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55 years of Bandhan: ‘Binding' rural drama with box office success

Starcast: Rajesh Khanna, Mumtaz, Sanjeev Kumar, Anju Mahendroo, Achala Sachdev, Jeevan and Kanhaiyalal Director: Narinder Bedi Music: Kaly...


Starcast: Rajesh Khanna, Mumtaz, Sanjeev Kumar, Anju Mahendroo, Achala Sachdev, Jeevan and Kanhaiyalal

Director: Narinder Bedi

Music: Kalyanji Anandji

 1969 was an extremely significant year for the Hindi film industry. It saw a meteoric rise of one of the greatest movie stars of India, Rajesh Khanna for whom the word “Superstar” was coined by the film media. Although Khanna made his debut with the 1966 film Aakhri Khat by Chetan Anand, it was the blockbuster success of Shakti Samanta’s Aradhana and the success of B.R. Chopra’s Ittefaq along with G P Sippy’s Bandhan in the same year which heralded a record string of hits. Therefore, it is sad that the mention of Bandhan, this worthwhile debut of director Narinder Bedi, released on July 11, 1969,  is not taken in the same breath as the other two films.

Storyline: Bandhan is a well-directed rural drama set in the villages of Northern India. While the first half of the film is full of romance, the second half is mainly a courtroom drama. The film begins with notorious thief Jeevanlal (Jeevan) stealing valuable jewellery and hiding them under the pillow of his son Dharamdas aka Dharma. When the villagers and the police come to Jeevanlal’s house, the righteous child Dharma hands the jewellery over to them. Jeevanlal gets arrested and since then is filled with rage and hatred for his son. Dharma (Rajesh Khanna) grows up to be a strapping lad, who is always at loggerheads with his dishonest father. One day, he takes a stick in his hands to hit his father and as a result is reprimanded by his mother (Achala Sachdev) and is thrown out of the house. Dharma goes to the city,  is employed, and does well for himself. As luck would have it, he is arrested for killing his father with an axe the very day he returns home. Did Dharma actually kill his father?? What were the dire circumstances under which such an unfortunate incident happened? What does Dharma’s beloved Gauri (Mumtaz) know? The gripping climax answers this and many more questions.

Direction and other Technical Departments: Narinder Bedi in his debut directorial does a terrific job. He handles the innocent, comical scenes in the first half very well, the scenes between Rajesh Khanna and Achala Sachdev are very touching and not at all melodramatic, thanks to the vision of the young director. The way Narinder Bedi constructs the courtroom proceedings till the climax is praiseworthy and holds the attention of the audience till the very end. He is aided by sharp and effective dialogues written by his father, the eminent Rajinder Singh Bedi. Ace cinematographer of yore K.Vaikunth does an extremely proficient job of capturing the rural parts of India with utmost precision. Editing by the reliable M.S.Shinde is also notable, especially in the courtroom scenes interspersed by flashbacks. The production design by Sudhendu Roy is excellent and unlike many films of that era, bears a realistic touch.

Performances: Bandhan is embellished with some excellent performances by the lead and supporting cast. Rajesh Khanna gives a stellar performance as Dharma. He handles all kinds of emotions with equal dexterity and looks very handsome. Mumtaz as the glamorous, chirpy village belle Gauri is a sheer treat to watch. The camera loved her and how!! Sanjeev Kumar in a supporting role shines and almost steals the thunder in the courtroom scenes. Anju Mahendroo here is the surprise package. A lady doctor in a village was a rarity on the Indian screen and she shines in this author-backed role with her effortless charm and lovely voice. It’s a surprise that she didn’t become a big name in tinsel town. Kanhaiyalal and Achala Sachdev are excellent in their respective roles as well but it’s Jeevan as the amoral, vile often menacing  Jeevanlal who excels. It is definitely one of his most memorable roles and he dominates the screen with his eyes filled with cruelty and hatred and his caustic dialogue delivery.

Music: It is the music department, sadly, which lags a little behind even though it was helmed by the ever-dependable duo Kalyanji Anandji. However, two songs stand out, the excellently rendered Bin Badra ke Bijuriya by Mukesh, which probably inspired his assistant Babla’s Kaise Bani, and the rustic, beautiful duet Jana Hai Toh Jao (Mahendra Kapoor and Asha Bhosle). The lyricists Indeevar and Anjaan do really well to pen lyrics according to the theme and the backdrop.

Bandhan came at a time when romantic films shot abroad and largely urban films were ruling the roost. But due to its taut script, dramatic moments, and the rising star Rajesh Khanna, it was a rare flick that bound the rural drama with box office success.

By Ayushmaan Mitra

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