Arey Sansaar Sansaar (1981)

My Reviews

Arey Sansaar Sansaar (Oh, this life!) is a Marathi movie directed by the veteran director Rajdutt. The movie shows the struggles of a farmer and his family. How they deal with a series of hardships and try to overcome them with great courage and unrelenting effort. It is based on a story by Pt. Mahadevshastri Joshi, who is credited as the source of many female centric movies in Marathi cinema.

The Plot

Arey Sansaar Sansaar is the story of a well to do farmer Bapu Desai (Kuldeep Pawar). Well to do in the sense that he is a watandaar (landholder). However his farm has been mortgaged with the local moneylender Sawkar (Ashok Saraf). Bapu is getting married and he has arranged the money by mortgaging his ancestral house. His wife is Ratna (Ranjana), who is also from a moderately rich family. In the very first scene, Bapu is bringing his newly wedded wife home. They have a sweet banter as they enter the village. Ratna is visibly impressed by her husband and his house.

As seems to be the custom, Bapu takes Ratna to meet Sawkar. Sawkar is a lecherous fellow with no scruples. He sees Ratna and is lusted by her beauty. This is a pointer of things to come!

The tobacco crop is ready. Bapu wants to sell it in the Nippani market where he is expected to get a much better rate than offered by the local Sawkar. The Sawkar is furious when he hears this. He goes to meet Bapu and offers him the same rate. There are some uncivil comments made by the Sawkar’s servant (Majnalkar) concerning Bapu’s wife Ratna. Bapu, gets angry and refuses to sell the crop to Sawkar come what may. Unfortunately, the crop gets damaged due to unexpected heavy rains and foils Bapu’s plans.

Sawkar goes to meet Ratna when Bapu is away. He tries to woo her but she gives him a fiery response and warns him to stay away from her. Bapu comes home and Sawkar reminds him of the loan. He will seize his land and house if the money is not paid back soon. A shaken Ratna offers her jewellery to cover some of the amount. The Sawkar leaves but his next scheme is ready. He ensures none of the farm labourers turn up to work for Bapu. Bapu is forced to work alone and keep the activities going.

So, now Ratna knows the reality of her in-laws’ financial condition. She is a feisty and practical woman. She cannot accept sitting at home while her husband toils in the fields. She joins him but he is not impressed. The women of his family are supposed to mind the house and not slog in the farm. What will the villagers, her parents etc say? She patiently explains that she has pledged to be with him in his joys and sorrows. He is finally convinced and thus begins their new farm life! They sing a song Raja lalkari ashi ghe.

Sawkar can’t let go of Ratna from his mind. He attempts to rape her but Bapu steps in and gives him a good bashing. In retaliation, Sawkar gets a seizure order and Bapu and Ratna are forced to leave their house and give up the farm too. They start living in a small hut. All that they have left is a small tract of jungle land which had been received as a reward (inaam) by Bapu’s family.

Bapu is disturbed by the developments. Gone is the prestige of the Desai’s. He cannot even guarantee a comfortable life for his better half. He attempts suicide but Ratna is alert and stops him in time. He asks her to leave him and go back to her parents. She says she has committed to be his shadow. This is a dark night but they should look forward for the sunshine. He agrees and they start working to clear the land and attempt cultivation. They sing another duet Kalya maatit maatit.

8 years pass on. They are blessed with 3 sons and also a bumper crop of sugarcane. They are looking forward to harvest the sugarcane when tragedy strikes. Sawkar sets the farm on fire and kills Bapu.

Ratna is broken and her struggles continue. There is severe famine and no food. She may have to sell off the last piece of land to support her family. She sings a sorrowful lullaby Jo jo gaate, zoka dete. Sawkar attempts to give her food and money but she refuses both with great will and effort. She cannot let her family’s principles wither away and die. Again, she looks forward for the positive tomorrow to arrive.

