Yeh Rastey Hain Pyar Ke

On 27th April, 1959, naval commander K.M. Nanavati shot his years old friend - Prem Ahuja dead by a navy pistol under the suspicion of the latter's having an illicit relationship with Nanavati's wife - Sylvia. He was arrested and his trial got famous nationwide as the Nanavati trial. Nanavati got acquitted through a jury verdict (by a majority of 8-1 votes) and it was a known fact that the jury had got influenced by the media and the public opinion about the case. The judge felt the same thing and referred the case to the high court which reversed the jury verdict and the supreme court also upheld it, sentencing Nanavati to life imprisonment. However the pardon plea of Nanavati was accepted by the then governor of Maharashtra - Vijay Lakshmi Pandit after the victim's sister - Mamie Ahuja officially forgave him. He got pardon from the governor and migrated to Canada with his 3 children and of course, with his wife - Sylvia who stood by him through thick and thin during the entire trial. But after all this drama, the government took the decision to abolish the jury system in India.

This famous trial which was the subject of everyday talks on the nooks and corners of our country led to the making of a Hindi movie - Yeh Raaste Hain Pyar Ke (1963). The script of the movie moves on the similar lines of the incidents of the Nanavati case- the background of the murder, the execution of the murder and the trial of the hero after that. The difference is that the heroine is not shown as getting willingly involved with her husband's (betraying) friend. The movie shows that though she was broad-minded and ultra-modern, she truly loved her husband and could not even dream of getting into adultery. She was intoxicated deceitfully and then sex was imposed on her during that state of hers. However, the loving husband was shocked to know that and he approached his backstabbing friend with a gun. The spat got followed by firings and seeing his friend as lying dead, the hero surrendered to the law and presented himself for the trial. He could not forgive his wife (without understanding that she had not gone for adultery at her will and whatever happened was more or less a rape of hers only). And to appease the patriarchal mindset of the Indian society, the director shows the hero as getting acquitted by the court but his wife as committing suicide in the end.

The movie starts quite promisingly when the murder has been committed and the hero has been arrested. Then the pain of the hero's father and the adverse effect of these developments on the children of the family have been shown quite influentially. The children come to know from the talks in the school that their father killed their 'uncle' because 'uncle' loved their mother. Now the innocent children wonder that they also love Mummy, hence why their Papa was so angry with Uncle if he loved Mummy. How the talks and rumours spread in the society can take a toll on the innocent youngs, comes before the audience in the most impressive manner. The trauma of breaking of a happy home is able to move the viewers deep within.

The courtroom drama is also pretty impressive with towering performances coming from the acting legends - Ashok Kumar and Moti Lal. However the moviemaker has to depict boldness if at all he is going to make a bold movie. R.K. Nayyar's boldness deserted him in the climax when he migrated from the real life story and gave a filmy twist to the narrative in the end. There was no need to convert this high tension drama into a regular run-of-the-mill murder mystery but the director did exactly that. And when the wife was innocent and loved her husband from the core of her heart, showing her as committing suicide just because her body has been 'vitiated' (that too by deceit) is illogical and as I have said earlier, seems to have been shown to appease the patriarchal mindset of the Indian males only. It appears as if the director wants to say that being open-minded and ultra-modern in life-style is a sin for an Indian lady for which she should be punished. This biased approach of the moviemaker spoils the whole effort.

The songs are very good but they have not been aptly placed in the movie and hence the director-editor duo could not save the movie from getting bored at places. When the courtroom drama is taking momentum, the flow is broken by taking the story into flashback (with songs) which is irritating for the audience who is lost in the courtroom proceedings.

The performers - Sunil Dutt as the hero, Rehman as the philandering man who gets murdered, Ashok Kumar as the defense counsel, Moti Lal as the public prosecutor, Shashikala as one of the victim's mistresses etc. have all done brilliantly. Leela Naidu was considered as one of the most beautiful women of the world in her time and rightfully so. But she could not raise her performance in the difficult role of the aggrieved wife to the desired level.

Ravi has composed great melodies for the meaningful lyrics of Rajender Krishan. The title track, Yeh Khamoshiyaan, Koi Mujhse Poochhe Ki Tum Mere Kya Ho, Aah Yeh Meri Zindagi, Tum Jispe Nazar Daalo, Zulf Lehraai Teri etc. are all ear-soothing songs in the voices of Rafi and Asha.

Yeh Raaste Hain Pyar Ke was a controversial movie of its time and given a certificate of - 'For Adults Only' by the Indian censor board. In my opinion, it could have become a great movie but the director shied away from real boldness and chickened out by opting for a tried and tested filmy formula.

This film is a good Sunil Dutt movie but quite a different kinda movie.Sunil Dutt gives a good performance all in all as a husband,whose wife is having an extra-marital affair,.Ashok Kumar gives a good performance as a supporting actor in the role of a lawyer defending Sunil Dutt.The leading lady's performance is also good.Besides the fact that it is based on a true story,it is also said to be the first movie in which a woman was openly shown doing adultery.The direction of the movie is also good however the screenplay lacks in pulling attention especially in the courtroom scene where Sunil Dutt is telling about the whole incident.In my opinion this movie is all in all I would say a good one and deserves to be seen,though I was not happy with the end of the movie.