Ratnakar Sadasyula
Seeti Maar
Bimal Roy 60′s
By Ratnakar Sadasyula
From the serious, intense Sujata, Bimal Da, again treaded into a different genre, attempting a satire in the 1960 movie Parakh, starring Sadhana. The movie deals with how people in a village behave on learning that the postmaster has been given Rs 5 Lakh, whjch he needs to deliver to the most honest man in the village. How every person puts up a pretence of being honest, just for the money, is what makes this movie, an endearing experience. And of course this contains one of Lata’s best solos O Sajana Barka Bahaar Aaye. What a song by Salil Da, and brilliant picturization by Bimal Da, showing Sadhana, playing with the rain.
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And then in 1963 came a movie which would forever remain the jewel in Bimal Da’s crown. Bandini the story of a female prisoner, is a memorable classic in the annals of Indian cinema. Nutan stars as Kalyani, a female prisoner, who is torn between the prison doctor Deven( Dharmendra) who loves her sincerely and her former lover Bikash( Ashok Kumar), a freedom fighter. One of the best performances by a female artist, Nutan’s Kalyani, ranks up there along with Meena Kumari’s Choti Bahu in Sahib, Bibi Aur Ghulam and Nargis’s Radha in Mother India. The entire movie is narrated in flashback mode, as we are made to understand the motives of the characters. As also the wonderful use of imagery and sound to convey Kalyani’s mood.
While this movie has many memorable scenes, nothing to beat the scene, where Kalyani murders Bikash’s shrewish wife, and we see a welder hammering in the background, with a shadow play. Just haunting. Excellent score by Dada Burman, with songs like O Jaanewale, Mora Gora Ang Laile( which saw the debut of Gulzar as a lyricist), Mera Saajan Hai Us Paar. Sadly this masterpiece would also be Bimal Da’s last as a director, as he passed away in 1966.
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Ratnakar Sadasyula is full time techie, part time writer. Presently based at Hyderabad, Ratnakar writes on films, cricket and politics. Bihar days is Proud to have him in our team of regular contributors.
Here is the link to his blog
Seeti Maar- Diary of a Movie Lover
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