Sawkar attempts to abduct her children to force Ratna to come to him but she is saved by a good samaritan Sambha (Dinkar Inamdar). Sambha had faced a similar fate when the Sawkar lusted after his wife and eventually raped her. He had lost sanity for many years and roamed in the village like a mad man. Seeing Ratna’s plight, he is reminded of his past events and is suddenly brought back to reality. He attacks Sawkar and compels him to leave the children alone. Ratna accepts him as his brother. The rains arrive soon, bringing hope.

Finally, there is some joy in Ratna’s life. Ratna has aged, her children have grown up. The elder sons are married with children. The youngest Mahadev (Mohan Gokhale) has his sights on Hansa (Reema) and they look forward to get married with Ratna’s blessings.

And Sawkar? He won’t let Ratna or her family forget their hard times. He plans to sow the seeds of jealousy and discontent among her sons and daughter-in-laws. Will he succeed? Will Ratna continue to defy his intentions and manage to keep her family united?

The Music

The movie receives able support from its songs and are complementary to the story. Anil Arun are the music composers and Jagdish Khebudkar and Prof. Vitthal Wagh the lyricists. Suresh Wadkar and Anuradha Paudwal sings the hit duets Raja lalkari ashi ghe and Kalya maatit maatit (which comes in 2 versions). Vithu mauli tu is a devotional song in the voices of Sudhir Phadke, Suresh Wadkar and Jaywant Kulkarni. It is picturized on the 3 sons as an ode to their mother who has suffered all her life to bring them up successfully. The lullaby Jo jo gaate is also effective with its lyrics and picturization.

My Thoughts

The story is a long string of challenges faced by the main leads. It shows the debt trap that farmers enter into and is difficult to escape as the debt keeps piling up. They are at the mercy of the moneylender who exploits them openly. The viewer is easily reminded of Mother India with its fairly similar plot of the moneylender and the farmer’s family.

Kuldeep Pawar plays a character who is initially strong willed but later on forced to accept the reality of the debt trap and faces an unfortunate death. He shares a great chemistry with Ranjana. Ashok Saraf plays a comical villain. He is effective in some scenes but the comedic touch does not work every time. Maybe it would have benefited to show him as a typical evil villain who keeps plotting to fulfill his schemes against the Desai family. The show stealer is Ranjana. She is especially effective in her aged role right to her body language and movements showing a character who has seen it all that life has offered to her. She has no complaints and wants to spend her remaining days in the company of her children and grand children. The only jarring note is her soft dialogue delivery which is difficult to comprehend at times.

The movie also starred a young Reema Lagoo who is effective in her small role of the daughter-in-law. Interestingly, her real mother (Mandakini Bhadbhade) played her mother’s role on screen.

Naunihal (1967)

My Reviews, ,

Naunihal is a story of a young boy Raju who sets on a mission to meet Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who was then the Prime Minister of India. This is definitely a different subject to attempt. The movie manages to stay focused on its core theme and engage the viewer as Raju moves closer to meet his esteemed Chacha Nehru. This was Saawan Kumar Tak’s first movie as a producer (he also wrote the story). The director is Raj Marbros.

The Plot

The film begins with a meeting scene in a school in Panchgani. The school’s Principal (Balraj Sahni) is talking to the board of directors when they hear a commotion outside. The Principal, teachers and students as well as the board rush to the library to find that a student Raju (Master Babloo) has been throwing books and smashing objects in anger. Raju has had a fight with his classmates and was punished and locked in the library. The board is not impressed with his behaviour and inform the Principal to claim the damages from Raju’s parents and send him back to them.

