One case, many interpretations

Posted on January 2, 2026 by Jitendra Mathur

Akiro Kurosawa’s classic movie Rashomon (1950) coined the concept of the Rashomon Effect in which one incident is narrated and interpreted by different people in different ways. In the world of fiction, it has been used several times when a single event is given different (and contradictory) interpretations by different people. Hindi novel Crime Club penned by eminent author Surendra Mohan Pathak tells one such story only.

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The novel has been named as Crime Club because it shows the activities of a small group of people from various professions known as Crime Club. There are only six members of this group or the club who take interest in the field of criminology and have at least the basic knowledge of crime detection procedure. These six members are – 1. Vivek Agashe, a retired militaryman who runs a private detective agency, 2. Ruchika Kejriwal, a young lady who is a crime reporter, 3. Laungmal Daasaani, a criminal lawyer, 4. Mrs. Chhaya Prajapati, a middle-aged first class magistrate, 5. Abhijeet Ghosh, a Chartered Accountant who takes interest in mysteries and crime detection, 6. Ashok Prabhakar, a mystery writer.

A case comes before this club which the police has not been able to solve. A lady named as Anjana Nigam had died of poison which was in the chocolates sent to her husband Mukesh Nigam by some chocolate manufacturing company as a free sample. She had eaten many chocolates and died. Her husband had eaten barely two chocolates and fell sick only. The police suspected many people for this killing of Mrs. Nigam but failed. Ultimately they (unofficially) handed over the case to Crime Club for trying its hand upon the same.

After hearing the brief of the case from the investigating officer, the members of Crime Club decide to try to solve the case individually with each one to come up with a theory of the solution which is to be presented before the Club on one by one basis. Who is to present his / her theory at which number is decided by chits bearing the names of the members. The real story starts from here. All six members present their respective theories before others having a solution and a different perpetrator of the crime. After the last theory (presented by Abhijeet Ghosh), the real culprit is unmasked.

The narrative of this novel is sans any action or twists but still very interesting. How a single fact can be interpreted by different people in different ways drawing different conclusions has been established very emphatically. That’s why no two members suggest a common culprit. It is also explained how misleading conclusions can be drawn by telling half-truths or hiding a part of truth. Through the theory of Ashok Prabhakar, it is also underlined that when facts are imposed upon a pre-determined conclusion (instead of drawing conclusion by analyzing the facts), the result can be grossly inaccurate.

Reading this novel is an interesting brain-exercise for the readers. Alongwith the members of the Crime Club, the reader also applies his mind to find a solution to the case and guess as to who can be the culprit. Thus this novel is different from the run-of-the-mill murder mysteries. It’s a unique novel based on a unique theme. Written in simple Hindi, it is able to satisfy both the mystery fans and those who like social drama kind of stories.

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A scheme too far-fetched

Posted on December 20, 2025 by Jitendra Mathur

Hindi maxim Door Ki Kaudi means something far-fetched or something which is not plausible or believable. During the eighties, Hindi novelist Late Ved Prakash Sharma had penned many novels whose characters used to make so complex and far-fetched schemes that they could be termed as Door Ki Kaudi only and turn them into action as well. This characteristic of his novels (mainly suspense thrillers) only made him a special writer who believed in presenting something new to his readers in his every new novel.

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In the new millennium, he wrote less number of good novels. One such novel is titled itself as Door Ki Kaudi. It is because of the scheme made by its central character Ajay Srivastav which is so complex that it’s difficult for the reader to understand his real intention even after reading more than half of the novel. He guesses the future activities of his target people as well as their reactions to own acts so accurately that it appears surprising to the reader and he starts wondering whether any person can really peep into the minds of the other ones to know as to what they will do and when. He considers himself as an expert in kidnapping the minds of others and is confident of making such chesslike moves due to which his targets will do only what he wants them to do, nothing else.

This main character of the story (whether you call it the protagonist or the antagonist) is not alone. He has made a group for meeting his objective. However in his group, only one person is aware of his full scheme and intentions. Others are only pawns in their game knowing only a part of the scheme. It’s very interesting to read the scheme of the main character and its implementation. The novel keeps the reader as spellbound from the beginning to the end. It’s a thick novel and written on a large canvas. However almost everything written in the novel is meaningful and connected to the main story. Ved Prakash Sharma used to say that his novels should be read by those only who need food for their brains. Door Ki Kaudi is one such novel only which provides a lot of food for the reader’s brains.

The theme of the novel is based on the defects in the judicial system of India which lead to the injustices to the innocents and in turn create the feeling to seek revenge in the minds of the victimized. The main character of this novel and his close confidante have been keeping such a fire only in their hearts. They want to seek their revenge from their perpetrators (in their opinion) not directly but in a twisted manner through a complex scheme. One of their targets is a judge and the other one is a police inspector. However the novel also underscores the fact that such people might have acted in good faith or compelled to act like that because of the system they are in. A judge has to give his verdict on the basis of the facts and evidences presented before him and a police inspector is compelled to follow the orders of his seniors. By doing their assigned duties in this way, they do not become bad people in themselves. And hence seeking revenge from them without understanding their situation is not correct. Revenge should be taken from the culprit and not any innocent. Justice is desirable, revenge is not. As Mahatma Gandhi had asserted – an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.

