Cinema is an art form which depicts reality in its own way. It has its own distinguishing characteristics and mechanics to do so. If other arts like painting or writing are forms of expression of a single person, a film involves a team, and that makes the sense of expression complicated and difficult. The vision of the filmmaker can only come through when he can successfully pass it on first to his/her crew members, who then bring that vision to life using their expertise. There are certain art forms which involve mechanical tools, but need artistic intervention, talent and craftsmanship for an idea to blossom. Photography is one example. And then, there are certain processes which entirely depend on the skill of the individual – an actor’s performance is one such area. The link between the filmmaker and the actor is crucial. It is the filmmaker’s responsibility to communicate his vision to the actors, and it is the actor’s duty to realize that vision.
In Aandhi, performances by the cast members surpass all their other performances. Interestingly, although Aandhi is generally considered feminist cinema, there is only a single woman character in the film. That aspect aside, there aren’t many characters in the film. Apart from the two protagonists, Aarti Devi and JK, there are some important roles – played by Rehman, A.K. Hangal, Om Prakash and Om Shivpuri – and all their characters are very well etched. In the book Amar Akbar Anthony: Masala, Madness and Manmohan Desai, Sidharth Bhatia talks about the importance of the supporting cast in any film. ‘The supporting cast are crucial,’ he writes. ‘They enhance the film in many ways and [are] a good foil to the lead actors. A bad actor can destroy a scene; a good one strengthen it.’19 This chapter looks at these cast members, first as actors and then as the characters they portrayed in Aandhi.
Suchitra Sen (1931–2014)
‘Suchitra Sen was an era’ is the opening sentence of Shoma A. Chatterji’s book, Suchitra Sen: The Legend and the Enigma, quoting the journalist Ranjan Bandyopadhyay. A lot is established by this single line.
Suchitra Sen ruled Bengali cinema for decades and gave powerful performances in Deep Jwele Jaai (1959) and Uttar Falguni (1963) among many others. Beginning her career with Shesh Kothay (1952), she continued to give powerful peformances, one after the other, till the year 1978 when she quit cinema after Pronoy Pasha (1978). In Hindustani cinema, she is remembered for Devdas (1955), Bombai ka Babu (1960), Mamta (1966) and, of course, Aandhi. Although she acted in very few Hindi films, her ethereal beauty, screen presence and emotive powers led to her popularity among viewers, and she was considered at par with actresses who starred in many more films than her.
Sen’s personal photographer, Dhiren Deb, claimed that he had never ‘met a woman more decent, warmer, more beautiful, more complete and ideal’ than her.20 Chatterji writes that Suchitra’s choice of roles indicated she was a woman with a mind of her own at a time when most actresses were happy doing whatever they were offered. Often, she played the role of a working woman, a rare phenomenon in those days.21
Maitreyee B. Chowdhury, in the book Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen, writes, ‘Suchitra Sen evokes the image of a woman of incredible beauty and grace, with large haunting eyes. Yet she remains an enigma.’22 She adds, ‘The way she dressed, her makeup, her way of talking, everything bespoke of a woman in command of herself and accustomed to attention.’23
Maybe this was the reason why Gulzar chose Suchitra Sen to play the role of Aarti Devi. The director himself says that he had always wanted to cast Suchitra Sen in a film, but decided to approach her only once he had written a role which suited her talent.24 The persona of Aarti Devi’s character was a good fit for Suchitra Sen’s personality. Chatterji quotes an interesting anecdote between Gulzar and Suchitra Sen, highlighting the equation between the two – in that, both of them would address each other as ‘Sir’. Although he was younger to Sen, in both ‘age and experience’, Gulzar says that she insisted in addressing him as ‘Sir’, much against the requests of Gulzar. So, he too started addressing her as ‘Sir’. The two of them continued using this salutation with each other even after the film was wrapped up.25 Chatterjee also quotes Gulzar and his remembering Sen as an ‘extremely warm and a sensitive person’.26
Suchitra Sen as Aarti Devi
Suchitra Sen’s entry as Aarti Devi sets the tone for how the audience perceives her character. Enigmatic and energetic, she climbs down the stairs with great aplomb. File in hand, a crisp cotton sari neatly tucked at her waist, dark glasses over her eyes and all this against a compelling background score make quite an impression in announcing the arrival of the film’s protagonist.