A patient Principal informs them about Raju’s background through a flashback. The Principal was an orphan who grew up to be a successful man. He was married and had children. His family had been pestering him to take them to Panchgani, so they all can stay together. He finally agrees and goes to his home town in happy anticipation but there he comes face to face with a horrifying reality. An epidemic (mahamaari) has hit the town and there is death and illness everywhere. He has even lost his own family. Wandering around, he finds a boy crying. Apparently, he is alone having lost his family. This boy is Raju, now an orphan. The Principal believes that even an orphan has the right to live, be cared for and become successful. It reminds him of his own childhood. So the Principal brings Raju to Panchgani and enrolls him in his school. He does not adopt him but ensures he is well looked after.

Raju is constantly reminded he has no parents or relatives. Especially when the other students’ parents visit them and he sees their warm bonding. Apart from the Principal, there is a teacher Uma (Indrani Mukherjee) who dotes upon Raju. He accidentally keeps calls her “didi” (meaning elder sister) instead of teacher but she doesn’t mind.

Among the other students is Billo (Junior Mehmood) who keeps having a fight with Raju. Billoo’s brother is Rakesh (Sanjeev Kumar) who is an ex-student and a favorite of the Principal. Rakesh visits the school occasionally. Unknown to the Principal, Rakesh is in love with Uma. He informs his parents (Brahm Bharadwaj and Shaukat Kaifi) of his relationship and they are supportive of the match.

Back to Raju. Its report day. He sees the other boys spending time with their parents who have got gifts for them and are showering affection. Raju is once gain reminded he is alone. He is crying when students taunt him of being “anaath.” He gets into a fight and Uma and the Principal need to intervene. The Principal takes him inside and shows him Pandit Nehru’s photo fondly referred as Chacha (uncle) Nehru by children. The Principal says this is your uncle and don’t consider yourself alone.

Surprisingly Raju behaves as if he doesn’t know who Pandit Nehru is and his position as the country’s Prime Minister. He asks the Principal why doesn’t his uncle come to Panchgani to meet him. The Principal tells him its because Raju is a bad boy who keeps fighting. Raju promises to Pandit Nehru’s photo that he will be a good boy going forward. Further, the Principal asks Raju to write a letter to Pandit Nehru, which he does. Raju is happy about this new “relationship.” He steals the PM’s photo and keeps it in his hostel room, along with a red rose (plucked from the school garden).

One day, the Principal is having a heated discussion with the board of directors. He is not willing to raise the school fees. Raju rushes in to tell him that he has got a response from Pandit Nehru. The Principal is overjoyed, picks up Raju and suddenly collapses (apparently due to a heart attack). He is forced to leave for treatment in a nursing home. Strangely, the other teachers refuse to conduct classes until he is back and the school holidays are declared. (Wonder how the board agrees to this!). The students rejoice when they hear about the holidays.

The parents arrive to take the children home. Meanwhile Raju hears that his Chacha Nehru will be going to Mumbai (Bombay) and giving a speech near Chowpatty. With the Principal being away, he rushes to inform Uma but she is busy talking to the students’ parents and shouts at him to leave her alone. Raju hears that one of his fellow students is leaving for Mumbai. Unable to make his mind, he suddenly decides to hide in the boot of the car and lands in Mumbai.

Here the film enters a dark zone. He first meets a deranged old man (Harindranath Chattopadhyay) who looks after him for some time. He takes him to Chowpatty but they realise that the rally is over and Pandit Nehru has gone back to New Delhi. Later, Raju finds himself in the company of some child beggars who are after his money (he had carried Rs. 10 with him from Panchgani).

He ultimately gets kidnapped and lands in the slum where Mansaram (Manmohan) runs his training school. His profession? – training young boys and girls to make them beg in Mumbai. We are introduced to the grim reality of the begging profession. Very young children are made to lose their sight (made blind forcibly) or break their hands or legs to ensure they make effective beggars. The only sound people here are a poet Kavi (Jagdeep) and a blind young woman Kavita (Madhavi) who show concern for Raju.

In spite of all the hurdles, Raju manages to catch a train and reach New Delhi. A kind man (Abhi Bhattacharya) gives him shelter and informs Uma and the Principal (the Principal has recovered and is back in the school). Both of them rush to join Raju in New Delhi. Will they be successful in fulfilling Raju’s mission?