The novel also highlights that it is not correct for the immature young girls to be crazy for some writer or artist and go against the wishes of their parents for his sake. Misunderstanding own parents without observing everything logically and wisely may put such girls into troubles. The positive end of the novel clarifies that those who make far-fetched schemes to target others should not think that the other ones are stupids and their schemes will work exactly as they have thought. If they keep on moving with the assumption that the other people are damn fools, their schemes may boomerang also and they may have to endure a taste of their own medicine. It happens with the main character of this story in the end. And hence, smartness is good, oversmartness is not.

Written in simple Hindi and studded with impressive dialogues, this suspense thriller is no less than any treat for the lovers of Hindi fiction.

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Hrishi Da narrates a heartwarming tale

Posted on December 19, 2025 by Jitendra Mathur

In the earlier times, the westernized women (and sometimes even well-dressed women) used to be called by the commonfolk as Mem Saheb or simply Mem. Sometimes this kind of address was meant to give respect to the concerned woman and sometimes it was used satirically. Didi means elder sister in Hindi (and in some other languages too). So how will it feel if some woman is called as both Mem and Didi making it a single word, i.e., Mem-Didi ?

That’s what happens in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s film Mem-Didi (1961). Hrishi Da was the pioneer of the middle of the road cinema in Bollywood. His movies were neither lavish and formula-studded nor completely realistic. He used to tell simple stories of simple people which the Indian audience could relate to. Mem-Didi is one such movie only.

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The story is set in a small neighbourhood. Chawl-dwellers are there using a common tap for fulfilment of their need of water. There are two rough-tough men living there – Sher Khan (Jayant) and Bahadur Singh (David) who are ever ready to help the needy inhabitants of that place in their own way. They come to know that some Mem Saheb is going to occupy an accommodation there. They imagine that Mem Saheb according to the persona associated with that kind of addressing. However they are surprised that an elderly and simple looking lady arrives there who does not look a Mem Saheb (or Mem) from any angle. When they meet her, situation becomes like that that the woman who is some Mrs. Roy (Lalita Pawar) slaps them. Now being concerned for their rough-tough image, both these men decide to have their revenge by throwing her out of that place. Their simple minds generate the idea of first tying that lady on a chair and then throw that chair out.

However when they visit that lady for this purpose, their plan does not succeed because she turns out to be kind and good-natured. Their hearts change towards her by experiencing her good behaviour. They become her deemed brothers and considering her as their elder sister, start calling her as Mem-Didi. Thus an affectionate and humanistic relationship develops between them and their Mem-Didi.

Mem-Didi is a hard-working woman. She earns by working very hard but does not spend much. She is doing it to finance the education of her daughter Rita (Tanuja) who is actually not her biological daughter. Rita, unaware of what Mrs. Roy is doing for her, is enjoying her student life and romancing with her boyfriend Dilip (Kaysi Mehra). When Rita is about to arrive there, first Mem-Didi has to hide the reality from her and then her wedding is also to be arranged with Dilip who comes from a wealthy family. How Sher Khan and Bahadur Singh help Mem-Didi in this regard forms the remaining part of the story.

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The script of Mem-Didi was written by Hrishi Da himself (for the story of Sachin Bhowmick). It is studded with heartwarming incidents establishing that the relations of humanity are stronger than even blood relations. The people shown in the movie are simple but having hearts of gold. Despite having a young pair in the movie, this is not the story of them. This is the story of Sher Khan, Bahadur Singh and their Mem-Didi. Thus three elderly characters are kept at the nucleus of the script. This itself was an unusual thing for a Bollywood movie in that era. The narrative flows very well and doesn’t allow even a single moment of boredom to creep in.

Lalita Pawar had been typed in Bollywood for the role of a bad woman. However whenever she got an opportunity to play a different kind of role, she displayed her abundant talent. Being in the title role, she only can justifiably be called the heroine of this movie (without any hero as the heroes are her brothers). This movie is a showcase of her talent and reminds of her role in Anari (1959). The next best performer is Jayant in the role of Sher Khan. David, Tanuja, Kaysi Mehra and others have also done their parts well.

In line with the story and the characters of this movie, the milieu has been kept very simple by the art director. The cinematographer has also done his job well for this black and white movie. All the technical aspects are in order. Dialogues written by Rajinder Singh Bedi are also good. Salil Chowdhury has composed good music for the lyrics of Shailendra. All the songs are good to listen.

In my view, a filmmaker should not remake his own classic movie. The way B.R. Chopra committed the mistake of remaking Afsana (1951) as Dastaan (1972), the same way Hrishi Da committed the mistake of remaking Mem-Didi as Achha Bura (1983) which is many notches below Mem-Didi.

Summing up, Mem-Didi is a very good movie which not only entertains but also touches the viewer’s heart at many places. No lover of golden oldies should miss this classic containing a heartwarming story with brilliant performances and good songs.