To appreciate how she successfully switches her personality from an authoritative politician to a woman who meets her estranged love, credit must be go to Gulzar and Suchitra Sen. During the film, Sen portrays three different and very distinct traits of Aarti’s personality. In one, she plays a young, free spirited woman who dares to fall in love, stands her ground in front of an opposing father, gets married, and eventually has a falling out with her husband. In the second, she plays a politician who has the strength to lead a country. All her moves are packed with positivity and energy. And in the third, she meets her estranged husband after a gap of nine years; the way she mellows down, the ache of heartbreak melts through her eyes. It is incredible for a character to go through so many transformations during a single film.
The portion of the film which is about the newly married life of the couple, depicts Aarti as a very carefree person. The relationship between the husband and wife is described using wit and humour, and at one point, JK acknowledges this when, laughing, he tells his colleague: ‘You know, my wife has a classic sense of humour. Main baap banne wala hoon … yehi baat mujhe subah ghar pe bata sakti thi. Telegram bheja hai usne…’ (You know, my wife has a classic sense of humour. I am going to be a father … she could have told me this in the morning, at home … but she has telegrammed this news to me.)
JK also comments on his wife’s strength: ‘You don’t know the strength of my wife. Woh mahinon ka kaam dinon mein karti hai (She finishes the tasks that’s generally done in months, in days). She will just do it like that’ (he clicks his fingers). This again reflects the fact that JK knows very well the strength of his wife. He is fully aware of her strong temperament and her will to get things done, those which she wishes to accomplish.
Another feature of Aarti’s character that comes through is that she has great respect for the common man and holds idealistic views of how to run the government. At one point, when she suspects Lallu Laal playing up some game, she tells him: ‘Jhoot bol kar sachchayee kabhi nahin jeeti jaa sakti’ (Truth cannot be won with lies).
Towards the end of the film, when Aarti leaves the hotel in anger, JK remarks about her: ‘She hasn’t changed a single bit. Wohi mizaaj, wohi ghussa, wohi impulsive nature’ (She hasn’t changed a single bit. The same temperament, the same anger, the same impulsive nature).
To sum up on what the filmmaker himself had to say about his protagonist, Maitreyee B. Chowdhury quotes Gulzar and says that very few actresses could have lent the dignity that Suchitra did to the character of Aarti.27
Sanjeev Kumar (1938–1985)
Popularly known as ‘Hari bhai’ in the film fraternity, Sanjeev Kumar was an actor for all seasons, and worked with many filmmakers in his career. Being associated with IPTA (Indian People’s Theatre Association), he started his career with theatre. He was barely 22 when he played the lead role in Arthur Miller’s All My Sons. That role was of an old man, and as per a popular anecdote, even Prithviraj Kapoor did not recognize him and inquired about him. It was here that Gulzar spotted him too.
In his early years in the industry, Sanjeev Kumar did some character roles. His first film as a protagonist was Nishan (1965). However, it was Khilona (1970) which brought him recognition and acceptance in cinema. The frenzy and dedication with which he plays the part of a mentally challenged man is commendable. However, it was his association with Gulzar and the roles he essayed in his films that surpassed all the other ones. In public memory, he might be remembered most fondly for his character of Thakur Baldev Singh in Sholay (1975), and for roles in Trishul (1978), Naya Din, Nayi Raat (1974) and Pati Patni aur Woh (1978), but it is his characters in Mausam (1975), Aandhi (1975), Angoor (1982), Namkeen (1982) and Koshish (1972), and even a cameo in Parichay (1972) that outshine all his other roles. Gulzar said that Sanjeev Kumar understood the requirements of his role quite well.28 Interestingly, if one observes the physical appearance of two characters played by Kumar in Gulzar’s films, Mausam and Aandhi, both released in the same year, one will find them to be identical. Both characters are middle-aged and dress similarly. However, their personalities come across as drastically different. Such was his acting calibre. It was the equation between Sanjeev Kumar and Gulzar that led to the creation of the finer attributes of both personas on screen.
Sanjeev Kumar as JK
‘Bilkul waise hee ho…’
(You are just the same.)
‘Zara kamzor ho gaya hoon.’
(I have grown weak.)
‘Nahin kamzor to nahin ho … tum to kabhi kamzor nahin they. Sirf duble ho gaye ho kuch.’
(No, you aren’t weak … you were never weak. You have just lost some weight.)
