Bandini

Bandini is a masterpiece for its cinematography and shrewd plot. While most of us YOLO generation teens would have thought of a rather cheeky climax, Bimal Roy brings us the genuine ending based on 40s' & 50s' India.

It talks about the life of a woman which enters bedlam after she meets a freedom fighter. It talks about how she braves all those hard things life puts in front of her. As the second half starts, the plot increases in pace and the story reaches crescendo revealing shocking points. The last fifteen-minute-part is pure classic which also manages a song.

Performance given out by Nutan & Ashok Kumar is exceptional. Supporting cast and the characters involved are truly magnetic. They will stay with you years.

BOTTOM LINE: A classic not to be missed. 8.1/10.

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES

This is a Hindi language film starring the the legendary actress Nutan.

Nutan was one actress who led title roles in films. Where the male characters, even if played by talented actors, felt as supporting cast. Seema, Sujata, and the crowning glory of a film, Bandini are all such.

Apparently, director Bimal Roy brought her back from self-imposed retirement and marital bliss to play this role. And wow what impeccable a performance!

The film is well directed and the music has songs memorable to this day, more than half a century after!

The script is well developed to have the main story parts in the middle. The story likewise has its twists. Due to the above two reasons you don't feel time going past. But the climax though well directed is predictable.

I rated it 8/10 in IMDB.

A perfect commercial film made in the 'art film' genre. One of Bimal Roy's best films. Cinematography by Kamal Bose is superb. And performance by Nutan in the role of Kalyani is one of the best ever performances by any heroine on the Indian screen. Musical score by S. D. Burman is unforgettable and shall always remain so. Two songs by Asha Bhosle viz., "Ab ke baras bhej, Bhaiya ko Babul" and "O' panchhi pyare, sanjh sakale" are among her best. Again both the songs sung by Lata Mangeshkar, viz., 'Mera gora ang laile, mohe shaam rang daide' and 'Jogi jab se too aya mere dware" are again superb. And a song each by Mukesh (O' jaane wale ho sake to laut ke aana), and Burman dada himself (O' re maanjhi) are again among their best ever. Manna Dey's (Mat ro Maata), a patriotic song, is also a soul stirring number.

In short, a classic of Indian Cinema.

A really fantastic film, one of the most emotional I have seen without falling into sentimentalism or being weepy. So many memorable scenes, but the song by Asha filmed on Nutan's prison mate must be one of the most touching, proves songs Are a part of a movie that add to it, when well done. Nutan is just excellent, Ashok Kumar is his usual believable self, and Dharmender does what he is supposed to, young, handsome upright man. Nothing superfluous about this movie, a must see.

Bimal Roy gives the audience a rare glimpse into life in the female prison. At once we are given a fair representation of those people who are never represented, and when they are, always with unidimensional, black-or-white binary characters. Here Roy presents a group of women, without delving into the exact reasons for their imprisonment. Their characters are not romanticised, their crimes are not cleaned, but indeed, they are humanised, which is an altogether different thing, just as they should be because they are human even if some or most of them are there for good reason. This is where the protagonist Kalyani is found, and her story is very conflicting to the average viewer. On the one hand, she is radiantly lovely, gentle and looks as pure as the driven snow. On the other, she is a murderer, which is a fact. Is it okay to like her or sympthise with her? Is anything other than self-defense could justify what she did? Or could we just forgive her?

Nutan is astonishing. Her naturalistic performance is the ultimate antithesis of any stylized acting one can think of and the strongest stamp on the conviction that less is more as here, through sheer minimalism, she masters what few of the best actresses could. Tremendously understated and nuanced, remarkably realistic, beautifully poised, and quietly powerful, she disappears into the most alarming depths of Kalyani and not for a second does she indulge in self-victimization even when it would have appeared the easiest and most natural option. Her expressions are stunning - the rage, the anger, the indifference, the guilt, and finally the dilemma, all rally with brilliant intensity in her eyes. Kalyani is a phenomenal character both in terms of how well it's written but obviously more because of how perfectly it's acted by a woman whose work here easily ranks among the best performances in Indian cinema.

Bandini is a classic piece of art, and a true visual, emotional and intellectual experience. The cinematography and camera work are stupendous, and the lighting is especially impressive in the way it's used to highlight the story, the characters, and their situation. It's obviously almost impossible to watch the film without forming an opinion about Kalyani's act, whether to resent or forgive. Other than that, like many viewers, probably, I wish the ending had been the other way around. But Roy chose the way I think he knew would be less popular. Ashok Kumar and particularly a tremendously handsome and likable Dharmendra provide fantastic support. The film remains Bimal Roy's crowning glory, but even despite how good the film itself is, the lead female performance remains its prime asset. An actress who transcends time, Nutan dominates her scenes, she dominates Bandini, and she was clearly one actress fully versed in the craft of acting.