Category Archives: My Reviews

Hatya (1988)

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Hatya was one of the early successes of Govinda. This was before he entered the comedy phase of his career in the 1990s. The film was Govinda’s home production under the banner of Sri Nirmala Devi Productions. His brother Kirti Kumar is credited as producer and director and he also sings a couple of songs! While watching the movie I kept feeling like watching a South Indian film, especially the track involving the hero and a small boy which adds an emotional angle to the drama. And indeed, there was an original Malayalam film which was remade into multiple languages. Hatya is inspired from the same film.

As the name implies, the film focuses on a murder or rather two murders. The murder takes place at the very beginning and we know the identity of the murderer. How the murderer is identified by the hero and the police through many difficulties and coincidences is covered in the rest of the film.

The Plot

The hatya takes place on a secluded road. A man Surendra Mohan (Anupam Kher) is sitting in his car. His driver cum right hand man Ranjit (Bob Anthony) is with him. They are waiting for someone to arrive. It is the soon to be victim Mohan (Satish Kaul) (wonder why they repeated the name Mohan for no reason). Mohan works as a manager in Surendra’s factory. Surendra sees Mohan and calls out his name. Surendra comes put of the car. We notice he is disabled and uses an elbow crutch. Mohan looks at Surendra as if knowing what is going to happen next. Surendra signals Ranjit, who pulls up a knife and kills Mohan. The task is done.

The two men look around to confirm there are no witnesses. But they are unlucky. They are surprised to see a young boy (Baby Sujitha) with a toy standing on the stairs of a nearby building. He has seen everything. (Why did they select this spot when the residential building was so close? Silly mistake.)

Well, the boy has a shocked expression. His mother Meena (Aparajita, a widow) comes looking for him and notices the scene in front of her. Two men with guilty expressions and a dead body lying on the road. She picks the boy and rushes inside. She tries to call the police station. Inspector Ashok Gupta (Raj Kiran) is on duty. She is about to tell him about the murder when Ranjit cuts the wire (those were the days of the landline) ☎️. The connection is lost.

Ranjit enters the house and stabs Meena, with her son watching through the window. Her poor son witnesses another murder in a matter of minutes. Shocked he may be but the boy realises he will be the next victim. He jumps out and runs away before Ranjit can come behind him. Surendra and Ranjit bury the woman’s body nearby. Mohan’s body is left near the sea shore. It is discovered three days later. Inspector Ashok begins his investigation.

The boy is wandering around the streets in the night. This is where he will meet the hero Sagar (Govinda). Sagar is introduced through a song. He appears to be well to do and sings and dances at functions. He seems to perform in a hotel/ club in the evening. Apparently, he paints well too! Sagar drinks a lot to try and forget his sorrows. He gives a lecture about being alone and so on.

A drunk Sagar is returning home in his car when he sees the boy sleeping on the footpath. After some drama, he takes the boy home with him. He names him Raja. Next morning, he tries to speak to the boy but the boy falls asleep again. Sagar realizes he has high fever. He decides to take care of him until he recovers.

Meanwhile Surendra tells Ranjit to find the boy who is now the sole witness to their crime. He asks him to avoid killing him. Rather it will be good if he can take him to a faraway place and leave him there (how considerate!).

Raja recovers but he has still not spoken to Sagar which is strange. The bitter truth is revealed when Sagar drops a glass jar and Raja does not react. Sagar suspects something is wrong and drops a vase but still there is no reaction from Raja. That is when Sagar realises the boy is deaf and dumb.

A shaken Sagar takes him to the doctor for examination. The doctor tells him that the boy is deaf and dumb since birth. Maybe that is why his parents abandoned him. He can be taught to communicate through sign language and can lead a normal life. Sagar decides to do all he can for Raja but he hopes that the boys parents can be traced.

Ranjit tries to abduct Raja in the hospital but his plan fails. Raja tries to convey the matter to Sagar through his hand gestures but Sagar doesn’t understand. Later on, there are multiple occasions when Raja sees something connected to the murder but unfortunately Sagar is unable to understand the significance of what he is pointing towards and the reason behind it. It is only towards the end that Sagar finally realizes the truth of his actions.

