Sadhi Manasa (1965)

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Bhalji Pendharkar is regarded as one of the pioneers and most respected filmmakers in Marathi cinema. He was an influencer and mentor to many artistes. Though more famous for historical films centered around the Marathi empire, he also made films on other subjects occasionally. His creation Sadhi Manasa (Simple People) is a gem of a movie. Like its name, it tells the story of simple people and the hardships faced by them. Perhaps the most special thing about the film is its music, which was composed by none other than Lata Mangeshkar (credited as “Anandghan”)!

At the 13th National Film Awards, it won the President’s silver medal for the Best Feature Film in Marathi. At the Maharashtra State Film Awards, the film won 9 awards including Best Film, Best Director, Screenplay and Dialogue (for Bhalji Pendharkar), Best Actress (Jayshree Gadkar), Best Music Director and Best Female Playback Singer for Anandghan / Lata Mangeshkar as well as Best Cinematography: Arvind Lad and Best Art Direction: Sadashiv Gaikwad.

The Plot

The film is set in Hanbarwadi village and tells the story of Shankar (Suryakant) and Parvati alias Paru (Jayshree Gadkar). Shankar is an ace blacksmith. His skill is demonstrated in the first few scenes.

Chakkadrao (Rajshekhar), a truck driver arrives in the village. His truck has developed a snag and a certain part needs to be fixed. He is directed to Shankar’s house. Shankar, helped by Paru gets on the job. It is also the perfect setting for one of the most well known songs – Airanichya deva tula thinagi thinagi waahu de.

Shankar repairs the part and Chakkadrao is impressed. He offers to take them to Kolhapur, a big city where Shankar can make better use of his skill. He asks the couple to think about it for a few days. If agreeable, they can join him on his return journey.

Shankar starts thinking of the proposal. A big city means more money and that will improve their lives. Paru is not very agreeable, she is happy as they are. It is decided they will consult Paru’s brother Mhatoba (Master Vitthal) and sister in law (Sulochana), whom they hold in high regard and seem to be their only close relatives.

Paru goes ahead to her maternal home. Shankar will join her after completing the tasks at hand. Mhatoba and his wife are glad to have her with them. Their kids Shirpa and Hansa are fond of their aunt. The two ladies share a close bond and are constantly engaged in an entertaining banter.

Shankar’s arrival is delayed and it is time for Paru to sing another song Waat pahuni jeev shinala. He finally comes and the decision is made to go to Kolhapur. As promised, Chakkadrao takes them to Kolhapur in his truck. He also arranges their accommodation in the same locality where he stays. The couple settle down in their new surroundings. Shankar is lucky and gets a job in an engineering unit.

Life is different in Kolhapur compared to their village. They have an elderly and helpful neighbour called Tuka Jadhav. But the rest are of the troublesome category. There is a drunkard who beats his wife Sanguna (Asha Patil) daily and extracts money from her. He also tries to borrows money from his neighbours and keeps irritating them.

One day, the neighbour Sanguna comes hurriedly to Paru. She request her to keep her putali necklace safely as she does not want her husband to get hold of it. This is her last piece of jewellery and she cannot think of parting with it to support her husband’s drunken ways. Paru is reluctant but Sanguna presses her. Paru agrees and keeps the necklace in a jar of pulses in the kitchen.

This incident is witnessed by Chakkadrao. He is not the good samaritan he pretends to be. He has his sights on the beautiful Paru since their first meeting. He is waiting for an opportunity to get closer to her. Paru has sensed this and voiced her concern about Chakkadrao’s intentions to Shankar.

The same day, Shankar comes home with his first salary. He has purchased a watch for himself and a saree for Paru. Paru is overjoyed and sings a song Malayachya malyamandi patacha paani jaata remembering her maternal house and describing her brother, sister in law and the kids.

Chakkadrao meets Shankar and suggests visiting the renowned Jyotiba temple. Shankar agrees. But this request is part of a well thought plan. Chakkadrao has instructed his helper to steal the necklace when Paru and Shankar are out visiting the temple. The plan is successful and the helper hands over the necklace to Chakkadrao. The couple is unaware of this.

