screen under the name of spy-thriller - Agent Vinod and Ek Tha Tiger. Though I found those movies as entertaining flicks, I felt that they made a mockery of the term spy-movie. In my view, both those movies are a display of pump and show and focused on lavishness only, instead of telling what spying is all about. The real agents of RAW (Research & Analysis Wing, the Indian intelligence agency) must be laughing at the minds of the makers of these movies after watching them. However there is an old Hindi movie which can be termed as a genuine spy movie. It's Aankhen (1968).

Aankhen (eyes) starts with the activities of the enemies of the nation (India) who are not only involved in smuggling of arms but also conspiring to put the entire nation on fire by instigating. Major Deewaanchand Mehra (Nazir Hussain), a former associate of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose has formed a civilian group counter the activities of such traitors. When one young member of this group who has hitherto working as an undercover agent in the gang of the traitors, is killed due to betrayal of his own brother, Major Mehra decides to send his son - Sunil (Dharmendra) to Beirut (Lebanon) where the illegal consignments of arms are supposed to be coming from.

Sunil is received in Beirut by the members of the group who are already working there including Meeankshi (Mala Sinha) whom he had come across a few years back during his training in Japan. She had fallen for his charms but had not got any reciprocation from him. Now the movie runs very fast on the spy track with checks and checkmates, blows and counter blows and the breathtaking activities of the villains on one hand and the Indian spies on their trail on the other. A significant member of the gang (Lalita Pawar) is sent to Major Mehra's home, posing herself as the aunt of his son-in-law after his grandson has been kidnapped by the gang. She blackmails the daughter of Major Mehra and the mother of the kidnapped kid - (Kumkum) and thus manages to live in that house and obtain vital information regarding the activities of the spy group in order to pass it to her bosses. In the end, as expected, the traitor gang is eliminated, the kidnapped kid gets released and Sunil accepts the love of Meenakshi.

True to its title, the movie underscores that the spies and the intelligence agencies are the eyes of a sovereign nation, keeping a vigil on the borders as well as inside the country plus on the activities going on abroad which are against the interests of the nation. The title track which is a Ghazal highlights this fact through various Shers (stanzas), the last one being Us Mulk Ki Sarhad Ko Koi Chhoo Nahin Sakta, Jis Mulk Ki Sarhad Ki Nigahbaan Hain Aankhen (none can touch the border of that nation whose border is watched by the 'eyes').

Writer-producer-director of this movie - Raamanand Saagar (who later became very famous by making the popular TV serial - Raamayan) has made a brilliant spy thriller. This movie mocks neither the spies nor those whom they are up against (like the contemporary movies referred to in the beginning of this review). Instead it presents their activities of both the sides in a smoothed manner (diluting the realistic approach a bit so as to present the story in an entertaining manner).

How emotions like love are used to further the mission at hand has been shown quite emphatically. Besides, how information is sent to the person whom it is meant for, hiding it from the others; has been depicted in an amazing manner which is to be appreciated in the light of this fact that at the time of the making of this movie, the technology was not very advanced. Make-up used for disguise by certain characters is not of good quality but let's bear in mind that it's a Bollywood movie and the director couldn't afford the audience not to identify the real character. The use of facemask shown in this movie is more impressive than in a technologically superior modern movie - Don 2 (2011).

Dharmendra has always been a natural performer and he has done superbly with his dashing looks being able to knock the young females out at any moment. Mala Sinha is very charming and has evolved good on-screen chemistry with Dharmendra. Nazir Hussain in his real life also was an associate of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose (prior to becoming an actor in free India) and he has done full justice to the role of a staunch patriot who is an ex-associate of Netaji. The complete supporting cast has performed with near perfection.

Music composed by Ravi with the beautiful lyrics of Saahir Ludhiyanvi is memorable. The most popular song is definitely Milti Hai Zindagi Mein Mohabbat Kabhi Kabhi (sung by Lata Mangeshkar). Very few listeners might have noticed that this lyric is actually a Ghazal. Another Ghazal is the title track - Har Taraha Ke Jazbaat Ka Ailaan Hain Aankhen whose every Sher (stanza) is a pearl coming of the bivalve of the mind of the great Shaayar - Saahir Ludhiyanvi. Tujhko Rakkhe Raam Tujhko Allah Rakkhe (Maana Dey and Asha Bhosle), Gairon Pe Karam Apno Pe Sitam (Lata), Loot Ja Yahi Din Hain Kisi Pe Loot Ja (Kamal Barot, Asha Bhosle and Usha Mangeshkar) and a devotional song - Meri Sun Le Araz Banwaari Re (Lata) are the other songs and every one of them is a treat for the ears of the music lovers.