Sagar goes to buy toys for Raja. (Strangely, he leaves Raja alone in the car outside the store!). After the shopping is done, he cannot locate Raja. He runs around in the store searching for Raja to find him holding hands with a girl Sapna (Neelam). He thinks the girl might be Raja’s mother. But she quickly explains that she just met Raja and assumes Sagar is the boy’s father. Raja clears the matter. Later, he meets her again in the local market. We come to know that Sapna’s bungalow is quite close to Sagar’s house. She starts meeting him under the pretext of meeting Raja. She has grown fond of Raja as well as Sagar.

Sagar’s past is revealed when he talks to Raja (who doesn’t understand anything). Sagar was an orphan. He met another orphan Sheela and they got married. Sheela gave birth to a son who was named Raja. However she became mentally unstable and later contracted jaundice. Eventually Sheela and Raja both passed away. From then he has been alone. He hates loneliness but has no option. By chance, Sapna hears all this and is sympathetic toward’s Sagar’s condition. As expected, she falls in love with him. They sing a couple of songs.

There is a comedy track involving Johnny Lever. He plays a blacksmith. He comes with his wife posing as Raja’s fake parents. This is part of Ranjit’s plan to get hold of Raja. But an alert Sagar foils the plan.

As the story develops it is revealed Raja’s mother Meena was Sapna’s elder sister. She had married a Christian man Michael against her father’s (Om Shivpuri) wishes. He broke all contact with her. But he wants to make amends now and goes to find the whereabouts of his daughter and grandson.

Among all this, the main focus is of course on the murder(s) that need to be solved. Inspector Ashok seems to get closer to the culprit. But will he be able to reveal the truth in time as Surendra is not sitting idle. He wants to wipe off the traces of his crime and Raja’s life is in danger. There are complications when the police suspect that Sagar had kidnapped Raja and killed his mother. Will Sagar be able to clear his name and nail the murderer?

The Music

The songs are written by Indeevar with music by Bappi Lahiri and is a decent effort. Kirti Kumar sings two songs Ghunghat ke pat khol and Main To Hoon Sab Ka, Mera Na Koi. Zindagi Mahek Jaati Hai, Har Nazar Bahek Jaati Hai is sung by K. J. Yesudas and Lata Mangeshkar. Aap Ko Agar Zaroorat Hai, Dil Mera Haazir Khidmat Hai (Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle) is a happy song. The romantic Main Pyar Ki Pujaran, Mujhe Pyar Chahiye is perhaps the most popular song of the film, it is sung Mohammed Aziz and Sapna Mukherjee.

My Thoughts

Hatya is meant to be a thriller film rather than a murder mystery as the murderer is known to the audience. I was expecting some more thrilling moments along the way. But the focus is on the small boy and the hero. Then, on the romantic track for a while. The random comedy track is irritating though Johnny Lever is impressive.

Overall, the thriller element seems diluted. This is probably because this was Kirti Kumar’s first attempt at direction. But he manages to hold the film together. Acting wise, Govinda emotes well and gets ample opportunities to display his dancing skills. His pairing with Neelam is well known. Baby Sujitha performs well too. The villains were disappointing. Anupam Kher doesn’t get much to do. The South Indian actor Bob Anthony has a meaty role. He looks strong but talks awkwardly probably because he was not comfortable with Hindi. In spite of its shortcomings, the film left its impact and was a box office success.

Humsaya (1968)

My Reviews,

Good spy thrillers have been rare in Hindi cinema. I think this genre slowly picked up in the 1960s after the successful launch of the James Bond series and our desi directors started thinking of adapting to the trend. Ankhen (1968) stands out as one of the best entertainers in this genre. The same year came Humsaya, an ambitious film of Joy Mukerjee. He launched Joy Mukerjee Productions and had the triple responsibility of acting, producing and directing the film. Unfortunately, the ambitions did not translate effectively on screen and the audience were left with a disappointing result.