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The modern Abhimanyu – Vikas !

Posted on December 18, 2025 by Jitendra Mathur

In the Indian epic Mahabharat, there is an incident of Arjun’s son Abhimanyu’s entering a trap called Chakravyuh formed by Dronacharya. Arjun knew how to break it and come out safely. Abhimanyu had heard about it when in the womb of his mother prior to his birth but only a part of it. He, therefore, could not safely come out of it and perished in the war.

Hindi novelist Ved Prakash Sharma penned a large novel in two parts describing such a trap or Chakravyuh of modern times which had been formed for Vikas, Indian secret agent. The novel, naturally, comes under his Vijay-Vikas series. The names of the two parts of this giant story are – 1. Ek Aur Abhimanyu (one more Abhimanyu), 2. Saare Jahaan Se Ooncha (higher than the whole world). This trap has been formed by an American spy Jackie who has been the guru of both Vijay and Vikas.

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The story starts from the discovery of an island in the ocean where huge petroleum reserves are there. Once it is found, all the big nations start staking a claim on it. Many small nations protest this attitude of the biggies. In no time it becomes a bone of contention among several nations as to who is to gain these reserves. The island is out of the naval limits of all the nations. Hence no nation can justifiably call it own territory. India, being a champion of world peace, tries to reason with the other nations saying that the natural resources belong to the whole world and the nations should not fight among themselves for their sake. However the big nations, especially the USA are in no mood to listen to any sane advice because of their greed for these reserves.

The issue reaches the Indian Secret Service and secret agents Vijay and Vikas are given the assignment to resolve the issue. Vikas being hot headed, issues a warning on the radio to the USA in this regard. Vijay being level headed, start working in his own way which involves monitoring the activities of Vikas also. The USA is very unhappy with the warning issued by Vikas. The American Secret Service gives the assignment of eliminating Vikas to Jackie. Jackie only had trained Vikas in many spying activities in the past. He and his wife Julia love Vikas like their own son, Harry. However being a patriot, Jackie accepts the assignment and forms a trap for Vikas having many stages. He calls this trap as Chakravyuh on the lines of the Mahabharat.

Now the narrative moves on two different tracks. The first one is of the activities of various nations and international criminals like Singahi, Jackson and Alfanse regarding the natural fuel reserves on the island whereas the second one belongs to the trap made by Jackie which Vikas enters and comes out of it safely after breaking all of its doors. Both the tracks are very interesting and till the story reaches its climax, keep the reader as spellbound. The author has shown that Vikas proves himself to be the modern Abhimanyu who is able to break the Chakravyuh (formed by the modern Dronacharya Jackie) completely.

The story is very big and spread on a very large canvas. Since it is a novel of the author’s popular Vijay-Vikas series, almost all the stock characters of this series are present in it, viz. Black Boy who is the chief of the Indian Secret Service, Raina and Police Superintendent Raghunath who are the parents of Vikas, Thakur Nirbhay Singh who is Vijay’s father and the Inspector General of Rajnagar Police (Rajnagar is the fictitious city created by the author for the novels of this series), Singahi, Jackson and Alfanse who are international criminals etc. The spies of various nations also feature in this novels with their unique mannerisms. The narrative proves to be thoroughly engrossing for the reader from the very beginning to the conclusion of this huge story.

The novels is less action-oriented and more mind-oriented. Vikas’ breaking Jackie’s Chakravyuh is a treat to read. Checks and checkmates are there between the Indian spies and the spies of the USA. Diplomacy among the nations has also been shown and explained. The approach of India in this international matter has been shown as that of peace and harmony. Since Jackie has been a teacher of Vijay and Vikas, his feelings for his able pupil Vikas have also been depicted emphatically. Humour is also there because of the humorous character of Vijay. This extraordinary novel is a milestone among the novels of the author under this series. Those admirers of Ved Prakash Sharma who have not read it, should not miss it.

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Underlining environment protection through a safari

Posted on December 10, 2025 by Jitendra Mathur

Environment protection is a vital issue today and in fact, has been through decades. Protection of the forests, water resources, flora and fauna is the need of the hour. The human race cannot afford to put the environment protection on the back burner. The mankind will survive only when the environment on our planet survives.

Till a few decades back, Bollywood movies used living animals. Filmmaker M.M.A. Chinnappa Devar was so fond of animals that he made several movies using animals. Due to the opposition by the animal rights activists, it stopped and now animals are shown in the movies through computer generated imagery only. However in that era, movies like Maa (1976) and Habari (1979) were made which underscored the significance of protection of animals, declaring that they also have a right to life just like the human-beings.

Hindi movie Safari (1999) underlined the need for conservation of environment alongwith the animals. Though made as a love story, this movie asserts emphatically that environment and the natural habitat of the animals should be protected. It features Sanjay Dutt and Juhi Chawla in lead roles and through the character of Sanjay Dutt who is a forest dweller, it stresses the need to protect the forests.