Paru’s brother and sister in law arrive in Kolhapur for a very short visit. There is another sweet song between the ladies – Rajachya rangmhali sonyacha bai palang.

All is hunky dory and it is time for Chakkadrao to make his move. Chakkadrao asks the drunkard to ask his wife for the necklace. He makes a huge fuss and forces Sanguna to goes to Paru and demand the necklace. Paru searches frantically but cannot find it in the kitchen. She realises the necklace as well as the salary amount (cash) are missing. Shankar and Paru accept the reality. News about the “stolen” necklace reach Shankar’s boss. He asks Shankar to arrange for a guarantor if he wants to continue in his job.

Shankar mortgages their house in Hanbarwadi and arranges the money. He doesn’t know any jeweller and Chakkadrao offers to help him in this task. Chakkadrao keeps the money and hands over a fake necklace in return. Shankar is a simple man and doesn’t understand he has been taken for a ride.

The truth is soon found out by Sanguna and her husband and the blame falls on Shankar. He is arrested, convicted and sent to jail. Paru is unexpectedly left to fend for herself. Her condition is portrayed through the devotional song Nako devaraya anta aata pahu. Chakkadrao offers to help her but she knows his intentions and throws him out. She is forced to vacate their house and starts working as a farm labourer.

She meets Shankar in the prison. He tells her to go her brother’s house but she disagrees. She doesn’t let her brother and sister in law know what has happened.

So, the couple continue their struggle. Shankar works as a blacksmith in the prison and spends his time in the company of a fellow prisoner cum teacher (played by Chandrakant Gokhale) who teaches him to read and write. Shankar is also desperate to flee the prison one way or the other. He cannot bear to live without Paru.

But more testing times are in store for the couple. Chakkadrao tracks Paru and attempts to make unwanted advances. She beats him with a wooden stick in self defense until he dies.

Where will this end? Will Paru be convicted of her crime? Will the couple be able to live happily again?

The Music

The film has evergreen music. Lata Mangeshkar composed the music under the pseudonym Anandghan. The story goes that the identity of “Anandghan” was revealed when Lata Mangeshkar got up to collect the award during the State Awards ceremony. The songs are in the voices of the Mangeshkar siblings – Lata, Usha and Hridaynath.

Airanichya deva is a well written song by Jagadish Khebudkar referring to the hard work of the blacksmith. Malachya malyamandhi, Waat pahuni jeev shinala and Rajachya rangmhali are written by Bhalji Pendharkar under the pseudonym “Yogesh.” Nako Devraya is a composition by Sant Kanhopatra based on raag Malkans.

My Thoughts

Sadhi Manasa maintains its simple tone throughout. It is said that none of the actors applied makeup while shooting for the film. The characters are shown to be quite practical. They accept what is in front of them and decide how to deal with the circumstances. Surprisingly, the melodrama is kept to the minimum and there are no over the top weepy ham scenes. Kudos to Bhalji Pendharkar! In a way, the film also reflects the impact when a simple villager moves to a big city. The transition can be life changing.

Suryakant, Chandrakant Gokhale, Sulochana, Rajshekhar and Master Vitthal are all adequate in their roles. The show stealer is Jayshree Gadkar who performs brilliantly. Her equation with different characters like her husband, brother and his wife, with the villain are presented convincingly. She is not merely the helpless heroine but handles the matters in her feisty manner. Sometimes, things don’t need to be flashy and glamorous to make a point and Sadhi Manasa underlines this effectively.

“Filmy” Songs

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Its almost the end of the month and my blog will complete 2 years on 31st March. It has been a pleasant experience. Writing about movies in the form of reviews, song lists and articles is extremely satisfying. There is so much to watch and write about when your passion is movies and music!

Today’s post is centered around this passion of mine. It is a songs post and all these are “filmy” songs. We have many films depicting the film industry. Right from Kaagaz Ke Phool, Guddi to Rangeela and Luck By Chance in recent times. And we have songs which pay a tribute to the film industry through its lyrics, cast or picturization. The combination makes the song totally filmy (or filmi), and entertaining. So hope you enjoy this post and do leave your comments.