Humsaya (meaning neighbour) was a kind of Cold War drama based on the period following the 1962 Indo China war and relations between the neighboring countries. The Chinese send a spy to India to locate some weapons and use them against the country by sending Chinese guerilla fighters. It is too complex a story and I will attempt to explain it with the help of its three main characters played by Joy Mukerjee, Sharmila Tagore and Mala Sinha.

The Plot

As expected the plot is centered around Joy Mukerjee’s character and he plays a double role. He is Lin Tan, a Chinese military officer staying in Peking. He is in love with Sin (Mala Sinha), a singer and dancer. They get married at the beginning of the movie. It is their “suhaag raat.” They promise to always be together. Unfortunately, Sin is called to report for duty immediately. Poor Sin is left alone on her first night. Sin is taken to meet Comrade Chen Lai (or Leng?) (Madan Puri).

Chen Lai tells him that he has been selected for an important mission. Enter Shyam, an Indian and a lookalike of Sin. Sin is made to undergo plastic surgery so that his Chinese features can be altered and he looks exactly like Shyam. (Conveniently, Sin has Indian looks as his father became involved with an Indian woman). And who is Shyam? He is an Indian prince who was serving in the Indian air force as a squadron leader.

It so happened that Shyam was in love with Reena (Sharmila Tagore). Reena’s childhood friend Vijay Khanna(?) is also interested in her. She tells him clearly that she is interested in Shyam. One day Shyam arrives to confront Vijay in his house but gets mocked at. Shyam is angry, Vijay threatens him with a gun. They have a scuffle outside the house when Vijay gets shot by someone. Shyam picks up Vijay’s gun and tries to search for the murderer. Vijay’s father and Reena arrive at the scene.

Obviously, Reena believes that Shyam killed Vijay and leaves him. He is court martialled and sent to jail for two years. He doesn’t return home after his jail term and becomes a wanderer. The Chinese have been tracking him and Chen Lai meets him and takes him to a place near the Indo China border. That’s where he has been staying for some time. But Shyam has been biding his time. He acts as if he is sorrowful and drinks all day with Reena’s photo for company.

Lin is brought to the border town to meet Shyam. Both are taken aback by the resemblance between them. Its as if they are looking at a mirror. Being a Hindi film, their voices are also identical! Later, in private Chen Lai tells Lin about his secret mission. Apparently,  Vijay had been a Chinese spy. The Chinese had sent him arms and ammunition to be used against India. The plan was to send Chinese guerilla fighters who would use those arms to destroy India. (This is an extremely weird plan. That would be too much material for one man to handle and where is it all stored?) Anyway, someone else got to know about the whereabouts of the arms and killed Vijay. That is why the Chinese want Lin to go to India posing as Shyam and find who killed Vijay and retrieve the arms. Shyam hears all this secretly. He is a true Indian and will make all effort to thwart the plans of the Chinese.

The two men spend the next few days together and share details about each other including the details about the women in their life. Conveniently they have photographs of the respective women handy. Lin is forced to leave Sin and proceed on his mission.

The day arrives when Lin is ready to leave China and travel to New Delhi. He asks Chen Lai what they intend to do with Shyam. Chen Lai tells him that the plan is to administer opium to Shyam and kill him when he is unconscious. (Again, weird logic!)

But Shyam has a different plan. He attacks Lin, makes him consume the the opium. He wears Lin’s clothes and is ready to “disguise” himself as Shyam and go to India. Chen Lai sees the unconscious man and has some doubts whether he is meeting Lin or Shyam but Shyam convinces him that he is Lin and they need to proceed with the plan. Shyam i.e. Lin is brought out in the snow and shot. It is not clear what means and route does Shyam take to reach his destination. Surely, there would be border posts, he would need a passport etc.

Coming to the two ladies. Reena is played by Sharmila Tagore. She is shocked when Shyam kills Vijay. The Shyam chapter is closed for her.

When Shyam comes back she rejects his advances. He tries hard but she has no patience to listen to him. Apparently, she is facing an inner struggle. Shyam seems to be sincere but she can’t bring herself to face him. He tries a song to convey his state of mind and she mellows down a bit. Her father (played by Sapru) agrees to give him a last chance to prove his innocence. Vijay’s father calls Shyam to meet him but gets killed before Shyam can talk to him. The police nab the supposed murderer who confesses that Shyam did not kill Vijay. But he is killed when he is about to reveal the murderer’s name. After the revelation, Shyam is reinstated in the air force and and he and Reena get engaged.