Safari means an expedition to observe animals in their natural habitat. This movie remains true to its title in its first half but changes track in the second half. Anyway, deliberately or by default it has highlighted a burning issue and drawn the attention of the audience towards it. Looking from this viewpoint, it’s a significant movie which should have been made in a better way.

Asha (Tanuja) and Anjali (Juhi Chawla) are businesswomen who plan to establish a factory on an island called Manjira. The relation between Asha and her husband Ajit (Suresh Oberoi) are not very good and Ajit keeps himself separate from the business decisions. The inhabitants of Manjira island are disturbed by it and they make a protest under the leadership of Kishan (Sanjay Dutt). Anjali visits the island to discuss this issue with the people living there and meets Kishan. Her safari with Kishan on the island proves to be an adventurous one for her and she falls in love with Kishan. He also falls in love with her. He is also able to convince her that taking the land for the proposed factory on the island at the cost of the forest there will have undesirable effects. Anjali drops the idea of the proposed factory and decides to marry him but Asha is not in favour of it. Kishan visits them in the city and after some twists in the tale, Asha accepts both Kishan and his thoughts.

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Watching this movie till the interval is just like undergoing a delightful safari with the hero and the heroine. Seeing various animals on the screen is a pleasant experience. And if watched carefully, the idea of saving the forests and other natural resources also takes root in the mind of the viewer. The problem is with the second half which the director has tried to make a bit comic through the character of Kishan and his interactions with the people he visits in the city. Comedy is okay but the love story and the obstacles in the path of the lovers have been given undue footage. The change of heart of Asha through an action of Ajit in the ending reels is fine but the director’s focus should have been on the main story. The second half appears to be different from the first half. The first half mostly happens on the island whereas the second half happens in the city. It appears as if the story of protection of the island gets converted to the love story of Kishan and Anjali in the second half. It has diluted the impact of the movie.

The movie is interesting, no doubt. The first half is more interesting than the second half. The director has faltered in handling the materials available with him but he has extracted good performances from the main cast members except Mohnish Behl. His bad performance is due to his poor characterization which is the fault of the writer-director Jyotin Goel only because he is a highly talented actor. Sanjay Dutt and Juhi Chawla have done their parts very well. Tanuja and Suresh Oberoi have given good support to them.

Technically the movie is very good. The scenes of the jungle and the animals are eye-soothing. This part of the film was shot in the Periyar National Park of Kerala. The cinematographer has done his job very well. Music by Shyam Mohan is good. Length of the movie is on the higher side. It should have been curtailed.

Safari was commercially not successful. One reason for that may be its late release after completion. Another may be the shortcomings of script and direction. All the same, it’s a movie which should be watched for its theme if for nothing else. The essence of the movie can be understood through a scene in which Kishan explains to Anjali with example as to how the proposed factory will destroy the forest and ultimately the island itself. I recommend this movie to all those who take interest in the protection of environment.

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Govinda in a murder mystery

Posted on December 9, 2025 by Jitendra Mathur

Govind Ahuja better known as Govinda had carved a niche for himself in Bollywood during the late eighties. He became famous for his comic timing during the nineties and gave many hit comedies though he was equally proficient in doing profound roles also. Dulaara (1994) is a different kind of movie done by him which is a murder mystery.

Dulaara (affectionately dear) is the story of Raja (Govinda) who is fostered by Florence (Farida Jalal). He grows up to enter college life, have some friends and falls in love with Priya (Karishma Kapoor). Suddenly various college girls start getting killed and the mystery becomes too complicated for the investigating officer Inspector Vijay (Ranjeet). When one teacher of the college, Professor Verma (Tej Sapru) also gets killed, Raja becomes the suspect for that. He gets scared and runs away as he is also under an impression that he only is the killer of the Professor Verma. After some time, he gets arrested too but during his interrogation by Inspector Vijay, he comes to know that he can’t be the killer and the real killer is someone else. Finally the mystery is resolved when the real killer is unmasked.

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Dulaara is an interesting movie. College life romance, comedy, songs, dance etc. all the formulas are there like a typical masala movie (as used to be made those days). However the real entertainment comes for the audience from the mystery only which is intricate and keeps the viewers guessing till the climax. It’s very difficult for any viewer to correctly guess the real culprit. Songs interrupt the flow of the story, else the narrative moves well on the right track once the mystery starts and doesn’t allow the viewer to leave his seat.

The direction of the movie (done by Vimal Kumar) is not excellent. It could have been better. A skilled director would have made an extra-ordinary movie on this story. However the director of Dulaara appears to have got confused between making a comedy and making a mystery. He, therefore, could make neither a great comedy nor a spellbinding mystery. The movie is unduly long and hence I feel that the number of songs should have been less and a tighter editing was required. Other technical aspects are okay. Nikhil-Vinay’s music is so-so. One song – Meri Pant Bhi Sexy had created a controversy at the time of the release of the movie and the filmmaker had to change the lyrics.

