Ek Duuje Ke Liye

Ek Duje Ke Liye" is a classic Bollywood movie released in 1981, directed by K. Balachander and starring Kamal Haasan and Rati Agnihotri in the lead roles. It is considered one of the most iconic and successful romantic dramas in Indian cinema.

The movie revolves around the love story of two individuals from different cultural backgrounds. Vasu (Kamal Haasan) is a Tamilian, while Sapna (Rati Agnihotri) is a North Indian. Despite their cultural differences, they fall in love with each other during their college days. However, they have to face numerous challenges and opposition from their families due to their cultural and regional disparities.

The movie beautifully portrays the emotions of love, sacrifice, and determination in the face of adversity. The chemistry between Kamal Haasan and Rati Agnihotri is palpable and adds a lot of depth to the narrative. The film also features memorable songs like "Tere Mere Beech Mein," "Hum Bane Tum Bane," and "Solah Baras Ki Bali Umar Ko Salam," which became huge hits and are cherished even today.

One of the strengths of the film is its realistic portrayal of the struggles faced by the lead characters. The movie addresses the issue of regionalism and the challenges couples face when they come from different cultural backgrounds, which was quite relevant at the time of its release and remains relatable to some extent even today.

The direction by K. Balachander is commendable, as he skillfully handles the emotional depth of the story and extracts brilliant performances from the actors. Kamal Haasan, known for his versatility, delivers a stellar performance, showcasing the complexity of his character convincingly. Rati Agnihotri, in her debut role, impresses with her innocence and grace.

While "Ek Duje Ke Liye" is primarily a love story, it also subtly highlights societal issues and the need for unity among diverse cultures. The movie manages to strike an emotional chord with the audience and leaves a lasting impact.

Overall, "Ek Duje Ke Liye" is a timeless classic that continues to be loved by audiences even after several decades. It remains a significant landmark in Indian cinema and is a must-watch for fans of romantic dramas or those interested in exploring the cultural nuances of love and relationships.

The scene is a small town in India before liberalisation and globalisation. In fact, I don't think America or any foreign country is mentioned in the script or any picturisation done there. contrast this with Bollywood of 2000s where the only Indian part is language and actors.

The people are simple and the life of young ones are sans complications. If today's Indian youth were not panting after career, America etc., then they would fall in love exactly like this.

The story is well executed on screen. There are no contemporary obsessions like morality, or Indian versus American values or saas-bahu conspiracies. Even the numerous plots by girl's mother (Shubha Khote) to separate the lover duo are almost poetic and are received by the lovers as tests of the path of love.

The songs and the ending are the highpoint of the film. Rakesh Bedi adds comic relief. This is one of the few films where no villain / negative characters is trying to marry either lover.

What really sets 'Ek Duuje Ke Liye' apart from other love stories, is its disturbing ending. Otherwise the film itself is no different than other love stories regarding star-crossed lovers that have been made several. Some of the songs are nice (but not great) and mostly forgettable. The use of the language barrier between the two characters was something different and new. Also there are some nice sequences that prevent it from being just another romantic film. The director deserves credit for executing them. Performances are quite decent. Rati Agnihotri does well for a newcomer. Madhavi is very good. Kamal Hassan is quite alright in a few scenes and very bad in some. He seems to just not get the right expressions particularly in the crying scenes (which are unintentionally funny). However, the guy can surely dance! Shobha Khote is extremely annoying and almost want to press the mute button. 'Ek Duuje Ke Liye' is certainly one of the better films of the 80s. A different love story it is and I'd recommend it to viewers who enjoy romantic films but beware of its disturbing conclusion.

Review By Kamal K

One of the finest love stories of India. This movie proves that love knows no language barriers, caste,or regional boundaries. Rati Agnihothri looks stunningly beautiful and Kamal Hasan acted his best. This film has beautiful music with all super hot songs and fantastic locations. It is a classic cult tragic love story. A must watch for every young boy or girl,who is thinking of falling in love.

Stunning music, acting and direction The film is quite well directed and shot, and it captures the beauty of Goa exceedingly well. The romantic sequences were extremely well handled and are of the film's most entertaining. But then the movie has its turn when the youngsters' love has to withstand a test. This was a rather unconvincing phase and from then on the film became quite melodramatic and occasionally boring. Some scenes in which the heroine's mother tries hard to morally deter her were particularly peculiar, although I personally was curious about the film's next proceedings.

Ek Duuje Ke Liye has several songs composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal. Some of them were okay, like "Tere Mere Beech Mein" but none was really great. At times the songs came across as totally unnecessary (and I'm actually not one of those who are against song numbers in Hindi movies). The film's acting is generally good. Kamal Hassan does very well as the main lead. Towards the second half he even manages to bring a new dimension to his character. Also, his classical dance numbers were fantastic. Rati Agnihotri suits her part and is extremely pretty. At times she stared angry eyes at her mother and it was a bit repetitive but overall it was a good debut and I liked her in a number of her subsequent films so let it be. Madhavi was very good in whatever little she was given. But the film's biggest flaw is obviously its ending. It is unexpected and surprising, and I don't mean to say it as a compliment. I was totally disappointed and could not figure why the writer in his own mind would think of such a melodramatic twist, which was not necessary and did not really conclude the story well. I mean, the film was not a fairytale saga, so why end it like.