The 3rd important character is Sin. She is eagerly waiting for her husband to return. And opportunity knocks. She is sent to india as part of a Chinese cultural delegation. Chen Lai accompanies the delegation as Professor Tao Kai Shen, his main purpose is to push Shyam to complete his mission.

She performs with her troupe in multiple cities. As expected she gets to meet Shyam. She is not aware that Lin has been killed and the man posing as her husband is an impostor. She attempts to flirt with him but he seems to keep a distancefrom her.

Poor Shyam! He has too many duties to perform. He has to focus on his spy mission and manage Chen Lai’s expectations. He has to play lover to Reena. More importantly, he has to control Sin’s advances as she doesn’t know the truth. He can feel her longing for her husband and the unbearable separation but he cannot be her husband. Being an Indian man, he is committed to Reena and will stay loyal to her. Reena displays jealousy and suspects Shyam’s intentions as she is not aware of his spy act.

There are other characters like Jagirdar, who plays the head of intelligence. Rehman plays Shyam’s uncle. He has been looking after the princely state after the untimely death of Shyam’s parents. He is like a father to Shyam and is relieved when Shyam returns home. A comedy touch is provided by Polson and Mallika.

And there is a mysterious man who doesn’t reveal his identity and claims to be responsible for Vijay’s murder. After Vijay’s removal, he wants to make a deal with the Chinese and supply them the hidden arms and ammunition.

The complex plot continues till the truth about Shyam is revealed. He takes over the Chinese fighters single handedly in the backdrop of the Himalayas. And Vijay Khanna’s murderer is revealed. The love triangle is resolved amicably.

The Music

Music is perhaps the only saving grace in the movie. There are 3 lyricists Shevan Rizvi, S.H. Bihari, and Hasrat Jaipuri with music by the dependable O.P. Nayyar. Many of Joy Mukerjee films had great music by O P Nayyar (including Ek Musafir Ek Haseena, Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon, Dil Aur Mohabbat and Ek Baar Muskura Do).

There are 6 songs in Humsaya in the voices of Mohammed Rafi, Mahendra Kapoor and Asha Bhosle. Mohammed Rafi sings the soulful Dil ki awaaz bhi sun and the romantic duet Mujhe mera pyaar de do. Woh haseen dard de do and Kitna Haseen Hai Ye Jahaan are picturised on Mala Sinha. The solo Kanhaiya O Kanhaiya features Sharmila Tagore. There is a beautiful love triangle song starring the 3 leads – Badi mushkil se kaabu mein. One female solo Aaja mere pyaar ke sahaare was absent in the film.

My Thoughts

Humsaya could have been a better spy film but it focuses on many things at the same time losing direction. It is evident Joy Mukerjee finds it difficult to manage many fronts inside and out of the movie. For some reason I was reminded of Jewel Thief (1967) which was a winning combination of many elements like crime and heist, romance, suspense and spy thriller. That’s why an accomplished director matters.

Sadly, Humsaya portrays itself as a spy film but apart from Joy Mukerjee and Madan Puri, it does not have other major characters to add spice to the secret agent plot. There are many inconsistencies and loopholes in the story making it seem scattered. Madan Puri portrays a weak villain.

There is the unwanted murder mystery sub plot. The audience stops caring when the culprit is revealed, his intentions are not very convincing. The climax seems hilarious. The love triangle looks stretched. Sharmila Tagore doesn’t have much to do. Comparatively, Mala Sinha is more impressive as she tries to get closer to the man she thinks is her husband until the truth is revealed. The songs provide the necessary relief but are not enough to save the film.

Dhyanimani (2017)

My Reviews, ,

Dhyanimani is an expression which means deeply embedded in one’s thoughts, mind, and heart. It describes something you are constantly aware of, remembering, or preoccupied with, even subconsciously. That is the complexity of the human mind and it is difficult to predict its behaviour and reaction to a given situation. This can have a prolonged effect on a person as he/she is unable to distinguish the difference between reality and imagination. The Marathi film Dhyanimani explores a similar theme about human psychology. It also talks about societal pressures that may lead to undesirable consequences.