1) Song: Ek Padosan Peeche Pad Gayi
Film: Gopi (1970)
Credits: Rajendra Krishan | Kalyanji Anandji | Mahendra Kapoor, Lata Mangeshkar and chorus

Let’s start with a dance number featuring the real life couple Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu. Both were highly successful in their careers. They did very few films together, including Gopi which became a hit. Coming to the filmi part of this song – the cleverly written lyrics weave the names of many movies and characters featuring the lead pair, making it an interesting song. It was probably the first song of its kind and showcases the star power and long lasting impact of films.

Ek padosan peeche pad gayi,
Junglee jiska naam,
Pyaar mohabbat kyaa samjhaaye,
Isko Ram aur Shyam,
Ke teri meri nahin nibhni

Jaa main na teri Madhumati,
Na Dhanno mera naam,
Dil bhi dena dard bhi lenaa,
Ye nahin mera kaam,
Ke teri meri nahin nibhni

2) Song: Naach Meri Jaan
Film: Main Sundar Hoon (1970)
Credits: Anand Bakshi | Shankar Jaikishan | Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle

There are films where the hero or heroine are associated with the film industry. Main Sundar Hoon told the story of a waiter Sundar (played by Mehmood) who becomes a film star. There are many “behind the scenes” which show how movies are made.

This song is a shooting sequence. The first shots show the song recording and we see some well known names including Kishore Kumar, Jaikishan and Anand Bakshi in front of the camera! Then Mehmood and Jayshree T participate in the song’s shooting. The lyrics are nonsensical but the tune is catchy with awesome singing.

3) Song: Loote Koi Mann Ka Nagar
Film: Abhimaan (1973)
Credits: Majrooh Sultanpuri | S. D. Burman | Manhar and Lata Mangeshkar

Many of Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s films have a character who is connected to music in some way. Remember Anuradha, Aashirwad, Bawarchi, Satyakam, Buddha Mil Gaya and so on?

Abhimaan was the story of two singers. After marriage, Uma (Jaya Bhaduri) is convinced by her husband Subir (Amitabh Bachchan) to become a playback singer. He is already a well established singer. This is the first song they record together. The song show typical views of a recording studio with musicians, sound recordists etc. We also get a glimpse of Nitin Mukesh in a special appearance.

4) Song: Ek Din Sapne Mein Dekha Sapna
Film: Golmaal (1979)
Credits: Gulzar | R. D. Burman | Kishore Kumar

This is another Hrishikesh Mukherjee movie. The hero Amol Palekar is enjoying a picnic with his friends when he sings this song. He dreams of Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha and Lata Mangeshkar. It’s a fun song with Amitabh and Rekha appearing in unexpected cameos.

5) Song:  Mere Jeevan Saathi
Film: Ek Duje Ke Liye (1981)
Credits: Anand Bakshi | Laxmikant Pyarelal | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and Anuradha Paudwal

This is a kind of gimmick song which works because it’s made to be a part of the story. The hero Vasu (Kamal Hassan) has limited knowledge of Hindi. To impress the heroine Sapna (Rati Agnihotri), he sings this song made up of Hindi film names. The entire song is shot in a lift.

Mere jeevan saathi, Pyaar Kiye Jaa,
Jawani Diwani, Khubsoorat Ziddi Padosan,
Satyam Shivam Sundaram

6) Song: John Jaani Janardhan
Film: Naseeb (1981)
Credits: Anand Bakshi | Laxmikant-Pyarelal | Mohammed Rafi

In 2007 came Om Shanti Om in which the song Deewangi Deewangi had a long parade of film stars appearing as guests in the hero Om (Shah Rukh Khan)’s party. But this idea of inviting film stars was first used by Manmohan Desai in Naseeb.