Govinda is a talented actor and he had become quite popular by the time of the release of this movie. It was his heyday and he has done very well in the lead role. His pair with Karishma Kapoor was very popular during the nineties. Their on-screen chemistry is quite good in this movie also (like their other movies). The supporting cast members have done their parts satisfactorily. Farida Jalal deserves a special mention for her performance which is excellent. In those days only, she had started doing motherly roles. The title of the movie is linked to her relation with the hero only which has been depicted very well on the screen. And the most impressive scenes of the movie are those which involve the interaction of these two.

Dulaara is a nice timepass. Especially the mystery-fans are supposed to like it.

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The shaken power

Posted on December 8, 2025 by Jitendra Mathur

Politics is a game of power. It is practiced to gain power and stick to it. Since the political arena contains a lot of power, politics in that field is also more extensive and more complicated. Indian politics is no different. Since decades, we have been watching how numbers are gained (because numbers only matter to gain a majority in some house for the sake of gaining power in a democratic set-up) by hook or by crook by the shrewd politicians and how people switch their loyalties for the sake of sharing the pie of power. The ultimate loser in such games is only the common public, i.e., the voters who only vote the politicians to power. And that’s the irony of (Indian) politics.

Director Madhur Bhandarkar has been touching various issues prevailing in India in his movies. He has touched the politics of India in his movie Satta (2003). He has shown through the story of a housewife who has to enter politics, how power is snatched from others and then kept in own hands without allowing the grip on it to loosen. He has also shown that the political power can be used to do wrong things (to grind own axe or harm others) but it can also be used to do good things when the intention of the power-holder is pious. The movie shows how females of political families are used as puppets and compelled to join politics when the males, due to some reason, are not able to fight election. Political families do so because they consider legislative seats as their fiefdom. Plus their patriarchal mindset also instigates them to use the females of their family as puppets only having no say in any matter of the family but do whatever asked for to do.

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Satta (power / rule) is the story of Anuradha Sehgal (Raveena Tandon) who gets married to Vivek (Sameer Dharmadhikari) who belongs to a political family having a patriarchal set-up and mentality. That patriarchal treatment meted out to her in that family turns her into a rebel. When suddenly Vivek gets caught in a murder case and sent to prison, the in-laws of Anuradha compel her to fight election in place of him. She wins and quite reluctantly joins politics. She gets a mentor in the form of Yashwant (Atul Kulkarni) and gradually she not only witnesses (and understands) the nexus between the politicians, businessmen, cops and the underworld but also learns the tricks of the trade. She also learns that in politics, (almost) everybody is selfish and nobody can be fully trusted and hence there can be no permanent friends or foes in this field. However she is able to save herself from getting fully corrupted and spoiled. She ensures that her inner self remains pure only despite playing the dirty game of politics which has been imposed on her. Finally, she captures the complete power of the state (the chair of the chief minister) but instead of keeping it with her, hands it over to a politician she believes to be deserving for it.

Well, this Satta or power is not firm but shaken in this movie because Madhur Bhandarkar has abstained from making a completely realistic movie and has made a formula-based masala flick to please all kinds of audience – from the audience of the balcony to the audience of the gallery. The movie is fast paced and thoroughly engrossing. There is not a single moment of boredom in the movie. The idealist heroine of this movie remains an idealist only despite going through the highs and lows of politics. Through her character only, the director has presented an idealistic definition of Satta (power) to the viewers of this movie. The essence of the movie is contained in a dialogue spoken by Yashwant – ‘There’s nothing like favour in politics’.The narrative flows very well and keeps the spectators glued to their chairs. The final 30 minutes of the movie form the best part of it when Anuradha plays mind games with her opponents and thereby turns the tables on them. Every character of the story is able to maintain his / her unique identity in the movie which is the characteristic of a good movie.

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All the technical aspects of the movie – background score, cinematography, art direction and editing in are in order. It’s a crisp movie with no dragging of the story at any place. Music of Raju Singh is so-so. Madhur Bhandarkar’s direction is good. However in this film, realism has taken a back seat and entertainment has become prime.

Raveena Tandon has done a terrific job in the pivotal role. She was a strong contender for the national award for the best actress for her performance in this movie. From helplessness and reluctance to self-confidence and putting her best foot forward, she has mesmerized the audience by her performance as Anuradha Sehgal. Atul Kulkarni has, like always, done an admirable job. Other actors have also fitted the bill for their respective roles as the director has successfully extracted good performance from the complete cast.

Satta isn’t a hard-hitting political drama. It’s an entertaining movie though which should be watched for the sake of entertainment only.

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Reconciling the past and the present

Posted on December 4, 2025 by Jitendra Mathur

Marriage is a very significant event in a person’s especially a female’s life. The sacred fire (in case of Hindu marriage) is supposed to burn all that was in the past and a new beginning is supposed to take place in life. The past relationship, if any, loses its significance and the present relationship (with the spouse) supersedes that. Women are able to do it with significant ease because they are groomed that way in the traditional family and social set-up. Besides, post marriage, women gain motherhood also which becomes the most significant part of their life. In such a scenario, any relationship with some man in the past, no longer holds any importance in a married woman’s life.