Dhyanimani is a seemingly simple story of a happy family but all is not “normal.” The film has a limited star cast of Mahesh Manjrekar, Ashwini Bhave, Abhijeet Khandkekar and Mrunmayee Deshpande. Mahesh Manjrekar had produced the play with the same name in the 1990s and adapted it as a movie years later in 2017. Prashant Dalvi is the writer and Chandrakant Kulkarni has directed the film.

The Plot

The story begins with a young couple staying in Mumbai. Dr. Sameer Karandikar (Abhijeet Khandkekar) is a clinical psychologist working at the university. His wife is Aparna (Mrunmayee Deshpande), a microbiology research student. Aparna is not in a good mood. Her pregnancy test result has come out positive. Apparently, the couple have married at a young age and are not ready to welcome a child so early in their married life.

She calls Sameer to give him the unexpected “good” news. Things settle down after they talk at home and share the news with Sameer’s father Vinayak Karandikar (Madhav Abhyankar). Aparna calms down and accepts the situation. They are ready to welcome the bundle of joy in their house. Sameer proposes they go on a short trip for a change of scene and Aparna agrees.

But they cannot go far from Mumbai due to their commitments. Sameer’s father proposes they should go to Roha in Konkan, and stay at a resort that he is aware of. The resort in charge is one of Karandikar’s old students Sadanand alias Sada Pathak (Mahesh Manjrekar). Sada’s wife is Shalini (Ashwini Bhave), who also was Karandikar’s student. Both have a lot of respect for Karandikar Sir and treat him like their father. They have a 12-13 year old son Mohit. Shalini regularly writes to Karandikar keeping him updated about all the happenings in their life. Sameer and Aparna have heard a lot about Sada and Shalini though they have never met. They agree to go to the resort without any prior intimation to the Pathaks.

The couple head to Roha by train and arrive in the morning. The setting moves to the resort guest house where Sada and Shalini reside. Shalini is serving breakfast to Sada. There is routine family talk. Mohit has gone on a school trip and will be back in the evening. Shalini seems to be a housewife whose world is centred around her husband and son. Sada gets irritated by her constant chattering. She reminds Sada that Mohit needs a new uniform, he is growing so fast. They will go this Friday to the market. Shalini keeps talking about Mohit this and Mohit that and Sada asks her to calm down. Apparently, the Pathaks are not very well off and Sada has to keep an eye on the house budget.

Finishing breakfast, Sada is about to leave for work when the bell rings. They see the strangers at the door and look at each other questioningly. Sameer and Aparna greet them. Sada and Shalini don’t recognize them but matters are cleared, and they are welcomed happily. Sameer asks Sada to arrange for a room in their resort. But Shalini tells them that he is Karandikar Sir’s son and like family, the couple will stay with the Pathaks in the guesthouse. Sada seems to be not very comfortable with the suggestion but he agrees and leaves for work.

As the couple settles down, Shalini has a long conversation with Sameer over tea. He informs her that he is not a medical doctor. He is a doctor of  psychology. She says she had studied psychology as a subject during her graduation. She talks about Mohit and child psychology.  She mentions that Sada seems to be having a psychological problem. He is constantly worrying about his work, boss, career progression and so on. She fears Mohit will develop a complex like him. Sameer asks her not to worry, such tensions are normal.

Sameer and Aparna decide to spend the day exploring the area. Before leaving they ask Shalini what gift should they get for Mohit. Shalini responds that is not required as he has so many toys and other stuff. She inadvertently mentions that Mohit was talking about a table tennis bat, Sameer thanks her for solving his query!

The young couple have an enjoyable day. They return to the guest house in the evening to find a worried looking Shalini waiting at the entrance. She informs that Sada and Mohit have not come back. Sada comes home and Shalini pesters him to go to the school and find out what has happened. Sada pacifies her and goes immediately. Sameer offers to come with him but Sada asks him not to worry. He will be back soon.