Amitabh Bachchan plays a waiter with a weird name of John Jaani Janardhan. The song portrays the golden jubilee success party of the film Dharam Veer (also made by Manmohan Desai). Stars arrive in full force to join the celebration. Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, Rajesh Khanna, Dharmendra, Randhir Kapoor, Waheeda Rehman, Mala Sinha, Sharmila Tagore,  Bindu…the list goes on. A true filmy song and a film fan’s delight!

7) Song: Na Maange Sona Chaandi
Film: Mr. India (1987)
Credits: Javed Akhtar | Laxmikant Pyarelal | Shabbir Kumar, Anuradha Paudwal and chorus

There was a time when films used to have parody songs. Writing a parody song is not easy. It has to suit the theme of the song, then suitable songs have to be selected and their lyrics altered. The lyrics need to be funny and a perfect fit for the situation. This song is one such fine example. Penned by Javed Akhtar, the parodied songs are all inspired from Laxmikant Pyarelal’s compositions, from films like Dosti, Raja Aur Rank, Milan, Shor, Bobby, Sargam etc. It turned out to be a truly filmy and memorable song!

8) Song: Antakshari
Film: Maine Pyar Kiya (1989)
Credits: S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Shailendra Singh, Lata Mangeshkar, Usha Mangeshkar and chorus

If we are talking about film songs, we cannot forget “Antakshari” – the well known game of film songs. Highly enjoyable and a perfect way to pass the time, it continues to be popular. Maine Pyar Kiya used this game with a mash-up of Hindi film songs as a way to bring the hero and heroine together. The hero Prem (Salman Khan) is adamant that the heroine Suman (Bhagyashree) apologize to him and say “I Love You” thrice. This happens during the course of the game when she finally relents and says the three words.

9) Song: Dhoom Tana…Kaise Nainon Se Nain
Film: Om Shanti Om (2007)
Credits: Javed Akhtar | Vishal-Shekhar | Abhijeet, Shreya Ghoshal and chorus

I was impressed by the usage of computer generated effects in this song and making it more impactful. The character of Shanti (Deepika Padukone) is a film actress. It is expected she works with multiple actors. The song portrays her pairing with 3 actors from the 60s and 70s. Through special effects, we see her dancing with Sunil Dutt, Rajesh Khanna and Jeetendra. The original shots are taken from Amrapali, Sachaa Jhutha & Jai Vijay, with Deepika added as their costar in each song portion. The outcome is impressive. The song has a retro feel and was well received.

10) Song: Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte
Film: Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008)
Credits: Jaideep Sahni | Salim-Sulaiman | Sonu Nigam

And the last song is a unique song which is a tribute to legendary heroes Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor, Rajesh Khanna and Rishi Kapoor, pairing them with actresses Nargis, Sadhana, Helen, Sharmila Tagore and Neetu Singh. The starting lyrics are actually a reference to the (then) ruling Khans – Aamir, Salman and Shah Rukh.

Shah Rukh Khan performs this delightful number with 5 actresses of the current generation – Kajol, Bipasha Basu, Lara Dutta, Preity Zinta and Rani Mukerji. The lyrics have references of the respective hero’s films and songs. The lyrics seem a bit stretched but the result on screen is just magical and filled with nostalgia.

Fantastic Voyage (1966)

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Films based on science fiction have been popular in English cinema. Special effects are an important feature of such movies. If done properly, they impress the audience and leave an impact. Fantastic Voyage (FV) is one such film. It is a fantasy plot where a group of people undertake a dangerous mission and travel inside the human body. They have one hour to complete the mission or the consequence will be disastrous. The plot majorly focuses on the challenges and experiences faced in their mission. Not to forget the visual extravaganza they have for company in the complex uncharted territory.

The film is based on a story by Otto Klement and Jerome Bixby. It was adapted as a novel by Isaac Asimov (interestingly, the book got published prior to the films release due to delays in the film’s completion). Richard Fleischer directed the movie. The film received 5 Oscar (Academy Award) nominations and won 2 awards for Best Visual Effects and Best Art Direction in Color.

