A Tribute To Hrishikesh Mukherji

Very few films can be watched with the family. Even fewer films have the charm that draws an audience to them more than once. Such films remind one of themselves. These stories have the shades of realism that make the plot identifiable, a moral that makes the tale more than just about entertainment and a character who is hard to forget. Such were the films that Hrishikesh Mukherjee brought to Indian cinema.

A film with Hrishikesh Mukherjee's name ensured a new and original storyline in an industry plagued by unoriginal plots. His stories put relationships under a microscope and life in front of a mirror.

Abhiman, the Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan starrer. explored the fine angles of a marriage and the devastation resulting from a bruised male ego. Anand, brought us the memorable cancer patient who was remembered by his zest for life and the delightful “Babu Moshaiy!” “Life” Anand told us, “should be big, not long”. Guddi, starring Jaya Bachchan, dealt with the coming of age plot of a young girl fascinated by a filmstar. For the first and only time in a Hindi film, the unrealistic and fanciful world of films was challenged and scrutinized within a film itself.

Directors often use symbolism, camera angles and other intricate apparatus to convey subtle emotion within a story. Hrishikesh Mukherjee however used contrasting shades of the simplicity and complexity of the film’s central characters to do so. The song and dance sequence has for a long time stolen the flow of realistic depiction from Hindi cinema. But Hrishikesh Mukherjee managed to use music, background scores and songs to add to the story.

The female protagonist found an intellectual, strong and opinionated facet in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s films. The range of female characters and personas he explored through his stories is astonishing. From the submissive and subdued Anupama played by Sharmila Tagore to the outspoken and rebellious Manju of Khubsoorat played by Rekha, his films put the female protagonist in the spotlight.



His characters were quirky. They were real. They were honest. Most importantly, they had a little of each one of us in them. While watching a Hrishikesh Mukherjee film, one inevitably found in there a character to relate to. The love stories were not just of larger than life, brawny heroes. The romances were of the endearing common man. The struggle, the dreams and the humor were all borrowed from the middle class. The glitz of glamour was deftly replaced by the more fascinating sincerity of truth.

The lack of violence and the ample inclusion of realism favorably tempered by tasteful romance and wholesome humor make a Hrishikesh Mukherjee film one that the whole family can enjoy together. I could go out today and rent a DVD of Anand, Guddi, Abhiman, Khubsoorat or Gol Maal, knowing well that I have watched it several times before and sure that I will still enjoy it yet again.