The conformist poet/writer in Hindi cinema must struggle. He must struggle for recognition and survival. Be it Vijay (Guru Dutt) of the evergreen classic “Pyaasa” or Alam (Raza Murad) of “Namak Haram” or “Srikant” of Anurodh. Their poems come to the fore only when someone gives an identity to it in the shape of a song. It is intriguing why should a poet always be sick and fighting for existence. He also has to be a masochist, offering solutions but never accepting one.
Vijay of “Pyaasa” was convinced he had to discard this world and walk into one that embraced everyone. Love has been a favourite theme for some of our best poets but the failed ones have had a different story to share, of a world that is insensitive and unforgiving.
“Anurodh” is a tribute to that unsung poet who gives a soothing touch to the troubled life of a society brought up on contrived joy. In the world of this poet there is no room for deceit and pretentions. Transparency reflects in his work that reaches out to people through a gifted voice. In the process it is the voice that lingers in the memory and the poem fades into the background. But not if you genuinely appreciate the message that lies in the poem/song.
Here we have Arun (Rajesh Khanna), an aspiring singer who gives the platform for his friend Srikant (Vinod Mehra) to speak his mind through his poems. It is a musical that draws strength from the combination of Kishore Kumar-Anand Bakshi-Lakmikant Pyarelal. The script was tailor made for Rajesh Khanna even though it did not give him scope to run around trees trying to woo his lady love. The character that he plays is known by his voice since he works at a radio station. It is only towards the climax that he makes a public appearance and connects with his fans first-hand.
Arun has a businessman father (Utpal Dutt) who abhors his son’s indulgence in singing. The son rebels and walks out to make his mark leaving behind a grieving mother. Srikant is talented but his writings reach a dead end when not given voice by his friend. He sinks into depression and then a lethal life-threatening disease. Unmindful of his friend’s woes, Arun, now known as Sanjay, seeks ground to showcase his prowess in another city where he earns his living as a mechanic.
Sunita (Simple Kapadia) is an unabashed fan of Arun/Sanjay and circumstances pitch the two against each other. The singer avoids disclosing his identity for fear of losing Sunita. But he must now come on stage and sing to raise money for meeting the medical expenses for Srikant’s treatment. Things move at a rapid pace even if predictable. There is drama too as Srikant discovers his estranged grandfather (Ashok Kumar) who runs an ashram for kids. The story then ambles to an end where everyone is happily united and it is Srikant who gives voice to his own work – “Tum Besahara Ho Toh” – the prayer song at the ashram.
The film was marked by music and Kishore Kumar’s repertoire. Beginning with “Aapke Anurodh Pe” and moving to the peppy “Aaate Jaate Khoobsurat Awara Sadkon Pe” he keeps the audience engaged but Kishore Da is at his best when rendering the soulful “Mere Dil Ne Tadap Ke” and the sombre “Jab Dard Nahin Tha”. Melancholy is an essential part of the movie but there are some standout moments, few though, that carry the stamp of Rajesh Khanna’s image of an irrepressible romantic.
This was not Rajesh Khanna at his best. The girth was prominent and he was not quite comfortable against the debutant –– Simple Kapadia, almost half his age. Far more impactful was Vinod Mehra in his cameo and his transformation from the famished poet to a healthy singing teacher at the ashram does appear unrealistic but not his acting. It was far more appealing than the rest of the cast, except of course the musical men who came up with some lovely contributions, not to forget Manna Dey’s evergreen “Tum Besahara Ho Toh…”
Genre: Musical social drama
Director: Shakti Samanta
Cast: Rajesh Khanna, Simple Kapadia, Ashok Kumar, Vinod Mehra, Nriupa Roy, Utpal Dutt
Story: Gauri Prasanna Mazumder
Screenplay: Din Dayal Sharma
Dialogue: Gauri Prasanna Mazumder and Din Dayal Sharma
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Music: Laxmikant-Pyarelal
Box office status: Hit
Trivia: Based on 1963 Bengali film “Deya Neya”