These are the first lines exchanged when Aarti and JK meet after a gap of nine years. She corrects him on how he describes himself. Aarti talks about one of the most intrinsic qualities of her husband in a subtle way – the difference between ‘kamzor’ (weak) and ‘duble’ (having lost weight). In spite of all their differences that led them to part ways, there is an inherent respect for each other. By bringing out the difference between the two words, Gulzar sums up JK’s personality too. This leads to another aspect of the film: the character of JK is created and viewed largely through the prismatic lens of his wife.
Later, in one of the flashback scenes, when we find her discussing JK with her father, she tells him how playful he his – ‘Bachche nahin hain, lekin bachpana bahut hai’ (he is not a child, but very childish) – as the conversation continues, we see the innocence of the male protagonist in his layered personality. Those lines are in response to the accusation by Aarti’s father, Mr Bose, who asks her if JK is a child given the amount of time she spends taking care of him. There is another scene, when JK, unsuccessful in trying to put a drawstring in his pyjama, comes to Aarti to seek her help; his innocence and the endearing relationship between the two shine through in such moments.
JK is also a poet, to which Aarti says, ‘Agar tum shayar nahin hote, to bahut ordinary hote’ (You would have been a very ordinary person, had you not been a poet). Her words bring forth two fascinating aspects of JK’s personality. The first is the obvious – that he is a poet. The second is that he is also an ordinary man, a description which JK accepts. In a scene, where he and Aarti are quarrelling over a trivial domestic issue, he too admits it: ‘Main ek seedha saada sa aadmi hoon aur hamesha rehna chahta hoon’ (I am an ordinary man and wish to remain this way).
Another distinct quality that is apparent is that JK is a man who has self-respect, and the line between self-respect and ego gets thinner and nearly blurs as the story progresses. When Aarti asks him to quit his job as a hotel manager and take up a better job using her father’s recommendation or start his own business, JK not only dislikes the idea but loses his temper and tells his wife in black and white that if she has a problem being known as a hotel manager’s wife, she could leave him; he would not hold her back.
It will not be incorrect to say that JK is just a simple man with a typical male ego. At one moment, he claims he loves his wife abundantly, at another, he makes a sexist, regressive comment: ‘Mera shauhar banne ki koshish mat karo. Biwi ho, biwi ki jagah raho’ (Don’t try to become my husband. You are a wife, remain so). This line alone portrays JK in a very different light. He had made it very clear that he wished to have a woman who stays at home, looks after him and takes care of the family. He isn’t happy with Aarti’s daily meetings and tells her categorically that he had spelt out even before the marriage itself that he would not be comfortable with a working woman. In many ways, this becomes the tipping point of their marriage. However, when the film ends, he is a different man – Aarti is hesitant going to work, but he tells her to go ahead and finish the task that she had undertaken. ‘Main tumhe haara nahin dekhna chahta, na ghar mein, na bahar’ (I don’t want to see you losing, neither at home, nor in the
world outside).
Rehman (1921–1984)
Born in Lahore, Rehman migrated towards what is now India much before Partition and studied to be a pilot. However, having grown a dislike for the profession, he decided to try his luck in the film industry. Starting his career with Shahjehan in 1946, Rehman went on to act in an array of films, essaying a number of memorable roles. His most notable films are Badi Behen (1949), Pyaasa (1957), Chaudvin ka Chand (1960), Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962), Mere Mehboob (1963), Waqt (1965), Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya (1966) among others. He was largely known to play sophisticated and suave characters, and even today is remembered for his dapper sense of style and grooming, and his dialogue delivery. No matter how small his role, it always left an impact, as was in the case of Aandhi.
