Aandhi

I knew next to nothing about Suchitra Sen. But I knew and loved her daughter, Raima. So that made me wonder about the recluse mother. I don't know how I found this movie, but somehow the name came to me and I rented it. What a find! Suchitra is irresistible as Aartidevi. Those luminous soulful eyes. That restrained but emotional performance. I was totally seduced. I don't often bond with old movies. I found Mughal-e-Azam beautiful because of Madhubala and the way she was presented. And I feel the same way about this movie. The startling thing is how close to the end of Suchitra's career this was. In one way, it makes sense, since she's bringing everything she's learned to this role. But on the other side, when do you get to see an Indian actress play this kind of role at that point in her life? All over the world, senior actresses are forced to retreat into the background while the juicy parts go to the younger women. But here Suchitra got an excellent part and did it full justice. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who is irked by the discrimination against the senior actress. Suchitra shows what we are missing because of that.

If not anything, every time I manage to catch a song or a glimpse from "Aandhi"on telly, it makes me stop doing everything and take notice. Every frame of "Aandhi" deserves the "Bible" for acting status. It is next to impossible to judge who was outdoing whom - Sanjeev Kumar or Suchitra Sen. Safe to say, both neatly complimented each other.

Amongst all the movies Gulzar held the reigns of direction "Aandhi" gets the top position. The narrative in the form of flashbacks keeps it crisp and the audience intrigued. I seriously doubt if "Aandhi" deserved the due recognition it deserved when it was released. I surely have read about the reference to Indira Gandhi's political career leading to the ban, but I wonder if fuelled the fire to speculation or worked against it I am not too sure. And another thing, political themes haven't worked quite well owing to the dry subject and the lack of succulence, however Gulzar manages to calibrate it to perfection for the audience without going over-board.

Gulzar/ Hari Bhai/ R D Burman was a winning combination every time they huddled up and "Aandhi" is no exception. Lyrics penned by Gulzar, mystical as usual were elevated to great heights by the music to R D Burman. The composition are still fresh as they were two decades ago.

Noteworthy is the couple's daughter "Munna" who is never shown in the audience and is restricted to a reference in big scheme of things, which in my opinion is the art of fine film-making.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" is reserved fiery delivery in the last frames by Suchitra. Sen. Noteworthy is the ending which cannot be more apt.

This movie might have a directional setting towards the political and private life of India's Prime Minister, Indra Gandhi, nonetheless, its powerful and sentimental theme carries the audience with the subtle forces of life which all and sundry experience, at least, one or the other times in their married lives.

Gulzar has excellently directed the movie while adorning it with passionately electrifying emotional focus during certain scenes. The musical score and songs are worthy of all praise. The hypnotically tranquil appeal of the song "Tere Bina Zindagi se Shikwa" speaks volumes about the meaningful and touching melody besides its filming against the gloomy backdrop of a ruined historical monument in a moonlit night. Much different from the rubbish artificiality of present day movies, the songs of this film exude a living originality to the flow of events.

Sanjeev Kumar and Suchitra Sen both have given their lifetime best performances and Gulzar earned a big name with its release. It is definitely a must-see film.

Review By Kamal K

Absolutely , the movie is a piece of gem. Apart form songs , the theme of the film and its superb execution in all respect are unparallel . So far, actings are concerned, sanjeev kumar and suchitra sen are simply superb and at their best. Suchitra sen is known to be the Mahaniaka of Bengali cinema for all times but her performance in this Hindi film, showed her exceptional talent in all kinds of film even in Hindi .

Aandhi is a classic. A movie based on human emotions - and the struggle of two individuals who meet, fall in love and then drift apart only to meet again after many years. If my memory serves me well, I even believe that the female lead has elements of Indira Gandhi in her. A must-watch in order to understand Indian traditions and politics. Suchitra Sen is a rich politician's daughter who falls in love with a hotel manager, and marries him, against her father's wishes. They start a new life until Suchitra decides to follow her father and join politics, much against her husband's better judgement. The toils and troubles of a hectic political lifestyle results in their daughter's death and their divorce - leading them to pursue different directions in life for many odd years. Finally, the two meet again, after many years. A very sensitive movie - with well crafted lyrics and beautiful performances. I give it a 9.5 due to Sanjay Kumar's performance, the music and the trouble the movie had as it was released during the emergency.