The Music

Technically, this subject does not have much scope for songs and there are too many (8 songs!), most of the seem wasted. This, in spite of having Kaifi Azmi as the lyricist and Madan Mohan as the music director.

Mohammed Rafi steals the show with 2 highly memorable numbers. It also brings out his versatility. The first is the soft romantic number Tumhari zulf ki saaye mein shaam kar doonga picturized on Sanjeev Kumar. And he sings the very moving “Meri awaaz suno.” [SPOILER AHEAD] – this song appears at the end of the movie and has some historic footage of Pandit Nehru’s funeral. The song is effective in capturing the mood of the sorrowful scenes.

My Thoughts

As stated, the movie’s theme is different from normal movies. And thankfully, its focus is on Raju and his mission. It does not spend much time on other sub plots or the romantic track. Also, the main plot moves smoothly from the innocence of the school life in the hill station to the metro city with its harsh reality. Master Babloo is convincing as Raju and his bond with the Principal and Uma is brought out naturally. Balraj Sahni is as usual impressive. This was Sanjeev Kumar’s initial movies and he doesn’t have much to do other than meet his love interest (Uma) and then keep hunting for Raju in Mumbai. The characters in the latter half – Manmohan, Jagdeep and Madhavi are good. Jagdeep plays a serious role, very different from his later comedic avatar.

Unfortunately, the film has some loopholes which don’t make the story believable (like Raju being able to run away from school easily). But I think those can be ignored as we join Raju in his journey to New Delhi and see how the story moves to its poignant and unexpected climax.

Miss Mary (1957)

My Reviews

It been a year since I started my blog on 31st March 2024. So Happy Anniversary! The first post was dedicated to Meena Kumari’s songs whose death anniversary falls on 31st March. So I thought of writing about a movie in which she starred – Miss Mary. Produced by AVM, directed by Prasad, this is a remake of a Telugu/Tamil movie called Missamma/Missiamma. The movie was successful in all versions.

The Plot

Miss Mary is a lost and found story. Shri Laxmi Vidyalaya has been founded by Laxmi’s father Rai Sahib (Jagdish Sethi) in the memory of his lost daughter. Laxmi had got lost some 16 years back and he has been making efforts to trace her with no success. He announces the primary school will be made a middle school. For this, he will be soon hiring a B.A. pass married couple who will be responsible for running the school. He has placed an ad in the newspaper.

His wife is Achla Sachdev and they have another daughter Sita (Jamuna). They are looking at Laxmi’s photo and remembering her appearance, habits etc. Its obvious they have had this conversation many times before and is repeated for the sake of the audience!

Another family member is Raju (Kishore Kumar), who is a friend’s son and a self proclaimed detective. Raju is Sita’s fiancee. He has declared himself as India’s no. 1 detective whose sole purpose is to find his uncle’s missing daughter. Apparently he doesn’t do anything else all day. His assistant is Chandragupta (Karunanidhi).

Raju has come with a man and his daughter. The man claims his daughter is the lost girl Laxmi. But Raju’s aunt (Achla Sachdev) rejects the claim. She explains that Laxmi had been wearing a leaf shaped locket and there is mark on her right foot. This is the only way of identifying the real Laxmi. Raju is motivated to double his efforts, advertise in the newspaper and and search for the missing daughter.

The scene shifts to Mumbai. Meena Kumari (Miss Mary) is teaching a song to a young girl Kiran, who is the daughter of a Government officer. Kiran’s father informs Miss Mary that he is getting transferred and she needs to look for a new job. Mary is taken aback with the sudden news. Another employee with the same fate is Arun (Gemini Ganeshan). Mary and Arun are suddenly jobless. They get a reference letter from the officer but is not that useful.