However several men are not able to do so. They still dwell in the past and not able to accept their present fully which adversely affects their marital life. What’s desirable ? To live a peaceful and happy life, the desirable thing is to leave the past aside and live in the present, accepting the life partner fully without making any comparisons with the ex-flame. Since in any relationship, both man and woman are involved, a married man should understand that his wife might have been in a relationship prior to her marriage with him but that relationship does not hold good in their present married life. I will not use the word ‘forgive’ because being in love or being in relationship with someone is not something wrong which needs to be forgiven. However if the man wants himself to be forgiven for any such thing, then he should also learn to forgive the same way.

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Kabhi Kabhie (1976) is a movie on such kind of relationships only – within the marriage and outside the marriage and it underscores that remembering someone from the past is one thing but allowing that remembrance to affect your present relationship with your spouse is an altogether different thing which should better be avoided. And the fact of any relationship of one’s wife in her pre-marital period is also to be accepted wholeheartedly because that only will ensure making peace with oneself. Maintaining double standards, one for self and a different one for one’s spouse is highly undesirable. Love is a natural phenomena which may happen (and happens with most of the people) with anybody in the youth. And when one has to marry someone else, life has to be started afresh. This fact must be understood for both – self and spouse.

Kabhi-Kabhie (sometimes) starts with the college life love of Amit (Amitabh Bachchan) and Pooja (Raakhee). Amit is a Shaayar (Urdu poet) and he writes poetry seeking inspiration from his muse Pooja. However circumstances do not allow them to unite. Pooja has to marry Vijay (Shashi Kapoor) and on the other hand Amit has to take care of his family business and marry Anjali (Waheeda Rehman). Pooja and Vijay beget a son, Vicky (Rishi Kapoor) and Anjali and Amit beget a daughter, Sweetie (Naseem). Amit quits writing poetry after separation from Pooja although Pooja had taken a promise from him before parting that he would continue to do so.

Years have passed. The children of these two pairs have grown-up. Vicky falls in love with a girl Pinky (Neetu Singh). After their marriage is finalized, Pinky comes to know that she had been adopted by her parents and her biological parents are different. She goes in search of her biological mother who is Anjali. Since Anjali had not told her husband Amit anything about her past relationship with Pinky’s father who had died in an accident and her pre-marital childbirth, she introduces Pinky as her niece in the family. Vicky also reaches there and Sweetie falls in love with him.

On the other side, Vijay is able to sense that his wife Pooja and Amit were in relationship prior to Pooja’s marriage with him. He himself had been an admirer of Amit’s poetry. Things become too complicated among these people when the facts of the past become known in the present. When Amit comes to know Anjali’s pre-marital relationship and childbirth, he distances himself from her. However better sense prevails upon these people finally and they are able to reconcile their past with their present. In the climax, Vicky saves Sweetie’s life from a quarry mishap and everything is set right.

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Director Yash Chopra was known as the King of Romance. He has made this movie on the story written by his wife Pamela Chopra in his stylish manner. A part of the story has been shot amidst the beauty of Kashmir. On screen romance of the characters has been made believable by gestures and dialogues. The screenplay of Sagar Sarhadi is studded with twists and presented on the screen very skilfully by the director. The film is able to convey what it purports to convey. Multi-generational romance is there to please both the mature audience and the youngsters.

It’s a lavish movie made on a large scale according to the repute of the Yash Raj Films banner and has a great star value. All the principal actors viz. Amitabh Bachchan, Waheeda Rehman, Shashi Kapoor, Raakhee, Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Singh and debutante Naseem have performed their parts very well. The roles of the seasoned actors are not easy. They had to express their inner turmoil with minimal effort. And all of them have been able to do so, displaying their underplay talent. Since this is a sentimental movie, action is limited to the climax only which has been picturized emphatically.

Khayyam has composed excellent music with the lyrics of Saahir. Mukesh’s song Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Mein Khayaal Aata Hai is counted among the most popular romantic songs of Bollywood. Other songs are also very good. The picturization of the songs is also admirable. The cinematographer has done a brilliant job. Thus this movie is a visual and musical treat.

Kabhi Kabhie has been and is considered a classic love story. It can be considered a mature love story with some invaluable message for life. Those fond of watching quality cinema, should not miss it. It’s also a treat for the admirers of Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, Raakhee, Waheeda Rehman, Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh.

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Reliving the sensation

Posted on December 1, 2025 by Jitendra Mathur

The game of Cricket was quite popular in India before 1983 World Cup also when people used to listen to the running commentaries of the test matches on radio / transistor and admire the Indian cricketers like Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev for their game. However the Cricket World Cup of 1983 (of the limited overs format) proved to be a watershed moment in the history of Indian Cricket. The unexpected triumph of India in that took the popularity of this game (especially the limited overs format) to dizzy heights. This achievement was highly significant as India had partaken in the event as underdogs. Nobody including the Indians (plus the team itself) was expecting India to even reach the semi-finals. However India not only reached the semi-finals, but also reached the final and ultimately won the cup, surprising all and sundry (including themselves). This is counted among the most important sports achievements of India.