Rehman as Mr K. Bose
As Aarti’s father, Rehman’s was a character then rarely seen in Hindustani cinema. He played the role of a businessman who has high hopes and aspirations for his daughter, and is upset that she wishes to marry and settle down. He tells her point-blank that her education, a degree in law, will prove to be a sheer waste if she, like other women, gets married and has children. A monologue delivered by him, opens up many layers of his personality:
‘Shaadi karni hai! Kyun? Itni jaldi kya hai? Kya ho jayega shaadi se? Kaho kaho … samjhao mujhe … jahan tak main samjhta hoon, humare mulk mein takreeban athatis hazaar shaadiyan roz hotee hain … ismein se ek shaadi tumhari bhi hogee … phir, aage kya … future ka kya hoga? Humare yahan jo bartan manjhne wali aati hai, usne bhi shaadi ki hai … uske bachche bhi hain … tumhare bhi bachche ho jayenge. Lekin phir … phir kya? Kya yahi tumhari zindagi ka goal hai? Yahi tumhari ambition hai? I am very much disappointed my dear … you just want to be one of these millions and millions of creatures … meri tumhare saath itni umeedein thi, main chahta tha ki tum bahut unchayee tak pahuncho … lekin tum iss shaadi ki jaldi mein…’
(You want to get married? Why? What is the hurry? What will you gain? Tell me … make me understand … as far as I know, twenty-eight thousand marriages take place every year in our country … yours will be one of those … Then? What next? What will happen to your future? The woman who comes to do our dishes … she has also married … she too has children … you will also have children … then what? Is that your goal for life? Is this your ambition? I am very disappointed my dear … you just want to be one of these millions and millions of creatures … I had such hopes from you … I had wished to see you soar to great heights … but in this hurry to get married, you…)
Much later, in one of the scenes, after Aarti is married, he scolds her for arriving late to a party meeting and missing out on important discussions. He looks disgusted when he tells him that she got late because she had to prepare and serve breakfast to JK and send him off to work. He even questions her if Brinda (their help) wasn’t home, as she had to do the household chores. When Aarti says that she herself had to look after JK’s breakfast, he comments, sarcastically, ‘Kya haath se khilana padta hai?’ (Do you have to feed him with your own hands?)
Mr Bose is never seen alone in the film. His character and personality comes through his conversations with his daughter. Though there are only a couple of scenes with him in the film, they are strong enough to drive home his authoritative and formidable personality.
A.K. Hangal (1914–2012)
A.K. Hangal was a freedom fighter and even spent three years in jail during British rule. It was his love for theatre that made him join IPTA. He later joined films when he was fifty, his first being Teesri Kasam. Although he always did cameos, he did leave an impression. The films that he is most remembered for are Heer Ranjha (1970), Guddi (1971), Bawarchi (1972), Namak Haram (1973), Sholay (1975), Chitchor (1976), Shaukeen (1982) and Lagaan (2001) among others.
Hangal as Brinda Kaka
Brinda Kaka is more than just a domestic help in the house. He appeals to Aarti to save her marriage. In one scene, where JK storms out of the house after an argument without having his breakfast, Brinda tells Aarti that a quarrel every morning isn’t good for any relationship. He adds: ‘Pati ki ichcha mein hee tumhari ichcha honi chahiye’ (The husband’s wish should be your wish too). This does not go down very well with Aarti, who retorts, ‘Pati hai na, koi boss to nahin. Koi naukar to nahin hoon ki unki marzi se nahin chaloongi to nikaal denge mujhe. Tumhari jagah hotee to yeh shayad darr hota mujhe’ (He is a husband and not a boss. I am not a servant that he would kick me out of a job if I don’t do as told. Had I been in your place, I would perhaps have been scared).
Being referred to as a ‘servant’ pinches Brinda and he tries to tell Aarti that he wasn’t in their house for work but for his love for her, and that she too did not have the right to throw him out. He had left her father’s house after Aarti had married JK and had come with her. Aarti too realizes she had made a mistake the moment she had referred to Brinda as a servant. Brinda, however, fights tears and tells her that he would leave only when he alone wishes, not when anyone else wants. He says that once Mannu (JK and Aarti’s daughter) grows up and gets married, he would go with her.
Brinda Kaka is also a key witness to the trajectory JK and Aarti’s marital relationship takes – their marriage and initial love, their differences, arguments and finally, their separation. He feels helpless – though in his own ways, he tries to advise Aarti about the right thing to do.
Nine years later, when he sees Aarti, now a famous politician, he isn’t sure how he must address her and is tongue-tied. However, this initial hesitation is put to rest as soon as Aarti touches his feet, catching him by surprise. After this meeting, when Aarti starts coming regularly to the bungalow to meet JK, she once confesses to Brinda Kaka that she has lost everything she had, to which he replies: ‘Woh rishta hee kya jo haath chootne se choot jaye?’ (What kind of a relationship is that which is left behind when the two leave each other?)
Such is his wisdom and understanding of relationships.
Om Prakash (1919–1998) and Om Shivpuri (1938–1990)
Om Prakash started his career with All India Radio under the name of Fatehdin. Although he was very popular there, he left it to join films. His first film was Dasi (1944) and then Dhamki (1945) in Lahore. However, he migrated to India after Partition. After the initial days of struggle, he restarted his career in Hindustani cinema and then there was no looking back – he acted in about three hundred films. Some of his well-known films are Zanjeer (1973), Chupke Chupke (1975), Julie (1975), Gol Maal (1979), Laawaris (1981), Namak Halal (1982) and Sharaabi (1984) among others. He even produced a couple of films.
