When I look at some of Hrishi da’s early films, I’m struck by his liberalism and pragmatism. Anuradha (made in 1960) talks about the sacrifice of a famous singer for her doctor husband and who feels a renewed attraction for her lover when he walks back into her life because her music has been so neglected, her sacrifice seemingly in vain. Recently I sat watching Satyakam again-a film that Hrishikesh Mukherjee said was his swan song-a film that didn’t do well commercially, a film that Hrishi da believed should have got the top most honors for Dharamendra as an actor, a film that everyone finds hard to watch and hard to resist at the same time. Satyakam also made in the late sixties, shows a well established, highly educated man marry a feisty rape victim and adopt her illegitimate son, bringing initial rejection but final acceptance from his elders. Saanjh aur Sawera shows an unwed girl masquerading as someone else’s wife, to save her uncle’s honor, and in Chhaya a girl found on his doorsteps is not rejected even when her wealthy and well known father finds out she is the daughter of his maid, eighteen years later.
As I work on this series, I’m revisiting so many of Hrishi da’s films, discovering some more stellar music, smiling ruefully at the innocence of those days, when people were bound by their circumstances in one powerful community, where your neighbor was family, and your pain was theirs and vice versa. At the end of every story, there was hope and redemption, and even in death, Hrishi da’s characters lived on through their deeds.
As actor Farooque Sheikh says in my webcast this week-there was no truly evil character in Hrishi da’s film, and that was because of the kind of man Hrishi da was himself. Everyone who knew him has consistently said they never saw him speak ill of anyone, and he always found something nice to say about every one.
My conversations with screen legend Sharmila Tagore, actors par excellence Deepti Naval, Farooque Sheikh and Raj Babbar for this webcast, were enlightening in some parts and in others they reinforced my respect for a film maker who not only made movies with a heart, but was all heart himself. It means a lot to me because I too follow my heart, and believe that decisions made that way, always pan out if the intention is pure.
Sharmila Tagore mentioned that for her, Anupama the first film she worked in for Hrishi da will always be the most special because the innocence she projected as a suppressed young motherless child, is something she can never replicate again. She appreciates Satyakam because it was a thinking film and gave her a lot of scope for acting and Chupke Chupke was a blast with so many fun people to work with. Dharamendra was her co-star in all the films, and Sharmila Tagore remembered how he was the perfect combination of masculinity and gentleness. I was joking with her that he made such a handsome cancer patient that we end up crying even harder each time we see the film. She said Dharamendra was so accommodating that one time he worked all through the night, so she could leave to see her husband then boy friend Nawab of Pataudi in Calcutta.
Sharmila ji also talked about Hrishi da’s work being his life, but that like most directors, and Bengali ones for that matter, Hrishi da was much more than just a film maker. His multi dimensional personality made him well versed in so many different things that one could talk on a diverse variety of topics. He had a terrific sense of humor and quite a collection of jokes, some very risqué as well!
He was from the old school of film makers said Sharmila Tagore and I thought what a golden era that was of the great Bimal Roy, Satyajit Ray, amazing lyricists like Shailendra, the great Kaifi Azmi, the immensely talented Gulzar to name just a few in a long list, and wonderful screenplay and story writers like the legendary Sachin Bhaumick who is still going strong, and who wrote many of Hrishi da’s block busters, stellar musicians like Pt. Ravi Shankar, Salil Chaudhry, S.D Burman, Shankar Jaikishan, R.D Burman and stellar singers like Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Rafi, Manna Dey, Mukesh, Talat Mehmood and of course Kishore Kumar.
Sharmila Tagore in Conversation with Kavita – The legendary actress shares thoughts on the three outstanding films she did with Hrishikesh Mukherjee and what made him special.
More memories flowed from the four actors – stories of his kindness when Raj Babbar was running from Bombay to Khandala to back having over committed himself, but not wanting to give up on a Hrishikesh Mukherjee film. Hrishi da told him on the fourth day of this running back and fourth, that he could see Raj ji was very tired and that he wanted him to go to sleep while others finished the shooting. “I was really nervous that Hrishi da had caught on to what I was up to”. Raj ji also talks about the fact that when he came to Bombay he knew no one but made a bee line for Hrishi da because he had heard that Hrishi da helped actors from the theater. He asked to work as his assistant but Hrishi da said he already had so many and that Raj ji should stick to acting. It gave the handsome Punjabi actor, hope that if Hrishi da saw some star material in him may be he should indeed stick to acting. It was some time before he got the opportunity to act with the great film maker, but it was always a memorable experience. His naturalness always made Raj Babbar grab any opportunity no matter how small that came by to act under him. Raj Babbar also spoke of the confidence Hrishi da inspired in an actor. He created performers, said Raj Babbar because whenever anyone worked under him, they came back believing they had really performed. In his last days though they could not meet that often, the actor was always inspired by the cheerful demeanor Hrishi da sported for the world, always underplaying his ill health.
Raj Babbar in Conversation with Kavita: Raj Babbar says Hrishi da made his actors self confident.
I heard stories of how Hrishi da let Sharmila Tagore keep her bouffant in Anupama against his wishes but punished his favorite Dharamendra when he showed up late by picturising an entire song without him and showing him coming out of the men’s’ toilet in the ending scene! Dharam ji I’m told was never late after that. More stories of how Deepti Naval would always ask for her make up man just as Hrishi da called for action. Since he was very fond of her he would say exasperatedly-“Deepti child, make up your mind before you mind your make up.” Deepti Naval says, her relationship with Hrishi da went way beyond the two films she did with him. He was the father figure she could always turn to, with her problems or for guidance. He was the reason she wanted to become an actress in the first place and was able to convince her parents only because she showed them Hrishi da’s films and told them that was the kind of cinema she wanted to be a part of. Hrishi da always encouraged her and told her not to give up, that there was a place for an actor with her sensibilities, and that meant a lot to her.
Deepti Naval in Conversation with Kavita: The iconic actress talks about how her relationship with Hrishi da went beyond the two films she did with him.
Farooque Sheikh told me of how honorable Hrishi da was as well as his producer Mr. J. Pandya. Hrishi da asked Farooque Sheikh to make a guest appearance in Rang Birangi because he was trying to help out Mr. Pandya who had not done well with an earlier film also directed by Hrishi da. Hrishi da paid Farooque Sheikh double the amount, they had originally agreed upon, because his role was increased to twice of what it was. Raj Babbar told me how in spite of being a genius at his craft Hrishi da indulged a Canadian cameraman during the shooting of Namumkin, because of some regulation and even had the camera man eating out of his hands.
Farooque Sheikh in Conversation with Kavita: Farooque Sheikh on why Hrishikesh Mukherjee will always be the shining star among front runners in film direction.
The most telling statement again came from Raj Babbar when he said that not only did working with Hrishi da made an actor self confident, it totally spoilt it for the actor when it came to working for anyone else. “He never made us feel that he was this great director. He always made us think he was learning something from us.”
For me the most moving experience has been the fact that people speak of Hrishi da with so much love. You can speak of a great artist’s craft with reverence, but love and respect have to be earned, and just for that Hrishi da lived a priceless and incomparable life.