Agar Tum Na Hote

This film is far superior to the standard melodramas that Bollywood churns out so relentlessly. There is not a single car-chase, not a single gunshot, and no misogynistic villain.

It will come as no surprise that Rajesh Khanna plays the hero, but it is a tribute to the writer and director that they manage to coax a performance more believable than the two-dimensional efforts Mr Khanna has delivered in dozens of his films. He uses his trademark "look" in only a couple of the scenes. Anyone who's seen the 1980s BBC documentary about Mr Khanna will know exactly what I mean!

The supporting cast is mostly good, with Asrani playing, unusually, a backstabbing friend. The only miscasting is in the role of the little girl who plays Rajesh Khanna's daughter - she is more annoying than lovable. But, of course, the film belongs to Ms Rekha. Frankly, it's a travesty that she only gets co-star billing - her performance is what makes the film so compelling. The double-role is a Bollywood staple but the first role is short and most of the time we see Rekha in her role as the governess. She captures the emotions perfectly as she is torn by the lies she has to tell to keep everyone around her happy. Yet her inner strength is evident - at no time is she a victim. She makes her choices with full acceptance of the consequences. It is an added bonus that Ms Rekha was at the height of her beauty when she made this film - she lights up the screen as the camera lingers on her every expression.

There's one other plot feature worth noting which makes this Indian film unusual, if not unique. When it comes time to propose (after the song "Dheere Dheere"), it's Rekha's character that does the proposing. The dialogue is beautifully written for this scene.

There are only seven songs, with three of them being different versions of the title song. In fact, the title song is quite lovely and has that haunting, sad quality that those of us of Asian origin seem to have a genetic pre-disposition towards!

A few words about the DVD. Sadly it is in 4:3 format, but the resolution is acceptable. The colour is also acceptable except for a few scenes where it has a noticeable tint. The sound is clear during dialogue, but distorted during the songs and it is in mono.

I have seen several times this film and every time I feel through my heart that without the super performance of the Super Star of the Indian cinema, the film would have not such solid impact on the audience. A number of scenes are especially appreciable where the super performance word fits most genuine. The Railway Platform scene, The Airport scene and the ending shot taken on the facial expression of the greatest super star-actor of all time of the Indian film world.It is a truth that nobody except Mr. Rajesh Khanna can perform and present such excellent facial expression on the silver screen. The story/plot is also most uncommon in comparison to the main stream films of that era. Overall I judge this film as one of the Rajesh Khanna Standard films of Golden Era.

Agar Tum Na Hote was Khanna's 3rd hit film in 1983, after Avatar and Souten, giving him a hat-trick! He delivers another heart touching performance and steals the show. Rekha also puts in a strong performance and Raj Babbar also does well.

The film has a good story and is different to the type of masala films being churned out at the time. Kishore Kumar's version of the title song was also a big hit and complimented Khanna's acting beautifully. The success Khanna has in 1983 led to film offers flooding in and kept him busy for the next few years. Back on top again, Khanna went on to deliver the super hit Maqsad and Dharam Aur Kanoon in 1984.

Agar tum Na Hote is one of those lovely films which has some soul stirring music, specially the title song. It is Rekha's film all the way, no doubt but she is solidly supported by Raj Babbar, Asrani & others. Asrani does a villainous character thus showing what he is capable of.

The hero, Rajesh Khanna should be complimented for taking up this role, fully knowing that it is going to be women centric. He has had a record of shining in women centric movies (Aradhana, Amar Prem, Kati Patang etc.,) & this is no exception.

He holds his own in portraying a complex character. His reactions when his daughter asks questions on her mother, are excellent. He walks away with the honors in the climax.

As always, the Kaka-Kishore-RED combination has worked wonders this time also. The film was a moderate hit, though it deserved to be a super hit.

The only drawback is the length. It is close to 3 hrs. It could have been trimmed.

Kudos to Lek Tandon & his team for having given a wonderful film.

Rajesh Khanna proves once again why he is still the original superstar.

Lekh Tandon's Agar Tum Na Hote is an interesting, pleasant watch. The story must have been told many times, but I would mention that it involves many noteworthy points. It is about the difficulty of bringing up a child all alone without a wife, about sacrifice and dedication to a spouse, and about the pain of crippled people. This entertaining film shows the more chilled out side of Indian cinema, it flows very well, and never makes you want to fast it forward. Apart from its many great moments, it is particularly benefited by a fantastic soundtrack by maestro R.D. Burman. Two songs which stand out are the soulful "Agar Tum Na Hote", performed by Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar in two different versions, and especially "Dheere Dheere", a rather sensuous number which is perfectly performed by Asha Bhosle.

Of the three leading stars, the one who impresses most is unsurprisingly the ever enigmatic Rekha. The film revolves quite around her character(s), and she is amazingly compelling, likable and restrained all through. Whether she is an honest and intelligent young woman, a dedicated and suffering wife, or a loving governess, she exudes warmth and kindness and makes the character truthful and believable. The two costars are less convincing. Rajesh Khanna plays a smart and sharp businessman, but I personally don't think he is a great choice for the role because despite the good actor that he is considered to be, he is for the most part very unnatural. Raj Babbar in quite a good role is not consistently good and at times overacts, but still he is effective enough. And the girl! Oh boy was she annoying.

I recommend you to watch Agar Tum Na Hote. It's a good Hindi 1980s film. As it goes by, it becomes more intense and interesting and the ending is both heart-warming and saddening.