Bawarchi

If ever fairy tales were told in poetic and yet mesmerizing way than this is definitely one among them.

The word 'magician' in my title could apply to Hrishikesh Mukherji definitely but also to Rajesh Khanna. Aah.. what an actor!.

This is undoubtedly one of Mr.Mukherji's best. You can feel the Bengali warmth all over it.It's subtle and yet so clear, it's humorous and yet so sentimental.

It's a story about a cook who changes not only the tastes of the house but also the hearts.

Now here is a movie u feel deserved an Oscar... but who cares? It's truly a world's loss. But then you can't blame the Oscar jury... nothing much was done in the past to promote Indian cinema on an International standard.

This is a movie you can proudly refer and no such luck for the movies that are being churned out now.

The remarkable imaginative profundity of Hirishda to poignantly portray basic moral values which circumvent a whole facet of mundane matters and temperamental grudges has always been the hallmark of this great Bollywood director of the yore.

His characterization of different roles in a sublimely moving fashion was the bedrock of his cinematic genius that led him to craft simple, low budget, non-vulgar movies while posting box office records.

His candid and evocative imagination never felt short/handicapped or at any loss while filming landmark movies like Anand, Abhiman and Bawarchi which are devoid of any obscene depiction which is considered vital for box office success by directors like Raj Kapoor.

It is also pertinent to mention that Rajesh Khanna in the lead role but without a heroine like in Anand (also directed by Hirishda) shall always be remembered for his versatile, soft and morally strong depiction that should not be short of any words. Seeing is indeed believing .......

Baawarchi is a showcase for the immense talent of it's director Hrishikesh Mukherjee and his ability to take a simple plot and make a thoroughly enjoyable film. One that you can see again and again and again and never seem to tire of it. It is a clean family film, like all other Hrishikesh Mukherjee films, which will make the entire family, the young and the old, and the very young and the very old, all alike, laugh and cry. Regarding the acting, absolutely top notch. Every single character is played to perfection by the entire cast, but special mention has to be made of Rajesh Khanna. Rajesh Khanna not only plays the title character but he is the heart and soul of the film. What a performance, simply one of his best. Considering the other great performances from him, that's saying a lot. It was an absolute travesty that Rajesh Khanna did not win the Filmfare Award for the year 1972, considering the award went to Manoj Kumar (really!) for an obscure and crappy film Be-Imaan.

A cook appears out of the blue as an answer to the prayers of the house members. Little do they know that his arrival would mark a life changing experience for all those who live there. As he reminds them that life is not about the pursuit of individual happiness but about the attainment of this emotion for others. A family who feel they are burdened with problems soon realise that each of them can solve them if the necessary effort is put in. A number of pearls of wisdom are unveiled by their enigmatic employee such as the completion of a task which is not one's own can give a person as much joy as the completion of a persons own task etc lead to the improvement in lifestyle for all concerned. Its the little joys in life which are countless that matter why worry about the larger joys in life which are few & far between? The one person in the household who shares his attitude to life is constantly being exploited by her aunts at her own expense (her education) the cook takes under his wing so she can receive the attention she richly deserves. She blossoms under the supervision of the cook to the surprise of her relatives who simply believed she neither had the talent or the skills to reach the heights that she accomplishes. So all in all a thoroughly insightful feel good movie which should not be missed if enlightenment is your quest...

"It is so simple to be happy but it is so difficult to be simple," quoted Rajesh Khanna in the film. It's simplicity & light hearted movie making of Hrishida which made him one of the most popular film director of India. If I have to choose only one best Indian Director, I will chose him without a single doubt and this isn't any exaggeration at all. His every films I've seen innumerable times & still left with the feeling to watch it again. Hrishida was such a genius director that even big superstars like Big B & Kaka (khanna) agree to do any sort of thing he told them to do. For example in this film, he convinced Big B to narrate the title credits of the film just like a stage play & also convinced Khanna (a Big superstar then) to do a role of home cook(Bawarchi). How Khanna entered in Shanti Niwas & changed the dynamics of a constantly quarreling family into a lovable bonding is just watch worthy. Along with really a fine act of Rajesh Khanna there are few more stalwarts of Hrishda's films like Jaya Bhaduri & Asrani who also shared their light hearted act in this film. I've seen Govinda- David Dhavan's 'Hero no-1' & Sanju Baba Starr 'Khoobsurat'& both are direct rip off of this film but it's always original which stays classic. As one of my friend Digant said to me that this film won't make you laugh louder in the funny scenes but make your face smile from beginning to end. So true.

Recommended to all Hrishida's fans.

Ratings-8/10