Celebrating 50 years of Anand

 

Anand completes 50 years since it was released and what a journey this gem has taken. Over the years the film has only gone onto strengthen itself in a classic category. Hrishikesh Mukherjee was always known to produce small budget meaningful cinema. And a person who starts with editing as a career profession and then moving to directing, he understood his frames and his cinema so well. While working on Do Bigha Zameen (A Bimal Roy classic) his editing skills are amazing treat. The opening sequence of the rains and everybody dancing (Later copied in Lagaan too) has some great frames to watch in Black and White. Do Bigha Zameen along side some terrific acting and plot is a visual treat and it is amazing editing that Hrishida brings on the table (watch the Rickshaw race scene to know more of that). Anand works for some terrific acting, an easy narration and a plot which is so well diffused in the time when as a nation we were looking for hope. The post partition trauma, widespread poverty and in general a sense of pessimism that pretty much prevailed. 

In the opening scenes, a visibly angry Dr. Bhaskar (Amitabh Bachchan) sounds hopeless and is full of angst. A lot of those scenes in the first 15 minutes and till the central character Anand arrives, the gloom and the pessimism perfectly builds it. Much of that anger which was suppressed, Dr. Bhaskar expresses them in his diary. Although, Anand the cinema though will always be a Rajesh Khanna (in the role of Anand, the central character) film but I still believe that hopeless and desolate feel, Hrishida creates in the first 15-20 minutes made way for introducing Anand easily. The film remains a tribute to Raj Kapoor (A very close friend of Hrishida) and the city of Bombay and they reflect in the narration. 

Rajesh Khanna was quite often criticized for his limited range of acting but in the role of Anand he simply excelled. His pain and the fear hidden behind the smile, laughter, endless talks and pranks comes out effortlessly. I personally liked those moments were he was unto himself (especially, when Manna Dey sings the gem Zindagi Kaisi Paheli Hai and when Mukesh sings Kahin Dur jab din dhal jaaye) and is in distinct pain. The best part about Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore was, both these actors understood camera so well and knew how to caress it. Which is why, they were always known for their visual treats (watch the song Chingari Koi Bhadke from Amar Prem). 

In Anand, later, his chemistry with Johnny Walker (Musa Bhai) was simply amazing and he seems to have finally found his match. When seeing a hapless Rajesh Khanna almost on his deathbed, a broken down Musa Bhai further heightens the pain of the other characters. And yes, the now iconic lines, Zindahgi aur maut uppar wale ke haath mein hai Jahapanha... made proverbial at the end came in from Musa Bhai. 

Amitabh Bachchan simply managed to underplay his role so well. Especially, in the last frame when he has to come back (after getting some Homeo medicines for Anand) and finds that Anand is dead, must be one of his best. Apparently, he really worked really hard for that scene (And a trivia I read somewhere that he went to Mahmood to get some advice on that scene) and it shows because all his anger, helplessness, loss of his dear friend, his hope on god failing; all of that came through on those lines he mouths to a dead Anand. As Dr. Bhaskar he is awkward, gawky and gruff. But he is sweet and especially during his time with Renu (Sumita Sanyal) his muse it is best reflected. Anand his incoming patient from Delhi is perhaps one of the few who quickly understands Dr. Bhaskar's psychology (which is why Anand runs away from the nursing home to Dr. Bhaskar's home and not to Dr. Prakash's house). 

The film has some great music to boot. It is Salil Chaudhary at his creative best (he has produced many a gems and my favorite remains from the film Madhumati). He uses Mukesh for two of his numbers to bring out the pathos of the scenes and Kishore-Rajesh Khanna chemistry was given a miss here. The real gem of course the Manna Dey number, Zindagi Kaisi Paheli Hai. It is a difficult song and once you hear it many many times, you get to the DNA of it. Lata is superb in the song, Na Jiya Lage Na. Again, singers like Manna Dey, Lata, Rafi made such gems they sung sound so easy, but are so difficult songs. And, in Na Jiya Lage Na, Lata exactly does that. It is waiting moment for the character for her muse to return and those moods of waiting, thinking and feeling happy is all etched in those feel that Lata brings in. 

A quick word on the Poetry written by Gulzar and recited by Amitabh Bachchan, titled Maut. It is beautiful to say the least and the narration of it makes it even more haunting and particularly when a dying Rajesh Khanna wants it to be played again. What a metaphor! This is Hrishda, Gulzar and the entire writing team at their best.   

Anand shall remain a film etched in movie lovers minds and hearts always. When there is a sense of despair and sadness and gloom and pessimism it is a film that brings in the much needed hope into our lives. Cinema I always have believed remains one of the biggest drivers for a divided nation like India. With a nation ridden with fault lines, cinema is healer and a cover up. Anand as a cinema shall remain one of those bedrocks to our healing. 

Anand Mara Nahin. Anand Marte Nahin as Dr. Bhaskar says at the end. And how true is that even after 50 years.

It streams on Amazon Prime! It must be on your watchlist every once in a while.