In the meantime Shalini has become hyper and tells Sameer and Aparna about how one of their neighbour’s son didn’t come back after he met with an accident during a school trip. Sameer tries to calm her down. It’s almost 11.00 pm. She asks them to go and sleep. She will wait for Sada and Mohit to come and serve dinner.

Sada comes home alone. He tells her that the bus is yet to return. There are senior students in the bus and there is no cause for worry. But Shalini is in a foul mood. She keeps talking as the lights go off suddenly because of a power cut. It’s 11.30 pm when Mohit reaches home. Sameer and Aparna hear Shalini shouting at Mohit. She is angry because he wants to go to a karate camp the next day. She admonishes him for not spending time at home. His behaviour is not acceptable. The dialogue continues as she serves him dinner.

Sameer tells Aparna that it’s better to meet Mohit now and give him the gift. They will not meet him tomorrow once he leaves for the camp. Aparna agrees. They step out in the darkness to go towards the dining table. Shalini’s non-stop jabbering is on. The lights come back suddenly and they are shocked at what they are seeing. Shalini is alone at the dining table. She is talking to thin air. Reality strikes. Mohit does not exist and lives in Shalini’s imagination.

Aparna and Sameer are too shocked to react and go back to their room. The next morning they step out early and discuss the matter. So, Shalini herself is the “psychological” case in the house. In an intense scene, Sameer confronts her directly but is taken aback at the way she counters his argument. She has been living with this lie or hallucination for years and Mohit has become a part of her life.

Later, a desperate Sada tells the truth to them. The Pathaks were childless for many years. The doctors diagnosed that Shalini can never become a mother due to a medical condition. The revelation sent her into a severe shock. The impact was so serious that she gave “birth” to an imaginary child and brought him home. Sada was obviously furious and left the house for a couple of days. When he returned, Shalini made him accept the reality. He promised never to leave her again and that he will always care for herself and their son Mohit. So, this is how the “three” of them have been living happily all these years.

Sada is fine with the arrangement as he has accepted Shalini’s condition. More importantly, she is happy. But Sameer points out that it is dangerous to live like this. Shalini needs to be treated and the illusion needs to be broken. He is happy to attempt it with Sada’s help.

Will Sada agree? More importantly, what is Shalini’s reaction as Mohit is indeed her heart and soul. Can she stay alive without his existence in her life?

The Music

The film has one song Ashi Kashi Vedi Maya written by Sandeep Khare with music by Ajit Parab. It appears as a male version in Ajit Parab’s voice and later a female solo in Madhura Datar’s voice.

My Thoughts

Dhyanimani is a case of missed opportunities. The plot has great potential with the sudden twist and suspense embedded in it. The story works as a play but it’s film version is disappointing. There are many loose ends and instances of lazy writing. Main issue is the lack of reference to and usage of technology as the film is set in 2017 when mobile phones and social media were prevalent in daily life. Many plot points that would have worked in the context of the play are not convincing in the movie.

An example is when Mohit does not return home, their is no clear suggestion to call the school, the teachers or other parents. (A single mobile call would have solved the problem!) Of course, making this suggestion would have put Shalini and Sada in a spot but such plot holes need to be addressed properly. The suspense build up is good but you feel it could have been better.

Mahesh Manjrekar is good in parts. Maybe some other actor would have been better suited to the character. Somehow his chemistry with Ashwini Bhave does not impress much. Abhijeet Khandkekar and Mrunmayee are adequate. Abhijeet plays a psychologist but his expertise is under utilized. He seems to give up easily when it comes to dealing with Shalini. Ashwini Bhave is impressive in the emotional scenes and the scene where she “deals” with Dr Sameer when he questions her about Mohit. But overall, she is loud and over the top. Her dialogue delivery and tone is unnecessarily artificial from the beginning. Her constant chattering starts to irritate you. A subdued and controlled character would have helped to generate that normal atmosphere before the shocking revelation is made. You don’t connect with the character. As a result, the impact when you know the truth about Mohit and Shalini’s condition is significantly reduced.

A more thoughtful approach would have made it a better film with better results.