Aankhen was a huge commercial hit of its time and proved to be a box office success later on also whenever re-released (many times). With the danger reappearing on the borders of India, I wholeheartedly recommend this patriotic spy-thriller to all and sundry.

Ankhen is overall a very well made spy movie, especially for its time. Ramanand Sagar was a very good director, and here he was aided by some innovative technological advances which enhanced the narrative and made the movie more interesting than it would have been. The fantastic sets, the props, the visuals are used to the greatest effect and create an overall entertaining picture. Of course, technically too there are some glitches here and there, which is to be expected in a Hindi movie of its time, but overall everything is quite well done and is impressive to see. The film is well scripted; it is patriotic, and this aspect of the film is a bit overdone at places, but what makes it memorable is the tension and the mystery. The romantic sequences are not given that much importance, but are very effective nonetheless. Towards the later half when the corrupted organisation kidnaps a kid and demands his mother to cooperate with them, the film becomes far more enjoyable as it is filled with great sequences of suspense. Towards the end the film gets a tad too high on action and is a little messy for my taste, but the story was concluded well enough.

Those were the days when Dharmendra appeared in some really good films and was given good roles, which did not require him to ham. He is restrained and effective as Sunil, and is generally a very good lead for this film. Mala Sinha is one of my favourite actresses of that period, and she is excellent as the Indian-Japanese woman, who is smart, assertive and sensitive at the same time. The supporting cast includes many famous faces, among them the great Lalita Pawar who appears in a rather unusual role. At first it's very surprising to see that she is not cast as a typical loud mom, and although in the second half she partially reprises this image as part of her character's mission, she generally makes for a very good vicious agent. While you would expect Mehmood to be cast against type as well, he's not actually and his role is a comic one, which is well played but unsuitable for a movie of this sort. Among the songs, they are very well composed by Ravi. My favourite number is "Gairon Pe Karam". To sum it up, Ankhen is another very good film by Ramanand Sagar. Somehow it is not that famous today despite being quite inventive, but I recommend it.

Ankhen (1968) : Brief Review -

YRF's Spy-Universe will age out and probably die matching half of this. Dharmendra as the most patriotic, intelligent, and charming spy ever! Aankhen has to be the most technically advanced and patriotic spy thriller Indian cinema had produced by that time. The only thing that can be argued to be better than this would be Johnny Mera Naam (1970), which has many elements to boost itself. Rest; I don't think there is any competition for this stylish spy saga, even in today's time. This is more like Sean Connery's James Bond series zone, and surprisingly, Indian cinema wasn't late with this. In several aspects, Ankhen surpasses all those James Bond films too. You don't expect the leading charming hero, the Indian spy, to deny romantic advances from a beautiful girl by saying, '"Nation is more important, and spies can't really have time for love and family," and stick to it until the end. I am cutting the half-star for that love triumph cliche at the end. Mala Sinha and Dharmendra's meetings in Japan are so adorable. You don't see Hindi cinema girls flirting so beautifully and then giving up their love by spreading flowers at the lover's feet and saying, "I am ready to wait." This is incredible. Then, you don't see the same male spy rejecting another beautiful girl's proposal (from the enemy's group), even when she has proved her love by going against her own bosses. Those hidden ghettos, telephones, machines, alarms, and fooling enemies in every step-these all were way ahead of their time and even look the same even today, after 5 decades. "Milti Hai Zindagi Mein Mohabbat" is a beautiful song that appears in the beginning and remains the best song in the entire film. Dharmendra plays the most charming, patriotic, and smartest spy ever, arguably. Mala has done a brilliant job, and so has Ramanand Sagar as the director. No wonder the film was a huge blockbuster despite modern themes. This is the super-agent film we all should embrace and cherish forever. Near classic!

RATING - 7.5/10*

By - #samthebestest.