It was almost a month long journey for the Indian Cricket team who reached England to participate in the tournament in the beginning of June 1983. The team members faced practical difficulties (e.g., food and cloth washing), setbacks in the form of a couple of defeats and the issues related to morale and confidence but nothing remained the same once the event was over. Indian Cricket changed forever. Director Kabir Khan decided to recreate this journey on the big screen and conceived the Hindi movie 83 which was released in 2021. It was a difficult job for the seasoned movie director as he had to find the actors resembling the real players of that period, teach them the game of Cricket and do a lot of research work also to properly understand what had happened during the tournament (and also before the start of that). After watching the movie, any Cricket loving person of India can say that he has done a fairly good job.

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The movie starts with the iconic moment of Kapil Dev taking the catch of Vivian Richards in the final and then goes in flash back to tell the full story. In the true sense, it begins with the team manager P.R. Man Singh’s activities related to arranging the things for the players. Man Singh’s character remains with the audience till the end. He is the link between various activities of the players. He deals with the press and the authorities as well. Once the tournament starts, he is the main cheerleader for the team on one hand and a consoler on the other in the moment of a defeat.

After the beginning scenes involving the team manager and the players, the movie takes off from the very first match of the team which was with the two times champion West Indies who had won the previous two tournaments with considerable ease and was all set to make it three in a row. With the surprising win in that match, Kabir Khan starts showing the journey of the Indian Cricket team moving through highs and lows and finally winning the World Cup. The spectator goes through this journey with the team on the screen which is highly engrossing. In the end, there is a monologue of (real) Kapil Dev which is the icing on the cake.

This movie can be liked mainly by those Indians who had witnessed the wins of the Indians in that period either on radio or on television. Kabir Khan has perhaps made this movie for them only to relive that sensation. The next (Cricket loving) generation came to know about that historic achievement through readings and hearsay only. Hence to make this generation also enjoy the movie, a special effort was needed. Kabir Khan has done so by keeping his Cricket right. The nuances of various matches have been shown correctly for the most part of the movie. The actors have been trained well in all the parts of the game – batting, bowling and fielding. And that the director and the cinematographer have been able to keep all these three parts in a single frame is also no less an achievement for them. The director has juxtaposed the real footage (taken from the archives) with the scenes of the movie at certain places which is impressive and increases the pleasure of watching.

All the same, it’s not a great sports movie like Chak De India which is able to inspire the youths. It is only a recreation of a historic sports achievement on the silver screen. India won the matches. Fine. But how the Indians were able to do so, is not clear. Kabir Khan could present the facts but not the path leading to them. Unnecessary gimmicks (e.g., real Kapil Dev cheering for his screen persona) plus the personal life things of some Cricketers have been inserted into the narrative thus diluting its overall effect. Some incidents shown in the movie appear to be imaginary. Director’s research work appears to be okay (he might have discussed a lot of things with the real players and the real team manager to know the facts). Still it is felt by any sincere Cricket lover (who must have witnessed the real event) that something is missing. Certain things appear to have been given undue weightage whereas certain other things appear to have been given less significance, e.g., most of the matches have been shown in a lengthy way whereas the crucial last league match against Australia has been wrapped in barely a minute.

The film has been elevated by the spirited performances of the actors. Ranveer Singh as Kapil Dev is the best performer whereas Pankaj Tripathi as P.R. Man Singh comes a close second. Ranveer Singh’s personality is not just a marvel of the make-up and hairdo which made him look like the real Kapil Dev but his own efforts put in to present the great allrounder on the screen. He has absorbed the gait, the way of talking and on top of it all, the way of batting, bowling and fielding of the real Kapil Dev. The audience do not see Ranveer Singh on the screen. It’s Kapil Dev only who is visible there. Pankaj Tripathi is an excellent actor and he has presented the team manager P.R. Man Singh on the screen in a lively manner. The other actors playing the parts of different Indian (and foreign too) Cricketers have done very well, no doubt. Ranveer Singh’s wife Deepika Padukone has been cast as Romi, the wife of Kapil Dev. She has filled the glamour quota but did not have much to do just like the actresses playing the wives of some other Cricketers. The real casting coup managed for this movie is in the form of Mohinder Amarnath playing the role of his father, Lala Amarnath, Chirag Patil playing the role of his father, Sandeep Patil and Mali Marshall playing the role of his father, Malcom Marshall. A special mention is deserved by Neena Gupta who has played the mother of Kapil Dev.

Many dialogues spoken by the Cricketers are difficult to understand as the audibility is poor. The background score is not bad though. Songs including one chest thumping patriotic song, are good. The director has linked Cricket to patriotism and communal harmony which is unnecessary. The movie boasts of technical excellence. However a tighter editing would have made it a better movie.

Overall speaking, 83 is not a great movie but the gigantic effort gone in its making should be applauded. It is to be liked by all the Cricket lovers of India for sure whether they belong to the older generation or the newer generation. It is also to be acknowledged that it’s meant for those only who understand and like the game of Cricket.

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Koi Maane Ya Na Maane, Jo Kal Tak Thay Anjaane . . .

