Starcast: Rajesh Khanna, Reena Roy, Rakesh Roshan , Mazhar Khan, Aruna Irani, Om Prakash, Vijayendra Ghatge and Shakti Kapoor Direction: Sur...
Starcast: Rajesh Khanna, Reena Roy, Rakesh Roshan , Mazhar Khan, Aruna Irani, Om Prakash, Vijayendra Ghatge and Shakti Kapoor
Direction: Surendra Mohan
Music: Hridaynath Mangeshkar
There is something wonderfully old-fashioned about Dhanwan. It is the sort of Hindi film that starts with a larger-than-life rich man, throws in romance, tragedy, mistaken justice, an accident, a life-changing medical procedure and finally a mission to correct an old wrong. And somehow, despite all these ingredients, the film never feels as cynical as many of its contemporaries. Directed by Surendra Mohan, Dhanwan released in July 1981 stars Rajesh Khanna, Reena Roy and Rakesh Roshan, with a supporting cast that includes Om Prakash, Aruna Irani and Shakti Kapoor.
At the centre of the story is Vijay Kumar Saxena, played by Rajesh Khanna. Vijay is rich, successful and, unfortunately, rather convinced that the world runs according to his bank balance. He wants Asha, played by Reena Roy, but Asha isn't impressed by his money or arrogance. Instead, she chooses Anil, a humble accounts clerk played by Rakesh Roshan. Vijay takes the rejection badly, and the film initially presents him as the classic wealthy hero who has everything except humility.
Then comes the twist that changes everything.
After an accident leaves Vijay blind, he discovers something money cannot simply purchase: a pair of eyes. Suddenly the man who believed that wealth could solve every problem is completely dependent on something as unpredictable as a human donation. It is a pretty direct moral lesson, but it works because the film doesn't rush through Vijay's transformation. His blindness becomes more than a physical condition; it becomes a metaphor for his inability to see the world beyond his own privilege.
Vijay eventually receives a corneal transplant and learns that the eyes allowing him to see again belonged to Anil — the very man who married Asha. Anil is dead, having been executed after being falsely implicated in a theft case. Vijay now has two things to deal with: his complicated feelings for Asha and the uncomfortable truth about the man whose eyes have literally given him back his sight.
This is where Dhanwan becomes considerably more interesting than its title suggests. The film isn't really about a wealthy man becoming charitable. It is about a man gradually understanding the value of things he previously took for granted — love, sacrifice, justice and human dignity.
Rajesh Khanna is particularly well suited to Vijay. There is an interesting contrast in his performance between the swaggering millionaire of the first half and the more subdued, emotionally vulnerable man after the accident. Khanna had already played countless variations of romantic and emotional protagonists by this point, but there is something appealing about watching him strip away Vijay's arrogance layer by layer.
Yet the film belongs equally to Reena Roy. Asha isn't written as the conventional heroine who simply waits for the hero to discover his goodness. She is strong-willed and refuses to be impressed by Vijay's wealth. Her presence is important because she provides the moral resistance that Vijay desperately needs. Reena Roy was particularly good at playing women who could combine vulnerability with a certain steeliness, and Asha is a fine example of that.
Rakesh Roshan, meanwhile, gives Anil a sincerity that makes his fate genuinely tragic. His character could easily have been reduced to a convenient plot device, but Roshan gives him enough warmth for the emotional equation between Anil, Asha and Vijay to work. His performance was also recognised with a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor nomination, reportedly the film's only nomination.
The screenplay, credited to H.M. Mirza and Shahrukh Mirza, with dialogues by Rahi Masoom Reza, has plenty of melodramatic turns. Some developments are undoubtedly convenient. But that is also part of the film's charm. This isn't trying to be subtle cinema. It is mainstream Hindi melodrama in the best traditional sense — it wants you to feel something and isn't embarrassed about doing so.
The music is another attraction. Hridaynath Mangeshkar composed the soundtrack, with lyrics by Sahir Ludhianvi. Songs such as “Yeh Aankhein Dekh Kar” and “Kuchh Log Mohabbat Ko” fit naturally into the film's romantic and emotional framework, while the more playful numbers like "Idhar Aa Aa Bhi Jaa" provide relief from the heavier drama.
What I particularly like about Dhanwan is that its central idea is so simple: 'wealth can buy comfort, but it cannot buy everything that makes life meaningful'. Vijay has to lose his sight before he truly learns how to see. It is hardly a new theme, but the film packages it in such quintessential style that it remains entertaining.
Is Dhanwan flawless? Absolutely not. The pacing can feel leisurely, the melodrama occasionally goes overboard, and the plot depends on several coincidences. But if you approach it as a classic early-1980s Bollywood social-romantic drama rather than demanding modern realism, there is plenty to enjoy.
Ultimately, Dhanwan is a film about redemption disguised as a love story. And perhaps its greatest irony is that the man who possesses everything at the beginning is actually the poorest person in the room — until life teaches him what money never could.
By Ayushmaan Mitra
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