A veteran at the National School of Drama, Om Shivpuri later started the theatre group ‘Dishantar’ and finally joined films. His first film was Ashad ka Ek Din (1971), followed by Koshish (1972). His other prominent films were Sholay (1975), Mausam (1975), Kitaab (1977), Don (1978), Meera (1979), Insaaf ka Taraazu (1980), Naseeb (1981), Arth (1982), and Coolie (1983) among others.
Om Prakash as Lallu Laal and Om Shivpuri as Chander Sen
Lallu Laal and Chander Sen are the mouthpiece representing the filmmaker’s take on the political scene of the country. Both characters are shown conniving and strategizing methods to win the elections. Not surprisingly, they adopt dubious ways to achieve their goal. If Lallu Laal is a worker in Aarti’s party, Chander Sen is the leader of the opposition. Both are shown to be unscrupulous, forever plotting against the opposite party. They even instigate the common man and lead the ordinary public towards violence.
When Aarti Devi is hurt, Lallu Laal doesn’t call the doctor – he wants the press and photographers to reach there first. He intends to make full use of the situation and turn this episode in the party’s favour. It is the crafty Lallu Laal’s plan to provoke Agarwal to stand for the elections since if he does so, the votes of the mill workers would go to him and not to Chander Sen.
This issue of dividing the vote bank is explicitly spelt out, as Lallu Laal explains the same to another party worker:
‘Ek tareeqa hai Chander Sen ki taaqat todne ka. Woh yeh … ki Agarwal ko election mein khada kar diya jaye.’
(There is one way to defeat the rising power of Chander Sen. Make Agarwal contest the elections.)
‘Usse fayda?’ (What use would that be of?)
‘Yeh jo dus aadmi ek jagah hain, unhe jeetne ke liye tumhe kitne vote chahiye?’ (How many votes do you need to win against ten people?)
‘Gyarah.’ (Eleven.)
‘Agar main inhe paanch paanch mein batwa doon … phir?’ (If I divide them in five each … then?)
‘Chhaih.’ (Six.)
This plan is hatched without Aarti Devi’s knowledge. As expected, when Chander Sen gets to know of Agarwal contesting the elections, he is visibly perturbed since he is aware that the votes of the mill workers would go to him. However, the tables turn when he gets to know that there is a strike in his mill. After giving it some thought, he strategizes and conveys the plan to his party workers.
‘Mazdooron ko bhadkaye rakhkho aur kisi tarah ka koi samjhauta mat hone do.’ (Keep the workers on edge and make sure that no compromise can take place.)
The scene that follows is that of workers protesting in front of Agarwal Mills, and Lallu Laal is seen standing at the back, looking complacent and satisfied that the plan has worked in his favour. As we go deeper into the story, the politics gets dirtier and murkier. When Chander Sen gets the whiff of a relationship between Aarti and JK, he acquires proof in the form of photographs and it is with this information that he launches his newspaper, Zamana¸ maligning his political opponent.
‘Geeta haath mein le kar jung nahin ladi jaa sakti. Bhagwan Krishna nahin lad sake to yeh kya ladegi.’ (You can’t fight war with Geeta in your hands. If Lord Krishna couldn’t, how would she?)
Again, it is Lallu Laal, who at one of Agarwal’s speeches, hands over eggs wrapped in ten-rupee notes to the audiences, asking them to keep the money and throw the eggs at the podium.
Gulzar has used both these characters to strengthen the background of the film, and they are instrumental in conveying the inherent message. While he showcased dirty politics through Lallu Laal and Chander Sen, he has also provided Aarti Devi as the character who could counter their points of view and practices.
Gulzar’s characters are always carved out well. Aandhi’s are no different. They aren’t static in their perspectives and their personalities change as the story develops. We witness a definite shift in the patriarchal mindsets. We see the transfer of power from the men in the film to the only woman in the script. Aarti’s father tries to persuade her and even dictate terms with regard to how she should lead her life. Later, her husband JK too demands that he wants an ordinary wife who would look after the house and the family.
However, in the course of the film, we notice Aarti taking decisions for herself. She goes to meet the husband in the ‘dark’, knowing that it might not be good for her political ambitions, but she listens to her heart. There is a change in the male protagonist also. The same JK, who was very adamant that his wife shouldn’t work, now encourages her to go ahead and live her dream.