By Jaideep Sen
Deewaar one of the two greatest Films
ever made in Indian Cinema – the other being Sholay – celebrated its glorious forty-fourth birthday on 24
January, 2019. On the august occasion, I take a look at one of the female
characters who provided the film with strength, style and substance. While many
of you may think this is going to be an ode to Sumitra Devi, the mother of Vijay
and Ravi who has gone into the hall of pride of Indian cinema, I would like to
put the spotlight on Anita, performed with such flamboyance and great
sensitivity by Parveen Babi-ji. Anita
enters the film at a pivotal juncture in a high-end hotel bar and comes across
as a upmarket escort who is instrumental in unintentionally saving Vijay’s life
when he is attacked. From here on Salim
Saab and Javed Saab etched out a very understated, mature and progressive bond
between Vijay and Anita.
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| Parveen Babi as Anita in Deewaar |
Consider this exchange between Vijay and Anita: When
Vijay takes a dig at her and says, “tum
jaisi ladkiyan toh kapdo ki tarah apna naam badalti hain”, she retorts sharply
but with great dignity, “aaj pehli baar main kisi ko keh rahi hoon
ki mere maa baap ne mera naam Anita rakha tha”. From there on, their
relationship navigates to a level of mutual respect. Another classic moment in
the relationship is Vijay’s discovery of a saree in Anita’s cupboard and her
telling him its history. Later in the movie when she is killed, she is shown
wearing the same saree. A subtle touch that not just gives gravity to Vijay and
Anita’s relationship, but reveals the writer
duo’s amazing skill in giving respect to a woman and her unsung contributions
in a man’s life.
I
actually remember calling Salim Saab after watching Deewaar recently and mentioning that Anita is one of the most
progressive characters in contemporary Indian cinema. In response Salim Saab
remarked that Deewaar was their best
written script.
My
personal favourite remains Sholay
because I guess along with its powerful writing, I have been mesmerised by the
magnitude of Sholay. This brings me
to another stand-out character that the masters created in Radha, so poignantly
and effectively performed by Jaya Bachchan-ji. Though widowed young due to
Gabbar’s brutality the lady has a spine of steel, evident in the sequence in
which she confronts Veeru and Jai when they are trying to rob and flee. The clinical and piercing dressing down that
she gives them, shakes up the two mercenaries, compelling them to reform. It
takes great insights into the influence that a woman has on a man to write such
gems and enhance the strength and standing of women in life and literature.
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| Raakhee Gulzar as Sudha in Kala Patthar |
My post
would be incomplete without a mention of Sudha, the selfless doctor played with
such dignity by Rakhee Gulzar-ji in Kala
Patthar. The sequence, in which she explains to a defeatist Vijay the circumstances
in which her farmer father passed away in a remote village was the motivation
for her to become a doctor and serve in the remotest of villages, is simply
priceless. The amalgam of
extraordinarily great writing and a heartfelt performance by Rakhee-ji would be a
source of inspiration for any viewer.
That’s
the magic of Salim Saab – Javed Saab’s Writing. They write purely from the
heart; each word has a purpose to enlighten and inspire and not simply
entertain. Once the actor has felt the
vibe and performed it from the heart it leaves behind impeccable characters
such as Anita, Radha and Sudha, who will forever add glory to the corridors of
fame of Indian Cinema as the Most Memorable Women behind the Angry Young Man.
Jaideep
Sen is a filmmaker and a connoisseur of the art of storytelling.
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