Posted on November 28, 2025 by Jitendra Mathur

During the sixties and the seventies, a lot of social dramas (and family dramas) used to be made in Bollywood. Some romance, some comedy and some undesirable activities of the baddies used to be intermixed in the basic story and with some good songs, an interesting movie was presented to the audience providing wholesome entertainment. Adhikar (1971) is one such movie only.

Adhikar (right) starts with the story of Radha (Nazima) who comes from a dysfunctional family and regularly suffers from the ill-treatment of her stepmother. Shyam (Deb Mukherjee) who is the son of a barrister (Ashok Kumar) and belongs to a well-off family, comes across her and they fall in love. Shyam’s father arranges his marriage with Meera (Nanda) who is the daughter of his friend (Raj Mehra). Since Radha used to work in that house, taking care of Meera’s ailing mother; Shyam mistakes her for Meera and agrees for the marriage. Thereafter he has to go abroad and in his absence, Radha comes to know about her pregnancy and then she has to leave her home. When she is willing to end her life, Dr. Kailash (Rajnish) admonishes her not to do that. After some time she gives birth to a child. Shyam after returning from abroad, realizes that she had mistaken Radha for Meera and thereafter he tries to search Radha but doesn’t succeed. He hears bad things about her from her stepmother and the people in her locality. Finally, he agrees to marry Meera after initial reluctance.

On the other hand when Radha comes to know that Shyam is going to wed Meera, she rushes to the wedding place to stop that wedding but is not able to reach in time. Then she writes a letter to Meera and leaves her child with that letter in Meera’s home (i.e., Shyam’s home). After reading that letter Meera is not able to accept Shyam as her husband and she tells him about the child that it’s hers. Now Shyam is also not able to accept Meera as his wife and maintains a distance from her. Meera tells her father-in-law that the child belongs to a friend of hers.

Radha gets shelter in the house of Banne Khan Bhopali (Pran) who is a friend of her father-in-law. She gets a job in the business house of Shyam only. Shyam meets him but the misunderstandings between them remain. Shyam’s cousin Raajan (Kishan Mehta) is not only having an eye over her uncle’s wealth but also on Radha. After getting expelled from the business of his uncle once exposed, he tries to defame his uncle’s family. When, amidst his evil designs, the reality of the child’s parents is known to all, Meera takes a bold decision to give Radha her right in Shyam’s life and makes all others agree to it.

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This story written by R.S. Verma was obtained through a story writing contest arranged by film magazine Madhuri. Script (with dialogues) has been written by Ramesh Pant (though surprisingly IMDB gives Salim-Javed the credit for screenplay) which is not flawless. A better script was needed for the story which is really good.

I had read somewhere that to make an interesting movie, there should be a twist in the narrative after every few minutes (I think, it’s equally applicable to the novels too where a twist after every few pages keeps the reader’s interest alive). Adhikar passes this test as there is a new twist in the tale after every few minutes. However the script-writer could not create interesting incidents in the narrative and to make a two and half hours long movie, comic activities of Shyam’s sister Rekha (Tabassum) and her beau Deepak (Brahmchari) alongwith the baddie Rajan’s manoeuverings have been unnecessarily inserted into the narrative. Inconsistencies are there in the script as well as the character of Shyam. Regretfully, the director has done nothing from his side to correct them. However since the story flows well, mostly they can be ignored by the viewer. Putting it straight, the writer (and also the director) had fragrant flowers with him but he could not string them properly to make a beautiful garland. It is to be acknowledged though that the end of the movie is definitely sensible.

Dialogues are good. Action and thrills in the climax are also impressive. Editor has also done his job well and there is no dragging anywhere (if we excuse the comic sequences of Rekha and Deepak). Art direction, cinematography and background score are also in order.

In R.D. Burman’s music made for the movie, two songs stand out – 1. Koi Maane Ya Na Maane, Jo Kal Thay Anjaane, Woh Aaj Hamen Jaan Se Bhi Pyaare Ho Gaye which is a very good romantic song, 2. Jeena To Hai Usi Ka Jisne Ye Raaz Jaana which is a Qawwali. One devotional song Tum To Sabke Ho Rakhwale is also good.

Acting wise speaking, all the principal actors (Ashok Kumar, Deb Mukherjee, Nanda and Nazima) have done justice to the assigned roles. Ashok Kumar only is the presenter of this movie. Nazima had been restricted to sisterly roles during the sixties. However in Adhikar, she has got a meaty role and she has done well. Pran has marvelled in the role of the betel-chewing Banne Khan Bhopali. He can be termed as the best performer. His character has been kept in the story because of the trend prevailing in Bollywood movies those days of keeping a good Muslim character in the story. Rajnish also impresses in the role of a benevolent doctor. Others are routine.

Adhikar is a nice social drama which keeps the viewer as glued to the screen for two and a half hours. The names of the hero and the heroines have been kept as Shyam, Radha and Meera. Naturally, Shyam has to be Radha’s only. Meera cannot take Radha’s place in Shyam’s life.

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