Mary lives with her parents. Her father (Shivraj) is a Christian priest. A villainous character is John (Randhir) who had given a loan of Rs. 400 to Mary’s father. He keeps reminding the family and pesters them to return the money. But his real purpose is to marry Mary and is willing to forget the money. Mary is furious. She has no intention of marrying John.

In frustration, she brings a weird leaf shaped locket which has photos of Hindu gods to her father. Its been lying in the family cupboard for many years. After all, what is a Hindu locket doing in a Christian family? She asks her father to sell the locket and repay the loan. But her father gives a lecture on religious unity. He considers the locket lucky. Of course the audience can guess that this is Laxmi’s locket and Mary is none other than Laxmi.

Meanwhile, Arun has been acquainted with a good for nothing character Nakadu (Om Prakash). He is a fraud, a beggar whose job is to con people and earn easy money. Arun spends most of his time in the public garden as he searches for job vacancies in the newspaper. Coincidentally, Mary visits the same garden. She too, has had no success job hunting. Arun comes across the ad concerning the B.A. pass married couple teaching job. He manages to explain the situation to Mary. If she is willing, they can pose as a married couple and apply for the job. Mary is enraged at the suggestion and leaves in a huff. But Arun tells Nakadu that she will be back soon with good news.

And that’s what happens. Mary is agreeable to Arun’s plan for the sake of the money. She will work for a couple of months until John’s loan can be repaid and return home. Arun is supportive. They submit the joint application and Laxmi’s father appoints them as the new teachers (cum headmasters!) of the middle school. Only Raju has some concerns. The couple appear to be very young and not too experienced. His uncle admonishes him and asks him to make arrangements to welcome the new appointees.

So Arun, Mary and Nakadu arrive and are welcomed wholeheartedly by Laxmi’s family. Achla Sachdev immediately looks upon her as her daughter. Mary’s resemblance to Laxmi it seems is obvious. The new couple settle down in their own bungalow with Nakadu for company. They are successful in their job and Laxmi’s father is satisfied.

The elderly duo keep calling Mary and Arun to their house for different reasons. One day its Laxmi’s birthday, next is dinner followed by Sita’s dance performance, another some rituals are to be performed and so on. (They obviously do not know that Mary is a Christian, and strangely her Hindu name is never revealed!).

Mary is not impressed with the interference and uncomfortable with the Hindu customs. She blames Arun for her plight. He is helpless but cannot do anything. They both need the job and need to sustain for 2 months before Mary can leave.

We also have a “love” triangle angle in the form of Sita. She wants to learn music from Arun but Mary is jealous of the arrangement. And then we have Raju who is hell bent in finding Laxmi and keeps “investigating” the couple. Nakadu manages to keep him at bay by demanding money (bribe) and give him roundabout answers to keep the couple’s secret intact.

In general, this plot continues for rest of the movie until it reaches its predictable end and the truth coming out.

The Music

The songs are good, voiced by Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle and Geeta Dutt. Rajinder Krishan (lyrics) and Hemant Kumar (music) share the credits. The popular songs are Sakhi ri sun bole papeeha, O Raat Ke Musafir and Brindaban Ka Kishan Kanhaiya.

My Thoughts

Miss Mary is a simple and sweet movie. There are no twists and turns and things move at a lethargic pace. The movie could have been shorter and more entertaining if some dramatic moments were included.

For once, Meena Kumari’s character is not weepy. She alternates between the irritated character only to mellow down a bit and return to her original form effectively. Gemini Ganeshan is credited as Ganesh and plays the role adequately. Strangely, there is no romantic track shown between the supposedly married characters. They are always bickering and playing the blame game which becomes repetitive. And joining them is Om Prakash’s character which becomes predictable as the film progresses. Kishore Kumar is impressive and plays a character that does not want to do anything with music. He even sings a song Gaana naa aayaa, bajaanaa naa aayaa. Again, there is no romantic involvement shown with Jamuna’s character though they are supposed to get married.