MIDDLE CLASS MESSIAH

It was a boring weekend when I rented out the DVD of BAWARCHI starring Rajesh Khanna.It was the nth time I was watching this classic, yet I was glued to the television set,like I had never seen it before. There were some thoughts that crossed my mind,when I saw the careful,soul stirring treatment meted out to each scene and the impeccable attention to detail.

My mind then scanned back to other movies from the same decade and I arrived at the common denominator.It was Hrishikesh Mukherjee,the director of the film,popularly known as Hrishi da,by one and all. I realised that as a person born in the 1980s, I would not have consumed this diet of films if I was not a film buff like I actually am. I realised that many from my generation would not be aware of the brain and the genius of the man behind these epics. Hence this article.

There were 3 clear milestones in Hrishi da's career graph. The pre ANAND era,the ANAND era and the last one was his waterloo.

The films from the pre ANAND era are not ones which I have watched,so I cant comment. However the other 2 eras are ones where I am a little qualified to comment.

The second era started with ANAND. The story of a dying man living the last few days of his life with an infectious smile,with the heart of a lion appealed to one and all. It was to be his best piece of work,a master piece. Look out for the scene where Rajesh's character dies and the cassette in the player calls out "Babu Moshai".Little piece of brilliance that.

The other movies in this era comprised of Namak Haram which pitted Amitji and Rajesh, the legendary Chupke Chupke, which made an adoring husband into a driver to impress his wife's jeejaji,a young girl's infatuation for her favorite film star memorably captured in GUDDI, a female version of ANAND in MILI, the best comedy I have seen in Indian cinema,the flawless GOLMAL and the natkhat and chulbuli KHUBSOORAT.

If I look at all these films with the microscope,I find that all of them had the same backdrop. The big lower middle class joint families of the 80s.This is something I found easier to connect with rather than the opulence of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's DEVDAS or any other modern movie. The ambience had an I-have-seen-this-before-and-I-know-this kinda feeling.

These films were thought provoking,each one of them having a message embedded amidst the magical moments. They compelled the common man to take cognizance of the issues faced by his ilk.These films will be timeless,because as they say you should never forget your roots.

His waterloo came with the rise of Amitabh Bachhan and films became more hero centric,the character actors started playing the support role.The family theme of Hrishida was considered obsolete by the then producers,but hell it was to be Indian cinema's loss. Hrishi da couldnt master this genre and all but faded into oblivion.His last film in the 90s was a shocker,but then at the age of 80,you cant fight age,generation and your contemporaries.

Hrishida, I feel will be judged by the ANAND era which reinforced that family movies were still the in thing and the feel good factor was still prevalent.

Undeniably,one of the greatest directors in Indian cinema, I salute Hrishi da.

Adieu sir and thanks for those everlasting and influential memories. :)