The Plot

The film begins with the landing of a plane in the United States. Grant (Stephen Boyd) has arrived with a scientist named Jan Benes (Jean Del Val) who has defected to the USA. The scientist’s specialization is miniaturization (the process of shrinking people or objects). Currently, scientists in the USA are able to achieve miniaturization for only an hour. Apparently, Benes is able to do it indefinitely. This path breaking discovery will enable the USA to have an edge over its enemy (the country name is not revealed but it is obvious!).

Benes leaves the airport with full security. But the convoy is attacked with the intention of killing him. He is quickly rescued but he develops a blood clot in his brain and goes into a coma. He is currently lying in a medical facility at the Combined Miniature Deterrent Forces (CMDF) waiting to be operated upon to remove the clot. Unfortunately, the clot cannot be removed through a normal surgical procedure.

In a planned fantastic procedure, a team of specialists will travel “inside” the human body and operate on the clot.

Grant is a secret agent and asked to join this surgical mission. Apparently, it is suspected that someone from the mission will aim to kill Benes. Grant’s job is to ensure this doesn’t happen and Benes is saved.

So, Grant is brought to CMDF whose location seems to be a heavily guarded secret. He is met by General Carter (Edmond O’Brien) who is overseeing the mission with Colonel Reid (Arthur O’Connell). Carter explains the role of CMDF etc to Grant and shares details of the mission.

Carter explains the plan to shrink a submarine with 5 people on board. The submarine will be injected into Benes’s body. It will travel to the location of the blood clot, allowing the surgeons to perform the operation (by shooting the clot with a laser). All this is too fantastic for Grant to digest. He does not how to react but there is no time to lose.

There is a quick briefing session and we are introduced to the other members of the team. Captain Bill Owens (Willliam Redfield), a Navy officer will be responsible for operating the submarine. Dr. Michaels (Donald Pleasence) is the head of the medical team and circulatory specialist who will pinpoint the submarine’s exact location. And finally surgeon Dr. Peter Duval (Arthur Kennedy), and his assistant Cora Peterson (Raquel Welch) who would perform the actual operation with the laser.

So, the team is all set. They enter the submarine called Proteus and are miniaturized. They are able to communicate with the control room through wireless messages. Proteus is powered by a microscopic nuclear particle, enabling its location in the bloodstream to be tracked from outside by using a radioactive tracer.

But it is not smooth sailing all the way. At the very beginning, Dr Michaels feels claustrophobic and tries to leave the Proteus. He has to be caught and calmed down.

More problems are on the way. The team has to pass through the heart which is not a part of the original plan. For this, the heart has to be stopped by inducing cardiac arrest. Otherwise the sheer vibrations from the beating action of the heart will impact and possibly destroy Proteus.

They also face a sudden loss of oxygen. Grant volunteers to arrange the oxygen by pumping into the lungs! An innovative idea given the ready supply of oxygen available. He almost gets blown away but is rescued by the others.

Then the laser is found to be damaged and Dr Duval and Cora have to think of repairing the laser with the available resources. Grant realizes there is a sabouteur on board who will ensure the mission fails at all costs.

And the clock is ticking! They have only an hour to complete the mission. If not, the submarine will expand, killing Benes one way or the other. They are also up against the body’s natural defense mechanism which releases anti bodies if it detects an intruder. They have to navigate wisely without attracting attention.

The suspense is maintained till the end as the team deals with one obstacle after the other. In the midst of all this, they are treated to the inside view of the human body that no one else has encountered before.

The Music

The score was composed and conducted by Leonard Rosenman. It complements the events on the screen as the Proteus traverses through the human body. There are moments of wonder, anxiety in equal measure supported by the background music.

My Thoughts

I had watched FV a long time back and was impressed by the special effects. Today, they may not look very impressive with CGI and green screens but it is still a visual delight. Specially impressive are the lung sequence and the attack by the anti bodies/ white cells.

The plot is too fantastic but the film maintains its seriousness throughout to make it believable. All the actors are good including the villain who is eventually revealed and meets a horrifying end. Looking back, it is a 60 year old movie but definitely worth a watch.